Anna Makurat Commits to UConn
- Thread starter Argonaut
- Start date
cohenzone
Old Member
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 19,267
- Reaction Score
- 24,141
Run those opposing bigs into the ground. Not to mention that if ONO keeps improving. we aren't that undersized and she is quicker than most bigs if not as bulky as some. and our grad transfer adds bulk.
Sluconn Husky
#1 Source of Info
- Joined
- May 22, 2014
- Messages
- 19,037
- Reaction Score
- 87,053
JoePgh
Cranky pants and wise acre
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,041
- Reaction Score
- 24,797
That seems to imply that Rebecca doesn’t think that Ania is terribly athletic, which is consistent with other descriptions of her game. I can imagine that defense will be a problem for her, and could limit her minutes as a freshman.
Charliebball
**
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 13,738
- Reaction Score
- 53,077
I have a feeling if she can score consistently they'll find a place for her on the court unless her defense is truly awful..........
eebmg
Fair and Balanced
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2016
- Messages
- 20,030
- Reaction Score
- 88,532
I did not read it that way. Allen is saying the athleticism level around her is not great although it probably does describe her at some level.
.-.
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2016
- Messages
- 4,885
- Reaction Score
- 17,630
Joe, have you actually seen AM play? If not you could probably "imagine" lots of things. Not trying to be rude but Im amazed at all assumptions I sometimes read on our forum. Can we wait and see before we "imagine"?
Charliebball
**
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 13,738
- Reaction Score
- 53,077
there have been numerous quotes from her American pro teammates where her offensive skills and attitude were praised but clearly pointing out that she needs to work on the rest of her game..............at that age other then Paige Bueckers, who doesn't
oldude
bamboo lover
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2016
- Messages
- 20,130
- Reaction Score
- 191,383
And I’m sure that even Paige Bueckers will have some shortcoming in her game, however slight, that Geno will harp on relentlessly until she corrects it.
UConnCat
Wise Woman
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2011
- Messages
- 14,095
- Reaction Score
- 89,356
I don’t think Rebecca is implying that at all. Geno said when Ania’s signing was announced that she is athletic enough to play American basketball. She was a starter at 18 years old in an elite Polish league with players like Tiff Hayes, Jas Thomas, Ariel Atkins, Jordan Canada, etc. She held her own. I think Ania’s athleticism is comparable to Lou’s.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 7,168
- Reaction Score
- 28,519
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2019
- Messages
- 1,131
- Reaction Score
- 5,002
Many of us have already seen Makurat play, virtually all of her Arka Gdynia tape is available on youtube.
.-.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2011
- Messages
- 7,168
- Reaction Score
- 28,519
I had this same discussion with posters when Nurse was entering as a freshman. I pointed out that playing with and against older players, many who were pros, was far better preparation than high school/AAU play. I have no idea how skilled she is but Makurat will be better prepared for the speed and physicality of wcbb than Griffin.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2013
- Messages
- 5,339
- Reaction Score
- 25,785
I agree with you on this. However, after watching a few of her games, IMO her ballhandling, short area quickness, and athleticism are actually better than KLS. She sees the floor, is creative and passes very well.
Gus Mahler
Popular Composer
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 5,137
- Reaction Score
- 19,743
I sure hope you guys are right (you and @CocoHusky, @UConnCat, and of course Geno). I have no reason to doubt any of you. From the tape I've seen, she sure seems like an advanced basketball player for her age. I don't think she'll be intimidated by anyone, and like Christyn, I think she will find it fun to play in front of large crowds and in big games.
Let us hope she can play decent D and keep up with Crystal and Christyn.
Charliebball
**
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 13,738
- Reaction Score
- 53,077
BTW..........................it's not like UConn's current roster is full of great defensive players..........................I think most would agree that everybody on the team can use some improvement in that area
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2013
- Messages
- 5,339
- Reaction Score
- 25,785
I just think that if she has it between the ears and gives full effort on defense she’s going to get a lot of PT. And if your last sentence refers to speed, that shouldn’t be a problem considering the competition she’s had. Real good BB players rarely have to move full speed anyway. No comparison of course but even though he was slow, you never saw Larry Bird have to sprint anywhere.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2017
- Messages
- 493
- Reaction Score
- 1,398
Regarding team defense, with all the excellent guards we now have available to rotate in and out we shouldn’t see a UConn guard worry about fouling out of a game for three or four years. Our defense may not be as pretty as it was in the Stewy era, but it should be “fierce”, giving up four or five extra fouls a game in exchange for an absolutely smothering defense that frustrates and flusters the opposition.
.-.
Sluconn Husky
#1 Source of Info
- Joined
- May 22, 2014
- Messages
- 19,037
- Reaction Score
- 87,053
Makurat, a 6-foot-1 guard, grabbed the attention of a few players while competing in her native Poland, including ex-Husky Tiffany Hayes.
“She’s young, coming from a whole ’nother country to a prolific program like UConn. But coach (Geno Auriemma), he’s really good with preparing each individual, and getting individual talent out of them,” explained Hayes, who won two national championships at UConn and is preparing for her eighth season in the WNBA. “They’ve developed a lot of players over the years. I don’t think she’ll be any different.”
...
“They develop players so nicely, so hopefully it’s an easy transition for her. I think it will be,” Hayes said, adding that Makurat is a “really good” shooter. “Sometimes it’s hard for players that are from another country to get used to playing in America, but I think with some time, she’ll get with it. She’ll be a big help for them. She was a really good player.”
Thomas echoed Hayes’ assessment of Makurat as a shooter, adding that Makurat’s strength and size caught her attention.
“She can make plays off the pick-and-roll, and I think her going to UConn, building on her IQ and building on her skill set and being able to defend a little better, is really going to be good for her,” she said.
“She’s young, coming from a whole ’nother country to a prolific program like UConn. But coach (Geno Auriemma), he’s really good with preparing each individual, and getting individual talent out of them,” explained Hayes, who won two national championships at UConn and is preparing for her eighth season in the WNBA. “They’ve developed a lot of players over the years. I don’t think she’ll be any different.”
...
“They develop players so nicely, so hopefully it’s an easy transition for her. I think it will be,” Hayes said, adding that Makurat is a “really good” shooter. “Sometimes it’s hard for players that are from another country to get used to playing in America, but I think with some time, she’ll get with it. She’ll be a big help for them. She was a really good player.”
Thomas echoed Hayes’ assessment of Makurat as a shooter, adding that Makurat’s strength and size caught her attention.
“She can make plays off the pick-and-roll, and I think her going to UConn, building on her IQ and building on her skill set and being able to defend a little better, is really going to be good for her,” she said.
https://www.ctpost.com/uconn/articl..._source=post original url&utm_medium=referral