How Jana El Alfy is adapting to new role as starter

[BRS24]

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/jana-el-alfy-starting-new-role-uconn-huskies-20006199.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY3RpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9zcG9ydHMvdWNvbm4td29tZW5zLWJhc2tldGJhbGwvYXJ0aWNsZS9qYW5hLWVsLWFsZnktc3RhcnRpbmctbmV3LXJvbGUtdWNvbm4taHVza2llcy0yMDAwNjE5OS5waHA%3D&time=MTczNTg0Mzc2NDEzNg%3D%3D&rid=NTdlM2UzOGUtMWM1MC00ZDQ1LWI5MDItNzkyMGE0NmI0ZmVk&sharecount=MA%3D%3D

“That part, that's the hardest thing right now in coaching, really is to get kids to understand ‘This is who I have to be every day practice, and this is who I have to be every game,’” Geno Auriemma said. “That consistency thing, that kind of affects pretty much every kid playing college basketball.”​

​

“I keep forgetting, you know, she's a freshman,” Auriemma said. “She hasn't played in a long time, and sometimes she gets a little bit carried away with herself, but I thought she gave us a lot of good moments, certainly more so than (Sunday).”​

​

“As it is with a lot of these young players, they just make poor decisions on the court, and that just gets fixed with time,” Auriemma said before joking. “They must not call fouls in Egypt. She hasn’t fouled anybody in her life. Kids are bleeding coming off the court because she guards (hard) yet she swears she's never fouled.”​

 

[Charliebball]

The more continuous minutes she gets at the low post and the more she works on her low post game, the better she and UConn will be.......there's no reason that Jana and Ice shouldn't be combining for twenty points and twelve rebounds a game in the Big East.....I know the temptation is to use a four or five guard offense but that's unlikely to work for an entire game against UCLA, SC, USC or ND in the big tournament......

 

[Bone Dog]

“They must not call fouls in Egypt. She hasn’t fouled anybody in her life. Kids are bleeding coming off the court because she guards (hard) yet she swears she's never fouled.”

This sounds familiar. If she develops as I hope she does, and brings the ferocity, we’ll all be calling her ‘Big Nika.’

 

[uconnfan68]

Geno used to say Tina Charles was padding her offensive rebounding stats by missing so many bunnies... let's hope Jana starts making the second one.

 

[hoophuskee]

there's no reason that Jana and Ice shouldn't be combining for twenty points and twelve rebounds a game in the Big East.....I know the temptation is to use a four or five guard offense but that's unlikely to work for an entire game against UCLA, SC, USC or ND in the big tournament......

Not a chance. And t would be crazy for UCONN to do this. Take away shots from players like Paige, Azzi and Sarah is not a winning formula. And to think that Jana is going to take it vs a the top tier teams would be wrong as well.

UCONN is a fastbreak team. UCONN's best players are perimeter players. That's their bones. Working on a philosophy with minimal chance of success vs top tier teams and going away from your strength is a massive mistake which Geno won't do.

The top tier teams with very good inside players with a lot more experience work on their Defense too. Just because Jana has a UCONN jersey on doesn't turn her into Wonder Woman.

 

[oldhusky]

We have one big who doesn't seem to want the ball down low (Ice), and when she does get it is as likely to fall away or pass it, and another who tries to score no matter what, every time she gets it in Jana. Obviously she puts the ball on the floor more than she should, forces up shots sometimes, and rarely passes back out when doubled. Given all of that she still scores at a pretty high rate, but with efficiency that should be much better, given how close her shots usually are.

It is really remarkable how totally different it is here, from her Egyptian teams. The guards there were terrible at getting the ball inside to her. She often had to come out to the perimeter to get it, and then drive to the basket, which she was pretty good at against a lower level of competition, but being fed in the post almost never happened. She was also by far the best player on that team and generally doubled down low.

