Azura Stevens Leaving

[bballnut90]

The question is, do you think Geno would have taken Azura, if he knew that he had to give two years of scholarship for one season of playing? All of Geno's quotes indicate that he was looking forward to working with Azura for another year. Hard to tell when Geno knew that Azura was leaving early.

I don’t think he would’ve taken her if she didn’t commit to 2 years. Obviously a lot can change (and has changed) in that time frame. My guess is Azura had aspirations to be more of a focal point in the offense and probably realized she wasn’t going to be the go to player at UCONN next season. I also think she enjoyed playing in the high post or perimeter more than as a low post threat, which is primarily where she played this year at UCONN. I personally think she’d reap much greater benefits by sticking around 1 more season, but I think she has the skills to become a strong WNBA player and she likely is a top 5 draft pick. Could be #2.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Azura was coached by Geno and his staff for 2 years. Maybe she felt she had learned as much as she needed to compete at the next level. Maybe she felt she was underutilized this season because Geno didn't trust her enough. I don't watch as many UConn games as you all do, but in the games I saw her play, I thought she was very effective. Yet, she wasn't a starter and she often wasn't in the game at crucial times. It wasn't like there was another player of her size at UConn that she had to compete with, yet Geno seemed to prefer to go with a smaller line up rather than play her more. You all had Natalie Butler transfer and she also wasn't utilized at UConn the way she was at Georgetown or George Mason - which I assume is why she left. I could understand that Natalie might have been a little below your other starters, but I think Z is very talented and would have started at any other top program.

Who would you have benched in order to start Z? NDPOY Gabby? POY candidate KLS? Collier who led the country in FG%? Dangerfield the top PG recruit in her class? Or Kia the best overall shooter on the team and one of the top defenders in the country? You'd sit one of those five for someone who was still learning the UConn system, can't play defense, can't shoot beyond five feet from the basket, and fouls at a high rate? I was really expecting more out of Z this year, but counted on her being a beast her second year and so did Geno saying that she could be a POY candidate by the time he was done coaching her. If she left over playing time, that's dumb because even she had to know she was a starter come next season.

 

[Bigboote]

I'm not disappointed that Z declared for the draft. I am somewhat surprised, though. I was talking to my wife the other day, and we both agreed that she needs another year under Geno and CD. She was a wing at Duke and has only scratched the surface in terms of becoming a post player. As others have pointed out, I don't think she'll be strong enough to play post in the W; I'm not sure she'll even be a 4. CD is the master of teaching foot work, and Z's footwork on defense just isn't there; on offense it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

She'll likely go high because you can't teach 6'6, but she'll be a project for whoever takes her.

Does anyone know how much real instruction happens in the WNBA?

 

[oldude]

I think everyone is overanalyzing Z’s reasons for leaving. She’ll get her undergraduate degree in a few weeks. She’s elevated herself to possibly #2 in the draft, and between the WNBA & overseas, she has an opportunity to earn some real money.

One other element that everyone seems to overlook is that maybe Z has no real interest in another year of college. I know I didn’t after 4 years of college, although I did eventually earn a masters in my late 20’s.

 

[ScarlettB]

Who would you have benched in order to start Z? NDPOY Gabby? POY candidate KLS? Collier who led the country in FG%? Dangerfield the top PG recruit in her class? Or Kia the best overall shooter on the team and one of the top defenders in the country? You'd sit one of those five for someone who was still learning the UConn system, can't play defense, can't shoot beyond five feet from the basket, and fouls at a high rate? I was really expecting more out of Z this year, but counted on her being a beast her second year and so did Geno saying that she could be a POY candidate by the time he was done coaching her. If she left over playing time, that's dumb because even she had to know she was a starter come next season.

I'm not saying she should have started over any of the players you mentioned, but IMO she could have, depending on the situation. She also may have wanted to and felt she worked hard enough to, without seeing her desired results. Maybe she felt she had given all she had to give and it wasn't working out quite the way she envisioned. If that is the case, it is for the best that she moved on.

 

[msugrad00]

Better beat up on MSU next year and even that will be hard to do with Big T but in two years Vic will unleash the "Sick Sophomores":
PG- Myah Taylor(5'7" 5 star recruit from outside of Memphis)
SG- Andra Espinoza-Hunter(5'11" 5 star recruit from outside of NYC)
SF- Xaria Wiggins(6'1" 4 star recruit from Virginia Beach)
PF- Jessika Carter(6'4" 5 star recruit from the Atlanta area)
C- Daphane White(6'5" 5 star recruit from the MS gulf coast)
Like I said...you better get us next year because after that...we gonna be fierce for a while

 

[HuskyNan]

Better beat up on MSU next year and even that will be hard to do with Big T but in two years Vic will unleash the "Sick Sophomores":
PG- Myah Taylor(5'7" 5 star recruit from outside of Memphis)
SG- Andra Espinoza-Hunter(5'11" 5 star recruit from outside of NYC)
SF- Xaria Wiggins(6'1" 4 star recruit from Virginia Beach)
PF- Jessika Carter(6'4" 5 star recruit from the Atlanta area)
C- Daphane White(6'5" 5 star recruit from the MS gulf coast)
Like I said...you better get us next year because after that...we gonna be fierce for a while

This is relevant to Azura how?

