looking for freshman Amari DeBerry to step up the pace

[SVCBeercats]

www.outline.com provides this article if you don't have a subscription.

UConn women’s basketball looking for freshman Amari DeBerry to step up the pace and provide post depth

Amari DeBerry wasn’t expecting the transition from high school to playing for the UConn women’s basketball team to be particularly easy, and she was right. But she’s welcomed the …

www.courant.com

Also I got this to work without using www.outline.com.

UConn women’s basketball looking for freshman Amari DeBerry to step up the pace and provide post depth

Amari DeBerry wasn’t expecting the transition from high school to playing for the UConn women’s basketball team to be particularly easy, and she was right. But she’s welcomed the challenge.

www.northwestgeorgianews.com

 

[huskyd]

I suppose the qualifier about DeBerry is that she's very like Liv. Some players have all the attributes for success and never quite live up to them. Watching Amari on tape gives me the impression of a butterfly floating around, the opposite reaction I have watching Dorka.
We really need an assertive 5, someone who can body with other bigs and doesn't disappear whenever challenged. Hope DeBerry is more like Dorka.

 

[CL82]

I suppose the qualifier about DeBerry is that she's very like Liv. Some players have all the attributes for success and never quite live up to them. Watching Amari on tape gives me the impression of a butterfly floating around, the opposite reaction I have watching Dorka.
We really need an assertive 5, someone who can body with other bigs and doesn't disappear whenever challenged. Hope DeBerry is more like Dorka.

 

[JordyG]

Amari is like Liv in some ways. To the point, she's not as fast or as athletic as Liv. Whether she has Liv's great hands in transition or the half/quarter court remains to be seen. What she does have is more variety inside and a better shot to the arc. Whether she has good passing skills remains to be seen. Whether she has better defensive positioning skills remains to be seen. Whether she can put the ball back up through traffic remains to be seen as well. In my eyes if she can develop a motor like Phessa all would be forgiven. I would settle for aggressiveness to match AE's. Amari has a well developed lower body and wide hips that with a little weight room will prove difficult to move out of position and would make her an excellent screener.

 

[JellyBean]

I think Amari is going to be okay. Just gotta find her groove and confidence. She is going to be okay.

 

[Carnac]

I suppose the qualifier about DeBerry is that she's very like Liv. Some players have all the attributes for success and never quite live up to them. Watching Amari on tape gives me the impression of a butterfly floating around, the opposite reaction I have watching Dorka.
We really need an assertive 5, someone who can body with other bigs and doesn't disappear whenever challenged. Hope DeBerry is more like Dorka.

I agree with your observations that we don’t need anymore “magicians”, and could desperately use an assertive 5. As that noted Hall of Fame football coach Duane Charles “Bill” Parcells AKA: The Big Tuna once said: “you are what your record says you are.” The same can be said about a player’s past performances. That said, I like Olivia very much, and I think THIS will be her best season yet. She'll put it all together, and go into the season with a different attitude and perspective.

If you didn’t disappear in prior BIG games, you won’t in future games. It's who you are. It's a mindset, and has to do with the "fabric" you're cut from. I would use Aliyah Edwards as an example. Geno knows her and what she brings to the table. That's why he said (last year) that he NEVER has a problem or concern when he needs to put Aliyah in the game.

This past season, Isuneh Brady and Ayanna Patterson showed up and played well in big games. I like the measure of guile and bravado that Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame) and Courtney Williams (USF) displayed when they played UConn. They always played with a “no fear” attitude, took it to us at every opportunity, and never smiled at anytime during the process. The I hope Amari and Ayanna will do likewise in ALL of their UConn games.

 

[oldude]

Bigs often take longer to develop at the college level. Amari may not be an immediate contributor at UConn. But if she makes steady progress this coming season, I fully expect her to be a contributor next season as a sophomore.

 

[chrissaran]

Amari is going to be great. As she said, she needs to get used to the speed that UConn practices and plays at. She will contribute her freshman year. Breanna started her freshman year and wound up on the bench. Four- for-four for Breanna, Morgan and Moriah.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I agree with your observations that we don’t need anymore “magicians”, and could desperately use an assertive 5.

