Great points. I’d like to drill down a level on the current situation. The guard-heavy lineup is dependent on a good shooting night, true. But they mitigated the weakness by having guards who all frequently have good nights, ie they can have 2-3 guards not hitting because they still have 3 more. We’ve also seen cold players heat up when teammates shoot well. Some are more elite than others but no team can leave a guard alone to double team and I’m not sure a zone is possible with this combination.
KK can get to wherever she wants on the court. If she could finish at the rim more frequently, this lineup would be even more devastating. When pushing a fast pace, they are lethal!
SC allowed Hidalgo and Pili to have career games and shut down everyone one else. Auburn did the same with allowing AR to get her points while not allowing LSU a single 3pt shot. Teams are D-ing up on jump shooting teams. Did you see the D Ohio State put on Iowa? Clark had 45 while everyone else was held in check. If you've got athletes that can D-up and great coaching, offenses are going to fold.
@@wda2478There’s no question that UConn is vulnerable. They don’t have a true center. The only path for them is sharp-shooting guards leading an uptempo game. The biggest issue against SC is that SC is physical. In a tightly called game, UConn can hang. If it’s called like the playoff games they’ve faced-off in, SC has a big advantage.
One thing here , though I’m not trying to be a downer. The Big East doesn’t give UConn enough competition. It’s certainly not the Big Ten. It’s not UConn’s fault, of course, and I understand Geno and the administration wanting to keep the girls in the northeast(can somebody to us how Creighton got in) . But the league as a whole needs to recruit better and be more competitive with the Huskies. These 30 point plus blowouts are not fun to watch.
The big east is a bad conference. The big 10 is a bad example though. The big east actually dominated the big 10 head-to-head in the non conference. (Surprising, I know.)
@@TheDisruptiveOne UConn has won eleven Natys they would be a dominant team in any conference. They get premier recruits because of their results in March where they play the best teams from every conference. If they were in a conference where they didn't win their tournament they still would be invited because of their record. Connecticut's non-conference schedule is one of the most difficult annually. So trying to criticize them because of the conference they are in doesn't make sense.
Thank you for the comprehensive smooth segment. Now I can sound like a genius , when I talk to my 90 year old Dad. He watches every game, becomes the center of his day.
If Daberry and Duscharme really wanted to help their team they should give up their athletic scholarships and apply for an academic scholarship if they want to finish their education at Uconn. That would allow the team to bring in a big through the portal at least.
Agreed. We may not like it, we love them all. The athletes themselves make it now more about business. A team can't afford a player with a scholarship (exception injuries), not contributing. We need bodies on the floor. You don't have to be perfect, show effort - that you will do anything to help your team. I don't think that's a lot to ask.
Some of you are ridiculous. Daberry I get bc she has barely played in 3 years. Ducharme has national championship game experience - she was competing with top wnba draft pick Aliyah Boston And holding her own in that game - scoring key buckets etc. next year in September she’s going to be. Valuable contributor You don’t just get that ability from. Freshman and the coaches would not ask that of Caroline
One head bump and she's probably done for the season. Is she going to play with a helmet on . For her future health alone she should pack it in. If she stays i really hope i can eat these words next year, but I'd never bet on it
If Paige and Azzi stay, Jana, Patterson, and Aubrey are healthy and available, plus the freshman class is added to the roster - that's a lot of people on the team. Can UConn have them all - i.e. will the NCAA allow it? Would Geno and CD want them all? Who would you encourage to leave/kick off the team? - Amari D - has only shown flashes, but clearly has been a bust (a much lesser version of ONO). - Innes B - She'll only see playing time in the last minute of a 30 pt. blow-out. If she want to actually play, she should choose to move on. - Caroline D - She had a great freshman year, but has had too many health problems that seem like they will never go away. For her own health, it might be best if she gave up basketball. Horrible to say, but I worry she is one elbow hitting her head away from whatever is wrong with her plaguing her the rest of her life.
Yes, Caroline really needs to give up competitive sports. It’s a shame for her, devastating, actually, for her. But her particular vulnerability is too much of a risk
I always enjoy your videos and look forward to each new release. What you say here is true enough, for the most part. Especially the concern that Jana and Ayanna are not veterans and the team will have to rely on them a lot. I expect every UConn fan shares this concern, though they may not speak its name in public for fearing of giving it a leg up into reality. Even so, however, I might add a little more nuance to your remarks about Jana Ayanna and Amari. On Jana, I think she was a lot more mobile than you give her credit for. Perhaps we watched different FIBA games last summer, but in most of them she wasn't asked to show off her handles very much and was largely reduced to grappling in the paint with the European bigs. But her mobility was there to see. I also managed to watch replays of several of her HS games -- which is no easy feat since the announcers only speak in Arabic. She was one of the primary ball handlers on that team, often bringing the ball up the floor, and also driving from the elbow, or deeper, to the rim. She had to do this because the guards on the team were not skilled enough to get a pass into the low post. And as a result, her driving skills are well-developed. This is something she does at least as well as Angel Reese. To my eye, she looks to be at least as mobile as Dorka was, and way more mobile than Cardoso and Betts. What I was relieved to see last summer before her injury was how strong she is. She often scored against double and triple teams in the paint, mainly because the rest of the Egypt squad was scoring challenged. I don't doubt that Jana can run circles around the likes of Betts. My question was whether she's strong enough, and aggressive enough to challenge her in the low post. That question has been answered -- assuming that she can make a full recovery from her ACL injury. On Ayanna, she had a bad case of the freshman jitters last season, and you could really see it in her penchant for doing too many shot fakes. On the other hand, she is really strong as a rebounder and a defender, though we only got a few glimpses of this. But in the Iowa game, she put in really good minutes defending Czinano, and that is not an easy task for seniors, much less freshmen. She's strong and has quick feet for a big. If her knee can recover, she looks to be eminently coachable. On Amari, it is true that she hasn't developed as well as many had hoped two years ago. But in the DePaul game yesterday, Geno played her for the entire 4th quarter. Now the game was well in hand, so he could risk it. But she was playing against DePaul's main rotation players, not the end-of-benchers, and she scored 8 and got 5 rebounds and altered a few shots. She's nowhere near being a main rotation player now, and may never crack the main rotation for all I know. But it looks like Geno is trying to see if she can give him something like 10 minutes when needed. And against DePaul, she showed that shooting touch and economy that must have caught Geno's eye originally. She is good at catching a high pass or snagging a rebound and never bringing the ball down -- she knows how to turn and shoot with the ball held high. This is what Cardoso is good at, and Betts is starting to figure out too. It's also important to bear in mind that Amari had back surgery last summer, and to my eye it looks like she is still moving gingerly. Could she limber up even more, maybe get a little stronger over the next month? A fan has to think she could. But even if she can't but can play for brief periods without a lot of turnovers and gets a few rebounds, she's probably doing exactly what Geno wants from her. Too much speculation on her lack of playing time is based on guesses about Geno's approval and not enough account is taken of the possibility that she may not have fully recovered from a back problem that could also have slowed her the previous two seasons as well. Your mobility concerns about Jana actually fit Amari's case much better.
