What does it mean getting Sarah

[Tonyc]

Getting Sarah answers alot of questions. Im hoping that Lara and the Big O knowing Sarah has committed with announce early. As far as playtime. Everybody is really good therefore everybody will get a chance to prove themselves. Heath will play a part in playtime. Those coming back will get minutes because theyve earned those minutes. How many minutes? Well it will depend on how their health. Minutes will be cut and playtime will be based once again on how fast kids learn in practice and can hold their own. With Nika gone Aubrey will be the defender along with KK that will replace her.

We can speculate all we want on who will start and be first off the bench. My feeling is with a deep bench, and with the talent we have, there will be playtime for everybody. Paige will start for sure that is a given. IMO UConn is the team to beat and will be for a long time. With who we have and who we expect is coming in over the next few years we will be the team to beat again. To say we're loaded could be an understatement.

This is an exciting time for UConn. Whats more exciting is I heard Geno was given a 5 year contract. Question did he sign it? I think so. This roster is depending on him coming back and Im sure one of the questions asked during their recruiting was how long are you going to coach. The new contact helps recruiting.

One last thing. There were alot of comments on the Iowa UConn finish. I wont repeat them and I agree with most of what was posted. The final call was atrocious. In fact the fouls were 4 to 14 with UConn in the lead most of the game. I would think Iowa commited more then just a few fouls. It was terrible. Simply said Iowa did not foul. For that reason I will Not be watching the final.

 

[veryolddog]

I do not know this young lady and I am sure that she is very nice. What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. I was under the impression which I admit that I was wrong that she was 6 feet 6 inches and can really fill up the middle. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

 

[HuskyNan]

I do not know this young lady and I am sure that she is very nice. What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. I was under the impression which I admit that I was wrong that she was 6 feet 6 inches and can really fill up the middle. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

If you don’t see the obvious talent - the skill, the strength, the soft touch on her shots - I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re so dissatisfied with Geno’s recruiting, feel free to jump on the South Carolina bandwagon

 

[Geew1992]

I do not know this young lady and I am sure that she is very nice. What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. I was under the impression which I admit that I was wrong that she was 6 feet 6 inches and can really fill up the middle. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

I’m confused by all of this. No one and I mean no one said she was 6’6”. Which recruits were touted as “saviors” picked up splinters on the bench.? And finally, what are you one of those “fans” that consider this year a failure even though the coach himself said he didn’t expect to make it to the final 4?

 

[oldhusky]

I think the initial reaction is relief. The reason I say that is many were very excited about next year because of how many talented players we would have. I was in that camp too, but with a very serious concern. We were loaded many places, but with Aaliyah departing a big potential hole was at the 4.

If Ayanna or Ice was projected there, that could be a huge drop-off from Aaliyah's level of performance and offset much of the gains we expected from new players and returning injured ones in the backcourt. Sarah means a potential area of weakness is now a strength. When Aubrey returns we could be great there with those two, and then if Ayanna or Ice make major advances, it might free up Aubrey to be a defensive rebounding option at the 3. But if Sarah and Aubrey are healthy we are not dependent on Ayanna and or Ice making a quantum leap from what they have shown thus far.

Now our biggest potential weakness is at the 5. I think Jana is going to be very good, but of course is unproven, and I am not yet convinced Ice will be a significantly above average backup, or what Uconn expects it's backups to be, but she might be, and I am far less worried about the 5 than I was about a serious drop from Aaliyah to who knows, until Aubrey returns. In addition at least until now, there were not any really top level portal options, so if we lost out on Sarah the 4 was looking like a problem.

 

[Next 12]

Getting Sarah answers alot of questions. Im hoping that Lara and the Big O knowing Sarah has committed with announce early. As far as playtime. Everybody is really good therefore everybody will get a chance to prove themselves. Heath will play a part in playtime. Those coming back will get minutes because theyve earned those minutes. How many minutes? Well it will depend on how their health. Minutes will be cut and playtime will be based once again on how fast kids learn in practice and can hold their own. With Nika gone Aubrey will be the defender along with KK that will replace her.