Isuneh Brady​

St. Mary's-Stockton MLK Showcase-January 2020: Power body performer finishes plays in the paint vs. contact; physical, skilled in the paint, abuses defenders on the blocks; displays soft touch, nimble footwork in the key with face up game delivery; a defensive presence, alters shots, rebounder deluxe; a BCS prospect. (Olson)

 

[MooseJaw]

Amari is like Liv in some ways. To the point, she's not as fast or as athletic as Liv. Whether she has Liv's great hands in transition or the half/quarter court remains to be seen. What she does have is more variety inside and a better shot to the arc. Whether she has good passing skills remains to be seen. Whether she has better defensive positioning skills remains to be seen. Whether she can put the ball back up through traffic remains to be seen as well. In my eyes if she can develop a motor like Phessa all would be forgiven. I would settle for aggressiveness to match AE's. Amari has a well developed lower body and wide hips that with a little weight room will prove difficult to move out of position and would make her an excellent screener.

I sure hope her hands are better than Liv's, After watching her play for three years it's obvious to me that she has hands of stone, most apparent on offense when she is near the hoop. I guess I don't understand before even a game has been played that she should be forgiven for anything.

 

[oldude]

I sure hope her hands are better than Liv's, After watching her play for three years it's obvious to me that she has hands of stone, most apparent on offense when she is near the hoop. I guess I don't understand before even a game has been played that she should be forgiven for anything.

While I think Liv had some issues catching the ball in her first two seasons at UConn, she really improved this past year. Of course with Paige dropping dimes on Liv with perfect passes, catching the ball was a lot easier.

 

[HuskyNan]

Did you guys this miss part? This gave me chills. UConn basketball is back, bay-beee!

Last week, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said DeBerry’s progress has been one step forward, then a half-step back.

“But she doesn’t stop,” he said. “She’s another 6-5 kid that is skilled around the basket and shooting the ball, but we’ve got to get her up to speed at playing our pace.”

That’s been the hardest part for DeBerry.

“Just competing at their level, especially against Liv and Dorka, especially against Liv,” she said. “I’m taking all these challenges and taking it in because it’s only going to make me better. Coach has mentioned a few times that this level of competition hasn’t been around for the last three years.”

 

[bluedevil]

While I think Liv had some issues catching the ball in her first two seasons at UConn, she really improved this past year. Of course with Paige dropping dimes on Liv with perfect passes, catching the ball was a lot easier.

A lot of passes to Liv have been too low for her to catch. Can't blame Liv for that. Not making layups/free throws on the other hand..

 

[cancontent]

Did you guys this miss part? This gave me chills. UConn basketball is back, bay-beee!

Last week, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said DeBerry’s progress has been one step forward, then a half-step back.

“But she doesn’t stop,” he said. “She’s another 6-5 kid that is skilled around the basket and shooting the ball, but we’ve got to get her up to speed at playing our pace.”

That’s been the hardest part for DeBerry.

“Just competing at their level, especially against Liv and Dorka, especially against Liv,” she said. “I’m taking all these challenges and taking it in because it’s only going to make me better. Coach has mentioned a few times that this level of competition hasn’t been around for the last three years.”

I don't know about chills, but I definitely agree regarding the level of competition. This has been a big difference from what I've noticed between last year's team compared to Liv's previous 2 seasons. Having the people around to challenge you makes a huge difference.

DeBerry is coming in with players like PB, AE, NM who will push her along with the rest of the team. Liv didn't have that if you ask me.

 

[Kaizen]

 

[MooseJaw]

A lot of passes to Liv have been too low for her to catch. Can't blame Liv for that. Not making layups/free throws on the other hand..

There have been passes to low for her to catch, that's a given for all players, it's more obvious when it's Liv because she has further to bend to go after low passes. My origin on this point came in a response to part of a previous post which mentioned Liv having great hands in transition. Something I don't agree with.

 

[Carnac]

Bigs often take longer to develop at the college level. Amari may not be an immediate contributor at UConn. But if she makes steady progress this coming season, I fully expect her to be a contributor next season as a sophomore.

I say it every year, I never expect much from any freshman coming in to Storrs. Amari is no different. I go by what Geno says about freshmen, paraphrasing: it takes the average freshman a year to get and understand the system, know what they're doing and to be able to function and play within the unit.