It definitely hampered her, she was playing with a herniated disc for both of those first two seasons and finally got the surgery. I think that played a big part in her not playing as well as people had hoped and probably made her a bit timid to go all out.
Yep all 3 could really work out Ice, Jana and Patterson. I just want to see it on UConn court and not real sure about it, until i see it. thanks for comment. cheers
The key is the improvement of Ice & Q. If these two continue developing and begin to approach the performance level of their fellow freshmen K.K. & Ash, this Uconn team can & will beat anybody.
If Jersey Wolfenbarger, who left Arkansas, would consider UConn, that would be great she has 2 years, and she is 6'5". She's not in the portal it was too late for her to enter. If not, I see Geno going to his international connections.
I’ve noticed that Geno has been managing Paige’s minutes along with the other veteran starters, while getting more minutes for the freshman and DeBerry. I think this is smart as it may develop DeBerry to where she becomes an asset, we need bigs and develops Ice Brady and the develops the rest of the team (while not wearing out the big 3).
Uconn will need 3 bigs. They have, Ice. They have the guards, weak side forwards. Need Sarah Strong and another big out of the portal. Injuries 😢. Be proactive, get another Big
Good coverage. Three things. 1) UCONN needs another big. Jana and Patterson are unknowns…at best. Brady is WIP. 2) Need more available scholarships. My count says there are none after accounting for Bueckers, Cheli and Ziebell. That doesn’t include Griffin. DeBarry is a bust and detrimental to the team. Bettencourt and Duscharme could be causalities of war. Nonetheless, how do they go away other than voluntarily going to the transfer portal? 3) Is Sara Strong really so good that she could make a difference?
Amari might be looking at the transfer portal to go somewhere where she could get some playing time. I think she came to UConn thinking she could be like Stewie. She looks out of place on both ends. If she could provide solid defense in the post she would get more playing time and things would work out.
If we have only Ice, Jana and Patterson, we are a “D” on an A-E grading scale. At this stage, despite Brady looking a bit better, one has to wonder if she is really any good. Who thinks, based on what they have seen so far, that she can become a dominating force in the paint? Not to mention: for a BIG, she isn’t very large.
Amari had five rebounds one assist and eight points in only eleven minutes. That is a vast improvement over previous outings. If her and Ice can continue to improve they could help Edwards come March. Ines is not a scoring guard she is a point guard like Nika. She will come in handy when Nika and Paige leave. She can spell K K. Unless Aubrey really recovers strong over the Summer I don't see her coming back next year. I don't see Caroline coming back next year either. It didn't seem like her heart was in it when she played at the beginning of the season. I don't know how much Edwards wants a championship she may just go pro. So if Caroline, Aubrey and Edwards don't return that will leave one empty scholarship if they do get Strong. If Strong wants instant minutes on a championship quality team then Connecticut would be a better option than LSU or South Carolina.
You mentioned PB returning for the 2024-25 season, but what would happen if all that can return [PB, AE, CD, NM, and I think AG] decided to use that extra year? That would create a huge roster crunch.
A very good roster crunch. But it's not going to happen. Edwards & Nika don't get NIL money from what I've been told. They are foreignors. Caroline's career may be over and she's only a junior. She'll still have 2 years of eligibility left if she doesn't play this year. Her neurological health is more important than playing. Griffin is graduating. I see Paige coming back and that's all 🏀
I think that would mean they wouldn't have the scholarships for both their 2 incoming freshmen. I'm assuming that the coaches already know that some of those 5 are unlikely to be back (or know that somebody else is planning on hitting the transfer portal), but who knows.
Ashlynn shade is quite a player..i forget shes a freshman sometimes. I like the way she plays such energetic defense, the girl can haul it all over the court and is great at disrupting the other teams offensive flow
Cheli, Bueckers, Shade, Arnold & El Alfy = starting 5 next year. You're right, a few players need to be 'trimmed' from the roster (likely DeBerry & Ducharme). UConn will definitely try to shore up front court w/a big. Maybe from a mid-major (or internationally). With Fudd, Ziebell, a more mature Brady and Griffin coming off the bench, they'll be fine. Will be exciting. Yes, I have Fudd coming off the bench ;)
Respectfully, nobody should count on Fudd playing for any length of time. History says she’s broken; same as happened to her mom. Plus, Shade has revealed all that was missing with Fudd; great defense, game management, etc.
