Annesah Morrow a Model for Alliyah?

[MrT]

Unfortunately, Alliyah has not grown from her promising Freshman season. She looks lost a lot of the time. Geno only played her for 8 minutes in the first half against DePaul and then benched her for the entire second half when the game was on the line. At the same time, Depaul's Freshman Forward used her strong body and remarkable aggression to dominate the Huskies as she has dominated the rest of the Conference all season long. In thinking about who on UCONN could emulate Morrow, the answer is clear. The only UCONN player with the physical size and innate natural aggression is Aalliyah Edwards. I would hope that the coaches would agree and would have her study Morrow film and to have her use Morrow as a model on which to recast her play. This would mean a complete make-over but as Edwards is at a personal nadir anyway, I can't see that there is much risk, while the upside for someone with Aalliyah's formidable body which is larger than Morrow's and natural aggression could become a season altering asset for the Huskies and a major upgrade for a struggling UCONN player with great potential if it can be focused and achieved.

This is not the WWE. Morrow should have fouled out in the first half. [ ] play the game with skill, proficiency and integrity, thats the UCONN way.

 

[EricLA]

The last press question regarding Aaliyah was back in December after the Seton Hall game. I'm pretty sure Geno answer would be the same now as it was then. Aaliyah is just not working hard enough.

Thanks for that! Geno flat out said "This is the 5th game of the season and she got more offensive rebounds in the first half than she has in the rest of the season combined. She worked harder than in any game this season and the results speak for themselves".

Ok then. Liya's problems come from effort (or lack thereof) and intensity.

 

[cancontent]

A lot of good points here. In some comments, I get the impression that some think that Aaliyah's hit her ceiling and that's it. Not sure if that's fair considering players go through slumps at various points in their playing careers. I recall similar concerns were expressed about Aubrey last season, which also was her sophomore season.

I agree her time with Canada Basketball seems to have hindered her progression. I also believe she has the ability to find her groove and contribute in ways the team will need her.

Most know, I have a bias, being Canadian and seeing her play for many years before UConn had her on their radar. Trust me, she's gone through tougher times than this and has found a way to succeed. I have faith she'll figure things out.

 

[Charliebball]

I knew I forgot something! Yea...she definitely sets up a tent down there.

nothing wrong with that if the refs aren't calling it........ take every advantage they give you....

 

[Rocket009]

I agree withthis comment. I also believe that AE's benching had more to do with matchups than her playing bad. Morrow would have destroyed her down low. Likewise, Liv and Dorka with their size should have defended Morrow much better than they did. I truly believe that AE's struggles this year have more to do with Paige not being on the floor than anything else. Paige got her the ball in the right spots. This year without Paige she is trying to create her own shots which is not her game. When Paige gets back I think we will all see the AE we were accustomed to seeing from last season. Aaliyah will be fine.

AE's benching may be due to allowing Morrow to beat her up and down the floor. I saw that in the game at least a couple of times- there's no excuse for not running hard especially for someone as athletic as AE.

 

[Charliebball]

Thanks for that! Geno flat out said "This is the 5th game of the season and she got more offensive rebounds in the first half than she has in the rest of the season combined. She worked harder than in any game this season and the results speak for themselves".

Ok then. Liya's problems come from effort (or lack thereof) and intensity.

In general, I think a player can work hard and still not succeed if they don't have the proper focus.......running around like a chicken without a head doesn't help anybody......

 

[topogigio]

My take: Edwards was benched in the second half due to a couple of times she got beat down the floor on Depaul's fast break. Offensively, she seems to have problems holding on to the ball and finishing around the basket. I believe that part is more mental than physical Geno does not tolerate getting back on defense.

 

[Plebe]

Her name is Aneesah. One n, two e's.

 

[Vowelguy]

Her name is Aneesah. One n, two e's.

 

[HopJim]

Not sure I understand this thread's title. If you want to suggest Alliyah needs to play more aggressively, just say so. AE's and Morrow's games are very different in shooting ability and technique (Morrow fouls on most plays - just did not get called last night).

