Some thoughts on Azzi

[oldude]

Azzi is not going to start.

I dont understand why UConn fans are so obsessed with the concept of "starting" as if it's correlated with "best". Every metric from Geno over 35 years has shown he does not think that way.

If you want to say "she will compete to be considered the 'best 5'," then yes I'd agree. And best 5 typically means who is on the floor at crunch time in close games. Yeah I expect she will be there. But starting, barring injuries to others? No. No. No.

Before watching Azzi in the U19’s I would have agreed with you. But Azzi is much farther along then I expected, showing great basketball maturity, and she will compete for a the final starting spot with Nika, Aaliyah and perhaps Dorka.

If Azzi does start, UConn will once again field a small lineup with 4 guards and one center/forward. That may sound radical, but if you look back at recent seasons, the last time UConn’s primary starting lineup had 2 true frontcourt players was Stewie & Tuck in 2015-16.

 

[Blakeon18]

Regarding this business of Azzi playing for 'an audience of one'.

The head coach of that team was Cori Close. I fully believe that Azzi was trying to do exactly what
Cori [not Geno] wanted her to do. Since Azzi got significant minutes my guess is that Cori thought she was being overall
successful in those efforts...if those efforts to implement Cori's plans on offense and defense were not there or led to consistent failure then Azzi would have been sitting on the bench more often.

I would also guess that OUR #1...i.e. Himself...would not be happy with Azzi's
play in this event were she not doing what Cori wanted.

Come September I bet Azzi will indeed be focused on what Geno wants...hopefully her experiences with the 19U staff
will assist her in that regard.

Last guess is that there might well be a huge overlap of what Cori and Geno would want out of Azzi.

 

[Jingo]

In 2019 Azzi Fudd won the Gatorade POY Award, the first sophomore ever to do so. Azzi won that award over some pretty formidable competition, including Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston and her BFF, Paige Bueckers. But from that point on, we've seen very little of Azzi, the result of a long rehab from a devastating pair of injuries (torn ACL & MCL) and a general shutdown of basketball during the pandemic. We did see some workout videos with Azzi & Paige, a 3-pt shooting exhibition while wearing a boot and a handful of highlight vides from games this spring, when HS games slowly emerged from the pandemic on a very limited basis. Add in the uncertainty we all felt when it was reported that Azzi was still nursing a foot injury during summer workouts at UConn, and we just didn't know whether or not Azzi was the player we all hoped she would be when she announced her intention to matriculate to Storrs.

Fast forward to the FIBA U-19 World Championships, 7 games over 2 weeks against top international competition. The U19's gave all of us the first sustained look at Azzi's game in over two years. Here are some of thoughts on what I witnessed:

• Azzi appears to be completely healthy and in great shape. She moved very well throughout the tournament, never giving any indication of a lingering injury issue.
• Azzi was always a great shooter and she still is. Her 52% from the arc lead all players in the tournament.
• Azzi is a complete player. She dug in to play tough defense, ran the offense at times, set up her teammates and rebounded.
• Azzi will compete for a starting spot at UConn this coming season. We all know that Geno is looking for more than the ability to score from any freshman before they earn a starting spot or significant PT. So Azzi has to check off several boxes if she expects to start at UConn. She has to work hard - Check! She has to play tough defense - Check! She has to share the ball - Check! She has to be a good teammate - Check!
• If there is any negative at all it is the same issue as Paige had when she showed up at UConn. We want to see Azzi be more aggressive when she has the ball, both attacking the basket and getting to her spot on the floor for her deadly mid-range jumper. I have no doubt that message will be conveyed to her by Geno.

In short, after much uncertainty about the status of Azzi's game and health, UConn fans should be thoroughly delighted at what we witnessed during the U19's. Just 3 more months until the season tips off.........

I saw all the U19 games. The guards on the team were simply fantastic. So it's no shame that Azzi finished 6th behind Citron, Paupau, Clark, Johnson & Verlquist. Still, Azzi had flashes of brilliance, eh?

 

[victor64]

Regarding this business of Azzi playing for 'an audience of one'.

