Aubrey G.

[Bills Fan]

I looked for an Aubrey thread and didn't find one, but despite her somewhat inconsistent play, I think she is an important piece of the puzzle, and a perfect complement (not compliment) to the rest of the team. No one has her speed getting down the court for great passes from Nika once or twice a game. While she still needs improvement when she gets the ball in the paint, she is outstanding at driving past whoever is guarding her along with her rebounding ability.

One item I have not seen discussed is the likelihood of her returning next year, and I guess even the following year. She has unique skills not found in the rest of our roster and would be an asset to the Huskies the next year or two.

 

[BBallF]

I love Aubrey. She is right up there with Nika with steals, is a great chaos causing defender, and is a great rebounder as well. No one counts deflections but she gets a ton. Her inconsistency is principally on the offensive end and a lot of that is confidence and the absence of one shot which is a 5-10 foot turn around jumper. She frequently turns out after an offensive rebound instead of going back up with a baby jumper.

Having said all that, she definitely should stay another year at the least. She will be a WNBA and/or Europe player but is not ready yet. She will be though. I mean, she had major back surgery and didn't play until after last season. Imagine her with a full summer of Aaliyah type training and conditioning.

 

[Bone Dog]

I love Aubrey's contribution and especially her efforts to expand her offensive arsenal. On defense and rebounding, her athleticism can be overwhelming to opponents. She's now added perimeter shooting -- and even a dribble-stop pull up jumper -- to her game! Mainly, she's still a slasher and fast-break finisher, and I love to see her run the court like a gazelle. And she sometimes still picks up her dribble at really inopportune moments. This means, she came into the season with a similar skills-profile to Nika's. I can't wait to see what she ends the season willing and able to do on offense.

 

[Zarathustra]

My UCONN HUSKIE team roster for 2023 - 2024 includes Aubrey Griffin!
I agree with the above posts and believe the extra year will be good for
Aubrey and Great for the Huskies! Go Aubrey! (Note: I sure Aubrey knows
what is best for herself, but I just love to see her play in the UCONN jersey!)

 

[huskeynut]

Only Aubrey knows what she will do. And right now, I think that is the furthest thing from her mind. She's all about the game right now. And that is as it should be.

 

[oldhusky]

Aubrey has answered the questions regarding her back, looking like the same explosive athlete she was before. Even more important might be how she looks more comfortable on the wing. Because of injuries big and small she has had to be this year's swiss army knife being the answer at times for the frontcourt and the backcourt.

 

[southofnorth]

Every time Aubrey jumps I get scared she’s going to hit her head on the ceiling!

 

[Bigpetunia]

The teams guards, and Nikafireplug in particular, have been doing a fantastic job of delivering the ball to a streaking AG in transition When Aubrey takes these assists in full stride, the rest of the sequence becomes athletic poetry in motion!

 

[dtbtbtb]

Aubrey is having a real good year so far but in order for her to play at the WNBA she needs to shoot and score from mid-range (and 3) with no hesitation

 

[Forego]

Every time Aubrey jumps I get scared she’s going to hit her head on the ceiling!

She does! That why she wears her hair in a bun.

 

[CONNCAN]

Aubrey comes from that Ossining High School lineage, with the likes of Saniya Chong and Andrea Espinoza Hunter, although Saniya and AEH we're better pure shooters, Aubrey is clearly the best overall athlete of the trio

 

[npignatjr]

Aubrey is probably the most athletic of the current 5 starters, with the worst grasp of team basketball. Has been a mystery of why in her 3rd year playing, 4th at UConn, the same issues, getting lost in team concepts, weak handle, losing her responsibility on defense still occur.

 

[JellyBean]

Definitely appreciate this thread for Aubrey. She is having a really solid season. Aubrey's contributions to the team are huge. From her shooting to her defense and rebounding. Aubrey is a great teammate and glad that she plays for our beloved UConn Huskies!!

 

[TeamFirst!]

She has largely filled the role CW played last year right? With better numbers so far. Much better numbers in fact. She's a first round pick IMO.

 

[AzzisBraids]

I think she will certainly get drafted but I hope she comes back next year, works on her shot from mid-range and 3-point land. She does that and she's a top 5 pick no doubt. If she doesn't I don't blame her, with injuries, COVID, I just don't blame her. Just like I never blamed Megan Walker, I can't imagine being the only class where the NCAA tournament is cancelled after playing your best season. Unrelated, but I understand.

