Geno has a Good Problem

[Doctor G]

It hurts to say it, but I think it might be time for Morgan to decide to take the season off from competition. AFAIK, she hasn’t been able to do full practices, so it might take her some time to get fully into the rotation. Best to fully heal, practice as much as possible, watch and absorb from the coaches and teammates when not able to go full bore, and commit to 2026-27.

Seems logical at this point and yet I get the feeling she is gonna give it a shot this year, if she can.

 

[Bone Dog]

Olivia does look to be an instant starter/big minutes player but even so, I think we will finally see Jana getting consistent solid minutes next year as, with Serah gone, she will be the most experienced big on the roster. I realize some here have essentially given up on her (and I’m not saying she doesn’t have work to do) but I am still convinced she will be, at the very least, a solid player for us. I just think she (and Ice as well) have been held back by circumstances beyond their control (injuries, style of play, the current state of the game etc).

Mind you, I still think Jana may force her way into more minutes this season but if that does not happen, I believe it will next season for sure. She and Ice are such a great young women and I hope and pray that they both can finally put all the injury hangovers, roster changes, and self confidence issues behind them and have their respective days in the sun! They certainly deserve it, not at the expense of others, but because they are both wonderful people that should have good things happen to them!

I'd like to see Jana get more playing time. But her conditioning and skills development aren't the only factors that will determine this. As we all know, Geno has been emphasizing 'small' ball, and there isn't really a dominant role for any of the traditional bigs (Serah, Jana, Ice, Gandy) in the main version in a small, quick lineup. And with the advent of Blanca, Geno's interest in this lineup will continue to grow.

Serah plays an important role in the starting lineup, mainly in the first half. She is getting better at scoring, but is also a reliable rim protector who discourages quick guards from trying to blow by the perimeter defenders into the paint. This is part of how our defense chokes of opposing teams. In the second half, we've seen Jana and occasionally Ayanna play this role. This is the slot Ice will compete for as well. In the small lineup, Sarah and Blanca can play this role as long as they don't get tired out or rack up fouls.

What I see in all of this is that there's a role for the traditional bigs in Geno's game planning. But the minutes they get will be limited.

What about next season, after Serah moves on and Olivia arrives? I can imagine Jana and Olivia competing for these minutes, and Jana may earn first half priority. If Ice stays, and Ayanna completes her rehab, then we'll have a solid 4 bigs to compete for minutes, and Gandy perhaps developing into a 5th competitor for minutes. That's a lot of post depth.

 

[browns]

Watching Texas play against UCLA an SC I was impressed..They are a big team with depth and have 2 superstars in Booker and Harmon who is playing like she did 2 years ago before her injury ...add in the tough defense Vic's teams always play and they could be a tough opponent

 

[Basingstoke]

Maybe we see the jumbo front court next year on occasion: Jana at the 5, Big O at the 4 and Sarah at the 3...

 

[Skeets]

Nah. It is going to take the Big O at least a year to get up to speed playing inside UConn schemes against college opponents. This ain't high school, AAU or FIBA U18. As has been said numerous times over the years, UConn bigs require more time to develop than guards/wings. Jana is a great example of the necessary development timeline.

This is correct more often than it's wrong, but it's not 100% correct. Every once in a while a kid comes in ready to play. Who is to say if the Big O could be that kid.

 

[oldhusky]

Maybe we see the jumbo front court next year on occasion: Jana at the 5, Big O at the 4 and Sarah at the 3...

The key to that possibility is Jana. Sarah being a great potential 3 I consider a given. The big O being very good as a 4 is quite probable. Jana being a good 5 at least by Uconn standards is more of a hope at this point. The backup 5 spot with 10 or more minutes per game was pretty much hers to lose.

The fact that Geno has preferred the small ball option to giving Jana consistent backup minutes puts pressure on the Big O to be starter ready at the 5 next year. Last year we had the less than ideal situation of needing two freshmen to start at the 4 and 5. One completely exceeded expectations, even for the #1 recruit, and the other was just OK but still had to start because we didn't have any better options.

Projecting some improvement this year and next, the idea that Jana could be a real asset as a starter by her junior year was pretty reasonable. We all saw significant potential, but also shaky decision making and a lot of rough edges to smooth out. Those are frequently players that do show major improvements over time, but early in this season it hasn't happened yet, raising the question of if Jana will ever have a major role on this team. What was at least for me an expectation has turned into a question mark.

