Azzi & Aubrey updates

[Centerstream]

Here's Geno’s Providence Pregame Availability from The UConn Daily

AUDIO ONLY

 

[MilfordHusky]

As would everybody. We've been waiting for 3 years.

I've watched Azzi for 7 years. She is really special.

 

[Centerstream]

KK's Providence Pregame Availability from The UConn Daily

AUDIO ONLY

 

[BBallF]

The small lineup certainly has its place, and it’s probably enough to blow through the BE schedule. But it’s difficult to envision a national championship without Ice and/or Jana playing a major role.

I agree but let's not forget Aubrey taking pressure off whichever big is in. I could see an end of game scenario with Ice, Aubrey, Sarah, Paige and Azzi. That's a good defensive team for late game. For an opposing team without overwhelming height and power, I can see Sarah playing the 5 and Aubrey the 4. Lots of options and permutations and they are still being auditioned. Also, with Aubrey back and assuming she is healthy, how do you not press all game?

 

[The deacon]

I've watched Azzi for 7 years. She is really special.

She has been, Milford. Here's hoping she can be again.

 

[JellyBean]

Geno says Azzi will start, but that doesn't mean Kaitlyn will not start. Ice has not been playing well, at least I don't think so. She isn't producing enough offence, so don't be surprised if Ice was the odd woman out at the start.

I mean, I won't be shocked if Ice is moved to the bench and be a member of the 2nd unit. Nothing wrong with that part. Just, hopefully, increases the competitive fire a little. I wish Azzi would stay with that 2nd unit as well. Talk about fire power coming off the bench. Azzi, KK, and whoever comes in with that 2nd Unit Q, Morgan, and Allie. Coach got some thoroughbreds out there. Let them rascals run wild and wreak havoc.

 

[ucbart]

I mean, I won't be shocked if Ice is moved to the bench and be a member of the 2nd unit. Nothing wrong with that part. Just, hopefully, increases the competitive fire a little. I wish Azzi would stay with that 2nd unit as well. Talk about fire power coming off the bench. Azzi, KK, and whoever comes in with that 2nd Unit Q, Morgan, and Allie. Coach got some thoroughbreds out there. Let them rascals run wild and wreak havoc.

Azzi is totally a rhythm player and I never want her to come off the bench.

 

[Skeets]

January has been the target for Aubrey all along. I guess they are not backing off that target. I don't have a problem with that. There are enough BE games to get Aubrey up to speed. And yes, she looked like she was moving well in pregame warmups, so she must be getting really close.

Time to throw rocks at Skeets. I believe Aubrey can be an important part of this team, but I just don't see her being the silver bullet leading UConn to the promised land (sorry). Some of the expectations on the BY are outside of reality.

 

[ucbart]

January has been the target for Aubrey all along. I guess they are not backing off that target. I don't have a problem with that. There are enough BE games to get Aubrey up to speed. And yes, she looked like she was moving well in pregame warmups, so she must be getting really close.

Time to throw rocks at Skeets. I believe Aubrey can be an important part of this team, but I just don't see her being the silver bullet leading UConn to the promised land (sorry). Some of the expectations on the BY are outside of reality.

If Aubrey can get back to close to where she was before her ACL last December, a player like Liatu King has a much harder time scoring those crucial points she got because Aubrey would've been defending her. She makes our defense just so much more athletic on the wing. It also allows Sarah, an excellent defender, to defend in the post.

 

[Bone Dog]

I believe Aubrey can be an important part of this team, but I just don't see her being the silver bullet leading UConn to the promised land (sorry).

I think there’s a few possibilities for Aubrey.

• She can raise the level of play of the youngsters merely by challenging them in practice and by her example in games. But this is not a quick fix for anything. At best, it’s an incremental change.
• She deepens the rotation of players who fully understand Geno’s defense. This is significant by itself and could improve the rebounding options for Ice and Jana.
• She and Paige and Azzi know how to make the transition game work. Ice and Ash and KK and Q are familiar with it too. It’s easy to see that Morgan is also eager to get out and run in the open court. Paige knows how to find Aubrey on the break and the renewed connection is likely to boost Paige’s joy in the game.
• One last thing, maybe the least of them, Aubrey wants to make a splash, to show what she can do for a team and maybe work her way into the draft for next spring. Think Jacy Sheldon, who came back from injury and made her presence decisively felt at tOSU, and earned a spot in the W.

To make these things happen, Aubrey can’t just be a tentative player. She needs to be a difference maker, someone who changes a game by entering it. This is what she was before the injury. This is asking a lot from someone coming off knee surgery. The question is whether she can achieve any or all of these in 2 or 3 short months.

