The Azzi Fudd Dilemma

[The deacon]

Ashlynn and Q, too

Has Morgan transferred? I can't believe how often these threads meander on without mentioning her...

 

[Bone Dog]

Can Geno have a rules exception to allow him to play 7 on the floor at a time?

 

[yhun89]

Can Geno have a rules exception to allow him to play 7 on the floor at a time?

Imagine being the other team and having to face Ash Azzi PB Allie Sarah Jana and Q all at once.

 

[Bone Dog]

Imagine being the other team and having to face Ash Azzi PB Allie Sarah Jana and Q all at once.

The only other coach in the country who might welcome it is Dawn!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I have the feeling I must comment or lose my membership card. Unfortunately, I have a deep down gut feeling that Azzi will not stay healthy and it will be the Shea Ralph Syndrome that will do it. With such talent and the years and years of hard work that would be most unfair. However, fair is only a sometimes thing in sports.

Azzi go strong all the way.

 

[PhillyCoach]

When Azzi is ready to play she will come off the bench. Paige, KK, Ash will start the season. Jana is the Edwards replacement and the best big. Who is the next best player? Strong is better than Ice (IMHO) or Q,. Caroline and Patterson are big questions and are 13 & 14 for the beginning. The other new frosh are 11& 12 unless they come on strong defensively or outrageously good shooters. What a nice team if Azzi comes off the bench first if they need points and Aubrey comes in if they need more D or rebounding. Ice relieves Jana. Q will sub here and there.
Because of the injury history I can see Azzi and Aubrey coming off the bench well into the season. It depends on how well KK and Ash have improved. If they have--Azzi could come off the bench much longer.

 

[hoophuskee]

I have to agree with the op's comment: "but I've also seen the passive, turnover prone, pass up shot Azzi"

She has "disappeared" at times in really big games, and on the one hand you want her at the ft line if you know the other team will foul. But she has been easy to trap and turnover in those same big games.

How many games has she been trapped?

And are you making a point that she has been trapped when she was hurt?
And when she was healthy in her soph year, how many games was she passive?

IMO maybe it's a mischaracterized comment "she disappears" when I hear this about some players. The player isn't perfect. No player is. They are playing a team game. And the other team and coaches can be good at Defense too.

Geno did say early on in Azzi's frosh year that the team has to work harder to get Azzi the ball than someone like Paige. So, if you're running a motion offense in in which every player has the green light to shoot - how is it possible to not appear like you have disappeared? Otherwise players have the right to shoot and make plays also so ofc there will be stretches she isn’t going to shoot. I do agree that she can be more easily stopped than Paige. But do we cay that that is "disappearing?" - Maybe but that phrase was also thrown out with Paige too and it really seems its being thrown around too loosely. Unless UCONN turns into a one man team - in a way you can say that about every loss or every game they don't get over 20 that they have “disappeared” even though the Offense is also motion/shared team game Offense.

 

[HuskyNan]

Has Morgan transferred? I can't believe how often these threads meander on without mentioning her...

Morgan has many strengths but her perimeter shooting is still developing.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I've seen my local girl play in person in 6 of the last 7 seasons (Covid senior year was a washout). She needs to be healthy and confident. When she is, no one is better.

I've always thought that Azzi needed to play with Paige and for Geno to build her confidence. I'm not sure they have played together at UConn at all when 100% healthy, but I sure hope for it this season. As a duo, they are amazing. Neither one is guardable one on one.

 

[Majic Hands]

Ashlynn and Q, too

Yea. You probably could have added Kaitlyn Chinn’s name as well.

A lot of folks in the BY always replace proven performers who are now a year older with totally untested Freshmen.

It seems to be some sort of affliction that totally escapes my understanding.

 

[yhun89]

Has Morgan transferred? I can't believe how often these threads meander on without mentioning her...

Morgan is much more of a slash and score player. Working on the perimeter.

 

[yhun89]

a

Yea. You probably could have added Kaitlyn Chinn’s name as well.

A lot of folks in the BY always replace proven performers who are now a year older with totally untested Freshmen.