If Jana was much improved we could have seen the jumbo front court some this year. I feel like Serah could easily be a good 4, sliding Sarah to the 3. The holdup on that potential big lineup was Jana at the 5, not the other two sliding down one spot. The season is still pretty young, and yes we have good small ball options. but I hope Jana raises her game to a reliable very good backup 5 that gets regular minutes, and at least gives Geno the option on occasion to consider a true big lineup for certain matchups.

 

[BBallF]

Don't kid yourselves, we won the NC last year led by our defense and our defense this year is even better. It's true that SC, Texas and UCLA are better all around as teams also but after watching our defense up close, I don't recall a better defensive women's team ever and it is only December. He hasn't even fine tuned it yet. Jeez.

 

[Bald Husky]

We need Jana to get more playing time. With Ice out, we really don't have a reliable back up for Serah. If Serah gets in foul trouble I don't think we want to have Sarah mix it up in the paint with a good team with size. Way back when Tina was in trouble in a tournament game Mya was used at center. What a disaster. Betts, Beers, and anyone SC can throw at us will be upcoming and we need a presence in the paint besides Serah. If Ice doesn't come back we will need Jana, so any court time for her will certainly be needed for experience. I know Serah is taking more time than expected to get with the program, but she will need help, and Jana can give her that.

 

[Vancat]

Jana

 

[Linart]

I love Jana, but two things about her make me want to pull my hair out: her tendency to miss bunnies and her ability to rack up fouls in rapid succession.

 

[hookshot]

Maybe we see the jumbo front court next year on occasion: Jana at the 5, Big O at the 4 and Sarah at the 3...

And can monitor how it works out on the 'Jumbotron'

 

[Husky fanatic]

I love Jana, but two things about her make me want to pull my hair out: her tendency to miss bunnies and her ability to rack up fouls in rapid succession.

Add poor free throw shooting, stop with the moving picks, and leaving your feet attempting to block. If she isn’t yanked in the first few minutes she tends to better. So much potential!

 

[Centerstream]

I agree with all of you about Jana and I have/will not give up on her or Ice or Ayanna. Like I already posted, if all goes according to chalk, Geno has until April to get these three guys ready for our biggest challenges.

 

[freshler40]

I think the major " sleeper," for the moment, is Kelis Fisher. She is not that far away from becoming a reliable contributor.

In total agreement with "sleeper" Kelis. Love her aggressiveness and ability to get anywhere on the floor. She also has a strong nose to score. Our depth at the two guard spots is amazing, key positions to a great successful season.

 

[Longtime fan]

The key to that possibility is Jana. Sarah being a great potential 3 I consider a given. The big O being very good as a 4 is quite probable. Jana being a good 5 at least by Uconn standards is more of a hope at this point. The backup 5 spot with 10 or more minutes per game was pretty much hers to lose.

The fact that Geno has preferred the small ball option to giving Jana consistent backup minutes puts pressure on the Big O to be starter ready at the 5 next year. Last year we had the less than ideal situation of needing two freshmen to start at the 4 and 5. One completely exceeded expectations, even for the #1 recruit, and the other was just OK but still had to start because we didn't have any better options.

Projecting some improvement this year and next, the idea that Jana could be a real asset as a starter by her junior year was pretty reasonable. We all saw significant potential, but also shaky decision making and a lot of rough edges to smooth out. Those are frequently players that do show major improvements over time, but early in this season it hasn't happened yet, raising the question of if Jana will ever have a major role on this team. What was at least for me an expectation has turned into a question mark.

If Jana was much improved we could have seen the jumbo front court some this year. I feel like Serah could easily be a good 4, sliding Sarah to the 3. The holdup on that potential big lineup was Jana at the 5, not the other two sliding down one spot. The season is still pretty young, and yes we have good small ball options. but I hope Jana raises her game to a reliable very good backup 5 that gets regular minutes, and at least gives Geno the option on occasion to consider a true big lineup for certain matchups.

Does anyone think Gandy ( the Irish player ) has a chance to be good? One hear's little about her skill set other than "she has a long way to go." But are people impressed with her speed, her moves, her ball handling ability? I assume she is here because the coaches feel she has talent, rather than simply because she is large. But I hear nothing and we don't get to see much.

