Who will be the primary backup center for Jana?

[oldhusky]

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.

Q can't be expected to body up a low post bruiser type, and that would be the main disadvantage, but I think she could be considered a small ball 4 alternative along with Paige, Caroline, and Morgan. I am pretty sure Q out-rebounded Ice on a per minute basis, but I present that mostly as evidence we need more minutes at the 4 and 5 from players that can rebound better than both of those players.

I hope both Ayanna and Ice earn backup minutes behind Sarah and Jana respectively, but neither has performed "yet" at a level that is good enough IMO. Doesn't mean they can't or won't, just that so far it hasn't happened so there are major question marks. That is made even more uncertain by the fact we are counting on and expecting Sarah and Jana to be good and starters from day one, even though they haven't proven anything on this level either.

The only proven big returning is Aubrey who probably won't be ready at the start, and is more of a 3/4, but there is no doubt when healthy she can be a very good 4. Until then we need most if not all of our bigs to be the real deal from the start.

We don't really have a good plan B, using traditional bigs, if a couple of the players we are counting on don't come thru or get injured. On the other hand we have numerous very talented small ball 4 options and that may become the measuring stick to get playing time for non starting bigs.

I hope we don't have to go small ball, but having said that, if Ayanna or Ice are near their first year performance I don't think that is good enough to insure playing time vs. our smaller options.

 

[rugbymate]

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.

Thanks for pointing out the ambiguity....I was referring to Jana's recent injury only. The point i was trying to make is that the injury was serious enough that it will likely limit Geno's allotment of minutes to her. Hence, the back up question is highly relevant.

 

[Cuango]

I’m certainly no expert on medical matters but I’d be very surprised, given what I’ve seen and heard, if Jana is not a full go in the first game of the year. I believe minute restrictions for her, if there are any at all, will be more a function of foul trouble or coaching her up, rather than any lingering injury issues. Here’s hoping for a healthy, fun season for all! I can’t wait!!!!

 

[Alydar]

I’m certainly no expert on medical matters but I’d be very surprised, given what I’ve seen and heard, if Jana is not a full go in the first game of the year. I believe minute restrictions for her, if there are any at all, will be more a function of foul trouble or coaching her up, rather than any lingering injury issues. Here’s hoping for a healthy, fun season for all! I can’t wait!!!!

+1

I remember that Dolson was a foul machine as a freshman, often having to sit a lot of the 1st half of games. El Alfy appears very aggressive and wcbb officiating being what it is she will get called for a foul every time she has contact with a smaller player and the smaller players falls. That may influence Geno's decision on whether to start her.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

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.

How about being a Kalana Greene / Ashley Battle / Kelly Farris player in Geno’s schemes, but rangier and with better offense?

Geno will always find minutes for the spear of the defense against teams with nightmarish guards.

And that’s a baseline for a larger role in her next two seasons.

As for any concerns about our young bigs:

• Tamika, Swin and Ashja did well in their freshman year despite Sue Bird’s injury;
• Sarah and our bigs with the Sue Bird-injury-year learning experience (Jana, Ayanna, and Ice) will do as well, a la 2nd year of TASSK;
• Morgan, Aubrey (when she’s back) [hopefully Caroline too] should be able help out with spot duty in the post.

And, I do realize that what you said was probably tongue-in-cheek to highlight that Q is too talented not to get significant minutes.

 

[Tonyc]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

 

[Bone Dog]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

I agree completely. This is the essence of the positionless offense Geno likes to run. Having a dominant low post player is a powerful formula, but it’s not the only way to win. Also, I think it doesn’t prepare bigs for the W very well if they never develop perimeter skills.

Jana shoots 3s more or less the way Dorka did. She’s not as proficient as Paige or Azzi from 3, but she’ll have to be guarded out there. And it’s an opposing big who’ll have to guard her, which means the low post can be occupied by a forward or even a big wing at such moments, and Geno’s got plenty of those: Ice Ayanna Caroline Aubrey Morgan Allie, even Q who might really flourish in that role. That’s the high-low game Geno also likes to run.

Olivia passed really well from the high post and though I haven’t seen Jana do this, I expect she’ll develop this skill watching how Sarah does it.

It was a weakness of Olivia and Aaliyah’s game that they didn’t develop their perimeter shooting at UConn. Aaliyah compensated for it by developing her off-the-dribble skills on baseline drives and drives down the lane. This was also a feature of Dorka’s game. Jana is already a feeocious driver, especially down the lane. I imagine it can be kinda scary for defenders to have to confront someone her size moving that quickly and confidently with the ball.

