UConn Recruiting

[oldhusky]

I’m sorry guys. Four scorers and one rebounder/defender doesn’t work in modern basketball. You might get away with a Big who doesn’t score for awhile, but if you’re thinking about winning a championship, you have to put 5 scorers on the floor. That doesn’t mean they all have to be able to knock down 3’s. But they all have to be able to put pressure on opposing defenses in some way, shooting, posting up or attacking the basket.

Well this is very rare for me, because I usually agree with oldude far more often than not, but I think this past WNBA season provided evidence of just the opposite. Take a look at the Aces. From the moment Candace Parker got injured Kia Stokes was the starter, and from that point on, it often looked like the Aces were playing 4 against 5 on offense.

Kia wasn't a shooter, a driver, she rarely posted up, and for that matter she wasn't a particularly good passer either. The offense suffered as a result, no doubt, but went from one of the best in history with Candace, to still very very good. Now with Wilson, Young, Plum, and Gray you can't get much better than that for the other four, but my point is if the rest of the lineup has enough scoring power, you can still be a good offensive team, but those other players have to be the right combination.

Another example is the Chicago Bulls for the second three peat. With Dennis Rodman in the lineup, clearly the Bulls were playing 4 on 5 offensively most of the time too. They had MJ and Pippin that could create on their own, and always had a couple of three point specialists to help space the floor. Even though he was a non factor for most of the shot clock, Rodman still made a significant offensive contribution because once a shot was launched, he was the best offensive player on the team. If it went in it doesn't matter, but if it didn't there was nobody on the planet who was better at getting the team another chance with an offensive rebound.

Now I have to think that a Kia Stokes like player would make a huge difference on this team as currently available. Aaliyah and in particular Paige can be that type of compliment to a non scorer, the rest maybe not quite so much. On the other hand a dream healthy lineup that had Paige, Azzi, Caroline at their peak, with as long as I'm dreaming Sarah at the 4, could easily afford to have a rebounding defensive C and still win a championship.

I want to get scoring and passing out of a big too, but with the players we hope to have healthy next year, I think rebounding and shot blocking are the skills that would most compliment what we have.

OK now I can go back to agreeing with oldude most of the time!

 

[cohenzone]

If UConn gets a non-scoring rebounder the first thing some posters will say is UConn is playing four against five. UConn needs both, although next season's team should have enough scorers to accommodate a non-scoring rebounder.

I would take a Kiah Stokes in a heartbeat.

 

[HuskyNan]

I would take a Kiah Stokes in a heartbeat.

The senior year or current version of Kiah, absolutely, but Boneyarders seem to have forgotten the complaining that went on during her underclass years about her lack of scoring

 

[cohenzone]

The senior or current version of Kiah, absolutely, but Boneyarders seem to have forgotten the complaining that went on during her underclass years about her lack of scoring

If Ice would rebound like Kiah, it would help a great deal against several good teams. Get a rebounding big who prevents the other team from 2nd chance who scores a few buckets a game would be good enough with the other talents on the team. Obviously scoring would be a plus.

 

[wbbhoops278]

I’m sorry guys. Four scorers and one rebounder/defender doesn’t work in modern basketball. You might get away with a Big who doesn’t score for awhile, but if you’re thinking about winning a championship, you have to put 5 scorers on the floor. That doesn’t mean they all have to be able to knock down 3’s. But they all have to be able to put pressure on opposing defenses in some way, shooting, posting up or attacking the basket.

Really? I'm pretty sure the Aces just won a championship with Stokes....and they beat a team with all the scorers. I do think that those rebound/defense first players are becoming more rare, but I don't really think it's fair to say that it can't work in modern basketball.

 

[oldude]

Well this is very rare for me, because I usually agree with oldude far more often than not, but I think this past WNBA season provided evidence of just the opposite. Take a look at the Aces. From the moment Candace Parker got injured Kia Stokes was the starter, and from that point on, it often looked like the Aces were playing 4 against 5 on offense.

Kia wasn't a shooter, a driver, she rarely posted up, and for that matter she wasn't a particularly good passer either. The offense suffered as a result, no doubt, but went from one of the best in history with Candace, to still very very good. Now with Wilson, Young, Plum, and Gray you can't get much better than that for the other four, but my point is if the rest of the lineup has enough scoring power, you can still be a good offensive team, but those other players have to be the right combination.

