Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle together

[Tonyc]

There are posts both on the the boards and on FB about kids getting off to a slow start. IMO they are stubbIng forward as they learn, and adjust, to their new environment at UConn. Many of us see the potential but its not all there yet. Many of us see what could be but the kids arent there yet. Part of the learning process is learning Genos system. When your learning your trying to do what is expected of you and sometimes you think to much instead of just reacting to game situations. Sometimes it takes longer then we would like but as long as you dont give up and keep working at it it will come about.

We need our bigs to produce more. We see the mistakes they make and wonder why. Thats part of the learning process. We had former players on the UConn roster that couldnt get playtime but are now starting for other teams. We have players who started for other teams that are at UConn and struggling but they are being developed. This proves to me playing at UConn is not easy. There are discussions about another 3 pt shooter and how we arent taking enough treys and how we are missing treys. Thats just the way it is. We had Paige we have Azzi and Sarah who are pretty good at making treys but sometimes they too have an off game.

We have players like Sarah and Azzi who make it look so easy and think why cant everybody else be like that. We have alot of new players on our roster this season and it takes time to develop them and for them to learn Genos way. Alot of these girls have bad habits and those need to be fixed and the coaching staff is fixing them. That takes time. Understand when you plant seeds in a garden some grow fast, some grow slower and some dont grow at all.

Ive read some of the comments on boards and FB and think what do these girls, our girls parents and friends think. It must hurt. There was a post on FB where one of the parents said learn how to spell her name. The poster on FB was talking about how she shouldnt start etc.

Many of us have said it and so have announcers...UConn is favored to win the NC and could go undefeated. Over the next few weeks, months this team will come together, Geno always makes that happen. We have the talent its just taking a little bit of time. Be patient, and come along for the ride, and if there are some bumps in the road so be it theyre only bumps and we will continue to move forward down the path and reach number 13.

 

[Cornell Lt]

We're six games into the season with one win against a very good Michigan team and 5 other wins against not so good teams. In the six games that have been played, Sareh has not shown much in the way of offensive contributions, however her defense has been more than suitable. Azzi and Sarah are having All-American type performances each and every game. Blanca's emergence has been a pleasure to watch, and she's only going to get better. I would love to have her in the starting lineup in place of Serah to provide another offensive presence in the front court.

 

[msf22b]

Seemed hardly bumpy yesterday, Tony
As I posted…at the tail end of the game thread yesterday…(we’re in distant time zone)...

- Jana looked more confidant as the minutes went by…and I think she will be
more than ok…watch
- Serah made one move (early) when she took a pass and went straight up for the
hoop…not repeated (unfortunately)…she’ll get the idea in due course…I'm not
concerned
- Kayleigh has been a bit lost in the last game or two…but clearly she is of the
Chen lineage and will make a huge contribution as the season continues.

And Ms Blanca what more can one say: After one of the worst 90 seconds in the history of UConn BB, she was a terror on both ends of the court...
that spinning and one was a back-breaker.

And obviously leaving out lots of potential others…let’s not forget Caroline
But I’ll stop there...

Not worried, not concerned…kids are putting in the effort…Notice how calm
Geno looks...

One can never guarantee greatness or Natty’s but this team is a pleasure to behold.

 

[donalddoowop]

Seemed hardly bumpy yesterday, Tony
As I posted…at the tail end of the game thread yesterday…(we’re in distant time zone)...

- Jana looked more confidant as the minutes went by…and I think she will be
more than ok…watch
- Serah made one move (early) when she took a pass and went straight up for the
hoop…not repeated (unfortunately)…she’ll get the idea in due course…I'm not
concerned
- Kayleigh has been a bit lost in the last game or two…but clearly she is of the
Chen lineage and will make a huge contribution as the season continues.

And Ms Blanca what more can one say: After one of the worst 90 seconds in the history of UConn BB, she was a terror on both ends of the court...
that spinning and one was a back-breaker.

And obviously leaving out lots of potential others…let’s not forget Caroline
But I’ll stop there...

Not worried, not concerned…kids are putting in the effort…Notice how calm
Geno looks...

One can never guarantee greatness or Natty’s but this team is a pleasure to behold.

Right there with you. All the way.