We need a dazzling 6th woman who can shock top 10 teams who focus their defense on Paige and Sarah. Aubrey did that for Azzi a few times two seasons ago. Can she be that for Geno again? In a sense, the BE schedule ought to be ideal for Aubrey. Eleven games before we face SC and Tennessee. Unfortunately, Aubrey will miss half of those games. After SC, she’ll have another handful of games culminating in the BE tournament to recapture her mojo before the big dance. This feels like a tight schedule for Aubrey and Geno.

I feel bad for kids like Aubrey and Evina, who stayed an extra year to play with Paige and the team they love only to have injuries derail their hopes. In Evina’s case, she held the team together until Paige could return and the real season could begin that March. It looked rocky until Paige hobbled onto the court against St John’s and there was joy in Storrs again. She was a silver bullet that season.

Please, let Paige and Sarah hold it together until Azzi and Aubrey come back and the NC run can begin. The odds are even steeper this time than the last one and we’re not awaiting the return of the reigning NPOY. And the team Paige lifted with her return was stacked with veterans, 5 of whom made it into the W. But hope springs eternal.

 

[Oldschoolbb]

Not envying Geno here as Ice is already suffering from a confidence issue, and this stretch of easier games might be the time to work thru that?

And you think a light would have gone on in his head when Ice responded so well to not having to look over her shoulder for the quick hook in last season's BE tourney.

 

[ABCDFE]

I think there’s a few possibilities for Aubrey.

• She can raise the level of play of the youngsters merely by challenging them in practice and by her example in games. But this is not a quick fix for anything. At best, it’s an incremental change.
• She deepens the rotation of players who fully understand Geno’s defense. This is significant by itself and could improve the rebounding options for Ice and Jana.
• She and Paige and Azzi know how to make the transition game work. Ice and Ash and KK and Q are familiar with it too. It’s easy to see that Morgan is also eager to get out and run in the open court. Paige knows how to find Aubrey on the break and the renewed connection is likely to boost Paige’s joy in the game.
• One last thing, maybe the least of them, Aubrey wants to make a splash, to show what she can do for a team and maybe work her way into the draft for next spring. Think Jacy Sheldon, who came back from injury and made her presence decisively felt at tOSU, and earned a spot in the W.

To make these things happen, Aubrey can’t just be a tentative player. She needs to be a difference maker, someone who changes a game by entering it. This is what she was before the injury. This is asking a lot from someone coming off knee surgery. The question is whether she can achieve any or all of these in 2 or 3 short months.

We need a dazzling 6th woman who can shock top 10 teams who focus their defense on Paige and Sarah. Aubrey did that for Azzi a few times two seasons ago. Can she be that for Geno again? In a sense, the BE schedule ought to be ideal for Aubrey. Eleven games before we face SC and Tennessee. Unfortunately, Aubrey will miss half of those games. After SC, she’ll have another handful of games culminating in the BE tournament to recapture her mojo before the big dance. This feels like a tight schedule for Aubrey and Geno.

I feel bad for kids like Aubrey and Evina, who stayed an extra year to play with Paige and the team they love only to have injuries derail their hopes. In Evina’s case, she held the team together until Paige could return and the real season could begin that March. It looked rocky until Paige hobbled onto the court against St John’s and there was joy in Storrs again. She was a silver bullet that season.

Please, let Paige and Sarah hold it together until Azzi and Aubrey come back and the NC run can begin. The odds are even steeper this time than the last one and we’re not awaiting the return of the reigning NPOY. And the team Paige lifted with her return was stacked with veterans, 5 of whom made it into the W. But hope springs eternal.

Great points Bone Dog. Aubrey brings something to the team that no other player currently can. That is length and defensive lock down capabilities. This is something that we sorely need because we don't have an imposing center/forward who can protect the rim against quick guard drives.

Aubrey will also enhance our steals, rebounding and transition game, which in a tight game can mean a few easy scores on the other end. I'd like to remind everyone the impact Aubrey can have by watching the Princeton game, where she scored almost 30 points doing everything (Gabby esque)

 

[Centerstream]

I would like to see the video. Because I wonder if a reporter asked about Ice or Jana and what the plan would be at that position. I would love to see more consistency at the 5, with whatever we decide.

You are right. The assumption would be Shade, because that is what happened before. But it could be Chen that moves to the bench.

Geno's Pregame Availability has been posted, audio only. Post #26.

 

[oldhusky]

I think people are underestimating Aubrey. If healthy, Aubrey has had better overall statistical numbers adjusted for minutes etc, than Ice, Jana, Ashlynn, KK, and Kaitlin. Because she can guard so many positions, it might be that her best role is a super-sub getting major minutes, but she is a threat to start over any of the above as well.

