Can Ice have a big season this year?

[ccwarrior]

She has always seemed to be a "big" that doesn't like to work in the paint (wants to play with her face to the basket). The problem with is that her skills (as a 4 or 3) don't truly match those positions. She isn't quick enough, have the ball handling skills, and the elite passing skills to beat out the players in front of her in the hierarchy. I hope she can carve out some minutes filling in for the starters this season.

 

[Skeets]

UConn’s read and react system takes some time to master, particularly for Bigs. Everyone screens, cuts and passes while playing off each other. At WI Serah was the focal point of an offense that revolved around her. In two similar situations, both Z and Dorka struggled initially to figure things out at UConn. It will take a little time. But I have no doubt that Serah will figure it out.

Yep, that's the way it's likely to play out. However once in a great while a generational player will force the offense, and the coaching staff, to play her game, not the other way around. I'm not saying the Serah is that person, plus the talent pool at UConn is too wide and deep, but on a lesser team and extraordinary talent can come in and alter the trajectory of the team.

 

[Skeets]

You don't need to defend Jana to me. I was her earliest adopter, as soon as I heard CD had gone to Egypt for her. I hunted down videos of her in high school, navigated websites in Arabic and games in poorly lit gyms. And I caught a lot of intemperate flak on the BY for reporting what I saw, a strong 5 with ball-handling skills and three-level scoring with a ferocious spirit who wasn't afraid to fight through low post double and triple teams. She often won games from the free throw line, since fouling was all defenders could do to stop her in the low post. That injury was a terrible setback for Jana, as was the unrelated injury to Ice. I really hope to see a second-year-post-injury leap from her. I think Jana is still working on the fitness trajectory and expect her to come back even stronger and leaner than last season. But Ice is already back into great physical shape.

I'm still wary of their passing abilities, judging from what we saw last season. I think you're right to say passing can be taught to some extent. But the truly great passers seem to have a gift that can't be taught. Right now, post-Paige, it may only be Sarah who has it, though Morgan and Carol may be close.

When CD got up on that camel, you knew that UConn was seriously wanting her. I trust UConn knew what they were doing and what they were getting.

 

[BBallF]

You don't need to defend Jana to me. I was her earliest adopter, as soon as I heard CD had gone to Egypt for her. I hunted down videos of her in high school, navigated websites in Arabic and games in poorly lit gyms. And I caught a lot of intemperate flak on the BY for reporting what I saw, a strong 5 with ball-handling skills and three-level scoring with a ferocious spirit who wasn't afraid to fight through low post double and triple teams. She often won games from the free throw line, since fouling was all defenders could do to stop her in the low post. That injury was a terrible setback for Jana, as was the unrelated injury to Ice. I really hope to see a second-year-post-injury leap from her. I think Jana is still working on the fitness trajectory and expect her to come back even stronger and leaner than last season. But Ice is already back into great physical shape.

I'm still wary of their passing abilities, judging from what we saw last season. I think you're right to say passing can be taught to some extent. But the truly great passers seem to have a gift that can't be taught. Right now, post-Paige, it may only be Sarah who has it, though Morgan and Carol may be close.

Good for you for being a Jana fan early. She developed so much in one year and has such natural gifts and a heart to go along with it that you have to be excited. Plus she is pure TEAM.

Jana and Ice don't have to be great passers, they just have to be able to make good passes to the best pure offensive post player we have had in years who is Serah. While I agree that Sarah is a great passer, she is an All American. Jana and Ice are not but the passes don't have to be Paige like or Sue like or of All American quality. Serah actually make the passes easier because she seals so well and positions herself so well. Remember Bill Russell saying he got most of his rebounds before the shot was even taken. Same for Serah with her inside game. She gets a lot of her points before she even gets the ball. When a post player is in the right position vis a vis the defender, the end is near.

