Paige steals a page from Geno’s playbook

[HHH]

During the Fort Hays game on November 7, Azzi hit her first three 3-pointers on assists from Paige, and then missed her next five shots from the field. After the game, Paige, Azzi and Dorka faced the media:

Reporter: Paige, your first three passes to her (Azzi), she buries the three-pointers. Are you thinking in your mind, This is going to be a pretty cool year?​

Paige (smiling, clearly tweaking Azzi): Yeah, if she makes them. If she makes them I’ll be happy….​

Only at UConn for a year, and already sounding just like a certain coach we’ve all come to know and love! Azzi smiles, but you can clearly tell by her face she’s thinking, I can’t believe you just said that. These two are always talking about how they’re constantly driving each other to improve their games. It’ll be interesting to see what (if any) effect that comment has on Azzi’s shooting tomorrow against Arkansas. It’ll also be interesting to see if Azzi returns the friendly fire if Paige doesn’t do better than the 3-7 (1-3) she had against Fort Hays….

 

[D J B]

During the Fort Hays game on November 7, Azzi hit her first three 3-pointers on assists from Paige, and then missed her next five shots from the field. After the game, Paige, Azzi and Dorka faced the media:

Reporter: Paige, your first three passes to her (Azzi), she buries the three-pointers. Are you thinking in your mind, This is going to be a pretty cool year?​

Paige (smiling, clearly tweaking Azzi): Yeah, if she makes them. If she makes them I’ll be happy….​

Only at UConn for a year, and already sounding just like a certain coach we’ve all come to know and love! Azzi smiles, but you can clearly tell by her face she’s thinking, I can’t believe you just said that. These two are always talking about how they’re constantly driving each other to improve their games. It’ll be interesting to see what (if any) effect that comment has on Azzi’s shooting tomorrow against Arkansas. It’ll also be interesting to see if Azzi returns the friendly fire if Paige doesn’t do better than the 3-7 (1-3) she had against Fort Hays….

Well, if Paige only has 4 assists instead of nine, but goes 11/15 (5/6), we'll get to see if Azzi has any friendly fire for that. If she does, it'll mean Azzi had a game for the ages, and I can get behind that.

 

[TeamFirst!]

These kids are under WAY too much pressure. Paige is trying to lighten it up some. The key to their success will be playing the game and enjoying it. Pressure locks up even the best performing athletes. Even the pros. Gotta treat it as a game still. Give it your best but it's a game.

 

[HHH]

These kids are under WAY too much pressure. Paige is trying to lighten it up some. The key to their success will be playing the game and enjoying it. Pressure locks up even the best performing athletes. Even the pros. Gotta treat it as a game still. Give it your best but it's a game.

And yet, there are some very special players who seem to thrive on the pressure, who play their best when it’s at its highest. I think Paige Bueckers is one of those players. And I think Paige believes Azzi is one as well, or Paige would never have made that comment in front of the press like that. In fact, if you’re not a player who welcomes pressure, I’m thinking UConn probably isn’t the best fit for you....

 

[EricLA]

Are these kids really under "way too much pressure"? I disagree with that premise - here's why.

All thru high school, most of the best players are well known and the pressure for them to produce is on them all the time. Not only to win state tournaments, but also AAU tournaments with those teams. They are usually the best player on their teams, often the only one who can produce and score with frequency. They don't always have teammates who they can share the scoring burden with. They are double or triple teamed, and if they lose, often it's because they just had a bad game. All on them. Usually the local media is all over them for interviews and stories on TV or in local papers.

How high are they ranked? There are at least 5 or 6 different services - all evaluating and commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of each player. Add to that the pressure of choosing the "right" school. Most kids, at least in the top 50, will have MANY college coaches come visit them, watch practices or games, have in home visits, arrange for official or unofficial visits, etc. They talk all the time about the pressure they face when trying to decide on the right college. For some kids it's an easy choice, others not so much.

On top of that, the best kids are generally invited to various Team USA tryouts. U16, U18, U19. 5x5, 3x3. It's never ending. Then if they are good enough to make the team, they generally go overseas or to some foreign country to represent the USA and carry on the tradition of always winning.

Many of the best players have big IG or social media presences. They know full well the impact they can have and even before the NIL, players often had hundreds of thousands of followers.

And all this happens before they even step foot on a college campus. So I would say they are well prepared for the rigors of the college spotlight. Obviously the UCONN experience is like college on steroids for most, but it's not like they enter UCONN never having been in the spotlight or having faced pressure.

Oh, and by the way, the UCONN staff has been at the top for over 25 years. It's not like the coaches don't have experience helping, shielding, etc. For some players it's too much - Kennitra Johnson comes to mind - but these days, the high school spotlight is super bright before they even graduate high school.

 

[HHH]

Well, if Paige only has 4 assists instead of nine, but goes 11/15 (5/6), we'll get to see if Azzi has any friendly fire for that. If she does, it'll mean Azzi had a game for the ages, and I can get behind that.

Whoa, @D J B ! Right on the money with the 4 assists, and pretty darn close on the field goals (15-19)! The 3-pointer predictions still need a little work (1-3), but I’ll bet even @Carnac himself might be impressed with that showing!

 

[D J B]

Whoa, @D J B ! Right on the money with the 4 assists, and pretty darn close on the field goals (15-19)! The 3-pointer predictions still need a little work (1-3), but I’ll bet even @Carnac himself might be impressed with that showing!

Why thank you.

While I would love to take credit for being able to give @Carnac a run for his money, the fact is that if I show up at a certain gypsy girlfriend's front door with a bottle of wine, we end up draining the bottle and she shares some of her secrets.

 

[SVCBeercats]

These kids are under WAY too much pressure.

Not these kids. They wanted the pressure cooker that is UCONN. A few may find they were wrong to do so. But the majority will embrace the pressure. Besides pressure is a mental thing. A very successful project manager is lauded for handling pressure. He says what pressure? His experience in Viet Nam causes him to say "no one is dying here." Do we have transference issue here?