Geno Compliment + Zinger Re Azura

[JoePgh]

In the Fuller article that is linked to today's (10/27) articles on Nan's list, there is the following paragraph regarding Geno's present opinion of Azura Stevens:

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said that other than All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, this year's team might not have a more naturally gifted shot maker from the perimeter than the 6-foot-6 Stevens. However, he is looking for her to be more than somebody who drains several jumpers each game.

“I hope we can get her a lot of shots,” Auriemma said. “Even without breaking a sweat she is capable of getting 25 every night easy, which would probably put her one or two short of what her man is going to get, so we are trying to fix the other part."

The article went on to say that she naturally feels more comfortable on the wing and is trying to get comfortable in the low post. She is (as you can tell from the above zinger) having more trouble with low-post defense than with low-post offense.

She also said that last year, she was mainly just trying to match the intensity of her UConn teammates, and this year (now that she is on the blue team usually instead of the white team in practice) she really has to focus on the technical aspects of her position. I thought that was an interesting comment.

She graciously declined to comment on what her former coach allegedly said she said when she transferred. Good move!

 

[BroadwayVa]

In the Fuller article that is linked to today's (10/27) articles on Nan's list, there is the following paragraph regarding Geno's present opinion of Azura Stevens:

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said that other than All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, this year's team might not have a more naturally gifted shot maker from the perimeter than the 6-foot-6 Stevens. However, he is looking for her to be more than somebody who drains several jumpers each game.

“I hope we can get her a lot of shots,” Auriemma said. “Even without breaking a sweat she is capable of getting 25 every night easy, which would probably put her one or two short of what her man is going to get, so we are trying to fix the other part."

The article went on to say that she naturally feels more comfortable on the wing and is trying to get comfortable in the low post. She is (as you can tell from the above zinger) having more trouble with low-post defense than with low-post offense.

She also said that last year, she was mainly just trying to match the intensity of her UConn teammates, and this year (now that she is on the blue team usually instead of the white team in practice) she really has to focus on the technical aspects of her position. I thought that was an interesting comment.

She graciously declined to comment on what her former coach allegedly said she said when she transferred. Good move!

ovv

Nice stuff Joe, thanks. While Geno loves to motivate by zinger and I giggle over them; Azura came to Geno as a scoring machine. She practiced as a practice player, for over a year. Either she has a very thick skull or Geno failed to teach, or the Zinger is working on fixing small issues. I suspect should the season start with Stanford today Azura will play decent defense and out score her opponent. No Comment on Duke is a very adult thing to do.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Lou let slip a while back that Z put "like 50 points" on the starters in a scrimmage last year. I hope and suspect Broadway is right and it is down to getting small things right on D and it is not a more fundamental conditioning or similar issue on defense.

 

[bags27]

Geno's comment is now on 2 different threads, but can anyone be seriously concerned here? Sure, Z may not be agile enough to cover anyone except a 5. And at the 5 she may not be physical enough So, yes, there might be easy baskets underneath. A'ja will, indeed, get her 25, but no one else will. And, if any game is close, they throw a 2-1-2 or some kind of collapsing 1-2-2, with Z in the middle, and Gabby and Pheesa underneath, blocking everything. So long as Batouly or Kyla are adequate subs in case Gabby or Pheesa gets a few fouls, there is no concern on D here. Certainly not a perfect solution for a team that prides itself on being a shut down man-to-man defense, but this is such a small problem. Geno must stay up late at night wondering how he's going to sound like a worried little old Italian guy at the next day's presser....

 

[Jim R]

Lou let slip a while back that Z put "like 50 points" on the starters in a scrimmage last year. I hope and suspect Broadway is right and it is down to getting small things right on D and it is not a more fundamental conditioning or similar issue on defense.

Would echo your comment re Broadway, but, by seasons end, a more apt title for the thread might be:
Geno Compliment + "Ringer" Re Azura

 

[Go/huskies]

I think this is in line with what I have been saying, Z isn't a center, and Gabby will have to defend the other teams post player.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Lou let slip a while back that Z put "like 50 points" on the starters in a scrimmage last year. I hope and suspect Broadway is right and it is down to getting small things right on D and it is not a more fundamental conditioning or similar issue on defense.

Those 50 points must have been cumulative over the whole season. You think Gabby or Kia is letting anyone put up 50 points on them?

 

[Ozimoto]

To me, this is just Geno being Geno.

 

[Jim R]

Geno's comment is now on 2 different threads, but can anyone be seriously concerned here? Sure, Z may not be agile enough to cover anyone except a 5. And at the 5 she may not be physical enough So, yes, there might be easy baskets underneath. A'ja will, indeed, get her 25, but no one else will. And, if any game is close, they throw a 2-1-2 or some kind of collapsing 1-2-2, with Z in the middle, and Gabby and Pheesa underneath, blocking everything. So long as Batouly or Kyla are adequate subs in case Gabby or Pheesa gets a few fouls, there is no concern on D here. Certainly not a perfect solution for a team that prides itself on being a shut down man-to-man defense, but this is such a small problem. Geno must stay up late at night wondering how he's going to sound like a worried little old Italian guy at the next day's presser....

