Ayanna Patterson workout b4 returning to Storrs

[nastynatty]

What are the odds she dunks in her first game in a Huskies uniform?

 

[Alydar]

20-1 against.

 

[BobbyJ]

Leg work in the weight room might be paying off. She's graduated to going off one foot with one hand.

 

[Huskee11]

Whoa!

She just dunked on a dude holding a paddle.

On a nasty scale of 1-10, that`s about a 9.5.

 

[CL82]

Well, that’s impressive.

 

[JellyBean]

That raw power and athleticism!

 

[Jalan2121]

Nice dunk!
But the fellow with the paddle was off to one side when the ball came up for the dunk. Again Nice dunk!
Better marketing

 

[Carnac]

What are the odds she dunks in her first game in a Huskies uniform?

First of all.....are we talking about the exhibition game against Kutztown State, or their first preseason game against Northeastern 4 days later? One is a lesser talented NCAA Division II – PSAC team, while the other one is a mid-major Division 1 team.

Second.....If the opportunity presents itself, does she have Geno blessings?
If she has the green light from Geno, She can't (as a green freshman - perhaps later on as an upper classman, but not now) "manufacture" a dunk. She needs a clear path to the basket. It has to be a lay up (or a rebound put-back) that she turns into a dunk. Heaven help her if she misses her first attempt whenever it comes.

I'd say the odds of her doing it in her first game (let's assume it's Kutztown) are slim to none. She would impress Geno more by making a lay up than she would with a dunk. I doubt his expression would change. The dunks will come!!! And when they do, it will WOW the entire arena, be it home or away. Fans like dunks, especially by women. To begin the season, she needs to impress Geno with the ability to "consistently" make lay ups and pull-up baskets inside 10' from the basket. You know it's coming, the only question is when?

 

[Carnac]

Whoa!

She just dunked on a dude holding a paddle.

On a nasty scale of 1-10, that`s about a 9.5.

She going to give somebody a "facial" this season. Maybe a lot of somebodies.

 

[Alydar]

She going to give somebody a "facial" this season. Maybe a lot of somebodies.

+1 She has great quickness to go with her elevation. Makes a great shot blocker.

 

[nastynatty]

First of all.....are we talking about the exhibition game against Kutztown State, or their first preseason game against Northeastern 4 days later? One is a lesser talented NCAA Division II – PSAC team, while the other one is a mid-major Division 1 team.

Second.....If the opportunity presents itself, does she have Geno blessings?
If she has the green light from Geno, She can't (as a green freshman - perhaps later on as an upper classman, but not now) "manufacture" a dunk. She needs a clear path to the basket. It has to be a lay up (or a rebound put-back) that she turns into a dunk. Heaven help her if she misses her first attempt whenever it comes.

I'd say the odds of her doing it in her first game (let's assume it's Kutztown) are slim to none. She would impress Geno more by making a lay up than she would with a dunk. I doubt his expression would change. The dunks will come!!! And when they do, it will WOW the entire arena, be it home or away. Fans like dunks, especially by women. To begin the season, she needs to impress Geno with the ability to "consistently" make lay ups and pull-up baskets inside 10' from the basket. You know it's coming, the only question is when?

All I know is her dunking ability better (at least) be featured in the First Night festivities.

 

[Stymie]

Personally, I could care less about her jamming.
She is going to be A MONSTER REBOUNDING MACHINE.
Second chance points is a very important metric and will skyrocket this season.

 

[Geew1992]

First of all.....are we talking about the exhibition game against Kutztown State, or their first preseason game against Northeastern 4 days later? One is a lesser talented NCAA Division II – PSAC team, while the other one is a mid-major Division 1 team.

Second.....If the opportunity presents itself, does she have Geno blessings?
If she has the green light from Geno, She can't (as a green freshman - perhaps later on as an upper classman, but not now) "manufacture" a dunk. She needs a clear path to the basket. It has to be a lay up (or a rebound put-back) that she turns into a dunk. Heaven help her if she misses her first attempt whenever it comes.

I'd say the odds of her doing it in her first game (let's assume it's Kutztown) are slim to none. She would impress Geno more by making a lay up than she would with a dunk. I doubt his expression would change. The dunks will come!!! And when they do, it will WOW the entire arena, be it home or away. Fans like dunks, especially by women. To begin the season, she needs to impress Geno with the ability to "consistently" make lay ups and pull-up baskets inside 10' from the basket. You know it's coming, the only question is when?

I'm sure she has the green light............ BUT SHE BETTER MAKE IT!

