All we can do is enough

[ctkaiser]

I usually have a contrarian view which is usually crapped on by the UConn faithfull. However, it is encouraging to see in print what I have been calling for over the last 5 years. Because Tony sas it now, this may become the mantra of the UConn followers.

"What I learned from yesterday is we need more bigs that are strong, tuff minded, physical, and take no prisoners. We need players with the attitude of Diana and Maya. Players opponents fear. We have enough players 5,9 and 5'10. We need to get big. We have Jana and ICE and we need Sara Strong. There was talk that Sara Strong was at the game yesterday, dont know for sure if she was and the fans were chanting her name. My thought is SC has Joyce Edwards the number 2 player in the class of 2024 so Sara may choose UConn. Sara would have a better chance at UConn then at a loaded and deep SC team. No matter where she goes she will need starter minutes. I would think with Ziebell and Cheli coming in they to would expect start minutes. Depending on injuries and graduation that should happen for two reasons. With Genos remarks posted in another thread about playing 7 players that leads me to believe there will be playing time for everybody. I also believe the playtime next season will give more players more playtime/minutes because of the quality of players we will have. I'm thinking we will go at least 10 deep."

Finally!!!!!!! We need bigs and players with attitude who are allowed to play their game.

We also need a change in the attitude of recruiting and who we recruit. And, we need a way to evolve the playing of UConn basketball to accomodate the new recruits of the 2025's and up. We also need to have practices that do not destroy UConn players before they even play one game.

Coaching basketball is not the same today as it was in 1995. Even the people change.

In today's game and on this UConn team we need to be more aggressive and let Amari play basketball along side AE and bang with those players. Letting AE take it all by herself does not make sense. They both should be under that basket at the same time. The thinking that Paige is a savior is distorted. She is very good but fragile and should not be banging for rebounds. Something is wrong with the picture where she has to be a do all for the program.

I am confident that what I just said is argumentative but, in reality, a lot of this is true.

We have one really, really, really good big right now who should be our prime offensive focus instead of spreading the ball around to the various jump shooters. Almost every time Aaliyah posts up and makes a move she makes a basket or gets fouled. Much higher percentage than relying on jump shots.

 

[Charliebball]

Hope you are right Tony. I have already predicted that Sara Strong will not be coming to UCONN. Seriously, would you want to come to UCONN after watching yesterday's undressing? Unless you have an " underdog mentality " ( I am going to show those bullies), you want to be on a team that looks like they can compete. And we looked the opposite. On the plus side, Sara can immediately see that she can start in the middle. ICE shows nothing and Jana has never played in America.

Remember how some recruits didn't want to go to UConn because they won way too much? That's one excuse that's not currently usable.

 

[BobbyJ]

I would love to know why they chose not to come to UConn. Would have loved to have either of them.

Although Rivers was offered, I believe UConn was a long shot because of the big attraction of successful programs in that region for top players from the southeast. And to my knowledge Johnson was not recruited by UConn.

 

[uconnfan68]

We have one really, really, really good big right now who should be our prime offensive focus instead of spreading the ball around to the various jump shooters. Almost every time Aaliyah posts up and makes a move she makes a basket or gets fouled. Much higher percentage than relying on jump shots.

If there are no shooters on the perimeter, she doesn't get those drives or even shots.

 

[Rowdy831]

I usually have a contrarian view which is usually crapped on by the UConn faithfull. However, it is encouraging to see in print what I have been calling for over the last 5 years. Because Tony sas it now, this may become the mantra of the UConn followers.

"What I learned from yesterday is we need more bigs that are strong, tuff minded, physical, and take no prisoners. We need players with the attitude of Diana and Maya. Players opponents fear. We have enough players 5,9 and 5'10. We need to get big. We have Jana and ICE and we need Sara Strong. There was talk that Sara Strong was at the game yesterday, dont know for sure if she was and the fans were chanting her name. My thought is SC has Joyce Edwards the number 2 player in the class of 2024 so Sara may choose UConn. Sara would have a better chance at UConn then at a loaded and deep SC team. No matter where she goes she will need starter minutes. I would think with Ziebell and Cheli coming in they to would expect start minutes. Depending on injuries and graduation that should happen for two reasons. With Genos remarks posted in another thread about playing 7 players that leads me to believe there will be playing time for everybody. I also believe the playtime next season will give more players more playtime/minutes because of the quality of players we will have. I'm thinking we will go at least 10 deep."

Finally!!!!!!! We need bigs and players with attitude who are allowed to play their game.

We also need a change in the attitude of recruiting and who we recruit. And, we need a way to evolve the playing of UConn basketball to accomodate the new recruits of the 2025's and up. We also need to have practices that do not destroy UConn players before they even play one game.

Coaching basketball is not the same today as it was in 1995. Even the people change.

