Newest Husky Ines Bettencourt [Merged thread]

[CocoHusky]

This keeps coming up — the problem isn’t with Nika’s scoring. If she gives us 6-8 points/g, that’s plenty. The issue is what sort of point these are. Shooting 3s and hitting layups on run-outs is fine, but if she’s playing point she needs to be able to score in the lane occasionally.
Currently she has no midrange, pull-up, step back jump shot, and seems unwilling to attempt a contested layup. Passing off the dribble, flashing through the lane, is just a lot more effective if she’s a threat to score in there, too. And it’s not just at UConn — she didn’t have these skills in Europe either.
These are essential tools for a point guard. KK and Ines already have these skills. I hope Nika plays Ines one-on-one a little bit everyday for the next few months. She could improve Ines’s D and Ines can help her improve her O.

Stop with the soft peddling! You say the problem with Nika isn't scoring and then you go on to point out the need for her to be a scoring threat TWICE.

The problem with Nika is 100% about scoring and Nika is not averaging near 6-8 PPG; she averaged 3.8 PPG last season playing 21.7 MPG. In the history of basketball nobody has been able to score without shooting the basketball. When you shoot the ball the purpose is to score and put points on the board. The many people (including you) that are encouraging Nika to develop a mid-range is also about scoring because the mid range is an easier shot which you can use to score more points. If Nika were averaging 6-8 points per game as you are suggesting I think fewer people would care how she was doing it and this team would be much further along. Nika could easily up her average by getting to the foul line more often but guess what?... unless your team is in bonus situation ( too many fouls) they don't send you to the line to shoot FTs unless...... you were attempting to shoot the ball when you got fouled. Why would you have been attempting to shoot the ball? .......IDK, probably so you can score some points.
These excuse are getting weaker and weaker. yada yada :

A) Nika is surrounded by good scorers/shooters so she doesn't have to think about scoring on this team.
B) She is a pass first PG.
C) She gets to make two people happy with 1 assist.
.....
My replies to these soft balls :
A) Those that can shoot do. If you can't shoot or you are unwilling to shoot you shouldn't be out there.
B) I think the defense has also figured that out. Now what? And don't you really mean "pass only PG."
C) She gets to make 12 teammates happy when she scores because that is less points everyone else has to think about putting on the board to beat good teams.

Keep the softball coming.

 

[tower1]

All true. I think if she can give 2-4 quality minutes per quarter ( resting Nika ), she will add value.

Maybe the other way around Nika can give her a few minutes break. Unless Nika has improved tremendously over last year, witch I am hoping for the teams sake and hers.

 

[oldhusky]

So let's see. By the end of fall practice and before games begin they will know how to swear in English, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Croatian, and Portuguese...

It could be the United Nations of Swearing. This sounds like a topic a George Carlin type could have a field day with!

 

[Bone Dog]

Stop with the soft peddling! You say the problem with Nika isn't scoring and then you go on to point out the need for her to be a scoring threat TWICE.

The problem with Nika is 100% about scoring and Nika is not averaging near 6-8 PPG; she averaged 3.8 PPG last season playing 21.7 MPG. In the history of basketball nobody has been able to score without shooting the basketball. When you shoot the ball the purpose is to score and put points on the board. The many people (including you) that are encouraging Nika to develop a mid-range is also about scoring because the mid range is an easier shot which you can use to score more points. If Nika were averaging 6-8 points per game as you are suggesting I think fewer people would care how she was doing it and this team would be much further along. Nika could easily up her average by getting to the foul line more often but guess what?... unless your team is in bonus situation ( too many fouls) they don't send you to the line to shoot FTs unless...... you were attempting to shoot the ball when you got fouled. Why would have been attempting to shoot the ball? .......IDK, probably so you can score some points.
These excuse are getting weaker and weaker. yada yada :

A) Nika is surrounded by good scorers/shooters so she doesn't have to think about scoring on this team.
B) She is a pass first PG.
C) She gets to make two people happy with 1 assist.
.....
My replies to these soft balls :
A) Those that can shoot do. If you can't shoot or you are unwilling to shoot you shouldn't be out there.
B) I think the defense has also figured that out. Now what? And don't you really mean "pass only PG."
C) She gets to make 12 teammates happy when she scores because that is less points everyone else has to think about putting on the board to beat good teams.

