Charliebball
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I guess that ends that.........if you're 6'3" or taller stay away!
UConn Bigs
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We don't have enough time to list all the prior UConn "bigs" that got this same hype only to turn into a nothing burger, starting with S.Williams and Ice Brady.
Charliebball
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Only time will tell but I have a pretty good feeling about this particular player.......... feel free to criticize her all you like before she even sets foot in Storrs but I think you will be eating crow by December......
A few facts to test your point of view.
I looked at the list of USBWA National Players since 1988. There were 39 awards. 9 awards were for centers.
Those categorized as Center were:
1. Lisa Leslie
2. Rebecca Lobo
3. Ruth Riley
4. Candace Parker (2 years)
5. Tina Charles
6. Brittney Greiner (2 years)
7. Megan Gustafson
These players come from USC, UConn (2), Notre Dame, Tennessee, Baylor, and Iowa
I would have to conclude that these facts do support the view that UConn has done well with Bigs.
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In the highlight of the Nike Summit game, big O did not look very impressive at all. She may turn out to be better, but expecting her to get 20+ min per game coming into UConn seems like asking too much.
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I think you're a bit harsh. I think you have to envision her acclimated to and playing within a UCONN system in which her attributes can be fully realized, as opposed to tonight's free-for-all.
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Charliebball
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I never make judgments about players, good or bad, based on their performances at all-star games.......I suggest you wait and see how she performs once she reaches Storrs......
Charliebball
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BTW....Sarah Okeke who UConn was so interested in shot 2-7 and scored 4 points while top recruiting target Ivanna-Wilson Manyaka shot 0 - 4 and committed five turnovers.......does that mean they won't be stars at the next level?
Olivia V had her left thigh rapped…could be injured?
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Did I ever say that? I just said that expecting big O to play 20+ min in her freshman year at Uconn may be asking too much. Uconn fans tend to have very high expectations of incoming freshmen who were stars in high school, and it usually does not pan out, at least the first year or two for bigs.
Yes. If my memory serves me right? Nuna Agara played as a talented athletic freshmen in Paige’s last year. FYI, In Paige’s last year they cancelled the Championship game due to COVID. And Hopkins were destined to win it all. Paige was on fire back then
Charliebball
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If they don't sign a transfer forward, she will likely play 20+ minutes next season.......UConn is going to need her offense and her rebounding.......
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I would hold an opposite view. Recent history: Edwards was undersized and had a terrific career. Dorka’s 1st year wasn't so good but had good 2nd year whack got her into pro ball. She didn't play in WNBA last season but I understand it was more that she wanted rest and play near home. And Olivia is set in WNBA. Oliva and Dorka were not elite players but they still carved a pro path. Edwards is a "small Big." Se edid as well as she can. Yeah - Serah didn't do well - but he had 1 year with her and he gave warning sign early I recall that I believe was posted on this site that before the season even started he said "she is struggling." Patterson and Ice have been hurt. bottom line is I get noticed with UCONN, play for titles, and different type of players get into WNBA. Not only size-wise but different type of players - some more scorers, some more shooters' type, some more passers/defenders. Diffenrent ways he gets players into teh W while gettign so much expossure leading up to the W.
And if I'm a legit superstar? Doesn't Sarah play some post too? Sarah just doesn't score from 3pt range. Wasn't she UCONN's championship "post player" last year? OFC not a "tue post" but then doesn't this show after just 1 year that you don'tneed "a Big?" Can't have it both ways. UCONN did win a championship last year w/o a Big. UCONN did win a championship last year w/o a Big. The game has changed in 1 year? The game with SoCar was a norm how the NCAA T will ref games in the future? They've had such a drastic change after just 1 year? Or is the answer much simpler in what Geno said was right; that the refs got intimidated? There was a reason why Geno freaked out and ended up sending a letter to the NCAA's, right? If Geno is wrong, I'm not sure how much better the woemns game will be with scores like 62/51/48/44 in the Final Four.
