Sarah strong hype

[PNolanFan]

I was trying to get caught up on the upcoming season just now and searched the internet for some articles on the upcoming season. In reading up I am really surprised at the lack of coverage of Strong. She was the number 1 player in her class, she is exactly what this team was missing and yet I can’t seem to find much info on how she is looking. Does anyone have the inside scoop on how she is doing so far in preseason?

 

[Dugway]

From everything I’ve seen, folks indicate that when she is off of the court, she is demure, quiet, almost bashful in personality. In essence, she is not banging on reporter’s doors, nor out on social media with “look at me” stuff. Probably something that she is going to have to learn to do more of frankly.

Geno indicated earlier this week, paraphrasing, “Every single day, she shows me something new that I didn't know she could do. She is the best freshman that we have had here at UConn in a very long time”. He did not include the statement “with the exception of…”. No idea of what his definition of very long time is, but four years ago he had a freshman who was National Player of the Year; it was the only time in history in which that award was given to a freshman!

 

[DEpup]

Sounds like a more Napheesa type player.

 

[Zarathustra]

I was trying to get caught up on the upcoming season just now and searched the internet for some articles on the upcoming season. In reading up I am really surprised at the lack of coverage of Strong. She was the number 1 player in her class, she is exactly what this team was missing and yet I can’t seem to find much info on how she is looking. Does anyone have the inside scoop on how she is doing so far in preseason?

IMHO Sarah Strong does not need any "HYPE" (the title of your tread). Sarah is "THE REAL DEAL"! I agree with
Dugway, # 2 on this thread!

 

[DefenseBB]

Actually it sounds more like Geno speak every year before the season and to pump up the players before the harsh realities of the gaps in both their individual games and the units.

He has done this every year. In Sarah’s case, while she was listed #1, she was not a universal or unanimous selection as some services had Joyce Edwards (SC) as their #1. This is not a “Breanna Stewart or Maya Moore” whose skills dwarf all those players below them.

Girls High School and travel basketball has improved significantly over the past 10 years that the demarcation between 1 and 50 is the smallest it’s ever been. The depth and talent continues to get better so the days of just tracking a handful of players is over, hence limited articles solely about Sarah.

Just look at last years class, yes #1 Juju Watkins was phenomenal but so were #2 Mikayla Williams of LSU, #5 Hannah Hidalgo of ND and #12 Madison Booker of Texas.

There is no doubt Sarah will get to show her skills this season especially if we hope to contend for our 12th title as those skills will be needed.

 

[Bills Fan]

Sounds like a more Napheesa type player.

I am a BIG Phee fan,but she came to Storrs as the 2nd ranked recruit in her Uconn class, behind KLS. I think it took until her Senior year to get the recognition she deserved all along as a do-everything type of player. Even though said in jest, comments from Geno that she couldn't guard a chair, didn't help to get her the credit she deserved. (I wonder how she became the DPOY in the WNBA this season?)

I believe that Sarah, as the #1 recruit in the country, starts out her college career much more highly ranked and accordingly will get more pub than Phee got, early in her college days. If anything holds Sarah's freshman recognition down, it will likely be a result of her needing to share the spotlight with so many of her teammates e.g. Paige, Azzi and Jana just to name a few.

 

[Cuango]

I‘m confident that Sarah will soon show that she is a “Breanna Stewart or Maya Moore” type of player! Is she/will she be as good as those two right off the bat? Probably not, but I am confident she is going to make people sit up and take notice right away! If this team can just stay healthy, she may be the catalyst for a championship!

 

[oldhusky]

I‘m confident that Sarah will soon show that she is a “Breanna Stewart or Maya Moore” type of player! Is she/will she be as good as those two right off the bat? Probably not, but I am confident she is going to make people sit up and take notice right away! If this team can just stay healthy, she may be the catalyst for a championship!

