We are Fortunate

[Tonyc]

We have bigs that can play inside and out. They are very versatile. The question marks for our team this coming season are how quickly our underclassman and those coming back from injury can prove to the coaching staff they are ready to contribute. We already know from this past season that Paige Ash and KK are healthy and play well together. Azzi Caroline and Griff all can play with them however the question is how healthy are they and how many effective minutes can they give us. Which brings me to the thought that Geno will not push them when he has players even those with less experience at the college level to play them and work them into the lineup. It is very critical that Yana Ice Morgan Jana and Q get minutes. They will be the keys to this and the following season especially when we dont know if Paige and Azzi opt to turn pro and we know this is Griffs last season. There will be positions to fill. Sarah is at a higher level. She will get her minutes. She is expected to be a franchise player. Her development is critical. I expect her to be able to step into the lineup and contribute pretty quickly.

We have a very impressive and strong roster of players. As I mentioned there are some questions. Those be lack of experience at the college level and those coming back from injury. Those questions will be answered later this season.

Who starts? I think its a little to early to speculate on that. We all have our thoughts and who we would like to see starting however we dont know who is healthy, or who is ready to jump in right away. I do think that those who started last season have the team chemistry and will begin the season on the floor. Those are Paige Ash and KK. I also think having Chen will allow us to sub guards in and out without concerns. I do think Ice Jana and Sarah will see alot of minutes because they are are bigs and our future down low.

We saw last season what Geno accomplished with a team struct by injuries. That accomplishment imo was one of the greatest in Genos career. I dont expect the defense to change. The defense got us to the FF and now with the roster we have I expect we will continue to build on defense.

We are all excited about our roster and potential however we still need time to develop as a team.

 

[Bone Dog]

It's always about the defense. That's where the offense often comes from, and we have a lot of good defenders. The best thing is when Geno finds kids like Paige Azzi KK Ash who can defend and offend. I suspect Sarah Allie and Morgan will continue that tradition. Kaitlyn is another one, though we'll only have her for one season. It remains to be seen if Q Ice and Jana will be able to join the defense-offense club this season. I'm optimistic. And if all goes well, Caroline Aubrey and Ayanna will rejoin the club too.

Remember the motto: Autobots are all about defense. Decepticons only care about offense.

 

[Bigboote]

Tonyc, as always, presents a relentlessy optimistic scenario while making a lot of sense. Paige, Ash, and KK make a great core to build around. Paige will play as many minutes as ever, but Ash and KK will be playing fewer minutes most games. Each of them had high energy levels even when playing 30-40 minutes a game. (And I think I only saw any signs of fatigue in Ash once.)

Those three plus two others will be able to set the table and allow the new players to be incorporated comfortably. None of them expects any guaranteed playing time, so getting 5 minutes or 25 minutes shouldn’t shock them. Azzi and Aubrey won’t be logging lots of minutes early, so they can be incorporated according to their time lines.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Caroline and Ayanna. I love watching them both. And I suffer from Ducharmania.

 

[Next 12]

Tonyc and Bone Dog, both of you are always spot on with your posts. I can't wait for this season to begin. I posted that with preseason practice and within 4-6 actual games, the players will become a cohesive unit of BB perfection and will shake up Women's BB. 24-25 will be our year. We finally have the BIGS we were missing. I expect JANA will start from day one and will surprise everyone.Ashlynn and JJ will be seasond starters and the walking wounded will come alive like Paige did. GO FRESHMEN!!! GO SOPHPOMORES!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[Urshurak]

It's always about the defense. That's where the offense often comes from, and we have a lot of good defenders. The best thing is when Geno finds kids like Paige Azzi KK Ash who can defend and offend. I suspect Sarah Allie and Morgan will continue that tradition. Kaitlyn is another one, though we'll only have her for one season. It remains to be seen if Q Ice and Jana will be able to join the defense-offense club this season. I'm optimistic. And if all goes well, Caroline Aubrey and Ayanna will rejoin the club too.

Remember the motto: Autobots are all about defense. Decepticons only care about offense.

I suspect this group will be more than meets the eye......