The head coach of that team was Cori Close. I fully believe that Azzi was trying to do exactly what
Cori [not Geno] wanted her to do. Since Azzi got significant minutes my guess is that Cori thought she was being overall
successful in those efforts...if those efforts to implement Cori's plans on offense and defense were not there or led to consistent failure then Azzi would have been sitting on the bench more often.

I would also guess that OUR #1...i.e. Himself...would not be happy with Azzi's
play in this event were she not doing what Cori wanted.

Come September I bet Azzi will indeed be focused on what Geno wants...hopefully her experiences with the 19U staff
will assist her in that regard.

Last guess is that there might well be a huge overlap of what Cori and Geno would want out of Azzi.

I have a hard time believing that Cory was ok with how little Azzi shot. Nor do believe that she wanted Azzi to be a distributor.

 

[EdSaid]

Azzi is not going to start.

I dont understand why UConn fans are so obsessed with the concept of "starting" as if it's correlated with "best". Every metric from Geno over 35 years has shown he does not think that way.

If you want to say "she will compete to be considered the 'best 5'," then yes I'd agree. And best 5 typically means who is on the floor at crunch time in close games. Yeah I expect she will be there. But starting, barring injuries to others? No. No. No.

will start from Day 1. She will be top 2 in minutes played and scoring average with PB.

If injury free the entire season she could win every award that PB won last year. She is that good, and more importantly, Geno knows it and he will get the most from her.

 

[Stymie]

Azzi is intelligent, talented, dedicated and focused.
I’m sure she has her priorities in order.
A)—UCONN National Championship #1
B)—UCONN National Championship #2
C)—UCONN National Championship #3
D)—UCONN National Championship #4
XYZ)—Any U-19, any 3X3 teams, any other crap contrived “championships” they think up.
She wants 4 National Championships.
Why drive the middle in a needless exercise?
And risk a needless injury?
In a tourney that doesn’t mean Jack?
When you’re crushing the competition anyway?
If you’re really concerned with her wellbeing and want the National Trophy- you should be glad she’s being smart about it.
JMHO

 

[Vowelguy]

will start from Day 1.

Sales didn't start. Diana didnt start. Maya didnt start.

She is that good, and more importantly, Geno knows it and he will get the most from her.

That can be done without starting.

That is, unless you believe Geno wants to play her 40 mpg.

 

[fan4eva]

In 2019 Azzi Fudd won the Gatorade POY Award, the first sophomore ever to do so. Azzi won that award over some pretty formidable competition, including Haley Jones, Aliyah Boston and her BFF, Paige Bueckers. But from that point on, we've seen very little of Azzi, the result of a long rehab from a devastating pair of injuries (torn ACL & MCL) and a general shutdown of basketball during the pandemic. We did see some workout videos with Azzi & Paige, a 3-pt shooting exhibition while wearing a boot and a handful of highlight vides from games this spring, when HS games slowly emerged from the pandemic on a very limited basis. Add in the uncertainty we all felt when it was reported that Azzi was still nursing a foot injury during summer workouts at UConn, and we just didn't know whether or not Azzi was the player we all hoped she would be when she announced her intention to matriculate to Storrs.

Fast forward to the FIBA U-19 World Championships, 7 games over 2 weeks against top international competition. The U19's gave all of us the first sustained look at Azzi's game in over two years. Here are some of thoughts on what I witnessed:

• Azzi appears to be completely healthy and in great shape. She moved very well throughout the tournament, never giving any indication of a lingering injury issue.
• Azzi was always a great shooter and she still is. Her 52% from the arc lead all players in the tournament.
• Azzi is a complete player. She dug in to play tough defense, ran the offense at times, set up her teammates and rebounded.
• Azzi will compete for a starting spot at UConn this coming season. We all know that Geno is looking for more than the ability to score from any freshman before they earn a starting spot or significant PT. So Azzi has to check off several boxes if she expects to start at UConn. She has to work hard - Check! She has to play tough defense - Check! She has to share the ball - Check! She has to be a good teammate - Check!
• If there is any negative at all it is the same issue as Paige had when she showed up at UConn. We want to see Azzi be more aggressive when she has the ball, both attacking the basket and getting to her spot on the floor for her deadly mid-range jumper. I have no doubt that message will be conveyed to her by Geno.

