Rebuilding UConn once again

[Huskie02]

I'm not about to jump on the Amari bandwagon but if I was to, I would think that it would be a good thing if they sent Amari to the film room and have her spend a lot of time watching Kansas' Jefferson play offense. This way she might learn how to use the length of her arms as a scoring asset. They are built similarly so maybe Amari could actually become more of a threat on offense.
However, to be honest I am guessing that this type of coaching has already been tried and we have what we have.

Is there a big women’s basketball camp they can send Amari to next summer? What a shame to have so much potential and not use it!

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm puzzled by Amari's quality of play considering her offensive skills which everybody in the know at UConn says are extensive.......clearly Geno doesn't trust her but at this point, she's needed even if just to give Aaliayah a rest......

Her offensive skills are/ and have been extremely overrated. Part of "having skills" is being consistent with them. She is practicing every day and when she comes on the court - even in blowouts she doesn't produce. Amari has had a lot more time playing in practices to show herself vs for example Ice this year and Patterson last year.

We know a big weakness on the team is the inside yet Amari at 6'6 can't even beat iut the smnaller, younger players. If she really had these quality offensive skills /or if what she has in terms of skills really meant much, then she would have ouplayed the younger players in Practices. Obviously she isn't. So for example - if she has a soft touch inside but can't hold her position in addition to in other situations lose balance easily when getting bumped while taking a shot -- her soft touch is negated because she just doesn't have the strength to utltize her touch. This is no more unusual than a player for example a guard with an amazing shot but can't get off her shot or defend well because she isn't athletic enough; her skills can't be utlilized.

While Ice is also throwing up bricks - for him to play Ice much more in games - it is just logical to assume that she is hitting shots at a much higher efficency than Amari. So, until Amari shows more in Practices, and we see the few minutes in games she doesn't show much, we just have to accept that her offensive skills have been highly overrated/exaggerated. There should be no confusion about this.

 

[Charliebball]

Her offensive skills are/ and have been extremely overrated. Part of "having skills" is being consistent with them. She is practicing every day and when she comes on the court - even in blowouts she doesn't produce. Amari has had a lot more time playing in practices to show herself vs for example Ice this year and Patterson last year.

We know a big weakness on the team is the inside yet Amari at 6'6 can't even beat iut the smnaller, younger players. If she really had these quality offensive skills /or if what she has in terms of skills really meant much, then she would have ouplayed the younger players in Practices. Obviously she isn't. So for example - if she has a soft touch inside but can't hold her position in addition to in other situations lose balance easily when getting bumped while taking a shot -- her soft touch is negated because she just doesn't have the strength to utltize her touch. This is no more unusual than a player for example a guard with an amazing shot but can't get off her shot or defend well because she isn't athletic enough; her skills can't be utlilized.

While Ice is also throwing up bricks - for him to play Ice much more in games - it is just logical to assume that she is hitting shots at a much higher efficency than Amari. So, until Amari shows more in Practices, and we see the few minutes in games she doesn't show much, we just have to accept that her offensive skills have been highly overrated/exaggerated. There should be no confusion about this.

I can't disagree with much you have said but I still think her issues are as much mental as physical.......hopefully, when UConn gets into conference play Geno will be able to get her more playing time so that she might become a more confident and productive player.........she's certainly not going to miraculously get better sitting on the bench....

 

[hoophuskee]

I can't disagree with much you have said but I still think her issues are as much mental as physical.......hopefully, when UConn gets into conference play Geno will be able to get her more playing time so that she might become a more confident and productive player.........she's certainly not going to miraculously get better sitting on the bench....

What's the point of Practices playing against players that are better than you if you don't get better? Since when do Practices not count? If they count, then why do you want to take valuable minutes away from superior players for a team with such extreme lack of playing time together and play someone that is worse than them?

And how does it make the other players "better" when they have one of their worst players in that they have to over-account for? For example, Geno is playing the better shooter that he feels is Ice. Wouldn’t it be great to give Ice as much minutes as possible with Edwards and Griffin? And when Patterson comes back, she is going to need time too. Why would it be smart to limit them for a team that has had so little time together to limit their on-court time together? If Ice is a better shooter and defender in Practices then wouldn't it make sense to believe that her gamer is more likely to help players like Edwards and Griffin be more productive ias well?

