KML Play

[Huskyin808]

Is it me, or doesn't anyone else feel that KML isn't playing like someone who want's to be the #1 pick of the WNBA draft?

I know this team is known for its unselfishness, but I can't help but think she disappears in games and isn't playing with the urgency of a senior. I would hope every senior of this 2015 class would want to disprove the nay sayers who believe this class is weak.

Thoughts?

 

[Bgillon]

It did seem odd to me that KML only scored 6 points against ECU. I also wonder what is going on.

 

[Geno-ista]

I watch in awe of the ball movement and the sets they run and the 5 players don't even jump out at me. It looks choreographed most of the time. If the staring 5 feels like scoring 14-19 pts each, and decimating opponents & exploiting their best match ups, no matter who or where - who am I to argue. KML can drop 20 pts anytime she wants. She is making some passes like Magic Johnson. Her and Tuck play like Steph at the top of the key. And KML is a great screener and rebounder. I love the fact that they are all so self confident, that individual stats mean nothing to any of them. They rarely shoot if there is a better look to be had . They train and play with a single purpose. They could care less about "naysayers"- and they prove it every night. When there are times someone really needs to step up and play great- we have 5-6 players that know how to do it and when! I'm loving their obscurity- right to the National Championship!

 

[HoopsFan21]

I watch in awe of the ball movement and the sets they run and the 5 players don't even jump out at me. It looks choreographed most of the time. If the staring 5 feels like scoring 14-19 pts each, and decimating opponents & exploiting their best match ups, no matter who or where - who am I to argue. KML can drop 20 pts anytime she wants. She is making some passes like Magic Johnson. Her and Tuck play like Steph at the top of the key. And KML is a great screener and rebounder. I love the fact that they are all so self confident, that individual stats mean nothing to any of them. They rarely shoot if there is a better look to be had . They train and play with a single purpose. They could care less about "naysayers"- and they prove it every night. When there are times someone really needs to step up and play great- we have 5-6 players that know how to do it and when! I'm loving their obscurity- right to the National Championship!

What obscurity? We have the most extensively covered team in all of WCBB. Two of our players are two of ESPN's three to see, of which, KML is one.

 

[zakalex]

Many times last night KML was very loosely guarded out on the 3 point line and the passer wasn't even looking her way. Perhaps Geno's emphasis for the night was to throw it into Stewie and Morgan every chance they had and force KML to play closer to the basket or get ignored.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Geno has said that while these conference games aren't going to be competitive, it does give the team an opportunity to pick something and work on it during these games. People need to stop being obsessed with personal stats as an indicator for how good KML or Stewie is. They are both amazing players that could drop 30 whenever they feel like it, but that's not what the team needs. The team needs to work on rebounding one night, passing the next, and perfecting other facets of the game. The only thing these Huskies want is to bring home another championship. Stewie says she's winning four, and I believe she will do whatever she has to in order to make that happen. Stewie is willing to sacrifice leading the nation in every possible statistical category in order to lead in the only one that matters: number of championships won.

 

[cohenzone]

Just curious what exactly KML should look like? The team plays team ball, they have all starters averaging double figures, the starters probably play less time as a whole than any other starting group in the country because they cream everybody, and KML doesn't have to try and take over games. I'm pretty sure the pro scouts understand that she is pretty much a complete player with a deadly shot. The skills she doesn't have, one can't be learned and that's foot speed, and the other is good enough for her role, and that's ball handling.

 

[MilfordHusky]

KML had a few big games preceded by some quiet games. Last night's game was quiet. She certainly doesn't force shots. I'd still like her to get about 15 shots per game, but within the flow of the offense. She's a superlative shooter.

 

[cohenzone]

KML had a few big games preceded by some quiet games. Last night's game was quiet. She certainly doesn't force shots. I'd still like her to get about 15 shots per game, but within the flow of the offense. She's a superlative shooter.

I agree with you and this team is schooled to take shots within the flow. They were killing ECU inside yesterday with some great passing. Why should KML force anything in that game, or for that matter any game when there is a pretty good chance on every possession that patience will turn up a good shot for a very capable scorer, whoever that might be? I can see trying to get Stewie or Morgan the ball near the hoop to possibly draw the foul is not score. Even then, they shouldn't force a shot if it isn't there.

