Very sorry to see Inês leave but with all the new guards this year and next, the writing was on the wall. Amari seems like a great kid, just never lived up to her potential at UConn but that OK. Wish them both well at their new schools. They may get significant playing time at a mid-mahor or DII school.
Amari never seemed to be fully engaged in playing. I hope Ines gets some help from Geno to find a good fit. She came in as an emergency and deserves support as she was always playing hard.
Great video and even greater news! It’s no secret is UConn fans were frustrated by the lack of DeBerry’s improvement. Ines was a good soldier..wish her well. As for Chen.. she might be a valuable and reliable depth player (if she’s willing to accept that role). Don’t want Rodriguez. We don’t need another PG especially with Fisher coming in 2025. WE NEED MORE SIZE. I would scour the portal for a C and use the last spot for that.
Maybe Dawn Staley will give Deberry a look we are in need of a center losing Cordosa. She's got talent she won't have to come in and be a big impact but be a roll player
At best, maybe one guard. But they definitely need some bigs. Gardiner would be great. I'm wondering if Beers is also thinking about leaving Oregon State as she would be perfect for UConn.
There's def going to be a lot of pressure on Paige coming next post-season being that this is her last yr probably (can't see her taking her final covid yr).
@@jjohnson3203 I agree but all the huge stars have that pressure and have met the moment.. i know it’s way different for her bc of the injuries and team situation but people can only give her grace for so long. She needs to be on a mission this year
Gonna disagree. She needs to be the main ball handler. She doesn't need to be the point guard. Paige coming off screens is what drives defenses crazy. She has a killer mid-game. Have the point bring the ball up and set the offense. This allows Paige to conserve energy so she can do Paige things when needed. Have to give a shout out to Ines. She wasn't a great shooter, ball handler or defender. But she kept working on those skills. And the few minutes when she got in, she HUSTLED. About once a game, when she got in, she would make a great hustle play. Best of luck to her. And Amari, I hope your degree will find you a career and help you serve others.
@@buzzard6410 True but that works if there’s more scorers around her too. I feel like Paige not having the ball enough was a huge reason why they struggled so much this year (other than injuries) but also I think she and Nika on the court together at the same time just didn’t really work.. I like how Paige and KK are synced and with Nika gone it might look a lot smoother with those two. Now with Aaliyah gone Paige will have to find that chemistry and connection with Ice and Sarah. not sure how Jana will adjust after injury.. I hope we get a solid center instead of masking a forward as a center
Ines is fundamentally sound in all aspects of her game, she will move in and do well. DeBerry also should see light at the end of the rainbow, wishing them both the best! Go UCONN Go Huskies Basketball 🏀
Excellent review as usual bro. I have serious doubts that Caroline Ducharme will ever be able to play full-time again on a consistent basis. I would like to be successful but I seriously doubt it hopefully I'm incorrect. Patterson is another player I have doubts about too keep my fingers crossed on her bc I've never seen a FR play her role so inconsistently bad. I will keep my fingers crossed on her too. I still think that UCONN still needs a productive experienced BIG like Reagan Beers if she became available as I hate to be totally dependent on a recovering Jana El Alfy who is recovering from Achilles surgery.
I don’t believe UConn can ever play Caroline again unless doctors tell them she won’t get a concussion when hit in the head. Geno and the doctors can’t afford Caroline to get knocked out of another game. The optics would be horrible.
@anthonytaylor7928 she's had 3 years to get stronger and faster. Every time she's been on the floor she looked out of sorts and slow getting up and down the floor
Did Gardiner go in the portal as well. What a shame as I really liked watching that Oregon State team play. Seems like they are all running to the portal due to the demise of the Pac-12 and them not having a spot in major conference. If Beers goes that will be big as she would be a great fit for UConn as well.
B2S gets 👍👍👍👍 for this report. Any info/update on the 2 foreign bigs that UCONN was rumored to be pursuing for ‘25 ? One was Portuguese and the other was Croatian. PS Ines was a good soldier and all the best. DeBusty’s departure is a positive.
It may be that these players will not be ready to go on opening day: Ducharme (I hope she retires for her own sake), Griffin, Fudd, and Patterson. If that turns out to be the case, then the available players at the moment would be Paige, the four freshmen from this year (including red shirt Brady), and the four freshmen (including red shirt El Alfy) coming in next year. Getting a few experienced players from the portal does seem like a good idea.
i am with you 100% !! whoever utilizes transfer portal wisely will win. none sense hoping for unproven freshman to play against upper classman and players from injuries to play just as good as before.
last 3 championship won by impact Transfer portal. if you can get all conference level player from Transfer, your team will intanstly change to contender. college coach who can utilize this new rule will win again and again imo. Just recruiting 4/5 star players won't be enough to compete national championship anymore. Transfer portal = free agency recruiting = draft IMHO you gotta use both, actually to me if you are big time program may be Transfer portal is more important. you almost make sure leave 2/3 slots open for potential transfer to come in adopt the new age or fade this is how I see new college basketball. as uconn fan, keep recruiting 5 stars but leave slots open for pf/c transfer just like dorka, azura...
They will be great where ever they go! I’m hoping this gives geno room to strengthen his already loaded roster with experienced talent. A lot of good names in the portal, Lucy Olsen from Villanova is a big grab for us she is in the big east already and averaging about 23ppg & Timea Gardiner from Oregon state she is a 6’3 Forward averaging 11ppg we need that post depth with sarah, jana and ayanna.
Lucy Olsen would create an even larger log jam at guard for UConn but maybe Geno could live with that. It would also allow Azzi time to recover fully with limited minutes in the beginning of the season. A starting lineup that included Paige and Lucy in the backcourt would be kinda scary. Lucy also plays with an intensity I think UConn needs. I love Azzi, Aubrey and Caroline, but their intensity is the quiet kind. What I love about KK and Ashlynn is that they bring the fire and show it! If Lucy doesn't come to UConn, I think she'd be a perfect fit at Iowa. Gardiner would be a great pick up, but I'd rather see her teammate, Beers, jump into the portal and land in Storrs.
@@alanlee3236 Why would Lucy even consider UConn? She's already suffered enough in the Big Easy. Let her go play in a REAL conference with REAL competition.
Nice take; Very comprehensive. Our minds think alike. That should scare you🤣 BTW it's Chen not Chin. Just sayin'. Yes Gandy is very raw. I believe she just started playing basketball. A real project but Geno and CD must see something. Laura Somfai is really, really good, very skilled. Inez has real talent. Hope she lands in a good situation. I don't mean this to be hateful but who would take Amari? Desperate Div 2 school? I wish the best for Amari but gotta be realistic.
This is a solid breakdown. Just a few things. Caroline is still a big ? due to the nature of her injuries. You really can’t gauge her health until she actually tries to play again. If she can’t take physical contact in basketball, I don’t see how she can continue playing the sport. Hoping things will work out for her. Jana began drills with the team during the Big East tourney so she looks good to go for the start of next season. Azzi was also doing light pre game workouts during the NCAA tourney. Haven’t seen Ayanna or Aubrey begin any activity yet. I don’t expect Aubrey to be ready until January. As far as transfers, Chen would be a great pick up and add depth to the PG position. I can also see UConn picking up a big in the portal, preferably one with multiple years left. Ice and Sarah will compete for the 4 spot. Ice is learning to play in the low block with her back to the basket. She didn’t do this much in high school. Right now she’s way more comfortable facing up where she can knock down shots.
We do not need another PG. Will miss Inês, she seems like a sweet kid with a lot of heart and I hope she gets lots of playing time wherever she heads. Amari needed to step up or leave ages ago.
This is great for Strong. No pressure for her to be the star right away. She will be able to learn a lot from Paige. Also, from the other upperclassmen. She eventually will take some pressure off of Paige in the last part of the season
@mplou699 No. She chose Uconn to get the coaching who will get the most out of her. They cover everything that goes into the development of a star. And becoming a pro-ready star. She has the talent and foundation. Geno wil push her to another level she may not know she has. Like he pushed this year's team decimated with injuries and undersized guards to the final 4. Sara and her family saw this. She said I want to be part of that.
It gives UConn more roster flexibility. There is no reason to believe they are ahead in the Rodriguez race though. Chen would be an upgrade to the backcourt. But that doesn’t seem like the biggest area of need. Might still be an exit or two. Ducharme, Ayanna, and Q. The chances of departing the program for those 3 is > 0% anyway. I think Q will stay at least.
Uconn has one more season where the roster is full of debris. By debris I mean recovering injured players with questionable ability to contribute to the games. Who knows what Azzi Aubrey and Caroline will be able to do. Or Ayanna and Jana. Then throw in an uneven Ice, who really needs to make a huge sophomore jump. Even with a full 15 player roster, this 2024 team seems thinner than it looks
Pretty sure everyone likes them both.. but both had limited ways to help the team at high D1 competition, be that defensively or offensively. They both would be able to contribute much more at a different competitive level and I suspect would enjoy the experience more than their current role at UCONN. As far as what UCONN will look for to replace them... if there was a Dorka out there.. that would be my vote! We are going to miss Edwards quite a bit next year.