In today's game and on this UConn team we need to be more aggressive and let Amari play basketball along side AE and bang with those players. Letting AE take it all by herself does not make sense. They both should be under that basket at the same time. The thinking that Paige is a savior is distorted. She is very good but fragile and should not be banging for rebounds. Something is wrong with the picture where she has to be a do all for the program.

I am confident that what I just said is argumentative but, in reality, a lot of this is true.

Not playing Amari is impacting the others on the team in a very negative way. The guards have to basically play to double the inside leaving the outside open to the 3. The inside is take AE out on the perimeter and beat her back to the basket since no one over 6'0 is waiting back there to defend. The last and very important point is the players that are playing are not overly productive and are no where near the physical presence of a 6'6 player with long arms.

If you don't play bigs then don't expect other bigs to be falling over themselves to join your group. If Amari, on of the highest rated bigs in her class doesn't smell the court what chance to does the average big have?

 

[Surly1]

If you follow history, every great dynasty has its run and eventually is replaced or exceeded by another. UConn's 11 NC come with a target and other programs have elevated their coaching, recruiting, facilities and now NIL offerings. The old days are gone, and top players have multiple options. UT begat UConn and now SC has inched forward. This is not an indictment, just an acknowledgement.

Whether Geno & UConn can reach the top of the pyramid remains to be seen, but it surely has been hampered by the last 3 years of near-constant injuries. Of the 14 players on this year's roster, 7, exactly half have missed a full season or more. When it includes your two best players, it is a difficult task to overcome. That said, in Paige's first 2 years, UConn reached the semis and lost in a NC. For most programs, this would be an unparalleled success. However, the specter of the past seems to always affect judgment, only another NC seems to matter. The game has changed, evolved and is inundated with better talent.

Injuries are part of any sport, but what is sometimes forgotten is that while an athlete can make a full recovery, they don't immediately return to their prior level. It usually takes the next or second season for an athlete to feel fully recovered. Following surgery, an athlete heals, strengthens the injured part and reincorporates the skills that made them special. It takes time for an athlete to fully trust their body, believe and realize they can do all the things they did prior to their injury. Basketball has so many moving parts, it truly takes time, practice and perseverance to make it all the way back. However, the real strength gains are made following their first year back.

As anybody who has undergone rehab after a major sports injury, strength is the hardest to get back after a long time off. Let's look at Paige. She's made a remarkable recovery and has performed admirably. However, if we looked at her years under a microscope, I would say that Paige's current level is less than 100% compared to her freshman and first part of her sophomore year before the first injury against ND. Because she is so talented and gifted, she may appear fully back, but I feel she is still missing in a few areas. Elevation on her pull-up jumper, explosiveness going to the basket, quickness with her first step or dribble. With another off season under her belt, I believe we will see a physically improved Paige.

Like many others, I was hoping more from Ice Brady this season, but missing out on her freshman and trying to recover, she needs more time and practice to be the player everyone expected of her coming out of high school.

This this year of injuries has caught up with UConn. If not for LLS and Dorka last season, I hate to think of what UConn's record would have been. They were special and both 5th year seniors - which makes a huge difference. For every Hannah Hidalgo, JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers & Caitlin Clark, there are hundreds of freshman with up and down results. And UConn is relying on 4 first-year players out of their top 7, and one of those players is coming off a lost season. To make matters worse, Paige is forced to play out of position, guarding bigger players and taking a physical toll, wearing her down. She is a skill player, not a physical one.

Any other top program that has experienced the level of injuries that UConn has sustained the past 3 years would have derailed them too. The generational backcourt that Geno envisioned has never materialized, Azzi and Paige playing in only 17 games together and probably not a one with both at 100%. With the relative exception of SC, Stanford and Iowa, who have enjoyed relatively good health, losing a star player is impactful. UConn has navigated as best they can, but against the top teams, they are playing behind from the start.

I hope that Paige returns next year. I want that selfishly, but I also think it would be in her best interests physically. I hope the players who are out this season are able to recover and remain healthy. With a full complement of players, I'd like to see Geno extend his rotation and not have to go through this experience again of playing his starting 5 too many minutes.

Before anyone puts a nail in UConn's coffin, let's see how they fare with an injury-free season. Yes, other programs are getting stronger, but UConn is not going anywhere without a fight.

 

[Charliebball]

Although Rivers was offered, I believe UConn was a long shot because of the big attraction of successful programs in that region for top players from the southeast. And to my knowledge Johnson was not recruited by UConn.

the SEC/ACC teams have a built-in geographic advantage in recruiting due to the high percentage of top recruits in the Southeast.......kudos to Geno for still being able to pull a few diamonds out of there and out of California....

 

[visitingcock]

I would love to know why they chose not to come to UConn. Would have loved to have either of them.

