Watch Dynamic Dorka

[jazz]

I'm sorry, but when you go 0 for 7 in lay ups and has yet learned how to shoot the ball instead of pushing the ball near the basket, like she has since coming to UConn, she is more of a hindrance on offense then Dorka. Geno has stated that Liv is going to have to up her game next year, not just because of AE but also because of the addition of DJ.

I agree that Liv is not nearly what I thought she would be and I was very pessimistic with how she would play against top level teams anyway. I havent seen the game yet, I only watch it on replay and as I have done every year uconn gets upset in the final 4, I can stomach to watch the game for several months. Based on the box and what I have read here, Liv was horrendous inn the arizona game. Well, that doesn't totally shock me, although I would have thought she would have been at least average.

The thing is with liv, is that you just dont know what you will get from her, just like every shot she takes, I'm almost surprised sometimes when she makes a shot from the outside or in traffic.

I expect that Dorka will make her better and if not, then we have another option who is big and has some skills and another 5 fouls. This is a great signing in my opinion by GA.

Now, if GA didnt say what he said about Liv or sign DJ, then everybody would be saying Liv is great because she made AA and the all big east team and that we didnt sign DJ because she sucks...kind of like before we signed DJ.

Liv needs to up her game because, if as a fan, I have little confidence in her, then her teammates must feel even worse about it.

She did show some nasty attitude in the tournament snatching rebounds and playing D, but as I said, I havent seen the arizona game yet.

 

[Gus Mahler]

On Geno 'benching' a two year starter (and AA) I am reminded of Hartley (of the Hartley unit of measure fame) who became sixth woman on an NC team when Doty became the starter. Harley had been the starter from her freshman year and was an AA as a sophomore.

I think in her junior year Geno benched (DNP) Bria because he didn't like her body language during warmups (or similar reason).

 

[Gus Mahler]

I'm pretty sure we'll have some experimenting using all 3 women in different combinations, including playing 3 at the same time. Designating one player as a starter may not be necessary. Geno will deploy according to the needs at the moment.
What I'm really interested in is how much offensive boost Dorka can bring to the team. We are lacking in point production in the paint, especially when a perfect pass is caught and not scored. Hopefully Dorka will bring more consistent conversion of passes that find her. Clearly the newbie isn't a banger, but I think Aaliyah can fill that role nicely. Liv blocks 1.7 balls/game. Is that a lot?

You mean like in the good ol' days of Dolson, Stewie, and Stokes?

 

[DEpup]

Of course. There is a limited number of minutes that can be played. We talk about "complimenting" ONO in terms of abilities. But there will be DeBerry who wants minutes, perhaps Gabriel, who is getting better. ONO. And then Poffenbarger and Ducharme, who are big enough to be in the mix for front court.

Coach Geno seems to be hinting that he has a lot of kids, and he's not going to decide who starts, and just go with that. He will look to each player to convince him by their practice efforts and practice performance that they deserve to be on the court. So next season looks to be cutthroat in the struggle for playing time. I don't think Coach Geno will show any loyalty to anyone. If ONO doesn't improve, she goes to the bench. If Juhasz shows more guts, she gets the nod.

It's going to be rough for the players, and I'm guessing that the camaraderie that UConn players have always developed will be seriously challenged.

Please no. We need to stop fantasizing these 6'1-6'2" ish guards can play in the post. These folks will just not due when you get to the games with the heavy weights. We need to keep them at the SG and SF where they below and work hard on recruiting to get real banger PFs and Cs. I for one is happy that DJ is coming. We need a variety of good experienced options in the post in order to win it all. There is just more parity now in the game.

No one should forget--- Liv, Aaliyah, Piath, Aubrey, Mir, and Amari are in COMPLETE control of their playing time and Dorka has nothing to do with that. If they get it done in practice, they will play.

 

[UcMiami]

I think in her junior year Geno benched (DNP) Bria because he didn't like her body language during warmups (or similar reason).

The team was struggling and he knew he need to shake up the lineup - he and Bria talked and she volunteered to come off the bench and Doty took over the starting spot - Bria came in at about the 5 minute mark and played most of the rest of the game. Doty at that point was in the last legs of her career and physically a shell of what she had been at the beginning, but she was a very smart veteran and mostly got the offense flowing.

 

[Cuango]

Of course I am only speculating. If Christyn's defense hadn't improved so much, I'd say that we could replace a pure shooter (CW) with someone who could both shoot and defend (maybe Caroline). I'm thinking that with Paige and Azzi there's plenty of firepower w/out Williams, and if Liv plays less, some height is sacrificed. The addition of Dorka shifts thinking about using 3 pure guards. Caroline's addition would replace a shorter guard (CW).
But I expect Geno to stay with Williams unless something happens before next season begins, or if Christyn has one of her extended scoring lapses.