In short, after much uncertainty about the status of Azzi's game and health, UConn fans should be thoroughly delighted at what we witnessed during the U19's. Just 3 more months until the season tips off.........

so you're saying she's a team player who knows she good and is confident in her abilities and does'nt have to be the star or leading scorer in order to validate her. she's perfect for Uconn a plug and play all around guard who's concerned with winning only who can back up all the hype !!

 

[oldude]

so you're saying she's a team player who knows she good and is confident in her abilities and does'nt have to be the star or leading scorer in order to validate her. she's perfect for Uconn a plug and play all around guard who's concerned with winning only who can back up all the hype !!

Well stated.

Going forward I will ask you to summarize all my long-winded posts on the BY.

 

[Go/huskies]

Sales didn't start. Diana didnt start. Maya didnt start.


That can be done without starting.

That is, unless you believe Geno wants to play her 40 mpg.

Keep in mind the players who were ahead of Diana, Sales, and Maya, I don’t see that same level of players ahead of Azzi. KG and Mel weren’t as talented as Maya, but one was a Senior and the other a Junior.

 

[BBallF]

Before watching Azzi in the U19’s I would have agreed with you. But Azzi is much farther along then I expected, showing great basketball maturity, and she will compete for a the final starting spot with Nika, Aaliyah and perhaps Dorka.

If Azzi does start, UConn will once again field a small lineup with 4 guards and one center/forward. That may sound radical, but if you look back at recent seasons, the last time UConn’s primary starting lineup had 2 true frontcourt players was Stewie & Tuck in 2015-16.

I think it's definitely a small lineup in the beginning at least because I think the starting 5 is the same as last year's. Let's remember that they were the #1 ranked team by the services going into the tourney last year so do you really need to reinvent the wheel? Starting doesn't necessarily mean playing a lot on this team.

I was most impressed by Azzi's defense. That is a big plus when it comes to playing time.

I suspect she will be much improved in her overall game by Midnight Madness compared to her U19 games but some of her performance was the result of the style of play which was AAU. There will not be any "hero" guards on UCONN this year so she may actually have other players like Nika, Paige and/or E actually passing her the ball in shooting position. Then, if she disappoints and underperforms, no one can label the criticisms as unfair. BTW, you know that ain't gonna happen playing with her best friend.

 

[Charliebball]

Azzi will be just fine. The girl can play, no doubt.

Though the international experience is great, the UConn experience will more difficult and much richer. Cori Close is a good coach but she is no Geno. And there lies the difference in the experience Azzi will get.

She will be practicing and playing with the same players and every day. Players that will push her everyday to excel. She will be working within a system that can be difficult to master. But one her talents are really suited for.

Relax. The real fun will be here soon enough.

the UConn experience will be more difficult with tough practices and a tough coach but there will be no difficulties getting her the ball for her shot in the right spot on the court as there were in most of the U19 games..........

 

[Boreifs]

Oldude was spot on as usual, but I have some additional thoughts. It seemed to me like Azzi could have created a mid-range jumper for herself whenever she wanted, but chose to be a consummate team player. In that role she was successful and displayed a more well rounded game than her reputation as a great shooter might suggest.

I don't think there is much need for her to play point guard on this team with Paige, Nika and even Evina, but this tournament convinced me she could be very good there if needed. Defense and overall court awareness was there too. Rebounding OK but nothing special so I think if Evina is in the game as one of the wings, she should probably be the 3 and Christyn or Azzi the 2.

By showing multiple skills, basketball IQ and unselfishness Azzi makes it clear that she should assimilate quickly in a significant role, be it starter or significant minutes off the bench.

If Nika starts at the point, I wouldn’t rule her out getting the back up minutes in addition to time at the wing. On that incredible U17 (U16?) with Boston, Haley Jones, Hairston and Paige, she was the point guard. It all depends on what happens in training camp with six guards competing for time at three positions. Will he considering having two rotations at those three spots?! Can’t wait until that first exhibition game.

