Geno on Next Year's Roster - Interesting Comments RE: Liv

[DEpup]

I like the fact that Geno has so many options available. If the players live up to their potential, he could literally have two different teams to put on the floor. And, should their be injuries and I really dislike saying that, he will have other options to round out his roster including that new transfer, Dorka.

Doesn't even have to be an injury. Maybe someone is having a bad game and their head isn't in it. You can then substitute. They are still teenagers and just beyond, not machines.

 

[HuskyNan]

“Sometimes as a coach you have no control over that,” Auriemma said last week. “(Players) think coaches control your playing time. Actually, (players) do. I try to explain that to kids: Why wouldn't we want to play you? If you could help us, why wouldn't we want to play you? You think we like having six or seven guys? We'd like to have the ability to play nine — and then be deep enough to be in a decision where it’s, ‘That kid can really play but I don’t need her tonight.’ As opposed to, ‘I really need that kid but she can't play.’ That's the dilemma coaches find themselves in, not ‘I have too many good players and don't know who to play.' I hope that's the case. I hope they're all good as can be and I've got to make those decisions.”

This. I don’t know why some fans don’t see that.

 

[BostonCanuck]

Geno's comments re. Liv are right on point and exactly what I would have hoped for him to say. Two thumbs way up!

You give Liv a chance to come back later this year showing she has made progress in fixing some of the structural problems exhibited. But you don't count on it necessarily happening. And you certainly don't repeat what was done this past season, i.e. changing out certain systems that are in the best interest of the team in order to accommodate her (playing her primarily as a passer from the high post, for example).

Not sure what Liv's plans are for the future regarding the WNBA and such. but should she have the motivation and work ethic needed for a solid senior campaign, she'll get every opportunity to have one.

 

[MSGRET]

Can they televise the practice scrimmages, because I think they would be more intense than many of the games they will play next year.

 

[Charliebball]

I think Liv was most productive when she played aggressive for like 19-22 minutes. When she had to bang around in big games for 30+ minutes, the production went down. I think Dorka will allow the post players to be more aggressive in less minutes. Forwards and guards aren't the same. You never want your C to have to play 30+ minutes because that forces them to conserve energy/fouls and not play aggressively. The energy needed to fight for position is just greater than the running around guards do.

agreed.........being able to go all out and having another five fouls to give is going to be a wonderful thing for ONO and AE.....

 

[hardcorehusky]

Dorka is what they want at the Center position. Good low post play, the ability to play high post and space the court, good defense and solid rebounding. If ONO can't improve her strength and outside game, we have options. I think Dorka and AE will be an outstanding tandem.

 

[Centerstream]

I know it's not a true measuring stick but I just watched the Ohio State replay from last season. I was not very impressed with Dorka in that game. Her stats were nothing to shout about and at times it looked like Liv was playing for both teams (I really like and support Liv but this just didn't seem like a great Huskie game).
BUT what I hope is the big takeaway is that Dorka was playing against the Huskies!!!!

 

[Hayven]

I’m sorry but Geno is full of it. Remember when Z came to Storrs? Z is much better than Dorka, and look what happened with Z. She came off the bench because Geno was comfortable with his starting 5. I expect Liv to continue anchoring the defense down low, until Dorka can prove she can play the same defense.

 

[Stinger92860]

I don't necessarily perceive it that way. I think Geno knows Aaliyah is a big part of the future success of the program, and when he has the ability, he prefers to play two bigs. So she is now a starter in my book.

Our backcourt of Bueckers & Williams is a virtual lock. And Evina at the 3 seems like a lock.
I'd expect Aaliyah to be a at the 4, and Geno will likely go with Olivia at the 5. She knows the Uconn system far better than any of the alternatives.

But she will be on a very short leash. He has a talented transfer and a top 5 recruit ready to compete in the post. Also, has the ability to go small with some talented guards (Muhl & Fudd). In the past, he lacked the personnel to sub for players who were under performing. On paper, that shouldn't be an issue next year.