We can speculate all we want on who will start and be first off the bench. My feeling is with a deep bench, and with the talent we have, there will be playtime for everybody. Paige will start for sure that is a given. IMO UConn is the team to beat and will be for a long time. With who we have and who we expect is coming in over the next few years we will be the team to beat again. To say we're loaded could be an understatement.

This is an exciting time for UConn. Whats more exciting is I heard Geno was given a 5 year contract. Question did he sign it? I think so. This roster is depending on him coming back and Im sure one of the questions asked during their recruiting was how long are you going to coach. The new contact helps recruiting.

One last thing. There were alot of comments on the Iowa UConn finish. I wont repeat them and I agree with most of what was posted. The final call was atrocious. In fact the fouls were 4 to 14 with UConn in the lead most of the game. I would think Iowa commited more then just a few fouls. It was terrible. Simply said Iowa did not foul. For that reason I will Not be watching the final.

As usual Tonyc, you are spot on. This team's potential is unlimited and Uconn is REALLY going to be bad for Women's BB next year and many years after.Sarah coming to Uconn made the rest of this year way less unhappy until 24-25 season starts and then.........Total happiness as Uconn blazes a trail of woe upon it's opponents. GO SARAH!!!! GO FRESHMEN!!!! GO HUSKIES!!!!!

 

[huskeynut]

Welcome to the UConn jigsaw puzzle. How will all these "piece" fit together is the big question. There is a lot of talent, some of it untested. In fact outside of Paige, Ash, KK, Ice, Q, the talent is untested. And yes, that includes those coming off of season ending injuries.

So, how does Sarah strong fit in? First, I would think people would be happy that another player has been added to the front line. Heard an awful lot of complaining how this UConn has been on the front line for too long. And no, she was never advertised at 6' 6". She's is another good size player that adds to the frontline. From videos, she is very skilled, quick on her feet and relentless on the boards. And she will take time to acclimate to the speed of the college game.

For those who have been screaming for a 6' 6", 6' 7" bruiser, sorry. Don't see it happening.

Many questions need to be answered about next year's team. Geno and his staff have a big job ahead of them. As a fan I think this fantastic. I'm looking forward to watch how this team will develop.

 

[dogpause]

It means we're still the #1 program in WBB. It also increases the likelihood that we land next year's top talent. Finally, it means Geno is not retiring anytime soon.

 

[Charliebball]

Sara Strong certainly adds a unique dimension to the UConn offense which should make what was already a very good team that much better. Still, there are many question marks regarding the numerous players coming back from injury plus the addition of the two other excellent recruits joining Strong. I'd say next season may be a two-horse race between UConn and South Carolina who return a very deep team while adding the best rebounding forward in the recruiting class along with another athletic post player. Notre Dame is another team that could be part of the discussion if Olivia Miles returns to form and Koval plays as expected. Texas also gets Harmon back and adds two excellent freshmen. Every season brings many surprises but if the stars align (literally and figuratively) UConn should be back in the Final Four next season.

 

[asuwish]

I think the initial reaction is relief. The reason I say that is many were very excited about next year because of how many talented players we would have. I was in that camp too, but with a very serious concern. We were loaded many places, but with Aaliyah departing a big potential hole was at the 4.

If Ayanna or Ice was projected there, that could be a huge drop-off from Aaliyah's level of performance and offset much of the gains we expected from new players and returning injured ones in the backcourt. Sarah means a potential area of weakness is now a strength. When Aubrey returns we could be great there with those two, and then if Ayanna or Ice make major advances, it might free up Aubrey to be a defensive rebounding option at the 3. But if Sarah and Aubrey are healthy we are not dependent on Ayanna and or Ice making a quantum leap from what they have shown thus far.

Now our biggest potential weakness is at the 5. I think Jana is going to be very good, but of course is unproven, and I am not yet convinced Ice will be a significantly above average backup, or what Uconn expects it's backups to be, but she might be, and I am far less worried about the 5 than I was about a serious drop from Aaliyah to who knows, until Aubrey returns. In addition at least until now, there were not any really top level portal options, so if we lost out on Sarah the 4 was looking like a problem.

