Four observations (a long read)

[PacoSwede]

After Sundays's game and reading mucho comments (but not all) in the BY, I'll opine about 4 things:

Azzi's future
The Aubrey enigma
The revival of the 'blame Nika' faction
The Huskies need for more size

BOX OUT, PURSUE THE BALL

All these woe-is-us posts about the size of our players should stop. Enough! Size ain't the cause of Sunday's dismal day on the boards nor will it be the cause of any losses in the future.

It would be nice to have a Rebecca-and-Kara kind of frontcourt. We don't. Few teams ever have, and they have done just fine anyway. I won't cite examples; there are far too many. So what gives with current obsession with size? I realize that the coaching staff has been stoking it, but I don't know why. Maybe it's a motivational ploy, or preparing an excuse for team failings. Anyway, UConn is in fact taller then many teams -- though there are notable exceptions.

Our rebounding was a problem Sunday. And it could be in the future if there is not a realistic solution, and it's not additional size. That solution is learning to box out efficiently and eager, aggressive pursuit of ricochets. Most of our players are pathetic at these so far this year. They should learn from Aubry, who is not huge in size but is all about going after the ball, and Nika, who is one of the shorter guards but excels at boxing out, and it shows. If everyone emulated these two we don't have to groan about being too small.


WHY DO SOME FANS LACK FAITH IN NIKA?

As a freshman fresh to the U.S., she faced fans' natural 'show me' skepticism -- as should be true with all freshman. But over and over, even when she was a first-year kid, Nika was special -- for people who were willing to see it. Sure, she had deficiencies -- still does -- on the court (doesn't everyone?) but damn, for some reason (which I haven't figured out entirely) Nika's presence on the floor made the team better. It to still does. Geno has long acknowledged this fact. Since then she has minimized her deficiencies and developed new strengths while being aware of her place on the TEAM.

But some in the BY are resistant to that obvious truth. That's become quite apparent in the post-NC State threads. She's not even mentioned as part of the team in many posts. Her performance is denigrated in others. And there is the ludicrous proposal that she shouldn't start -- though she has started for much of the last three years. Lawdy, lawdy lawdy.

Where do these notions come from? Apparently we do have an anti-Muhl cabal still, though it seemed to be silenced for awhile.

You'll kindly note that Nika on Sunday nailed 2-of-3 treys, and had a very nifty drive to the basket in the opening half. There have been oodles of beefs that her defense was hopeless, that she allowed NC State guards -- good ones -- to waltz by her. Folks, don't you realize UConn relies on TEAM defense. When a perimiter player is beat (not uncommon when the offense has quick or shifty guards) a teammate is supposed to back her up, either at the rim or be switching. The Huskies have traditionally been excellent in this. Not so much yet this year. It takes time to develop the skills for that and UConn has four new players who have not learned the ropes. The TEAM allowed the blow-bys, not Nika -- nor Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, Carol, Qadence or any other single player. The culprit was lack of practive, lack of cohesion. Lack of desire and energy on defense contributed, of couse.

For me, as a matter of fact, Nika as usual was a model of energy and desire Sunday. BTW, Muhl fouled out in the last minute because UConn was giving out fouls to extend the game, not because she is a fouling machine.

I think overall she did her job well and contributed nearly as much as Paige (in different ways). For that, she gets pilloried by some; a whipping post to assuage some fans' frustrations.

AZZI

I'm afraid Azzi may never fulfill her potential, thus disappointing me and many others. There's been some chatter about her passivity, her incredible lack of aggression, which hurts the Huskies. I know I have been complaining about this, but I've also hoped she simply lacked confidence, and that could be overcome in time.

But she's now a junior, and that should be enough time to beat that shortcomeing despite injuries, which have been big obstacles and may have contributed greatly to her present situation.

I worry now that the confidence issue will never be licked. Unless it is, she will be known as 'Fudd the Dud' and any big NIL deals will likely fizzle.

It's been speculated that her early success -- huge accolades as a high school sophomore -- and then subsequent injuries sent her off course. That's reasonable, although we don't know how this affected her. She certainly has done all that she can to put it behind her. She's pretty clearly a dedicated worker and lovely person. She has confessed that she has to be more aggressive on the court and more confident. She knows this. It affects her decision-making and probably has some effect on her shooting efficiency. She wants to overcome this; she been trying for a long time, I dare say.

