Saylor is coming!!!

[NormanDale]

If Poffenbarger can do nothing more than play solid defense and consistently knock down 3 point jump shots, she will still be a great help to this team that is desperate for jump shooters.

 

[bluedevil]

How soon can we call Poff the magic dragon?

 

[Zinethar]

I thought something Geno said earlier indicated there was a possibility of at least one recruit joining this year. As for playing time as always it will be earned. Some worry that Autumn will get less time. That is probably true. Remember she is a walk on at this point and not a scholarship player. With UConn still working out the best fit for each team member the ones playing the most minutes will need the most time on the floor together to bond. Autumn won't get many minutes at least until those things are decided. She came here knowing all this and still wanted to be a Husky!

 

[MooseJaw]

Thrilled since her 3 point shooting is exactly what the team needs. Happy for UConn but with Covid, will she be able to get 10 games in? Pretty big commitment on her part to go through this much effort for less than normal return.

Good question, one things for certain she got no minutes this season in H.S. so even if few minutes she will get coached up by the best in the business, As I see it a +++ for her for the Husky Nation which includes us.

 

[Mike_In_Storrs]

I am happy that we are getting another great player but...

Just out of curiosity how do we find playing time for everyone? Unless they change the rules teams are still only allowed to play 5 people at a time. And we only have 40 minutes per game... And it seems like we have about 12 really good players who all want to play....Not to mention Azzi coming next year....

I don't know maybe it is me but the math doesn't seem to work lol.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

@Bajan Best we should keep our fingers crossed on her being "in shape". That is a broad range and it is the unusual freshman who arrives in UConn shape.

 

[jabstep]

She reminds me of Siegrist from Villanova. She is the same size and can shoot the three and rebounds and score inside. Her defense might determine her playing time. This could be an interesting addition to this year's squad. I am very excited to see her on the court. She could be a difference-maker. It's always easier to get excited about someone you have not seen integrated into the team versus speculation of their ability.

 

[jazz]

As Geno said, this year is unprecedented. As a result, I would think he might be a little less stringent with his requirements to get Saylor on the floor.

She must be smart otherwise she doesn't finish HS early. I give her until March and she is playing a big role. Simply put, if she can hit the three, she will play, and from what I have seen, she can do that and much more.

Shooting open threes is no different physically at HS than it is at Storrs. The difference is all in the head.

She just needs to be ready by tournament time and give us 10-15 minutes and that would be huge. Just the threat of the three is huge!

 

[MdStang]

@Bajan Best we should keep our fingers crossed on her being "in shape". That is a broad range and it is the unusual freshman who arrives in UConn shape.

Saylor will be in great physical shape - she has been working on her own with a trainer. I do concede that is different than "game shape", especially the Geno standard.

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

Before the sitting all the players on the roster (Even Paige) have got to come to the realization that they are in a fierce competition for minutes next year. Saylor addition just started the competition early for these players in particular AM, CW, NM, AG, MM, EW AE this is a great thing for those players that embrace the challenge. I don't expect all of them will.

I believe that Saylor will "SLOWLY" eat into the minutes that both CW and AM currently have, as the season goes on. People have to remember that Saylor, as a UCONN Husky, is a "Very Very Young PUP" and still needs to be "House Broken" first ?. I don't see it having much of an impact on the minutes that EW, AG, NM, or AE are presently getting or will get later on this season, and into the NCAA's

 

[Centerstream]

I am curious about the CT quarantine laws. How come someone coming into the state for school has to quarantine for 10 days but teams from other states do not.
I am not trying to start a discussion on any COVID-19 mandates, regulations or whatever, just trying to get some background on why Saylor has to be quarantined.

 

[Blue Ghost]

When Poffenbarger drives up to Storrs, Connecticut, along with Amy and her father, Bill, on Saturday, she’ll soon enter a world that will have that structure. She’ll take 12 credits of college courses, with all of her education being administered online. And after she quarantines in Storrs for 10 days, she’ll be allowed to participate in practices and games with the Huskies.

