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GO UCONN!!!!!
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The Boys and their Dogs -
Under the UConn blanket!!
GO UCONN!!!!!
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There is so much to look forward to in the 2024-25 season, it's just hard to figure out where to start. I'm going to put in the class and Hoopsgurlz ranking next to their name.
We bid a fond fairwell to Aaliya Edwards and Nika Muhl who will move on to their professional careers and to Amari DeBerry and Ines Bettencourt, who have both entered the transfer portal. Good luck to all in their future endevors!!!
Let's look at the players that finished the season and are coming back and and what we can expect next season from each player. Also a highlight video for each one.
How do you not start with Paige Bueckers (2020, No. 1). She is coming back for one more season and after this disaapointment, you can bet she will be loaded for bear every second of every minute of every game that she plays next season. Prohibitted favorite for POY next season, she will be moving back to her guard position where she will dominate.
It's Paige's freshman season,
but my favorite Highlight video for her
Two other starters just might not be starting next season, but for sure they will be big contributors. Ashlynn Shade (2023, No. 15) and KK Arnold (2023, No. 6) had their moments and at times were the difference in winning or losing. As sophomores, we can look forward to their improvement and seeing what they will bring next year.
KK Arold Full season Highlights
Ashlynn Shade Highlights
Off the bench this season were Ice Brady (2022, No. 5) and Q Samuels (2023, No. 41). I'm not sure where Q will fit in next year as between the injured players coming back and great freshmen coming in, her minutes might not be there. For Brady, she has a clear path to a starting position for 24-25. She will be the only experienced post on the roster. But she will have to show more of her BE tournement play. She has the skills.
Best I could find.
Brady Highlights in the news report
Q Samuels Highlights against NC State - 14 points
That's the 5 players that were available at the end of the year that are coming back.
Let's look at the 5, yes, 5 players that were on the bench injured.
I'm not sure who to start with. Let's go by class.
Aubrey Griffin (2019, No. 21) - Anyone think that Aubrey's knee injury in Jaunary was the difference between winning and losing that Iowa game? No doubt in my mind. She might not be ready for full time play until the end of the year, but she will be back and contribute her final season at UConn.
Aubrey Griffin Highlights
Azzi Fudd (2021, No. 1) - Sigh....are you tired of seeing Azzi on the bench? I know I am. I'm also tired of fans dimishing what she will bring to the tabel. As good as Shade was this year in bringing the three point threat to the team, she is Fudd-light. The No. 1 HS recruit in 2021, when she was healthy, she played like an All-American. Until she can't I will be optimistic that she will be back to form by November. And in the starting lineup.
Azzi Fudd Highlights
Caroline Ducharme (2021, No. 5) - I suppose she is the biggest question mark of the returning injured players. Head injuries can be unpredictable. I'm sure both Caroline and Geno expected her to come back sometime this past season. She just didn't improve enough to do that. Now, she has been traveling with the team, no earplugs, looking ready to play. Will she be able to do that this summer and beyond? She is certainly planning on that and so am I.
Caroline Ducharme Highlights
Ayanna Patterson (2022, No. 4) - I can't believe the message board chatter about her being a possible transfer candidate. That makes no sense to me. I think fans forget how amazing she is in regards to athleticism. She can jump out of the building and rebound like a maniac. I love her game at the 4 and to match up with the terrific fowards she might meet. Thinking of Watkins at SC and Iriafrin at Stanford. Remember, she really hasn't been healthy at UConn. Don't sleep on her contributions.
Hamilton Neill on Ayanna Paterson
Jana El Alfy (2023, unranked) - I posted the praise from Geno about Jana. It was amazing. Here it is again.
"There's nobody that is enjoying life more than she is, that is totally engaged in what we're doing. Everything we do as a team, she feels as though it's happening to her. I can't say enough about her as a person. Nobody has seen her play. No one at UConn nation has seen her play, and they don't anything about her. All they know is what they see. Myself, the staff, the players, and everyone associated with our program has been really truly, truly blessed that she's come into our life because I can honestly say in 40 years I've never coached anybody better at Connecticut, never, in my life."
Now, I have seen a ton of minutes of her playing. Folks downplayed the FIBA tournament but she dominated the post. And she is a true 6'6". The big we have been waiting for.
Jana El Alfy Highlights
Ok, that is the 10 returning players. What's left is the three players in the 2024 recruiting class. It was a great class that just got greater!!
Morgan Cheli (2024, No. 18) - What a great pickup for UConn. At 6'2" she is a really big guard who can also do well under the basket. She is basically the "swiss army knife" of women's basketball. She can play the point or along side the lead guard. Or both forward positions. Her defense is terrific. That will make Geno happy and earn her minutes as a freshman.
Morgan Cheli Highlights
Allie Ziebell (2024, No. 4) - I think I've seen more minutes of her playing than almost any other player in the 2024 class. Most people look at her as just a three point shooting demon. And for sure she is. She won the three-point contest at the McDonalds game including beating the boy contestant. And she hit a couple of three in the actual game. But she is more than that. She is a really tough-nosed competitor and a physical guard. She reminds me of the Mabrey sisters that played at Notre Dame. She will be behind some great guards next season, so I'm not sure how many minutes she will play.
Allie Ziebell highlights
Sarah Strong (2024, No. 1) - Ok, I had to pinch myself as I typed her name. I tried to be positive that she would come to UConn but the loooonnnngggggg wait for her to commit game me too much time to change my mind several times on what her decision would be. She is the most complete player to come to UConn since Maya Moore (someone reminded me of that fact), and I could see her starting at the four spot next year. Geno is a little more flexible in the idea of starting freshmen and she is certainly talented enough. And she fills the need with Edwards leaving. Starting or not, she will get her minutes and be a huge contributor in UConn's march to the championship. And she will make it more attractive to other elite players that UConn is recruiting.
