Transfer portal, Spring 2022 (merged thread)

[LoboDays]

I don’t think there is a major advantage for UCONN players or players anywhere to be at a specific school in order to reap the benefits of NIL. Paige and AZZI will reap them no matter where they played.

But, back to the original post and recent comments about the current situation accelerating Geno’s decision to retire……..If certain coaches continue to lure recruits with promises of NIL $$, and we get to the point where all coaches are forced to add that to their recruiting pitch, coaches may get disgusted to the point where they have had enough.

Maybe even more than the NIL situation for coaches, especially veteran coaches, is the Portal. Every team is losing multi players each year. So, every team need to replace them through the Portal. Basically, they have to go through the recruiting process twice a year now. No coach is looking forward to that.

I don’t know what Geno is thinking about all of this but I’m sure he and other coaches are pretty fed up with all of this stuff already.

 

[sweetspot]

What a shame that players can now go seek out financial opportunities that benefit them and their families. As we all know, NIL deals ruin any possibility of athletic majesty.

 

[sweetspot]

Also, it's kinda laughable that UConn and Notre Dame, two of the most high-profile programs in the country, would be at a DISADVANTAGE in the NIL battlefield.

Even if Geno or Ivey are hands-off with securing NIL deals, the spotlight finds stars more easily at UConn and Notre Dame than at, say, Boston College or Ole Miss. And where the spotlight goes, endorsements will follow.

 

[Cornell Lt]

It's all about the boosters and their money. Take a look at Texas A&M football. NIL comes along and lo and behold they have the #1 recruiting class in America, never came close in previous years. Coincidence ? I don't think so.

 

[DefenseBB]

Surprised the fact that Morgan Valley is now following Owusu as it was posted in the transfer portal thread didn’t make its way into this thread on our main page.
Ashley has played against Azzi in HS and I think with Paige on a few USA teams. I think there is a very real possibility she will take a look at UConn and I am absolutely ok with that. She would be smart enough to know what is expected and what her role could and would be and UConn would benefit as well.

 

[CocoHusky]

Surprised the fact that Morgan Valley is now following Owusu as it was posted in the transfer portal thread didn’t make its way into this thread on our main page.
Ashley has played against Azzi in HS and I think with Paige on a few USA teams. I think there is a very real possibility she will take a look at UConn and I am absolutely ok with that. She would be smart enough to know what is expected and what her role could and would be and UConn would benefit as well.

Ashley is a terrific player, however I would have to question her fit for this UCONN team based on the needs of the team and some skills that appear to be lacking in her game. Mainly UCONN needs a perimeter defender and a player versatile enough to play positions 1-3. Ashley is a ball dominant PG, not an overly accurate shooter (42%) and does not shoot the deep ball frequently enough (< 1 per game) to take advantage of the looks that will be available in the UCONN offense.

 

[Audi1954]

Surprised the fact that Morgan Valley is now following Owusu as it was posted in the transfer portal thread didn’t make its way into this thread on our main page.
Ashley has played against Azzi in HS and I think with Paige on a few USA teams. I think there is a very real possibility she will take a look at UConn and I am absolutely ok with that. She would be smart enough to know what is expected and what her role could and would be and UConn would benefit as well.

I remember and interview with Paige and Azzi where someone asked who they hate playing against, and they both said Owusu.

 

[CocoHusky]

I remember and interview with Paige and Azzi where someone asked who they hate playing against, and they both said Owusu.

 

[Audi1954]

Wow you’re good! How’d you do that?

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Ashley is a terrific player, however I would have to question her fit for this UCONN team based on the needs of the team and some skills that appear to be lacking in her game. Mainly UCONN needs a perimeter defender and a player versatile enough to play positions 1-3. Ashley is a ball dominant PG, not an overly accurate shooter (42%) and does not shoot the deep ball frequently enough (< 1 per game) to take advantage of the looks that will be available in the UCONN offense.

42% is good for a PG. I like and I hate the deep ball. More specifically, I hate the frequency of it. Owusu can get to the rim...off the dribble. Not a lot of that lately at UCONN. Having said that...is she leaving MD over playing time? If so, would that improve at UCONN? And btw...I have no answer to this question. Just talking out loud.

 

[Audi1954]

I love this interview between these two and get a kick out of the dogs running in and out of the house through the doggie door. One of them must be “Stewie”

 

[Audi1954]

42% is good for a PG. I like and I hate the deep ball. More specifically, I hate the frequency of it. Owusu can get to the rim...off the dribble. Not a lot of that lately at UCONN. Having said that...is she leaving MD over playing time? If so, would that improve at UCONN? And btw...I have no answer to this question. Just talking out loud.