Setting sail: Knights star Poffenbarger to join UConn a semester early

As the prospect of making a six-hour drive to Connecticut became a reality for Saylor Poffenbarger, her 13-year-old brother, Brittin, brought up an interesting scenario.

www.fredericknewspost.com

Wow definitely a win, win situation for both Saylor and UConn.

 

[Argonaut]

I am curious about the CT quarantine laws. How come someone coming into the state for school has to quarantine for 10 days but teams from other states do not.
I am not trying to start a discussion on any COVID-19 mandates, regulations or whatever, just trying to get some background on why Saylor has to be quarantined.

Because the assumption from the other teams is that they're undergoing regular Covid monitoring and testing -- that's 100000000% not the case in high school sports right now.

I believe that Saylor will "SLOWLY" eat into the minutes that both CW and AM currently have, as the season goes on. People have to remember that Saylor, as a UCONN Husky, is a "Very Very Young PUP" and still needs to be "House Broken" first ?. I don't see it having much of an impact on the minutes that EW, AG, NM, or AE are presently getting or will get later on this season, and into the NCAA's

If most freshmen are barely ready for UConn play after an entire summer and pre-season, I think it's unrealistic to anticipate she'll be eating into CW and AM's minutes -- especially CW's. If Azzi was coming this weekend, then that would be a different story, but to expect Saylor to have an immediate (and by immediate, I mean any time this season) role and impact is almost unfair to her.

 

[CL82]

I'm not a huge fan of adding players during the season, even players who have been with team and practicing, just not playing. It is often is hard to get them in sync.

Saylor's issue is even greater. All the chemistry, learning curve stuff that happens over the summer (normally) is now being dumped on her all at once. Add to that that she also needs to adjust to being a college student, living away from home and it is a lot to dump on a teenager. That said, Akok Akok over on the men's team did exactly this and it really helped him.

I think the key is for Saylor (and to a lesser extent, us) to treat this as a learning/conditioning year and have zero expectations about playing time. If she can do that, then this could be a great move for her.

 

[mbr33ct]

Crazy year, maybe the NCAA will change the number of players on court from 5 to 6...until further notice.

 

[CL82]

How soon can we call Poff the magic dragon?

It's after noon, so go for it, if that's your thing.

 

[CocoHusky]

I believe that Saylor will "SLOWLY" eat into the minutes that both CW and AM currently have, as the season goes on. People have to remember that Saylor, as a UCONN Husky, is a "Very Very Young PUP" and still needs to be "House Broken" first ?. I don't see it having much of an impact on the minutes that EW, AG, NM, or AE are presently getting or will get later on this season, and into the NCAA's

I agree with you just don't think it will be that slow and as much as you probably don't want to hear this Saylor is also going to be eating into Aubrey minutes.
Why?
1) She is a coaches daughter.
3) Her perimeter defense is on par with Aubrey's=best on the team.
2) She is a legit 6'2" and sturdy=versatility to defend 1-4 and the ability to crate matchup problems.
4) She is a legit deep shooter=2nd best on this roster.
5) She is an insanely good passer and ball handler for her size.

Saylor is going to press multiple people for playing time and maybe exactly what this team needed.

 

[JordyG]

Very happy to have Saylor on board. Now I want UCONN to get greedy and go pick up Eleah Parker from PENN who is already in the transfer portal.

I don't know pal. This perhaps may give an impetus to Azzi to make the same move. But yes, I don't know if people understand how good Saylor is on perimeter defense and how good a passer she is. Just ask MilfordHusky.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

No. 4

 

[GRIFFBIFF20]

I agree with you just don't think it will be that slow and as much as you probably don't want to hear this Saylor is also going to be eating into Aubrey minutes.
Why?
1) She is a coaches daughter.
3) Her perimeter defense is on par with Aubrey's=best on the team.
2) She is a legit 6'2" and sturdy=versatility to defend 1-4 and the ability to crate matchup problems.
4) She is a legit deep shooter=2nd best on this roster.
5) She is an insanely good passer and ball handler for her size.

Saylor is going to press multiple people for playing time and maybe exactly what this team needed.

