Azzi & CW Out Fri & Sun

[pvdoggy]

Well, we had Aaron Rodgers as Quarterback and now she is down but even though you can't expect the guards to play like that, you can't play like they are now

https://twitter.com/search?q=Paige%20Bueckers&src=typed_query&f=live

Hopefully, Paige is nothing like Aaron Rodgers because he just does not perform that well in the post season.

 

[Woof 101]

Unless our 6+ players get some foul trouble (in the guard position) , we should be fine. SH (3-4) and STJ(1-5) have not shown anything

When the going gets tough the tough get going.

Agree with you 100% but what amazes me is how teams, regardless of their record, sometimes just play at a different level against us.

Except the final four or a NC any team with UConn on the schedule, is bullseye number one. It is reality that often teams play up to the competition and others can also play down to it. The latter being a coaching and fan base nightmare.

 

[JellyBean]

Let Azzi and C-Dub take all the time they need to recover and heal. We have 7-8 bodies to carry the load for a few games.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Seton Hall guards are going pose all sorts of problems for UConn. Foul trouble will be a huge problem for UConn.

 

[MilfordHusky]

We need Nika to play close to 40 minutes, despite a minutes restriction and foul trouble. That's walking a fine line.

 

[CTBballfan243]

We need Nika to play close to 40 minutes, despite a minutes restriction and foul trouble. That's walking a fine line.

There is no way that Nika won’t be in foul trouble in this game. A minutes limit won’t be an issue in this one.

 

[ccwarrior]

Oops. I can't see a win.

There is the realism.

 

[visitingcock]

When the going gets tough the tough get going.

Except the final four or a NC any team with UConn on the schedule, is bullseye number one. It is reality that often teams play up to the competition and others can also play down to it. The latter being a coaching and fan base nightmare.

I would agree with that 99.5 percent of the time.

 

[sun]

It will be interesting to see if UConn will need to overcompensate by playing additional bigs or not.
If we do for some minutes then our guards can try to feed the inside.
Then it could be Seton Hall that will end up being in foul trouble.
Using extra bigs would also give us more RB's, and help support our perimeter shooting.

 

[freshler40]

Our current starters will step-up. With our energy coming from Nika, CD and Oiliva I like our chances. We need more balanced scoring especially needing Nika to continue to drive under control. CD needs to take threes or drive off of picks from our bigs. Looking for a solid return from all bigs.

 

[hoopsfan22]

We need Nika to play close to 40 minutes, despite a minutes restriction and foul trouble. That's walking a fine line.

From his press conference: Geno says that won't happen tonight. No mention of restrictions but not fair to ask someone who has missed so much time to play so much so soon, so we'll see a lot of 2-guard. Also sounds like Azzi is not that close as she is only allowed to do up to 30 minutes of individual workouts and that they are building up to a full practice to see how she feels, and then eventually games. That sounds like a plan that could take weeks before we see her in a game as opposed to her return being imminent.

 

[Tonyc]

Expect Uconn to play zone to stay out of foul trouble.

 

[donalddoowop]

Agreed. I think the news on CW should not be shocking to anyone. We know the covid protocols, and she should be back for the game against SC.

Mentioning Azzi could be a good thing, because it means that there was even a small possibility. Or it just means that someone from the press finally did their job and asked a question people wanted an answer to!

A weird season. We've seen the team full strength, the team minus Paige, Azzi and Nika, the team without just Paige and Azzi, the team without Paige, Azzi, and Christyn. We seem to never be rolling with the same roster for more than a couple games at a time.

Hopefully by year end, we can finally put our full roster less Aubrey onto the floor to see what we are capable of. We seem so down, but by no means out. We have a lot of talent that can still come together to shake things up.

The team this season has never been at full strength. Aubrey could not play and Azzi and Nika were not completely healed at the start.

 

[Artifact]

With the team handicapped. with many of the first team players down. I shall record & wait to see the final score before watching. It is hard personally, for me to see them; not win !

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Increasingly feeling like I'm following the Israelites trapped in Egypt.

 

[oldude]

Increasingly feeling like I'm following the Israelites trapped in Egypt.

