Geno on DeBerry

[genzhusk]

Well if he thinks that and Ive been told by coaches she has very good footwork just wait til you see Ciera Toomey who I hope we get a verbal from. BTW Stewie is her idol.

That’s so cool! Stewie is her idol. Just curious, is there an interview or source of her saying that? I really hope she commits to UConn!

 

[Papa33]

Then shouldn’t she be getting more court time?
I mean, what the...?

IMO, the better the coach and program, the less they pay attention to any amateur guru rankings. The top 25 programs know what they're seeing with their eyes, that's why they travel to AAU tourneys, HS games, open gyms etc. to see the kids in person. They also have trusted contacts around the country they communicate with. Often two or more coaches on a staff scout the kids separately, often more than a couple times and compare notes and weigh plusses and minuses to project what they think the kid can become for them through development. You can't teach 6-5 but the better coaches believe they can develop it. The UConn staff obviously feels she's worth the investment. Most of those top 25 teams would have wanted/taken her if she'd had interest in them. But since their job depends on it, most competent coaches trust their eyes and not some guy with a laptop trying to sell subscriptions to a website or podcast. Of course smaller programs with smaller recruiting budgets will rely on the services somewhat for identifying under the radar kids that the bigger programs might not have as much interest in, but they try to see the kids up close also if possible.
As for blowing smoke, the flowery, colorful descriptions are nothing more than that. Just hype for fans.

This is one of the most measured and informed analyses that I have seen of the whole business (and I mean that literally) of making $$ from rating and pushing pre-college women's basketball talent. Too often the gushing praise seems exaggerted, and too often it consists of snippets (10-20 seconds!) of successful shooting or driving or . . . you fill in the blanks. If those adverts really revealed real talent Geno and Chris and other college coaches wouldn't invest so much travel and time to see candidates and make in-person evaluations themselves. I certainly trust our Uconn staff's assessments more than the listing of statistics (with no sense of the opposition's worthiness) or those brief snippets.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Geno didn't compare DeBerry to Stewie; he really compared her to the UConn post (or big) players who've played since Stewie graduated.

DeBerry as a freshman is nowhere close to Stewie as a freshman. That doesn't mean she isn't skilled or shouldn't get more minutes.

Yes he did absolutely compare Amari to Stewart. ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco interviewed him before the game, and Ruocco quoted Geno during the game at the 8:58 mark in the 2nd quarter.

 

[JoePgh]

I disagree with Geno on this one. The most basketball skilled UCONN big since Stewie graduated has been Azura Stevens.

I think Geno was talking about position skills in the post. Azura had been a big guard at Duke, and she apparently wanted to continue that at UConn. She also didn't like to move quickly on defense, probably because she had played the high middle in Duke's zone defense.

She didn’t have a lot of inside skills on either side of the ball, and she didn't seem too enthused about having to develop them in Storrs. I think that may have contributed to her early departure, although I also think it was a mistake not to have her in the starting lineup during the one year that she played for UConn.

If that is true, then it's ironic that she now makes her living in the 5 slot for the Chicago Sky.

 

[Papa33]

I think Geno was talking about position skills in the post. Azura had been a big guard at Duke, and she apparently wanted to continue that at UConn. She also didn't like to move quickly on defense, probably because she had played the high middle in Duke's zone defense.

She didn’t have a lot of inside skills on either side of the ball, and she didn't seem too enthused about having to develop them in Storrs. I think that may have contributed to her early departure, although I also think it was a mistake not to have her in the starting lineup during the one year that she played for UConn.

If that is true, then it's ironic that she now makes her living in the 5 slot for the Chicago Sky.

Ditto.

 

[oldude]

I think Geno was talking about position skills in the post. Azura had been a big guard at Duke, and she apparently wanted to continue that at UConn. She also didn't like to move quickly on defense, probably because she had played the high middle in Duke's zone defense.

She didn’t have a lot of inside skills on either side of the ball, and she didn't seem too enthused about having to develop them in Storrs. I think that may have contributed to her early departure, although I also think it was a mistake not to have her in the starting lineup during the one year that she played for UConn.

If that is true, then it's ironic that she now makes her living in the 5 slot for the Chicago Sky.