 

[BRS24]

It's (checks calendar) still November, and between now and the end of the BE league play, Geno will be breaking things down, tweaking, and developing both the players and the team as a whole. Until then, I'll take a little inconsistent play, as not everyone is a four year starter on the team. The sky isn't falling, and there is plenty of runway for the team to get where it needs to go.

 

[Rowdy831]

UConn is loaded. They almost always have the best roster in the country and with that some players that are exceptional players won't play as much because they chose UConn. At the same time it is possible to only start at UConn for a minute and still get drafted and that isn't true for any other school.

So far I would say the Defense is way ahead of the offense, at least as a team. I do think that once the offense starts learning to play together they will almost be unbeatable. They literally have a team that could split in two and have both teams in the top ten in WCB.

 

[Bills Fan]

Tony, I agree with your prediction about certain players improving.

Serah is just to talented to continue with her shooting from 2 feet in. She didn't score 20 a game in the Big Ten by missing over half of her bunnies and I expect the same improvement on rebounding.

K9 and Ash are way better than they have played/shot and should revert to the mean.

The one player who has shown what she is capable of, but just needs to be consistent is Blanca, and it is far too soon in the season to even worry about her being inconsistent. Her physical ability is clearly, at a minimum, Beast Freshman of the Year quality. None of us should expect the Utah game to be her norm, but I can see an average of 15+ per game as what we can expect, which might include 4+ FT's a game.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Thanks for posting this, Tonyc…you are a good man.

We are a spoiled bunch, and unusual success over decades has raised the bar of fan expectation. The fans on this board reflect that expectation and therefore their frustration when every single player is not firing on all cylinders is not unexpected.

As I’ve posted earlier, let’s give all the players time to learn and grow together, say having 20-25 games behind us. They and the entire coaching staff have earned the right to figure it all out on their timetable. If you think back to last year - the loss to ND (game #9), the way they played for most of the game against USC in December (#12), the loss at Tennessee (#24) - none of it met our expectations and we were bracing ourselves when the South Carolina game was coming up (#27). Then what happened? Team building takes time, so let’s give this team of 8 returnees and 7 newcomers (including Ayanna and Caroline who did not play much last year) time to jell.

 

[Ozimoto]

Just my opinion, but this group seems further ahead than last year's group at this point in the season.

 

[JellyBean]

There are posts both on the the boards and on FB about kids getting off to a slow start. IMO they are stubbIng forward as they learn, and adjust, to their new environment at UConn. Many of us see the potential but its not all there yet. Many of us see what could be but the kids arent there yet. Part of the learning process is learning Genos system. When your learning your trying to do what is expected of you and sometimes you think to much instead of just reacting to game situations. Sometimes it takes longer then we would like but as long as you dont give up and keep working at it it will come about.

We need our bigs to produce more. We see the mistakes they make and wonder why. Thats part of the learning process. We had former players on the UConn roster that couldnt get playtime but are now starting for other teams. We have players who started for other teams that are at UConn and struggling but they are being developed. This proves to me playing at UConn is not easy. There are discussions about another 3 pt shooter and how we arent taking enough treys and how we are missing treys. Thats just the way it is. We had Paige we have Azzi and Sarah who are pretty good at making treys but sometimes they too have an off game.

We have players like Sarah and Azzi who make it look so easy and think why cant everybody else be like that. We have alot of new players on our roster this season and it takes time to develop them and for them to learn Genos way. Alot of these girls have bad habits and those need to be fixed and the coaching staff is fixing them. That takes time. Understand when you plant seeds in a garden some grow fast, some grow slower and some dont grow at all.

Ive read some of the comments on boards and FB and think what do these girls, our girls parents and friends think. It must hurt. There was a post on FB where one of the parents said learn how to spell her name. The poster on FB was talking about how she shouldnt start etc.

Many of us have said it and so have announcers...UConn is favored to win the NC and could go undefeated. Over the next few weeks, months this team will come together, Geno always makes that happen. We have the talent its just taking a little bit of time. Be patient, and come along for the ride, and if there are some bumps in the road so be it theyre only bumps and we will continue to move forward down the path and reach number 13.

Well said, @Tonyc

Players will adjust as the season and practice sessions progress and their confidence grows. None of us want to see players peaking too early. We want to see them peaking come tournament time. Right now, 4 or 5 games into the season, the team is developing, and they will be okay.

