I liked what I saw short and sweet

[HuskyNan]

To be honest, I don't think we can read anything from that exhibition. It is like the Houston Astros playing an exhibition game against the West Point baseball team, as a tribute to military service. But one significant thing was the absence of any contribution from DeBerry. She should be able to score every time she has the ball against K-town. If she remains a non factor, the team's future is limited. Dorka and Williams are very good, but they will be burned out by March. Ice Brady was their safety net, and DeBerry their hope of last
resort ( in case she found her game, and decided to play ). I already feel that DeBerry has established her place at the end of the bench, holding a broom. this is hugely disappointing. Did she do nothing all summer in Storrs? Please prove me wrong. We need her to be a force.

Amari started the 4th quarter and played the entire period. She had plenty of chances to show what she can do

 

[LoboDays]

All we know is what we know at the beginning of every UCONN season. One of the best rosters in the sport. A team that will once again win the BE Conference. Probably get to the FF.

All we don’t know is the same as every season. Can they get over the hump and bring a NC home?

 

[Bone Dog]

Please prove me wrong. We need her to be a force.

Your pessimism about the team has lured you into a excessive criticism of Amari. We will be fine, dominant even, no matter what Amari does. Even if she doesn’t score a point all year. It’s time for everyone to lay off the girl.

As for the team, the game showed we have a solid 5+3 rotation, which is more than we ran in most championship years. We’ve got the talent and the muscle to run practically any team right off the court. Now it’s just a question of building a tight unit.

 

[HuskyNan]

Your pessimism about the team has lured you into a excessive criticism of Amari. We will be fine, dominant even, no matter what Amari does. Even if she doesn’t score a point all year. It’s time for everyone to lay off the girl.

Discussion of Amari’s play is a valid basketball topic and can continue

 

[Bone Dog]

Discussion of Amari’s play is a valid basketball topic and can continue

Some posts have struck me as excessive. But I’ll be guided by you.

 

[Alydar]

OK I'll be that person.............a fun game to watch especially with that three-point barrage and total control of the boards and the fastbreak.............let me see some of that play against Texas and I'll be convinced this team can compete successfully at the highest level......

After endless straight FF's I think the burden of proof is on you to convince me that they can't "compete at the highest level"

 

[Alydar]

To be honest, I don't think we can read anything from that exhibition. It is like the Houston Astros playing an exhibition game against the West Point baseball team, as a tribute to military service. But one significant thing was the absence of any contribution from DeBerry. She should be able to score every time she has the ball against K-town. If she remains a non factor, the team's future is limited. Dorka and Williams are very good, but they will be burned out by March. Ice Brady was their safety net, and DeBerry their hope of last
resort ( in case she found her game, and decided to play ). I already feel that DeBerry has established her place at the end of the bench, holding a broom. this is hugely disappointing. Did she do nothing all summer in Storrs? Please prove me wrong. We need her to be a force.

Looks like you read a lot into that exhibition.

 

[CocoHusky]

Strength isn’t her weakness. She needs to develop a variety of shots around the paint, she’s not just jumping over 5-10 kids in there anymore.

Ayanna needs to make a transition from power to finesse when she is at the basket. Right now everything is with full force including the shot-too much force actually. Gabby Williams had a similar issue in her first two seasons where everything was too explosive. She does all the hard work and just has to gently lay the ball in the basket after securing it.

 

[HuskyNan]

Ayanna needs to make a transition from power to finesse when she is at the basket. Right now everything is with full force including the shot-too much force actually. Gabby Williams had a similar issue in her first two seasons where everything was too explosive. She does all the hard work and just has to gently lay the ball in the basket after securing it.

Too much energy and aggressiveness is a good problem to have. It’s easier to dial it back than to have to dig it out

 

[fomalhaut]

I’m not even worried about our defense. Yes, they were some mistakes made yesterday. But we are Team-Energy. That will make up for it until we’ve perfected that side of the game.

It took one quarter for them to figure out how to play defense.

 

[BobbyJ]

Ayanna needs to make a transition from power to finesse when she is at the basket. Right now everything is with full force including the shot-too much force actually. Gabby Williams had a similar issue in her first two seasons where everything was too explosive. She does all the hard work and just has to gently lay the ball in the basket after securing it.

I think I follow you here. She has a bad habit of immediately putting the ball on the floor and trying to power up through the arms. The dribble locks her in place limiting her ability to pivot and move to free herself for a shot. Just give her some video of Tuck and say do some of this. Or better yet, get Tuck to spend a couple hours with her.

