Who will be the primary backup center for Jana?

[oldhusky]

We never saw the potential Ayanna had in hs in any games she played as a freshman. She never showed any leaping ability that I saw. If she can truly play near the rim, like her video clips showed, then she might be successful as a backup to Jana, but it's a mystery now.

One of the things that we got minimal info on during Ayanna's freshmen season was exactly how much she was hampered by knee issues. I agree that we didn't see the level of athleticism from her high school days. Based on her strength and leaping ability I certainly expected her to be a dominant rebounder and shot blocker, and she was ok, but nowhere near what I was expecting.

So if she was affected a great deal by the knee that might explain a lot, and maybe there is upside far beyond what we saw her first year. The pessimistic view might be that her knee issues are chronic and maybe we will never see that explosive athlete again. One thing about her numbers gives me hope.

I remember after a few games noticing her PER was around 20, maybe ballpark close to what I might have expected. By year end, however, she had dropped down to a season average around 12. It was only a few games in the beginning, but the production dropped off a cliff, which might be consistent with her being close to healthy at the start, but the knee getting much worse as the season progressed.

I guess this is the season we find out if Ayanna can realize her HS potential or if nagging knee issues are putting her basketball career in jeopardy.

 

[Dogstar]

The opening tip has nothing to do with the outcome of the game for a team like UCONN.

So True..but people have to have something to worry abt no matter how insignificant it may be. The only way the opening tip effects the other 39 mins and 57 seconds of the game is if one person jumps and comes down on the other person foot causing a severe ankle turn causing tht player to limp to the bench, require help to the locker room, take some x-rays, get a boot or a pair of crutches, and miss the rest of the game. Luckily in all my years of watching all levels of BB I've never seen tht happen....hahaha

 

[SoCalCanine]

I remember after a few games noticing her PER was around 20, maybe ballpark close to what I might have expected. By year end, however, she had dropped down to a season average around 12. It was only a few games in the beginning, but the production dropped off a cliff, which might be consistent with her being close to healthy at the start, but the knee getting much worse as the season progressed.

I guess this is the season we find out if Ayanna can realize her HS potential or if nagging knee issues are putting her basketball career in jeopardy.

It also could be consistent with getting playing time vs early season cupcakes and the competition stiffening as the season progressed? I truly don't know. I don't remember there being early or midseason discussion of her being injured, but my memory is not what it once was. Does anyone remember or have any evidence? Like all Huskies, I root for her success this year!

 

[Alydar]

It also could be consistent with getting playing time vs early season cupcakes and the competition stiffening as the season progressed? I truly don't know. I don't remember there being early or midseason discussion of her being injured, but my memory is not what it once was. Does anyone remember or have any evidence? Like all Huskies, I root for her success this year!

UConn's overall competition level goes down after January, not up.

I do remember Geno mentioning that she had soreness in her knee. I have no idea how she will play but I expect her to be cleared for full contact this month.

I'll be at practice in early October so I'll know more about all the injured then.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Kiah Stokes was really good, too.

Hey Nan, love your new avatar!

 

[HuskyNan]

Hey Nan, love your new avatar!

Are you a fan of the Sandman? I came across it accidentally on Netflix and am hooked.

 

[Majic Hands]

It also could be consistent with getting playing time vs early season cupcakes and the competition stiffening as the season progressed? I truly don't know. I don't remember there being early or midseason discussion of her being injured, but my memory is not what it once was. Does anyone remember or have any evidence? Like all Huskies, I root for her success this year!

My recollection is that GA mentioned that Ayanna had tried different therapies that hadn’t helped (says “time” to me)when they announced a surgery was going to happen or already had.

This has been in the back of my mind influencing my outlook this year for Ayanna’s “probable” improvement over an injury year not a I can’t figure it out year.

 

[Bone Dog]

Ayanna had knee soreness freshman year and it got bad enough to curtail her minutes and her development as the season wore on. Geno and CD said as much more than once. She did not disappoint me.

However, she also has the usual profile of a big who needs to adjust to the different reality of D1 basketball. I watched several of her high school games and she didn’t typically encounter kids as big as her. She’s 6’2” (or so) and she’s got long arms and big shoulders. There were taller kids in HS, but she always stood out in those games as physically much more imposing than anyone else on the court.

