An ode to Jana | Page 2 | The Boneyard

An ode to Jana

BobbyJ said:
Not going to write a full scouting report on the kid here in a public forum. You just have to watch and know what you're looking at.
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Why not? Are you afraid that you will write something about Jana's limitations that UConn opponents have thus far failed to notice? I think you would have to be awfully observant to do that.

It sounds to me like you are either too lazy to write up what you have observed (and thereby back up the opinion that you posted), or you really don't have the first-hand observations that would be needed to support that opinion. Not many Boneyarders have time to watch a lot of Stanford or UNC games from start to finish to get detailed information on Somfai's or Toomey's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm guessing you probably fit in that category also.

I should add that I am writing this just after returning from the Big East Semifinal game between Creighton and UConn, in which Serah (after playing a great game against Georgetown yesterday) managed to commit 4 fouls in 6 minutes against a Creighton team with no real post presence. Neither she nor Jana has established the consistent and predictable level of play that would be desirable for the center(s) on an NC-contending team, whereas the Sarah-and-four-guards configuration has established that level of consistency. So it's understandable that Geno favors the latter combination with a major share of the total frontcourt minutes. But I think he recognizes that against some opponents like Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA, it's not tenable to play for 40 minutes without a center of similar size to their bigs.

After having watched (either in person or on TV) all 31 UConn games so far, my opinion is that Jana is marginally more suitable for UConn than Serah, primarily because of her rebounding, but also her recently developed hook shot. So I would turn to her first, and Serah second, when the Sarah-plus-4 lineup needs a relief. But Geno seems to think otherwise.
 
JoePgh said:
Why not? Are you afraid that you will write something about Jana's limitations that UConn opponents have thus far failed to notice? I think you would have to be awfully observant to do that.

It sounds to me like you are either too lazy to write up what you have observed (and thereby back up the opinion that you posted), or you really don't have the first-hand observations that would be needed to support that opinion. Not many Boneyarders have time to watch a lot of Stanford or UNC games from start to finish to get detailed information on Somfai's or Toomey's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm guessing you probably fit in that category also.

I should add that I am writing this just after returning from the Big East Semifinal game between Creighton and UConn, in which Serah (after playing a great game against Georgetown yesterday) managed to commit 4 fouls in 6 minutes against a Creighton team with no real post presence. Neither she nor Jana has established the consistent and predictable level of play that would be desirable for the center(s) on an NC-contending team, whereas the Sarah-and-four-guards configuration has established that level of consistency. So it's understandable that Geno favors the latter combination with a major share of the total frontcourt minutes. But I think he recognizes that against some opponents like Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA, it's not tenable to play for 40 minutes without a center of similar size to their bigs.

After having watched (either in person or on TV) all 31 UConn games so far, my opinion is that Jana is marginally more suitable for UConn than Serah, primarily because of her rebounding, but also her recently developed hook shot. So I would turn to her first, and Serah second, when the Sarah-plus-4 lineup needs a relief. But Geno seems to think otherwise.
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33-0 and ur nick-picking abt who's more suitable for UConn? Well they're both suitable or they wouldn't be here.BUT Id give money to any one of the coaches tht can get Jana and to a lesser extent Serah to stop bringing the ball down to their waste, drive me crazy SMH ......In Geno I trust!
 

JoePgh said:
Why not? Are you afraid that you will write something about Jana's limitations that UConn opponents have thus far failed to notice? I think you would have to be awfully observant to do that.

It sounds to me like you are either too lazy to write up what you have observed (and thereby back up the opinion that you posted), or you really don't have the first-hand observations that would be needed to support that opinion. Not many Boneyarders have time to watch a lot of Stanford or UNC games from start to finish to get detailed information on Somfai's or Toomey's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm guessing you probably fit in that category also.

