CHAPTER SIX
A Look at the Rosters
A Look at the Rosters
In terms of the players which Coach has the better record for doing more with less?Given the 9 win and 17 loss misery of UConn over the past 3 years . The utter futility of 3 years with no NCAA Final Fours one might conclude that the cupboard was bare.
What about the players that UConn has had in their program over these 3 years of drought and decay. Lets take a look:
Tahirah Williams 2005 Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year...four-time Street & Smith honorable mention All-America
Ketia Swanier 2004 Georgia AAAA Player of the Year.
Renee Montgomery 2005 McDonald?s All-America...2005 Gatorade West Virginia High School Player of the Year...2005 Street & Smith Third Team All-America...Associated Press West Virginia Player of the Year as a senior...2005 WBCA Honorable Mention All-America
Charde Houston USA Today 2004 All-USA Second Team...2004 McDonald's All-America Team...2004 WBCA All-America Team...ranked as the No. 2 senior nationally by All-Star Girls Report...2004 Cal-Hi Sports Division I All-State First Team...named Parade Magazine First Team All-America as a senior
Mel Thomas 2004 McDonald?s All-America Team...2004 WBCA All-America Team...2004 Associated Press Ohio Co-Player of the Year
Tina Charles 2006 USA Today National Player of the Year...2006 McDonald's National Player of the Year...2006 Parade Magazine National Player of the Year...2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year...2006 WBCA National Player of the Year...2006 EA Sports National Player of the Year...2006 Miss New York Basketball...member of the 2006 USA Basketball U-18 National Team...2006 Street & Smith's First Team All-America...2006 WBCA First Team All-America
Kalana Greene 2005 WBCA All-America...2005 So Carolina Gatorade POYKaili McLaren 2006 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year...2006 WBCA All-America Team...2006 McDonald's All-America Team...2006 WCAC First Team
Brittany Hunter 2003 Parade National Player of the Year...consensus top-rated player in the nation in recruiting rankings by All-Star Girls Report, Full Court Press, Blue Star and All-Game Sports...first team Parade and Street & Smith All-America.
Cassie Kerns 2005 McDonald's Honorable Mention All-America...2005 WBCA Second Team All-America
Nicole Wolff -- 2002 McDonald's High School Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year finalist.. Parade Magazine, WBCA and McDonald's First Team All-American...
Ashley Battle -- WBCA All-America team Parade All-America Fourth Team named West Virginia Player of the Year...
Wilnett Crockett -- Two-time Nike All-American WBCA and McDonald's All-American Third Team All-USA TODAY honoree...UConn's second consecutive CA. Gatorade State Player of the Year
Jessica Moore -- Parade All-American fourth team honoree WBCA Honorable Mention All-American...twice Gatorade Alaska POY
Barbara Turner -- 2002 First Team All-American by USA TODAY, WBCA, and Parade Magazine...also named a First Team McDonald's All-American 2002 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year Ms. Ohio Basketball...2002 Naismith Player of the Year finalist.
Ann Strother 2002 Naismith, USA TODAY, WBCA, Parade Magazine and Gatorade National High School Player of the Year... Two-time High School All-American and 2002 Consensus First Team All-American... Twice named USA Today and Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year
4 National Players of the Year
10 MacDonald?s All Americans
7 Players of the Year from Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, West Virginia (2), New York, New Jersey, Ohio (2) Alaska, California, and Colorado
The Tony fans from UConn blithly predict UConn dominance to come because Charles and Moore are National Players of the Year. But Geno couldn't post a winning record vs ranked teams with 4 National Players of the Year and 10 MacDonalds All Americans and a dozen Gatoraide State Player of the Year over the past three years
In fact Geno either needed TASS or Diana to post winning seasons vs quality opponents. Sure he makes it look good with the sub 100 RPI cupcakes and the weak Big Least but when it comes to beating top 20 foes this past 3 years he's 9 and 17 with all of these great players.
Is Geno the wizard TonyConnecicut fans think he is or does it take Diana to make Geno a winning coach.
Meanwhile Pat has been to 8 Final Fours since 98 while Geno only made 5 with 3 of those due to Taurasi
Taurasi got Geno a 7 and 1 record vs Tennesee but Geno couldn't get to the final four for rematches in 98, 05 or 07 when Tennessee had the better team.
Now Tennessee has a 42 and 10 record playing the Top 20 over the past 3 years with
Alexis Hornbuckle Named as the (WBCA) 2004 High School Player of the Year and the WBCA All-America Game Most Valuable Player (2004)...McDonald's All-America and McDonald's All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (2004)...Parade Magazine and Street & Smith's First-Team All-America (2003).
Candace Parker USA TODAY National Player of the Year (2003, 2004) Naismith and Gatorade Prep Player of the Year (2003, 2004).Parade Magazine, Street & Smith's, USA TODAY and Student Sports First-Team All-America (2003, 2004)...McDonald's and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American (2004)
Nicky Anosiki Parade Magazine Second Team All-America (2003 and 2004)...McDonald's All-America (2004)
Cait McMahan Street and Smith's third team All-American (2005)...Parade All-American Third Team (2006)...EA Sports All-America second team (2003, 2004)
Alex Fuller (WBCA) All-America (2004)...McDonald's All-America (2004) Street & Smith's Second Team All-America (2003).
Sidney Spencer 2003 "Miss Basketball" by the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA)...ASWA 6A Player of the Year in 2003 Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year
Shyra Ely 2001 Naismith Prep Player of the Year USA TODAY National Player of the Year.. USA TODAY and Sports Illustrated as the number one women's high school player USA TODAY, Parade magazine, Street & Smith's and Nike All-America selection
Shanna Zolman Naismith Player of the Year top- five finalist first team All-America honors from USA TODAY Parade All-American first team...McDonald's All-American Gatorade State Player of the Year as well as Indiana's Miss Basketball
Brittany Jackson USA TODAY, Nike and Street & Smith's All-America honors...Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-American 2001 Tennessee AAA Miss Basketball Award
Loree Moore USA TODAY All-American in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, including a first-team nod after her senior season...2001 Parade magazine and Street & Smith's first-team All-America
Tyesha Fluker Parade Magazine All-American McDonald's All-American Sybil Dosty adidas All-American Street and Smith All-America - on roster two years
Lindsay Moss Parade Second Team All-American - on roster one year
Shannon Bobbitt, Alberta Auguste, Dominick Redding and the remaining players like Abby Cannon, Elizabeth Curry, and Aubrey Gustalli did not come with any All American High School honors
Sade' Wiley Gatewood came with several All American honors but played in only 13 games her freshman year and 9 in her second year.
3 National Players of the Year
7 MacDonalds All Americans
Alabama and Indiana Miss Basketball
Granted Nicole Wolff and Brittany Hunter have had injury plagued careers but Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle, Sade Wiley-Gatewood and Loree Moore also missed considerable action due to injury. It appears that Coach Pat Summitt has done more with less in terms of player personnel
Sidney Spencer, Shannon Bobbitt, Alberta Auguste, Tye'sha Fluker, and Nicky Anosiki didn't have the glittering All American accolades of some of their peers, but Coach Summitt seems to have a knack for getting the most out of her players.
