Why this is Fudd’s year to shine

[Carnac]

It’s not unreasonable to assume that the 2022-23 season was not what Azzi Fudd had in mind. She played like an All-American in her first six games, highlighted by 88 points in three games against AP Top 10 opposition. After a rough 13 minutes against No. 7 Notre Dame, Aaliyah Edwards landed on Fudd’s leg, sidelining her for what felt like an eternity, but was just over a month.

This year, Fudd should be positioned to have her best year yet. In Connecticut’s Europe tour, she looked very healthy. The once No. 1 recruit posted scoring tallies of 38, 19, 24 and 10, with the last coming in a shortened blowout game. Needless to say, Fudd was performing at a high level. Her bread and butter will always be shooting and scoring, and the way this team is built positions her very well to thrive.

Stratton’s Stand: Why this is Fudd’s year to shine

It’s not unreasonable to assume that the 2022-23 season was not what Azzi Fudd had in mind. She played like an All-American in her first six games, highlighted by 88 points in three games against AP Top 10 opposition. After a rough 13 minutes against No. 7 Notre Dame, Aaliyah Edwards landed on...

dailycampus.com

 

[Alydar]

Fudd is a complete player but I fear that the media is going to see her as another KML. I expect to see a bunch of similar articles in the next 3 months. Fudd's shooting/scoring will be the topic on most of them and that is a narrow view of what she brings to the court. One thing I noticed on the Euro videos was that she has gotten back her foot speed, especially on defense. That quickness was evident on the old U17 videos in the summer after he freshman season. Fudd was a much better defensive player than Bueckers prior to UConn and from the little I saw in the videos that quickness is back.

 

[JonathanXIV]

I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to have a season with both Paige and Azzi healthy and playing together. As a UConn fan, is that so much to ask?

 

[Ozimoto]

Not at all.

 

[UConnCat]

2001-2002: Bird/Taurasi

2023-2024: Bueckers/Fudd

 

[Next 12]

This year will be Azzi's time to shine. She has had 2 frustrating years of misfortune and has not been able to produce like all Uconn fans knows she can. I predict Azzi will be the top scorer on Uconn with Paige anD Aaliyah right behind. I also predict that all Uconn starters will have many20+ points per game, with the bench scoring 30% of the teams points. THIS IS AZZI'S YEAR AND SHE HAS EARNED IT AND ANY ACCOLADES SHE WILL GET.

 

[Waquoit]

Fudd is a complete player but I fear that the media is going to see her as another KML.

I'll take it. Fudd has a ways to go before she deserves to be spoken of as highly as KML.

 

[Geew1992]

I'll take it. Fudd has a ways to go before she deserves to be spoken of as highly as KML.

If one’s college career is compared to KML… they should be honored

 

[Bigboote]

Fudd is a complete player but I fear that the media is going to see her as another KML.

I'm a bit baffled by this. KML was a complete player. Yes, she was a great shooter, but in college she was a great defender (about 3 defensive win shares per year), a good rebounder, good passer (more assists than Azzi). Azzi's still aspiring to be a KML-type player.

 

[Alydar]

I'm a bit baffled by this. KML was a complete player. Yes, she was a great shooter, but in college she was a great defender (about 3 defensive win shares per year), a good rebounder, good passer (more assists than Azzi). Azzi's still aspiring to be a KML-type player.

Geno himself said that Fudd is the most completely skilled player he has ever brought to Storrs, in every facet of the game.
I blame the media. To them it's all about scoring. They look at Clark's scoring and ignore her efficiency. They go gaga over Reese's 30+pt games and ignore the opposition. They want a star.

 

[AzzisBraids]

We have not seen prime Azzi Fudd just yet. She's had flashes but through injuries, the cards have not been right for her. (or Paige for that matter, though her healthy year was her NPOY one.)

Bueckers will get the first looks like Beyonce in Destiny's Child and she earns that. She is the face of UConn at the moment. But Fudd is the Rihanna of this thing and she is equally as talented in a different way and in a different lane. If and when Azzi has a fully healthy year, I think the sky's the limit for her to shine bright like a diamond.

 

[jdote33]

Is there a UConn player in recent history/Geno era have a breakout junior year. I was thinking Taurasi though she had a pretty great sophomore year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Is there a UConn player in recent history/Geno era have a breakout junior year. I was thinking Taurasi though she had a pretty great sophomore year.

Megan Walker became a 1st Team All-American as a Junior. She was also a #1 recruit, also from Virginia.

 

[Cuango]

We have not seen prime Azzi Fudd just yet. She's had flashes but through injuries, the cards have not been right for her. (or Paige for that matter, though her healthy year was her NPOY one.)