Wait! Did you just call Christyn a “pure shooter”? She is most definitely not that. That term applies to KML, Lou, Paige, and (probably) Azzi but certainly not Christyn who is a pretty decent scorer and (lately) defender. While I have great hopes for Caroline Ducharme, (I think she is going to be a star for us) I would be shocked beyond measure if (defensively) she were even close to CW. Caroline is clearly a better shooter but CW has actually become a pretty good defender. Of course, I would love it if she were to come in as a good defender, but that’s pretty unlikely.

 

[oldhusky]

Please no. We need to stop fantasizing these 6'1-6'2" ish guards can play in the post. These folks will just not due when you get to the games with the heavy weights. We need to keep them at the SG and SF where they below and work hard on recruiting to get real banger PFs and Cs. I for one is happy that DJ is coming. We need a variety of good experienced options in the post in order to win it all. There is just more parity now in the game.

No one should forget--- Liv, Aaliyah, Piath, Aubrey, Mir, and Amari are in COMPLETE control of their playing time and Dorka has nothing to do with that. If they get it done in practice, they will play.

When you talk about earning playing time in practice, that is largely true, but Liv makes it a little more complicated. She has been fine dominating smaller and weaker opponents, but now has a well established pattern of being virtually useless at least scoring against quality physical bigs. So what do you do as a coach if she is the best option against Big East opponents, but the wrong one for the big out of conference games, and later in the tournament.

Do you bench a starter for a specific game because of the quality of the opponent? Usually the answer to that question would be no, but in Liv's case it might be strategic. Further you might have to change a game-plan away from what usually works, because you can't count on inside scoring from Liv in those games. Maybe Dorka could be the big game starter even if Liv was a little ahead of her for most game situations.

There is something fundamentally different about practices this year. Liv has not had much top competition in house with players that are tall, strong, and talented. We added size last year with Piath, and at least a physical PF in Aaliyah, but this year bring Dorka and Amari into the equation. The competition among bigs in practice should prepare all of these players better for the games against top opponents who have players at that level. If Liv can't find a way to score against Gorka and Amari, maybe she shouldn't get a chance to start against say Boston or Brink etc.

I wonder if Liv would have been better prepared for the big games if we had signed Collier or Boston like we thought we might, to practice against everyday. Dorka might have chosen here because good competition among centers in practice can make her better too, even if it comes with the possibility of less playing time. The competition will be interesting, but regardless of how the pecking order turns out, Geno will have excellent backups, and a variety of styles and skills that makes his game management even more important.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

When you talk about earning playing time in practice, that is largely true, but Liv makes it a little more complicated. She has been fine dominating smaller and weaker opponents, but now has a well established pattern of being virtually useless at least scoring against quality physical bigs. So what do you do as a coach if she is the best option against Big East opponents, but the wrong one for the big out of conference games, and later in the tournament.

Do you bench a starter for a specific game because of the quality of the opponent? Usually the answer to that question would be no, but in Liv's case it might be strategic. Further you might have to change a game-plan away from what usually works, because you can't count on inside scoring from Liv in those games. Maybe Dorka could be the big game starter even if Liv was a little ahead of her for most game situations.

There is something fundamentally different about practices this year. Liv has not had much top competition in house with players that are tall, strong, and talented. We added size last year with Piath, and at least a physical PF in Aaliyah, but this year bring Dorka and Amari into the equation. The competition among bigs in practice should prepare all of these players better for the games against top opponents who have players at that level. If Liv can't find a way to score against Gorka and Amari, maybe she shouldn't get a chance to start against say Boston or Brink etc.

I wonder if Liv would have been better prepared for the big games if we had signed Collier or Boston like we thought we might, to practice against everyday. Dorka might have chosen here because good competition among centers in practice can make her better too, even if it comes with the possibility of less playing time. The competition will be interesting, but regardless of how the pecking order turns out, Geno will have excellent backups, and a variety of styles and skills that makes his game management even more important.

Certainly it's up to the player, her attitude, and her practice performance. But having said that, there are going to be some disappointed players who might not even get into the games, even for garbage time.

It was pointed out that Juhasz had a low percentage from 3-point range. But ONO has a poor shooting percentage even from 15 feet. Team after team dared- no, prayed- that she would shoot from the foul line, standing five feet away from her when she got the ball out there. So not only could she not make mid-range shots, but she also failed to draw the defense away from the basket so that her teammates could get easy layups (I say "easy" because they're supposed to be easy, not because we made them).

So if Juhasz can make even those mid-range shots, she would be valuable in drawing the defense away from Edwards/DeBerry down low, getting them more uncontested shots, or single coverage.

Again, that's bad news for ONO's prospects of getting the same, or comparable, playing time.

