Jana El Alfy will come to CT from Egypt next year. Meet the future Husky

[Carnac]

Agree with your assessment of how many fantastic 4's we will have. One reason Jana is so important is along with Ice, those two might be considered 4/5's, and the most talented if inexperienced options to consume the minutes at the 5. We could always play Aaliyah some there, but I am hoping in her senior potential All American season, we can keep her at her natural and best position. I also think that Ayanna is looking more and more like the 4 is best for her as well.

With a growing consensus that Nika, Azzi, Paige and Aaliyah will start and be great, the main question mark is the 5. If one of the two additions in Ice or Jana can be ready to start, and the other provide good backup minutes we are obviously set. The talent is there, but so is the inexperience, so that development will be the main question next preseason. The backup talent at the guard positions should be terrific as well, so in some ways Ice and Jana are the final pieces of a great puzzle.

You know I don't like to look ahead, but..............with Boston leaving South Carolina after this season, yes they will fall back to the pack like UConn did when Breanna Stewart graduated after the 2015-2016 season, UConn reassumes their place as the number one team in the country in the preseason polls. For those keeping track, UConn has not won a NC since Stewart left.

The Gamecocks have 6'7" post Camilla Cardoso, who will be playing in her 4th year (1 at Syracuse and 3 at SC). She is a serviceable post player and is very capable of guarding the paint, but she's NOT Aliyah Boston. Brea Beal, Zia Cooke, Leticia Amihere and Victaria Saxton are ALL seniors THIS year. That's a lot of talent to lose at one time.

It's my opinion and you may disagree with it, but with the talent Geno will have next year, UConn should begin the seasoon as the number 1 ranked team in the country, and should be the "elephant in the room." If not UConn, then who? I think next year's team could very well the most talent laden team Geno has EVER had. He's solid 1-5 with depth on the bench. Thoughts?

 

[DEpup]

I’m wondering how many NCs Geno has won without a pure 5. I’m guessing the answer is “more than a few.”

So true. Upon a quick memory thought about starters.. Stewart, Tuck, and Charles were all 4s really but playing the 5 in a motion offense.... Lobo had Wolters in the NC year. Dolson is just barely a center because of her size and has played some PF in the WNBA due to her passing and adequate perimeter shooting. From a size point of view, even Asja Jones and Jessica Moore would probably end up 4s in the WNBA.

So I'm sort of at just Wolters and Dolson as starting true centers who have won NCs. Stokes never started. Let's hope Dorka can make it happen but again she'll probably be a 4 in the WNBA.

I think the motion offense and the mobility required almost dictates that most of the time you'd have two 4s. It's rare that you find a true center who is willing to be in the kind of shape necessary to be successful in a motion system. We've now seen so many high school bigs pass on UConn and end up at an isolation pound it inside system.... my hypothesis would be as high schoolers they lack the confidence and fortitude that Dolson had to transform their bodies.

 

[Carnac]

CD should promenently display a copy of that picture somewhere in her office (for all visitors to see) as a testiment to how far UConn (she) will go to recruit a "coveted" player. I wonder if at some point while she was riding that camel she was thinking......."Geno, you owe me".

Can you in your wildest dreams or thoughts see Geno up there riding that camel?

 

[BobbyJ]

So true. Upon a quick memory thought about starters.. Stewart, Tuck, and Charles were all 4s really but playing the 5 in a motion offense.... Lobo had Wolters in the NC year. Dolson is just barely a center because of her size and has played some PF in the WNBA due to her passing and adequate perimeter shooting. From a size point of view, even Asja Jones and Jessica Moore would probably end up 4s in the WNBA.

So I'm sort of at just Wolters and Dolson as starting true centers who have won NCs. Stokes never started. Let's hope Dorka can make it happen but again she'll probably be a 4 in the WNBA.

I think the motion offense and the mobility required almost dictates that most of the time you'd have two 4s. It's rare that you find a true center who is willing to be in the kind of shape necessary to be successful in a motion system. We've now seen so many high school bigs pass on UConn and end up at an isolation pound it inside system.... my hypothesis would be as high schoolers they lack the confidence and fortitude that Dolson had to transform their bodies.