That could be and we can hope for that, but I think DefenseBB was correct that Sarah was not considered a generational talent head and shoulders above the rest of her class, as was the case for Breanna, Maya and Paige for that matter. The disparity among prospects that are generally considered the #1 recruit is actually quite wide even just looking at Uconn recruits. We have those three at a very high superstar level, but also Walker and Williams who were #1 recruits that were pretty good but not great collegiate players and marginal WNBA prospects at best.

The difference between if Sarah winds up more like the former group than the later is obviously huge. We know we will have many good players if healthy. The floor is pretty high, but the ceiling relies on finding a second or third star. The best candidates for that are Azzi and Sarah IMO with Jana also possibly in the mix. Paige and a whole bunch of good players and depth has us in the mix, but doesn't necessarily elevate us ahead of the other 6 or so top contenders, but if we have a couple of players better than other contenders #2 or #3 players it does.

Right now with Azzi coming back from a major injury, and Sarah and Jana unproven, we might have that, but we don't know yet. It shouldn't take too long, however, before we get a better idea of what the future holds.

 

[Rowdy831]

The quality of basketball player is getting better every year. Watching the WNBA this year really for the first time I can tell you I was shocked at how poorly the fundamentals of the game were executed by players that are the best in the game. I think CC was head and shoulders above the other guards in the league and expect Paige will be the same next season.

With respect to Sarah I would think Geno is basing he comment by position and not including Paige. It has been a long while since UConn has had a bonafide wing that was a great player from day one. I think they had a few that turned out to be really really good but it seems like they needed more molding from the staff to reach their potential. Unlike others though I don't recall Geno heaping praise on a newcomer to that level. I think in his mind that would add way too much pressure on the kid.

 

[Zonepress]

Actually it sounds more like Geno speak every year before the season and to pump up the players before the harsh realities of the gaps in both their individual games and the units.

He has done this every year. In Sarah’s case, while she was listed #1, she was not a universal or unanimous selection as some services had Joyce Edwards (SC) as their #1. This is not a “Breanna Stewart or Maya Moore” whose skills dwarf all those players below them.

Girls High School and travel basketball has improved significantly over the past 10 years that the demarcation between 1 and 50 is the smallest it’s ever been. The depth and talent continues to get better so the days of just tracking a handful of players is over, hence limited articles solely about Sarah.

Just look at last years class, yes #1 Juju Watkins was phenomenal but so were #2 Mikayla Williams of LSU, #5 Hannah Hidalgo of ND and #12 Madison Booker of Texas.

There is no doubt Sarah will get to show her skills this season especially if we hope to contend for our 12th title as those skills will be needed.

Imho very inaccurate post
SS has skills and a feel for the game that
Are at an elite level
Geno quoted as saying, getting her to come to uconn, puts the program in a different direction and I’m paraphrasing
Her class ranking means very
Little
I’ve seen her play in person ( vs Joyce Edward hs team )and watched numerous video ..her size strength passing ability feel for the game and 3 pt shooting are unique actually from what I saw her skills do dwarf any other players in her class

To givean example Allie Ziebell is a great three-point shooter but she is a catch and shoot who needs her feet set Sarah strong has the strength to rise up and shoot the 3 without any hesitation very similar to male players
Based on her play prior to UConn this is the best prospect since Paige
I don’t have a crystal ball as to how she will perform but to minimize her potential gets in the way of the facts

 

[Bone Dog]

Tea leaves reading time:

• Sarah is head and shoulders above the rest of the recruiting class except for Joyce, who was a relatively close second. Just watch the replay of their one HS game against each other to understand why Sarah is better.
• Sarah is a silent assassin -- it took a while for anyone to notice that she was the best in the land.
• She is as good on defense as she is on offense. Just watch a few of her HS games to see how good. She was regularly assigned to be the tip of the full court press, rather like Morgan.
• She has really sticky hands. On defense, once she gets a hand, even a fingertip, on the ball in an opponent's possession, it's over.
• Geno's praise of her is measured, that's how you know it's realistic.
• She will open up the offense for the other scorers, and close down the lane against opponents. Playing next to Jana and Ice will unleash her at both ends of the court. Imagine the high-low possibilities.