 

[Rowdy831]

We have bigs that can play inside and out. They are very versatile. The question marks for our team this coming season are how quickly our underclassman and those coming back from injury can prove to the coaching staff they are ready to contribute. We already know from this past season that Paige Ash and KK are healthy and play well together. Azzi Caroline and Griff all can play with them however the question is how healthy are they and how many effective minutes can they give us. Which brings me to the thought that Geno will not push them when he has players even those with less experience at the college level to play them and work them into the lineup. It is very critical that Yana Ice Morgan Jana and Q get minutes. They will be the keys to this and the following season especially when we dont know if Paige and Azzi opt to turn pro and we know this is Griffs last season. There will be positions to fill. Sarah is at a higher level. She will get her minutes. She is expected to be a franchise player. Her development is critical. I expect her to be able to step into the lineup and contribute pretty quickly.

We have a very impressive and strong roster of players. As I mentioned there are some questions. Those be lack of experience at the college level and those coming back from injury. Those questions will be answered later this season.

Who starts? I think its a little to early to speculate on that. We all have our thoughts and who we would like to see starting however we dont know who is healthy, or who is ready to jump in right away. I do think that those who started last season have the team chemistry and will begin the season on the floor. Those are Paige Ash and KK. I also think having Chen will allow us to sub guards in and out without concerns. I do think Ice Jana and Sarah will see alot of minutes because they are are bigs and our future down low.

We saw last season what Geno accomplished with a team struct by injuries. That accomplishment imo was one of the greatest in Genos career. I dont expect the defense to change. The defense got us to the FF and now with the roster we have I expect we will continue to build on defense.

We are all excited about our roster and potential however we still need time to develop as a team.

Geno did a good job with the team he had but what good coach can't win with three All Americans or at least 2.5? What would they have done if he had invested as much in Amari as he did with Ice? Would a decent 6'6 have given them more help on defense than a decent 6'3? If I am being honest I think the success had more to do with Paige, AE and Nika than it did some amazing coaching job.

As far as players are concerned Jana should be 100% healthy before school starts for sure, Caroline is a wildcard since her injury isn't something that has a normal timeline for recovery and Azzi should be ready to go by the time the season starts if everything is still on schedule. Even if Jana is the only one ready to go in the first game they should be deep enough, and talented enough to compete and win. They still have Paige and as long as she is in charge they will be fine.

I expect Sarah to step in and be a factor from day one and they could get quality minutes from either Allie or Morgan. Regardless Geno will have another roster full of top 10 recruits with three number 1 overall in that group. When healthy this team should be the favorite to win it all and I would expect them to challenge again.

 

[yhun89]

Geno's comment about wishing he played Q last season in that Iowa game makes me think he'll definitely be utilizing his bench a lot more than we think. We could probably see 10 minutes from every player a game next season. This also might mean it'll take a while to figure out proper combinations with so many players, so I wouldn't be surprised if we lose a few of the tough OOC games at the start.

 

[BobbyJ]

Geno did a good job with the team he had but what good coach can't win with three All Americans or at least 2.5? What would they have done if he had invested as much in Amari as he did with Ice? Would a decent 6'6 have given them more help on defense than a decent 6'3? If I am being honest I think the success had more to do with Paige, AE and Nika than it did some amazing coaching job.

As far as players are concerned Jana should be 100% healthy before school starts for sure, Caroline is a wildcard since her injury isn't something that has a normal timeline for recovery and Azzi should be ready to go by the time the season starts if everything is still on schedule. Even if Jana is the only one ready to go in the first game they should be deep enough, and talented enough to compete and win. They still have Paige and as long as she is in charge they will be fine.

I expect Sarah to step in and be a factor from day one and they could get quality minutes from either Allie or Morgan. Regardless Geno will have another roster full of top 10 recruits with three number 1 overall in that group. When healthy this team should be the favorite to win it all and I would expect them to challenge again.

Auriemma invested in DeBerry for two years before Brady ever got on the floor for a full season of practice and got nothing in return. Remarkably you seem to have seen something in DeBerry from afar that the most successful coach and top assistant in WCBB history didn't see in 3 years in the gym.

