U17 World Championships: USA v Italy (7/21/18)

[UConnCat]

Just because Brink can't keep up with the desired pace, I don't think her skills can be ignored. She is lanky and still waiting for her coordination to match her size. She has great hands, a nice touch and oh yeah, just finishing her sophomore year. She has two years to get stronger and become a post presence. She is, no doubt in my mind, a top 5 2020 kid.

She can get up and down the court at a pretty good pace too.

 

[UConnCat]

In other games of note:

Hungary 85 Argentina 61
France 60 Japan 53
Canada 65 Latvia 51

Defending champs Australia up next vs Angola.

 

[JordyG]

By the way, the guard that impressed me the most defensively was Fudd. She mostly stayed in front of her mark, kept her hands busy, and made good switches. Another big time baller.

 

[JordyG]

Just because Brink can't keep up with the desired pace, I don't think her skills can be ignored. She is lanky and still waiting for her coordination to match her size. She has great hands, a nice touch and oh yeah, just finishing her sophomore year. She has two years to get stronger and become a post presence. She is, no doubt in my mind, a top 5 2020 kid.

Good observation. She also needs to give the weight room more than just a lookaway pass.

 

[CocoHusky]

This was the first time I saw many of these highly touted players and of course then it's a one game sample.
Of course Jones, Bueckers, Fudd and Boston stood out and were everything I heard and read about.
From my reading and a few short individual highlight reels, I just love Hailey Van Lith. She has it all! A true point guard who also can shoot and get her own shot but first looks to create for her teammates. I sure hope Geno is going after her hard. I really liked the game Bellini, Taylor & Osborne had.
While Ive read amazing things about Horston didn't see much of anything from her today. With so much talent and the PT being spread around that easily can happen for a game or three.
Brunelle and Brink didn't show that much but are amongst the last off the bench. Brunelle doesn't seem to be what many if not most said in the last year, and maybe that's why U Conn backed off, although we may never really know.
Cooke made one phenomenal play but mostly was a hog and out of control. One of those players with great athletic ability, huge upside and lots of errors to go with it.
Don't know if I missed commenting on anyone individually.
This is a phenomenally talented group but way, way too much dribbling and forcing of the play offensively. Of course, they haven practiced or played together much. But here's just an example of what I saw just comparing two players, who coming in weren't givens as to significant playing time.
Hailey Van Lith who in the last year or so, stock has risen considerably and anyone can see why. She plays under control, moved the ball, passes both to create movement and to create teammates shots and shoots pretty darn well. All over the court defensively and trying to box out and rebound. On the other hand Zia Cooke must have shot herself four to six straight possessions or passed
reluctantly or too late. Yes she's trying to get more PT, but doubt that will earn her such.
Excited to see more of them.
Im not sure the many comments about Bueckers and Fudd following Brunelle to ND mean much of anything. If we truly can't get those two potentially greats then we need Jones, Boston, Hailey Van Lith and maybe a Horston or Griffin, and we'd be just fine.
Bronx23

Horston was the leading rebounder in this game. She also had as many assists (2nd on the Team) as Fudd and Van Lith combined and only 1 less than Bueckers. Not her best game shooting 2/6 and 3 turnovers but no one was more disruptive with the perimeter defense. I'm sort of a defensive bigot so let me put it this way: Horston can do a better job of guarding every player on that team better than any player could do at guarding her. Horston is the second best defender in the class behind Amihere with Boston being third.
I never ever thought the talk of Bueckers or Fudd following ANYONE ANYWHERE made ANY sense. Both are clearly alphas not followers.

 

[Boreifs]

Brunelle and Brink have been 11 and 12 for the exhibitions as well. The team has six posts; neither of them are going to get time at a wing position, so the minutes will be few. From casual observation, the coaches seem to have made the right call on which four posts should be getting the minutes.

 

[CocoHusky]

By the way, the guard that impressed me the most defensively was Fudd. She mostly stayed in front of her mark, kept her hands busy, and made good switches. Another big time baller.

I actually though Fudd was a little lacking in her perimeter defense and has been over the last couple of games. I would put Taylor, Horston , Van Lith, & Osborne as the most effective perimeter defenders. VanLith got caught on a switch onto a post player and she was an absolute bulldog-she rooted the post player right out of the post using leverage and her lower body-=it was a thing of beauty.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Watching the game now and all i can say at the moment is whoever has that horn needs to lose it!! Quickly! How annoying. It’s clearly a USA fan.

 

[UConnCat]

Australia up on Angola 43-20 at halftime.

Angola plays at a very hectic pace. Based on watching just a few minutes, this Australia team doesn't look to be as good as the 2016 championship team that had Ezi, Jas Simmons (Oregon State) and Jaz Shelley (future Div 1 player).

