The future of the Huskies

[mmeade258]

I can’t wait to see

PAIGE
AZZI
CAROLINE
AALIYAH
DORKA or DEBERRY
on the floor at the same time.
They are going to be unstoppable

Back doors.. drop it down low, pass it back out to the perimeter …

ALL NET 3!

Can’t wait man!

 

[JoePgh]

I can’t wait to see

PAIGE
AZZI
CAROLINE
AALIYAH
DORKA or DEBERRY
on the floor at the same time.
They are going to be unstoppable

Back doors.. drop it down low, pass it back out to the perimeter …

ALL NET 3!

Can’t wait man!

So what have you seen in about 10 minutes of playing time for Amari this year that convinces you that she can and will be more productive than Liv? Will she pass as well as Liv? Block shots as well as Liv? Rebound as well as Liv? Based on what evidence?

I would note that in the U19's this summer, Cori Close had Amari as the last big on the floor, playing mop-up minutes behind some players who have not distinguished themselves in this college season (e.g., Feagin and Lauren Ware). Has she transformed herself since then? How do you know?

I think this is another case of "new toy syndrome".

 

[Postie]

So what have you seen in about 10 minutes of playing time for Amari this year that convinces you that she can and will be more productive than Liv? Will she pass as well as Liv? Block shots as well as Liv? Rebound as well as Liv? Based on what evidence?

I would note that in the U19's this summer, Cori Close had Amari as the last big on the floor, playing mop-up minutes behind some players who have not distinguished themselves in this college season (e.g., Feagin and Lauren Ware). Has she transformed herself since then? How do you know?

I think this is another case of "new toy syndrome".

I totally agree people always want to try the new restaurant in town.Change quarterback’s..She made one layup and people are salivating.

 

[Boreifs]

So what have you seen in about 10 minutes of playing time for Amari this year that convinces you that she can and will be more productive than Liv? Will she pass as well as Liv? Block shots as well as Liv? Rebound as well as Liv? Based on what evidence?

I would note that in the U19's this summer, Cori Close had Amari as the last big on the floor, playing mop-up minutes behind some players who have not distinguished themselves in this college season (e.g., Feagin and Lauren Ware). Has she transformed herself since then? How do you know?

I think this is another case of "new toy syndrome".

It seems pretty obvious that the post is about next year.

 

[mmeade258]

It seems pretty obvious that the post is about next year.

Thank you so much!

Geno did the SAME exact thing to Olivia Nelson Ododa her freshman year. Sat on the bench then she played.

 

[Skeets]

Folks, I like dreaming as much as the next guy, but when you think about the future, please remember all of last summer's BY hype, and where we are right now. Seems like we always dream about the best case scenario, but it hardly ever works out that way.

 

[Aluminny69]

It doesn't look to me like South Carolina or Stanford are going away any time soon.

 

[LarryLegend]

So what have you seen in about 10 minutes of playing time for Amari this year that convinces you that she can and will be more productive than Liv? Will she pass as well as Liv? Block shots as well as Liv? Rebound as well as Liv? Based on what evidence?

I would note that in the U19's this summer, Cori Close had Amari as the last big on the floor, playing mop-up minutes behind some players who have not distinguished themselves in this college season (e.g., Feagin and Lauren Ware). Has she transformed herself since then? How do you know?

I think this is another case of "new toy syndrome".

so her coaches in U19 and UCONN don’t think she is good enough to play? Wasn’t she a very highly ranked player?

 

[msf22b]

All of this focus on Amari...

I'm thinking about the other 5 with perhaps Nika for Aaliyah (1st or 2nd off the bench) and E (same)

Those may be our best 5 with the seniors as the subs...
Time will tell

Bu methinks Geno wants to win...and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

 

[jabstep]

I can’t wait to see

PAIGE
AZZI
CAROLINE
AALIYAH
DORKA or DEBERRY
on the floor at the same time.
They are going to be unstoppable

Back doors.. drop it down low, pass it back out to the perimeter …

ALL NET 3!

