My Hopes = Hi Hopes

[CTtoSanDiego]

I know it's unrealistic to think all the following "hopes" will come true, but I hope a majority will (do you see what I did there? lol)

Azzi... I hope she plays at a first team AA level. She was the number 1 recruit in her class and HS player of the year as a sophomore! Elite shooter. She has AA potential (if not POY potential)... her foot needs to cooperate.

Caroline... I hope she can return to the elite 3 pt shooter she was coming in to UConn. She was excellent going to the hoop last year, but her shooting was way off. Her hip needs to cooperate.

Lou... I hope her Player of the Year status in a smaller conference translates well to UConn. Shooting is shooting and scoring is scoring, and it seems she can do both. We could have 3 elite 3 pt shooters on this team (plus several more who could hit from deep now and then)

Nika... I hope all her off season work on her shooting pays off. I don't need her to be more than okay from 3 pt land, put if she can hit a decent percentage of pull up jumpers, that will be great. I hope she learns to play without fouling so much, as we will need minutes from her.

Dorka... I hope she can play consistently at the 15/10 level she showed she was capable of at Ohio State. Bang and score inside, grab some boards and block some shots. Her wrist needs to cooperate.

Aaliyah... I hope she can fulfill the promise she showed her freshman year (and toward the end of last year). Consistent play, be a beast on the offensive boards, and make some mid range jumpers (and hi-lo assists).

Aubrey... I hope that a year off sitting and watching allowed her to gain an understanding of our offense, so she can put her prodigious athletic talents to good use. Defense, rebounding and some scoring (heck, she was in First Night's 3 pt shooting contest, so maybe she'll even hit some of those!) Her back needs to cooperate.

Amari... I hope she finds her "inner motor." Geno said even last year that she was our most skilled big, but she did not seem to have the drive she needed. We need her size to be a factor, especially with Ice lost for the year.

Ayanna... I hope she picks things up quickly so she can become a front court contributor. Defense and rebounding seem to be her specialties, and those come easier than learning our complicated offense. Like Amari, we will need her to contribute at least a few minutes to our front court.

Ines... I hope she enjoys her season. I'm not expecting much, but a few minutes here and there could be useful.

Paige.... I hope she's half as good a coach as she is a player!

Ice... I hope she recovers quickly and fully.

I hope the entire team can stay healthy.. we've had more than our share of bad injury luck lately. I hope we can get through the regular season with just 2 or 3 losses, and that we are ready to jell come tournament time. And of course I hope for NC #12!

What say you?

 

[oldude]

I just hope UConn wins the last game of the season.

 

[Next 12]

I know it's unrealistic to think all the following "hopes" will come true, but I hope a majority will (do you see what I did there? lol)

Azzi... I hope she plays at a first team AA level. She was the number 1 recruit in her class and HS player of the year as a sophomore! Elite shooter. She has AA potential (if not POY potential)... her foot needs to cooperate.

Caroline... I hope she can return to the elite 3 pt shooter she was coming in to UConn. She was excellent going to the hoop last year, but her shooting was way off. Her hip needs to cooperate.

Lou... I hope her Player of the Year status in a smaller conference translates well to UConn. Shooting is shooting and scoring is scoring, and it seems she can do both. We could have 3 elite 3 pt shooters on this team (plus several more who could hit from deep now and then)

Nika... I hope all her off season work on her shooting pays off. I don't need her to be more than okay from 3 pt land, put if she can hit a decent percentage of pull up jumpers, that will be great. I hope she learns to play without fouling so much, as we will need minutes from her.

Dorka... I hope she can play consistently at the 15/10 level she showed she was capable of at Ohio State. Bang and score inside, grab some boards and block some shots. Her wrist needs to cooperate.

Aaliyah... I hope she can fulfill the promise she showed her freshman year (and toward the end of last year). Consistent play, be a beast on the offensive boards, and make some mid range jumpers (and hi-lo assists).

Aubrey... I hope that a year off sitting and watching allowed her to gain an understanding of our offense, so she can put her prodigious athletic talents to good use. Defense, rebounding and some scoring (heck, she was in First Night's 3 pt shooting contest, so maybe she'll even hit some of those!) Her back needs to cooperate.

Amari... I hope she finds her "inner motor." Geno said even last year that she was our most skilled big, but she did not seem to have the drive she needed. We need her size to be a factor, especially with Ice lost for the year.

Ayanna... I hope she picks things up quickly so she can become a front court contributor. Defense and rebounding seem to be her specialties, and those come easier than learning our complicated offense. Like Amari, we will need her to contribute at least a few minutes to our front court.

