In defense of Nika
- Thread starter Bald Husky
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Caitlin doesn’t have a better PG/player on her team. She is the best player/PG on her team just like Paige is on our team!
Huskee11
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I know they were not a vintage team and my perception is clouded somewhat by Walker`s decision to leave after the season with a year of eligibility remaining. But they were 29-3, and the three losses were to the teams ranked 1-3 in the final poll. The problem is they were all bad losses.
They ended up ranked fifth.
I saw that team`s final game in the Big East Final and they were flat out playing, admittedly against an overmatched opponent in Cincinnati. I don`t think they would have won it all but they would very likely have made it to the Final Four.
Comparing Georgia Amoore against Nika/Azzi versus the OSU press is eye opening to be honest. She made breaking it look like easy work.
You can’t deny we were lacking that guard play in the Sweet 16. For that reason, I think so much hinges on a healthy Bueckers. And further a healthy Fudd. Nika will play a big role, but I don’t see it being nearly as big as this season.
You can’t deny we were lacking that guard play in the Sweet 16. For that reason, I think so much hinges on a healthy Bueckers. And further a healthy Fudd. Nika will play a big role, but I don’t see it being nearly as big as this season.
That’s what I love about this site. It allows all of us to give our opinions and thoughts on the team we enjoy rooting for and watching.
I just do not know how we can pick a starting line up next year without ever seeing some of the players coming in. We all have our loyalty and respect for effort and hard work, but must wait and see the talent level next year.
In reading the post last year, no one had Lou as a dominate offensive starter. They all had CD ahead of her. Quick question
If Lou had one more year, who would you have starting - Lou or CD. Lou or Nika
Lou or Azzi or Paige. We do not have that decision to make but some player will surprise USA next year. My point is maybe
A. Shade is the next Lou and we do know yet
I hope we would all agree that we need to cut down our turnovers. Whomever can lead this team and cut our turnovers under 10 should play the point.
Maybe it will be Paige KK or Nika. I would guess one thing - they will all get adequate time to play. Maybe Nika and KK play together at times and we have an awesome full court press
Also, unless we adjust our standards that a NC defines a great season at UCONN we need more offense, less turnovers ( better decision making ) and more domination on the offensive boards.
Fact
Iowa and VT broke OState press so easily - they took off the press in a few minutes .
We can look at this years final four and we can all debate whether a point guard needs to be an offensive threat or not.
With that said, It is a long off season and players improve greatly in the upcoming months. I would never have guessed that Nika would set the all time assist record this year and I am excited to see what she brings to the team next year. I believe she is too unselfish and could be incredibly effective driving to the hoop. I would guess she would like add a pull up to keep the defense honest as well. We cannot have defenses cheating the way they did this past year.
The great news is that we have all of the pieces to be very good next year and should be another exciting season
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Good observation. I watched the first half of the Ohio State game. The press was broken with the dribbling guard quickly moving down the court after any passes inbound. Ohio State also quickly put away the great press they had but reinstated it in the half court game against the center for Va Tech with some effectiveness. It was an Interesting game of defensive efforts.
The women's game is growing rapidly with a lot of talent. This includes the coaches for the top teams and adjustments they are able to make with the better players in the game. Women's college basketball is healthy as shown by the many upsets and difficulty getting past the round of 16.
No misstatement. Paige can play either point or shooting guard. GA doesn't play a bench when there is a big drop-off from the starters - which is normally the case but not always. He has in the past used players who you can even argue could have started coming off the bench - Sales comes to mind. I think KK will play and by year end, if she progresses, will play double digit minutes. She looks to have something that the rest of our guards don't quite have - electric speed and quickness, which breaks down defenses and makes it easier for everybody to be effective, not to mention she is a good, tough finisher.
We will see on how much AG or even CD plays. I love AG but I think GA would like to use her in short spurts. I'm not as high on CD due to lack of defensive quickness, but GA seems to like her and, despite missing a lot of shots, he still keeps her in, valueing the stretching of the defense. That said, I still like CD, just a lot better when she is hitting her shots. She rebounds pretty well also. I think you have to 'hide' her a bit on defense.
I hope Ice is a player, but we could have a slow transition to contributing like with Yana this year. Not sure what to expect out of Jana. I do think bigs often take a while to adjust defensively, especially if they are a bit passive (Amari). I hope Jana can adjust quickly.
We will see next year...
Thanks for the clarification. Maybe we get an extra year out of some of these players.....
