I Guess Sooner or Later This Would Happen

[hookshot]

What I mainly see in the Paige era is that in the first few years, with Liv Dorka and Aaliyah, Geno usually played two bigs. Small lineups were the exception not the rule. These teams were thwarted in one way or another. But since Dorka left, Geno has not managed to have a two-big lineup. This could change next season, once Gandy arrives.

Even this season, Sarah can play like a big next to Ice or Jana. But Geno seems reluctant to play Ice and Jana together for more than a few minutes. It’s easy to see why given their current skill level. That lineup would be slow and doesn’t currently pack a lot of scoring punch. This is disappointing since both were effective scorers in high school. Sadly, both also endured season ending knee injuries.

Jana and Ice have had their difficulties fully living up to inflated expectations, so maybe we should just give Gandy the benefit of being a mystery guest

 

[Dogstar]

Trust your eyes, you’ve seen the games. We get nothing from that position. Jana is a freshman who’s never played until now so she is still getting her feet wet and she’s aggressive by nature, so I would start her. Ice comes off the bench if at all if I were the coach.

No disrespect but I'm glad tht you aren’t the coach being tht you'd be replacing the winnest coach in college basketball, you know you're a great coach whn ur team loses 1 game and people come down with Chicken Little Syndrome, and I trust stats, and the stats tell me the both teams had a fg percentage of roughly 48% and a 3-pt percentage of 55% for ND and 18% for UConn, so I'm guessing tht ur eyes told you tht Ice and Jana should have been defending the perimeter players. Being tht you Trust ur eyes Go back and use them to check the box score, it is actually the unbiased story of the game and thts why the coaches read the stat sheets at halftime and after games. Calm down folks its only 9 games into the season.

 

[Geesworld]

I Don't like this video and I don't like this conversation around our two post. Our post play is the most scrutinized position on our team and it's not fair.

 

[huskeynut]

This guy knows little to nothing on post play.

It's getting a little much will this dumping on Ice and Jana.

There is progress there. Some what instant dominant post play. Anything less dooms us. Enough is enough!!

 

[Jumpy Radar]

The problem here is that Ice is not Sarah! People look at Sarah, then wonder why Ice can’t be like that! Well, that is unreasonable and unfair, imo! She will continue to get better and will eventually be a solid contributor for us. Probably not a superstar, but solid! She just needs more time, not minutes but longterm. This is a tempest in a teakettle and Geno is simply trying to light a fire under Ice! Of course, he is also rewarding Morgan. This guy tried to compare Ice and DeBerry! That does not fly at all! At least Ice makes an effort! Ice will be fine! Just don’t expect Sarah just becausej she’s big!

Not completely accurate. Not everyone expects Ice to play like Sarah. I for ine do not. They are two different players with different skill sets. The propblem with Ice for me is that she still lacks confidence. This is obvious with the number of times she hesitates to shoot and chooses to pass instead. I do agree that she is better than last year but only by a small margin, and I would definitely not insult her game by comparing her to DeBerry. More confidence and belief in herself and in her ability is what is needed. She needs to unleash the beast within. The key is in her hand alone.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Not completely accurate. Not everyone expects Ice to play like Sarah. I for ine do not. They are two different players with different skill sets. The propblem with Ice for me is that she still lacks confidence. This is obvious with the number of times she hesitates to shoot and chooses to pass instead. I do agree that she is better than last year but only by a small margin, and I would definitely not insult her game by comparing her to DeBerry. More confidence and belief in herself and in her ability is what is needed. She needs to unleash the beast within. The key is in her hand alone.

In Ice’s defense, she has worked on her outside shot, from the corner, the top of the key, behind the arc, etc., and I’ve seen a lot of improvement, to the point now where Geno is giving her the green light for those shots. More confidence can do wonders for shots that will go through the hoop. That being said, she probably will never have Sarah’s ball handling skills or the ability to poke a ball loose without fouling.

 

[GoUconn7961]

I agree with posters who say it's too soon to write off Ice. But neither Ice nor Jana are making those high percentage shots down low and that really has to change. How many chippies have they missed so far this season? In their favor, they're good at getting rebounds off those misses and kicking the ball out to someone who can shoot. But they have to make those shots; especially as they head into March/April.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno quote from the Iowa State postgame presser (link to video is in the postgame thread)

 

[fang]

Ice played pretty good defense on Crooks, who apparently has some sort of special dispensation for traveling. Jana looked very frustrated. I think she is going to be very good, but it is not coming easy for her.

 

[Skeets]

YouTube click hound posts a hot take overreaction video with a click bait title and his views go through the roof. Angry boneyarders hang his video in a forum thread giving it another boost in views. He doesn't care if he's wrong, he's running up the clicks.

Not from me.

Ice started slow last year but played pretty good towards the end of the season. I'm willing to give Ice that opportunity again. Not sure why other BY'ers don't feel that way.

As it stands right now Ice is serviceable.

 

[huskyd]

Is it fair? It's a question I've been asking myself for quite a while.

I was thinking just last night how much Brady has improved. I noted KK's improvement, and I believe that Ice is solid as, well, ice. Brady battled strongly with Mt. Crooks, who is more of a shot-putter than a basketball player. I also liked Ice's occasional offense. If anyone is questionable, it's the Lady from the Levant. There's no coherent shape to Jana's game: one moment she looks good, the next she misses another bunny or ft. I don't see any real growth, though having tall timber in the middle is a good thing compared to the alternative.
Let's keep the faith in Ice; she's on the up-swing and a nice piece going forward. I see you, Ice.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Not from me.

Ice started slow last year but played pretty good towards the end of the season. I'm willing to give Ice that opportunity again. Not sure why other BY'ers don't feel that way.

As it stands right now Ice is serviceable.

Seems like Geno is dipping into the Hurley bag of tricks in the way he's handling rotating bigs with different skill sets... He got what he needed at the 5 last night with Ice's defense and Jana's rebounding.

 

[Dixiedog]

the loss of nika's heart has been terribly apparent so far this year. this team clearly has much superior talent to last season but it's been missing something: nika's leadership.

paige hasn't replaced it, though she is an incredible player and person. neither have kaitlyn and kk, who have assumed nika's role -- and exceeded her in some ways but don't provide her inspiration and spirit.

the most promising chance for an approximation of nika is morgan. she has got the spark, i think, even though she is just beginning her college career. nika did far less when she first arrived.

if i'm right about morgan, she'll make an enormous contribution to husky glory as the season progresses. BTW, the importance of that contribution seems to be badly overlooked by fans. i think geno's well aware of it -- but you cannot teach it. it's innate. he only can encourage it and thank god he had/has such a kid.

Paco totally agree with your observations as per Morgan - just not what I bolded in post. We all remember Nika's 0 for America start her freshman year but we tend to forget the very early impact she had on a pretty guard heavy team. Through 11 games, which is where Morgan was at the time of your post these are Nika's stats: She just made her 4th start ( which would continue for the balance of the season until her injury against High Point), and had compiled 32 assists, 18 blocks, 21 rebounds and had 49 points.

Morgan's shooting percentages are higher but that's about it. She needs to work on her scowl and intensity of her chest bumps to be the second coming of Nika

. I have my hopes that Morgan can bring, even a good measure, of what we've lost with Nika's departure. As with you and others, I've seen glimpse of Nika in Morgan and as you pointed out it is something we are missing this season, thus far. As Geno said (paraphrase) you have to have a player or two like Nika to win it all. But he also pointed out that Nika was unique and he has only had a handful of players like her over his career. I'm on board with you hoping Morgan adds another one to that list.