Can’t wait man!

You need to add Bundy to that list. She can hit the elbow shot which will open the lane for backdoors. Stanford was successful in the first half last night because they got Boston away from the basket. With Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka they can play off of them and jam the middle. I like our future. We will have three point shooters and a big who can shoot from the outside. So surprised that we recruit kids who can't shoot. Paterson is going to be our defensive stopper.

 

[Geew1992]

You need to add Bundy to that list. She can hit the elbow shot which will open the lane for backdoors. Stanford was successful in the first half last night because they got Boston away from the basket. With Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka they can play off of them and jam the middle. I like our future. We will have three point shooters and a big who can shoot from the outside. So surprised that we recruit kids who can't shoot. Paterson is going to be our defensive stopper.

As in Ted

 

[BobbyJ]

so her coaches in U19 and UCONN don’t think she is good enough to play? Wasn’t she a very highly ranked player?

Coaches have their own rankings. And in many cases they differ considerably from those amateur website rankings.

 

[JoePgh]

As in Ted

As in the Brady Bunch.

Coaches have their own rankings. And in many cases they differ considerably from those amateur website rankings.

To be clear, I think Amari DeBerry has a lot of ability to contribute (in due course) to UConn's success, and I think Geno has affirmed that. She may indeed have more athletic talent and basketball skill in that position than (for example) Liv. But still, there is a good reason that she isn't playing too much right now, or maybe more than one:

• Her motor doesn't run as fast or for as long as is required to play in the UConn offensive and defensive systems? (think Kiah Stokes in her early years)
• She doesn't understand those systems well enough yet to work effectively with the rest of the team?

Remember that even Moriah Jefferson, despite consummate athletic skill, played limited minutes as a freshman until she learned the UConn offense. Once she did, she was outstanding. KML as a freshman caused a game against ND to be lost when she didn't understand the instructions that were given in a timeout in overtime, but she overcame that problem in later years. Megan Walker showed some flashes as a freshman, but wasn't as productive as she was in later years when she had learned the system. I think the same pattern will apply to Amari.

To her great credit, Caroline Ducharme is quickly learning the system and is getting minutes to reflect that. She wouldn't be getting those minutes if she weren't playing in sync with the rest of the team.

I see some posters say (in essence, and not solely about Amari), "She is obviously a great athlete with a lot of skills. Why is she getting only mop-up minutes?" The answer, almost always, is that she (Amari? Aubrey? Mir? Megan?) has to learn the system and play in the system in order to get minutes. Yes, the UConn system obviously is harder to learn than what is played at other schools, but when it works, it works far better. And really great UConn players can learn it quickly and effectively -- Maya, Stewie, Paige, Moriah, Morgan, Pheesa, Crystal, Gabby, Kia Nurse, for example.

This year, in addition to Caroline Ducharme, Dorka is learning a whole new system, and is doing so effectively, with improvement in every game. You no longer see her get caught on defense with a cutter going behind her, do you? That was a big issue in the early games. Amari will also learn, but at a slow pace with limited minutes while she is still on the learning escalator.

 

[Conndog]

I’m hoping Aaliyah gets back to form soon, she can be such a great contributor! I’m encouraged a little from last game, she seems to be starting to be excited again- good body language and all- we need her! But, we need her to be down low and not up high. Let Liv position herself there if needed but put Aaliyah where she can do the duty work & draw some fouls on the other team’s bigs.

 

[jabstep]

As in Ted

My bad Ha Ha I meant Brady

 

[GoUconn7961]

Folks, I like dreaming as much as the next guy, but when you think about the future, please remember all of last summer's BY hype, and where we are right now. Seems like we always dream about the best case scenario, but it hardly ever works out that way.

They never learn..

 

[Rich]

Where's Piath fit in all of this?

 

[BobbyJ]

As in the Brady Bunch.


