Which player is living up to preseason hype? Azzi!

[SVCBeercats]

Answering your questions on women's college basketball

Why have Texas and Tennessee struggled? Lyndsey D'Arcangelo explains in her 12 Questions column.

theathletic.com

UCONN mentioned or discussed in introduction, #6, #7, #8, #10

 

[DefenseBB]

Wow, a logical discussion, explaining her reasoning without gushing or fawning over any one team, coach or player. Maybe it's the cynic in me (and other BYers) that we see bias everywhere in the scribes who have a history of covering the women's game but it's nice to read a fresh face/view.

 

[huskyd]

Yes, Azzi is living up to expectations, perhaps exceeding them. But as significant is the improvement to Aaliyah's, Nika's, and Aubrey's game. W/out a TEAM, winning is nigh impossible. (Lou is a bonus.)

 

[LoboDays]

Yes, Azzi is living up to expectations, perhaps exceeding them. But as significant is the improvement to Aaliyah's, Nika's, and Aubrey's game. W/out a TEAM, winning is nigh impossible. (Lou is a bonus.)

Yea. Azzi is “living up” and I think AE is too. Nika and Aubrey are exceeding them.

 

[sun]

I can't imagine what UConn's current rank would be without Azzi's overall contributions.
She pretty much fueled UConn's victory over Texas singlehandedly despite them not having Harmon playing.
I think that as long as Azzi is healthy then UConn really is Azzi's team this year and is its leader by example.
That's due to her hard work, dedication and overall level of talent.
She's like a thoroughbred and the most well rounded UConn player currently on the court.
IMO all of the doubts about her BB abilities have been dismissed.
There's really nothing left for anyone to doubt.

 

[Bills Fan]

I am not discounting anything Azzi has done this year (3 games). She is clearly the best player on the team. However, you seem to be downgrading the team with your first sentence. A question for you: where would any of the top teams be without their "clearly best player?" SC w/o Boston; Iowa w/o Clark; TN w/o Horston; TX w/o Harmon . Get my point?

Secondly, Azzi, while the best player, by far, on the team, is not its leader. As you say, a leader, yes she definitely leads, but she is not THE leader. Watch the huddles. Who is everyone listening to ? Who sets the tone at the beginning of the games through her hustle and fierce determination? If none of that convinces you, you might just want to listen to a guy who knows quite a bit about Women's CBB. Some guy named Geno.

A seemingly minor point, but a small example of what a leader does. They know what all the teammates are supposed to be doing and where they should be. Again just a small thing, but if you go to the NCSt. pre-tipoff video, you will see Nika quietly motioning to Lou to move from where she set up to the other side of the State player that she was standing next to. And guess where the tip off went---to Azzi who moved into that space to receive the tipoff. It was a small and quiet motion by Nika to help out a new teammate get into the correct position. Subtle, but important.

We are lucky to have both of them (and the rest of the squad).

 

[EricLA]

I am not discounting anything Azzi has done this year (3 games). She is clearly the best player on the team. However, you seem to be downgrading the team with your first sentence. A question for you: where would any of the top teams be without their "clearly best player?" SC w/o Boston; Iowa w/o Clark; TN w/o Horston; TX w/o Harmon . Get my point?

Secondly, Azzi, while the best player, by far, on the team, is not its leader. As you say, a leader, yes she definitely leads, but she is not THE leader. Watch the huddles. Who is everyone listening to ? Who sets the tone at the beginning of the games through her hustle and fierce determination? If none of that convinces you, you might just want to listen to a guy who knows quite a bit about Women's CBB. Some guy named Geno.

A seemingly minor point, but a small example of what a leader does. They know what all the teammates are supposed to be doing and where they should be. Again just a small thing, but if you go to the NCSt. pre-tipoff video, you will see Nika quietly motioning to Lou to move from where she set up to the other side of the State player that she was standing next to. And guess where the tip off went---to Azzi who moved into that space to receive the tipoff. It was a small and quiet motion by Nika to help out a new teammate get into the correct position. Subtle, but important.

We are lucky to have both of them (and the rest of the squad).

Given that we are already down the best player in the nation (Paige) and one of the best freshmen (Ice) AND our starting center (Dorka), I'd say it's nothing short of miraculous that we have played as well as we have.

@sun said Azzi is leading by example. He did not say she was the leader in huddles, bringing the ball up, being vocal, etc. That almost always is the PG's duties, and Nika is having a remarkable season as she's the engine that makes the team purr smoothly.

And Sun correctly pointed out all the fantastic things Azzi is excelling at this season. Thus far, IMHO, she's the leading candidate for NPOY by a country mile. Of course there is a ton of basketball to be played. Not sure it's humanly possible for her to produce like that the rest of the season. I don't think there's a player in UCONN history who has averaged over 25 PPG for an entire season. I think Maya was close to that in 2011.

Anyway Azzi is showing out. She told Geno she could handle it, and boy she sure has. NPOY Azzi!

 

[Skeets]

Azzi is not living up to the preseason hype, she's exceeding the preseason hype (if that's even possible).

The player who is merely meeting my expectations is Nika. Everything she is doing routinely now she has done in the past. I will say 1 thing, she is making everyone who trashed her, said she wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't start, etc. in the preseason are now looking very ill-informed. As a freshman Nika was a gnat, now she is a velociraptor.

 

[Bone Dog]

Given that we are already down the best player in the nation (Paige)

I think we'll have dueling "best players in the nation" next year. It will be a best-friendly competition between them. I wonder who will be seen as winning it? I have a pretty good idea what each of them will say: "I did!"

 

[Bills Fan]

Eric, maybe it's just a semantics issue, but I read Sun's comment as saying is the team's leader. Sun didn't say what you wrote-that Azzi was leading by example, because I would agree with that. rather Sun wrote that Azzi is the team's leader, which is a lot different than leading by example.

Oh well, it's nothing to get worked up about so I will withdraw my comment. As I tried to make clear, Azzi is doing a fantastic job in all aspects of her game.