Excited to see…? | The Boneyard

Excited to see…?

Vancat

Vancat

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I’ve got to say, a few months ago I was really excited for the prospect of seeing Paige and Azzi play together again. Then, when Sarah came into the picture, I was super psyched to see her game help the team. Recently there have been articles about Jana and Kaitlyn. Omg. Jana sounds like she will be very dominating. And I am definitely excited after seeing clips of Kaitlyn’s game. Love how she moves on the court. I can’t wait to see them and how Geno fits the pieces together. Who are you most excited to see?
 
For me, it’s all about Jana. She is the X-factor, with a game reminiscent of Stewie. If Jana stays healthy and is the player we all hope she is, UConn will absolutely make a run at #12.
 
oldude said:
For me, it’s all about Jana. She is the X-factor, with a game reminiscent of Stewie. If Jana stays healthy and is the player we all hope she is, UConn will absolutely make a run at #12.
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Assuming Azzi and Paige can stay healthy then we know what we have with those two, and it's great. But to respond to the OP, I have to split my vote between Jana and Sarah both of whom are untested at the college level, yet offer so much promise. If Jana is anywhere close to her idol, Stewie then WOW. And I truly think that Sarah has M Moore like possibilities. Add both of them to this already loaded 2024-5 roster and I become Tonyc optimistic about NC 12.
 
I’m excited to see Jana of course, the hype surrounding her is pretty huge and I hope she lives up to it and becomes the center we need.

I’m also really intrigued by Morgan, a 6’2 guard who’s an elite passer and rebounds like crazy isn’t too common these days. Though it seems she’s dealing with leg issues which sucks. But I can’t wait to see her in action at some point.

Allie sounds and looks really good on the court. In those UCONN workout videos on social media, she seems to be in all of them which gives me a lot of hope.

Azzi’s second return should be pretty cool as well. Hopefully her knee stays intact.
 
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For me, I am excited about UConn finally having a full complement of players that give Geno more options and the flexibility to counter what he sees from the opposition. Yes, seeing Jana play is exciting since we have not had a chance to see her play in a UConn uniform. It is also equally exciting that finally UConn fans may be treated to being able to watch the Paige and Azzi show this season. It is always exciting to watch another number-one player find her niche at UConn especially a player like SS who can play multiple positions. Newbies like Allie and Morgan sweeten the pie. But, let's not forget about the proven players who have contributed to many UConn victories in the past. Both KK and Ashlynn should be expected to make sophomore leaps. And, if you are not excited about Caroline and Aubrey retaking the floor then you have a short memory. All in all, Geno is happy to the point of being giddy over what he has to work with this season. I anticipate as a fan to be treated to some of the best UConn Husky basketball in our storied history. Let's play ball!!!
 
oldude said:
For me, it’s all about Jana. She is the X-factor, with a game reminiscent of Stewie. If Jana stays healthy and is the player we all hope she is, UConn will absolutely make a run at #12.
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Lol, I hear you but there are a lot of other pieces. Something to keep in mind she has never played a minute for the university of Connecticut. Playing wise she is a de facto freshman coming off an injury. Putting our next championship on her shoulders, minimally seems premature, and probably is an unfair expectation.
 
Just the thought of seeing this group of 14 talented and dedicated players playing their hearts out game in & game out!
WOW!
The potential is scary good!
There are so many combination of players possible Geno and staff can go so many ways vs their opponents!
They can go large with Jana, Sarah, & Ice or small, Paige, Azzi, KK, Aslynn, Kaitlyn, and Q!
And they still have Caroline, Aubrey, Ayanna when they're cleared to go 100%!
And when Morgan & Allie catch up to the system!
WOW again!
Hopefully this group stays healthy and pays back their opponents for the last paiful 3 seasons!
 
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Hopefully all 14 players playing with different line ups and no mayor injuries or player playing more than 30 minutes a game. With them raising their 12th National Championship trophy and cutting down the nets at the end of the season.
 
If everyone is and remains healthy (which I choose to assume until proven wrong), then I really don't envy Geno's challenge to give all 14 players the minutes that they will have earned. There are no natural end-of-bench players among those 14 -- all except the freshmen have proven that they can be effective in the college game when they are healthy, and there is no reason to doubt that is true of the freshmen as well.

Unless the summer and early fall practices clearly show some differentiation in skill levels or effort that would warrant some players being given more or less playing time, I wonder if Geno will allow himself to be influenced by another factor beyond on-court performance. That is the fact that the juniors and seniors have less time than the freshmen and sophomores to showcase their skills for the pro scouts who will be watching -- not just the WNBA but European teams as well.