 

[BRS24]

Does anyone think Gandy ( the Irish player ) has a chance to be good? One hear's little about her skill set other than "she has a long way to go." But are people impressed with her speed, her moves, her ball handling ability? I assume she is here because the coaches feel she has talent, rather than simply because she is large. But I hear nothing and we don't get to see much.

Gandy hasn't been playing hoop for half as long as other players. For example, compare her experience and trajectory to Vukosa and you'll see a gap. As a big, she may be considered a "project", however if Bob Hurley Sr was working with her in NJ and Geno made her an offer, I'm guessing that there's something he sees in her that may not come out this year or next, but it's coming.

 

[DemonDeac22]

I agree with all of you about Jana and I for have/will not give up on her or Ice or Ayanna. Like I already posted, if all goes according to chalk, Geno has until April to get these three guys ready for our biggest challenges.

Based on track record I think Ice iwill be a needed asset down the stretch.

Jana can be reliable once she becomes more consistent game to game by cleaning up the moving picks and making those bunnies. She has almost 3 months to work it out.

 

[WiseWillie]

Maybe we see the jumbo front court next year on occasion: Jana at the 5, Big O at the 4 and Sarah at the 3...

We have spent a lot of time discussing the front court "problem" probably because there is unlike many years a wealth of front court players. My question is at the guard level. Who do you see taking over Azzi's role when she departs for the W? I have my thoughts. What's yours?

 

[YKCornelius]

I think more than a few Boneyarders on this thread are looking at the Jana situation and drawing erroneous conclusions. Specifically, that Jana is either regressing from where she was last year, or that she is not progressing fast enough per their expectations. They are using the fact that she has lost her starting spot as a redshirt freshman last year to a two-time All-Big Ten senior this year, and then pointing to her reduction in minutes as validation of their perceptions.

The reality is that we are just eight games into this season, and Geno and staff are having to make starting/rotation decisions based on having (at least) four very talented new players growing/developing/integrating with 6-8 returning national champions. Not only is the development and integration a factor of the number of rotational schemes Geno has put on the floor inside a constraint of 200 total minutes per game (which itself is a reflection of the wonderful luxury of now having 13 healthy, exceptional players) but it is also affected by the quality and styles of the opponents thus far. There is a LOT of development and integration that is ahead of this very talented team.

I recommend that Boneyarders think twice about applying previous paradigms about what Geno is thinking/doing in regards to individual player development at this point in the season. I believe, for all intents and purposes, this current team poses a new dynamic for Geno and the staff to wrestle with. Said differently, looking to the models/lessons of yesteryear's team rotations and integration of so many top players can only go so far. That applies to us fans as well.

Perhaps you are of the opinion - from what you have seen from ~80 minutes of game action thus far - that Jana has regressed. Or perhaps your eyeballs are telling you she will never be on the HoH wall which is contrary your hope at the start of the 2023-24 seaon. To both thoughts I say, chill out! Give it time.

I invite folks to go ahead and play a game of "what if". If Jana was to get just another five minutes of playing time per game, which player(s) would/should that be coming from? And however you choose to answer that question, how would the other player(s) reduction in minutes affect the rotational integration that Geno and staff are trying to achieve? What should be the priority at this point in the season - more emphasis on developing Jana, or more emphasis on jelling rotational combinations? The same question for folks who are thinking "(insert your targeted layer) needs more minutes".

The Queen of the Nile is an NCAA Champion. She was a starter the latter half of last season and throughout the NCAA tournament blitzkrieg. She played in all 40 games last year and all eight so far this season.

It is a long season. Jana has a lot of learning ahead of her as she adjusts to her new role as a non-starter, and integrates with a lot of new rotations. She will be fine.

 

[The Deuce]

Well, it has become very obvious to me who our top 8-10 players are for now. With that said we have a bunch of others who could be in that 8-10 but due to many things theyre not. There is only so much playtime and only so many minutes to go around. Thats how good and talented we are. We saw late in the game Geno bringing in those other players giving them time and getting them experience. The needs of the team at this point are developing chemistry and getting those 8-10 players use to playing together as well as bringing everybody else along.

Ice and Morgan are injured and very well may be out this season. Yana Kelis Gandy and Caroline are seeing minutes after our 8-10 players. That could change but for right now Yana and Caroline are coming back from injuries, Kelis is inexperienced and looking great and Gandy is not ready.

