EVINA IS COMING BACK! [Merged Thread]

[OneTrickPony]

This news made my day!

 

[CL82]

I don't know. Coach Geno always goes with a set line-up, and picks his dependable subs. He shrinks the line-up as he gets to the end of the season. My point is that he isn't in a position that he has nine great players, then some scrubs. He has five players who are tremendous talents who won't even get enough time for garbage time. What if Gabriel gets better? What if he gets a set line-up with DeBerry demanding more court time? What if Azzi Fudd turns out to be a phenom? That takes time from everyone else.

Coach Geno at the beginning of this past season stated that he was surprised to get so many recruits, and that the number wasn't "ideal." I can't see all of these players being happy.

I kind of agree but I don't see Geno walking away from the advantage of quality bench depth. If the kids can contribute reliably, he will find minutes for them.

 

[MooseJaw]

Did the joke fall ♭?

You are sharp, it fell in a major way.

 

[UcMiami]

It would be interesting to watch the battle of wills if Geno were to try to limit Paige to less than 30 mpg. As it is, it will be hard enough for Geno to limit Paige to 35 mpg.

The contract was already renegotiated ... Paige isn't exactly happy with the minutes, but Geno is bringing in three more of her friends, so overall she couldn't argue too much. It was a tough negotiation session, but everyone shook hands and they're cool.

The reality is that 30 minutes for anyone, and Christyn, Paige, and Evina all average over 30 minutes, isn't likely to happen next year. Those that average 25 minutes will be special. And the ones that get 20+ will need to produce at a high level every minute they get.

This could be a really exciting year and the team could feel like a USA basketball team - forget McD AAs - this team has USA basketball pedigree/Canadian,Croatian,Polish NT pedigree - all 3 of our seniors, 1 junior, 3 of our sophomores, and 4 of our freshman have been selected for USA/Canadian/Croatian/Polish teams. Add in Griffin, McLean, and Gabriel and that is loaded. Go all out for 5 minutes each quarter and have fresh legs in the 4th when you have run the other team ragged for 30 minutes already.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Geno just has to tell Paige if she wants to play more minutes, then she has to be the one to go tell all of the players on the bench that they can't play because she thinks she should get to play more instead of them getting a chance.

 

[RobbieGee]

Yet she lost to Caroline Ducharme in the 3pt contest.

Wasn't Azzi still in a boot during the contest??? And she lost by 1 shot???

 

[Nyskier]

Love Evina and her leadership. She is special. Glad to see her come back!

 

[oldude]

Yet she lost to Caroline Ducharme in the 3pt contest.

While dragging around a boot on her left foot.......

 

[MSGRET]

While dragging around a boot on her left foot.......

True, but she was off on her shots in the final, the boot was not a problem when she hit 26 of 30 in the prelims. Caroline Ducharme also kicked the Men's champions rearend and took the overall 3pt contest. Caroline Ducharme's range seems to be farther out then Azzi's and it will be nice having both of these sharpshooters on board next year along with AD and SP.

 

[oldude]

True, but she was off on her shots in the final, the boot was not a problem when she hit 26 of 30 in the prelims. Caroline Ducharme also kicked the Men's champions rearend and took the overall 3pt contest. Caroline Ducharme's range seems to be farther out then Azzi's and it will be nice having both of these sharpshooters on board next year along with AD and SP.

It is fascinating to consider the possibility that neither Paige nor Azzi will be the best shooter on next year’s team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It is fascinating to consider the possibility that neither Paige nor Azzi will be the best shooter on next year’s team.

Caroline looks like a very good shooter. She may now be better than Saylor, though I judged them as comparable about a year ago. (Don't judge Saylor by her shooting over her sporadic minutes--remember that players like Nika, Anna, and even the great Lou started slowly.) Caroline does tend to shoot from very deep. Azzi can shoot from deep too, especially without the boot, but she tends to be closer to the line, as Kaleena was.

