The Answer to the Amari riddle?

[sun]

Talent wise, Amari somewhat reminds me of Megan Harkey of Xavier, their 6'6" Jr. center who also doesn't get much PT even though she helped her high school team win back to back state championships in NC.
In their last game against UConn, Harkey sunk a fantastic sky hook for her only points of the game, but man was it nice.
I expect to see Harkey play more in our next game with Xavier.
They're both improving as role players by helping their team any way they can.

Megan Harkey - Women's Basketball - Xavier University Athletics

Megan Harkey (31) Forward/Center - CAREER STATS AWARDS AND ACCOLADES 2020-21 All-BIG EAST Academic Team SOPHOMORE (2021-22) Played in 22 ...

goxavier.com

 

[Charliebball]

Amari scored one of her rebounds in fingertip to fingertip competition with Dorka. She just out-reached Dorka and snagged the ball. I don't remember seeing that competitive spirit from Amari before tonight. Usually she just defers to whoever is under the basket and lets them get the ball. I hope we see more of this spirited play from her.

agreed..........I was at the game last night and she looked more focused and more aggressive than I've seen in the past.......she wanted every rebound for herself instead of just assuming Dorka or Aaliya were going to handle it.......I'm hoping she continues down that path.......BTW Deberry has plenty of back-to-the-basket moves and the short jumper based on her high school tape......... we just haven't seen them very often because she's playing at the top of the key on offense....

 

[hoophuskee]

Me too. Dorka then becomes a SF taking perimeter shots. This reminds me of the big line up when Stokes, Dolson, and Stewie would be on the floor together.

If Amari can get that light to pop on consistently, she can become the answer to when SC puts Amihere on the floor with two bigs.

I always love different alternatives if it can be effective. It makes a team stronger no doubt. With that said, UCONN's strength if they will ever be healthy is Nika, Fudd, Lou, Caroline and a Swing Griffin. In particular a home run ;lineup is Fudd, Lou and Caroline. That's UCONN's strength. The perimeter overall is UCONN’s strength.

I would prefer as a matchup to play to our strength forcing SC to not go "very big." Taking away our strength forcing us to go away from it vs their potential "elite frontline" isn't 100% desirable.

In basketball, the tallest team doesn't always win. I'm not in love with going against our strength. Azzi, Lou and Caroline for example in the game, how can a big team defend this if UCONN is healthy? Also, Ducharme if healthy is very strong for her size. Yes she would get outrebounded but it's not like she couldn’t rebound at all. On the flip side she is possibly an elite perimeter scorer that can also put the ball on the floor. Someone with size would have lots of problems with a healthy Caroline.

But I agree though – the 3 bigs can be an alternative if Amari shows progression.

 

[faithfulfan]

Geno has said, that on the offensive end, the player should do what the player does best. Obviously, there should be a higher % of success if that occurs. "Set them up for success" comes to mind too. Indeed, if the player is confident, since it is their best skill (in the player's head anyway)-- then it will flow naturally.
Amari is a confident player. She knows what she wants to do. Yes, I said--she knows what SHE wants to do. Amari knows what she does best! Amari sees herself as a POINT CENTER. She can be the floor leader from the foul line. She knows she can distribute the ball. She easily can see the floor. She likes the HI-Low thing, with Amari being in the HI position. And the big one--she see herself as a SHOOTER. Amari proved all of her beliefs tonight. On the offensive end she is not the banger on the court. She is a floor general. She will never even be position most of the time to be an Offensive rebounder. However, on the defensive end, Amari is starting to rebound, defend closer, and block some shots. She is in the perfect position to get some rebounding and shot blocking. Amari does see herself as a rebounder/blocker, but in the beginner stages. It is not her forte--YET!
Since Amari played most of her offensive minutes hovering around the foul line I would have to guess that Geno wanted her there. IMHO, I believe that there was a clear agreement about Amari's play. Geno and Amari were on the same page about her style--this game. Let her do what she does best and the results are more positive. Everyone is happy--- --- for now. We know in the future Geno will expect more skills and more versatility. As a top sub, with tonight's performance, Amari has just increased her value to the team.

it would get her a starting position next year if she could just be a lockdown on opponents centers without getting into foul trouble!
agree she likes the position high to dump down low to cutting players

 

[faithfulfan]

Amari the enigma. There's the good Amari and the bad Amari and not much in between. Hopefully some type of light went on and stays on. Time will tell

yep, she just gotta want to do it, cause it certainly seems she's got the talent!

 

[vtcwbuff]

I think Deberry has been watching Tina Charles tape, or maybe she picked it up when Charles visited recently. The missed bunny, rebound and putback was classic Charles padding her stats.

