UConn Bigs

[Charliebball]

I hope she turns out to be the greatest thing since the oatmeal pie. I am not going to hype her up or underestimate her playing ability. I have been around the game, like a lot of us here, for a long time. We hear "Oh this player is going to be a huge bonus for thr team" and then things happen. I just approach it with a "wait and see" mindset. I hope Olivia plays well for us and reaches her full potential.

I understand your reticence and I tend to feel the same way, but I've been following Vukosa through her high school career and she has made huge strides in every aspect of her game, including her physical conditioning........what stands out the most is her multifaceted offensive game that is so unusual for a player of her size and strength.......it translates perfectly to Geno's style of play when it comes to his use of post players so I believe she will be a major contributor to the team's success over the next four years....

 

[NW-MW]

Olivia is great because she can run the floor hard but also be the trailer for a three ball to spread the other team's center/big. I've also noticed she is good about not putting the ball back on the floor after grabbing an O board. Those little things will translate well at the next level.

 

[Woof]

I hope she turns out to be the greatest thing since the oatmeal pie. I am not going to hype her up or underestimate her playing ability. I have been around the game, like a lot of us here, for a long time. We hear "Oh this player is going to be a huge bonus for thr team" and then things happen. I just approach it with a "wait and see" mindset. I hope Olivia plays well for us and reaches her full potential.

There is an oatmeal pie?

But I agree. Way too many high expectations on a freshman. Hell, Patterson was highly rated out of high school and look how that turned out. Yeah, she had injury problems. But that doesn't explain why she looked like basketball was a new sport to her last year. She wasn't limited physically, from what I saw. She was limited skillwise. And she was ranked what, 3rd, in her class and spent how many years at UConn?

 

[Charliebball]

There is an oatmeal pie?

But I agree. Way too many high expectations on a freshman. Hell, Patterson was highly rated out of high school and look how that turned out. Yeah, she had injury problems. But that doesn't explain why she looked like basketball was a new sport to her last year. She wasn't limited physically, from what I saw. She was limited skillwise. And she was ranked what, 3rd, in her class and spent how many years at UConn?

Just like Morgan, Patterson was not truly healthy even as a freshman......I thought she showed flashes of what she could be, but her career was cut short.........I don't think she was the same athletically when she finally did return last year......I know she said she could no longer dunk the basketball......I also think she was trying to do too much out there in her limited minutes in the fourth quarter....hopefully next season in a different environment she will get back to the player we thought she could be.....

 

[Bone Dog]

Patterson was highly rated out of high school and look how that turned out.

I take your overall point. But I want to offer one tiny little defense of Ayanna. In garbage time against ND, Hannah got a steal and streaked down the floor for what promised to be an easy layup. Waiting for her was Ayanna, who had also sprinted down the floor. Ordinarily we’d expect Hannah to pull a trick out of her magic bag and score anyway. The interesting thing is that didn’t happen. Ayanna intimidated her and forced a turnover. Think about that. Hannah is used to scoring one on one against bigger players. But it turns out Ayanna is quick enough and physically imposing enough to get the better of a superstar. I suspect Ayanna has a bit more basketball left in her.

 

[Centerstream]

I take your overall point. But I want to offer one tiny little defense of Ayanna. In garbage time against ND, Hannah got a steal and streaked down the floor for what promised to be an easy layup. Waiting for her was Ayanna, who had also sprinted down the floor. Ordinarily we’d expect Hannah to pull a trick out of her magic bag and score anyway. The interesting thing is that didn’t happen. Ayanna intimidated her and forced a turnover. Think about that. Hannah is used to scoring one on one against bigger players. But it turns out Ayanna is quick enough and physically imposing enough to get the better of a superstar. I suspect Ayanna has a bit more basketball left in her.

I agree with you about Ayanna, honest.
But let's be real and set the stage for another play in the ND game...Ayanna was dribbling out the final seconds of the Elite Eight tournament game that had already been decided. For some unknown reason, she decided to pass the ball to a teammate with Hildago between them. Hildago stole the pass, with about 4 seconds left in the game, and decided to score instead of letting the clock run out. But Ayanna decided to make her own play by cleanly blocking the shot AND grabbing the rebound as time ran out.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree with you about Ayanna, honest.
But let's be real and set the stage for another play in the ND game...Ayanna was dribbling out the final seconds of the Elite Eight tournament game that had already been decided. For some unknown reason, she decided to pass the ball to a teammate with Hildago between them. Hildago stole the pass, with about 4 seconds left in the game, and decided to score instead of letting the clock run out. But Ayanna decided to make her own play by cleanly blocking the shot AND grabbing the rebound as time ran out.

That's the same play.

 

[hoophuskee]

There is an oatmeal pie?

But I agree. Way too many high expectations on a freshman. Hell, Patterson was highly rated out of high school and look how that turned out. Yeah, she had injury problems. But that doesn't explain why she looked like basketball was a new sport to her last year. She wasn't limited physically, from what I saw. She was limited skillwise. And she was ranked what, 3rd, in her class and spent how many years at UConn?

You didn't watch her play in H/S then. In H/S when opposing teams pressed her teaam, her coach would put her in the backcourt to become one of the ball handlers to break or minimize the effectiveness of the press. the press. Her quickness and atheticism were eleite. as a jr, In some summer all-star game she was defedning the sr, Carolyn Ducharme and able to stay with her due to her elite athleticism. There were posters on here that over-hyped her shooting and wanted her to be a small forward but that was never her game. Her best attributes were that combo of quickness and athleticism. This year she was gettiing some of that back but her offensive shooting skills were always a struggle. .

 

[Geosfun]

I understand your reticence and I tend to feel the same way, but I've been following Vukosa through her high school career and she has made huge strides in every aspect of her game, including her physical conditioning........what stands out the most is her multifaceted offensive game that is so unusual for a player of her size and strength.......it translates perfectly to Geno's style of play when it comes to his use of post players so I believe she will be a major contributor to the team's success over the next four years....

We need our bigs to PLAY BIG, to take and dole out physicality, to grab and HOLD ON to rebounds.

 

[Zarathustra]

I take your overall point. But I want to offer one tiny little defense of Ayanna. In garbage time against ND, Hannah got a steal and streaked down the floor for what promised to be an easy layup. Waiting for her was Ayanna, who had also sprinted down the floor. Ordinarily we’d expect Hannah to pull a trick out of her magic bag and score anyway. The interesting thing is that didn’t happen. Ayanna intimidated her and forced a turnover. Think about that. Hannah is used to scoring one on one against bigger players. But it turns out Ayanna is quick enough and physically imposing enough to get the better of a superstar. I suspect Ayanna has a bit more basketball left in her.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but YANNA BLOCKED H.H. 's attempt.

 

[Woof]

Just like Morgan, Patterson was not truly healthy even as a freshman......I thought she showed flashes of what she could be, but her career was cut short.........I don't think she was the same athletically when she finally did return last year......I know she said she could no longer dunk the basketball......I also think she was trying to do too much out there in her limited minutes in the fourth quarter....hopefully next season in a different environment she will get back to the player we thought she could be.....

I saw her dunk, in person, this past season.