Our best shooter next year? It likely will be Azzi. If it's not Azzi, it will be Paige by a small margin. Paige is an ultra-elite shooter. I think Azzi is slightly better. In fact Azzi is as good as it gets. Paige finished at 52/46/87 this year. I expect Azzi to match or surpass that. My guess would be about 55/48/92. Caroline might be our 3rd best shooter, but we'll see.

 

[VA Huskie]

Big mistake for Evina. And creates more problems for the team.

How can you say that - you have no idea what her life goals are.

 

[Fiftyish]

Evina coming back makes next years roster really, really (as Geno would say) intriguing. She has been a steady leader for this team, and her contributions and experience in some of our biggest games were readily apparent. I think her drive for a NC will be relentless next year and will continue to be a motivating factor for Paige and the rest of the team. Besides, with 3 new kids coming in, its always good to have "mom" around.

Actually Geno uses 3 “really” when he is expressing his high regard for something. 😁

 

[Fiftyish]

With Evina coming back it probably eliminates a starting lineup that includes both Aaliyah and Olivia. I was looking forward to both being in the starting lineup.

Potential Starters.

Evina
Paige
Christyn.
Presume Olivia because she's a senior. Aaliyah is possible.
Nika at the start of the season, but Azzi might be starter by the end of the season.

If Aaliyah and Olivia are both in the starting lineup.

Evina
Paige
Aaliyah
Olivia
Christyn.

I want Aaliyah in the starting lineup as she provide the physicality the team need in the low post.

At least PB won’t have to play 40 minutes a game. Should help her performance,

 

[Artifact]

Hey Evina: we're with you ,100 percent. Glad that you feel comfortable with your decision. Thumb's up !

 

[Centerstream]

Big mistake for Evina. And creates more problems for the team.

And you say this why?

 

[HopJim]

Caroline looks like a very good shooter. She may now be better than Saylor, though I judged them as comparable about a year ago. (Don't judge Saylor by her shooting over her sporadic minutes--remember that players like Nika, Anna, and even the great Lou started slowly.) Caroline does tend to shoot from very deep. Azzi can shoot from deep too, especially without the boot, but she tends to be closer to the line, as Kaleena was.

Our best shooter next year? It likely will be Azzi. If it's not Azzi, it will be Paige by a small margin. Paige is an ultra-elite shooter. I think Azzi is slightly better. In fact Azzi is as good as it gets. Paige finished at 52/46/87 this year. I expect Azzi to match or surpass that. My guess would be about 55/48/92. Caroline might be our 3rd best shooter, but we'll see

Depends on how you define "shooter." Azzi MAY be a better 3 point shooter than Paige, but Paige's percentage likely to be better since she excels at driving or using her size to get the 10 foot jumper. No matter how good Azzi is, I find it hard to believe anyone is better than Paige in clutch time.

 

[BBallF]

Maybe, her decision makes me think that she fully expects to be better next year, further removed from her surgery. Many players don't fully recover until the second season. Her minutes could go down, but if she clearly is better due to being fully recovered it could still help her draft position.

I agree that her knee and leg will be stronger and with her work ethic in the off season I look forward to her return greatly. My favorite player this year. A natural leader. She had some great games but seemed not to be assertive at other times. Only she knows what she was feeling. It is great for this team who truly loves her.

 

[Gus Mahler]

You are sharp, it fell in a major way.

Seemed like a natural thing to do . . . .

 

[PJCLaw]

Yet she lost to Caroline Ducharme in the 3pt contest.

By one point playing one good foot!! What will she do with two good ones?! 😨

 

[CONN78SEJ]

After so many here lectured about what Evina "needs" to do or "should" do, Evina has made the decision on her own terms, for her own life.

I for one am happy for both Evina and the rest of the team. She's a pure gem. Her teammates will love having her around, and the mere thought of seeing her in a UConn uniform for another season will bring me many an offseason smile.

Smart girl!!! I hope she goes into coaching someday.