So, for example, if Caroline and Morgan are performing at about the same level at the same SF or PF position, or if Aubrey and Qadence are doing the same, I think Geno may give preference to the older player. Likewise, if Kaitlyn and KK are at about the same level of point-guard play, Kaitlyn will get the nod. If Azzi, Ashlynn, and Allie are all at about the same level in the contest for shooting-guard minutes (which I doubt -- I think a healthy Azzi will show herself to be a notch above Ashlynn or Allie in that role), Azzi will get a slight preference for minutes.

Paige is the only player whose minutes are assured -- she is both older and better than any contender at whatever position Geno chooses to play her. She won't play 35 minutes unless the outcome of the game is in doubt; otherwise, about 25 minutes for her are assured.
 
I am eager to see so many things this season.
  • First and foremost, the returning sophomores and Paige (and new-Nika, or Nika 2.0) recreate the little juggernaut that went to the final four in November
  • Second, the return of Azzi so we can have the Paige and Azzi show... finally. And add Caroline to that magic mixture. Picture a lineup featuring the 3 of them.
  • Third, the awesome addition of Jana Sarah and Ice. OMG! KK says Jana is a "dog" and I was reminded of the old saying, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog." Jana sounds like a very big dog with a lot of fight in her.
  • Fourth, the return of Aubrey and Ayanna. Quick bigs are difference makers.
  • Fifth, what wonders Allie Morgan and Q might rain down on opponents from the wing.
This feels like the beginning of something big in WCBB. Maybe even the dreaded inflection point.
 
I am excited to see Jana and Sarah - I think they will both start and their ability to play up to their "as advertised" potential will be the key to whether UConn is there at the end.

Kaitlyn Chen is also someone I am very excited to see, she seems to be a perfect fit for this roster.

I am excited to see what could be on a given night historic level-type three point barrages, given the numerous shooters from the 1 to 5 positions who are elite or at least very capable three point shooters.

I am also excited to see how Geno uses his roster, assuming everyone is able to go it is extremely deep and talented.

There are eight players who have started at the Division One level, seven at UConn plus Chen at Princeton.

Add to that two reserves who have played meaningful minutes - Q 443 minutes last season, Ayanna 301 minutes in 2022-2023 - plus Allie and Morgan, two top ten recruits.

Plus Jana and Sarah, who again I think will start.

He will have a nice problem trying to allocate minutes.
 
Vancat said:
I’ve got to say, a few months ago I was really excited for the prospect of seeing Paige and Azzi play together again. Then, when Sarah came into the picture, I was super psyched to see her game help the team. Recently there have been articles about Jana and Kaitlyn. Omg. Jana sounds like she will be very dominating. And I am definitely excited after seeing clips of Kaitlyn’s game. Love how she moves on the court. I can’t wait to see them and how Geno fits the pieces together. Who are you most excited to see?
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I am excited to see the whole team. Even in blowouts I enjoy the end of bench watching. What you get to see in some cases is the evolution of a player near the end of the bench and then grow into something much more not just year 1 but throughout their career. Unfortunately due to injuries these last few years and some other issues that has lessened.

Within this excitement, I am also excited to see Paige and Sarah -- along with a healthy Azzi. I also believe in what Geno said after the Iowa loss - that in NCAA's you need 3 scorers. OFC anyone in a game can be a scorer if that is one of their attributes. I'm just excited to see though if this can be a consistent 3-headed monster.

I'm reading from others on here a lot of hype with Jana. I haven't read all the hype other than I heard Geno say late summer that he felt Jana would have been #1 recruit last year if she were from USA. Also ofc Jana's games during last summer before she got hurt. In regard to Geno’s comment- he exaggerates preseason at times-- but has he made more comments about Jana recently? Would love to read some other more recent stuff that highlights her game.
 
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RSHERMVIKES said:
Just the thought of seeing this group of 14 talented and dedicated players playing their hearts out game in & game out!
WOW!
The potential is scary good!
There are so many combination of players possible Geno and staff can go so many ways vs their opponents!
They can go large with Jana, Sarah, & Ice or small, Paige, Azzi, KK, Aslynn, Kaitlyn, and Q!
And they still have Caroline, Aubrey, Ayanna when they're cleared to go 100%!
And when Morgan & Allie catch up to the system!
WOW again!
Hopefully this group stays healthy and pays back their opponents for the last paiful 3 seasons!
Expand ...
Agree. Don't forget that the other upside is potentially no UConn player need play for 30 minutes a game or more. For those of us who have been fans long enough, we remember the days when that was the norm. That means while every player is playing she is fresh they can give her all absolutely every minute on the court, but it also means that over the course of the season the players will be fresh.