 

[SVCBeercats]

Unfortunately, Alliyah has not grown from her promising Freshman season. She looks lost a lot of the time. Geno only played her for 8 minutes in the first half against DePaul and then benched her for the entire second half when the game was on the line. At the same time, Depaul's Freshman Forward used her strong body and remarkable aggression to dominate the Huskies as she has dominated the rest of the Conference all season long. In thinking about who on UCONN could emulate Morrow, the answer is clear. The only UCONN player with the physical size and innate natural aggression is Aalliyah Edwards. I would hope that the coaches would agree and would have her study Morrow film and to have her use Morrow as a model on which to recast her play. This would mean a complete make-over but as Edwards is at a personal nadir anyway, I can't see that there is much risk, while the upside for someone with Aalliyah's formidable body which is larger than Morrow's and natural aggression could become a season altering asset for the Huskies and a major upgrade for a struggling UCONN player with great potential if it can be focused and achieved.

Plus she has competition arriving nest season, Brady and Patterson!

 

[cancontent]

Her name is Aneesah. One n, two e's.

To piggy back on this, it's Aaliyah. Two a's, one l.

 

[Carnac]

Absolutely!

I honestly don't get this BY bashing of Morrow and calling her a dirty player and getting help from the refs as if she needs it. If any UCONN player displayed half her aggression they would be applauded. This kid plays hard and had me sold on the second UCONN possession of the game where she got a piece of the ball on 3 consecutive UCONN attempted passes.

To be quite honest and transparent, I'd love for Morrow to be on our team. Three games of 30/10, and 12 double doubles, and the season is only half over, are you kidding me? What coach would not like to have a player that REGULARLY posts a double double, and shows up for every game? This take has absolutely nothing to do with Aaliyah. I still love Aaliyah and root/cheer for her as much as I ever did.
I can't wait (Bart Scott) until she gets back on track and begins to look like the Aaliyah Edwards we saw last year.

 

[SLY63]

I truly believe that AE's struggles this year have more to do with Paige not being on the floor than anything else. Paige got her the ball in the right spots.

This is something that has crossed my mind as Paige and AE ran the pick-and-roll so well last year, but before Paige's injury, AE was still struggling.

 

[Longtime fan]

Unfortunately, Alliyah has not grown from her promising Freshman season. She looks lost a lot of the time. Geno only played her for 8 minutes in the first half against DePaul and then benched her for the entire second half when the game was on the line. At the same time, Depaul's Freshman Forward used her strong body and remarkable aggression to dominate the Huskies as she has dominated the rest of the Conference all season long. In thinking about who on UCONN could emulate Morrow, the answer is clear. The only UCONN player with the physical size and innate natural aggression is Aalliyah Edwards. I would hope that the coaches would agree and would have her study Morrow film and to have her use Morrow as a model on which to recast her play. This would mean a complete make-over but as Edwards is at a personal nadir anyway, I can't see that there is much risk, while the upside for someone with Aalliyah's formidable body which is larger than Morrow's and natural aggression could become a season altering asset for the Huskies and a major upgrade for a struggling UCONN player with great potential if it can be focused and achieved.

This is not possible. Morrow is 10X the athlete and basketball player that Edwards is. Did you see her shoot from the outside? Her moves in the paint? Her elevation? The accuracy and timing of her passes? You can't just study Michael Jordan and then play like him. If only.

 

[uconnfan68]

A lot of good points here. In some comments, I get the impression that some think that Aaliyah's hit her ceiling and that's it. Not sure if that's fair considering players go through slumps at various points in their playing careers. I recall similar concerns were expressed about Aubrey last season, which also was her sophomore season.

I agree her time with Canada Basketball seems to have hindered her progression. I also believe she has the ability to find her groove and contribute in ways the team will need her.

Most know, I have a bias, being Canadian and seeing her play for many years before UConn had her on their radar. Trust me, she's gone through tougher times than this and has found a way to succeed. I have faith she'll figure things out.

I'm still unclear why folks think practicing and playing with Olympians hindered her progress. Everyone there was better than everyone here (except maybe Paige, who I think could start for anyone's team, anywhere). If you get an invite to play for your country in the Olympics, you take it.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I was thinking last night that Morrow looked more like freshman year Aaliyah than sophomore Aaliyah does.

I don't know what's up with Aaliyah this year. Whatever the problem is, I hope she can get past it. We still need her.