Bueckers will get the first looks like Beyonce in Destiny's Child and she earns that. She is the face of UConn at the moment. But Fudd is the Rihanna of this thing and she is equally as talented in a different way and in a different lane. If and when Azzi has a fully healthy year, I think the sky's the limit for her to shine bright like a diamond.

I think Azzi has all the physical tools to be a great player. Her shot speaks for itself, she’s a strong ball handler, and good on defense. I too am anxious and hopeful that we’ll finally see her full ability this season. What I’m not convinced of is her self confidence, her clutchness, and her consistency. I want to be clear I’m not saying she doesn’t have those qualities just that I haven’t seen them yet.

I have to say though, any comparison or especially, any implication that she is better than Paige is simply ludicrous at this time. Is it possible that I could recant these words after this year? I suppose anything is possible but Imo it’s extremely unlikely. All due respect to Geno but Paige is the best player I’ve ever seen. She’s already laid her marker and it was truly generational!

Here’s another thing Geno said recently, that this (the current version of Paige) is the best iteration of Paige ever! That sounds suspiciously like he expects her to be better than her freshman year! That is a pretty high bar to set for a player who though admittedly hampered by injuries, has never come close to playing at the level (long term) that Paige played at for an entire season and who showed she still had those same qualities in her return from her first injury.

Again, I like Azzi and concede she has great potential but she is not at Paige’s level and imo likely never will be. Paige just has something that is rarely seen. Having said that, I would be the happiest person on this board if Azzi is a better player than Paige this year! You say she’ll ”shine bright like a diamond“, I hope she’s the Cullinan Diamond! If that happens and Paige lives up to Geno’s expectations as well, we are in for a season unlike any we’ve seen.

 

[ballerfan]

Geno himself said that Fudd is the most completely skilled player he has ever brought to Storrs, in every facet of the game.
I blame the media. To them it's all about scoring. They look at Clark's scoring and ignore her efficiency. They go gaga over Reese's 30+pt games and ignore the opposition. They want a star.

I was curious about your post, and I tried to find a statement by Geno online stating that « Fudd is the most completely skilled player he has ever brought to Storrs, in every facet of the game. »

The closest I could find is last year after Paige was injured. The UConn Blog reported that, after admitting that no one could replace Paige, Geno said, « I would say based on one week of practice, Azzi’s as good as anybody we’ve had at this point in every area of the game.” Did Geno say something more than that?

I would be thrilled if Azzi turned out to be the most skilled player in every facet of the game.

 

[jabstep]

I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to have a season with both Paige and Azzi healthy and playing together. As a UConn fan, is that so much to ask?

I think we all have been waiting for that to happen!!!!

 

[The deacon]

Geno himself said that Fudd is the most completely skilled player he has ever brought to Storrs, in every facet of the game.
I blame the media. To them it's all about scoring. They look at Clark's scoring and ignore her efficiency. They go gaga over Reese's 30+pt games and ignore the opposition. They want a star.

As others have said in posts to follow yours, I suspect Geno might want to retract that statement, if he ever said it that way.

I'd also like to note that, as so many ignore when they throw Caitlin Clark's name out there as the epitome of a big scorer who does nothing else, Caitlin is a remarkable team player who has led the nation in assists (either per game or total number) three straight seasons, and also has a rebounding average of about 7 per game for her career.

That (and the Hawkeyes' considerable successes the past two seasons, often due to Caitlin's huge performances under pressure) is why the media pays special attention to Clark. She's putting up all-around numbers, well better than anyone in history.

Yes, the media wants a star. So do we. That's why when a few years ago we first became aware of Azzi, she quickly became the apple of every BYer's eye? And how did that happen? Not wholly, but principally because of the media... even today, after two injury-plagued seasons, media finds the Azzi Fudd name irresistible and predicts greatness this season.

So do many of us. I'm hoping....

 

[EricLA]

As others have said in posts to follow yours, I suspect Geno might want to retract that statement, if he ever said it that way.

I'd also like to note that, as so many ignore when they throw Caitlin Clark's name out there as the epitome of a big scorer who does nothing else, Caitlin is a remarkable team player who has led the nation in assists (either per game or total number) three straight seasons, and also has a rebounding average of about 7 per game for her career.

That (and the Hawkeyes' considerable successes the past two seasons, often due to Caitlin's huge performances under pressure) is why the media pays special attention to Clark. She's putting up all-around numbers, well better than anyone in history.

