Scouting report on UConn freshman Azzi Fudd: 'Really, really freaking good'

[SVCBeercats]

“The kids didn’t pick her up early enough,” Dudley said. “We were screaming like, ‘Yo, you’ve got to pick her up.’ She just came across and buried a 3 like way, way, way out. You have to focus on her. She’s just really, really freaking good.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a high school kid be able to shoot the ball so well, to be able to stop on a dime and pull up,” Dudley added. “Her mid-range game is lethal. Her intelligence, her IQ for the game, not many kids are as smart as her. Her IQ for the game is just crazy.”

Scouting report on UConn freshman Azzi Fudd: ‘Really, really freaking good’

The high school coaches who were tasked with stopping UConn freshman Azzi Fudd say she is...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[D J B]

Great article. Thanks for posting.

 

[eebmg]

Furthermore, Allen claims he’s never seen Fudd miss a free throw.
“Never. Never. Never,” he said. “I’m talking in four years. She gets fouled a lot, and I have never seen her miss a free throw. Nope. And it’s not even close. It’s not a rim-around type thing. You’re playing in all these different types of gyms and arenas. Your background is different, your depth perception is different, the surroundings are different.”

 

[fireford]

A scouting report like this has to make us all really, really freaking excited about watching her play.

 

[Carnac]

“The kids didn’t pick her up early enough,” Dudley said. “We were screaming like, ‘Yo, you’ve got to pick her up.’ She just came across and buried a 3 like way, way, way out. You have to focus on her. She’s just really, really freaking good.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a high school kid be able to shoot the ball so well, to be able to stop on a dime and pull up,” Dudley added. “Her mid-range game is lethal. Her intelligence, her IQ for the game, not many kids are as smart as her. Her IQ for the game is just crazy.”

Scouting report on UConn freshman Azzi Fudd: ‘Really, really freaking good’

The high school coaches who were tasked with stopping UConn freshman Azzi Fudd say she is...

www.ctinsider.com

IF Azzi can perform in games like she does in practice, and I see no reason she won't, it's still just basketball; she's going to present some serious match-up problems for opponents. At some point, Azzi is going to get real comfortable in this system. Two things are going to happen when she does....1. No more long scoring droughts for UConn. 2. If teams try and double team her, somebody is going to be open. I think the worst thing that will happen to opponents is if Azzi gets hot, and finds a rhythm ala Steph Curry. If THAT happens, she WILL get the ball, Paige will see to that! Paige sees the floor better than most. She won't miss an "open" Azzi Fudd. ANY player that's hot or in a "zone" is suppose to get the ball every time down. Who better to shoot the ball than a player that's in a zone? What do you do with a player that NEVER misses a free throw?

Teams usually try and and stop (or slow down) their opponent's best scorer. Teams already know what Paige can do, and that she merits being guarded closely. What happens if Azzi early on proves to be just as lethal? Can you focus on two players? Do you double team Paige or Azzi and leave the "perceived" weak link open? I wonder what stratagy Arkansas will use for their game? Man to man, zone, box & 1? How far down on his bench does Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors go? A lot of questions about our team will be answered during that game. Arkansas 2021-2022 roster

 

[JordyG]

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.

 

[HGN]

Yes, I believe that she's really , really, freaking good. My concerns are health and physicality of the game. Other teams will probably subject Azzi to the same physical treatment they gave Paige. Essentially try beating her up .....bumping , being handsy , pushing her out, etc. Teams will be as physical as possible until refs start calling fouls. Paige and Azzi have slight frames , and Azzi looks to be a little smaller than Paige...( since Paige has now muscled up). Paige was tough mentally and physically. Hopefully Azzi will be too.

Healthwise , injuries happen. The depth of this team is going to come in real handy I think. No more running players over 35min. There is enough players , quality players , for every starter to get adequate rest during games. No more possible injuries due to excess minutes. Not that there ever was , but even less possibility now with depth.

Yes , she's really , really , freaking good. The sweetest shooting stroke since KML. Now let's go watch the next conference ROY do her thing.

 

[Dogstar]

I can't freaking wait!!

 

[Carnac]

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.

I've read countless comments, posts and media article about Azzi Fudd the last two years. ALL OF THEM extolled her virtues. Not one said or suggested that she was anything less than "The Real Deal." This time last year, I had my doubts about Paige Bueckers. I'm from Missouri. I needed to see her play against Division 1 level competition. Play against other girls who were the best players on their HS team. I was thoroughly convinced after the third game.

