[81alum]

Time to shove the UConn final four game into the "memory hole" and move on, and one way to do that is to consider how next season will shape up.

We have an amazing nucleus of talent coming back.  Brink and Jones will be more mature and are the kinds of players you can build around.  

Then consider we are getting 6'7" Lauren Betts, the #1 recruit.  I am beginning to think of twin towers Betts and Brink dominating the inside.  

Demetre and Iriafen--the 11th and 19th players their year--will get their opportunities.  They have shown great promise already, and the transition to sophomore year is usually where we see the biggest improvements.

Basically, positions 3-4-5 will be superb and probably better than they have been this year, with more experience and even more depth.  I predict Jones will be playing the 3 a lot to leave room to keep two of our superb bigs in the 4 and 5 as much as possible.

For us, the weakness is losing so many experienced guards.  Losing the Hulls and Wilson will be a big blow to our defense in particular.  On offense it will not be as much of a problem.  The truth is that Wilson and Lacie showed flashes but were never consistent 2-way players.  Lexie was a phenomenal talent but inconsistent.  We may not be as badly hurt by their losses as we currently think.

Jump will be a senior.  Brown and Harriel are question marks--one or both of them could surprise us.  Bosgana could become another Lexie/Lacie type--she is built for it, but we have not seen enough of her to know.  JVG is reputedly a better three point shooter than Jump in practice and has point guard skills.  But my money is on Emma-Nnopu developing into many more minutes.

The real question is how quickly and how much can incoming guards Nivar and Lepolo help us?  Could either wind up becoming a starter, let along a starting point guard?  If either comes in unusually mature for their age then they could get a lot of time.

I am not even going to try to figure out a starting five.  This will be the biggest transition for quite some time.  I wonder if Tara will even consider changing the offense as she did years ago when abandoning the triangle.  My gut tells me that most of the time we will go big, with players like Jones and Demetre at the 3, leaving us with only two true guard positions to fill.  And other than Jump, the rest of the guard crew is mostly untested in a starting role, so the door is wide open for the 5 returners and 2 newcomers to compete.  That is 8 guards competing for two slots, may the best 2 win!

[81alum]

Time to shove the UConn final four game into the "memory hole" and move on, and one way to do that is to consider how next season will shape up.

We have an amazing nucleus of talent coming back.  Brink and Jones will be more mature and are the kinds of players you can build around.  

Then consider we are getting 6'7" Lauren Betts, the #1 recruit.  I am beginning to think of twin towers Betts and Brink dominating the inside.  

Demetre and Iriafen--the 11th and 19th players their year--will get their opportunities.  They have shown great promise already, and the transition to sophomore year is usually where we see the biggest improvements.

Basically, positions 3-4-5 will be superb and probably better than they have been this year, with more experience and even more depth.  I predict Jones will be playing the 3 a lot to leave room to keep two of our superb bigs in the 4 and 5 as much as possible.

For us, the weakness is losing so many experienced guards.  Losing the Hulls and Wilson will be a big blow to our defense in particular.  On offense it will not be as much of a problem.  The truth is that Wilson and Lacie showed flashes but were never consistent 2-way players.  Lexie was a phenomenal talent but inconsistent.  We may not be as badly hurt by their losses as we currently think.

Jump will be a senior.  Brown and Harriel are question marks--one or both of them could surprise us.  Bosgana could become another Lexie/Lacie type--she is built for it, but we have not seen enough of her to know.  JVG is reputedly a better three point shooter than Jump in practice and has point guard skills.  But my money is on Emma-Nnopu developing into many more minutes.

The real question is how quickly and how much can incoming guards Nivar and Lepolo help us?  Could either wind up becoming a starter, let along a starting point guard?  If either comes in unusually mature for their age then they could get a lot of time.

I am not even going to try to figure out a starting five.  This will be the biggest transition for quite some time.  I wonder if Tara will even consider changing the offense as she did years ago when abandoning the triangle.  My gut tells me that most of the time we will go big, with players like Jones and Demetre at the 3, leaving us with only two true guard positions to fill.  And other than Jump, the rest of the guard crew is mostly untested in a starting role, so the door is wide open for the 5 returners and 2 newcomers to compete.  That is 8 guards competing for two slots, may the best 2 win!