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Nika had a good year, but IMO, Nika is a perfect "6th man" coming off the bench at PG. She is a good facilitator, defender, and brings high energy. Obviously, she was asked to do too much this year (36 minutes a game!) due to all the perimeter players' injuries. But, she also has weaknesses that good teams exploited.
She had way too many forced TOs, trying to do too much when nothing was there. She's not quick or strong enough to consistently beat her man off the dribble and attack the rim as a scoring threat. She hasnt developed a mid-range shot to keep the defenses honest. As a result, defenders would lay off of her and double team the "shooters" or the passing lanes inside. And, her defense really tailed off during the season. She's not long, and frankly the fatigue factor probably caught up with her.
Again, as I've said before, Geno needs to get much faster and athletic on the perimeter. Hopefully, we get reinforcements next year that will help Nika out.
She had way too many forced TOs, trying to do too much when nothing was there. She's not quick or strong enough to consistently beat her man off the dribble and attack the rim as a scoring threat. She hasnt developed a mid-range shot to keep the defenses honest. As a result, defenders would lay off of her and double team the "shooters" or the passing lanes inside. And, her defense really tailed off during the season. She's not long, and frankly the fatigue factor probably caught up with her.
Again, as I've said before, Geno needs to get much faster and athletic on the perimeter. Hopefully, we get reinforcements next year that will help Nika out.
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All good points. A couple comments on the bolded lines. 1) I also really like Arnold's physical game and skills. I think she has a mental adjustment to make that will determine her PT depending on how long it takes to make. The holes and gaps she exploits with her quickness and handle now in the halfcourt are going to shrink and close quickly in college. Her decision making of when to go and ability to handle a lot more physicality will be key for her. Plus she can get a little sloppy with the ball because of her HS advantages and will need to protect it better at this level. 2) Fundamentally, Brady was much further along coming in than Patterson to play inside. Her footwork, positioning, and especially passing and shooting were all much more college ready. I believe her ability to contribute will develop faster than Patterson's was and the year of watching, learning, and applying will be very beneficial to her as well.
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I’m glad this was really a thread about who’s going to be in the rotation next year and not just about criticizing Nika. And I agree with several that we didn’t break the press because the team became stagnant, not because of anything Nika did.
Beginning of the year, the starters will be Nika Paige Azzi Aaliyah and Caroline.
First off the bench will be Aubrey Ice Ayanna Jana.
Second off the bench will be KK Ashlynn Inês Q and Amari.
There’s no telling how this lineup will evolve, but I hope we go deeper than past years and that injuries don’t limit us.
If we end up playing just 7 by March, who that 7 is will be situational. Do we need speed or size in a given game?
Beginning of the year, the starters will be Nika Paige Azzi Aaliyah and Caroline.
First off the bench will be Aubrey Ice Ayanna Jana.
Second off the bench will be KK Ashlynn Inês Q and Amari.
There’s no telling how this lineup will evolve, but I hope we go deeper than past years and that injuries don’t limit us.
If we end up playing just 7 by March, who that 7 is will be situational. Do we need speed or size in a given game?
First of all, I love Nika and so does my entire family. That said, she, like everyone else, needs to work on certain parts of her game. She needs to practice stepping into the pass to get her feet set ahead of her shot on a 3. She also needs to develop a true vertical pull up jumper off the dribble. Finally, she needs to work on twisting her right hand ever so slightly on a layup especially on a breakaway or hard drive so that the ball doesn't career off the glass too hard. The judgment on passing will improve naturally and if not, that can be worked on situationally also.
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I agree with you on all of these adjustments being necessary. However, I don't see them happening anytime soon. Whether through UConn staff coaching or working with a good skills coach, these improvements should have been made over the last couple of years. They are all basic, necessary skills needed in the current, modern WBB game. I don't know why some players put off learning this stuff until they're scrambling for one of the scarce pro jobs that they say are their goals but they seem to.
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I don't know whether you saw the OSU-Va Tech game last night, but Va Tech did exactly what you were talking about--not only did they beat OSU's press easily--they didn't panic and unravel like UConn--but they ended the press breaker with an easy layup. OSU came out of their press pretty quickly and it was largely ineffective. That game last night was very indicative of the sentiment that UConn's debacle came not from OSU's press being so formidable but from UConn's players lacking competitive spirit and not coming into the game to play and compete vigorously....