Paige was the real deal. It's been said by many that are familiar with Azzi, and have seen her play many times in person that she is AS GOOD as Paige, if not better. Everybody is not wrong. I think Azzi will more than live up to her lofty billing (hype) this season. When she does, you and Milford can sit back in your recliners, smile and remind us all (the yard) - "we told you so."

Azzi has a benefit coming in that Paige didn't. Azzi has Paige in her ear everyday telling her what to expect, what's coming next, and what she needs and is expected to do. Right now, as far as Azzi is concerned, Paige is E.F. Hutton.

 

[Dogstar]

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.

I like wht you're selling there JordyG

 

[Charliebball]

Yes, I believe that she's really , really, freaking good. My concerns are health and physicality of the game. Other teams will probably subject Azzi to the same physical treatment they gave Paige. Essentially try beating her up .....bumping , being handsy , pushing her out, etc. Teams will be as physical as possible until refs start calling fouls. Paige and Azzi have slight frames , and Azzi looks to be a little smaller than Paige...( since Paige has now muscled up). Paige was tough mentally and physically. Hopefully Azzi will be too.

Healthwise , injuries happen. The depth of this team is going to come in real handy I think. No more running players over 35min. There is enough players , quality players , for every starter to get adequate rest during games. No more possible injuries due to excess minutes. Not that there ever was , but even less possibility now with depth.

Yes , she's really , really , freaking good. The sweetest shooting stroke since KML. Now let's go watch the next conference ROY do her thing.

I think you better take a closer look..........Fudd is solidly built with superior leg strength............she's certainly not going to be a push over...........I'm pretty confident she can give as good as she gets.......

 

[D J B]

I've read countless comments, posts and media article about Azzi Fudd the last two years. ALL OF THEM extolled her virtues. Not one said or suggested that she was anything less than "The Real Deal." This time last year, I had my doubts about Paige Bueckers. I'm from Missouri. I needed to see her play against Division 1 level competition. Play against other girls who were the best players on their HS team. I was thoroughly convinced after the third game.

Paige was the real deal. It's been said by many that are familiar with Azzi, and have seen her play many times in person that she is AS GOOD as Paige, if not better. Everybody is not wrong. I think Azzi will more than live up to her lofty billing (hype) this season. When she does, you and Milford can sit back in your recliners, smile and remind us all (the yard) - "we told you so."

Azzi has a benefit coming in that Paige didn't. Azzi has Paige in her ear everyday telling her what to expect, what's coming next, and what she needs and is expected to do. Right now, as far as Azzi is concerned, Paige is E.F. Hutton.

Yes, she does. Paige is on the floor with her. Can you imagine what Paige would have accomplished if she had another Paige on the floor with her?

This is totally off the wall and I'm certain impossible, but could you imagine two co-national players of the year, both from the same team? We can dream.

 

[MilfordHusky]

A few thoughts:

1. Charlie is right. Azzi is strong and rather solidly built--not as much as Christyn, but more solid than Paige.

2. In the U-19 tourney, Azzi--who is the ultimate team player--did what she was asked to do. She did a fair amount of ball-handling and played defense against the opponent's best guard/wing. She also shot the ball well. And she did all this on a bad foot/ankle. Citron and Clark may have been more aggressive. If Azzi has a weakness, it may be that she could be more aggressive. I've thought for 2 years that Azzi needed to play for Geno and with Paige to best enhance her development. Unlike Citron and Clark, Azzi rarely takes a bad shot.

3. Azzi won 2 of the 4 NPOY awards in 2019. What players did she beat out? No less than Haley Jones (who won the other 2 awards) and Paige Bueckers (who won all 4 awards the following year). Given the season that Paige had last year, I don't expect Azzi to be the NPOY as a freshman, but frankly it wouldn't shock me. Azzi is smart, smooth, and skilled. I promise that you folks will absolutely love her. Every time she shoots the ball, you will expect it to go in. Her mid-range game is honestly better than Sue Bird's.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yes, she does. Paige is on the floor with her. Can you imagine what Paige would have accomplished if she had another Paige on the floor with her?

This is totally off the wall and I'm certain impossible, but could you imagine two co-national players of the year, both from the same team? We can dream.