[BobK]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess. Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashton will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4 Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet? I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel. Please :)

[BobK]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess. Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashton will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4 Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet? I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel. Please :)

[TheFarm07]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

[TheFarm07]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

[CompSci87]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess.  Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashten will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4  Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet?  I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel.  Please :)

That was the starting lineup that came to mind for me too. Plenty of opportunity for others to step up and earn roles or even start, though.

I'm going to the banquet. Last time I was there, I was at Brown's table, though I doubt she'll remember me. She's very likeable in person.

[CompSci87]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess.  Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashten will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4  Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet?  I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel.  Please :)

That was the starting lineup that came to mind for me too. Plenty of opportunity for others to step up and earn roles or even start, though.

I'm going to the banquet. Last time I was there, I was at Brown's table, though I doubt she'll remember me. She's very likeable in person.

[crackpot]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess.  Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashton will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4  Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet?  I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel.  Please :)

Thanks for mentioning it, Bob! I was wondering if there was going to be one and finally found the invite in my spam folder, argh! Signed up and looking forward to attending.

[crackpot]

Jana
jump
Jones
Belibi
Brink

My guess.  Wonder if Brown healthy for the first time at Stanford
Ashton will play more than Betts so will kiki but the 4/5 future is bright
Demetre 3-4  Nivar at the point
Who’s going to the banquet?  I’m not but ask about Brown and Harriel.  Please :)

Thanks for mentioning it, Bob! I was wondering if there was going to be one and finally found the invite in my spam folder, argh! Signed up and looking forward to attending.

[81alum]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.

Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.

If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  

Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.

It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.

Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

[81alum]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.

Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.

If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  

Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.

It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.

Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

[Maple Leaf]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.

Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.

If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  

Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.

It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.

Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

Emma-Nnopu may provide the team with a guard/wing that can use her athleticism/speed to get to the basket, there were comments made during the season by one of the Pac 12 broadcasters that she was a very good outside shooter in practice, she did have a 3 pointer against the Ducks in Eugene that helped in securing a win.

Tara mentioned in after last year's signing day (Class of 2021) that both Bosgana and Harriel were very fast up and down the court, maybe one or both will provide some offensive power and provide sufficient defensive pressure.

[Maple Leaf]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.

I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.

They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.

Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.

In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.

I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.

Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.

If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  

Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.

It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.

Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

Emma-Nnopu may provide the team with a guard/wing that can use her athleticism/speed to get to the basket, there were comments made during the season by one of the Pac 12 broadcasters that she was a very good outside shooter in practice, she did have a 3 pointer against the Ducks in Eugene that helped in securing a win.

Tara mentioned in after last year's signing day (Class of 2021) that both Bosgana and Harriel were very fast up and down the court, maybe one or both will provide some offensive power and provide sufficient defensive pressure.

[BostonCard]

On paper, the losses are bad, but not devastating.  We lose our third (Lexie Hull), sixth (Anna Wilson), and eighth (Lacie Hull) leading scorers; combined they account for 21.8 points out of 73.9 (29%), 384/1473 rebounds (26%), and 243/537 (45%) of our assists.  Still, we bring back our top two scorers (Brink and Jones) our top two rebounders (Brink and Jones) and our top player in assists (Jones), though the departing seniors were 2, 3, and 4 in assists.  They were also 2, 3 and 4 in made three pointers (behind Jump) and the Hull twins were tied with Jump in 3-point percentage (40%).  We will miss Lexie Hull's team-leading 75 steals; in fact Lexie Hull, Anna Wilson, and Lacie Hull were 1-2-3 on the team in steals, accounting for 171 out of the 297 total steals for the team (58%).  A folks have mentioned, we will not be as disruptive a defensive team next year.