At UConn she encountered kids as physically imposing as herself in almost every game. This is probably why she took too many shot fakes early on instead of simply going up strong through contact. Her shot even got blocked. This was a new experience for her. This is probably still going to be part of the learning curve for her. But I think she’s a lot further along now merely by being an observer on the bench for an extra season.

The sooner she gets back to full practice and gets game minutes the sooner she will flourish. She is a unique player, big, strong and quick. It’s a formidable combination. I can hardly wait to see what she can do healthy.

 

[DEpup]

I also heard Geno say multiple times that she arrived with the issue and that it hadn't been dealt with in high school. And as many folks have said, they tried numerous things before ultimately having the surgery.

Therefore, I don't think any of the data points from her freshman year are reliable. I'm looking at her as another freshman with a clean slate.

 

[oldhusky]

UConn's overall competition level goes down after January, not up.

I do remember Geno mentioning that she had soreness in her knee. I have no idea how she will play but I expect her to be cleared for full contact this month.

I'll be at practice in early October so I'll know more about all the injured then.

Yes, unlike most power conference schools our schedule is extremely front loaded. Ayanna's brief comment about being healthy is encouraging but we will all be anxiously awaiting your visual health analysis of not only Ayanna, but Azzi and Caroline as well when you see a practice in October.

 

[yhun89]

UConn's overall competition level goes down after January, not up.

I do remember Geno mentioning that she had soreness in her knee. I have no idea how she will play but I expect her to be cleared for full contact this month.

I'll be at practice in early October so I'll know more about all the injured then.

It's probably good our competition goes down instead of up at the end of the season, so we can settle a bit and work team chemistry out before MM comes around. With such a loaded roster, we can bombard "weaker" teams with tons of combos to see what works and what doesn't.

 

[Bone Dog]

It's probably good our competition goes down instead of up at the end of the season, so we can settle a bit and work team chemistry out before MM comes around. With such a loaded roster, we can bombard "weaker" teams with tons of combos to see what works and what doesn't.

I go back and forth on this one. In the P3 conferences, the quality of opposition mainly builds up leading into March. But the Big East represents a curve with a shallower slope. All the teams have improved leading up to the conference championship, but they don't typically pose a serious challenge to UConn. Villanova two years ago was an exceptional year, and it was largely because of Maddie Siegrist.

His practice of having a tough OOC schedule in November-December, then turning to an easier conference schedule, until a couple of really tough games in February, then returning to conference play has been his practice for quite a while. What sort of rotation does he want to have by the time he plays SC or Tennessee or ND? That's the most revealing moment for me. I suspect Dawn has tended to use the UConn game in a similar way, to test out the rotation that has begun to gel.

I think Geno uses his conference schedule to sharpen his rotation, and while he often starts with something perhaps 10-deep, he usually ends with something more like 7 or 8-deep. This is also more or less what all the NC contenders end up doing. I think Dawn kept a deeper rotation last season than usual, which was impressive, and ominous for the rest of D1.

The question each season is whether Geno uses his conference schedule to deepen his rotation or to sharpen a shorter rotation. I'd like to think he'll keep a deeper rotation this year. But I always hope for that, as do many others. But the fact is, by March he needs to know his starting 5 can give 30 excellent minutes if needed, and that the next 2 or 3 can give 15-20 really solid minutes. This may require shortening the rotation as the season wears on. But he also may need to know that the 9th or 10th player can give solid minutes in case of foul trouble for a starter. This is inherently a chancey speculation.

 

[MooseJaw]

Ayanna had knee soreness freshman year and it got bad enough to curtail her minutes and her development as the season wore on. Geno and CD said as much more than once. She did not disappoint me.

However, she also has the usual profile of a big who needs to adjust to the different reality of D1 basketball. I watched several of her high school games and she didn’t typically encounter kids as big as her. She’s 6’2” (or so) and she’s got long arms and big shoulders. There were taller kids in HS, but she always stood out in those games as physically much more imposing than anyone else on the court.

At UConn she encountered kids as physically imposing as herself in almost every game. This is probably why she took too many shot fakes early on instead of simply going up strong through contact. Her shot even got blocked. This was a new experience for her. This is probably still going to be part of the learning curve for her. But I think she’s a lot further along now merely by being an observer on the bench for an extra season.