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I thought the same as to her play in the McD’s game but in reality, those “all star” games are the absolute worst measuring stick for players, especially bigs! I’m very optimistic that Olivia will be a star here. She is just the kind of big Geno loves. Inside/outside, decent midrange, can shoot the three, hard worker, loves UConn, and wants to be great! She has a lot of upside and I’ll be very surprised if all the doubters aren’t eating big helpings of crow sometime in the next two seasons!next
I think the Big O needs to play 20+ minutes a game. Two years ago we needed two freshmen bigs to play immediately, in Sarah and Jana. Sarah was exceptional and Jana was OK, but we needed them to play whether they were ready or not. The situation is similar for Olivia this year.
Last season we made major concessions to play small ball. We didn't play our 5's for anywhere close to 40 minutes a game, we didn't use a backup 4 at all, and we only had one available 3 in Blanca who didn't play most of the minutes there. Many don't realize that when we didn't use a 5, the answer was to bring in a guard, usually a 2. When we didn't have a 4 on the floor (Sarah sitting) the answer once again was bring in a guard, and when our only natural 3 Blanca was not at the 3, of course a guard once again.
So the answer to not playing a 5, 4, or 3 was generally a guard. The reason it didn't seem that drastic was three players moved up a position, Sarah to the 5 when Serah or Jana was not in, Blanca switching to the 4, and a guard often Ash playing the 3. That common lineup had three players playing one position bigger than their best one.
My hope with the pursuit of a forward and preferably a 4, is that we will have viable more traditional lineups and even big ones. Obviously the appeal to coming here just to be Sarah's backup at the 4 would be limited for a very good player. Somebody would have to be significantly better than Ayanna to crack the rotation, otherwise they wouldn't be much more than injury insurance, which we should still pursue if we can't get a top one.
The difference maker, however, would be a rotation worthy backup 4, that could also play more than just the backup minutes behind Sarah. A player that could be quite good at the 4 and play some with Sarah at the 3 (which might be her best position) or allow Sarah to play some at the 5 particularly if Olivia is coming along slowly.
Between small, traditional and big lineups, we have had good options for small, just passable for limited use of traditional, and really no usable big options. A rotation worthy big that allows Sarah and Blanca to play more at their natural position and some at one smaller would give Geno the flexibility to go many different directions. I presume discussions about how a newcomer could be used and how it might affect Sarah and Blanca would be part of the discussion of any talented 4 considering us, because just being Sarah's backup would not interest many IMO. That is the challenge for Geno this portal season as I see it.
JoePgh
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The posters above in this thread briefly mention Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and do not mention Stef Dolson at all. Both are good examples of "true centers" who developed their games at UConn, and who have had lengthy pro careers. ONO just signed another contract.
And then there was and is Tina Charles. She may be a "4" in the WNBA, but she was a 5 at UConn, and she developed her inside skills well enough to be the #1 overall draft choice when she concluded her college career, and she led the league in rebounding in her first year in the W.
I think the claim that UConn doesn't develop "true bigs" is manifestly inaccurate.
@oldhusky , you say that "The difference maker, however, would be a rotation worthy backup 4, that could also play more than just the backup minutes behind Sarah". Again, I would point to Morgan Cheli, who at 6-2 is big enough for the role that you describe, and is versatile enough to play 2 through 4 as needed. Unless Geno knows that she won't be at full strength next year (and I doubt that is the case), she should be as good or better than anyone who comes in through the portal -- especially since she knows the UConn offense and defense and won't need to learn a whole new system.
And then there was and is Tina Charles. She may be a "4" in the WNBA, but she was a 5 at UConn, and she developed her inside skills well enough to be the #1 overall draft choice when she concluded her college career, and she led the league in rebounding in her first year in the W.
I think the claim that UConn doesn't develop "true bigs" is manifestly inaccurate.