They were part of a 4 player package deal that all committed to Dawn at the same time verbally: Raven, Saniya Rivers, Sania Feagin and Bree Hall.

That was the 2021 class that also saw Azzi, Caroline, Deberry and Poffenbarger for UConn.

The dual “ superclasses” lost a bit of their luster after Raven and Azzi were injured in their freshman year and Saniya and Saylor transferred.

Gamecocks are getting contributions this year from Bree and Raven as starters and Feagan off the bench. UConn not so much. We’ll see what next year, their “natural” senior year, holds in store.

 

[cohenzone]

The issue with UCONN right now is not aggressiveness. It's athleticism.

Dawn Staley is incredible at recruiting athletes who are faster and stronger than most of their opponents. That's why, even though SC does not have one singular superstar like a Clark or Bueckers, they have a bunch of great players who can be woven in and out without a drop off in play. Even Clark is more athletic than she comes off because she is very quick. One move and she gets enough space to take a 3.

I bring this back to UCONN. Who is UCONN's most athletic player? AE. Notice that her play rarely drops off against these elite teams because she has the physical talent to keep up even when being targeted by the other team. Paige isnt as atheltic as she used to be due to injuries but she had a quickness that is similar to Clark. On the flip side, people keep mentioning Amari and only focus on her height and ignore her two left feet and lack of post moves. Nika is one of the most aggressive players in Division 1 but, since she lacks athleticism, she frequently gets taken apart by teams with fast athletic guards like Hildago.

So UCONN can add all of the aggressiveness and taller players that we want but UCONN won't be elite again until they can add players that are as fast and as strong as the top teams.

So Griffin and Fudd aren’t fast and strong enough not counting Patterson and we don’t know what El Afy can do and not to mention Ducharme who is plenty strong enough. So many clueless statements about this year’s team which also includes Paige who played little for two years and Ice who missed all of her critical first year. And the program is definitely recruiting strong fast players.

The difference in an 18 points loss, while clearly disappointing is a very close game with 4 less shots made by the winner and 4 more by the loser. But anyway, this team is playing with an injured bench that might win the Big East by itself. Our team is pretty resilient. So maybe not an NC contender, but they have beaten 3 or 4 tournament teams and neither an earlier loss or a deep run will surprise me.

The other thing that we UConn fans need to swallow is that the depth of talent especially and competitive teams has exploded way beyond when we became dominant. We will get talent but so will many others. We still attract talent nationally and internationally but more kids have viable local programs to choose from not to mention the NIL and portal. Enjoy what we can.

 

[AzzisBraids]

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Teams have been gunning for UConn since forever. We're in a dark period but it is okay because we will get through it. Key word: through. These freshman are trying. Paige is trying. Aaliyah is trying, Nika, is trying. Everyone on this roster is trying and Amari is attempting to try.

Can't ask for anything more, the best will come when the health comes. No roster has endured a tough last 5 years after no roster has endured a more successful 5 years before that.

 

[maple]

They were part of a 4 player package deal that all committed to Dawn at the same time verbally: Raven, Saniya Rivers, Sania Feagin and Bree Hall.

That was the 2021 class that also saw Azzi, Caroline, Deberry and Poffenbarger for UConn.

The dual “ superclasses” lost a bit of their luster after Raven and Azzi were injured in their freshman year and Saniya and Saylor transferred.

Gamecocks are getting contributions this year from Bree and Raven as starters and Feagan off the bench. UConn not so much. We’ll see what next year, their “natural” senior year, holds in store.

Can you believe I forgot Poffenbarger?

It’s all coming back to me now. When UConn got those 4 commits I thought we were really going to have something special. Just goes to show …

 

[Skeets]

We have got to stop thinking that a freshman "big" is going to step on the court and make an immediate impact, unless her name is Stewie. For whatever reason, it seems to take a while for these players to get acclimated to the UConn way and the college game. Bigs on other teams do make an immediate impact because their coaches are not Geno and/or CD.
It will be very interesting to see what impact Jana will make next season, along with Ice and Ayanna. If Strong is added (if there is a scholarship available), I would not be expecting immediate stardom from any of them. But we can hope, right?
Oh, I forgot to mention Amari. I wonder why?

I agree. Thinking a freshman "big" is going to make an immediate impact is a very long shot. Remember, Stewie had a less than spectacular freshman year until tournament time. Tina had problems her freshman year, although shoulder problems didn't help any. Many other examples. So, if you want an immediate impact, the best bet is picking up someone who had an impact in D1 last year.

 

[ctkaiser]

If there are no shooters on the perimeter, she doesn't get those drives or even shots.

I'd argue that you can get jump shots after first feeding the post and then the ball comes back out. So many of those jump shots came in the first 5 to 7 seconds of the shot and seemed rushed.