I agree that we will likely see a lot more of Haley Jones at the 3 next year, with Cameron Brink and Belibi as the posts (with Iriafen, Prechtel and Betts rotating in with the posts).  I could see more of a role for Prechtel next year as a "shooting forward" to bolster our outside shooting.  I could see us experimenting with a massive lineup featuring Jump, Jones (as a point forward), Prechtel (as a shooting forward), Belibi and Brink or an even more massive lineup swapping Belibi out for Betts, LOL.  But I imagine that our "normal" starting rotation would likely be Van Gytenbeek, Jump, Jones, Brink and Belibi (as BobK suggested).  That being said, Vanderveer hasn't shied away from starting freshmen when they are transformational, so I could imagine Betts as our starting center by the end of the year if she is that good.

BC

[BostonCard]

On paper, the losses are bad, but not devastating.  We lose our third (Lexie Hull), sixth (Anna Wilson), and eighth (Lacie Hull) leading scorers; combined they account for 21.8 points out of 73.9 (29%), 384/1473 rebounds (26%), and 243/537 (45%) of our assists.  Still, we bring back our top two scorers (Brink and Jones) our top two rebounders (Brink and Jones) and our top player in assists (Jones), though the departing seniors were 2, 3, and 4 in assists.  They were also 2, 3 and 4 in made three pointers (behind Jump) and the Hull twins were tied with Jump in 3-point percentage (40%).  We will miss Lexie Hull's team-leading 75 steals; in fact Lexie Hull, Anna Wilson, and Lacie Hull were 1-2-3 on the team in steals, accounting for 171 out of the 297 total steals for the team (58%).  A folks have mentioned, we will not be as disruptive a defensive team next year.

I agree that we will likely see a lot more of Haley Jones at the 3 next year, with Cameron Brink and Belibi as the posts (with Iriafen, Prechtel and Betts rotating in with the posts).  I could see more of a role for Prechtel next year as a "shooting forward" to bolster our outside shooting.  I could see us experimenting with a massive lineup featuring Jump, Jones (as a point forward), Prechtel (as a shooting forward), Belibi and Brink or an even more massive lineup swapping Belibi out for Betts, LOL.  But I imagine that our "normal" starting rotation would likely be Van Gytenbeek, Jump, Jones, Brink and Belibi (as BobK suggested).  That being said, Vanderveer hasn't shied away from starting freshmen when they are transformational, so I could imagine Betts as our starting center by the end of the year if she is that good.

BC

[dcnav]

I think Emma-Nnopu will provide us with some much needed defense. I don't think/hope she will start but will be used when we need a good perimeter defender. Hard to believe Jump will already be a senior. I hope Haley works hard on her shot. It actually reminds me of Catchings' shot - flat like a shot put. It would really help her to work with a shooting coach. It would be great to have her as our SF, but would be good if she could shoot the three as well as drive as well as pass. Guess we'll see.

---

I really like it early in the year when coach brought Prechtal and Belibi off the bench together for a totally different look than the starters. As with most things, sometimes it was effective. Sometimes not.

Also hoping we don't find somebody in the portal in the next few days.

[dcnav]

I think Emma-Nnopu will provide us with some much needed defense. I don't think/hope she will start but will be used when we need a good perimeter defender. Hard to believe Jump will already be a senior. I hope Haley works hard on her shot. It actually reminds me of Catchings' shot - flat like a shot put. It would really help her to work with a shooting coach. It would be great to have her as our SF, but would be good if she could shoot the three as well as drive as well as pass. Guess we'll see.

---

I really like it early in the year when coach brought Prechtal and Belibi off the bench together for a totally different look than the starters. As with most things, sometimes it was effective. Sometimes not.

Also hoping we don't find somebody in the portal in the next few days.

[old spanish trail]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.



I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.



They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.



Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.



In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.



I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.



Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.



If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  



Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.



It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.



Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

Good post. Jana is going to shoot lights out when we play teams without two quick guards. At 5'7" she will struggle against taller guards who are also quick. Witness Anna at 5'9", who was an excellent D player couldn't stay on the court vs taller guards who could both shoot and guard. Hoping that Nijar, 5'11" and listed as a combo guard, can be just that. Score as a shooting guard and step in at pg when necessary. I think Lepolo, a pure pg, will give Jana a contest in running the team, but I don't think she's near the shooter that Jana is.