AE at the 5
Dorka at the 4
CW at the 3
EW at The 2

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Olivia is a good player... she has one thing working against her... she is a string bean and I do not know if she can do anything about that. People like that kind of annoy me because they will always be string beans.... She needs to bulk.... but not sure she can....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Hadn't seen it before. Good overview and of course he just complicated the picture more by accepting a transfer forward for next year!

And I really like the paragraph about deciding who to play and putting it back on the players - they make those choices, not the coaches.

I remember Gabby's reaction after being glued to the bench in the Stanford loss - she said in paraphrase 'I realized I hadn't given coach a reason to play me, and I never wanted that to be the case again.' She accepted the responsibility for the situation, and vowed to make changes in herself.

And how did that work out for Gabby? 2-time AA, NDPOY, high draft pick, 2 championships. Gabby was really a unique player, but I think Liv has it in her to improve. She could add strength, develop a hook shot, improve her moves, improve her jumper. She's obviously a good player, but we need a little more from the front court.

 

[bluedevil]

And how did that work out for Gabby? 2-time AA, NDPOY, high draft pick, 2 championships. Gabby was really a unique player, but I think Liv has it in her to improve. She could add strength, develop a hook shot, improve her moves, improver her jumper. She's obviously a good player, but we need a little more from the front court.

You are an army of one....

 

[rt bb fan]

I am sorry but Liv's shooting mechanic's have not changed in three years, Highly doubt they will change in her senior year. Her shot is like a cannon ball , no touch . Hard to change.

 

[BostonBay]

Liv is what she is at this point. Her moves are very mechanical, slow & predictable. Very prone to TOs because of her shooting mechanics. She has no physical toughness (partly due to body type). She's more comfortable throwing up long 2-pointers at the perimeter than fighting for rebounds. I doubt this will change in her last year.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Olivia is a good player... she has one thing working against her... she is a string bean and I do not know if she can do anything about that. People like that kind of annoy me because they will always be string beans.... She needs to bulk.... but not sure she can....

People who are genetically predisposed to be tall and slender annoy you?

 

[jdote33]

I like everything that Geno said about Paige. Hopefully not playing 40 minutes, she will be able to concentrate on her on-ball defense more when she's out there. Also, the fact that she needs to get stronger and be ready to be somewhat hunted this year is pretty on point. It's interesting as ppl say she's like a cross between DT and SB (no pressure). DT was super physical with good size from the guard position and could even post up (as a sophomore Geno called a post play with the game on the line). SB was quick and great off screens and using ball screens. And watching PB it really is a cross. She is almost as tall but not quite as strong as DT. She is pretty great with ball screens, but not super quick like SB. So, I'm hoping she gets stronger and can post up a little (5'6 guards shouldn't be able to defend her).

I think being deep is great but its always brings up the question of who is ur best five. Of course thats a super tough question April 12th but thats what I'm concerned about.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You are an army of one....

I'm optimistic about Liv. Geno told her what she needs. Let's see if she can do that.

One thing I think that will help is that the depth allows rotation. If Liv or Aaliyah gets in foul trouble, we can go to 6'4" Dorka. If Liv gets worn down by stronger players, Geno can try Dorka. That way, we'll always have 2 true post players on the floor, not an undersized Aubrey.

I see the guards in a similar vein. I think Nika retains her starting position. Even if Azzi is the best player in the nation, I think she starts the season on the bench. But Geno has a rotation of Nika, Paige, and Azzi. That way, he always has at least one elite passer AND at least one elite shooter on the floor. It also creates less wear and tear on Paige.

This is going astray a little, but I think we put too much importance on who starts. It's more important to ask, who get the major minutes? This can be measured by total playing time or who plays when the game is on the line. I recall that Brit Hunter started, but could give us only 5-8 minuted per half. The same was true with Caroline Doty after her second injury. Morgan Valley also started each half, but probably played fewer than 15 mpg. I expect to see Liya, Azzi, and possibly Dorka to get starters' minutes (25 or so). I also expect to see Paige and Christyn with reduced minutes, to rest them.

