Serah Williams Commits to UConn

[jazz]

Most of Betts' points came late after the game was already a laugher. Also, UCLA 's offense is heliocentric with Betts as the sun. UConn's offense does not rotate around its center

not really true. Also, why does it matter when she scored? Are you saying that when the game is out of reach, the uconn, coached by GA in a final 4 game, relaxed on defense and therefore it was easier for her to score??

Betts scored consistently throughout the game, so depends exactly when you think it was a laugher? was it the first half when she had 11 or early in the third when she had 15 or late in the third when she had 17. So most of her points did not come 'late.....', instead they came fairly consistently throughout the game, with a bit of an increase of a couple points in the fourth.

Many of her points came when JEA was out of the game (foul trouble which she needs to work on). JAE was fantastic in this game and UCONN's help defense on Betts was outstanding to cause TOs and cause Betts to kick it out to a teammate who couldn't knock down the shot. But, when Betts shot the ball, it went down over half the time, which is very good.

Betts had a very good game, before it was a blow out and afterwards.

 

[gold2323]

She can.become a good addition
But no one will ever replace Paige …
Her legend ….talent and performance will
live on

 

[Dawson]

She seems to be a perfect fit for the teams needs.

I'm most drawn to her proven and consistent impact against top teams.

2024-2025 Against Ranked Teams (6 Games: Maryland, Ohio State, Minnesota, USC, Michigan State, UCLA)​

• Points: 20.7
• Rebounds: 8.5
• Assists: 2.5
• Blocks: 1.3
• Steals: 3.0
• FG Percentage: 49.5%

I think she will be an instant contributor.

 

[Crossover]

not really true. Also, why does it matter when she scored? Are you saying that when the game is out of reach, the uconn, coached by GA in a final 4 game, relaxed on defense and therefore it was easier for her to score??

Betts scored consistently throughout the game, so depends exactly when you think it was a laugher? was it the first half when she had 11 or early in the third when she had 15 or late in the third when she had 17. So most of her points did not come 'late.....', instead they came fairly consistently throughout the game, with a bit of an increase of a couple points in the fourth.

Many of her points came when JEA was out of the game (foul trouble which she needs to work on). JAE was fantastic in this game and UCONN's help defense on Betts was outstanding to cause TOs and cause Betts to kick it out to a teammate who couldn't knock down the shot. But, when Betts shot the ball, it went down over half the time, which is very good.

Betts had a very good game, before it was a blow out and afterwards.

You obviously like to argue for argument's sake. In post #377 you said "Last year we had almost no post presence outside of Sarah." I responded (in post #379) by asking "Did you watch the UCLA game?" You responded (in post #421) "I saw Betts dominate and go for 26 while Jana and Ice went for a combined 11." Despite knowing that it is never a good idea to feed a troll, I replied (in post #421) that most of Bett's points "came late after the game was already a laugher," and that UCLA's offense is heliocentric whereas UCONN's does not revolve around its post players. All of which brings us to your latest post where you ponder such weighty questions as "when does late begin" and "when does a laugher become a laugher." You then state: "Many of [Bett's] points came when JEA was out of the game" with foul trouble, and that "JAE [sic] was fantastic in this game." Jana was indeed fantastic, which is hard to square with your earlier assertion that UCONN "had almost no post presence outside of Sarah" this past year.

I am done! I have zero desire to waste more time on this back and forth. Besides you don't need me as a foil since you are perfectly capable of arguing with yourself. Carry on.

 

[Dogstar]

She can.become a good addition
But no one will ever replace Paige …
Her legend ….talent and performance will
live on

I understand wht ur saying but the same thing was said abt DT, Maya and Stewie. Seems to be a common statement abt UConn greats.