Demetre plays best at the Hayley position so she probably won't see alot of time again next year. She could play the 2 if opponent doesn't have quick guard. Nnopu is indeed an excellent defensive player. Look for her to continue to practice 3's and jumpers. Hayley will also be shooting alot of 3's in practice.

Nobody can equal our depth at the 3, 4 and 5, even more so as Betts conditions with the team. Fwiw, when watching videos, I wondered if her feet hurt.

[old spanish trail]

Thanks 81 for starting this thread about next season.



I know we won't definitely fall off a cliff, but with the Hull twins and Wilson leaving, I am concerned whether our team's defense will take a step back. Though Jones & Brink got the awards and accolades the last couple years, those three were a significant part of why we won so many games.



They did all the little things that often times don't show up in the box score, especially on the defensive end. They made life miserable for our opponent's best guards and wings.



Didn't Maryland's Brenda Frese call Wilson a "defensive pest" or something to that effect when their best three point shooter Benzan was held without one the entire game in the Sweet 16? I took pride in our team's defensive reputation and effort whenever I hear those types of comments.



In these big games, I often worry more about our offense than our defense (which unfortunately was very true with last night's game), because I was confident that while we had Brink and Belibi anchoring the post, the Hull twins and Wilson would be patrolling the perimeter and making life hard for an opponent's backcourt.



I hope that the returning and incoming players will take a page out of their books and carry on that defensive legacy they leave behind.

Farm, of course you are right--we were the fourth best defense in the nation this year and it was largely due to those three guards.  They were elite defensive guards but only 1 of them was an elite offensive guard.



Emma-Nnopu can be an elite defensive guard, but I don't think we know enough about her offense to know how she will do there.  I think she can be as good as Lacie on the defensive end.  So that is part of how we replace them.



If JVG gets the nod as starting point guard in the Wilson slot then I think we will be getting better offense but losing some defense.  



Lexie I think gets replaced by a big, by playing more 3-big sets with Jones/Demetre at the 3.  That will take advantage of our size and athleticism among the 4/5s.



It is going to look quite different from this year's team, and it probably will be weaker on defense.  Although even that is not certain.  We might not have the guards to keep opposing players from breaking to the rim, but with 6'7" Betts joining Brink we could become a deeper and more comprehensive shot blocking team.  Meanwhile, on offense we went through much of this year with 2 players on the court who rarely scored double digits, and 1 other who went hot and cold on offense.  When Lexie was hot, we had blowout wins, when she was cold, we either eeked out wins or lost.  There were games when Lacie and Wilson seemed to break out and score double digits--but those were rare and inconsistent so that production was never sustained.  That can change and our 3 headed hydra could become a 4 headed or 5 headed one.



Question:  With Brink established and the #1 post coming in, is it time to bring back the Triangle?  We implemented the motion offense for Amber/Lili in a year when we had to emphasize guard play.  Seems the time might be right to migrate back to the offense from the old Appel/Nneka/Chiney days.  "Positionless basketball" might fit Jones very well, but if our 6'7" freshman is all she is cracked up to be, it would seem appropriate to create a system designed to feed Brink and Betts the ball down low as often as possible.

Good post. Jana is going to shoot lights out when we play teams without two quick guards. At 5'7" she will struggle against taller guards who are also quick. Witness Anna at 5'9", who was an excellent D player couldn't stay on the court vs taller guards who could both shoot and guard. Hoping that Nijar, 5'11" and listed as a combo guard, can be just that. Score as a shooting guard and step in at pg when necessary. I think Lepolo, a pure pg, will give Jana a contest in running the team, but I don't think she's near the shooter that Jana is.

Demetre plays best at the Hayley position so she probably won't see alot of time again next year. She could play the 2 if opponent doesn't have quick guard. Nnopu is indeed an excellent defensive player. Look for her to continue to practice 3's and jumpers. Hayley will also be shooting alot of 3's in practice.

