UConn WBB Preview

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

The Courant is reporting that Geno and the UConn Women had a closed door scrimmage with Boston College and that Azzi Fudd really went off in the scrimmage:

What UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma thinks he knows — and still has yet to find out — about his 2021-22 team

UConn freshman Azzi Fudd excelled in a closed scrimmage against Boston College, while fellow newcomer Caroline Ducharme adds a dimension the Huskies didn't have last year. But in order for this team to take home national title No. 12 come April, there are still some X-factors that need to be...

www.courant.com

I had thought that UConn had stopped playing Boston College in important sports due to the ACC Betrayal some years ago? I guess someone decided to kiss and makeup????

 

[the Blades]

UConn WBB v Fort Hays St. (EXHIB)

Video: UConn WBB v Fort Hays St. (EXHIB). Women's Basketball

uconnhuskies.com

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I was at the game, 111-47 win for UConn. Fort Hays was a smallish, 3 point shooting team with no real athleticism. NOTE: they are ranked #4 nationally in D2 poll. Very good at the D-II level but overmatched against UConn. UConn had 33 assists for the game, 9 by Becker's.

Christyn -20
Aaliyah -17
Dorka- 15
Azzi- 11
Caroline -10
Evie- 10

I thought Dorka and Azzi off the bench in the first half gave UConn a HUGE spark. Dorka looked like the best player on the Court in the first half, she dominated on the glass and made an assortment of excellent post moves and drained an open 3. She is skilled, versatile and experienced. Fudd drained her first three 3s and displayed the shooting stroke we have heard about, which is as advertised. She did not do much else however. She looked tentative to drive the ball.

Ducharme got off to a rough start. She had her first couple of shots blocked and also made a high school pass that went for a fast break the other way. But in the second half she kept playing hard and looked strong scoring in traffic with contact. She also looks like she uses both hands like Larry Bird.

The team looked good to great. Mir MaLean was the 10th girl in and Amari DeBerry 11th. Poffenbarger would have been in before these 2 but she is hurt and did not look like she was dressed to play but I saw her on the bench.

The starting 5 was:

Nelson-Ododa
Edwards
Williams
Westbrook
Bueckers

The bench was in the order they came in, Fudd and Juhasz came in at first whistle:

Fudd
Juhasz
Muhl
Ducharme
McLean
DeBerry

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Courant report:

Senior Christyn Williams scores game-high 20 and other takeaways from UConn women’s basketball’s exhibition victory over Fort Hays State

The Huskies breezed past Division II opponent Fort Hays State 111-47 in an exhibition game at Gampel Pavilion Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 8,488, the first game UConn had played in front of a real home crowd in some 600 days.

www.courant.com

 

[the Blades]

Pretty lame for Geno to schedule a exhibition like that, since it doesn't count in the standings anyway. He and the WBB fans would have probably gotten more out of an open scrimmage with refs like the men did. Especially with the wealth of depth/talent he has this year, seeing that like the MBB team, he probably has 2 starting line-ups. So it would have been nice to see them compete against equal talent and height. I saw this link on TOS and figured I'd link it, but it was already blow out city once I tuned in early in the game. So I watched about 5 minutes and that was enough.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

UConn will get that game in the opener Sunday vs. Arkansas, the only team that beat UConn regular season last year.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

BTW, one final thought: If I can be honest I think I would make one change in the starting lineup which would be to start Dorka and sit Nelson Ododa. Geno will never do it, because it would ruffle Olivia's feathers. But I would do it because I think Dorka is a better player than Olivia. I think Dorka is probably better positioned to mentally handle coming off the bench than Olivia is, but this is the one change I would make. Start Dorka and Aaliyah up front.

 

[the Blades]

I haven't seen enough yet of the Ohio St transfer but she looked good in the highlights and from what you've mentioned. And I do think Ododa has always been kind inconsistent and soft especially vs. teams with big front lines