Yet the answer is to play the worse player that makes them less productive for a team so inexperienced playing together, and throw away Practices as if they don't count under the belief that Practices don't make player's better?

 

[Bigboote]

Not to mention the tutelage of CD is worth more than any camp.

 

[Longtime fan]

Ditto with VT and LSU. With all the injuries, UConn does not have nearly enough horses to compete with top teams!

I agree. Those teams seem bigger, faster, better, deeper and more athletic. And there are several other outstanding teams. But take LSU; No one can contain Angel Reese. Then they added Morrow ( who regularly dominated against UCONN under the hoop); then they added Van Lith (what's her name from Louisville); and they have their crop of signed high school stars....freshmen through seniors. UCONN has one experienced player ( Edwards ) in the paint, who is more a wing than a center, and a developing Ice Brady. And that is it. Yes, we have Paige and Muhl for a top set of guards. And then what? Aubrey, a great athlete who shows her talent in spurts. No Azzi; Maybe no Caroline? And the freshmen ( plus Inez and DeBerry ). We are counting on all of our players being several levels better than they. currently are, come March. And they will be. But those other teams are not at their peak yet either. It will be fun to watch. Most every game will be a battle.

 

[Longtime fan]

I am sure they have tried eveythingin the book to help Amari. Camps, vapors, witchcraft, philosophy .....and she has willingly tried them all. My speculation is she has the same problem that kept me from being shortstop for the Yankees..

 

[hoophuskee]

Then they added Morrow ( who regularly dominated against UCONN under the hoop); then they added Van Lith (what's her name from Louisville); and they have their crop of signed high school stars....freshmen through seniors. UCONN has one experienced player ( Edwards ) in the paint, who is more a wing than a center, and a developing Ice Brady. And that is it. Yes, we have Paige and Muhl for a top set of guards. And then what? Aubrey, a great athlete who shows her talent in spurts. No Azzi; Maybe no Caroline? And the freshmen ( plus Inez and DeBerry ). We are counting on all of our players being several levels better than they. currently are, come March. And they will be. But those other teams are not at their peak yet either. It will be fun to watch. Most every game will be a battle.

First off Morrow did not regularly dominate UCONN. In 2 of her 4 games she shot 9-20 and 8-26 combined 17-46. So shooting 37% in half the games is not "regularly dominating."

As far as Edwards; she is not a Wing in College. She has had 3 years in College so far in which she has been to a FF, been to a Finals, and been an All-American. And she has done this all as a combo Power Forward/Center.

Her shot isn't that great from the outside. An advantage that she has as a 4/5 is that she can take bigger players off the dribble. This all now goes away with her as a Wing. The Defense is just going to sag and dare her to shoot. When her shot is off- no more offensive rebounds. And her career passing numbers are awful. She has 177 assists vs 263 turnovers. And Grifin if at the other Wing she has 107 assists vs 129 turnovers.

So, now you have a lineup that can't shoot 3's, not that good from outside at the 2 pt range, and awful ability to pass. In addition, Edwards and Griffin at Wings playing together would be severly limited to put the ball on the floor and penetrate because the Defense is packed inside while focusing on Paige. And because neither Edwards or Griffin is a good passer, it makes it harder to get the ball to Paige in scoring positions.

I believe some are getting too caught up in Football where physicality is King. But this is basketball. Teams that don't shoot very well and pass very well - these are the basic fundamentals of basketball -- will not go far and you end up losing more games that you should. Put the frosh at the Wings. That's where they belong. -- Not Edwards. In Pros Edwards can play Wing because you have PF's and Centers that have some terrific outside shooters (in addition to Guards).

 

[BB Dawg]

Ditto with VT and LSU. With all the injuries, UConn does not have nearly enough horses to compete with top teams!

If it wasn't for LSU Portal transfers, I am not sure if they would have cracked the top 20. That said, the way they played last night against VT...IMO, they are the #1 team to beat. I think SC or UCLA would lose by 20 pts. - However, there is a lot of drama on that team.

