What Is [goin on] With Aaliyah Edwards? [Merged Thread]

[Monte]

The bottom line is: Last year, AE improved as the year went along. Naturally, when this happens, you expect to see added improvement in the next year. I agree with the many fans who are somewhat disappointed in what she has done so far this year.
I am rooting for her to get it together, and I think she will. Let's support her!

 

[BostonBay]

The entire Frontline of AE, Ono, and Dorka has underperformed. They are getting outplayed and outhustled by smaller front lines.

 

[Charliebball]

which UConn player is playing better this season as compared to last year? None of them.................I think if you asked them they'd readily agree..........I certainly hope that changes in the next five games.............

 

[oldude]

which UConn player is playing better this season as compared to last year? None of them.................I certainly hope that changes in the next five games.............

Unless you overweight 3 pt shooting, Paige is better than last year, particularly on the defensive end. I agree everyone else is a mixed bag.

 

[Bama fan]

I am not sure you needed the qualifier "with Aaliyah Edwards" . Lately it seems that "what is the problem with the Boneyard " is the important question. There is just so much negativity and personal animosity on this board that it is truly hard to imagine many posters are "fans". Many posters just choose to ignore stats and pump vitriol. Quite disheartening when some pick out a player or two and dump on them repeatedly. Five games into the season and too many conclusions reached. Maybe the trying times we are experiencing has people in a nasty mood, but I am disappointed by some of our posters far more than by the Huskies.

 

[jchusky]

The entire Frontline of AE, Ono, and Dorka has underperformed. They are getting outplayed and outhustled by smaller front lines.

But Dorka was an all-american in the big 10! She should easily dominate the little big east!

 

[Centerstream]

I am not sure you needed the qualifier "with Aaliyah Edwards" . Lately it seems that "what is the problem with the Boneyard " is the important question. There is just so much negativity and personal animosity on this board that it is truly hard to imagine many posters are "fans". Many posters just choose to ignore stats and pump vitriol. Quite disheartening when some pick out a player or two and dump on them repeatedly. Five games into the season and too many conclusions reached. Maybe the trying times we are experiencing has people in a nasty mood, but I am disappointed by some of our posters far more than by the Huskies.

Gotta agree with you. My post in this thread, before I Ignore it, was going to be to change the thread title from "Aaliyah Edwards" to "fill in the blank" because of all the negativity so early in the season. Even though I have visited the Chat Room during the halftimes of some games, I can only imagine what is being posted there.

 

[Centerstream]

But Dorka was an all-american in the big 10! She should easily dominate the little big east!

All American???? Where did you come up with that? She was a Two-time First Team All-Big Ten.

 

[oldude]

I am not sure you needed the qualifier "with Aaliyah Edwards" . Lately it seems that "what is the problem with the Boneyard " is the important question. There is just so much negativity and personal animosity on this board that it is truly hard to imagine many posters are "fans". Many posters just choose to ignore stats and pump vitriol. Quite disheartening when some pick out a player or two and dump on them repeatedly. Five games into the season and too many conclusions reached. Maybe the trying times we are experiencing has people in a nasty mood, but I am disappointed by some of our posters far more than by the Huskies.

Bama, thank you for causing me to rethink
what I post here. Hopefully, others will do so as well. Many BY’ers remember Bags fondly. He moved on from the BY several years ago because of the negativity he experienced here. I miss Bags and other posters who have left this forum. We can all do better.

 

[Bama fan]

Bama, thank you for causing me to rethink
about what I post. Hopefully, others will do so as well. Many BY’ers remember Bags fondly. He moved on from the BY several years ago because of the negativity he experienced here. I miss Bags and other posters who have left this forum. We can all do better.

I miss him also, and it is too easy to be jaded. We all need patience and compassion to be the things that rule our interactions. Go Huskies!

 

[jchusky]

All American???? Where did you come up with that? She was a Two-time First Team All-Big Ten.

yes so that meant she was going to dominate the little big east, at least that was what was told.