Ines... I hope she enjoys her season. I'm not expecting much, but a few minutes here and there could be useful.

Paige.... I hope she's half as good a coach as she is a player!

Ice... I hope she recovers quickly and fully.

I hope the entire team can stay healthy.. we've had more than our share of bad injury luck lately. I hope we can get through the regular season with just 2 or 3 losses, and that we are ready to jell come tournament time. And of course I hope for NC #12!

What say you?

I have all the same hopes as you only with a little twist. I have a more positive feeling that all the team will do good,better than last year and will fulfill their destiny with NC No.12. Your hopes were well thought out and right on the mark. May we both get our hopes fulfilled. GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[SVCBeercats]

I like it! I like it! Good job!
Azzi needs to reach elite 3 point shooting status by joining these players. Just asking for a 5% jump over last year. I'll accept 5th place 48% for this season.

Caroline needs to at least reach 42% for 3s. Only asking for a 13+% increase, Easy peasy!
Lou at 42% for 3s would be wonderful. Only a 2% increase.
Nika actually shot 34% for threes last season. Only Paige 35% and Azzi 43% were better. Several Boneyarders believe 35% is more than acceptable for the 3. So no sweat!
Dorka will be a double-double player. I really believe she will deliver.
Aaliyah will be better than freshman Aaliyah.
Aubrey will surprise as the season rolls on. Think Energizer Bunny!
Amari (I hope!) will display her promise of productivity.
Ayanna will develop slowly. Too much for a freshman post to master quickly. As the season wears on she should begin to display basketball skills in addition to her athleticism.
Ines will develop into useful player in late season competitive games.
Ice, Ice, Ice! I believed she would be a strong contributor later in the season. Poor kid!
Paige will move on to a coaching career. Replacing Geno when he retires.

Azzi... I hope she plays at a first team AA level. She was the number 1 recruit in her class and HS player of the year as a sophomore! Elite shooter. She has AA potential (if not POY potential)... her foot needs to cooperate.

Caroline... I hope she can return to the elite 3 pt shooter she was coming in to UConn. She was excellent going to the hoop last year, but her shooting was way off. Her hip needs to cooperate.

Lou... I hope her Player of the Year status in a smaller conference translates well to UConn. Shooting is shooting and scoring is scoring, and it seems she can do both. We could have 3 elite 3 pt shooters on this team (plus several more who could hit from deep now and then)

Nika... I hope all her off season work on her shooting pays off. I don't need her to be more than okay from 3 pt land, put if she can hit a decent percentage of pull up jumpers, that will be great. I hope she learns to play without fouling so much, as we will need minutes from her.

Dorka... I hope she can play consistently at the 15/10 level she showed she was capable of at Ohio State. Bang and score inside, grab some boards and block some shots. Her wrist needs to cooperate.

Aaliyah... I hope she can fulfill the promise she showed her freshman year (and toward the end of last year). Consistent play, be a beast on the offensive boards, and make some mid range jumpers (and hi-lo assists).

Aubrey... I hope that a year off sitting and watching allowed her to gain an understanding of our offense, so she can put her prodigious athletic talents to good use. Defense, rebounding and some scoring (heck, she was in First Night's 3 pt shooting contest, so maybe she'll even hit some of those!) Her back needs to cooperate.

Amari... I hope she finds her "inner motor." Geno said even last year that she was our most skilled big, but she did not seem to have the drive she needed. We need her size to be a factor, especially with Ice lost for the year.

Ayanna... I hope she picks things up quickly so she can become a front court contributor. Defense and rebounding seem to be her specialties, and those come easier than learning our complicated offense. Like Amari, we will need her to contribute at least a few minutes to our front court.

Ines... I hope she enjoys her season. I'm not expecting much, but a few minutes here and there could be useful.

Paige.... I hope she's half as good a coach as she is a player!

Ice... I hope she recovers quickly and fully.

I hope the entire team can stay healthy.. we've had more than our share of bad injury luck lately. I hope we can get through the regular season with just 2 or 3 losses, and that we are ready to jell come tournament time. And of course I hope for NC #12!

What say you?

 

[LoboDays]

I hope the cancel Kutztown. Their running out of room in rehab

 

[Huskee11]

That is a good analysis, you have a handle on all of the players and on what we can hope to see.

We need the "A Team" off the bench - Aubrey, Amari, and Ayanna - to come in a be a force on the boards and the defensive end. At least two of the three will need to deliver on a consistent basis.

The "Super Six" will generally carry the offensive load but it would be nice to see contributions from the "A Team" on the offensive end as well.