Imagine if Aaliyah could step out and shoot 3's like Paige, had better ball handling skills, and was a better passer. That's Sarah! With her and Morgan at 6'2", Jana at 6'5", and even Ice showing range think about the floor spacing and room to create we will have. Someone like Ash will be able to get wide open looks and KK or Aubrey can get to the rim without a big in the lane. Spacing will give Azzi and Paige plenty of room to do their thing. Those who think this will be a cakewalk are wrong. We have 4 players who never played for us, and due to injuries a whole slew of players who never played together. The past few years Geno has only played 7 or 8 (sometimes because he had no choice) but even this year he only used 6 and was reluctant to use Q even when players were tired or in foul trouble. Now he could have 10 or 11 legit players. Does he do what he did in 2000 and play players in waves and wear down the opposing team or does he say this player is a drop off from that player so the better one plays the other one sits. Tara went 12 deep even in the first quarter her best took breaks. There are at least 4 other teams that I can think of that could win the title next year and after the transfer portable shuffle who knows how many others will contend. I love our talent now we have to figure out how to make them good enough to win it all. No

 

[topogigio]

Been away for a while with limited Internet access. Hence, no posts about the last few games. However, when I got back on line this morning and saw Sarah Strong committed, the planets are back in alignment for the next few years! Also, very proud of the women for their FF run!

 

[uconnfan68]

If you don’t see the obvious talent - the skill, the strength, the soft touch on her shots - I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re so dissatisfied with Geno’s recruiting, feel free to jump on the South Carolina bandwagon

Very Tina Charles like with the o-boards.

 

[David54]

The fact she is a consensus #1 player in the country

I do not know this young lady and I am sure that she is very nice. What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. I was under the impression which I admit that I was wrong that she was 6 feet 6 inches and can really fill up the middle. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

the fact that she is the consensus #1 recruit in the country should be your first clue. Just look at the some of the last few juju azzi Paige Boston. Even the ones that you might say are misses are really good. What I see in the video along with what others have already noted is her quick release both in shooting and passing which indicates superior fast twitch and court vision. Being able to see and respond before others can is a great advantage.

 

[and one]

My hope is that Sarah can step in as a freshman and play really well. Lots of freshman excel right out of the gate these days and there is no reason Sarah can't do that also. If she does and Jana plays anywhere near as well as we hope no one is going to push us around in the paint. Sarah is a big, strong girl. If teams need to double up on her to prevent her from scoring and rebounding Jana will have lots of room to do her thing. Or vice versa. Add in Paige, Azzi, Aubrey, KK, and Ash. We know what Caroline can do if healthy. Ice may well develop into a strong player and ditto for Patterson. Plus two more talented freshman.

Bottom line is I'm tired of UConn being injury depleted and not in the conversation about who is the best team in women's college basketball. I think Sarah is the last piece we needed to get us to where we can beat anyone, any time, anywhere, including South Carolina. I look forward to having years of UConn and South Carolina going toe to toe.

 

[Steelerone]

I understand what Very Old Dog is saying about the expectations we place on these young ladies. Yes, not all of them have matched their abilities in high school but the vast majority of them have shown us why they were recruited. I was thinking about this the other day after reading an article about some of the young women that Geno has recruited in the past and what became of them later and came to the conclusion that his recruits have succeeded where it really counts, not on the basketball court but in life and that is why we get the best of the best.

 

[JellyBean]

What does it mean getting Sarah? It means that for folks that keep saying "UConn has lost its luster", meaning Coach Auriemma has lost his recruiting edge, Coach still got it. It means that Coach Auriemma has created a program that still draws interest from players. The other stuff. Well, that will depend on so many factors over the coming months but on paper, we look pretty good. Video clips and game clips. We look good. Just going to depend on health. Which player has worked on their game over the summer. Which player did nothing to improve. But adding Sarah means that UConn is still a main draw. It means that Coach Auriemma has a philosophy and style of play that makes the program desirable.

 

[BostonCanuck]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

 

[hoophuskee]

What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

First off when you refer to "saviors." Please enlighten us as to who was thought to be saviors for a program that has been to 15 of 16 Final Fours? How can you use the word "Savior" for a program this successful? And who said Sarah is a savior? It's almost as if you want to vilify number 1 recruits. She's a probable tremendous basketball player. Can't you accept that and leave it until you see rather than think of her as a savior for a team that went to FF?


