UConn SURGES Ahead After Win Over USF

[@Aaron.Davis56]

Jana has done more in 3 games than Amari did in 3 years. The freshman class is looking good. Nice depth for a change.

[@glarris1]

Great class.

[@thchan3314]

That’s facts.

[@billnichols5381]

A+ video. Love the analytics and the insight feature about Brady.

[@alanlee3236]

I think you have valid points about Ice as far as how her confidences plays in and Geno's handling her. I do think it's way too early to be talking about him throwing his hands up and saying I'm done like he finally did with DeBerry. Ice Brady is no Amari DeBerry. She doesn't get pushed around on D by smaller players or even bigger players. She keeps her head now after a successful tournament run and contributes in several ways. And obviously her offensive package is incomparable for a player her size. The ball dropping into the net is a powerful drug that can impact many aspects of a player's game. Given her current trajectory - she's shooting 62%, contributing strong D and generally showing up as a plus on the floor, her presence and impact are going to increase and you'll witness a tremendous all-around package. I'm pretty sure Geno knows that. After 2 games, it's hard to deny El Alfy's impact, or resist the temptation to start her ahead of Brady. So him switching them might happen more sooner than later. But no way is he giving up on Ice. I would be shocked if she doesn't continue to have a strong line-up/rotation presence throughout the season. She would have to do some catastrophic things on a continual basis in order to get in the dog house now. If anything, she might get the Tina Charles challenge. And if she responds anything like Charles did, look out. PS. DeBerry has great touch for the ball and great vision offensively. What she lacks though is the advanced speed of college athletes. She's slow footed, she telegraphs passes leading to turnovers, she doesn't hold her ground when being posted, and at times she just looks lost. That's not Brady. Not even close. If they were remotely close, we would have seen DeBerry during spelling Aaliyah Edwards in addition to or instead of Brady.

[@glarris1]

Great post but Geno is not giving up on Ice ( Amari lacked effort and professionalism). I think Ice is going to hold the 5 this season. Jana will likelybe the consistent game changer off the bench because her physical force and D will impact the game the way AG’s pace, tenacity and D impacts a game. None of us have seen Patterson play since forever so we simply don’t know whether she makes us deeper or doesn’t matter.

[@politeia1999]

You've misread Geno's criticism of Ice. It is not comparable to Amari, who he hardly ever mentioned in any press conference. When he did discuss Amari, the focus was on her effort in practices, not in games. Ice works very hard in practice and Geno's comments reflect this. I also think it's very much an open question whether Jana replaces Ice as a starter. Actually, I suspect everything about the starting lineup will be up in the air until some time in February. Fitting Azzi and Aubrey and Ayanna into the roster, let alone the regular rotation could change many things. The only constants I can even imagine are Paige Sarah and one of Ice or Jana. Beyond that, there really is no telling.

[@back2sports]

I thought I went out of my way to say I was not comparing Ice to Amari. Maybe not

[@jaduvoisin]

You did say YOU weren’t comparing Ice to Amari. But you suggested GENO might be treating Ice like he treated Amari. This is a mistake. The very fact that he discusses her at all, much less praises and critiques her shows he thinks she is important to the team’s success.

[@DirectionlessStudent]

I agree 100% that the starting lineup is not written in stone yet. Azzi could replace Ashlynn -- Jana could replace Ice -- and (longer shot) KK could replace Chen. I think Aubrey comes off the bench no matter what for her own health. The biggest thing right now is that this team literally has depth beyond what they can even play. I think KK and Morgan will get significant minutes if for no other reason than Geno knows he will need them next season.

[@jaduvoisin]

The UNC game strongly suggests that Ice is not at all getting the Amari treatment from Geno. It is possible that Jana may eventually take her starting spot, but she’s not there yet. Ice played good defense against a ranked opponent with a big frontline. Her offense was good, including a “rim-run” transition layup which Jana doesn’t appear to be in shape for yet.

[@toddb9311]

Thought UConn had some question marks entering the season. The perimeter is weak defensively. And Strong looks like she worked her butt off the last 6 months. She's lean and mean and runs like a deer now. Kudos to her and the staff. Shade finished a break with a crossover and left hand---it's nice to see kids with some fundamentals. Brady's a 'tweener and it's been difficult for her/them to find a role. The 30 point Q3 was scary. And Beckers is impressive in front of a mike. Who's Geno grooming to lead next year? Nice work and feel better soon.

[@jemsmay2167]

From what we have seen so far, the best 5 is SS and JEA up front with AS, PB and KK out top. This gives them speed, inside shooting and rebounding, outside shooting and ball movement all at once. Pretty hard to beat and plenty of reserves to mix things up. The team chemistry is clearly still developing, will see if this 5 continues to elevate. AZF is the big unknown at this point, hope she gets back on the court soon to see what she has.

