Husky Practice

[Argonaut]

 

[eebmg]

Likey Imari's jump hook.

Inez getting in alot of action.

Cant get enough of Ayanna's smile.

 

[GEAinAustin]

This is a different team talent wise than in the past. How the most controversial player on this forum, performed in past seasons is not relevant. Those who give the team the best chance to succeed , will play the most minutes and this will become apparent as the season evolves.

 

[Geew1992]

Amari with the baby hook!

 

[JoePgh]

Every year, I am impressed with the team's 100% shooting percentage in these practice videos. I always think that if that can be sustained throughout the season, UConn will be (as Geno says) very hard to beat.

For some reason, every season I am disappointed -- this trend never continues.

 

[TeamFirst!]

If Ynes can penetrate she could get some PT.

 

[Alydar]

Nah..... The advice to start working on "this and that" (being more of an offensive threat) was well before the star ( Paige) went down.

My complaint is that by saying she needed to "START WORKING" you believed that up until you said it she wasn't working on it and had never worked on it. You assumed facts without evidence.

 

[Alydar]

Every year, I am impressed with the team's 100% shooting percentage in these practice videos. I always think that if that can be sustained throughout the season, UConn will be (as Geno says) very hard to beat.

For some reason, every season I am disappointed -- this trend never continues.

Geno needs to get some better practice players.

 

[CocoHusky]

My complaint is that by saying she needed to "START WORKING" you believed that up until you said it she wasn't working on it and had never worked on it. You assumed facts without evidence.

Nah…again. You said the star went down and “suddenly”Nika was asked to start working on this and that. There is plenty of evidence to show that Nika was asked to start working on this and that well before Paige went down. See my prior post on the matter noting the date of the Mike Conley article and the time Paige went down. What I say or think will never reach Nika ears. Geno was the one doing the asking and again him asking had nothing to do with Paige going down. Or were you talking about a different star going down?

 

[MilfordHusky]

I love Amari with the jump hook. I think the best shot in the WNBA is Tina's little hook shot. If Amari has a jump hook at 6'5", she's got a nice career.

 

[donalddoowop]

I love Amari with the jump hook. I think the best shot in the WNBA is Tina's little hook shot. If Amari has a jump hook at 6'5", she's got a nice career.

Why did you not get that through to Ono?

 

[HopJim]

We don't need Nika to replace Paige's shooting in the backcourt. We need Azzi and Caroline to do that. We need Nika to replace Paige's ball movement and keep one defender (even if it's the opponent's weakest perimeter defender) occupied so that Azzi and Caroline don't get double teamed all the time.

Excellent observation. Totally agree!

 

[HopJim]

I love Amari with the jump hook. I think the best shot in the WNBA is Tina's little hook shot. If Amari has a jump hook at 6'5", she's got a nice career.

Normally a jump hook is used to shoot over a taller defender. Amari is unlikely to be guarded by anyone her height and already has a solid jump shot. Suggest she use what she already does well, add a quick move drive and not spend too much time reinventing her offensive game.

 

[uconnfan68]

Normally a jump hook is used to shoot over a taller defender. Amari is unlikely to be guarded by anyone her height and already has a solid jump shot. Suggest she use what she already does well, add a quick move drive and not spend too much time reinventing her offensive game.

Every post player needs to have that shot, with both hands.

 

[donalddoowop]

Normally a jump hook is used to shoot over a taller defender. Amari is unlikely to be guarded by anyone her height and already has a solid jump shot. Suggest she use what she already does well, add a quick move drive and not spend too much time reinventing her offensive game.

Not wise. She has three seasons to add to her offensive game. She will be playing against players either as tall or can jump as well as she can. Sometimes a solid jump shot is not good enough for a player who will be spending time in the low post.

 

[cgshuskie]

Donaldoowop and uconnfan68 are right. Amari needs to, and should, develop the jump hook shot. Every post should have one. She wants to go to the WNBA and so she might as well develop the jump hook shot now. Its nearly unstoppable.......

 

[MilfordHusky]

Why did you not get that through to Ono?

I've been trying with everyone 6'2" and over since Lou, but to no avail. Kareem's Sky Hook was ridiculously good. When I saw Tina shoot hers over Griner in college, I knew she was good. I agree with cgs. It's a nearly unstoppable shot. Caroline should have one too.

 

[MilfordHusky]

There's a ton of info crammed into that little video.

--It starts with Aubrey when she had the Ayanna hairstyle. We will be confusing them all season--#34 is slightly taller and bigger than #44, but they look like twins.

--Nika driving the lane for a layup. What we all wanted.

--Left-handed Ice finishing in the lane with her right.

--Amari's jump hook. More of that, please!

--Ines with really good form on a pull-up. She looks like someone who will fit in and not be a bench-warmer!

--Caroline going left and shooting with her right. That's a high-level shot.

--Ice with her right again. She has skills.

--Nika with a pull-up jumper. Yes!

These little things were all largely missing last year. I'm liking the versatility I'm seeing here. No jumpers from Lou or Azzi in this brief video, but I already know those are money. Keep it up!