Remember it took the great Gabby Williams a year to figure out the system and what she was suppose to do, and she admitted as much.
I'm expecting Amari to develop at the same pace as most of her other contemporaries. Whatever we get from her this year will be gravy. I do expect a HUGE sophomore leap from her after she has a full year of experience behind her.

Every freshman has to adjust to so many things coming into college. Three things all freshmen must do when joining their new team....1. I belong here 2. I can play at this level 3. I won't hurt you when I'm on the floor and in the game. You can trust me. They must EARN the respect and confidence of their coaches and teammates.

We all know each one develops at their own pace. It's not fair to compare any other freshman to Paige. She's an anomaly. She did things last year that no other freshman had EVER done.

 

[MooseJaw]

I say it every year, I never expect much from any freshman coming in to Storrs. Amari is no different. I go by what Geno says about freshmen, paraphrasing: it takes the average freshman a year to get and understand the system, know what they're doing and to be able to function and play within the unit.

Remember it took the great Gabby Williams a year to figure out the system and what she was suppose to do, and she admitted as much.
I'm expecting Amari to develop at the same pace as most of her other contemporaries. Whatever we get from her this year will be gravy. I do expect a HUGE sophomore leap from her after she has a full year of experience behind her.

Every freshman has to adjust to so many things coming into college. Three things all freshmen must do when joining their new team....1. I belong here 2. I can play at this level 3. I won't hurt you when I'm on the floor and in the game. You can trust me. They must EARN the respect and confidence of their coaches and teammates.

We all know each one develops at their own pace. It's not fair to compare any other freshman to Paige. She's an anomaly. She did things last year that no other freshman had EVER done.

Carnac, maybe I missed my nap today, or my socks may be too tight. I seem to be at odds with a few I am generally in step with. That said on this post I am with you until your last paragraph. I think it is entirely fair to compare other freshman to Paige. I am a short timer on the BY but have seen almost every players game compared to some other player, we have been comparing Azzi's game to Paige's game since I joined the BY. A large number on this site compared Hailey Van Lith's game to Paige's for weeks. I feel to compare and contrast makes for a robust discussion and thoughtful dialogue. I think it would be unfair to suggest any other player should be expected to match Paige's accomplishments. That's not to say other freshmen players haven't made a splash on the court, if not for Paige this year there would have been a lot more press for Catlyn Clark, the first player to come to mind for me.

 

[King Kong]

I suppose the qualifier about DeBerry is that she's very like Liv. Some players have all the attributes for success and never quite live up to them. Watching Amari on tape gives me the impression of a butterfly floating around, the opposite reaction I have watching Dorka.
We really need an assertive 5, someone who can body with other bigs and doesn't disappear whenever challenged. Hope DeBerry is more like Dorka.

I hope she doesn't float like a butterfly, unless she stings repeatedly like a bee. The talking to, of Liv was 3 years too late, at the end of her junior year, and very timely, in Amari's case. When you're speaking of centers, words like "finesse", "soft hands", "float", can, and do, have negative connotations, & lack aggression - seems oddly passive. It seems axiomatic that tall players would have low pass drills on a daily basis. And it would seem that those that are aggressive, and just will not lose, will have less 'invisibility' in big games. Perhaps we will see Aaliyah & Dorka for the better part of big games this year, & Liv backing them up. I, for one, am looking forward to a screaming dunker once in a while (Isuneh? Ayanna?).

I apologize for my overuse of the word "aggression".

 

[JordyG]

I sure hope her hands are better than Liv's, After watching her play for three years it's obvious to me that she has hands of stone, most apparent on offense when she is near the hoop. I guess I don't understand before even a game has been played that she should be forgiven for anything.

Then you haven't been watching. Liv catches the toughest of pocket passes and in transition with ease. Her ability to catch a pass down below her knees and while running toward the basket for someone her size is rarefied. When exactly have you seen her drop or fumble a pass on the block or in the lane? Now once she gets the pass, yes, she has trouble putting the ball up and in the hoop, or she has trouble when she gets swatted or bumped, but that has nothing to do with having "good hands", but rather having poor upper body and arm strength. I think perhaps you are confusing these disparate skills. If perhaps you need an example, watch the SCar game just before Paige's magic 3 point shot. Paige bounces Liv a pass below her knees which Liv catches with ease, gives it back to Paige who hits the shot. This is an absolute no-no for PG's to give to bigs. For bigs the pass below the waist is the toughest for them to handle. Below the knees even tougher. Liv also catches a pass at full speed in transition going to the hoop as well as any big in WCBB. Which is, for most bigs in WCBB, almost an impossibility, since they don't have soft enough hands and enough body control to finish at the hoop. Frankly, these are Liv's strongest points, and if you look back over the last few years you'd notice them.

