Something to look forward to?

[brassie]

Last night against AAC bottom feeder Cincinnati, Auriemma sat his three seniors (Stewart, Tuck, Jefferson) for the 1st quarter and instead started bench players in their place.

The score after the 1st quarter - UConn 25, Cincy 19. After he went back to his normal lineup Cincy only scored 15 points for the rest of the game.

The point being next year with no Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson UConn will not be dominant. I believe that they will be very good but they will also be beatable.

Auriemma recently said that he now has to carry 5 cell phones because so many coaches are calling to get on his schedule.

 

[mlindsay]

Last night against AAC bottom feeder Cincinnati, Auriemma sat his three seniors (Stewart, Tuck, Jefferson) for the 1st quarter and instead started bench players in their place.

The score after the 1st quarter - UConn 25, Cincy 19. After he went back to his normal lineup Cincy only scored 15 points for the rest of the game.

The point being next year with no Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson UConn will not be dominant. I believe that they will be very good but they will also be beatable.

Auriemma recently said that he now has to carry 5 cell phones because so many coaches are calling to get on his schedule.

The only problem is Tuck isn't going anywhere she has another year of Eligibility and I think she stays because she has a chance to be the Top overall pick in next years draft

 

[LadyVol1908]

I think Tuck is ready to move on.

 

[NoBackBoard]

That is the conundrum with WCBB. UConn is so dominant that he can sit starters for the entire first or fourth quarter and still win big.

I view these as attempts to keep scores somewhat close on televised games. It's unfortunate he has to do that bc no one wants to watch a blowout but it's not his team's fault.

Therein lies the issue: how do you build interest in a sport when the best team's games are never compelling?

It's hard to get viewers for FF and Title games when the winner is decided after the first half--in some cases the first quarter.

It will be interesting to see TV ratings for this year's tourney. The question of whether UConn's dominance is good or bad for the sport is decided there. Our opinions don't matter.

 

[volfanIND]

Tuck will be making her decision soon. Her knee isn't going to last much longer and she knows it!

Tuck's bum knee may lead her to leave UConn a year early - Yahoo Sports

 

[mlindsay]

That is the conundrum with WCBB. UConn is so dominant that he can sit starters for the entire first or fourth quarter and still win big.

I view these as attempts to keep scores somewhat close on televised games. It's unfortunate he has to do that bc no one wants to watch a blowout but it's not his team's fault.

Therein lies the issue: how do you build interest in a sport when the best team's games are never compelling?

It's hard to get viewers for FF and Title games when the winner is decided after the first half--in some cases the first quarter.

It will be interesting to see TV ratings for this year's tourney. The question of whether UConn's dominance is good or bad for the sport is decided there. Our opinions don't matter.

I agree! I think ND is 1 Post player away from beating them though. If Reimer would've stayed (They played them without Reimer and Turner and only lost by 10) They would be able to upset them imo. They are the only team I could see (possibly Baylor also this year) who has all the pieces (Coaching, Guards, and Post players) who could beat them.

 

[mlindsay]

Tuck will be making her decision soon. Her knee isn't going to last much longer and she knows it!

Tuck's bum knee may lead her to leave UConn a year early - Yahoo Sports

From the article;

So why would she stay?

It's possible Tuck could compete for a fifth national title in 2016-17, a record that likely would never be broken. She said that is a factor.

Getting a graduate degree while still on scholarship is another.

Tuck also says she's happy at UConn, which is a big check mark in the ''stay'' column.

''I love being here,'' she said. ''I consider this home. I've been here for four years and it's hard to leave, especially when you necessarily don't have to.''

She also is interested in someday becoming a coach. Sitting out so many games has given her more insight into that part of the game and she'd love another year of tutelage under Geno Auriemma and his staff.

If she returns and remains healthy next year she will be the Top Overall pick not just a Top 5 pick. If it doesn't work out she would no doubt be added to the staff and be able to begin a coaching career. Geno needs her next year and the chance she has of being the only 5 time National Champion is something I don't think she would pass up.

 

[Hoya Saxa]

I view these as attempts to keep scores somewhat close on televised games. It's unfortunate he has to do that bc no one wants to watch a blowout but it's not his team's fault.

The Cincinnati coach is a former UConn player and UConn assistant coach. I think he wanted to go easy on her because of their friendship. Those programs he has no warm fuzzies for are not so lucky.

 

[brassie]

The Cincinnati coach is a former UConn player and UConn assistant coach. I think he wanted to go easy on her because of their friendship. Those programs he has no warm fuzzies for are not so lucky.

Elliott and Auriemma are close friends but he shows her no mercy on the court. The average MOV for the last 6 games UConn vs Cincy is 55 points. Hardly a sympathy score.

UConn used to play Auriemma's buddy Jen Rizzotti's Hartford team every year and he used to beat her like a drum until she finally threw in the towel.

Tuck is gone - her public comments about returning have changed significantly since the start of the year.

