USF Postgame Thread

[jabstep]

Little things like Sarah is surprising quick to the hoop and great hands on both ends of the court
Jana with post moves and drives to the hoop.
Paige is looking like Akeem
Defense Defense is why will will get the final 4, We are good at defense
The reason Ash is on the floor is as other have said she rarely does anything wrong
Ice Played better
Allie is pretty good defender and didnt force anything and made a very nice lefty shot
Morgan so far a 3 point bucket machine and a good rebounder
Q got the least minutes for two straight games and did exactly what Geno doesnt want today but I still think she could be really good

 

[msf22b]

Random thoughts:

-Q was not in until pretty late... after most (all?) of the freshman and you sort of can see why...she had trouble staying in front of her man (sic) and was not very inventive or accurate in her shots...KK came in pretty late too, but was aggressive as could be...She's competing for minutes...made a great impression...everyone is.

-Ice played a lot better...does not have the greatest hands but I thought she seemed much more confident and played well...

-Jana is a very special player....makes moves that 2nd/ 3rd year center still struggle with...Her folks back in Egypt taught her the full repertoire of post moves
She is going to be handful for the country.

-There was a moment in the 2nd half when Geno took Paige out and the question was...who is going to take over and give the team the leadership it requires and that person was Shade...She was magnificent..

Must be fun for Geno this season...And with Azzi returning soon...what a job minute distribution will be...So many good players.

 

[pghhuskydoc]

Does anyone else think Kara Wolters circa 1995 when watching Jana? Her footwork is fantastic, and pretty soon I feel she’ll be unstoppable

 

[Dove]

I love seeing three healthy bigs with skills. If they stay healthy, we stand a chance against South Carolina in March!

 

[DEpup]

Brady really took a step forward and I thought Ash's defense took a step forward.

I thought Chen got exposed today. Way too much dribbling and fouling without enough creating. She's an ivy league graduate so I'm sure she'll see the errors on film and get better.

Back to the old Q unfortunately. Her lack of strength and defensive challenges were exposed.

Happy for Cheli.

I watched Duke today and I'll take Sarah over Toby every day. Seeing them on the same day really showed the difference in maturity at this point in their careers.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
Paige: wow. Is there a more fun player to watch in WBB? her efficiency in unreal amazing.
Sarah: i doubt we had many smarter players in UConn than her. Her poise and basketball IQ is off the charts! She's the complete package!
Ash: i guess when someone mentions the sophomore jump, Ash is a great case study for it! She is so much better than last season and she was the BE ROY.
Ice: had a real good game. under control. still concerned about her low rebounding numbers but she's doing much better defensively than last season.
Chen: Nice game despite some avoidable turnovers. I don't know why she didn't pass to an open Allie instead of getting covered on the lane and turning the ball over.
Jana: love her aggressiveness and moves around the basket. And she is clearly the best rebounder on the team. The other thing is that she is clearly a willing leader for the team. She gathers the team for huddles and actually instructing players and she's only a Red Shirt Freshmen.
Morgan: I'm very impressed with her. Big, strong, poised, smart and surprisingly a great 3-point shooter.
KK: the layup the was almost missed was funny by the way she reacted when it actually went down. Aggressive on defense and tough on the boards. Still don't trust her 3-point shot but hopefully it will come.
Allie: nice take to the basket for her 2 points. Missed opportunity for a 3-point shot when Chen didn't pass her the ball when she was open in the corner.
Q: the least amount of min. today and to be honest, didn't impress in those minutes. Fouls, way too quick of a 3-point shot when there was no one in a position to rebound. Hope she figures it out.
All in all a real fun game! SF is not bad team. Tough on defense and on the boards and they have some impressive shooters. In this season's BE they would probably be the 2nd or 3rd best team.
While watching online (FOX was working well), you could hear the great crowd. Good job!

 

[Bone Dog]

I watched Duke today and I'll take Sarah over Toby every day. Seeing them on the same day really showed the difference in maturity at this point in their careers

Truth

 

[RockyMTblue2]

 

[Stagnant]

I feel like q thinks every moment on the court is an audition. And she presses and tries too hard as a result.

 

[Surly1]

USF is a familiar old foe and the outcome was decidedly familiar. A step up from BU, USF is a well coached team, but doesn't have the horses compared to UConn. Geno has always recruited intelligent, talented basketball players, but this year's squad is loaded with high basketball IQ. Again, it's early, but I impressed by the poise of Sarah and Morgan Chelli. They just have a feel for the game. The baseline pass in the second half from Jana (a coaches' daughter) to KK demonstrated her court awareness. She has a high ceiling and will only get better as the season progresses.