Nobody can equal our depth at the 3, 4 and 5, even more so as Betts conditions with the team. Fwiw, when watching videos, I wondered if her feet hurt.

[kat0189]

Charming queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZrL4U4kLc

Next year's PG?

The court vision, handles, and passing are elite, but at 5'7" struggled getting her shots blocked by the DeSoto girls from Texas. Some Stanford 3-point shooting tutelage could ameliorate that.

Think she'll be somewhat similar but a better version of Marta Sniezek.

[kat0189]

Charming queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZrL4U4kLc

Next year's PG?

The court vision, handles, and passing are elite, but at 5'7" struggled getting her shots blocked by the DeSoto girls from Texas. Some Stanford 3-point shooting tutelage could ameliorate that.

Think she'll be somewhat similar but a better version of Marta Sniezek.

[81alum]

Charming queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZrL4U4kLc

Next year's PG?

The court vision, handles, and passing are elite, but at 5'7" struggled getting her shots blocked by the DeSoto girls from Texas. Some Stanford 3-point shooting tutelage could ameliorate that.

Think she'll be somewhat similar but a better version of Marta Sniezek.

If she is a very good passing point guard that can slash to the basket, she does not have to be able to make jump shots over the top of defenders.  She will have to make jump shots when left alone.  That was Sniezek's issue.  It got to the point that the other team would always sag off of her, daring her to shoot an uncontested jumpshot, and she wouldn't.  A great point guard does not have to be an elite scorer, but has to be good enough to require the other team to defend her.  5'7" Amber Orrange comes to mind.  She averaged just below 10 ppg and shot 37% from three point range.  That was enough of a credible threat to keep a defender on her at all times.  If Amber had had Brink and Jones to pass to she would have been even more effective, but as much as I loved them Erica McCall and Kaylee Johnson were not of the same caliber as our current bigs.

[81alum]

Charming queen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ZrL4U4kLc

Next year's PG?

The court vision, handles, and passing are elite, but at 5'7" struggled getting her shots blocked by the DeSoto girls from Texas. Some Stanford 3-point shooting tutelage could ameliorate that.

Think she'll be somewhat similar but a better version of Marta Sniezek.

If she is a very good passing point guard that can slash to the basket, she does not have to be able to make jump shots over the top of defenders.  She will have to make jump shots when left alone.  That was Sniezek's issue.  It got to the point that the other team would always sag off of her, daring her to shoot an uncontested jumpshot, and she wouldn't.  A great point guard does not have to be an elite scorer, but has to be good enough to require the other team to defend her.  5'7" Amber Orrange comes to mind.  She averaged just below 10 ppg and shot 37% from three point range.  That was enough of a credible threat to keep a defender on her at all times.  If Amber had had Brink and Jones to pass to she would have been even more effective, but as much as I loved them Erica McCall and Kaylee Johnson were not of the same caliber as our current bigs.

[AxeMan89]

Just back from Minneapolis - not *quite* as fun as last year. 

I'm always excited to see new players and growth from younger players, especially when things are unsettled in the early season. I'd guess I'm most intrigued to see if Nivar, Betts, and Lepolo can contribute as freshmen, and continued development from Demetre and Iriafen. Yikes if we end up forced into a "tall trees" lineup with Haley at the 1. 

Hopefully the pre-conference schedule is a bit more mellow next year. Clearly helped this year's team but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the underclassmen to get minutes. I presume we play Texas and South Carolina again. South Carolina at Maples?

[AxeMan89]

Just back from Minneapolis - not *quite* as fun as last year. 

I'm always excited to see new players and growth from younger players, especially when things are unsettled in the early season. I'd guess I'm most intrigued to see if Nivar, Betts, and Lepolo can contribute as freshmen, and continued development from Demetre and Iriafen. Yikes if we end up forced into a "tall trees" lineup with Haley at the 1. 

Hopefully the pre-conference schedule is a bit more mellow next year. Clearly helped this year's team but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the underclassmen to get minutes. I presume we play Texas and South Carolina again. South Carolina at Maples?