This is for all the "numb-nuts" saying UCONN should take away Caroline's & Amari's scholarships. Any coach that does #6 will have that bad taste following him/her recruiting for several years. As for #7, Amari . This would also follow the coach for several years. 8 Ways a Coach Can Take Away Your Athletic Scholarship 1) Athlete Becomes Ineligible A school may essentially award an athlete with a scholarship for a specified period of time, anywhere between one academic year and five academic years. If you’re offered a scholarship, a scholarship agreement must be provided in writing and it will specify the terms of the scholarship. At the end of the scholarship period, a coach might choose to either renew the scholarship or not. Normally, the NCAA doesn’t allow coaches to remove or decrease financial aid during the time period agreed upon. For instance, if you received an offer for a one-year scholarship starting in August of 2019 and ending in May of 2020, a coach will normally not be able to take that away from you. However, the NCAA does allow for it to happen in some cases, and the first one is if the athlete becomes ineligible. There are several ways an athlete can become ineligible (visa issues for international students, failed drug tests, dropping below required course hours), and all of them might give a coach the opportunity to take your scholarship away from you. 2) Athlete Commits Fraud The second reason a coach may take away financial aid is if the athlete commits fraud at some time during the agreed time period. In order for athletes to originally receive scholarships, they must sign an application, a letter of intent, and a financial aid agreement, which pretty much declares that they want to participate in that sport. Now, if the athlete decides to not show up to practices or just show up every now and then, a coach might be allowed to remove his or her scholarship. 3) Misconduct The third reason is if the university decides that the athlete has engaged in serious misconduct based on the university’s regular student disciplinary authority. What that means is going to be different for any university. It can be from sexual assault, drinking on campus, posting inappropriate pictures on social media, or setting your school up on fire. So be sure to follow your student handbook. 4) Athlete Quits Team for Personal Reasons This one is pretty straight forward: if you decide to quit the team, you will most likely lose your scholarship. Sometimes you might have a noble reason, but at the end of the day coaches are essentially running a business and they need that scholarship money back. However, it is important to point out that the coach will not be allowed to give that extra scholarship to another athlete during that academic year. The following reasons have different rules for schools that follow Power 5 rules and for the ones that don’t, so make sure to read it until the end: 5) Athlete Violates Non-Athletic Documented Policy If your school follows this Power 5 rule, it means that they might take your scholarship away if you fail to comply with some academic standards or some other rules specified by the athletic department or by the team. 6) Injury This is where it starts getting a little complicated. If you were awarded a scholarship for an established period of time, the NCAA states that a coach cannot reduce the scholarship during that time due to “an injury, illness, or physical or mental medical condition” of an athlete.” For schools that don’t follow Power 5 rules, a coach might decide to not renew an injured athlete’s scholarship once the initial scholarship period is over. For schools that DO follow Power 5 rules, a coach cannot take that into consideration when debating whether to renew the scholarship or not. So if you go to such a school, get a scholarship for a year and get injured during that year, a coach technically cannot take that into consideration when deciding if he’s gonna renew your scholarship for the next year or not. However, in reality, things do not always happen that way and sometimes coaches might find a way to get that scholarship taken away from you. 7) Not Performing Well This has the same applications as the injury rule: a coach cannot cancel your scholarship during an established scholarship period due to “ a student-athlete’s athletic ability, performance or contribution to a team’s success.” Power 5 rules establish that a coach cannot consider that when it comes time to decide to renew a scholarship or not. So if you get a one-year athletic scholarship, work extremely hard, but still are not able to make the starting team, a coach from a Power 5 school cannot technically reduce or cancel your scholarship because of that. Once again, some coaches might be able to find a loophole and still take your money away from you. 8) New Coach - FOR ALL SCHOOLS At the end of the day, a coach is the one responsible to make the final decision of how much (and if) an athlete will receive a scholarship. What happens sometimes is that Coach X will bring you in and promise you a certain amount of money for each year. Then, for some reason, that Coach is fired or resigns and Coach Y is hired. Coach Y might not see the same potential in you, not like your attitude, or just flat out be an a-hole. If he’s really committed to getting your scholarship taken away from you, he might be able to find a reason to do so. 🏀
Great take as usual. Ice is really developing quite nicely and we can hope she becomes a 6'3 force with that big body. I don't agree totally about Jana, I've watched her in the FIba games for a few years. Yes she did jog back at times but on the other hand I've seen her jam 94 feet like a gazelle while dribbling the rock. For some reason or another the coaching staff didn't coach her in that aspect. ....On her coaches of her teams in the FIBA; they really smelled up the field. Really poor coaching and use of personnel. An example was their point guard. OMG she would have never seen the court if Geno was coaching that team. In fact Geno could have taken those teams and crushed the competition in the FIBA. UCONN out rebounded DePaul, albeit they are small as is UCONN, but their rebounding by committee appears to be working. Especially with that small forward, Paige Bueckers.... 😅 Geno the Genius will figure it out. The guy is lights out. Next year with Jana, Ice, Cheli, Patterson, there is size, and girth. So I believe they will be fine up front. Unless there is a parting of the Red Sea, Amari is done; No hope. Aubrey and Q are clones as far as athleticism goes, so from that perspective they will be scary good. I'm afraid Strong may be a portal casualty. I have nothing to base that on but a 6th sense. I can just see her family being in her ear disrupting the apple cart.
Yep hopefully Jana , Ice and Patterson all play well. and it is possible - just would be nervous until see them on court and playing well consistently.
Yes. One doesn't know until the rubber hits the road. Look at polar opposites. A skinny kid from Hopkins high in Minnesota wins every award possible her freshman year that being Paige. Some frosh never show up. (rare at UCONN) Then the contrast of Amari and Shade. KK and Inez. We won't know about Jana for real until she is in the heat of battle. Hope what I've seen of her translates into quick success. Don't know when she will be able to start practicing but hope it's soon. The sooner the better. If anyone can get her up to speed it's Geno and CD. Thanks for the comment.
I thought about uconn against lsu the other day. And I just don’t see how uconn can win. Aaliyah can’t guard and battle on the glass against both Morrow and Reese.
their bigs are questionable yes, but lsu has their struggles too, point guards, assists, and turnovers, and a limited bench, specially if their bigs get into foul trouble, we saw how this went against them in the auburn game, using a recent game as an example. UConn has three PGs in their lineup, experienced and have chemistry, if you put muhl against van lith we could easily argue muhl is a better PG and a better defender, Paige against Johnson, the answer is obvious. As in for Edward’s vs Reese, many agree Edward’s is better, she is higher in the draft and has a jump shot. talent over size any day. I don’t see how lsu would win. But rebounding would be a big issue for uconn
I don't see both Aaliyah and Nika coming back at all. Aaliyah will go to the WNBA and Nika will go back home to play pro ball..Hopefully DeBerry will transfer out along wit Ines if they want to play at all..