 

[yhun89]

Geno did a good job with the team he had but what good coach can't win with three All Americans or at least 2.5? What would they have done if he had invested as much in Amari as he did with Ice? Would a decent 6'6 have given them more help on defense than a decent 6'3? If I am being honest I think the success had more to do with Paige, AE and Nika than it did some amazing coaching job.

1. Amari was a lost cause. She admitted herself in some interview a while back she wasn't ready for the transition to college. Geno and staff did all they could, but you can rarely coach a poor mentality out of a player.

2. Coaching absolutely had to do with the success. Go back and watch the USC game. That is a coaching masterclass right there. The adjustment he made with each USC run were near flawless. What about the Syracuse game when Nika, his best defender, fouled out when there wasn't anyone to come in for her? Again, coaching saved the day with that one.

 

[hoophuskee]

1. Amari was a lost cause. She admitted herself in some interview a while back she wasn't ready for the transition to college. Geno and staff did all they could, but you can rarely coach a poor mentality out of a player.

2. Coaching absolutely had to do with the success. Go back and watch the USC game. That is a coaching masterclass right there. The adjustment he made with each USC run were near flawless. What about the Syracuse game when Nika, his best defender, stupidly fouled out when there wasn't anyone to come in for her? Again, coaching saved the day with that one.

I agree. In regard to #1 some height and Defense are not synonymous. There can be weak defensive bigs. That is not unusual. Tall does not mean good.

And yeah Geno's job this past year was off-the-charts - it's obvious with that. With 4 freemen in his Core 7 than how he helped develop his two seniors-- just spectacular.

 

[Alydar]

Geno did a good job with the team he had but what good coach can't win with three All Americans or at least 2.5? What would they have done if he had invested as much in Amari as he did with Ice? Would a decent 6'6 have given them more help on defense than a decent 6'3? If I am being honest I think the success had more to do with Paige, AE and Nika than it did some amazing coaching job.

As far as players are concerned Jana should be 100% healthy before school starts for sure, Caroline is a wildcard since her injury isn't something that has a normal timeline for recovery and Azzi should be ready to go by the time the season starts if everything is still on schedule. Even if Jana is the only one ready to go in the first game they should be deep enough, and talented enough to compete and win. They still have Paige and as long as she is in charge they will be fine.

I expect Sarah to step in and be a factor from day one and they could get quality minutes from either Allie or Morgan. Regardless Geno will have another roster full of top 10 recruits with three number 1 overall in that group. When healthy this team should be the favorite to win it all and I would expect them to challenge again.

Are you are talking about playing time? UConn players earn playing time in practice. I think the coaches invested three 3 years of practices in Deberry.

I agree the a decent 6'6 player would have helped if UConn had one.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Even with all the injuries, Coach Auriemma and staff had a lot with which to work - Paige Bueckers and the #6 and the #14 picks in the WNBA draft. In UConn's run to the Final Four, they did not beat a single team that was better than they were. Their loss to Iowa was not the result of poor coaching or poor play. UConn, statistically, outplayed Iowa. The one glaring difference was free throws.

Losing #6 and #14 might be too much for UConn to overcome in one season. Getting to the Final Four puts them in position to steal a national championship. It has been done a number of times; a few times at UConn's expense. UConn, next season is no worse than Elite 8(quite a bold prediction), probably Final Four, national runner up at the very best. South Carolina, USC, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA, NC State, a surprise team or three...

As with the breakup of the old Big East conference, I sorely lament the breakup of the Pac 12; Decisions made without player input. Decisions made without student academic considerations. Where will this eventually lead?

 

[hoophuskee]

Even with all the injuries, Coach Auriemma and staff had a lot with which to work - Paige Bueckers and the #6 and the #14 picks in the WNBA draft. In UConn's run to the Final Four, they did not beat a single team that was better than they were. Their loss to Iowa was not the result of poor coaching or poor play. UConn, statistically, outplayed Iowa. The one glaring difference was free throws.

Losing #6 and #14 might be too much for UConn to overcome in one season. Getting to the Final Four puts them in position to steal a national championship. It has been done a number of times; a few times at UConn's expense. UConn, next season is no worse than Elite 8(quite a bold prediction), probably Final Four, national runner up at the very best. South Carolina, USC, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA, NC State, a surprise team or three...