 

[BBallF]

I would say Ice has certainly improved her passing to the tune of 1.96 Assist to turnover ratio (55-28 ) from her 1st year of .872 (41 to 47) but to say she is a good passer is still a bit of a stretch . Considering how often we use the high post (the ratio certainly is good but the raw number of assists is low), Ice has not utilized this position as well as you would think. Jana is similar to Ice in her first year with .830 Assist to turnover ratio (40/48) so I hope a big jump also occurs and am more bullish on Jana becoming adept in the high post than Ice. As noted, Ice has struggled with confidence and I am really hoping in year 4 of the program, she can gain what she needs.

That said, I would hope Geno and staff have learned their coaching lessons from when Dorka arrived and they couldn't figure out how to use a 2-time First Team Big Ten player in our lineup. Serah too, is also 2-time First Team Big Ten player so they need to find a way. Stop trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole.

I don't know what the final rotation will be at the end of the year but I certainly can guess. All the players will be given ample opportunity to prove they warrant playing time but in March, I see a rotation of 9-10 players with 10 or more minutes per game and the front-court is the biggest limitation as Geno likes to go small. Ice, Yanna, Gandy and even Jana may struggle for key minutes if they can't pass, shoot or defend at an elite level.

Like I have said previously, this team is extremely talented and unselfish so passing will be critical (and awesome to watch) but getting all the new pieces to work well together will take time. While this team is capable of 90+ points per game, Geno will make the team work on the half-court offense, utilizing clock and ball movement to limit the number of points. After Azzi and Sarah, I am still unsure about our 3 pt game as we need to hit a .350 clip as a team. Ash will help but CD, KK and K9 all have to hit shots when wide open. That will open up the inside for Serah, Jana and Ice. What I do know is I don't want Ice or Jana taking 3 point shots. I worry about the amount of quality minutes Allie will get to see how her shooting could aid us.

But as I said, the 15 story lines will be interesting to see how it plays out. Arguably our toughest OOC game is Tennessee in Feb so we should be hitting on all cylinders by then and People's Bank Arena will be rocking with 15,000+ fans.

You can take a great passer and not have suitable targets, such as players who move well without the ball, or know how to position themselves and that great passer is nowhere near as effective. Consider the target this coming year which is Serah. Everyone, KK, \Kayleigh, Caroline, Blanca, Sarah, Azzi, ash etc. are going to find her underneath at times. Jana and Ice will too.

The assist to turnover ratio is for the entire time they are out there and to all players and turnovers are a different story and change the statistic. If you have a high number of assists but make a high number of turnovers in the game for walks, double dribbles, losing the ball out of bounds, etc. it changes the statistic. It becomes the eye test from the past season when you are talking about passes to the low post this year and I saw that they, Ice and Jana, both had the ability and game acumen to make that pass and if Serah gets to post up, it will be a lot easier because once she gets it in the right position it is usually a basket, a foul, or both.

 

[DefenseBB]

You don't need to defend Jana to me. I was her earliest adopter, as soon as I heard CD had gone to Egypt for her. I hunted down videos of her in high school, navigated websites in Arabic and games in poorly lit gyms. And I caught a lot of intemperate flak on the BY for reporting what I saw, a strong 5 with ball-handling skills and three-level scoring with a ferocious spirit who wasn't afraid to fight through low post double and triple teams. She often won games from the free throw line, since fouling was all defenders could do to stop her in the low post. That injury was a terrible setback for Jana, as was the unrelated injury to Ice. I really hope to see a second-year-post-injury leap from her. I think Jana is still working on the fitness trajectory and expect her to come back even stronger and leaner than last season. But Ice is already back into great physical shape.

I'm still wary of their passing abilities, judging from what we saw last season. I think you're right to say passing can be taught to some extent. But the truly great passers seem to have a gift that can't be taught. Right now, post-Paige, it may only be Sarah who has it, though Morgan and Carol may be close.