 

[DEpup]

Certainly it's up to the player, her attitude, and her practice performance. But having said that, there are going to be some disappointed players who might not even get into the games, even for garbage time.

It was pointed out that Juhasz had a low percentage from 3-point range. But ONO has a poor shooting percentage even from 15 feet. Team after team dared- no, prayed- that she would shoot from the foul line, standing five feet away from her when she got the ball out there. So not only could she not make mid-range shots, but she also failed to draw the defense away from the basket so that her teammates could get easy layups (I say "easy" because they're supposed to be easy, not because we made them).

So if Juhasz can make even those mid-range shots, she would be valuable in drawing the defense away from Edwards/DeBerry down low, getting them more uncontested shots, or single coverage.

Again, that's bad news for ONO's prospects of getting the same, or comparable, playing time.

In my assessment, part of her should welcome DJ so Liv can be more aggressive if she actually wants to be aggesive and not worry about fouls.

Liv was much more productive when she knew she would go out for about 20 minutes or so, get business done, and then get out of there. I'm not sure how many centers really want 30+ minutes on an easy night let alone a heavyweight match like playing a Baylor. I can never emphasize enough how much energy it takes to not only run the court but intensely fight for position down low with a 200 lb-ish 6'5" ish player in a big game. And Liv has often had to do it alone against teams that could throw 3 or 4 of these bodies at just her over 40 minutes.

I have a psychological theory where I think DJ can lead to Liv playing better aside from the competition part but because she can exhale and play all out for the minutes she'll get knowing she has a partner in these big games.
And before you all jump on me, Aaliyah will be out there playing her role as PF but I'm talking C with Liv.... please don't conflate the two positions or ask if Aaliyah is chopped liver. Liv and Aaliyah have critical but different roles to play inorder for UConn to win it all.

 

[HopJim]

Unlike some of the fantasies fueling this thread, I have no idea what to expect from Dorka. Last year, she was a poor 3-point shooter (20%) and a horrid foul shooter (43%, up from 40% in 2020). Unlikely she gets time at end of close games. Surprised 6'5" DeBerry isn't getting more attention. Projects as better defender and stronger shooter than Dorka and will be with us 4 years.

 

[hart2hart]

I personally love this whole team!
DJ adds the extra size that will help us get to the final game.......she’s really good and so glad she chose UCONN! Let’s celebrate all of these Amazing Players!

 

[Heytherego]

When you talk about earning playing time in practice, that is largely true, but Liv makes it a little more complicated. She has been fine dominating smaller and weaker opponents, but now has a well established pattern of being virtually useless at least scoring against quality physical bigs. So what do you do as a coach if she is the best option against Big East opponents, but the wrong one for the big out of conference games, and later in the tournament.

Do you bench a starter for a specific game because of the quality of the opponent? Usually the answer to that question would be no, but in Liv's case it might be strategic. Further you might have to change a game-plan away from what usually works, because you can't count on inside scoring from Liv in those games. Maybe Dorka could be the big game starter even if Liv was a little ahead of her for most game situations.

There is something fundamentally different about practices this year. Liv has not had much top competition in house with players that are tall, strong, and talented. We added size last year with Piath, and at least a physical PF in Aaliyah, but this year bring Dorka and Amari into the equation. The competition among bigs in practice should prepare all of these players better for the games against top opponents who have players at that level. If Liv can't find a way to score against Gorka and Amari, maybe she shouldn't get a chance to start against say Boston or Brink etc.

I wonder if Liv would have been better prepared for the big games if we had signed Collier or Boston like we thought we might, to practice against everyday. Dorka might have chosen here because good competition among centers in practice can make her better too, even if it comes with the possibility of less playing time. The competition will be interesting, but regardless of how the pecking order turns out, Geno will have excellent backups, and a variety of styles and skills that makes his game management even more important.

Practice wise, they have boys come in and play against them. I’m sure they have a bigger guy going up against the posts.

 

[Gus Mahler]

The team was struggling and he knew he need to shake up the lineup - he and Bria talked and she volunteered to come off the bench and Doty took over the starting spot - Bria came in at about the 5 minute mark and played most of the rest of the game. Doty at that point was in the last legs of her career and physically a shell of what she had been at the beginning, but she was a very smart veteran and mostly got the offense flowing.

I know what you're saying, but we're talking about two different things. There was one individual game where Bria did not play at all. It was a DNP, coaches decision, irrespective of the Doty situation. I saw the game on TV but don't remember any other particulars.

 

[DaConn]

View attachment 66830

It will be interesting to see how Dorka's numbers look when on the floor with higher quality players. I think fundamentally there's more to work with having Dorka on the floor. Defenses will have to come out to the 3point line and respect her outside shooting. This opens the lane for a lot of schemes Geno likes to use. She may not be as good a shot blocker, but if she's active enough to be disruptive that may be just as effective.