Do you think Geno getting Dorka has affected Aaliyah? She probably thought she was a lock to start with Liv. To his credit Geno did give Aaliyah the opportunity to retain her place in the pecking order but she failed to earn it. If I recall she received (earned?) very little playing time this summer with the Canadian National team. Perhaps her doldrums began before returning to UCONN.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Now that Fudd and Caroline are "healthy" Paige, while needed, is needed less.

I was with you until the above statement. Paige IS the team. Without Paige UCNN has no hope of winning in the NCAA.

 

[cancontent]

I'm still unclear why folks think practicing and playing with Olympians hindered her progress. Everyone there was better than everyone here (except maybe Paige, who I think could start for anyone's team, anywhere). If you get an invite to play for your country in the Olympics, you take it.

I agree that getting an opportunity to represent the country should be taken. It is something very few will ever get to do. I also initially bristled at the idea that this was the case, however after thinking about it, my opinion changed.

The other thing to consider is that not all coaches support the idea of their players competing internationally. Coach Geno doesn't fall into this category, but it does get frowned upon from what I've learned from friends with children on scholarship at different schools. They don't want their players losing time learning their systems, team bonding time lost, etc.

I also vaguely recall some parents of NCAA players posting on social media when Sedona Prince broke her leg using it as proof that playing for USA basketball wasn't worth the risk. It isn't seen as a great honour to some unfortunately.

 

[Conndog]

I think that with returning players getting into game shape, and let’s hope Paige is as good as ever, the one area that we need reinforcing for #12 is how well our forward paired with Liv can play and contribute. As tempting as a 4 guard line-up sounds given all the good shooters we have, in my opinion we will be giving up too much on defense and rebounding inside if we do that. Could Caroline play the 4? She wouldn’t be as effective there as Dorka, and I’m not giving up on Aaliyah yet. I predict Aaliyah is going to get the coaching encouragement she needs to rejuvenate her game. We are still struggling at getting good passes to bigs who get open briefly- looking for Paige & improvement there.

Players often do one thing well and that becomes their go-to contribution. For some, it’s outside shooting. For Aaliyah, she’s great at the pick & roll and scrapping for rebounds, but she needs to be positioned down low.

But we have Dorka too at 6’5 and a great mover around the basket. While she can shoot, her 3-ball is inconsistent. Her value, like Aaliyah’s, is best realized around the basket. Dorka also is capable of spelling Liv for rest as she can play center. Dorka has been playing great of late. It’s nice to have an alternative for Aaliyah in case she can’t get back to last year’s form-
But, don’t give up on Aaliyah just yet.

 

[mhshuskies]

Paying particular attention to AE, it appears she is caught out of position defensively too often. If there is not an advantage for her to be on the floor on defense, would her minutes be better utilized by a player that does finish better in the low post, Piath?

 

[Alydar]

I was with you until the above statement. Paige IS the team. Without Paige UCNN has no hope of winning in the NCAA.

Without Paige UCNN STILL has no hope of winning in the NCAA.

I understand that you need to see more from Fudd. Don't worry, you will.

 

[jabstep]

She should have fouled out of last nights game. She grabs and holds excessively. She push the entire game. And her on the ball defense is inevitably fouling. But for some extraordinarily lenient reffing, she would have been out.

I watched the game again today and was shocked to see Morrow just push players out of the way then grab the rebound and score. What were the refs watching. She creates contact on most everyplay and no fouls are called. Depaul players would create bump uconn players then fall down and they called charges.

 

[BostonBay]

Geno needs to simplify the game plan for AE. UConn needs AE's rebounding, aggressiveness, and physical presence...not her points. UConn gets enough points from others, especially with Azzi back. If I were Geno, I would tell AE to stay on the blocks and make sure to grab the rebounds and disrupt shots. Period. She'll get "garbage" points from just follow-ups under the basket. I cringe whenever she's at the free throw line and beyond. Why is she out there?? She's not a shooter & she gets confused on what to do. Keep it simple and make the layups and very short jump shots.

Why UConn keeps losing in the Final Four is a lack of physical presence in the paint. Teams like SC make a living on the offensive boards. AE has the body and skill set to be the perfect "enforcer". I just think she's being misused right now - not playing to her strengths. Give me 10 to 15 rebounds from her a game, with 2 to 6 points mixed in, and that's a success.