The Other Huskies See Taking US

[RockyMTblue2]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/...-huskies-kelsey-plum-chantel-osahor.html?_r=0

"And these Huskies have two assets that UConn does not: Division I’s leading scorer, Kelsey Plum, and rebounder, Osahor. In the cluster of contenders chasing UConn, that alone makes Washington stand out."

Other than the syntax disaster embedded therein, they have to be kidding. Plum would be stifled and Osahor would be outworked and exhausted. She's cross half court as the play ended. Still, it is good that womens basketball is getting ink.

 

[bags27]

an interesting article with some things (besides the syntax) that make me uncomfortable. for example:

“In women’s basketball, a lot of times, and through nobody’s fault for any reason, girls tend to go to the places that are already established,” Plum said. I guess that doesn't happen in men's basketball....????

Such sustained, lopsided success is polarizing women’s basketball. UConn’s admirers salute the team for setting a high bar, while critics lament the effect on the growth of the sport when the national title essentially appears preordained every year. I didn't realize that UConn's current run has hurt the "growth of the sport." Does anyone have any empirical proof of that?

Washington Coach Mike Neighbors falls into the former group, and he has found a silver lining to UConn’s success in the living rooms of prospective recruits.“I can go into a home and say, ‘Unless UConn is recruiting you, nobody can promise you a championship right now,’” Neighbors said. If other teams are promising that, he tells recruits, “they’re lying to you.” Good for Neighbors for rejecting the claim that UConn hurts WCBB. But does Geno really promise a NC to recruits? I think Neighbors misses the point. Geno promises that if you accept 4 years of UConn coaching, you will be the best basketball player you can be. That's why you go to UConn. And because everyone who makes it through becomes the best basketball player they can be, they have an excellent chance of winning a NC (or four).

 

[JordyG]

Against any other team perhaps Osahor will have some success. Against UConn the forwards would play up on her and dare her to dribble drive. If she planted herself down low she'd have to catch and shoot because the guards would swipe the ball. On defense since she'd be the last person down UConn would enjoy a 5 on 4 advantage, shooting 3's and layups. Of course, whoever she'd be defending would have a free ride on fast breaks.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Against any other team perhaps Osahor will have some success. Against UConn the forwards would play up on her and dare her to dribble drive. If she planted herself down low she'd have to catch and shoot because the guards would swipe the ball. On defense since she'd be the last person down UConn would enjoy a 5 on 4 advantage, shooting 3's and layups. Of course, whoever she'd be defending would have a free ride on fast breaks.

Yup, pretty much.

 

[Kaizen]

It is a fun to watch Plum's play because she does have talent and is very aggressive.
But Osahor will have no chance to make a 3 pts shot facing UConn girls. UConn is too fast and too good in defense Osahor has no chance to be widely open.

 

[pacific 44]

Swap Geno for Holly and i guarantee this wcbb ruining ordeal will be over.Each year Geno needs to be moved to a new team to prevent any one school from dominating and ruining the wcbb scene.It might take a tripling of his salary but this would be for the greater good,right.Just a suggestion.lol

 

[tkaes]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/...-huskies-kelsey-plum-chantel-osahor.html?_r=0

"And these Huskies have two assets that UConn does not: Division I’s leading scorer, Kelsey Plum, and rebounder, Osahor. In the cluster of contenders chasing UConn, that alone makes Washington stand out."

Other than the syntax disaster embedded therein, they have to be kidding. Plum would be stifled and Osahor would be outworked and exhausted. She's cross half court as the play ended. Still, it is good that womens basketball is getting ink.

That article includes an interesting picture. Plum is shooting a layup on what appears to be a fast break. In the background standing motionless like a stump at the top of the key is a Washington player who seems to be the only participant from either team still on the other side of the halfcourt line. Depth of field is not conducive to absolute identification of that player but it sure appears to be Osahor. For the east coast version of the Huskies she might never see the court if she was either incapable or unwilling to run up and down the court.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

That article includes an interesting picture. Plum is shooting a layup on what appears to be a fast break. In the background standing motionless like a stump at the top of the key is a Washington player who seems to be the only participant from either team still on the other side of the halfcourt line. Depth of field is not conducive to absolute identification of that player but it sure appears to be Osahor. For the east coast version of the Huskies she might never see the court if she was either incapable or unwilling to run up and down the court.

She is ungainly and last season was nursing an injury that might be congenital, but she is very strong physically and mentally. Still, she can't run with the real dawgs. In the NCAA run last year it was not uncommon for her to simple quit around half court, so the photo may be dead on. She's an interesting story and she has that crazy looking 3 chuck, but she is absolutely no threat to our Huskies.

 

[UcMiami]

A really nice write-up of a pretty exciting team. And I think we have to be a little less sensitive:
Neighbors didn't say, Uconn promises recruits an NC, what he said was 'if anyone other than Uconn ever says that to you, they are lying' - implying there are a number of coaches from places other than Uconn saying 'commit to us and together we can win an NC' which I would suspect is true.

