2016 UConn commitment: Molly Bent [merged thread] | Page 3 | The Boneyard

2016 UConn commitment: Molly Bent [merged thread]

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To some extent it is true of all teams, but UCONN has produced a number of players like, (as UCMiami has pointed out), Kelly, Stef, Maria, and possibly in the future Chong, that were not chased down by all the power programs, and yet went on to become AA's or important contibutors to NC's here at UCONN.

We've also had players that excited us, only to have minimal impact on the program (I'm still lamenting Nicole Wolf's career here. Her four year highlight was her very first game), and ones who arrived heralded as being sure fire multi-year AA'S who did not rise that far (Charde).

If Geno (and Shea) think that Molly is UCONN material then I'm going to assume that she is going to have a role in the team's future success. Back to this year's many transfers, a big name that leaves, or can't adjust to the UCONN way of doing things is of no benefit to the program.
 
As we all know Chong was not ranked very high, but looking past her defensive lapses she is an excellent player. Perhaps I should say that Div 1 schools were not knocking her door down. If Dawn (USC) and Shea were there checking Molly/players out , count me as one with a lot of trust in those 2 coaches/guards. The best foods are usually not where the flashy lights are- those are the tourist restaurants. Go where the locals go. If you know that she is good why wait for the others to catch-up, or for the paid services to tell you what they think. I suspect a kid like Molly would rather use her time being at home and reading a good book, rather then the excessive travelling involveed in being this year model.
 
tjhusky said:
Love the way she plays D. Great footwork and vision.
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Betcha that is what the coaches saw. Geno is always lamenting how players are not taught how to defend properly.
 
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hjoerring said:
As we all know Chong was not ranked very high, but looking past her defensive lapses she is an excellent player. Perhaps I should say that Div 1 schools were not knocking her door down. If Dawn (USC) and Shea were there checking Molly/players out , count me as one with a lot of trust in those 2 coaches/guards. The best foods are usually not where the flashy lights are- those are the tourist restaurants. Go where the locals go. If you know that she is good why wait for the others to catch-up, or for the paid services to tell you what they think. I suspect a kid like Molly would rather use her time being at home and reading a good book, rather then the excessive travelling involveed in being this year model.
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I think you may be underestimating how accomplished Chong was as a High school player beyond the points she was USA basketball invitee for her age group team and a Parade all American. Chong had an offer from Duke. Deep South Classic where Dawn and UCONN staff saw Molly is in Atlanta-so much for staying at home and reading a good book. Best Mexican food I have ever had was off the back of bicycle in the backwoods surrounding Cancun-So I'm all for going off the beaten path. Molly will be a Husky-Enough for me to love her unconditional forever. Let's move on to getting a post signed in the 2016 class to sustain the good times.
 
MilfordHusky said:
Molly must have things that Geno likes: personality, intelligence, toughness, basketball skills. She could be another Maria Conlon. Maria had a pretty nice career.
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Among non-Huskies, I'm thinking (hoping) Courtney Vandersloot. She was a pg who was not highly recruited but has all the qualities you mention.
 
UConnCat said:
Among non-Huskies, I'm thinking (hoping) Courtney Vandersloot. She was a pg who was not highly recruited but has all the qualities you mention.
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Sloot is a pretty good player who helped Gonzaga reap a lot of success. Molly doesn't look like an Alpha superstar, but she may just be a very solid complementary piece. She'll be playing with Crystal, Lou, Napheesa, Kia, Gabby, Natalie, et al. All she needs to do is fill her role admirably.
 
johnnyc said:
Betcha that is what the coaches saw. Geno is always lamenting how players are not taught how to defend properly.
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I'm sure that Geno loved her defensive stance. That was a sticking point for his team early last season.
 
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CocoHusky said:
For the SG position Chong, Eckmark, Bent, Nurse are the candidates. At the PG position Nurse, Dangerfield, Chong, &Bent??? are the options. I will probably get crucified for saying this but all the candidates are role players (non-superstars as you call them) IMO. Dangerfield has the potential to be special but not as a Freshmen.
So from among the candidates for both the PG and the SG position two candidates will have to step up to keep the team in NC contention IMO.
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1-- You really consider Nurse 'a role player" when 2016 rolls around? Wow. Was Dennis Johnson a role player for Boston Celts too? Wow- you're tough. But then I read on another post of yours you are saying she'll be an eventual all-american. She'll be BOTH an a/a and a role player?
2-- Who would be our backup pg if either Danergfield or Chong gets hurt? We'd have to put Nurse there right? Isn't Nurse's best position a sg?
3-- In 2016 why don't you think KLS can play the sg? Couldn't players such as Collier or Gabby guard sg's if the sg is very quick?
4--- On another post you said this move has you scratching your head. Why? Beyond this year we are sort of set at the 2,3 and 4 positions. aren't we? This player adds depth to the pg position and doesn't appear to be just a pg. If anything unusual happens with Chong or Dangerfield what do we have at backup pg? Then after Chong goes, she'll give us depth. How many elite pg's are going to want to come to UCONN once we have Dangerfield?
 