BTW, their PG Amore single-handedly broke down OSU's press with her quickness and ball-handling ability--she rarely picked up her dribble, especially in the backcourt. With some of the comparisons here of recent about PG play, this Amore has the complete PG skillset: she is an amazing ballhandler, she is a great passer, she's lightning quick and a deadeye three-pointer shooter and has great competitive spirit..
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No, this makes you rational and sane... There are few better nationwide at PG...
I was shocked at how easily Va Tech broke through the OSU press and converted off it. Their PG was fantastic.
KK is desperately needed on the Huskies' team effort. You saw what Georgia Amoore did for her team when she ran circles around OSU's so-called full court press. Amoore just simply broke the press and opened up VT for many easy baskets. That is something that Nika cannot do at this time. I fully expect a number of teams to throw a press at UConn and they will either learn how to deal with it or else......KK, in my estimation, is that key person who will be a press breaker. UConn got caught not knowing what to do and the 3rd quarter exposed them badly. Do coaches get better as they go along in their careers or not? Geno himself implied that the answer to the question was not......I think that you're describing a Stewie problem that simply doesn't exist.
The ESPN write up for KK being in the McDonald's All American game clearly indicates why she's an elite PG recruit.
Kamorea Arnold, PG
Signed with: UConn | 2023 espnW 100 ranking: 6
Germantown HS (Wisconsin)
Arnold is an intense, physical and energetic point guard who sets the tone defensively with ball pressure. She excels in the open court with her speed and ability to push the ball and change pace, which creates instant offense and leads to paint touches and opportunities at the rim. Over her high school career, she improved her perimeter shooting, which has added a new dynamic to her game. She brings the hate-to-lose mentality that is requisite for the elite at the next level. Arnold is averaging 23.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game this season.
Breaking down the 2023 McDonald's All American girls' basketball recruits
A look at the 24 McDonald's All Americans and what makes each one a top women's college basketball recruit.www.espn.com
I'm dating myself but I remember LONG time ago when the Celtics had Bob Cousy as their point guard. He was a dribbling nightmare that had such incredible control over the ball he was unstoppable when it came to presses. He had huge hands and amazing control over the ball. Left, right, between the legs, etc. Best ever at that part of the game, ever. KK can score and dribble and has a toughness, like Nika, already. I think she'll flourish and I also think it would be wise to start her. I guarantee that GA will be here until he's as old as Warren Buffett. 92 years young and still plugging. Guaranteed, lay your money down on this sure bet.
meyers7
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She is supposed to be really, really good.
meyers7
You Talkin’ To Me?
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Just a heads up people, you can barely, barely take anything from a McD's All-Star game. You can take even less from the day before scrimmage.
And sometimes, one player will do nothing in one of the All-Star games (remember there is also the Jordan Brand game, coming up I think??) and then turn around and have a great game in the next one.
Some of these girls haven't played in a few weeks. Some take the time off after their season before going away to college. Others work all year round. So you don't know how they are physically or where their heads are at coming into these games.
Also, lastly, these All Star games are NOT good showcases for team oriented players. Selfish gunners tend to do better, look better, in these kind of games.
You need to watch the game (not the scrimmage) with a real discerning eye.
And sometimes, one player will do nothing in one of the All-Star games (remember there is also the Jordan Brand game, coming up I think??) and then turn around and have a great game in the next one.
Some of these girls haven't played in a few weeks. Some take the time off after their season before going away to college. Others work all year round. So you don't know how they are physically or where their heads are at coming into these games.
Also, lastly, these All Star games are NOT good showcases for team oriented players. Selfish gunners tend to do better, look better, in these kind of games.
You need to watch the game (not the scrimmage) with a real discerning eye.
I was just thinking the same thing watching the game last night. I think we're capable just not sure why we do a better job. Paige no doubt would've helped greatly given her ability to anticipate and pass quickly, not to mention her dribbling and sneaky quickness.
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I lied, I said I wasn't going to watch any more tournament games after the UConn debacle, but I couldn't resist watching the VT game last night. I was particularly interested in how VT would handle the vaunted tOSU press. Well, you are spot on, they broke it rather easily. The point guard, Amoore, never got rattled and seemed to relish the moment. She had excellent ball handling skills, and was quick, but not tremendously fast, say Mo Jeff like. In the half court set, her passes were deliberate, set up properly, and delivered on the mark. Nothing fancy, nothing rushed, but laser like. Her shooting, as well as her defense (without fouling), was also excellent. I hope Nika was watching, and taking meticulous notes. Please don't take this being critical of "our Nika", but rather a focus for next year.