Geno on the team and other stuff

[Stymie]

Yes, if you give them enough time together to work on defense, they would be competitive against the top 5 players of any team in 2021-2022 should they learn that side well. But that's the point - BB has two sides to the ball. Nika and Aaliyah are already good defenders and they have familiarity playing with Paige, so those three would be fine and can improve together this year. But the other two have to learn the "read and react" system that UConn primarily uses. I am not sure it would be a good pressing team, however....have to see their footwork and footspeed again.

But this combination does have great promise on the offensive side, with Nika on her way to developing a consistent 3-pt shot.

They have the foot speed.
At this level, it’s all about smarts, conditioning and desire.

 

[huskyd]

here is the pre-First Night media availability with Geno

There is no finer spokesperson for a basketball program than Geno. Energetic, articulate, inspirational, funny: someone you'd like as a friend.
Now: your task is to recommend a piece of music suitable for Coach's entrances and exits . . . Here's a possibility:
The Carpenters - Top Of The World -- HQ Audio -- Lyrics - YouTube

 

[Carnac]

The tool box is more full than it was last year but it is not completely full. This team is still lacking a game changing perimeter defender (AKA someone that can disrupt or stay in front of quick guards), a reliable low post offensive option ( AKA someone who you can dump the ball to in the post and come away with two points or a trip to the foul line) and a dominant rebounder (AKA someone who is going to rebound beyond their area of the floor) which will enable UCONN to start the transition offense.

Who do you recommend fill those vacancies?

 

[CocoHusky]

Who do you recommend fill those vacancies?

I think @JoePgh mitigations in Post #8 was pretty comprehensive.
In summary: Aubrey, Aaliyah, ONO + Dorka

 

[BobbyJ]

I was pleased to hear that Aubrey is practicing with the guards while Poff is practicing with the front-court players. I haven't seen anything about Mir. Despite being so athletic, I worry about her having no position suited for her (at this level).

Regarding McLean, as you know athleticism only gets you so far. It’s very difficult to compete at a high D1 level while trying to overcome getting very little fundamental coaching at the HS level. And with so much depth on the roster there will be very little time for OJT.

 

[Carnac]

I think @JoePgh mitigations in Post #8 was pretty comprehensive.
In summary: Aubrey, Aaliyah, ONO + Dorka

Sorry, I had not read down to your post when I posed this question. Got it.

 

[pvdoggy]

Regarding McLean, as you know athleticism only gets you so far. It’s very difficult to compete at a high D1 level while trying to overcome getting very little fundamental coaching at the HS level. And with so much depth on the roster there will be very little time for OJT.

So why does Uconn keep recruiting players with very little fundamental?

 

[DEpup]

I'm with ya. Given what Geno thinks of Nika, it wouldn't surprise me if he starts the year with the same starting five as he ended last year with. That would not be my preference, but since I'm still looking for my first D1 win, I'll defer to Geno's judgment (for now).

To your points: I'd much rather have a second big in the starting lineup. Liv with AE has great appeal, with Liv being the world's first "point center" and AE dominating down low. Liv and Dorka have appeal because of Dorka's (perceived) all-around skills, including her ability to shoot from anywhere on the court. And I like the idea of complementing that with three big guards with multiple skills (PB, CW, EW).

I just don't see Nika starting against teams with size because Evina can't effectively be the 4 in those games. And you don't want to all of the sudden start Aaliyah in the big games.

Therefore, I believe Nika or Dorka will be the first off the bench depending on who gets the first foul in the full court pressure game I predict they will play. And it might be even better that way to bring her in and up the pressure another notch on the opponent.

Now I do predict Nika will start a handful maybe 2 handfuls of BE games because various folks will get little injuries and not be available or Geno will not be happy with someone's effort in practice....Evina can easily start as the 4 in BE games....I also think Dorka will end up starting a few games because someone gets banged up or Geno again not happy about something.

 

[BobbyJ]

So why does Uconn keep recruiting players with very little fundamental?

The vast majority of UConn’s recruits have had a decent amount of fundamental coaching. Of course there are exceptions. The ones that haven’t but have athleticism in the ballpark of McLean’s usually go somewhere they are pretty sure of PT. But obviously there are exceptions. Credit to McLean for taking on the challenge.

 

[pvdoggy]

The vast majority of UConn’s recruits have had a decent amount of fundamental coaching. Of course there are exceptions. The ones that haven’t but have athleticism in the ballpark of McLean’s usually go somewhere they are pretty sure of PT. But obviously there are exceptions. Credit to McLean for taking on the challenge.

My question is why do you think Uconn continues to recruit players "with very little fundamentals", not that the player is willing to take on the challenge to come to Uconn. I remember people complained the same way about Mikayla Coombs.

 

[JoePgh]

@pvdoggy:

When the coaches see someone with Mir's athletic ability, and they also see a highly competitive attitude, a willingness to learn and be coached, and a team-first orientation, they will take on the challenge even if they know that she is going to be a "project". Not only Mir, but also Piath and to some extent Aubrey, fit this profile. Amari may also be in this category.

