Back at it (practice)

[Alydar]

Me too! I saw about half of her games during her senior season. Hopkins was possibly the best HS team I’ve ever seen. I think they had 7 or 8 Top-100 players who were Division 1 recruits. And Paige was a step better than everyone else.

You are right about Hopkins. I think Minn players have some freedom as to their choice of HS. Paige didn't lose a game in her last two years. Her games were about the only HS games I ever enjoyed watching. Most of the team went to P-5 programs. Bueckers broke a couple of ankles a game.

 

[BobbyJ]

You are right about Hopkins. I think Minn players have some freedom as to their choice of HS. Paige didn't lose a game in her last two years. Her games were about the only HS games I ever enjoyed watching. Most of the team went to P-5 programs. Bueckers broke a couple of ankles a game.

Except Bueckers.

 

[CL82]

Can't agree more but in defense of Inthepaint, Fudd said that the first time she saw Bueckers was at a USABB tryout. They were both pg's. Fudd said her first thought was "not much there".

Until she saw her play.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Until she saw her play.

I believe Paige scored about 8 possessions in a row. That caused Azzi to change her mind.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[MilfordHusky]

Wasn't it Ice that sank the Titanic?

 

[Alydar]

Wasn't it Ice that sank the Titanic?

And like an ice berg, Brady has been 90% hidden from view in the preseason by the smoke from Bueckers' return.
She won't remain hidden long once the season starts.

 

[Bills Fan]

Wasn't it Ice that sank the Titanic?

I just wish Ice was about 3 inches taller-looking at pictures of her with her teammates, she seems to be 6'2" at most.. She clearly has the strength to battle post opponents up to 6'3" or 6'4", but I think she will have problems with the SC and UCLA bigs. But then those schools along with LSU will have bigger problems trying to deal with PB and Azzi in the backcourt and no, I'm not forgetting about the match up nightmare Aaliyah will be for anybody! And does any team have a Caroline, KK, Ashlynn, Aubrey or Patterson ready to come in off the bench OR as an alternate starter?
Wait a minute; don't we also have the all-time UCONN assist, record holder and incredible leader still at Storrs?

 

[Bone Dog]

I just wish Ice was about 3 inches taller-looking at pictures of her with her teammates, she seems to be 6'2" at most..

I have a really hard time judging heights from watching video footage of games and practices. Perspective and camera placement is deceptive, and players often aren't simply standing up straight on the court. As for Ice, she may be a little shorter than Aaliyah, or not. But every time I see her on the floor she looks BIG and STRONG. I remember in the USA BB games last year she played next to Rosario who is reported as 6'6" and she looked to be not much smaller, though she was probably 3" shorter.

With post players, height isn't the most important factor. Strength, energy and footwork are more important. I just keep reminding myself that in the last Stanford game Nika out-rebounded Brink.

 

[Dublin]

It stopped! Does that mean she missed?

That last shot was #28. The UconnWBB account doesn't like to show the misses.

 

[Beemer]

For me the big question is how is Caroline Ducharme doing?

 

[Jumper33]

Wow, everyone in those pictures is looking really muscular. Good to see Ayanna practicing. Teams won’t be able to push UConn around that’s for sure

 

[UConnCat]

 

[The deacon]

Wait a minute; don't we also have the all-time UCONN assist, record holder and incredible leader still at Storrs?

Two different players, right? Moriah and Paige... one out of two ain't bad.

 

[MSGRET]

Two different players, right? Moriah and Paige... one out of two ain't bad.

I believe that @Bills Fan was alluding to the single season assists leader and not the career.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Remember rebounding isn't all about height but about positioning before the ball comes off the rim!
Rodman wasn't 6'6'+! He did it all with positioning and leverage!
With the UCONN coaching staff on top of it they'll be rebounding like junk yard dogs!

 

[Alydar]

Remember rebounding isn't all about height but about positioning before the ball comes off the rim!
Rodman wasn't 6'6'+! He did it all with positioning and leverage!
With the UCONN coaching staff on top of it they'll be rebounding like junk yard dogs!

+1

Gabby could leap but what made her a great rebounder was how quickly she got up to the ball. Same with Griffin. Banging inside and rebounding are related but 2 different skills.

 

[Tonyc]

For the players coming back from injury it will take time for them to adjust and reestablish themselves in a real game. For our underclassman it will take some time. Im thinking Caroline and Ice especially. If Caroline can go full throttle we are in position where we could to go undefeated and if Ice comes in going full throttle we could win every game by double digits. The last if is Amari. If Amari can become an intimidator down low well we will be silly good.

