So Azzi Just Put This Up

[Scud49]

Here's a pic she just put up entitled "Mothers Day Night around the Fire Pit".

Maybe 3 more marshmallows from Paige will get her to say, "Yes, it's UCONN"...!

 

[Alydar]

The 3 loses last year were statistically significant for a number of reason. The most important stat is UCONN only beat 1 team last year which had a taller front court and that was TN. The same can be said of the prior season UCONN had 3 loses to teams that had a taller front line. In the post Breanna Stewart era ALL UCONN loses have come against teams that have a taller front line. How much longer are we going to keep pretending that size in the front court doesn't matter?

The most obvious fact isn't that they were all tall but that they were the Nos. 1,2 & 3 teams in the country and that was likely reason No 1 why UConn lost.


I'm not saying that size doesn't matter. Are you saying that experience doesn't matter?

 

[CocoHusky]

The most obvious fact isn't that they were all tall but that they were the Nos. 1,2 & 3 teams in the country and that was likely reason No 1 why UConn lost.
I'm not saying that size doesn't matter. Are you saying that experience doesn't matter?

No.
I suppose you think it was coincidence that the 1, 2, 3rd team in the country had bigger front line than UCONN which was ranked 4th? Or coincidence that the #1 team had 3 freshman starters?

 

[SVCBeercats]

Hopkins has never posted individual 3 pt stats. Don't know about Fudd. My opinion is from observation, not stat books. Many share my opinion.
It may not be as easy as reading a stat sheet but .....
as for Fudd ..... see next post

Highlight reels are just that highlight reels. Every player has one and has never missed a shot in any of them. Thank you for telling me your comparison is just like most of us stating an opinion. Jefferson was a very good three point shooter for the record. For her career at UCONN she shot 42% for the 3PT line (F-26.6%, So- 41.8%, J-49.6%, Sr-43.1). She is ranked as the 4th best 3PT shooter by percetage in UCONN's record book. Stewart shot 42.6% in her senior year. For other three years she was mediocre except in the NCAA tournament. Go figure! my opinion regarding Fudd as a three point shooter is optimistic. Regarding Bueckers I am not as opimistic. I think her three point shot is a weekness from watching several full games. Fortunately I believe she is driven in a similar mannar as was/is Breanna Stewart. Her 3PT shot will be at least 35% accurate.

 

[MSGRET]

I do the same daily Carnac. I checked 10 times today since it's my birthday. Do you think she knows?

Happy Birthday and stay safe. P.S. I don't think she did, but she does now since you announced it on the BY.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Hopkins has never posted individual 3 pt stats. Don't know about Fudd. My opinion is from observation, not stat books. Many share my opinion. That is what the lead lemming said!

I don't know where there are hard numbers, but my impression is that Azzi shot close to 50%, possibly higher, from 3-point range in each of her freshman and sophomore seasons. I'm not sure about her abbreviated junior (post-surgery) season. She's a 50/40/90 shooter clearly, and possibly a 60/50/90 shooter.

I found three impressive stats regarding Ms. Fudd. They are:

as a sophomore while leading her Cadets to a 35–1 record and both the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship and the District of Columbia State Athletic Association tournament title this past season while maintaining an active presence in her community and a 3.68 GPA .

Azzi Fudd wins Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year

Fudd is the first sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

www.si.com

As a sophomore she attempted 134 free throws making 133. Decent!

Azzi Fudd's St. John's High School Basketball Stats

Check out Azzi Fudd's high school sports stats, including updates while playing basketball at St. John's High School (Washington, DC).

www.maxpreps.com

Apparently her grades flagged in her sophomore year.
ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE
The 5-foot-11 freshman guard led the Lady Cadets to a 32-2 record and a District of Columbia State Athletic Association championship this past season. Fudd averaged 24 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 50 percent both from the field and behind the 3-point arc, helping the Lady Cadets win their fourth DCSAA title in five years. The first freshman in history to win Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player honors, Fudd was also named DCSAA Tournament MVP after scoring 22 points with eight rebounds in the championship game.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Fudd has maintained a weighted 3.85 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school in the fall.