Now she has numerous passers to get the ball to her, and Geno has her playing pretty exclusively in the low post, and she is far from being the first option on offense. So she really has had very little experience getting the ball down low, reacting to the defense, and kicking it out if the defense collapses on her. Hopefully it is a pretty fast learning curve.

 

[ERWUC65]

Not a chance. And t would be crazy for UCONN to do this. Take away shots from players like Paige, Azzi and Sarah is not a winning formula. And to think that Jana is going to take it vs a the top tier teams would be wrong as well.

UCONN is a fastbreak team. UCONN's best players are perimeter players. That's their bones. Working on a philosophy with minimal chance of success vs top tier teams and going away from your strength is a massive mistake which Geno won't do.

The top tier teams with very good inside players with a lot more experience work on their Defense too. Just because Jana has a UCONN jersey on doesn't turn her into Wonder Woman.

I going to partially agree with Charliebball on this one. While 20 points and 12 rebounds is a stretch, I think Geno wants the BIG option against some of the top tier teams in March (UCLA comes to mind) and I think he sees enough in Jana to give her the minutes in Jan and Feb to make that happen.

 

[Charliebball]

Not a chance. And t would be crazy for UCONN to do this. Take away shots from players like Paige, Azzi and Sarah is not a winning formula. And to think that Jana is going to take it vs a the top tier teams would be wrong as well.

UCONN is a fastbreak team. UCONN's best players are perimeter players. That's their bones. Working on a philosophy with minimal chance of success vs top tier teams and going away from your strength is a massive mistake which Geno won't do.

The top tier teams with very good inside players with a lot more experience work on their Defense too. Just because Jana has a UCONN jersey on doesn't turn her into Wonder Woman.

the more effective Jana becomes offensively down low, the more wide-open shots will be available for the rest of the team......without an inside threat defenders have a license to concentrate on Paige, Azzi and Sara.......

 

[hoophuskee]

the more effective Jana becomes offensively down low, the more wide-open shots will be available for the rest of the team......without an inside threat defenders have a license to concentrate on Paige, Azzi and Sara.......

The opposing top tier teams have more experience in the paint and have their own stars too. What makes you think her scoring points vs Big East competition as a freshman is then all of a sudden going to make her an impact player vs top tier teams that also practice hard and play hard in which these top tier teams have WNBA talent with experience?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Jana has to relax into her game and that comes with doing, lots of doing.

 

[Charliebball]

The opposing top tier teams have more experience in the paint and have their own stars too. What makes you think her scoring points vs Big East competition as a freshman is then all of a sudden going to make her an impact player vs top tier teams that also practice hard and play hard in which these top tier teams have WNBA talent with experience?

That may be true but why should UConn ignore their inside game if Jana shows she can be a legit scoring threat? I'm talking about her taking 10-15 shots a game........ easy baskets are always a good thing and the odds of making a shot five feet from the basket are far greater than those taken from 22.2 feet away.........I simply don't think that UConn's outside shooting can be counted on alone to win four or five straight games against the best defensive teams in the country....

 

[Geew1992]

the more effective Jana becomes offensively down low, the more wide-open shots will be available for the rest of the team......without an inside threat defenders have a license to concentrate on Paige, Azzi and Sara.......

This is a fact. Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later.

 

[Next 12]

This is a fact. Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later.

My sentiments exactly. Jana has all the requirements to be a top notch player and all she needs is for her confidence to enter her mind, "hey, I can do this" I have been high on her possibility of starting at the 5 all year. JANA is young and She is actually a rookie in playing time and definitely GET BETTER if GENO and CHRIS has anything to do with it. I just ask the poster to give her a little time to adjust and let her naturally adjust to the game. After all, in FIBA games they play differently. GO JANA!!!!