She may not start in November, but she will get major minutes once she's fully integrated into the defense. This may take a game or two, but not long, I predict.

 

[Rings R Us]

Sarah Strong is going to be UConn's next superstar! Take that to the bank folks!

 

[DefenseBB]

Imho very inaccurate post
SS has skills and a feel for the game that
Are at an elite level
Geno quoted as saying, getting her to come to uconn, puts the program in a different direction and I’m paraphrasing
Her class ranking means very
Little
I’ve seen her play in person ( vs Joyce Edward hs team )and watched numerous video ..her size strength passing ability feel for the game and 3 pt shooting are unique actually from what I saw her skills do dwarf any other players in her class

To givean example Allie Ziebell is a great three-point shooter but she is a catch and shoot who needs her feet set Sarah strong has the strength to rise up and shoot the 3 without any hesitation very similar to male players
Based on her play prior to UConn this is the best prospect since Paige
I don’t have a crystal ball as to how she will perform but to minimize her potential gets in the way of the facts

I am not saying Sarah is not good, she's very good but Geno has a history of pumping up the players before the season. She needs to be everything that you and others have hyped if we want to win a title as we are not as deep in the front court and her skills will most definitely be needed but NO WAY do I think she's "best freshman in a very long time" as just 3 years ago we had the first freshman who was the only freshman to win POY....that's my point.

Now all that said, I did look back over the last 7 #1 ranked players who have come to UConn and the rather interesting stat is of the 242 games played in their freshman season at UConn, the prior year #1 HoopGurlz prospect only started 124 games or 51% of the time! This speaks to the volume of talent the team already possessed.

To wit:
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis started only 1 game her Freshman year of 38. The team had Hayes, Hartley, Dolson, Faris, Doty
Stewie only started 17 of 39 and the team had KML, Dolson, Doty, Faris and Hartley
Katie Lou Samuelson started 22 of 37 on a team with Stewie, Tuck, Mo, Kia, Gabby and Saniya
Megan Walker did not start any games of her 36 on a team with KLS, Phee, Kia, Gabby, Crystal Dangerfield and Azura
Christyn Williams started all 38
Paige started all 29
Azzi started 17 of 25

 

[oldude]

Geno has had some very nice things to say about his star freshmen, to the point where it seems pretty clear that Sarah will be part of the plan for this season. At 6’2” she can bang in the paint , finish with either hand, step out at the arc and drain 3’s, put the ball on the floor and she is an exceptional passer.

The fascination with Sarah involves where exactly does she fit in the Huskies lineup? I think most folks expect a 3 player rotation with Ice, Sarah & Jana at the 4/5 spots, eventually supplemented by Aubrey when healthy. But what about Sarah starting at the wing, in a lineup with, oh, say Jana, Ice, Paige & Kaitlyn?

Just sayin….

 

[DEpup]

Geno has had some very nice things to say about his star freshmen, to the point where it seems pretty clear that Sarah will be part of the plan for this season. At 6’2” she can bang in the paint , finish with either hand, step out at the arc and drain 3’s, put the ball on the floor and she is an exceptional passer.

The fascination with Sarah involves where exactly does she fit in the Huskies lineup? I think most folks expect a 3 player rotation with Ice, Sarah & Jana at the 4/5 spots, eventually supplemented by Aubrey when healthy. But what about Sarah starting at the wing, in a lineup with, oh, say Jana, Ice, Paige & Kaitlyn?

Just sayin….

If everyone actually gets back from injury, we could be seeing a situation where the starting line up is fluid and depends on who practices well in the days before a game. We could get to Paige plus the 4 best practice players from game to game at least during BE play.