Another example is the Chicago Bulls for the second three peat. With Dennis Rodman in the lineup, clearly the Bulls were playing 4 on 5 offensively most of the time too. They had MJ and Pippin that could create on their own, and always had a couple of three point specialists to help space the floor. Even though he was a non factor for most of the shot clock, Rodman still made a significant offensive contribution because once a shot was launched, he was the best offensive player on the team. If it went in it doesn't matter, but if it didn't there was nobody on the planet who was better at getting the team another chance with an offensive rebound.

Now I have to think that a Kia Stokes like player would make a huge difference on this team as currently available. Aaliyah and in particular Paige can be that type of compliment to a non scorer, the rest maybe not quite so much. On the other hand a dream healthy lineup that had Paige, Azzi, Caroline at their peak, with as long as I'm dreaming Sarah at the 4, could easily afford to have a rebounding defensive C and still win a championship.

I want to get scoring and passing out of a big too, but with the players we hope to have healthy next year, I think rebounding and shot blocking are the skills that would most compliment what we have.

OK now I can go back to agreeing with oldude most of the time!

Just a side note. Stokes didn’t play in the championship game, and I mentioned “modern basketball” so Dennis Rodman or Bill Russell for that matter don’t count.

Beyond that, just about every national championship team UConn has fielded had 5 scorers in the starting lineup, including the last one in 2016 on which all 5 starters could knock down 3-pt shots, and no opponent came within 10 pts all season. I would also add that UConn’s recent surge occurred once Geno inserted KK & Ashlynn in the starting lineup, helping to spread the floor with Paige & Nika, giving Aaliyah the room to operate in the paint.

 

[oldude]

Really? I'm pretty sure the Aces just won a championship with Stokes....and they beat a team with all the scorers. I do think that those rebound/defense first players are becoming more rare, but I don't really think it's fair to say that it can't work in modern basketball.

Again, Kiah did not play in the championship clinching game, and she often split time with Clark, a much better scorer.

 

[Gordo]

Why does anyone ever want to waste time disputing anything @oldude says? Has he every been wrong? And if so, what year was that?

 

[Bone Dog]

Beyond that, just about every national championship team UConn has fielded had 5 scorers in the starting lineup, including the last one in 2016 on which all 5 starters could knock down 3-pt shots, and no opponent came within 10 pts all season. I would also add that UConn’s recent surge occurred once Geno inserted KK & Ashlynn in the starting lineup, helping to spread the floor with Paige & Nika, giving Aaliyah the room to operate in the paint.

I’m with @oldude but with more irrational optimism. The team we have now already can have 5 scorers in the starting lineup. I think we’ll have 6 or 7 soon enough. Ice is a scorer, and so are Ashlynn and Qadence. KK appears to be rediscovering her HS shooting form. I stopped at 7 because so many here doubt Nika’s scoring potential even though she’s been on a tear in a few games.

I also see that Ice can be a formidable rebounder. Watch her in USA basketball two summers ago and you’ll see it too. She’ll be that again and sooner than we might think. We have 3 perimeter threats who are just finding their consistency plus the GOAT.

What we don’t have is a shot blocker other than Paige. I think we can win a lot of games without a rim protector. Mendelson could help with this next season, even if she’s still a little undeveloped. [Cue the Amari chorus.] But I doubt Geno would play her in front of Jana or Ice.

We lost to NC St and Texas because the freshmen and Ice were too raw and that left Paige and Aaliyah with not enough to work with. Azzi and Caroline were wounded ducks but we didn’t know how much at first. But even without them, I think both games would be winnable with how the freshmen are playing now. I imagine Geno scheduled those games thinking they would herald the return of the Paige and Azzi show [cue the theme song to Bewitched or maybe I Dream of Jeannie], costarring Aaliyah Caroline Nika and Aubrey, and we’d have watched as Jana and Ice and the others would get a chance to see what D1 competition feels like.

Geno may have thought UCLA was winnable at the beginning of the summer, though now it looks like it was a stretch too far with the lineup we ended up with and the one they ended up with. SC still looks like a tough hill for us to climb and probably always did to Geno. Our view of this game might change if Ice comes on as a rebounder and Qadence reliably shoots >40% from 3 and our passing game gets even better — which it will. Yes, we’ll be overmatched in the paint, but Paige and Aaliyah might pull off a miracle if SC has to spread the floor.