If there is any implication that Azzi won’t be ready then Geno may go after Chin. Her minutes would still be up and down, because if Geno still has to play small ball, she would share the ball handling with Paige, and KK. Not counting Azzi and Ducharme if they are full strength.
Thank you very, very much! And I will check out some of those video's on the new players. Major concern to me is Paige and KK. KK must show she can handle the work of a point guard before it is handed to her. Paige can fill in as point guard when KK is on the bench. Something interesting happened this past season with Paige playing our of position. At first we all thought this is very bad but, it was necessary because of all the injuries. It turned out to be a positive move. Paige held her own in the front court defensively (of course the constant switching defense did not force her to go one on one against someone most of the time). But, offensively, with her slotted in as the 'small forward' she roamed the court at will and defenses had no idea where she would be on any given play! And, another factor to consider is if Paige does quite a bit of work as the point guard she will be going against quite a few point guards who run like deer's and Paige will he hard pressed to keep up and, at the same time, it might affect her offensive game. A lot of this strategy will have to do with who they are playing against. Center/strong forward: Ice Brady, Sarah Strong, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy. Shooting guard/small forward: Azzi Fudd, Ashlynn Shade, Caroline Ducharme, Qadence Samuels, Allie Ziebell, Morgan Cheli Point guard: KK Arnold Special drifting positions: Paige Bueckers, Aubrey Griffin. NOTE: 2 roster spots still open. LOOKS TO ME NIKA WILL BE MISSED VERY MUCH. Perhaps they can get their hands on a reserve point guard from the portals.
This is a good take, thanks for that. Some thoughts: DeBerry is no loss. She needs to go to a Div2 school. She'll shine there, but she's not cut out for Div1. She doesn't like to get physical. and that's a requirement in Div1. In Div2 she can overawe people with her height alone. Ines... I feel like we failed her. I can't even say she doesn't have the raw natural talent to play at Uconn. Even playing garbage minutes, she always had one exceptional play. She needed playing time to develop, and she wasn't getting any. (Who would have thought, back when we recruited her, Nika would come along to be Uconn's assist leader all time? That was a bolt from the blue-- not to mention desperately needed and much appreciated-- but it blew Ines out of the water. We had to play Nika all the time, and she took to it like a trooper.) Ines was a good soldier, and she took a chance on us too. Send her to a Div1 school who needs a point guard, give her a year to develop, and we'll see her again. Probably in the Final Four two years from now. Good luck and God bless, Ines. It doesn't look like it now, but you have a brilliant future. You just also had the misfortune to be playing behind Paige and Nika at this school. We've got an embarrassment of riches at the PF position. Ice, Ayanna and probably Sarah Strong all prefer that position to the center. It's a dog eat dog world; let them fight it out for playing time, and expect the worst one to go in the portal. Caroline... Who knows? Can she play? She won't even know until next year, if then. She'd be great if she can, but it's not worth ruining her health over. She's more of a wing/2 than a PF, but those positions are pretty much interchangeable anyway. Azzi... who knows again? She was limited by injury, and we haven't seen her play. The one thing I didn't like was her needing to get warmed up before she started hitting. That limits her to a starting role, to get warmed up before she starts to hit. (She could also use some help on defense, but not much.) She may develop into the all-time greatest, or she may be a flop. We have to wait and see. But center; ah yes, center. We need a big to back up Jana and Gandy-Lou. Preferably an experienced milker. That's a job for the transfer portal. We could take a graduate, one year will give us enough data and give both of the above time to develop. Or we could take somebody with 2 or more years left, if they were good enough to play. Reagan Beers, anybody? I don't know, but I'm really interested in a big body down low, one who can move. Of course, so is everybody else. While Chen would be an asset to anybody, I don't think she's quite the right fit for Uconn. Paige will play, certainly; but Chen will soak up minutes KK needs to become something wonderful. Would she agree to a platoon deal? What I am most excited about in the ability to press. If everybody's healthy, that gives Geno options. 😇😇😇
if Chen decide to come in, imo she will win 2 spots from azzi and kk. azzi is questionable because her injuries history and kk need to improve 3pts and finishing to the lane. Chen is already proven who she is, just like lou lopez.
@@doomsday4004 Could be. I still think we'd do better by pursuing a big. We need one, and we are at least adequately supplied with guards. There's no question Chen is good and would play anywhere, and I said as much. But I'm not Geno...
A lot of you did not watch Amari because oh boy she just does not have the right mentality for basketball at the college level. You can tell she doesn’t like the physicality at that level. She’ll play somewhere else I guess but those same problems will continue no matter where she goes
@@anthonytaylor7928 You can tell when she did play. She wanted no part of playing inside. And everyone involved with that program, if they were allowed to tell the truth without backlash would tell you the same thing. You know how else we know? SHE’S SIX FOOT FIVE INCHES TALL AND GENO STILL WOULDN’T PLAY HER! On a team that desperately needed size! If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know & take the hint, I don’t know what will
@@anthonytaylor7928 Chris Dailey expressed the same thing re: Amari's unwillingness to mix it up physically. The coaching staff worked really hard to try and get her to engage and post up. She also didn't practice well and that's an immediate seat on the bench in Geno's book. I think the most frustrating thing for the staff was that they saw glimpses of the player Amari could be but hardly any consistency or the willingness to put in the time and effort to take her game to the next level. Geno works his team harder in practice than he does on game day. I trust the guy with 11 championships to know whether one of his players has the mental fortitude to see playing time on the floor. There's only so much a staff can do to motivate a player. Then it's up to the player to prove that they're worthy of taking the court.
@@hiphopsince81watching her play is very frustrating lol. I’m surprised they kept her for that long. She hindered the progress of UConn tbh, had she developed into a dominant big, Paige and Edwards would not have had to play out of their natural position
If iriafen is in the portal. UConn at least needs to register interest. If they don’t, it would be pretty damning for Geno and his ability to compete in the current ncaa.
Sorry to see them go. Have liked both and don't think they got enough playing time for whatever reason. Ines played well in the game she subbed for Nika, but never got enough consistent playing time to fully show what she could do. Don't know what happened with Amari. But she too never got consistent time. It's gotta be tough coming of the bench for 1-2 minutes (if that.) Wish them both well for their future.
Some points 1. UCONN needs another quality 'big' given the uncertainty associated with players coming off injury. 2. I am a 76 year-old, somewhat retired girls basketball scout and writer. Some years ago, I was helping select the NY HS player of the year and DeBerry was one of the final options. I was not very impressed by her skill level (considering her more prospect than high level player) and settled on a somewhat less heralded player named Sonia Citron who has had a terrific career at Notre Dame. 3. Cheli is much more of a guard than Ducharme playing a lot of point guard in high school. She missed some time this year and more last year. She is more versatile than Ducharme. 4. While all programs look to stockpile players, Chen should go elsewhere if she wants major minutes. If not UCONN, I would guess West Coast (where she is from). 5. Rodriguez is Dominican and is considering UCONN and several Deep South programs. She is a good 3/4 player but a healthy UCONN does not need her next year. 6. Fisher is very talented but can be more up and down than the average UCONN starter. 7. Somfai is very skilled with size but maybe a half step slow. She has fought injuries and settling in since coming over to IMG from Australia. 8. I have never been a huge Brady or Patterson fan. It appears Brady is starting to fulfill potential (which is what she was higher on that chart in high school). 9. Alexander is a high quality multi-position athlete whose ability to shoot from the perimeter has been questioned. 10. Z. Johnson is less athletic than Alexander but can shoot it having good size. 11. McGaughy is coming off major lower leg surgery and was not the same player as last season during this high school season. When fully healthy, she is a special talent but question is when will she return to that form with consistency.
Very good video and on point. There is a player with experience that entered the portal that it will be of great help. I believe her las name is Hailey Van Lith. She has played with Beckers representing the USA in U18 categories. If you can get Rodriguez or another 6’2”- 6’3” player that can shoot the tree,it will be ideal. I’m sure Geno would have lots of options. Remember the times when UConn pressed the other teams the whole game? That is the type of scenario he could have with such a roster. GO HUSKIES!
Thx - I don't see HVL at UConn but who knows. I think west coast Stanford or UCLA. If she left playing for Walz - don't see her wanting to play for Geno but TBD.
I am happy for both players; maybe they'll actually get to play. My question is why does Geno keep players that he doesn't let play? He's doing no one any favors by doing so. "Let's keep them even though we don't give them a chance to play in the game." Can someone explain this to me?
If they bring in two player my guess would be a SR or Grad Transfer F/C and then Rodriguez. By taking a SR transfer for one year you bring in someone more mature that can play min right away ala Lou Lopez-Senechal (remember they expected Senechal to be more of a reserve but there were injuries and she was better than expected). Not only that by taking a SR you open that roster spot back up the next year for recruiting. I think Uconn is good at Guard or players that can play guard, but in the Front court they lack depth and experience.