Past successful examples of this profile include Kara Wolters, Ketia Swanier, Mel Thomas, and Stef Dolson.

But really, my sense (based on a number of Geno's comments) is that even players with competent high-school and AAU coaching have a LOT to learn when they get to UConn. Apparently it is unusual at the high school level to play organized defenses that know how to rotate to compensate for double teams, or that know how to switch in a man-to-man defense. There are certainly a few players who arrive at UConn with a high level of basketball knowledge, a category that certainly includes Paige and apparently also Azzi and Caroline -- but they are definitely the exceptions. KLS, Napheesa, Kelly Faris, and Kia Nurse (probably based on her time with the Canadian National team) may also have had a high level of knowledge before they got to Storrs.

There also seem to be a number of players (perhaps the majority) who are talented and willing to work, but have absolutely no idea of HOW MUCH work is needed to succeed at a place like UConn. By all accounts, Tina Charles was in this category, and we know how she turned out. Rather than fail, she cranked up her engine and learned to think and play at the level that UConn demanded.

Then there are players who are athletically talented, were not very well coached in high school, have no idea of the level of work needed to be successful in college, and (when they find out) are not overly inclined to do that level of work. I think that Mikayla Coombs and Megan Walker, unfortunately, fit into this category. Neither of them reached nearly their potential at UConn, and I don't think either of them enjoyed their time in Storrs very much. We all remember how disappointed Geno was in their freshman year with the slow pace with which they were learning the system, and he was apoplectic when he let them play big minutes in an AAC game (against Tulsa, as I recall) and their ignorance (late in February) was revealed. It is possible that Andra Espinosa-Hunter was also in this unenviable category.

Hopefully none of the freshmen and sophomores who are now at UConn will follow their example.

 

[oldhusky]

@pvdoggy:

When the coaches see someone with Mir's athletic ability, and they also see a highly competitive attitude, a willingness to learn and be coached, and a team-first orientation, they will take on the challenge even if they know that she is going to be a "project". Not only Mir, but also Piath and to some extent Aubrey, fit this profile. Amari may also be in this category.

Past successful examples of this profile include Kara Wolters, Ketia Swanier, Mel Thomas, and Stef Dolson.

But really, my sense (based on a number of Geno's comments) is that even players with competent high-school and AAU coaching have a LOT to learn when they get to UConn. Apparently it is unusual at the high school level to play organized defenses that know how to rotate to compensate for double teams, or that know how to switch in a man-to-man defense. There are certainly a few players who arrive at UConn with a high level of basketball knowledge, a category that certainly includes Paige and apparently also Azzi and Caroline -- but they are definitely the exceptions. KLS, Napheesa, Kelly Faris, and Kia Nurse (probably based on her time with the Canadian National team) may also have had a high level of knowledge before they got to Storrs.

There also seem to be a number of players (perhaps the majority) who are talented and willing to work, but have absolutely no idea of HOW MUCH work is needed to succeed at a place like UConn. By all accounts, Tina Charles was in this category, and we know how she turned out. Rather than fail, she cranked up her engine and learned to think and play at the level that UConn demanded.

Then there are players who are athletically talented, were not very well coached in high school, have no idea of the level of work needed to be successful in college, and (when they find out) are not overly inclined to do that level of work. I think that Mikayla Coombs and Megan Walker, unfortunately, fit into this category. Neither of them reached nearly their potential at UConn, and I don't think either of them enjoyed their time in Storrs very much. We all remember how disappointed Geno was in their freshman year with the slow pace with which they were learning the system, and he was apoplectic when he let them play big minutes in an AAC game (against Tulsa, as I recall) and their ignorance (late in February) was revealed. It is possible that Andra Espinosa-Hunter was also in this unenviable category.

Hopefully none of the freshmen and sophomores who are now at UConn will follow their example.

I agree with much of what you say, but feel that for this group of project like players, the odds are not good of becoming like Wolters, Swanier, Thomas, or Dolson. I'm not saying they couldn't show dramatic improvement, they certainly might. The problem is they could improve a lot and still not get more minutes.

Last year Mir did very well, but she was behind two other 4's. Even though she is an unusual one, she is more a 4 than anything else, and just improving isn't enough. She has to be better than Aubrey or Aaliyah who also might be improving, to get any meaningful minutes. That is just her reality, behind two very good players, and this year Dorka might even play some at the four pushing her even further down the depth chart.

Amari may be a top 10 recruit, but she similarly has two very good players ahead of her in Liv and Dorka. Amari has to be better than one of those to get prime time. If she makes a major jump, but still isn't better than one of those she won't get big game minutes, at least this year.

Piath faces an even more difficult path, needing to beat a much higher rated recruit in Amari, and still needing to leapfrog over Liv or Dorka, and even Aaliyah playing some at the 5.

Saylor might be in the same boat, a potentially very good player, but if you think of her as a 3, she probably has Evina and based on Geno's comments, Caroline ahead of her as well. Of course Azzi is an option there too. At the four Aaliyah, Aubrey, Mir and maybe some Dorka.