Playing time could be an issue, but her drives to the hoop which they will be lacking with William’s departure, and setting some solid picks for the other guards, could make Owusu a fine addition to the team. Just talking out loud here too.

 

[CocoHusky]

42% is good for a PG. I like and I hate the deep ball. More specifically, I hate the frequency of it. Owusu can get to the rim...off the dribble. Not a lot of that lately at UCONN. Having said that...is she leaving MD over playing time? If so, would that improve at UCONN? And btw...I have no answer to this question. Just talking out loud.

42 % is not good for a "UCONN PG" which was kind of my point. 42% would have made Ashley the worse shooter among the 9 UCONN starters or rotation players on this past season. The current UCONN backup PG Nika is at 43% and even that needs to improve. Getting to the rim using the dribble is not a main feature of the UCONN offense and the offense is not going to change to accommodate 1 player. UCONN is a read and react motion offense and again not that Ashley can't play read and react is just not the strength of her game. I have no idea why she left Maryland but I highly doubt it had anything to do with playing time. She's been a day 1 starter for Maryland and average close to 30 MPG-which is about as many minutes as her conditioning allows her to play. She is not going to get 30 minutes per game at UCONN.

 

[Kaizen]

I guess Owusu must be Paige and Azzi's best friend ....

 

[Audi1954]

Does anyone know if Geno and staff would ever discuss potential transfers or recruits with the current roster? Ask for their feedback? Particularly someone like Paige?

 

[LwrcasefaN]

42 % is not good for a "UCONN PG" which was kind of my point. 42% would have made Ashley the worse shooter among the 9 UCONN starters or rotation players on this past season. The current UCONN backup PG Nika is at 43% and even that needs to improve. Getting to the rim using the dribble is not a main feature of the UCONN offense and the offense is not going to change to accommodate 1 player. UCONN is a read and react motion offense and again not that Ashley can't play read and react is just not the strength of her game. I have no idea why she left Maryland but I highly doubt it had anything to do with playing time. She's been a day 1 starter for Maryland and average close to 30 MPG-which is about as many minutes as her conditioning allows her to play. She is not going to get 30 minutes per game at UCONN.

I would say i's not a main feature because there hasn't been a lot of guards who attack ...all the way to the rim off the dribble. Off the top of my head...I'm thinking MoJeff was the last to do it consistently. I see more attacks inside the foul line and then mid range jumpers...which is fine. You place more pressure on defenses if you can penetrate all the way to the rim...not to mention you probably get more trips to the FT line. Now I'm thinking where did this year's team fall in FT attempts to other UCONN teams. I'm babbling a bit between a hot shower, melatonin and a shot of bourbon. So, if I don't make sense...forgive me. In any case...this is probably a hard fit. You almost need someone like Diamond Johnson...who comes in and does her thing and then goes back on the bench until they need her.

 

[Audi1954]

I would say i's not a main feature because there hasn't been a lot of guards who attack ...all the way to the rim off the dribble. Off the top of my head...I'm thinking MoJeff was the last to do it consistently. I see more attacks inside the foul line and then mid range jumpers...which is fine. You place more pressure on defenses if you can penetrate all the way to the rim...not to mention you probably get more trips to the FT line. Now I'm thinking where did this year's team fall in FT attempts to other UCONN teams. I'm babbling a bit between a hot shower, melatonin and a shot of bourbon. So, if I don't make sense...forgive me. In any case...this is probably a hard fit. You almost need someone like Diamond Johnson...who comes in and does her thing and then goes back on the bench until they need her.

Falling off the topic a little bit, what I saw in the NC State vs UConn game, they probably shouldn’t have sent Diamond back to the bench. There was a whole lot of tweets about that after the game. She was on a roll. [ ]

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Falling off the topic a little bit, what I saw in the NC State vs UConn game, they probably shouldn’t have sent Diamond back to the bench. There was a whole lot of tweets about that after the game. She was on a roll. If Diamond transfers, she’s definitely going to want more playing time.

In a post...I thanked their coach for sitting her. lol She transferred in so I think she knew that she would sit a bit. I don't expect that to be her role next year.

 

[Audi1954]

In a post...I thanked their coach for sitting her. lol She transferred in so I think she knew that she would sit a bit. I don't expect that to be her role next year.

I remember reading that post. Seriously, she could have changed the final result. How awful that would have been.

