Geno on Amari

[Alydar]

maybe I did not express my thoughts well, I was not saying SC was a better team than UConn this year or last year, I was trying to say SC provides more game time for her talented bench players than UConn does. Some coaches stress playing time for a group of players because they feel team chemistry is enhanced if a limited number of players get most of the game time, I agree player to player chemistry is enhanced by actual game time but player development suffers for any player not included in the game group. The lack of playing time is certainly a reason for very talented players transferring thus affecting the performance of future teams. Lack of game ready reserves is especially critical with illness or injuries. From the games that I have watched it appears to me SC really makes an effort to provide game time for it reserves, some times it is difficult to know which of SC players are starters and which are reserves because the reserves see playing time during critical close games. As for the top team this year, from what I have seen, I believe SC and Stanford are most likely to be N.C.

Against MD SCar played 6 players. Four others totalled 17 minutes, or 4 minutes each.
Dawn used 6 players against Stanford in the title game last year. What happened to all those bench players?

There is a meme that UConn plays their starters all the time while other coaches play 9 or 10 and that's just not true. While Dawn uses her bench a lot against the bottom feeders in the SEC, if you look at the big games you see that like most top teams, the bench shortens extensively.

Question: Are all these coaches playing 9 or 10 as a strategy or did they promise minutes as a recruiting tactic?

 

[hoophuskee]

maybe I did not express my thoughts well, I was not saying SC was a better team than UConn this year or last year, I was trying to say SC provides more game time for her talented bench players than UConn does. Some coaches stress playing time for a group of players because they feel team chemistry is enhanced if a limited number of players get most of the game time, I agree player to player chemistry is enhanced by actual game time but player development suffers for any player not included in the game group. The lack of playing time is certainly a reason for very talented players transferring thus affecting the performance of future teams. Lack of game ready reserves is especially critical with illness or injuries. From the games that I have watched it appears to me SC really makes an effort to provide game time for it reserves, some times it is difficult to know which of SC players are starters and which are reserves because the reserves see playing time during critical close games. As for the top team this year, from what I have seen, I believe SC and Stanford are most likely to be N.C.

Like your post. Thanks!!

I just want to say though I'd be interested to see when Dawn gets three number 1 ranked recruits (Paige, CWill, Azzi) and a number 2 ranked recruit (Evina) in which they can be stretched to play 1-4 positions, how many minutes she would be sharing with other players while taking away form these 4 vs what Geno does?

And low post players tend to need more rest.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Amari, like Liv early on, is still a work in progress. I’m confident that she’ll eventually become a solid contributor just like Liv did, but her ceiling might be even higher.

Liv's numbers haven't changed at all in four years.

 

[darrell]

Liv's numbers haven't changed at all in four years.

Her jump from her first year to second year is what I’m referencing. Since then (to now), she’s become a much better defender, increased her FG% & FT%, assist #s and her overall impact on this team is undeniable.

 

[HopJim]

Amari, like Liv early on, is still a work in progress. I’m confident that she’ll eventually become a solid contributor just like Liv did, but her ceiling might be even higher.

Agree that Amari will be a solid contributor but hard to compare her to ONO. Oliva is one of the top 5-6 shot blockers in UConn women's basketball history and while she has a tendency to swat down and foul on shots, she has been a strong defender, shot blocker, and rebounder since her frosh year. All we know so far about Amari is she has a nice (very nice) jump shot. Amari will find it difficult to gain minutes until she can prove she can do the dirty work as well as score.

 

[Jmsdawg]

Like your post. Thanks!!

I just want to say though I'd be interested to see when Dawn gets three number 1 ranked recruits (Paige, CWill, Azzi) and a number 2 ranked recruit (Evina) in which they can be stretched to play 1-4 positions, how many minutes she would be sharing with other players while taking away form these 4 vs what Geno does?

And low post players tend to need more rest.

Thanks for your reply. The one player I feel Dawn relies on too much is Zia Cooke, that is the player that, IMO, stays in the game when she obviously is having an off game And hurting the team. I can see Geno relying on Paige in tough times, she seems to come through in the clutch even during off games, but to me the SC player I would rely on is Boston.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Eric, you may have something here. You've heard Geno say many times that one thing they DON'T teach at UConn is EFFORT. Geno and staff had to know Amari wasn't a good practice player when they recruited her. They saw her play, and they no doubt talked to her HS and AAU coaches on several occasions. They had to see something in her that they wanted to coach and have her be part of their program.
I'm sure Amari didn't become a "less than enthusiastic" player in practice overnight. We'll see if things change between now and November. Lots of things can happen in 9 months.

Had to see something? I'm thinking that they saw a 6'5" player who can shoot 3's. Mystery solved.

 

[Charliebball]

I was thinking the same thing. I haven't seen enough of her to really make a fair assessment of her abilities. Like (FOX sports analyst and co-host of the morning sports TV talk show "Undisputed") Skip Bayless often says........."I need to see more." It's hard to form a take on a player when the only time you see her in in garbage time against other subs.

Players want to play. Many of us surmised that's why Mir and Saylor left. You know she wants to play, and does not like watching games from the bench. I'm sure she's fully aware of what it will take to get off the bench and in to more games. We'll see how bad she wants to play this winter. Who knows, perhaps she will have an epiphany or a wake up call of some kind between now than then. Perhaps of of the upperclassmen will pull her aside and "enlighten" her. Keep hope alive.

she certainly knows who's coming to town next season so she better be ready to roll or she'll be yanking out the same splinters again as a soph....

 

[Charliebball]

Thanks for your reply. The one player I feel Dawn relies on too much is Zia Cooke, that is the player that, IMO, stays in the game when she obviously is having an off game And hurting the team. I can see Geno relying on Paige in tough times, she seems to come through in the clutch even during off games, but to me the SC player I would rely on is Boston.

I don't think Dawn uses Boston down low nearly enough........,.,she's virtually unstoppable inside........she either makes the easy layup or gets fouled........ but Dawn has her playing outside in ONO land a good part of the time...........,I have a feeling if ONO had Boston's inside game Geno would wear her out in the paint ..........