On the second point, here are the NPOYs from 2009, 2010, and 2011: Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and Maya Moore.

 

[EricLA]

JordyG said:

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.
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A couple points of clarification, since I am one of the ones who watched every FIBA U19 game and have made comments about Azzi based on those games.

First, she was not the starting PG. Paopao was. So she wasn't exactly tasked by "the coaches in bringing the ball up and acting as a trigger on offense". She started 6-7 games, and certainly was relied on by the coaches, but from an assist perspective, she was 3rd on the team in assists at 27 behind Clark (39) and Paopao (32). Johnson had 23, Citron 20, and Verhulst 19. Mostly it was Paopao or Johnson who ran the point, and Azzi certainly was involved, but not the leader from that perspective. Azzi started game 2 after Spear was injured - Spear started the first and only game she played. Azzi started the remaining 6.

2nd, she didn't have close to the best shooting %. Overall, she was 49% but Citron (55%), Johnson (51%), Betts (64%), Ware (56%) and our own DeBerry (66%) were all better. You are correct, her 3 point % was the best at 52%. Johnson was 2nd at 46%. I'm not counting Spears who only played 1 game but shot 4-5 or 80% from 3 in her 1 game.

3rd, she's not the youngest player on the team. Lauren Betts is 1 year younger, at least class wise. I'm not certain of their exact birthdays, so I can't speak to that. But academically, she's the same age as Citron, Verhulst, Feagin, DeBerry, and Wolfenbarger. The roster does list 7 of them at 18 years and the rest at 19 years of age.

4th, Azzi did not take "far less shots" than the others. Clark (83), Johnson (72) by far led the team, but Azzi was solidly in the next group. Verhulst (55), Citron (54), Paopao (52), Fudd (51), Betts (51).

I will agree her turnovers were slightly better than the other guards for minutes - she had 7, Paopao had 9, Johnson had 15, Clark 17, Citron 10, Verhulst 7. Azzi was better, but not by an eye-popping margin.

I also commented consistently on her play. What I observed/said about her strengths:

• Every shot she takes is a good shot. And they all look like they should go in.
• She's very smart without the ball. On a team that played less like it was an all star game, she'd have scored more.
• She constantly got wide open moving without the ball but teammates did not / would not pass to her (instead they opted to take the shot themselves).
• She has a really good handle and has high BBQ.
• She is a solid defender and is far better at moving her body by moving her feet as opposed to teammates who would reach in or just move their upper body.
• She's a very solid passer.

On the negative side

• She avoided contact, almost to her detriment, and this includes on the defensive side.
• She had almost no drives to the basket (she literally was 0-0 in FT's the entire tourney - only player on the team with no FT attempts).
• She is a decent rebounder for a guard, but it was more a factor of her knowing where the ball was going rather than going after the ball.
• She deferred too much to other players - and to this point I want to add that several players who were more aggressive in looking for their shots were her age - Citron and Verhulst specifically.
• Her pull up jumper was off - she only shot 46% from 2. She shot better from beyond the arc.

Most of the items on my "negative" side I attributed to her maybe being gunshy coming back from her injury. Also IIRC she had a slight foot/ankle thing. I have no doubt she will overcome all of that as she plays for UCONN and gets stronger and more confident. Aside from her incredible form and 3 point shooting, there was zero in that 7 game tourney that screamed "I'm the best player in my class - look out here I come".

On the flip side, everything about Lauren Betts screamed exactly that.

Azzi has the luxury at UCONN, like she did on the U19 team, of having players around her who are more experienced. I have no doubt Azzi will be great. I have no doubt she will be on the wall of honor. She may very well be a NPOY player. She's fortunate that she will not be "needed" like Paige was last season, but I worry that will hold her back. If it's her nature to defer and pass up shots to more experienced teammates, we won't see the best of her for some time.

My last point cuz this is a super long post. I am THRILLED Azzi chose UCONN. I hope she's a superstar. I am psyched to see her suit up and play for everyone's favorite WCBB team (on this board anyway). So I hope this post does not come across as "he's down an Azzi". I've seen the reports. I've read comments by experts who have seen her. I think she will be sensational. But from what I saw, she's not entering college as a "generational" player (like Dee, Maya, Stewie, Paige). Time will tell what she turns into for sure.

