X’s and O’s with Ben Kantor, Geno and gang

[Barkin Out]

Was fortunate enough to join my brother this weekend at the coaches clinic in storrs. It involved a couple of practices, film session with Ben Kantor that focused on the base interchange offense along with their “circles concept”. Also had breakout seasons with Andrea Hudy (strength and conditioning) a guard breakout session with Morgan and Tanya, and a post session with CD. Geno has assembled a really incredible group.

The practices were interesting - to see how the drills reinforce the concepts they are working on. They seemed to build throughout from warm-ups/shooting drills into small sided games (3 on 2’s and 4 on 3’s) with male practice players being added during the process. All the while working on the same concepts, which mostly involved getting the posts at the top of the key and cutting the guards off screens, one way or another based on how the defense played the screen.

Eventually the practice turned to working on OOB play from under the offensive hoop - these interactions would run till there were two offensive scores and one stop- so there was a lot of full court action after the set start. Fun to watch- the kids worked hard for 2+ hours.

The bigs are big! Sarah generally looks terrific. She is unbelievably quick with her feet for such a big powerful kid, obviously a great shot. She also seems to be a quick study- rarely looking lost despite it being the 3&4th practice. She’s got great instincts. Ice has worked super hard this offseason- she looked super strong and can really get up the floor. She is a hard worker and is tough on herself- made some great plays, and was also shooting the 3 well during drills. Her play and intensity reminded me of the big east tournament performances.

Jana is a handful, even for the biggest practice players. The guys would look at each other with sympathy after one of their own got served some physical attention in the lane. She is going to draw a lot of fouls, and get called for a lot fouls. Geno has high expectations for the young woman and is challenging her to to become the best Jana possible. Her ceiling is high- but she won’t get there without growing pains. As many have commented in the past, being a post in Geno’s system is demanding and takes time to master. I’m looking forward to watch her growth.

Yana looked terrific early on Sat. Fast, mobile. Better short range than I remembered. Unfortunately she injured her left shoulder toward the end of Sat practice, and did not practice on Sun. Feel so bad for the kid. Hope it’s a quick and full recovery.

Azzi looked really good. No visible impacts remaining. She participated in all the activities except for the full five on five. It also may have just been a minute cap on her participation, since some of the small sided games had loads of contact with the male practice players. And those boys are solid.

Carol shot the ball well, was moving extremely well, and clearly is in great shape. She wore a yellow jersey during contact drills. I assume this means no touch for the practice players.

KK and Ash looked just like they finished off last year. Morgan was restricted during the 5x5’s, but looked great while she was in there. Nice 3. Handled the ball well against the practice players pressure. Played hard, smart, vocal for a freshman. She’ll be a great leader in time. Ali was better on defense than I expected, and shoots as good as advertised. She played in Azzi’s role during the first 5x5- part of the 1st group (CDs word choice). I have no idea if that will have legs- but she’s a great spot up shooter and Geno’s offense needs that to keep the lane clean for cutters. I expect her to get a bunch of PT, and maybe start until Azzi comes back in Dec’ish.

Chen is super aggressive getting into the lane. I will say, she looked like she was adjusting to the male competition- more turnovers on passes and even when pressured while bringing the ball up court. And to be fair to her, you could see the same in Ali and Morgan.

I will take this opportunity to appreciate the dedication of the practice players. These are good smart committed players- it is so obvious to see the value they create. They play super hard- do as instructed- and have a priceless lens into Geno’s genius. Lucky guys (even if they do get pasted by Jana)

If you are a coach at any level and have the bandwidth to come next year- I would strongly recommend it. Great experience. Great people

 

[Boreifs]

Who were the five in that “first group”?

 

[Boreifs]

Who were the five in that “first group”?

Also, no mention of Samuels.

 

[Bone Dog]

Thank you so much for this report.

 

[Cuango]

Was fortunate enough to join my brother this weekend at the coaches clinic in storrs. It involved a couple of practices, film session with Ben Kantor that focused on the base interchange offense along with their “circles concept”. Also had breakout seasons with Andrea Hudy (strength and conditioning) a guard breakout session with Morgan and Tanya, and a post session with CD. Geno has assembled a really incredible group.

The practices were interesting - to see how the drills reinforce the concepts they are working on. They seemed to build throughout from warm-ups/shooting drills into small sided games (3 on 2’s and 4 on 3’s) with male practice players being added during the process. All the while working on the same concepts, which mostly involved getting the posts at the top of the key and cutting the guards off screens, one way or another based on how the defense played the screen.