Bags...I think Z's defense will surprise folks....and Wilson won't be getting 25, even in Columbia.

 

[Biff]

... but can anyone be seriously concerned here?

Should anyone be seriously concerned here? Of course not.
Can anyone (boneyarders) be seriously concerned here? Do I really have to answer that?

 

[donalddoowop]

Those 50 points must have been cumulative over the whole season. You think Gabby or Kia is letting anyone put up 50 points on them?

Yes. Z. It said in A scrimmage, not over a number of scrimmages.

 

[BlueDevils]

"... So we are trying to fix the other part". Gotta love the subtle shot by Geno to Coach P.

 

[Vowelguy]

“Even without breaking a sweat she is capable of getting 25 every night easy, which would probably put her one or two short of what her man is going to get, so we are trying to fix the other part."


Love love love it.

 

[JoePgh]

"... So we are trying to fix the other part". Gotta love the subtle shot by Geno to Coach P.

You mean the implication that JPM didn't teach her to play defense? I don't think there was any implied criticism of JPM in his statement, just an acknowledgement that Azura is still learning to play defense within the UConn system and to meet UConn expectations.

I remember that Azura played at the top center of Duke's 3-2 zone, which is nothing like playing underneath the basket against another big player. Given that difference in defensive schemes, no one would expect that Azura would be well-prepared to play low-post defense.

What the quote and the whole article does convey is that Geno is not accepting that she can only be a perimeter player, as she basically was at Duke. He knows that UConn needs to take advantage of her size -- unlike her Duke teams, UConn doesn't have any other players of nearly comparable height. So he is insisting that she learn to play like a big, which will only enhance her draft appeal when she goes to the WNBA. It really is similar to Stewie -- Geno never accepted that Stewie would only be a perimeter player even when she was a beanstalk freshman. Insisting that Stewie and Azura adapt to the post was good for both of them as well as being good for UConn as a team.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I think this is in line with what I have been saying, Z isn't a canter, and Gabby will have to defend the other teams post player.

I don't think we really know what kind of singer she is yet, do we? [just joking: cantor]

 

[LasVegasYank]

I don't think we really know what kind of singer she is yet, do we? [just joking: cantor]

I noticed that too.....with a song in my heart.

 

[Alydar]

I very much doubt that UConn's coaches allowed her to play poor defense for an entire season of practice and only now are addressing it. Even white team players had to defend. I don't think this has anything to do with her ability to guard someone one on one. What I think the problem may be is that she needs to learn how to play a switching man to man, something that isn't easy because it involves not only knowing what you have to do but also knowing what each of your teammates is about to do and be ready to react to it. I enjoy watching that defense even more than the offense because when it is clicking it looks like they are reading each other's minds. That can only be learned through repetition. And it may be the biggest reason Geno is leaning to starting Dangerfield to start the season but in time I expect that reason to disappear.

 

[pinotbear]

I noticed that too.....with a song in my heart.

She is, however, a thoroughbred...

 

[huskeynut]

Whether Z starts or not is not the issue. She will get her minutes and she will get her points and rebounds.

Geno is doing what Geno does best - a zinger here and a zinger there. He's pushing the buttons to get Z to push herself to the levels she didn't think she could reach. We have seen this time and time again.

Z is going to be a nightmare for opponents and her defense will surprise people.

 

[Go/huskies]

I don't think we really know what kind of singer she is yet, do we? [just joking: cantor]

Lol, how about Z ain't no post.

 

[Charliebball]

I don't think Z has to worry................there aren't that many players in college wbb that can score 20 points plus even if you left them wide open.....................

 

[caramel]

I remember Geno giving a few zingers to another tall girl in the post,by the name of Tina Charles,and she seemed to turn out okay.

 

[cbraarj]

Geno's comment is now on 2 different threads, but can anyone be seriously concerned here? Sure, Z may not be agile enough to cover anyone except a 5. And at the 5 she may not be physical enough So, yes, there might be easy baskets underneath. A'ja will, indeed, get her 25, but no one else will. And, if any game is close, they throw a 2-1-2 or some kind of collapsing 1-2-2, with Z in the middle, and Gabby and Pheesa underneath, blocking everything. So long as Batouly or Kyla are adequate subs in case Gabby or Pheesa gets a few fouls, there is no concern on D here. Certainly not a perfect solution for a team that prides itself on being a shut down man-to-man defense, but this is such a small problem. Geno must stay up late at night wondering how he's going to sound like a worried little old Italian guy at the next day's presser....

Aja hasnt broken 20 yet against Connecticut! Gabby was the best player on the floor last year!

 

[OldAlum]

She is, however, a thoroughbred...

Ack! That is a Pinto, not a thoroughbred!

 

[Zorro]

I think he is implying that Azura couldn't guard a chair.