 

[Dogstar]

I think you better take a closer look..........Fudd is solidly built with superior leg strength............she's certainly not going to be a push over...........I'm pretty confident she can give as good as she gets.......

Appears tht ur right
Certainly hope not and
Counting on it, if you're confident thn I'm confident

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Orangutan]

3rd, she's not the youngest player on the team. Lauren Betts is 1 year younger, at least class wise. I'm not certain of their exact birthdays, so I can't speak to that. But academically, she's the same age as Citron, Verhulst, Feagin, DeBerry, and Wolfenbarger. The roster does list 7 of them at 18 years and the rest at 19 years of age.

Despite being a class ahead of Betts, Citron was actually the youngest player. Betts was born 10/15/2003. Citron was born 10/22/2003. I think FIBA's roster is on some sort of European time because they say Citron is 18 but she's still 17 for at least a few more hours in America.

Fudd was born 11/11/2002.

 

[Charliebball]

A couple points of clarification, since I am one of the ones who watched every FIBA U19 game and have made comments about Azzi based on those games.

First, she was not the starting PG. Paopao was. So she wasn't exactly tasked by "the coaches in bringing the ball up and acting as a trigger on offense". She started 6-7 games, and certainly was relied on by the coaches, but from an assist perspective, she was 3rd on the team in assists at 27 behind Clark (39) and Paopao (32). Johnson had 23, Citron 20, and Verhulst 19. Mostly it was Paopao or Johnson who ran the point, and Azzi certainly was involved, but not the leader from that perspective. Azzi started game 2 after Spear was injured - Spear started the first and only game she played. Azzi started the remaining 6.

2nd, she didn't have close to the best shooting %. Overall, she was 49% but Citron (55%), Johnson (51%), Betts (64%), Ware (56%) and our own DeBerry (66%) were all better. You are correct, her 3 point % was the best at 52%. Johnson was 2nd at 46%. I'm not counting Spears who only played 1 game but shot 4-5 or 80% from 3 in her 1 game.

3rd, she's not the youngest player on the team. Lauren Betts is 1 year younger, at least class wise. I'm not certain of their exact birthdays, so I can't speak to that. But academically, she's the same age as Citron, Verhulst, Feagin, DeBerry, and Wolfenbarger. The roster does list 7 of them at 18 years and the rest at 19 years of age.

4th, Azzi did not take "far less shots" than the others. Clark (83), Johnson (72) by far led the team, but Azzi was solidly in the next group. Verhulst (55), Citron (54), Paopao (52), Fudd (51), Betts (51).

I will agree her turnovers were slightly better than the other guards for minutes - she had 7, Paopao had 9, Johnson had 15, Clark 17, Citron 10, Verhulst 7. Azzi was better, but not by an eye-popping margin.

I also commented consistently on her play. What I observed/said about her strengths:

• Every shot she takes is a good shot. And they all look like they should go in.
• She's very smart without the ball. On a team that played less like it was an all star game, she'd have scored more.
• She constantly got wide open moving without the ball but teammates did not / would not pass to her (instead they opted to take the shot themselves).
• She has a really good handle and has high BBQ.
• She is a solid defender and is far better at moving her body by moving her feet as opposed to teammates who would reach in or just move their upper body.
• She's a very solid passer.

On the negative side

• She avoided contact, almost to her detriment, and this includes on the defensive side.
• She had almost no drives to the basket (she literally was 0-0 in FT's the entire tourney - only player on the team with no FT attempts).
• She is a decent rebounder for a guard, but it was more a factor of her knowing where the ball was going rather than going after the ball.
• She deferred too much to other players - and to this point I want to add that several players who were more aggressive in looking for their shots were her age - Citron and Verhulst specifically.
• Her pull up jumper was off - she only shot 46% from 2. She shot better from beyond the arc.

Most of the items on my "negative" side I attributed to her maybe being gunshy coming back from her injury. Also IIRC she had a slight foot/ankle thing. I have no doubt she will overcome all of that as she plays for UCONN and gets stronger and more confident. Aside from her incredible form and 3 point shooting, there was zero in that 7 game tourney that screamed "I'm the best player in my class - look out here I come".

On the flip side, everything about Lauren Betts screamed exactly that.