Jana NEVER had ball-handling skills and certainly has shown NO 3-Level scoring (at the rim, mid-range and beyond the arc). I would be pleased if she would hit 60% of her shots at the rim, which she struggled with last year (layups were a mess). 2 Summers ago, YOU made the statement of Jana reminding you of Stewie/Svet which at the time was absurd and after a full year of watching her, is just as absurd. Jana did become an effective passer by year end starting 29 assists to 39 turnovers in first 28 games and 11-9 in her last 12 (and against better competition). She shot about the same the first 28 vs. last 12 (52.8% to 51.4%), rebounded about the same 5.1-4.9 but she fouled more 1.7 in first 28 to 2.5 in last 12. I do see her improving her assists to turnovers similarly to the way Ice did her second year (from 41-47 to 55-28) and improving her overall game and will stop fouling.

Jana will never be a 3 level scoring threat but I do hope she can show an improved mid-range to hit the foul line jumper. She will be a key rim defender and strong post player for us. She will absolutely perform her role to max and give great support to her teammates. To be clear-we differ on her shooting and ball handling which you think are good and I think her passing will be much improved and she does have pretty good court vision but you seem to doubt.

She has upside and I think she will maximize her opportunities and fit the role needed. Given the talent on this team, she is probably the back-up post and 7th or 8th person off the bench. By her 3rd and 4th years I expect her to be a star.

 

[YKCornelius]

Yep, that's the way it's likely to play out. However once in a great while a generational player will force the offense, and the coaching staff, to play her game, not the other way around. I'm not saying the Serah is that person, plus the talent pool at UConn is too wide and deep, but on a lesser team and extraordinary talent can come in and alter the trajectory of the team.

Has that scenario EVER played out that way at UConn? I think not.

I don't think it has played out at South Carolina or Stanford under Tara.

This is not Iowa, Southern Cal, or Notre Dame where that may have occurred in recent years. One hundred percent of the great UConn players have adapted to the team-first style that Geno and staff have instilled since the mid-eighties.

 

[YKCornelius]

You can take a great passer and not have suitable targets, such as players who move well without the ball, or know how to position themselves and that great passer is nowhere near as effective. Consider the target this coming year which is Serah. Everyone, KK, \Kayleigh, Caroline, Blanca, Sarah, Azzi, ash etc. are going to find her underneath at times. Jana and Ice will too.

The assist to turnover ratio is for the entire time they are out there and to all players and turnovers are a different story and change the statistic. If you have a high number of assists but make a high number of turnovers in the game for walks, double dribbles, losing the ball out of bounds, etc. it changes the statistic. It becomes the eye test from the past season when you are talking about passes to the low post this year and I saw that they, Ice and Jana, both had the ability and game acumen to make that pass and if Serah gets to post up, it will be a lot easier because once she gets it in the right position it is usually a basket, a foul, or both.

BBallF, I agree with you. Anyone looking at assist-to-turnover ratio as an effective measure of passing ability for a low post big is looking at the wrong stats. A/TO is more suitable to guards and wings.

Very few of Ice's and Jana's turnovers were attributed to "bad passes". As I recall, traveling, getting tied up and losing possession, fumbling the ball out of bounds, offensive fouls, having the ball stripped by defenders when brought down low, etc, were the reasons behind most of their TOs. Historically, that is not uncommon for freshmen/sophomore bigs with limited playing time.

 

[Skeets]

Has that scenario EVER played out that way at UConn? I think not.

I don't think it has played out at South Carolina or Stanford under Tara.

This is not Iowa, Southern Cal, or Notre Dame where that may have occurred in recent years. One hundred percent of the great UConn players have adapted to the team-first style that Geno and staff have instilled since the mid-eighties.

Yukon, I didn't say that it ever did at UConn. If fact I mentioned on a "lesser team". Maybe Jackie Stiles would be an example of a talent which just overwhelmed a program.

I'm not sure that kid from Iowa, who shall go nameless on this board, is a good example because she was such an assist machine.

 

[BobbyJ]

Yep, that's the way it's likely to play out. However once in a great while a generational player will force the offense, and the coaching staff, to play her game, not the other way around. I'm not saying the Serah is that person, plus the talent pool at UConn is too wide and deep, but on a lesser team and extraordinary talent can come in and alter the trajectory of the team.

That hasn't happened at UConn. The best players like Moore, Stewart, Bueckers etc. have all played within the structure of the offense. What they did was use their superior talents, intellects, and abilities to finish to utilize the advantages that the read and react motion offense is designed to give them.

