Kutztown Postgame Thread

[oldhusky]

In the little bits and pieces of getting to see Amari play, I sometimes wonder how her stats would be if she was given significant playing time. The categories that I think might be pretty good for a C would be blocked shots and assists. She is not just tall but long and appears to be a good shot blocker and clearly she has some talent finding cutters to the basket.

As for scoring some say she is a good shooter, and maybe she could hit a decent percentage of jumpers from mid-range, but I don't think she would ever be a high volume scorer, because I can't see her getting many baskets from close range on offensive putbacks, and it seems like she never posts up. It seems she plays very vertical, doesn't get low and spread out for low post position, or for boxing out on rebounds.

I could be way off, but I suspect her rebounding numbers for a long, mobile (if not quick) 6-5 player would be very low, and suspect she would be pushed around by shorter but more physical C's inside.

For every talent that suggests a good upside there seems to be a downside. 6-5 and long shot blocker sounds like a good foundation for a very good defensive player, but not if you can't play good position defense, and get overpowered on the inside.

Some great passes get our hopes up, but those are often followed by a careless turnover, and when you have a 6-5 good perimeter spot up shooter you think, wow combine that with inside scoring and you really have something, but she does almost nothing around the basket.

She remains an enigma and my expectations for her are sinking, but when we get those blowouts against some Big East teams, I will remain very interested in the last few minutes hoping to see signs of life from Amari in mop up minutes.

 

[ballerfan]

It’s obvious that Amari has a lot of talent. My biggest concern is that Geno no longer talks about her. I think he mentions every player except Amari. So something is going on or not going on.

 

[Littlemin]

Most players are what they are, not all, but most. DeBerry and Patterson in some aspects are alike, big players who seemingly dominated in HS in large part to that fact. Their difference though appears obvious, albeit a small sample size, Patterson just brings it, tremendous effort and DeBerry less so. I think Patterson‘s results against Kutztown are overrated by many here but her intensity and effort were undeniable and offer a very solid base on which to build. As Husky Nan posted, you just can’t teach that. I believe she will seem more of a project against bigger, better players than many think but her willingness to go out and get after it will keep her getting the court time needed to improve.

 

[HuskyNan]

Most players are what they are, not all, but most. DeBerry and Patterson in some aspects are alike, big players who seemingly dominated in HS in large part to that fact. Their difference though appears obvious, albeit a small sample size, Patterson just brings it, tremendous effort and DeBerry less so. I think Patterson‘s results against Kutztown are overrated by many here but her intensity and effort were undeniable and offer a very solid base on which to build. As Husky Nan posted, you just can’t teach that. I believe she will seem more of a project against bigger, better players than many think but her willingness to go out and get after it will keep her getting the court time needed to improve.

This happened to pop up on Twitter this morning

 

[Littlemin]

This happened to pop up on Twitter this morning

Words to the wise!
I am a huge fan of Chris Voss, a very successful FBI hostage negotiator, who wrote a tremendous book on the art of negotiating; I do a ton of that (business not hostage) and his book, “Never Split the Difference” has over the years become my negotiating Bible. My favorite quote of his -
“When the pressure is on, you don’t rise to the occasion - you fall to your highest level of preparation”

 

[Bigboote]

This happened to pop up on Twitter this morning

"Don't do the easy wrong." It's an incredibly simple, yet very powerful idea.

It's akin to something I've learned from a lifetime of playing music: "Practice doesn't necessarily make perfect, but practice makes permanent." That is, if you do something incorrectly over and over again, you won't learn to do it well. That's why, for most freshmen, Geno breaks them down (disabuses them of bad habits), then builds them up (builds good habits in them). This may be why posts take longer to develop in the UConn system. They're used to getting by on height/brute force, but need to learn positioning, footwork, etc.