 

[BB Dawg]

Is there a big women’s basketball camp they can send Amari to next summer? What a shame to have so much potential and not use it!

She is coming off back surgery. I think her issue is her desire and heart. She is smart academically and concentrating in her schooling. In high school I saw film on her hitting the 3's. Not sure if she like the grunt work underneath the basket?

 

[BB Dawg]

Agree. Ice is getting open shots but missing layups. Appears at time she is trying too hard, speeding up when all she needs is to complete plays she has made for years. On defense, she is still a bit deliberate, but that may be expected for someone coming off a knee operation. Against big bodies, she boxes out well and just needs to get into position a second or two quicker. We have games coming up against teams that have true, top level bigs - is there another option?

I don't think there is another option. The light bulb has to turn on - She is Uconn's best option. She is playing like a Freshman and has not played last year and now on a recovering knee injury. Geno and staff have to keep positive with her. - I hope they start her next game? It may give her confidence.

 

[reelfan]

time for Geno to work the transfer portal

 

[HuskyNan]

time for Geno to work the transfer portal

Those transferring now would have to sit out a year unless they’re graduate students

Not a lot of options

Women’s Basketball Transfers: D-I, 2023-24 - WBB Blog

Continuously updated rundown of women's basketball transfers, covering D-I transfer portal activity, from August 2023 to July 2024

wbbblog.com

 

[Tonyc]

Alot of questions have to be answered regarding the portal and recruits. The kids in the portal and thinking about getting into the portal know UConn has openings. So does this years recruiting class and the freshman on the roster. What happens to them if Geno uses the portal. One question is who's coming back to play next season. A big question is will Azzi and Caroline be able to play...again at a level close to where they were? If they dont come back will Paige and others go pro or if they do come back will Paige and others stay. If they come back those in the portal will want to play and there may be no room for them to get playtime. There are just so many questions and so many things to consider and we dont know. Another question is when will Geno retire and will that come into play with kids coming to UConn. Geno may retire however will he stay on board in some capacity.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I agree. Those teams seem bigger, faster, better, deeper and more athletic. And there are several other outstanding teams. But take LSU; No one can contain Angel Reese. Then they added Morrow ( who regularly dominated against UCONN under the hoop); then they added Van Lith (what's her name from Louisville); and they have their crop of signed high school stars....freshmen through seniors. UCONN has one experienced player ( Edwards ) in the paint, who is more a wing than a center, and a developing Ice Brady. And that is it. Yes, we have Paige and Muhl for a top set of guards. And then what? Aubrey, a great athlete who shows her talent in spurts. No Azzi; Maybe no Caroline? And the freshmen ( plus Inez and DeBerry ). We are counting on all of our players being several levels better than they. currently are, come March. And they will be. But those other teams are not at their peak yet either. It will be fun to watch. Most every game will be a battle.

It would appear that only Angel Reese can limit Angel Reese (missing 4 games for reasons only known to her and maybe Kim...).

The UCONN season is young, and I pray when AP gets back in the line-up that she has no set backs and is ready to play to her potential inside the Huskie team concept. Addition by addition so to speak...

 

[Longtime fan]

First off Morrow did not regularly dominate UCONN. In 2 of her 4 games she shot 9-20 and 8-26 combined 17-46. So shooting 37% in half the games is not "regularly dominating."

As far as Edwards; she is not a Wing in College. She has had 3 years in College so far in which she has been to a FF, been to a Finals, and been an All-American. And she has done this all as a combo Power Forward/Center.

Her shot isn't that great from the outside. An advantage that she has as a 4/5 is that she can take bigger players off the dribble. This all now goes away with her as a Wing. The Defense is just going to sag and dare her to shoot. When her shot is off- no more offensive rebounds. And her career passing numbers are awful. She has 177 assists vs 263 turnovers. And Grifin if at the other Wing she has 107 assists vs 129 turnovers.

So, now you have a lineup that can't shoot 3's, not that good from outside at the 2 pt range, and awful ability to pass. In addition, Edwards and Griffin at Wings playing together would be severly limited to put the ball on the floor and penetrate because the Defense is packed inside while focusing on Paige. And because neither Edwards or Griffin is a good passer, it makes it harder to get the ball to Paige in scoring positions.