Keep the softball coming.

Why the vitriol? I said the problem isn't with her scoring -- and clearly meant scoring in a general sense -- but with the sort of scoring threat she is. Also, I never said she had already averaged 6-8. I offered a hypothetical: "if she gives us 6-8 pts." IF statements are generally recognized in this country as indicating hypothetical statements, not statements of fact. I trust you already understand this.

I have never said we need a pass first pg. I think you're confusing me with someone else. I don't think we have any use for a pass first pg. That is incompatible with the motion offense that has been touted on the BY for the past few weeks.

Now correcting both these gaffes on your part, if she doesn't merely shoot standing set shot 3s, but instead attempts the occasional layup or midrange jump shot and makes a couple, or even gets fouled a few times and makes a few FTs, she'd get something like 6 pts, and that would be more than enough, plus it would open up better passing lanes to those great shooters you're always on about.

Now, I realize you want her to shoot more -- that's why you make the subtle point that you can't score without shooting. And I agree, and in fact have made that point several times over the past few weeks myself -- and you've agreed with me about it several times, too. But when I say I want to see our pg score more, I'm not talking about standing set shots from the perimeter. We have all those shooters you mentioned, after all. And not just run-out layups. Neither of those will improve her ability to find an open perimeter shooter. What I think she needs to do is shoot off the dribble, in the paint, in the midrange, at the rim, and to make some of these, and get fouled sometimes, too.

Your entire point about her not getting fouled enough and shooting FTs poorly is also my point.

 

[Jackcatscal]

She has the entire season to prepare for March Madness.
Of course she will need to play to begin learning the ropes for when she's needed, based on her progress.
It's possible that she'll become an important contributor this year depending on her skill level, what Geno wants her to do, compared to other PG's on the team and line up circumstances like injuries.
I doubt that anything is set in stone, and a lot can happen between now and March Madness.
The Big East teams have a forgiving enough level of competition that should allow competent freshmen to get adequate playing time to display their mettle.


How to pronouce Ines in French & English.

What’s the effect of the accent in her name? Is it telling you to stress the second syllable?

 

[CocoHusky]

Why the vitriol?

from the accumulation of excuses regarding Nika . It was not specific to you or that last post.

 

[Kaizen]

Inês Bettencourt has her own YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC41Xezp3rdl2uJTFL2CWSlQ

 

[Bone Dog]

What’s the effect of the accent in her name? Is it telling you to stress the second syllable?

Portuguese Alphabet
0:30
Listen to the alphabet recited by a native speaker from Brazil. The alphabet is spoken in a Brazilian dialect in which 'e' is pronounced /ɛ/

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Problems playing this file? See media help.

European Portuguese Alphabet
0:30
Listen to the alphabet recited by a native speaker from Portugal. The alphabet is spoken in a European dialect in which 'g' is pronounced /ɡe/, 'r' is pronounced /ˈɛʁɨ/, 'w' is pronounced /ˈdɐbliu/ and 'y' is pronounced /ˈipsɨlɔn/

