Piath and Amari

[HuskyNan]

You memory is not correct. See @HuskyNan post in this thread.
What Geno said was: “ (Amari) is the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart”.
Notable UCONN bigs since Stewie are only: Natalie Butler, Azura Stevens, & Liv. All three had better freshman careers and displayed more skill than Freshman Amari is currently doing; therefore I would have to disagree with Geno.

We haven’t seen enough of Amari to make that determination.

 

[HuskyNan]

Found this quote from the Courant via Yahoo (free article):

Geno Auriemma says: ”That kid (Amari) is skilled as hell. More skilled than I thought, around the basket, shooting it, just really knows how to play. I’ve been so impressed.”

From A Dime Back blog:

“Once we get Amari going — which the last couple days I’ve seen the change — that kid is skilled as hell. That kid is very skilled. More skilled than I thought. Around the basket, with the ball, shooting it, she just really knows how to play. I’ve been so impressed. But like I’ve said, we got to get her up to college speed.”

 

[CocoHusky]

Thanks for that, but I have read Nan's post and because it was not what I heard, I chose not to comment. (A skill some others would be wise to copy.) I am more than willing to admit I may not have heard correctly or that I may not be remembering correctly. But I have to stick by what I remember hearing. To do anything else would be disingenuous.
You know Geno well, are you certain that he never made any other comments about Amari?
I am also sure your impeccable memory allows you to remember how Natalie and Azura played after about 15 minutes of game time. That's really a gift seeing how neither were freshmen at UConn.
I suggest you just chalk my comment up to my being an ignorant old man and let it go.

I'm certain Geno has made several other comments regarding Amari. It is quite possible that Geno made the comment you mentioned. I'd still disagree. BTW I don't rely on my memory to recall how Natalie and Azura played as freshman at Duke and Georgetown respectively. You can actually looks these things up: Both Natalie and Azura had a double/double in their very first NCAA games. It would be very disingenuous for me to leave you believing you are "an ignorant old man" because you are not.

 

[CL82]

Aubrey is and has never been a big. In pre season Aubrey was working with the guards per Geno. A rotation of 3 bigs ( Dorka,AE and Liv) is the most big players UCONN has had in the 4/5 rotation for quite a while now.

Yet, Geno said that she would’ve helped out with our struggles against the South Carolina bigs.

 

[Papa33]

That is it. Thanks. If that isn't high praise, what is? Stewy is only the best player we have ever seen ( okay, begin arguments ). So does anyone think DeBerry has flashed any of those skills in the few minutes we have seen her? I mean, how cool if Geno is right. But I would think one move, one pass, one shot, one spin, one something....would have mirrored the great one. Not so far, in my book.

I vividly recall all the biting criticisms that Geno laid on Stewy, especially regarding defense and her sense of where to be and what to do on offense. It took most of her freshman year to look comfortable within the UConn system.