 

[browns]

I thought AE would be a beast this year but as others have applied she seems to have regressed.Maybe she's better off coming off the bench..It's too bad Nika isn't playing like she did last year so she can't start. Most people will laugh at this but how about Dorka starting. I'm sure since the SC game Geno has been harping about rebounding well Dorka only played 15 mins and grabbed 10 rebounds 4 of which were offensive..Just a thought

 

[JoePgh]

The entire Frontline of AE, Ono, and Dorka has underperformed. They are getting outplayed and outhustled by smaller front lines.

So how is that consistent with a 50-12 advantage for UConn in points in the paint vs. Seton Hall? Or a 14-7 advantage in offensive rebounds? Or Seton Hall's two top rebounders (Sidney Cooks and Kailah Harris) each getting outrebounded by Dorka, Paige, and Aaliyah?

A lot of posters here, particularly those who say the most negative things, fail (as in this case) to offer any evidence for their scalding accusations, and ignore evidence that is readily available from the box score.

 

[Cornell Lt]

My take on AE is that she is trying to be what the Canadian national team wanted her to be (wing player) but UConn needs her to be a post player. So she's kinda stuck in the middle, which obviously isn't working out so great.

 

[donalddoowop]

yes so that meant she was going to dominate the little big east, at least that was what was told.

She has played against one BE team. I thought she did well. As far as the difference in what Nurse and Edwards did on the Canadian team, nurse played her natural position while it is said Edwards played an unfamiliar one.

 

[donalddoowop]

As far as I know, “Cananda” didn’t qualify for the Olympics. In fact, it’s not even a country…….

You are wrong oldude, just wrong for this. It went right over the head.

 

[CocoHusky]

So how is that consistent with a 50-12 advantage for UConn in points in the paint vs. Seton Hall? Or a 14-7 advantage in offensive rebounds? Or Seton Hall's two top rebounders (Sidney Cooks and Kailah Harris) each getting outrebounded by Dorka, Paige, and Aaliyah?A lot of posters here, particularly those who say the most negative things, fail (as in this case) to offer any evidence for their scalding accusations, and ignore evidence that is readily available from the box score.

The evidence is not in the box scores it is in actually viewing the game and remembering games from last season and past UCONN teams. The box score will tell you that UCONN outscored SH in the paint. Actually watching the game will tell you that the best post move in the game was made by a guard named Paige. Watching the game will also tell you that Aliyah Edwards was fumbling passes and not finishing plays that she easily finished last year against much better teams such as Iowa & Baylor. Nika was a starter last year the box score will not tell you that this season Nika does not look the same. The box score is not going to tell you that the offensive flow is not very good or that teams are sagging of UCONN shooters. The boxscore will also not tell you Geno's favorite metric for good defense-contested shots.

 

[JoePgh]

The evidence is not in the box scores it is in actually viewing the game and remembering games from last season and past UCONN teams. The box score will tell you that UCONN outscored SH in the paint. Actually watching the game will tell you that the best post move in the game was made by a guard named Paige. Watching the game will also tell you that Aliyah Edwards was fumbling passes and not finishing plays that she easily finished last year against much better teams such as Iowa & Baylor. Nika was a starter last year the box score will not tell you that this season Nika does not look the same. The box score is not going to tell you that the offensive flow is not very good or that teams are sagging of UCONN shooters. The boxscore will also not tell you Geno's favorite metric for good defense-contested shots.

The post that I was responding to said this:

"The entire Frontline of AE, Ono, and Dorka has underperformed. They are getting outplayed and outhustled by smaller front lines."

Do you believe that this statement is true, i.e., that Seton Hall outplayed and outhustled UConn's front line?

The point that you are making is that some players are not playing at the same level as they were last year. That is a different statement than what BostonBay said (quoted above). BostonBay's statement is disprovable from the evidence in the box score, especially 50-12 in paint points in UConn's favor. Your statement is a qualitative comparison, and I agree that the box score of the Seton Hall game does not provide direct evidence either to support it or disprove it.