I agree with all of your points with the possible exception of your last sentence. It’s certainly possible your hypothesis could account for some of the bigs coming out of HS but I tend to think that for most of the 6-3+ kids it’s the lack of coaching from a very young age. It takes a lot of time and expertise to teach a tall, sometimes bulky middle schooler who’s trying to control her coordination the passing, ball handling, shooting, and footwork skills necessary to function in an offense like UConn runs. There aren’t a lot of those knowledgeable coaches out there or big kids capable of learning that stuff. Brady was very fortunate to have someone early who could teach her. Sarah Strong, a bulky, 6-2 dancing bear is another. Same size as Aneesah Morrow of DePaul. For me, a rotation of 3 big, mobile, skilled 4s is my preference.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree with all of your points with the possible exception of your last sentence. It’s certainly possible your hypothesis could account for some of the bigs coming out of HS but I tend to think that for most of the 6-3+ kids it’s the lack of coaching from a very young age. It takes a lot of time and expertise to teach a tall, sometimes bulky middle schooler who’s trying to control her coordination the passing, ball handling, shooting, and footwork skills necessary to function in an offense like UConn runs. There aren’t a lot of those knowledgeable coaches out there or big kids capable of learning that stuff. Brady was very fortunate to have someone early who could teach her. Sarah Strong, a bulky, 6-2 dancing bear is another. Same size as Aneesah Morrow of DePaul. For me, a rotation of 3 big, mobile, skilled 4s is my preference.

I think they often learn it from one or both of their parents. This sort of thing can run in families. Q's family is an interesting example from "that other thread." It's clear that Jana's dad was a key to her development. And you can hear it in his remark that some coaches might try to limit her to playing the low post and overlook her handles and face up skills. He probably saw that Geno encourages face up skills among the big girls who pass through here.

 

[CL82]

As I have heard before, "a camel is just a horse that has gone thru the legislative process".

Because it’s been humped twice?

 

[SVCBeercats]

Since some can't see the article and pictures, I present my favorite picture. She shall receive many more trophies while at UCONN. Kerr is 6'3" for those getting out their Hartley height calculators.

 

[Artifact]

I would call the picture, 'riding high'. Jana is a very pretty girl! Had visited two pyramids in the background, Keops and Zenobia. Both my wife & self had climbed the outside large block structure, Named our two Persian cats, simular names.

 

[meyers7]

Seems like a much cooler recruiting trip than say Ohio or Nebraska.

 

[CL82]

It’s great that Jana is so well-informed and was there to give Chris extra insights. I mean if any of the iconography or architecture or symbology was confusing to her she could always ask “What’s it all about (El) Alfy?”

 

[JellyBean]

Welcome, Jana

 

[Cuango]

I think this “consensus” starting five is a bit premature. What happens if Caroline returns to the form we saw before her injuries? Does anyone really think she would not be a likely starter? It is a good problem to have however. The talent this team will have over the next 3-5 years is just incredible! While I am not a basketball historian, I certainly can’t think of another team with this quality from top to bottom!

 

[oldhusky]

You know I don't like to look ahead, but..............with Boston leaving South Carolina after this season, yes they will fall back to the pack like UConn did when Breanna Stewart graduated after the 2015-2016 season, UConn reassumes their place as the number one team in the country in the preseason polls. For those keeping track, UConn has not won a NC since Stewart left.

The Gamecocks have 6'7" post Camilla Cardoso, who will be playing in her 4th year (1 at Syracuse and 3 at SC). She is a serviceable post player and is very capable of guarding the paint, but she's NOT Aliyah Boston. Brea Beal, Zia Cooke, Leticia Amihere and Victaria Saxton are ALL seniors THIS year. That's a lot of talent to lose at one time.

It's my opinion and you may disagree with it, but with the talent Geno will have next year, UConn should begin the seasoon as the number 1 ranked team in the country, and should be the "elephant in the room." If not UConn, then who? I think next year's team could very well the most talent laden team Geno has EVER had. He's solid 1-5 with depth on the bench. Thoughts?

You could be right regarding the most talent ridden team overall. I also see South Carolina and Stanford slipping back while we advance so starting the year at #1 is also probable. Further I think we will be significantly better than any other team at positions 1-4. I expect us to be good but not great at the 5, and in my opinion South Carolina and Stanford will still be great there.

Losing Boston and Jones will hurt both teams quite a bit but, South Carolina didn't have just the best starting C, they had the best backup too IMO. Cardosa puts up monster numbers in the playing time she gets, I believe her PER is even higher than Boston's, and Brink might be the only C in the country better than Cardosa, and of course Stanford has Betts coming back for her sophomore year as the nation's number 1 recruit in her class.

So we have a ton of talent and probably stack up with anyone in overall talent next year, but some of the best teams will probably have better C play than we do, even though I think we will be pretty good too. Ice and Jana and Amari for that matter have plenty of talent, but none of them have meaning-full experience and they are all untested for the most part. They may be great by the time they are juniors and seniors, but when we need to throw them into the fire right away, I would be happy with pretty good next year. If we get that with the rest of the positions stacked i think we are in great shape.

 

[Dogstar]

Since some can't see the article and pictures, I present my favorite picture. She shall receive many more trophies while at UCONN. Kerr is 6'3" for those getting out their Hartley height

Since some can't see the article and pictures, I present my favorite picture. She shall receive many more trophies while at UCONN. Kerr is 6'3" for those getting out their Hartley height calculators.
View attachment 82390

Definitely a legit 6'3 , I think she'll add another 1 or 2 inches b4 she gets here.