 

[HuskyNan]

We're six games into the season with one win against a very good Michigan team and 5 other wins against not so good teams. In the six games that have been played, Sareh has not shown much in the way of offensive contributions, however her defense has been more than suitable. Azzi and Sarah are having All-American type performances each and every game. Blanca's emergence has been a pleasure to watch, and she's only going to get better. I would love to have her in the starting lineup in place if Serah to provide another offensive presence in the front court.

Louisville is ranked

 

[HuskyNan]

K9 and Ash are way better than they have played/shot and should revert to the mean.

Yesterday in the post game presser, Geno said that Ash, and KK, are back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench last season and that both are trying too hard to prove themselves. He said all they have to do is play the way they did last year. I think he’s going to keep reminding them of that and will be patient in the meantime. A player’s mental state is so important to the quality of her play and I believe he understands that

 

[Cornell Lt]

Louisville is ranked

They may be ranked (#23) but they are not a quality team

 

[donalddoowop]

They may be ranked (#23) but they are not a quality team

What is your definition of a quality team?

 

[JellyBean]

What is your definition of a quality team?

Beat me to it. I had the same question in mind.

 

[Next 12]

Maybe it's my age or not, BUT I get a little upset reading all the Naysayers posts on this years team. Let me rephrase this statement, I get Irritated. It's only 6 games.Most Pundits who know the game believe that Uconn will win NO 13 NCAA Championship for 25-26 and I agree with them. I also believe Uconn will be undefeated for the 7th time this year. I look at all the players and see the effort they put in every game and also see their improvements. Enjoy every win they have and be the kind of fan that believe in them for all the games coming up.I believe that GENO, CHRIS and the other coaches know what they are doing and in the end Ucon will prevail with every challenge coming up. GO TEAM!!!!!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!!

 

[asuwish]

We're six games into the season with one win against a very good Michigan team and 5 other wins against not so good teams. In the six games that have been played, Sareh has not shown much in the way of offensive contributions, however her defense has been more than suitable. Azzi and Sarah are having All-American type performances each and every game. Blanca's emergence has been a pleasure to watch, and she's only going to get better. I would love to have her in the starting lineup in place of Serah to provide another offensive presence in the front court.

If Blanca took Serah's spot our tallest player would be 6'2". We may play small at times but that is situational. Serah needs more toughest and if she can get 8 a game and defends the rim which can help keep Sarah out of possible foul trouble Geno would be thrilled. Blanca needs to take Ashlyn's spot and give us one of the biggest front courts in the country. Ashlyn can give both Blanca or Azzi breaks when needed and be a spark off the bench.

 

[huskeynut]

Like Next12, I really wonder about the negative nellies.

The defense is usually ahead of the offense at this stage of the season. 6 games is a very small sample to make any conclusions. Another reminder, despite the return of many of last year's team, this is a new team. The chemistry has to evolve over time. But the signs are there.

Geno is playing the bench a lot. He has to know how the bench will play in a game. The Michigan game was a really good game for us.

I agree with Geno that Ash & KK may be pressing. Becasue of injuries, both became starters as freshman. The last year, with the likes of Azzi healthy and the debut of Sarah, they came off the bench. Now they are back to starters. Both will be fine.

Serah is showing signs of what she can do in the low post. Defense is there and the offense is evolve. K9 is learning the offense. She has showed signs but her defense and ball handling is good. Blanca is a talent. In terms of her playing time, she'll get plenty. If I was Geno, I'll have her coming off the bench. With her size and skills, she will be a weapon to change the pace and look of the offense. Most teams can't compete with that.

I'm looking forward to watch this team grow and develop.

 

[FanSince17]

They may be ranked (#23) but they are not a quality team

I went to both games (I live in ME- fan of the year?), Louisville at the Naval Academy and Michigan at Mohegan.
Try to think about the similarities of those games. Got off to big leads, great starts, followed by some stagnant offense, missed shots, and some defensive lapses. UConn did play more players in the Louisville game, which was a difference in the two games.
Now, some of us here want to put MI in the Final 4 and most comments about them are laudatory. Louisville not a quality team. What? Please pay attention!

 

[HuskyNan]

They may be ranked (#23) but they are not a quality team

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