Jana and Ice appreciation thread

[Henry]

Jana and Ice were spectacular guarding Betts. They were able to do it 1v1, which would've been much more difficult for Sarah. Their combined 11 pts was the most we've gotten from the center position in the tournament.

 

[huskeynut]

There are those who complain about the Big East and I get it.

There have been those critics of Jana and Ice who don't get it. They expected both Ice and Jana to be dominant in the post from day one. Bigs growth is an evolutionay process at UConn. The learning curve in UConn's offense is steeper. Look at the past history of bigs - Tina and Steph two primary examples of the evolution at UConn. They both became All-Americans.

Last night, right at the start, Jana showed that Betts was not going to push her around. She grabbed rebounds with authority. She made it clear there was a battle to be had in the paint and she was ready.

Ice comes in and makes it very clear that she was going to body up Betts and make her work her tail off. And she did.

And you now Jamalle has a big smile this morning.

 

[Skeets]

As Jana played magnificently last night, the image of Chris dailey riding a camel during her recruiting visit to Egypt popped into my head. That 24 hour visit was well worth it.

Yeah, it's not often you get to ride a camel in front of the pyramids and successfully recruit a diamond in the rough like Jana. Remember, the kid is just a redshirt freshman, she's going to get better. What will she be like 2 - 3 years from now?

A question. Jana enrolled early, but did not play. That would count as a "redshirt" year. Then last year she didn't play at all. If you don't play for Notre Dame can you get 2 redshirt years? This is Aubs 6th year. One was a covid year and one was a redshirt year (I believe). Not 2 redshirt years.

 

[Charliebball]

Great job by the UConn duo against UCLA............the last question to be asked is whether they can match that performance against a quicker and more aggressive South Carolina front line on Sunday........if they can play solid defense and do a decent job on the boards UConn stands a great chance of winning it all.....

 

[PhillyCoach]

This tournament the refs are letting the teams (especially the bigs)--play Physical!! Remember, Jana played for Egypt internationally. She loved the banging in the international style. The big and strong girls Jana came up against (Beers, etc.) could not handle a 6'5" fortress. Betts had to work harder than ever moving Jana. Ice is also a very physical player. This tournament ref style is more like the Men's and not the ticky-tack style some games are called during the season.
One more thought--if Jana comes out to the foul line or top of the key and the opposition big comes out to guard her---then Jana knows how to go by like she did in this game and one other earlier. Remember, Jana handled the ball for Egypt quite a bit. I like to see Geno use that play more often.

 

[HuskyNan]

A question. Jana enrolled early, but did not play. That would count as a "redshirt" year. Then last year she didn't play at all. If you don't play for Notre Dame can you get 2 redshirt years? This is Aubs 6th year. One was a covid year and one was a redshirt year (I believe). Not 2 redshirt years.

No, the NCAA allowed eligible players (early high school grads) to enroll early without penalty. It was a Covid-period thing, IIRC

 

[cancontent]

There are those who complain about the Big East and I get it.

There have been those critics of Jana and Ice who don't get it. They expected both Ice and Jana to be dominant in the post from day one. Bigs growth is an evolutionay process at UConn. The learning curve in UConn's offense is steeper. Look at the past history of bigs - Tina and Steph two primary examples of the evolution at UConn. They both became All-Americans.

Last night, right at the start, Jana showed that Betts was not going to push her around. She grabbed rebounds with authority. She made it clear there was a battle to be had in the paint and she was ready.

Ice comes in and makes it very clear that she was going to body up Betts and make her work her tail off. And she did.

And you now Jamalle has a big smile this morning.

This point was noted frequently all season but seemed to fall on deaf ears (so to speak). Hopefully what fans have seen over the last few games gives them an indication of what's possible next season with a full year of experience now for Jana.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I don't post much over here but wanted to add to the list of Yarders who show their appreciation for Jana's performance last night! That was impressive. Glad we have her!

 

[NEforceUConn]

Jana was outstanding! The video on the second swipe of Nan’s post might be the most heartfelt video this decade.

“One more game, one more win.” said the dad/coach. Priceless!

 

[rubymae4]

An under looked aspect of Jana’s and Ice’s contributions all year is them setting screen after screen after screen to get the other players open. I really noticed it in the last few games. That takes a physical toll.

Jana and Ice combined for 37 minutes. So happy for them.

 

[Scorpio1]

Jana has improved steadily throughout the whole season. Early on, she’d do something positive…and then miss the layup. You can see the footwork improve along with the finishing. She is like a high school sophomore putting her game together. She is going to be a huge low post presence and significant player. UConn has an excellent future star!

 

[Basingstoke]

I love looking past the points in box scores and seeing what each player contributed in other ways.
Although, Lauren Betts scored an efficient 26 points, in 35 minutes she only had 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block.
Jana, in just 23 minutes, had 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals (ok, so she didn't block any shots, but her job was to be glued to Betts).
What a terrific job for a freshman big in the biggest challenge of her young career!

 

[AmeriConn]

As Jana played magnificently last night, the image of Chris dailey riding a camel during her recruiting visit to Egypt popped into my head. That 24 hour visit was well worth it.

Here I come to save the day! Jana and Chris ride again.

 

[BRS24]

There are those who complain about the Big East and I get it.

