First Night '24-'25

[Bone Dog]

She’s like a taller Azzi in most aspects.

I think of Allie as a smaller Caroline too. She has a lot of the same post cleverness around the rim.

 

[Stagnant]

I don’t really see the Azzi similarities. Smaller Caroline? Absolutely. That’s exactly who she reminds me of.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I never thought Morgan would be a pg at UCONN. But I do believe she is a perfect compliment and potential star complimenting Sarah and Jana. (and Ice). I mean perfect. Thus, she is a roving/complimentary 3/4, She has "pg skils" as a penetrator and passer. She is physical so she won't get pushed around. A passer that is also strong enough to compete inside. Sounds to me like she is potentially terrific.

ANd I tend to beieve she is quick and fast enough for the 3/4. Geno specifically called out his injured players. She was one of them. While it was only the McDonald's game from the past, she looked more athletic to be at least a 3/4. Plus you don't get to be #1 team in the country in h/s for as long as she has as the pg and yet be excessively slow. I tend to believe it's the injures that she has that's causing the skepticism of her speed.

I never thought she would play point guard, either. However, with no portal acquisition, she might be pressed into service if Kelis isn't ready.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Not from the arc but from the wing logo 10+ feet behind the arc. And if 4 in a row wasn't enough, 2 of them were made by 1st year posts, Strong and El Alfy.

Friendly FYI: I was referring to Qadence's hair.

 

[Charliebball]

I think of Allie as a smaller Caroline too. She has a lot of the same post cleverness around the rim.

I think I might have mentioned this a while back and I took some flak for it but here goes..............Allie reminds me of the two older Mabrey sisters............

 

[donalddoowop]

Not very average, but also no one outstanding at that point other than DT. The 2002-03 team, other than DT, had no 1st team All-BE players, no 2nd team All-BE, one 3rd team All-BE (the freshman version of Ann Strother), and no HM All-BE. Team had no seniors. That team went 37-1 and won the NC.

37 and 1. Maybe that was because the competition was only average.

 

[UCBaller2012]

I think I might have mentioned this a while back and I took some flak for it but here goes..............Allie reminds me of the two older Mabrey sisters............

100 percent agree lol

 

[hoophuskee]

I never thought she would play point guard, either. However, with no portal acquisition, she might be pressed into service if Kelis isn't ready.

yes. the same with Azzi.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Didn't really follow as closely. Was a UConn fan (brother went to school there around the sue/dt era.) but was fresh out of grad school without SNY or anything. So I would catch some national tv games/tournament games. I remember the Syracuse championship game. But didn't really watch game to game until like 2020. I definitely could've looked up the stats as well, but thanks.

---

I didn't need to look up the stats to know how KLS did as a freshman. I followed she and her two sisters throughout high school, so I was a big fan before she ever put on the UConn uniform.

 

[uconnfan68]

Yes, she seems like a slightly more athletic KML

If she’s as good as KML, we’ll be a lucky fanbase.

 

[Stagnant]

yes. the same with Azzi.

azzi will be in the wnba.

 

[Alydar]

I think I might have mentioned this a while back and I took some flak for it but here goes..............Allie reminds me of the two older Mabrey sisters............

If that's right then the players need facemasks.

 

[Skeets]

Let's review this comment two years from now..... I guess that you did not follow
her H.S. career. Did YOU?? No need to answer..... IMHO her talent speaks for itself,
Go Morgan!! Go UCONN!

Charlie might have been using sarcasm. Here's a lesson for everyone, sarcasm hardly ever works on the BY.

 

[jdote33]

I didn't need to look up the stats to know how KLS did as a freshman. I followed she and her two sisters throughout high school, so I was a big fan before she ever put on the UConn uniform.

Neat. Bad diction by me. I didn't mean to infer u didn't know without looking up the stats. I was more just saying I could've looked up the stats instead of casually asking.

 

[yhun89]

I have seen Morgan play just once. The McDonalds AA game. She looked really good handling the ball and was in control of the offense. Not easy in a game where everyone wants to jack up shots as soon as they touch it.

The Jordan Classic is where she really shone for me. Showed good handles even under a press, made a few shots, played good D.

 

[Bone Dog]

Just one last Morgan observation: she may not be Hannah Hidalgo fast, but she’s plenty fast enough for PG especially since she can see over the defense and generally sees the court really well. Madison Booker did really well running the point for Texas last season and she’s certainly no faster than Morgan. She was strong and decisive, regularly muscled past smaller defenders and was too much for opposing guards to handle most of the time.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Bigboote]

I thought it was a joke when this began. But Morgan is absolutely quick enough and smart enough to play PG. Geno may want to use her elsewhere on the court. But Geno often distributes PG responsibilities across a few players at a time. The Gabby-Phee-Kia-KLS teams were like that, since their focus on transition meant any player could end up bringing the ball up the floor and initiating the offense.

Morgan may not be the full time designated PG right away. But she can break the press as well as anyone and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up covering the point at least part time in a year or two. She’s in the Haley Jones mold but with considerably better foot speed. And I think the impact of having a 6’2” PG barreling down the floor at much smaller defenders is worth making room for in roster planning.

I fully expect to see some combination of Jana, Sarah, Morgan, Ice in high-low sets many times this year. That’s some set of players capable of hitting from some distance, moves down low, and passing.

 

[Bone Dog]

I fully expect to see some combination of Jana, Sarah, Morgan, Ice in high-low sets many times this year. That’s some set of players capable of hitting from some distance, moves down low, and passing.

One thing Sarah and Morgan share is experience playing at the tip of the full-court press in high school.

 

[HopJim]

I don’t really see the Azzi similarities. Smaller Caroline? Absolutely. That’s exactly who she reminds me of.

Both make almost all their shots?????

 

[hoophuskee]

azzi will be in the wnba.

Azzi wil be back. No way she is going to WNBA with her injury history unti;l she gets stronger.

 

[ashfan]

Ionescu did virtually no scoring in the Liberty's victory, and she is great. Outside shooters can drop dozens of 3s in exhibitions and practices: it means little. The test is what they do in the pressure-cooker of a game.

 

[Bone Dog]

Ionescu did virtually no scoring in the Liberty's victory, and she is great. Outside shooters can drop dozens of 3s in exhibitions and practices: it means little. The test is what they do in the pressure-cooker of a game.

I'm not sure how we're talking about Sabrina, but I think I disagree. She had a bad shooting night. Azzi has had a few of those. But teams still have to respect her shot, fear it even, and it distorts their defense on everyone else. That's what an elite shooter does. Expect to see a few games like this in the coming season -- Azzi or Paige will come out flat, but opponents will still have to cover them and others will get open.

 

[Cuango]

Ionescu did virtually no scoring in the Liberty's victory, and she is great. Outside shooters can drop dozens of 3s in exhibitions and practices: it means little. The test is what they do in the pressure-cooker of a game.

She was reportedly exhausted. Stewie is already asking for more rest between games. She and Ionescue shot something like 5 for 34 in that game. I’d say the evidence is pretty good that both teams were exhausted.
Next year it will be best of seven!

 

[yhun89]

She was reportedly exhausted. Stewie is already asking for more rest between games. She and Ionescue shot something like 5 for 34 in that game. I’d say the evidence is pretty good that both teams were exhausted.
Next year it will be best of seven!

No excuse for some of Sab’s shots. She bricked the thing from half court multiple while there were 20 seconds left on the shot clock. That’s her trying to play Hero Ball at the wrong time. Courtney Williams was guilty of that as well.