[@spinecat]

IDK, will Azzi show enough consistency to warrant her playing more than Ashlynn? Azzi is not a defensive standout, not a ballhawk, and I don't recall her turning into a runner on the break. (Maybe because she's not been on the court more than she has.). For my money right now I want AS in there as often as I want Paige.

[@JayGHDTTP]

You are correct in saying you haven’t seen Azzi play enough. She is a highly underrated defensive player and she runs the floor just fine. Go back and look at the tape vs Texas & Iowa at the start of the 22’-23’ season when she scored 30+ when she was healthy. Also the NC State game. We’ve only seen flashes of what AZ is capable of.

[@alanlee3236]

Azzi is a very good defensive player. The problem is "out of sight, out of mind". We don't see her and then forget how she contributed. The Ashlynn Shade D we watched these past 2 games is probably a tad bit more aggressive than peak Azzi of the past, but if so, not by much. The 2 do have a lot of similarities. Azzi is just way more explosive, offensively - and I don't just mean shooting 3's. I think that can change though. One thing Azzi does that Shade doesn't is running the break/bringing the ball up to start the offense. When Ashlynn starts doing that, then we'll know she's arrived IMO. I think AS has unlimited potential and she is so strong and durable. I can't even imagine a peak Azzi, Ashlynn, and Paige on the floor with Sarah and Jana. That would be something terrifying (for opponents) to behold.

[@billnichols5381]

@@JayGHDTTPWatch the Ohio State, NC State #2, South Carolina, et. Al. Fudd is not great on D, she gets rattled and has had poor floor management. Shade is a better all-around and consistent player…and she hasn’t hit her peak…yet!

[@apray359]

I'm really really impressed by Shades defense. Shes always moving with her feet, always got her hands up and trying to interrupt passes✋🏼 shes quite pesky and never seems to tire

[@RustyLou18]

@@alanlee3236 If Geno starts Fudd before Shade, he's lost his mind.

[@RustyLou18]

Hope you feel MUCH better soon, Back 2 Sports!!!! You do a terrific job!

[@back2sports]

Thanks very nice. I feel ok.my voice is just bad

[@bhargavi9917]

Love your videos man. I have recently stumbled upon you and you do have a intelligent sense of humor that's lost nowadays and I love your detailed commentaries.

[@back2sports]

Thanks for that. Very nice

[@thanep9667]

I'm really looking forward to today's game with North Carolina. It should be a good test .I think Ice is playing well. Maybe she touches too many balls without gaining control? If that improves, she and Jena are a nice 1-2 punch. I an also looking forward to seeing what impact Ayanna will have and how much playing time she can get.

[@RustyLou18]

Patterson is like Fudd, not built to play at the college level, too many injuries.

[@buzzard6410]

What Geno needs to do with Ice is have some practices where it's just her and the bigs and in tight space. At that point it's bully ball and clearing space. What I'm saying is that she needs to get used to banging to create the space she needs. Instead of relying on the fad away shot.

[@VincentBaker-j1b]

A heads up to all women's college basketball fans - South Carolina is looking very vulnerable this year after their near loss to Michigan at home. That's good news for the rest of the country.

[@RustyLou18]

Don't EVEN go there @VincentBaker-j1b UCANT EVEN go there! GO GAMECOCKS! When UConn or "the rest of the country" goes 41-0, then "shed your poison".

[@DW65]

Totally agree with you on Ice Brady

[@TheDisruptiveOne]

UConn looked good against south Florida. But the bar is so low for ice. We are meant to get excited about 8 points and 2 rebounds. Guards are what will carry this team.

[@directorofcareerserv]

Ice was a turnover machine last year. Seems to be doing better but still needs to produce.

[@shoofly529]

Completely unrelated to the video but still a bball story. The title of this video reminded me of a story I read in Bill Russell's biography; not the recent one but one from the '80's or maybe even earlier. Back in the early 50's, Bill went to the University of San Fransisco & had a USF bumper sticker on his car. One day he was approached by 3 White guys who had bad intent. When one of them asked what the bumper sticker stood for Bill said, "United States Federal." They left him alone.

[@arutha8620]

get well soon bro ❤

[@back2sports]

Thx

[@Qaplqwpo]

Tn will be the real test, first ranked game this year, let’s see what they got

[@dougpost8958]

I think starting can be overrated. I'm sure some players would feel it's a slight not to start, but I think now having a healthy (for the moment) team, Geno can pretty much mix and match, staying with a hot hand, and giving everyone minutes and rest. I watched some of the UNC - NC A&T game the other night and frankly was not impressed with UNC. It was on A&T's home court and it was against an in-state rival, but A&T gave them a hard time and there were times UNC didn't respond well. UNC does have some experienced players, but I think they miss Deja. Looking forward to tonight.

