Do we need OFFENSE from the post to win it all? | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Do we need OFFENSE from the post to win it all?

meyers7 said:
Well we don't need a Charles or Lobo or Wolters or even a Dolson. But if we could get El Alfy and/or ICE to a JMoore or ONO or even a Schumaker level, that would be very, very helpful.
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Yea, verily.

Getting size is no big problem. UConn has had Amari deBerry and Piath Gabriel in recent times. Did that help? In olden times, UConn had 6-7 Christine Rigby ("the Big Rig"), and she occupied a very big spot on the bench.

Ideally, we would like high-quality bigs, but Aliyah Boston candidates don't come along all the time, and some of them prefer other schools. I don't think Reagan Beers was at the Boston level, and I don't think her presence on the team would have turned the team's two losses this year into wins (I saw in a box score that she fouled out in about 19 minutes in a recent game for Oklahoma), but she would have helped.

So UConn may sometimes have to settle for "pretty good bigs" (like those mentioned above: Jessica Moore, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Kelly Schumacher), or for very athletic forwards such as Sarah and Aaliyah Edwards who are only "pretty big" (a category that includes Swin, Asjha, and Tamika who were undefeated as seniors and won an NC). With the talent that this team has at other positions, that should be enough. I think Jana and Ice can get to that level this year (and will get help from Aubrey and Morgan), and I think Jana can and will reach the All-American level before she graduates.
 
Jaydumo20 said:
There was a side discussion during the game about whether or not we can win given our lack of traditional Offensive post play. @hoophuskee @donalddoowop among others.

My opinion is we DONT need it to win (we won by our biggest margin last night without it) but It's a huge help. Heres why:
Post play can:
-Open up the perimeter by drawing d's down
-Create typically high %shots
-Create dbl teams down low
- slow the game down in the half court creating more opportunities especially if you have a player who can pass out of the post.
Etc

This team is built different and it's not the Wnba/Nba where all teams are theoretically equal and most teams have former AA's at the 5.

We have 3-4 very high %scorers. When they shoot like that, this IS their game. It's not an anomaly.

Paige and Sarah do Create double teams and open things up. They do get to the lane and score inside. Plus they are the best player and freshman in the country, respectively. We also have the best 3rd and 4th options in fudd and shade.

That means a lot.

Final statement: Post play is super valuable. We don't have it- yet we win, and are co-favorites to win it all. If we NEED post play to win, and we beat one or both SCs coming up, then the NEED argument just dissolves into theory.

If we NEED post play to win=we don't have it now, does this mean it's impossible to win it all this year? I bet differently.
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If we get Azzi back, game after game, that might be what we need. I also think the loss of Caroline has hurt UConn more than people realize or have forgotten about. For my money, over the past couple of years, the loss of Caroline has been by far UConn’s biggest loss. I mean the way she took over the reins and led UConn when Paige got hurt the first time, especially with some last minute heroics in some key wins. When Caroline was leading the team, I never knew a UConn player with better court sense, when to cut, when not to, terrific outside shooter, rebounder, ball handler, and she could see things developing before other players could. Only one better was Diana. Ducharme was ranked 5th nationally coming out of high school, and maybe should have been ranked a couple spots higher.
 
HuskyNan said:
Geno had one last year (Amari) and Piath a couple years before. Next year, he’ll add 6-6 Gandy Malou-Mamel

A 6-6 center from Limerick, Ireland, Malou-Mamel represented Ireland at the 2024 FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket Division B tournament. She averaged 10.6 points and 10.0 rebounds in the tournament.

"Gandy is in some ways raw, but she has a couple characteristics that are really valuable," Auriemma said. "She runs the floor great, and she wants to play defense and rebound the ball. We certainly could use another big post presence, and she'll be a great compliment to the bigs we have on the roster now."

Malou-Mamel attends Gill St. Bermard's in Gladstone, N.J. She averaged 16.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 2023-24.

uconnhuskies.com

UConn Signs Fisher, Malou-Mamel - University of Connecticut Athletics

Head coach Geno Auriemma announced the signing of Kelis Fisher and Gandy Malou-Mamel to the 2025 freshman class Thursday.
uconnhuskies.com uconnhuskies.com
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Saw a clip of her from this year, and she looks quite a bit more like Jana now, size-wise. Previous clips showed her ability to run the floor really well. Hope she still has that. Showed good hands and a good touch.
 
