The AAAAA Affect

[Tonyc]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

 

[Charliebball]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

I sure hope you're right Tony but let's revisit this on January 3rd after the games against Marquette and Creighton.........

 

[cancontent]

The thread title had me wondering if there's a new battery size I wasn't aware of for a moment.

 

[Centerstream]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

As has been stated in other threads and posts concerning Amari providing consistent positive contributions, that ship has sailed.

 

[Topsail]

I like the better ball movement and defense but Amari is wishful thinking… need to cut down on that egg nog

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Will good bigs wear us down? That is the question. Actually, there is another question. And it is coming up fast. We have several Big East teams who are both physical and good defenders. That shooting we saw in Maple Leaf Garden is going to have to become a habit, fast

 

[cgshuskie]

Tonyc is absolutely right. We need Amari. We need to let her grow, develop and blend. She may be the
difference between an early exit and No. 12. Go Huskies

 

[MSGRET]

I don't think that there are many teams in the Big East that can run like UConn can, they are slow and physical compared to the Huskies. IF UConn can play fast they will wear down the opposition by the end of the first half. They have done this over the last five games.

Many people dismissed the win against Ball State, but today Ball State defeated Georgia in the Sun Coast Challenge. While UConn has lost 3 games to Top 5 teams they had to have changes to the roster due to injuries. After the NC State game both Azzi and Caroline had a bad night and have been on the bench because of injuries. In the UCLA game AE and Paige had thier worst game's of the season. AE 2-12 and Paige 9-23. Then in the Texas game Aubrey has her worst game of the season while Paige shoots only 4-11 while the Freshman who played a combined total of 43 minutes out of 200 scored 20 of the teams 68 points.

Geno reshaped the team after the Texas loss and they have become a totally different type of team. Over the past 5 games they have scored 451 points which is a 90.2 points per game average while only giving up 285 points which is a 57 points per game average. If you take out the TMU win they still average 85 points per game on offense and allow only 62.75 points per game. I believe that this new lineup will be very challenging for both Marquette and Creighton, the rest of the Big East will be a cakewalk.

 

[MooseJaw]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

If Geno as you claim, and I believe you are right, is the greatest coach of all time, why doubt him on Amari? Don't you think if Amari was going to be a big contributor to a better version of UCONN WBB that she would be on the floor with significant minutes pf playing time? As a coach, I told every team that I was not the one deciding playing time, in fact the players do. Amari could easily get more time if she showed in practice that she earned more time.
I would love to see Amari earn more time on the court, until she shows Geno that she has earned it IMO, she is where she belongs.

 

[EricLA]

Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them.

I love you Tony, but no. Amari does NOT need more play time. Can you imagine how ugly our losses would have been if Amari had played 25+ minutes? I ADORE Amari. She's one of the most incredible teammates ever. She's in the middle of every team picture, always has a smile on her face, and is the best bench cheerleader, perhaps ever. But Geno (I think) said "global warming moves faster than Amari", and joking aside, i get it. She has slow feet, slow hands, and slow WCBB instincts - meaning she can't play at the pace needed in college to be successful. I am NOT trying to bash her - I adore her like i said, but she's limited and I think even the most casual fan can see that. Calling for her to get more minutes makes no sense. BTW - against Toronto, even 5'9" Bettencourt got more rebounds than Amari (she played 15 minutes so it's not like she didn't have enough time). Simply can't have a post player who can't battle.

I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point.

I can only imagine as well...? Not sure I understand but ok... We started the season with a healthy Azzi and Caroline, and with high hopes that Ayanna would be able to contribute as a "morph" of Gabby and Aubrey but bigger. So I'm not sure how to imagine what you suggested since the team/puzzle started the season with 2 starters who are done for the year and one athletic reserve who was hopefully going to have a sophomore leap.

FWIW I totally agree with the bottom half of your post. We are improving every game. The youngsters are looking fearless, confident, and moreover, are PRODUCING. Toronto is a terrible team so while the stats looked gaudy, we were playing basically a team ranked outside the top 300 for all intents and purposes. STILL you have to put the ball into the basket. Aside from Arnold's drives, not a lot of baskets were the result of one on one play. Other teams may be better and force more passes to get an open look, but the fact that the shots went in has to feel really good for the team.

And the team looked good and improved every game and then against UNC and Louisville. I thought we easily could have lost one of those games, but was pleasantly surprised by how good the team looked. Those were huge wins given what we lost and how hard they were working on fitting all the new puzzle pieces together.

And +100 take some of the pressure off Paige and Liya. I do worry about the newbies hitting the freshman wall - usually that happens sometime in mid January thru the end of February, but worry about that when the time comes.

Bottom line there is a lot to feel good about for the team and they have earned a much deserved "rest" from games for the Christmas holidays. We have 10 days off till Marquette and I hope the team is ready and doesn't lay an egg or come out flat against them...

 

[sun]

Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

You're right.
Amari has progressed by speeding up & showing more determination & court initiative.
She's even started to dribble the ball a little bit.
If UConn falls behind in the score & the match ups are favorable just like during the UCLA game, Amari is the only superbig that Geno can turn to.
Even LSU has the freshman Del Rosario getting PT in order to develop when they play their cupcakes.
Geno knows that he can't play small all of the time & will need to change tactics at times.
The fans need to have patience while watching Amari take baby steps, like crawling before learning how to walk.