As with the breakup of the old Big East conference, I sorely lament the breakup of the Pac 12; Decisions made without player input. Decisions made without student academic considerations. Where will this eventually lead?

That's the point. They shouldn't have been better than what they actually ahieved. The #14 player in the dratf was not thought to be #14 until late in the NCAA's.

Look at it this way-- UCONN has the #1 recruit this year and you heard Geno say that he felt Jana should ahve been #1 if she were in USA instead of Egypt. How much impact are you putting on either both to achieve the levels of Juju, Hidalgo, and Booker?

 

[Alydar]

As with the breakup of the old Big East conference, I sorely lament the breakup of the Pac 12; Decisions made without player input. Decisions made without student academic considerations. Where will this eventually lead?

I celebrate the breakup. The ACC and Big suddenly have become stronger. And best of all I can now watch USC, UCLA, Stan. et al during the season. The PACnet was great if you could get it but I couldn't.

 

[Cuango]

Geno did a good job with the team he had but what good coach can't win with three All Americans or at least 2.5? What would they have done if he had invested as much in Amari as he did with Ice? Would a decent 6'6 have given them more help on defense than a decent 6'3? If I am being honest I think the success had more to do with Paige, AE and Nika than it did some amazing coaching job.

As far as players are concerned Jana should be 100% healthy before school starts for sure, Caroline is a wildcard since her injury isn't something that has a normal timeline for recovery and Azzi should be ready to go by the time the season starts if everything is still on schedule. Even if Jana is the only one ready to go in the first game they should be deep enough, and talented enough to compete and win. They still have Paige and as long as she is in charge they will be fine.

I expect Sarah to step in and be a factor from day one and they could get quality minutes from either Allie or Morgan. Regardless Geno will have another roster full of top 10 recruits with three number 1 overall in that group. When healthy this team should be the favorite to win it all and I would expect them to challenge again.

I don’t really know what to say about your dismissal of the incredible coaching job by Geno & staff last season! I believe an overwhelming majority of fans would disagree with you and would likely rate it as among the best coaching jobs of his illustrious career! As for his lack of investment in Amari, I will simply say, it takes two to tango! She was a very good student, a supportive teammate, and by all accounts, a good and likable young lady but she simply did not want to be a top basketball player! I do not believe Geno bears any responsibility for her choices as they pertain to her progress as a player! Obviously, there was some kind of disconnect between what he thought she could be and what she wanted to be! At any rate, she is now a Terrapin and I wish her all the best there! Hopefully, she will decide that she really does want to become “all that she can be” and buy into Brenda’s program there! It would make me very happy to see her help that team to return to their usual competitive level as a perennial power in the Big10!

 

[DrummerDee]

Geno's comment about wishing he played Q last season in that Iowa game makes me think he'll definitely be utilizing his bench a lot more than we think. We could probably see 10 minutes from every player a game next season. This also might mean it'll take a while to figure out proper combinations with so many players, so I wouldn't be surprised if we lose a few of the tough OOC games at the start.

I wish he played Ashlyn in yhe NC State game..

 

[yhun89]

I wish he played Ashlyn in yhe NC State game..

I read somewhere she was sick that game? I dunno. But yeah we might’ve been able to win if she was there tbh. Another sharp shooting mid ranger to guard and a good man on man defender.

 

[veryolddog]

Time will only tell how this team will do. There are so many factors that will come into play. Will injuries be a major factor as it has in the last few years or will we see for the first time in a while a healthy UConn team filled with talented recruits playing at a very new level. With the coach that he and his colleagues have don over the past few years with injuries, imagine what could happen with talent and health. I am looking forward to seeing this. I am going to turn 82 this year and I really would like to see another national championship.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Time will only tell how this team will do. There are so many factors that will come into play. Will injuries be a major factor as it has in the last few years or will we see for the first time in a while a healthy UConn team filled with talented recruits playing at a very new level. With the coach that he and his colleagues have don over the past few years with injuries, imagine what could happen with talent and health. I am looking forward to seeing this. I am going to turn 82 this year and I really would like to see another national championship.

"Talent and health" ... What a bold concept!