 

[Cuango]

My complaint is that by saying she needed to "START WORKING" you believed that up until you said it she wasn't working on it and had never worked on it. You assumed facts without evidence.

It’s pretty clear that the real complaint is about the temerity of anyone even suggesting that Nika needs to improve her offensive capabilities. After all, she makes our team look different when she’s on the floor. Clearly, this means she has no need to improve at anything! I know this because I too can interpret what posters really mean. It’s called “reading between the lines” and I am a true adept!

 

[Cuango]

Normally a jump hook is used to shoot over a taller defender. Amari is unlikely to be guarded by anyone her height and already has a solid jump shot. Suggest she use what she already does well, add a quick move drive and not spend too much time reinventing her offensive game.

Learning a hook shot would be an addition to her offensive repertoire. Respectfully, I don’t think of that as “reinventing her offensive game”. Surely, adding a shot that is far more difficult to block and whose value and efficacy was demonstrated by one of UConn’s all-time greats is worthwhile?

 

[Alydar]

It’s pretty clear that the real complaint is about the temerity of anyone even suggesting that Nika needs to improve her offensive capabilities. After all, she makes our team look different when she’s on the floor. Clearly, this means she has no need to improve at anything! I know this because I too can interpret what posters really mean. It’s called “reading between the lines” and I am a true adept!

Not my complaint. My complaint is that unless you know what Muhl has worked on for the last 2 years you have no right to say "she needs to start working" on whatever. There was an avalanche of posts about how UConn replaces Bueckers. Suddenly Muhl was the key to whether or not UConn wins the title. And a few of them sounded entitled.

 

[jdote33]

Although its a new Lou article, a lot of the same quotes from an article before. Nevertheless the article did confirm that they haven't had their first official practice yet. Also Lou really is a vet at 24 yrs young.

 

[eebmg]

Well, I think this quote is new and so important

“She’s just so mature and everything just kind of rolls off her back, everything flows,” Auriemma said of the 24-year-old. “There’s nothing that gets her rattled.”

True Blue Lou.

 

[Cuango]

Hi Don, that’s true, but you’ve got to start somewhere, so why not start at the top? The guard you’re referring to is Destanni Henderson, who graduated and moved on to the professional level with the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She waited until the final game of her college career to have a “swan song” breakout game of 26 points. You're right. Henderson's play broke UConn's back. They were the only team to beat UConn in March, so pardon me if I focus in on them. We'll see them at the XL Center on Sunday February 5 for a dress rehearsal to feel each other out. In my opinion, that is the biggest game on our schedule.

The Gamecocks are the number one ranked team in preseason polls. Aliyah Boston is coming back for her senior year, and has indicated her team plans on repeating as national champions. Head coach Dawn Staley has echoed those sentiments as well. THEY were the team that kept us from winning number 12. If we can't beat them, no other team matters. They are still the elephant in the room. When they meet again in the tournament, Geno had better have a game plan to beat them that will work.

All of the other top 10 teams have “serious” plans/aspirations of winning the NC, not just UConn. Those plans must include a game plan to beat SC, because, barring injury, the Gamecocks are going to be there the final weekend to defend and extend their reign as national champions.

Last year, SC lost 2 games (Missouri in a preseason tournament and Kentucky in the ACC tournament final) all year. I seriously doubt they lose more than 2 games this season. We’ll see. My money is on SC and UConn making the final four this year. Once again I’m doing my Jim Fassel impersonation:



"This is a poker game. I'm raising the stakes right now. I'm shoving all my chips to the middle of the table. I'm raising the ante." UConn will make the final four. Anybody wants in, get in. Anybody wants out, get out. This team is going to the final four!!!

Don, I'm on a roll. I steadfastly predicted that UConn would bring another player (Bentancourt) right up until the day before it was announced. I also predicted the Aces in 4. I recognize there will be other teams that UConn will have to beat to punch their ticket for an invitation to that final weekend of play in Dallas Texas on March 31 and April 2. I'm not predicting who will win the NC, just that UConn will be one of the four teams invited to Dallas.

While I agree that SC is the top team and therefore the most likely team to make it to that final weekend, I have to disagree with two things in your post. First, injury is not the only way for them to miss that final weekend. They could simply get beaten.
Second, they are clearly not the only team that matters! It is certainly conceivable that we could win the championship without ever playing the Gamecocks. After all, it (the tournament) is single elimination, lose and you’re out. As I said, there’s no question they are currently the favorite but there are a lot of games to be played before we come to that final weekend.
Finally, all credit to SC for winning last year, but let’s not pretend they beat anything but a mere shell of UConn in that final. If I were compiling a list of games to show the history of the competition between SC and UConn I would not even include that game.
It would be like Billie Jean King including her “victory” over Bobby Riggs on a list of her most impressive wins. Completely irrelevant and non representative of her true accomplishments. Let’s see what happens this season with (knock on wood) fully healthy teams. I’m not saying they aren’t the favorite but at least they will be actually playing UConn rather than the Little Sisters of the Poor!

 

[HuskyNan]

Is that Amari with the baby hook shot?