What’s the long term plan for Amari?

[LwrcasefaN]

Liv was a natural 5 for College for UCONN. She was not recruited as a primary 4.

And DOrka was also a big body. And if Edwards and ICE aren't "space-eaters" in terms of body type when it comes to rebounds, then what is?

As far as Liv and Edwards, in Liv's sr year the Indiana coach spoke of her surprise how physical UCONN was. Tara V spoke of how UCONN was physical inside. UCON got to finals despite all the injuries and were physical team with size. In Liv's jr year, UCONN lost two games. One was to Arkansas, and the other was to Arizona. Hardly teams with size and space eaters more of note than UCONN's. On the flip side that year UCONN beta the bigger teams with space eaters South Carolina and Baylor. .

And I disagree that guards haven’t been a big issue – they have been with injury the past few years. OF they have been. UCONN lost the best guard in all of WCBB last year. Plus Azzi was hurt. When you speak of matchup’s - exactly what UCONN was anticipation that they were going to use their matchups at the guard positions in which both Paige and Azzi were highlighted as "generational." That was the UCONN matchup and injuries have destroyed all that. UCON's strength was going to come from elite perimeter play from more than 1 player. Thos slower bigs would never have been able to defend UCONN's offense if not for injury other than a random offnite game. Which even SC loses to Iowa has shown on the other side can happen.

ok

 

[TCC Kid]

Well she will hopefully get a degree .. cause she isn’t gonna contribute to basketball unless it’s meaningless time

Half of your posting ,at least hopefully true, graduation, degree. The second half --as factually as you state it--has no facts to it at all. Human's, my study, are amazing creatures, extremely few are totally predictable. There are 5 humans that are part of your second half--Ameri is one. One thing seems evident: Without a decent level of minutes against a decent level of competition her improvement won't succeed as hoped. You learn plays, you learn fundamental IN PRACTICE--but you learn the game playing the game--against real women competition. Yes, the male practice players help--which proves my point--even UC coaches realize the need of game time exposure.

 

[TCC Kid]

I cannot contradict what you say. Have you made a speech in front of an audience of 20 or 500--. In 20 years of facing 30 or so classes per year--the first HOUR of each class--I was a bit shaky. How long does it take for Ameri to settle down? The Boneyard has had many discussions about her and she knows it. She knows what you write here. EXPECTATIONS--- from you, me, coach 40,000 TV fans, and 16000 at the Civic Center all know what is said here. Ameri knows that---and her Expectations exceed yours--How WOULD anyone reading this react--would you be perfect--certainly I WOULD--(not on your life), would you fumble, rush, miss a step--cuz--40,000 and COACH IS WATCHING-- Could you handle the pressure she feels. Give the the Courage Award--she's earned it.
She is so much more than Basketball!

 

[cabbie191]

Kia had two great characteristics, hustle and most importantly for a center - good hands.

I loved watching Stokes come into her own her jr and sr years.

My best memory was after a game where she scored more than her norm and in the post-game comments dead panned how Geno had her in the game for her deadly shooting. Might have been the 2014 semis against Stanford when she scored 9.

If I remember correctly, she hardly ever took shots but she rarely missed.

 

[Steelerone]

You know that Geno isn’t obligated to keep players on the team, right? Obviously she has value in his mind or he would have told her (subtly or not so) to go somewhere else. Geno recruits players who will be good TEAMMATES first and foremost.

There are players who have chosen to leave but I can never remember of having reported a player Geno kicked off the team. I can remember him awarding scholarships to players who were "practice players" after their first year. I have never heard anyone accuse Amari of being a "bad teammate".Like I have said before, it doesn't matter if you can throw a baseball at 100mph if you can't hit the plate. And it doesn't matter if you are 6'5" if someone 6' can outrebound you.

 

[hoophuskee]

I've been seeing a lack of development in players at UConn over the last 10 years or so. You used to see players come in with limitations, work on those limitations and become valuable contributors over time. That's become much less of a "thing".

You mean all the player's that have made the WNBA - never got much betterfrom frosh to sr years?

 

[cohenzone]

Let's see if she gets any PT against UCLA & Kansas which are played 2 days in a row.
She can block shots.
Each team has a superbig & she can try to help slow them down.

A rhetorical question.

 

[cgshuskie]

I might as well say it because no one else will. The coaching staff has misused DeBerry. She has some talent. The staff hasn't figured out how to use that talent. Can she be an adequate post player? She has to be taught how to play the post. Maybe, she can only make a unique style of post play. But we need the rebounding and even the potential of shot blocking.

 

[uconnfan68]

I loved watching Stokes come into her own her jr and sr years.

My best memory was after a game where she scored more than her norm and in the post-game comments dead panned how Geno had her in the game for her deadly shooting. Might have been the 2014 semis against Stanford when she scored 9.