Just out of curiosity, if you start Z, which of your three 1st-team AA’s do you put on the bench at the start of games?

 

[UConnCat]

the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart”.Yes he did absolutely compare Amari to Stewart. ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco interviewed him before the game, and Ruocco quoted Geno during the game at the 8:58 mark in the 2nd quarter.

Yes, the quote appears above: "the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart”. He used the word "since," meaning between then and now. It's a time reference, not a direct comparison between the two players.

He did not say DeBerry is as good as Stewie, or nearly as good as Stewie, or anything like that because to say something like that would be crazy.

 

[Rb335]

Then shouldn’t she be getting more court time?
I mean, what the...?

My interpretation is that she's a player with good height, good hands, a good shooting touch and good footwork. But coming into the preseason, she was not where she needed to be with respect to conditioning. If you watch her out there, she's on the slower side. I think she's a player who will have a big impact, but the jump to college basketball intensity will take some time. I'm glad she's getting minutes now, because I think it will pay dividends for the future.

 

[jazz]

AD is probably making the rest of the bigs better in practice as well. she is demanding more playing time with her play. would love to see what she could do with 30 minutes.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Yes, the quote appears above: "the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart”. He used the word "since," meaning between then and now. It's a time reference, not a direct comparison between the two players.

He did not say DeBerry is as good as Stewie, or nearly as good as Stewie, or anything like that because to say something like that would be crazy.

He said the best SINCE Stewart, meaning in his estimation no one else since Stewart has had better pure skills than DeBerry. I might add that Rebecca agreed when Ruocco quoted him on the air.

 

[DefenseBB]

The good news is that DeBerry has good skills and court awareness. She understands where to go and what to do when she gets there. The not so good news is that her skills and legs/feet are in slow motion and the college game is too quick for her right now. She’s two seconds behind at both ends. She doesn’t have a lot of natural speed or quickness so she’ll need to learn to play faster with better anticipation but under control to be a impact player. Maybe she can get there, we’ll see.

I completely disagree with your entire post. Either you really didn’t watch her during her 13 minutes or you are confused who she is. She’s faster that Dorka and Liv running the floor, on offense her foot work is fine and her hands are softer than Dorka’s or Liv’s. Where she’s struggling is on the man to man defense and when to switch or how to watch the backside. Hence Geno going to zone yesterday when she was inserted into the game. She’s only going to learn that defensive logic by playing more in game speed situations.
To say her foot work and speed are slow or she’s 2 seconds behind is simply not true on the offensive end. She can and will help this team this year.

 

[DEpup]

Yeah best skilled big since Stewie but has only played a grand total of 13 minutes? Can you imagine Stewie only playing 13 minutes through game 8 of her freshman season?

I think her health and conditioning has been a factor..

 

[JordyG]

Playing her in tight games puts a burden on her she’s not ready for. Giving her limited minutes against various opponents is a way to ease her in to the rotation without overloading her with expectation that she has to be great right away

Just so correct. When Amari hit campus has everyone forgotten that Geno said she was battling injuries and conditioning problems? Has everyone forgotten that when asked during Media Day CW said of Amari "She has some work to do". The kids been playing catch up ever since. Why expose her to situations and high game minutes when she isn't quite ready? On and on posters complain saying "I don't get it". It's people with short and selective memories I don't get.

 

[UConnCat]

He said the best SINCE Stewart, meaning in his estimation no one else since Stewart has had better pure skills than DeBerry. I might add that Rebecca agreed when Ruocco quoted him on the air.

Well, yes. That's what we are saying here! He did not compare DeBerry to Stewart but rather to the bigs who have played after Stewart graduated.

 

[donalddoowop]

Yes, I can. She struggled in your freshman season, if I recall correctly. Yet somehow she was ready to be the MVP of the final four. I don’t know, and I’m just spitballin’ here, maybe Geno knows a thing or two about how to develop a player?

Stewie played more than 13 minutes thru eight games when she was a freshman. That was the question. She struggled after she started out playing really well.