[PalmTree]

Just back from Minneapolis - not *quite* as fun as last year. 

I'm always excited to see new players and growth from younger players, especially when things are unsettled in the early season. I'd guess I'm most intrigued to see if Nivar, Betts, and Lepolo can contribute as freshmen, and continued development from Demetre and Iriafen. Yikes if we end up forced into a "tall trees" lineup with Haley at the 1. 

Hopefully the pre-conference schedule is a bit more mellow next year. Clearly helped this year's team but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the underclassmen to get minutes. I presume we play Texas and South Carolina again. South Carolina at Maples?

AFAIC, Demetre would be best served by following Jump's example and immersing herself in a <serious> off-season S&C regime - she really needs to improve her foot speed and conditioning.

I like Kiki a lot - more "game sense" and better and more reliable inside scoring  game than Fran, I think because Fran really hasn't been playing basketball all that long, relatively speaking. Also, Fran also gets decent positioning in the post but often is flat-footed and gets out-quicked/out-hustled for boards.

Have no clue about the frosh, not having seen any games/film, but sure hope the new guards can help as well. Also, I get the feeling Agnes may surprise us, in a very good way

All this is just IMHO, and I look forward to watching next season's progress as well.

[PalmTree]

Just back from Minneapolis - not *quite* as fun as last year. 

I'm always excited to see new players and growth from younger players, especially when things are unsettled in the early season. I'd guess I'm most intrigued to see if Nivar, Betts, and Lepolo can contribute as freshmen, and continued development from Demetre and Iriafen. Yikes if we end up forced into a "tall trees" lineup with Haley at the 1. 

Hopefully the pre-conference schedule is a bit more mellow next year. Clearly helped this year's team but there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the underclassmen to get minutes. I presume we play Texas and South Carolina again. South Carolina at Maples?

AFAIC, Demetre would be best served by following Jump's example and immersing herself in a <serious> off-season S&C regime - she really needs to improve her foot speed and conditioning.

I like Kiki a lot - more "game sense" and better and more reliable inside scoring  game than Fran, I think because Fran really hasn't been playing basketball all that long, relatively speaking. Also, Fran also gets decent positioning in the post but often is flat-footed and gets out-quicked/out-hustled for boards.

Have no clue about the frosh, not having seen any games/film, but sure hope the new guards can help as well. Also, I get the feeling Agnes may surprise us, in a very good way

All this is just IMHO, and I look forward to watching next season's progress as well.

[dcnav]

I'm worried about having a post overload if we have five very good posts looking for minutes (not counting Jones). It's almost inevitable that someone(s) will not get enough minutes. Can we trade one for a top PG? lol. Don't want to lose Kiki but will she be discouraged knowing both Belibi and Prechtel could have two more years?

[dcnav]

I'm worried about having a post overload if we have five very good posts looking for minutes (not counting Jones). It's almost inevitable that someone(s) will not get enough minutes. Can we trade one for a top PG? lol. Don't want to lose Kiki but will she be discouraged knowing both Belibi and Prechtel could have two more years?

[BostonCard]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

[BostonCard]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

[RuralFan]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

I guess next year will be a chance for us to organize a brand new philosophy: Haley Jones and the four posts.  Don't laugh.  If we put our highest rated recruits on the floor. this is exactly what we will do.  Prechtel is our best three point shooter.  Jones can bring the ball up the court.  Belibi and Brink are agile for their height.  If the incoming post is as good as advertised, she can't sit on the bench.  We will have match up problems and may have to zone on defense, but think of the match up problems for our opponents.  If we simply try to replace Wilson and the Hull twins, it just won't work.

[RuralFan]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

I guess next year will be a chance for us to organize a brand new philosophy: Haley Jones and the four posts.  Don't laugh.  If we put our highest rated recruits on the floor. this is exactly what we will do.  Prechtel is our best three point shooter.  Jones can bring the ball up the court.  Belibi and Brink are agile for their height.  If the incoming post is as good as advertised, she can't sit on the bench.  We will have match up problems and may have to zone on defense, but think of the match up problems for our opponents.  If we simply try to replace Wilson and the Hull twins, it just won't work.