 

[Zarathustra]

I am very happy that she will be wearing the UCONN jersey when it happens!
Very Impressive video clip of Yanna ( and her Dad?). But I was even more impressed by some of the blocks she
made in the live action of the previous Women's 3X3 U18 World Cup Championships
in Hungary. Maybe her first points will be a put back off an offensive layup .. softly
placing it into the basket! Go Yanna, Go Huskies, Go Ice, Go Lou, and the whole crew!

 

[oldhusky]

I have a question. If my memory is correct, I remember the videos of Ayanna showing mostly two handed dunks where she takes off from closer to the basket. With this one handed version she elevates much further away from the basket. I was starting to wonder if her hands were too small to easily palm the ball for this kind of dunk, so this was interesting to see.

 

[pvdoggy]

She going to give somebody a "facial" this season. Maybe a lot of somebodies.

Didn't you just say in your post before this that she likely won't dunk (if at all) until she is an upperclassman?

 

[Carnac]

All I know is her dunking ability better (at least) be featured in the First Night festivities.

No doubt she will “flush” one or two in the lay-up line and maybe one during their exhibition exercise where little to no defense is played much like an NBA All-Star game.

 

[Carnac]

Didn't you just say in your post before this that she likely won't dunk (if at all) until she is an upperclassman?

No I said she may not manufactor one until then...... meaning she may not intend on dunking one BEFORE she has the ball, or begins a drive to to basket. There should be no doubt that there will be several times during the season when a defender will be out of place, or Ayanna will find herself out front on a fast break turnover with a clear unobstructed path to the basket resulting in an excellent opportunity to throw one down.

In the video, she “manufactored” a dunk. She intended to dunk it before approaching the basket, and got a running start. In basketball like football, you take what the defense gives you. Like when a small guard finds herself under the basket with Ayanna on a mismatch and gets taken advantage of. Ayanna does not have the gile and bravdo now she will have as a junior/senior.

This year she comes in as a wide-eyed freshman hoping to fit in, learn the system quickly and esrn Geno’s trust and some minutes. As a junior, she will be a starter and one of the leaders/stars of the team.

 

[Stymie]

I don’t get the impression that she comes in as a “wide eyed freshman”
Freshman, yes.
New environment, yes.
But I do not believe for one second that she doubts her abilities.
I get the feeling that she is ready to” bring it” from day one.
I also have the feeling that Geno will push her big time from the first practice and she will be loaded for bear by the first game.
She came to UCONN because being very good is not good enough for her.
Greatness awaits.
From what I’ve seen, she is an incredible hoop talent.

 

[TCC Kid]

What are the odds she dunks in her first game in a Huskies uniform?1

1 to 1000, if it isn't in the flow of the game. 1 in 100, with a top 10 team. in the flow of the game. Everyone else, most of the BE, I would give 1 to 1. I think it is fair to say, let her play 2 months and have another poll. This isn't all about her, Geno if she dunks in practice will have a say.

 

[TCC Kid]

No I said she may not manufactor one until then...... meaning she may not intend on dunking one BEFORE she has the ball, or begins a drive to to basket. There should be no doubt that there will be several times during the season when a defender will be out of place, or Ayanna will find herself out front on a fast break turnover with a clear unobstructed path to the basket resulting in an excellent opportunity to throw one down.

In the video, she “manufactored” a dunk. She intended to dunk it before approaching the basket, and got a running start. In basketball like football, you take what the defense gives you. Like when a small guard finds herself under the basket with Ayanna on a mismatch and gets taken advantage of. Ayanna does not have the gile and bravdo now she will have as a junior/senior.

This year she comes in as a wide-eyed freshman hoping to fit in, learn the system quickly and esrn Geno’s trust and some minutes. As a junior, she will be a starter and one of the leaders/stars of the team.

If I could I'd give you 2 or 3 happy faces for this.

 

[Carnac]

I don’t get the impression that she comes in as a “wide eyed freshman”
Freshman, yes.
New environment, yes.
But I do not believe for one second that she doubts her abilities.
I get the feeling that she is ready to” bring it” from day one.
I also have the feeling that Geno will push her big time from the first practice and she will be loaded for bear by the first game.
She came to UCONN because being very good is not good enough for her.
Greatness awaits.
From what I’ve seen, she is an incredible hoop talent.

Unless we talk to "personally" to her for a few moments, we can't know what her mindset is going in. However I don't think she doubts her abilities either. We don't know how ready she will be to bring it, and I won't speculate. Last season she was a senior. More physically developed and mature than most of her opposing players. This year, she'll be one of the youngest and least experienced players on the court, playing against opposing players that are in some cases 4 years older (5th year seniors) than her.