---

1. ^ The letters b, d, g can denote [β], [ð], and [ɣ] in intervocalic positions, especially in northern and central Portugal. In Mozambique an intervocalic /d/ can be realized as [d.ð] or [dː], mostly before a final e-caduc or reduced /o/. In other intervocalic schemes can be realized also as [ð] of European variety.
2. ^ /k/ can be realized in Mozambique as [kʰ], mostly before a final e-caduc or reduced /o/.
3. ^ Before the letters e, i, y, or with the cedilla.
4. ^ Allophonically affricated before the sound /i/ (spelled i, or sometimes e), in BP.
5. ^ May become an approximant as a form of vowel reduction when unstressed before or after another vowel. Words such as bóia and proa are pronounced [ˈbɔj.jɐ] and [ˈpɾow.wɐ].[1]
6. ^ The letters f, g, j, l, m, n, r and s are sometimes pronounced differently in the northwest region of Brazil.
7. ^ Silent at the start or at the end of a word. Also part of the digraphs ch, lh, nh. See below.
8. ^ Not part of the official alphabet before 2009. Used only in foreign words, personal names, and hybrid words derived from them. The letters K, W and Y were included in the alphabet used in Brazil, East Timor, Macau, Portugal and five countries in Africa, when the 1990 Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement went into legal effect, since January 1, 2009.[2] However, they were used before 1911 (see the article on spelling reform in Portugal).
9. ^ Velarized to [ɫ] in EP and conservative registers of southern BP. Vocalized to [u̯], [ʊ̯], or seldom [o̯] (as influence from Spanish or Japanese), at the end of syllables in most of Brazil.
10. ^ Usually silent or voiceless at the end of syllables (word-final n is fully pronounced by some speakers in a few loaned words). See Nasalization section, below.
11. ^ At the start of syllables (not between vowels) (in all dialects) or at the end of syllables (in some dialects of BP), a single r is pronounced /ʁ/ (see Portuguese phonology for variants of this sound). Elsewhere, it is pronounced /ɾ/. Word-final rhotics may also be silent when the last syllable is stressed, in casual and vernacular speech, especially in Brazil (pervasive nationwide, though not in educated and some colloquial registers) and in some African and Asian countries. In European variety a word-initial /r/ can be realised as [r̝] after /s/. Word(or coda)-final European variants of /ɾ/ include [ɾ̥], [r̝], [r̻], and [ɻ̊].
12. ^ A single s is pronounced voiced /z/ between vowels.
13. ^ The opposition between the four sibilants /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ is neutralized at the end of syllables; see below for more information.
14. ^ Letter t, surrounded by nasal vowels (realized always as nasal vowel + [n] before it), /f/, /j/, /l/, /r/, /ʃ/, /w/, and stops, can be read as allophonic [θ] in some Mozambican varieties. Mostly before final reduced vowels can be realized there also as [tʰ]. The same pattern of aspiration for /t/ occurs in East Timorese Portuguese.
15. ^ Northern Portuguese dialects share with Galician and other, more distantly related, North Iberian languages (Astur-Leonese, including Mirandese, Castilian, Aragonese, Catalan and, to some extent, Basque) one common feature — merger of /b/ and /v/ into /β~b/.
16. ^ The letter x may represent /ʃ/, /ks/, /z/, /s/, or /gz/ (peixe, fixar, exemplo, próximo, hexágono). It is always pronounced /ʃ/ at the beginning of words.

In educated speech, vowel reduction is used less often than in colloquial and vernacular speech though still more than the more distant dialects, and in general, mid vowels are dominant over close-mid ones and especially open-mid ones in unstressed environments when those are in free variation (that is, sozinho is always [sɔˈzĩɲu], even in Portugal, while elogio is almost certainly [e̞lo̞ˈʒi.u]). Mid vowels are also used as choice for stressed nasal vowels in both Portugal and Rio de Janeiro though not in São Paulo and southern Brazil, but in Bahia, Sergipe and neighboring areas, mid nasal vowels supposedly are close-mid like those of French. Veneno can thus vary as EP [vɯ̽ˈne̞nu], RJ [vẽ̞ˈnẽ̞nu], SP [veˈnenʊ] and BA [vɛˈnɛ̃nu] according to the dialect. /ɐ̃/ also has significant variation, as shown in the respective dialect pronunciations of banana as [baˈnə̃nə], [bə̃ˈnə̃nə], and [bəˈnənə].[11]

Vowel reduction of unstressed nasal vowels is extremely pervasive nationwide in Brazil, in vernacular, colloquial and even most educated speech registers. It is slightly more resisted but still present in Portugal.