And Plum is correct in saying that recruits tend to cluster to established programs - with the exception of maybe the ACC and perhaps now in the last few years the Pac12: Big12 - Baylor and TX dominate the recruiting; SEC - SC and TN have dominated the recruiting; Big10 - MD and OSU have dominated. Year after year those programs represent the vast majority of top 10, top 25, top 50 talent committing to schools in their conferences or transferring in. For years leading up to Plum, Stanford dominated the Pac12 in recruiting with an occasional Cal or UCLA one year wonder class. She didn't actually say it was different in the men's recruiting and generally it isn't.

And don't discount either Plum or Osahor or the coaching of Neighbors - does Uconn win, yeah probably 9 out of 10 times with the tenth being a toss up. But Osahor is a highly skilled player - she is a really wide body in the low post with the footwork of a Morgan Tuck and a great shooting touch and deft passing. Every time I see her play I am surprised by her skill down low. And when she is hot from outside she is a handful - with no jump and very little movement the shot is hard to anticipate and very quick. And Plum is Plum. And while Osahor with her leg issue is not fast up and down the floor, somehow they make it work in a run and gun offense. They were heavy underdogs in three of the games to reach the FF last year dispatching fairly easily MD, KY, and Stanford.

 

[noirwestern]

Next to UConn probably my favorite team to watch but as I recall didn't those shrimpy lil' gals from Syracuse beat the daylights out of them before we mopped the floor with Syracuse?

 

[Intpseeker]

I'm beginning to believe that the rest of wcbb wants UConn to become the new Harrison Bergeron.

 

[mudcat]

She is ungainly and last season was nursing an injury that might be congenital, but she is very strong physically and mentally. Still, she can't run with the real dawgs. In the NCAA run last year it was not uncommon for her to simple quit around half court, so the photo may be dead on. She's an interesting story and she has that crazy looking 3 chuck, but she is absolutely no threat to our Huskies.

To be fair to Osahor, she had a serious automobile accident in HS which still affects her to this day in terms of being able to run and to practice hard on a consistent basis. I have read descriptions re the extent of her injuries and the long rehabilitation involved (it was initially thought she would never walk unaided) and I have nothing but praise for her. She may never be as mobile as before the accident, but I have nothing but admiration for the dedication displayed during her long rehab and that she can even play D1 ball at this level is amazing.

 

[JordyG]

A really nice write-up of a pretty exciting team. And I think we have to be a little less sensitive:
Neighbors didn't say, Uconn promises recruits an NC, what he said was 'if anyone other than Uconn ever says that to you, they are lying' - implying there are a number of coaches from places other than Uconn saying 'commit to us and together we can win an NC' which I would suspect is true.

And Plum is correct in saying that recruits tend to cluster to established programs - with the exception of maybe the ACC and perhaps now in the last few years the Pac12: Big12 - Baylor and TX dominate the recruiting; SEC - SC and TN have dominated the recruiting; Big10 - MD and OSU have dominated. Year after year those programs represent the vast majority of top 10, top 25, top 50 talent committing to schools in their conferences or transferring in. For years leading up to Plum, Stanford dominated the Pac12 in recruiting with an occasional Cal or UCLA one year wonder class. She didn't actually say it was different in the men's recruiting and generally it isn't.

And don't discount either Plum or Osahor or the coaching of Neighbors - does Uconn win, yeah probably 9 out of 10 times with the tenth being a toss up. But Osahor is a highly skilled player - she is a really wide body in the low post with the footwork of a Morgan Tuck and a great shooting touch and deft passing. Every time I see her play I am surprised by her skill down low. And when she is hot from outside she is a handful - with no jump and very little movement the shot is hard to anticipate and very quick. And Plum is Plum. And while Osahor with her leg issue is not fast up and down the floor, somehow they make it work in a run and gun offense. They were heavy underdogs in three of the games to reach the FF last year dispatching fairly easily MD, KY, and Stanford.

As I said against almost any team they're a tough match up. But UConn's pace would be just too much

I'm beginning to believe that the rest of wcbb wants UConn to become the new Harrison Bergeron.

You know as a youngster I read almost all of Vonnegut except Harrison Bergeron. So sadly, I've missed the reference.

 

[tonehill68]

So these Huskies want a shot at our Huskies huh? For reasons mentioned above in this thread and our overall team defense, team offense and skill. UW would be lucky to lose by 30. Just my opinion on this.

 

[rvwsleep]

As I said against almost any team they're a tough match up. But UConn's pace would be just too much

You know as a youngster I read almost all of Vonnegut except Harrison Bergeron. So sadly, I've missed the reference.