 

[Cuango]

Tonyc is absolutely right. We need Amari. We need to let her grow, develop and blend. She may be the
difference between an early exit and No. 12. Go Huskies

I certainly don’t have an issue with Geno giving her some big minutes in some of (if there are any) the games where we can win easily! However, I do hope people aren’t counting on her because it is very unlikely that we will see her be anything more than what we’ve already seen. I hope I’m wrong but a lot of evidence suggests otherwise.

 

[sun]

I certainly don’t have an issue with Geno giving her some big minutes in some of (if there are any) the games where we can win easily! However, I do hope people aren’t counting on her because it is very unlikely that we will see her be anything more than what we’ve already seen. I hope I’m wrong but a lot of evidence suggests otherwise.

All she needs to do is make her presence felt when other superbigs are on the floor.
Her simple presence on the court can alter the course of a game just by standing there.
You know what she can do & that should be enough to warrant some PT in blowouts in order to help the team when she's really needed in a big game.
Her teammates can make up for any of her deficiencies through teamwork & by increasing their own effort.
She like a verticle hurdle that the opponents need to overcome which in some circumstances is better than nothing.
When she approaches shooters they tend to miss their shots often enough.

 

[Alydar]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

Great post. Almost.

Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them.

How long have you been a UConn fan?

If that is what she needs then she will graduate form UConn on the bench as long as Geno is coach. Play through mistakes? Geno should do this? I'd love to hear a member of the hoard suggest that to Geno. It isn't her mistakes. Geno is letting the 1st year players learn from their mistakes. It's an almost total lack of anything positive that is keeping her on the bench, IMO.

I'm not saying Geno is right. You may be right and that may be what she needs. That changes nothing.
I remember watching Heather Buck successfully guard Griner after a couple of team mates fouled out after being unable to handle Griner. So hope springs eternal for DeBerry.

 

[JellyBean]

@Tonyc positive comments and solid takes as always and to my folks who have not given up on Amari (and Ines), mad respect. There will be some Big East games where, hopefully, Amari can get maybe 5-10 minutes out there and just play. Play through any mistakes. Folks forget that Caroline went through sitting on the bench and only getting limited minutes her freshmen year. Sadly, injures had to happen in order for Caroline to get out there and play through her mistakes and her confidence took off and she had some good moments as well as some bad moments, but she was able to play through those bad moments. We would be wise to get Amari (and Ines) minutes in some of these Big East games, when those chances happen.

The starting Five. They seem to be playing well and finding their groove. I love the pace so far. Having Nika and KK pushing the tempo is good. With KK being able to penetrate and dish or get that contact on players, she will be shooting a lot of free throws this season and if she improves on her finishing, And1s all night! Same with Nika. She is driving and kicking out to Ashlynn, Paige, or KK for the wing or corner 3. Nice options. Even Aaliyah at the top of the key or elbow area. Those are nice options to have.

But I hope the team enjoy their break. Rest up. Heal up. Get some shots up at a local gym but no serious contact like games.

 

[LarryLegend]

You're right.
Amari has progressed by speeding up & showing more determination & court initiative.
She's even started to dribble the ball a little bit.
If UConn falls behind in the score & the match ups are favorable just like during the UCLA game, Amari is the only superbig that Geno can turn to.
Even LSU has the freshman Del Rosario getting PT in order to develop when they play their cupcakes.
Geno knows that he can't play small all of the time & will need to change tactics at times.
The fans need to have patience while watching Amari take baby steps, like crawling before learning how to walk.

If she was a freshman it might be ok to watch baby steps. She is now well into her third year. As other posters have said, at this point you have seen all that you are going to get.

 

[cancontent]

@Tonyc positive comments and solid takes as always and to my folks who have not given up on Amari (and Ines), mad respect. There will be some Big East games where, hopefully, Amari can get maybe 5-10 minutes out there and just play. Play through any mistakes. Folks forget that Caroline went through sitting on the bench and only getting limited minutes her freshmen year. Sadly, injures had to happen in order for Caroline to get out there and play through her mistakes and her confidence took off and she had some good moments as well as some bad moments, but she was able to play through those bad moments. We would be wise to get Amari (and Ines) minutes in some of these Big East games, when those chances happen.

The starting Five. They seem to be playing well and finding their groove. I love the pace so far. Having Nika and KK pushing the tempo is good. With KK being able to penetrate and dish or get that contact on players, she will be shooting a lot of free throws this season and if she improves on her finishing, And1s all night! Same with Nika. She is driving and kicking out to Ashlynn, Paige, or KK for the wing or corner 3. Nice options. Even Aaliyah at the top of the key or elbow area. Those are nice options to have.

But I hope the team enjoy their break. Rest up. Heal up. Get some shots up at a local gym but no serious contact like games.

This especially. The holiday break for basketball teams are much shorter compared to what the rest of the student population gets. This year it seems UConn's is longer than normal which is nice to see.