 

[OldSchooler]

We have bigs that can play inside and out. They are very versatile. The question marks for our team this coming season are how quickly our underclassman and those coming back from injury can prove to the coaching staff they are ready to contribute. We already know from this past season that Paige Ash and KK are healthy and play well together. Azzi Caroline and Griff all can play with them however the question is how healthy are they and how many effective minutes can they give us. Which brings me to the thought that Geno will not push them when he has players even those with less experience at the college level to play them and work them into the lineup. It is very critical that Yana Ice Morgan Jana and Q get minutes. They will be the keys to this and the following season especially when we dont know if Paige and Azzi opt to turn pro and we know this is Griffs last season. There will be positions to fill. Sarah is at a higher level. She will get her minutes. She is expected to be a franchise player. Her development is critical. I expect her to be able to step into the lineup and contribute pretty quickly.

We have a very impressive and strong roster of players. As I mentioned there are some questions. Those be lack of experience at the college level and those coming back from injury. Those questions will be answered

We have bigs that can play inside and out. They are very versatile. The question marks for our team this coming season are how quickly our underclassman and those coming back from injury can prove to the coaching staff they are ready to contribute. We already know from this past season that Paige Ash and KK are healthy and play well together. Azzi Caroline and Griff all can play with them however the question is how healthy are they and how many effective minutes can they give us. Which brings me to the thought that Geno will not push them when he has players even those with less experience at the college level to play them and work them into the lineup. It is very critical that Yana Ice Morgan Jana and Q get minutes. They will be the keys to this and the following season especially when we dont know if Paige and Azzi opt to turn pro and we know this is Griffs last season. There will be positions to fill. Sarah is at a higher level. She will get her minutes. She is expected to be a franchise player. Her development is critical. I expect her to be able to step into the lineup and contribute pretty quickly.

We have a very impressive and strong roster of players. As I mentioned there are some questions. Those be lack of experience at the college level and those coming back from injury. Those questions will be answered later this season.

Who starts? I think its a little to early to speculate on that. We all have our thoughts and who we would like to see starting however we dont know who is healthy, or who is ready to jump in right away. I do think that those who started last season have the team chemistry and will begin the season on the floor. Those are Paige Ash and KK. I also think having Chen will allow us to sub guards in and out without concerns. I do think Ice Jana and Sarah will see alot of minutes because they are are bigs and our future down low.

We saw last season what Geno accomplished with a team struct by injuries. That accomplishment imo was one of the greatest in Genos career. I dont expect the defense to change. The defense got us to the FF and now with the roster we have I expect we will continue to build on defense.

We are all excited about our roster and potential however we still need time to develop as a team.

Tony - Always enjoy reading your comments and analyses. I, too, am filled with optimism about the coming season. My particular favorite among the incoming frosh is Morgan. I am surprised that your analysis left out any reference to Allie Ziebell. Maybe she's getting lost in the shuffle among Jana, Sarah, Morgan and Chen. But she's probably the best pure shooter among the newcomers. I think back to last year, when the least flashy of the freshmen was Ashlynn Shade, and yet Geno had her tabbed from the start as the most mature of the crop. And as it turned out, she ended up the most productive of them all, in both scoring and endurance. Could it be that Allie turns out to be the sleeper of this incoming class?

 

[yhun89]

Tony - Always enjoy reading your comments and analyses. I, too, am filled with optimism about the coming season. My particular favorite among the incoming frosh is Morgan. I am surprised that your analysis left out any reference to Allie Ziebell. Maybe she's getting lost in the shuffle among Jana, Sarah, Morgan and Chen. But she's probably the best pure shooter among the newcomers. I think back to last year, when the least flashy of the freshmen was Ashlynn Shade, and yet Geno had her tabbed from the start as the most mature of the crop. And as it turned out, she ended up the most productive of them all, in both scoring and endurance. Could it be that Allie turns out to be the sleeper of this incoming class?

I think people are really invested in Morgan because she's had loads more of publicity than Allie. Her team won the TOC against the #1 team, and add the fact she had a triple double that game, and that's a player people are going to be amped about. On YT, it's incredibly easy to find Morgan's highlights, not so easy for Allie. Morgan's versatility also means she can do anything on the court, from the highlights, Allie isn't as versatile, but still can be a strong SG or Wing. And seems to have good ball handle skills.