Yes, the media wants a star. So do we. That's why when a few years ago we first became aware of Azzi, she quickly became the apple of every BYer's eye? And how did that happen? Not wholly, but principally because of the media... even today, after two injury-plagued seasons, media finds the Azzi Fudd name irresistible and predicts greatness this season.

So do many of us. I'm hoping....

Agreed. I did a little digging and here are Clark's stats last year, and then for her career.

Remarkably consistent. I DO agree with those who say she takes too many shots - her FG% is not "great" by "great player" standards, but when you look at her assists (as you said, led the nation last season and prior) and add on to that her rebounds, she really is a complete player. I look forward to seeing her in the WNBA where she does not need to score as much and can take "better" shots while surrounded by other stars.

Getting back to Azzi... also agree with those who have high hopes for her. We've seen flashes. Her first 8 games last season launched her into the early year NPOY discussions. One thing I've noticed about her, that has been echoed by several, is that she is no slouch on defense. Not only does she move well, but she has quick feet. KML had quick feet. Maya, for all her athleticism, had slow feet.

I do have to say I'm mystified about her "confidence". I've never seen such a talented player have such a crisis of confidence. Perhaps it's related to all her injuries.

If Azzi can be the type of player she was to start last year, and Paige can be the type of player she was as a freshman, watch out.

 

[Bone Dog]

While I share @The deacon’s sense that caitlin is often unfairly devalued on statistics and accomplishments, in hypothetical discussions that sort of evidence is less useful. We all know that in discussions of Azzi we have little more than potential and a few glimpses to go on. But if I think about head-to-head competitions, and we have one of those from last season, we find something rather more revealing.

A depleted UConn team played Iowa and it was a battle and UConn came out on top largely because Azzi outplayed Caitlin. In other respects, the teams were pretty evenly matched. Lou hadn’t hit her stride yet, and Caroline was still playing tentatively. Aaliyah outplayed Czinano but Kate Martin shot 3s way over her normal play. Gabby Marshall played her usual excellent mischievous defense and Nika shut Caitlin down for much of the game.

This game came during Azzi’s early hyper dynamic stretch last season and in it we can clearly see why she deserved NPOY consideration. It also revealed her typical pattern, cold shooting in the first half, some sloppy turnovers, and then when it really mattered she took the team on her shoulders and dominated in the second half. This was a signature game for Azzi. It also exposed Caitlin’s weakness against top defenses. If you took her stats as extrapolated from games like this you’d never think she was an NPOY candidate. But events changed things and Azzi was injured and Caitlin stepped up big in March.

 

[Geew1992]

While I share @The deacon’s sense that caitlin is often unfairly devalued on statistics and accomplishments, in hypothetical discussions that sort of evidence is less useful. We all know that in discussions of Azzi we have little more than potential and a few glimpses to go on. But if I think about head-to-head competitions, and we have one of those from last season, we find something rather more revealing.

A depleted UConn team played Iowa and it was a battle and UConn came out on top largely because Azzi outplayed Caitlin. In other respects, the teams were pretty evenly matched. Lou hadn’t hit her stride yet, and Caroline was still playing tentatively. Aaliyah outplayed Czinano but Kate Martin shot 3s way over her normal play. Gabby Marshall played her usual excellent mischievous defense and Nika shut Caitlin down for much of the game.

This game came during Azzi’s early hyper dynamic stretch last season and in it we can clearly see why she deserved NPOY consideration. It also revealed her typical pattern, cold shooting in the first half, some sloppy turnovers, and then when it really mattered she took the team on her shoulders and dominated in the second half. This was a signature game for Azzi. It also exposed Caitlin’s weakness against top defenses. If you took her stats as extrapolated from games like this you’d never think she was an NPOY candidate. But events changed things and Azzi was injured and Caitlin stepped up big in March.

Pretty sure Caroline was the difference maker in the win

 

[The deacon]

While I share @The deacon’s sense that caitlin is often unfairly devalued on statistics and accomplishments, in hypothetical discussions that sort of evidence is less useful. We all know that in discussions of Azzi we have little more than potential and a few glimpses to go on. But if I think about head-to-head competitions, and we have one of those from last season, we find something rather more revealing.

A depleted UConn team played Iowa and it was a battle and UConn came out on top largely because Azzi outplayed Caitlin. In other respects, the teams were pretty evenly matched. Lou hadn’t hit her stride yet, and Caroline was still playing tentatively. Aaliyah outplayed Czinano but Kate Martin shot 3s way over her normal play. Gabby Marshall played her usual excellent mischievous defense and Nika shut Caitlin down for much of the game.