 

[Bone Dog]

I don't think she'd be drafted as the player she is right now. She's begun to expand her offensive toolkit, but she's not there yet. Maybe, on the trajectory she's on right now, she could become the sort of player who'd be drafted by the end of the season. I certainly hope that's exactly the trajectory she follows!

 

[jazz]

AG has a lot of physical gifts, as much as anybody I've seen. She is extremely quick and explosive. She is very fast and can jump out of the gym. With these gifts, she can disrupt opposing team's half court offense. When GA uses her in the zone at the top, it is really hard to pass over or around her. Passing to the wings can even be a challenge. She uses her length and athleticism to disrupt these normally easy passes. She is also very dangerous in the full court press, but haven't seen much of this yet.

Her rebounding is superb, especially on the offensive end where she just seems to know, a split second before anybody else, where the ball is going. This gives us extra possessions which normally turns into buckets and/or FTs. It also wears down the other team. She is very hard to box out as well. She scores in transition since she runs faster than most down the court. A terrific finisher at the rim. Again, keeping up with here wears down the other team.

I'd like to see her more on back cuts and post ups. The half court is not natural for her. Learning where to go and when is not natural. So she looks out of place sometimes in the half court. Her outside shot is very spotty., She has recently been short-arming her shots, which means she may have some indecisiveness. Teams will give her the midrange and 3 pointer because she hasn't proven she can consistently make the shot and teams know that if they get too close to her on the outside, she will blow past them. She also has some issues with putting the ball on the floor when the double team comes and not immediately passing it out to her teammates. Decisive quick passes are not her strength.

That said, my opinion has always been that the good far out weighs the bad. When she was a freshman, I remember calculating team scoring when she was in vs when she was out and there was little difference between them. Yes the half court looks a bit ugly at times with AG, but she makes up for it in many other ways.

I just hope she breaks out with her outside shot. She has excellent form which should eventually lead to a good percentage.

 

[MilfordHusky]

When Aubrey and Mir missed some practices last season, Paige won all the sprints, and, of course, Ms. Buckets was gloating about it. Geno had to remind her that her injured teammates were faster than her. I believe that Aubs is the fastest player on the team. Recall that her mom was a stellar track athlete at Seton hall. Whether it's a full-court fast break or a quick cut from the top of the key, Aubrey covers distance on the floor exceedingly fast.

 

[veryolddog]

I did not think that Aubrey would be as good a player as she is today after the back surgery. I am glad that I am wrong because she has exceeded my expectations by a wide margin. I also cringed when she hit the floor during the SH game but I was glad she got up and later returned to the game.

 

[HopJim]

Audrey's pro aspirations and her UConn performance are tightly linked. While she currently gets many of her points by running past the defense for layups, this is unlikely to happen ver Final Four teams. On the other hand, she is beginning to demonstrate outside shooting and backcut skills that are critical when UConn needs to go with a half court offense. Once Azzi comes back, she will have more one on one options and an opportunity to show off these skills.

 

[Bigboote]

Aubrey's speed and jumping ability are givens. What I can't get over this year is her first step and quickness getting to the basket from 15 or 20 feet. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing Moriah Jefferson reincarnated in a much bigger body. It seems like she can do that just about at will as long as there's the smallest lane.

 

[Conndog]

Since she reminds me so much of Gabby Williams. who is a pro and having a nice career so far, I feel like she can develop just as well and have a similar career. Gabby may be a better pure athlete but it can't be by much. Aubrey is taller by couple of inches, too. I hope that this year and next year she does master that short/midrange shot.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Since she reminds me so much of Gabby Williams. who is a pro and having a nice career so far, I feel like she can develop just as well and have a similar career. Gabby may be a better pure athlete but it can't be by much. Aubrey is taller by couple of inches, too. I hope that this year and next year she does master that short/midrange shot.

Gabby is a much better passer and stronger, but Aubs has incredible length--both her wingspan and stride. Both battle occasional lack of confidence, but both have amazing physical tools. Plus, they have the benefit of UConn coaching.

 

[ShmiCO]

Hot off the press, Hamilton Neill's take on Aubrey.