Blanca Quiñonez | Page 2 | The Boneyard
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Blanca Quiñonez

This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
 
Every foreign player that has come to UConn as a freshman has been what appears to be overly aggressive and borderline out of control. Think Svet, Aaliyah, and Nika. Geno got them all to harness that aggressiveness and become outstanding players. It’s easier to dial it back than to fire it up, e.g. Amari
 
Skeets said:
This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
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There is a fundamental difference between HS basketball in the US, and European pro leagues. In HS you play 4 years of basketball and if you’re good enough, you go on to the next level. Some HS programs do a very good job developing players for the next level. Others, not so much.

For young players like Blanca, playing overseas is all about development. They are brought in at a young age, to work with the team and coaches, while going to school. They are compensated for room and board only, which is why they are allowed to play at US colleges if they choose. If you look at European teams full rosters, there can be up to 20 players, many of whom are young “developmental” players.

Blanca is still learning UConn’s system, which takes time for anyone. But I have already noticed in her game that she is more developed physically than most college freshmen. She has excellent passing instincts, the ability to attack the basket and superior defensive skills.

I don’t think it will take Blanca very long to master UConn’s system. While she is unlikely to start this year, Blanca should be a key reserve for the Huskies, and undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the pursuit of championship #13.
 
Skeets said:
This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
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Even little used players have the same practices and receive the same coaching.
 
Skeets said:
This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
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Great question, Skeets. In my opinion, it depends on the player and it depends on the team - on both sides of the question.

Looking just at the Italian pro structure, there is a big difference between the top clubs and the lower tier clubs. The top clubs have better resources and invest in player development and team cohesion for the long haul.

Top Serie A clubs are not quite at the level of the best Euroleague clubs in Turkey, Spain, France, etc., who are able to buy talent from other national clubs and purchase annual contracts of international players, but give it a few years and I think they will be.

The other side of the coin is the American high school set-up, where there certainly is a wide variety of factors from state to state shaping the long-term sustainability of high school teams, let alone players. The surge of the athletic factories - er, I mean academies - in the past half-dozen years (IMG, Monteverde, Legion Prep, DME, etc) continues to reshape the landscape and add fuel to the fiery discussions of best high school teams. Are they as good as the tried-and-true BB programs of the past twenty years (for example, the WCAC schools in the DMV area, or the private/parochial schools in the NJ/NY area, to name but a few)? Although that is probably a debate for a separate thread on the General Board, I use these schools as examples of the disparity in structure and competition.

To broaden your question to embrace these programs: are the players in those basketball powerhouses in a better spot than high school-age players in European clubs? Again, I would say it depends on the player and the team. My opinion.
 
Bone Dog said:
I was watching another practice video this morning, this one featuring KK's sparkling personality, and there were a couple of interactions with Allie that made me think.

Most of the kids on the roster -- maybe all of them -- were the go-to player on their high school teams. This may not be quite as true of Kayleigh, Kelis or Gandy, for different reasons. But KK and Ash, Azzi and Sarah, Morgan and Allie, Caroline and Ayanna -- they all carried their teams wherever they were going to go.

I suspect it takes a significant shift of mindset for these kids go from carrying the team to being led by someone else in college. Allie in particular may be experiencing exactly this. In high school, she always knew what to do, what her teammates needed, and if they needed someone to guide them or someone to take the clutch shot, or merely someone to look up to, she knew what to do. Last year, she probably felt at a loss for what to do and where she fit in. KK is on the case, offering encouragement at every turn.

That's a long preamble to get to Blanca -- sorry about that. In high school, Blanca didn't exactly have that experience, though her skills and confidence would have suited such a role. And in various 'all-star' games that were limited to high school kids in Italy and the US it was easy to see that her confidence and maturity really stood out from the crowd. In one sense, this is an advantage for her. She knows how to follow where more mature kids lead -- the pros she's been playing with over the last few years. And in her freshman year this may be just right. The only question in my mind is how long it will take her to understand exactly where her maturity level will place her in the team dynamic. She belongs very near the top, in my opinion. After Azzi, Serah and Caroline depart, she will have to be Sarah's primary partner, the pair who lead and carry the team. The language barrier will be an obstacle, at least initially. But she has already experienced playing various roles for several years. She will figure this out, perhaps sooner than I expect.

And don't worry, I'm not forgetting about KK and Ash, or Ice and Jana. They will also be integral parts of the next one or two runs to the NC. But I just have a feeling Blanca and Sarah will be front and center, carrying an extra heavy load.
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The big 3 for me this year is Azzi, Sarah and Serah.
 
Skeets said:
This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
Expand ...
In addition to the excellent responses already given, I'd add that the European teams practice about 4-5x as much as they play. They play once a week (2x while they're in Eurobasket), and practice 4-5 times a week. High schoolers play 2-3 games a week and practice 2-3x a week, but in AAU they play a lot and hardly practice at all.