Secondly, in re to Sarah: She is such a good recruit because she is potentially a better offensive player than Aaliyah Edwards as a freshman vs AE as a jr/sr.. Not saying she is but potentially she is (she is not the defensive player AE is). I believe she has said her favorite players were Maya and Stewie. She is similar - and if I could add a NBA player- Larry Bird. Not saying she is those players but saying that is her style in that she is an excellent 3pt shooter that can also beat you off the dribble because she appears to have a quick step along with she can low post inside. And she is an elite passer.

IMO what made Bird so special offensively was not only his perimeter skills but when he low posted - he wasn't leaping over anyone. Instead he used his fundamentals to position his body in a way that he had effectiveness scoring on low post pays. Thats what Sarah can do too.

3rd: And in terms of rebounding - she is thought to be an excellent rebounder. She went head-to-head vs number 2 recruit Joyce Edwards from South Carolina and got 19 rebounds in that game (along with 31 points in which her team won.). And another game her team won I believe too she scored 30 points and had 20 rebounds vs 6'5 number 30 recruit Blanca Thomas. SO we hear she is a terrific rebounder, then I easily can go to YouTube and see these highlights and google a bit to get the stats, then why fight what we see?

So bottom-line what makes her potentially special - is that we seem to be getting a player that can 1) Score from the outside with elite 3pt range/efficiency. 2.) Score off the dribble. 3.) Score on the inside. 4.) Is an elite passer. And 5,) Is very strong rebounder.

 

[hoophuskee]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

I believe this is all wrong. It's because of Geno and because of the offense is why he got this team to the final four. In terms of team success imo your post badly misses the mark by focusing 1 play rather than the entirety of getting to the Final Four.

And this is why he continues to get players like Sarah Strong. It's because his style produces a ton of winning.

 

[Bone Dog]

I am an incorrigible optimist -- like @Tonyc -- because it makes no sense to me to worry about troubles that don't exist yet. There'll be plenty of time for that if and when the troubles arrive.

The current worry seems to be that the team is weak in the front court, that Ice will be a step down from Aaliyah at the 5, that Jana may not prove to be enough at the 5, that Ayanna will not be enough at the 4 and we'll have to play folks out of position to make up for it. Now here's the way I think about this.

Ice played next to Aaliyah this season, both out of position with no one to back either of them up. Geno occasionally played them together, but mostly they played the 5 alone. Around them no one taller than 6'0". I don't think it's fair to hold Ice accountable for struggling in such a scheme in her first season. Ayanna struggled her first season, though she got to play in a deeper front court with Aaliyah and Dorka. She wasn't dominating, but she showed occasional flashes of brilliance as well as too much nerves (remember all the pump fakes on her shot?). The only thing going for Ice this season was that we had some perimeter shooting to open up the lane a little bit. But even this dwindled a bit as the calendar wore on.

Fast forward to next season. Assuming a healthy lineup what will Ice and Ayanna find?

• First of all, they'll be playing next to Jana, a true big, first time for Ice, second for Ayanna.
• Second, they'll be supported by a veritable army of perimeter shooters. They will not face a lot of double teams in the paint.
• Third, they'll be the beneficiaries of the greatest passing game anyone's seen in a while, with Paige Sarah Azzi Morgan Allie KK Ash able to get them the ball where they can do something with it. Lobs, pocket passing, drive-n-dish, the whole package!
• Finally, this is a backcourt that knows how to scrap for rebounds and chase down loose balls. This is what KK Paige and Q showed they can do this season, and Azzi and Aubrey showed it last season. I suspect Morgan and Sarah will bring some enthusiasm to winning all the 50/50 balls. The rebounding burden won't rest only on the front court players.

What I see is the perfect situation for Jana Ice and Ayanna to hone their skills and perfect their game. Jana is the one we know the least about, but if you search for FIBA videos and HS games what you see is a player with good handles, a perimeter shot and low post moves -- none of which may be D1 ready yet -- and above all else, you see someone with a huge heart, someone who will fight through double and triple teams and score or grab the rebound. Whatever else she may turn out to be, Jana is tough.