 

[BBallF]

BBallF, I agree with you. Anyone looking at assist-to-turnover ratio as an effective measure of passing ability for a low post big is looking at the wrong stats. A/TO is more suitable to guards and wings.

Very few of Ice's and Jana's turnovers were attributed to "bad passes". As I recall, traveling, getting tied up and losing possession, fumbling the ball out of bounds, offensive fouls, having the ball stripped by defenders when brought down low, etc, were the reasons behind most of their TOs. Historically, that is not uncommon for freshmen/sophomore bigs with limited playing time.

This is spot on. We always said that Ice had poor hands, referring to grip strength and clutching ability. Jana had the same problem. I think we will see visible improvement this year from both of them. We have to remember how young they are, how much they had to overcome and also how much they still are developing which includes their finger and hand strength.

Here is the thing though. They are above all else, smart and accomplished players now and that is one of the reasons why I think the high post -low post pass from Jana to Serah, Ice to Jana, or Ice to Serah will be lethal this year. It's also why I think Geno is going to run sets for it and go "big ball" at times this year as well as "small ball". How much fun will that be?

 

[Cuango]

It seems strange to be able to say that our front court is a strength!
Fortunately, we can still also say that our backcourt is a strength! In the interest of brevity, how about this? Our entire roster is a strength!😎

 

[Dugway]

I see Brady and Patterson as direct competitors for playing minutes. I don’t look at either as playing Center, but both are primary Power Forwards. Of the two, in a pinch, if one needed to play back to the basket, I think Patterson would be a better option; just based upon previous seasons experiences. Ice simply doesn’t want to play that position. It will be interesting to see, both were hurt, Ice now with a full season of injury free certainly puts her more ready.

 

[oldhusky]

Jana NEVER had ball-handling skills and certainly has shown NO 3-Level scoring (at the rim, mid-range and beyond the arc). I would be pleased if she would hit 60% of her shots at the rim, which she struggled with last year (layups were a mess). 2 Summers ago, YOU made the statement of Jana reminding you of Stewie/Svet which at the time was absurd and after a full year of watching her, is just as absurd. Jana did become an effective passer by year end starting 29 assists to 39 turnovers in first 28 games and 11-9 in her last 12 (and against better competition). She shot about the same the first 28 vs. last 12 (52.8% to 51.4%), rebounded about the same 5.1-4.9 but she fouled more 1.7 in first 28 to 2.5 in last 12. I do see her improving her assists to turnovers similarly to the way Ice did her second year (from 41-47 to 55-28) and improving her overall game and will stop fouling.

Jana will never be a 3 level scoring threat but I do hope she can show an improved mid-range to hit the foul line jumper. She will be a key rim defender and strong post player for us. She will absolutely perform her role to max and give great support to her teammates. To be clear-we differ on her shooting and ball handling which you think are good and I think her passing will be much improved and she does have pretty good court vision but you seem to doubt.

She has upside and I think she will maximize her opportunities and fit the role needed. Given the talent on this team, she is probably the back-up post and 7th or 8th person off the bench. By her 3rd and 4th years I expect her to be a star.

I think the views on Jana are largely based on what people saw if they looked at her pre Uconn videos vs. what they saw from her last year. More than any player I can think of offhand, they were completely different. Before Uconn Jana was by far the best player on relatively weak foreign teams. on those videos you can see Jana score a ton of points from many parts of the floor. What you don't see much of is a traditional post establishing position down low and being fed there.

Her teammates were frankly incompetent feeding the post, and since Jana was frequently double teamed down low she rarely got the ball there. If she wanted the ball she had to come out and get it, and create her own offense much of the time, starting 15 to 20 feet away from the basket. Whether she has enough talent to be that kind of offense player at Uconn, maybe not, but she drove to the basket frequently, took a fair number of three point shots, and yes showed a good handle at least for a big.