It will be interesting to see how they fill the roster spots. I would go to the transfer portal and seek out seniors and/or grad students, who have extensive playing experience, who are known quantities and will be able to provide surefire scoring should they be called upon (ie, the Lou Lopez-Senechal pickup). They would be on the team for one year, freeing up that scholarship at the end of the season. Kaitlyn Chen is a perfect description of that; everybody knows how solid she is. However, I do not know if the team's biggest deficiency would be the guard position next season? If there were a 6'5 to 6'6 center in the portal that would be anywhere near the quality in that Center position that Chen would be in the Guard position, that would be who I would want, but not sure they will be able to find that unicorn! That said, just a good center would be my first look. Geno has very unproven 'bigs' that he will be relying upon, so I'd work hard to secure that need first and foremost! Is Dorka available? As far as replacing Bettencourt, as noted it seems that the team will have plenty of ball handling and scoring guard's next season. As such I would go after Liza Karlen from Marquette and/or Emma Ronsiek from Creighton. They are Big East known assets, they each averaged 17 pts per game for their respective teams (basically Aaliyah Edwards scoring numbers), and I think both of those two players would accept a UCONN offer in a split second. In essence, don't look to replace Ines Bettencourt, but rather look to replace Caroline Ducharme and/or Aubrey Griffin, assuming that each of those two may not be available early next season, which is when the UCONN schedule will be the most difficult!
Had to figure this was coming. They each deserve to go to a program where they can get some PT. I don’t see Chen coming as I think Geno’s investment at the guard position is who he has in hand but then I never saw Lou Lopez Senechal coming from Fairfield.
Note if you watch Cheli 's full HS games and not just highlights she primarily is their main PG and they have one of the best teams in CA. (Her HS team is currently ranked #2 nationally by MaxPreps) So she may be more of a PG than a traditional Wing, but she is a very active defender much like Muhl and Griffin but even longer. Her SR year averaging 15 points, 7.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals.
If they stay healthy UConn should be very good next season. Bueckers and Fudd haven't played any more than 17 games together, both #1 picks. If Strong works out and other veterans returning (Ducharme esp.) they should be in good shape. Plus Shade and KK now with lots of experience and successes as younger players. They got close this year with really 6 players if you discount DeBerry and Ines. Ines seemed like a very nice kid.
Hope you consider covering what is happening at Oregon State, or even briefly mentioning it. They're losing their Top 3 scorers after an Elite Eight run and their coach being named Pac 12 Coach of the year (by the media)
I really hope they get one more big 6'4" or better. I cannot see any decision about Caroline until the end of the academic year. But second year of this type of head injury does UConn even want to accept the risk of something bad happening. Just read an article about Becca Speak this morning, surfer who had 1 too many concussions, lost the ability to speak after the last one and months of rehab to gain that back. All accounts Caroline is a wonderful young woman, I hope everything works out for her.
I doubt it was completely their decision. UConn was likely out of athletic scholarships and needed to make room on the roster. At least that's what I predicted a few months ago. I also suggested UConn find a way to at least give them the option of a non-basketball scholarship if they wanted to finish their degrees at UConn. I'd love to see DeBerry go somewhere and star, as I still think she has the potential. VA Tech just lost their center.
You’re insinuating that UCONN threatened them with pulling their scholarships! Very Trumpian. The fact that neither had an opportunity for any minutes seems like the obvious reason. DeBusty is likely to get what she deserves. Time will tell.
UConn *always* honors scholarships. It's a core thing there. Even if you're terrible or injured, you get to stay through your degree. No pushing out. It was an open secret that the coaching staff were displeased with DeBerry but would support her even through an extra Covid year if she wanted, because that's their principle. My guess? Pure guess: she wants to go home. SUNY Buffalo is Division I and has an American Sign Language minor that she could turn into an individualized Deaf Studies major to continue her studies.
@@SweetSirenia I totally agree. Geno is old school when it comes to honoring a recruit's scholarship. If the player didn't succeed on the court, he sees it as the program's failure to develop that player on the court. But the program also takes great pride in developing the whole person, not just the player. I've seen multiple interviews w/Geno saying UConn will always stick by the player. If they choose to leave, that's their decision and we'll help them in any way we can to make that transition as smooth and positive as possible. I love that about Geno's program. If you commit to us, we commit to you. I imagine that the pressure on players is a lot tougher than it used to be, though. Some of the comments here and on other social media platforms hasn't been very kind to Amari. I can only imagine some of the nasty things being posted directly to her social media channels. I wish society wasn't like that, but if players like Gabbie Marshall and Angel Reese are getting death threats, I suppose Amari is also seeing the uglier side of our culture. But that's a great call re: Amari going home. Buffalo would be a good fit for her. She seems like a very sweet person that just wasn't a great fit, playing-wise, for UConn. I wish her nothing but success at her next stop both in life and on the court.
Not sure if anyone is still following this thread: 1. Geno is still a high level, exceptional coach, but the sport has evolved and surpassed his 11 championship system. You have to be dynamic in using everything you have in order to win in 2024-2025. Deberry and Bettancourt were wasted for what they could provide because they did not fit Geno's system which only works if you have a Stewie, Taurasi, Lobo, Byrd, etc. with an exceptional supporting cast (like what Iowa had!!!) For evidence, look at their usage last year. 2. Kaitlyn Chen from Princeton would be a perfect fit because she gives you quiet leadership which Paige doesnt want to provide, she is smart, she has a high basketball IQ, and she has a solid skill set. She perfectly fills in the gap from Nika Muhls departure and can be a glue for a team full of questionable players for 2024-2025. 3. Amari Deberry was NOT developed, and this is something Geno will not do if he doesnt like you early on. (Remember Sonaya Chong!!) After 2-3 years, this just becomes a toxic situation and players develop performance anxiety. Practice is important, but coaches sometimes have to get in a player's head despite their resistance. Deberry actually was a Stewie type player who refused to embrace what she was taught to play the post. 4. Ines Bettancourt put the work in, and I hope she finds herself at a top 25 Div 1 program and gets to prove everybody wrong!! She will need to hit the 3 pointer with consistency though. 5. Ducharme had her day in the sun when she saved UCONN's season when Paige went down the first time... Ever since the first concussion, she has been a questionable player and only is still in conversation because Geno LOVES her, unlike Deberry... 6. Azzi, Aubrey, Ayanna, and El Alfy are ALL recovery question marks, and next years teams only definites will be Paige, Shade, and KK. Geno will have to prove he can coach in 2024 still by reloading using the transfer portal, stop being stubborn and show he has learned from Coaches Staley and Hurley on how to win in 2024. 2000 through 2014 are in the past and gone!!!
It is sad to see Ines leave, but she can get PT elsewhere and shine, I hope! Amari…well…a bit of an enigma but clearly needs a change of scenery - you can‘t play at UConn without full commitment and she always seemed really tentative. They did both need to go elsewhere and I hope they do well and am pretty sure Ines will. As much as I‘d like to see Chen at UConn (instead of having to face her at USC or someplace), I‘m not sure KK gets the development she’ll need if that happens. And Chely could play PG when KK needs a rest, and we have Paige who obviously can do that too. And Sarah Strong seems to be a combo of wing and PF, so that it does seem to me that what would be really most helpful is a true post who can play a lot and help El Alfy develop…a one-year portal rental a la Dorka (yes, I know Dorka played two years, but I mean that style of player who is entering her senior year). But all that said, seems we can never have enough players lately…
The game has changed, and Geno is stubborn. He needs to adapt with the changes. Dan Hurley on the men's side has shown that if you play an up tempo game, having 2 post players that you can rotate in and out will wear out your opponents, AND keep your own players fresh. Getting a big from the portal to help El Alfy for a year, until Malou Mamel comes in the following year, will be essential.
During the addition of sponsors for female NCAA DIV-1 women athletes, who c are eyeing the WNBA as the next step, no one can Blake them fir investing in Improving their value as a athlete who has to have playing time wirh a team that needs them now. GODSPEED to Deberry & Bittencourt & thank you for your contributions to the Huskies & helping them get to The Finals 4.
emely rodriguez posted on instagram of south carolina’s championship and said “24-25” so i think she’s going to south carolina and is off the table for uconn
@@mplou699 Why not, she would be a perfect fit and UConn is projected #2 behind South Carolina already for next year. Where do you think she might land? There is also 6'6" Clara Silva from Portugal but with the way Ines worked out I doubt she will go to UConn.
@@rollandhawkins8311 Only the biased CBS has UConn ranked #2, not ESPN's Charlie Creme. CBS is showing disrespect towards TEXAS, they should be #2. Petty will not play for UConn's Big Easy conference.
There is also the off chance that Azzi will not be 100% and would be a reason to get another guard (shooting) in the portal or Geno may have only a 14 player roster.
Cheli is $ defensively and can shoot. She'll be biggest surprise of the year. And Ziebell is a light-out shooter. I think they have this position covered. Cheli, btw, is 6'2"
@@jeromedanielson4422 Princeton was in every game because of their defense. Chen would fin it well on defense. But I'm still not sure how much sense it makes for her to go to U Conn. They aren't short on guards. I'll be very interested to see where she ends up.
He said it wouldn't be surprising if Ines and UConn had a back-door agreement that she would play two years and then move on. I think there is 0 % chance of that.