In a future America, a Constitutional Amendment is passed in order to make everyone equal. The athletic must wear weights to slow them down, the beautiful, masks. The intelligent have a radio in their ear to distract them from serious thought. (Think about this last equalizer for a moment)

 

[wire chief]

I'd like to see them have a shot at us, if only to see how the 30 point per game Plum does, as well as having a good opponent we never meet.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

Depth. One group of Huskies has it, the other doesn't.

End of story.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes, Washington has the #1 scorer and rebounder but per the NCAA, as a team UConn is:

#1 Field Goal percentage (against the #1 strength of schedule, my edit) - 51.4%
#1 Three point Field Goal percentage - 42.1%
#2 Assists per Game - 21.8 (Baylor is #1)
#2 Assist to Turnover ratio - 1.56 (Baylor is #1)
#5 Fewest Fouls per game - 194 total (Penn is #1) This after the foul fest in the first 4-5 games

Interpretation of the above stats: the Huskies take high percentage shots, moving the ball around efficiently without turning it over much. Defensively, UConn can guard the opponents effectively (#36 in Field Goal percentage defense at 35.8%, Baylor is #1) and it's hard to get them in foul trouble.

Individually:

#1 nationally in Assist to Turnover ratio - Sanyia Chong - 3.91
#7 Field Goal percentage - Napheesa Collier - 65.4%
#10 Three Point Field Goals per game - Katie Lou Samuelson - 3.33

So, beating UConn should be easy - just keep the ball away from Saniya, guard Napheesa in the paint, and keep Lou from getting the ball on the perimeter. No need to pay any attention to that Canadian kid or ol' whatsername, the undersized forward who's not even good enough for midseason POY lists.

Seriously, though, Gabby may not be Top 20 in any one category but nationally she's #191 in blocks, #126 in assist to turnover ratio, #93 in rebounds, #65 in assists and #38 in steals. The NCAA doesn't keep track of tipped balls or number of intimidated opponents. The rankings are of the Top 200 players out of about 4,500 nationally.

UConn's versatility in so many areas make it tough to beat. As I said in another thread (Improvements From Game 1), the returning players have really expanded their games and embraced their new roles. It would be very difficult, but not impossible, for two players to beat the Huskies though several UConn players would have to have bad games on the same day. Beating the Huskies will take a full out effort by one team that hits a high percentage of its shots and plays outstanding defense and has an excellent in-game coach that can adjust to Geno's adjustments. It's a difficult recipe.

 

[oldude]

I've actually watched several Washington games on the Pac12 channels. (Nothing else to do late at night) UConn would win head-to-head, but I doubt it would be a route. Kelsey Plum will probably win most of the player of the year awards, and deservedly so. While she puts up 30+ per night, she always appears to be under control. She leads the team in assists and shoots better than 50%.

Oshafor is the most unconventional player I've ever seen. Yes, she doesn't run the court well, but once she gets to where she's going, she is a complete basketball player who can shoot, pass & rebound as well as any Big in the nation.

The rest of the Huskies are not bad. They have a good chance to win the "dogfight" for the PAC 12 conference championship, and they are fun to watch.

 

[FanHam]

Harrison Bergeron was the eponymous character of a Kurt Vonnegut short story wherein he's a seven foot-tall, handsome, brilliant, brave, doomed standout in a world where the above average are "handicapped" to keep them on a par with the masses. The thrust of the allusion being people want to drag the UCONN WCBB team down to their level rather than raise themselves up.

I'll go out on a limb and declare that when the day comes when the UCONN WCBB team returns to mediocrity, its coaches will not be named Auriemma and Dailey.

 

[Jim]

I'll go out on a limb and declare that when the day comes when the UCONN WCBB team returns to mediocrity, its coaches will not be named Auriemma and Dailey.

Sons of Husky! Of UCONN! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me! A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the age of UCONN comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand! Men (and women) of the Boneyard!

 

[drweo]

I think it would be a fun game to see, Huskies vs. Huskies, and not just because of the team nicknames. Two very different teams with talent and success. We'll see what the NCAA brings....

 

[Wbbfan1]

Don't see Washington getting a #1 seed. Probably a 2 or 3 seed depending on what happens during PAC12 play. I'll predict they will upset a #1 Seed and end up at the F4. If they end up in UConn's bracket, don't see them beating our Huskies.

 

[Intpseeker]

You know as a youngster I read almost all of Vonnegut except Harrison Bergeron. So sadly, I've missed the reference.

Never too late:

Full text of "Harrison Bergeron (& Activity)"

 

[iri10]

It would be an interesting game because both teams present individual matchups that could give the other trouble. Osahor should be very effective down low against most of UConn, and Plum is a tough fruit to swallow for any defender.

On the other hand, UConn's transition game may give Washington fits, and we've got people who can score from most anywhere and/or bust zones as needed.

Prediction: UConn would win, and potentially by a decent number of points...but it would still be interesting viewing.