I truly believe, and this has been confirmed by both Geno and the players, that by the end of the season players are fatigued. Maybe that means for the most part they're playing at 85 to 90% of their capabilities. Against a typical college basketball opponent, that differential doesn't matter and may not even be noticeable but against a high-level D1 team, that last 10 to 15% can be the difference between winning and losing.

I'm hopeful we have a season where everyone plays far more reduced minutes, opening up more opportunities to develop people further down the rotation and keeping everyone fresh, and hopefully injury free, throughout the whole season.
 
CL82 said:
Lol, I hear you but there are a lot of other pieces. Something to keep in mind she has never played a minute for the university of Connecticut. Playing wise she is a de facto freshman coming off an injury. Putting our next championship on her shoulders, minimally seems premature, and probably is an unfair expectation.
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Don’t need Jan to be great in November. But I’m hoping for her to be great in March. :)
 
Every time I think about seeing one particular player next season, another pops into my mind. There are so many completely unanswered questions, starting with, "Will X (pick one of five or six) be healthy and stay that way?" Then: "Is Jana the real deal. Will she be more like Tina Charles or like Paige Sauer?" Then: "How will the sophomores do when competing for playing time against some really tough players?" Then: "What about the freshmen? Is Sarah as good as advertised, and how will she fit in?" And on, and on.

In other words, this could be a wonderful season for us fans. As a Florida resident, I'm happy as can be about the NCAA finals being in Tampa.
 
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Much of the discussion has been about Jana mostly for appropriate reasons. Yes we expect her to be pretty good, but more importantly both she and Sarah need to be good starters from day one. I think some forget that despite having a ton of talented players our roster is very unbalanced towards the perimeter.

No matter who the starters are 1-3, they should be at a minimum quite good, with depth to survive some injuries as well. Upfront it is nowhere close. The reason it is most important that Jana and Sarah are the real deal from the beginning is that we have no other proven bigs that are likely ready at the start of the season. We have a couple of players in Ice and Ayanna that might show dramatic improvement, but need to do that to be a good backup by Uconn's standards and IMO would be a major team weakness if either had to start.

Having said that I fully expect Jana and Sarah to start and be very good, and I hope Ayanna and Ice will be assets off the bench. At some point in the season we should get a proven high level 4/3 type in Aubrey, but our schedule as usual will be very front loaded. Most of the games that will determine our seeding will happen before the conference schedule with maybe only a couple after.

The other first year players can be brought along slowly but upfront we need Jana and Sarah from the start. The way the roster is structured makes them the biggest factor and variable heading into to start, when we will play most of our toughest games.
 
Can't wait for the season to start!
As far as players:
1. Excited to see Paige play and in her more natural position. Every game we see this wonderkid play is a treasure.
2. Excited to see Jana play. I believe that if she would have been healthy last season, UConn would have won number 12. Hopefully she'll be one of the best centers in college from day 1.
3. Excited to see Sarah play. See seemed to have been born to play at UConn. Great passer, great shooter, team player.
Excited to see how Geno maneuvers and molds such a team of 14 talented players.
 
dtbtbtb said:
Can't wait for the season to start!
As far as players:
1. Excited to see Paige play and in her more natural position. Every game we see this wonderkid play is a treasure.
2. Excited to see Jana play. I believe that if she would have been healthy last season, UConn would have won number 12. Hopefully she'll be one of the best centers in college from day 1.
3. Excited to see Sarah play. See seemed to have been born to play at UConn. Great passer, great shooter, team player.
Excited to see how Geno maneuvers and molds such a team of 14 talented players.
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GREAT POST!
 
oldhusky said:
Much of the discussion has been about Jana mostly for appropriate reasons. Yes we expect her to be pretty good, but more importantly both she and Sarah need to be good starters from day one.
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I’m not sure I agree with this thought, though the rest of what you say makes sense. I think Jana and Sarah need to be good starters by the end of February. But the blessing of bringing back a bunch of starters from the final four team is that there will be little pressure on those two early in the season.
 
oldude said:
Don’t need Jan to be great in November. But I’m hoping for her to be great in March. :)
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She looked terrific playing for the Egyptian team before she got injured. Still, I agree that there's likely to be some learning curve when she first starts.
 
i am hoping Ice and Ayanna start performing closer to the potential Geno saw in them when they were recruited to be on the team. Then as Jana and Sarah get more comfortable with college basketball we should have a strong front court.

I have fewer concerns about our back court.
 
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