If I remember correctly, she hardly ever took shots but she rarely missed.

There is a reason so many of the teams she plays for win championships. Elite defender, shotblocker, and rebounder.

 

[Classof87]

Someone please shed some light on this situation. She is a Junior. Does not get any minutes and when she does, it’s at the end of the game for 45 seconds with Ines. She dealt with some injuries appropriately last season which is understandable, but this season she is healthy 6’6” sitting on the bench on a team that lacks rebounding and size. I understand Geno and the UConn program in regards to needing to have his trust and confidence to perform In the game, but at this point I it’s just a disservice to both her and the program for her to just be a body for practice. I hope she can turn it around or the coaching staff chooses to give her a shot soon. Again, these are my personal feelings but would like to hear what you all think.

I recall Geno saying more than once how he looks for a player to make a jump from their freshman to sophomore years where things click. I don't think Amari has made that jump. I don't know that she's going to... She's got height and can shoot 3's, but IMO she's an overall defensive liability and not going to get any meaningful minutes unless he's desperate. Sorry!

 

[wingsfan055]

After Jana's injury this summer, I was really surprised Geno didnt bring in a Big from the portal. Just a serviceable Big that can take up space, rebound and play some good defense. Didnt really need to be a scoring threat. We need another "Dorka" on this team. When the coaches say we are undersized, that is a huge admission. At this point, I dont think anyone is betting Amari will fill this slot. Geno really rolling the dice that AE, Ice, and Patterson will be enough size and toughness...Not feeling good.

 

[Geosfun]

I've been seeing a lack of development in players at UConn over the last 10 years or so. You used to see players come in with limitations, work on those limitations and become valuable contributors over time. That's become much less of a "thing".

I must’ve been watching a different team over that time because most of the players I watched showed extraordinary growth on and off the court.

 

[mtblancalas]

There was a time before fab freshman where many players would not be any good and suddenly their senior league it clicked. Hopefully it clicks basketball wise eventually and if not she has an education that will help her get it done outside basketball.

 

[hoophuskee]

There is a reason so many of the teams she plays for win championships. Elite defender, shotblocker, and rebounder.

Iowa had a shot blocker?

 

[npignatjr]

Liv's natural position when she was recruited wasn't a 5. She played the 5 out of necessity. I didn't use the term "random". You did. Basketball is a game of matchups. Sometimes you need a big body. They don't need to be uber athletic to be effective in the right condition against the right team. Czinano wasn't athletic, but effective. Big T wasn't uber athletic. Ayoko Lee isn't athletic. What they have in common is rebounding. They present second chance opportunities. They block shots at the rim. Yes. UCONN has had injuries, but guards aren't the issue these past few years. Rebounding is the problem. You can have all the athletic guards in the world, but if you can't get clean rebounds you will be playing a lot more in the half court against set defenses.

Last year it was all lack of more than one reliable ballhandler.

 

[HopJim]

I may have told this story before. In high school, our tallest, strongest player for unknown reasons was passive on the court. One day, the coach told him he would get a milk shake if he just went out there and hit someone. Needless to say, our center was drinking a big Dairy Queen that night and started to play a physical game, which is what we needed. DeBerry doesn't need to make all her outside shots or be the first down on a fastbreak. Geno needs to find the mental equivilent of a "milk shake" to incent her to get physical and play strong defense and rebound, if only for 5-7 minutes of prime time a game.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno has said a million times he won’t play someone unless he’s reasonably sure he knows what he’ll get from her on the court. Is he going to pull Aaliyah and put in Amari and hope the light will come on that game? Maybe during Big East games, but not during this difficult out of conference schedule

 

[cancontent]

I like Deberry. I'm not here to guess what is going on beyond what I see on the court. She's tall. We could use rebounds. In some of the less competitive games she could eat some of Edward's minutes and give her a breather. Kiah Stokes hung around on the bench, but eventually became a solid and reliable player. I'm hoping for the best with Deberry.

And she now has 2 WNBA rings to add to her collection. Sometimes the progression takes a longer than initially expected.

At the same time, could it be that fan expectations were higher than they should have been? For context, look at her stats from FIBA U16 and U19. She came off the bench as the last post player during both events, with players like Lauren Betts and Aaliyah Moore playing ahead of her. Her point averages were 5.3/game in 2019 and 2/game in 2021. To me that's an indication of a long term project.

It's definitely perplexing, but this happens all the time in all sports. The list of top ranked players that don't pan out goes on forever. Nothing is guaranteed even when it comes to the UConn women's program. The current season is in it's third week, however. Let's see how things progress through non-conference play

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I went down this rabbit hole this morning. I know UConn doesn't have a lot of size but that doesn't mean Amari is the answer.