 

[SJF]

Great news Evina is just a pure competitor and winner!

 

[cferraro04]

Great news that Evina is coming back...can't hurt to have a quality senior on the floor providing points, rebounds, assists and leadership. With regards to spreading minutes...we are going to have to get used to players getting less minutes. How many people here think that Geno's comments regarding Paige...that she had to get more mature had to do with her accepting his decision to cut her minutes for the benefit of developing other players on the team. This team learned a hard lesson this year...you can't win a championship with only two players playing well. Christyn Williams and Paige Bueckers cannot do it alone. It will take a complete team effort.

I don't think anybody could plan ahead on what it means to have a complete team effort when your talent goes 14 deep. Yeah, blah, blah on Stamford going 11-12 deep...but, the question is how many of those players actually impacted the game on a consistent manner. UConn will be in the unique position where 14 players will have the talent to impact a game. Not all 14 players will be able to do it on a consistent manner.

I mean think about it: We have Paige Bueckers, Christyn Williams who have already proven themselves as consistent leaders. Evina while she is less obvious is a quiet leader her consistency shows in her all around game: 9.4 points / game; 5.3 rebounds / game; 4.3 assists / game. Ododa while was a little disappointing on nights when she was most needed...you can't just turn away from 12 points / game and 8 rebounds / game. These four players will form the nucleus of leadership for next year's version of the Huskies.

The next tier will be populated by a group of players who played solid this year but are sure to improve for next year. Anne Mukurat with her injury behind her should return to her normal self...solid defender, rebounder, 3 point shooter and a great passer. Nika Muhl was just getting comfortable in the line-up when she got a high ankle sprain...she will be back and will have the benefit of a full pre-season to get back to playing form, not to mention a sophomore leap after understanding what is expected of her in the UConn offensive and defensive sets. Aliyah Edwards she is a warrior, a big body that can finish around the basket. I look to her sophomore jump to be one where she will get more rebounds, pass more effectively and begin knocking down the 10-12 foot jumper with more consistently and to become a better defender around the basket. Mir McLean...is an unknown...I believe that she has a huge upside and we will begin to see it next year, I believe she will excel in the defensive sets where we play man to man. She will become a better slasher and scorer to the basket and will grab a lot of loose balls due to her athleticism. Aubrey Griffin was one of the players who everytime she got in the game I found myself wishing she would have a break-out game. We all know what she is capable of but for some reason we didn't see it in her sophomore outing. She was terrible I mean 6.2 points per game and 5 rebounds per game and 1.2 steals speaks to her talent. Will next year give us the opportunity to see this great athlete rise to her true potential. She will need to develop a consistent short range jumper while finishing more consistently around the basket and I expect to see an improved version of Aubrey next season. Paith Gabriel will continue to be a project but, I think she will be more impactful next season as she begins to understand how to use her size to rebound and put the ball back up. We saw glimpses of it this season but she is raw with tremendous upside. It takes a while for bigs to begin to manifest their talents and understand how to impact the game. You can't teach 6'5"...she is athletic so it is just a matter of time.

Then there are the incoming freshmen...we all wonder just how good they will be...well, I think we are all going to be very pleased with this group. Azzi Fudd (ESPN #1; Blue Star #1); Caroline Ducharme (ESPN #5; Blue Star #7); Amari Deberry (ESPN #15; Blue Star #4); Saylor Poffenbarger (ESPN #30; Blue Star #17).

It goes without sayin' that the Husky Nation will expect Azzi Fudd to make a fast transition to the college game and to be getting major minutes in next years line-up. I don't think she will disappoint. Last year she was beset with some injuries and a pandemic that ended her season...over her career she averaged 25.1 points per game. We all know that she will be a 3 point machine...she will simply be one of the best shooters in WCBB;

Caroline Ducharme may end up being the gem of the class...she has size 6'1"-6'2"...she has talent and can play all five positions. She also is a sharp shooter as was evidenced when she beat Azzi Fudd in the 3 point contest (even though Azzi was in the boot). Ducharme went on to defeat her male counterpart in the overall three point contest speaking to her consistency in shooting the 3 ball. She averaged a sparkling 24.8 points per game, 14 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.0 blocks per game.