This game came during Azzi’s early hyper dynamic stretch last season and in it we can clearly see why she deserved NPOY consideration. It also revealed her typical pattern, cold shooting in the first half, some sloppy turnovers, and then when it really mattered she took the team on her shoulders and dominated in the second half. This was a signature game for Azzi. It also exposed Caitlin’s weakness against top defenses. If you took her stats as extrapolated from games like this you’d never think she was an NPOY candidate. But events changed things and Azzi was injured and Caitlin stepped up big in March.

Ha! You mean weak defenses like South Carolina, Bone Dog? Iowa played one of the tougher schedules in the country, Clark posted those big numbers all around, and she was almost always at her best against better teams.

Nika clearly got under Caitlin's skin, almost literally, that game, and the refs let her get away with numerous fouls which might have been called in another game. Cheers for Nika for getting the job done, helping to force Caitlin into 37 percent shooting.

I get a kick out of your suggestion we extrapolate Clark's game vs. UConn to the bigger picture. Please find me a single player who was at the top of her game each time out. The reality was there were precious few other games 'like this' all season for Clark, if any.

That said, Caitlin outscore Nika, 25-24, outrebounded her, 7-3, and out-assisted her, 6-4... you can opine that Azzi outplayed Clark, but a factor not to be overlooked was that the Huskies were playing their best basketball, perhaps of the season, during that stretch, while the Hawkeyes were off to a slow start.

Also, if Caroline was tentative vs. Iowa (15 points in 23 minutes), we can only hope for more of her tentative play this season.

Bottom line for me, as I believe for you, this shouldn't be about Caitlin Clark. This is about whether Azzi Fudd can bring it, game in and game out, all '23-24 season. We'll all have a joyous time if she can...

Pretty sure Caroline was the difference maker in the win

 

[Kat]

I think that Aaliyah Edwards will have an incredible year. However she goes, so go the Huskies. No disrespect to Azzi, the UConn universe is loaded with stars.

 

[Alydar]

I was curious about your post, and I tried to find a statement by Geno online stating that « Fudd is the most completely skilled player he has ever brought to Storrs, in every facet of the game. »

The closest I could find is last year after Paige was injured. The UConn Blog reported that, after admitting that no one could replace Paige, Geno said, « I would say based on one week of practice, Azzi’s as good as anybody we’ve had at this point in every area of the game.” Did Geno say something more than that?

I would be thrilled if Azzi turned out to be the most skilled player in every facet of the game.

It was in an interview and he started his comment by complimenting her parents/coaches on the job they did training her. I'm not interested in debating whether she's better or worse than anyone My point was that the media (and a lot of fans) focus on scoring. They do it with Bueckers too. Even Geno contributes with his "shoot shoot shoot" advise to her.
The only useful thing I saw in the exhibition games last week was that Fudd was moving much better. The foot quickness I saw in the USA U17 games back in 2018, before her ACL is back. She was the point guard in those games while Bueckers played the 2. That alone is evidence of her ball skills and her passing. Last week while everyone talked about her scoring I just watched her movement. It was as if 2 lb ankle weights had been removed. Fudd still has to show it off in games but I'm satisfied. The biggest surprise for fans will be her defense.

 

[From France]

High hope on Bueckers Fudd Backcourt (+nika) But I don't believe in Caroline getting back soon at the level she could be

 

[Bone Dog]

Pretty sure Caroline was the difference maker in the win

I don’t deny that Caroline played well. But watch the game and you’ll see that she takes a while to find herself. I was very hopeful from that outing for her season. But then bad things happened to her. Still, as good as Caroline was in the end, I think if you rewatch the game you’ll see that Azzi was the star.

You mean weak defenses like South Carolina, Bone Dog? Iowa played one of the tougher schedules in the country, Clark posted those big numbers all around, and she was almost always at her best against better teams.

You seem to be cherry picking here. I didn’t and don’t dispute that Caitlin played well especially in March (see my comment above) and carried her team when it counted. That’s when the SC game occurred. In my opinion she earned the NPOY in games like that. But head-to-head competition gives a clearer sense of relative merit than indirect comparisons with mutual opponents or generic stats, especially in a case where one player’s season was marred by injury. If you object to my extrapolation I trust you’ll be so good as to admit that also only offered it as a very sketchy thought experiment. If you reject this, then you are in effect saying we don’t get to speculate about what could have been… at all.

Also, you cherry picked the stats from the game itself: Azzi’s stats are clearly better than Caitlin’s in that game. And trying to excuse it by conjuring up phantom fouls by Nika is a little thin. As if no one fouled Azzi (lol).