Did he really say that? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Did he really say that?

CocoHusky

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you may be one of the folks that consider her a bust but I certainly don't...........she's never going to be a physical low post banger like Charli Collier or Boston but if she played 30 plus minutes per game her numbers would be as good as any post player in the nation..........defensively she has been very good and her passing and screening on the offensive end are first rate.............it's her finishing at the basket against stronger opponents that's her major issue and what the coaches should be working on this summer.........and yes she needs to develop more confidence and aggression but she's come a long way in my opinion..............as I said in an earlier post. UConn shouldn't need her to score all that much next season with Fudd adding 15-20 points per game but I bet we see ONO and Edwards both get more open chances as defenses are stretched against the outside shooting barrage coming their way........BTW I can envision ONO and DJ playing at the same time just as Edwards and ONO did this past season.....
I never said "a bust" nor would I. The call have always been for improvement. Specifically for ONO to get stronger, avoid silly perimeter fouls when hedging and setting screens, to stop chopping down when blocking shots, to finish at the basket more consistently through contact, and to be an impact player in meaningful UCONN games. Have you seen an improvement in any of these areas of her game?
 

CocoHusky

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Dorka addition is the difference between winning a Natty and not. Looking at their team for next year my thought was the front court will probably cost them the title. Then dorka transfers in, she is the answer not the problem.
The 5 from this year's team hasn't proved she can bring it in the big games
That is way too much pressure to put on one kid IMO. If this team were to win a national Championship next year several things will have gone right for the team. UCONN is also bringing in the #1 recruiting class and another "generational" player. This team needed better post play -improve post play could just as easily come from an improved AE or ONO or the new additions of Amari of DJ.
 
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The thing that drew me most to the UConn women was not the winning but the beauty of their execution. Many times Auriemma stated that their goal was not winning but perfection. I buy into that.

There are trade-offs with most things, that includes roster size. Of course there are many factors to consider that make any comparison complicated but a large roster size is not a pure positive as many are assuming. A large, diverse roster size provides more strategies to win, overcoming problems like foul trouble, injuries or opponents that present diverse problems. However, a smaller roster provides a greater possibility for good chemistry and more repetitions per player. Chemistry and repetitions are necessary ingredients for chasing perfection.

Notre Dame won a recent championship despite being plagued with injuries. They had two “chemistry magnets” in Westbeld and Shepherd and a very small roster that received abundant repetitions practicing together over the course of the year. Many on the BY grudgingly praised the Domers for playing a style much like our Huskies. We did not similarly praise SC or Baylor.

Adding DJ at this point increases the ways by which we might win a championship, but decreases the flawlessness of that pursuit. Transfers have less time to be nurtured into the team style and chemistry. I cannot think of a transfer that has helped our chemistry in the past, though I would say that happened with Shepherd and Notre Dame. Fortunately we already have “chemistry magnets” in Bueckers and Westbrook. Perhaps more are on the way. Will that be enough to play the beautiful basketball of the small Notre Dame roster or many of our past teams? Only time will tell.
Azura Stevens "helped our chemistry in the past." It's a shame we only got a year of her service (she marinated on the bench for a year), but she was a big plus. However, most transfers to UConn have not been particularly helpful.
Dorka and Azzi will be newcomers next year, and both, IMO, will have decisive impacts.
 
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I never said "a bust" nor would I. The call have always been for improvement. Specifically for ONO to get stronger, avoid silly perimeter fouls when hedging and setting screens, to stop chopping down when blocking shots, to finish at the basket more consistently through contact, and to be an impact player in meaningful UCONN games. Have you seen an improvement in any of these areas of her game?
she's greatly improved as a high post passer/screener, her fouling on attempted shot blocks is somewhat better, and her mid range shot which she really only showcased this season is improving though not consistent.........the one area where everybody agrees she needs to step up is in those big games.........so I guess the coach has two choices, he can bench her in those games and loose her going forward or preferably he shows confidence in her and she pulls a Christyn Williams and snaps out of it.........I think she has all the talent necessary to play in the WNBA......... now if she'd only agree with me then perhaps we'll see it next season........BTW the addition of DJ may in fact help ONO as a motivating factor in practice which hopefully will lead to additional improvement in games.....
 
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It is my sincere desire that Dorka’s addition to UConn’s roster is an unqualified success. But I do have concerns in adding a transfer to UConn’s already loaded team. Specifically, I am concerned about the potential consequences to the roster down the road when a logjam for PT is created, as well as the possibility that the development of talented young players is slowed due to a lack of PT. Hopefully, my concerns are not warranted and everything will work itself out.
Thank you for your voice of reason.
Sharing different points of view IMO is the reason to have a blog. Even one of the moderators of the BY found it necessary to shoot down the podcast host. I've listened to the podcast twice so far and found it pretty decent.
We have ALL experienced something akin to a transfer sometime in our lives. A new kid moves up the block and takes your best friend's attention. Your company hires from without rather than from within. You were bucking for that promotion. If you actually played college ball, you may have actually experienced a transfer into your program. There is "politics" in this. What are Liv, AE, Piath, and the freshman DeBerry thinking the last couple of days? What did you think when a stranger took the job you were working toward? How long did it take you to adjust to the fact that your best friend had another friend too?
 