 

[sweetspot]

42 % is not good for a "UCONN PG" which was kind of my point. 42% would have made Ashley the worse shooter among the 9 UCONN starters or rotation players on this past season. The current UCONN backup PG Nika is at 43% and even that needs to improve. Getting to the rim using the dribble is not a main feature of the UCONN offense and the offense is not going to change to accommodate 1 player. UCONN is a read and react motion offense and again not that Ashley can't play read and react is just not the strength of her game. I have no idea why she left Maryland but I highly doubt it had anything to do with playing time. She's been a day 1 starter for Maryland and average close to 30 MPG-which is about as many minutes as her conditioning allows her to play. She is not going to get 30 minutes per game at UCONN.

I think if she's healthy she'd return to somewhere near her 49% shooting as a sophomore. She also showed better outside range last year. I agree that Owusu's not the kind of off-ball mover that you see from Geno's guards, but if you're a coach who can't find creative ways to highlight her unique skill set that says more about your acumen than her limitations. She can post up smaller players and hunt bigger players on pick and rolls.

 

[CocoHusky]

I would say i's not a main feature because there hasn't been a lot of guards who attack ...all the way to the rim off the dribble. Off the top of my head...I'm thinking MoJeff was the last to do it consistently. I see more attacks inside the foul line and then mid range jumpers...which is fine. You place more pressure on defenses if you can penetrate all the way to the rim...not to mention you probably get more trips to the FT line. Now I'm thinking where did this year's team fall in FT attempts to other UCONN teams. I'm babbling a bit between a hot shower, melatonin and a shot of bourbon. So, if I don't make sense...forgive me. In any case...this is probably a hard fit. You almost need someone like Diamond Johnson...who comes in and does her thing and then goes back on the bench until they need her.

Christyn Williams, Kia Nurse & Crystal Dangerfield certainly knew how to attach the basket consistently. You can certainly put pressure on the defense by penetrating all the way to the basket but Geno preference has always been to move the ball by passing vs dribbling.

 

[oldude]

So a little tidbit that probably means absolutely nothing. Owusu, who played soccer as a youngster before switching to basketball, and Megan Rapinoe follow each other on social media. Of course, we all know who Rapinoe’s fiancé is. Clearly, Owusu will transfer to UConn….

 

[Biff]

So a little tidbit that probably means absolutely nothing. Owusu, who played soccer as a youngster before switching to basketball, and Megan Rapinoe follow each other on social media. Of course, we all know who Rapinoe’s fiancé is. Clearly, Owusu will transfer to UConn….

But does she know Kevin Bacon?

 

[oldude]

But does she know Kevin Bacon?

Well let’s see.

• Owusu follows Megan Rapinoe on social media.
• Rapinoe is engaged to Sue.
• Sue hangs out with DT
• DT attended the Espy’s
• Tom Hanks also attended the Espy’s
• Tom Hanks & Kevin Bacon appeared together in Apollo 13.

So based on 6-degrees of separation, the answer is clearly yes.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Christyn Williams, Kia Nurse & Crystal Dangerfield certainly knew how to attach the basket consistently. You can certainly put pressure on the defense by penetrating all the way to the basket but Geno preference has always been to move the ball by passing vs dribbling.

Dangerfield, yes. Williams and Nurse, but in the fullcourt...and Nurse more consistent than Williams. And you could see Wiliams try, but she got called for a lot of travels because it just didn't come instinctively to her...unless she was on a breakaway. A crowded halfcourt and a clean break are two different landscapes. The inconsistency I observed with this year's team was in the half-court offense, specifically with getting a shot off late in the clock and lack of cutters, especially backdoor. Caroline was the best at backdoor cuts, decisive on the cut, which is important to timing. All those balls thrown out of bounds or to an opponent weren't so much the passer, but hesitance on the cutter or a bad angle on the cut. You can't cut to a space where you end up under the basket when you finally get the ball. Watch Boston...she points to where she wants the ball or where she is going to cut.

Many times you saw Edwards and ONO looking for someone to cut and most folks pointed to the passer. And then there are the multiple line ups which impacted chemistry. Even Paige late in the clock would pass the ball versus attacking the rim and you saw Geno telling her...you can't pass that ball late in the clock.

And absolutely passing is preferred over excessive dribbling, especially with a team that isn't exactly the fastest as a group. But, in the halfcourt offensive, you need deep dribble penetration and either an attack at the rim or a kick to shooters. The penetration forces help and gives your shooters clean looks. I can't wait for Arnold to get here. I don't expect her to start, but she will definitely bring speed and a different look to opposing defenses.

After all this blabber from me....lol...I think UCONN guards were starting to operate outside of their comfort zone. Caroline started driving. I see why they call her sneaky. She just quietly goes back door. Azzi started coming off the 3-point line to take advantage of her midrange shot. And after a year ...I think she will be less nervous and more confident. And I anticipate a monster season from Paige next year. Her late-game heroics, while nice to watch, need to start at tipoff and I think she knows that. I expect her to be really aggressive.