Why be so negative? Gustin is only 6’1. Let’s see how El Alfy plays - she doesn’t need to be the focus, particularly on offense with so many other capable offensive players. With a season under her belt, Brady will take a major leap. She’s already progressing, albeit not to the point of being a difference maker. I truly believe we haven’t seen the real Patterson as of yet. Again, she’s not needed on offense. You made a casual reference to Ziebel as reserve for next season. Using Ashlynn Shade as comparison this season, I feel you are sleeping on what she can offer & bring. She’s a top 5 player, who is not coming to UConn to sit. If Paige does indeed return, this is a top 3 team regardless if they get Sarah Strong or portal help. If Strong decides to go to another program, I would be in favor of Gustin coming in for one season as she is a rebounding machine, despite being only 6’1. Let’s not forget that Iowa made the NC with only Monica Czinano at 6’3 offering any size. Size is overrated if they can’t play. Bueckers, like Clark is a generational player. If she continues to be healthy, the sky is the limit for her. Look at how well she’s improved from the beginning of the season. She makes everyone around her that much better & next season, she be ready right out of the gate.
Have you watched Ziebell? Have you seen what Wisconsin high school basketball looks like? I have. Ziebell is a great shooter and a gifted scorer in that high school basketball environment. But she turns into a three point shooter when you put her with and against great players. And I think the speed and physicality of college ball is something she won’t be ready for. Ziebell is a better scorer and shooter. But I actually think Cheli is more likely to hit the ground running.
@@TheDisruptiveOne I won’t disagree with that. I feel Morgan Cheli is the real deal & she can help immediately in a myriad of ways. If Bueckers returns & Azzi makes a full recovery, UConn has plenty of scoring oprions & outside shooting. Ziebell can focus on contributing as a 3-pt threat coming into the game along with Samuels to spell Shade, Fudd, Paige, Arnold etc.
Iowa also had Stulke spelling Czinano, she played very well as a freshman, and is improving this year. Ice is a freshman and making improvements game to game. Let's see her in another 10 games as the BE and NCAA tournaments get ready to kick off.
They played a mediocre Depaule Team. They will win another string of games against the Big East and look good with a gaudy record. Let's see how they do against South Carolina, and other good teams in the NCAA tournament.
All this nonsense that bench players need to be “trimmed” or transfer out. Only 5 players play at a time, and at the max, there’s only so many minutes available for 8-10 players. Difference makers are not going to a program to sit on the bench or only pick up late game minutes. If they pick up another “big”, they’ll be fine as long as Paige returns.
Flashes after 3 years isn’t cutting it which is why she doesn’t get playing time. I can imagine what she is doing in practice. At 6’5” she has been disappointing to say the least. Unreliable, slow and just looks lost when she does get in the game. A good stat line in garbage time isn’t saying anything.
@@jlewis5036I agree. But uconn still outscored DePaul in the 4th with the starters on the bench. As long as the bench is good enough to close out the game and rest the starters, that’s the best uconn can hope for this season
More than the statistics, it is the way in which she has moved on the court that gives us hope, but the road is long. She had to change her game and that takes time. It reminds me of the freshman year of Lou Samuelson or Brianna Stewart who had to adapt their game to that of UConn; they did it quickly, let's hope Amari does too
Don't agree - but that is fine. if PB returns. who do you have going at number 3? Jackson? Kamilla Cardoso? Nyadiew Puoch? I would go Edwards over all of them. If was going for home run pick then would go Puoch but is a boom / bust option. Edwards is the same pick and the one that will get drafted in my opinion.
Home, methinks you are just making things up to talk about. These ladies play defense, which creates offense. Clark had more three point shots today then the whole UConn team, and UConn won, and Iowa lost. Figure it out.
@@back2sports You better turn on the lights. CC had 45 points and still lost the game. She's a BALL HOG. I watched the replay a dozen times at the end of the game. They were so quick to blame the Ohio State fan. It looked to me that CC was the one at fault.
you always look to bring up UCONN's weaknesses. You obvious hate them! If it were not for injuries to their front line and Azzi they would wipe the floor with your South Carolina favorite team.
@vincentlipari3193 Wow. ok. I thought my content is pretty much - straight down middle. I really like covering UConn as think they are interesting from Geno to the players. But my coverage is not home town guy saying everything UConn is great. I hate that in announcers and much rather the non local feed that gives you their real take and no focused on telling everyone how wonderful your team is. Anyway thanks for giving my Video's a chance. All the best.
Great points.
I’d like to drill down a level on the current situation. The guard-heavy lineup is dependent on a good shooting night, true. But they mitigated the weakness by having guards who all frequently have good nights, ie they can have 2-3 guards not hitting because they still have 3 more. We’ve also seen cold players heat up when teammates shoot well.
Some are more elite than others but no team can leave a guard alone to double team and I’m not sure a zone is possible with this combination.
Overall , think Geno has done well with what he had left following injuries. It might be enough. TBD. The game vs SC will be a real test for them.
KK can get to wherever she wants on the court. If she could finish at the rim more frequently, this lineup would be even more devastating. When pushing a fast pace, they are lethal!
SC allowed Hidalgo and Pili to have career games and shut down everyone one else. Auburn did the same with allowing AR to get her points while not allowing LSU a single 3pt shot. Teams are D-ing up on jump shooting teams. Did you see the D Ohio State put on Iowa? Clark had 45 while everyone else was held in check. If you've got athletes that can D-up and great coaching, offenses are going to fold.
@@wda2478There’s no question that UConn is vulnerable. They don’t have a true center. The only path for them is sharp-shooting guards leading an uptempo game.
The biggest issue against SC is that SC is physical. In a tightly called game, UConn can hang. If it’s called like the playoff games they’ve faced-off in, SC has a big advantage.
Another game, another win, next game. The lineup is what it is, next woman up! Appreciate the effort all around!!🏀🏀
One thing here , though I’m not trying to be a downer.
The Big East doesn’t give UConn enough competition. It’s certainly not the Big Ten.
It’s not UConn’s fault, of course, and I understand Geno and the administration wanting to keep the girls in the northeast(can somebody to us how Creighton got in) .
But the league as a whole needs to recruit better and be more competitive with the Huskies. These 30 point plus blowouts are not fun to watch.
