Freshmen Scouting Report From Christyn

[hoophuskee]

I don't post often, but here's my 2 cents. Geno will not press for 40 minutes, not in a competitive game and certainly not in a blow out. But pressing at an unexpected time can be a great weapon. It appears Geno has the people he can sub in to do a devastating press and perhaps catch the other team unawares.

What's crazy but in a good way is that you could see scenarios that you could have 9 players playing / pressing/ running like a wild pack of dogs. All-the-while you can still maintain offensive halfcourt integrity if/ or whenever the press isn't working. Anyhow the below will press to blow teams out-- a knockout blow as early as they can. And any very good teams with suspect guard play. Then eventually call off the dogs like they always do. ANd there are different ways to press to. Not all are designed for steals.

Center --- Liv, Edwards
PF ----- Griffin, Edwards, Mir, Evina, AMak
SF ------- AMak, Evina, CWill
SG -------- CWill, Evina, Paige
PG -------- Paige, Evina, Muhl

 

[CL82]

What's crazy but in a good way is that you could see scenarios that you could have 9 players playing / pressing/ running like a wild pack of dogs.

I’m going to go out on a limb here, but if Geno can figure out a way to play nine of our players on the court at the same time, I like our chances this year.

 

[BBallF]

Yes .. i have mentioned this before, i.e. I'd like to see a 2-2-1 zone press - UCLA style - with Mir&Aubrey on top, Ania&AE as the 2nd row [interceptors] and shot-blocking ONO protecting the rim .. plus the rebounding [and putbacks] from this quintet would be formidable!!!

There are just so many possible permutations. In the great UCLA 3-1-1 press in the early years you had Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard as the guards but a taller player on the inbounder. If we ran that press, and Geno is a student of the Wooden method, that could be AE or Aubrey on the ball with Nika,Mir, Paige, CW, Evina, AM or others as the wings. If it is a 2-2-1 I think you are right about Aubrey on the top of the press because of her great reach and anticipation. But what about Paige on the top also? Her passing off of steals would be highlight worthy. Then you can have Mir on the half court line ready for a sideline trap( imagine Mir and Aubrey trapping together) with AE on the other side and Ono back under the basket. You can just interchange so many pieces as possibilities. That's why I think we will press and often. It will be a way to get the new players into the rotation and give them experience and the positioning of the players that Geno chooses will be very interesting to watch. Last year, I thought the team changed when the defense became more press oriented and aggressive. Of course, even when you press, you will need a point guard on the floor for offense and that could be Paige as stated above, Nika or the often overlooked Evina in this conversation who is a tough player, underrated defender ( watch her film) and a great finisher.

 

[DefenseBB]

2.0 means she is better than Pheesa.... NOT!
How bout Pheesa .50

OMG! Seriously, let's just stop with this "development language" interpretation. 2.0 means simply she's like Napheesa who was awesome to watch develop during her 4 years.
To show such angst is silly...

 

[soxfan23]

OMG! Seriously, let's just stop with this "development language" interpretation. 2.0 means simply she's like Napheesa who was awesome to watch develop during her 4 years.
To show such angst is silly...

Exactly, 2.0 means means she is the LATEST iteration of, it doesn't mean she is better at ALL! For example, Apple phones currently use iOS 14, but just ask what version of iOS was the best and the majority of people will say iOS 7.

 

[Carnac]

2.0 means she is better than Pheesa.... NOT!
How bout Pheesa .50

Without trying to get in the middle of this, the Merriam Webster dictionary's meaning of 2.0 =

Definition of 2.0
—used postpositively to describe a new and improved version or example of something or someone…i.e.,

Data previously collected by the planet-hunting telescope are turning up a trove of strange and wonderful worlds, bringing researchers closer, they hope, to finding “Earth 2.0.”— Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2014

Everyone agrees that the new [Doug] Bruce is no longer the arrogant overachiever he used to be. He's Doug 2.0, shaggier and nicer.

I hope this clears up any confusion, if not.............

 

[hoophuskee]

I’m going to go out on a limb here, but if Geno can figure out a way to play nine of our players on the court at the same time, I like our chances this year.

I like our chances equally with 8 or 7.

 

[CL82]

I like our chances equally with 8 or 7.

Maybe, but that 4-4-1 is a really defense to beat.

 

[Jingo]

There are just so many possible permutations. In the great UCLA 3-1-1 press in the early years you had Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard as the guards but a taller player on the inbounder. If we ran that press, and Geno is a student of the Wooden method, that could be AE or Aubrey on the ball with Nika,Mir, Paige, CW, Evina, AM or others as the wings. If it is a 2-2-1 I think you are right about Aubrey on the top of the press because of her great reach and anticipation. But what about Paige on the top also? Her passing off of steals would be highlight worthy. Then you can have Mir on the half court line ready for a sideline trap( imagine Mir and Aubrey trapping together) with AE on the other side and Ono back under the basket. You can just interchange so many pieces as possibilities. That's why I think we will press and often. It will be a way to get the new players into the rotation and give them experience and the positioning of the players that Geno chooses will be very interesting to watch. Last year, I thought the team changed when the defense became more press oriented and aggressive. Of course, even when you press, you will need a point guard on the floor for offense and that could be Paige as stated above, Nika or the often overlooked Evina in this conversation who is a tough player, underrated defender ( watch her film) and a great finisher.

I like the 2-2-1 better bcuz it allows the other team to inbound the ball and force it to the side giving us a 6th defender [the sideline, eh?]
I have a gut feeling that Mir will be just as impressive as Aubrey on defense and possibly on rebounding .. Mir is heralded to be a very quick sky-walker, similar to Gabby, eh?