@oldhusky , you say that "The difference maker, however, would be a rotation worthy backup 4, that could also play more than just the backup minutes behind Sarah". Again, I would point to Morgan Cheli, who at 6-2 is big enough for the role that you describe, and is versatile enough to play 2 through 4 as needed. Unless Geno knows that she won't be at full strength next year (and I doubt that is the case), she should be as good or better than anyone who comes in through the portal -- especially since she knows the UConn offense and defense and won't need to learn a whole new system.
If UConn is playing KK, Ash, Allie, Blanca, and Sarah, then Sarah and Blanca are our frontcourt. Sarah even won the McClain power forward of the year award among her many wins.
Our current rotation in the frontcourt would be Sarah, Blanca, Jana and Olivia. In an emergency the tall guards Morgan and Allie can also step in at the 4 like Paige did, but they are both primarily guards.
Morgan got all that playing time at 4 as a freshman, because we were short players there. Before she was injured, she did a very credible job up front, setting solid screens and being hungry to mix it up for rebounds and putbacks. Hopefully she comes back 100%, she's a very good player.
Even though Sarah and Blanca have skills to play 1-3, Geno really has shown no inclination to play them as big guards. (Exception: Blanca at 3). I would be curious to see a big lineup, but I'm no longer holding my breath for it.
Our current rotation in the frontcourt would be Sarah, Blanca, Jana and Olivia. In an emergency the tall guards Morgan and Allie can also step in at the 4 like Paige did, but they are both primarily guards.
Morgan got all that playing time at 4 as a freshman, because we were short players there. Before she was injured, she did a very credible job up front, setting solid screens and being hungry to mix it up for rebounds and putbacks. Hopefully she comes back 100%, she's a very good player.
Even though Sarah and Blanca have skills to play 1-3, Geno really has shown no inclination to play them as big guards. (Exception: Blanca at 3). I would be curious to see a big lineup, but I'm no longer holding my breath for it.
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Geno & co. only had 9 months to work w Serah W, and Ice Brady has been injured literally every year of her college career.
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JoePgh
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And this is a cautionary tale for those who suggest bringing another "pretty good" senior big in via the portal for the upcoming season. With only nine months to work in the UConn system (probably quite different from what she was used to at her old school), a new "pretty good" big is unlikely to be any more productive than the homegrown talent that we already have: Jana, Olivia, and don't forget Gandy.
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I am ok with the bigs we have “IF” the coaching staff turn Jana loose. Push her physically to get closer to where she was prior to the injury. I don’t think Betts hit any outside shots that Jana couldn’t and I saw video of Jana with further range. I do not like the role UConn has been using for the bigs, set high picks, rebound, play post defense and don’t shoot anything but layups. We are losing buckets and not drawing fouls inside because of this offense. Just my 2 cents. I can’t wait to see where Gandy is early next season. If Jana and Heckel give her some of that “spicy” attitude, she might really be a force.
What we need is a bucket getter and I like Skylar Forbes the best and in the UConn system, her FG and 3pt % would improve.
What we need is a bucket getter and I like Skylar Forbes the best and in the UConn system, her FG and 3pt % would improve.
One thing people need to keep in mind is that Geno started Serah Williams and gave her more minutes than Jana. So he clearly thought Serah was the better player.
The best argument against bringing in a 1 year post player is the same argument as to why it is foolish to expect greatness from Vukosa as a freshman. Bottom line is that we are losing a lot of post players and only bringing in one. We need more bodies for depth and injury insurance.
Essence Cody would be a one year addition. Trygger would be 2 years. I would like at least one of them but would prefer both.
The best argument against bringing in a 1 year post player is the same argument as to why it is foolish to expect greatness from Vukosa as a freshman. Bottom line is that we are losing a lot of post players and only bringing in one. We need more bodies for depth and injury insurance.
Essence Cody would be a one year addition. Trygger would be 2 years. I would like at least one of them but would prefer both.
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Sarah Strong is a PF who plays C in a small lineup - she is not a starting center on this team.