Bottom line is we are loaded with talent. We are far better than any team Ive seen so far. As good as Texas played against UCLA and SC all 3 of those teams will get better.............and so will UConn. Azzi Sarah and Blanca exceed expectations and UConns defense is overwhelming. No other team has 3 players or a defense that compare imo. UConns depth makes them even tuffer.

You can debate that this team is better than last year. They have more depth, much more balance. We are beginning to see players getting better and the team chemistry developing. Serah and Jana have improved, and as they continue to get better, their presence will change how defenses play against us. We are explosive on both sides of the ball. On defense we have players that make plays that surprise me. Our defense gets into opponents heads. This is why we are blowing out teams. Its hard to execute offense when you have to be concerned about your opponents derenz We saw last season in the NCAAs what are defense did to top teams. Well our defense has gotten better and has more depth. Now thats scary...scary good.

Looking ahead to next season we bring back a healthy Morgan a healthy Ice a healthy Yana along with the Big O and Popovic. We are still loaded and deep. Geno has a good problem and he's handling it as well as he can.

This year's team is deeper. It's not better. You can't lose a player like Bueckers and be better.

 

[Inthepaint]

The key to that possibility is Jana. Sarah being a great potential 3 I consider a given. The big O being very good as a 4 is quite probable. Jana being a good 5 at least by Uconn standards is more of a hope at this point. The backup 5 spot with 10 or more minutes per game was pretty much hers to lose.

The fact that Geno has preferred the small ball option to giving Jana consistent backup minutes puts pressure on the Big O to be starter ready at the 5 next year. Last year we had the less than ideal situation of needing two freshmen to start at the 4 and 5. One completely exceeded expectations, even for the #1 recruit, and the other was just OK but still had to start because we didn't have any better options.

Projecting some improvement this year and next, the idea that Jana could be a real asset as a starter by her junior year was pretty reasonable. We all saw significant potential, but also shaky decision making and a lot of rough edges to smooth out. Those are frequently players that do show major improvements over time, but early in this season it hasn't happened yet, raising the question of if Jana will ever have a major role on this team. What was at least for me an expectation has turned into a question mark.

If Jana was much improved we could have seen the jumbo front court some this year. I feel like Serah could easily be a good 4, sliding Sarah to the 3. The holdup on that potential big lineup was Jana at the 5, not the other two sliding down one spot. The season is still pretty young, and yes we have good small ball options. but I hope Jana raises her game to a reliable very good backup 5 that gets regular minutes, and at least gives Geno the option on occasion to consider a true big lineup for certain matchups.

 

[Bone Dog]

This year's team is deeper. It's not better. You can't lose a player like Bueckers and be better.

Actually, yes you can. It depends on who else you add, and Geno has added a lot. Obviously, we’re talking about potential here, and no one should compare this team in December to last season’s team in March. That would be foolish. But compared to last season’s team in December, this one looks pretty durn good.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Don't kid yourselves, we won the NC last year led by our defense and our defense this year is even better. It's true that SC, Texas and UCLA are better all around as teams also but after watching our defense up close, I don't recall a better defensive women's team ever and it is only December. He hasn't even fine tuned it yet. Jeez.

I applaud your enthusiasm, but best ever ? Did you not watch the Michigan game ? There was enough defensive lapses to keep the game much closer than it should have been.

 

[BBallF]

I applaud your enthusiasm, but best ever ? Did you not watch the Michigan game ? There was enough defensive lapses to keep the game much closer than it should have been.

Yes the Michigan game was an outlier but they were also unconscious from the 3 and we definitely relaxed in the second half. There was a bit of a relapse against USF also. I am looking at this team now and projecting how much better defensively they will get by March. Will it turn out that way? We shall see.

This is the first year in a long time where we have such extensive defensive depth combined with height and power. I just don’t remember a better defensive team this time of year.

 

[Bone Dog]

I applaud your enthusiasm, but best ever ? Did you not watch the Michigan game ? There was enough defensive lapses to keep the game much closer than it should have been.

There were lapses last November and December as well. I don’t know about “best ever,” but there’s plenty of room for optimism. Besides, it’s the lapses where development happens. By March, picture this team with the same 40 minute focus and intensity as last season.