Azzi Fudd 2017 - 2018 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Azzi won the 2017 - 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year in District Of Columbia for Girls Basketball

playeroftheyear.gatorade.com

 

[DefenseBB]

Except we are not talking about 1 game, we are talking about 3 games last year. Also PLUESE...don't give us UCONN's "lack experience" when SC started 3 freshman that severely beat down UCONN last year. The value of size is indeed dubious, especially when you don't have it.

Coco-not that I completely support all of Alydars comments but on this one I do agree-SC had 2 seniors who have played significant minutes all 4 years. Plus their bench also played minutes last year "when they weren't good" by UConn standards. Their freshman were incredibly skilled, like ours will be this coming year so their "freshman" were significantly ahead of ours. Our roster had exactly 4 players with experience and only 1 had 2 full years of starting. While I agree our team seemed to jell it's last 3 weeks, we were the 4th best team in the country. We didn't have depth of size AT ALL this year. We get it. We will have some more size next year with Edwards and ONO playing significant minutes. Piath is a complete unknown.

So what I am confused about and maybe you can clarify for me is why the angst on the issue we lost 3 games this year? Alydar noted Geno takes the blame for whiffing on 2 classes and short bodies on 2 more. His rebounded with a vengeance both for 2020 and 2021. I do worry we still lack experience as or most experienced starter is Christyn Williams who's shooting has been inconsistent and we really don't have anyone else who could shoot consistently. Anna was showing improvement and Aubrey never shot., so yes, I say sign more guards and wings, not at the expense of a talented big but those are hard to come by.

My last comment will be this-this years team was not a great assist team or a "ball mover" team like most UConn teams are and this was due to no experience of the UConn system like other teams have had. Having a passer like Paige with Anna and Christyn will be awesome for Aubrey, Aaliyah, Liv, Evina and Nika who will all be able to handle the passes being sent their way.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I found three impressive stats regarding Ms. Fudd. They are:

as a sophomore while leading her Cadets to a 35–1 record and both the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship and the District of Columbia State Athletic Association tournament title this past season while maintaining an active presence in her community and a 3.68 GPA .

Azzi Fudd wins Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year

Fudd is the first sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

www.si.com

As a sophomore she attempted 134 free throws making 133. Decent!
View attachment 54214

Azzi Fudd's St. John's High School Basketball Stats

Check out Azzi Fudd's high school sports stats, including updates while playing basketball at St. John's High School (Washington, DC).

www.maxpreps.com

Apparently her grades flagged in her sophomore year.
ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE
The 5-foot-11 freshman guard led the Lady Cadets to a 32-2 record and a District of Columbia State Athletic Association championship this past season. Fudd averaged 24 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 50 percent both from the field and behind the 3-point arc, helping the Lady Cadets win their fourth DCSAA title in five years. The first freshman in history to win Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player honors, Fudd was also named DCSAA Tournament MVP after scoring 22 points with eight rebounds in the championship game.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Fudd has maintained a weighted 3.85 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her sophomore year of high school in the fall.

Azzi Fudd 2017 - 2018 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Azzi won the 2017 - 2018 Gatorade Player of the Year in District Of Columbia for Girls Basketball

playeroftheyear.gatorade.com

That 133-134 looks almost too good to be true. But it's possible with Azzi. The 95-105 as a freshman is totally believable. The statement about 50% from the arc is something I think I've seen before. Azzi is on the short list of the best shooters I've seen. The others on the list are KML and EDD. She's fun to watch, as her overall game is outstanding, but her shooting is at the edge of human limits. I've seen her in person 9x and will watch her again when she is playing publicly.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Here's a pic she just put up entitled "Mothers Day Night around the Fire Pit".

Maybe 3 more marshmallows from Paige will get her to say, "Yes, it's UCONN"...! View attachment 54208

Construction of the fire pit just outside Werth Center begins this week.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

Let’s not forget that Evina has already played D1 point guard and Nina is known in Europe as a pass master. I don’t know about Aaliyah’s passing stats, but I have to believe, with all her experience, she has learned to toss the sphere pretty well. We all saw Liv’s passing improve this year.

If the NCAA scored assists the same way the NHL does, our team wuould probably be pushing close to 1000 by early April next year.

 

[Alydar]

No.
I suppose you think it was coincidence that the 1, 2, 3rd team in the country had bigger front line than UCONN which was ranked 4th? Or coincidence that the #1 team had 3 freshman starters?