I think Amari wanted to be Stewie and the Coaches wanted Dorka or Dolson. The thing that made Stewie great at UConn was that they was always another big to fill the post so that Stewie could be herself. UConn needed Amari to set screens, get rebounds on both ends, and defend in the paint. That isn't what she wanted. Caroline may need to shut it down and be a student this year. Concussions at her age that have lingering symptoms is not something to mess with. UConn needs to find at least one quality big that can play now. KK and Paige seemed to work well together this year. If Azzi can make it back for the beginning of the season she and Ashlynn can be shooters. After they find a big they should then look the best players available to develop.
I disagree about the Stewie-Amari parallel. The UConn coaches made Stewie very versatile, both offensively and defensively. Do you see Amari playing guard dog in the middle of the UConn defense?
I agree with you Amari doesn't want to be in the paint on defense. She doesn't seem to want to be in the paint on offense either. She wants to be shooting 10-15 footers over guards. The problem is she gets defended by another big. Then she gets lost on the defensive end.
On that last game:Paige played below expectations, Aliyah was well below, Nikka played well above, Ashlyn played well, but didn't shoot well, KK played well above, Ice did some good things, Q and Inez ddidn''t play
Paige was worn out, and as long as Geno continues to play her 40 minutes, she's going to either get injured again and ALWAYS "run out of gas". She does not have the speed to compete with all these FAST, new players.
So, this Transfer Portal is like the free Agency for the NBA. So, now the players and teams can negotiate deals to build up their careers and schools' super teams in the future?.
Nothing in her resume shows she was a post player. Her U16 and U18 Teams all said she was a finesse player...not a 5 so why would Geno put her in behind Edwards? This one was on coach or his recruiting!!
The story never told was who recruited DeBerry? How did she get ranked #15 in her HS class? Her performance showed she was not capable of playing at Div 1 level. Someone really blew it when they vetted her and gave full scholarship.
Back 2 Sports- Chen is a great fit as a PG. UConn should fill up all their roster spots because unfortunately, we have not seen a healthy team for 3 yrs now…fill up that bench for 2024/25 season just in case 🤷🏽♀️
Good video and I agree with everything you said, won’t miss DeBerry and honestly it was really frustrating to watch her games. I’ll be curious to see how she does elsewhere. Agree with other comments that we really do not need more guards, size is the issue at UConn and has been for the last few years. Can never have enough with all these injuries though obviously those skilled players with size are more challenging to find than a 5’10 guard. Would like to fact check you a bit - so Aubrey was injured in January, not November, and in fact had still been coming off the bench in the game she was injured (1/3) and the six games prior. Her last game as a starter was 12/3 in their loss to Texas.
Need a backup center. The limited history of AP and Ice indicates they are always in foul trouble. Until AF is 100%, the UCONN needs a consistent sniper like Lou. Ash was invisible at the Final Four due to fatigue.
It seems to me that Ice is always called for a foul in her 1st minute or so of play. I don't think all those fouls are true - it's the refs letting the rookie (and Geno, with his short bench) know who's boss. I expect her 'foul trouble' to improve dramatically in her sophomore season - it's El-Alfi and Strong that will be called next year. :-(
C’mon Gino, be more opened minded to the transfer portal and grab hold of a strong center or a seasoned power forward. This is Paige Bueckers’ last year, so instead of rebuilding the team, don’t neglect the best players coming out of the portal….like Raegan Beers, Emma Rosiek, or Lucy Olsen
Geno needs to evolve the strategy of playing 6 players and pretty much ignoring the rest of the team is gonna hurt in the long run.South Carolina pretty much played 9 players as opposed to Geno and his five or six.Who am I to give him advice I'm nobody but hopefully he can get bench players he trusts.
Edwards is gone ,Paige is leaving next year so lots of searching has to be done.....I believe that KK and Shade were excellent add ons...Fudd is a ??..is she going to be OK to take the team to F4????
Inez didn't make mistakes but she is so small and not a great athlete. I loved it when she hit a shot and I wish her well. DeBerry didn't ever make much of an impression. I still wish her well.
Even Stewie didn't like the position changes that Geno had in mind, but in the end look at the damn player that came out of it. And if Paige can play 4, why can't Strong as post? If she want to be pro-ready she better listen to the UConn coaching staff
@@FabrizioPati-i6f i didn't say she couldn't. Reliable sources surrounding her have said she does not want to. Watch some of her video's,she is seldom down there
@@chasnami Yes, you're right and to be brief I expressed myself badly. I meant that she must be ready to accept the changes that the UConn staff propose to her, because she will only be able to improve her baggage. Watch Paige develop her already good defensive skills
Well. !! Here's my poison Did Paige know before hand during the Hawkeyes game that her two sisters may leave? Wait! There's more I hope she goes to an ivy League school. As for my crush Bettencourt I hope to see her one day maybe at a wnba game.
I just don't see it. Imagine Geno is not a fan of 2.time.transfers as his take would be what was wrong with previous schools. As he usually on only likes grad transfers. Which she is but again don't think he is keen to be HVLs 3rd school
This guy said Brady was trash. Brady literally saved the Huskies season. He also said Jana was a project. Now he said she is serious. Take what he says with a of salt.
And Brady nearly ended their season in 2nd rd versus Syracuse . El Alfy will be a position type defender in mold del rosero at LSU she cannot change direction quickly but will be good on offence. She looked very raw at world championships but was expected.
Amari DeBerry won't all of a sudden become a star because she doesn't have the work habits that is require on a team like Uconn or any top level team. Uconn doesn't need Chen. Better off with another BIG. You don't know how Patterson, and Jana will do during the season after their injuries.. Good luck anyway..
A prayer of protection for our players. It will be awesome to see a bench of players not mostly in sweats.
Very sorry to see Inês leave but with all the new guards this year and next, the writing was on the wall. Amari seems like a great kid, just never lived up to her potential at UConn but that OK. Wish them both well at their new schools. They may get significant playing time at a mid-mahor or DII school.
I want the best for DeBerry and Bettehcourt as the appeared to be good teammates. I wish them the best in their new situations.
Amari never seemed to be fully engaged in playing.
I hope Ines gets some help from Geno to find a good fit. She came in as an emergency and deserves support as she was always playing hard.
Totally agree about Inês. They should absolutely help her find the program that deserves her.
@@EleanorHudd Shea could use the help at Vandy...
Great video and even greater news! It’s no secret is UConn fans were frustrated by the lack of DeBerry’s improvement. Ines was a good soldier..wish her well. As for Chen.. she might be a valuable and reliable depth player (if she’s willing to accept that role). Don’t want Rodriguez. We don’t need another PG especially with Fisher coming in 2025. WE NEED MORE SIZE. I would scour the portal for a C and use the last spot for that.
Maybe Dawn Staley will give Deberry a look we are in need of a center losing Cordosa. She's got talent she won't have to come in and be a big impact but be a roll player
Chen’s body language was off putting in the tournament but we’ll see if Geno really wants her
@@Bigballer-r7d Why would Dawn Staley want a big with no motor or competitive fire?
@@leanwitrockwit2087Carla Berube is a good connection
@@Bigballer-r7dHate to say this but DeBerry does not have talent for a team like Carolina. Low mid major maybe.
At best, maybe one guard. But they definitely need some bigs. Gardiner would be great. I'm wondering if Beers is also thinking about leaving Oregon State as she would be perfect for UConn.
Whatever happens Paige needs to be point guard next year!! she needs to be the primary ball handler it’s her last year she needs to get her natty
There's def going to be a lot of pressure on Paige coming next post-season being that this is her last yr probably (can't see her taking her final covid yr).
@@jjohnson3203 I agree but all the huge stars have that pressure and have met the moment.. i know it’s way different for her bc of the injuries and team situation but people can only give her grace for so long. She needs to be on a mission this year
@@leanwitrockwit2087 - Yes I totally agree
Gonna disagree. She needs to be the main ball handler. She doesn't need to be the point guard. Paige coming off screens is what drives defenses crazy. She has a killer mid-game. Have the point bring the ball up and set the offense. This allows Paige to conserve energy so she can do Paige things when needed.
Have to give a shout out to Ines. She wasn't a great shooter, ball handler or defender. But she kept working on those skills. And the few minutes when she got in, she HUSTLED. About once a game, when she got in, she would make a great hustle play. Best of luck to her. And Amari, I hope your degree will find you a career and help you serve others.
@@buzzard6410 True but that works if there’s more scorers around her too. I feel like Paige not having the ball enough was a huge reason why they struggled so much this year (other than injuries) but also I think she and Nika on the court together at the same time just didn’t really work.. I like how Paige and KK are synced and with Nika gone it might look a lot smoother with those two. Now with Aaliyah gone Paige will have to find that chemistry and connection with Ice and Sarah. not sure how Jana will adjust after injury.. I hope we get a solid center instead of masking a forward as a center
Ines is fundamentally sound in all aspects of her game, she will move in and do well.
DeBerry also should see light at the end of the rainbow, wishing them both the best!
