Kutztown Postgame Thread

[HuskyNan]

 

[MSGRET]

I see the starting five to be AE, Azzi, Caroline, Dorka, and Nika. Lou will be the 6th women, then AG, AP, Ines, and AD in that order. Ines showed more energy then Amari, and she has only been with the team for a few months. CORRECTION: I thought that the Northeastern game was on Wed, but since it is on Thursday I will not be posting the game 1 prediction until tomorrow between 6 and 7 P.M. Eastern.

 

[MooseJaw]

They were all her own missed layups.

What I get for only being able to see the box scores. However, 4 put backs is also something that has been missing in recent years, so I will take the O boards and be thankful for the put backs.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[HuskyNan]

What I get for only being able to see the box scores. However, 4 put backs is also something that has been missing in recent years, so I will take the O boards and be thankful for the put backs.

There’s a link to the replay tacked to the top of the board

 

[jdote33]

 

[CajunHusky]

I was at the game today, and overall, pretty much everyone had something positive to contribute. My only concern is Amari. Against bigger teams (especially if we have foul trouble) we may need solid minutes from her and I am really concerned that she may not be able to contribute in that role. She didn't get in until the 4th, and right now, clearly is not part of the primary rotation. Maybe my imagination, but she always seems to be one step slower than the rest of the team, whether hustling up the floor or making sharp cuts. Hoping she proves me wrong

I think she may be having problem picking up the schemes. She did well playing the high post. Amari made the reads and made the plays. but I think Amari may be having trouble picking up the defense. She was a little confused at times with her defensive assignments. This may be why when Amari and Ines got in the game they only played zone defense. Geno don't play you if you can't play team defense.

 

[CajunHusky]

They were all her own missed layups.

In one five second stretch Ayanna was 0 for 3 with 2 offensive rebounds

 

[JellyBean]

Great to see the team again! It was only an exhibition game, but it was joy seeing the rebounding, especially the offensive rebounding. Sure, it was against a D-2 team but seeing AP crashing the boards, it was just a joy to watch. All out effort. Lou was very impressive. You know how it is when you get a new player on a team, they don't want to upset the flow of the team, so they lay low for a moment. Pick their spots. Not Lou Lopez. She took advantage of this starting assignment and did not disappoint. From the catch and shoot moments to attacking the lane and getting the easy buckets and some And-1s. Lou is going to be special. Nice addition.

Nika. Another player who did not disappoint. She played well. Each year she gets better and better with her assist to turnover rate. She is going to be fun to watch this year.

Azzi- OMG! She is going to have a fantastic year and future. Her shooting looks like it has gotten better and that is scary.

Dorka/Edwards- Those two just looked more fluid in their actions more comfortable with the flow of the game. Great to see that and hoping that it is the trend going forward.

Aubrey-Just great to see her out on the floor. Her raw athleticism was greatly missed last year. Glad to see her attacking the basket and taking on that contact. That was my worry going into the season for her and Dorka, would they be timid about attacking the rim and taking on that contact. Aubrey did not disappoint. She will get that confidence going and is going to be another valuable piece to the roster.

Amari/Ines- Great to see them getting some minutes out there.

Great to see the team!!

Oh....Love the energy that Coach Paige brought as well. Same with Ice and Caroline.

 

[AzzisBraids]

Dorka looked great and aggressive
Edwards defense and finishing has picked up
Lou Senechal isn't afraid of anything and has a veteran savviness no one else does
Once Azzi got going she was unstoppable. Her precision is on threes, passes and cuts is so sharp. She made 9 3's look like a yoga class
Nika was a pest and good to see her open floor steals
Ayanna getting some minutes was great, she's going to be a problem
Aubrey looks like senior

With no Ducharme, this team offensively is strong, defensively needs more work on-ball, boxing out and contesting without fouling. This year is going to be fun and next year it's game over.

 

[uconnever]

What stood out to me was Ayanna looks more like a 4 than a 3. Just thought she was smaller than she actually is. She seems to be lacking in her conditioning, but will be good though. Amari did not look good when I saw her in high school and she doesn’t look good now. I think if we weren’t so thin on bodies, she would not play much at all. She looks too thin and not as broad as I remember. No improvement. I hope I’m wrong because I desperately want her to come on strong for us. Ines didn’t play good but just her dribbling and the way she moves I think she’s gonna be a contributor. We’re gonna be good and our regulars and Lou looked really good, but against certain teams we will not have enough, more so defensively we just are slow on our feet and that is just how it is. We will have to out score teams Final four is doable.