 

[Alydar]

But Dorka was an all-american in the big 10! She should easily dominate the little big east!

That's what I was thinking watching her Thur. All-B1G, 1st team forward in both her sophomore and junior years? I thought someone at that level would be stronger, even dominant. Now I like her ability and willingness to shoot and the way she runs the floor, but at times her hands remind me of Butler's. I'll give her a pass until January. Stepping into a post rotation for UConn isn't easy.

 

[Mdoggie]

Boneyard = Volnation

 

[hjoerring]

Reading the Seton Hall postgame thread, I saw numerous critical comments about nearly all of the UConn players except Paige, but IMO those pertaining to Aaliyah Edwards are the least deserved (particularly with respect to the Seton Hall game itself) and the hardest to understand. What exactly is disappointing about the way AE played against Seton Hall?
Can someone tell us: what is your problem with Aaliyah Edwards?

My take is that she (and all the others) isn't Paige. They see her as guilty for not being Paige B. No one is going to like this but, I'll say it: This is a very good team-- I don't know if its more (or not) a championship team than the others we normally compare it to; but, the players are playing tight, even scare. Paige is undoubtedly the best player, but there are others who can match much of what she is doing. All three starting guards can shoot from outside, go to the basket and pass. Edwards can actually put the ball on the floor and go to the basket, so why is she holding on to the ball at the top of the key forever waiting for a cutter and a pass? Why do the others disappear at crunch time? I no longer think its a question of talent. It is role play-- they must first and foremost set screens and screens and more screens. I am now convinced that Geno is comfortable with 2 scorers in a game. It worked until it didn't with Samuelson (after the big 3 existed) and, I doubt that it will with PB+. I have listened to his post game comments and its clear that it is all about PB and and the others as problems. Of course there are others who can see motivation in everything. Not me. So there is a congruent between the Boneyard and Geno. No one seems to be having fun out there, and that is for the coaches to solve. But the Team is ranked 2. That is not due to Uconn's influence on WBB! But I see red lights flashing both for this Board (which has dipped a little) and the Team.

 

[oldude]

Boneyard = Volnation

I actually think VolNation has mellowed considerably. Kellie Harper is a good young coach, who’s brought a much more positive vibe to Knoxville. At 6-0 the Lady Vols are ranked 11th. The fan base no longer appears to expect a national championship or bust. They are far more supportive of their team in good times and bad. There is still an occasional outburst on VolNation, but the kind of relentless negativity that accompanied Holly Warlick’s tenure as HC appears to be a thing of the past. Perhaps the BY could learn something from VolNation?

 

[JellyBean]

I do not have a problem with Aaliyah Edwards performance this year. I think she is doing well. She is adjusting to the offensive patterns of how the ball is being put in play. Defensive side, she is doing well.

 

[my2cents]

I think BYers are split into two camps; those that are happy with 30+ wins and a Final Four appearance, and those of us who want us to win that semi-final game and possibly a National Championship.
I don't think of us in the latter camp can be called negative if we basically "re-package" Geno's own words pertaining to the current play of his team.
It's pretty obvious what the challenges are. Our outside shooting is just not there and this allows teams to play off us. This jams the lane. We can get by a Seton Hall, but a team in the Final Four with size, it won't work.
Geno said himself, our half-court game is not good and it's up to him to fix it.
I have been saying in here, since Megan Walker's freshman year, that these National #1 players can beat anyone they want off the dribble, which breaks down the defense. They can finish, get fouled, or dish to the player whose "man" came to help.
Isolating Paige would be a total nightmare for the opposition. Who could stop her?? NOBODY. Same with CW.
The 80's called, they want their halfcourt weave back...

 

[FormerCTrez]

Why is it that I sometimes view a few BY posters as angry parents? The type of parents who are only happy when the kids maintain a 5.0 and nothing less. Because, if the grade is 3.0 - 4.0, it means that the kids have failed, and are doomed for life.
BYers, you can do much better than this! Imagine how you would feel if some of these comments were posted about your kid or relative.