So in addition to the level being a mixed bag, the overall preparation is a mixed bag.
 
Cuango said:
I like Blanca, I think she’s going to be a good-outstanding player for us, but comparing her to Sarah at this point is just silly. Yes, she looks to have great potential, she has outstanding physical tools, but those tools are going to take some time before they are all functioning together at a very high level. I hope and pray she can put it all together and play at something close to the generational & transformative level of Sarah Strong but that, (if it’s even possible), is going to take some time. I obviously hope it happens but I will be shocked if she wins National Freshman of the Year. I will happily eat my words if it happens though!
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two totally different players, other than that they both have great defensive anticipation and very quick hands.......if Blanca becomes half the scorer that Sarah is, I'll be very happy....
 
Skeets said:
This has little to do with Blanca who I hope turns out to be great and meets expectations. But here's an open question: what is a more valuable basketball experience? Playing maybe 10 minutes per game for a less than spectacular Italian pro league or playing almost the whole game, being the go-to players for a very good high school team perhaps contending for a state title for a couple of years?

My opinion is you get what you put in and having good developmental coaching is important too.
Expand ...
Who says she played ten minutes a game? She played far more than that in the games that I saw.......
 
I am fascinated by the seeming lack of confidence in our fanbase with regard Bianca’s quite unique skill set.

This was a recruiting “steal” of the First order…an almost pro ready player
With height, speed, experience, and scoring ability.

Sure, it will take a bit to be integrated into Geno’s system….I predict 4 or 5 games. Then…watch out!
 
Charliebball said:
Who says she played ten minutes a game? She played far more than that in the games that I saw.......
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Blanca averaged about 25 minutes a game. She averaged 11.0 points in 25 minutes per regular season game and 15.5 points in 26 minutes in the postseason. Sounds like a Husky to me

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You know what? I heard from BB people about Blanca when she committed to UConn and they compared her talent to Collier and Catchings. From what I saw in 2 practice games one game in person she has tremendous talent, skills, quickness and speed. She create havoc. She did not hit her long range shots and thats what UConn will change. As far as everything else there is a reason she played so many minutes in 2 exhibition games. Dont focus on what she is lacking focus on what she can do and improving on that imo will make her great. When she shoots at a high percentage to go along with everything else she can do and improves on everything else she is doing she will be one of a kind. I am so excited to watch her. Hey she will make mistakes as she improves and she will learn from those mistakes which will only make her better. Thats why she chose Geno and UConn...to make her better.
 
Gael said:
That stat sheet is informative. In 24 Italy-Serie A1 games, Blanca averaged:

49.7% on 2FGs
27.6% on 3FGs
70.3% on FTs
3.5 R
1.8 A
2.2 S
2.1 TO

There's room for improvement.
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I takes a little time to get acclimated to the speed of American bb. Ask Nika, who holds the record of playing 4 years and never committed a foul, a record tht im pretty sure will never be broken....Love her.
 
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Gael said:
That stat sheet is informative. In 24 Italy-Serie A1 games, Blanca averaged:

49.7% on 2FGs
27.6% on 3FGs
70.3% on FTs
3.5 R
1.8 A
2.2 S
2.1 TO

There's room for improvement.
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And there will be improvement. I believe when she learns the UConn system, she will be an outstanding player and prove post #36 to be true.
 
YKCornelius said:
Nah.

Blond D, you are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but having lived in Italy for three years and seeing first-hand Italian pro teams, as well as watching/following US WCBB since Immaculata days, I would vouch that the top Serie A teams would beat the top US college teams if playing under FIBA rules.

Not the case for lower level Italian pro teams, but certainly the case for the best teams in Serie A.

Blanca is going to be just fine. She's not playing to be FOY, or an AA, or to get on the wall. She's playing to be a valued teammate and contributor to her new family's quest for a 13th NC. She acknowledges having a lot of room to grow, so I recommend sitting back and watching the development unfold before our eyes.
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Okay, you lived there and seen her. I'll have to go with your opinion as it trumps mine and I must say I am happy to hear it.!!!
 
Kat said:
Today’s NYT ran an article by Chantel Jennings, highlighting who she believed were the top freshmen to watch this year. In it she featured Blanca Quiñonez.

“Don’t expect Quiñonez to play like a freshman, considering the 6-foot-2 Ecuadorian forward has been playing professionally in Italy’s top league since 2020. Think of her as Sarah Strong 2.0 (with more experience entering the freshman ranks) — a player who can finish inside and score from all three levels, distribute the ball well and possesses handles like a guard. Like Strong, Quiñonez has the benefit of coming in without needing to be everything for UConn, given the talent around her, so she’ll be able to pick her moments and develop through the season. That doesn’t mean she’ll be a shrinking violet on the court. Could we see another UConn unicorn picking up Freshman of the Year honors at the end of the season?”
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Though I would love her prognostication to be accurate, she really should lay off the magic mushrooms when writing 😜
 

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