The big east is a bad conference.
The big 10 is a bad example though. The big east actually dominated the big 10 head-to-head in the non conference. (Surprising, I know.)
@@TheDisruptiveOne UConn has won eleven Natys they would be a dominant team in any conference. They get premier recruits because of their results in March where they play the best teams from every conference. If they were in a conference where they didn't win their tournament they still would be invited because of their record. Connecticut's non-conference schedule is one of the most difficult annually. So trying to criticize them because of the conference they are in doesn't make sense.
Thank you for the comprehensive smooth segment. Now I can sound like a genius , when I talk to my 90 year old Dad. He watches every game, becomes the center of his day.
Nice to hear the pleasure he takes in following Uconn
thanks so much for that.
If Daberry and Duscharme really wanted to help their team they should give up their athletic scholarships and apply for an academic scholarship if they want to finish their education at Uconn. That would allow the team to bring in a big through the portal at least.
Agreed. We may not like it, we love them all. The athletes themselves make it now more about business. A team can't afford a player with a scholarship (exception injuries), not contributing. We need bodies on the floor. You don't have to be perfect, show effort - that you will do anything to help your team. I don't think that's a lot to ask.
Interesting thought, but it may be more complicated than that.
Some of you are ridiculous. Daberry I get bc she has barely played in 3 years. Ducharme has national championship game experience - she was competing with top wnba draft pick Aliyah Boston And holding her own in that game - scoring key buckets etc. next year in September she’s going to be. Valuable contributor You don’t just get that ability from. Freshman and the coaches would not ask that of Caroline
One head bump and she's probably done for the season. Is she going to play with a helmet on . For her future health alone she should pack it in. If she stays i really hope i can eat these words next year, but I'd never bet on it
If Paige and Azzi stay, Jana, Patterson, and Aubrey are healthy and available, plus the freshman class is added to the roster - that's a lot of people on the team. Can UConn have them all - i.e. will the NCAA allow it? Would Geno and CD want them all? Who would you encourage to leave/kick off the team?
- Amari D - has only shown flashes, but clearly has been a bust (a much lesser version of ONO).
- Innes B - She'll only see playing time in the last minute of a 30 pt. blow-out. If she want to actually play, she should choose to move on.
- Caroline D - She had a great freshman year, but has had too many health problems that seem like they will never go away. For her own health, it might be best if she gave up basketball. Horrible to say, but I worry she is one elbow hitting her head away from whatever is wrong with her plaguing her the rest of her life.
I agree - Deberry, Ines and Caroline(health)..
Yes, Caroline really needs to give up competitive sports. It’s a shame for her, devastating, actually, for her. But her particular vulnerability is too much of a risk
I always enjoy your videos and look forward to each new release. What you say here is true enough, for the most part. Especially the concern that Jana and Ayanna are not veterans and the team will have to rely on them a lot. I expect every UConn fan shares this concern, though they may not speak its name in public for fearing of giving it a leg up into reality. Even so, however, I might add a little more nuance to your remarks about Jana Ayanna and Amari.
On Jana, I think she was a lot more mobile than you give her credit for. Perhaps we watched different FIBA games last summer, but in most of them she wasn't asked to show off her handles very much and was largely reduced to grappling in the paint with the European bigs. But her mobility was there to see. I also managed to watch replays of several of her HS games -- which is no easy feat since the announcers only speak in Arabic. She was one of the primary ball handlers on that team, often bringing the ball up the floor, and also driving from the elbow, or deeper, to the rim. She had to do this because the guards on the team were not skilled enough to get a pass into the low post. And as a result, her driving skills are well-developed. This is something she does at least as well as Angel Reese. To my eye, she looks to be at least as mobile as Dorka was, and way more mobile than Cardoso and Betts. What I was relieved to see last summer before her injury was how strong she is. She often scored against double and triple teams in the paint, mainly because the rest of the Egypt squad was scoring challenged. I don't doubt that Jana can run circles around the likes of Betts. My question was whether she's strong enough, and aggressive enough to challenge her in the low post. That question has been answered -- assuming that she can make a full recovery from her ACL injury.
On Ayanna, she had a bad case of the freshman jitters last season, and you could really see it in her penchant for doing too many shot fakes. On the other hand, she is really strong as a rebounder and a defender, though we only got a few glimpses of this. But in the Iowa game, she put in really good minutes defending Czinano, and that is not an easy task for seniors, much less freshmen. She's strong and has quick feet for a big. If her knee can recover, she looks to be eminently coachable.
On Amari, it is true that she hasn't developed as well as many had hoped two years ago. But in the DePaul game yesterday, Geno played her for the entire 4th quarter. Now the game was well in hand, so he could risk it. But she was playing against DePaul's main rotation players, not the end-of-benchers, and she scored 8 and got 5 rebounds and altered a few shots. She's nowhere near being a main rotation player now, and may never crack the main rotation for all I know. But it looks like Geno is trying to see if she can give him something like 10 minutes when needed. And against DePaul, she showed that shooting touch and economy that must have caught Geno's eye originally. She is good at catching a high pass or snagging a rebound and never bringing the ball down -- she knows how to turn and shoot with the ball held high. This is what Cardoso is good at, and Betts is starting to figure out too.
It's also important to bear in mind that Amari had back surgery last summer, and to my eye it looks like she is still moving gingerly. Could she limber up even more, maybe get a little stronger over the next month? A fan has to think she could. But even if she can't but can play for brief periods without a lot of turnovers and gets a few rebounds, she's probably doing exactly what Geno wants from her. Too much speculation on her lack of playing time is based on guesses about Geno's approval and not enough account is taken of the possibility that she may not have fully recovered from a back problem that could also have slowed her the previous two seasons as well. Your mobility concerns about Jana actually fit Amari's case much better.
It definitely hampered her, she was playing with a herniated disc for both of those first two seasons and finally got the surgery. I think that played a big part in her not playing as well as people had hoped and probably made her a bit timid to go all out.
Yep all 3 could really work out Ice, Jana and Patterson. I just want to see it on UConn court and not real sure about it, until i see it. thanks for comment. cheers
Maybe - but in truth - i just don't think it is going to have for AD. But seems like nice kid and wish her all the best.