These are reasons why I think the question of who Jana’s backup will be needs to be addressed quite broadly. I doubt Geno will use her simply as a low post banger, and this means it’s not so much a question of a single backup as of a complicated rotation. He’s got lots of pairs to go to, especially with a talent like Sarah expanding his options. Jana and Ice could make a tremendous pairing, or Jana and Sarah or Jana and Ayanna. But Ice and Sarah could be great. Or Sarah paired with Aubrey or Caroline… or Q.

Of all of these options, I have a feeling we’ll all come to love seeing Sarah and Morgan in this pairing the most over the next 4 seasons. It could feel a bit like Phee and Katie Lou all over again.

 

[Tonyc]

All these questions about being healthy. I expect all our injured reserves to see playtime this season and their playtime will be limited based on their healthy. Thats ok because we have alot of really great players who need to see playtime. At the guard we have Azzi coming back from injury. She's been spoken of as one of the best shooters in the game. I expect her to be a shooter. Caroline is another great shooter. I think both because they are coming back from injury will see minutes with most of their scoring coming from the outside and pull up jumpers and not banging down low where they can be rejuried. Banging down low will be for our bigs and we have some good ones. Chen has shown in her videos she can create her shot much like Paige does. Thats a terrific added dimension. We saw in the videos what she can do against top teams and that was with Princeton. She's now playing for UConn and alongside some terrific players who will demand defenses to focus on them which means Kaitlyn will be guarded one on one. Kaitlyn is very difficult to defend one on one. She will be a terrific pick up this season.

Geno will play everybody who is healthy. They will all see minutes based on the circumstances during each game. In big games there may be a smaller group that sees more action. In most games everybody will get their minutes.

There has been alot of talk about the center position. We have bigs who can play outside and dribble drive, they can penetrate, and they can score down low. Dont limit them. Let them play to their strengths. Trying to guard Jana outside 10ft is going to be hard because of her size and agility. Maybe we dont want her stuck down low for long lengths of time. Maybe we want her outside drawing her defender out opening up the middle. Just a thought. Play to your strengths and make opponents play to their weaknesses.

 

[hoophuskee]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

There is no way Jana is going to be playing "Wing." Unless your definition is 4 out and 1 in maybe with Patterson or Griffin. The definition of a Wing is a perimeter type that sits outside mostly. When you speak of "limiting" and you call Jana a "wing" that is exactly what you are doing is "limiting her. And when a player is called a center- where has it even been written that centers are not allowed to shoot from the outside?

Geno had once said that if he had Griner he would have also had her take outside shots more than she did at Baylor. He did the same with Dolson. They were Centers that can also shoot from the Outside. No reason why Jana can't be this.

Jana can't limit herself to being just a Wing (and she wou;ldn't be a Wing - she would still be the Center or maybe "a Stretch 4." But no way "A Wing.") If she is a Wing you can picture her flying down the left or right side on a fastbreak vs top tier teams?

She has to be able to punish smaller players inside. And really work on punishing anyone inside not just smaller players is most ideal. Otherwise she allows smaller players to guard her whenever her shot is off.

The problem with many “Bigs” is that they don’t want to be Bigs.

 

[Cuango]

I’m reasonably sure Jana will play some from the outside but unless she demonstrates the ability to shoot the three at a high percentage (35%+) her main work will be in the post. Of course, popping out for the occasional three will make her that much more dangerous in the post but I doubt Geno will want to see his loooong awaited stud post player spending too much time away from the basket! As for Jana herself, I think it’s been pretty well documented that she loves physical play and is very willing to bang down low. Obviously, Geno will have the final say but I’ll be very surprised if we do not see her playing mostly as a traditional post.

Don’t forget that this roster is absolutely full of dangerous outside shooters, great passers, and players with extremely high basketball IQs who will generate tremendous pressure from the outside (and midrange), thus opening up the middle for Jana to dominate. I’m fairly sure she will not be forced to demand many entrance passes as she will have willing and capable passers all around the arc at all times. Counting the days!

 

[Bigboote]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

Yes, I can see some high-low post play among El Alfy, Brady, Strong, and Patterson. I still miss the days of Dolson passing to Tuck or Stewie and Gabby to Collier. It'd be wonderful to have a year with a big leading UConn in assists; haven't seen that in awhile.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

When Crystal Dangerfield was a rookie at Minnesota, Reeve told her that she needs to master the pick-and-roll and its derivatives and related actions. Reeve was surprised that Crystal didn’t master it at UConn.

Crystal’s positionless basketball teams didn’t have the kind of post players (except for Napheesa) for that kind of simple staple effective play wrinkle to the offense. That wrinkle is latent with our great offensive guards.

The 2024-2025 team significantly does:

• Pick-and-pop (all except Ayanna?);
• Pick-and-roll (all).

Opposing bigs will need to pick their poison and not just camp out in the paint as most of our bigs can efficiently shoot-drive-pass (motion)-pass (point) almost anywhere on the court.