I think people are mainly not as excited because they see her as a second Azzi, a pure shooter. We don't have a Morgan, a 6'2 guard/forward who can play 4 positions, have nasty handles, pass, shoot, defend and rebound. I personally think Allie's one of our biggest gets, mainly because with her, we probably have the greatest backcourt in the NCAA next season, and we're a threat to double teams/man-to-man defensive schemes that may come for players like PB.

Shade was underrated as hell, but it's hard to stand out in the sea of Jujus, Mikayla, Hannahs, and so on. But she was easily an underrated freshmen.

 

[Bone Dog]

I think people are really invested in Morgan because she's had loads more of publicity than Allie. Her team won the TOC against the #1 team, and add the fact she had a triple double that game, and that's a player people are going to be amped about. On YT, it's incredibly easy to find Morgan's highlights, not so easy for Allie. Morgan's versatility also means she can do anything on the court, from the highlights, Allie isn't as versatile, but still can be a strong SG or Wing. And seems to have good ball handle skills.

I think people are mainly not as excited because they see her as a second Azzi, a pure shooter. We don't have a Morgan, a 6'2 guard/forward who can play 4 positions, have nasty handles, pass, shoot, defend and rebound. I personally think Allie's one of our biggest gets, mainly because with her, we probably have the greatest backcourt in the NCAA next season, and we're a threat to double teams/man-to-man defensive schemes that may come for players like PB.

Shade was underrated as hell, but it's hard to stand out in the sea of Jujus, Mikayla, Hannahs, and so on. But she was easily an underrated freshmen.

Yup.

I also think in terms of character — which is a key factor Geno recruits for — Allie’s experience in HS was similar to Ash’s and Paige’s. They were each the essential player on their teams. They carried the load whenever they were called on. All their teammates counted on them for the key bucket or pass or rebound or steal all season long. This is what Paige and Ash brought their freshman years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Allie shows something similar if she gets the chance.

And before anyone gets all worked up, I’m not saying Ash and Allie are as great as P Boogers. But I think they share those same broad shoulders.

 

[yhun89]

Yup.

I also think in terms of character — which is a key factor Geno recruits for — Allie’s experience in HS was similar to Ash’s and Paige’s. They were each the essential player on their teams. They carried the load whenever they were called on. All their teammates counted on them for the key bucket or pass or rebound or steal all season long. This is what Paige and Ash brought their freshman years, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Allie shows something similar if she gets the chance.

And before anyone gets all worked up, I’m not saying Ash and Allie are as great as P Boogers. But I think they share those same broad shoulders.

She can play more relaxed amongst UCONN since she'll have lots more help. She's got to be a decent off ball mover, right? Seemed like every time she stepped on the court, 3 girls were ready to jump her.

 

[Bone Dog]

I'll just put this here. My wife and I were having carnitas tacos for lunch and she wanted to put on a game to watch. I recommended the Iowa game from two years ago because it's really competitive and you get to see what the offense looks like with 3 shooters on the floor at once. In that case, it was Azzi Lou and Caroline. I really recommend watching this game for anyone who wants a reminder of what the team looks like when there's a lot of shooters available. It's also really wonderful to get to see Azzi and Caroline on the floor together. There's been way too few occasions for that.

Anyway, watch that Iowa game and you might just get a forecast of what the Huskies could well look like this season. 3 shooting threats makes a huge difference, and Geno will have a lot more than that: Paige, Azzi, Allie, Ash, Caroline, Sarah, Q, Morgan, and maybe even Jana. That's a lot of firepower. Some of them may have a cold spell on a given night, but not all of them.

 

[Bone Dog]

One last thought about the bugaboo so many here have about front court size:

This is a very versatile lineup from the looks of it. And versatility tends to favor lots of midsize bigs who have quick feet. Some of our greatest teams have been like this. The last two Stewie teams and the two Gabby led teams. In fact, when I think of Gabby’s teams, the only 6’3” player in the starting lineup was Katie Lou, and she mainly played on the perimeter. But they made up for this with excellent defense and an awesome transition game. This season’s team strikes me as a little like those teams. And if everyone is healthy by February, it will feel like Geno has won the lottery.