I should add that I am writing this just after returning from the Big East Semifinal game between Creighton and UConn, in which Serah (after playing a great game against Georgetown yesterday) managed to commit 4 fouls in 6 minutes against a Creighton team with no real post presence. Neither she nor Jana has established the consistent and predictable level of play that would be desirable for the center(s) on an NC-contending team, whereas the Sarah-and-four-guards configuration has established that level of consistency. So it's understandable that Geno favors the latter combination with a major share of the total frontcourt minutes. But I think he recognizes that against some opponents like Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA, it's not tenable to play for 40 minutes without a center of similar size to their bigs.

After having watched (either in person or on TV) all 31 UConn games so far, my opinion is that Jana is marginally more suitable for UConn than Serah, primarily because of her rebounding, but also her recently developed hook shot. So I would turn to her first, and Serah second, when the Sarah-plus-4 lineup needs a relief. But Geno seems to think otherwise.
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1) No, I'm not worried about that at all. All the competent coaching staffs out there are well aware of JEA's limitations (and Williams' too for that matter). It's not rocket science for people who understand BB. I don't make it a habit to dissect and publicize those in an open forum. I realize how difficult it is for people on here to handle any possible criticism of "their girls" so I choose to go lightly and spare them the angst.
2) I have plenty of time and ability to watch however many games I want or need to form my opinions and 1-2 full games is all I need to have a good understanding of a player's strengths and weaknesses if they play serious minutes. I'll share positives but any serious negatives in my view I'll confine to generalities. You and others can do your own research and form your own.
3) I think it's pretty obvious what Auriemma thinks of his "big" situation and he's made it pretty clear with his actions, decisions, and comments. And I agree with him not being too satisfied with either of his options. If either were as good as some people on here believe, they'd be playing more minutes than they are. I believe he'll continue to use them (and their combined 10 fouls) in limited situations based on the opponent's size and strengths. In crunch time he'll most likely keep using what he considers his 5 best players regardless of size.
 
Jana is a work in process and should be evaluated as such. She is much improved with her hands. They are much softer and she can make some difficult catches. Last year she had hard hands and often caught the ball twice, once on the pass and then as it bounced off her hands. She also had issues finishing at the rim in the first months but got better late in the year. She is much better finishing this year. Her biggest problem now is her footwork. She is frequently off balance leading to turnovers and unnecessary fouls. (Yes, I know offensive fouls are turnovers.) If she can improve her footwork this off season and learn to handle the ball up high, she will be a beast.
 
BobbyJ said:
Not going to write a full scouting report on the kid here in a public forum. You just have to watch and know what you're looking at.
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I’ll take Jana over both Toomey and Somfai! I’m pretty sure Jana will be an important player for us in the tournament and I expect her to get a lot more minutes next season! She will be the primary big and will be an important mentor for Olivia. Jana has always had talent but was hampered by the severe injury which led to really, two years where she either did not play at all or played with hesitation, rustiness, and uncertainty.

Some here are frustrated with her “slow” progress but I think it’s all pretty explainable. I believe she has finally put all that behind her and is beginning to open uo into the mature player she had inside her all along. I predict (and believe) that next year she will open a lot of doubting eyes and I hope she will be a big help this year when/if we go up against Betts, Okot, Oldacre, or Heiden.

One other thing I would add is that Jana, or any big for that matter, is never going to be the star on this team that they might be on other teams because of Sarah Strong! She (Strong) is simply so good at so many things that our whole game plan is built around her. That means playing small more often than not and limits Jana’s (or any big girl’s) chances of being a focal point on this team. Fortunately, she seems to accept this and seems very happy here.
 
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donalddoowop said:
What proof do you have that they have better ball skills? In what way?
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JoePgh said:
Why not? Are you afraid that you will write something about Jana's limitations that UConn opponents have thus far failed to notice? I think you would have to be awfully observant to do that.

It sounds to me like you are either too lazy to write up what you have observed (and thereby back up the opinion that you posted), or you really don't have the first-hand observations that would be needed to support that opinion. Not many Boneyarders have time to watch a lot of Stanford or UNC games from start to finish to get detailed information on Somfai's or Toomey's strengths and weaknesses, and I'm guessing you probably fit in that category also.