Then she arrives at Uconn and Geno concludes she is best suited as a traditional low post C, a role she rarely got to play before coming here. I think everyone saw nervous low post play from her last season, but some may not be aware of how new a role that is for her. Geno completely changed her offensive game. She now has teammates that can feed the post, and plenty of perimeter shooters, and as a complimentary piece will not be doubled as much down low.

Maybe that is where she belongs, but she is very very early in the learning curve of low post play because of her past, but with Serah and Gandy to practice against the pace of learning should pick up. Regardless of how she is used here, she has been a multi level scorer at Egypt, showed a pretty good handle there, and shot a number of 3's, partly because she had to. She wasn't going to get the ball in the post on a regular basis.

What Geno is molding here is a major transformation, and that is one reason why although they were relatively close in production last year, I think Jana has way more upside than Ice and some of that probably shows up this year.

 

[oldude]

I think the views on Jana are largely based on what people saw if they looked at her pre Uconn videos vs. what they saw from her last year. More than any player I can think of offhand, they were completely different. Before Uconn Jana was by far the best player on relatively weak foreign teams. on those videos you can see Jana score a ton of points from many parts of the floor. What you don't see much of is a traditional post establishing position down low and being fed there.

Her teammates were frankly incompetent feeding the post, and since Jana was frequently double teamed down low she rarely got the ball there. If she wanted the ball she had to come out and get it, and create her own offense much of the time, starting 15 to 20 feet away from the basket. Whether she has enough talent to be that kind of offense player at Uconn, maybe not, but she drove to the basket frequently, took a fair number of three point shots, and yes showed a good handle at least for a big.

Then she arrives at Uconn and Geno concludes she is best suited as a traditional low post C, a role she rarely got to play before coming here. I think everyone saw nervous low post play from her last season, but some may not be aware of how new a role that is for her. Geno completely changed her offensive game. She now has teammates that can feed the post, and plenty of perimeter shooters, and as a complimentary piece will not be doubled as much down low.

Maybe that is where she belongs, but she is very very early in the learning curve of low post play because of her past, but with Serah and Gandy to practice against the pace of learning should pick up. Regardless of how she is used here, she has been a multi level scorer at Egypt, showed a pretty good handle there, and shot a number of 3's, partly because she had to. She wasn't going to get the ball in the post on a regular basis.

What Geno is molding here is a major transformation, and that is one reason why although they were relatively close in production last year, I think Jana has way more upside than Ice and some of that probably shows up this year.

Good analysis. I would only point out that your take on Jana applies to just about every BIG that enters college, whether they played in Egypt or HS in the US. Almost all of them play against smaller opponents and have not developed a particularly solid low post game.

It takes time for Bigs to figure things out against strong competition at their level. As Jana struggled at times to master the intricacies of low post play in college, it was hard to imagine that she would ever be able to battle Lauren Betts as effectively as she did in the national semifinal.

Jana’s upside is enormous, which does not bode well for UConn’s future opponents.

 

[Bone Dog]

What Geno is molding here is a major transformation, and that is one reason why although they were relatively close in production last year, I think Jana has way more upside than Ice and some of that probably shows up this year.

Your entire analysis is right on the mark. And this last remark seems really right too, though perhaps Jana’s trajectory won’t approach being complete until her third season. But I suspect you’re right that this season could well show a significant leap. And much may depend on improving her physical conditioning from last season. By the time of the tournaments, Jana was running the court much better, often trailing the breaks, something which Ice was already doing last December.

 

[Tonyc]

ICE looked much improved at Sacred Heart. Some remarks on the players many Boneyarders had questions about. I wouldnt be to concerned about ICE. Yana sored above everybody getting some of her rebounds. She played very confident. Heckel looked really good. Played very tuff defense, shot the ball well and will cause problems for opponents on defense. Caroline has matured and looked healthy. She is a leader and shot the ball well. From what I saw this is a team that defenses will have a tuff time stopping. To many weapons and you cant double down on any player. Last season we had a terrific defense. This season we will even be better defensively mainly because of our height and maturity. We have a Big 3 again in Azzi Sarah and Serah as well as Caroline. Maybe a Big 4. These are go to players. No one go to player but 4. We have balance on both sides of the ball. As far as playtime, no worries. I expect UConn to have big leads in most games. We have just to much depth at every position and a very unselfish team.