 

[NoBackBoard]

The key to parity is recruits spreading out. WCBB will never have parity if all the No. 1 recruits go to the same school every year. Once kids start choosing different schools, parity will be here. The decisions of the 2016 class are encouraging. We'll see what happens with 2017.

 

[orangeluvr]

uconn is currently the gold standard everyone else is just gonna have to get better. :yes:

 

[Amb3096]

From the article;



If she returns and remains healthy next year she will be the Top Overall pick not just a Top 5 pick. If it doesn't work out she would no doubt be added to the staff and be able to begin a coaching career. Geno needs her next year and the chance she has of being the only 5 time National Champion is something I don't think she would pass up.

I agree with the knees issue. Especially given her taking time off because of pain in her knees, I can't imagine her staying another year. If she wants to turn pro, now is the time.

She's a great college player, but I'm not sure how her game translates to the pros. She may be too small and not enough leaping ability to effectively play the 4 in the W. She's basically Bashaara Graves, but with a more diverse skillset.

 

[mlindsay]

I agree with the knees issue. Especially given her taking time off because of pain in her knees, I can't imagine her staying another year. If she wants to turn pro, now is the time.

She's a great college player, but I'm not sure how her game translates to the pros. She may be too small and not enough leaping ability to effectively play the 4 in the W. She's basically Bashaara Graves, but with a more diverse skillset.

I think she makes the transition at the 3 spot because she's a better outside shooter than say a Graves. I also think if she slims down a little bit it might help her knees. She's an all around team player which is something coaches at the next level like and she can play multiple positions. If she leaves she will be selected 4th by the Sun and remain in Conn where she could still get her graduate degree and help coach. The Sun have the 3rd and 4th pick and I think if she enters they will select Tiffany Mitchell 3rd and Tuck 4th

 

[Amb3096]

I think she makes the transition at the 3 spot because she's a better outside shooter than say a Graves. I also think if she slims down a little bit it might help her knees. She's an all around team player which is something coaches at the next level like and she can play multiple positions. If she leaves she will be selected 4th by the Sun and remain in Conn where she could still get her graduate degree and help coach. The Sun have the 3rd and 4th pick and I think if she enters they will select Tiffany Mitchell 3rd and Tuck 4th

They got Chiney and Alyssa, who will take probably 80% of the minutes at the 3 and 4. They also have Camille Little and Stricklen on the bench. I honestly don't see space for Tuck on this roster.

 

[mlindsay]

They got Chiney and Alyssa, who will take probably 80% of the minutes at the 3 and 4. They also have Camille Little and Stricklen on the bench. I honestly don't see space for Tuck on this roster.

Little is in the last year of her deal and I could see her being traded to a team who needs Post help (San Antonio). Little is a starter and will want to start now that Chiney is back. With the retirement of Sophia Young-Malcolm, Little would flourish in that offense under Dan Hughes. And having her on the team for the first year in spot duty isn't unheard of. I also have a feeling that there will be a trade between LA and the Sun. LA needs a 3 and Conn has a ton of them

 

[alexvol]

I would not speculate that UConn is in trouble if one or two players leave or get injured or fall over and die.Fact is that the Big A coaches players up and whoever he has will improve over time and be competitive with anyone they play

 

[brassie]

I would not speculate that UConn is in trouble if one or two players leave or get injured or fall over and die.Fact is that the Big A coaches players up and whoever he has will improve over time and be competitive with anyone they play

It's not speculation that UConn will be a very different team next year.
I agree that Auriemma's players usually get better but replacing the best player in the country (Stewart), the best PG in the country (Jefferson) and an All American post player (Tuck) is going to be difficult.

 

[alexvol]

It's not speculation that UConn will be a very different team next year.
I agree that Auriemma's players usually get better but replacing the best player in the country (Stewart), the best PG in the country (Jefferson) and an All American post player (Tuck) is going to be difficult.

I hope that the team will lose 10+ games just like the Lady Vols have this year but would you lay a bet on that happening ? I won't .

 

[Volfan2012]

A bad year for them is 3 or 4 losses and that is probably the most you'll see next season. He has a great track record for developing players so I suspect they will be top five next year even without the big three.

 

[mlindsay]

A bad year for them is 3 or 4 losses and that is probably the most you'll see next season. He has a great track record for developing players so I suspect they will be top five next year even without the big three.

Not only that but his conference is very weak, I don't think he will have the luxury of resting players like he has done this season but I do think he will be able to get them by with a couple of losses (Candidates: SC, ND, Baylor, Maryland, Louisville if they play them)

 

[brassie]

Not only that but his conference is very weak, I don't think he will have the luxury of resting players like he has done this season but I do think he will be able to get them by with a couple of losses (Candidates: SC, ND, Baylor, Maryland, Louisville if they play them)

I think many UConn fans are thinking of "the Dark Years" following Taurasi's departure. They lost 17 games in a 3 year period. In the 9 years since they have lost but 14.

 

[MDVolFan14]

No worries for Geno.... He just reloads like Saban at Bama each year.... And each year most if not all teams loses some players. SC will be losing Mitchell, Sessions, Dozier, Roy and Imovbioh at the end of this season for example....