To be clear, I think Amari DeBerry has a lot of ability to contribute (in due course) to UConn's success, and I think Geno has affirmed that. She may indeed have more athletic talent and basketball skill in that position than (for example) Liv. But still, there is a good reason that she isn't playing too much right now, or maybe more than one:

• Her motor doesn't run as fast or for as long as is required to play in the UConn offensive and defensive systems? (think Kiah Stokes in her early years)
• She doesn't understand those systems well enough yet to work effectively with the rest of the team?

Remember that even Moriah Jefferson, despite consummate athletic skill, played limited minutes as a freshman until she learned the UConn offense. Once she did, she was outstanding. KML as a freshman caused a game against ND to be lost when she didn't understand the instructions that were given in a timeout in overtime, but she overcame that problem in later years. Megan Walker showed some flashes as a freshman, but wasn't as productive as she was in later years when she had learned the system. I think the same pattern will apply to Amari.

To her great credit, Caroline Ducharme is quickly learning the system and is getting minutes to reflect that. She wouldn't be getting those minutes if she weren't playing in sync with the rest of the team.

I see some posters say (in essence, and not solely about Amari), "She is obviously a great athlete with a lot of skills. Why is she getting only mop-up minutes?" The answer, almost always, is that she (Amari? Aubrey? Mir? Megan?) has to learn the system and play in the system in order to get minutes. Yes, the UConn system obviously is harder to learn than what is played at other schools, but when it works, it works far better. And really great UConn players can learn it quickly and effectively -- Maya, Stewie, Paige, Moriah, Morgan, Pheesa, Crystal, Gabby, Kia Nurse, for example.

This year, in addition to Caroline Ducharme, Dorka is learning a whole new system, and is doing so effectively, with improvement in every game. You no longer see her get caught on defense with a cutter going behind her, do you? That was a big issue in the early games. Amari will also learn, but at a slow pace with limited minutes while she is still on the learning escalator.

Yeah, I agree with your points. On the one I bolded, I take it to mean her concentration and energy level. If so, I agree there also. However, I'm also waiting to see if she has the foot speed and strength to apply when her mind catches up to the UConn pace. I guess we'll find out. My reply that you quoted was mainly in response to that post that seemed to indicate that the poster somehow thought that her HS ranking was important.

 

[Rb335]

Thank you so much!

Geno did the SAME exact thing to Olivia Nelson Ododa her freshman year. Sat on the bench then she played.

Olivia did play 14mpg as a freshman, appearing in all 38 games. Through 9 games, Amari has 6 DNP coaches decision. Seems like a different approach to me.

 

[cancontent]

so her coaches in U19 and UCONN don’t think she is good enough to play? Wasn’t she a very highly ranked player?

From what I've learned over the years, rankings are subjective and differ depending on who's behind them. It's become such a huge business that everyone who "knows" the AAU basketball scene seems to have their own projections.

Being highly ranked by these sites doesn't always translate into the NCAA. There are too many examples of ranked players not progressing or having any impact with their respective teams.

Edit - one example in DeBerry's case. She played with the Philadelphia Belles AAU team. If I have my facts correct, the Belles AAU program is run by/affiliated with Mike Flynn who is also behind the BlueStar report which is a ranking service. His organization hosts various events and his rankings have seemed skewed more towards those who had been associated with his Belles AAU programs.

Coaches have their own rankings. And in many cases they differ considerably from those amateur website rankings.

I agree 100%. The rankings could be a guideline but the coaches have their own criteria based on their team needs.

 

[CocoHusky]

From what I've learned over the years, rankings are subjective and differ depending on who's behind them. It's become such a huge business that everyone who "knows" the AAU basketball scene seems to have their own projections.

Being highly ranked by these sites doesn't always translate into the NCAA. There are too many examples of ranked players not progressing or having any impact with their respective teams.

Edit - one example in DeBerry's case. She played with the Philadelphia Belles AAU team. If I have my facts correct, the Belles AAU program is run by/affiliated with Mike Flynn who is also behind the BlueStar report which is a ranking service. His organization hosts various events and his rankings have seemed skewed more towards those who had been associated with his Belles AAU programs.
I agree 100%. The rankings could be a guideline but the coaches have their own criteria based on their team needs.