Go UCONN
Go Huskies
Basketball 🏀
Excellent review as usual bro. I have serious doubts that Caroline Ducharme will ever be able to play full-time again on a consistent basis. I would like to be successful but I seriously doubt it hopefully I'm incorrect. Patterson is another player I have doubts about too keep my fingers crossed on her bc I've never seen a FR play her role so inconsistently bad. I will keep my fingers crossed on her too. I still think that UCONN still needs a productive experienced BIG like Reagan Beers if she became available as I hate to be totally dependent on a recovering Jana El Alfy who is recovering from Achilles surgery.
I don’t believe UConn can ever play Caroline again unless doctors tell them she won’t get a concussion when hit in the head. Geno and the doctors can’t afford Caroline to get knocked out of another game. The optics would be horrible.
for carolina, she need to move from contact sports... there is more in her life. life is not disney ending... wish her well
@@doomsday4004 I agree with that sentiment.
Beers is NOT transferring, and she would not come to UConn anyway.
@@mplou699beers just entered the portal TONIGHT lol
Neither of these players i'm surprised at leaving. Bettencourt has shown she has the potential. DeBerry i don't think is cut for div 1.
Don't know that about deberry if she doesn't see the floor
@anthonytaylor7928 she's had 3 years to get stronger and faster. Every time she's been on the floor she looked out of sorts and slow getting up and down the floor
@@philipwhatley6742agreed. It’s quite frustrating tbh, she could’ve been such good help in the post along with Edwards if she ever developed
DeBerry should have stayed home and gone to the University of Buffalo. She would have done well there.
UConn should contact Timea Gardiner, a forward, from Oregon. She just entered the transfer portal and was outstanding playing for Oregon.
@rudypeutl8259 Gardiner plays for Oregon State, not Oregon. She will be a great acquisition for whoever gets her.
Did Gardiner go in the portal as well. What a shame as I really liked watching that Oregon State team play. Seems like they are all running to the portal due to the demise of the Pac-12 and them not having a spot in major conference. If Beers goes that will be big as she would be a great fit for UConn as well.
Wow. She would be a great pick up.
I said the same thing! I love this pickup for UCONN
@@VincentBaker-j1b I do apologize, my bad. Ar least I got the state righ.
Great update. Thank you.
NP thx
B2S gets 👍👍👍👍 for this report. Any info/update on the 2 foreign bigs that UCONN was rumored to be pursuing for ‘25 ? One was Portuguese and the other was Croatian.
PS Ines was a good soldier and all the best. DeBusty’s departure is a positive.
It may be that these players will not be ready to go on opening day: Ducharme (I hope she retires for her own sake), Griffin, Fudd, and Patterson. If that turns out to be the case, then the available players at the moment would be Paige, the four freshmen from this year (including red shirt Brady), and the four freshmen (including red shirt El Alfy) coming in next year. Getting a few experienced players from the portal does seem like a good idea.
i am with you 100% !!
whoever utilizes transfer portal wisely will win. none sense hoping for unproven freshman to play against upper classman and players from injuries to play just as good as before.
I hope Ducharme plays if she’s able, if not that’s cool too.
last 3 championship won by impact Transfer portal.
if you can get all conference level player from Transfer, your team will intanstly change to contender.
college coach who can utilize this new rule will win again and again imo.
Just recruiting 4/5 star players won't be enough to compete national championship anymore.
Transfer portal = free agency
recruiting = draft
IMHO you gotta use both, actually to me if you are big time program may be Transfer portal is more important.
you almost make sure leave 2/3 slots open for potential transfer to come in
adopt the new age or fade
this is how I see new college basketball.
as uconn fan, keep recruiting 5 stars but leave slots open for pf/c transfer just like dorka, azura...
appreciate your work.
They will be great where ever they go! I’m hoping this gives geno room to strengthen his already loaded roster with experienced talent. A lot of good names in the portal, Lucy Olsen from Villanova is a big grab for us she is in the big east already and averaging about 23ppg & Timea Gardiner from Oregon state she is a 6’3 Forward averaging 11ppg we need that post depth with sarah, jana and ayanna.
Lucy Olsen is in the Portal??? Wow.
@@alanlee3236 She's good. Whoever gets her will be happy.
Lucy Olsen would create an even larger log jam at guard for UConn but maybe Geno could live with that. It would also allow Azzi time to recover fully with limited minutes in the beginning of the season. A starting lineup that included Paige and Lucy in the backcourt would be kinda scary. Lucy also plays with an intensity I think UConn needs. I love Azzi, Aubrey and Caroline, but their intensity is the quiet kind. What I love about KK and Ashlynn is that they bring the fire and show it! If Lucy doesn't come to UConn, I think she'd be a perfect fit at Iowa. Gardiner would be a great pick up, but I'd rather see her teammate, Beers, jump into the portal and land in Storrs.
@@alanlee3236 Why would Lucy even consider UConn? She's already suffered enough in the Big Easy. Let her go play in a REAL conference with REAL competition.
Nice take; Very comprehensive. Our minds think alike. That should scare you🤣
BTW it's Chen not Chin. Just sayin'. Yes Gandy is very raw. I believe she just started playing basketball. A real project but Geno and CD must see something. Laura Somfai is really, really good, very skilled.
Inez has real talent. Hope she lands in a good situation. I don't mean this to be hateful but who would take Amari? Desperate Div 2 school? I wish the best for Amari but gotta be realistic.
This is a solid breakdown. Just a few things. Caroline is still a big ? due to the nature of her injuries. You really can’t gauge her health until she actually tries to play again. If she can’t take physical contact in basketball, I don’t see how she can continue playing the sport. Hoping things will work out for her. Jana began drills with the team during the Big East tourney so she looks good to go for the start of next season. Azzi was also doing light pre game workouts during the NCAA tourney. Haven’t seen Ayanna or Aubrey begin any activity yet. I don’t expect Aubrey to be ready until January. As far as transfers, Chen would be a great pick up and add depth to the PG position. I can also see UConn picking up a big in the portal, preferably one with multiple years left. Ice and Sarah will compete for the 4 spot. Ice is learning to play in the low block with her back to the basket. She didn’t do this much in high school. Right now she’s way more comfortable facing up where she can knock down shots.
ice need some post move to be more effective next year. 6'3 own the block and no one take her minutes.
ice need some post move to be more effective next year. 6'3 own the block and no one take her minutes.
We do not need another PG. Will miss Inês, she seems like a sweet kid with a lot of heart and I hope she gets lots of playing time wherever she heads. Amari needed to step up or leave ages ago.
This is great for Strong. No pressure for her to be the star right away. She will be able to learn a lot from Paige. Also, from the other upperclassmen.
She eventually will take some pressure off of Paige in the last part of the season
No pressure for Strong to be the star??? Good God, isn't that why she chose UConn?
@mplou699 No. She chose Uconn to get the coaching who will get the most out of her. They cover everything that goes into the development of a star. And becoming a pro-ready star. She has the talent and foundation. Geno wil push her to another level she may not know she has. Like he pushed this year's
team decimated with injuries and undersized guards to the final 4.
Sara and her family saw this. She said I want to be part of that.
Adia Barnes Arizona needs bodies go there just like Staley she has that experience from player to coach and will be brutally honest with her players
Barnes runs people out of the program. She has struggled to retain players the last couple of summers.
It gives UConn more roster flexibility.
There is no reason to believe they are ahead in the Rodriguez race though. Chen would be an upgrade to the backcourt. But that doesn’t seem like the biggest area of need.
Might still be an exit or two. Ducharme, Ayanna, and Q. The chances of departing the program for those 3 is > 0% anyway. I think Q will stay at least.
Q needs to transfer to Baylor, she's got everything DiDi Richards had a more.
Uconn has one more season where the roster is full of debris. By debris I mean recovering injured players with questionable ability to contribute to the games. Who knows what Azzi Aubrey and Caroline will be able to do. Or Ayanna and Jana. Then throw in an uneven Ice, who really needs to make a huge sophomore jump. Even with a full 15 player roster, this 2024 team seems thinner than it looks
so many questions... so many questionable players... I hope they use the transfer portal wisely
inez was everywhere in the short time she played...you can see monster potential.. please tcu pick he up!!!!!
Great video thank you!
Pretty sure everyone likes them both.. but both had limited ways to help the team at high D1 competition, be that defensively or offensively. They both would be able to contribute much more at a different competitive level and I suspect would enjoy the experience more than their current role at UCONN. As far as what UCONN will look for to replace them... if there was a Dorka out there.. that would be my vote! We are going to miss Edwards quite a bit next year.
If there is any implication that Azzi won’t be ready then Geno may go after Chin. Her minutes would still be up and down, because if Geno still has to play small ball, she would share the ball handling with Paige, and KK. Not counting Azzi and Ducharme if they are full strength.