Just waiting for the Red Sea to part…..

 

[eebmg]

Increasingly feeling like I'm following the Israelites trapped in Egypt.

I see the 10 plagues analogy.

 

[oldhusky]

I think some are saying we are ok for the next two games with what we have, and I agree to a point. Certainly if this year has taught us anything, however, is what you have today you might not have tomorrow. Between injuries in practice and the spread of covid when one player already has it, player availability is never certain.

We have no backup guards now, the closest is using Aaliyah at the 3 to backup all three guards. That by itself is a disaster, but we also may be forced to use Amari or Piath, because we previously had a very short three player rotation of bigs that is now strained because Aaliyah's time will need to be split between helping out the bigs and backing up the guards.

We may well defeat the next two opponents with what we "have", but only one more piece of bad news could make us vulnerable to mediocre Big East teams. It has reached a point where I am very nervous heading into a game, just hoping that the players available yesterday are still available today.

 

[hoopsfan22]

It was crazy to hear Geno talk about how he has never been in this situation because there was one year where they apparently lost Shea and then I think he said Sveta and they just plugged in DT off the bench. How loaded does your team have to be where Taurasi is like a 3rd stringer?

 

[Childhood]

I feel like Paige may return to the lineup before Azzi.

 

[Biff]

Just waiting for the Red Sea to part…..

 

[Vowelguy]

It was crazy to hear Geno talk about how he has never been in this situation because there was one year where they apparently lost Shea and then I think he said Sveta and they just plugged in DT off the bench. How loaded does your team have to be where Taurasi is like a 3rd stringer?

Yes the 2001 team was loaded, original starters were [ I believe]
Bird (Jr) - Shea (Sr) - Svet (Sr) - Cash (Jr) - Schumacher (Sr)
with bench of T Williams (Jr), A Jones (Jr), and Taurasi (Fr)

Svet went out mid-season and Shea in the BET
Morgan Valley was a frosh on that team

Injuries were worse in 97-98, in which Shea was out all year, Sales tore her achillies late in the season, and Sveta played the NCAAs on a bad foot.
And in 98-99, Bird had an ACL, Shea was still recovering then I think broke her wrist, Cash had a stress fracture, and Keirsten Walters had perpetual nagging injuries that ended her career a year later.

 

[oldude]

View attachment 72583

I wish I had graphics skills…

 

[CTBballfan243]

Expect Uconn to play zone to stay out of foul trouble.

How does that help when their guards penetrate and drive to the basket?

 

[Tonyc]

How does that help when their guards penetrate and drive to the basket?

We will have bigs underneath to intimadate and block shots Its tuff to penetrate when your facing a zone defense anchored by Bigs.

 

[Alydar]

How does that help when their guards penetrate and drive to the basket?

They'll be driving into two 6'5" posts

 

[Florida Fan]

The message about Azzi is clear ( she won't play) but the reason why is muddled. And that is what we really want to know. Is she in covid protocol like Williams? Is she still not recovered? Is she not in condition ( certainly ). As an aside, I think it would be ludicrous to target Azzi's first game exposure against South Carolina. But maybe it make sense. Throw her into the fire.

Or under the bus.

 

[Centerstream]

How does that help when their guards penetrate and drive to the basket?

I'm hoping that Liv and Caroline get back their shot blocking prowess that they had prior to the Oregon game.

 

[eebmg]

I'm hoping that Liv and Caroline get back their shot blocking prowess that they had prior to the Oregon game.

Liv had 3 blocks against OR and Caroline blocking shots is a luxury which we may not have if it leads to higher foul probability to a player we can't do without. I am fine with Caroline keeping her 6' 2" frames extendo arms high and keeping good vertical position,

 

[Centerstream]

Liv had 3 blocks against OR and Caroline blocking shots is a luxury which we may not have if it leads to higher foul probability to a player we can't do without. I am fine with Caroline keeping her 6' 2" frames extendo arms high and keeping good vertical position,

You are correct. I just looked at the box score for the 5 games before Oregon, and even though Caroline had a few blocks, in my mind I thought she had a few more than she actually did block.