100% agree that Saylor, 'Given Time" will certainly help this Team, ESPECIALLY if she is able to live up to her reputation of being a "Sharp-Shooter" from beyond the 3 Point arc. This is an area that this team is current lacking in "Big Time". Thus the reason why I believe (and it has nothing to do with my favoritism for Aubrey), Saylor's impact could have an impact on CW's time and ESPECIALLY Anna's time, if Anna's 3 Point Percentage continues to be not what this team needs.

As far as Aubrey's time is concerned, YES, if where Aubrey regresses back to her Early Freshman Year production, then I would also include Aubrey into those players (as well as EW, NM, and AE) as minutes being taken away from. HOWEVER, if Aubrey continues at where she currently is and what she is hopefully expected to produce (especially coming off of her effort in the Providence Game), then, just for Aubrey's ability "Down Low" I don't see her minutes eroding at all.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I had the pleasure of watching Saylor play 3 games with Middletown last season. @RoadWarrior was with me for a couple of them.

As we've said before, Saylor is a highly versatile player. She jumps center to start the game and plays in the post in the zone defense. She also brings the ball up the floor and initiates the offense. She defends, rebounds, blocks shots, throws great passes (including from 50'), and scores from everywhere. Her step-back 3-pointer from 22-25' is unstoppable. She's not as great a shooter as Paige or Azzi, but she's good. Her form on FTs is classic. Saylor is a legit 6'2" and a coach's daughter. She has a good IQ and likes to be challenged.

Remember that Saylor had hip surgery (like Phee, Crystal, Sue, et al.) last spring and was on a crutch for a while. She had to recover and rehab. Saylor was unable to run or play hoops for a while, but she worked hard with her personal trainer. She likely was out of shape in the fall, because of the surgery, but should be ok now, though probably not in UConn basketball shape yet.

I suspect Saylor's decision was based partly to get some structure and partly to get a jump on the UConn learning curve. She hasn't played much basketball since March, so she probably is eager to get back on the court, which was looking questionable at Middletown. She'll be behind the curve on the plays and conditioning, but she's smart and a hard worker. This will definitely help her and the team for next fall. Can Saylor learn fast enough to contribute this season? It's a tough ask in a very short period of time, but her strong instincts will help her.

By the way, she's a really nice person. The team chemistry is excellent, and Say should fit right in. I commend her for taking this big step. As noted, she is a person who likes a challenge.

The HoopGurlz ranking is a joke. Almost everyone else has her listed between 5 and 15. I think that's accurate.

Another addition: As Geno typically does with freshmen, he'll try to simplify things for Saylor. He may tell her to defend a particular player, grab some rebounds, play a certain place in a zone press, or get open for threes. She should be able to manage those things.

 

[Majic Hands]

Lordy. Now I gotta figure out how to show this in the colorful roster spreadsheet ... LOL

Yep. Have to have a color for 5th & 6th year senior or a color for pre-freshman year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't know pal. This perhaps may give an impetus to Azzi to make the same move. But yes, I don't know if people understand how good Saylor is on perimeter defense and how good a passer she is. Just ask MilfordHusky.

Per the Courant, Azzi and Caroline are finishing their high school year. Amari is noncommittal.

 

[Jibariqua]

The next few years are going to be pretty special for us folks here in the mid Atlantic region with three kids from the DMV on the roster. I hope they all have the opportunity to reach their full potential as players and people in their time at Storrs.

3? We claim Paige now she lives in Maryland.

 

[jabstep]

Geno was talking about long distance (3Pt) shooting where UCONN is ranked 77th in the nation. That's not a typo & 77th puts us behind South Carolina. If you were to take out Paige's numbers we be about 200th. UCONN was number 1 last year so hopefully you can see why this is a serious concern.

I know this was more of a satire smirk on the comment. I have said since last year discussing this years team that 3 point shooting would be an issue and it is. As I said that Paige and Anna would be our best options. They still are. Evina and Christyn can sink a few but if I was playing Uconn I would zone us but keep someone very close to Paige. Someone with size to make it difficult to should over. The others I would say fire away. Maybe Saylor might be a help. Certainly with Saylor Azzi and Caroline Ducharme and Paige and Anna 3 point shooting won't be problem.