 

[Carnac]

Carnac, maybe I missed my nap today, or my socks may be too tight. I seem to be at odds with a few I am generally in step with. That said on this post I am with you until your last paragraph. I think it is entirely fair to compare other freshman to Paige. I am a short timer on the BY but have seen almost every players game compared to some other player, we have been comparing Azzi's game to Paige's game since I joined the BY. A large number on this site compared Hailey Van Lith's game to Paige's for weeks. I feel to compare and contrast makes for a robust discussion and thoughtful dialogue. I think it would be unfair to suggest any other player should be expected to match Paige's accomplishments. That's not to say other freshmen players haven't made a splash on the court, if not for Paige this year there would have been a lot more press for Catlyn Clark, the first player to come to mind for me.

I simply suggested it was not fair, not that it can't be done. It's because Paige has won some awards as a freshman that no other freshman ever has in D1 WCBB history. THAT is not debatable. That takes in ALL of the freshmen players that came before her. However, compare if you will if YOU think it's fair to do so. It's just MY opinion that it's not.

I agree that Clark is a very good player. She proved that this past season. Yes, she would have received more press "IF" Paige were still in HS, but she wasn't. Paige was already a very popular and widely known commodity in girl's HS basketball when she arrived on campus. Her brand "blew up" even BIGGER after she played a full season at UConn and lead her team to a final four game in the NCAA Tournament. Did Clark beat out Paige for any of the national awards? No. Paige won everything in sight. Paige is NOT your average WCBB player. Look how quickly she learned Gen's system, and how productive she was almost from the beginning. Neither Dianna nor Maya started off THAT quickly. She's been a starter from day 1, and will be one through her final game.

You and I both know UConn would not have made it to the final four without Paige. Didn't Paige just win an ESPY this past Saturday for being voted THE BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE? This award covered ALL female athletes in ALL college sports, not just basketball. I'm merely sharing an observation. If you want to compare others to Paige, go right ahead. Fans, sports writers and broadcasters continue to compare other players to Michael Jordan everyday, and he's been retired for 18 years (2003).

He's viewed as "the standard" by which all others are judged, even though Bill Russell has 5 more championship rings than he has. Jordan did it in a more recent (modern) age than Russell did, when there were only 8 NBA teams*.

That Azzi is purported to be as good if not better than Paige by pundits and observers closer to Azzi and Paige than I, is not lost on me. I was very skeptical of Paige this time last year. She had not done anything yet for me to have an opinion of how good she could/would be yet. However she very quickly proved herself to be worthy of all the praise and accolades she had received in high school, AAU and USA Basketball. She had to pass the eye test first!

IF/WHEN Azzi measures up to what Paige did last season, then we can ALL recognize her accomplishments, and give her proper do. BUT.......being from Missouri, you know what I need to see first. Azzi will do what she does. Many astute observers of WCBB think Azzi could have played with UConn last season, and held her own.

*The 1956–57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Wikipedia
MVP: Bob Cousy (Boston Celtics)
Number of teams: 8
Champion: Boston Celtics

 

[MooseJaw]

Then you haven't been watching. Liv catches the toughest of pocket passes and in transition with ease. Her ability to catch a pass down below her knees and while running toward the basket for someone her size is rarefied. When exactly have you seen her drop or fumble a pass on the block or in the lane? Now once she gets the pass, yes, she has trouble putting the ball up and in the hoop, or she has trouble when she gets swatted or bumped, but that has nothing to do with having "good hands" but rather having poor upper body and arm strength. I think perhaps you are confusing these disparate skills. If perhaps you need an example, watch the SCar game just before Paige's magic 3 point shot. Paige bounces Liv a pass below her knees which Liv catches with ease, gives it back to Paige who hits the shot. This is an absolute no-no for PG's to give to bigs. For bigs the pass below the waist is the toughest for them to handle. Below the knees even tougher. Liv also catches a pass at full speed in transition going to the hoop as well as any big in WCBB. Which is, for most bigs in WCBB, almost an impossibility, since they don't have soft enough hands and enough body control to finish at the hoop. Frankly, these are Liv's strongest points, and if you look back over the last few years you'd notice them.