Azzi has the luxury at UCONN, like she did on the U19 team, of having players around her who are more experienced. I have no doubt Azzi will be great. I have no doubt she will be on the wall of honor. She may very well be a NPOY player. She's fortunate that she will not be "needed" like Paige was last season, but I worry that will hold her back. If it's her nature to defer and pass up shots to more experienced teammates, we won't see the best of her for some time.

My last point cuz this is a super long post. I am THRILLED Azzi chose UCONN. I hope she's a superstar. I am psyched to see her suit up and play for everyone's favorite WCBB team (on this board anyway). So I hope this post does not come across as "he's down an Azzi". I've seen the reports. I've read comments by experts who have seen her. I think she will be sensational. But from what I saw, she's not entering college as a "generational" player (like Dee, Maya, Stewie, Paige). Time will tell what she turns into for sure.

I don't think we were seeing at her best this past summer...............she's normally quite adept at attacking the basket with either hand.............I assume a lot of it was due to her coming back from injury.........just as Geno stayed on PB to be more assertive last season, I think he will do the very same thing with if needed.......she is in very good hands and I'm sure that's one reason she chose to attend UConn....

 

[jsloanjr]

Get your popcorn ready.........This show is about to start very soon..........

 

[D J B]

On the second point, here are the NPOYs from 2009, 2010, and 2011: Maya Moore, Tina Charles, and Maya Moore.

No, I mean co-national players of the year. Both players. In the same year. As in AP National Player(s) of the year for 2022, Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.

 

[DEpup]

I've read countless comments, posts and media article about Azzi Fudd the last two years. ALL OF THEM extolled her virtues. Not one said or suggested that she was anything less than "The Real Deal." This time last year, I had my doubts about Paige Bueckers. I'm from Missouri. I needed to see her play against Division 1 level competition. Play against other girls who were the best players on their HS team. I was thoroughly convinced after the third game.

Paige was the real deal. It's been said by many that are familiar with Azzi, and have seen her play many times in person that she is AS GOOD as Paige, if not better. Everybody is not wrong. I think Azzi will more than live up to her lofty billing (hype) this season. When she does, you and Milford can sit back in your recliners, smile and remind us all (the yard) - "we told you so."

Azzi has a benefit coming in that Paige didn't. Azzi has Paige in her ear everyday telling her what to expect, what's coming next, and what she needs and is expected to do. Right now, as far as Azzi is concerned, Paige is E.F. Hutton.

I've seen Azzi in person several times and they are both amazing but different skills.

Azzi has just an amazing shot and it looks the same every time no matter where she is on the court and she can hit from anywhere. Its just methodical how she plays with no flare. Just deadly. And what others say is true, when she gets in a zone, you blink and she's scored 10 pts out of nowhere.

Paige is completely different. She's in charge and you know it. She's the director of the show while Azzi is the lead actress.... Paige makes a lot of shots and scores points but it's sort of something she does when she has to but you never get the feeling she wants to. Azzi clearly likes to shoot and see the ball go through the hoop and she's a freight train once the scoring starts.

 

[D J B]

A couple points of clarification, since I am one of the ones who watched every FIBA U19 game and have made comments about Azzi based on those games.

First, she was not the starting PG. Paopao was. So she wasn't exactly tasked by "the coaches in bringing the ball up and acting as a trigger on offense". She started 6-7 games, and certainly was relied on by the coaches, but from an assist perspective, she was 3rd on the team in assists at 27 behind Clark (39) and Paopao (32). Johnson had 23, Citron 20, and Verhulst 19. Mostly it was Paopao or Johnson who ran the point, and Azzi certainly was involved, but not the leader from that perspective. Azzi started game 2 after Spear was injured - Spear started the first and only game she played. Azzi started the remaining 6.

2nd, she didn't have close to the best shooting %. Overall, she was 49% but Citron (55%), Johnson (51%), Betts (64%), Ware (56%) and our own DeBerry (66%) were all better. You are correct, her 3 point % was the best at 52%. Johnson was 2nd at 46%. I'm not counting Spears who only played 1 game but shot 4-5 or 80% from 3 in her 1 game.

3rd, she's not the youngest player on the team. Lauren Betts is 1 year younger, at least class wise. I'm not certain of their exact birthdays, so I can't speak to that. But academically, she's the same age as Citron, Verhulst, Feagin, DeBerry, and Wolfenbarger. The roster does list 7 of them at 18 years and the rest at 19 years of age.