Not every player who comes to UConn follows the path from high ranked recruit to starter or even contributor. Some players don't develop much at all. Maybe they weren't ranked properly to begin with (and those rankings are problematic as most of us know), maybe they haven't put in the work to get better, maybe they aren't a great fit with the coaching staff or program. It's possible she becomes an impact player and makes a difference but by the time players are upperclassmen it's unlikely they take a major leap (though possible).

Frankly the evolution of the game towards more perimeter oriented means fewer players, on the men's a women's sides of the game, really understand or know how to post up. They don't really learn that skill anymore when they are younger and most coaches don't seem interested in teaching it properly.

 

[Florida Fan]

Kia had two great characteristics, hustle and most importantly for a center - good hands.

Kia was critical in some key games, (think Notre Dame), Geno using her to stop the bleeding, and reclaim the boards. She was great with put-backs.

 

[Rowdy831]

I might as well say it because no one else will. The coaching staff has misused DeBerry. She has some talent. The staff hasn't figured out how to use that talent. Can she be an adequate post player? She has to be taught how to play the post. Maybe, she can only make a unique style of post play. But we need the rebounding and even the potential of shot blocking.

I thought CD used her pretty good when she filled in for Geno last year. I would love to see Amari used more but she seems happy to be where she is and that is what is important.

 

[Rowdy831]

How long have you been following UConn? You actually think that Auriemma, of all people, hasn't told DeBerry exactly what's expected of her? That probably happened around the 2nd week of practice her freshman year if not before. She knows EXACTLY what's expected. Being 6-5 with long arms doesn't mean anything if she plays 6-1. And that's her problem, she's not athletic or quick enough to play 6-1 inside and doesn't have the perimeter skills to play outside. You're deluding yourself if you think she does because the whole coaching staff including Dailey knows she doesn't.

Bobby I have studied Geno for many years and he is a great coach and gets a lot out of certain type of player. Usually that person is the one he recruits but from time to time one slips through that isn't going to respond to your normal message or normal delivery. To answer your question, no I don't think Geno has told her exactly what he needs in a game. I do think he told her exactly what he wants her to do in practice but I am talking more about results. "I need you to go in there and get us 5 rebounds" or "I need you to go in there and shut down so and so". I am NOT talking about direction in practice, they are two different things.

What I do know for sure is they have no one currently playing that can handle a player 6'5 man to man. They will have to run up tempo to try to wear that person down. I agree that is option 1 but if that doesn't work they need an option 2 and that one is where it gets dicey.

 

[Vancat]

Wow- I'm surprised this thread hasn't been locked down yet, as what usually happens to threads criticizing players.

Amari seems to be a great kid & well-loved by her teammates and coaches. She is obviously happy with her scant role on a great team. And what's wrong with that? Who knows.... if all our bigs go down, at least she's tall!

 

[HuskyNan]

Bobby I have studied Geno for many years and he is a great coach and gets a lot out of certain type of player. Usually that person is the one he recruits but from time to time one slips through that isn't going to respond to your normal message or normal delivery. To answer your question, no I don't think Geno has told her exactly what he needs in a game. I do think he told her exactly what he wants her to do in practice but I am talking more about results. "I need you to go in there and get us 5 rebounds" or "I need you to go in there and shut down so and so". I am NOT talking about direction in practice, they are two different things.

What I do know for sure is they have no one currently playing that can handle a player 6'5 man to man. They will have to run up tempo to try to wear that person down. I agree that is option 1 but if that doesn't work they need an option 2 and that one is where it gets dicey.

@BobbyJ is correct. Geno meets with every player and sets goals for each person. Numerous players have spoken about it. Don’t you recall his saying, “Maya worked her butt off to get that one rebound” then she gets 10 the next game. Don’t you think he told her to get more rebounds?

And, I’m sorry, but elite, high Division I athletes don’t need to be told “You have to get x number of points and x number of rebounds” before each game. They WANT to go out and do what the team needs.

 

[BobbyJ]

Bobby I have studied Geno for many years and he is a great coach and gets a lot out of certain type of player. Usually that person is the one he recruits but from time to time one slips through that isn't going to respond to your normal message or normal delivery. To answer your question, no I don't think Geno has told her exactly what he needs in a game. I do think he told her exactly what he wants her to do in practice but I am talking more about results. "I need you to go in there and get us 5 rebounds" or "I need you to go in there and shut down so and so". I am NOT talking about direction in practice, they are two different things.

What I do know for sure is they have no one currently playing that can handle a player 6'5 man to man. They will have to run up tempo to try to wear that person down. I agree that is option 1 but if that doesn't work they need an option 2 and that one is where it gets dicey.

You cannot have studied Auriemma for many years and actually think that he gives precise instructions in practice and then just wings it in games and hopes a kid would get the message and perform. That makes no sense at all.