 

[oldude]

ICE looked much improved at Sacred Heart. Some remarks on the players many Boneyarders had questions about. I wouldnt be to concerned about ICE. Yana sored above everybody getting some of her rebounds. She played very confident. Heckel looked really good. Played very tuff defense, shot the ball well and will cause problems for opponents on defense. Caroline has matured and looked healthy. She is a leader and shot the ball well. From what I saw this is a team that defenses will have a tuff time stopping. To many weapons and you cant double down on any player. Last season we had a terrific defense. This season we will even be better defensively mainly because of our height and maturity. We have a Big 3 again in Azzi Sarah and Serah as well as Caroline. Maybe a Big 4. These are go to players. No one go to player but 4. We have balance on both sides of the ball. As far as playtime, no worries. I expect UConn to have big leads in most games. We have just to much depth at every position and a very unselfish team.

I like the idea of a “Big 4.” But in addition to Azzi, Sarah & Serah, my hope is that the 4th UConn star turns out to be Blanca, a.k.a. “The X-factor.” 😎

 

[Crossover]

Jana NEVER had ball-handling skills and certainly has shown NO 3-Level scoring (at the rim, mid-range and beyond the arc). I would be pleased if she would hit 60% of her shots at the rim, which she struggled with last year (layups were a mess). 2 Summers ago, YOU made the statement of Jana reminding you of Stewie/Svet which at the time was absurd and after a full year of watching her, is just as absurd. Jana did become an effective passer by year end starting 29 assists to 39 turnovers in first 28 games and 11-9 in her last 12 (and against better competition). She shot about the same the first 28 vs. last 12 (52.8% to 51.4%), rebounded about the same 5.1-4.9 but she fouled more 1.7 in first 28 to 2.5 in last 12. I do see her improving her assists to turnovers similarly to the way Ice did her second year (from 41-47 to 55-28) and improving her overall game and will stop fouling.

Jana will never be a 3 level scoring threat but I do hope she can show an improved mid-range to hit the foul line jumper. She will be a key rim defender and strong post player for us. She will absolutely perform her role to max and give great support to her teammates. To be clear-we differ on her shooting and ball handling which you think are good and I think her passing will be much improved and she does have pretty good court vision but you seem to doubt.

She has upside and I think she will maximize her opportunities and fit the role needed. Given the talent on this team, she is probably the back-up post and 7th or 8th person off the bench. By her 3rd and 4th years I expect her to be a star.

What's up with the all caps? Your certainty is astounding. I am bookmarking this post. Methinks it will not age well.

If you have a free moment, check out post #44 in this thread.

 

[Bone Dog]

We have a Big 3 again in Azzi Sarah and Serah as well as Caroline. Maybe a Big 4. These are go to players. No one go to player but 4.

Now you’ve got me thinking, TonyC. That rarely turns out well. The Big Three was a central element last season and it’s led us all to think in those terms. But I think Geno actually had four including Ash — maybe not a Big Four, but there were four 40% three point shooters. Ash wasn’t a volume scorer every night, so I’m not calling her “big” but she was a constant threat defenses had to account for. This made doubling up on the Big Three that much harder. Also having Ash meant Geno could rest Azzi or Paige and still have three threats on the floor.

PS: I include Sarah among the 40% perimeter shooters because she practically was one by shooting at .388. Also, if you discount the cold streak of her first three games, which I’m prone to do, she effectively shot 41.6% once the freshman season jitters were gone.