 

[Blacketh’D]

Have you even looked at who Geno is recruiting or are you criticizing based on assumptions?

UPDATED: Recruiting targets (updated 3/25/24)

There Is discussion on these young women in the recruiting thread. These are known persons of interest.

the-boneyard.com

Tell me one instance in the last three years where Amari was aggressive and willing to bang in the post.

The Amari thing I understand. The recruiting thing I don’t. Do you think we are recruiting stronger than we have or are we getting the same kind of players we always have? Your link doesn’t mean UConn fans should breathe easy. I’m always excited for the next class, but I don’t know if Cheli or Ziebell will be the answer. What are you basing things on? It would be nice if you responded by giving a senior, measured response vs just trying yo throw things in peoples faces

 

[tchalla1]

Well I'm still recovering from yesterday. Many posts nailed what went wrong and Im just here to post my thoughts. Early in the season when we learned we were once again injury ridden. There we many predictions about how poorly this team would be. Alot of posters felt we could loose 6, 10 and even more games. Well, I'm glad doesn't look like that will happen. We knew what we were and what we were up against. As the season progressed we saw signs that our freshman had potential and as most freshman they've had their ups and downs. That happens as you learn and adjust to the college game. We have learned alot and grown alot.

What I learned from yesterday is we need more bigs that are strong, tuff minded, physical, and take no prisoners. We need players with the attitude of Diana and Maya. Players opponents fear. We have enough players 5,9 and 5'10. We need to get big. We have Jana and ICE and we need Sara Strong. There was talk that Sara Strong was at the game yesterday, dont know for sure if she was and the fans were chanting her name. My thought is SC has Joyce Edwards the number 2 player in the class of 2024 so Sara may choose UConn. Sara would have a better chance at UConn then at a loaded and deep SC team. No matter where she goes she will need starter minutes. I would think with Ziebell and Cheli coming in they to would expect start minutes. Depending on injuries and graduation that should happen for two reasons. With Genos remarks posted in another thread about playing 7 players that leads me to believe there will be playing time for everybody. I also believe the playtime next season will give more players more playtime/minutes because of the quality of players we will have. I'm thinking we will go at least 10 deep.

Just some remarks about yesterdays game. I will keep it short because everybody has already covered everything. We were overwhelmed. We lacked 5 scorers thus Paige and Aaliyah had to handle the scoring punch. Against many teams that would be enough. Against SC they did a good job. Against teams that dont have a one two punch like UConn has UConn will win. However we need more from our freshman and that is alot to expect because they are freshman. There are exceptions like at USC and ND and at UConn, Paige's freshman season. For the most part freshman take time to learn the college game and develop. KK and Shade showed us yesterday they are good and have potential but it will take more time.

What will next season bring. Well for one I'm hoping Sara commits to UConn. As far as who UConn will have available. Well after the past 3 seasons with the injury bug we really dont know, we can only hope everybody comes back healthy and ready to play. We're taking our lumps this season much like the past 2 seasons. Its a tuff pill for me to swallow so I'm trying not to focus on it. Im setting my sights on the future and not on the past. Today is a new day and I'm excited to see how this UConn team develops. It is clear that Geno is focused on getting his 7 players developed and ready for the big time. SC will still be a great team and we need to get back on track and overcome our injuries. SC has alot of great players coming back and some good players coming in. So does UConn. If healthy next season we should be fine. Both teams are loaded.

Right now we are what we are. Right now we are moving forward and getting ready for what's ahead because that's all we can do...and all we can do is enough.

Good points, TonyC, but I must say that your perspectives about bigs and all are a complete 180 of where you were previously and you were among those who went on hyperglycemic rants of how great this team was, and were adamant that UConn could win it all with 4 guards and a 3..

I am glad you came off the sugar high and are now viewing this team with more realistic lenses...

 

[Tonyc]

Good points, TonyC, but I must say that your perspectives about bigs and all are a complete 180 of where you were previously and you were among those who went on hyperglycemic rants of how great this team was, and were adamant that UConn could win it all with 4 guards and a 3..

I am glad you came off the sugar high and are now viewing this team with more realistic lenses...

I always believe we can win. Always If you dont believe then for me yourve already prepared to loose. I dont care about realities and I dont care about predictions. Youve gotta believe. I have won many games in different sports just believing when my opponents thought they had the edge. Attitude, confidence, the will, desire, awareness of what you need to do all are necessary to control your mind to win. I believe if we had Azzi and Caroline who would average double digits and Jana and Griff and Yana we woudlve won that game but we didnt. I still believed because thats one of the most important things you must have to compete and win.

If there were more coaches who taught the mental side of sports there would be more winners. Mentally and the development of the mind is a whole other issuer.