It seems it will be open season for our guards / wings (say, on drives to the basket unlike recent years). Spacing would be better, allowing more open shots.

 

[MooseJaw]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

Tony, you have some amazing posts, and I read and like them all. This one made me flip and at my age that says a lot. I could not agree more on this one. If I had the ability to give likes I would have given you one. My account has had the ability to give likes has been deleted. Consider this a page full of likes.

 

[Dogstar]

There is no way Jana is going to be playing "Wing." Unless your definition is 4 out and 1 in maybe with Patterson or Griffin. The definition of a Wing is a perimeter type that sits outside mostly. When you speak of "limiting" and you call Jana a "wing" that is exactly what you are doing is "limiting her. And when a player is called a center- where has it even been written that centers are not allowed to shoot from the outside?

Geno had once said that if he had Griner he would have also had her take outside shots more than she did at Baylor. He did the same with Dolson. They were Centers that can also shoot from the Outside. No reason why Jana can't be this.

Jana can't limit herself to being just a Wing (and she wou;ldn't be a Wing - she would still be the Center or maybe "a Stretch 4." But no way "A Wing.") If she is a Wing you can picture her flying down the left or right side on a fastbreak vs top tier teams?

She has to be able to punish smaller players inside. And really work on punishing anyone inside not just smaller players is most ideal. Otherwise she allows smaller players to guard her whenever her shot is off.

The problem with many “Bigs” is that they don’t want to be Bigs.

Jana can't limit herself to being just a Wing (and she wou;ldn't be a Wing - she would still be the Center or maybe "a Stretch 4." But no way "A Wing.")

EXACTLY!!...there's a big difference..
A Wing is usually a guard who can slip down to play forward and a Stretch 4 is usually a power forward or post tht can step out and HIT from an extended range (from the elbow out to 3pt range) with enough accuracy to draw the opponents forward or post away from the basket. The down side is if ur Stretch 4 is shooting a low percentage from outside it limits ur chances for offensive rebounds bcus the opponents will gladly give up tht shot. Ice and Jana both have to prove tht they can hit those shots at an decent percentage. Stewie did it of course. ..but she's a unicorn.

 

[Alydar]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

I also see El Alfy and Strong as an interchangeable high-low combination. Strong could be an amazing high post player given her passing and her 3pt shot.

With Bueckers being the primary attention of the defense on the perimeter all UConn's post players will have room to work.

 

[DEpup]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

I would love if we could get to a Stewie and Tuck situation with our bigs easily playing in or out from one play to the next. I think Jana, Ice, and Sarah have that opportunity.

 

[Alydar]

Q can't be expected to body up a low post bruiser type, and that would be the main disadvantage, but I think she could be considered a small ball 4 alternative along with Paige, Caroline, and Morgan. I am pretty sure Q out-rebounded Ice on a per minute basis, but I present that mostly as evidence we need more minutes at the 4 and 5 from players that can rebound better than both of those players.

I hope both Ayanna and Ice earn backup minutes behind Sarah and Jana respectively, but neither has performed "yet" at a level that is good enough IMO. Doesn't mean they can't or won't, just that so far it hasn't happened so there are major question marks. That is made even more uncertain by the fact we are counting on and expecting Sarah and Jana to be good and starters from day one, even though they haven't proven anything on this level either.

The only proven big returning is Aubrey who probably won't be ready at the start, and is more of a 3/4, but there is no doubt when healthy she can be a very good 4. Until then we need most if not all of our bigs to be the real deal from the start.

We don't really have a good plan B, using traditional bigs, if a couple of the players we are counting on don't come thru or get injured. On the other hand we have numerous very talented small ball 4 options and that may become the measuring stick to get playing time for non starting bigs.

I hope we don't have to go small ball, but having said that, if Ayanna or Ice are near their first year performance I don't think that is good enough to insure playing time vs. our smaller options.

None of the four posts, Brady, El Alfy, Patterson and Strong are proven but the most proven is easily Brady, who played very well in the playoffs last season. She will be getting that sophomore boost and I'd say she's the most likely to start. It's called experience. She played a lot of minutes with Bueckers, Shade and Arnold. UConn posts are notorious for slow starts. And Brady knows the defense. I think she starts unless El Alfy truly is the top recruit in her class, in which case we should just be happy.

 

[CL82]

Let me take a different approach to this. If Jana is as good on the outside as we've heard she just might be playing more of a wing at times. Coming outside much like Stewie did. If that happens then who plays the middle? My guess would be ICE for starters with others giving her a breather. ICE likes to come out and hit 15 footers too. We just may have a group of bigs who can play inside and out. Ive seen videos of Jana driving the lane for pull ups and hitting shots from 15ft and beyond. Im not sure we will have a true post player looking at our lineup. I get the feeling that Jana may start down low however she may also be playing the wing at times. Picture our Bigs playing more like wings and much like the Stewie Dolsen Stokes days and with their height and size matchups are going to be tuff for opponents.