Amari Deberry will be needed to fill in for Ododa in the paint. She is of course a freshmen big and will have a learning curve but based on her attitude I would expect her to be a quick study. She was quoted as saying she has "to be ready for when I get to UConn". She average over her high school career 17.1 points; 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. Her senior stats were affected by COVID pandemic so I don't think we have a true picture on how impactful she will be. I did have the opportunity to meet her at a UConn game in 2019 and I can tell you at that time she was a little on the slender side but when I stood next to her she was an imposing figure and true 6'5". With two years to put on some weight...I think she will keep her promise and be ready when she arrives at UConn.

Lastly, we have Saylor Poffenbarger who is also a big woman at 6'2". We got a glimpse of her this season as she came to UConn a year early. She only got some garbage minutes but I am sure her time with the team will go a long way in preparing her for the 2021 to 2022 season. She can play multiple positions, she averaged 21.0 points per game, 12.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.4 steals and 3.5 blocks in the 2019 - 2020 season. She may experience her sophomore leap a year early due to her time with the UConn team this past year.

All I can say is the future is not only bright but it is going to be an exciting ride for us spectators as we ride the wave of these women as they develop into stars at UConn.

Paige Bueckers, 22 minutes; Christyn Williams, 21 minutes; Evina Westbrook, 21 minutes; Olivia Nelson-Ododa, 19 minutes; Aliyah Edwards, 18 minutes; Azzi Fudd, 18 minutes; Nika Muhl, 13.5 minutes; Caroline Ducharme, 13.5 minutes; Aubrey Griffin, 11 minutes; Anna Mukurat, 10 minutes; Amari Deberry, 10 minutes; Mir McLean, 7 minutes; Saylor Poffenbarger, 7 minutes; Paith Gabriel, 7 minutes; Autumn Chaisson, 2 minutes. Total of 200 minutes.

I know that some will disagree with me with regards to how many minutes some of our best players should get...but, given the number of blow-out games we will have next year...minutes will be on short supply for our top players...but, in close games the bench will shorten and our top players will get more minutes. During the NCAA championships bench will shorten and top players will pick up the bulk of those minutes. We are talking about averages here but we will also be confronted with the problem of there not being enough basketballs to go around. Geno will be challenged to give adequate minutes to all. I think the above template will get the job done. At least for next season.

 

[HuskylnSC]

At least PB won’t have to play 40 minutes a game. Should help her performance,

you haven't been paying attention. Paige demands her minutes.

 

[eebmg]

you haven't been paying attention. Paige demands her minutes.

Geno probably indulged Paige a bit on that. After our loss and his very clear feelings that Paige has to mature off the court to get to the ultimate prize and the pressing need to get more players into the game with his bulging roster, I do not think we will hear that quirk again.

 

[HopJim]

you haven't been paying attention. Paige demands her minutes.

Paige is one of the smartest players I have seen. Sitting her down for a few minutes when she is not in the flow of the game would give her more info regarding what to do and how.

 

[oldude]

Paige is one of the smartest players I have seen. Sitting her down for a few minutes when she is not in the flow of the game would give her more info regarding what to do and how.

Agree with your assessment about Paige’s intelligence, but I would also suggest that she is very capable of making adjustments “on the fly” without having to sit on the bench to figure it out.

In addition, Geno communicates with Paige throughout the game during timeouts and play stoppages. That’s really all she needs.

 

[jaydee602]

Here is the projected roster for UCONN in the upcoming seasons. A lot of talent, but it will be a challenge finding playing time for them.

View attachment 66639

Well, it didn't take long for this chart to be revised. Looks like Aubrey will be UCONN's only junior next season. Good luck, Anna!!