 

[Hongster]

To Geno's eye neither KML nor Stewy needs to take over the game, they have it all. What more importance is for the others to start building their confidence. As of lately, I have noticed that KML and Stewy played a bigger role in directing, passing, running the offense a lot more than the past.
I think this is good for the team, when March comes we'll have an all confident starters not two but all five.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think that, if Kaleena winds up in Seattle, the point guard up there will get her the ball in good spots. What's her name--the cute one with the pony tail, the one in the book title, the one in the Stare Farm commercial, the one headed to Springfield?

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Is it me, or doesn't anyone else feel that KML isn't playing like someone who want's to be the #1 pick of the WNBA draft?

I know this team is known for its unselfishness, but I can't help but think she disappears in games and isn't playing with the urgency of a senior. I would hope every senior of this 2015 class would want to disprove the nay sayers who believe this class is weak.

Thoughts?

It is just you. [mod edit] While her last game was not that noteworthy, over the past five games she is averaging 16.6 points per game, second to Breanna who is averaging 17.0 points over the same five games. She has averaged 3 3-pointers over the past five games.
Thats really disappearing!!!! She should be ashamed of herself.

But I think I will keep KML and I think if I were picking a player out of college I would go with her first. Those 335 three pointers still impress me. I just wonder what she would do if she did not disappear.

[mod edit|

 

[JFC613]

I think that, if Kaleena winds up in Seattle, the point guard up there will get her the ball in good spots. What's her name--the cute one with the pony tail, the one in the book title, the one in the Stare Farm commercial, the one headed to Springfield?

Oh, you must mean Summer Bird??

 

[rocky rococo]

If KML were to "fall" to 4th in the draft, I would have no objection.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Geno has said that while these conference games aren't going to be competitive, it does give the team an opportunity to pick something and work on it during these games. People need to stop being obsessed with personal stats as an indicator for how good KML or Stewie is. They are both amazing players that could drop 30 whenever they feel like it, but that's not what the team needs. The team needs to work on rebounding one night, passing the next, and perfecting other facets of the game. The only thing these Huskies want is to bring home another championship. Stewie says she's winning four, and I believe she will do whatever she has to in order to make that happen. Stewie is willing to sacrifice leading the nation in every possible statistical category in order to lead in the only one that matters: number of championships won.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying but you and a couple of others have said that Stewie and KML can drop 30 whenever they want to. [mod edit] Are there times when both have shown that they could, of course, but in a literal sense, that is so far fetched that it's embarrassingly laughable. Why didn't KML and Stewie decide to do that in the Stanford game because I think maybe that might have been an appropriate time to think about casually dropping 30 apiece. Was it because Geno decided he didn't want to put the pressure of an unbeaten season on the younger players? I think their 60 points plus might have turned the tide and we'd be talking about a 65 or 70 game winning streak, at this point. There's no doubt that there may not be a sense of emergency for KML to search for a lot of scoring because she does contribute in other ways but to imply it's so automatic that either of them can score at will is another story. The Huskies offense is set up where they'll pass the ball and try and put the defense at a disadvantage and have an optimum scoring chance but KML has lately seemingly passed up that optimum shot, for some mysterious reason. I don't think that an exceptional shooter passing up an optimum shot is in the game plan Geno sets up but I'm surely not ready to panic because we do have others that are contributing well. These two ladies are super talented but not 30 points automatically talented. Not every time, anyway!

 

[Buzzyboy]

It is just you. [mod edit] While her last game was not that noteworthy, over the past five games she is averaging 16.6 points per game, second to Breanna who is averaging 17.0 points over the same five games. She has averaged 3 3-pointers over the past five games.

Thats really disappearing!!!! She should be ashamed of herself.]

But I think I will keep KML and I think if I were picking a player out of college I would go with her first. Those 335 three pointers still impress me. I just wonder what she would do if she did not disappear.

[mod edit]

Pretty dismissive! I didn't think the question was a bad one. That person isn't the first who suggested that KML's lock at being the first pick in the draft isn't the LOCK it once was. She's played well but maybe not as well as some might have thought she'd play. I don't think the question was meant to be derogatory and didn't come off as bashing but more of a concern.

