When Morgan Tuck opted not to come back for another season, the Huskies bid adieu to a pair of All-American forwards.

Certainly there is no way that Napheesa Collier and Gabby Williams, who played so much on the perimeter during their high school careers, were going to be able to match the production of Breanna Srewart and Morgan Tuck, right?

Well, the numbers of Stewart and Tuck during their senior seasons are certainly more impressive than what Collier and Williams have put up but if you compare the statistics from Stewart's and Tuck's junior season, it is pretty close to what Collier and Williams have put up through the first seven games of the season. The 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons isn't included because the numbers weren't close to the other seasons.

Year       Players             Min FG-Att 3PT   FTs    Pts  Reb A  Stl Blk (TO)
16-17 Collier/Williams   408  87-142    6-13 25-37  205-  97-45-27-18 (29)
15-16 Stewart/Tuck         434 103-180 15-38 52-68  273-103-54-20-25 (25)
14-15 Stewart/Tuck         398  82-163  14-43 37-48  215-  84-33-16-  9 (31)
13-14 Stewart/Dolson     408  88-160 12-33 48-61   236-110-53-17-36 (36)
12-13 Stewart/Dolson     344  83-139   8-23  32-42  206- 89-34-16-18 (28)
11-12 Moore/Dolson       326  88-160 14-37 40-45   230- 81-43-22-12 (22)
10-11 Moore/Charles      345 104-170 11-28 40-53  259-113-37-24-19 (30)
09-10 Moore/Charles      357 103-169 11-27 41-59  258-121-41-22-27 (32)
08-09 Moore/Charles      305  95-144  5-13 26-49    221- 96-32-19-24 (22)
07-08 Charles/Houston   317  72-126  0-0  19-41     163-105-23-18-25 (27)
04-05 Turner/Houston     286  55-99   1-7  37-60     148- 60-21-12-14 (29)
03-04 Turner/Moore        357  68-117  3-7  33-56    172- 83-32-11-11 (29) 
02-03 Moore/Turner        265  46-81   1-3  15-23     108- 73-11-12-5  (23)    
01-02 Cash/Jones            319  85-148  1-2  27-41     198- 92-19-12-15 (26)

I also found it interesting that Williams is tied for the team lead with 32 assists and half of the helpers have come on baskets by Collier which is a remarkable ratio.

NOTRE DAME NO. 1 IN COACHES POLL
UConn jumped to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll yesterday, passing former No. 1 team Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish did remain No. 1 in the coaches poll receiving 18 of the 32 first-place votes to edge out UConn by three points after UConn finished two points ahead of Notre Dame in the writers' poll.

DOCUMENTARY SET TO AIR ON MARCH 1
Perhaps you have noticed more cameras than normal at UConn games. Not only are SNY or ESPN cameramen there getting footage but so those from HBO.

It was kind of being kept quiet - until now but HBO will be airing a documentary on UConn the season after the graduation of the top recruiting class in NCAA women's basketball history.

Here is the release from HBO

HBO Sports, a trailblazer in sports reality programming, is teaming up again with IMG’s Original Content unit for an unscripted series chronicling the 2016-17 season of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive national championship. UCONN HUSKIES: THE MARCH TO MADNESS debuts WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) with a special hour-long edition, followed by half-hour episodes debuting on subsequent Wednesdays.
           
UCONN HUSKIES: THE MARCH TO MADNESS spotlights the players, coaches and support personnel, chronicling the hard work and high expectations game-by-game in the American Athletic Conference as they seek to continue their extraordinary run of berths in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Scheduled to run through the conclusion of the Huskies’ season, the show features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, offering a unique look at the personalities who shape the powerhouse program headquartered in Storrs, Conn.

The reigning national champions, the UConn Huskies have achieved unprecedented success in women’s college basketball and are on the verge of surpassing the UCLA men’s basketball record of 11 NCAA national championships. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, in his 32nd season with the team, the Huskies have earned berths in 28 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, going to 16 Final Fours and 11 national championships. Last spring, the team captured its fourth consecutive national championship, going undefeated for the sixth time.

 “We are always looking for fascinating stories that will appeal to our subscribers, and this project will shine a spotlight on one of the most successful athletic programs in America,” says Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. “Under Coach Auriemma, the University of Connecticut has built a tremendous program that excels year after year. Our goal is to explore why this program is so accomplished and to tell the backstories of the student-athletes who are committed to carving out a remarkable piece of history on the college basketball landscape.”
“The Huskies’ program is the gold standard in college basketball: outstanding leadership, a legacy of dedicated players and the ability to make history time and time again,” says Mike Antinoro, senior vice president, Programming and Production, IMG. “We are excited and honored to share their unique story in partnership with HBO.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to be involved in this project,” says UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma. “Knowing the kind of high-quality content that is showcased by HBO, I am already looking forward to watching the first episode. This offers a tremendous opportunity for a lot of people to get an inside look at our university and to see just what goes into building a championship team.”
Journalist Harvey Araton has written, “Perfection, or near perfection, has become a virtual state of Connecticut grace.”

For more than a decade, HBO Sports has been responsible for some of the most compelling unscripted sports programming, with a stylish and contemporary approach keyed by unrestricted access. “Hard Knocks,” launched in 2001 in partnership with NFL Films, has won 14 Sports Emmy® Awards, and the groundbreaking all-access reality franchise “24/7” has earned 18 Sports Emmy® Awards.

UCONN HUSKIES: THE MARCH TO MADNESS marks HBO Sports’ second foray into a reality series spotlighting a college sports program. Last year, HBO and IMG teamed up for “Gonzaga: The March to Madness,” following that team’s march to its 18th consecutive NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth.

The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

UCONN HUSKIES: THE MARCH TO MADNESS is executive produced by Will Staeger, Mike Antinoro and Fred Christenson. For HBO: executive producer Rick Bernstein; supervising producer, Bentley Weiner.