Most (not all) freshmen are nervous and in awe that first game in front of a sellout crowd, with referees, and an opposing team that also has talented experienced players that are as skilled and quick and more mature than you are, that wants to beat you and take your lunch money. Wide-eyed as she takes the floor against players she's read about and seen on TV the past few years as this is "the first time" she has experienced this. She'll get over that too by the third game. She'll have a game or two under her belt and maybe 20-30 minutes of playing time behind her by then. That first game = ZERO experience. The bench like time on the floor are excellent teachers. There's no substitute for experience!! You're going to be a lot more nervous jumping out of a plane (skydiving) the first time than you would be the 500th time = experience.

I'm not saying you're wrong. We just happen to be looking at this from different perspectives. Very few freshmen have THAT MUCH GUILE and BRAVADO to go into that first game of the season (without any prior experience playing another D-1 team) supremely confident and ready willing and able to kick a** and take names. Team practices does not count. Practices are controlled and you're going against the same players everyday, and you know what's coming. No fans in the stands, no referees. no TV cameras, no sweat, and most practices are closed to the public.

By the third game, the nervousness and awe should have subsided. As far as her bringing it from day one (the Northeastern game), we'll have to wait and see. I hope you're right. Will she know enough of the system to know what's she's doing on the floor and be productive, or just trying not to make any mistakes or turnovers (deferring to her teammates on offense) and not have Geno yank her from the game? We don't know at this time.

 

[TCC Kid]

I don’t get the impression that she comes in as a “wide eyed freshman”
Freshman, yes.
New environment, yes.
But I do not believe for one second that she doubts her abilities.
I get the feeling that she is ready to” bring it” from day one.
I also have the feeling that Geno will push her big time from the first practice and she will be loaded for bear by the first game.
She came to UCONN because being very good is not good enough for her.
Greatness awaits.
From what I’ve seen, she is an incredible hoop talent.

Only a few in UCWBB history have been "ready to bring it" on day one. Stewie, brought it, then on the 9th game--realization set it until the NC. Maya, DT, Rene, PAIGE, AZZI, Caroline brought it in their first games.
I hope, almost pray, you are correct. Stewie didn't doubt, for a while, DT didn''t for a while doubt their abilities. It creeps in to the psyche. When you find out all those things you could do easily, aren't so easy any longer. That's life. On the big stage reputations isn't the big factor any more.

 

[Carnac]

1 to 1000, if it isn't in the flow of the game. 1 in 100, with a top 10 team. in the flow of the game. Everyone else, most of the BE, I would give 1 to 1. I think it is fair to say, let her play 2 months and have another poll. This isn't all about her, Geno if she dunks in practice will have a say.

Agreed!!! It's not about her dunking on somebody. That will happen THIS season. It's inevitable. What she should be most concerned with is learning the system as quickly as she can, and impress Geno. Remember what Geno always says to his players............"give me a reason to play you, or to keep you on the bench." If I'm Ayanna, I want to give him lots of reasons to play me!! I didn't come to UConn to sit.

 

[TCC Kid]

Unless we talk to "personally" to her for a few moments, we can't know what her mindset is going in. However I don't think she doubts her abilities either. We don't know how ready she will be to bring it, and I won't speculate. Last season she was a senior. More physically developed and mature than most of her opposing players. This year, she'll be one of the youngest and least experienced players on the court, playing against opposing players that are in some cases 4 years older (5th year seniors) than her.

Most (not all) freshmen are nervous and in awe that first game in front of a sellout crowd, with referees, and an opposing team that also has talented experienced players that are as skilled and quick and more mature than you are, that wants to beat you and take your lunch money. Wide-eyed as she takes the floor against players she's read about and seen on TV the past few years as this is "the first time" she has experienced this. She'll get over that too by the third game. She'll have a game or two under her belt and maybe 20-30 minutes of playing time behind her by then. That first game = ZERO experience. The bench like time on the floor are excellent teachers. There's no substitute for experience!! You're going to be a lot more nervous jumping out of a plane (skydiving) the first time than you would be the 500th time.

I'm not saying you're wrong. We just happen to be looking at this from different perspectives. Very few freshmen have THAT MUCH GUILE and BRAVADO to go into that first game of the season (without any prior experience playing another D-1 team) supremely confident and ready willing and able to kick a** and take names. Team practices does not count. Practices are controlled and you're going against the same players everyday, and you know what's coming. No fans in the stands, no referees. no TV cameras, no sweat, and most practices are closed to the public.

By the third game, the nervousness and awe should have subsided. As far as her bringing it from day one (the Northeastern game), we'll have to wait and see. I hope you're right. Will she know enough of the system to know what's she's doing on the floor and be productive, or just trying not to make any mistakes or turnovers and have Geno yank her from the game? We don't know.

Another three happy faces. LAST Paragraph. It seeped into Stewies Psyche on the 8th game and from then until the NC she tried to recover--and did.