I agree almost entirely except, the girls rankings are not a huge business. Your facts are correct Mike Flynn= Philly Belles= Bluestar Media.=Nike EYBL circuit affiliation + Strong affiliation with Boo Williams + Tournament of Champions.
Prospects Nation= Chris Hansen & Brandon Clay= Check Me out Showcase.
Premier Basketball= ESPN HoopGurlz as of 2019= Worldwide Hoops=Shane Laflin= Adidas affiliated

 

[cancontent]

I agree almost entirely except, the girls rankings are not a huge business. Your facts are correct Mike Flynn= Philly Belles= Bluestar Media.=Nike EYBL circuit affiliation + Strong affiliation with Boo Williams + Tournament of Champions.
Prospects Nation= Chris Hansen & Brandon Clay= Check Me out Showcase.
Premier Basketball= ESPN HoopGurlz as of 2019= Worldwide Hoops=Shane Laflin= Adidas affiliated

I see it differently. The rankings themselves may not be huge business from your perspective, but how these organizations link these with the tournaments they host makes it a huge business from my perspective. We also can't forget All-Star Girls Report ASGR who also provide rankings and host tournaments.

And it seems that there are more organizations trying to get in on the action. For example, World Exposure Report, who gave the BY posters on the General Section some entertaining rankings to debate before the season started. They seem relatively new but I've noticed in the past that they like to tease their own version of rankings. I've taken it as their way to generate clicks and promote their recruiting services to those who land on their website.

I'm also looking at it from a players perspective, especially with NIL in play now. I know it's something that was referenced in the press release from Day-Wilson's and Lattimore's old AAU team when they signed a NIL marketing agreement here even though it's unclear as to how international athletes can benefit from it. It's starting to become about having a "brand" from what I've seen.

 

[BobbyJ]

I see it differently. The rankings themselves may not be huge business from your perspective, but how these organizations link these with the tournaments they host makes it a huge business from my perspective. We also can't forget All-Star Girls Report ASGR who also provide rankings and host tournaments.

And it seems that there are more organizations trying to get in on the action. For example, World Exposure Report, who gave the BY posters on the General Section some entertaining rankings to debate before the season started. They seem relatively new but I've noticed in the past that they like to tease their own version of rankings. I've taken it as their way to generate clicks and promote their recruiting services to those who land on their website.

I'm also looking at it from a players perspective, especially with NIL in play now. I know it's something that was referenced in the press release from Day-Wilson's and Lattimore's old AAU team when they signed a NIL marketing agreement here even though it's unclear as to how international athletes can benefit from it. It's starting to become about having a "brand" from what I've seen.

Re: World Exposure Report. It’s basically one guy with a laptop calling himself a CEO. Google Donnie Woods World Exposure Report and check out his less than impressive resume on Linked In of 7 jobs in 9 years. And don’t forget, he was the first to call Cardoso to UConn.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Where's Piath fit in all of this?

Probably on the bench.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Amari was #3 or 4 in the post depth chart for USA basketball. She didn't get much PT. She's actually improved a lot recently but there is little reason to give her much more PT compared to the other options we have. Betts was the dominant post player for her team, and she was a year younger.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dorka ends up the top draft pick from our team if she registers this year. I think she ends the year strong. If we have any chance against SC next game Dorka is going to have to come up big.

Stanford making their 3 point opportunities the other day against SC completely changed that game. It's hard to believe Henderson could have that good a game again but if she continues she will be a top 5 pick. Historically it's been Cooke right? Now it's Henderson as the backcourt threat on that team.

SC is just so deep and they have several players which just find a way to contribute without making a lot of mistakes. Best rebounding team in the college women's game for sure. If anything, they probably are underperforming so far and they are undefeated with lots of top 20 wins. They really are good.

Stanford went from a bad 3 point shooting team at the begginning of the year to a good one now. They are clearly better now than they were earlier this year.