Thank you very, very much! And I will check out some of those video's on the new players. Major concern to me is Paige and KK. KK must show she can handle the work of a point guard before it is handed to her. Paige can fill in as point guard when KK is on the bench. Something interesting happened this past season with Paige playing our of position. At first we all thought this is very bad but, it was necessary because of all the injuries. It turned out to be a positive move. Paige held her own in the front court defensively (of course the constant switching defense did not force her to go one on one against someone most of the time). But, offensively, with her slotted in as the 'small forward' she roamed the court at will and defenses had no idea where she would be on any given play! And, another factor to consider is if Paige does quite a bit of work as the point guard she will be going against quite a few point guards who run like deer's and Paige will he hard pressed to keep up and, at the same time, it might affect her offensive game. A lot of this strategy will have to do with who they are playing against.
Center/strong forward: Ice Brady, Sarah Strong, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy.
Shooting guard/small forward: Azzi Fudd, Ashlynn Shade, Caroline Ducharme, Qadence Samuels, Allie Ziebell, Morgan Cheli
Point guard: KK Arnold
Special drifting positions: Paige Bueckers, Aubrey Griffin.
NOTE: 2 roster spots still open.
LOOKS TO ME NIKA WILL BE MISSED VERY MUCH. Perhaps they can get their hands on a reserve point guard from the portals.
This is a good take, thanks for that. Some thoughts:
DeBerry is no loss. She needs to go to a Div2 school. She'll shine there, but she's not cut out for Div1. She doesn't like to get physical. and that's a requirement in Div1. In Div2 she can overawe people with her height alone.
Ines... I feel like we failed her. I can't even say she doesn't have the raw natural talent to play at Uconn. Even playing garbage minutes, she always had one exceptional play. She needed playing time to develop, and she wasn't getting any. (Who would have thought, back when we recruited her, Nika would come along to be Uconn's assist leader all time? That was a bolt from the blue-- not to mention desperately needed and much appreciated-- but it blew Ines out of the water. We had to play Nika all the time, and she took to it like a trooper.) Ines was a good soldier, and she took a chance on us too. Send her to a Div1 school who needs a point guard, give her a year to develop, and we'll see her again. Probably in the Final Four two years from now. Good luck and God bless, Ines. It doesn't look like it now, but you have a brilliant future. You just also had the misfortune to be playing behind Paige and Nika at this school.
We've got an embarrassment of riches at the PF position. Ice, Ayanna and probably Sarah Strong all prefer that position to the center. It's a dog eat dog world; let them fight it out for playing time, and expect the worst one to go in the portal.
Caroline... Who knows? Can she play? She won't even know until next year, if then. She'd be great if she can, but it's not worth ruining her health over. She's more of a wing/2 than a PF, but those positions are pretty much interchangeable anyway.
Azzi... who knows again? She was limited by injury, and we haven't seen her play. The one thing I didn't like was her needing to get warmed up before she started hitting. That limits her to a starting role, to get warmed up before she starts to hit. (She could also use some help on defense, but not much.) She may develop into the all-time greatest, or she may be a flop. We have to wait and see.
But center; ah yes, center. We need a big to back up Jana and Gandy-Lou. Preferably an experienced milker. That's a job for the transfer portal. We could take a graduate, one year will give us enough data and give both of the above time to develop. Or we could take somebody with 2 or more years left, if they were good enough to play. Reagan Beers, anybody? I don't know, but I'm really interested in a big body down low, one who can move. Of course, so is everybody else.
While Chen would be an asset to anybody, I don't think she's quite the right fit for Uconn. Paige will play, certainly; but Chen will soak up minutes KK needs to become something wonderful. Would she agree to a platoon deal?
What I am most excited about in the ability to press. If everybody's healthy, that gives Geno options. 😇😇😇
if Chen decide to come in, imo she will win 2 spots from azzi and kk. azzi is questionable because her injuries history and kk need to improve 3pts and finishing to the lane. Chen is already proven who she is, just like lou lopez.
@@doomsday4004 Could be. I still think we'd do better by pursuing a big. We need one, and we are at least adequately supplied with guards. There's no question Chen is good and would play anywhere, and I said as much. But I'm not Geno...
A lot of you did not watch Amari because oh boy she just does not have the right mentality for basketball at the college level. You can tell she doesn’t like the physicality at that level. She’ll play somewhere else I guess but those same problems will continue no matter where she goes
Which is sad because the potential is there and her height advantage
How are u gonna comment on someones mentality if she doesn't see the floor
@@anthonytaylor7928 You can tell when she did play. She wanted no part of playing inside. And everyone involved with that program, if they were allowed to tell the truth without backlash would tell you the same thing. You know how else we know? SHE’S SIX FOOT FIVE INCHES TALL AND GENO STILL WOULDN’T PLAY HER! On a team that desperately needed size! If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know & take the hint, I don’t know what will
@@anthonytaylor7928 Chris Dailey expressed the same thing re: Amari's unwillingness to mix it up physically. The coaching staff worked really hard to try and get her to engage and post up. She also didn't practice well and that's an immediate seat on the bench in Geno's book. I think the most frustrating thing for the staff was that they saw glimpses of the player Amari could be but hardly any consistency or the willingness to put in the time and effort to take her game to the next level. Geno works his team harder in practice than he does on game day. I trust the guy with 11 championships to know whether one of his players has the mental fortitude to see playing time on the floor. There's only so much a staff can do to motivate a player. Then it's up to the player to prove that they're worthy of taking the court.
@@hiphopsince81watching her play is very frustrating lol. I’m surprised they kept her for that long. She hindered the progress of UConn tbh, had she developed into a dominant big, Paige and Edwards would not have had to play out of their natural position
If iriafen is in the portal. UConn at least needs to register interest. If they don’t, it would be pretty damning for Geno and his ability to compete in the current ncaa.
KiKi has too many West Coasts teams to consider, but I don't see her transferring at all.
Sorry to see them go. Have liked both and don't think they got enough playing time for whatever reason. Ines played well in the game she subbed for Nika, but never got enough consistent playing time to fully show what she could do. Don't know what happened with Amari. But she too never got consistent time. It's gotta be tough coming of the bench for 1-2 minutes (if that.) Wish them both well for their future.
Some points
1. UCONN needs another quality 'big' given the uncertainty associated with players coming off injury.
2. I am a 76 year-old, somewhat retired girls basketball scout and writer. Some years ago, I was helping select the NY HS player of the year and DeBerry was one of the final options. I was not very impressed by her skill level (considering her more prospect than high level player) and settled on a somewhat less heralded player named Sonia Citron who has had a terrific career at Notre Dame.
3. Cheli is much more of a guard than Ducharme playing a lot of point guard in high school. She missed some time this year and more last year. She is more versatile than Ducharme.
4. While all programs look to stockpile players, Chen should go elsewhere if she wants major minutes. If not UCONN, I would guess West Coast (where she is from).
5. Rodriguez is Dominican and is considering UCONN and several Deep South programs. She is a good 3/4 player but a healthy UCONN does not need her next year.
6. Fisher is very talented but can be more up and down than the average UCONN starter.
7. Somfai is very skilled with size but maybe a half step slow. She has fought injuries and settling in since coming over to IMG from Australia.
8. I have never been a huge Brady or Patterson fan. It appears Brady is starting to fulfill potential (which is what she was higher on that chart in high school).
9. Alexander is a high quality multi-position athlete whose ability to shoot from the perimeter has been questioned.
10. Z. Johnson is less athletic than Alexander but can shoot it having good size.
11. McGaughy is coming off major lower leg surgery and was not the same player as last season during this high school season. When fully healthy, she is a special talent but question is when will she return to that form with consistency.
You should work for Geno. I think he help
Very good video and on point. There is a player with experience that entered the portal that it will be of great help. I believe her las name is Hailey Van Lith. She has played with Beckers representing the USA in U18 categories. If you can get Rodriguez or another 6’2”- 6’3” player that can shoot the tree,it will be ideal. I’m sure Geno would have lots of options. Remember the times when UConn pressed the other teams the whole game? That is the type of scenario he could have with such a roster. GO HUSKIES!
Thx - I don't see HVL at UConn but who knows. I think west coast Stanford or UCLA. If she left playing for Walz - don't see her wanting to play for Geno but TBD.
Looks like she‘s off the board now anyway, but I cannot imagine Geno being interested in HVL…
With DeBerry and Bettencourt leaving UConn should pick up Emma Ronsiek from Creighton
I am happy for both players; maybe they'll actually get to play. My question is why does Geno keep players that he doesn't let play? He's doing no one any favors by doing so. "Let's keep them even though we don't give them a chance to play in the game." Can someone explain this to me?
They gave it a go. Good choice considering how loaded UConn will be next year.
If they bring in two player my guess would be a SR or Grad Transfer F/C and then Rodriguez. By taking a SR transfer for one year you bring in someone more mature that can play min right away ala Lou Lopez-Senechal (remember they expected Senechal to be more of a reserve but there were injuries and she was better than expected). Not only that by taking a SR you open that roster spot back up the next year for recruiting. I think Uconn is good at Guard or players that can play guard, but in the Front court they lack depth and experience.
