Did he really say that?

[hoophuskee]

you may be one of the folks that consider her a bust but I certainly don't...........she's never going to be a physical low post banger like Charli Collier or Boston but if she played 30 plus minutes per game her numbers would be as good as any post player in the nation..........defensively she has been very good and her passing and screening on the offensive end are first rate.............it's her finishing at the basket against stronger opponents that's her major issue and what the coaches should be working on this summer.........and yes she needs to develop more confidence and aggression but she's come a long way in my opinion..............as I said in an earlier post. UConn shouldn't need her to score all that much next season with Fudd adding 15-20 points per game but I bet we see ONO and Edwards both get more open chances as defenses are stretched against the outside shooting barrage coming their way........BTW I can envision ONO and DJ playing at the same time just as Edwards and ONO did this past season.....

Liv is a talented, good player. But Liv is not a scorer. Just like Stokes wasn't. Yes - you can "get by." But what's wrong with also trying to do better by giving Liv less minutes (let her start) but maybe she can play more aggressive in lesser minutes rather than worry about foul trouble for example? And isn't it possible Jorka's offense can possibly make it easier for Paige and Azzi and CWill while her defense is good enough?

Her major issues are more than just low post. She can't shoot the basketball either. Her faceup game is non-existent between shooting and putting the ball on the floor in a faceup. In regards to being a triple-threat she only does one of the 3 things well. And her ft shooting is bad. These are all major issues, not just low post.

In terms of offense with Azzi and Paige- the lane will be more open but what if the 19-20 year olds- have a tough go of it it one big game? Unless you think every single team and every single game no team has a chance to beat them? That wasn't what you were saying a month or so ago when you were reminding me how tough SC was.

You don't think Geno will ever need 5 scorers on the court next year in a big game? Jorka is a bit of scorer from what I've read. As long as she can pass - isn't a team stronger if they do multiple things as long as they are very good at multiple things? Sometimes "Liv's picks" might not be enough.

 

[PJCLaw]

I just recently listened to a UConn WBB podcast where the male host said that the acquiring of Dorka Juhasz didn't make any sense to him. Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but how does acquiring more talent not make sense? How does having the deepest roster you can have not make sense? How does creating intense competition not make sense?
Not to mention the fact when you look over the landscape of wcbb next season the teams that can stand in UConn' way of winning a NC...Stanford, SoCarolina, Baylor just to name 3 all have imposing size... So adding a 6'4 experienced, all conf player actually makes a ton of sense. Good job Geno! I guess anyone can have a podcast these days!

Having a difference of opinion than you does not make it a bad podcast. There a few BYers who also questioned why Geno would add another player, albeit a post player, when the roster will grow to 14 next season. IMO it just makes for good commentary by being the contrarian opinion.

 

[diggerfoot]

Strong post holistically, diggerfoot, though you contradicted yourself re: UConn transfer Evina Westbrook

I can see how that appears contradictory, though Westbrook is the present; I consider Hunter to be more of a contradiction to my claim from the past. Also, next year will be Westbrook’s third year with the program, three years is long enough to work out the kinks in chemistry, the normal advantage of stable rosters.

 

[Charliebball]

Liv is a talented, good player. But Liv is not a scorer. Just like Stokes wasn't. Yes - you can "get by." But what's wrong with also trying to do better by giving Liv less minutes (let her start) but maybe she can play more aggressive in lesser minutes rather than worry about foul trouble for example? And isn't it possible Jorka's offense can possibly make it easier for Paige and Azzi and CWill while her defense is good enough?

Her major issues are more than just low post. She can't shoot the basketball either. Her faceup game is non-existent between shooting and putting the ball on the floor in a faceup. In regards to being a triple-threat she only does one of the 3 things well. And her ft shooting is bad. These are all major issues, not just low post.

In terms of offense with Azzi and Paige- the lane will be more open but what if the 19-20 year olds- have a tough go of it it one big game? Unless you think every single team and every single game no team has a chance to beat them? That wasn't what you were saying a month or so ago when you were reminding me how tough SC was.