In the big games we need to:

1. Not allow an opposing guard/wing player to go crazy.

2. At least stay even on the boards.

3. Someway, somehow - open court run outs, put backs, back cuts, mismatches inside, etc. - get some easy hoops at or near the basket. And when those opportunities at the rim come about, make them. If we are working super hard every time down for a shot, that is a problem.

4. Stay out of foul trouble.

 

[oldhusky]

In terms of expectations, I think we have three key players who for a variety of reasons, have logical reasons why they might make more of a quantum leap this season. Some improvement year to year of course is expected, but I am talking about a major bump. Those players are Azzi, Caroline and Aaliyah. In Azzi and Caroline's case injuries are a major part of that hope.

Azzi missed a ton of games, and apparently was dealing with foot issues even when she did play. As a result, a player with a reputation for being a shooter and a scorer wound up being more of just a spot up three point shooter. This year more healthy, we expect to see the full extent of her capability to create on her own, which was probably very limited by her injuries last year.

Caroline we didn't really know, was dealing with a hip problem all year, and just as she was emerging as a star suffered another injury that seemed to really curtail the momentum she had up to that point. Prior to that injury she had a stretch where she had to carry us somewhat offensively when others were out. I was pleasantly surprised at both her volume and efficiency inside the arc, which was very good, but based on her track record and reputation as a three point shooter, I think most of us expect her % from deep to not just go up a little, but a lot. If she could shoot closer to 40% than 30% she will be a much better player.

As for Aaliyah she simply has to do what she already did in her freshmen year. Simply being freshmen Aaliyah instead of sophomore Aaliyah is a quantum leap. The summer with the national team has been discussed, as has how this offseason has been different for her, so I am fully expecting freshmen Aaliyah to re-emerge.

Those three presumed major improvements could go a long way towards compensating for the bad news we have had so far. Another player I think might have logical reasons for improvement is Dorka. Yes she is coming off a wrist injury, but I think that is relatively minor. Since she is very experienced, I don't expect significant skill improvement, but the team learning how to use her best could be quite different. Remember she had been just a C that was the focal point of the offense at Ohio State.

At Uconn she was part of a three big rotation, playing half the time at the 4 in a new system, that rarely tried to get the ball to her down low. This year she is the starting C, will probably play all her minutes there, and will get more opportunities to score around the basket. While I don't expect a huge bump, I think offensively her scoring could be significantly better this year as well.

 

[DrummerDee]

I like it! I like it! Good job!
Azzi needs to reach elite 3 point shooting status by joining these players. Just asking for a 5% jump over last year. I'll accept 5th place 48% for this season.
View attachment 80148
Caroline needs to at least reach 42% for 3s. Only asking for a 13+% increase, Easy peasy!
Lou at 42% for 3s would be wonderful. Only a 2% increase.
Nika actually shot 34% for threes last season. Only Paige 35% and Azzi 43% were better. Several Boneyarders believe 35% is more than acceptable for the 3. So no sweat!
Dorka will be a double-double player. I really believe she will deliver.
Aaliyah will be better than freshman Aaliyah.
Aubrey will surprise as the season rolls on. Think Energizer Bunny!
Amari (I hope!) will display her promise of productivity.
Ayanna will develop slowly. Too much for a freshman post to master quickly. As the season wears on she should begin to display basketball skills in addition to her athleticism.
Ines will develop into useful player in late season competitive games.
Ice, Ice, Ice! I believed she would be a strong contributor later in the season. Poor kid!
Paige will move on to a coaching career. Replacing Geno when he retires.

Aaliyah is a junior though...

 

[GEAinAustin]

Ayanna is not a post player !

 

[SVCBeercats]

Aaliyah is a junior though...

Aaliyah as a freshman played better than she played as a sophomore. Ergo playing better than her freshman year is more meaningful and desirable.

 

[Conndog]

At Uconn she was part of a three big rotation, playing half the time at the 4 in a new system, that rarely tried to get the ball to her down low. This year she is the starting C, will probably play all her minutes there, and will get more opportunities to score around the basket.

I think Dorka up high, pulling opposing center away from basket, enables her to pass to others & opens up the offense. Aaliyah to me seems in best position to score when down low. Dorka can take some 3 point shots, crash the boards, and swapping with the 4 there will be times when she is stationed near basket. I hope she scores some points, of course, but grabbing rebounds and being a defensive stopper in the paint is key for me.

 

[cgshuskie]

I hope Geno lets Ayanna go early this season. She can be on of Uconn's greatest ever. Like Dorka observed, her athleticism is off the chart. It is a will be a new day.