 

[CocoHusky]

I think Geno was talking about position skills in the post. Azura had been a big guard at Duke, and she apparently wanted to continue that at UConn. She also didn't like to move quickly on defense, probably because she had played the high middle in Duke's zone defense.
She didn’t have a lot of inside skills on either side of the ball, and she didn't seem too enthused about having to develop them in Storrs. I think that may have contributed to her early departure, although I also think it was a mistake not to have her in the starting lineup during the one year that she played for UConn. If that is true, then it's ironic that she now makes her living in the 5 slot for the Chicago Sky.

Geno said "the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart'. Geno didn't mention anything about "position" or inside outside. I'm also not sure what Azura's time at Duke or her WNBA current situation has to do with this but she was not a guard at Duke. At UCONN she was listed on the official roster as a forward/guard & played the PF/C position with great skill. Azura's skills produced one of the most productive seasons (defensive & offensive) in UCONN WBB history. We can continue to speculate why she left early but let's not let that speculation cloud our judgement as to her skill level which was enormous.

 

[oldude]

I completely disagree with your entire post. Either you really didn’t watch her during her 13 minutes or you are confused who she is. She’s faster that Dorka and Liv running the floor, on offense her foot work is fine and her hands are softer than Dorka’s or Liv’s. Where she’s struggling is on the man to man defense and when to switch or how to watch the backside. Hence Geno going to zone yesterday when she was inserted into the game. She’s only going to learn that defensive logic by playing more in game speed situations.
To say her foot work and speed are slow or she’s 2 seconds behind is simply not true on the offensive end. She can and will help this team this year.

I tried to make your point earlier, and maybe I can say it in a different way that will sound strange. Amari has learned how to run since this summer. When I watched her in the U19’s she took tiny little strides, like she was scared she might step on a butterfly.

Well a big doesn’t need to move their feet any quicker to run faster. They simply need to learn how to use the gift they were born with and maximize every stride. Amari now pumps her arms and uses every inch of her long legs to power up and down the court.

 

[tower1]

That’s it Geno, keep building up the players!! It goes a long way.

Really then why the hell does't he put her in for Edwards, the way Edwards hs been playing !

 

[HuskyNan]

Really then why the hell does't he put her in for Edwards, the way Edwards hs been playing !

He’s trying to help her play through her slump.

Man, half the board thinks Geno leaves someone in too long, the other half accuses him of being too quick to pull someone out

 

[DEpup]

I disagree with Geno on this one. The most basketball skilled UCONN big since Stewie graduated has been Azura Stevens.

I have to differ. She didn't have post moves at UConn... Azure has developed them as a pro though. This is why I wished she had stayed another year at UConn to develop some post moves.

 

[BobbyJ]

I have to differ. She didn't have post moves at UConn... Azure has developed them as a pro though. This is why I wished she had stayed another year at UConn to develop some post moves.

I don't believe she was ever going to change or develop her inside game at UConn because she didn't have to. She knew she'd play regardless. She managed to find that motivation when her job depended on it.

 

[oldude]

I don't believe she was ever going to change or develop her inside game at UConn because she didn't have to. She knew she'd play regardless. She managed to find that motivation when her job depended on it.

UConn also had the best low post scorer in the nation in Pheesa. Unfortunately, when Z went through a prolonged shooting slump from the arc at UConn, trying to play both Pheesa & Z at the same time proved to be problematic for UConn.

 

[Tonyc]

That’s so cool! Stewie is her idol. Just curious, is there an interview or source of her saying that? I really hope she commits to UConn!

I saw

 

[CocoHusky]

I have to differ. She didn't have post moves at UConn... Azure has developed them as a pro though. This is why I wished she had stayed another year at UConn to develop some post moves.

Geno didn't say anything about "post moves". Even so who do you think had better post moves than Azura "since Stewie"?

 

[JoePgh]

Just out of curiosity, if you start Z, which of your three 1st-team AA’s do you put on the bench at the start of games?

Well, that is a tough question, because the starters that year (2017-18) were Crystal, Kia, Gabby, Lou, and Pheesa. It's pretty hard to put any of them on the bench.

Nonetheless, although that team went 36-1 (losing only to Notre Dame in the Final Four on Arike's famous shot), I think it did lack a big presence in the lane, and rebounding was a problem. So maybe it would have been better to let Kia handle the point and leave sophomore Crystal on the bench, or alternatively let Gabby be the 6th person behind a front court of Azura, Lou, and Pheesa. That means that Pheesa and Z would have had to find a way to play together, and/or Kia (as a senior) would have had to learn to handle the PG position.