 

[Charliebball]

Tea leaves reading time:

• Sarah is head and shoulders above the rest of the recruiting class except for Joyce, who was a relatively close second. Just watch the replay of their one HS game against each other to understand why Sarah is better.
• Sarah is a silent assassin -- it took a while for anyone to notice that she was the best in the land.
• She is as good on defense as she is on offense. Just watch a few of her HS games to see how good. She was regularly assigned to be the tip of the full court press, rather like Morgan.
• She has really sticky hands. On defense, once she gets a hand, even a fingertip, on the ball in an opponent's possession, it's over.
• Geno's praise of her is measured, that's how you know it's realistic.
• She will open up the offense for the other scorers, and close down the lane against opponents. Playing next to Jana and Ice will unleash her at both ends of the court. Imagine the high-low possibilities.

She may not start in November, but she will get major minutes once she's fully integrated into the defense. This may take a game or two, but not long, I predict.

Strong is one of those players that won't make the ESPN highlight reels every night but she will very efficiently fill up the stat sheet in every category on a consistent basis.......I expect she will quickly become a double double and, on some occasions, a triple double machine and will make it look surprisingly easy.....

 

[oldude]

If everyone actually gets back from injury, we could be seeing a situation where the starting line up is fluid and depends on who practices well in the days before a game. We could get to Paige plus the 4 best practice players from game to game at least during BE play.

I hear you. But Geno doesn’t really like to change his starting lineup from game to game. He will change his rotation depending on what an opponent does, but again, once he’s comfortable with the starting lineup, that’s the starting lineup.

 

[Stagnant]

I will be surprised if she doesn’t start against Boston.

 

[Zonepress]

I am not saying Sarah is not good, she's very good but Geno has a history of pumping up the players before the season. She needs to be everything that you and others have hyped if we want to win a title as we are not as deep in the front court and her skills will most definitely be needed but NO WAY do I think she's "best freshman in a very long time" as just 3 years ago we had the first freshman who was the only freshman to win POY....that's my point.

Now all that said, I did look back over the last 7 #1 ranked players who have come to UConn and the rather interesting stat is of the 242 games played in their freshman season at UConn, the prior year #1 HoopGurlz prospect only started 124 games or 51% of the time! This speaks to the volume of talent the team already possessed.

To wit:
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis started only 1 game her Freshman year of 38. The team had Hayes, Hartley, Dolson, Faris, Doty
Stewie only started 17 of 39 and the team had KML, Dolson, Doty, Faris and Hartley
Katie Lou Samuelson started 22 of 37 on a team with Stewie, Tuck, Mo, Kia, Gabby and Saniya
Megan Walker did not start any games of her 36 on a team with KLS, Phee, Kia, Gabby, Crystal Dangerfield and Azura
Christyn Williams started all 38
Paige started all 29
Azzi started 17 of 25

Strong is one of those players that won't make the ESPN highlight reels every night but she will very efficiently fill up the stat sheet in every category on a consistent basis.......I expect she will quickly become a double double and, on some occasions, a triple double machine and will make it look surprisingly easy.....

Very accurate

 

[Alydar]

The quality of basketball player is getting better every year. Watching the WNBA this year really for the first time I can tell you I was shocked at how poorly the fundamentals of the game were executed by players that are the best in the game. I think CC was head and shoulders above the other guards in the league and expect Paige will be the same next season.

With respect to Sarah I would think Geno is basing he comment by position and not including Paige. It has been a long while since UConn has had a bonafide wing that was a great player from day one. I think they had a few that turned out to be really really good but it seems like they needed more molding from the staff to reach their potential. Unlike others though I don't recall Geno heaping praise on a newcomer to that level. I think in his mind that would add way too much pressure on the kid.

Geno also added that Strong was playing at an elite level in many different skills. A 3 level scorer, an outstanding rebounder and passer with soft hands and a good handle who has outstanding court vision.

 

[Alydar]

I was trying to get caught up on the upcoming season just now and searched the internet for some articles on the upcoming season. In reading up I am really surprised at the lack of coverage of Strong. She was the number 1 player in her class, she is exactly what this team was missing and yet I can’t seem to find much info on how she is looking. Does anyone have the inside scoop on how she is doing so far in preseason?