 

[FormerCTrez]

I know it's unrealistic to think all the following "hopes" will come true, but I hope a majority will (do you see what I did there? lol)

Azzi... I hope she plays at a first team AA level. She was the number 1 recruit in her class and HS player of the year as a sophomore! Elite shooter. She has AA potential (if not POY potential)... her foot needs to cooperate.

Caroline... I hope she can return to the elite 3 pt shooter she was coming in to UConn. She was excellent going to the hoop last year, but her shooting was way off. Her hip needs to cooperate.

Lou... I hope her Player of the Year status in a smaller conference translates well to UConn. Shooting is shooting and scoring is scoring, and it seems she can do both. We could have 3 elite 3 pt shooters on this team (plus several more who could hit from deep now and then)

Nika... I hope all her off season work on her shooting pays off. I don't need her to be more than okay from 3 pt land, put if she can hit a decent percentage of pull up jumpers, that will be great. I hope she learns to play without fouling so much, as we will need minutes from her.

Dorka... I hope she can play consistently at the 15/10 level she showed she was capable of at Ohio State. Bang and score inside, grab some boards and block some shots. Her wrist needs to cooperate.

Aaliyah... I hope she can fulfill the promise she showed her freshman year (and toward the end of last year). Consistent play, be a beast on the offensive boards, and make some mid range jumpers (and hi-lo assists).

Aubrey... I hope that a year off sitting and watching allowed her to gain an understanding of our offense, so she can put her prodigious athletic talents to good use. Defense, rebounding and some scoring (heck, she was in First Night's 3 pt shooting contest, so maybe she'll even hit some of those!) Her back needs to cooperate.

Amari... I hope she finds her "inner motor." Geno said even last year that she was our most skilled big, but she did not seem to have the drive she needed. We need her size to be a factor, especially with Ice lost for the year.

Ayanna... I hope she picks things up quickly so she can become a front court contributor. Defense and rebounding seem to be her specialties, and those come easier than learning our complicated offense. Like Amari, we will need her to contribute at least a few minutes to our front court.

Ines... I hope she enjoys her season. I'm not expecting much, but a few minutes here and there could be useful.

Paige.... I hope she's half as good a coach as she is a player!

Ice... I hope she recovers quickly and fully.

I hope the entire team can stay healthy.. we've had more than our share of bad injury luck lately. I hope we can get through the regular season with just 2 or 3 losses, and that we are ready to jell come tournament time. And of course I hope for NC #12!

What say you?

I share your hopes also.

 

[Bone Dog]

My high hopes are in the stratosphere, so don’t ding me for being a dreamer — really there’s only one: Dorka and Amari platoon in the post and each average double doubles.

Haha! There it is. I said it.

Oh yeah, and Aaliyah too!

 

[Geew1992]

Ayanna is not a post player !

Neither was Gabby!

 

[oldude]

Neither was Gabby!

Nobody in the history of UConn WBB was as versatile a defender as the Gabulous one. I’ll highlight two instances of Gabby’s versatile defensive range.

During Gabby’s sophomore year with UConn, Mo was in the process of earning both 1st team AA honors as well as the DPOY award. However, UCF’s talented pg, Courtney Williams was giving Mo fits by taking her to the baseline and shooting over her., keeping the Bulls in the game. Enter Gabby who completely shut down Williams as UConn pulled away.

Fast forward to Gabby’s junior season when she was matched up against SC’s future POY, Aja Wilson. Gabby basically contained Wilson, while leading UConn to an upset win over the Gamecocks.

 

[meyers7]

I just hope UConn wins the last game of the season.

NIT?

 

[eebmg]

Nobody in the history of UConn WBB was as versatile a defender as the Gabulous one. I’ll highlight two instances of Gabby’s versatile defensive range.

During Gabby’s sophomore year with UConn, Mo was in the process of earning both 1st team AA honors as well as the DPOY award. However, UCF’s USF's talented pg, Courtney Williams was giving Mo fits by taking her to the baseline and shooting over her., keeping the Bulls in the game. Enter Gabby who completely shut down Williams as UConn pulled away.

Fast forward to Gabby’s junior season when she was matched up against SC’s future POY, Aja Wilson. Gabby basically contained Wilson, while leading UConn to an upset win over the Gamecocks.

 

[oldude]

NIT?

Well, I suppose that’s possible in an alternate universe. But I’m pretty confident that the Huskies should make it into the Big Dance.

 

[meyers7]

Well, I suppose that’s possible in an alternate universe. But I’m pretty confident that the Huskies should make it into the Big Dance.

Just be careful what you hope for.