Maybe I am, but I have watched many times when she shows no touch whatso ever putting the ball back to the rim. I know it's not just her hands but it's where I see her fumble with the ball. We seem to be coming from different aspects of her game. Yes I have seen her catch passes, a different phase of the game than in close scoring close to the basket. If I am miss guided about her hands on put backs and missed bunnies please set me straight, I know it's more than just the hands but that's what I and a number of others have commented about before.

 

[MooseJaw]

I simply suggested it was not fair, not that it can't be done. It's because Paige has won some awards as a freshman that no other freshman ever has in D1 WCBB history. THAT is not debatable. That takes in ALL of the freshmen players that came before her. However, compare if you will if YOU think it's fair to do so. It's just MY opinion that it's not.

I agree that Clark is a very good player. She proved that this past season. Yes, she would have received more press "IF" Paige were still in HS, but she wasn't. Paige was already a very popular and widely known commodity in girl's HS basketball when she arrived on campus. Her brand "blew up" even BIGGER after she played a full season at UConn and lead her team to a final four game in the NCAA Tournament. Did Clark beat out Paige for any of the national awards? No. Paige won everything in sight. Paige is NOT your average WCBB player. Look how quickly she learned Gen's system, and how productive she was almost from the beginning. Neither Dianna nor Maya started off THAT quickly. She's been a starter from day 1, and will be one through her final game.

You and I both know UConn would not have made it to the final four without Paige. Didn't Paige just win an ESPY this past Saturday for being voted THE BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE? This award covered ALL female athletes in ALL college sports, not just basketball. I'm merely sharing an observation. If you want to compare others to Paige, go right ahead. Fans, sports writers and broadcasters continue to compare other players to Michael Jordan everyday, and he's been retired for 18 years (2003).

He's viewed as "the standard" by which all others are judged, even though Bill Russell has 5 more championship rings than he has. Jordan did it in a more recent (modern) age than Russell did, when there were only 8 NBA teams*.

That Azzi is purported to be as good if not better than Paige by pundits and observers closer to Azzi and Paige than I, is not lost on me. I was very skeptical of Paige this time last year. She had not done anything yet for me to have an opinion of how good she could/would be yet. However she very quickly proved herself to be worthy of all the praise and accolades she had received up to that point. She had to pass the eye test first!

IF/WHEN Azzi measures up to what Paige did last season, then we can ALL recognize her accomplishments, and give her proper do. BUT.......being from Missouri, you know what I need to see first. Azzi will do what she does. Many astute observers of WCBB think Azzi could have played with UConn last season, and held her own.

*The 1956–57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Wikipedia
MVP: Bob Cousy (Boston Celtics)
Number of teams: 8
Champion: Boston Celtics

Agree, I was just making the point that to compare players is no disrespect to either. I can't even phantom what it would take to equal or better the season Paige just had, the best I have ever seen.

 

[Carnac]

Agree, I was just making the point that to compare players is no disrespect to either. I can't even phantom what it would take to equal or better the season Paige just had, the best I have ever seen.

Me too. I can't (at this time) begin to fathom how Paige can be better than she was this past season, but you know she will. I think she'll be more consistent, more focused, and play with more of a sense of urgency. Teams already don't want any part of THIS UConn team (which some say is the best/deepest team Geno has had since Stewie's class left), or the next 3-4 after that, because Brady and Patterson come on board. That means little to no drop off in talent when the seniors leave. I think we'll get 1-2 more from the class of 2022, or a transfer. As of this post, there are still 50 potential recruits in the top 100 of ESPN's Hoopgurlz class of 2022 that are still uncommitted.

 

[bluedevil]

There have been passes to low for her to catch, that's a given for all players, it's more obvious when it's Liv because she has further to bend to go after low passes. My origin on this point came in a response to part of a previous post which mentioned Liv having great hands in transition. Something I don't agree with.

I agree ..she has had a lot of rebounds taken from her too.