My main point is any player who is not in the rotation, say 11-14 can do very well, get significantly better, and be good enough to start at most programs, but until they pass a very very good player in the rotation, playing time doesn't get better, even if they are advancing at a rapid rate. It is a very high bar for our third teamers.

 

[BobbyJ]

@pvdoggy:

When the coaches see someone with Mir's athletic ability, and they also see a highly competitive attitude, a willingness to learn and be coached, and a team-first orientation, they will take on the challenge even if they know that she is going to be a "project". Not only Mir, but also Piath and to some extent Aubrey, fit this profile. Amari may also be in this category.

Past successful examples of this profile include Kara Wolters, Ketia Swanier, Mel Thomas, and Stef Dolson.

But really, my sense (based on a number of Geno's comments) is that even players with competent high-school and AAU coaching have a LOT to learn when they get to UConn. Apparently it is unusual at the high school level to play organized defenses that know how to rotate to compensate for double teams, or that know how to switch in a man-to-man defense. There are certainly a few players who arrive at UConn with a high level of basketball knowledge, a category that certainly includes Paige and apparently also Azzi and Caroline -- but they are definitely the exceptions. KLS, Napheesa, Kelly Faris, and Kia Nurse (probably based on her time with the Canadian National team) may also have had a high level of knowledge before they got to Storrs.

There also seem to be a number of players (perhaps the majority) who are talented and willing to work, but have absolutely no idea of HOW MUCH work is needed to succeed at a place like UConn. By all accounts, Tina Charles was in this category, and we know how she turned out. Rather than fail, she cranked up her engine and learned to think and play at the level that UConn demanded.

Then there are players who are athletically talented, were not very well coached in high school, have no idea of the level of work needed to be successful in college, and (when they find out) are not overly inclined to do that level of work. I think that Mikayla Coombs and Megan Walker, unfortunately, fit into this category. Neither of them reached nearly their potential at UConn, and I don't think either of them enjoyed their time in Storrs very much. We all remember how disappointed Geno was in their freshman year with the slow pace with which they were learning the system, and he was apoplectic when he let them play big minutes in an AAC game (against Tulsa, as I recall) and their ignorance (late in February) was revealed. It is possible that Andra Espinosa-Hunter was also in this unenviable category.

Hopefully none of the freshmen and sophomores who are now at UConn will follow their example.

Great response Joe, you got all my points across very well.

 

[Tonyc]

Ive been told Amari plays with her back to the basket and plays that way well. Of course she needs experience at the college level and playing against UConns current roster I am confident she will gain the experience needed to get playtime next season. Geno's recruiting / spacing of current players and those coming in next season puts UConn in place to explode to another level. Yeah SC and Stanford have great classes coming in and great rosters which puts them on top of WCBB however UConn has game changers that can score when you need somebody to score. They have go to players who you can count on in nail biting games. UConn could be better then advertised imo with their depth and experience. What puts them over the top is Paige and Azzi and I know Im premature mentioning Azzi but she is that good. Im ready to strap on my belt because UConns engines are running high.

 

[Stymie]

Ive been told Amari plays with her back to the basket and plays that way well. Of course she needs experience at the college level and playing against UConns current roster I am confident she will gain the experience needed to get playtime next season. Geno's recruiting / spacing of current players and those coming in next season puts UConn in place to explode to another level. Yeah SC and Stanford have great classes coming in and great rosters which puts them on top of WCBB however UConn has game changers that can score when you need somebody to score. They have go to players who you can count on in nail biting games. UConn could be better then advertised imo with their depth and experience. What puts them over the top is Paige and Azzi and I know Im premature mentioning Azzi but she is that good. Im ready to strap on my belt because UConns engines are running high.

I agree with all that you posted, but once in a while all teams go cold from the outside- for whatever reason- in and out, or basket seems to have a lid on it.
What really excites me is that this team has the size and muscle to go the other way.
Inside when necessary.
High low feeds.
Put backs.
Shots from 2-5 ft when/if outside goes cold.

 

[Carnac]

The Fort Hays State exhibition game is 3 weeks from today. We’re getting close to tip off.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I don't know where the notion originated that Dorka can't play low with her back to the basket. This highlight reel spends a minute showing you her 3 moves, but then we get to see her work in close.

I like how she uses the backboard.

 

[CL82]

This team is still lacking a game changing perimeter defender

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

They have the foot speed.
At this level, it’s all about smarts, conditioning and desire.

My original reply disappeared...so, modified one follows

Your 2nd sentence is indeed true but you and I know that the first isn't, even in a good pressing group led by MoJeff, especially after Kia and Gabby got in sync with the rest. From what I saw last year, they don't have enough to be a really good pressing team.

That said, this is what I think we will see: primary defense is going to be the read-react switching man defense. The next is going to be zone defense with whatever variations the coach wishes to use. Why? The team has length up and down and if they play the zone well, they could seem like a moving wall that undulates to protect against the opposing team's points of attack. If the coach does use the press, it would be a change of pace kind of thing.