If UConn had more offense from our BIGS it would open up much more of Geno's offense to exploit the weakness of the defense!
It doesn't have to be much from Ice and Jana, just 8 to 10 points each with rebounds and sound sound defensive technique will really help make UConn more of a threat!
 
RSHERMVIKES said:
If UConn had more offense from our BIGS it would open up much more of Geno's offense to exploit the weakness of the defense!
It doesn't have to be much from Ice and Jana, just 8 to 10 points each with rebounds and sound sound defensive technique will really help make UConn more of a threat!
Expand ...
We play 2 front court players every game.

Sarah is also a frontcourt player averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds per game.

If we say a BIG is only the center, then look at how our opponent's center played in our losses.

Notre Dame - Koval - 30 min - 4 pts 7 reb

U$C - Marshall - 31 min - 6pts 9 reb.

Somehow these 2 teams were able to beat a top 5 team like UConn without much scoring from the center.
 
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packwrap said:
We play 2 front court players every game.

Sarah is also a frontcourt player averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds per game.

If we say a BIG is only the center, then look at how our opponent's center played in our losses.

Notre Dame - Koval - 30 min - 4 pts 7 reb

U$C - Marshall - 31 min - 6pts 9 reb.

Somehow these 2 teams were able to beat a top 5 team like UConn without much scoring from the center.
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packwrap- - - I was only saying if there was a little more scoring up front it would take pressure off our back court!
 
My answer is yes! It doesn't need to be high volume scoring in the post, but respectful enough so that it frees up the double teams we see constantly on Paige. In the past (Championship Years) we have always had a respectable post-game. Not all were the most dominant players, but they did command the respect of the opponent, and we WON!
 
veryolddog said:
How come other colleges/university acquire big players and they are used and turn out well. All over especially South Carolina.
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We have missed out on several bigs that could have made a significant difference, but also the highly recruited bigs we did get, at least recently, have disappointed relative to their HS rank. Amari was #15 and never even cracked the rotation. Ayanna was #4, had an injury plagued disappointing first year, and hasn't played since. Ice at #5 has at least been somewhat of a contributor, but nowhere close to what would be expected based on that HS ranking.

Sometimes players exceed expectations relative to their rankings and sometimes they don't. We have had both types over the years but for a few years now we have missed on getting some bigs and others have fallen short of expectations based on their HS rankings.

i don't think the book has been written yet on Ayanna. because I don't think she was healthy her first year, but with her injury history her career could go many different directions. Jana has shown rebounding and scoring ability that gives hope she could be a top big, but ideally if we had added Beers, Iriafen or Betts the last year or two, Jana could have developed at her own pace, but given our situation, she is needed now, ready or not.

Next year Gandy will be interesting. Not a particularly high recruit, at least by Uconn standards, and admittedly raw, but with obvious defensive/rebounding abilities. Maybe she can be a recruit that overachieves relative to HS rankings. As far as the main question of do we need scoring from the post to win it all? I think it would certainly help, but more important is just having a high level player there. If we had a player like Kia Stokes at the 5, I think we could be very good. A great rebounder/defender who makes a high percentage of layups, but isn't a volume scorer is fine if you have enough scorers elsewhere. Paige, Sarah and a healthy Azzi would meet that need.
 
oldhusky said:
Next year Gandy will be interesting. Not a particularly high recruit, at least by Uconn standards, and admittedly raw, but with obvious defensive/rebounding abilities. Maybe she can be a recruit that overachieves relative to HS rankings. As far as the main question of do we need scoring from the post to win it all? I think it would certainly help, but more important is just having a high level player there. If we had a player like Kia Stokes at the 5, I think we could be very good. A great rebounder/defender who makes a high percentage of layups, but isn't a volume scorer is fine if you have enough scorers elsewhere. Paige, Sarah and a healthy Azzi would meet that need.
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Gandy is a raw talent because she started playing later than most Div I girls, at about age 12 and she didn’t play seriously until about age 15. She came to the U.S. 3-4 years ago where she’s received superior coaching compared to her tutelage in Ireland. Her development has been rapid her in the U.S., since I began watching her a few years ago

www.uconnwbbweekly.com

How Gandy Malou-Mamel went from no-name Irish prospect to UConn commit

The newest Husky only started playing when she was 12 and didn't begin to seriously develop until she arrived in the United States last summer.
www.uconnwbbweekly.com www.uconnwbbweekly.com
 