 

[Bone Dog]

I liked it when Amari, Aaliyah and Dorka were out there at the same time.

I remember a few videos of Aaliyah in high school, and she was a point forward then. She's given that up for a post game, but as we've seen she can take it back up in situations. For example, as a press breaker she has occasionally stationed herself at half court as a target for bail-out passes and either passes it ahead or just brings it up herself. This means the 3 big lineup isn't as vulnerable to the usual pressure from little folks as one might expect. And I like the high-low game we can have with the 3 of them on the court.

 

[Longtime fan]

I’d like to see her take more of those open threes. She showed that she could hit them tonight.

Don't forget, those were the first threes she has converted in a long time . ( I am an Amari watcher ...and have hoped she would become a star ). And to convert back to back threes was wonderful. That Seton Hall game has to grow her confidence. But she had shut down her deep shots due to earlier failures this year. Yesterday was like a new beginning. Not to mention the " assist of the year." She can be our first 6'5" guard.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

New from the Courant:


“Amari, she’s a frustrating player to watch at times because she could look really, really good and make it look so easy and effortless and the shot leaves her hand and you would think it’s never not going in,” Auriemma said, “but she has to miss that layup first before she makes the putback or she has to throw a ball away before she throws a great pass. So hopefully, little by little, we get the best parts of Amari.

“But she’s got to get more physical and she’s got to get more aggressive in what she does, and that’s what’s keeping her from playing more minutes. And if she were able to do that, a little more what she did today, a little less as some of the other stuff, she would play more minutes and she would be able to help us. So ball’s in her court, so to say.”

 

[snowkot]

From the little we've seen, she seems an excellent passer from the post, out to in, with excellent form releasing the ball. Must have really strong wrists, which speaks to her outside shooting as well.

No better evidenced than that pass for the assist pass while sitting.

Setting aside the humor, the degree of difficulty was off the charts. The vision to spot the cutter behind her. The feel for the game (if not audacity) to choose a bounce pass. Then to get enough bounce with little downward space to hit it hard enough off the floor to bounce it back up to where it was catchable. And finally locating it perfectly passing behind her to the cutter. All that in a split second, while not traveling. For me, that sort of instinct cannot be taught. Massively impressive.

 

[itsasport]

The two opponents that Amari will be most needed are SC and Stanford, guarding Boston and Brink. Both of them like to go out to the three-point line (especially Brink.)

Amari could guard them close to the basket, follow them out and guard them effectively out there. They would also have to guard Amari away from the basket.

 

[Notyetready]

New from the Courant:


“Amari, she’s a frustrating player to watch at times because she could look really, really good and make it look so easy and effortless and the shot leaves her hand and you would think it’s never not going in,” Auriemma said, “but she has to miss that layup first before she makes the putback or she has to throw a ball away before she throws a great pass. So hopefully, little by little, we get the best parts of Amari.

“But she’s got to get more physical and she’s got to get more aggressive in what she does, and that’s what’s keeping her from playing more minutes. And if she were able to do that, a little more what she did today, a little less as some of the other stuff, she would play more minutes and she would be able to help us. So ball’s in her court, so to say.”

She will get there...

 

[Bone Dog]

The two opponents that Amari will be most needed are SC and Stanford, guarding Boston and Brink. Both of them like to go out to the three-point line (especially Brink.)

Amari could guard them close to the basket, follow them out and guard them effectively out there. They would also have to guard Amari away from the basket.

Interesting. I wonder how Stanford would defend against our new 3-bigs lineup. Would they leave Amari unguarded at the top of the key? Or would they send Iriafen out to guard her? And who would guard Dorka? Would Betts have to play, or Prechdel? It could be interesting.

 

[HopJim]

With the exception of DeBerry, this year's UConn roster is the most relaxed I have ever seen. The starters appear to understand that no matter what they do, Geno can't measurably reduce their minutes. Not sure how you get Amari to relax and play her game without leaving her in for more than a few minutes at a time. Yelling and benching, while effective tactics for Geno throughout the years, does not work for everyone.

 

[CTrefugee]

The Answer to the Amari riddle?​

new hands

 

[AmeriConn]

New from the Courant:


“Amari, she’s a frustrating player to watch at times because she could look really, really good and make it look so easy and effortless and the shot leaves her hand and you would think it’s never not going in,” Auriemma said, “but she has to miss that layup first before she makes the putback or she has to throw a ball away before she throws a great pass. So hopefully, little by little, we get the best parts of Amari.