[@dominictramonte2687]

I agree on Ice. But I also agree she's going to have to produce. Otherwise Geno will move on. That's the thing about Uconn; if they're healthy, the bench is absolutely stuffed with talent. Jana is capable-- Jana will-- make some green mistakes; get beat on some possessions just because she doesn't have the experience. But Ice is going to have to look slippy to keep playing. The same with Ash, or even Caitlin. If they have a bad game, they've got Morgan and Allie waiting in the wings, and that's before Azzi and Aubrey come back. Morgan, in particular, seems ready to go, even missing all that practice; I'm really high on her. She's that classic big guard/small forward Geno loves. She posts up, she hits from the perimeter and she's attracted to the boards like they're a magnet. Look to see a lot of her. Allie... she's good, but she's also got the frosh jitters. Maybe she'll get over them, maybe not. She's a work in progress. I'm impressed with Q as well. She wants to play and it shows. But the real prize so far is Ashlynn. If she keeps going, she'll get my vote for most improved. Sarah is also very valuable, which is why she's a starter. She'll get beat by a more experienced player some, but not often. And next year... Katy, bar the door. Next year, when Paige is gone-- I can't believe I wrote that; time flies I guess-- Azzi, Ash, Sarah and Jana will carry the team and Morgan will be 6th Woman.

[@robertmather7334]

Great video my friend ❤️.

[@back2sports]

Thanks

[@VincentBaker-j1b]

A partial correction to my previous statement. Michigan's loss to South Carolina was on a neutral court(Las Vegas). Still, Michigan is not even listed in the top 25, and they were down by just 2 points with 22 seconds remaining. Maybe South Carolina misses Kardoso more than some people thought they would.

[@billfinn9536]

Aubrey and Ice are the best athletes, KK, Chen and Paige are the quickest and Sarah and Ash may be the strongest on the team.

[@ProfessorDBehrman]

I do not agree that Shade will be coming off the bench. She is the workhorse of this team. She never seems to get tired.

[@back2sports]

Agree but I do recall the USC game in tournament and their big guards gave her trouble which is why Q got extended minutes.

[@michaelr8032]

the Flu is terrible.. anyway, I agree with you on Ice being built up. This has to be done so she can play a bit more with ease and not so much internal pressure. She doesn't respond well to that. Game pressure she can handle ( BE Tourney ) but her own not so much. For Ash, I am not sure if it's the same type of 'build up', but I agree they see her as the one they need to be able to rely on more consistently. She earned this attention by her play last season and is off to a great start. I hope she starts but likely Fudd will take that spot from her unless they decide to go all small ball to start then bring the. bigs in. And no "shade" to Fudd, but I think Ash moves better w/o the ball. If Fudd can do a better job there they will be unstoppable. if not, my consistency $ is on Ash. (good thing I don't bet for real) lol

[@snapped.in.barbados]

I'm no guru, But to me, it is evident that Ice Brady has terrible hands... Most opponents pressure her as soon as she catches the ball which oftentimes leads to her turning the ball over. This probably affects her when taking a shot especially if she is feeling rushed, other than that, she seems a bit labored running the floor still, i thought perhaps with her getting into better shape over the off-season that we might see her running the floor better, I guess her teammates are just that much faster.

[@back2sports]

I think it will be determined over time. My take is she rushes everything & much better when relaxed & settles in.

[@brorick5472]

You're right you're no guru.

[@hansbrechbuhl2269]

I think KK may play just as much as Chen…and I think if Shade continues to develop, she’’s going to be really hard to keep off the court. At her best, Azzi is probably a better shooter, but Ash is a more complete player in my view.

[@calvinh.4682]

Nothing new or interesting to comment on so far. Good review though G2S. Get well soon bro.

[@back2sports]

Much appreciated

[@JayGHDTTP]

Bruh….all this 💩 talking about Ice needs to STOP. Not only from you but much of #UConnNation. She has been playing SOLID since the 2024 Big East Tourney. UConn went to a Final Four w/Ice playing significant minutes. She played well against USC & Iowa. She wouldn’t be starting if Geno felt she was playing bad. She’s the most experienced big, in great shape and highly skilled. Truth is, he can start whomever he wants. The team is that loaded. 🤷🏾‍♂️ So stop all of the Ice bashing. It’s to the point now where it’s just hating on her. Comparing her to Amari is down right disrespectful. Ice was ranked #4 in her class. Amari was not. Put some respect on her name.

[@alanlee3236]

You pretty much nailed it 💯

[@RustyLou18]

Brady and Patterson were HIGHLY over ranked in the 2022 ESPN HoopGurlz. Go back and look, Beers, Watkins, McMahon, Oldacre have done EVERYTHING better.

[@JayGHDTTP]

@@RustyLou18 So you're just going to ignore the fact that Brady missed her true freshman year due to injury and Patterson missed her sophomore year due to injury and is injured now? Everyone you named has not been injured. 3 of the 4 you named did not reach the Final Four last year. It's not a matter of being over ranked, it's a matter of availability.