It's not like she has cause to be like this. She has played wonderfully at times. Her coaches and teammates have supported her as far as we know. Fans and the media generally have lauded her (while acknowleding she's got an upside that could be developed further). All this should help her be confident.
And she probably will continue to have games when her shooting is 'on' -- she has the skill -- and will play with confidence then; to date, she has yet to sustain it.

Being smart and self-aware, she knows the problem. She wants to remedy it. She has tons of rooters. The reason she hasn't fixed things must reside within Azzi. I'm guesssing the roadblock is her innate nature. She simply is not an aggressive person ... and that's OK. Cripes, there are far too many people in this world who are too aggressive (and cause a lot of woe and pain). If it's not where Azzi is comfortable in life, so be it.

Everyone accepting what she is -- not what she could be -- is called for. She doesn't need the pressure of extreme expectations from fans, or herself.

Obviously, just my thoughts.

AUBREY THE ENIGMA

It is strange how Aubrey disappears sometimes because she so often has a great positive effect on UConn performance. She has shown that she has AA chops but hasn't been reliable in exploiting them. That is understandable -- many players have moments of brilliance that come and go. Aubrey has the back to deal with, which we assume is be a factor. At her best, however, Aubrey is a huge boon to the Huskies. 'Twould be great if it happens, but we can't assume the future. That's my sole point.

 

[Bone Dog]

Well said, Paco. I especially liked your remarks about Azzi and aggressiveness. I suspect Azzi will solve the problem this season. But the struggle is real.

Years ago I coached my daughter’s u10 soccer team — it was her condition for playing at all. And I saw lots of kids who just don’t like the aggressiveness inherent in athletic competition. My daughter was one of them. Some may grow out of it, others may simply live that way forever. There’s nothing wrong with either path. I’ve seen Azzi have super aggressive moments on the floor. She’ll have more of them.

 

[Longtime fan]

Nice and fair analysis. I happen to be in the camp that Nika should shoot more. Her three point accuracy is excellent and that drive to the hoop was a demo tape play.

As to your point about size; Rebounds are about blocking out of course. But " bulk" is appearing more and more under the basket. And one hip check from a 200 pounder will rid Edwards of her position pretty easily. And bulk is very effective in blocking out. Ice Brady has it, Edwards does not.

We are all still living with the fantasy of Azzi Fudd, more so than with the reality. She may well hit 1000 in a row from the arc in practice, but she can't find that accuracy often enough in a game. Particularly in a game of quality, where her opponent is a top athlete guarding her carefully. Azzi is a fine, steady player. But we expect too much.

Caroline seems out of place most of the time. She is a good defender, agile under the hoop and (per Geno) the best shooter on the team. But she seems a bit lost so far. Hesitant, perhaps due to the terror of another head boink? I'm not convinced she should be playing the game any more. And when she misses a shot, she goes under a blanket.

Aubrey seems a bit lost as well. She needs to " take over " in a game, but how can anyone do that with Paige, Edwards and Azzi on the floor? If she has worked on her threes, as we saw last year, she needs to fire them up.

It is early yet. But I feel we can't do what we used to do, and win it all. That is; we can't have 7 players get all the minutes.. Ice and the three freshman ( and I think Shade is far better than Geno thinks ) need to get a lot of playing time. There is plenty of time to work things out.

 

[HuskyNan]

After Sundays's game and reading mucho comments (but not all) in the BY, I'll opine about 4 things:

Azzi's future
The Aubrey enigma
The revival of the 'blame Nika' faction
The Huskies need for more size

BOX OUT, PURSUE THE BALL

All these woe-is-us posts about the size of our players should stop. Enough! Size ain't the cause of Sunday's dismal day on the boards nor will it be the cause of any losses in the future.

It would be nice to have a Rebecca-and-Kara kind of frontcourt. We don't. Few teams ever have, and they have done just fine anyway. I won't cite examples; there are far too many. So what gives with current obsession with size? I realize that the coaching staff has been stoking it, but I don't know why. Maybe it's a motivational ploy, or preparing an excuse for team failings. Anyway, UConn is in fact taller then many teams -- though there are notable exceptions.

Our rebounding was a problem Sunday. And it could be in the future if there is not a realistic solution, and it's not additional size. That solution is learning to box out efficiently and eager, aggressive pursuit of ricochets. Most of our players are pathetic at these so far this year. They should learn from Aubry, who is not huge in size but is all about going after the ball, and Nika, who is one of the shorter guards but excels at boxing out, and it shows. If everyone emulated these two we don't have to groan about being too small.