CocoHusky

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Azura Stevens "helped our chemistry in the past." It's a shame we only got a year of her service (she marinated on the bench for a year), but she was a big plus. However, most transfers to UConn have not been particularly helpful.
Dorka and Azzi will be newcomers next year, and both, IMO, will have decisive impacts.
Natalie Butler, Batouly Camara and Evina Westbrook buy all accounts were great "chemistry" additions to UCONN. In fact I struggle to think of any UCONN recruit or transfer that has had "chemistry" issues because it is such an integral part of the vetting process for the program. I anticipate ZERO chemistry issues for DJ.
 

MooseJaw

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It is my sincere desire that Dorka’s addition to UConn’s roster is an unqualified success. But I do have concerns in adding a transfer to UConn’s already loaded team. Specifically, I am concerned about the potential consequences to the roster down the road when a logjam for PT is created, as well as the possibility that the development of talented young players is slowed due to a lack of PT. Hopefully, my concerns are not warranted and everything will work itself out.
One thing we know for sure, the addition of Dorka will work itself out, it may not work out the way members of the BY, fans or all team members want it to. I trust that what is best for the team is what Geno will provide. We know that talent will prevail, the most gifted team players will get the most pt. I believe Geno will be fair and as always let the players talent dictate who starts, rotations and ultimately playing time.
 
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I think in an interview Geno once said his biggest fear is that a player leaves UCONN feeling like they weren't pushed as hard as they could have been. I'm wondering if part of the reason for bringing in Dorka was a calculated move on Geno's part to push ONO to new heights.
 

CocoHusky

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I think in an interview Geno once said his biggest fear is that a player leaves UCONN feeling like they weren't pushed as hard as they could have been. I'm wondering if part of the reason for bringing in Dorka was a calculated move on Geno's part to push ONO to new heights.
Here is some insight into Geno relative to your point from 15 years ago.

" Am I worried how this will affect Charde?" Auriemma said. "I'm not worried about it at all. I hope it affects her badly. You can't keep going around sugar-coating it and keep saying, 'Some day, some day ... Some day was today. Today, the effort and intensity level needed to be there. Today the focus needed to be there. It wasn't there. "Anyone who tries to make it like, 'You know, she's only a sophomore, she'll grow.' That's all well and good and nice for everyone to think that. But the only feeling Charde should have right now should be incredibly disappointed that she let a lot of people down. Not me. Herself. Her teammates. If she feels anything other than that, she just doesn't get it."

 
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the addition of DJ clearly makes the front court stronger but it was not an absolute necessity with DeBerry joining the team...........I think the calls for DJ to start over ONO were certainly a bit premature......
It was necessary for tourney time. Deberry is going to be good but underclassmen get nervous and tentative in big games so you need more mature seasoned college players on the team too. Dorka serves that role along with Liv. Aaliyah showed her nerves in the tourney. If I was Geno, I wouldnt want to have to depend on a freshman Deberry to get a championship. I'd want freshman contributions to be a bonus if you get it. Aaliyah is great and will be an anchor next year as a sophomore but her freshman came out in this year's tourney in addition to Liv's drama. I still can't believe why there is still a debate about whether Dorka is a good move. Wake up folks. The new norm with transfer rules just changed the fundamentals of the game moving forward and Geno recognizes it and he is stacking his roster in reaction to it. Smart!

Right now, they will have Liv, Dorka, Aaliyah, and Aubrey in the front court with big game experience which is good and necessary in today's game. Then you have Piath, Mir, and Deberry to provide the bonus icing on the cake but not absolutely necessary in big games. Perfect strategy by Geno and CD if winning a championship is the goal.
 

diggerfoot

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Azura Stevens "helped our chemistry in the past." It's a shame we only got a year of her service (she marinated on the bench for a year), but she was a big plus. However, most transfers to UConn have not been particularly helpful.
Dorka and Azzi will be newcomers next year, and both, IMO, will have decisive impacts.
???? She was an example of just the opposite! Collier had her second worst season that year (freshman being worst), and Stevens was a major reason why. Stevens joined a roster that exceeded expectations the year before, having just lost the Big Three. Her presence led pundits to consider us heavy favorites, unlike the year before. That roster had five starters besides Stevens that are all doing well in the pros now, yet we lost to a depleted Notre Dame. Stevens was a good talent, but to say she helped the chemistry, the way the team played or did not play to their potential, just does not jive with the evidence.