But there are many Boneyarders (including myself) who think that if Z had started the second half against Notre Dame (or had started the game), UConn would have won. So maybe, with 20-20 hindsight, a different decision should have been made.

I think that is one of the toughest decisions that Geno has had to make since 2016, and I suppose that's why he is paid the big bucks.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I have to admit that I saw Deberry twice in high school and she looked average at best both times. I believe she was a sophomore at the time but I could be wrong. I didn’t expect anything from her this year because of those times I watched her and her tapes that I’ve seen since. But the preseason game she got a little time, she carried herself totally differently. She looked like she could actually play if given the chance to learn through her errors. This week her games were not at all what I’ve seen from her in the past but more of the impression I got from her movement in the preseason game. Just looks NOTHING like the person I saw play. She does look like she can contribute now.

Losing the weight really helped her quickness a lot. I think she may be better offensively than defensively as strength may be an issue defensively. She does hustle well though and her head is in the game. She's actually of decent quickness overall for a big. I agree with your assessment of her in high school. She has clearly improved a lot.

 

[oldude]

Well, that is a tough question, because the starters that year (2017-18) were Crystal, Kia, Gabby, Lou, and Pheesa. It's pretty hard to put any of them on the bench.

Nonetheless, although that team went 36-1 (losing only to Notre Dame in the Final Four on Arike's famous shot), I think it did lack a big presence in the lane, and rebounding was a problem. So maybe it would have been better to let Kia handle the point and leave sophomore Crystal on the bench, or alternatively let Gabby be the 6th person behind a front court of Azura, Lou, and Pheesa. That means that Pheesa and Z would have had to find a way to play together, and/or Kia (as a senior) would have had to learn to handle the PG position.

But there are many Boneyarders (including myself) who think that if Z had started the second half against Notre Dame (or had started the game), UConn would have won. So maybe, with 20-20 hindsight, a different decision should have been made.

I think that is one of the toughest decisions that Geno has had to make since 2016, and I suppose that's why he is paid the big bucks.

Hard to sit your pg. When Crystal missed several games due to shin splints, Kia moved over to pg and the offense struggled. Fortunately, that was in the middle of the AAC season.

As for Kia, she was named the NDPOY that season. Sit Gabby? If it came down to Z or Gabby, there’s no question in my mind who I prefer on the court.

 

[Nolefan]

So South Carolina plays 12 players today , when has Geno done that against a ranked team in a close game ? Just my 2 cents I rather beat lesser teams by 10 and let bench players get valuable playing time versus winning by 30 and playing starters 95% of the game . Our starters are spent by the 4th quarter ..correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we have the lead in every game after 3 quarters this season ?

 

[oldude]

So South Carolina plays 12 players today , when has Geno done that against a ranked team in a close game ? Just my 2 cents I rather beat lesser teams by 10 and let bench players get valuable playing time versus winning by 30 and playing starters 95% of the game . Our starters are spent by the 4th quarter ..correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we have the lead in every game after 3 quarters this season ?

You may want to check the box score. SC only played 10 players in today’s game.

 

[Stymie]

And, she will be

At this point, I can’t go that far.
But figure 2 bigs=80 game minutes right off the bat.
Split up between 4 players ( not equally), still a lot of opportunity to give Amari floor time.
At this point (IMHO), Liv and Dorka get the lions share, Aayliah first off the bench for breaks or in case of foul trouble.
Then Amari.
Liv still gets into foul trouble, as does Dorka, as does Aayliah given enough minutes.
Coach recently had a conversation with a Dorka—where she’d like to be on the floor in the offense- it seems to have worked out famously thus far.
How about a conversation with Amari?
Coach-“I need hard, smart court time from you. The smarter you play (no, few fouls), the more time I will be able to use you.”
Amari-“Whatever it takes”.
Sounds like a fair bargain to me.
1-2 fouls in 12 minutes= more court time
2-3 fouls in in 12 minutes=back to insurance policy for other players situations.
Above just a concept, loosely laid out.
Fresh legs.
Foul trouble spread out.
Playing time spread out.
Team wins.
Young player developed.
Of course -just spitballing.