Of course it goes without stating that the ultimate high IQ player is Paige. On a team loaded with HS All-Americans, she stands out like the North Star. Kaitlyn Chen is the perfect addition to the team, and her value & importance will grow, deeper into the season. While she may not be the defensive dynamo that Nika was, she adds another dimension on offense.

Ashlynn looks quicker, more athletic and even more fit than last season, if that is possible. We are patiently waiting for Azzi to play, but how do you take Ash off the court? She's so fundamentally sound, her on-ball defense has improved, and she's another one in the high IQ club. Unlike last season, Geno's issue will be finding PT for all the players who deserve time.

North Carolina is another step up in competition and the first road game for the newbies. It will be their first opportunity to see Paige step up and operate in a hostile environment.

Unlike last year, UConn has bench that Geno can tap into for various situations that arise. There are only a few programs that have the luxury of bringing a talent like KK Arnold off the bench. It will be interesting to see how PT is distributed as the season progresses.

 

[UConnCat]

UConn's freshmen are very smart basketball players.

 

[pk1234]

The team has 9 good basketball players right now and will get a 10th soon with Azzi. Hopefully Ayanna gets herself into the rotation as #11.

 

[pk1234]

There are really no negatives today. I actually think South Florida is better than most teams in the big east.

I don’t have Morgan as a shooter. So her being 3/3 from behind the arc this year. I don’t know what to make of that. I would say she has earned some more minutes.

What do you guys think of Morgan and Ziebell coming into the game before Q? Was Geno just looking to squeeze them in because they are new players? Can anything be gleamed from that?

I think Morgan and Allie both look much more ready to contribute in their roles than Q right now

 

[BBallF]

I thought there were several significant features to this game.

First and foremost, we saw clearly the aggressive new Paige, more muscular, stronger, and able to pull off mid air movements and double pumps effortlessly and efficiently and taking control immediately. Every game is almost head scratching watching her. Secondly, this game was about Ice also. After the BU game, we were rightly concerned. There was a vast improvement today. Still needs to be more active on the boards but she was smart and confident out there, a very good sign.

Thirdly, Morgan is a player. She was in the mix on several rebounds, has a quick release on the 3 which will get quicker and showed a nice form pull up J near the charity stripe. I think we will see a lot of her this year. Fourth, the BU game was no fluke for either Sarah or Jana. Sarah fills up the stat sheet almost invisibly but forget about the points and look at the 7 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block instead. Serious floor game numbers. Jana had 7 boards in 17 minutes and wants to dominate the entire game all the time. She has some nifty moves and great foot work for a Pyramid and is a natural leader.

Going forward, we need another scorer who can create her own shot when we need it to take the focus off of Paige and that is why Azzi is so important to this team. Also have to mention Ash and a blistering second half. What does she eat? The energy is just remarkable. Plus she has major joy out there.

Great to see so many players and combinations and look forward to an even tougher test against North Carolina.

 

[HopJim]

Cheli displayed great basketball IQ in her minutes today. She seems to always be around the ball, rebounds well, and doesn't hurry her shot. You get the impression that if she is holding back her one-on-one skills. Most surprised at her defense. Doesn't look fast or quick but seems to know how to stay in front of her player. Uses her 6'2" frame well in all facets of the game.

 

[JoePgh]

Here is one very important stat that no one has mentioned in this thread:

Ice in 23 minutes had just 2 rebounds, one of which was on offense. Whereas Jana in 17 minutes had 7 rebounds (as many as Sarah had in 25 minutes), and 3 of Jana's rebounds were offensive. That is exactly half of all the offensive rebounds that UConn had in the game.

Ice did play much better today than in either of the two previous games, but the rebounding gap between her and Jana remains stark. Just for that reason, I think Jana needs to start and get the majority of minutes at the center position.

Another key fact: In those 17 minutes, do you know how many fouls Jana had? Exactly zero, nada, zilch. And from in-person observation, I can assure you that it wasn't because she was playing timidly or cautiously (certainly less recklessly than in previous games, however). If that proves not to be a fluke, it will be easier for Geno to play Jana and leave her in the game when the competition level demands it. (BTW, Ice had 3 fouls in her 23 minutes -- too many.)

 

[JoePgh]

Cheli displayed great basketball IQ in her minutes today. She seems to always be around the ball, rebounds well, and doesn't hurry her shot. You get the impression that if she is holding back her one-on-one skills. Most surprised at her defense. Doesn't look fast or quick but seems to know how to stay in front of her player. Uses her 6'2" frame well in all facets of the game.