A better example of a transfer helping chemistry would be Hunter. Yet she was limited by her injuries and, as evidenced in Thomas's book "The Heart of a Husky," there remained issues regardless.

Maybe I should add that by "chemistry" I mean how well a team plays together, anticipates each other's moves, compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses on the court.
 

JordyG

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That is way too much pressure to put on one kid IMO. If this team were to win a national Championship next year several things will have gone right for the team. UCONN is also bringing in the #1 recruiting class and another "generational" player. This team needed better post play -improve post play could just as easily come from an improved AE or ONO or the new additions of Amari of DJ.
Everything stated is all so right and reasonable. I really don't see the negatives of bringing in DJ. She'll have negative impact on the guards and wings. The impact she'll have, and that's over the course of 2 years if she stays that long, is on the posts Liv, AE, Amari, and Piath. From what everyone can see, Piath is still a project, so that leaves just AE, Liv, and Amari. Liv and Amari seem to be (and with Amari that really is seem to be) high post players that will work better as passers and screeners. DJ works really well under the basket and in the high post, as well as shooting as the opposite in the triangle. Now who here hasn't noted that both Liv and AE have trouble staying on the court because of fouls? With DJ Geno has just purchased insurance, keeping two bigs in the game when Liv or AE sits, and he'll always have a post presence in the game and loads of flexibility. Amari is a freshman, and we've yet to know how raw or how well she adapts to Geno's system. What's the down side in this?
 
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Who said it? That might help put the comment in perspective
Often, podcasters and journalists need to be outrageous in order to attract any readers. That has to be the case here. There is no argument against acquiring the Ohio State talent that makes sense.,
 

UcMiami

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I think, all things considered, Evina is the second best transfer ever at Uconn. She has been a mature leader for a very young team, and contributed a lot on the basketball court as well as off. I think she has been a very big positive for team chemistry.

The #1 transfer I think is Rita Williams who transferred in from JC and took over from Jen becoming the next starting PG.
#3 is probably the hobbled Hunter (still have nightmares about bounce ball races at Opening Nights!)
There have been other good transfers, some good chemistry moderate basketball, some good basketball and less chemistry - where I place Azura - just seemed a struggle to integrate into the flow and definitely slowed Collier's efficiency.
 
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I think in an interview Geno once said his biggest fear is that a player leaves UCONN feeling like they weren't pushed as hard as they could have been. I'm wondering if part of the reason for bringing in Dorka was a calculated move on Geno's part to push ONO to new heights.
I’d say it’s a big part of the reason. For the last two years GA’s had no experienced inside depth and there’s been no threat to Ono’s PT other than foul trouble. She’s been at least 80% of his interior defense and he knew without her they weren’t getting past the 2nd round of the tournament. All he could do was encourage her and hope she’d improve. Now he’s got depth and he’s ready to go, with or without her. I don’t see her changing much at all before this fall but at least GA has alternatives now with DJ and Edwards’ development plus possibly some help from DeBerry.
 
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It doesn't matter who's on the roster, you earn your playing time. If Dorka earns playing time, she'll be on the court. It would not be the first time, Anna most recently, that a player or players transferred because of playing time. No one likes sitting on the bench.
 
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I think in an interview Geno once said his biggest fear is that a player leaves UCONN feeling like they weren't pushed as hard as they could have been. I'm wondering if part of the reason for bringing in Dorka was a calculated move on Geno's part to push ONO to new heights.
Geno may hope that a byproduct of bringing in DJ is a motivating factor for certain players but that’s not why she’s here. And, it doesn’t say much of a coach who would need to do it.
 

Bama fan

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Per the winning/ loser debate. I have a winning personality, does not mean you guys have losing ones.
Do you know "those guys" ? ;)
 

eebmg

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Wasn't that Copernicus?
I believe that he championed Heliocentric theory (Sun at center of solar system). Earth as round was well appreciated among the academic class from Greek antiquity but may have been degraded during the Dark Ages.
 
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I have not been here very long(basically just this season), but wow you guys make up more fabricated controversy than Shaq, Lebron, or MJ. If it is the podcast I'm thinking of, they had no problem with her transfer, only that it was a surprise considering how loaded the roster is (you know, that thing the boneyard has been talking about for like the past week). You couldn't even name the podcast or give a quote. Maybe because nothing controversial was said.
 
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I believe that he championed Heliocentric theory (Sun at center of solar system). Earth as round was well appreciated among the academic class from Greek antiquity but may have been degraded during the Dark Ages.
Dude named Galileo. Sentenced to the dungeon due to the intolerance of the new view by the Church. Play about it by Bertolt Brecht.
 

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