I can't see moving Jana from center where we need of big bodies to wing where we already have depth. On the other hand, I could see her taking threes from time to time which would force the opposing center out of the paint to defend, opening driving lanes and taking her out of position for rebounds.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

The problem with many “Bigs” is that they don’t want to be Bigs.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Alydar]

Centers playing wing and wings playing center????
Just because a center can make a 3 isn't reason enough to put them at a wing position. The videos of El Alfy making a couple 3's and driving from the top of the key a couple of times are evidence of her versatility, not her ability to play on the perimeter. Positions at UConn are fuzzy. Centers shoot 3's and run the floor. Guards rebound. On defense, everyone learns to guard all types of players because of UConn's switching MTM defense. If UConn's posts can draw opposing posts out to the perimeter it will open up driving lanes for the rest. That's the advantage of having versatile players.

 

[hoophuskee]

Centers playing wing and wings playing center????
Just because a center can make a 3 isn't reason enough to put them at a wing position. The videos of El Alfy making a couple 3's and driving from the top of the key a couple of times are evidence of her versatility, not her ability to play on the perimeter. Positions at UConn are fuzzy. Centers shoot 3's and run the floor. Guards rebound. On defense, everyone learns to guard all types of players because of UConn's switching MTM defense. If UConn's posts can draw opposing posts out to the perimeter it will open up driving lanes for the rest. That's the advantage of having versatile players.

I agree.

To further this though - they aren't fuzzy. Geno didn't invent basketball. The players are still center/forward/guard. It just that players are versatile. But they are versatile within c/f/g.

 

[Dogstar]

Help me out here I'm confused....last season and the off-season people were screaming " We need a Big" (missed out on Beers). Now we have a healthy Jana and people want her to play wing? She's a problem to guard down low and her rebounding, moves, and put backs are excellent. I purposely put rebounding first bcus the team was out rebounded in 11 games last year and lost 6 of those games, and of the 5 wins they were out rebounded by Georgetown and Providence. Jana will take care of business I just hope her office is in the paint.

 

[oldhusky]

Jana might be a 4/5. Fine but on this team she is needed way more at the 5. Sarah could be a 3/4 but is needed mostly at the 4. If Sarah and Jana are both in the game (hopefully often), either could be the out of a high/low combination, but Sara is in my opinion the obvious best choice for the high post.

Both show perimeter shooting ability, but it appears Sarah is the better shooter. In addition she is a very good maybe great passer. Jana is far bigger. True we have to see more of how both score in the low post against bigger division 1 C's, but if the two are in the game given all their skills and size, Sarah at the high post and Jana at the low post seems way better on paper than the other way around.

There is no big on this year's roster that I see changing that priority. Ayanna and Aubrey would be 4's not 5's if teamed with Jana, and even if she was in with Ice, I think Ice would be the high post option.

Someday Jana might get more of an opportunity to play on the perimeter. Maybe Gandy will be a stud down low next year, or the Big O the year after. If those things happen, sure Jana could change positions. Conceivably she could even move to the 4 and Sarah to the 3. That would be interesting, but clearly on this year's team we badly need Jana to start at the 5, be very good, and play most of her minutes there.

 

[hoophuskee]

Jana might be a 4/5. Fine but on this team she is needed way more at the 5. Sarah could be a 3/4 but is needed mostly at the 4. If Sarah and Jana are both in the game (hopefully often), either could be the out of a high/low combination, but Sara is in my opinion the obvious best choice for the high post.

Both show perimeter shooting ability, but it appears Sarah is the better shooter. In addition she is a very good maybe great passer. Jana is far bigger. True we have to see more of how both score in the low post against bigger division 1 C's, but if the two are in the game given all their skills and size, Sarah at the high post and Jana at the low post seems way better on paper than the other way around.

There is no big on this year's roster that I see changing that priority. Ayanna and Aubrey would be 4's not 5's if teamed with Jana, and even if she was in with Ice, I think Ice would be the high post option.

Someday Jana might get more of an opportunity to play on the perimeter. Maybe Gandy will be a stud down low next year, or the Big O the year after. If those things happen, sure Jana could change positions. Conceivably she could even move to the 4 and Sarah to the 3. That would be interesting, but clearly on this year's team we badly need Jana to start at the 5, be very good, and play most of her minutes there.

I agree with all you said.

Though for the fun of it, if Ayanna and Jana are in the game, and you want one player on the High-Low at the High, it would probably be Jana. So, if this were the case, who is "the Center on Offense?"