 

[Alydar]

Thanks Nan. The numbers really tell the story this year. Having the best defense and best field goal percentage makes the best scoring margin a very likely outcome. Two numbers that jump out at me from these statistics that are going to change next year right away because of Serah are being 337th in free throw attempts per game and being 263rd in offensive rebounds per game. A sophomore season for Jana after a summer of training and skill work outs will also help both categories and the addition of Blanca, a slashing driver, is just one other factor among many that will help the free throws also.

Great post. Those 2 stats will not improve as much as you think. UConn had the fewest offensive boards in large part because they shot over 50% as a team, leading the nation. Fewer misses means fewer offensive rebounding opportunities.

Plus UConn out-rebounded SCar in the Columbia game, offensive and defensive.

 

[Alydar]

What she does have and uses that neither Ice nor Jana show is a baby jump shot where she releases at the top of her jump, not on the way up. It stabilizes the shot, makes it many times harder to block, and leads to fouls because the defender can't time the shot and often hits the wrist or arms. That's a critical thing both Ice and Jana need to learn to use going forward in my mind. Ice has shown it at times but it is not muscle memory for her, it is for Serah. Both Ice and Jana, and Sarah too for that matter, will get better just by playing against her in practice.

I bet Williams' offense looked more like El Alfy's when she was a freshman.

 

[DEpup]

She seems to be a perfect fit for the teams needs.

I'm most drawn to her proven and consistent impact against top teams.

2024-2025 Against Ranked Teams (6 Games: Maryland, Ohio State, Minnesota, USC, Michigan State, UCLA)​

• Points: 20.7
• Rebounds: 8.5
• Assists: 2.5
• Blocks: 1.3
• Steals: 3.0
• FG Percentage: 49.5%

I think she will be an instant contributor.

What is even more impressive is that you know the defense was focused on her as the Badgers best player and she still put up those numbers.

 

[BBallF]

Great post. Those 2 stats will not improve as much as you think. UConn had the fewest offensive boards in large part because they shot over 50% as a team, leading the nation. Fewer misses means fewer offensive rebounding opportunities.

Plus UConn out-rebounded SCar in the Columbia game, offensive and defensive.

No doubt. One of the things I always loved about Hubie Brown as a basketball analyst was that he really understood statistics because they can be very misleading. As you point out, when you shoot 50% from the field your offensive boards are more limited and having the most efficient offensive player in the history of women's basketball in Paige Bueckers only adds to that.

Last year Serah shot 168 free throws. We as a team shot 478 meaning that on Wisconsin she shot almost 1/3 of the free throws we as an entire team took. So to your point, the bad news is that without Paige our FG% as a team may decrease, and hence the oppurtunity for offensive boards increases. But Serah is a throwback post player, strong and powerful, with a great seal, ala Kevin McHale. She hangs in the air in her put backs and put ups and will get fouled as often at UCONN as in Madison when she shoots.

So I offer the above statistic but it is the eye test about the way she plays and the many possible combinations on high low offenses that convinces me that we will have more chances at the charity stripe and more offensive boards because more shooting fouls will occur underneath as will more misses. The best result however will be that Serah, Sarah and Jana will result in a formidable inside game with the ball going down below more next year than we have seen in a long, long time.

 

[BBallF]

I bet Williams' offense looked more like El Alfy's when she was a freshman.

That would be phenomenally encouraging if it is true. One thing about Jana in all of this though is how she played so well when she was truly needed. She does have another gear, mental and physical, and her year long improvement was significant and readily apparent. I also believe it was slowed due to her prior injury because there were timing issues, usually a hallmark of lack of playing. She could have a really big year in 25-26.

 

[hookshot]

I bet Williams' offense looked more like El Alfy's when she was a freshman.

I'll take that bet

 

[Alydar]

I'll take that bet

Sorry. No more bets. Besides I looked up some of Williams' stats and you have a point. Williams scored more against the early season cupcakes but she rebounded consistently. Of course she didn't have 3 AA's starting alongside her and got more looks. Wisc went 11-20 in 2023.