 

[Conndog]

For the players coming back from injury it will take time for them to adjust and reestablish themselves in a real game. For our underclassman it will take some time. Im thinking Caroline and Ice especially. If Caroline can go full throttle we are in position where we could to go undefeated and if Ice comes in going full throttle we could win every game by double digits. The last if is Amari. If Amari can become an intimidator down low well we will be silly good.

Caroline and Amari are the two biggest variables for me. If ever there was a time for Amari to show what I believe she can do, now is it. And if Caroline can hang in there when the games get physical, that would be fantastic

 

[Geew1992]

For me the big question is how is Caroline Ducharme doing?

I read a while ago she’s the healthiest she’s been since coming to uconn

 

[UConnCat]

 

[UConnCat]

Maggie Vanoni talked to Paige and Azzi and says practice starts in a couple of weeks:

Since getting back the team has started fall academic classes and gone through a couple of team workouts before starting official practice in a couple weeks.

Behind UConn’s Europe trip: ‘Laid back’ Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers’ favorite burger, Nika Mühl’s home

Of all the homemade and fresh food they had in Europe, Paige Bueckers said her favorite...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[Alydar]

Since 2017 UConn has had to use inexperienced players as starters and as part of the rotation. Geno would mention in early season interviews how he had to spend so much time teaching the freshmen that he was forced to simplify his schemes in preseason. He went on to say that once the season started there wasn't time to add new aspects. This year he has a slew of experienced veterans and even though some of them have missed time, they have all been in the gym for practices for 2 or three years. They will skim over the first 20 pages of "How we play at UConn" and get into the finer points quickly. That will make it tougher for the freshmen but the fans will benefit with a more sophisticated team, able to adjust on the fly to anything the opposition does.

 

[Cuango]

I’d sure like to see Caroline included in some of these pictures. Here’s to a healthy and productive season for Ms Ducharme!

 

[Tonyc]

One key is to get Caroline back up to speed and to eliminate any doubts if she were to get bumped. As for the freshman it will take time for them to adjust to college BB and playing with the team. They are used to it being about them and them taking over. At UConn its about the team, and team options as to who makes the decisions when a play or shot is needed. UConn has plenty of them.

 

[Beemer]

I read a while ago she’s the healthiest she’s been since coming to uconn

Well that is certainly good news. I wasn't sure after she was pulled from one of the games in Europe, I was afraid she had suffered yet another concussion.

 

[AmeriConn]

I read a while ago she’s the healthiest she’s been since coming to uconn

Do you recall the source.

 

[oldhusky]

Since 2017 UConn has had to use inexperienced players as starters and as part of the rotation. Geno would mention in early season interviews how he had to spend so much time teaching the freshmen that he was forced to simplify his schemes in preseason. He went on to say that once the season started there wasn't time to add new aspects. This year he has a slew of experienced veterans and even though some of them have missed time, they have all been in the gym for practices for 2 or three years. They will skim over the first 20 pages of "How we play at UConn" and get into the finer points quickly. That will make it tougher for the freshmen but the fans will benefit with a more sophisticated team, able to adjust on the fly to anything the opposition does.

Good points, I just wanted to add that our schedule makes getting ready and incorporating freshmen into the rotation more of a challenge. It is a by-product of being a super team in a non Power 5 conference. To have a schedule in keeping with our national standing we have to load very tough out of conference games upfront in the schedule, then later the in-conference schedule is much easier.

Now compare that to a school like LSU. They will have a much tougher conference schedule than us, but their early schedule is cupcakes. In their case the beginning of the season is more like an extended training camp. They can give all their newcomers playing time in blowouts to get them acclimated to the system and find out how ready they are before the important part of the season, the conference schedule begins.

Uconn doesn't have the luxury of developing players that are not yet ready for prime time in early games. If they do enough to earn a rotation spot before the first big game, great, if not their next big opportunity is to show what they can do in Big East blowouts later. In that case they have the opportunity to potentially move into the rotation before the tournaments start.

The player development tract and possibilities are very different because of our schedule being so front-loaded compared to Power 5 (or whatever it is now) teams. It is what it is. In the Big East we have to schedule that way, but as Alydar points out, having a more experienced group that doesn't have to rely as much on newcomers is a significant advantage for us this year, more so than much of our recent history.

 

[Alydar]

While the SEC is clearly a tougher conference the gap isn't as wide as some claim. LSU's toughest games after New Years will be SCar and Tenn. After New Years UConn plays SCar and NDame. Furthermore, comparing LSU's OOC games to UConn's BE schedule is simply wrong. According to my quick search through Massey's lists, UConn has 6 BE opponents in the top 100. Not much to crow about but last season LSU's OOC schedule had 2 top 100 teams.