The media likes to focus on one player per team and that's Bueckers. But Strong could be that good too. Geno may also be protecting Strong from the hype by focusing on Bueckers who has always thrived on pressure.

 

[DEpup]

I just think it is her personality not to be flashy. Even at first night, she couldn't wait to get out of center court when she was introduced.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Geno has had some very nice things to say about his star freshmen, to the point where it seems pretty clear that Sarah will be part of the plan for this season. At 6’2” she can bang in the paint , finish with either hand, step out at the arc and drain 3’s, put the ball on the floor and she is an exceptional passer.

The fascination with Sarah involves where exactly does she fit in the Huskies lineup? I think most folks expect a 3 player rotation with Ice, Sarah & Jana at the 4/5 spots, eventually supplemented by Aubrey when healthy. But what about Sarah starting at the wing, in a lineup with, oh, say Jana, Ice, Paige & Kaitlyn?

Just sayin….

I'll just say I like it.

 

[Dugway]

You know, there were a lot of very happy UConn fans, ecstatic with the way Arnold and Shade stepped up and performed last season as freshmen, and for good reason! Interested in making some predictions?

Last season Ash was Big East Freshman player of the year. Ash scored 419 points on the season; do you believe Strong will have more or less than that total this year?

Last season, KK played about the same amount of minutes as Ash (more or less 30 per game). KK had 123 assists during the season; do you believe that Strong will have more or less than that total this year?

KK had 90 Steals; Strong gonna have more or less?

KK had 121 and Ash had 133 rebounds; Strong gonna have more or less than those numbers?

I really don’t know that Sarah will get to play 30 mins per game. Never the less, some (if not all) of those statistics may very well be within her reach.

 

[hoophuskee]

That could be and we can hope for that, but I think DefenseBB was correct that Sarah was not considered a generational talent head and shoulders above the rest of her class, as was the case for Breanna, Maya and Paige for that matter. The disparity among prospects that are generally considered the #1 recruit is actually quite wide even just looking at Uconn recruits. We have those three at a very high superstar level, but also Walker and Williams who were #1 recruits that were pretty good but not great collegiate players and marginal WNBA prospects at best.

The difference between if Sarah winds up more like the former group than the later is obviously huge. We know we will have many good players if healthy. The floor is pretty high, but the ceiling relies on finding a second or third star. The best candidates for that are Azzi and Sarah IMO with Jana also possibly in the mix. Paige and a whole bunch of good players and depth has us in the mix, but doesn't necessarily elevate us ahead of the other 6 or so top contenders, but if we have a couple of players better than other contenders #2 or #3 players it does.

Not sure I agree with the context of your post. "Generational" is a loose/subjective term. However when you speak of Sarah not being consensus #1, I could be wrong, but I believe she was the consensus #1 until she got hurt. Heck, she outplayed her head-to-head. So if she was the consensus #1 before the injury, why use it as a reason to take it away from her now that she is healthy? Am I wrong that Sarah wasn't #1 before her injury? To further this, Mikaylah Williams was considered by some recruiting services as number 1 over Juju. And all Juju did was take an obscure basketball program and lead her team to taking down Stanford then go toe-to-toe with UCONN.

I don't care whether Juju is considered generational or not but she was 1st team all-American her frosh year. IMO she was a beast. SO, whether Sarah is a consensus or not doesn't matter. It’s an irrelevant distinction. Clark wasn’t thought to be "generational" and she was more like 4, wasn't she? By the way that class Paige, Clark, Reese, Brink and Cardoso. So, I wouldn't get caught up on "generational.," or hard definr her as not being a beast because she wasn't #1.

So, this fun preseason evaluation on the flipside could be some of us as UCONN fans just being scared of own shadow just as there was some trepidation before Paige's 1st game. even though she was being tagged as being "generational."