 

[JellyBean]

Of course, Ice could have a big season. A lot just depends on her competitive drive. If Ice feels confident and has a highly competitive drive, she could have a huge season.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Ice made a decisive pass to Sarah near the top of the key with 1:48 in the third quarter of the UCONN vs. UCLA Final Four match, and Sarah drained a three-pointer. I used the word decisive because, besides the weaknesses described by @bonedog, Ice has not looked comfortable or confident in many instances. I think she can have a much stronger season if she can maintain high confidence and execute. I hope she rises to the challenge, but this year’s depth in the post may lessen the chance for a big season. Clip below:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

I agree with you. Looking at the talent we have at the 3 and 4..add in 5 too, these girls have to bring it bring it in practice in order to get playing time. I love that Uconn is one of the few schools where the approach or earning playing time is on a professional level with the talent at hand. Thats why I was super impressed with Heckel's decision to come to Uconn, even though she had a really good chance to have the starting pg position for southern cal. Im thinking Heckel wants to challenge herself and compete with the best of the best for playing time.

Ice is probably competing with Ayanna, Sarah, Serah, Jana, Blanca, and the new freshman center from Ireland (forgot her name), for playing time. And if Olivia Vukosa from CTK chooses Uconn, thats another talented 4/5 she has to go up against. Man, im rooting for Ice.

 

[sun]

I don't expect Ice to become an All-American this year so I highly doubt that she will have a monster season of her dreams.
But she's just like every other UConn player that needs to be ready, willing & able to perform at the top of her game when her number is called upon to play.
Her fortunes are tied to the team's fortunes.
And when she's given the chance to be the next man up, she'd better do well no matter whether it's against the lowest Big East teams or against the national powerhouses on network TV.
She needs to play her role well and whether it's a major or minor one, her year will only be as big as UConn's overall fortunes will take her.
She just needs to do well enough to stay out of Geno's doghouse, and in that respect she can have a big season this year.
That's how the fans should measure how big her season can be, whether she can not only perform as expected, but whether she can exceed the fans expections more often than not.
I;m sure that she'll do reasonably well, and as long as UConn does as reasonably well as expected than UConn will have a big season this year with Ice as a contributor.

 

[WiseWillie]

I would love to see Ice step up and earn more playing time. I have to believe she will do everything she can to achieve that goal this season.

On the other hand, as several BY’ers have mentioned, there is so much talent up front on this year’s team that the battle for PT will inevitably leave some very talented players on the outside looking in. For Ice to crack the rotation she will need to bring something else to the table.

If we look at the 4 & 5 spots, I expect Sarah, Blanca, Jana & Serah to establish themselves as starters and/or regular rotation players. After that you have 3 players coming off of injuries, Caroline, Ayana & Morgan who will all be hungry to get on the court again. Then you have Ice who’s been a dependable reserve for the last 2 seasons. Finally you’ve got Gandy who’s probably got some development ahead of her before she gets meaningful minutes.

If Ice can secure more PT it will probably require her to be a more consistent 3-pt shooter. We know she can make shots from the arc. But let’s say she can knock down 2-3 from the arc every game, shooting somewhere around 40%. That would pretty much force Geno to play Ice regularly.

Agree with everything, od, except maybe shooting the 3. I remember Ice attempting a 3 very rarely and it would be great if she could hit them at a 40% rate but I would be more than pleased if Ice just perfected her mid-range so she hit them consistently from the elbow. As a lefty that could be a powerful tool. But I think overall we are going to see a different, more determined, more confident Ice this year and Geno will be relying on her a lot.

 

[Cuango]

I agree with you. Looking at the talent we have at the 3 and 4..add in 5 too, these girls have to bring it bring it in practice in order to get playing time. I love that Uconn is one of the few schools where the approach or earning playing time is on a professional level with the talent at hand. Thats why I was super impressed with Heckel's decision to come to Uconn, even though she had a really good chance to have the starting pg position for southern cal. Im thinking Heckel wants to challenge herself and compete with the best of the best for playing time.

Ice is probably competing with Ayanna, Sarah, Serah, Jana, Blanca, and the new freshman center from Ireland (forgot her name), for playing time. And if Olivia Vukosa from CTK chooses Uconn, thats another talented 4/5 she has to go up against. Man, im rooting for Ice.

I believe Heckel came to UConn (even though, as you said, she was likely to be the starting PG) because she was disgusted with the all out game plan to “get the ball to JuJu”. It was very clear that Gottlieb was either more focused on getting shots for JuJu or (at the very least) was not coaching JuJu to make the right basketball play over constantly trying to score herself. Heckel strikes me as a basketball purist who would want to play in an offense where the ball moved to the best shot rather than constantly having to watch one player dominate the ball with no pushback from the coach.