WHY DO SOME FANS LACK FAITH IN NIKA?

As a freshman fresh to the U.S., she faced fans' natural 'show me' skepticism -- as should be true with all freshman. But over and over, even when she was a first-year kid, Nika was special -- for people who were willing to see it. Sure, she had deficiencies -- still does -- on the court (doesn't everyone?) but damn, for some reason (which I haven't figured out entirely) Nika's presence on the floor made the team better. It to still does. Geno has long acknowledged this fact. Since then she has minimized her deficiencies and developed new strengths while being aware of her place on the TEAM.

But some in the BY are resistant to that obvious truth. That's become quite apparent in the post-NC State threads. She's not even mentioned as part of the team in many posts. Her performance is denigrated in others. And there is the ludicrous proposal that she shouldn't start -- though she has started for much of the last three years. Lawdy, lawdy lawdy.

Where do these notions come from? Apparently we do have an anti-Muhl cabal still, though it seemed to be silenced for awhile.

You'll kindly note that Nika on Sunday nailed 2-of-3 treys, and had a very nifty drive to the basket in the opening half. There have been oodles of beefs that her defense was hopeless, that she allowed NC State guards -- good ones -- to waltz by her. Folks, don't you realize UConn relies on TEAM defense. When a perimiter player is beat (not uncommon when the offense has quick or shifty guards) a teammate is supposed to back her up, either at the rim or be switching. The Huskies have traditionally been excellent in this. Not so much yet this year. It takes time to develop the skills for that and UConn has four new players who have not learned the ropes. The TEAM allowed the blow-bys, not Nika -- nor Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, Carol, Qadence or any other single player. The culprit was lack of practive, lack of cohesion. Lack of desire and energy on defense contributed, of couse.

For me, as a matter of fact, Nika as usual was a model of energy and desire Sunday. BTW, Muhl fouled out in the last minute because UConn was giving out fouls to extend the game, not because she is a fouling machine.

I think overall she did her job well and contributed nearly as much as Paige (in different ways). For that, she gets pilloried by some; a whipping post to assuage some fans' frustrations.

AZZI

I'm afraid Azzi may never fulfill her potential, thus disappointing me and many others. There's been some chatter about her passivity, her incredible lack of aggression, which hurts the Huskies. I know I have been complaining about this, but I've also hoped she simply lacked confidence, and that could be overcome in time.

But she's now a junior, and that should be enough time to beat that shortcomeing despite injuries, which have been big obstacles and may have contributed greatly to her present situation.

I worry now that the confidence issue will never be licked. Unless it is, she will be known as 'Fudd the Dud' and any big NIL deals will likely fizzle.

It's been speculated that her early success -- huge accolades as a high school sophomore -- and then subsequent injuries sent her off course. That's reasonable, although we don't know how this affected her. She certainly has done all that she can to put it behind her. She's pretty clearly a dedicated worker and lovely person. She has confessed that she has to be more aggressive on the court and more confident. She knows this. It affects her decision-making and probably has some effect on her shooting efficiency. She wants to overcome this; she been trying for a long time, I dare say.

It's not like she has cause to be like this. She has played wonderfully at times. Her coaches and teammates have supported her as far as we know. Fans and the media generally have lauded her (while acknowleding she's got an upside that could be developed further). All this should help her be confident.
And she probably will continue to have games when her shooting is 'on' -- she has the skill -- and will play with confidence then; to date, she has yet to sustain it.

Being smart and self-aware, she knows the problem. She wants to remedy it. She has tons of rooters. The reason she hasn't fixed things must reside within Azzi. I'm guesssing the roadblock is her innate nature. She simply is not an aggressive person ... and that's OK. Cripes, there are far too many people in this world who are too aggressive (and cause a lot of woe and pain). If it's not where Azzi is comfortable in life, so be it.

Everyone accepting what she is -- not what she could be -- is called for. She doesn't need the pressure of extreme expectations from fans, or herself.

Obviously, just my thoughts.