 

[JoePgh]

I'm optimistic about Liv. Geno told her what she needs. Let's see if she can do that.

One thing I think that will help is that the depth allows rotation. If Liv or Aaliyah gets in foul trouble, we can go to 6'4" Dorka. If Liv gets worn down by stronger players, Geno can try Dorka. That way, we'll always have 2 true post players on the floor, not an undersized Aubrey.

I see the guards in a similar vein. I think Nika retains her starting position. Even if Azzi is the best player in the nation, I think she starts the season on the bench. But Geno has a rotation of Nika, Paige, and Azzi. That way, he always has at least one elite passer AND at least one elite shooter on the floor. It also creates less wear and tear on Paige.

This is going astray a little, but I think we put too much importance on who starts. It's more important to ask, who get the major minutes? This can be measured by total playing time or who plays when the game is on the line. I recall that Brit Hunter started, but could give us only 5-8 minuted per half. The same was true with Caroline Doty after her second injury. Morgan Valley also started each half, but probably played fewer than 15 mpg. I expect to see Liya, Azzi, and possibly Dorka to get starters' minutes (25 or so). I also expect to see Paige and Christyn with reduced minutes, to rest them.

Where does Evina fit in your predictions? Does she retain her starting role?

She also needs to improve, but really in only one dimension: the reliability of her 3-point shot. She has got everything else nailed down. If she does that (and I think she can), I don't see how she can fail to get starter's minutes, whether or not she is part of the starting five. And I personally think she will start.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Where does Evina fit in your predictions? Does she retain her starting role?

She also needs to improve, but really in only one dimension: the reliability of her 3-point shot. She has got everything else nailed down. If she does that (and I think she can), I don't see how she can fail to get starter's minutes, whether or not she is part of the starting five. And I personally think she will start.

As of now, my starters in November: Paige, Nika, Christyn, Evina, and Olivia. Aaliyah and Azzi get comparable minutes off the bench.

 

[jazz]

Geno on roster

(Apologies if this has already been posted/discussed.)

Notice has been served:

“I think Aaliyah made incredible progress from day one,” Auriemma said. “She’s really physical, she plays hard every possession, she competes for everything, she did a great job finishing around the basket, she offensive rebounded, which was crucial for us, and she defended. I could see her next year getting the bulk of the touches among all of the post players. I have incredibly high expectations for Aaliyah, and for where she's going in the future.

"And Liv is going to be a senior. If Liv stays the same, then it’s obviously going to be a difficult senior year for Liv. If Liv adds some things to her game and makes the adjustments she needs to make, she's going to be a big factor and we're going to be fine.”

But Liv made AA, isnt she already great?

 

[jazz]

I’m sorry but Geno is full of it. Remember when Z came to Storrs? Z is much better than Dorka, and look what happened with Z. She came off the bench because Geno was comfortable with his starting 5. I expect Liv to continue anchoring the defense down low, until Dorka can prove she can play the same defense.

I think they will battle it out in practice. Whoever finishes better at the rim, along with defense and rebounding wins. If DJ shoots anywhere close to 40% from 3 as she did the year before, she will play heavy minutes.

I like the idea of having a 6'5 shot blocker coming in off the bench in Liv but having DJ coming off the bench is great too. Great signing by GA.

 

[jaundicedeye]

Not so far....

Pretty presumptuous on your part, don't you think? Do you have access to all of the practices? Failure to meet high expectations at times is not necessarily the result of not "putting in the work",

 

[Littlemin]

Pretty presumptuous on your part, don't you think? Do you have access to all of the practices? Failure to meet high expectations at times is not necessarily the result of not "putting in the work",

Completely agree. Just my opinion from very afar but Ono’s habit of bringing the ball down is the biggest culprit. Muscle memory is difficult to reverse and I think the blocked shots, steals, etc. by much smaller players coupled with the pressure of “big games” has combined to cause her to “speed up” in those games, which another poster previously pointed out. To her credit, she certainly continued to rebound and play defense.