 

[Beemer]

I think we have a point guard!!!
Nika's stat line:
7 pts on 2/4 shooting & 2/2 FT
8 rebounds
11 assists
2 blocks
5 steals
3 turnovers
2 personal fouls

Unofficially, I also had Nika drawing 5 pf's on Kutzdown defenders.

Overall I was happy with Nika's play (she only got 2 fouls the ENTIRE game, that has to be a record for The Gnat! ) but I still want her to shoot more. She took just 4 shots the entire game. Now I get it a lot depends on what the defense of their opponent is making available to the Huskies but shooting is an attitude as well as a mechanical process. She's still looking to pass too much IMO.

 

[JoePgh]

Most amazing, positive statistic from the box score: Aaliyah Edwards had ZERO personal fouls!!! If that trend continues, it will go a long way toward mitigating the depth problem in the front court that has resulted from Ice's injury.

I think that with Ice's injury, Ayanna is going to be slated as Aaliyah's backup at the 4. I expect that Caroline and Lou2 will share the "3" position, and Aubrey will become a 2-guard backing up Azzi. It appeared to me that Aubrey was functioning throughout today's game as a 2-guard on both offense and defense -- she was playing away from the basket at both ends of the floor. (I know she got 8 rebounds, but so did Nika. Guards who hustle and jump can get a lot of rebounds.)

Aubrey only took one 3-point shot today and missed it, which is OK. I'm prepared to believe that she can now shoot around 30% from 3 as a result of practice and greater confidence, and that's all that is needed from her given her other contributions.

Nika to me looked much better all around -- passing (including a Paige-like touchdown pass to Lou late in the game that had to be threaded past a defender), driving to the basket, and finishing layups. She is still great at what she always has done -- hounding opposing guards, rebounding from her position, and getting to loose balls. She also took an missed just one 3-point shot today, but I expect that she will make a reasonable percentage of those over the course of the season. Her free throw shooting even looks better (she was 3-for-3 today).

I don't see a big problem if Ines has to be used for 10-15 minutes as the backup PG because of foul trouble or a short-term injury.

 

[Beemer]

So do we call her the Arsonist now instead of the Gnat?

 

[JoePgh]

So do we call her the Arsonist now instead of the Gnat?

How about The Torch!?

 

[Beemer]

I was also very relieved & happy that Aubrey Griffin is able to move so well out there, she looked great. That doesn't always happen after someone has back surgery. She's going to be very good this year.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

we are going to see a lot of zone against us this season.

from high school to the pros, and everything in between, when a team looks over to the opponent at tip, and universally understands that they're going against a team of anyone can do it (and not just 1 or 3 players), they mini-freak, since they know that no d help will be coming to their assignment. alone on an island.
i especially liked the parts in the game where sooo many, recognizing score and time, took the opportunity to show their mates 'i can do it too. u don't have to do everything.'
i like it when someone says to me 'u don't have to do everything.'
ball flew around like a gps drone. impressive.

 

[Carnac]

What I came away with is that there is a go-to player who’s willing to take the shot. Her name is Lou.

What a great pick-up she is

Nan, I completely agree. What we must remember is that Lou told Geno and the media that EVERY play at Fairfield was run for her. She said if she didn’t score, they would lose. So she developed a shooter’s mentality. She had to shoot. She maintained that mindset over 4 years. It’s ingrained in her.

It became second nature to her. It’s not something she thinks about now, she just does it. Of course she’s a “go-to” shooter. What else could she be given her recent background and training? Tigers can’t change their stripes.

 

[HopJim]

Just watched the replay and a few pros and cons to add:
-Lou Lopez a fantastic pick up. Very smooth and already comfortable in the UConn system. 18 points in the first half was an eye opener.
-Azzi strong 2nd half-not so much the first 2 quarters. Very deliberate to start the game. May Geno needs to run plays for her verus just rotate in the UConn offense.
-Have not seen much of Patterson in HS but would pay to watch her. Strong, athletic, and super aggressive. Still a bit raw but great get by UConn. Will play a key role.
-Muhl's defense was strong but worry she is still "handsy," in a way similar to ONO's never correcting her shot blocking issues. Niki will get multiple calls against her unless she uses her body more and stops swating at the ball. Too valuable to sit for fouls. Other than that, her point guart skills were near perfect.
-Kudos to Kutztown for stepping up and at least in the first half, giving UConn a good game. Grew up in Pa. and this is not a meca for women's basketball. Seems well coached.

 

[hoophuskee]

we are going to see a lot of zone against us this season.

Not if Caroline shows she can drill 3's. UCONN then would have 3 3pt shooters. And two of them are very "elite."