 

[Boreifs]

If Nika starts at the point, I wouldn’t rule her out getting the back up minutes in addition to time at the wing. On that incredible U17 (U16?) with Boston, Haley Jones, Hairston and Paige, she was the point guard. It all depends on what happens in training camp with six guards competing for time at three positions. Will he considering having two rotations at those three spots?! Can’t wait until that first exhibition game.

Horston, not Hairston. Stupid spell check.

 

[BobbyJ]

I have a hard time believing that Cory was ok with how little Azzi shot. Nor do believe that she wanted Azzi to be a distributor.

If Close wasn't ok with it, she could've easily communicated that to Fudd and I believe she would have responded quickly. She must have liked what Fudd was contributing because she played her an awful lot of minutes.

 

[JoePgh]

I have a definite opinion on two specific issues that have been raised in this thread, even though I agree with the main consensus of the thread.

1. I don't agree that Azzi will have to be more selfish, or that Geno will want her to be more selfish, to contribute as much as she can to UConn's success. Nothing in the U19 tourney suggests to me that Azzi is shy about taking an open shot from any range, and I think that is what Geno will expect of her. If her jump shot is as good as we all expect, opponents will make sure that they defend her even if it stretches their defense, and that is when she will get opportunities to pass or drive. She showed in the U19's that she can pass. If she isn't able to drive past an opponent who is tightly guarding her 20 feet from the basket, or make a backdoor cut to get past that opponent, that is a weakness in her game that will need to be fixed, but just because she didn't do it in the U19's doesn't mean that it isn't in her repertoire. I don't remember seeing any backdoor plays from the USA offense in the U19 tournament, by anyone.
2. Some have suggested that Azzi may start if Geno decides to go with a 4-guard offense as he has for the past several years. I don't think Geno will do that again this year, for a number of reasons: (a) He hasn't won an NC since the last time he played a 2-big offense in 2015-26; (b) the teams in UConn's peer group this year (especially South Carolina and Stanford) are massively big teams in terms of height, and UConn will be at a disadvantage if it is not accustomed to playing with similar height most of the time; and, most important, (c) the 2021-22 roster only has four true guards (five if you count Evina) and nine front court players. The depth of this team is in the front court, and it makes sense to play two at a time (at least) to take advantage of that depth.

I think Geno got Dorka and built this roster because he recognizes that the teams since 2016 have simply not been big enough (and deep enough at the front court positions) to compete with other top teams at those positions. Having gone to a lot of trouble to acquire that depth of talent in the front court, I expect Geno to use the flexibility that this roster affords him.

 

[Orangutan]

Two statements about Azzi in this tournament:

She played well and was a key part of Team USA's winning effort.
If you didn't know beforehand, you would not have picked her out as the most touted recruit from Team USA.

Those facts lead to this awkward scenario where folks seem to feel compelled to make excuses for that which doesn't need to be excused. She played well! She just wasn't dominant when dominance was expected.

That said, allow me to be one of those folks.

The elite skill I saw from Azzi in this tournament was shooting. She has beautiful form and great balance when shooting. Her pull-up is silky smooth.

This was not necessarily the ideal set up for someone with those talents. Of the three guards that had the point guard duties (Paopao, Clark, Johnson), two of them are score-first guards, which means fewer opportunities for the off-ball players.

And since you're not going to have sophisticated plays on a slapped-together all-star team, you can't rely on the offense scheme to create openings for a shooter.

Thus, the stars of Team USA ended up being Clark, who played big minutes and called her own number frequently, and Citron, who made her own opportunities by hitting the glass hard and by aggressively attacking and drawing fouls.

It's pretty hard for a jump-shooting specialist to be a superstar unless their teammates are constantly feeding them, which wasn't going to happen here. It may happen at the next level. A shooter that good is a unique weapon and UConn's offense will create her opportunities.

To me the question is: Is she really a jump-shooting specialist? Or was this just her slowly feeling her way back into high-level competition?

Either way, she'll be an excellent college player. It's just a question of what her ceiling is.

 

[Biff]

I have a definite opinion on two specific issues that have been raised in this thread, even though I agree with the main consensus of the thread.

1. I don't agree that Azzi will have to be more selfish, or that Geno will want her to be more selfish, to contribute as much as she can to UConn's success.