Including throwing her body into opponents rather incautiously and getting called for fouls. She had 3 fouls in 15 minutes -- too many. Hopefully it won't take long for her to get her "bull in a china shop" tendencies under control.

 

[JellyBean]

Solid game by all. Nothing to be negative about. It is all about the Team. The Team. The Team! Sorry. I had to borrow that line from an old Michigan Wolverines coach. But overall, everyone looked decent out there. I loved the way Ice has been playing. Morgan and Allie are going to be awesome players. Jana is a beast! I love the way to commands those rebounds! Such force with determination. KK is a the ultimate team player. Her passion for the game and being team player is such a joy to watch out there. Ashlyn is the same. Love her smile and competitive play. Paige. What more to say than she continues to be outstanding and a joy to watch out there as well. Q did not get a lot of minutes out there but I hope that she keeps her positive mindset. KC...I love that young lady!! Holy smokes! I said it once and I will continue to say it, she is going to be the X factor as the season progresses. She is all that and a bag of chips. Sarah. Wow. She is only going to get better each practice and game. We are just getting the surface level of her skills and talent. I can't wait to see her play in January-March!

Great game, UConn!!

 

[gandydancer]

USF is a familiar old foe and the outcome was decidedly familiar. A step up from BU, USF is a well coached team, but doesn't have the horses compared to UConn. Geno has always recruited intelligent, talented basketball players, but this year's squad is loaded with high basketball IQ. Again, it's early, but I impressed by the poise of Sarah and Morgan Chelli. They just have a feel for the game. The baseline pass in the second half from Jana (a coaches' daughter) to KK demonstrated her court awareness. She has a high ceiling and will only get better as the season progresses.

Of course it goes without stating that the ultimate high IQ player is Paige. On a team loaded with HS All-Americans, she stands out like the North Star. Kaitlyn Chen is the perfect addition to the team, and her value & importance will grow, deeper into the season. While she may not be the defensive dynamo that Nika was, she adds another dimension on offense.

Ashlynn looks quicker, more athletic and even more fit than last season, if that is possible. We are patiently waiting for Azzi to play, but how do you take Ash off the court? She's so fundamentally sound, her on-ball defense has improved, and she's another one in the high IQ club. Unlike last season, Geno's issue will be finding PT for all the players who deserve time.

North Carolina is another step up in competition and the first road game for the newbies. It will be their first opportunity to see Paige step up and operate in a hostile environment.

Unlike last year, UConn has bench that Geno can tap into for various situations that arise. There are only a few programs that have the luxury of bringing a talent like KK Arnold off the bench. It will be interesting to see how PT is distributed as the season progresses.

Azzi comes off the bench. Ash is a core starter.

 

[AidanFan20]

There was one thing I was a little bit worried about heading into the season (a small worry overall considering the glittering array of Huskies talent). I saw Morgan Cheli a few times during her HS career and kept track during games I couldn't see, and it seemed she had a number of leg and back injuries which slowed her down vs. top opponents; sometimes it looked like she just plain couldn't run fast enough.

I'm not so worried now! Morgan flew around pretty darned well!

Otherwise, this team is flat out ridiculous. Especially Paige and Sarah, but the rest also.

 

[Dove]

This has to be the season where Paige goes all "Kalima" on every opponent.

Establish a real legacy.

 

[Vowelguy]

..KK came in pretty late too, but was aggressive as could be...She's competing for minutes...made a great impression...everyone is.

Thought KK and Jana were the first 2 subs late in q1.

 

[AidanFan20]

Some fun names and nicknames, too... Sarah Strong, Ashlynn Shade, Azzi Fudd, Paige Buckets... They almost sound like names you'd come up with in a video game.

 

[Bigboote]

I wanted to see a couple of the other games before making this comment: I think UConn has the best guard corps in the NCAA right now. Paige, Ashlynn, and Kaitlyn start, then KK, Morgan, and Allie off the bench. Q should come around too. Notre Dame and South Carolina are certainly up there too. (I'm just not sold on U$C even with Juju.)

Front court starts Ice and Sarah and has Jana subbing in.

Paige, Morgan, and Sarah can play just about anywhere on the floor. That's quite a luxury.

And just think -- Azzi should be back within a couple of weeks and Ayanna presumably soon. Aubrey likely in January.

Yeah, the season looks pretty good from where I'm sitting.