Camp Ends, QB Battle Still Going
The Story: UConn ended its fall camp with a final scrimmage on Saturday but doesn’t have any clarity at quarterback. The season opener is 10 days away and the Huskies will go into game prep with no announced starter.
TIME TO PANIC? We would feel a lot better if Randy Edsall didn’t say that the QBs pooped all over themselves toward the end of camp. We haven’t seen much of Mike Beaudry, and freshman Steve Krajewski and Micah Leon have not shown a college pass. Edsall threw true freshmen Jack Zergiotis into the mix recently. You know what? We aren’t panicking yet, but it is getting harder to breathe.
TRUE FRESHMEN THE ANSWER AT WR? Edsall has a rule when it comes to freshmen, especially true freshmen — He isn’t going to talk about them unless there is something to say. Well, Matt Drayton, a true freshman from Florida, has Edsall talking. Add in Seton Hill graduate transfer Ardelle Brown and we are wondering if the cupboard isn’t too bare out wide.
LINEBACKERS TAKE A STEP FORWARD: UConn struggled mightly at linebacker last season. This year? Notre Dame transfer D.J. Morgan and Omar Fortt are looking to anchor the defense. Fortt is a converted safety and will bring more speed forward because of that. Morgan has impressed since joining the program and Ryan Gilmartin has also been a veteran presence. This unit was woefully inadequate last season with the linebackers ill-equipped from a physical level able to play the position. Now, we like the size speed and stability of what the unit can be under new defensive coordinator Lou Spanos.
HIGH SCHOOL’S GET FREE TIX: UConn is providing free tickets to high school football teams in the state for the season opener against Wagner, as long as the coaches register players two days before the We are down with that. It should create a better atmosphere and, who knows? Maybe the next great in-state talent will be in attendance that night.
Is Collier the WNBA Rookie of the Year?
The Story: A fantastic first season has Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier in the driver’s seat to be named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
BIG NUMBERS: Collier, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft in April, is averaging 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, putting her third and second, respectively, on the team in both categories. She exploded onto the scene with 27 points and six rebounds in her debut in May and had three double-doubles thus far, including 22 points and 11 rebounds in a win at the Atlanta Dream earlier this month.
She was selected to play in the All-Star Game and was named the WNBA Rookie of the Month for July, and the Lynx, who were expected to be in the midst of a rebuilding year, are 13-14 after last night’s 84-74 loss to the Seattle Storm. They’re squarely in the playoff picture, and a lot of that is on Collier’s shoulders.
THE FRONT-RUNNER: With three weeks left in the season, Collier’s consistency makes her the favorite to win the award. Her biggest challenge comes from Arike Ogunbowale, the former Notre Dame standout, who is the top-scoring rookie in the league with 16.4 points per game but also is playing for the Dallas Wings, who are 9-18. Jackie Young, the No. 1 overall pick, is averaging just 6.4 points per game for the Las Vegas Aces, the best team in the Western Conference, and No. 2 overall pick Asia Durr has played in just 18 games because of injuries.
HISTORICALLY UNLIKELY: If Collier were to win the award, she’d match Betty Lenox in 2000 and Temeka Johnson in 2005 as the lowest-drafted players to do so. The No. 1 pick has won it in nine of the last 11 years; other UConn players to be named Rookie of the Year were Diana Taurasi (2004), Tina Charles (2010), Maya Moore (2011) and Breanna Stewart (2016).
WHAT DID COLLIER SAY? “It was a goal of mine coming in [to win the award]. Something I wanted to strive for coming into the league. It’s something I think about in that sense, but not during the game. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win.”
AS FOR SAMUELSON? Surprisingly chosen No. 4 overall by the Chicago Sky, Katie Lou Samuelson‘s rookie year hasn’t gone as smoothly as Collier’s. The guard has played in just 12 games because of a hand injury and is averaging 2.8 points in 7.6 minutes when she has been playing.
Morning Reads
DRUMMOND STOPS BY: Before he begins his eighth season with the Detroit Pistons, Andre Drummond returned to Connecticut to take part in the Osgood Shootout in New Britain. (Hartford Courant)
LARRIER GETS A SHOT: Former UConn guard Terry Larrier has accepted an invitation to compete for a roster spot during the Los Angeles Clippers’ training camp. (Jovan Buha on Twitter)
MORE WHINING ABOUT STADIUM: We get it, Rentschler Field only hosts six games a year. If you want to rehash what you already know, click here. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
HURLEY HOSTS BIG 2020 TARGET: When we mean big, we mean 6-foot-11 Cliff Omoruyi from Rochelle, New Jersey. He’s a top-50 recruit. Go get him, Danny! (Journal Inquirer)