 

[BRS24]

We lost to NC St and Texas because the freshmen and Ice were too raw and that left Paige and Aaliyah with not enough to work with. Azzi and Caroline were wounded ducks but we didn’t know how much at first. But even without them, I think both games would be winnable with how the freshmen are playing now. I imagine Geno scheduled those games thinking they would herald the return of the Paige and Azzi show [cue the theme song to Bewitched or maybe I Dream of Jeannie], costarring Aaliyah Caroline Nika and Aubrey, and we’d have watched as Jana and Ice and the others would get a chance to see what D1 competition feels like.

Geno may have thought UCLA was winnable at the beginning of the summer, though now it looks like it was a stretch too far with the lineup we ended up with and the one they ended up with. SC still looks like a tough hill for us to climb and probably always did to Geno. Our view of this game might change if Ice comes on as a rebounder and Qadence reliably shoots >40% from 3 and our passing game gets even better — which it will. Yes, we’ll be overmatched in the paint, but Paige and Aaliyah might pull off a miracle if SC has to spread the floor.

Geno has alluded to the fact that the schedule was developed with a significantly different team in mind, and I bet he wistfully chuckles over it with a glass of italian red in hand. I hated seeing the team lose these games, however, being forced to play the freshmen much more, much earlier, has now given the team an added emotional boost.

 

[Zarathustra]

I’m with @oldude but with more irrational optimism. The team we have now already can have 5 scorers in the starting lineup. I think we’ll have 6 or 7 soon enough. Ice is a scorer, and so are Ashlynn and Qadence. KK appears to be rediscovering her HS shooting form. I stopped at 7 because so many here doubt Nika’s scoring potential even though she’s been on a tear in a few games.

I also see that Ice can be a formidable rebounder. Watch her in USA basketball two summers ago and you’ll see it too. She’ll be that again and sooner than we might think. We have 3 perimeter threats who are just finding their consistency plus the GOAT.

What we don’t have is a shot blocker other than Paige. I think we can win a lot of games without a rim protector. Mendelson could help with this next season, even if she’s still a little undeveloped. [Cue the Amari chorus.] But I doubt Geno would play her in front of Jana or Ice.

We lost to NC St and Texas because the freshmen and Ice were too raw and that left Paige and Aaliyah with not enough to work with. Azzi and Caroline were wounded ducks but we didn’t know how much at first. But even without them, I think both games would be winnable with how the freshmen are playing now. I imagine Geno scheduled those games thinking they would herald the return of the Paige and Azzi show [cue the theme song to Bewitched or maybe I Dream of Jeannie], costarring Aaliyah Caroline Nika and Aubrey, and we’d have watched as Jana and Ice and the others would get a chance to see what D1 competition feels like.

Geno may have thought UCLA was winnable at the beginning of the summer, though now it looks like it was a stretch too far with the lineup we ended up with and the one they ended up with. SC still looks like a tough hill for us to climb and probably always did to Geno. Our view of this game might change if Ice comes on as a rebounder and Qadence reliably shoots >40% from 3 and our passing game gets even better — which it will. Yes, we’ll be overmatched in the paint, but Paige and Aaliyah might pull off a miracle if SC has to spread the floor.

I agree. I remember watching ICE clear the boards and run the floor and make
wonderful passes/ assists and score!, on the USA girls FIBA team... Also, I saw a few, very few,
Qadance games , but she does 3 pointers VERY WELL. But/and.. we need a dominant
rebounder/ inside person when Aaliyah leaves for the WNBA. It could be ICE, could be Yanna, could be Jana, and could be Amari... but that is a lot of "Could be". If Sarah Strong comes, that adds a 6'2" power forward, but IMO we
need the reliable BIG big inside help. So many injuries, so few certainties. I would like to see
a Maggie Mendelson " visit " just to leave no stone unturned.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I agree. I remember watching ICE clear the boards and run the floor and make
wonderful passes/ assists and score!, on the USA girls FIBA team... Also, I saw a few, very few,
Qadance games , but she does 3 pointers VERY WELL. But/and.. we need a dominant
rebounder/ inside person when Aaliyah leaves for the WNBA. It could be ICE, could be Yanna, could be Jana, and could be Amari... but that is a lot of "Could be". If Sarah Strong comes, that adds a 6'2" power forward, but IMO we
need the reliable BIG big inside help. So many injuries, so few certainties. I would like to see
a Maggie Mendelson " visit " just to leave no stone unturned.

I like your post @Zarathustra , but if Amari is in the picture somebody has to get a message to Geno.

