UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has admitted he has never coached “anybody better at Connecticut” than Jana El Alfy as the highly-tipped center prepares to make her Huskies debut.
The Egyptian prodigy made the move to Connecticut over a year ago but saw her freshman campaign curtailed by an Achilles injury sustained at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. A lengthy recovery period followed for the youngster, with UConn alumnus Breanna Stewart among those on hand to offer support.
Now, the Cairo-born ace is looking to put her injury troubles behind her as she readies herself for her collegiate bow in the upcoming NCAA season. The starlet has the complete backing of coach Auriemma too, with the 11-time Division I victor tipping El Alfy to make a major impression in the new campaign.
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Speaking back in June, the veteran coach gave his assessment of his player’s attributes, as he revealed his admiration for the 6ft 5in prospect. He said: “I can’t say enough about her as a person. Nobody has seen her play. No one at UConn nation has seen her play, and they don’t know anything about her.
“All they know is what they see. Myself, the staff, the players, and everyone associated with our program has been really truly, truly blessed that she’s come into our life because I can honestly say in 40 years I’ve never coached anybody better at Connecticut, never, in my life.”
Earlier this month, Auriemma revealed that El Alfy is now itching to get going after her fighting back to full fitness, saying: “Janas like a bull in the China shop. She’s hard to guard, like all our practice players have a really hard time guarding her in the lane because she’s so physical, and she takes up a lot of space.
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“But she’s her own worst enemy. Its like she wants to make up for a year and a half of not playing on every possession. So, we’re trying to kind of get that pace a little bit better. But she has a real edge to her that I love, and I enjoy coaching her. She’s given us something we haven’t had in a long, long time.
As for El Alfy herself, there is no doubting her enthusiasm as she prepares to make up for lost time. She said: “It helped me getting through my injury I’ve worked so hard for this. I worked hard to be here at UConn. It’s definitely been a dream of mine and I have to take it step by step.”
Her father Ehab also spoke with excitement about his daughter’s next chapter, saying: “Jana has a good personality and a good mentality. She likes to compete and fight. She likes to challenge herself and wants to come back stronger than before.”
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