Azzi Fudd's Return...

[AzzisBraids]

Is imminent. Geno himself has stated a number of things included that she would be the first player of the injured back, alluding to how great she looks so far and discussing how a backcourt of Bueckers and Fudd has been somewhat fictional since both have been on the mend when the other has been at their best.

With UConn trending upwards - I'm here to remind that we still haven't seen the best of what could be a dynamic backcourt for UConn to go with a young, but talented forming frontcourt. No team has done it yet since it's early, but you have to contend that some teams are going to gamble on blitzing Paige and letting anyone beat them. Fudd stands alone as a potential equal talent that generate offense, attract attention and relieve Paige.

There were points in the USF game where Paige's heroics thwarted any attempts for a USF run and pretty soon, she will have the running mate she lobbied for back alongside her. I anticipate Geno will ease her in off the bench as she adjusted to being in-game but as soon as she looks comfortable, she will start with Bueckers and Strong and the Geno will figure out the rest of the line-up from there. She's too good to be a spark off the bench for a team that Geno wants to come out swinging.

Happy Veterans Day all and cheers

 

[UConnFanMSM]

Happy Birthday, Azzi!!!!!!

 

[Centerstream]

My dream would be to have Azzi check in during the 1st quarter of the FDU game, a last second sub after the media timeout.

 

[Rowdy831]

Azzi is a great player and will lift the team to the next level when she is healthy. I don't see any reason that she will come back until she is at least a couple weeks past 100% ready to ensure her conditioning is on par with the other players. Once that happens though I expect she will move right into the lineup and contribute immediately.

I'm excited to see her and Paige finally hit the court at the same time when they are both healthy.

 

[Hayven]

It’s been almost a year since the injury which is on track for her to return soon. I think she may return Friday, given the competition.

 

[Huskee11]

Of the four injured players, Azzi is the only one participating in the pre-game warmups. If you saw her in those warmups you would think that she is totally good to go. Moving well, shooting well. It should be soon.

An appearance off the bench against FDU on November 20 in front of a sold out Gampel audience would not shock me at all. That would blow the roof off!

If not, then hopefully against Holy Cross on December 3, also at Gampel.

Ayanna was not in a sling on Sunday but she is obviously favoring her left arm/shoulder. I am afraid it might still be a while for her.

 

[MilfordHusky]

At the BU game, I think Aubs was in warmups too.

 

[DefenseBB]

Of the four injured players, Azzi is the only one participating in the pre-game warmups. If you saw her in those warmups you would think that she is totally good to go. Moving well, shooting well. It should be soon.

An appearance off the bench against FDU on November 20 in front of a sold out Gampel audience would not shock me at all. That would blow the roof off!

If not, then hopefully against Holy Cross on December 3, also at Gampel.

Ayanna was not in a sling on Sunday but she is obviously favoring her left arm/shoulder. I am afraid it might still be a while for her.

Not True. Aubrey participated in the pregame warmups against BU and USF. Maybe you didn't recognize her in her new hairdo, she's foregone the bun....

 

[Zarathustra]

Azzi is a great player and will lift the team to the next level when she is healthy. I don't see any reason that she will come back until she is at least a couple weeks past 100% ready to ensure her conditioning is on par with the other players. Once that happens though I expect she will move right into the lineup and contribute immediately.

I'm excited to see her and Paige finally hit the court at the same time when they are both healthy.

It would not be bad to be 100% ready for South Bend, no?

 

[Crossover]

Azzi is a great player and will lift the team to the next level when she is healthy. I don't see any reason that she will come back until she is at least a couple weeks past 100% ready to ensure her conditioning is on par with the other players. Once that happens though I expect she will move right into the lineup and contribute immediately.

I'm excited to see her and Paige finally hit the court at the same time when they are both healthy.

The only way to get in game condition is by playing games.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Azzi is a great player and will lift the team to the next level when she is healthy. I don't see any reason that she will come back until she is at least a couple weeks past 100% ready to ensure her conditioning is on par with the other players. Once that happens though I expect she will move right into the lineup and contribute immediately.

I'm excited to see her and Paige finally hit the court at the same time when they are both healthy.

Given the amount of time of her rehab, there is a good chance she is six weeks past 100% ready right now.

 

[CL82]

It's a good thing that Azzi is as talented as she is, because there aren't a whole lot of players who could crack our lineup, never mind potentially be a starter. We look awfully good right now.

 

[donalddoowop]

I think it is a shame UConn fans have been unable to watch Azzi and Paige playing together while both are healthy. I read on the Boneyard that Azzi is not on the same level as Paige. Not true. When Azzi played the beginning of her sophomore season before she got injured again, I was amazed at how good she looked, almost pro like. That evidently was the Azzi I read about when she was in high school. She was being talked about as a contender for POY. Then the injury. She is just as good as Paige but in a different way, imo. However, it does not matter who is better, they are both very special players. If they ever play together, WBB is in for a very special treat. I hope I can see it.

 

[Cuango]

My guess is, that Azzi’s minutes (whether starting or sub) will be strictly limited for some time. I would think they will gradually increase with the goal of possibly releasing her around the USC game! That would give her eight games, assuming she plays against NC, and a month & 1/3 to get her ready for starting. The truth is, barring injury, we are not likely to see 35+ minutes very often this season, so by “releasing” I mean 20-25 minutes. It would certainly be nice to have her fully cleared for the Notre Dame game but I think that’s too soon. Hopefully, she will be able to give us 12-18 minutes by then. I’m sure Paige can hardly wait!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Paige's come back from her ACL was over a year by Doctor's orders!
I would guess Azzi's come back will be about the same!
It would be amazing to see Azzi, Ayanna, Aubrey, and Caroline in the lineup during a future game!
Then watch out Division I WCBB!

