Amazing Aubrey! | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Amazing Aubrey!

Based upon the players who have played over 30 minutes total, so far, season to date, that is quite impressive that Aubrey Griffin, coming off of back surgery in the same calendar year, is leading the team in FG percentage at .692. and is 2nd on the team (behind the amazing Azzi Fudd) in FT% at .833.
 
Having four hooves, six nails per shoe, I'd say @Alydar would know a thing or two about nails and heads! ;)
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I expected next to nothing from Aubrey this year. Back surgery can be the end of a career. Instead she has been a revelation. I watched the NC State game again last night and she basically destroyed that team. Defending. Rebounding. Shooting. She was everywhere.We might have won that game even without Azzi. She was that good.
 
Having watched some of Aubrey's HS games that were linked.

The occasional flash of brilliant physical execution was quite pleasing for 2 years.

However. She didn't seem to be figuring out what to do or how to contribute.

Then the surgery. I think more than 1 and the biggie is her back.

It seems clear that Aubrey has a handle on her role and how she can effect the game.

She I think has grown as a person as well as a player.

I'm looking forward to watching Aubrey develop her game.

I sincerely hope she never has issues with her back again.

Watching her play this year has been wonderful.
 
Back in her sophomore year, I remember thinking that when she came off the bench, Aubrey was the personification of “Game Changer”.
She seemed to be moving at 78rpm when everyone else was at 33 1/3.
For those that remember phonographs.
Almost like Geno lobbed a grenade on the court.

Against NC State, because she started, she came out like a tornado.
Put them back on their heels from the get go.
 
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She’s done it again!

View attachment 80919
This is THE REAL Aubrey Griffin. The one Geno recruited 4 years ago. The Aubrey Griffin he envisioned playing for him, and doing all of the things she is doing. The only question is.....will she return for her red-shirt senior year?

I'm fairly certain she wants to play professionally. Most D1 WCBB players do. She will be draft eligible for the next WNBA draft in April of next year. We'll cross THAT bridge when we come to it. Right now, I'm going to enjoy watching her play. I so much like the new Aubrey. She's capable of having a breakout game at any moment. :D

Addendum.............A BIG extended bow, standing ovation, and a tip o' the turban to her doctors and surgeons that performed her back surgery. They too are some real "BADASSES." Kudos to her after-surgery physical therapists and athletic trainers. They ALL did an excellent job. The proof is her ability to play/perform at a high level. She said in a preseason interview that she was back and feeling better than ever with no pain or restrictions. We know Geno is elated to have her back. We know how delicate back surgery can be. Some folks are never the same after back surgery. Welcome back Aubrey, we missed you. :)
 
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Back in her sophomore year, I remember thinking that when she came off the bench, Aubrey was the personification of “Game Changer”.
She seemed to be moving at 78rpm when everyone else was at 33 1/3.
For those that remember phonographs.
Almost like Geno lobbed a grenade on the court.

Against NC State, because she started, she came out like a tornado.
Put them back on their heels from the get go.
THAT is precisely what I've been preaching the last 3 months. Don't wait for the game to "come to you." Go get it and put your opponent in a hole from the tip and let them play catch up like NC St. tried to do. :cool:
 
+1

There's another stat that never gets discussed and that's pts in the 4th period & OT. Some 20pt/gm players are fully extended getting their 20. Bueckers was a 20/game scorer that was easily capable of getting 30+ when needed. Fudd, against one of the better defenses in the country, got 20 in the last 10.5 minutes of the Tex. game on 9 shots. And it came with both Senechal and Ducharme on the bench. The ability to score a lot quickly is something UConn has thrived for decades.
Apparently, Lou also has that ability.
 
I believe Aubrey has been a toss-up second best on the team so far this young season, along with Nika Muhl.
 
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I can’t help but give a big shout out to Aubrey. This young lady did not play basketball for 18 months due to injuries and had back surgery. Here she is back in her second game of the season averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. A fantastic spark off the bench for our team. Great job Aubrey!!! UConn fans love you.
Indeed. Wow did they miss her last season. She adds a completely different dimension than anyone else on the roster.
 
Aubrey in addition to the back surgery, was prepping to be more of a perimeter player this year with our lack of backcourt depth. It appeared we needed a 5th guard/wing type we could count on, and Aubrey answered that call in the first couple of games, and then with Ice missing the season and Dorka out she did the same thing when we needed her to be a big again.

She has been a great answer to our needs on the perimeter and upfront. not many players can do that.
 
As someone who was hard on Aubrey in her first 2 years on the team. What she is doing is changing from an athlete that plays basketball to a basketball player with incredible athletic abilitie! Sitting has helped her see what she needed to work on and gave her the confidence she was lacking. She has impressed me with that growth and if she plays like this all year. Uconn will be hard to beat. No other team has a player like her.
 
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I'm reviving this thread because I feel a need to make a further comment about Aubrey after watching the games in Portland in person.

Do you remember a time during Aubrey's freshman year when The Boneyard was marvelling at her athleticism, but was also observing how she seemed perpetually confused on both offense and defense. Basically, she didn't know where she was supposed to be on the floor, or (when she had the ball) where her next pass should go. She also showed a major reluctance to take jump shots from more than a few feet away from the basket.

Well, as you've probably noticed from watching the recent games, those problems are HISTORY! Aubrey is now a seamless part of the offense, making cuts to the basket and setting screens for others. She is not out of position on defense. And she is quite ready to take midrange jump shots when she is left open, and she is hitting them. There is very little to criticize about her play this year.

So, as other threads have observed, when Dorka returns to health, and assuming that Nika / Azzi / Aaliyah remain in the starting lineup, UConn will have four players for the two remaining starting spots: Dorka, Lou, Caroline, and Aubrey. I think Dorka must start -- otherwise the rebounding and post defense is too much of a load on Aaliyah. That leaves Lou/Caroline/Aubrey for the wing position, and I think that they will and should get roughly equal minutes, with an allowance for who has the hot hand on a particular night. Lou and Caroline still contribute more than Aubrey offensively, but neither can match Aubrey on defense.

Against a team that relies mostly on quick guards, Aubrey may get more time than the other two. If UConn is behind and needs to stage a comeback (which has happened a lot recently), then Lou and Caroline will get more time.

But since all seven of these players are not only talented but are playing within the team's offensive and defensive frameworks, this really is a GREAT problem for Geno to have.
 
Aubrey doesn’t disappoint. I’m so happy for this young lady.
 

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