 

[hoophuskee]

The fascination with Sarah involves where exactly does she fit in the Huskies lineup? I think most folks expect a 3 player rotation with Ice, Sarah & Jana at the 4/5 spots, eventually supplemented by Aubrey when healthy. But what about Sarah starting at the wing, in a lineup with, oh, say Jana, Ice, Paige & Kaitlyn?

Just sayin….

Why this lineup? Weren't KK and Ashlynn considered "better" than Ice? So, why not play the better players?
And UCONN has built their teams and recruiting utilizing fastbreak basketball. This lineup goes away from that. So why do it if you aren't playing your best players?
What's the tactical advantage of not playing your best and/or the style that has made UCONN as suuccessul as it always has been?

 

[Bone Dog]

Last season Ash was Big East Freshman player of the year. Ash scored 419 points on the season; do you believe Strong will have more or less than that total this year?

Last season, KK played about the same amount of minutes as Ash (more or less 30 per game). KK had 123 assists during the season; do you believe that Strong will have more or less than that total this year?

KK had 90 Steals; Strong gonna have more or less?

KK had 121 and Ash had 133 rebounds; Strong gonna have more or less than those numbers?

Excellent questions! Very trenchant. Here’s my guesses/predictions.

Ash: 419 points in 38 games and 32 mins/g or 11pts/g

Sarah may not get 31 mins/g initially, but I expect she’ll be there by mid season. But even at 20 mins/g I will not be surprised if she averages 15 pts/g which would amount to ~600 pts.

KK: 123 assists and 90 steals in 39 games or 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Sarah is an excellent defender and passer and I suspect she’ll exceed both numbers, maybe 4 assists and 3 steals per game, or 160 assists and 120 steals.

As for rebounds, I am very confident that Sarah will exceed both Ash and KK combined in rebounds. Together they accounted for 6.6 rebounds /g and I suspect Sarah will average at least 8 rebounds/g or 320 rebounds.

Finally, I expect Sarah will average 2 blocks/g or a total of 80. Last season the team averaged 3.8 blocks/g and I suspect between Sarah, Jana, Ice, Paige and Caroline healthy they’ll average between 6 and 8 blocks.

This means I predict Sarah’s season stat line will be 15 points/g, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. These are All American numbers. But I doubt she’ll be in the running for NPoY since Paige is likely the front runner for this award.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sarah Strong is going to be UConn's next superstar! Take that to the bank folks!

I believe there are two other players who may beat Sarah to that next superstar status.

 

[Cuango]

Sarah is the total package! She imo will start and star on this team for the next four years and will earn a spot on the wall. The only potential worry I had when she committed was that she did not appear to be in “UConn” shape. That appears to have been taken care of and I expect her to be a dominant part of this team from day one. Geno was very circumspect with his comments regarding Strong early on but he is now beginning to open up about her multitude of skills and his expectations for her. As far as I can tell, this young woman really has no weaknesses on the court. She is very strong, has super soft hands that engulf the ball, her shot is beautiful, she is a gifted passer, she is big, she has a very high IQ, and she snares rebounds as if she has super glue on her hands! On top of that, she is a high character, nice, humble yet extremely self confident student athlete who will represent this university with class! She’s going to make a lot of UConn fans very happy!

 

[yhun89]

Tea leaves reading time:

• Sarah is head and shoulders above the rest of the recruiting class except for Joyce, who was a relatively close second. Just watch the replay of their one HS game against each other to understand why Sarah is better.

People have mega downplayed Sarah in favor of Joyce. Using the excuse of “Joyce was the MVP in all these tournaments (3/4 of which Sarah didn’t even play).

Looking back in high school, Sarah is a much better rebounder (I think she outdid Joyce 18-9 last they met?) . She has more range. Better passing. Where Joyce exceeds her is athleticism, agility, and speed. Sarah is a strong (no pun intended) bully ball type of post player. Joyce is a a less bully ball type of physical post, mainly relying on her footwork and athleticism to do her thing from what I can tell.