I believe some are getting too caught up in Football where physicality is King. But this is basketball. Teams that don't shoot very well and pass very well - these are the basic fundamentals of basketball -- will not go far and you end up losing more games that you should. Put the frosh at the Wings. That's where they belong. -- Not Edwards. In Pros Edwards can play Wing because you have PF's and Centers that have some terrific outside shooters (in addition to Guards).

Hard to argue with your analysis. But the end result is a team that will be hard pressed to defeat quality teams. AZZI is too great a mining link for UCONN to survive. Without regular threats from the Arc....there is no game.

 

[Longtime fan]

It would appear that only Angel Reese can limit Angel Reese (missing 4 games for reasons only known to her and maybe Kim...).

The UCONN season is young, and I pray when AP gets back in the line-up that she has no set backs and is ready to play to her potential inside the Husky team concept. Addition by addition so to speak...

There is no return date on Patterson, as we all know. And it is asking a lot for her to be our secret Santa.

 

[ConnMotors]

It would help a bunch if one or two of the youngsters that the UConn staff commits as sophomores or juniors. Basically like Brady and Fisher did.

 

[reelfan]

Difficult to win with 40+ points on the bench.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I like this post, @Tonyc. It gets to the heart of the situation while preserving the optimistic confidence that is the heart of a Husky.

You've also reminded me of the group that entered with Paige -- it included Aaliyah Nika Mir Piath and Saylor. If that group had stayed longer we would have been in a different situation now. Piath left under her own steam, which was too bad in a way, but may have been in her best interest. Mir left in the second year to get more playing time sooner as did Saylor. If either of them could have foreseen the injuries that were about to disrupt that season, they would have known that their PT was about to go way up. Mir was like a slightly smaller Aubrey, able to run the floor well on the break and rebound, and Saylor was in the mold of Caroline, a smooth shooter with good handles and size. Both of them would have been in the rotation and Saylor would probably be starting now.

For those who think Geno can't recruit, consider what our current rotation would have been if Saylor had stayed -- that is, if her mom hadn't gotten in her way. It could look like this:

• Paige
• Nika
• Saylor
• Aaliyah
• Aubrey
  • with these coming in off the bench
• Ice
• KK
• Ashlynn
• Qadence
• Inês
• Amari
  • and maybe these two in a few weeks
• Caroline
• Ayanna

That was the team that could have been, even with Azzi's and Jana's injuries -- fully loaded and deep with a ton of experience in the UConn system among the starting 5, and a ton of talent in the rotation that would spell them. We'd still be a little thin in the post, but our guard/forward play would have been formidable. When I look at this team, I can't help thinking of how injury and impatience has taken apart what could have been the dominant team of the next two seasons. Now, as it turns out, the team we have is small and inexperienced. This isn't a failing of Geno's. It's what fate has dealt the Huskies. They'll get more experience and more size as the season wears on and Ayanna and Caroline come back. And once the backcourt returns to form, Aaliyah will get the space she needs to aim at another AA award. For now, we are not the powerhouse other teams dread. And if Caroline and Ayanna can't regain their pre-injury form, then this is probably not going to be the season we'd all dreamt of.

This season, we took on 2 really scrappy kids, a smooth shooter, and 2 muscular post players. They'll develop well over 4 years. Next season, we'll bring in another Caroline/Saylor type and a Paige/Azzi scale shooter... and maybe even another muscular post player. If we don't get that post player, I suspect Geno already has feelers out in Europe/Australia for another one. The year after that, we've got verbal commitments from a MoJeff-type guard and a long-limbed 6'5" post, and we're hoping for a Steph-type post the year after that. I think Geno is doing everything we all hope he'd do. Now it's just a matter of appealing to fate for a little relief from the plague of injuries.