Eventually the practice turned to working on OOB play from under the offensive hoop - these interactions would run till there were two offensive scores and one stop- so there was a lot of full court action after the set start. Fun to watch- the kids worked hard for 2+ hours.

The bigs are big! Sarah generally looks terrific. She is unbelievably quick with her feet for such a big powerful kid, obviously a great shot. She also seems to be a quick study- rarely looking lost despite it being the 3&4th practice. She’s got great instincts. Ice has worked super hard this offseason- she looked super strong and can really get up the floor. She is a hard worker and is tough on herself- made some great plays, and was also shooting the 3 well during drills. Her play and intensity reminded me of the big east tournament performances.

Jana is a handful, even for the biggest practice players. The guys would look at each other with sympathy after one of their own got served some physical attention in the lane. She is going to draw a lot of fouls, and get called for a lot fouls. Geno has high expectations for the young woman and is challenging her to to become the best Jana possible. Her ceiling is high- but she won’t get there without growing pains. As many have commented in the past, being a post in Geno’s system is demanding and takes time to master. I’m looking forward to watch her growth.

Yana looked terrific early on Sat. Fast, mobile. Better short range than I remembered. Unfortunately she injured her left shoulder toward the end of Sat practice, and did not practice on Sun. Feel so bad for the kid. Hope it’s a quick and full recovery.

Azzi looked really good. No visible impacts remaining. She participated in all the activities except for the full five on five. It also may have just been a minute cap on her participation, since some of the small sided games had loads of contact with the male practice players. And those boys are solid.

Carol shot the ball well, was moving extremely well, and clearly is in great shape. She wore a yellow jersey during contact drills. I assume this means no touch for the practice players.

KK and Ash looked just like they finished off last year. Morgan was restricted during the 5x5’s, but looked great while she was in there. Nice 3. Handled the ball well against the practice players pressure. Played hard, smart, vocal for a freshman. She’ll be a great leader in time. Ali was better on defense than I expected, and shoots as good as advertised. She played in Azzi’s role during the first 5x5- part of the 1st group (CDs word choice). I have no idea if that will have legs- but she’s a great spot up shooter and Geno’s offense needs that to keep the lane clean for cutters. I expect her to get a bunch of PT, and maybe start until Azzi comes back in Dec’ish.

Chen is super aggressive getting into the lane. I will say, she looked like she was adjusting to the male competition- more turnovers on passes and even when pressured while bringing the ball up court. And to be fair to her, you could see the same in Ali and Morgan.

I will take this opportunity to appreciate the dedication of the practice players. These are good smart committed players- it is so obvious to see the value they create. They play super hard- do as instructed- and have a priceless lens into Geno’s genius. Lucky guys (even if they do get pasted by Jana)

If you are a coach at any level and have the bandwidth to come next year- I would strongly recommend it. Great experience. Great people

Wow! Just want to reiterate how grateful I/we are for this very informative report! You just made my day!

 

[moosefan]

Was fortunate enough to join my brother this weekend at the coaches clinic in storrs. It involved a couple of practices, film session with Ben Kantor that focused on the base interchange offense along with their “circles concept”. Also had breakout seasons with Andrea Hudy (strength and conditioning) a guard breakout session with Morgan and Tanya, and a post session with CD. Geno has assembled a really incredible group.

The practices were interesting - to see how the drills reinforce the concepts they are working on. They seemed to build throughout from warm-ups/shooting drills into small sided games (3 on 2’s and 4 on 3’s) with male practice players being added during the process. All the while working on the same concepts, which mostly involved getting the posts at the top of the key and cutting the guards off screens, one way or another based on how the defense played the screen.

Eventually the practice turned to working on OOB play from under the offensive hoop - these interactions would run till there were two offensive scores and one stop- so there was a lot of full court action after the set start. Fun to watch- the kids worked hard for 2+ hours.

The bigs are big! Sarah generally looks terrific. She is unbelievably quick with her feet for such a big powerful kid, obviously a great shot. She also seems to be a quick study- rarely looking lost despite it being the 3&4th practice. She’s got great instincts. Ice has worked super hard this offseason- she looked super strong and can really get up the floor. She is a hard worker and is tough on herself- made some great plays, and was also shooting the 3 well during drills. Her play and intensity reminded me of the big east tournament performances.