The key is the improvement of Ice & Q. If these two continue developing and begin to approach the performance level of their fellow freshmen K.K. & Ash, this Uconn team can & will beat anybody.
Uconn is on now. Ashlynn is a stud. Final 4 prediction.
South Carolina, U Conn, Iowa, Utah. Possible K State UCLA
Did you post this before or after the Notre Dame game?
Before@@theodoremorehouse6460
Now that Iowa lost its 2nd game along with LSU, I think Uconn may break into the top 5 rankings this week
If Jersey Wolfenbarger, who left Arkansas, would consider UConn, that would be great she has 2 years, and she is 6'5". She's not in the portal it was too late for her to enter. If not, I see Geno going to his international connections.
I’ve noticed that Geno has been managing Paige’s minutes along with the other veteran starters, while getting more minutes for the freshman and DeBerry. I think this is smart as it may develop DeBerry to where she becomes an asset, we need bigs and develops Ice Brady and the develops the rest of the team (while not wearing out the big 3).
Uconn will need 3 bigs. They have, Ice. They have the guards, weak side forwards. Need Sarah Strong and another big out of the portal. Injuries 😢. Be proactive, get another Big
No problem they will be (Sarah) Strong in the Center!!
Sarah wants to play on the perimeter
Glad to see Geno finally deciding to develop reserve players
Good coverage. Three things.
1) UCONN needs another big. Jana and Patterson are unknowns…at best. Brady is WIP.
2) Need more available scholarships. My count says there are none after accounting for Bueckers, Cheli and Ziebell. That doesn’t include Griffin. DeBarry is a bust and detrimental to the team. Bettencourt and Duscharme could be causalities of war. Nonetheless, how do they go away other than voluntarily going to the transfer portal?
3) Is Sara Strong really so good that she could make a difference?
Yes. Sarah Strong really IS that good! She's a big who can do it all
Amari might be looking at the transfer portal to go somewhere where she could get some playing time. I think she came to UConn thinking she could be like Stewie. She looks out of place on both ends. If she could provide solid defense in the post she would get more playing time and things would work out.
As a senior? Again. I think that ship has sailed. If Amari wanted to play, she should have left summer 2023.
If we have only Ice, Jana and Patterson, we are a “D” on an A-E grading scale. At this stage, despite Brady looking a bit better, one has to wonder if she is really any good. Who thinks, based on what they have seen so far, that she can become a dominating force in the paint? Not to mention: for a BIG, she isn’t very large.
Amari had five rebounds one assist and eight points in only eleven minutes. That is a vast improvement over previous outings. If her and Ice can continue to improve they could help Edwards come March. Ines is not a scoring guard she is a point guard like Nika. She will come in handy when Nika and Paige leave. She can spell K K. Unless Aubrey really recovers strong over the Summer I don't see her coming back next year. I don't see Caroline coming back next year either. It didn't seem like her heart was in it when she played at the beginning of the season. I don't know how much Edwards wants a championship she may just go pro. So if Caroline, Aubrey and Edwards don't return that will leave one empty scholarship if they do get Strong. If Strong wants instant minutes on a championship quality team then Connecticut would be a better option than LSU or South Carolina.
You mentioned PB returning for the 2024-25 season, but what would happen if all that can return [PB, AE, CD, NM, and I think AG] decided to use that extra year? That would create a huge roster crunch.
I hope that doesn’t happen
A very good roster crunch. But it's not going to happen. Edwards & Nika don't get NIL money from what I've been told. They are foreignors. Caroline's career may be over and she's only a junior. She'll still have 2 years of eligibility left if she doesn't play this year. Her neurological health is more important than playing. Griffin is graduating. I see Paige coming back and that's all 🏀
Griffin already graduated
I think that would mean they wouldn't have the scholarships for both their 2 incoming freshmen. I'm assuming that the coaches already know that some of those 5 are unlikely to be back (or know that somebody else is planning on hitting the transfer portal), but who knows.
@@JohnViolette0 I also left AF off the list, the fact is PB and AF are returning.
Ashlynn shade is quite a player..i forget shes a freshman sometimes. I like the way she plays such energetic defense, the girl can haul it all over the court and is great at disrupting the other teams offensive flow
Her back story coming to UConn th-cam.com/video/pWHCS51s7yU/w-d-xo.html
Yeah - agree, and for this season one injury away to PB, AE or even KK crushes their chances of making a run to the elite 8.
Yep they are on a knife edge for this season. They need to stay healthy from here. no doubt
Would like to know what steps are being taken to help Ines & Amari transfer to free up recruiting positions going into next season
Cheli, Bueckers, Shade, Arnold & El Alfy = starting 5 next year. You're right, a few players need to be 'trimmed' from the roster (likely DeBerry & Ducharme). UConn will definitely try to shore up front court w/a big. Maybe from a mid-major (or internationally). With Fudd, Ziebell, a more mature Brady and Griffin coming off the bench, they'll be fine. Will be exciting. Yes, I have Fudd coming off the bench ;)
4 guard starting lineup?
Geno has more class than to try and strip a scholarship away from CD.
Azzi might be on the bench until she gets her legs in shape. The other thing is there will be a couple of injuries. There usually is
Respectfully, nobody should count on Fudd playing for any length of time. History says she’s broken; same as happened to her mom. Plus, Shade has revealed all that was missing with Fudd; great defense, game management, etc.
I'd throw strong in that lineup! They NEED her. A 6'2 BIG that can do it alll
This is for all the "numb-nuts" saying UCONN should take away Caroline's & Amari's scholarships. Any coach that does #6 will have that bad taste following him/her recruiting for several years. As for #7, Amari . This would also follow the coach for several years.
8 Ways a Coach Can Take Away Your Athletic Scholarship
1) Athlete Becomes Ineligible
A school may essentially award an athlete with a scholarship for a specified period of time, anywhere between one academic year and five academic years. If you’re offered a scholarship, a scholarship agreement must be provided in writing and it will specify the terms of the scholarship. At the end of the scholarship period, a coach might choose to either renew the scholarship or not. Normally, the NCAA doesn’t allow coaches to remove or decrease financial aid during the time period agreed upon. For instance, if you received an offer for a one-year scholarship starting in August of 2019 and ending in May of 2020, a coach will normally not be able to take that away from you.
