[teejers1]

While I do agree that if Uconn gets healthy, they will be a different team the end of February/March. It mains to be seen what Bueckers will be like after her injury or how close she will be to her former self the remainder of this season. While Ducharme and others have stepped up in her absence, is she going to play ahead of Bueckers or Fudd when they return? Not sure how the depth will be managed if/when they get everyone back. 

I see them dropping their road game at SC next week.  The Tennessee game seems like a tossup to me with Uconn being at home.

1.  As you noted, not sure if Bueckers will be all that when she returns and those filling the differential have had to 'step up' (to employ and overused term) and are in better position to continue to do so; and 

2.  More generally, PT breeds experience and confidence, which is critical to competitive success.  Even if Bueckers and Fudd come back and reclaim their 38 minutes, the others on the court with them will have had, by then, a lot of PT as bigger impact players.  I think that can only help them.  And if Geno actually goes further down bench to those who played in the stars' absence - perhaps due to foul trouble - then their recent experiences are even more beneficial to team performance.

But fundamentally, I agree with those questioning why a stud player would go to UConn if stud recruits have been buried on Geno's bench.  I mean, Stanford probably faces that to some degree, and Tara gets a lot of her players into games.

[teejers1]

While I do agree that if Uconn gets healthy, they will be a different team the end of February/March. It mains to be seen what Bueckers will be like after her injury or how close she will be to her former self the remainder of this season. While Ducharme and others have stepped up in her absence, is she going to play ahead of Bueckers or Fudd when they return? Not sure how the depth will be managed if/when they get everyone back. 

I see them dropping their road game at SC next week.  The Tennessee game seems like a tossup to me with Uconn being at home.

1.  As you noted, not sure if Bueckers will be all that when she returns and those filling the differential have had to 'step up' (to employ and overused term) and are in better position to continue to do so; and 

2.  More generally, PT breeds experience and confidence, which is critical to competitive success.  Even if Bueckers and Fudd come back and reclaim their 38 minutes, the others on the court with them will have had, by then, a lot of PT as bigger impact players.  I think that can only help them.  And if Geno actually goes further down bench to those who played in the stars' absence - perhaps due to foul trouble - then their recent experiences are even more beneficial to team performance.

But fundamentally, I agree with those questioning why a stud player would go to UConn if stud recruits have been buried on Geno's bench.  I mean, Stanford probably faces that to some degree, and Tara gets a lot of her players into games.