It seems to be some sort of affliction that totally escapes my understanding.

chen isn’t a reliable 3 point shot as it stands right now. She was a low 30% from 3 last year. Elite from mid range though.

 

[Majic Hands]

When Azzi is ready to play she will come off the bench. Paige, KK, Ash will start the season. Jana is the Edwards replacement and the best big. Who is the next best player? Strong is better than Ice (IMHO) or Q,. Caroline and Patterson are big questions and are 13 & 14 for the beginning. The other new frosh are 11& 12 unless they come on strong defensively or outrageously good shooters. What a nice team if Azzi comes off the bench first if they need points and Aubrey comes in if they need more D or rebounding. Ice relieves Jana. Q will sub here and there.
Because of the injury history I can see Azzi and Aubrey coming off the bench well into the season. It depends on how well KK and Ash have improved. If they have--Azzi could come off the bench much longer.

Oops!
Kaitlyn Chinn, coming is the most experienced PG on the new UConn roster. I’ll not be surprised in the least when she comes in like Lou what school did Luke come from Fairfield.

Some seem to forget the Princeton coach played for UConn. At a very high level.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

How many games has she been trapped?

And are you making a point that she has been trapped when she was hurt?
And when she was healthy in her soph year, how many games was she passive?

IMO maybe it's a mischaracterized comment "she disappears" when I hear this about some players. The player isn't perfect. No player is. They are playing a team game. And the other team and coaches can be good at Defense too.

Geno did say early on in Azzi's frosh year that the team has to work harder to get Azzi the ball than someone like Paige. So, if you're running a motion offense in in which every player has the green light to shoot - how is it possible to not appear like you have disappeared? Otherwise players have the right to shoot and make plays also so ofc there will be stretches she isn’t going to shoot. I do agree that she can be more easily stopped than Paige. But do we cay that that is "disappearing?" - Maybe but that phrase was also thrown out with Paige too and it really seems its being thrown around too loosely. Unless UCONN turns into a one man team - in a way you can say that about every loss or every game they don't get over 20 that they have “disappeared” even though the Offense is also motion/shared team game Offense.

Very good points! People tend to see only what they want to see, and almost always forget the physical condition (or lack thereof) a player is in. Hopefully with the amount of suspected talent on this team, Geno will not be forced to play people at least than ideal health.

 

[AJay11]

When Azzi is ready to play she will come off the bench. Paige, KK, Ash will start the season. Jana is the Edwards replacement and the best big. Who is the next best player? Strong is better than Ice (IMHO) or Q,. Caroline and Patterson are big questions and are 13 & 14 for the beginning. The other new frosh are 11& 12 unless they come on strong defensively or outrageously good shooters. What a nice team if Azzi comes off the bench first if they need points and Aubrey comes in if they need more D or rebounding. Ice relieves Jana. Q will sub here and there.
Because of the injury history I can see Azzi and Aubrey coming off the bench well into the season. It depends on how well KK and Ash have improved. If they have--Azzi could come off the bench much longer.

I like how the Chasing Perfection phrased it. With Azzi and Ducharme the team is unstoppable, but the coaches are probaby developing a team where the pressure is not on those two to be anchors of this team. I'll admit it's hard for me to be anything but skeptical. I haven't really seen her play enough to get to excited. While she's been clutch in a few games, she's also played some memorably bad games which are hard to erase because of so little games she's played. My expectations is that she be healthy this season and enjoy the game and not worry about the expectations and labels the media places on her.

 

[PJCLaw]

Has Morgan transferred? I can't believe how often these threads meander on without mentioning her...

That's probably because this thread is about Azzi. While there are other players briefly mentioned for contrasting or illustration purposes, it is still about Azzi.

 

[hoophuskee]

she's also played some memorably bad games which are hard to erase her.

You are referring to her soph year and the 1 game in her jr year, right?

 

[yhun89]

I like how the Chasing Perfection phrased it. With Azzi and Ducharme the team is unstoppable, but the coaches are probaby developing a team where the pressure is not on those two to be anchors of this team. I'll admit it's hard for me to be anything but skeptical. I haven't really seen her play enough to get to excited. While she's been clutch in a few games, she's also played some memorably bad games which are hard to erase because of so little games she's played. My expectations is that she be healthy this season and enjoy the game and not worry about the expectations and labels the media places on her.