 

[Boreifs]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

I find it mildly amusing that you start off by claiming Geno is the greatest coach of all time and then immediately start giving him advice on how to coach his team.

 

[Rowdy831]

Aaliyah, Ashlynn, Aubrey, Arnold, and Amari. Folks we've got our season turning around and its happened over the past few weeks. What looked like doom and gloom early on but that isn't the case anymore. Geno once again has proven why he's the greatest coach of all time. Before I go any further IMO Amari needs more playtime with more minutes to become a force. She needs to get into a game, playing significant minutes and play through her mistakes. You get better by making mistakes and learning from them. Over the next few months we play some teams where Amari can get some minutes without having to play against the toughest competition. She will not be overwhelmed in those games and can relax and learn. Amari is the last piece of the puzzle. At 6'6 getting her up to speed is the difference and makes me believe with a 6'6 player on the floor we could vie for the NC.

Aaliyah Ash Aubrey and Arnold have stepped it up. They are playing at a different level and most importantly they are playing with confidence. The team chemistry has improved so much and we are playing like a team with a winning attitude. I can only imagine had we started the season this way, but we didnt. We have come into our own and we've grown. I believe that playing the schedule we played and stumbling forward has gotten us to this point. Last nite in Toronto allowed us to relax and play our game. I truly believe we needed a game like this. Ashlynn got things started. Many posters said she looked like Azzi with her catch and shoot. I agree. We've had some big games from Aaliyah Aubrey and now Ashlynn and Arnold. This is going to open the middle up as well as take pressure off Paige and Aaliyah. We are in a good place right now and still are growing.

These next few days off will give us a chance to reflect on the early season with confidence moving forward. We are slowly becoming a well oiled machine again. It's still gonna take time but we are on the right track. Marquette and Megan Duffy are always tuff and follow that up with Creighton and we will be tested again. Its gonna be a very Merry Christmas for me and I hope your holidays are great too because our girls are in a good place right now.

UConn has enough talent to beat any team it matches up with which is good news. The will not beat any good teams with significant size with the line ups they have been playing lately and that is bad news. As much as getting Amari real time with the starters on the floor is a pipe dream it will be the difference between winning it all and needing other teams to week out the teams ahead like happened for LSU last year.

Two things happen when UConn goes up against tall opponents. First AE has do defend players she isn't tall enough to defend for a whole game. Second is AE is taken out of the offense by one or two tall players controlling the inside which is a bigger deal. This team goes how AE goes so she needs help for a real deep run in the playoffs. Will UConn play to win the Big East or will they play to win a NC?

 

[jabstep]

I just got to watch the Toronto game and I noticed just before the half Geno put Ice in and they was a play where Ice didn't look like she put the effort necessary to get to a rebound. The horn sounded and with 26 seconds left in the half and Amari was in. I think Geno made a decision to try and work Amari in the rotation because as others have said she does challenge those who drive into the paint. Maybe not blocking all the shots but changing them a bit. We don't need 25 minutes from her but if you look at the top of the rankings their are two teams with 6'7" bigs.
When she was in against UCLA for her minutes she did seem to negate Betts. She played with her on the FIBA teams knows her a little bit. South Carolina has plays where Cardosa just stands her the basket and usually from the opposite wing from the block she is standing they just pas the ball over the head of some smaller player trying to guard her. Amari could negate that possibly as well. Cardosa doesn't get up the court as well but Dawn puts up with that.
Boy can those freshman shoot. Ashlynn has learned to get her shot in the offense and looks like she is gaining more confidence each game. KK is starting to pull on her drive into the paint another improvement. Q I love and would like to see her minutes increase. She seems to be able to work in the offense and she works hard on defense and rebounding as well. The intensity of the team seems to be in over drive. Its amazing how quickly they have adjusted.
But now the big PHYSICAL East. Lets see how they adjust to that kind of play. Can't wait to see it!!!!!

 

[Tonyc]

I find it mildly amusing that you start off by claiming Geno is the greatest coach of all time and then immediately start giving him advice on how to coach his team.

I dont intend to give Geno advise. He is the greatest coach imo. He knows more about whats going on then I do. My post is my opinion on what I believe can help. Its a suggestion as a fan.

 

[CL82]

The thread title had me wondering if there's a new battery size I wasn't aware of for a moment.

It's not available in Canada.

 

[CL82]

I'm just gonna throw this up here for whatever it's worth, but, Amari looks flat footed during games and laconic on the sidelines. Geno has publicly said that they consider body language to be important, so I wonder if that contributes to her lack of playing time.

Ines got some decent minutes in Toronto and did well with them. I feel as if her playing time just suffers from having some extraordinarily talented players who play her position.

For whatever is that worth.

 

[cancontent]

It's not available in Canada.

Good because I don't need any surprises with the gifts I got for my nephew and nieces

 

[Stinger92860]

Geno knows that he can't play small all of the time & will need to change tactics at times.
The fans need to have patience while watching Amari take baby steps, like crawling before learning how to walk.

She is in her 3rd year. What you see is what she will bring, patience will not make a difference.