“But she’s got to get more physical and she’s got to get more aggressive in what she does, and that’s what’s keeping her from playing more minutes. And if she were able to do that, a little more what she did today, a little less as some of the other stuff, she would play more minutes and she would be able to help us. So ball’s in her court, so to say.”

Geno is telling Amari what she needs to do. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. This could essentially be a new beginning for AD. We are all rooting for her. Just Do It!

 

[DEpup]

I always love different alternatives if it can be effective. It makes a team stronger no doubt. With that said, UCONN's strength if they will ever be healthy is Nika, Fudd, Lou, Caroline and a Swing Griffin. In particular a home run ;lineup is Fudd, Lou and Caroline. That's UCONN's strength. The perimeter overall is UCONN’s strength.

I would prefer as a matchup to play to our strength forcing SC to not go "very big." Taking away our strength forcing us to go away from it vs their potential "elite frontline" isn't 100% desirable.

In basketball, the tallest team doesn't always win. I'm not in love with going against our strength. Azzi, Lou and Caroline for example in the game, how can a big team defend this if UCONN is healthy? Also, Ducharme if healthy is very strong for her size. Yes she would get outrebounded but it's not like she couldn’t rebound at all. On the flip side she is possibly an elite perimeter scorer that can also put the ball on the floor. Someone with size would have lots of problems with a healthy Caroline.

But I agree though – the 3 bigs can be an alternative if Amari shows progression.

I don't disagree with you on playing to our strength which are the guards/wings when folks are healthy. I do believe in a good change up though for a couple minutes here and there to keep an opponent uncomfortable. A big line up option can do that.

 

[freshler40]

Here’s what else I saw on that assist. She picked herself up off the floor before the ball bounced after Inês’ layup. When bigs hit the floor it can take a second or two for them to get those long legs and arms moving in the same direction. Not Amari.

Speaking of long arms, I can see why SH didn’t guard her at the top of the key even when she had the ball. Why bother? There’s no way they could challenge a shot or a pass given how high she holds the ball.

Love the way Amari holds the ball very high when catching a rebound or passing with wrist passes. This is a great skill that other bigs should master.

 

[NC28604]

I once heard this year an announcer talking about her. They said, "The game is faster in college than in high school. For Amari the game hasn't slowed down for her when she's out on the floor".
This game makes me wonder if the game is starting to slow down for her as to her perception of things happening on the floor.

 

[huskeynut]

The answer to the Amari riddle is - Amari.

She has to want to do what is needed.

 

[Kevin G]

I would love to see Amari get more playing time to help her develop.

I often wonder if she is that bad in practice or her efforts for him to not give her playing time.

 

[HuskyNan]

I would love to see Amari get more playing time to help her develop.

I often wonder if she is that bad in practice or her efforts for him to not give her playing time.

She got 20 minutes last game

 

[Longtime fan]

The two opponents that Amari will be most needed are SC and Stanford, guarding Boston and Brink. Both of them like to go out to the three-point line (especially Brink.)

Amari could guard them close to the basket, follow them out and guard them effectively out there. They would also have to guard Amari away from the basket.

I don't think Amari can guard Boston at all. Blink is a maybe, only because she is not so powerful. Clearly, Amari can draw both of them to guard her outside shot, but the same is true for Dorka and Edwards. And Amari is still not proven with respect to her confidence and ability to shoot that three. But anything she can give us will help.

 

[cgshuskie]

I think that 'Longtime fan' is wrong about Amari. She can guard Boston (better that Liv did). She just needs confidence and reassurance. I think that she got some of that when Tina visited Storrs. Reassurance and faith!
Amari is a really intelligent person. She's not a banger/bruiser type but can be a really good center. More of an Embeed type. I agree with 'vtcwbuff' that Tina Charles helped her alot with self confidence. I think she identified with Tina and Tina explained how she [Tina] had problems initially at Uconn and overcame them to become the NPOY.
Geno yelling at Amari won't save the day. His reassurance will. She's not a kid who responds to yelling. She'll respond to something she can identify with. I think that by her senior year, we'll see a really aggressive, dominant Amari who will help Uconn get a couple more Natties. ( Also, she felt the heartbreak of losing the 2022 championship to S. Carolina [the whole team that year did- She knows that was a huge embarrassment to Geno and CD. I believe she will attempt to make up for that in her upcoming year/play ) go huskies!

 

[boontonbomber]

Wish the coaches would get her down low more; she has shown moves when she gets the ball there. And would be great if the people with the ball would pay better attention when she is open down there. Re the 3 point shots: she had the ball,nobody was doing much to get open, so it was like," OK, I guess I'll hoist one up"! Good for her.