And on a given day possibly two others Dorka and Nika as a threat to knock shots down if left wide open.

It would be easier to challenge our bigs inside.

 

[TCC Kid]

At long last UConn WBB is back, as we all get our first extended look at this year’s team. In an exhibition, with liberal player substitution by Geno, against an overmatched D2 team I don’t focus much on shooting, MOV or execution. But there are several things I do look for:

• Fitness level – This is Andrea Hudy’s 2nd season at UConn. Her training program should be solidly in place. I am looking for UConn WBB to be leaner, stronger and fitter. Maybe it’s just me, but Dorka, Aaliyah, Azzi and Nika all looked leaner and fitter and were generally more active than I recall from last season.
• Back from injury/surgery - Aubrey, Dorka & Caroline are all back from surgery. Azzi dealt with a nagging foot injury all last season. How are they all moving on the court? Is anyone tentative about contact? Aubrey, Dorka & Azzi all looked healthy and moved well. Aubrey in particular was not at all afraid of mixing it up inside. We’ll have to wait a little longer to assess Caroline, due to a neck strain keeping her on the sidelines today.
• Who’s in charge? – From the moment Paige showed up in Storrs, UConn WBB was “Paige’s team.” With Paige out for the season, who’s running the show? Clearly Nika is the leader on the court right now, and she was all over the court, but the Huskies need Dorka, Azzi and other players to also step up and lead.
• Has anyone developed anything new? We have all been hearing about Aubrey’s rediscovered jump shot, but we didn’t see it…yet, although she was her typical rebounding tough defender. Aaliyah has been working on her low post game and it showed.
• How do the Newbies look? Freshmen will typically play like freshmen at this point in the season, but to some extent we can assess their potential. Ayanna is a beast as we all expected. Once she polishes up her game, Ayanna will be a very important contributor. Ines got some 4th qtr PT and she looked OK. Her dish to Ayanna was Showtime. Lou is a different story. She is the real deal and she fits right in seamlessly with the Huskies.
• Random thoughts –
  • In the first half alone, Nika had a game that only Nika could have: 2 pf’s while drawing 3 pf’s on Kutztown, 4 pts, 4 rbs, 4 ast, 3 stl, 2 bl, 1 to.
  • Whenever Azzi misses a 3-pt shot I find it impossible to understand why it didn't splash the net?
  • Once Lou and Azzi learn to play off each other, along with Caroline, the Huskies will be hell to defend on the perimeter.
  • Dorka looks primed to have a breakout year as UConn’s center.
  • While I did not expect to see a lot of Ines in today’s game, I must confess that I am disappointed that we didn't see Amari until the 4th qtr.

Nice analysis. Really liked the comments on Nika.
Ines, is new new, new. New to Uconn, new to USA College Basketball, New to the (person to person) Language. Give her time. I liked what I saw.
I'm happy for Ayanna, she thinks score, attack the basket, I liked her energy, no lazy husky here. Lou, WOW, I'm impressed. Div2 isn't Div 1, but you couldn't see the difference in Lou today.
Amer--Geno sees much you and I don't see. She CAN score--but Uconn has 6 scorers, Ayanna and Dorka can't do it alone, Ameri is needed.
Azzi--Makes KML look like an average shooter (Not really but Azzi is impressive) KML was truly amazing and she has her STEP DAD to thank for her skills--wonderful, just wonderful.
Edwards, Dorka, did exactly as I expected and both are still evolving.
I got a chill up my back as Morgan cheered Azzi's performance as she departed the floor--how to go Morgan. Nika has a great role model in Morgan.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I fell in love with the pace of this team. Player movement and ball movement was the best I've seen in a while at UCONN. I'm going to start calling them the "giddy up" girls if this continues.

 

[Bama fan]

So do we call her the Arsonist now instead of the Gnat?

Firefly????

 

[oldude]

Overall I was happy with Nika's play (she only got 2 fouls the ENTIRE game, that has to be a record for The Gnat! ) but I still want her to shoot more. She took just 4 shots the entire game. Now I get it a lot depends on what the defense of their opponent is making available to the Huskies but shooting is an attitude as well as a mechanical process. She's still looking to pass too much IMO.

When Azzi, Lou & Dorka are knocking down shots like they did today, Nika doesn’t need to take a lot of shots. Nika had 11 assists, many of which were easy passes to open teammates at the 3-pt line.

There will be a time when Nika has to take more shots. But I was fine with her pushing the ball up the court and distributing to her teammates today.

 

[Carnac]

So here's a question for the BY. As good as Lou looked today, once Caroline is back healthy, who starts?

Caroline!!