You don't think Geno will ever need 5 scorers on the court next year in a big game? Jorka is a bit of scorer from what I've read. As long as she can pass - isn't a team stronger if they do multiple things as long as they are very good at multiple things? Sometimes "Liv's picks" might not be enough.

I'm in agreement with you.............DJ's addition should allow ONO to play harder and more aggressively........ONO did average 12/8/3 this season and shot around .570 from the floor in 26 minutes per game.......those are pretty respectable numbers for a player that much of the BY wants to bench.........

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm in agreement with you.............DJ's addition should allow ONO to play harder and more aggressively........ONO did average 12/8/3 this season and shot around .570 from the floor in 26 minutes per game.......those are pretty respectable numbers for a player that much of the BY wants to bench.........

Don't even try and pin this on the BY! Geno is the one that squarely put this out there probably because he got tired of waiting for improvement from ONO.

" I could see her (Aaliyah) next year getting the bulk of the touches among all of the post players. I have incredibly high expectations for Aaliyah, and for where she's going in the future. And Liv is going to be a senior. If Liv stays the same, then it’s obviously going to be a difficult senior year for Liv.

The UConn women will have a loaded roster next year. Here’s how Geno Auriemma thinks it could play out.

The great-on-paper Huskies, likely to be the preseason’s top-ranked team, return every...

www.ctpost.com

 

[Waquoit]

I would simply be happy with some quality minutes from her next year.

I'm pretty sure she wouldn't. She took this challenge to compete for a title while showing what she can do. Don't worry about the "pressure" on her, she isn't. She's a grown-up.

 

[Waquoit]

Losers were inhabitants of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan, as the Special relativity piece was that "matter was just congealed energy..." mass defect = strong nuclear force, etc. Winners were those who were able to build the cleanest energy on the planet: nuclear power plants!

Discounting Chernobyl, of course.

 

[CL82]

If I'm not mistaken, I could be wrong though, the photo at top of article looks like she wearing the Ohio State logo across the two front teeth.

View attachment 66866

Oh I thought it was a web cam.

 

[Bricklayer]

I cannot think of a transfer that has helped our chemistry in the past, though I would say that happened with Shepherd and Notre Dame. Fortunately we already have “chemistry magnets” in Bueckers and Westbrook.

agree about the appeal of uconn basketball, but am confused by this - wasn't westbrook a transfer ??

 

[Bricklayer]

as i have mentioned in the past, ono is someone who is good at basketball mainly because she is tall, while ae is someone who would be good at basketball regardless of her height. effort and skills count. if all dj does is push ono to become a better player, that is success, but i think that ono had better improve quite a bit or her minutes are going to go to others in this ever improving team...

 

[Charliebball]

Don't even try and pin this on the BY! Geno is the one that squarely put this out there probably because he got tired of waiting for improvement from ONO.

" I could see her (Aaliyah) next year getting the bulk of the touches among all of the post players. I have incredibly high expectations for Aaliyah, and for where she's going in the future. And Liv is going to be a senior. If Liv stays the same, then it’s obviously going to be a difficult senior year for Liv.

The UConn women will have a loaded roster next year. Here’s how Geno Auriemma thinks it could play out.

The great-on-paper Huskies, likely to be the preseason’s top-ranked team, return every...

www.ctpost.com

he didn't specifically say she would be benched, perhaps she just wouldn't be a focus of the offense..............her shot blocking intimidation is invaluable and far more impactful than AE's............. some on the BY were calling for her benching even before DJ signed on and before GA's comments

 

[Alydar]

The thing that drew me most to the UConn women was not the winning but the beauty of their execution. Many times Auriemma stated that their goal was not winning but perfection. I buy into that.

There are trade-offs with most things, that includes roster size. Of course there are many factors to consider that make any comparison complicated but a large roster size is not a pure positive as many are assuming. A large, diverse roster size provides more strategies to win, overcoming problems like foul trouble, injuries or opponents that present diverse problems. However, a smaller roster provides a greater possibility for good chemistry and more repetitions per player. Chemistry and repetitions are necessary ingredients for chasing perfection.