The sooner she gets back to full practice and gets game minutes the sooner she will flourish. She is a unique player, big, strong and quick. It’s a formidable combination. I can hardly wait to see what she can do healthy.

Amen Bone dog, she showed me enough for me to think she has a real future as a Husky. I saw that she was overwhelmed with the speed and pace during most of the season. At the end she was starting to adjust to the pace and flow, playing more naturally. Besides her skills as a player, she is a player who gives back to the community and younger players. I hoped she comes back as a power player who is dominate and a true team player.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Are you a fan of the Sandman? I came across it accidentally on Netflix and am hooked.

No, I'm not much into fantasy drama stuff, but I might checkout an episode or two now.

 

[SoCalCanine]

Well, given the overwhelming consensus that she WAS playing injured her freshman year, I stand corrected and I am now even more hopeful of a breakout year for her this year!

 

[PJCLaw]

Most of what we read and have seen suggest its likely that Jana will start. However, my sense is, given the injury history, that Geno will limit her playing time to 20-25 minutes. So the OP question is quite relevant. While Ice played a lot last year somewhat due to a bench shortage, there will be a competition that gets settled on the practice floor. If KK and PB are on the floor, and given the backcourt depth, Geno will want a seriously up tempo game. Seems to me that favors the very athletic Ayanna and Sarah. Fun to think about.

"injury history" implies she has had a string of injuries, when the only injury that has been publicized is her Achilles injury last summer. So, are there other injuries she sustained in the past or while at UConn of which I am not aware? Otherwise, I think it misleads to imply she has more than just her injury last summer, unless you're talking about the team as a whole. If so, your reference to Jana in the sentence preceding you mentioning "the injury history" confuses the reader. Just saying.

 

[Bone Dog]

"injury history" implies she has had a string of injuries, when the only injury that has been publicized is her Achilles injury last summer. So, are there other injuries she sustained in the past or while at UConn of which I am not aware? Otherwise, I think it misleads to imply she has more than just her injury last summer, unless you're talking about the team as a whole. If so, your reference to Jana in the sentence preceding you mentioning "the injury history" confuses the reader. Just saying.

I assumed @rugbymate meant the team’s recent injury history, rather than Jana’s. I think you’re right that she’s only had the one injury.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

I go back and forth on this one. In the P3 conferences, the quality of opposition mainly builds up leading into March. But the Big East represents a curve with a shallower slope. All the teams have improved leading up to the conference championship, but they don't typically pose a serious challenge to UConn. Villanova two years ago was an exceptional year, and it was largely because of Maddie Siegrist.

His practice of having a tough OOC schedule in November-December, then turning to an easier conference schedule, until a couple of really tough games in February, then returning to conference play has been his practice for quite a while. What sort of rotation does he want to have by the time he plays SC or Tennessee or ND? That's the most revealing moment for me. I suspect Dawn has tended to use the UConn game in a similar way, to test out the rotation that has begun to gel.

I think Geno uses his conference schedule to sharpen his rotation, and while he often starts with something perhaps 10-deep, he usually ends with something more like 7 or 8-deep. This is also more or less what all the NC contenders end up doing. I think Dawn kept a deeper rotation last season than usual, which was impressive, and ominous for the rest of D1.

The question each season is whether Geno uses his conference schedule to deepen his rotation or to sharpen a shorter rotation. I'd like to think he'll keep a deeper rotation this year. But I always hope for that, as do many others. But the fact is, by March he needs to know his starting 5 can give 30 excellent minutes if needed, and that the next 2 or 3 can give 15-20 really solid minutes. This may require shortening the rotation as the season wears on. But he also may need to know that the 9th or 10th player can give solid minutes in case of foul trouble for a starter. This is inherently a chancey speculation.

With two mini-seasons — the second one featuring the projected return of the walking wounded during Big East play — I would tend to think it’s a hybrid this year: differentiated sharpening and deepening. (We have talked about this before)

The first mini-season will have a different (5)+3 [(5)+5 for running games] than the second mini-season.

• Each mini-season will be projected to have 10+ practice players (different from recent prior seasons);
• The returning experienced walking wounded who crack UConn’s (5)+3/(5)+5 rotations will need sharpening repetitions, which they can get in practice and in games;
• UConn’s second mini-season rotation will have available players with experience in the first mini-season’s practices and games;
• Big East play and UConn’s differentiatedly deepened rotation allows preserving Paige, Azzi, Sarah, Jana for the post-season and limits the freshman wall of several of UConn’s effective rookies.