It has been a dozen years since UConn recruited a top-flight post player. And that's just talking about one position. Look around WCBB and you see many great teams with multiple front court players of 6'3" and well above. Even of Jana had not been injured, we would have entered the season as one of the smallest teams ranked in the Top 25. And it's been like that for far too long. That's why we're in the longest stretch without a NC in Coach Geno's entire career. The game is passing UConn by, with all of the great posts and most of the great power forwards going elsewhere. Just look at the lineups for South Carolina, UCLA, and others. Loaded with Great Bigs. Unless and until Coach Geno can turn around his front court recruiting woes, Connecticut will continue to fade. And please don't mention DeBerry. Yet another tall kid who can't measure up to real competition.

 

[Zarathustra]

Those transferring now would have to sit out a year unless their graduate students

Not a lot of options

Women’s Basketball Transfers: D-I, 2023-24 - WBB Blog

Continuously updated rundown of women's basketball transfers, covering D-I transfer portal activity, from August 2023 to July 2024

wbbblog.com

I forgot that the "old" Rules are back.... an important reminder for everyone (& me)!

 

[TCC Kid]

2	KK Arnold	5-9	G	Fr.	Germantown, Wis. / Germantown HS	kamoreaarnold	kamoreaarnold	k2timez_
3	Aaliyah Edwards	6-3	F	Sr.	Kingston, Ontario / Crestwood Preparatory College	aaliyahedwards_	aaliyahedwards_24	aaliyahedwards277
4	Qadence Samuels	6-0	G	Fr.	Forestville, Md. / Bishop McNamara HS	qadences	qadencesamuels
5	Paige Bueckers	6-0	G	R-Jr.	Hopkins, Minn. / Hopkins HS	paigebueckers1	paigebueckers	paigebueckers
10	Nika Mühl	5-11	G	Sr.	Zagreb, Croatia / III. Gimnazija Zagreb	muhlnika	nika.muhl
12	Ashlynn Shade	5-10	G	Fr.	Noblesville, Ind. / La Lumiere	ashlynnshade	therealashlynn12
21	Inês Bettencourt	5-9	G	So.	São Miguel, Portugal / Clube União Sportiva	InsBettencourt2	ines_pbettencourt	inespbettencourt
24	Jana El Alfy	6-5	C	R-Fr.	Cairo, Egypt / Al Ahly Sporting Club		janaelalfy8
25	Ice Brady	6-3	F	R-Fr.	San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic HS	IsunehBrady	ice.bradyy	ice.bradyy
33	Caroline Ducharme	6-2	G	Jr.	Milton, Mass. / Noble & Greenough School	c_ducharme3	caroline.ducharme3
34	Ayanna Patterson	6-2	F	So.	Fort Wayne, Ind. / Homestead HS	ayannap34	_.ayannap
35	Azzi Fudd	5-11	G	Jr.	Arlington, Va. / St. John's College HS	azzi_35	azzi35	azzi35
42	Amari DeBerry	6-6	F	Jr.	Williamsville, N.Y. / Williamsville South HS	amari_deberry	amarideberry42	amari.deberry
44	Aubrey Griffin	6-1	G/F	Gr.	Ossining, N.Y. / Ossining HS	aubrey_g44	aubrey.griffin44	agriffin44

Here is our roster. Now look at our bigs. We have 2 6'5+, we have 2 6'3, we have 2 6'2 . All highly ranked and many injured and cant play. Notice how many are out with injuries and how many are coming back from injuries. If you look at Nans post from HoopGurlz it shows how many recruits over the past few years and in the future are 6'5 and over. Geno was smart going after Jana because there werent many big's that were UConn good and were coming to UConn so he went overseas to get Jana. Shes injured too. IMO that was a good move. Looking at Hoopgurlz over the next few years I do believe we pick up some pretty good bigs. First of all there are girls over 6'2 who have said UConn is there dream school so thats encouraging.

Deberry is a work in process and now shes getting a chance. Hopefully she will develop and get more playtime. Geno is known for developing players and only those who want to work and improve see playtime. Perhaps now Amari will work hard and become the player we all see in her.

In order to be effective with an inside game you need shooters and 3 pt shooters. We have them in Paige Azzi and Caroline. Not having Azzi and Caroline healthy we loose outside shooters and 3 pt threats thus teams pack it in which hurts our inside game especially Edwards and Griff. Neither can be really effective on a consistent basis However if Jana Yanna and Caroline were healthy even though or Amari was ready we would have the bigs so many are posting about.

