We received a mailbag question last week that was so good it deserved its own post. We even managed to pit sibling vs. sibling to get to the right answer. You can vote for your choice at the bottom of this post.
We’ll return with our regular three-question ‘bag this Friday.
Remember: If your question wasn’t answered or you’ve been living under a rock and are just hearing about this, you can submit your questions here or on Twitter (@ADimeBack).
Joseph asks: Better UConn future, Jalen or Katie Lou?
[Katie Lou Samuelson]
Well, considering the fact that KLS is about to win her first (of probably two or three, given history) titles, I’m going with my girl Lou. She started slow this year, though so did Adams. And there’s nothing really wrong with that. Making the move from high school to college is a difficult transition, especially when you’re playing with the best in the country for the most visible program in maybe all of women’s sports.
We knew she was a shooter, and now it appears she’s found her groove. It also isn’t surprising that she got benched midseason. Many a UConn star has had a rocky freshman year. Remember what Geno used to say about Stewie? But Lou has seemingly taken it in stride.
Her shot is looking mighty tasty, but I’m more impressed with her rebounding, improved defense and general hustle. While her shooting prowess gets compared to the similarly styled KML, KLS’s game is far more well-rounded. And when she’s no longer playing in Stewie’s shadow, Katie Lou Samuelson is going to be the next start of this team. She will probably end up as one of the top ten players every to come through the program. Hell, maybe even top five.
While comparing success across the gender divide at UConn is a little tricky, given the different expectations for the the programs, I think with Lou, we’re looking at potentially an all-time great. There’s so much to like about her game, and she’s going to have three years as the face of the program. Adams will certainly be a leader on the men’s team next year, and likely the following year as well. But four years under Geno Auriemma, when you started out as the number one player in the country? Yeah, I’m putting my money on Lou.
[Jalen Adams]
“Better UConn future” seems hard to define, so I’ll limit that to the long-term impact each player will have on the program.
KLS is much more likely to win national championships, make All-American teams, and put up gaudy point totals, but she’s coming in at the tail end of a previously unheard-of stretch of dominance thanks to the current senior class. Is there any way that Samuelson’s four years aren’t seen as a step down from what the program was when she entered? Unless she wins championships every year, it would almost have to be.
Jalen Adams, on the other hand, could be the genesis of the next great era in UConn men’s basketball. He’s already made an indelible mark on the program with his unbelievable shot against Cincinnati. With the recruiting class coming in next year, Adams will find himself in a great position to lead this team to its next championship.
Samuelson can, at best, hope to maintain the success of her immediate predecessors, and that seems incredibly unlikely. If Adams is able to win a title surrounded by the likes of Alterique Gilbert, Zach Brown, Juwan Durham, and Terry Larrier in a couple of years, he’ll be in the conversation for all-time greatest Huskies. Is there any realistic chance for Samuelson to surpass Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, or Breanna Stewart?
What Do You Think?
[democracy id=”6″]
Lou. In addition to Meghan’s points above, she’ll play for all four years. If Jalen gets THAT good, we’ll probably lose him to the draft before his senior season.