 

[darrell]

 

[Zonepress]

I’m sorry guys. Four scorers and one rebounder/defender doesn’t work in modern basketball. You might get away with a Big who doesn’t score for awhile, but if you’re thinking about winning a championship, you have to put 5 scorers on the floor. That doesn’t mean they all have to be able to knock down 3’s. But they all have to be able to put pressure on opposing defenses in some way, shooting, posting up or attacking the basket.

A sentiment that GA completely subscribes too

 

[The CDR-Ret]

I’m with @oldude but with more irrational optimism. The team we have now already can have 5 scorers in the starting lineup. I think we’ll have 6 or 7 soon enough. Ice is a scorer, and so are Ashlynn and Qadence. KK appears to be rediscovering her HS shooting form. I stopped at 7 because so many here doubt Nika’s scoring potential even though she’s been on a tear in a few games.

I also see that Ice can be a formidable rebounder. Watch her in USA basketball two summers ago and you’ll see it too. She’ll be that again and sooner than we might think. We have 3 perimeter threats who are just finding their consistency plus the GOAT.

What we don’t have is a shot blocker other than Paige. I think we can win a lot of games without a rim protector. Mendelson could help with this next season, even if she’s still a little undeveloped. [Cue the Amari chorus.] But I doubt Geno would play her in front of Jana or Ice.

We lost to NC St and Texas because the freshmen and Ice were too raw and that left Paige and Aaliyah with not enough to work with. Azzi and Caroline were wounded ducks but we didn’t know how much at first. But even without them, I think both games would be winnable with how the freshmen are playing now. I imagine Geno scheduled those games thinking they would herald the return of the Paige and Azzi show [cue the theme song to Bewitched or maybe I Dream of Jeannie], costarring Aaliyah Caroline Nika and Aubrey, and we’d have watched as Jana and Ice and the others would get a chance to see what D1 competition feels like.

Geno may have thought UCLA was winnable at the beginning of the summer, though now it looks like it was a stretch too far with the lineup we ended up with and the one they ended up with. SC still looks like a tough hill for us to climb and probably always did to Geno. Our view of this game might change if Ice comes on as a rebounder and Qadence reliably shoots >40% from 3 and our passing game gets even better — which it will. Yes, we’ll be overmatched in the paint, but Paige and Aaliyah might pull off a miracle if SC has to spread the floor.

IF UCONN loses only one game for the rest of the year, I think it will be to South Carolina on February 11, 2024 at Columbia. I like their [UCONN women] chances in the second match up [final four in Cleveland, OH in April 2024?!?] with South Carolina, and any other team on the way to NC #12.

The progress the women have been made since knowing that four women are out UFN, and three been declared done for the season {"Carol" could be back, but I am not counting on it, while hoping she can without risking her future brain power} is what is making me optimistic on the successful completion of the run to the NC.

 

[oldude]

A sentiment that GA completely subscribes too

Exactly. Geno became enamored with motion offense and spreading the floor with 5 scorers back when he was in his teens. His all time favorite team was the NY Knicks championship teams of the early 70’s with Reed, DeBusschere, Bradley, Barnett & Frazier.

 

[MilfordHusky]

One of the reasons the Aces could get by with 1 non-scorer was that the other 4 players (not counting Parker) are building Hall of Fame resumes. Wilson and Plum are absolute scoring machines.

 

[Cuango]

I agree. I remember watching ICE clear the boards and run the floor and make
wonderful passes/ assists and score!, on the USA girls FIBA team... Also, I saw a few, very few,
Qadance games , but she does 3 pointers VERY WELL. But/and.. we need a dominant
rebounder/ inside person when Aaliyah leaves for the WNBA. It could be ICE, could be Yanna, could be Jana, and could be Amari... but that is a lot of "Could be". If Sarah Strong comes, that adds a 6'2" power forward, but IMO we
need the reliable BIG big inside help. So many injuries, so few certainties. I would like to see
a Maggie Mendelson " visit " just to leave no stone unturned.

Put me down as a ”no” on Mendelson! This is how programs decline. She is clearly not at the level we need and to invest a valuable scholarship on what is likely to be a minimally productive player for three? years seems to me to be a waste. Surely, we can get someone better in the portal as a stopgap til we can land a quality four or five! No disrespect intended but based on her career so far, I just don’t see her making a difference here.