However, the NCAA does allow for it to happen in some cases, and the first one is if the athlete becomes ineligible. There are several ways an athlete can become ineligible (visa issues for international students, failed drug tests, dropping below required course hours), and all of them might give a coach the opportunity to take your scholarship away from you.
2) Athlete Commits Fraud
The second reason a coach may take away financial aid is if the athlete commits fraud at some time during the agreed time period. In order for athletes to originally receive scholarships, they must sign an application, a letter of intent, and a financial aid agreement, which pretty much declares that they want to participate in that sport. Now, if the athlete decides to not show up to practices or just show up every now and then, a coach might be allowed to remove his or her scholarship.
3) Misconduct
The third reason is if the university decides that the athlete has engaged in serious misconduct based on the university’s regular student disciplinary authority. What that means is going to be different for any university. It can be from sexual assault, drinking on campus, posting inappropriate pictures on social media, or setting your school up on fire. So be sure to follow your student handbook.
4) Athlete Quits Team for Personal Reasons
This one is pretty straight forward: if you decide to quit the team, you will most likely lose your scholarship. Sometimes you might have a noble reason, but at the end of the day coaches are essentially running a business and they need that scholarship money back. However, it is important to point out that the coach will not be allowed to give that extra scholarship to another athlete during that academic year.
The following reasons have different rules for schools that follow Power 5 rules and for the ones that don’t, so make sure to read it until the end:
5) Athlete Violates Non-Athletic Documented Policy
If your school follows this Power 5 rule, it means that they might take your scholarship away if you fail to comply with some academic standards or some other rules specified by the athletic department or by the team.
6) Injury
This is where it starts getting a little complicated. If you were awarded a scholarship for an established period of time, the NCAA states that a coach cannot reduce the scholarship during that time due to “an injury, illness, or physical or mental medical condition” of an athlete.” For schools that don’t follow Power 5 rules, a coach might decide to not renew an injured athlete’s scholarship once the initial scholarship period is over.
For schools that DO follow Power 5 rules, a coach cannot take that into consideration when debating whether to renew the scholarship or not. So if you go to such a school, get a scholarship for a year and get injured during that year, a coach technically cannot take that into consideration when deciding if he’s gonna renew your scholarship for the next year or not. However, in reality, things do not always happen that way and sometimes coaches might find a way to get that scholarship taken away from you.
7) Not Performing Well
This has the same applications as the injury rule: a coach cannot cancel your scholarship during an established scholarship period due to “ a student-athlete’s athletic ability, performance or contribution to a team’s success.” Power 5 rules establish that a coach cannot consider that when it comes time to decide to renew a scholarship or not. So if you get a one-year athletic scholarship, work extremely hard, but still are not able to make the starting team, a coach from a Power 5 school cannot technically reduce or cancel your scholarship because of that. Once again, some coaches might be able to find a loophole and still take your money away from you.
8) New Coach - FOR ALL SCHOOLS
At the end of the day, a coach is the one responsible to make the final decision of how much (and if) an athlete will receive a scholarship. What happens sometimes is that Coach X will bring you in and promise you a certain amount of money for each year. Then, for some reason, that Coach is fired or resigns and Coach Y is hired. Coach Y might not see the same potential in you, not like your attitude, or just flat out be an a-hole. If he’s really committed to getting your scholarship taken away from you, he might be able to find a reason to do so.
🏀
Great take as usual.
Ice is really developing quite nicely and we can hope she becomes a 6'3 force with that big body. I don't agree totally about Jana, I've watched her in the FIba games for a few years. Yes she did jog back at times but on the other hand I've seen her jam 94 feet like a gazelle while dribbling the rock. For some reason or another the coaching staff didn't coach her in that aspect.
....On her coaches of her teams in the FIBA; they really smelled up the field. Really poor coaching and use of personnel. An example was their point guard. OMG she would have never seen the court if Geno was coaching that team. In fact Geno could have taken those teams and crushed the competition in the FIBA.
UCONN out rebounded DePaul, albeit they are small as is UCONN, but their rebounding by committee appears to be working. Especially with that small forward, Paige Bueckers.... 😅 Geno the Genius will figure it out. The guy is lights out.
Next year with Jana, Ice, Cheli, Patterson, there is size, and girth. So I believe they will be fine up front. Unless there is a parting of the Red Sea, Amari is done; No hope. Aubrey and Q are clones as far as athleticism goes, so from that perspective they will be scary good.
I'm afraid Strong may be a portal casualty. I have nothing to base that on but a 6th sense. I can just see her family being in her ear disrupting the apple cart.
Yep hopefully Jana , Ice and Patterson all play well. and it is possible - just would be nervous until see them on court and playing well consistently.
Yes. One doesn't know until the rubber hits the road. Look at polar opposites. A skinny kid from Hopkins high in Minnesota wins every award possible her freshman year that being Paige. Some frosh never show up. (rare at UCONN)
Then the contrast of Amari and Shade. KK and Inez.
We won't know about Jana for real until she is in the heat of battle. Hope what I've seen of her translates into quick success. Don't know when she will be able to start practicing but hope it's soon. The sooner the better. If anyone can get her up to speed it's Geno and CD.
Thanks for the comment.
I thought about uconn against lsu the other day. And I just don’t see how uconn can win. Aaliyah can’t guard and battle on the glass against both Morrow and Reese.
their bigs are questionable yes, but lsu has their struggles too, point guards, assists, and turnovers, and a limited bench, specially if their bigs get into foul trouble, we saw how this went against them in the auburn game, using a recent game as an example. UConn has three PGs in their lineup, experienced and have chemistry, if you put muhl against van lith we could easily argue muhl is a better PG and a better defender, Paige against Johnson, the answer is obvious. As in for Edward’s vs Reese, many agree Edward’s is better, she is higher in the draft and has a jump shot. talent over size any day. I don’t see how lsu would win. But rebounding would be a big issue for uconn
I don't see both Aaliyah and Nika coming back at all. Aaliyah will go to the WNBA and Nika will go back home to play pro ball..Hopefully DeBerry will transfer out along wit Ines if they want to play at all..