 

[Zinethar]

I've seen all the preseason videos and knew Yanna was strong but was kind of shocked when I saw her on the court. That girl is huge, fast, and powerful. Another track star like Gabby. I loved Geno's comment (one he used for Z) paraphrasing "She grabs all her misses then finally puts it in so she can get an easy double double").

 

[Charliebball]

After endless straight FF's I think the burden of proof is on you to convince me that they can't "compete at the highest level"

When you lose three important seniors, arguably the best player in women's college basketball and an ultra-versatile freshman post with a huge future, bring in a graduate student from a lesser league, along with a Portuguese guard who was scheduled to go to a junior college, have two important players coming back from major surgeries, I think we are all entitled to question what kind of team this will be............

 

[itsasport]

I agree with Carnac that UConn will be a high scoring team- against everyone. I think that they could average in the high 80's or even more.

And I think that the front court is a lot stronger than last year- especially with Dorka being able to put an opposing player out to defend the three-pointer.

The two combined will make UConn hard to beat.

 

[ShmiCO]

I've seen all the preseason videos and knew Yanna was strong but was kind of shocked when I saw her on the court. That girl is huge, fast, and powerful. Another track star like Gabby. I loved Geno's comment (one he used for Z) paraphrasing "She grabs all her misses then finally puts it in so she can get an easy double double").

I was surprised by her speed down the court. I guess I was thinking she'd be "fast for a big" when it turns out she's just plain fast.

 

[WFFL]

Ill wait til after the texas game before i decide how many PPG the team averages.

 

[Alydar]

When you lose three important seniors, arguably the best player in women's college basketball and an ultra-versatile freshman post with a huge future, bring in a graduate student from a lesser league, along with a Portuguese guard who was scheduled to go to a junior college, have two important players coming back from major surgeries, I think we are all entitled to question what kind of team this will be............

Everyone says that. It's not who you lost that matters. If it did matter then UConn wouldn't have gone to 14 straight FF's. What matters is who you got and UConn's got a lot. See, I think they still have the best player in wcbb playing for them.

 

[Zarathustra]

Amari started the 4th quarter and played the entire period. She had plenty of chances to show what she can do

My impression was that particular " mix" of players has not had a lot of time together to get
their timing down. Not that I did not see some clear errors. I just believe that with a little
more " togetherness" things will look better in the future. Recheck the lineup during the
fourth quarter, except for Azzi (before she came out) IMO you will rarely see that combination
except in mop up time. Still love that behind the back pass from INEZ to Yanna in the closing
seconds of the game!!

 

[ccwarrior]

Some posts have struck me as excessive. But I’ll be guided by you.

I hope you don't mean the realists providing opinions different from the hopelessly optimistic fans.

 

[Cuango]

Tony, please help me with something. I was unable to see any of the exhibition yesterday, so I only had access to the box score. What I saw there was disturbing. Specifically, I saw no stats for De Berry. I read that she entered the game in the fourth period. So she stayed in Storrs all Sumer to gain strength and work on her game, and what she earned was, " garbage time against a Division II opponent, during which she did nothing?" I seriously believe that she is a key to this season. If she is no better than last year, we won't make the sweet sixteen. Please tell me I have no cause for concern here. But I expected she would have put up some easy good numbers.

You have no cause for concern as long as everyone stays healthy! Amari could be a difference maker if she were to suddenly start playing up to her perceived potential but that would be gravy on top of an already outstanding roast! This team is plenty capable even without Amari.

 

[Going4Natty]

A little cloud on Yanna's double double. Half her rebounds were her own misses.

 

[CB360]

Ok, Not sure if I missed it but did anyone notice and is anyone excited to see that Aubrey played pretty well? She appeared to play with NO hesitation or concern of reinjuring her back. I for one felt that was the BIGGEST takeaway from the game!

 

[Charliebball]

Everyone says that. It's not who you lost that matters. If it did matter then UConn wouldn't have gone to 14 straight FF's. What matters is who you got and UConn's got a lot. See, I think they still have the best player in wcbb playing for them.

You never know but it's going to take a full schedule of games to find out.........

 

[MSGRET]

A little cloud on Yanna's double double. Half her rebounds were her own misses.

She must have been watching replays of Swin Cash and Tina Charles when they played at UConn. According to Geno, that's how those two got many of their rebounds by rebounding their misses.