I should add that I am writing this just after returning from the Big East Semifinal game between Creighton and UConn, in which Serah (after playing a great game against Georgetown yesterday) managed to commit 4 fouls in 6 minutes against a Creighton team with no real post presence. Neither she nor Jana has established the consistent and predictable level of play that would be desirable for the center(s) on an NC-contending team, whereas the Sarah-and-four-guards configuration has established that level of consistency. So it's understandable that Geno favors the latter combination with a major share of the total frontcourt minutes. But I think he recognizes that against some opponents like Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA, it's not tenable to play for 40 minutes without a center of similar size to their bigs.

After having watched (either in person or on TV) all 31 UConn games so far, my opinion is that Jana is marginally more suitable for UConn than Serah, primarily because of her rebounding, but also her recently developed hook shot. So I would turn to her first, and Serah second, when the Sarah-plus-4 lineup needs a relief. But Geno seems to think otherwise.
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@BobbyJ is quite qualified to comment on players’ abilities. He’s active in the recruiting forum - you could get a better idea of his expertise there

I’m not sure why a difference of opinion warrants a personal attack- which is against the board rules that are tacked atop the board. I suggest you refrain from name calling immediately
 
HuskyNan said:
@BobbyJ is quite qualified to comment on players’ abilities. He’s active in the recruiting forum - you could get a better idea of his expertise there

I’m not sure why a difference of opinion warrants a personal attack- which is against the board rules that are tacked atop the board. I suggest you refrain from name calling immediately
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Joining the debate team in school the first thg you're taught is there's a thin line between a debate and an argument!, the former ends with you either agreeing or agreeing to disagree while the latter usually ends...ugly
 
HuskyNan said:
@BobbyJ is quite qualified to comment on players’ abilities. He’s active in the recruiting forum - you could get a better idea of his expertise there

I’m not sure why a difference of opinion warrants a personal attack- which is against the board rules that are tacked atop the board. I suggest you refrain from name calling immediately
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I did not do ANY name calling! I just asked a question. I am also qualified to comment on players abilities after coaching and observing since the 1960's.
 
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Dogstar said:
33-0 and ur nick-picking abt who's more suitable for UConn? Well they're both suitable or they wouldn't be here.BUT Id give money to any one of the coaches tht can get Jana and to a lesser extent Serah to stop bringing the ball down to their waste, drive me crazy SMH ......In Geno I trust!
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Amen! It drives me loco as well when any BIG brings the ball down on an offensive rebound near the basket. That was a something I practiced in my backyard as a jv and varsity player and in practice. I was a 5’7 guard at the time. Serah and Jana’s are usually off balance when they get offensive rebounds. Does anyone know why? Do they need a stronger core?
 
TheGOAT23 said:
Amen! It drives me loco as well when any BIG brings the ball down on an offensive rebound near the basket. That was a something I practiced in my backyard as a jv and varsity player and in practice. I was a 5’7 guard at the time. Serah and Jana’s are usually off balance when they get offensive rebounds. Does anyone know why? Do they need a stronger core?
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IMO they need to be in an "athletic stance", which is generally back straight, knees bent, "chinning it" or at least holding the ball with 2 hands above your head with elbows out. Obviously when reaching or stretching to get the ball, one's body becomes elongated, but in one motion upon securing the ball, the player can assume an athletic stance. CD could practice with the two of them, having players bump them from all angles to get them used to maintaining their balance.
Say you're standing around at a cocktail party and a friend comes over and bumps you. Do you lose your balance? Remember as kids we came up to someone from behind and we wedged our knee behind their knee. (BTW that was a Rodman trick. He would get the opponent too far underneath the hoop and do the knee trick and they were toast)
 
BobbyJ said:
Her coach brought in another player for a reason. He wanted consistent production from his center that he wasn’t getting. And after 31 games this season he still really hasn’t gotten it. El Alfy doesn’t need excuses made for her by fans, she just needs to consistently play better and she’ll get all the PT she can handle.
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I think it was much more than just consistent production that brought Serah in. She is a shot blocker, quick down the court, and at times, an adequate scorer. Lately her offensive production has improved. Jada has improved in all of these areas as wll the last 5-6 games but last year did not add to the offense and was often slow footed on defense. On the other hand, Jana did well against the true centers, but with few out there, likely Serah's skills were considered more beneficial by Geno.
 