 

[WiseWillie]

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/article/jana-el-alfy-starting-new-role-uconn-huskies-20006199.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY3RpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9zcG9ydHMvdWNvbm4td29tZW5zLWJhc2tldGJhbGwvYXJ0aWNsZS9qYW5hLWVsLWFsZnktc3RhcnRpbmctbmV3LXJvbGUtdWNvbm4taHVza2llcy0yMDAwNjE5OS5waHA%3D&time=MTczNTg0Mzc2NDEzNg%3D%3D&rid=NTdlM2UzOGUtMWM1MC00ZDQ1LWI5MDItNzkyMGE0NmI0ZmVk&sharecount=MA%3D%3D

“That part, that's the hardest thing right now in coaching, really is to get kids to understand ‘This is who I have to be every day practice, and this is who I have to be every game,’” Geno Auriemma said. “That consistency thing, that kind of affects pretty much every kid playing college basketball.”​

​

“I keep forgetting, you know, she's a freshman,” Auriemma said. “She hasn't played in a long time, and sometimes she gets a little bit carried away with herself, but I thought she gave us a lot of good moments, certainly more so than (Sunday).”​

​

“As it is with a lot of these young players, they just make poor decisions on the court, and that just gets fixed with time,” Auriemma said before joking. “They must not call fouls in Egypt. She hasn’t fouled anybody in her life. Kids are bleeding coming off the court because she guards (hard) yet she swears she's never fouled.”​

What was not mentioned and what limits her besides "that consistency thing" as Geno calls it, is merely trying to avoid fouls.

When officials are aware before the game is played who they will be paying attention to (And don't tell me they don't because its no big secret. I have had enough friends and family who have been officials at the high school and Div I and II college level tell me that they know and will be sure they concentrate on those players who have had previous foul trouble. And if they don't which is unlikely the opposing coaches will be sure to fill them in on the sideline.) So Jana's reputation precedes her which makes it doubly hard for her as she tries to be aggressive under the basket but without the kind of fouls she's been getting (ie arms straight up but called for lower body contact.)

Besides her shooting consistency how she prepares to be in the correct position using the right footwork and not foul is a skill she must learn and surely will if she is given enough minutes on the floor in these upcoming BE games to work on it.

 

[hoophuskee]

That may be true but why should UConn ignore their inside game if Jana shows she can be a legit scoring threat? I'm talking about her taking 10-15 shots a game........ easy baskets are always a good thing and the odds of making a shot five feet from the basket are far greater than those taken from 22.2 feet away.........I simply don't think that UConn's outside shooting can be counted on alone to win four or five straight games against the best defensive teams in the country....

It is true. Not "maybe true." The other teams have very good players too. How can you say she shows to be a legit scoring threat when it's vs the Big East with such an unproven player? You are proposing UCONN to change their entire offense (if she is going to be averaging 20 ppg, you said this not me, it means she will be the leading scorer. A 20 ppg scorer in an offense you want to get up to 15 shots and you are going share other shots between Paige/Azzi and Sarah would mean Jana would be the top scorer going forward. Or you are proposing to drastically reduce the current Big 3 from shooting? To get the ball inside to a post player like her takes time. If you are pressing then you are proposing to pull the ball out after turnovers?) for a freshman whose peak game has been vs Marquette? In order for her to average 20 points the game has to be slowed down. What makes you think even the not-very-good Big EasT is going to so easily allow her layups to average 20 points? And you suggest she is going to take only 10 shots but average 20 points? Who is she now, Wilt Chamberlain going 8-10 from the floor and Rick Barry at the free throw line?

You’re proposing to deliberately take the ball out of your superstars hands and work on an Offense that is more halfcourt in order to more feature Jana. There are only so many possessions in a game. And what about Chen, KK, Ash, and Cheli, for example? How many shots do they now get in your Offense? If Working to get more shots for Jana vs working to get the ball to your POY, to a projected top 7 WNBA pick in Azzi ,and to work to not getting more shots for Sarah by favoring Jana because you think "she might" do well in the most pressure situations in the NVAA Tourney isn't realistic.