4th, Azzi did not take "far less shots" than the others. Clark (83), Johnson (72) by far led the team, but Azzi was solidly in the next group. Verhulst (55), Citron (54), Paopao (52), Fudd (51), Betts (51).

I will agree her turnovers were slightly better than the other guards for minutes - she had 7, Paopao had 9, Johnson had 15, Clark 17, Citron 10, Verhulst 7. Azzi was better, but not by an eye-popping margin.

I also commented consistently on her play. What I observed/said about her strengths:

• Every shot she takes is a good shot. And they all look like they should go in.
• She's very smart without the ball. On a team that played less like it was an all star game, she'd have scored more.
• She constantly got wide open moving without the ball but teammates did not / would not pass to her (instead they opted to take the shot themselves).
• She has a really good handle and has high BBQ.
• She is a solid defender and is far better at moving her body by moving her feet as opposed to teammates who would reach in or just move their upper body.
• She's a very solid passer.

On the negative side

• She avoided contact, almost to her detriment, and this includes on the defensive side.
• She had almost no drives to the basket (she literally was 0-0 in FT's the entire tourney - only player on the team with no FT attempts).
• She is a decent rebounder for a guard, but it was more a factor of her knowing where the ball was going rather than going after the ball.
• She deferred too much to other players - and to this point I want to add that several players who were more aggressive in looking for their shots were her age - Citron and Verhulst specifically.
• Her pull up jumper was off - she only shot 46% from 2. She shot better from beyond the arc.

Most of the items on my "negative" side I attributed to her maybe being gunshy coming back from her injury. Also IIRC she had a slight foot/ankle thing. I have no doubt she will overcome all of that as she plays for UCONN and gets stronger and more confident. Aside from her incredible form and 3 point shooting, there was zero in that 7 game tourney that screamed "I'm the best player in my class - look out here I come".

On the flip side, everything about Lauren Betts screamed exactly that.

Azzi has the luxury at UCONN, like she did on the U19 team, of having players around her who are more experienced. I have no doubt Azzi will be great. I have no doubt she will be on the wall of honor. She may very well be a NPOY player. She's fortunate that she will not be "needed" like Paige was last season, but I worry that will hold her back. If it's her nature to defer and pass up shots to more experienced teammates, we won't see the best of her for some time.

My last point cuz this is a super long post. I am THRILLED Azzi chose UCONN. I hope she's a superstar. I am psyched to see her suit up and play for everyone's favorite WCBB team (on this board anyway). So I hope this post does not come across as "he's down an Azzi". I've seen the reports. I've read comments by experts who have seen her. I think she will be sensational. But from what I saw, she's not entering college as a "generational" player (like Dee, Maya, Stewie, Paige). Time will tell what she turns into for sure.

Thank you. That was a wonderful read and well worth the time.

 

[DEpup]

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.

And we found out later that she was hurt just before the U19 so she wasn't fully in the minimal practices where they plan things out and was sort of inserted after they had created their schemes. It's actually pretty challenging to just throw a team together and immediately play a tournament... I still believe she ended up being the glue player because her guard teammates just didn't have the bball skills other than putting up shots.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

@MilfordHusky and I have been screaming about this kids pull up for long minute now. Some people were less than enthused by her performance at the U19's, saying Citron and others outplayed her. Azzi took far less shots, the coaches had her bringing the ball up, and they had her acting as the trigger for the offense. As the youngest player on the team she constantly deferred to her older teammates. She had the best shooting percentage from inside and outside the arc and had the best TO to minutes played ratio on the team. Someone on the BY actually said that this year Zia Cooke would be a better player than Azzi. Nonsense. Azzi right now is better defensively, a better shooter from the arc, moves better without the ball, is a better FT shooter, is a better passer, and as stated above, will show she has one of the best pull ups in WCBB. She doesn't have Cooke's speed, but IMO she's already better than anything else Cooke does. She's going to prove all of you doubters wrong.

Remember, she was High School NPOY as a sophomore!!! She beat out Paige when Paige was a junior, and then got hurt. Now she is going to hurt defenses. It feels great having the two best WCB players at UCONN along with a deep cast of outstanding players.

No doubts about AZZI here! Hopefully, we get them (SC) on 11/22/21 in addition to 1/27/22, that way it can't be said to be a fluke!

Keep the wisdom flowing JordyG!!!