 

[Sonny44]

I

Pretty dismissive! I didn't think the question was a bad one. That person isn't the first who suggested that KML's lock at being the first pick in the draft isn't the LOCK it once was. She's played well but maybe not as well as some might have thought she'd play. I don't think the question was meant to be derogatory and didn't come off as bashing but more of a concern.

I agree the OP was clearly not trying too run down KML. So I just ignored the inappropriate response.

 

[mrmojack]

I think that, if Kaleena winds up in Seattle, the point guard up there will get her the ball in good spots. What's her name--the cute one with the pony tail, the one in the book title, the one in the Stare Farm commercial, the one headed to Springfield?

Seattle also has Renee Montgomery at the guard spot. Seattle has the 1st and 3rd
picks in the draft. They could end up with two of the following, E. Williams, KLM, or Izzy Harrison. Not bad picks for a rebuilding team.

 

[JSB60]

Part of the issue is this team has so many weapons and is so well-balanced on offense that someone is always going to look subpar in the scoring department. The five starters are capable of each going for 20 in any given game, but all of them can't during the same game.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Seattle also has Renee Montgomery at the guard spot. Seattle has the 1st and 3rd
picks in the draft. They could end up with two of the following, E. Williams, KLM, or Izzy Harrison. Not bad picks for a rebuilding team.

And the 15th pick.

 

[jsloanjr]

Geno is like a Fox and he wants to plant different seeds in USC's mind that KML is not #1..........Cannot wait to see his game plan on Feb 9th........

 

[j66kicker]

Part of the issue is this team has so many weapons and is so well-balanced on offense that someone is always going to look subpar in the scoring department. The five starters are capable of each going for 20 in any given game, but all of them can't during the same game.

They could if they played the whole game

 

[Huskysouth]

Is it me, or doesn't anyone else feel that KML isn't playing like someone who want's to be the #1 pick of the WNBA draft?

I know this team is known for its unselfishness, but I can't help but think she disappears in games and isn't playing with the urgency of a senior. I would hope every senior of this 2015 class would want to disprove the nay sayers who believe this class is weak.



Let me preface my statement - KML is a favorite if not the favorite, but I agree with your comments regarding her play and sense of urgency. She is clearly not playing like a senior and should be demanding the ball more especially from Moriah. Steward appears to be only one that looks for her on a consistent basis. The rest of the team seems to completely ignore her excepts when it becomes obvious. However, given that KML is a senior, she is partly if not solely at fault unless this is being driven by the coaching staff which I find highly unlikely.

I found interesting a series of plays at the beginning of the game on Sunday. Moriah was ahead of the field but the shot was going to be contested, Stewart and KML were trailing on the play and spotting up for a Three, so Moriah makes the more difficult pass to Steward (circa 360 degrees) versus passing the ball more directly to KML - the best 3pt shooter in WCBB. Fortunately, Stewart made the shot. It may not have been on the next fast break but thereafter,KML had the ball on the break and should have passed to Moriah as she was ahead but chose to shoot the layup herself.....interesting sequence of events.

Back to KML, she is playing like she is not interested, at all, in playing at the next level. She is a gifted offensive player with a great shooting eye; and not just the Three, her use of the backboard within 15 ft, her runner, and at times, I have seen a baby hook shot. One does not necessarily have to be quick to get their shot off within 15 ft, just smart and a sense of purpose, especially with the KML's offensive tools.

Unfortunately or maybe not depending on your perspective,none of what has been said in this thread matters given the conference that UCONN plays in; however, it very well may matter once the NCAA tournament begins.

 

[ballhawk]

To Huskyin808 you seem to think KML's primary goal is to be drafted #1 in the WNBA. I think her primary goal is to win a national championship, and if that means passing up a 50% chance at a 3 point shot so Morgan or Stewie has a 90% chance at a layup so be it. For some reason posters periodically dump on KML for not meeting their perceived expectations. As Kara Wolters said in the last pre-game show, KML is UConn royalty. KML will finish no lower than eighth and, maybe, as high as third in UConn scoring when she graduates. Geno must think she is doing a good job because she averages more minutes than any other player. If she scores 6 points and the team wins by 55, I don't think anyone can fault her shot selection.

 

[Orangutan]

the one in the Stare Farm commercial

Summer Bird?