That could be possible if Sarah moved to the 5 with Aubrey at the 4, and if we were bigger with Ice or Jana at the 5, Sarah at the 4 and Aubrey at the 3, or the other way around since Sarah has a superior perimeter game. I'm not predicting that will happen, but if healthy I think Aubrey is the fourth best player on the team, behind just Paige, Sarah, and Azzi, at least that's what the numbers would suggest.

She does have an issue with fitting into the half court offense, and a weak perimeter game, but she does score by running the floor, slashing to the hoop and getting offensive rebounds. Those offensive boards and also drawing fouls more than most, are areas this team is not as good at, so as long as you had at least two big time three point threats that space the floor, I think it would work fine.

Aubrey was a starter at the 3 for a whole season, and did well there, but most of her career she was behind Aaliyah at the 4, which I think is her best position. She will presumably be the obvious choice for backup minutes for Sarah, but of course that won't amount to much if Sarah stays mostly at the 4. Playing with Sarah is the way for Aubrey to get major minutes, either in combination as a 4/5, or as 3/4.

 

[hoophuskee]

You may even see it very quickly, if not to start, then certainly at the first break. And definitely expect a press with subs in and out. You just can’t ignore what we did with the press against SoCal in the second half. We have the personnel for the first time in years for it.

I agree he'll press but what's it going to show when they end up having to face a quaility team with good guards? SoCal had a weakness with guards and turnovers.

 

[oldude]

I think people are underestimating Aubrey. If healthy, Aubrey has had better overall statistical numbers adjusted for minutes etc, than Ice, Jana, Ashlynn, KK, and Kaitlin. Because she can guard so many positions, it might be that her best role is a super-sub getting major minutes, but she is a threat to start over any of the above as well.

That could be possible if Sarah moved to the 5 with Aubrey at the 4, and if we were bigger with Ice or Jana at the 5, Sarah at the 4 and Aubrey at the 3, or the other way around since Sarah has a superior perimeter game. I'm not predicting that will happen, but if healthy I think Aubrey is the fourth best player on the team, behind just Paige, Sarah, and Azzi, at least that's what the numbers would suggest.

She does have an issue with fitting into the half court offense, and a weak perimeter game, but she does score by running the floor, slashing to the hoop and getting offensive rebounds. Those offensive boards and also drawing fouls more than most, are areas this team is not as good at, so as long as you had at least two big time three point threats that space the floor, I think it would work fine.

Aubrey was a starter at the 3 for a whole season, and did well there, but most of her career she was behind Aaliyah at the 4, which I think is her best position. She will presumably be the obvious choice for backup minutes for Sarah, but of course that won't amount to much if Sarah stays mostly at the 4. Playing with Sarah is the way for Aubrey to get major minutes, either in combination as a 4/5, or as 3/4.

Generally agree with your post with one modification. If Aubrey & Sarah are UConn’s forwards. I would have Aubrey at the 5 and Sarah at the 4. In past seasons, Aubrey has more than held her own against opposing centers. Aubrey’s combination of length, strength and athleticism gives her the capability of guarding 1-5.

 

[Centerstream]

Aubrey is already looking good during the Wells Fargo Warm-Ups on YouTube

 

[hoophuskee]

Time to throw rocks at Skeets. I believe Aubrey can be an important part of this team, but I just don't see her being the silver bullet leading UConn to the promised land (sorry). Some of the expectations on the BY are outside of reality.

What do you mean by "silver bullet?"

If some of us were to believe Aubrey is potentially the best defender on the team (or 2nd best) then does that constitute our belief of this possibility as "outside of reality?"

If it's not "outside of reality," then might she be considered a "silver bullet?"

 

[Bone Dog]

Starters: Paige, Kaitlyn, Sarah, Azzi, Jana as of a moment ago

 

[Centerstream]

Starters: Paige, Kaitlyn, Sarah, Azzi, Jana as of a moment ago

Anyone else surprised by Jana starting? (Just a question, not an opinion.)

 

[hoophuskee]

Anyone else surprised by Jana starting? (Just a question, not an opinion.)

Yes.

 

[Bone Dog]

Anyone else surprised by Jana starting? (Just a question, not an opinion.)

Yes and no. Over the summer, I assumed Jana and Ice would start together as the 4 & 5, mainly because I didn’t realize how quickly Sarah would get up to speed. It was clear how mistaken I was right away when it became clear how much further behind Ica and Sarah still was in November.

 

[Rudy1927]

Anyone else surprised by Jana starting? (Just a question, not an opinion.)

Anyone else surprised by Jana starting? (Just a question, not an opinion.)

I’m ready for a shake up. Bigs are not producing. I’m ready for PB at the point, shade, azzi, Aubrey and SS. That’s a fun lineup to watch. Subject to change if there is a dominating 5. Not many this year.