Everyone has bad games though. I’m sure UCONN fans like to forget Paige’s game against Texas, but that doesn’t make her a bad player by any means.

 

[HuskyNan]

I like how the Chasing Perfection phrased it. With Azzi and Ducharme the team is unstoppable, but the coaches are probaby developing a team where the pressure is not on those two to be anchors of this team. I'll admit it's hard for me to be anything but skeptical. I haven't really seen her play enough to get to excited. While she's been clutch in a few games, she's also played some memorably bad games which are hard to erase because of so little games she's played. My expectations is that she be healthy this season and enjoy the game and not worry about the expectations and labels th places on her.

Or the fans

 

[CL82]

Ashlynn and Q, too

In that little clip of Ashlynn in KK's video, Ashlynn looked pretty ripped. Thrust into the fire of high major basketball last year, she did impressively well. I'm looking for her and KK to make big jumps.

I am very curious about Q. She's a talented athlete, but looked young physically last year. If she spends some quality time in the weight room this summer, she will be better positioned to tolerate the physicality of the college game. I'm curious to see how she does. I'd love to see her break out this year but it's going to happen sooner or later. She's too talented for it not to happen.

 

[CL82]

Imagine being the other team and having to face Ash Azzi PB Allie Sarah Jana and Q all at once.

Imagine having to play any five of them, only to face the remainder when they go to the bench, because that's the reality next year if everyone stays healthy. Plus, everyone will look a lot fresher at the end of the season if we manage to keep players to under 30 minutes a game.

 

[yhun89]

Imagine having to play any five of them, only to face the remainder when they go to the bench, because that's the reality next year if everyone stays healthy. Plus, everyone will look a lot fresher at the end of the season if we manage to keep players to under 30 minutes a game.

"What do you mean there's another shooter on their bench??"
-Our season next year basically.

 

[Scrutiner]

In that little clip of Ashlynn in KK's video, Ashlynn looked pretty ripped. Thrust into the fire of high major basketball last year, she did impressively well. I'm looking for her and KK to make big jumps.

I am very curious about Q. She's a talented athlete, but looked young physically last year. If she spends some quality time in the weight room this summer, she will be better positioned to tolerate the physicality of the college game. I'm curious to see how she does. I'd love to see her break out this year but it's going to happen sooner or later. She's too talented for it not to happen.

Q makes me think of Jeremy Lamb on the men's side. Athletic, lean, nice moves and can shoot from all levels.

It would be great if she got a little stronger but I'm not an advocate of forcing too much with weights. I'd rather see her grow into her body on its schedule, not that of the strength coach.........but that's probably why I'm not a strength coach!

 

[Steelerone]

I don't care for the label's like "generational player", "one of a kind", or "a real game changer." These descriptions mean absolutely nothing when the player is not on the floor. It's akin to the pitcher who throws 100 mph but, unfortunately, can't hit the strike zone.

 

[AJay11]

Everyone has bad games though. I’m sure UCONN fans like to forget Paige’s game against Texas, but that doesn’t make her a bad player by any means.

Notice I said that it's hard to forget her bad games, because she's barely played at all, and unfortunately for her, her bad games are recent or have come in big games where she was needed as a scorer.

It is doesn't help that some are saying that she's a "generational talent" but she needs the likes of Bueckers to help her get there?!! I remember before the catastrophe that was the Ohio game, that she struggled through most of the Baylor game. I remember being slightly alarmed when Geno talked how needed to find her shot/confidence. Not that's a bad a thing, but it was a little worrisome when she was one of the 3 players the team was relying on for scoring. Even when Paige has a bad night, it's quickly erased by the string of 20 pt games or the games she has saved the team in big moments. I don't think Azzi is a Paige, Juju, Hildago, Harmon, but she is a nice solid scorer.
I will be happily rooting for if she has a breakout year, but I am also happy that the team can turn to other solid players if she needs more time or struggles to find that confidence. Skill is only part of the game, and I wish the best for her because I can only imagine how awful it must be not to play a single full season in 3 years.