 

[jazz]

You obviously like to argue for argument's sake. In post #377 you said "Last year we had almost no post presence outside of Sarah." I responded (in post #379) by asking "Did you watch the UCLA game?" You responded (in post #421) "I saw Betts dominate and go for 26 while Jana and Ice went for a combined 11." Despite knowing that it is never a good idea to feed a troll, I replied (in post #421) that most of Bett's points "came late after the game was already a laugher," and that UCLA's offense is heliocentric whereas UCONN's does not revolve around its post players. All of which brings us to your latest post where you ponder such weighty questions as "when does late begin" and "when does a laugher become a laugher." You then state: "Many of [Bett's] points came when JEA was out of the game" with foul trouble, and that "JAE [sic] was fantastic in this game." Jana was indeed fantastic, which is hard to square with your earlier assertion that UCONN "had almost no post presence outside of Sarah" this past year.

I am done! I have zero desire to waste more time on this back and forth. Besides you don't need me as a foil since you are perfectly capable of arguing with yourself. Carry on.

You cant tell the difference between 'almost no post presence outside of Sarah this past year' and JEA was fantastic in one single game that was pointed out????? That is not arguing for argument's sake. I was challenged which I am happy to be and I responded. Also, exactly how am I arguing with myself??? Let me spell it out again....one game does not make a year. GA apparently agrees, otherwise why would he go and get Serah if JEA has the middle locked down ALL YEAR???

Also, you were flat WRONG to say Betts had most of her points 'came late after the game was already a laugher' - she scored consistently throughout the game as noted in my response and proven by simply watching the game.

At the same time, I thought JEA had a fantastic game. The two are possible. You are wrong with your assessment of most of Betts point came late as they obviously did not and she did have a dominate game, scoring almost half her team's points AND at the same time, JEA had a fantastic game with a good presence down low. However, she rarely played as well in other games, including before and after this ONE game against UCLA.

What is so hard to understand about that: one game does not make a year!

So everybody knows, I like JEA, I think she will be better and more consistent next year and a very good player for us in time. I think she is better served coming in off the bench for at least one more year. At the same time, I like Serah a lot more for next year and I think she will be fantastic for us ALL year and not in just a game or two.

 

[Centerstream]

You cant tell the difference between 'almost no post presence outside of Sarah this past year' and JEA was fantastic in one single game that was pointed out????? That is not arguing for argument's sake. I was challenged which I am happy to be and I responded. Also, exactly how am I arguing with myself??? Let me spell it out again....one game does not make a year. GA apparently agrees, otherwise why would he go and get Serah if JEA has the middle locked down ALL YEAR???

Also, you were flat WRONG to say Betts had most of her points 'came late after the game was already a laugher' - she scored consistently throughout the game as noted in my response and proven by simply watching the game.

At the same time, I thought JEA had a fantastic game. The two are possible. You are wrong with your assessment of most of Betts point came late as they obviously did not and she did have a dominate game, scoring almost half her team's points AND at the same time, JEA had a fantastic game with a good presence down low. However, she rarely played as well in other games, including before and after this ONE game against UCLA.

What is so hard to understand about that: one game does not make a year!

So everybody knows, I like JEA, I think she will be better and more consistent next year and a very good player for us in time. I think she is better served coming in off the bench for at least one more year. At the same time, I like Serah a lot more for next year and I think she will be fantastic for us ALL year and not in just a game or two.

I watched the first game of last season last night. Jana had a double double in 18 minutes coming off the bench. She was the game's highest scorer, tied with Sarah. She had 1 block, 1 steal and 1 turnover. Unfortunately, she picked up 3 fouls.
Her performance was better than what most were expecting but were hoping for.
I am wondering why that type of performance didn't continue all season but I really, really don't care...she was a freshman playing against D-1 players while also being new to the US.
I am expecting a nice sophomore jump with Sareh, and Sarah, helping her (and Ice's) growth tremendously.