Looking at our roster we were ranked preseason number 2 in the polls on paper. We have on paper great talent however thats on paper. Because of injuries we still look great on paper but on the court we dont have the same team. We're hurt. Those of you who are saying thats an excuse I have to differ with you. Its reality. I feel if they were healthy we would be a much much better team not only on paper but on the floor. I feel that being healthy Paige Azzi and Caroline would be very tuff to beat add in Jana and Yana and we are loaded.

We are now in a position where we have to play inexperienced freshman who we have had to play against some of the top teams in WCBB. We dont have the shooters or scorers to replace Azzi and Caroline. We dont have the bigs to replace Jana Yanna and Caroline. Some posters have said we still have experienced players in Nika Griff Paige and Aaliyah. Yes we do however Aaliyah and Griff play alot inside and they are restricted when defenses pack it in. Paige is really our only outside shooter and she is keyed on and she's still a scorer but at a lower percentage then she would if she had Azzi and Caroline on the floor with her.

There is alot of talk about parity. There is more parity in WCBB. How many rosters on paper are better then UConn's Not many if any? Alot of next season will depend on who comes back and who turns pro. Griff Edwards Nika and Paige are all scheduled to graduate. Will they stay or will they leave? That could change our roster for next season. Another question is will Azzi and Caroline heal and be ready for next season? We could on paper be really really good next season depending on who comes back and who is healthy to play.

Recruiting is a big deal next season. We have Allie (top 5) and Morgan (6'2) committed and still wondering about Sara. The following year is Bryan McGaughy 6'3 has said UConn is her dream school. Still alot of UConns future depends on who's coming back. The past 3 years we have had numerous injuries to key players. It has taken its toll on us. No team can play at their top level when theyre not 100%. We are still really really good. I expect that when the team heard about Azzi's injury and that Caroline was out it played a big part on how we played the past 3 games. It had to the girls are only human. We now have a week to get ready for Texas. We saw last season how the team reacted to Paige going down and the injuries that followed. UConn has run into some bad breaks which have been difficult to overcome for the team and thats human nature.

There has been some posts mentioning Geno has lost his touch? Geno has never been able to get every top recruit. When he had TASS and Diana he had problems getting girls who wanted to wait to play behind them. When he had Stewie MoJeff and the rest he had problems getting players too. What amazed me was last season with all the injuries and we ended up so close to the FF. No Geno has lost his touch. Geno has learned to overcome some of the most unbelievable challenges a coach could ever face. Everybody else has gotten better but UConn if healthy would still be a national power. Even now we're pretty good however now we have to regroup and rebuild ourselves over the next few weeks and months. To come back the way we did against UCLA showed me how important it is for Griff to become more consistent. We have Aaliyah and Paige and with the addition of Griff putting up numbers like she did yesterday well we are gonna much better. I will be watching for the changes Geno makes to get Griff going along with Aaliyah and Paige

We are a different team then we were a few weeks ago. We have a ways to go. We did it the past few years. We have the talent, lead by 2 AA's now we need to fix a few areas and move forward. Its called Rebuilding UConn once again.

TonyC: Uconn doesn't need to rebuild. They have all the pieces they are going to have. They need to restructure! Find a way of using what they have to its greatest potential. If I knew how to do that, I'd be coaching SC.
Injuries should not be so devastating, but they are. AZ out does NOT take away 3 point shooter one, then add Caroline (more than a 3 shooter). However Caroline has been off and on for a year now, same with AZ.
There are 4 at least wonderful new (or near new) players that must be developed quickly. Ashlynn, KK, Q, ICE, each has shown they've played the game. Each has quickly adapted (not perfect) to WCBB. They must be developed outside of game, when they screw up--pulled out explained their failure and sent back in. Obviously more than 3 TO's should be pulled, something is amiss. Point is with the core Uconn team, handled properly, there are a lot of minute that can be played at a high level. Ameri --as much as I want her to play more minutes--please forgive me--she is often a liability. Ayanna? What's going on there?
TonyC: It is great having you on the side of this team. They can use all the LOVE you can give them--it's hard to remember--but these kids aren't Pro players, yet.