In a normal year, “easier” Big East play allows Geno to shorten and sharpen his rotations with delta analysis teaching moments (there are two games with most BE opponents). There are generally around two challenging OOC opponents to avoid any leveling-down.

What Dawn does (deepening in the conference) makes sense since her talented team’s long-grind gauntlet is probably back-loaded with an overall schedule strength comparable to UConn’s.

 

[Alydar]

I think the P-4's conference schedules are generally not as brutal as they are often described by the media. Last season the AP had 5 SEC teams in their preseason top 25. Going into the tournament after week 20 there were only 2 SEC schools left in the top 25. In their preseason top 25 poll the AP had 2 non-P-5 teams and going into the tournament there were 4.
Admittedly this isn't compelling evidence but considering that the BE had as many top 25 teams as the SEC (2) once the regular season was over isn't it time to admit that the emperor (SEC) has no clothes on? I have to wonder how much good all that football money did for their wcbb programs?

 

[Zonepress]

I think the P-4's conference schedules are generally not as brutal as they are often described by the media. Last season the AP had 5 SEC teams in their preseason top 25. Going into the tournament after week 20 there were only 2 SEC schools left in the top 25. In their preseason top 25 poll the AP had 2 non-P-5 teams and going into the tournament there were 4.
Admittedly this isn't compelling evidence but considering that the BE had as many top 25 teams as the SEC (2) once the regular season was over isn't it time to admit that the emperor (SEC) has no clothes on? I have to wonder how much good all that football money did for their wcbb programs?

Every SEC women’s basketball program is light years ahead of anyone in the Big East other than
Uconn
To somehow make an argument that there is parity in the two leagues it’s kind of silly

 

[Alydar]

Every SEC women’s basketball program is light years ahead of anyone in the Big East other than
Uconn
To somehow make an argument that there is parity in the two leagues it’s kind of silly

Every { most} SEC women’s basketball programs are is {marginally} light years ahead of {most} anyone of in the Big East other than Uconn.

That I can agree with. The SEC has a lot of teams ranked 25-50 while the BE has a lot of teams ranked 45-90, with a couple in the 25-50 range. The difference between No 35 and No 70 isn't "light years> The curve flattens at that level. Yes, UConn is way ahead of the rest of the BE but they are also way ahead of those 25-50 SEC teams. Last year SCar had only one SEC game against a ranked team (I think). Those 25-50 SEC teams had no chance against SCar unless SCar played a mediocre game.
That doesn't mean that the SEC schedule isn't tough for the mid-range teams. The same can be said for the BE schedule but no one watches a BE game unless UConn is playing so they form their opinions of the BE based on that alone. People say "but look how UConn struggles in their P-4 games", ignoring that UConn is playing SCar, NDame, USC, etc. The tops of the power conferences.
I like to remind folks that when NDame moved from the BE to the ACC, the ACC was considered by many the top P-5 basketball conference. NDame went undefeated for both their 1st and 2nd years in the ACC.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I'd like to see QS converted to a center or at least get some time there. Very long arms could make her a good inside presence. I know it's thinking outside the box, but need to get her more minutes.

 

[Zanzman]

I'd like to see QS converted to a center or at least get some time there. Very long arms could make her a good inside presence. I know it's thinking outside the box, but need to get her more minutes.

Lol she is to short and to light she would pushed around to much

 

[Dugway]

I'd like to see QS converted to a center or at least get some time there. Very long arms could make her a good inside presence. I know it's thinking outside the box, but need to get her more minutes.

I re-watched a game from last fall, I think it may have been the game against Minnesota; I was jonesing, so I took that in this past weekend.

Anyway, the commentary announcer who was an ex-WNBA player, mentioned that earlier in the day in a conversation, Geno speaking about Qadence had said, "She is an absolute younger version of you! Of the ten or so things that it takes to be a supreme basketball player, Q has two of them. 1) She can shoot the leather off of the ball, and, 2) She has extreme confidence with an attitude that she is never going to fail! With those two, she can absolutely be a star; you are my proof of that!"

That said, I personally don't ever see Qadence being a post player.