HuskyNan said:
Gandy is a raw talent because she started playing later than most Div I girls, at about age 12 and she didn’t play seriously until about age 15. She came to the U.S. 3-4 years ago where she’s received superior coaching compared to her tutelage in Ireland. Her development has been rapid her in the U.S., since I began watching her a few years ago

www.uconnwbbweekly.com

How Gandy Malou-Mamel went from no-name Irish prospect to UConn commit

The newest Husky only started playing when she was 12 and didn't begin to seriously develop until she arrived in the United States last summer.
www.uconnwbbweekly.com www.uconnwbbweekly.com
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I remember laughing when I read this article last year because Gandy referred to Geno as “staff.” I suppose it’s just how an Irish kid would refer to any coach. But it was funny.

I’m sometimes dinged here for my exuberant optimism and I’m okay with that. And I am optimistic about Gandy. The most recent video I’ve seen was from the FIBA games. It didn’t look like the Irish coaches really knew how to use her very well. But there were a couple of recurring themes also visible in videos of her high school games. She runs the court really well. You don’t often see 6’6” inch women running the floor like that. In fact, I can’t think of another one since A’ja Wilson, who’s a little smaller. Stewie ran the floor like that at UConn. Obviously, Gandy’s not the scorer or rebounder or defender either of them were. And she may not develop into anything remotely like they are in only 4 years at UConn. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see her find success at the next level.

Gandy’s learning curve started later than most prospects. Can she catch up in time to be of use to Geno? I think so, but primarily in these senses: she can become an effective rebounder and a rim protector, she may eventually learn some effective low post scoring moves, and she may learn to finish in transition. This would be the profile of what Kiah was able to give Geno, which is why the two are often compared.

People often observed in Kiah’s early years that when she was in the game there were only 4 scoring options on the floor. We are sure to hear the same thing about Gandy, and we already here it about Ice. It’s also the sort of thing USC fans say about Rayah Marshall. Victaria Saxton was often criticized for her lack of scoring at SC. I mention them because they were important rotation players or starters on good, even great teams. I don’t think Gandy will start in her time at Storrs. But I think she can be a useful contributor.

I suspect Jana will start, perhaps not until her junior year, but maybe sooner. Her scoring will improve as will her other skills, perhaps more quickly than Gandy’s. This is my optimism speaking again. Things could still go wrong for her. But I don’t want to waste my time in worst case speculation.

In Sarah’s time at UConn she’ll play next to Ice Jana and Gandy in the frontcourt, maybe even the Big O. This is a formula Geno knows how to work with.

I don’t know where my reflections are leading me. But one thing Gandy’s interviews show is a young woman who is keen on being coached and getting better. In a recent one from the summer (I think) she said she wanted to work on court awareness and positioning. This is what a kid who listens to her coach carefully says. I took this as a very promising sign.

If we think we need more scoring from the low post, Gandy may not solve this problem, though I think Jana and Sarah will. But Gandy may give Geno another rim protector and 5 more fouls to work with.
 
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Bone Dog said:
I remember laughing when I read this article last year because Gandy referred to Geno as “staff.” I suppose it’s just how an Irish kid would refer to any coach. But it was funny.

I’m sometimes dinged here for my exuberant optimism and I’m okay with that. And I am optimistic about Gandy. The most recent video I’ve seen was from the FIBA games. It didn’t look like the Irish coaches really knew how to use her very well. But there were a couple of recurring themes also visible in videos of her high school games. She runs the court really well. You don’t often see 6’6” inch women running the floor like that. In fact, I can’t think of another one since A’ja Wilson, who’s a little smaller. Stewie ran the floor like that at UConn. Obviously, Gandy’s not the scorer or rebounder or defender either of them were. And she may not develop into anything remotely like they are in only 4 years at UConn. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see her find success at the next level.