And by the way, shooting 40% from 22.2 feet is 60% in terms of efficiency. You would rather trust feeding the ball to Jana rather than the UCONN superstars? And you think she is going to be a double-digit scoring threat as a freshman vs top tier elite teams? It sems then it isn't too hard then is it? A freshman comes to UCONN in which 14 games she is shotting efficiency wise 50%, and now she is going to abuse the top tier teams? IMO your proposal won't happen and has zero chance to be effective around S16 onward.

You don't limit taking the ball out of your multiple superstars hands for a an unproven player in the volume you are suggesting/implying. To further this, other teams no matter how weak the Big East, is isn’t going to let Jana score layups and average 20 ppg on just 10 shots or maybe a couple more because you wish it so.

 

[Zinethar]

I thought earlier that Jana did not look in shape and seemed to get winded easily. She looked different in the last game.It made me think she must have spent time over the break to put in some conditioning work. Ice has been in much better shape this year compared to last year. Jana has 3 big advantages over ice - height, intensity, and hands. She is much more sure handed which makes her not lose control of passes into the post as easily. She is much more aggressive and seems to have more shooting moves under the basket at this point. I have not been able to get a feel for her ability to get off the floor but so far we are not getting the opening tip which I was hoping for from a 6'5" or so center.

Also I don't see that Jana can't get near 20 points a game without impacting any one else's output. Asking for 3 shots a quarter is not a lot. Just don't miss the bunnies, get back up on a rebound, make yourself available inside, and make the inevitable foul shots.

 

[hoophuskee]

I going to partially agree with Charliebball on this one. While 20 points and 12 rebounds is a stretch, I think Geno wants the BIG option against some of the top tier teams in March (UCLA comes to mind) and I think he sees enough in Jana to give her the minutes in Jan and Feb to make that happen.

He said 20 points. You are moving the bar if you are replying to my post. I was replying to 20 points or near,. Twenty points is an illogical stretch. It’s not even close to being realistic. Eighteen points is illogical too. You call it a stretch, respectfully I respect you and Charlie a lot; it's a pipedream. Much more than "just a stretch.” UCONN has to change their entire offense for her to be averaging 18-20 ppg. You must slow the pace down for this to happen. And by him stating as few as 10 shots; it's not like she is going to go to the Free Throw line 8 times. Thus 10--11 shots, she'd have to be shooting 70% or higher while she gets some free throws in which she ups her free throw % a great deal. Again taking so few shots and averaging near 20 - it's a pipedream.

Also, how many points do you think it realistic that she should be relied upon scoring vs South Carolina or UCLA?

If you think she should be averaging double-digits vs these high quality inside teams then I think that crazy-far-fetched. She can get 10 in a random game but averaging double-digits vs these teams shows little respect for the other teams capabilities imo.

She is only shooting 50% right now and she isn't even being double-teamed. She is magically going to take it against these other elite inside teams? Is it that easy for a freshman after 14 games to turn from being 50% EFG% to all of a sudden a double-digit threat big-time threat? This is what I meant by just because she is wearing a UCONN jersey doesn’t turn her into Wonder Woman.

There has to be respect for the other teams. Thinking that the ball is going to be dumped into Jana and she is going to take it to them in terms of double digits multiple games shows no respect to these other teams. She isn't Stewie. And she isn't what Tina was as a frosh. Bottomline is that you don't go limit the ball from your superstars hands for such an unknown at this point in the season.

I just want to say again I have a ton of respect for you and charlie. A ton. Along with that you are both gentleman (I think you’re a dude?). My bark is not meant to be mean here. Please don’t take it that way.

 

[sun]

We're going to need a rim protector against SCar.
Geno must already know this and wants Jana to learn to not foul out of games too easily before we play them.
Plus she's been showing development of some of her BB moves.
Jana's height is a gift & not a curse.

 

[hoophuskee]

Also I don't see that Jana can't get near 20 points a game without impacting any one else's output. Asking for 3 shots a quarter is not a lot. Just don't miss the bunnies, get back up on a rebound, make yourself available inside, and make the inevitable foul shots.