Jana is a handful, even for the biggest practice players. The guys would look at each other with sympathy after one of their own got served some physical attention in the lane. She is going to draw a lot of fouls, and get called for a lot fouls. Geno has high expectations for the young woman and is challenging her to to become the best Jana possible. Her ceiling is high- but she won’t get there without growing pains. As many have commented in the past, being a post in Geno’s system is demanding and takes time to master. I’m looking forward to watch her growth.

Yana looked terrific early on Sat. Fast, mobile. Better short range than I remembered. Unfortunately she injured her left shoulder toward the end of Sat practice, and did not practice on Sun. Feel so bad for the kid. Hope it’s a quick and full recovery.

Azzi looked really good. No visible impacts remaining. She participated in all the activities except for the full five on five. It also may have just been a minute cap on her participation, since some of the small sided games had loads of contact with the male practice players. And those boys are solid.

Carol shot the ball well, was moving extremely well, and clearly is in great shape. She wore a yellow jersey during contact drills. I assume this means no touch for the practice players.

KK and Ash looked just like they finished off last year. Morgan was restricted during the 5x5’s, but looked great while she was in there. Nice 3. Handled the ball well against the practice players pressure. Played hard, smart, vocal for a freshman. She’ll be a great leader in time. Ali was better on defense than I expected, and shoots as good as advertised. She played in Azzi’s role during the first 5x5- part of the 1st group (CDs word choice). I have no idea if that will have legs- but she’s a great spot up shooter and Geno’s offense needs that to keep the lane clean for cutters. I expect her to get a bunch of PT, and maybe start until Azzi comes back in Dec’ish.

Chen is super aggressive getting into the lane. I will say, she looked like she was adjusting to the male competition- more turnovers on passes and even when pressured while bringing the ball up court. And to be fair to her, you could see the same in Ali and Morgan.

I will take this opportunity to appreciate the dedication of the practice players. These are good smart committed players- it is so obvious to see the value they create. They play super hard- do as instructed- and have a priceless lens into Geno’s genius. Lucky guys (even if they do get pasted by Jana)

If you are a coach at any level and have the bandwidth to come next year- I would strongly recommend it. Great experience. Great people

Phenomenal reporting!! Thank you!! So hyped for the season. Anything on Qadence or Aubrey?

 

[Blakeon18]

Reading this early on Monday just made my whole day...thanks to you!

 

[Barkin Out]

whoops! Missed Paige too! Or P as she is referred to on the floor. I guess that matches the new Madison Reed color.

Q looked good, played fast. Made some steals blocks and rebounds in the 5x5. More comfortable in the offense. She’s a fighter. Sported the pony tail both days. Like Ash, she appears super motivated to earn PT and played hard. There’s a lot of competition.

Aubrey was the only injured player, other than Yanna, that exhibited obvious signs of her injury. She still has a limp coming down stairs. She participated in some drills on Sat. But also spent a fair amount of time icing the knee and encouraging her teammates. I’ve seen people post timelines of mid- late winter for a return. It’s amazing how hard these kids work to rehab.

Follow up note on analytics and load management for the players. The kids all wear digital tags to track/log their movement. This is used to keep their practice and conditioning on schedule- if they go over one day, the data helps identify when they need to adjust the plans over the next few days to allow for recovery. Hudy also has them wearing additional sensors on their shoes that track the forces (acceleration and compression) on their feet. She is using the data as part of the PhD she is working on. When combined with the recovery and nutrition guidance the kids receive, it’s easy to see how the parents are confident the kids are getting the best possible care and development assistance, and don’t buy in to any of the conspiracy theories about injuries. Hudy seemed like a serious sport scientist with very little ego- focused on collecting facts and providing best available data driven advice. I would certainly trust her and the rest of the group with my kids.

Last note on practice- Geno has a small army of managers at each practice. Using the word “Orchestrated” to describe it is appropriate because there are so many people filling different roles. The managers log every shot from every player with location data. He gets reporting showing who hits what % from where so that he’s able to have fact based discussions with each player about where she has the green to shoot- and what’s a “great shot” for her.

They have also added a realtime shot analysis system this year to the hoops at Worth. It tracks the trajectory of shots, recording the angle at which the ball enters the hoop. It audible announces the angle in real time so the player gets immediate feedback to adjust to the 45 degree optimum. It can also be used to announce the left right variance from target. This system is new to the team this year.

 

[Bone Dog]

OMG, this is as great as the previous report. Thank you so much for this. I could read these all day. In fact I’ll probably re-read this one many times!

I’m especially pleased to hear about what Andrea Hudy is doing. From previous glimpses, it seemed very likely that she and Geno take excellent care of their charges, and it’s great to see it confirmed here.