 

[Bigboote]

Obviously a lot can change (and has changed) in that time frame. My guess is Azura had aspirations to be more of a focal point in the offense and probably realized she wasn’t going to be the go to player at UCONN next season.

I was going to respond to the bolded part with: More of a focal point in an offense with Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier?? Then I realized she committed after their freshman year, before they became a top-scoring tandem. Then that goes back to the first sentence in your post. A lot DID change, before she ever played a game. Great and thoughtful post, I hadn't thought of it that way.

 

[HopJim]

Don’t let stats deceive you. Those 2 assist per game were bc she was playing along 3 AA’s. She was the worst passer on our roster. Quite honestly, the offense became stagnant with her in.

Someone has been drinking and its not Geno.

 

[HopJim]

I wonder if she's pissed from not playing more in the final four...

Opinion - she did well in playoffs. How she was treated during the year may be another issue.

 

[HopJim]

What's your source on that?

Love both but playing hard in practice and excelling in games totally different.

 

[HopJim]

Please define what you mean by , "UCONN will be fine."

Do you mean we will win our AAC championship? Stay undefeated against SMU?

Do you mean we will make the NCAA tournament?

Do you mean we will come just as close next year to winning it all, as we did this year? And the year before that?

Or do you mean we will have a fun team to watch, made up of fantastic young women athletes, who will play well and be competitive?

Maybe that is the right answer. Maybe we have to throw those championship expectations out the window and be happy. Maybe that is much better. I know it is a lot easier.

Different benchmark now. Similar to several years ago, we will likely see UConn win games they were not favored in. Unlikely to get to final 4 but still be strong team with great players and fun to watch. Not every team can win every year - take pride in what they excel in.

 

[HopJim]

A scholarship is worth more than a rookie salary. The top five draft picks make $45k or somewhere around there. What school nowadays is $45k/year when you factor in food, books, housing, etc.?

more than double this with Asia or other seasons.

 

[CocoHusky]

Better beat up on MSU next year and even that will be hard to do with Big T but in two years Vic will unleash the "Sick Sophomores":
PG- Myah Taylor(5'7" 5 star recruit from outside of Memphis)
SG- Andra Espinoza-Hunter(5'11" 5 star recruit from outside of NYC)
SF- Xaria Wiggins(6'1" 4 star recruit from Virginia Beach)
PF- Jessika Carter(6'4" 5 star recruit from the Atlanta area)
C- Daphane White(6'5" 5 star recruit from the MS gulf coast)
Like I said...you better get us next year because after that...we gonna be fierce for a while

Fierce? With that lineup? More like Puppy Chow.
You won't make it past the porch with the UCONN Huskies guarding it.

 

[j66kicker]

This all sounds logical the way you explained it, but is as many here, seems to be either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic.
Having a HS #1 doesn't necessarily mean a thing. MW has an enormous amount of work to do mentally and physically, to become a meaningful part of next years team. While it's surely doable, it's also very possible she becomes a good support player.
I truly hope that CW and Ono now start but that will mean two freshman playing strong roles, when it is hard for even one to do that.
We clearly had one off recruiting year, with potentially a second following that one.
I think an undefeated season is almost impossible. A #1 seed highly unlikely, and a final four appearance requires every part to fall into place.
Also talent doesn't often or even usually translate to any of those three things happening. Look at Texas or even Baylor, as two examples of great talent not going as far as anticipated.
I do though believe next years team, baring any significant injuries, to be better than expected now. I think Geno will be unburdened by the pressure of a 100+ game winning streak and two undefeated seasons going into the FF. I think he will coach his butt off and enjoy it more. I believe that KLS will get better, score more, and continue being a better, more balanced player. Pheesa also will have a great season and take over more of the load. Crystal will hopefully be over her shin splints and will have learned a lot to make her even better than she was this year. Some of the remaining players will need to step up. I'm guessing that CW will begin her journey to become legendary. Ono will have to grow faster than she should have to. MW will improve and become a solid first sub. Then whether it be Kayla, Batouly or Coombs will have their opportunities to be part of the mix.
I believe we will lose 2-4 regular season games, which actually will become a good thing. I'm hoping for them to get to and through the Elite Eight, which will be a significant accomplishment. Them hopefully the next two years we will bring in strong recruiting classes and be right back in the front or middle of everything. As evidenced by the four teams in the FF, there's much more talent and equality in the women's game, which is wonderful.
Bronx23

Well, with all due respect, I’ll mark you down on the overly pessimistic side. I think we have a powerhouse roster next year, talent-wise. And a decent coaching staff too. I think MW may have had a difficult time adjusting to getting broken down and built back up in the “UConn way,” but she should come on as a budding superstar next year. She’ll still need some work on defense, but when she’s over being worried about the “system” and making mistakes, she will be an explosive offensive player. Hopefully the process will be smoother for CW but, regardless, UConn should be loaded by any standard. I think 2-4 losses is way, way unlikely.