It will be interesting to see how they fill the roster spots. I would go to the transfer portal and seek out seniors and/or grad students, who have extensive playing experience, who are known quantities and will be able to provide surefire scoring should they be called upon (ie, the Lou Lopez-Senechal pickup). They would be on the team for one year, freeing up that scholarship at the end of the season. Kaitlyn Chen is a perfect description of that; everybody knows how solid she is. However, I do not know if the team's biggest deficiency would be the guard position next season? If there were a 6'5 to 6'6 center in the portal that would be anywhere near the quality in that Center position that Chen would be in the Guard position, that would be who I would want, but not sure they will be able to find that unicorn! That said, just a good center would be my first look. Geno has very unproven 'bigs' that he will be relying upon, so I'd work hard to secure that need first and foremost! Is Dorka available?
As far as replacing Bettencourt, as noted it seems that the team will have plenty of ball handling and scoring guard's next season. As such I would go after Liza Karlen from Marquette and/or Emma Ronsiek from Creighton. They are Big East known assets, they each averaged 17 pts per game for their respective teams (basically Aaliyah Edwards scoring numbers), and I think both of those two players would accept a UCONN offer in a split second. In essence, don't look to replace Ines Bettencourt, but rather look to replace Caroline Ducharme and/or Aubrey Griffin, assuming that each of those two may not be available early next season, which is when the UCONN schedule will be the most difficult!
We need another big, another strong reliable big
Had to figure this was coming. They each deserve to go to a program where they can get some PT. I don’t see Chen coming as I think Geno’s investment at the guard position is who he has in hand but then I never saw Lou Lopez Senechal coming from Fairfield.
Note if you watch Cheli 's full HS games and not just highlights she primarily is their main PG and they have one of the best teams in CA. (Her HS team is currently ranked #2 nationally by MaxPreps) So she may be more of a PG than a traditional Wing, but she is a very active defender much like Muhl and Griffin but even longer. Her SR year averaging 15 points, 7.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals.
Yep have not watched much of her senior year games but she is good - long, can handle the ball, can pass, - A home run for UConn IMO.
If they stay healthy UConn should be very good next season. Bueckers and Fudd haven't played any more than 17 games together, both #1 picks. If Strong works out and other veterans returning (Ducharme esp.) they should be in good shape. Plus Shade and KK now with lots of experience and successes as younger players. They got close this year with really 6 players if you discount DeBerry and Ines. Ines seemed like a very nice kid.
Hope you consider covering what is happening at Oregon State, or even briefly mentioning it. They're losing their Top 3 scorers after an Elite Eight run and their coach being named Pac 12 Coach of the year (by the media)
Sara Strong is a roaming 4 she's not a traditional post player
she will be better version of ice brandy.
I really hope they get one more big 6'4" or better. I cannot see any decision about Caroline until the end of the academic year. But second year of this type of head injury does UConn even want to accept the risk of something bad happening. Just read an article about Becca Speak this morning, surfer who had 1 too many concussions, lost the ability to speak after the last one and months of rehab to gain that back. All accounts Caroline is a wonderful young woman, I hope everything works out for her.
I doubt it was completely their decision. UConn was likely out of athletic scholarships and needed to make room on the roster. At least that's what I predicted a few months ago. I also suggested UConn find a way to at least give them the option of a non-basketball scholarship if they wanted to finish their degrees at UConn.
I'd love to see DeBerry go somewhere and star, as I still think she has the potential. VA Tech just lost their center.
VTech has a new coach who likes rebounding and can probably do better than DeBerry.
You’re insinuating that UCONN threatened them with pulling their scholarships! Very Trumpian. The fact that neither had an opportunity for any minutes seems like the obvious reason. DeBusty is likely to get what she deserves. Time will tell.
UConn *always* honors scholarships. It's a core thing there. Even if you're terrible or injured, you get to stay through your degree. No pushing out.
It was an open secret that the coaching staff were displeased with DeBerry but would support her even through an extra Covid year if she wanted, because that's their principle.
My guess? Pure guess: she wants to go home. SUNY Buffalo is Division I and has an American Sign Language minor that she could turn into an individualized Deaf Studies major to continue her studies.
@@SweetSirenia I totally agree. Geno is old school when it comes to honoring a recruit's scholarship. If the player didn't succeed on the court, he sees it as the program's failure to develop that player on the court. But the program also takes great pride in developing the whole person, not just the player. I've seen multiple interviews w/Geno saying UConn will always stick by the player. If they choose to leave, that's their decision and we'll help them in any way we can to make that transition as smooth and positive as possible. I love that about Geno's program. If you commit to us, we commit to you. I imagine that the pressure on players is a lot tougher than it used to be, though. Some of the comments here and on other social media platforms hasn't been very kind to Amari. I can only imagine some of the nasty things being posted directly to her social media channels. I wish society wasn't like that, but if players like Gabbie Marshall and Angel Reese are getting death threats, I suppose Amari is also seeing the uglier side of our culture. But that's a great call re: Amari going home. Buffalo would be a good fit for her. She seems like a very sweet person that just wasn't a great fit, playing-wise, for UConn. I wish her nothing but success at her next stop both in life and on the court.
@@markhathaway9456 But VA Tech star center is going to WNBA and the Freshman center is leaving. VA Tech is going to have plenty of openings.
Not sure if anyone is still following this thread:
1. Geno is still a high level, exceptional coach, but the sport has evolved and surpassed his 11 championship system. You have to be dynamic in using everything you have in order to win in 2024-2025. Deberry and Bettancourt were wasted for what they could provide because they did not fit Geno's system which only works if you have a Stewie, Taurasi, Lobo, Byrd, etc. with an exceptional supporting cast (like what Iowa had!!!) For evidence, look at their usage last year.
2. Kaitlyn Chen from Princeton would be a perfect fit because she gives you quiet leadership which Paige doesnt want to provide, she is smart, she has a high basketball IQ, and she has a solid skill set. She perfectly fills in the gap from Nika Muhls departure and can be a glue for a team full of questionable players for 2024-2025.
3. Amari Deberry was NOT developed, and this is something Geno will not do if he doesnt like you early on. (Remember Sonaya Chong!!) After 2-3 years, this just becomes a toxic situation and players develop performance anxiety. Practice is important, but coaches sometimes have to get in a player's head despite their resistance. Deberry actually was a Stewie type player who refused to embrace what she was taught to play the post.
4. Ines Bettancourt put the work in, and I hope she finds herself at a top 25 Div 1 program and gets to prove everybody wrong!! She will need to hit the 3 pointer with consistency though.
5. Ducharme had her day in the sun when she saved UCONN's season when Paige went down the first time... Ever since the first concussion, she has been a questionable player and only is still in conversation because Geno LOVES her, unlike Deberry...
6. Azzi, Aubrey, Ayanna, and El Alfy are ALL recovery question marks, and next years teams only definites will be Paige, Shade, and KK. Geno will have to prove he can coach in 2024 still by reloading using the transfer portal, stop being stubborn and show he has learned from Coaches Staley and Hurley on how to win in 2024. 2000 through 2014 are in the past and gone!!!
It is sad to see Ines leave, but she can get PT elsewhere and shine, I hope! Amari…well…a bit of an enigma but clearly needs a change of scenery - you can‘t play at UConn without full commitment and she always seemed really tentative. They did both need to go elsewhere and I hope they do well and am pretty sure Ines will.
As much as I‘d like to see Chen at UConn (instead of having to face her at USC or someplace), I‘m not sure KK gets the development she’ll need if that happens. And Chely could play PG when KK needs a rest, and we have Paige who obviously can do that too. And Sarah Strong seems to be a combo of wing and PF, so that it does seem to me that what would be really most helpful is a true post who can play a lot and help El Alfy develop…a one-year portal rental a la Dorka (yes, I know Dorka played two years, but I mean that style of player who is entering her senior year).
But all that said, seems we can never have enough players lately…
The game has changed, and Geno is stubborn. He needs to adapt with the changes. Dan Hurley on the men's side has shown that if you play an up tempo game, having 2 post players that you can rotate in and out will wear out your opponents, AND keep your own players fresh. Getting a big from the portal to help El Alfy for a year, until Malou Mamel comes in the following year, will be essential.
During the addition of sponsors for female NCAA DIV-1 women athletes, who c are eyeing the WNBA as the next step, no one can Blake them fir investing in Improving their value as a athlete who has to have playing time wirh a team that needs them now. GODSPEED to Deberry & Bittencourt & thank you for your contributions to the Huskies & helping them get to The Finals 4.
emely rodriguez posted on instagram of south carolina’s championship and said “24-25” so i think she’s going to south carolina and is off the table for uconn
UConn doesn't need Chen. They have enough guards. They need bigs like Ajae Petty 6'3"- 14.7 ppg and 10.6 rpg.
Petty won't play in the Big Easy.
@@mplou699 Why not, she would be a perfect fit and UConn is projected #2 behind South Carolina already for next year. Where do you think she might land? There is also 6'6" Clara Silva from Portugal but with the way Ines worked out I doubt she will go to UConn.
@@rollandhawkins8311 Only the biased CBS has UConn ranked #2, not ESPN's Charlie Creme. CBS is showing disrespect towards TEXAS, they should be #2. Petty will not play for UConn's Big Easy conference.
There is also the off chance that Azzi will not be 100% and would be a reason to get another guard (shooting) in the portal or Geno may have only a 14 player roster.