Aaliyah and Nika are definitely gone. I am 50/50 on Aubrey. Caroline could be gone for health reasons. Ines is the most likely to hit the portal.
Go Uconn
Why be so negative? Gustin is only 6’1. Let’s see how El Alfy plays - she doesn’t need to be the focus, particularly on offense with so many other capable offensive players. With a season under her belt, Brady will take a major leap. She’s already progressing, albeit not to the point of being a difference maker. I truly believe we haven’t seen the real Patterson as of yet. Again, she’s not needed on offense.
You made a casual reference to Ziebel as reserve for next season. Using Ashlynn Shade as comparison this season, I feel you are sleeping on what she can offer & bring. She’s a top 5 player, who is not coming to UConn to sit. If Paige does indeed return, this is a top 3 team regardless if they get Sarah Strong or portal help. If Strong decides to go to another program, I would be in favor of Gustin coming in for one season as she is a rebounding machine, despite being only 6’1.
Let’s not forget that Iowa made the NC with only Monica Czinano at 6’3 offering any size. Size is overrated if they can’t play. Bueckers, like Clark is a generational player. If she continues to be healthy, the sky is the limit for her. Look at how well she’s improved from the beginning of the season. She makes everyone around her that much better & next season, she be ready right out of the gate.
Have you watched Ziebell? Have you seen what Wisconsin high school basketball looks like?
I have. Ziebell is a great shooter and a gifted scorer in that high school basketball environment. But she turns into a three point shooter when you put her with and against great players. And I think the speed and physicality of college ball is something she won’t be ready for.
Ziebell is a better scorer and shooter. But I actually think Cheli is more likely to hit the ground running.
@@TheDisruptiveOne I won’t disagree with that. I feel Morgan Cheli is the real deal & she can help immediately in a myriad of ways. If Bueckers returns & Azzi makes a full recovery, UConn has plenty of scoring oprions & outside shooting. Ziebell can focus on contributing as a 3-pt threat coming into the game along with Samuels to spell Shade, Fudd, Paige, Arnold etc.
Iowa also had Stulke spelling Czinano, she played very well as a freshman, and is improving this year. Ice is a freshman and making improvements game to game. Let's see her in another 10 games as the BE and NCAA tournaments get ready to kick off.
They just has a terrible night 3 point shooting and won by 30+. Struggling?
They played a mediocre Depaule Team. They will win another string of games against the Big East and look good with a gaudy record. Let's see how they do against South Carolina, and other good teams in the NCAA tournament.
All this nonsense that bench players need to be “trimmed” or transfer out. Only 5 players play at a time, and at the max, there’s only so many minutes available for 8-10 players. Difference makers are not going to a program to sit on the bench or only pick up late game minutes. If they pick up another “big”, they’ll be fine as long as Paige returns.
DeBerry has shown some flashes in recent games, and had a really good stat line vs DePaul.
Fool’s gold. My advice: don’t buy it.
Flashes after 3 years isn’t cutting it which is why she doesn’t get playing time. I can imagine what she is doing in practice. At 6’5” she has been disappointing to say the least. Unreliable, slow and just looks lost when she does get in the game. A good stat line in garbage time isn’t saying anything.
@@jlewis5036I agree. But uconn still outscored DePaul in the 4th with the starters on the bench. As long as the bench is good enough to close out the game and rest the starters, that’s the best uconn can hope for this season
More than the statistics, it is the way in which she has moved on the court that gives us hope, but the road is long. She had to change her game and that takes time. It reminds me of the freshman year of Lou Samuelson or Brianna Stewart who had to adapt their game to that of UConn; they did it quickly, let's hope Amari does too
Did you not watch the national championship two years ago? Debary was the only other player that played hard besides Paige Bueckers!
No depth in the post. Future looks bleak.
Bleak? I would be more concerned - but still will be dangerous as stacked with wings and guards that are really good.
Weak numbers BUT I DO NOT THINK ANYONE WANTS TO PLAY THEM ? 😏
Edwards will not be the #3 pick.
It would take a lot of players deciding to stay for their fifth [COVID] year for that to happen.
I like Edwards. That would be way too high for her.
Don't agree - but that is fine. if PB returns. who do you have going at number 3? Jackson? Kamilla Cardoso? Nyadiew Puoch? I would go Edwards over all of them. If was going for home run pick then would go Puoch but is a boom / bust option.
Edwards is the same pick and the one that will get drafted in my opinion.
Home, methinks you are just making things up to talk about. These ladies play defense, which creates offense. Clark had more three point shots today then the whole UConn team, and UConn won, and Iowa lost. Figure it out.
Me have no idea what you are talking about. But that is ok. All the best.
@@back2sports You better turn on the lights. CC had 45 points and still lost the game. She's a BALL HOG. I watched the replay a dozen times at the end of the game. They were so quick to blame the Ohio State fan. It looked to me that CC was the one at fault.
you always look to bring up UCONN's weaknesses. You obvious hate them! If it were not for injuries to their front line and Azzi they would wipe the floor with your South Carolina favorite team.
Lighten up a little bit! He is a UConn fan! Why do you think 95% of his videos are about UConn? He just has a unique perspective of the game!
@@wessey1000exactly. He’s obviously not a hater but someone who follows the team and is analytical and has more than a bit of foresight.
@vincentlipari3193
Wow. ok. I thought my content is pretty much - straight down middle. I really like covering UConn as think they are interesting from Geno to the players.
But my coverage is not home town guy saying everything UConn is great. I hate that in announcers and much rather the non local feed that gives you their real take and no focused on telling everyone how wonderful your team is. Anyway thanks for giving my Video's a chance. All the best.
Baby, they had Azzi and even PB in the national championship that year, but what happened?? 😂
Go get an experience big out the portal
Should learn to how to properly pronounce names of state capitals before spouting opinions. The state capital of New York is pronounced ALLbany.
Good to mo thanks
Oye...can you speak Aussie as Back2sports i. Harsh and silly on your part. I'm an American so not defending the Dingo Wogger...lol
It is spelt ALBANY