Please my post not meant to be mean. You want the team to press, right? Isn't usually pressure mean that you are triyng to push pace? So if you are are pressing, pushing pace , and Jana is at the backend of a press, how often will she get chances? Secondly, what about missed shots? Does UCONN look to run? They do. Thus nore quick shots. And after made baskets they also look to get the ball inbounds quickly and push pace. Because isn't it more logical for teams with superior perimeter players try to enhance their strenghts getting up as many good shots as they can? Because since when is limiting your best player's strengths a good thing? It's why they are pressing, right?

So, ultimately when the game slows down, how is it good to limit your superstars from taking shots in this type of offense in favor of a less efficcient playe as wellr? Your superstars alos need to work too on getting quite a few shots in the halfcourt. And what about KK, Chen, Ash and Cheli and even Ice? Do they only get 1 shot apiece in the halfcourt offense?

The coach, geno, is known for being among the best offensive coaches in the country still today. He's always had his teams get shots for his best players. Now he has potentially 3 superstars. Yet he is suposed to now this year change evenything to force an unproven player to get up 12 shots or more per game even though she is among the least efficient players on the team with an unproven track record while being so young?

There aren't an infinite amount of possessions. Ice gets to play too. Or is she now only a 10 minute player? So, you are running a motion offense with high quality players. IMO you would be "burying" all the other bench players on your team even though they have outperformed Jana to this point all in the name of "hope" Jana will perfrom in NCAA's. You, if you are Geno, didn't build your program like this.

 

[sun]

At this moment UConn is ranked 57th nationally in 3 point shooting percentage.
Maybe Geno has Jana in mind to be part of his plan B.
Maybe she can help with some rebounds & putbacks & to help with defending the lane.
We'll need to see what happens regarding what Geno has in store for her.
It's better to have her ready to play than to not have her ready to play because she's a team asset.

 

[hoophuskee]

At this moment UConn is ranked 57th nationally in 3 point shooting percentage.
Maybe Geno has Jana in mind to be part of his plan B.
Maybe she can help with some rebounds & putbacks & to help with defending the lane.
We'll need to see what happens regarding what Geno has in store for her.
It's better to have her ready to play than to not have her ready to play because she's a team asset.

She can be ready to play but that doesn't mean she needs to be a top tier focal point to score. Cardoso's soph year / her 1st year at SoCar she averaged 13 minutes and 5 points per game. The point is that she can contibute but doesn't need to be a top tier scorer. As you pointed out her Defense and Rebounding could be crucial.

 

[Bone Dog]

Against Marquette Jana scored 10. It wouldn’t have taken much for that to have turned into 14 or 16 without taking any opportunities away from others. Anyone who thinks this is unrealistic must be smoking something. It is perfectly possible. What it depends on is Jana improving her low post moves slightly, but also and mainly staying in the game long enough to make it happen. And this means improving her defense so she’s not a liability on that end of the floor. If Geno has to pull her because of defensive mistakes, she’ll always be limited on offense.

Currently, Jana’s averaging 6 pts and 5 rebounds in 15 mpg. If she can stay in games for 25 mpg and improves her lowpost game only incrementally, I think she can average 12+ pts and 8 rebounds. This is not ridiculous or unimaginable, and I’m sure we’d all be thrilled to get that sort of production from her.

 

[hoophuskee]

Against Marquette Jana scored 10. It wouldn’t have taken much for that to have turned into 14 or 16 without taking any opportunities away from others. Anyone who thinks this is unrealistic must be smoking something. It is perfectly possible. What it depends on is Jana improving her low post moves slightly, but also and mainly staying in the game long enough to make it happen. And this means improving her defense so she’s not a liability on that end of the floor. If Geno has to pull her because of defensive mistakes, she’ll always be limited on offense.

Currently, Jana’s averaging 6 pts and 5 rebounds in 15 mpg. If she can stay in games for 25 mpg and improves her lowpost game only incrementally, I think she can average 12+ pts and 8 rebounds. This is not ridiculous or unimaginable, and I’m sure we’d all be thrilled to get that sort of production from her.