Sarah Strong Highlights
Ok, that's it for the players. 13 right now. So, will it stay that way? Doubtful. Geno now has two scholarships to use. I would think he will use at least one of them.
I wrote the following before the announcement of Bettencourt and DeBerry entering the portal.
I'm pretty sure that Ines Bettencourt will be leaving. I'll miss her if she does. There is just no minutes for her to play. Even less than this season. She need to go to a school more in line with her skill level. She would be great on a mid-major team at lead guard. And who wouldn't want a player that learned at the feet of the UConn coaching staff. She is a smart player who against mid-major opponents, could score close to double digit points if she played 20-25 minutes. I will always be a fan of hers whether she says or leaves.
Amari DeBerry is next on the list. She is in the same position in regards to minutes as Bettencourt. There will be even less for her. Close to zero. At 6'6", she can do well at a lower level school, even with her blase attitude on the court. I'd love to see her with a program where she can get more minutes. She might surprise.
This one hurts to say, but I have a feeling that Q might be thinking of leaving. She struggled in Geno's system this year both offensively and defensively. That's not to say that she won't get it next season. She is a really good shooter when open. But looking at the roster at the 2/3 (her best positions) I see a lot of players in front of her. And if I see, then she sees it. This a player that has the skills to play at 95% of the Div I teams and if she does decide to leave, she will have plenty of schools to pick from.
There is some chatter about Patterson, but I'm not buying it. She will be back and play a big part in the Huskies success.
So, for now, here is the Scholarship Grid. Now updated with the DeBerry and Bettencourt news.
So interesting.
The most amazing thing about the 2024-25 roster is the letters RS. Red Shirt. They have SEVEN players that have that qualification. Injured and missed an entire season. Crazy!
Ok, so now we have determined the roster for the 24-25 prior to any players entering the portal. It's a 13 players. And some crazy talented players.
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TEAM BY HEIGHT
5'9" KK Arnold
5'10" Ashlynn Shade
5'11" Azzi Fudd
5'11" Allie Ziebell
6' Paige Bueckers
6' Qadence Samuels
6'1" Aubrey Griffin
6'2" Ayanna Patterson
6'2" Carolina Ducharme
6'2" Morgan Chelli
6'2" Sarah Strong
6'4" Ice Brady
6'6" Jana El Alfy
This is a pretty big team. Ice and Jana rotating at the center would be great. Young but talented. And Patterson and Strong at the 4?
With two more openings after the DeBerry and Bettencourt transfers, will Geno look for another big? We shall see!!
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Possible Lineups
With 13 players that can all contribute next year, it will be interesting to see the lineups Geno comes up with especially who will be in his starting lineup. Of course there are players who have to rehab and be ready for the start of the season.
Even if he settles on one starting lineup, it certainly can change as the season progresses. So, here are a few different lineups. The first starting lineup is my best guess at what Geno will go with. The rest? Just some fun!!
Starters
PG Paige
SG Azzi
SF Caroline
PF Sarah
C Ice
Well, that was tough. I'm taking it back. I have no idea if this is what Geno will do. It's more what I would like to see. Several maybes due to prior injuries, but healthy this is just an amazing lineup. If you are a fan of HS rankings, you have three No. 1's, and two No. 5's.
Three point shooting lineup
PG Paige
SG Ashland
SF Azzi
PF Ducharme
C Sarah
Every one of these players is capable of shooting 40%+ on the season. Good luck stopping them from getting an open three pointer. I can just see them swing passing around the perimeter and on the fifth pass getting an open three. And the best one might still be on the bench in Allie Ziebell.
Rebounding Lineup
PG Paige
SG Sarah
SF Aubrey
PF Ice
C Jana
You could put Ayanna in here for any of the forwards. For sure its a really big lineup and all really good rebounders.
All Quick Lineup
PG KK
SG Ashlynn
SF Qadence
PF Aubrey
C Ayanna
This overall roster is not exactly quick so picking five quick players was not easy. But this is still a very quick lineup. Too small to think Geno will ever play these five together.
What other types of lineups might we see. It's just a very deep, and very varying lineup. A ton of shooters. I didn't even mention Morgan Cheli. She can play the 1-4 positions. I just hope everyone stays healthy so Geno can finally have some depth to work with. He has played 9-10 player rotations before. 13? His head will explode!
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Season Prediction
I'll say it out loud. At this point in time, with all the injured coming back 100%, this UConn team will go undefeated and the game of the year will be No. 1 vs No. 2. UConn vs South Carolina.
The Gamecocks will be amazing next year. They were so deep and their freshmen were just great in the final game. Tess Johnson came into her own with 19 big points going 3-6 on threes. She was so confident. And Fulwiley was so dynamic with her 9 points and 4 assists. They only lose Cardoso from the players who saw minutes against Iowa. Well, "only" is not fair to the impact that will have. She was just so unique and to difficult to defend. It's not to say that Watson and Feagin can't man the front court, but it won't be the same without the big girl.
Back to UConn. They have a minimum of 7 players that can average double digit scoring. The only thing that would prevent that is Geno spreading around the minutes. As I just wrote there are countless line ups that Geno can use and will use. He hasn't done it often, and usually because is is pissed off with the players on the court, but I can see him doing the "Hockey Line Change" on occassion. A five players being replaced five new players. Crazy.
So, enjoy the off season. With two roster spots open, Geno might grab a transfer or two. A big big? We shall see!!!!
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I'm always open for suggestions. Just please reply to this blog or email me at: doggydaddy.UConn@gmail.com