Maybe. But size was zero help for those same 3 teams in 2017 so maybe your theory is just coincidental and not causal.
How about you explain 2017 where the grossly smaller team won all 3 games against the same 3 tall teams? That doesn't do much to support "size is paramount" theory.

I could point out that all 3 teams that beat UConn this year had more seniors in their rotation than UConn. I suppose you would say that was just a coincidence?

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Regarding Bueckers I am not as opimistic. I think her three point shot is a weekness from watching several full games.

It's not.

 

[npignatjr]

Except we are not talking about 1 game, we are talking about 3 games last year. Also PLUESE...don't give us UCONN's "lack experience" when SC started 3 freshman that severely beat down UCONN last year. The value of size is indeed dubious, especially when you don't have it.

The difference in that game and all 3 loses was the overall guard play, all phases scoring, assists, defense.

 

[CocoHusky]

So what I am confused about and maybe you can clarify for me is why the angst on the issue we lost 3 games this year? My last comment will be this-this years team was not a great assist team or a "ball mover" team like most UConn teams are and this was due to no experience of the UConn system like other teams have had. Having a passer like Paige with Anna and Christyn will be awesome for Aubrey, Aaliyah, Liv, Evina and Nika who will all be able to handle the passes being sent their way.

My angst (fear mostly) is that we are about to repeat the same mistakes. That mistake is to take a SF/wing size player and expect them to play in the post at UCONN. And speaking of experience, best case UCONN starting PF next year is a 6'3" Freshman or a 6'1" Sophomore. Keep in mind, according to urban legend, that same 6'3" Freshman PF is also expected to be the back up center and neither of these players have EVER played in the post before. My angst (frustration really) is compounded by the low expectation that UCONN is one of the 4 top teams in the country and people are suddenly OK with just making a FF. My angst (apathy really) is that some how people think it is ok to lose 3 regular season games because those loses were to #1, #2, #3 teams. My angst (jealousy really) is that other teams can produce POST BENCH players like Kristina Nelson (ND), Kylee Shook (Louisville), Nylssa Smith (Baylor), Queen Egbo (Baylor). Lydia Giomi (Oregon) & Victaria Saxton (South Carolina) who can come in and help those teams win big games. My angst (irritation really) is with the recruiting results that Geno has fully owned up to.
My angst (exasperation really) is with the relentless annual enthusiasm that this UCONN player is suddenly going to be better than we though and "surprise" us. My angst (disappointment really) is that on the current roster two players have demonstrated brilliance only in flashes but seem incapable of sustaining that brilliance and more importantly have not corrected flaws in their games that would make them reliable foundation pieces of championship teams. My angst (discouragement really) is that we seem to keep getting caught off guard with early departures (Morgan, Natalie, Azura, Megan). My angst (irritation really) is that many discussion about potential UCONN recruits especially those in the portal devolve very quickly into discussion about everything except their basketball ability. My lowest level of angst ( annoyance really) is my failure to get this simple point across- In basketball, given equal skill level, taller is more desirable, at every position.
I know I have a lot of angst , I'm working on it. None will ever keep me from cheering passionately for UCONN WBB.

 

[CocoHusky]

Maybe. But size was zero help for those same 3 teams in 2017 so maybe your theory is just coincidental and not causal.
How about you explain 2017 where the grossly smaller team won all 3 games against the same 3 tall teams? That doesn't do much to support "size is paramount" theory.

I could point out that all 3 teams that beat UConn this year had more seniors in their rotation than UConn. I suppose you would say that was just a coincidence?

No.
In '16-'17 you had 6"5" Natalie Butler coming off the bench to help match up against larger teams like Texas, Maryland, Oregon & Baylor
In '17-'18 you had 6'6" Azura Stevens coming off the bench to help match up against teams like ND (2X) & South Carolina.
In '18-'19 you had 6'5" ONO coming off the bench to matchup against teams like ND.
In '19-20 the tallest player coming off the UCONN bench was 6'1" Aubrey and you replaced two starters Napheesa & KLS with players (Megan and Anna) that were both shorter.