After this sentence you could have stopped as far as I'm concerned. Lots of other good points but this is the key point to me.

 

[DefenseBB]

Sales didn't start. Diana didnt start. Maya didnt start.


That can be done without starting.

That is, unless you believe Geno wants to play her 40 mpg.

Some stats to support your Day 1 stance: Maya did start 30 of 38 games and averaged the 2nd most min of 29.5 behind Renee Montgomery 31.2 (note-sophomore Tina Charles started 33 of 38.
DT only started when Svet was injured and out for the season.
Same for Nykesha Sales who also started due to an injury.

Given the amount of upperclassmen and a very talented team overall, I too doubt starts from day 1. That said, she is clearly talented enough to earn that spot and give the dearth of outside shooting, she could start from day 1.

 

[D J B]

Before watching Azzi in the U19’s I would have agreed with you. But Azzi is much farther along then I expected, showing great basketball maturity, and she will compete for a the final starting spot with Nika, Aaliyah and perhaps Dorka.

If Azzi does start, UConn will once again field a small lineup with 4 guards and one center/forward. That may sound radical, but if you look back at recent seasons, the last time UConn’s primary starting lineup had 2 true frontcourt players was Stewie & Tuck in 2015-16.

It was also the last time UConn won the NC. I guess radical now would be starting 2 true frontcourt players. As the wise man said, "The only true constant is change." I wouldn't be surprised about anything at this point. I think we're in uncharted waters with the talent on this team. God bless Geno.

 

[Boreifs]

I have a definite opinion on two specific issues that have been raised in this thread, even though I agree with the main consensus of the thread.

1. I don't agree that Azzi will have to be more selfish, or that Geno will want her to be more selfish, to contribute as much as she can to UConn's success. Nothing in the U19 tourney suggests to me that Azzi is shy about taking an open shot from any range, and I think that is what Geno will expect of her. If her jump shot is as good as we all expect, opponents will make sure that they defend her even if it stretches their defense, and that is when she will get opportunities to pass or drive. She showed in the U19's that she can pass. If she isn't able to drive past an opponent who is tightly guarding her 20 feet from the basket, or make a backdoor cut to get past that opponent, that is a weakness in her game that will need to be fixed, but just because she didn't do it in the U19's doesn't mean that it isn't in her repertoire. I don't remember seeing any backdoor plays from the USA offense in the U19 tournament, by anyone.
2. Some have suggested that Azzi may start if Geno decides to go with a 4-guard offense as he has for the past several years. I don't think Geno will do that again this year, for a number of reasons: (a) He hasn't won an NC since the last time he played a 2-big offense in 2015-26; (b) the teams in UConn's peer group this year (especially South Carolina and Stanford) are massively big teams in terms of height, and UConn will be at a disadvantage if it is not accustomed to playing with similar height most of the time; and, most important, (c) the 2021-22 roster only has four true guards (five if you count Evina) and nine front court players. The depth of this team is in the front court, and it makes sense to play two at a time (at least) to take advantage of that depth.

I think Geno got Dorka and built this roster because he recognizes that the teams since 2016 have simply not been big enough (and deep enough at the front court positions) to compete with other top teams at those positions. Having gone to a lot of trouble to acquire that depth of talent in the front court, I expect Geno to use the flexibility that this roster affords him.

I agree that he will not be starting four guards, but disagree on your count. Ducharme is definitely a guard, which makes six. (IMO)

 

[HopJim]

Before watching Azzi in the U19’s I would have agreed with you. But Azzi is much farther along then I expected, showing great basketball maturity, and she will compete for a the final starting spot with Nika, Aaliyah and perhaps Dorka.

If Azzi does start, UConn will once again field a small lineup with 4 guards and one center/forward. That may sound radical, but if you look back at recent seasons, the last time UConn’s primary starting lineup had 2 true frontcourt players was Stewie & Tuck in 2015-16.

Dude, should be interesting to see how Geno manages such a deep team. While he has used 4 guard line ups the past 5 years, he also hasn't won the championship during that time. Predict he goes with the starting team throughout the year he feels is needed to win it all which likely includes two bigs.