The post players are Jana + Vukosa + Gandy. That will not put any fear into any decent D1 team. Vukosa is fresh out of HS. If a decorated Big Ten transfer center struggled in year 1 at UConn, you're delusional to think Vukosa will be even close to as good as Serah W. The post is a serious gaping void, AND we just lost the best 3-point shooter in the country (also not replaced). Unless Jana gets ALOT more consistent between now and December, its going to be a wish and a prayer to make the Final Four again.
The post players are Jana + Vukosa + Gandy. That will not put any fear into any decent D1 team. Vukosa is fresh out of HS. If a decorated Big Ten transfer center struggled in year 1 at UConn, you're delusional to think Vukosa will be even close to as good as Serah W. The post is a serious gaping void, AND we just lost the best 3-point shooter in the country (also not replaced). Unless Jana gets ALOT more consistent between now and December, its going to be a wish and a prayer to make the Final Four again.
I was right there with you until the last sentence. As constituted, it's a Final Four team. It's not a NC team with the "let them play playground ball" philosophy of refereeing in the Final Four because it is still a finesse team, not a power team. The 2025 team was a finesse team also, but it was not a rock fight FF and there was not a conscious, conspiratorial design to not call fouls.
Both semis this year were a national disgrace and did nothing to push the game forward, only jolt it back. Grabbing, holding, pushing, shoving, etc. is not basketball and certainly not women's basketball. As I said before , in the playground I played in growing up in Newark, NJ with 2 outdoor full courts, if you fouled like that there was a fistfight and you , the fouler, would be persona non grata, not that we knew what that meant back then.
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Maybe Gandy does, if Geno thinks she is strategically ready to take the court.
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If we don't get anybody significant Morgan may well be the first choice for backup 4. When I was suggesting a very good 4 might get more than backup minutes, what I meant was due to Sarah's versatility, when they both could be on the floor at the same time. For example with Sarah at the 3 or Sarah at the 5. If used that way a new talented 4 could get 15-20 minutes a game, but that player would have to be as good or better than our options at the 5 or the backup 3's.
Jana needs to be better than the person we saw vs UCLA two years ago on our way to a championship. I think she will get there.
Gandy needs to provide a solid 5 to 10 minutes of defense down low.
Olivia needs to provide a solid 15 - 20 minutes in her freshman year. Top ranked freshmen of the national high school player of the year caliber have usually done well.
The small line up can fill in during the times the bigs are working their way to peak performance.
We should be able to take on any team. We have made several final fours in seasons where the team was afflicted by injuries and freshmen had to contribute significant minutes.
Time for the team to improve in the off-season. Maybe a few workouts with the Marines or Navy Seals, as has happened in the past, will improve the team's toughness.
Gandy needs to provide a solid 5 to 10 minutes of defense down low.
Olivia needs to provide a solid 15 - 20 minutes in her freshman year. Top ranked freshmen of the national high school player of the year caliber have usually done well.
The small line up can fill in during the times the bigs are working their way to peak performance.
We should be able to take on any team. We have made several final fours in seasons where the team was afflicted by injuries and freshmen had to contribute significant minutes.
Time for the team to improve in the off-season. Maybe a few workouts with the Marines or Navy Seals, as has happened in the past, will improve the team's toughness.
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While not wanting to try and predict the future, I'd just like to note that there is one distinct difference between Vukosa vs Serah, Ice or Jana (Gandy is still an unknown) are Olivia's hands.
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She got big mitts?
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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.
This is where a lot of these discussions go sideways. What is a post player? For most it is BOTH the Center and Power Forward.
ie. "South Carolina was tough in the post, Boston and Cardoso dominated us for offensive rebounds."
Similarly, if Sarah Strong is playing the most minutes at Center, then she is our Center.
There are many tall players on the UConn bench, that do not get many minutes at either Power Forward or Center, and even less minutes against the top D1 teams.
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