It’s also interesting to triangulate from all of this what recruiting missions must look like. As you say, parents probably get a ton of reassurance about how well focused on their child this program is, even the kids who don’t eventually become stars. I can also see why coaches are so eager to recommend UConn to their players, and also why children of coaches end up here. Game knows game.

It’s also great to hear about Qadence. She’s a fighter and the pressure to compete for PT is exactly what she, and all of them, really need. I hope she succeeds and makes it into lots of games. Go Qadence!

Thanks again for your reports!

 

[yhun89]

Yanna hurt her shoulder now? we cannot catch a break.

I’m calling it: Ziebell is going to earn a starting spot sometime this season. Especially since she can nail 3s and not be a liability on defense. She’s also big, bigger than I thought, she’s 6’0/6’1 when she was listed at 5’10 for a while.

 

[Bone Dog]

Yanna hurt her shoulder now? we cannot catch a break.

Don’t make too much of it. Team play at this level inevitably involves lots of little injuries and tweaks that come and go. I don’t know, of course, but I hope this is just another one of these. And this is likely especially going to be the case for someone returning from rehab.

I’m really pleased to hear how much energy and attention Andrea focuses on protecting the girls from themselves. I imagine they all want to give a billion percent every day and she has to limit them to a hundred percent or so.

 

[GoUconn7961]

This insight was very much appreciated. I wonder if the men use some of this technology during their practices?

 

[yhun89]

I’m really pleased to hear how much energy and attention Andrea focuses on protecting the girls from themselves. I imagine they all want to give a billion percent every day and she has to limit them to a hundred percent or so.

We’re beating the “blame the conditioning staff for the injuries” allegations one sensor at a time.

 

[meyers7]

We’re beating the “blame the conditioning staff for the injuries” allegations one sensor at a time.

Yeah, so it's all karma and bad luck. Maybe they should wear garlic around their necks. SMH

 

[yhun89]

So overall:

Allie is basically Azzi, but taller and better D.

Morgan will make a great leader in time.

Sarah and Jana are going to live up to AE's presence, Ice as well. They can shoot 3's and stretch the floor.

Aubrey is still showing signs of injury.

Q is a better defender now.

Chen is aggressive as we need her to be, though given her later under pressure with the ball, maybe Geno will assign KK the role to bring the ball up in a press. I do remember when WVU and Princeton faced off, Chen had trouble with their press as well so this doesn't strike me as abnormal.

Yanna is finally living up to her potential as an athletic forward.

Lots of improvement overall. Better spacing for sure, I expect a lot less double teams if Allie/Azzi are on the floor with Sarah, Paige, etc. Two big physical rebounding presences like Sarah and Jana will definitely help our average rebounding margin especially against teams like SC.


What did Ash and KK look like?

 

[Inthepaint]

Thanks for the EXCELLENT reports!!
I’ll be drooling till 11/4

 

[jabstep]

The report on Allie doesn't surprise me having seen her play at the Rucker's tournament and the U18 where she was one of the three youngest on the team and by the end of the tournament when she was in they were swinging the ball to and she was burying 3's. It is good to hear she is d' ing up. She is going to be one our best 3 ball shooters.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I didn't realise CD had remaining eligibility. I might travel cross country to catch her game.

 

[UcMiami]

Thanks so much for the posts on Geno's coaching clinic. We have heard snippets before from coaches who have come about what a great experience and how much time Geno devoted to them but I haven't seen anything this detailed and comprehensive before. Interesting how all the staff and support staff are involved in their areas of expertise.

Really great - thanks.

NB - I do not think we can get too cocky about the recruit/parent experience. I believe most of the D1 major programs have the same kinds of facilities and support staff as Uconn dedicated to tracking and enhancing their players - Geno/CD are unique, but the investment in women's sports and specifically in women's basketball has grown exponentially both in depth and breadth.

 

[Geew1992]

I didn't realise CD had remaining eligibility. I might travel cross country to catch her game.

She has another year after this one if she wants it

 

[Dugway]

She has another year after this one if she wants it

She has been coaching for over 40 years; and still can play!

 

[Alydar]

So overall:

Allie is basically Azzi, but taller and better D.

Taller, yes. When healthy Fudd is a good defender. Ziebell is a scrapper and she uses her size to score on drives through contact. Really confident shooter and very accurate. She already has a green light to shoot whenever she has a good look and she doesn't need much room, which is a lot like Fudd. Her range goes well beyond the arc. And Geno had her on the court a lot.

Morgan will make a great leader in time.