 

[psconn]

Nice shot and court vision, but does not appear particularly quick. Hopefully, she can get open occasionally at the D1 level. As always, I'm in "wait and see" mode. Best of luck to her and us!

 

[DEpup]

Usually it is pronounced Eye-Nez

That would be a Spanish pronunciation. My Portuguese friends give more of a "dge" ending than a "z".

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Bem-vindos Ines. Estamos felizes que faça parte da nação da UCONN.

 

[BobbyJ]

Stop with the soft peddling! You say the problem with Nika isn't scoring and then you go on to point out the need for her to be a scoring threat TWICE.

The problem with Nika is 100% about scoring and Nika is not averaging near 6-8 PPG; she averaged 3.8 PPG last season playing 21.7 MPG. In the history of basketball nobody has been able to score without shooting the basketball. When you shoot the ball the purpose is to score and put points on the board. The many people (including you) that are encouraging Nika to develop a mid-range is also about scoring because the mid range is an easier shot which you can use to score more points. If Nika were averaging 6-8 points per game as you are suggesting I think fewer people would care how she was doing it and this team would be much further along. Nika could easily up her average by getting to the foul line more often but guess what?... unless your team is in bonus situation ( too many fouls) they don't send you to the line to shoot FTs unless...... you were attempting to shoot the ball when you got fouled. Why would you have been attempting to shoot the ball? .......IDK, probably so you can score some points.
These excuse are getting weaker and weaker. yada yada :

A) Nika is surrounded by good scorers/shooters so she doesn't have to think about scoring on this team.
B) She is a pass first PG.
C) She gets to make two people happy with 1 assist.
.....
My replies to these soft balls :
A) Those that can shoot do. If you can't shoot or you are unwilling to shoot you shouldn't be out there.
B) I think the defense has also figured that out. Now what? And don't you really mean "pass only PG."
C) She gets to make 12 teammates happy when she scores because that is less points everyone else has to think about putting on the board to beat good teams.

Keep the softball coming.

I'm just going to sit back, relax, have a cold one and let you go. You're doing a fine job.

 

[BobbyJ]

Nice shot and court vision, but does not appear particularly quick. Hopefully, she can get open occasionally at the D1 level. As always, I'm in "wait and see" mode. Best of luck to her and us!

I'm in wait and see mode too but I do remember. Ernie DiGregorio was one of the slower PGs in the country but he made the game go at his pace and diced people up. Looking forward to see what she's got.

 

[Bone Dog]

Just watched the Portugal-Serbia game. They were down by ~7 most of the game and then made a run (17-4) in the last 5 mins by forcing turnovers and getting paint points. Ines had a hand in a few of the points and forced a couple turnovers, but she didn't dominate. She looks like a solid, unspectacular defender and a reliable scorer when they need her. Neither team looked to have a sophisticated passing game and for long stretches it looked like they were each content to trade 3pt attempts. Ines seemed like the only guard who was willing to drive into the lane.

 

[Blond D.]

I dont know how much shes gonna help...shes only a freshman.

 

[Bald Husky]

Why the vitriol? I said the problem isn't with her scoring -- and clearly meant scoring in a general sense -- but with the sort of scoring threat she is. Also, I never said she had already averaged 6-8. I offered a hypothetical: "if she gives us 6-8 pts." IF statements are generally recognized in this country as indicating hypothetical statements, not statements of fact. I trust you already understand this.

I have never said we need a pass first pg. I think you're confusing me with someone else. I don't think we have any use for a pass first pg. That is incompatible with the motion offense that has been touted on the BY for the past few weeks.

Now correcting both these gaffes on your part, if she doesn't merely shoot standing set shot 3s, but instead attempts the occasional layup or midrange jump shot and makes a couple, or even gets fouled a few times and makes a few FTs, she'd get something like 6 pts, and that would be more than enough, plus it would open up better passing lanes to those great shooters you're always on about.