I think it’s very possible we will either get Strong or we will get someone from the portal that can contribute at a high level next season! (Not counting on Strong but still think she’s possible) The following year we will have a 6’5” sophomore Jana, a 6’3” Ice, a 6’5” Gandy, and (hopefully) a ‘6’3” Yanna) in the frontcourt. For those who may think Gandy will not be ready to contribute right away, I would simply say that she would likely contribute more than Amari right now, and certainly will in two years. Sure, she may not be a star but….she could be!

We have been going through a rough patch recently, with injuries and a shortage of size but I think (hope) we can put that in the rear- view mirror and get back to being fully healthy again!

 

[Zarathustra]

I like your post @Zarathustra , but if Amari is in the picture somebody has to get a message to Geno.

Reality makes me have to agree with you, RockyMTblue. I tend to go overboard with "hope".
" When you wish upon a star... makes no difference who you are..." (Do you remember that
Walt Disney fantasy/dream?). My wife also brings me back to reality!!

 

[GenoWept]

I checked Tilda Trygger’s Instagram today. Looks like she recently followed NC State and some NC State players. Hope we get some news about her visiting Storrs soon, but I don’t know!

 

[Zarathustra]

I wrote some comments about Pania Davis, 6 ' 6", Aussie now playing at NEW
MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE on the " recruiting " thread. Suggest anyone interested
to look at that thread and make comments here. One thing that I highlighted on my
comments there was that Pania's birthday is September 152003... Therefore, she is now
20 years old (but in her freshman year at N.M.). She also, if I read the JUNIOR
COLLEGE STAT page properly, has 35 blocked shots in 13 games, which apparently
leads the nation for JR COLLEGE teams: # 1 in the country??? She is Australian, having
played 27 games in her " career" with the ROCKINGHAM FLAMES in Australia. 17 games in
the 2023 season.

 

[Zarathustra]

FYI: Pania Davis's nickname is "P", and her first name is pronounced:"Pawn nee uh".
Her hometown is Perth, Australia. The N.M. Junior College team, "THE THUNDERBIRDS" are
from HOBBS, N.M. (severe southeast N.M., near Texas). The Women's roster has eight
foreign players: Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Columbia, Sweden, Spain, Uganda and,
of course, Australia. More stats and info at www.nmjc.edu and scroll to "community" and to "sports".

 

[Bone Dog]

I wrote some comments about Pania Davis, 6 ' 6", Aussie now playing at NEW
MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE on the " recruiting " thread. Suggest anyone interested
to look at that thread and make comments here. One thing that I highlighted on my
comments there was that Pania's birthday is September 152003... Therefore, she is now
20 years old (but in her freshman year at N.M.). She also, if I read the JUNIOR
COLLEGE STAT page properly, has 35 blocked shots in 13 games, which apparently
leads the nation for JR COLLEGE teams: # 1 in the country??? She is Australian, having
played 27 games in her " career" with the ROCKINGHAM FLAMES in Australia. 17 games in
the 2023 season.

I live in New Mexico and even I didn't realize NMJC was still operating. I thought the New Mexico JCs had all been phased out or converted to CCs. Hobbs is oil and gas country, so much of what NMJC does is train people to work the oil fields. I wonder what Pania is studying.

 

[Zarathustra]

I live in New Mexico and even I didn't realize NMJC was still operating. I thought the New Mexico JCs had all been phased out or converted to CCs. Hobbs is oil and gas country, so much of what NMJC does is train people to work the oil fields. I wonder what Pania is studying.

The answer to your last question is easy: BASKETBALL! Her team, THE THUNDERBIRDS, has
players from 8 nations: Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Columbia, Sweden, Spain,
Uganda, and , of course, Australia. On the roster page it listens one of "P"'s interests as "reading"
along with " going to the gym"...... An honest lady!

 

[Zarathustra]

Some more background on "P". Her Australian team, the Rockingham Flames, was
14-6 in the Australian NBL ONE WEST league. The ages for the FLAMES' rotation
were: 26, 28, 29, 29,29, 32, etc... you get the idea! : a professional team. The Flames
came in 4th or 5th? in their division (it's a large division). More information is available at
Australiabasket.com. At the end of the 2023 season "P" won the FLAMES' "WOMEN'S
RISING STAR" award. She is a young (20 years old) lady on a senior professional team.
I think of her like Juste Joycte on that French professional team (LYONS, I believe). The
assumption is that players like Juste, Pania can play as an amateur and maintain her
NCAA eligibility. She's a lady to keep in mind. Note: The Hobbs, N.M. junior college
has a very nice "stats" page if you dig down to review the team's and "P"'s progress.