What we know about Ice is that she can shoot from the elbow and beyond. Her post game is not very strong yet, and she doesn't always win contested rebounds. But we also know that she now understands the defensive system, which is huge.

What we know about Ayanna is that she struggles on offense sometimes. But she is also quicker than most bigs, as strong as anyone, does not get pushed around in the paint, and runs the floor very well. And like Ice, she already understands the defensive system.

What I expect to see is:

• Jana will start early, maybe even in November. She'll get plenty of minutes -- maybe 20-25/g.
• Ice and Ayanna will play next to her at the 4 when we're in a big lineup.
• That Sarah will play opposite her in the high-low game Geno likes.
• We'll also see smaller sets, maybe with Ice or Ayanna playing the five, but with a big backcourt like Paige Sarah Azzi Aubrey in a 4-out. Picture that, a tall 4-out set. Sub Morgan or Allie into that group and we'll have a dynamite pressing team.
• And we'll also see the traditional lineup, probably this one will start in November of Jana and Ice/Ayanna with Paige KK and Ash -- this one will allow Paige to get out from under the backboard more and Ash will be freed up for perimeter and midrange shots as well.

Remember, even with a merely average big at the 5, someone like Kennedy Brown for example, Ice and Aaliyah's season would have been tremendously improved.

 

[uconnfan68]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

Are you sure they executed it the way he drew it up? The foul that was called says they didn't.

 

[omshanti]

The key for me is whether the head coach will finally make the necessary adjustments to his dated motion offence sufficient to allow a "Strong" forward to dominate in today's game with more physical and talented players. Geno's penchant for "pretty basketball" was again on display with that horrendous play he called in the final timeout against Iowa, a play achieved nothing except to force his star player into a small lane near the sideline between three defenders and his team's bench. That play was broken before it even began, and certainly before the offensive foul was called.

It's too bad that Lindsay Schnell's question about it was so poorly worded in the post-game presser, because it gave Geno an easy out ("I don't remember") from having to explain what he drew up there.

Well his pretTy basketball got them to the final four this year. Oh wait…. 11 national championships

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I do not know this young lady and I am sure that she is very nice. What makes her so special as a player and what can she do to contribute to this team. I was under the impression which I admit that I was wrong that she was 6 feet 6 inches and can really fill up the middle. Well, she is a big young woman and she can take up space but someone, please explain to me and perhaps others, why is she such a good recruit?

Just remember all of the recruits in the past who were touted as saviors for the program and who picked up splinters sitting on Geno's bench. Have to say that Arnold and Shade have done more than most freshman and the program would have severely suffered without them. Enlighten us all.

I think your question is fair, although your characterization of any recruit as a savior doesn't sound familiar. Ok... maybe Stewie, but she delivered and initially struggled. Strong is hella talented and her skill set checks a lot of needs...rebounding, scoring threat from the 4, defense and offense at 3 levels. She also adds needed athleticism. In reality, the program doesn't need a savior because it doesn't need to be saved. You don't reach the final four with a bunch of freshmen if things are dire. I only had one concern and I put that to rest long ago...which is could she , or any recruit play the same game at pace. Her 3 x 3 performance settled that for me. Trust me... she's as good as advertised. Two of my favorite things about her...soft hands and court awareness.

 

[BostonCanuck]

Are you sure they executed it the way he drew it up? The foul that was called says they didn't.

It's entirely possible that the play was not executed as drawn up. Unfortunately, we're never going to know. None of the reporters other than Schnell asked about it post-game, probably because all of their focus was on the offensive foul.

But Geno really is masterful dealing with the media. After the Chong shot-clock management mistake in 2017, which also occurred immediately following a time out, the only public comment he ever made about it was "I think that's just a kid trying to make a play." It was in-context to a good question asked, and really the perfect answer at the time.

That Geno is so good at preserving his brand means that recruiting has not dropped of much if at all. That is a great thing. Next season the Huskies will have three number one recruits on the roster, all presumably healthy.

Many here now define success for the program as making the Final Four. Given that four of the six Final Four losses post-2016 have been what I consider to be bad losses to teams not better than us, I am not really one of those people. But I respect those who are.