 

[DaddyChoc]

That wasn’t the question.

Do you think this year’s team would have been better without Azurá?

that was my answer

and no to you 2nd question

 

[Waquoit]

She will have had 2 years worth of Geno and a degree. Time to go, if she's gonna sit she might as well get paid for it.

 

[JellyBean]

Great talent. I wish her the best.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

...Or Kia the best overall shooter on the team...?

How ya figure that???

 

[Sam.the.Man]

Quite obviously Stevens expected a lot more than she got at UConn. Did she deserve more? I suppose that depends on your point of view, or more importantly Geno's. Personally, I'm glad she's leaving. There's no question that she has talent and can score from inside 2-ft., especially against smaller post players. She can also rebound, but keep in mind that many of her offensive boards were from her own missed shots. Additionally, her presence on offense disrupted the flow, changed the dynamics of it and definitely altered Pheesa's game (probably costing her a repeat first team AA position). With Z in the game, it was rare that once the ball went inside it wasn't coming back out. I wish her well in the WNBA, but she's going to find it much tougher to score and rebound when she's playing against people who measure up much greater than she did at Duke or UConn. And, playing defense without fouling will continue to be a struggle for her.

 

[StoneyDawg]

Ageed. She has her degree and she can dedicate her time to basketball and get paid. Of course she should pursue her professional aspirations.

 

[HoopsFan21]

How ya figure that???

Go look at last year’s stats. I think KLS might have had a <1% advantage on Kia for FG%, but she was by far the best 3point and free throw shooter.

 

[maddoggy]

Azura was coached by Geno and his staff for 2 years. Maybe she felt she had learned as much as she needed to compete at the next level. Maybe she felt she was underutilized this season because Geno didn't trust her enough. I don't watch as many UConn games as you all do, but in the games I saw her play, I thought she was very effective. Yet, she wasn't a starter and she often wasn't in the game at crucial times. It wasn't like there was another player of her size at UConn that she had to compete with, yet Geno seemed to prefer to go with a smaller line up rather than play her more. You all had Natalie Butler transfer and she also wasn't utilized at UConn the way she was at Georgetown or George Mason - which I assume is why she left. I could understand that Natalie might have been a little below your other starters, but I think Z is very talented and would have started at any other top program.

Who would you have benched in order to start Z and why?
KLS? Gabby? Kia? Crystal Dangerfield? Pheesa?
I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, and you may well be right. But I do think we ought to understand who we would have had to subtract in order to add Z to the starting line-up. And since Geno believes that subs should change the dynamics when they come in, how would that have changed if the sub was someone else?

 

[Sam.the.Man]

Go look at last year’s stats. I think KLS might have had a <1% advantage on Kia for FG%, but she was by far the best 3point and free throw shooter.

Katie Lou led the nation in 3pt shooting with 47.5 percent. Kia shot 44.2 percent. Lou also beat Kia in FG (53.0 vs. 51.9) and Free Throws (83.5 vs. 81.0).

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/w-baskbl/stats/2017-2018/teamcume.html

 

[faithfulfan]

Great talent. I wish her the best.

Agreed! But also agree with others, if she waited, she'd be a lot better pro! You can't learn imho as you can at a place like UCONN!
Others here should Chill!
UCONN will be great next year, and the favorite to win it all again when the tournament starts! We got Geno/CD/and the rest of the best coaching staff in women's basketball!!
Give credit to 2 teams who in OT with their best game, beat UCONN on an off day! Last year it was offence, this year it was defense. We lost 2 games in 2 years and some of you have lost your mind!
No team has 3 better players returning!
We got the high school payer of the year from last year coming back with a year learning under her belt! To me she looks like she could be Gabby 2, (but a far better shooter) with her athletic ability!
And we got the high school player of the year coming in next year who could turn out to be MAYA 2! Plus we got #5 slama jama ODA, a real center coming in to fill the middle!
Look at the final 4 teams, in this tournament, all the teams rarely went more then 6 players per game! Our bench is plenty deep enough!
I'm feeling great, we might be on the verge of another 4 straight Championship years!!! Go UCONN!!!

PS I've read this site for years, but had to join yesterday to calm everyone down!