 

[Zarathustra]

"THE PAST IS PROLOGUE" or maybe "History
may not repeat itself... but it sure does rhyme"

 

[jazz]

I watched the first game of last season last night. Jana had a double double in 18 minutes coming off the bench. She was the game's highest scorer, tied with Sarah. She had 1 block, 1 steal and 1 turnover. Unfortunately, she picked up 3 fouls.
Her performance was better than what most were expecting but were hoping for.
I am wondering why that type of performance didn't continue all season but I really, really don't care...she was a freshman playing against D-1 players while also being new to the US.
I am expecting a nice sophomore jump with Sareh, and Sarah, helping her (and Ice's) growth tremendously.

That first game isn't much of a measure as it was against some really bad competition. I do think she will improve as almost all players do from year to year, especially the sophomore year, although with bigs, it is sometimes the JR year that they really flash. However, she next year, I think she will be formidable coming off the bench. She does most things well. I think she could move her feet better when the Rebound is out of reach, but she played tough against UCLA and that is something I hope she can build on. I also hope she can help a bit more on the offensive end as well.

I also remember thinking that she would play well against SC in the championship game as I thought she played quite well against SC the first time around. It takes time with bigs, which is why having Serah is huge for us next year.

 

[Oldschoolbb]

That first game isn't much of a measure as it was against some really bad competition. I do think she will improve as almost all players do from year to year, especially the sophomore year, although with bigs, it is sometimes the JR year that they really flash. However, she next year, I think she will be formidable coming off the bench. She does most things well. I think she could move her feet better when the Rebound is out of reach, but she played tough against UCLA and that is something I hope she can build on. I also hope she can help a bit more on the offensive end as well.

I also remember thinking that she would play well against SC in the championship game as I thought she played quite well against SC the first time around. It takes time with bigs, which is why having Serah is huge for us next year.

JEA needs to do serious work with her agility, footwork and hands to be truly effective. All those were way behind the level needed to excel or even be above average.

 

[Bone Dog]

Since this is turning into a Jana thread, I imagine another year beyond her injury will help her. This season she seemed a bit tentative pushing off of that leg. She also didn't actually jump when she handled the opening tip, which is why Geno eventually shifted to Sarah. Some of that tentativeness may be mental, and it takes some time to work through that, and some if it may be physical -- her leg may be weaker after the layoff, and it may even be a little twingey. And she didn't seem to be fully in shape. This is in addition to how rusty her skills still were even at the end of the season. In high school, she was an excellent free throw shooter and sometimes took midrange and perimeter shots, and wasn't bad at it. This end of her game was mostly missing this season. If she merely recovers the free throw shooting and the midrange game, that would be a huge upgrade, and it's also what Geno says he's been encouraging her to aim for.

Okay, since this is a Serah thread, I'll add that Serah could help Jana with this aspect of her game. She is already an accomplished midrange shooter. My main point, however, is that Jana is still in a redevelopment phase, trying to recover skills she once had. It's not even about developing new skills yet. This is why, before the injury, Geno had such high hopes for her -- so high, in fact, that many here were incredulous. If she merely shows us the strong Jana, the kid who grapples with opposing bigs, scores through contact, forces her way through double teams, I think we'll all be impressed.

 

[Steelerone]

This is such a great addition. Of all the positions on the court the Center was our greatest question mark. With her and Sarah they should prove a great depository for rebounds.

 

[victor64]

Side note question. Any guesses who wears number 25? Ice or Serah?

Ice does. Serah took 22. My guess is, from what I can tell from the little I have read about Serah, she probably did not approach Ice about it. As it should be.

 

[cabbie191]

I eat pizza with a fork!!! Serah will make us eat pizza with our hands.......

Every now and then I see someone using a fork and knife on pizza - I must admit that it seems strange to me.

I think my dog would be very saddened if I starting eating pizza that way - no messy fingers to lick clean!

BTW, am I the only grandpa with grandchildren who don't really like pizza that much?