 

[Bald Husky]

Cori Close is a very good coach, once coming to Storrs with her UCLA staff to observe how Geno conducts his practices, and I'm sure, some coaching tidbits. Coaching a USA team is a crapshoot, trying to formulate a team out of High School kids ( some college players at the U19 level ) into a well oiled all star machine. Aint gonna happen!!
I think Azzi played the way Cori wanted her to play after finalizing her team, knowing full well that most of her guards were of the shooting variety. To a certain extent, I think Paopao may have been an exception, but as far as anyone else, no. She needed a facilitator, a guard that could control the ball, and to get it to someone who could do good things with it. I believe that the one month that Azzi spent in Storrs gave her an indication of how team basketball works and all she did was play the way UConn plays, not following the sometimes hectic way her teammates did. I truely believe Cori saw her as the player who could make plays, and someone who could try to control the game, and if necessary, slow it down. Most times it didn't work (LOL), but I believe Azzi played the kind of game that she wanted her to play, hence the number of minutes Azzi did end up playing. I think she did good, and a girl with that kind of attitude is what UConn is all about.

 

[oldude]

Dude, should be interesting to see how Geno manages such a deep team. While he has used 4 guard line ups the past 5 years, he also hasn't won the championship during that time. Predict he goes with the starting team throughout the year he feels is needed to win it all which likely includes two bigs.

It all comes down to which lineup gives you the best opportunity to win. Most teams do not start 2 Bigs. SC does, but Stanford does not, even though they have the players to do so. Geno wants to spread the floor on offense. With Stewie & Tuck, he could still spread the floor because both were capable 3-pt shooters.

If UConn starts Azzi as part of a 4-guard lineup, they would basically start the #1 rated guard from 4 of the last 5 classes, all of whom have size, the ability to knock down 3’s and beat defenders off the dribble. It would be a fascinating matchup vs SC, with the Gamecocks trying to pound the ball into the paint and UConn forcing SC’s Bigs to defend out on the perimeter.

 

[CocoHusky]

Cori Close is a very good coach, once coming to Storrs with her UCLA staff to observe how Geno conducts his practices, and I'm sure, some coaching tidbits. Coaching a USA team is a crapshoot, trying to formulate a team out of High School kids ( some college players at the U19 level ) into a well oiled all star machine. Aint gonna happen!!
I think Azzi played the way Cori wanted her to play after finalizing her team, knowing full well that most of her guards were of the shooting variety. To a certain extent, I think Paopao may have been an exception, but as far as anyone else, no. She needed a facilitator, a guard that could control the ball, and to get it to someone who could do good things with it. I believe that the one month that Azzi spent in Storrs gave her an indication of how team basketball works and all she did was play the way UConn plays, not following the sometimes hectic way her teammates did. I truely believe Cori saw her as the player who could make plays, and someone who could try to control the game, and if necessary, slow it down. Most times it didn't work (LOL), but I believe Azzi played the kind of game that she wanted her to play, hence the number of minutes Azzi did end up playing. I think she did good, and a girl with that kind of attitude is what UConn is all about.

Cori Close is a mediocre coach at best because despite having #1 overall recruiting classes she has failed to ever reach a final four. A trip (or even several) to Storrs to watch Geno conduct practices does not qualify her to be a very good coach any more than it does me. Coaching this U19 team is not a crapshoot especially considering the lack of competition and the overwhelming level of talent on the US squad. It is hard to decipher what Cori's plans were for this team in general or Azzi specifically. This team lack effort defensively, cohesion in general, defined roles and the substitution & starters especially in the early rounds was puzzling. This team never encountered any adversity or significant resistance As has been stated by several posters Azzi will be a far different player at UCONN than she has displayed on this team. Way too much is being made of this tournament with regards to Azzi's development and potential to start at UCONN. Azzi development would have been further along if you take this same group of kids, put them on a bus, drop them off at any open gym, and have them run pickup games for 2 hours. Leave Cori on the bus, not all neighborhoods are safe and someone will need to keep an eye on the transportation. The added bonus of this development plan is that Azzi would have been guarding Paopao (Oregon), or Diamond Johnson (NCST), or Sonia Citron (ND)- all players that Azzi is going to have to guard this coming fall/winter if I'm not mistaken.