AUBREY THE ENIGMA

It is strange how Aubrey disappears sometimes because she so often has a great positive effect on UConn performance. She has shown that she has AA chops but hasn't been reliable in exploiting them. That is understandable -- many players have moments of brilliance that come and go. Aubrey has the back to deal with, which we assume is be a factor. At her best, however, Aubrey is a huge boon to the Huskies. 'Twould be great if it happens, but we can't assume the future. That's my sole point.

Nika didn’t take or make any threes yesterday. She had 4 points on 2-3 shooting.

Women's Basketball vs NC State on 11/12/2023 - Box Score - University of Connecticut Athletics

The official box score of Women's Basketball vs NC State on 11/12/2023

uconnhuskies.com

 

[sun]

The Huskies need for more size

BOX OUT, PURSUE THE BALL

All these woe-is-us posts about the size of our players should stop. Enough! Size ain't the cause of Sunday's dismal day on the boards nor will it be the cause of any losses in the future.

NC State had 6 blocks, UConn had zero.

It wasn't as if all of NC State's shots went uncontested.
They made many tough shots look easy.
Maybe that's because quite often very good offensive players can beat very good defensive players.
If that weren't true to some extent then Paige wouldn't be such an effective scorer.

Geno basically spoke in the pre-season about players getting PT commensurate with their contributions & effort.
The coaching staff will analyze the loss & make some tweaks.
If anyone played more or less than they deserved then it will get rectified to improve efficiency & avoid another loss.

 

[Waquoit]

Coming back from injuries is so tough. You hear how it really takes two years to make it back.

 

[Vancat]

Oh man, I hope Azzi figures it out. We know how good she CAN be.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Azzi reminds me of Ann Strother.
Coming out of HS she was a world beater!
She played great with DT as the Alpha/Star player but the year after DT graduated Ann was a shell of her former self!
She didn't like being the player the team went to in tough situations!
And IMHO she didn't live up to her potential!
Azzi says she's been reading books on positive mental attitude but vs NoCar St she really was bothered by her early missed shots!
I'm hoping her mental research takes over her lack of confidence!
Her good buddy, Paige, is a no mercy type player!
Hopefully Azzi will adopt that same philosophy!

 

[msf22b]

About defense:
it always seemed to me that UConn guards are taught to over-play the strong side of an offensive
players penetration...in a sense inviting that player to move to the basket on their weaker side and be picked up by the resident big or a switcher...

Did that not work during the last game?
I've been away and haven't seen it.

 

[Rowdy831]

After Sundays's game and reading mucho comments (but not all) in the BY, I'll opine about 4 things:

Azzi's future
The Aubrey enigma
The revival of the 'blame Nika' faction
The Huskies need for more size

BOX OUT, PURSUE THE BALL

All these woe-is-us posts about the size of our players should stop. Enough! Size ain't the cause of Sunday's dismal day on the boards nor will it be the cause of any losses in the future.

It would be nice to have a Rebecca-and-Kara kind of frontcourt. We don't. Few teams ever have, and they have done just fine anyway. I won't cite examples; there are far too many. So what gives with current obsession with size? I realize that the coaching staff has been stoking it, but I don't know why. Maybe it's a motivational ploy, or preparing an excuse for team failings. Anyway, UConn is in fact taller then many teams -- though there are notable exceptions.

Our rebounding was a problem Sunday. And it could be in the future if there is not a realistic solution, and it's not additional size. That solution is learning to box out efficiently and eager, aggressive pursuit of ricochets. Most of our players are pathetic at these so far this year. They should learn from Aubry, who is not huge in size but is all about going after the ball, and Nika, who is one of the shorter guards but excels at boxing out, and it shows. If everyone emulated these two we don't have to groan about being too small.


WHY DO SOME FANS LACK FAITH IN NIKA?

As a freshman fresh to the U.S., she faced fans' natural 'show me' skepticism -- as should be true with all freshman. But over and over, even when she was a first-year kid, Nika was special -- for people who were willing to see it. Sure, she had deficiencies -- still does -- on the court (doesn't everyone?) but damn, for some reason (which I haven't figured out entirely) Nika's presence on the floor made the team better. It to still does. Geno has long acknowledged this fact. Since then she has minimized her deficiencies and developed new strengths while being aware of her place on the TEAM.

But some in the BY are resistant to that obvious truth. That's become quite apparent in the post-NC State threads. She's not even mentioned as part of the team in many posts. Her performance is denigrated in others. And there is the ludicrous proposal that she shouldn't start -- though she has started for much of the last three years. Lawdy, lawdy lawdy.