 

[Kaizen]

Really like Hailey Van Lith and hope Geno can get her next year.....

 

[BobbyJ]

Now I have to again open up a can of worms. But Brunelle is either hurt, in someones doghouse, or just isn't as good as the players who are getting more minutes than her. Now, things could change as these championships get deeper in, but right now what is, is. What ain't, ain't.

She doesn’t look hurt and I doubt that a coach as respected as Berube would even have a doghouse for kids this age. I’ve thought it was door #3 since I first saw her in international play. Not physical enough inside and just not a real perimeter player.

 

[UConnCat]

What is the latest on Cooke and recruiting? Is she considering Ohio State? She would be a good fit there.

Schools that appear to be in the mix for Cooke are Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Louisville. Maybe there's another school or two I'm missing.

Here's what she said about Ohio State:

[Kelsey] Mitchell is a surefire WNBA draft pick, and the Buckeyes give her license to be creative, which Cooke said was appealing to her as a fellow guard.

“I do like that,” Cooke said. “Like I said, I don’t know where I want to go, but I definitely like how they let her free up. It’s basically her team.

“But I want to win, so that’s my goal.”

Tennessee would also be a good spot for her. The Vols seem to attract turnover-prone guards.

 

[UConnCat]

Australia defeats Angola 81-43.

Next up for USA is Mali @ 8:30 AM tomorrow morning.

 

[JordyG]

She doesn’t look hurt and I doubt that a coach as respected as Berube would even have a doghouse for kids this age. I’ve thought it was door #3 since I first saw her in international play. Not physical enough inside and just not a real perimeter player.

Ì thought CocoHusky's explanation was on the money.

 

[Dillon77]

I'll try and say it without saying IT. Based on the couple of scrimmages and this game I think Carla has made a decision that this team is going to play at a very fast pace. Given the number of gifted ball handlers on this team (Fudd, Cooke, Bueckers, Taylor, Osborne, Horston, & Van Lith) pushing the pace makes sense. This team is in constant push mode on offense and disrupt/overplay mode on defense. Very rarely do they reset after an offensive rebound they put the o board back up immediately. Jones, Belibi and Boston can keep up so Carla rotation was basically 3 of the pace pushers plus two of ( Jones, Belibi & Boston). If you can't keep up with the pace your not going to have a good opportunity to show your other skills no matter how good those skills might be.

Very much agree with your explanation and UConnCat's emphasis on pace.
I think Horston's length (she plays longer than 6'1") might've added to this decision and/or makes it easier.

The starting lineup has pretty much been in place since the exhibitions/games have been played and the rotation has only gotten firmer. I wonder if the approach to go in this strategic direction was from the get-go or as practices were taking place.

Yes, I'm aware a committee selects the team but one would've thought a player like Rickea Jackson would've fit in well in a rotation with Jones and Horston.

As a former coach and a willing, somewhat able (but creaky) weekend warrior of a hoops player, I'm a big believer in picking teams to match approaches and teammates whenever possible. I think Coach Berube is doing so with the vast majority of this roster. I've got no doubt that Brink and Brunelle would be fine with certain approaches/systems that play to their strengths. BTW, a player I think has been having in's and out's (but is so good it's not that noticeable) is Ms. Fudd.

On a completely different note, it was good to see the bench go a bit nuts when Hailey Van Lith hit two consecutive bombs at the end of the third quarter. Also some good reactions when Bueckers had some shake and bakes in the fourth. Been a bit subdued/businesslike in the cutaways I've seen. Have some fun!

 

[UConnCat]

I'll try and say it without saying IT. Based on the couple of scrimmages and this game I think Carla has made a decision that this team is going to play at a very fast pace. Given the number of gifted ball handlers on this team (Fudd, Cooke, Bueckers, Taylor, Osborne, Horston, & Van Lith) pushing the pace makes sense. This team is in constant push mode on offense and disrupt/overplay mode on defense. Very rarely do they reset after an offensive rebound they put the o board back up immediately. Jones, Belibi and Boston can keep up so Carla rotation was basically 3 of the pace pushers plus two of ( Jones, Belibi & Boston). If you can't keep up with the pace your not going to have a good opportunity to show your other skills no matter how good those skills might be.

I would add to your very fine post that pace is important in good half-court offense as well, i.e., move the ball without excessive dribbling, quick passes, hard cuts, etc.

 

[Bronx23]

Horston was the leading rebounder in this game. She also had as many assists (2nd on the Team) as Fudd and Van Lith combined and only 1 less than Bueckers. Not her best game shooting 2/6 and 3 turnovers but no one was more disruptive with the perimeter defense. I'm sort of a defensive bigot so let me put it this way: Horston can do a better job of guarding every player on that team better than any player could do at guarding her. Horston is the second best defender in the class behind Amihere with Boston being third.
I never ever thought the talk of Bueckers or Fudd following ANYONE ANYWHERE made ANY sense. Both are clearly alphas not followers.