 

[Big Fan]

I jsut don't see how there is going to be enough playing time for all ofthe players on the roster next year. Yes some may just come to be at UConn and be coached by Geno but all of them were full time players in HS and I don't think sitting on the bench until the last 5 minutes or hardly if at all playing in tournament games is what they had in mind. This transfer surely makes the team better, but someone is loosing minutes - possibly a lot of them.

 

[SLY63]

Clearly Geno saw the opportunity to get a new weapon in the frontcourt -- big body, 3 point threat, etc.. It is probably less important who starts, but the key is now he has 3-4 solid options, each with different strengths, in the front court.

 

[bluedevil]

Pretty presumptuous on your part, don't you think? Do you have access to all of the practices? Failure to meet high expectations at times is not necessarily the result of not "putting in the work",

I live in paradise so no access to practice..have watched every game she has played at Uconn of course as have many others on the big screen and have said that she is serviceable. I used to drive a serviceable chevy malibu to work. But boy did I want a Range Rover.

 

[Zanzman]

I live in paradise so no access to practice..have watched every game she has played at Uconn of course as have many others on the big screen and have said that she is serviceable. I used to drive a serviceable chevy malibu to work. But boy did I want a Range Rover.

I wonder if she cares what an Edsel thinks

 

[CocoHusky]

If you look at Liv, her demeaner doesn't change at all during the game. She doesn't show any enthusiasm, even when she makes a great play. I don't know if its the coaching, or Livs non-dedication to get better. A baby hook, as someone has already mentioned would be a no brainer for a 6'5" player. It takes 2 seconds for her to get off her outside shot, but she gets it off only because nobody thinks enough of her to guard her out there. I don't hear alot of people building her up except the "homer" Meghan Culmo. If Geno is really gonna go all out to win this year, he needs to play the girls that really want it. Liv has to change and show him that she really wants it!

I'm never been a big believer in the theory that a player's demeanor correctly conveys dedication or how much they want it. I have even less confidence in our ability to properly interpret a players demeanor. Napheesa Collier was a player with a similar demeanor to ONO & I don't remember anyone questioning how much Napheesa really wanted it. If we strictly focus on the performance then ONO has left a lot to be desired in her first 3 years. This was a player that dunked in the McDonalds AA game and some were predicting would be the first UCONN woman to dunk in a game. Liv is also the only Collegiate player to have spent time with the Senior National Team. Even her most ardent supporters have to admit that Liv leaves you wanting more. Her demeanor is irrelevant.

 

[tchalla1]

I never been a big believer in the theory that a player's demeanor correctly conveys dedication or how much they want it. I have even less confidence in our ability to properly interpret a players demeanor. Napheesa Collier was a player with a similar demeanor to ONO & I don't remember anyone questioning how much Napheesa really wanted it. If we strictly focus on the performance then ONO has left a lot to be desired in her first 3 years. This was a player that dunked in the McDonalds AA game and some were predicting would be the first UCONN woman to dunk in a game. Liv is also the only Collegiate player to have spent time with the Senior National Team. Even her most ardent supports have to admit that Liv leaves you wanting more. Her demeanor is irrelevant.

Well said, Coco--I agree that it is a bit over-analytical to attempt to associate a player's demeanor with their overall dedication to the game. We all mostly agree that Liv has largely under-performed over her career, but I really take exception when players are wrongly characterized by their personality and how others would want them to be.

 

[hardcorehusky]

In boxing, they say styles make the fight. What Geno has done is create different styles from the 5 spot. Liv is the defensive player who is quick and agile. AE is the strong bull in the post who is expanding her game. DJ is the hybrid but the best of the 3 in pulling people away from the basket. During the regular season, it gives Geno time to experiment and then when the match up in the Elite 8 or National Semis does come again, he has different options. Against Arizona, when Plan A didn't work, there was no Plan B due to player limitations.