[dcnav]

I hated it when coach tried out Jones as the ball handler. Especially against the press it was catastrophic. We need at least one real guard for handling the ball. But then, I wouldn't be against trying out a Haley plus three bigs lineup. That would be a fun twist. The trick would be to get the ball up the court....and yeah, on defense too, especially against a 3 shooting team. The truth is we will really miss the Hulls. I think we've come to take them a bit for granted, but they've been brobdingnagian for us.

[dcnav]

I hated it when coach tried out Jones as the ball handler. Especially against the press it was catastrophic. We need at least one real guard for handling the ball. But then, I wouldn't be against trying out a Haley plus three bigs lineup. That would be a fun twist. The trick would be to get the ball up the court....and yeah, on defense too, especially against a 3 shooting team. The truth is we will really miss the Hulls. I think we've come to take them a bit for granted, but they've been brobdingnagian for us.

[TheFarm07]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

Believe me, I am still raw (and frustrated & upset) from Friday night's loss but two things will help me move forward (actually three): (1) theorizing on how the team will look next season, (2) having seven months until next season to recover and (3) South Carolina beating UConn tonight; even though I was obviously really happy we won last year, I also felt for Boston and the agony she felt missing that putback - a shot she makes 99 out of 100 times.

oh, and (4) getting a JuJu Watkins commit

[TheFarm07]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

Believe me, I am still raw (and frustrated & upset) from Friday night's loss but two things will help me move forward (actually three): (1) theorizing on how the team will look next season, (2) having seven months until next season to recover and (3) South Carolina beating UConn tonight; even though I was obviously really happy we won last year, I also felt for Boston and the agony she felt missing that putback - a shot she makes 99 out of 100 times.

oh, and (4) getting a JuJu Watkins commit

[qwerty49]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

I guess next year will be a chance for us to organize a brand new philosophy: Haley Jones and the four posts.  Don't laugh.  If we put our highest rated recruits on the floor. this is exactly what we will do.  Prechtel is our best three point shooter.  Jones can bring the ball up the court.  Belibi and Brink are agile for their height.  If the incoming post is as good as advertised, she can't sit on the bench.  We will have match up problems and may have to zone on defense, but think of the match up problems for our opponents.  If we simply try to replace Wilson and the Hull twins, it just won't work.

Agree 100% about this year and yeah, your 4-post lineup would be fun to see at one point.  It's hard to compare Jump and Prechtel as shooters because one relies on quick release and the other on height.  As far as Haley bringing the ball up court, maybe a series of alley-oop passes can get the job done in 10 secs, LOL.

[qwerty49]

How many of our players will take their COVID year?  Wilson did, but it looks like the Hulls will not. After next year, I assume Jones will go to the WNBA.  Prechtel, Belibi, and Jump could come back if we have space, but will they?

BC

You all are very resilient looking to next year.  I am afraid my head is still full of images of missed shots, missed assignments, missed rebounds, and missed opportunities. I just didn't recognize the team that played in Minneapolis and am sad because it was an opportunity to show on a national stage what a talented team we could be.

I guess next year will be a chance for us to organize a brand new philosophy: Haley Jones and the four posts.  Don't laugh.  If we put our highest rated recruits on the floor. this is exactly what we will do.  Prechtel is our best three point shooter.  Jones can bring the ball up the court.  Belibi and Brink are agile for their height.  If the incoming post is as good as advertised, she can't sit on the bench.  We will have match up problems and may have to zone on defense, but think of the match up problems for our opponents.  If we simply try to replace Wilson and the Hull twins, it just won't work.

Agree 100% about this year and yeah, your 4-post lineup would be fun to see at one point.  It's hard to compare Jump and Prechtel as shooters because one relies on quick release and the other on height.  As far as Haley bringing the ball up court, maybe a series of alley-oop passes can get the job done in 10 secs, LOL.