Where do these notions come from? Apparently we do have an anti-Muhl cabal still, though it seemed to be silenced for awhile.

You'll kindly note that Nika on Sunday nailed 2-of-3 treys, and had a very nifty drive to the basket in the opening half. There have been oodles of beefs that her defense was hopeless, that she allowed NC State guards -- good ones -- to waltz by her. Folks, don't you realize UConn relies on TEAM defense. When a perimiter player is beat (not uncommon when the offense has quick or shifty guards) a teammate is supposed to back her up, either at the rim or be switching. The Huskies have traditionally been excellent in this. Not so much yet this year. It takes time to develop the skills for that and UConn has four new players who have not learned the ropes. The TEAM allowed the blow-bys, not Nika -- nor Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, Carol, Qadence or any other single player. The culprit was lack of practive, lack of cohesion. Lack of desire and energy on defense contributed, of couse.

For me, as a matter of fact, Nika as usual was a model of energy and desire Sunday. BTW, Muhl fouled out in the last minute because UConn was giving out fouls to extend the game, not because she is a fouling machine.

I think overall she did her job well and contributed nearly as much as Paige (in different ways). For that, she gets pilloried by some; a whipping post to assuage some fans' frustrations.

AZZI

I'm afraid Azzi may never fulfill her potential, thus disappointing me and many others. There's been some chatter about her passivity, her incredible lack of aggression, which hurts the Huskies. I know I have been complaining about this, but I've also hoped she simply lacked confidence, and that could be overcome in time.

But she's now a junior, and that should be enough time to beat that shortcomeing despite injuries, which have been big obstacles and may have contributed greatly to her present situation.

I worry now that the confidence issue will never be licked. Unless it is, she will be known as 'Fudd the Dud' and any big NIL deals will likely fizzle.

It's been speculated that her early success -- huge accolades as a high school sophomore -- and then subsequent injuries sent her off course. That's reasonable, although we don't know how this affected her. She certainly has done all that she can to put it behind her. She's pretty clearly a dedicated worker and lovely person. She has confessed that she has to be more aggressive on the court and more confident. She knows this. It affects her decision-making and probably has some effect on her shooting efficiency. She wants to overcome this; she been trying for a long time, I dare say.

It's not like she has cause to be like this. She has played wonderfully at times. Her coaches and teammates have supported her as far as we know. Fans and the media generally have lauded her (while acknowleding she's got an upside that could be developed further). All this should help her be confident.
And she probably will continue to have games when her shooting is 'on' -- she has the skill -- and will play with confidence then; to date, she has yet to sustain it.

Being smart and self-aware, she knows the problem. She wants to remedy it. She has tons of rooters. The reason she hasn't fixed things must reside within Azzi. I'm guesssing the roadblock is her innate nature. She simply is not an aggressive person ... and that's OK. Cripes, there are far too many people in this world who are too aggressive (and cause a lot of woe and pain). If it's not where Azzi is comfortable in life, so be it.

Everyone accepting what she is -- not what she could be -- is called for. She doesn't need the pressure of extreme expectations from fans, or herself.

Obviously, just my thoughts.

AUBREY THE ENIGMA

It is strange how Aubrey disappears sometimes because she so often has a great positive effect on UConn performance. She has shown that she has AA chops but hasn't been reliable in exploiting them. That is understandable -- many players have moments of brilliance that come and go. Aubrey has the back to deal with, which we assume is be a factor. At her best, however, Aubrey is a huge boon to the Huskies. 'Twould be great if it happens, but we can't assume the future. That's my sole point.

I would try to get Azzi shots closer to the basket. She is amazing at the pull up at the line and those two points are automatic for her. I really think someone thinks she is a 3 point specialist so they keep trying to push into that box. What I see is a player who is deadly off the dribble so that is where I would put her focus.

I think you are spot on with regard to the defense. This is a very talented team and they will rebound.

 

[David54]

Remembering how Azzi started last year before her injury I’m very hesitant to give up on her. Hoping sundays game was an anomaly for the whole team.

 

[SCyankee]

Coming back from injuries is so tough. You hear how it really takes two years to make it back.

I completely agree. Is it possible, just possible that Amari is still recovering from back surgery in the off season? Also I do not remember hearing she had a bad back last season and that may explain her lack of progress and use? Audrey missed a whole season after back surgery, and she is still on limited minutes. I also never heard Ayanna played last season on a bad leg, but she also had surgery. Finally we need to give Ice a break no matter how much we need her for the same reason.