To think that UCONN is going to turn their offense into having Jana being a 20 ppg scorer in the Big East is what is crazy. To think that she is going ot be a focal point while she is shooting 50% from the floor and about a 50% free throw shooter is crazy.

UCONN has 3 superstars on their team and to go away from them for a 50% efficiency shooter makes no sense. And when you have her take 15 shots to believe that won't take opportunties away from others is wrong. She is currently averaging 5 shots per game. Adding another 10 won't affect others?

And to give her those 15 shots the pace has to slow. Which means overall less shots for others.

 

[Charliebball]

He said 20 points. You are moving the bar if you are replying to my post. I was replying to 20 points or near,. Twenty points is an illogical stretch. It’s not even close to being realistic. Eighteen points is illogical too. You call it a stretch, respectfully I respect you and Charlie a lot; it's a pipedream. Much more than "just a stretch.” UCONN has to change their entire offense for her to be averaging 18-20 ppg. You must slow the pace down for this to happen. And by him stating as few as 10 shots; it's not like she is going to go to the Free Throw line 8 times. Thus 10--11 shots, she'd have to be shooting 70% or higher while she gets some free throws in which she ups her free throw % a great deal. Again taking so few shots and averaging near 20 - it's a pipedream.

Also, how many points do you think it realistic that she should be relied upon scoring vs South Carolina or UCLA?

If you think she should be averaging double-digits vs these high quality inside teams then I think that crazy-far-fetched. She can get 10 in a random game but averaging double-digits vs these teams shows little respect for the other teams capabilities imo.

She is only shooting 50% right now and she isn't even being double-teamed. She is magically going to take it against these other elite inside teams? Is it that easy for a freshman after 14 games to turn from being 50% EFG% to all of a sudden a double-digit threat big-time threat? This is what I meant by just because she is wearing a UCONN jersey doesn’t turn her into Wonder Woman.

There has to be respect for the other teams. Thinking that the ball is going to be dumped into Jana and she is going to take it to them in terms of double digits multiple games shows no respect to these other teams. She isn't Stewie. And she isn't what Tina was as a frosh. Bottomline is that you don't go limit the ball from your superstars hands for such an unknown at this point in the season.

I just want to say again I have a ton of respect for you and charlie. A ton. Along with that you are both gentleman (I think you’re a dude?). My bark is not meant to be mean here. Please don’t take it that way.

I was referring to twenty point production coming from Jana and Ice together, not Jana alone.......I don't think that's unreasonable, nor do I think that it would take away from UConn's overall offensive flow.........a well balanced offense with contributions from long range, mid range, and the low post is the kind of offense that wins National Championships......to place all your bets on 35% - 40% three-point shooting in every game is a risky proposition against stifling defenses and one that rarely works in the end....

 

[Bone Dog]

To think that UCONN is going to turn their offense into having Jana being a 20 ppg scorer in the Big East is what is crazy. To think that she is going ot be a focal point while she is shooting 50% from the floor and about a 50% free throw shooter is crazy.

UCONN has 3 superstars on their team and to go away from them for a 50% efficiency shooter makes no sense. And when you have her take 15 shots to believe that won't take opportunties away from others is wrong. She is currently averaging 5 shots per game. Adding another 10 won't affect others?

And to give her those 15 shots the pace has to slow. Which means overall less shots for others.

You’ve been hammering this anti-20ppg theme for awhile now. I never said anything about 20ppg, so you can leave me out of it. All I said is she can improve her production by staying on the floor longer, and I speculated that this might depend on improving her defense.

I don’t care about the arithmetic you’re on about. If she improves her low post scoring — to say 60% from 50%, it won’t take that many shots for her to average 12+ ppg. If you think she can’t improve, or that Geno‘s thinking is utterly static, then you have other folks to argue with besides me.