The sophomore leap

[pacific 44]

People often talk about how a player finishes their freshman year,sit down with the coaches after the season and are told what they should work on during the off season. This is supposed to be the best year to year improvement of their four year career. What i am interested in is input from others here about our four second year players. Is 9 games too early to tell or would we already know if they are better than last year? Jmho but i haven't seen a big difference from last year. It is early and i'm hoping to see this sophomore leap. when we get into league games.

 

[HuskieDawg]

While I tend to agree with your assessment I think you have to wait about 15 games or so and see what things look like then. Give the team a chance to play easy games, hard games, in league, out of league and then see what things look like.

 

[ctkaiser]

I think KK showed well in the Notre Dame game. She might have earned some more minutes. Ashlynn was disappointing. I think over the next few weeks the minutes will get sorted out but could depend on matchups. It's still a long way to go. After seeing how well Azzi played it was hard to watch the team not play it's best without her.

 

[Next 12]

My assessment is last year they KNEW they were going to start every game and played with confidence and spirit. What I have seen in the 9 games this year is the confidence is not there. They seem to be looking over their shoulders at GENO and are Unsure of their play. My solution is when UCONN gets fully into the BIG East schedule and play "normal" teams, they will gain their confidence back and gain their vitality back. The Sophomores have not lost that many games in their short careers, so I guess each loss or impending loss might have some thing to do with their slow start. This team is destined for greatness and we will have to be patient and let it happen. The thing UCONN has going for them is " they are UCONN" GO FRESHMEN!!!! GO SOPHOMORES!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Anyone can have a stinker and I'm sure hers stung Ash a good deal. Let's hope she rights her ship. She showed us last year she has far more than potential. Geno is good at pumping a player back up and I think Ash will come around and be fine. The free throws thing, 330th or lower, is a big puzzle and does not bode well in the BE schedule.

 

[JellyBean]

For me, when I hear folks talking about the "Sophomore" leap/jump/growth, I look at the program, where that player ranks in the pecking order of things, and how they are utilized within that program's system. I think for our sophomore group, 9 games is plenty of time to offer a suggestion on the growth or lack thereof, and our sophomore group are playing well and making decent progress, given what they are allowed to do or can do out there on the court.

 

[cohenzone]

Anyone can have a stinker and I'm sure hers stung Ash a good deal. Let's hope she rights her ship. She showed us last year she has far more than potential. Geno is good at pumping a player back up and I think Ash will come around and be fine. The free thows thing, 330th or lower, is a big puzzle and does not bode well in the BE schedule.

Yes. Going by individual. l games to draw general conclusions is not the way to go.

 

[Bigboote]

For me, when I hear folks talking about the "Sophomore" leap/jump/growth, I look at the program, where that player ranks in the pecking order of things, and how they are utilized within that program's system. I think for our sophomore group, 9 games is plenty of time to offer a suggestion on the growth or lack thereof, and our sophomore group are playing well and making decent progress, given what they are allowed to do or can do out there on the court.

I agree. Geno says Ash and KK have grown. I believe him; he sees what fans don’t see and what fans can’t see.

 

[ERWUC65]

Anyone can have a stinker and I'm sure hers stung Ash a good deal. Let's hope she rights her ship. She showed us last year she has far more than potential. Geno is good at pumping a player back up and I think Ash will come around and be fine. The free thows thing, 330th or lower, is a big puzzle and does not bode well in the BE schedule.

Like you I am hoping for more from Ash, but I believe her pattern of folding in the pressure games is such that she has lost favor with Geno. This pattern, 13 against Louisville, 0 against ND seems similar to last years NCAA tournament where she had 26 against Jackson State, 19 against Syracuse followed by 0 against Duke, 5 against USC and 5 against Iowa. She is in great condition and plays hard, but seems to lack the confidence to match up with the ability.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Our Sophomores will continue to improve in leaps and bounds to UConn's 12th title!

 

[oldhusky]

Looking at their stats overall more on a per minute basis, there has been little change with Ashlynn or KK's (PER) stats but components have changed. Ashlynn has played more aggressively on defense, getting more steals for example, but the overall numbers haven't budged much. KK has done much better with the assist to turnover ratio, but has scored less so her overall numbers aren't significantly better either.

Q has regressed but in so few minutes it is not conclusive, and Ice has improved on scoring efficiency which i knew would happen, but that has only lifted her to more like OK, from a disappointing first year.

I had hoped that one or two of them would make a big sophomore leap from good to very good, but thus far that has not happened, although it still could. The confidence argument when you go from starting to the bench is an interesting point, but what i am most disappointed by is that Ashlynn and KK had to play heavier minutes last year than ideal, and i fully expected their per minute production would be better this year when they could get rest when they needed it.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Our Sophomores will continue to improve in leaps and bounds to UConn's 12th title!

Smart, avoided the dreaded Nan heartbeat meme! Though I found it boosted my spirits.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Season is 1/3 over already so if there's gonna be a sophomore leap it's gotta happen soon.

 

[JoePgh]

I see a significant sophomore leap in Ice, who is less foul-prone, more composed, and takes better shots than she did as a freshman. Geno says she plays better defense, but I can't say that I've watched her D enough to affirm or deny that.

In the case of Ashlynn and KK, I think that the normal sophomore leap that you would expect is offset to a considerable degree by the fact that they are playing fewer minutes (more so of KK than of Ashlynn). I think KK's 3-point shooting difficulties are directly tied to her limited minutes -- if she played more, she would probably find the range on those shots.

 

[Zonepress]

I am sure the three sophomores hopefully have improved from their freshman year
How that translates to games may be a bit different
Ice seems to have improved
Well, KK and ash seem like the same players they were last year which to me is great as they were starters on a team that went to the final four
Perhaps peoples expectations for these players is higher than it should be
I think a lot of this comes fro reliance on high school rankings
To me, all three players are good college players, who are complementary players Some thing that every team needs
All that being said, KK imho could be more than a complementary player if she could consistently shoot from three point Range

 

[Cuango]

I’m hoping Allie is working hard on her defense because she has something we really need. She, though she has not shown it yet on the court, is an elite three point shooter! I think she could shoot 40%+ from three before it’s all over. The question is, how long will it take to earn enough minutes from Geno for her to demonstrate that? Will it be this year or next?

 

[Vowelguy]

I think we've seen sophomore leaps but also sophomore slumps. Recall Aaliyah's lost year in 21-22?
CW also struggled her soph year.