Notre Dame won a recent championship despite being plagued with injuries. They had two “chemistry magnets” in Westbeld and Shepherd and a very small roster that received abundant repetitions practicing together over the course of the year. Many on the BY grudgingly praised the Domers for playing a style much like our Huskies. We did not similarly praise SC or Baylor.

Adding DJ at this point increases the ways by which we might win a championship, but decreases the flawlessness of that pursuit. Transfers have less time to be nurtured into the team style and chemistry. I cannot think of a transfer that has helped our chemistry in the past, though I would say that happened with Shepherd and Notre Dame. Fortunately we already have “chemistry magnets” in Bueckers and Westbrook. Perhaps more are on the way. Will that be enough to play the beautiful basketball of the small Notre Dame roster or many of our past teams? Only time will tell.

I can. Brittany Hunter. Her bad knees severely limited her minutes but she started a lot of games and was dominant for the 10 minutes or so that she played.

 

[diggerfoot]

I can. Brittany Hunter. Her bad knees severely limited her minutes but she started a lot of games and was dominant for the 10 minutes or so that she played.

See my subsequent comments.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

When I watch new players like AE and PB come to UConn and play extremely well. my last thought is...boy these guys are taking minutes away from somebody.

I can't recall any Auriemma team that had this many players, and this many players with talent who weren't injured. UConn teams have historically had very weak benches. In fact, short benches are almost a hallmark of UConn basketball.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

you may be one of the folks that consider her a bust but I certainly don't...........she's never going to be a physical low post banger like Charli Collier or Boston but if she played 30 plus minutes per game her numbers would be as good as any post player in the nation..........defensively she has been very good and her passing and screening on the offensive end are first rate.............it's her finishing at the basket against stronger opponents that's her major issue and what the coaches should be working on this summer.........and yes she needs to develop more confidence and aggression but she's come a long way in my opinion..............as I said in an earlier post. UConn shouldn't need her to score all that much next season with Fudd adding 15-20 points per game but I bet we see ONO and Edwards both get more open chances as defenses are stretched against the outside shooting barrage coming their way........BTW I can envision ONO and DJ playing at the same time just as Edwards and ONO did this past season.....

I think her numbers were pumped up by playing less than stellar Big East competition. Her performances in tourney games were not good. And Coach Geno has made clear that if her senior year is like her junior year, it's going to be a problem. That was the coach himself.

 

[Charliebball]

I think her numbers were pumped up by playing less than stellar Big East competition. Her performances in tourney games were not good. And Coach Geno has made clear that if her senior year is like her junior year, it's going to be a problem. That was the coach himself.

her numbers were pumped up along with everybody else on UConn...........all I know is it''s defense that wins NCs and she's the most intimidating defender on a team which suffers defensively when she's not on the court..........next season her number one job is to defend the lane, block/alter shots and rebound.........her number two job is to screen and pass from the high post and her number three job will be to score...........as I've pointed out before, her points will be less important but possibly easier to come by with Azzi Fudd joining the back court.....I could envision DJ playing outside with ONO or AE inside from time to time........it's a problem I think we will enjoy more often than not next season.....

 

[Martin]

Don’t question Geno about Arizona. Don’t question Geno about a short bench. Geno didn’t miss the lay-ups.

Geno brought in a big via transfer. Wait, what?!?!?!

 

[hoophuskee]

Don’t question Geno about Arizona. Don’t question Geno about a short bench. Geno didn’t miss the lay-ups.

Geno brought in a big via transfer. Wait, what?!?!?!

Huh????????????

You realize Jorka wasn't on the team this past year, right? Unless you are suggesting all players are equal? Just throw any player in there and they will perform because you say so?

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Discounting Chernobyl, of course.

That was an assault of a Russian built and run reactor on Ukrainian soil. "Midnight maintenance" out of controll Russia is still trying to absorb more Ukrainian assests and ground....