Now, I realize you want her to shoot more -- that's why you make the subtle point that you can't score without shooting. And I agree, and in fact have made that point several times over the past few weeks myself -- and you've agreed with me about it several times, too. But when I say I want to see our pg score more, I'm not talking about standing set shots from the perimeter. We have all those shooters you mentioned, after all. And not just run-out layups. Neither of those will improve her ability to find an open perimeter shooter. What I think she needs to do is shoot off the dribble, in the paint, in the midrange, at the rim, and to make some of these, and get fouled sometimes, too.

Your entire point about her not getting fouled enough and shooting FTs poorly is also my point.

This is exactly what she is supposed to be working on this summer, pull-ups and driving to the basket. Her first two years with this team she has been a valuable player, whether you like her or not. Before you beat the %#@# out of her playing style, and move her to the back of the line, why don't we wait until the season starts and see if she has changed some of her habits. Geez, give the girl a break, she has been good for this team and will continue to be so. We are way better off with her than without her.
My apologies to Bone Dog, my reply should have been directed to CoCoHusky

 

[hard2please]

woo hoo! time to dance!

 

[TeamFirst!]

Virtually no recruited player on scholarship is only a practice player, especially at UConn. The bottom line is she will probably be needed depth or they wouldn’t have gone out and got her. Paige was expected to log a lot of minutes. I think she gives us 10-12 on average. If another guard gets hurt, and probability indicates they will, we are going to need Inez. Some games she may have to give us 30.

 

[Zarathustra]

Just watched the Portugal-Serbia game. They were down by ~7 most of the game and then made a run (17-4) in the last 5 mins by forcing turnovers and getting paint points. Ines had a hand in a few of the points and forced a couple turnovers, but she didn't dominate. She looks like a solid, unspectacular defender and a reliable scorer when they need her. Neither team looked to have a sophisticated passing game and for long stretches it looked like they were each content to trade 3pt attempts. Ines seemed like the only guard who was willing to drive into the lane.

I watch the Portugal - Serbia game also ( the u 18 women's "B" semifinal ). I agree with your assessment. Also
with the BY folks who see INES as insurance, someone to lead the UCONN 'scout' team during scrimmages (as PG), and
to give Nika and our other guards the necessary "recovery" time when appropriate. Then there is the truth that she
may grow into a greater " role" later in the season. Best wishes to INES, you have (IMO) made a good choice, Welcome!

 

[Charliebball]

Maybe I missed it, but surprised no one mentioned the benefits this signing does for practice. Having a solid point guard for Nika and others to go against is invaluable.

another benefit is that it adds a bit more European interest in UConn basketball............hopefully those top notch players Geno is interested in will be watching to see how IB fares over here.......

 

[PJCLaw]

I dont know how much shes gonna help...shes only a freshman.

Clearly you are joking?! Let's see, and CD were freshman last year and, well, you know how they helped. The year before that, some young lady from Minnesota was a freshman and I think she helped a little, not to mention that gal from up north in Canada who did a good impersonation of a basketball player. Oh, I forgot, NM was also a freshman that year too and, well, you get the point by now....! In the last 6 or 7 seasons there have been countless freshman who have contributed immediately, or HELPED, as you put it. Don't be so short sighted after history has shown otherwise.

 

[Bone Dog]

This is exactly what she is supposed to be working on this summer, pull-ups and driving to the basket. Her first two years with this team she has been a valuable player, whether you like her or not. Before you beat the %#@# out of her playing style, and move her to the back of the line, why don't we wait until the season starts and see if she has changed some of her habits. Geez, give the girl a break, she has been good for this team and will continue to be so. We are way better off with her than without her.
My apologies to Bone Dog, my reply should have been directed to CoCoHusky

No problem, @Bald Huskie. We’ve all been trying to see Nika’s situation with clear eyes, and @CocoHusky has been among the clearest. There’s much to praise about Nika’s game, but also some crucial things that need improvement if we’re going make another NC game.

 

[Bone Dog]

another benefit is that it adds a bit more European interest in UConn basketball............hopefully those top notch players Geno is interested in will be watching to see how IB fares over here.......

I was thinking this same thing. Perhaps they all just saw Ines “win the lottery” and others will want in on the action.