It will be interesting to see how Gottlieb coaches when JuJu comes back and plays with two other #1s as well as a more experienced Kennedy Smith. I’m guessing either JuJu’s touches go way down or there will be one or two #1 ranked players in the portal! However it goes, and whatever Heckel’s reasons were, it’s pretty clear we’ve come out pretty well as a result of her choice! I was one that questioned Geno’s taking her in the first place but it’s pretty clear I was waaay wrong! I think she’s going to be a big pick up for us.

 

[Spaceman213J]

UConn doesn't need Ice to be a revelation this year. It would be nice if it happens, but they just need solid consistent minutes from her with Strong, Williams and Jana. I think Gandy will contribute a lot in future years, but she is more of a project.

As far as those already mentioning Serah struggling with system, there are things she may have been taught to do for 4 years that Geno wants her to do differently or aren't a focus at UConn. If she struggles a bit now, it's not a big deal. Let's see where she is next Jan, Feb and Mar. Remember, last year the team was good and but something 'clicked' or 'went off' around beginning to mid February and they just kicked it into another gear. Sometimes it just takes time and for some reason, I have more than a little faith that Geno & staff will get them there. It might be the fact that he has more rings than Shang Chi.

 

[Stagnant]

I would be surprised if Ice had a big season. I haven’t seen a lot of flashes of someone that can break out and be an all conference player. I think she is what she is kind of at this point.

She can probably give us about 5 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes.

 

[Cuango]

I would be surprised if Ice had a big season. I haven’t seen a lot of flashes of someone that can break out and be an all conference player. I think she is what she is kind of at this point.

She can probably give us about 5 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes.

I expect a big improvement from both Ice and Jana this season! I believe they have both been dealing with physical, mental, and emotional hangovers from their respective injuries. Add in the fact that both are bigs, and I think it has taken them some time to hopefully purge all that self doubt and (possibly) fear of reinjury.

I think both of them, Ice to an even greater extent, lost their trust in their own instincts and abilities and when they came back from their respective injuries were trying to think and then play rather than simply allowing their instincts and talent to take over. Obviously, I’m no athlete but I do know for sure that when you are very good at anything, you play your best by letting all those years of learning/practice just take over and guide you! That, I believe, is what Ice (and Jana) have been struggling with. I realize I’m not a doctor or a psychologist but I did stay….. 😎

Anyway, I hope I’m right and these two young women can finally just play without any worries and concerns. If they can, I think we are all in for a treat!

 

[Doctor G]

I expect a big improvement from both Ice and Jana this season! I believe they have both been dealing with physical, mental, and emotional hangovers from their respective injuries. Add in the fact that both are bigs, and I think it has taken them some time to hopefully purge all that self doubt and (possibly) fear of reinjury.

I think both of them, Ice to an even greater extent, lost their trust in their own instincts and abilities and when they came back from their respective injuries were trying to think and then play rather than simply allowing their instincts and talent to take over. Obviously, I’m no athlete but I do know for sure that when you are very good at anything, you play your best by letting all those years of learning/practice just take over and guide you! That, I believe, is what Ice (and Jana) have been struggling with. I realize I’m not a doctor or a psychologist but I did stay….. 😎

Anyway, I hope I’m right and these two young women can finally just play without any worries and concerns. If they can, I think we are all in for a treat!

Also, Ice will be helped enormously by the fact that she will not be playing the 5 — which is not her normal position — so she can just focus on what she does best. With a year of experience and a championship to her credit, Jana will use a year of practicing against Serah to jumpstart her play to All-American level by her senior year — when she and Strong will anchor an incredible starting lineup (and, maybe, Geno and CD’s last team).

 

[HuskylnSC]

Ice has all the ability to have a big year IF she can play instinctively. She's 1/2 second slow in her reads. If she can regain the confidence in her gut and play hard, I'd love her to be the designated player to give Sarah a breather.