 

[Cornell Lt]

The one thing that goes unmentioned is, how in the world could UConn not be prime time ready for NC State. I'm sure I'm in the minority on this board,, but I thought Geno got out coached on Sunday. His rotation or lack there of was evident, especially when they fell behind.

 

[ERWUC65]

I'm a bit disappointed, but not surprised. This was a tough test right out of the box and they weren't ready. Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Ice and Aubrey, while all apparently physically healthy, are still a work-in-progress with regaining the confidence to play as they can. This is to be expected from all they have been through and this will be a struggle thru mid-season. Each has different scenarios to work thru to catch the mind up to the body so it all works as before. We all know what they are capable of and what this team will be like when they get there. That said, the biggest concern was Aaliyah, still having issues like last year, in spite of more maturity and more experience. Even with Dorka to help last year, she disappeared at times, got too many early fouls, etc., yet on occasion played like an All American. She needs another big to work with and it has to be Ice. In spite of her inexperience Geno will have to play her into her potential. We need that tandem working together to have a chance against some of the tougher teams this year. Again all of the above will not happen for a while, so we all need to be patient. And while I am not a patient person (always expecting another undefeated team), that will not be the way this year, so... I will adjust.

 

[bantamlaker]

Azzi says she's been reading books on positive mental attitude but vs NoCar St she really was bothered by her early missed shots!
I'm hoping her mental research takes over her lack of confidence!

There must be sports psychologists available to the team. I would hope Azzi is taking advantage of this in addition to doing her own research. She really doesn’t need to spend more time making videos of her hitting dozens of 3 pointers in a row while practicing. We know she can shoot.
Let‘s hope she gets it all together and reaches her full potential !

 

[hoophuskee]

AZZI

I'm afraid Azzi may never fulfill her potential, thus disappointing me and many others. There's been some chatter about her passivity, her incredible lack of aggression, which hurts the Huskies. I know I have been complaining about this, but I've also hoped she simply lacked confidence, and that could be overcome in time.

But she's now a junior, and that should be enough time to beat that shortcomeing despite injuries, which have been big obstacles and may have contributed greatly to her present situation.

I worry now that the confidence issue will never be licked. Unless it is, she will be known as 'Fudd the Dud' and any big NIL deals will likely fizzle.

It's been speculated that her early success -- huge accolades as a high school sophomore -- and then subsequent injuries sent her off course. That's reasonable, although we don't know how this affected her.

It's not like she has cause to be like this. She has played wonderfully at times. Her coaches and teammates have supported her as far as we know. Fans and the media generally have lauded her (while acknowleding she's got an upside that could be developed further). All this should help her be confident.
And she probably will continue to have games when her shooting is 'on' -- she has the skill -- and will play with confidence then; to date, she has yet to sustain it.

Being smart and self-aware, she knows the problem. She wants to remedy it. She has tons of rooters. The reason she hasn't fixed things must reside within Azzi. I'm guesssing the roadblock is her innate nature. She simply is not an aggressive person ... and that's OK. Cripes, there are far too many people in this world who are too aggressive (and cause a lot of woe and pain). If it's not where Azzi is comfortable in life, so be it.

Everyone accepting what she is -- not what she could be -- is called for. She doesn't need the pressure of extreme expectations from fans, or herself.

Obviously, just my thoughts.

AUBREY THE ENIGMA

It is strange how Aubrey disappears sometimes because she so often has a great positive effect on UConn performance. She has shown that she has AA chops but hasn't been reliable in exploiting them. That is understandable -- many players have moments of brilliance that come and go. Aubrey has the back to deal with, which we assume is be a factor. At her best, however, Aubrey is a huge boon to the Huskies. 'Twould be great if it happens, but we can't assume the future. That's my sole point.

Azzi tore her knee after her soph year. SO it meant she missed her junior year I believe? Her senior year was all about COVID - so not many games her senior year, right? Her freshman and soph years-- more injuries.

Interesting that you mention Fudd's injuries have been a big obstacle for her. You don't know either how injuries have affected her--despite the fact that last year you saw the 6 game stretch she was sensational - then when she came back she was never near that. Yet despite all this in which you say injuries could be the cause (as you said "it's reasonable,"), you've decided to give her such a warm nickname even though you admit injuries could be the cause?