 

[Bone Dog]

This is what I’ve learned, too, from a lifetime of teaching kids in this same age group, 18-23. I have to set the standard. Geno emphasized the criticism part of the task, and that’s real. But he didn’t mention the other side , though I’m sure he does this, too — the kindness and generosity. Tough love isn’t just about being tough.

As Geno says, some kids arrive already motivated. Those you only have to point them at the challenge and they go. They can take the full force of criticism and deserve the praise you eventually give too. But for the kids who don’t have that at the beginning, I don’t think you can instill it just by yelling at them, all criticism, ‘all tough no love.’ It’s not all ‘boot camp’ and anyone who thinks it can be hasn’t spent much time around kids this age. Sometimes, a kid can’t find that inner drive without a little finesse from their coaches and teachers.

 

[Wilderness]

This is what I’ve learned, too, from a lifetime of teaching kids in this same age group, 18-23. I have to set the standard. Geno emphasized the criticism part of the task, and that’s real. But he didn’t mention the other side , though I’m sure he does this, too — the kindness and generosity. Tough love isn’t just about being tough.

As Geno says, some kids arrive already motivated. Those you only have to point them at the challenge and they go. They can take the full force of criticism and deserve the praise you eventually give too. But for the kids who don’t have that at the beginning, I don’t think you can instill it just by yelling at them, all criticism, ‘all tough no love.’ It’s not all ‘boot camp’ and anyone who thinks it can be hasn’t spent much time around kids this age. Sometimes, a kid can’t find that inner drive without a little finesse from their coaches and teachers.

And I'll bet you've had those memorable students who respond to an excellent grade with, "How could it be better?" - who seek feedback. Wish we could work out how to make that infectious. Good post.

 

[Bama fan]

Or on the rack!

Oh , for a good old auto da fe!

 

[freshler40]

Did other posters also show concern about the rebounding aspects of Dorka? She always seemed to immediately take down the rebound to waist level instead of holding the ball up high where guards might not steal it. She also did this before a put back. Against better competition she won't get a shot off. Where are our coaches as this was also a problem w/her last season.
In other aspects, she showed a lot of quickness and desire to shoot with no hesitation.

 

[Bone Dog]

Did other posters also show concern about the rebounding aspects of Dorka? She always seemed to immediately take down the rebound to waist level instead of holding the ball up high where guards might not steal it. She also did this before a put back. Against better competition she won't get a shot off. Where are our coaches as this was also a problem w/her last season.
In other aspects, she showed a lot of quickness and desire to shoot with no hesitation.

I thought it was a problem with both Liv and Aaliyah last year, too. It’s a bad habit.

 

[Conndog]

I don't really think we can tell anything about anyone in a game against Kutztown. But we can see that DeBerry did not earn a meaningful moment in that game. so, her summer in Storrs may have just moved her a step closer to opting out, at some point.
I had ( have) high hopes for her. But she doesn't seem close to fulfilling any of them. Hard to believe UCONN so badly mis-read her. Please, anyone, disagree and let us know why. Thx.

Let her try again, too soon to write her off. She seemed in a funk from first whistle, not happy- I’m guessing Geno told her she was last on sub list, maybe due to practice effort. Well, if so, it’s in her power to change that, which I’m hoping will happen. In tennis, if your baseline game isn’t leading to success, start charging the net in the second set. Maybe Amari should try utilizing an inside power game and stay if possible around the basket, and don’t just hang out from outside. Learn from Jamelle how to be tough!

 

[cgshuskie]

freshler40 is on to something. Dorka has this problem of bring the ball down to her waist after a rebound. This is a major problem and it keeps her from going back up with any strength on put backs. I thought , from watching her last season, that she had a shoulder problem. Nonetheless, she needs to learn to go up with some strength. If she has any hopes of playing in the W she can not bring a rebound down to her waist. She won't have time to recover. And she gives up her natural strength. As a big girl, she needs to maximize her size and she cannot do that by bringing the ball down low. She's got to keep the ball up high