Jana's Lay Up

[HuskyNan]

I will never understand the folks who consistently say that college players (adult women in this case), who have layed basketball for years - will get better at making layups if we just wait. These are the easiest shots in basketball (layups), and in this thread we are talking about a 6’5” player. We can like a player and still be honest about assessing things like missing layups, can we not?

As is discussed in a thread on the recruiting board, the girls that come out of high school with gaudy scoring records have not been playing against the same type of talent as college players. Watch a typical high school games - opponents are smaller, slower, and less talented than Div I players.

College players have also worked with trainers that have increased their strength and endurance. Freshmen post players like Jana have rarely played against girls their size that are also quicker and stronger. Jana can no longer just reach for a rebound or merely reach her hand up over a smaller player for a lay-in, now she’s got to fight for everything and get pushed, pulled, and hacked in the paint while doing so. It’s fatiguing, too. Every time a player moves up a level - high school to college, college to pro - an adjustment needs to take place.

Earlier in the season Jana was visibly frustrated and I assume that’s because her height alone wasn’t enough any more. The frustration is fading, finally, and she’s getting more done on the court and winning more small battles but she still has a ways to go. Hence the calls for patience

 

[oldude]

This discussion should be a cautionary tale for next season when Gandy shows up at Storrs. I fear that it will not be and once again some BY’ers will be asking some version of, “What’s wrong with our Big?”

Some of us will once again argue that it takes time for Bigs to adjust to the college game, she has been playing against smaller, less athletic girls in HS and the game is moving too fast for them right now, etc.

Patience Grasshopper……..

 

[OldSchooler]

As is discussed in a thread on the recruiting board, the girls that come out of high school with gaudy scoring records have not been playing against the same type of talent as college players. Watch a typical high school games - opponents are smaller, slower, and less talented than Div I players.

College players have also worked with trainers that have increased their strength and endurance. Freshmen post players like Jana have rarely played against girls their size that are also quicker and stronger. Jana can no longer just reach for a rebound or merely reach her hand up over a smaller player for a lay-in, now she’s got to fight for everything and get pushed, pulled, and hacked in the paint while doing so. It’s fatiguing, too. Every time a player moves up a level - high school to college, college to pro - an adjustment needs to take place.

Earlier in the season Jana was visibly frustrated and I assume that’s because her height alone wasn’t enough any more. The frustration is fading, finally, and she’s getting more done on the court and winning more small battles but she still has a ways to go. Hence the calls for patience

And although this is relatively insignificant, we're finally beginning to win the opening tip.

 

[Longtime fan]

Jana does not have bad hands. She actually catches the ball well and has a soft shot with either hand in the paint. The problem for Jana is the same problem that just about every Big had when they started playing college basketball. The game is moving too fast for her right now. It will slow down.

As for bad hands, Kiah Stokes had the worst hands I’ve ever seen. It took her 2 1/2 seasons to figure out how to catch a pass or rebound. Once she did, Kiah became a valuable member of UConn’s rotation and ultimately a 1st round pick in the W.

I have to disagree about Jana, although this is a pure judgement call. I saw Kiah and she had the same problems that Jana is having. When a ball is contested, Jana too often loses control of it. She doesn't do so on every touch...some she executes perfectly. But I would say that is 50% of the time and it needs to be 90%. It will come with time. Coach knows what he has.

 

[oldude]

I have to disagree about Jana, although this is a pure judgement call. I saw Kiah and she had the same problems that Jana is having. When a ball is contested, Jana too often loses control of it. She doesn't do so on every touch...some she executes perfectly. But I would say that is 50% of the time and it needs to be 90%. It will come with time. Coach knows what he has.

So you are suggesting it’s bad hands, which is a problem with coordination. I am suggesting that she’s thinking too much and processing the game too slowly, I.e. the game is moving too fast for her.

Forget about Kiah. Another player that missed a whole bunch of layups her first couple years at UConn and committed a bunch of fouls by just running over opponents without looking was Aaliyah. Once things slowed down, Aaliyah became a pretty decent player. The same thing will happen with Jana.

 

[HuskyNan]

So you are suggesting it’s bad hands, which is a problem with coordination. I am suggesting that she’s thinking too much and processing the game too slowly, I.e. the game is moving too fast for her.

Forget about Kiah. Another player that missed a whole bunch of layups her first couple years at UConn and committed a bunch of fouls by just running over opponents without looking was Aaliyah. Once things slowed down, Aaliyah became a pretty decent player. The same thing will happen with Jana.

Aaliyah had a great freshman year but then she played with the Canadian National team the following summer. She returned to UConn a different player - hesitant, almost confused about her role. I think the Canadian coach’s requirements were different from Geno’s and that made Aaliyah think too much. She returned to the freshman version of herself the following year.

Watch how many fouls she draws in the video below. Keep in mind she’s (maybe) 6-3

 

[oldude]

Aaliyah had a great freshman year but then she played with the Canadian National team. She returned to UConn a different player - hesitant, almost confused about her role. I think the Canadian coach’s requirements were different from Geno’s and that made Aaliyah think too much. She returned to the freshman version of herself the following year.

Watch how many fouls she draws in the video below

Yes, I had forgotten about Aaliyah’s stint with the Canadian National team. It wasn’t so much bad coaching by the Canadian coaching staff as much as it was no coaching whatsoever. After Aaliyah made the national team, she was the last person off the bench. It happened during Covid so the Canadian team travelled to FL to live and practice at IMG Academy for several weeks before the Olympics. During that period of time there was little to no player development, which was exactly what Aaliyah needed after her freshman year. She did backslide during her sophomore year.