Gandy’s learning curve started later than most prospects. Can she catch up in time to be of use to Geno? I think so, but primarily in these senses: she can become an effective rebounder and a rim protector, she may eventually learn some effective low post scoring moves, and she may learn to finish in transition. This would be the profile of what Kiah was able to give Geno, which is why the two are often compared.

People often observed in Kiah’s early years that when she was in the game there were only 4 scoring options on the floor. We are sure to hear the same thing about Gandy, and we already here it about Ice. It’s also the sort of thing USC fans say about Rayah Marshall. Victaria Saxton was often criticized for her lack of scoring at SC. I mention them because they were important rotation players or starters on good, even great teams. I don’t think Gandy will start in her time at Storrs. But I think she can be a useful contributor.

I suspect Jana will start, perhaps not until her junior year, but maybe sooner. Her scoring will improve as will her other skills, perhaps more quickly than Gandy’s. This is my optimism speaking again. Things could still go wrong for her. But I don’t want to waste my time in worst case speculation.

In Sarah’s time at UConn she’ll play next to Ice Jana and Gandy in the frontcourt, maybe even the Big O. This is a formula Geno knows how to work with.

I don’t know where my reflections are leading me. But one thing Gandy’s interviews show is a young woman who is keen on being coached and getting better. In a recent one from the summer (I think) she said she wanted to work on court awareness and positioning. This is what a kid who listens to her coach carefully says. I took this as a very promising sign.

If we think we need more scoring from the low post, Gandy may not solve this problem, though I think Jana and Sarah will. But Gandy may give Geno another rim protector and 5 more fouls to work with.
Expand ...
If there was one skill to add to the current team, I would pick shot blocking. Too many good guards out there that like to drive to the basket. Perhaps Gandy will fill this role.
 
HopJim said:
If there was one skill to add to the current team, I would pick shot blocking. Too many good guards out there that like to drive to the basket. Perhaps Gandy will fill this role.
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Donovan Clingan averaged 6.9 points in his freshman year but defensively - opponents did a U-turn in the lane when they saw him. The Huskies need an ominous presence in the paint to stalk slashers. Gandy has a sturdy frame and can take up space - maybe she could fill that role
 
HuskyNan said:
Donovan Clingan averaged 6.9 points in his freshman year but defensively - opponents did a U-turn in the lane when they saw him. The Huskies need an ominous presence in the paint to stalk slashers. Gandy has a sturdy frame and can take up space - maybe she could fill that role
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Long reach, and an ability to jump, will do wonders for our defense. Kiah Stokes was underrated offensively, but every opponent knew she was a defensive ace.
 
Jaydumo20 said:
There was a side discussion during the game about whether or not we can win given our lack of traditional Offensive post play. @hoophuskee @donalddoowop among others.

My opinion is we DONT need it to win (we won by our biggest margin last night without it) but It's a huge help. Heres why:
Post play can:
-Open up the perimeter by drawing d's down
-Create typically high %shots
-Create dbl teams down low
- slow the game down in the half court creating more opportunities especially if you have a player who can pass out of the post.
Etc

This team is built different and it's not the Wnba/Nba where all teams are theoretically equal and most teams have former AA's at the 5.

We have 3-4 very high %scorers. When they shoot like that, this IS their game. It's not an anomaly.

Paige and Sarah do Create double teams and open things up. They do get to the lane and score inside. Plus they are the best player and freshman in the country, respectively. We also have the best 3rd and 4th options in fudd and shade.

That means a lot.

Final statement: Post play is super valuable. We don't have it- yet we win, and are co-favorites to win it all. If we NEED post play to win, and we beat one or both SCs coming up, then the NEED argument just dissolves into theory.

If we NEED post play to win=we don't have it now, does this mean it's impossible to win it all this year? I bet differently.
Expand ...
Who did we have down low when we had Diana, and they didn’t? :)
 
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irsh4242 said:
Jess Moore and Willnett did average more ppg then ice and Jana 13.5 combined to 10.7 and rpg 10.7 to 9.2 these are factual stats from the 03-04 season.
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Sure, but you omitted Barbara Turner from your earlier post. The three of them averaged 27.3 ppg. Jana, Ice and Sarah are currently averaging 28.4 ppg.
 
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