There have been those critics of Jana and Ice who don't get it. They expected both Ice and Jana to be dominant in the post from day one. Bigs growth is an evolutionay process at UConn. The learning curve in UConn's offense is steeper. Look at the past history of bigs - Tina and Steph two primary examples of the evolution at UConn. They both became All-Americans.

Last night, right at the start, Jana showed that Betts was not going to push her around. She grabbed rebounds with authority. She made it clear there was a battle to be had in the paint and she was ready.

Ice comes in and makes it very clear that she was going to body up Betts and make her work her tail off. And she did.

And you now Jamalle has a big smile this morning.

And this is why we while about Geno giving players the hook during the BE season. He has expectations beyond league play, and knows that if they don't work it all out, the NCAA tourney will be a challenge.

 

[JoePgh]

The one time I jumped off the couch and screamed was when Jana drove to the hoop in the 4Q.

And now I'm chopping onions at 7:30 after watching the video of Jana and her parents.

What no one has pointed out about that play (including the announcers) is that Jana made that play against Lauren Betts, the National Defensive Player of the Year. Betts was still in the game at that point, although she came out shortly afterwards.

Also, did you hear the announcers say that the 22 points that UCLA scored in the first half was the lowest point total for a half that UConn had given up this year to any opponent? I haven't fact-checked that, but it is mind-boggling that teams like Xavier, Butler, and Georgetown were all able to score more points in a half against UConn than the #1 overall seed in the tournament.

Regardless of the outcome on Sunday, I think the team's performance during this tournament is evidence that playing in the Big East does not significantly hamper the development of the team to the point that it can be competitive (even dominant) in the NCAA tournament. However, it does mean that observers (fans, writers, and the NCAA selection committee) cannot accurate gauge how good UConn is since so much of their record is against inferior teams.

 

[Zonepress]

as i watched the season unfold i kind of wondered why Jana started over ice (I thought Ice was a more effective player)her progress seemed very uneven
and peaked at the so car game
i became convinced that he knew he would need
her to beat Ucla should they meet in the tournament
don’t think GA could have imagined how well
she would play
the 3 early steals completely set the tone
for the game
i knew the game was over when they put Betts
in the pick and roll got the switch and the mismatch andJana made the lay up!!
it was a remarkable game for her

and the Ice 15 footer was exactly what was
needed in the first half
very very happy for both plsyets

 

[cancontent]

 

[BRS24]

Also, did you hear the announcers say that the 22 points that UCLA scored in the first half was the lowest point total for a half that UConn had given up this year to any opponent? I haven't fact-checked that, but it is mind-boggling that teams like Xavier, Butler, and Georgetown were all able to score more points in a half against UConn than the #1 overall seed in the tournament.

And this too -

 

[Bald Husky]

There are those who complain about the Big East and I get it.

There have been those critics of Jana and Ice who don't get it. They expected both Ice and Jana to be dominant in the post from day one. Bigs growth is an evolutionay process at UConn. The learning curve in UConn's offense is steeper. Look at the past history of bigs - Tina and Steph two primary examples of the evolution at UConn. They both became All-Americans.

Last night, right at the start, Jana showed that Betts was not going to push her around. She grabbed rebounds with authority. She made it clear there was a battle to be had in the paint and she was ready.

Ice comes in and makes it very clear that she was going to body up Betts and make her work her tail off. And she did.

And you now Jamalle has a big smile this morning.

Not to mention Kara Walters

 

[DefenseBB]

Betts had 9 points at halftime, which means that most of her 26 came after the game was all-but decided.

There’s a small but vocal contingent on the boneyard that bemoans UConn playing in the Big East, in part because it doesn’t prepare them to play against bigs. Well, Jana and Ice have gone up against two of the best in the nation the last two games. They didn’t score against Beers and didn’t shut down Betts, but they did what was asked of them in both games. They held Beers to 10 points and scored 11 against Betts. Most importantly, they played a big part in holding two high-octane offenses to under 60 points. Or if you’d prefer, they helped UConn to two 20+ point wins against those two teams.

For actual facts, Betts had 9 pts in Q1,11 at half, 17 after 3Q and 26 for the game. She also was limited to only 5 rebounds Including just 2 offensive!
Betts played well bur as a post player she is DEPENDENT on players to get her the ball and that was a problem all night for UCLA. Jana and Ice did a GREAT JOB but Betts was still really good. Thankfully, everyone else stepped up to limit the damage Betts could do.
As I have said, I was at the game and everyone was aware of how good both Jana and ice did defending Betts, It is a bit odd we are touting “holding“ a player to 26 points on 11 of 18 shooting but it is ENTIRELY FAIR AND JUSTIFIED. Let’s not get too carried away as we still need strong contributions tomorrow as well from both these players. I am not going to pretend this effort is the complete turning point for either, as it isn’t but I will say I believe they will be more than what we need on Sunday and am very happy for them and us! Can we get Jana’s parents to come over more often?

 

[cabbie191]

I love looking past the points in box scores and seeing what each player contributed in other ways.
Although, Lauren Betts scored an efficient 26 points, in 35 minutes she only had 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block.
Jana, in just 23 minutes, had 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals (ok, so she didn't block any shots, but her job was to be glued to Betts).
What a terrific job for a freshman big in the biggest challenge of her young career!

True on Betts’ stats but had her teammates shot better, she would have had a lot more assists. I thought she was quite good at getting the ball out quickly to their perimeter players.