TheGOAT23 said:
Amen! It drives me loco as well when any BIG brings the ball down on an offensive rebound near the basket. That was a something I practiced in my backyard as a jv and varsity player and in practice. I was a 5’7 guard at the time. Serah and Jana’s are usually off balance when they get offensive rebounds. Does anyone know why? Do they need a stronger core?
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Idk but they should follow Sarah's example, she snatches rebounds like a fat kid snatching the last piece of cake.
 
Fundamentally, Jana is a sophomore in basketball years. Geno has often said that "bigs" take longer to develop than guards. Recently, he just said that they expect a lot out of post players wrt to Serah, so for her, she's trying to ingest 4 years of UConn coaching into one. For Jana, IMO she got a tough start to the season with a calf injury, and then a concussion during the season. She'll get there.
 
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BobbyJ said:
Yes there is. UConn is about 25 pts better than NC and Stanford. Unfortunately for El Alfy, Auriemma's requirements and expectations are higher than those coaches and many fans. Plus Toomey and Somfai are much more mobile, have better ball skills, and have better court awareness than El Alfy. If she puts in enough work this coming offseason, maybe she can play some next year. But she'd better do that because there's always going to be competition at UConn. Auriemma doesn't use games as tryouts for PT.
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I thought it was you - we had our argument on the other site.

IMO you're all wrong with Jana and all wrong with Somfai. We'll see who is right.

I expect Jana to start next year. As stated last time- Somfai would be one of the last players coming off of UCONN's bench, Her 40.9% is horrific for a big.
 
TheGOAT23 said:
Amen! It drives me loco as well when any BIG brings the ball down on an offensive rebound near the basket. That was a something I practiced in my backyard as a jv and varsity player and in practice. I was a 5’7 guard at the time. Serah and Jana’s are usually off balance when they get offensive rebounds. Does anyone know why? Do they need a stronger core?
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From what I see is they tend to stand right under the basket so they have to look straight up to see which way the ball is bouncing. Serah does her best work when facing the basket and so does Jana.
I'm 5'4" so I've been a guard all thru JV, high school and beyond but I got a lot of rebounds cuz I face the basket and can read the shot better (like Ash and K-9).
I might be wrong but did I hear that Jana wasn't used to having her back to the basket before she came to UCONN?
Anyway I agree with you on bigs bringing the ball down low.
 
hoophuskee said:
Jana has had a good year. Her biggest issue is that her team has been incredible. Blanca was thought to be more like 6'1 - she looks 6'3 and she looks bigger so it means she can easily play the 4. moving Sarah to the 5 as their best lineup which cut into Jana's minutes. If she isn't better than Sarah or Serah at the 5, and the bench players of Blanca and Allie are better - she just got squeezed this year. Otherwise she was better, She didn't regress.
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I think Blanca's skillset makes her more of a wing. She can rebound when needed, but she's better on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Shooting threes and slashing to the cup on offense, jumping passing lanes on defense.

You're not wrong, against smaller teams Sarah and Blanca can hold their own in the post and then create nightmare matchups when they pull their defenders outside.
 
Jana needs to work on her post moves where they become reflexive. You can see her thinking before she makes her move to the rim and by then its too late. Was in the SC game last year where she started at the top of the key, put a crossover move on her defender and made an easy layup? She can do it, just needs to let it flow.