BTW Oregon 19-20 was not remotely the same team as the 16-17 version-namely Boley & Sabally

 

[oldude]

This idea that size alone is the ultimate differential between teams is not totally accurate. Size is one factor in the basketball equation. Other factors Include: talent, athleticism, experience, coaching, depth, shooting ability, passing ability, defensive intensity and others.

This past season, UConn did not match up well with the 3 top teams for a number of reasons. While size was certainly one reason, so too was a lack of cohesion and experience. Early in the season, UConn struggled to establish an effective starting 5. Evina’s waiver was denied and Evelyn didn’t really pan out as we all hoped. Liv often got into foul trouble or underperformed. Anna & Aubrey initially struggled to find their role. After a solid start, Christyn slumped. Kyla’s experience helped to a point, but against better competition she struggled.

Andy Landers summed up UConn’s problems against top teams by pointing out that UConn was playing 4 on 5 or even 3 on 5. However, by the end of the season, UConn was playing their best basketball. With Jamelle’s help, Liv was becoming a force inside. Anna and Aubrey had both become key contributors. Christyn had fought through her slump and was playing like Christyn Williams again. Even Evelyn had started to show that she could be counted on for some meaningful PT off the bench.

It would have been interesting to see just how far UConn could have made it in the Big Dance had the tournament not been cancelled. If the Huskies had run into one of the top 3 teams again, they may not have prevailed, but I would absolutely expect a far more competitive game than the first time around.

 

[CocoHusky]

This idea that size alone is the ultimate differential between teams is not totally accurate.

No one ever said this! In fact the exact oppose was stated.

The difference in that game and all 3 loses was the overall guard play, all phases scoring, assists, defense.

 

[oldude]

No one ever said this! In fact the exact oppose was stated.

Yes, Nick pointed out the key factors that contributed to UConn’s 3 losses this year, just as I did.

 

[CocoHusky]

Geno did a much better job summing up the losses than Landers did. "We just were't good enough" was what Geno said. I can see why people would want to commit that Jedi mind trick and tell themselves that UCONN would have been more competitive in a rematch against Baylor, South Carolina, or Oregon.
I supposed that's based on UCONN dominating the latter half of that trying AAC schedule.
The though that Oregon, Baylor and South Carolina could play better in the rematch never occurred to some?

 

[oldude]

I don’t know that a Jedi mind trick is required to contemplate that UConn would be more competitive against the top 3 teams in the country if they met a second time during the Big Dance. Over the past 25 years no one does a better job in preparing their team for the NCAA tournament than Geno. Of all the remarkable records established by UConn WBB, the most amazing, imo, is 12 straight visits to the FF.

We need only look at last season’s Elite 8 upset victory over Louisville or go back to the solid victory over ND in the 2013 FF, after losing 3 times to the Irish during that season. Some coaches are just simply better at getting their teams ready for the tournament. I would include MM & Tara among those coaches. Geno has not been perfect, but he is absolutely the best. As for Kim, Dawn and Graves, it remains to be seen if they can consistently position their respective teams to make a championship run year in and year out.

 

[donalddoowop]

What happened earlier in the season was not a guarantee it would happen at tournament time. Two or three years ago when SC had one of the best teams in the country, they were eliminated either in the Elite Eight or Sweet Sixteen by what was considered an inferior team. It raised a lot of eyebrows. I actually believed that only one of the top three teams would have made it to the FF this past season.

 

[Carnac]

I think Paige may be taking UConn classes on-line from Azzi’s bedroom.

Lol. Good one Milford.

 

[diggerfoot]

My angst (fear mostly) is that we are about to repeat the same mistakes.

I am a little surprised at the extent of your "angst," as you are one of the most valuable posters. I do share your opinion that we do not need another guard, but do not share your point of reference for disappointment.

If you compare the past four years to our high points, they are disappointing. If you compare the past four years to other four year downturns, it was the most successful downturn by far. So the potential for disappointment comes down to whether or not it is wise to view cycles (recruiting, chemistry, learning, etc) as inevitable.

 

[Carnac]

Yeah,and when Boston gets here........just wow.

.....when Boston gets here ???. Did I miss something?

 

[Mdoggie]

.....when Boston gets here ???. Did I miss something?

It’s a joke. So many assuming we will get Fudd just like it was thought Boston was a lock. Hence the emoji