 

[NewCorn]

I can see shades of Stewie there with her footwork near the basket and shades of Steph with her moving screen footwork...

Are you dorking me?

 

[Bald Husky]

It will be interesting to see how Dorka's numbers look when on the floor with higher quality players. I think fundamentally there's more to work with having Dorka on the floor. Defenses will have to come out to the 3point line and respect her outside shooting. This opens the lane for a lot of schemes Geno likes to use. She may not be as good a shot blocker, but if she's active enough to be disruptive that may be just as effective.

Are you saying that the BE has better players and teams than the Big 10? Really?

 

[DEpup]

Are you saying that the BE has better players and teams than the Big 10? Really?

I think he/she is saying that Dorka will have better teammates around her than at OSU.

 

[Bald Husky]

I think he/she is saying that Dorka will have better teammates around her than at OSU.

Yes you are right, misread it Sorry

 

[huskyd]

Wait! Did you just call Christyn a “pure shooter”? She is most definitely not that. That term applies to KML, Lou, Paige, and (probably) Azzi but certainly not Christyn who is a pretty decent scorer and (lately) defender. While I have great hopes for Caroline Ducharme, (I think she is going to be a star for us) I would be shocked beyond measure if (defensively) she were even close to CW. Caroline is clearly a better shooter but CW has actually become a pretty good defender. Of course, I would love it if she were to come in as a good defender, but that’s pretty unlikely.

Didn't say she was a pure shooter. Said she was a pure guard, meaning she isn't going to play any other position. Maybe I should have just said she was a guard.

 

[DaConn]

Are you saying that the BE has better players and teams than the Big 10? Really?

I was actually talking about higher quality players around her, her teammates, but thanks for jumping to conclusions. I was speaking to the quality of her play overall. Really? Smh

 

[Papa33]

Coach Geno seems to be hinting that he has a lot of kids, and he's not going to decide who starts, and just go with that. He will look to each player to convince him by their practice efforts and practice performance that they deserve to be on the court. So next season looks to be cutthroat in the struggle for playing time.

It's going to be rough for the players, and I'm guessing that the camaraderie that UConn players have always developed will be seriously challenged.

Is "cutthroat" an accurate definition, or "intensely competitive" more accurate? Sports, especially at elite levels, are competitive both within and between teams, and if managed astutely make players improve their games all-around. That seems to fit well within a healthy competitive ethos, and also seems what Geno encourages.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

More on DJ's transfer from an Ohio State perspective. Yes, they screwed up Liv's name but it's still an interesting piece.

Dorka Juhasz Leaves Ohio State To Develop, Follow Professional Aspirations – Buckeye Sports Bulletin

www.buckeyesports.com

 

[Fairfield Fan]

It will be interesting to see how Dorka's numbers look when on the floor with higher quality players. I think fundamentally there's more to work with having Dorka on the floor. Defenses will have to come out to the 3point line and respect her outside shooting. This opens the lane for a lot of schemes Geno likes to use. She may not be as good a shot blocker, but if she's active enough to be disruptive that may be just as effective.

Of course, she played most of her season against higher quality players in the Big 10. And let's keep in mind that Coach Geno aggressively recruited her when her name popped up in the transfer portal.

I'm guessing he knew what he was going to get if he landed this recruit. And he recruited her even knowing that he already had a 6'5" post player with three years experience, a potential AA at post in Edwards, an incoming highly touted post player, also 6'5", in DeBerry, and a potentially improving Gabriel. But he still went all out to get Jukasz.

That speaks volumes.

 

[DaConn]

Of course, she played most of her season against higher quality players in the Big 10. And let's keep in mind that Coach Geno aggressively recruited her when her name popped up in the transfer portal.

I'm guessing he knew what he was going to get if he landed this recruit. And he recruited her even knowing that he already had a 6'5" post player with three years experience, a potential AA at post in Edwards, an incoming highly touted post player, also 6'5", in DeBerry, and a potentially improving Gabriel. But he still went all out to get Jukasz.

That speaks volumes.

Please understand I said "with" not "against". So, the point is I'm interested to see how productive she can be "with" teammates like Paige, Azzi, Christyn, etc., higher quality players around her. Thanks

 

[donalddoowop]

Of course, she played most of her season against higher quality players in the Big 10. And let's keep in mind that Coach Geno aggressively recruited her when her name popped up in the transfer portal.

I'm guessing he knew what he was going to get if he landed this recruit. And he recruited her even knowing that he already had a 6'5" post player with three years experience, a potential AA at post in Edwards, an incoming highly touted post player, also 6'5", in DeBerry, and a potentially improving Gabriel. But he still went all out to get Jukasz.

That speaks volumes.

It could also be for reasons for which we have no idea but will find out about later.