 

[Bone Dog]

I too would love to see Azzi back for the OOC schedule, especially against ND and USC. It may not come to pass, for all I know. But wouldn’t it be awesome to add an X factor like Azzi (a ZZ factor?) as a sort of warning shot to the rest of D1? I even sometimes think of Paige and Azzi as a reminder of how one builds team loyalty in the age of the transfer portal. These two were committed to the team and the program no matter what obstacles fate through in their path.

 

[Jim]

Geno has said that Azzi has been cleared medically and is back playing full 5x5 in practice, but at this point it is the state-of-mind/mental part of rehab remaining. He said that when Azzi tells him she is ready, he will put her in. So, theoretically, it could be any day now. That said, Azzi is known for her thorough, regimented training routine, so it would not surprise me if she and her doctors/family picked a date long ago and she plans to stick by that date to ensure she has the confidence to return.

 

[Vancat]

I think I'm over-psyched to see Azzi play w Paige.

 

[GoUconn7961]

My dream would be to have Azzi check in during the 1st quarter of the FDU game, a last second sub after the media timeout.

That would be a great surprise.

 

[Centerstream]

An orthopedic surgeon who has worked on NY Jets & Rangers told me that athletes who have suffered ACL injuries are vulnerable to a repeat.

You do realize that this thread is about Azzi's return, right? I think "facts" like the one you cited have been discussed in numerous threads before, especially when it concerned players who had torn their ACLs and the aftermath.

 

[Skeets]

The only way to get in game condition is by playing games.

I agree, the only way to shake the rust off is to get in the game. If Azzi is 100% ready to go, I wouldn't worry about conditioning. That is managed with minutes of PT.

 

[Skeets]

Famous duos: Paige and Azzi, Fire and Ice, Burch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Csonka/Kiick). This is the last rodeo. I really want to see Paige and Azzi healthy and on the court together.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Azzi looks in better shape than I have ever seen here and I'm sure her great talents are still there waiting. My chief concern is her head. Will she be assertive on the court. For much of her healthy UConn career she has not been. She had 2 or 3 magnificent games before she went down. If she gets that back oh boy lookout!

 

[scotty0330]

Also will she be on a minutes restriction to start off? Now that she is an upperclassman some of that apprehension to be assertive might be mitigated by the sense of urgency now that she is in what is likely her last year. Seeing her and Paige will be a welcome site for sure.

 

[Bone Dog]

A couple weeks ago, Geno said he worried about who would make the offense go when Paige sits. At that time he suggested Azzi could fill that role. I think what he meant was that Paige and Azzi would be on the court together sometimes, and also would spell each other as the main bucket getter. I could picture each of them getting 25+ minutes but for 15 of those minutes they'd be on the floor together. Something like this, though it feels a bit clunky when I write it out. Part of it is that 15 minutes playing together doesn't seem like enough. It could be 20 minutes together, and then there'd be 10 minutes to account for with neither of them on the floor. Or, Geno could up their PT to 30 mins and there could always be one of them on the floor and 20 mins when they play together.

This is all well and good, but why couldn't Sarah figure into these calculations. So far, when Paige sits in the 4th quarter, Geno sits Sarah, too. Same thing goes for Ash, who played a couple minutes in the 4th quarter and then sat with Paige and Sarah. These 4 players could get 25 mins and Geno could easily arrange it so that there's always at least two of them on the floor together, and often three, and sometimes all four of them.

Now mix in Jana and Ice, who will probably split the 40 post minutes one way or another. Then add Kaitlyn and KK, who could split the 40 PG minutes. But if it goes in this simple way, there's only 20 minutes to divide up among the rest of the roster, which doesn't sound good for Morgan Allie and Q. They need all the minutes they can get. To accommodate them, minutes have to come from somewhere, and it's not likely to be from Jana and Ice. This leaves PG minutes, which isn't good for KK and Kaitlyn.

This is how complicated it gets merely by returning Azzi to the rotation. Yes, a shorter minute restriction on Azzi will soften the blow for the rest of the roster. But if she comes back in the form we are all hoping for, no such restriction will last long, certainly not past December, if even that long.

Now, picture what happens when Aubrey and Ayanna come back. Will they get minutes? If so, from where? Geno is not likely to look for scoring from Ayanna -- it's mainly rebounding and defense he wants from her, plus the occasional putback or a layup from a drive-and-dish. This suggests her minutes will mainly come from the posts, Jana and Ice. By contrast, Aubrey contributes as a scorer, as a rebounder, as a defender in the low post and the perimeter, and is a menace in the transition offense. This suggests her minutes will come from several places, though mainly from Sarah and Ash. This is also obviously a very simple analysis, and even more complexities will quickly emerge.

2 things should be clear from this exercise:

• The length of the rotation will change throughout the season. The Azzi rotation probably doesn't really begin until December. The Aubrey rotation probably begins in Late January. The Ayanna rotation could begin at any time. This means Morgan Allie and Q have a better shot at decent minutes through December than they do in February.
• The dream of a 10+ rotation is more feasible in the first half of the season. But it's hard to see how that will work in February-March. There are a couple of factors here -- the blowouts we expect in the conference schedule mean Geno can rest the stars for longer, but as March approaches the stars have to get enough repetitions and develop the sort of stamina that will allow them to play 30+ minutes if needed.

Geno has incentives for getting Morgan Allie Q Ayanna more minutes, which would encourage keeping the longer rotation into February. But these could also give way to his judgment of what it will take to win an NC with this group. I don't have the expertise to second guess how Geno will balance these two incentives.