Thanks for the clarification on Horston. I missed those points and hopefully it was watching it on my smart phone screen. Surely the assists, rebounds and defense are all huge.
Add Horston to my list of highly desired U Conn recruit, as if that makes one iota of difference.
Bronx23

 

[MilfordHusky]

Azzi Food and Hailey Van Leeth.

Spanish pronounciations.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Don't know if I've mentioned this but Bueckers is good.

Good, as in she plays like a college sophomore.

 

[UConnCat]

Game story: USA U17 Women Open with 86-48 Win Against Italy

“It’s good to get that first one under our belt,” said Carla Berube, USA U17 and Tufts University head coach. “There were some lapses in the second quarter, but I think it was a great overall effort by everyone. We really shared the ball well. I wish we had taken care of the ball a little bit better and defended a little bit better, but it’s a good first step for us in beating a really good Italian team.

“We started off pretty solid,” said Van Lith. “Then, they went on a run, but we answered right back and shut them down. That’s when we just took off. It was really fun, it was a great atmosphere. I had a lot of fun with my teammates.”

“We shared the ball really well tonight and did well on transition offense,” said Jones. “We still have a lot to work on defensively, and that all comes through communication. We have great team chemistry already, and it’s just going to keep getting better throughout the tournament. So, that helps us pull away in any game.”

 

[MilfordHusky]

that's going to be her brand once she hits the WNBA

She’s at the top of the Fudd Chain.

 

[MilfordHusky]

so what your saying is that Ohio State is the perfect place to be if you like to dribble and shoot too much and play somewhat questionable defense?.....

I have 2 words: Kelsey Mitchell.

 

[BobbyJ]

Ì thought CocoHusky's explanation was on the money.

I agree with it too. IMO, she doesn’t fit that style of play.

 

[JordyG]

I actually though Fudd was a little lacking in her perimeter defense and has been over the last couple of games. I would put Taylor, Horston , Van Lith, & Osborne as the most effective perimeter defenders. VanLith got caught on a switch onto a post player and she was an absolute bulldog-she rooted the post player right out of the post using leverage and her lower body-=it was a thing of beauty.

I re-watched the game and I knew my eyes were not deceiving me. I have to disagree with your assessment of of Fudd's defense.

I thought of all the guards she was the most effective on that end of the floor. From the tip she was aggressive on defense and stayed in Orsili's shorts as they opened in man 2 man. At the 8:42 mark of the first Bueckers was a little slow on the switch with Fudd nicely taking the taller Gilli, then nicely switching back to Orsili off the high screen and bodying her up as she tried the baseline. At the 7:47 mark, still close on Orsili, Fudd was called for a foul on what looked to me like a clean block. At the 6:50 mark Fudd makes the pass above the arc between Orsili and Gilli a trial, which effectively disrupts the high screen Italy is attempting. This was typical Fudd the whole game. Stay close, keep your hands busy, use your body. At 5:52 US went with 3 guards with Fudd taking the taller Panzera. At 5:18 Fudd stays close to Panzera on the perimeter and uses her hands to disrupt her vision. Panzera tries to dribble drive, is thwarted, and throws the ball away. At 4:39 Fudd covering Natali now, closes out well on the perimeter. When Natali tries to dribble the baseline, Fudd bodies her and nearly forces her to step on the line. Natali's pass finds Pastrello, and when Bueckers fails to close out quick enough she buries the 3. At this point Fudd has not scored a point nor had an assist, yet at 4:20 only she and Horston remain of the original starters. At the 4:00 mark after Cooke has turned the ball over, then gets beaten off the dribble, only Fudd is there to contest. Fudd then gets beaten on the Euro step. At 3:45 Cooke TO's the ball again and is replaced by Hailey Van Lith. At 2:37 Fudd takes a breather, and looks a little gassed.

Hailey Van Lith came in at the 3:36 mark. At the 2:19 mark she is slow defending off the high screen and is fortunate that Orsili's pass is disrupted by Belibi. At 1:07 she seems to be beaten off the high screen, but Mattera sets it poorly and is called for the moving screen. At the 43 sec. mark of the 2nd Hailey Van Lith avoids the screen and Belibi anticipates the pass. At the 8 sec. mark Hailey Van Lith wanders too far in the lane, forgets her mark on the perimeter and is fortunate Gallitognotta misses the open 2.

I could do the second half, but it was more of the same.

 

[donalddoowop]

Ì thought CocoHusky's explanation was on the money.

I just realized what your avatar is. One of my favorite subjects.