Bottom-line is - Fudd is going to be an All-American this year 1-- because as you say "it is reasonable to assume that injuries have affected her (it’s because they have affected her. How could being hurt as much as she has been – not affect her?). It's reasonable to assume how the team runs the often that she will be open a lot It's reasonable to assume as you have mentioned that “she will go on a roll. “ It’s reasonable to assume if she gets injured the roll will stop just like it always has. There is no mystery to if players are hurt they won’t perform as well normally. But we are adding 4 years of this, aren’t we?

It's reasonable to assume she will hit many, many open shots regardless of opponent because with her it’s about shot-making. I’s reasonable to assume some games she is just going to miss. It's reasonable to assume that it won’t necessarily be the big game that affects her as she has shown her frosh year in NCAA’s vs UCF. We would never have seen Paige's super game vs NC State without the 2-round prior Azzi performance . And it's reasonable to assume when she is pitted against super competition like she was last year vs Clark, she stood up and matched the best player in wcbb.

All this is a reasonable to assume because many of us understand that more-than-likely Chris Dailey hasn't completely lost it when she has been quoted as saying she is surprised when Azzi misses. And it's reasonable to assume that all this coupled with what Geno is doing in practices that when Paige, Azzi or Paige are in the corner- nobody else shoots etc. Or the comments we heard about wanting Azzi to shoot more.

Adding all this up it totality why all the negative so much so with the nickname when in fact it is as you say reasonable to assume it has been about injury? I mean we all saw the difference between a healthy Azzi and a hurt Azzi last year, didn’t we? Just as we saw when Paige came back from injury that it took her a while to get back. The 6 games are a window of what she probably is. And there is a reason why Paige is great. She makes player's better. Which means she is going to make Azzi better. Which means no reason why we shouldn't expect a lot of games like we saw the 1st 6 from last year. Why not expect what we saw but many many more?

 

[jeff30189]

There have been oodles of beefs that her defense was hopeless, that she allowed NC State guards -- good ones -- to waltz by her. Folks, don't you realize UConn relies on TEAM defense. The TEAM allowed the blow-bys, not Nika -- nor Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, Carol, Qadence or any other single player. The culprit was lack of practive, lack of cohesion. Lack of desire and energy on defense contributed, of couse.

All valid and true. I forget the name of the NC State guard who put up the 30+ points, but Nika was not the primary defender on many of those baskets. In fact, I think Azzi was probably on her more than Nika. Azzi is an adequate defender, but no one is going to mistake her for a shutdown PoY ballhawk.

In retrospect, Coach should have run the Box-and-1, put Nika on her and said "you have ONE JOB".

 

[my2cents]

This is the analysis from ONE loss, gimme a break. This could be a veryyyyy long year.

 

[Tonyc]

All valid and true. I forget the name of the NC State guard who put up the 30+ points, but Nika was not the primary defender on many of those baskets. In fact, I think Azzi was probably on her more than Nika. Azzi is an adequate defender, but no one is going to mistake her for a shutdown PoY ballhawk.

In retrospect, Coach should have run the Box-and-1, put Nika on her and said "you have ONE JOB".

Rivers was the guard and she scored 6 pts last nite against Elon shooting 1/5

 

[BobbyJ]

Rivers was the guard and she scored 6 pts last nite against Elon shooting 1/5

You should have put this game into context instead of framing it like Rivers just isn't that good. Fact is that Rivers took UConn apart. In a game that NCS led by 30 at the half and won by 55 her scoring wasn't needed. She did what Bueckers would have done, she only played half the game and got her teammates involved with 7 assists and only taking 5 shots. When Bueckers does this she's called the ultimate teammate.

 

[Longtime fan]

I think Fudd is a very modest person who is almost embarrassed by her abilities. She plays as though it is wrong for her ( selfish) to take all the open shots. So she gives them away to someone who isn't open, and isn't as good a shooter. We need to change her view or she will never be a " force," and UCONN won't be nearly as good as its could be.

 

[boontonbomber]

I think Fudd is a very modest person who is almost embarrassed by her abilities. She plays as though it is wrong for her ( selfish) to take all the open shots. So she gives them away to someone who isn't open, and isn't as good a shooter. We need to change her view or she will never be a " force," and UCONN won't be nearly as good as its could be.

Yes, shoot Azzi shoot!