Very true
@@back2sports How are Chen's defensive skills? Fudd's skill on defense is questionable.
Fudd is not physical enough on defense.
Cheli is $ defensively and can shoot. She'll be biggest surprise of the year. And Ziebell is a light-out shooter. I think they have this position covered. Cheli, btw, is 6'2"
@@jeromedanielson4422 Princeton was in every game because of their defense. Chen would fin it well on defense. But I'm still not sure how much sense it makes for her to go to U Conn. They aren't short on guards. I'll be very interested to see where she ends up.
another fast PG like KK and a center would be good preferably senior or grad transfers
Don't sweat it, you pronounce "Johnson" perfectly
Oregon State Timea Gardiner and Michigan star Laila Phelia both in the portal. Both would look great in UCONN jerseys.
I don't think either are considering UConn.
She does have that gigantic center coming in next season.
Time to say goodbye to Ayanna also. She brings little to the table
He said it wouldn't be surprising if Ines and UConn had a back-door agreement that she would play two years and then move on. I think there is 0 % chance of that.
When does Emely announce
I hope Uconn contact Raegen Bears from Oregon State, she will fit well with the center position
I think Amari wanted to be Stewie and the Coaches wanted Dorka or Dolson. The thing that made Stewie great at UConn was that they was always another big to fill the post so that Stewie could be herself. UConn needed Amari to set screens, get rebounds on both ends, and defend in the paint. That isn't what she wanted. Caroline may need to shut it down and be a student this year. Concussions at her age that have lingering symptoms is not something to mess with. UConn needs to find at least one quality big that can play now. KK and Paige seemed to work well together this year. If Azzi can make it back for the beginning of the season she and Ashlynn can be shooters. After they find a big they should then look the best players available to develop.
I disagree about the Stewie-Amari parallel. The UConn coaches made Stewie very versatile, both offensively and defensively. Do you see Amari playing guard dog in the middle of the UConn defense?
I agree with you Amari doesn't want to be in the paint on defense. She doesn't seem to want to be in the paint on offense either. She wants to be shooting 10-15 footers over guards. The problem is she gets defended by another big. Then she gets lost on the defensive end.
Ines should go to Vandy, Oklahoma, or perhaps Utah where another country mate (Vieira) of her plays point guard.
On that last game:Paige played below expectations, Aliyah was well below, Nikka played well above, Ashlyn played well, but didn't shoot well, KK played well above, Ice did some good things, Q and Inez ddidn''t play
Paige was worn out, and as long as Geno continues to play her 40 minutes, she's going to either get injured again and ALWAYS "run out of gas". She does not have the speed to compete with all these FAST, new players.
So, this Transfer Portal is like the free Agency for the NBA. So, now the players and teams can negotiate deals to build up their careers and schools' super teams in the future?.
Nothing in her resume shows she was a post player. Her U16 and U18 Teams all said she was a finesse player...not a 5 so why would Geno put her in behind Edwards? This one was on coach or his recruiting!!
@back2sports
Lucy Olsen is in the portal!!! Whoa. Forget Chen or Rodriguez.. Olsen was s a BALLER! Thoughts?
I say take her. She improved so much last season.
The story never told was who recruited DeBerry? How did she get ranked #15 in her HS class? Her performance showed she was not capable of playing at Div 1 level. Someone really blew it when they vetted her and gave full scholarship.
ua-cam.com/video/lQ9dfL4WvFk/v-deo.html. This video explains it
Back 2 Sports- Chen is a great fit as a PG. UConn should fill up all their roster spots because unfortunately, we have not seen a healthy team for 3 yrs now…fill up that bench for 2024/25 season just in case 🤷🏽♀️
Tend to agree Michelle- UConn has proved over the last two years you can't have enough depth.
Ines could have played more at a different school. Going to UConn was a mistake for her.
Where can A’mari go at this point?
I thought for one season, it worked out great. But she should have left last summer. That I agree with.
Ines was headed to a juco before UConn offered her. I'm sure she meant every word of her transfer announcement post. Not a mistake at all.
Unrelated, but Tara Van Derveer just announced her retirement.
Saw that. Will likely get video out on it
Hope he can find some more size in the front court.
Put Strong there, she's just an inch shorter than Edwards.
Good video and I agree with everything you said, won’t miss DeBerry and honestly it was really frustrating to watch her games. I’ll be curious to see how she does elsewhere.
Agree with other comments that we really do not need more guards, size is the issue at UConn and has been for the last few years. Can never have enough with all these injuries though obviously those skilled players with size are more challenging to find than a 5’10 guard.
Would like to fact check you a bit - so Aubrey was injured in January, not November, and in fact had still been coming off the bench in the game she was injured (1/3) and the six games prior. Her last game as a starter was 12/3 in their loss to Texas.
Need a backup center. The limited history of AP and Ice indicates they are always in foul trouble. Until AF is 100%, the UCONN needs a consistent sniper like Lou. Ash was invisible at the Final Four due to fatigue.
It seems to me that Ice is always called for a foul in her 1st minute or so of play. I don't think all those fouls are true - it's the refs letting the rookie (and Geno, with his short bench) know who's boss. I expect her 'foul trouble' to improve dramatically in her sophomore season - it's El-Alfi and Strong that will be called next year. :-(
C’mon Gino, be more opened minded to the transfer portal and grab hold of a strong center or a seasoned power forward. This is Paige Bueckers’ last year, so instead of rebuilding the team, don’t neglect the best players coming out of the portal….like Raegan Beers, Emma Rosiek, or Lucy Olsen
The
Still made it to the final 4!
Griffin got hurt January 3 against Creighton. I know. I was at that game.
Hailey Van Lith is in the portal. She and Paige have competed together in 3x3 and won.
HVL will be lucky if anyone picks her up.
Boa sorte para a Inês.
Geno needs to evolve the strategy of playing 6 players and pretty much ignoring the rest of the team is gonna hurt in the long run.South Carolina pretty much played 9 players as opposed to Geno and his five or six.Who am I to give him advice I'm nobody but hopefully he can get bench players he trusts.
One can't compare UConn to South Carolina, not at all. WAY too much talent now and coming in for the Gamecocks.
Amari may find it very hard to find a second home.
Edwards is gone ,Paige is leaving next year so lots of searching has to be done.....I believe that KK and Shade were excellent add ons...Fudd is a ??..is she going to be OK to take the team to F4????
Inez didn't make mistakes but she is so small and not a great athlete. I loved it when she hit a shot and I wish her well.
DeBerry didn't ever make much of an impression. I still wish her well.
All the best to Ines who showed true passion and being great teammate. Good riddance to Amari. No interest in improving and did not fit in with UConn.
Strong is considered a point forward lol. Mentioned she doesn't want to play the post...should be interesting.
Even Stewie didn't like the position changes that Geno had in mind, but in the end look at the damn player that came out of it.
And if Paige can play 4, why can't Strong as post? If she want to be pro-ready she better listen to the UConn coaching staff
@@FabrizioPati-i6f i didn't say she couldn't. Reliable sources surrounding her have said she does not want to. Watch some of her video's,she is seldom down there
@@chasnami Yes, you're right and to be brief I expressed myself badly. I meant that she must be ready to accept the changes that the UConn staff propose to her, because she will only be able to improve her baggage. Watch Paige develop her already good defensive skills
Amari always seemed to be playing in slow Mo dont know if it was her fault or Geno it seems like one he loses trust in player its OVER!!!
Emely Rodrigrez is going to South Carolina
Well. !! Here's my poison Did Paige know before hand during the Hawkeyes game that her two sisters may leave? Wait! There's more I hope she goes to an ivy League school. As for my crush Bettencourt I hope to see her one day maybe at a wnba game.
What about Hailey Van Lith?
I just don't see it. Imagine Geno is not a fan of 2.time.transfers as his take would be what was wrong with previous schools. As he usually on only likes grad transfers. Which she is but again don't think he is keen to be HVLs 3rd school
@@back2sports UConn has had its fill of guards, but UConn is still lacking in kilos and centimeters
If Aubrey Griffin is not healthy, this team won't be any better than 2023-24.
This guy said Brady was trash. Brady literally saved the Huskies season. He also said Jana was a project. Now he said she is serious. Take what he says with a of salt.
And Brady nearly ended their season in 2nd rd versus Syracuse . El Alfy will be a position type defender in mold del rosero at LSU she cannot change direction quickly but will be good on offence. She looked very raw at world championships but was expected.
Amari DeBerry won't all of a sudden become a star because she doesn't have the work habits that is require on a team like Uconn or any top level team. Uconn doesn't need Chen. Better off with another BIG. You don't know how Patterson, and Jana will do during the season after their injuries.. Good luck anyway..
I agree with you on getting big.
but Chen is upgrade imo.
Bettencourt, compared to Shade and Arnold, has always looked way out of her depth at UConn.
Transferring to another school is the smart thing to do.
Caroline, worry about fragility
You have to practice hard to play at UConn.
No guards, get BIGS!
Amari, bit timid, but I think that UCONN dropped the ball.
Amari waited too long, this maybe too late 😢