Her strengths are defense, rebounding, heart. She yells the loudest when someone else makes a great play and the love for her teammates is obvious. If she can regain her confidence and lean into those strengths this team is unbeatable.
 
husky98 said:
Jana needs to work on her post moves where they become reflexive. You can see her thinking before she makes her move to the rim and by then its too late. Was in the SC game last year where she started at the top of the key, put a crossover move on her defender and made an easy layup? She can do it, just needs to let it flow.

Her strengths are defense, rebounding, heart. She yells the loudest when someone else makes a great play and the love for her teammates is obvious. If she can regain her confidence and lean into those strengths this team is unbeatable.
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That crossover was on Joyce Edwards. Had her on skates and she made the layup. I wanted more. She had another shot where she missed. I yelled, use the backboard. It’s your friend.
 
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husky98 said:
I think Blanca's skillset makes her more of a wing. She can rebound when needed, but she's better on the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Shooting threes and slashing to the cup on offense, jumping passing lanes on defense.

You're not wrong, against smaller teams Sarah and Blanca can hold their own in the post and then create nightmare matchups when they pull their defenders outside.
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I don't agree. her shooting from distance similar to what we think of a Wing is overrated imo. If a team is vying for titles then she is not a shooter. A bottom team you can afford inaccuracy just because a team is desperate for points- so in that case sure whatever position as long as you get points and aren’t seeking to do much.

. But for top ranked teams and playing at the highest level she is not a wing. For example her free throw shooting is terrible. This poor free throw should have nothing to do with her playing center; unless she shows different. Which she hasn't. If she can't hit wide open free throws at better than 58.3% then other parts of her outside shooting aren't strong either. Nor has she shown to be much of a passer. And can’t see her at all as a slasher at the wing. She doesn’t have the quickness. And if you don't pass well and you're not very quick, and you don’t shoot very well from the outside then you're not a Wing on a good team. On a bad team – sure -- anything.

What's wrong with what she is doing as a center? She's very efficient. A pretty good rebounder. Does well enough defending on the inside. And is only a sophomore. And all of her stats point to an improved player this year from last.
 
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hoophuskee said:
I don't agree. her shooting from distance similar to what we think of a Wing is overrated imo. If a team is vying for titles then she is not a shooter. A bottom team you can afford inaccuracy just because a team is desperate for points- so in that case sure whatever position as long as you get points and aren’t seeking to do much.

. But for top ranked teams and playing at the highest level she is not a wing. For example her free throw shooting is terrible. This poor free throw should have nothing to do with her playing center; unless she shows different. Which she hasn't. If she can't hit wide open free throws at better than 58.3% then other parts of her outside shooting aren't strong either. Nor has she shown to be much of a passer. And can’t see her at all as a slasher at the wing. She doesn’t have the quickness. And if you don't pass well and you're not very quick, and you don’t shoot very well from the outside then you're not a Wing on a good team. On a bad team – sure -- anything.

What's wrong with what she is doing as a center? She's very efficient. A pretty good rebounder. Does well enough defending on the inside. And is only a sophomore. And all of her stats point to an improved player this year from last.
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Are you talking about Blanca in this post, or Jana? You didn't name the person you are talking about, but the post you are responding to refers to Blanca. Then, in the last line, you say she is "only a sophomore". That applies to Jana (in eligibility years), but not to Blanca, who is a freshman.

Blanca almost never plays center -- sometimes she plays the "4" with Sarah as the center in a small lineup.
 
JoePgh said:
Are you talking about Blanca in this post, or Jana? You didn't name the person you are talking about, but the post you are responding to refers to Blanca. Then, in the last line, you say she is "only a sophomore". That applies to Jana (in eligibility years), but not to Blanca, who is a freshman.

Blanca almost never plays center -- sometimes she plays the "4" with Sarah as the center in a small lineup.
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oooooooooooooooppppppppppppsssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My mistake. Yes I meant Jana. My mistake.
 
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