 

[Go/huskies]

What's crazy but in a good way is that you could see scenarios that you could have 9 players playing / pressing/ running like a wild pack of dogs. All-the-while you can still maintain offensive halfcourt integrity if/ or whenever the press isn't working. Anyhow the below will press to blow teams out-- a knockout blow as early as they can. And any very good teams with suspect guard play. Then eventually call off the dogs like they always do. ANd there are different ways to press to. Not all are designed for steals.

Center --- Liv, Edwards
PF ----- Griffin, Edwards, Mir, Evina, AMak
SF ------- AMak, Evina, CWill
SG -------- CWill, Evina, Paige
PG -------- Paige, Evina, Muhl

IMO Anna who is bigger and taller then Evina will probably be the starter at the 4, she played the 4 vs Baylor, and Tennessee so she has some experience playing the 4. I also saw something somewhere that Evina could be a potential defensive stopper, with Paige and Williams in the back court as well, Westbrook will probably be asked to guard players like Jackson of Miss st, Evans of Louisville, and Cooke from South Carolina, just to name a few.

 

[EdSaid]

I hope Mir is just like Aubrey.

 

[hoophuskee]

Maybe, but that 4-4-1 is a really defense to beat.

Good one!! Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DefenseBB]

Without trying to get in the middle of this, the Merriam Webster dictionary's meaning of 2.0 =

Definition of 2.0
—used postpositively to describe a new and improved version or example of something or someone…i.e.,

Data previously collected by the planet-hunting telescope are turning up a trove of strange and wonderful worlds, bringing researchers closer, they hope, to finding “Earth 2.0.”— Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2014

Everyone agrees that the new [Doug] Bruce is no longer the arrogant overachiever he used to be. He's Doug 2.0, shaggier and nicer.

I hope this clears up any confusion, if not.............

 

[BBallF]

I hope Mir is just like Aubrey.

She is very similar. There is some highlight film out there of her. It's worth watching. It's entitled "UCONN Commit Mir McLean has a Motor" on you tube. You judge for yourself. Sorry I could not load it for you here.

 

[BBallF]

Agree with this but wanted to add a few thoughts. It is consistent with the above but Uconn's OOC schedule was usually split between maybe 3-5 of the very best teams in the country, and a number of teams that were fairly good but not a serious threat. The later group was probably better than the "average" AAC team, but compared to the big east, not so much. So we will be replacing the second tier of our OOC schedule with a better conference schedule of roughly the same level.

That assumes that we keep the 3-5 games against the best of the best, and the extra 4 conference games come at the expense of more the filler part of the OOC schedule than the marquee games. I think that is reasonable and what will happen.

So top tier games about the same, four more better conference opponents instead of the second tier OOC games, which is pretty close, and a substantially better conference schedule, resulting in a SOS overall increase.

As for so called boring blowout games, in years where there is little interest in the tail end of the bench that might be true. When our team has a deep an interesting bench (for at least the next few years) for many fans that is not the case. If we wound up with largely an 8 player rotation, and making a few assumptions, I for one would look forward to seeing more of perhaps Mir, Piath and Autumn in a blowout.

And finally the Big East is a geographical and recruiting advantage compared to the AAC Also Uconn in the Big East lifts the status of the conference overall, and the other conference teams can probably recruit at a little higher level as a result. the same in reverse for the AAC The other teams in the conference Uconn joins get a little better, and the other teams in the conference they leave get a little worse.

I agree that the BE women will improve as a conference with UCONN in it. This is totally different than the AAC. The recruiting will be totally different as are the venues and the rivalries.The clashes between UCONN and the original BE teams teams will pick up where they left off for some and start anew for others for both the men and the women. It's a basketball conference and known for it and having UCONN finally back in it will showcase the team and therefore the league in numerous recruiting markets for all the schools.

 

[DEpup]

I don't post often, but here's my 2 cents. Geno will not press for 40 minutes, not in a competitive game and certainly not in a blow out. But pressing at an unexpected time can be a great weapon. It appears Geno has the people he can sub in to do a devastating press and perhaps catch the other team unawares.

Completely agree. We'll see those 5 minute stretches where they will just get on a run and build the 20+ pt lead by half and then he'll let up and just "run" offense and essentially do in game practice all second half.

 

[PJCLaw]

Our league is garbage. They all know they are going to lose every game by 30+. The more things change the more they stay the same. It's just unfortunate that we have 20 rubbish games instead of 16. At least in the AAC we had a little more flexibility and could schedule four more better teams OOC.

Apparently, you did not see that last year the BE was the 6th rated conference after the Power 5, so according to the metrics used to evaluate conferences, the BE was far from garbage! IMO, if a full season is played this year, the BE will have 4 teams go to the tournament.

 

[BBallF]

Completely agree. We'll see those 5 minute stretches where they will just get on a run and build the 20+ pt lead by half and then he'll let up and just "run" offense and essentially do in game practice all second half.

Absolutely. The press loses its potency when it is non stop. I think this year though will be a continuation of last year in the sense that the aggressive pressing and trapping last year turned the team around and led to movement on offense so I expect it to either start the game or come very soon into it. Geno likes to put the game away early. We had no depth last year and this year we are deep, deep,deep with personnel made to order for a press. That means the pressers will be fresh and energetic and the frosh will be having fun when they get out there. Don't forget that AE was defensive player of the year in her conference/area and Mir is a touted defender. Nika has great ball anticipation and then there is Paige and even Autumn who is a bullet. Plus you have instant chaos in Aubrey and Evina is not even mentioned on the BY as a defender and I think her defense will surprise everyone. Ono in the back under the basket prevents layups. Geno has said how difficult it is coaching freshmen but one thing caught my attention about them in the Evina interview. They are always together as a group on or off the court. You bond off the court, you kick butt on the court. We really need November 28 to get here.