Who knows. Most of the chatter on the court was garbled in a near empty Gampel but she was vocal.

Sarah and Jana are going to live up to AE's presence, Ice as well. They can shoot 3's and stretch the floor.

Right now Jana and Sara are way better offensively than 1st year Edwards. El Alfy may only be 3" taller but she is much bigger than that her arms are long for 6'5.

Aubrey is still showing signs of injury.

No. She's showing signs of recovery. She had spinal fusion surgery in Jan of 2022 and was starting in Nov. I suspect she heals well and watching her do the stretching pre-practice her knees had a full range of motion and I didn't see her wince even once.

Q is a better defender now.

Yes.

Chen is aggressive as we need her to be, though given her later under pressure with the ball, maybe Geno will assign KK the role to bring the ball up in a press. I do remember when WVU and Princeton faced off, Chen had trouble with their press as well so this doesn't strike me as abnormal.

UConn traditionally passes out of presses. It's usually a big who runs into the middle in the backcourt who gets the ball and tries to capitalize. Both El Alfy and Strong would be perfect, great hands and great passers.

Yanna is finally living up to her potential as an athletic forward.

Yes. In person she is an incredible athlete, very fast, very strong and able to leap over tall buildings. When she is alone on the floor you'd think she was a guard based on how she moves but then she stands next to Brady and Strong and you realize she is as big as them, and bigger in her upper body. Whether that shows out when games start is still a ?

Lots of improvement overall. Better spacing for sure, I expect a lot less double teams if Allie/Azzi are on the floor with Sarah, Paige, etc. Two big physical rebounding presences like Sarah and Jana will definitely help our average rebounding margin especially against teams like SC.

Yes. For sure. Don't discount the rebounding from the back court. Shade was doing a good job on the offensive glass. I think she had some springs installed in her shoes.

What did Ash and KK look like?

They look like veterans. Arnold is more confident and efficient. Better and more varied shot selection. Shade was very efficient last year. Her shot selection and shooting % is even better. She is also looking ripped. Both of them seem to have taken it upon themselves to replace Muhl's defensive intensity.
I'd pencil Shade in as a starter.

 

[yhun89]

Taller, yes. When healthy Fudd is a good defender. Ziebell is a scrapper and she uses her size to score on drives through contact. Really confident shooter and very accurate. She already has a green light to shoot whenever she has a good look and she doesn't need much room, which is a lot like Fudd. Her range goes well beyond the arc. And Geno had her on the court a lot.


Who knows. Most of the chatter on the court was garbled in a near empty Gampel but she was vocal.


Right now Jana and Sara are way better offensively than 1st year Edwards. El Alfy may only be 3" taller but she is much bigger than that her arms are long for 6'5.


No. She's showing signs of recovery. She had spinal fusion surgery in Jan of 2022 and was starting in Nov. I suspect she heals well and watching her do the stretching pre-practice her knees had a full range of motion and I didn't see her wince even once.


Yes.


UConn traditionally passes out of presses. It's usually a big who runs into the middle in the backcourt who gets the ball and tries to capitalize. Both El Alfy and Strong would be perfect, great hands and great passers.


Yes. In person she is an incredible athlete, very fast, very strong and able to leap over tall buildings. When she is alone on the floor you'd think she was a guard based on how she moves but then she stands next to Brady and Strong and you realize she is as big as them, and bigger in her upper body. Whether that shows out when games start is still a ?




Yes. For sure. Don't discount the rebounding from the back court. Shade was doing a good job on the offensive glass. I think she had some springs installed in her shoes.


They look like veterans. Arnold is more confident and efficient. Better and more varied shot selection. Shade was very efficient last year. Her shot selection and shooting % is even better. She is also looking ripped. Both of them seem to have taken it upon themselves to replace Muhl's defensive intensity.
I'd pencil Shade in as a starter.

Thanks for the clarification. Nice to hear Ziebell is scrappy for a bigger guard. Beyond the arc is also nice to hear.

So the frontcourt seems pretty set. And hearing that the sophomores are looking to fill in for Muhl’s defensive loss is great.

 

[Alydar]

Keep in mind that it was practices 3 & 4 that I saw and there was no scrimmaging. Daley as much as apologized for what she thought was ragged play but then she was confident that this team would get a lot better as the season progressed. And they are already pretty good.

Someone else mentioned the practice players and I add my endorsement. They play hard and guard close. I think they refrain from fouling on layups but they are easily quicker and stronger than any team UConn will play. They also can replicate almost any defense on command.