Let me say something. Fans once again are coming to conclusions without seeing anything. Geno Shea and Dawn were looking at Molly. She's gotta have a lot of talent and great qualities for them to take any time to watch her. No she isn't ranked in the polls at the top. Either is Danielle Patterson but Patterson is very talented with huge up side. Shes getting offers from everyone. What makes some of you doubt Geno and Shea? I like what Im hearing about Molly. I like what Im hearing a lot. As Kib mentioned shes got game and that's all that matters. Im glad the videos were taken down because my fear would be that fans would come to conclusions based on them and many of the fans opinions would be negative. The only measure we need to know to evaluate Molly is she has a big heart and you cant measure the heart of a champion because you cant see whats inside a champions heart.
 
Tonyc said:
Let me say something. Fans once again are coming to conclusions without seeing anything. Geno Shea and Dawn were looking at Molly. She's gotta have a lot of talent and great qualities for them to take any time to watch her. No she isn't ranked in the polls at the top. Either is Danielle Patterson but Patterson is very talented with huge up side. Shes getting offers from everyone. What makes some of you doubt Geno and Shea? I like what Im hearing about Molly. I like what Im hearing a lot. As Kib mentioned shes got game and that's all that matters. Im glad the videos were taken down because my fear would be that fans would come to conclusions based on them and many of the fans opinions would be negative. The only measure we need to know to evaluate Molly is she has a big heart and you cant measure the heart of a champion because you cant see whats inside a champions heart.
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This is funny really, because it is like a replay of initial reaction to Kia Nurse's commit! Most of us sign on - some of us who actually knew (pat yourself on the head Baldie) and the rest on faith, with the nattering nabobs of negativity chiming in. How'd that work out for the naysayers? Course they now say they were on board since day one! But what is the talk on DS on the hunt, where did that come from? I missed that. As far as the videos went, you have to be well schooled to look at them and see what our coaching staff saw, because they were raw videos - not the highlights of 20 games focusing solely on the shots that fall and the steals and killer assists. So they were games without flow but you saw a kid that absolutely knows her role, how to move, and how to defend and ended her Soph year with over 1000!
 
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CocoHusky said:
4--- On another post you said this move has you scratching your head. Why? Beyond this year we are sort of set at the 2,3 and 4 positions. aren't we? This player adds depth to the pg position and doesn't appear to be just a pg. If anything unusual happens with Chong or Dangerfield what do we have at backup pg? Then after Chong goes, she'll give us depth. How many elite pg's are going to want to come to UCONN once we have Dangerfield?

So obvious, but brilliantly written. I hope all the doubters read it and understand it.
 
Kmoney said:
How many elite pg's are going to want to come to UCONN once we have Dangerfield?
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Hey, Coco...you stole that from me! Really ridiculously obvious, but only to a few of us apparently.
 
hoophuskee said:
1-- You really consider Nurse 'a role player" when 2016 rolls around? Wow. Was Dennis Johnson a role player for Boston Celts too? Wow- you're tough. But then I read on another post of yours you are saying she'll be an eventual all-american. She'll be BOTH an a/a and a role player?
2-- Who would be our backup pg if either Danergfield or Chong gets hurt? We'd have to put Nurse there right? Isn't Nurse's best position a sg?
3-- In 2016 why don't you think KLS can play the sg? Couldn't players such as Collier or Gabby guard sg's if the sg is very quick?
4--- On another post you said this move has you scratching your head. Why? Beyond this year we are sort of set at the 2,3 and 4 positions. aren't we? This player adds depth to the pg position and doesn't appear to be just a pg. If anything unusual happens with Chong or Dangerfield what do we have at backup pg? Then after Chong goes, she'll give us depth. How many elite pg's are going to want to come to UCONN once we have Dangerfield?
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Just when I was ready to move on you pull me back in.
1) Nurse is role player IMO with the potential to be Superstar/all American by the time she is a senior which was the time frame of the discussion you reference. Buy the time Dennis Johnson played for the Celtics he was absolutely a role player. The Dennis Johnson who played for the Seattle Supersonics and then the Suns was an absolute star.
2) In a previous post I stated an opinion that I don't see Dangerfield starting as a Freshmen. So that would leave Nurse and Chong as options for starting with Dangerfield in a backup role. That would leave a backup role open so hopefully we were on the same page. My opinion was we needed another guard in the class of 2016 a hybrid guard that could compete for minutes as a backup (please leave injuries out of the discussions I don't like to tempt fate.) There are several posters that disagreed with the need for a guard in 2016 class.
3) I never said that KLS couldn't play SG. I never said Collier or Gabby couldn't play SG-quite the opposite. My projected starting 5 posted in another thread had a Starting line up of Butler, Tuck, KLS,Collier, and Nurse at the 5, 4,3,2,1 respectively- I took much flack for that also. It's all good!
4) I disagree with you that we are set 2, 3,4 positions after this season. I think we need a backup 4/5 with size (6'3-4" ish)-McCoy or Cox. Irwin, Boykin, Collier, KLS, Ekmark are all capable 3s so we are good there. I think we needed an 1/2 combo guard as mention before (Bent, Chong Ekmark) will fill the role.
I don't think I was the only one scratching my head at this signing-Just the only one (fightinchoke maybe??) to think out loud & write my thoughts here. For me a good day is when I find I agree with myself, so I sincerely appreciate the dialogue and the space to think out loud.
 
AnotherVolFan said:
Who is Molly Bent???? :D :p ;)
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After missing out on an absolute diamond right under your nose in Murfreesboro, no Vol should ever question who Geno does or does not go after. I get the feeling Molly and Kyla Irwin and two incredibly hard-working, fundamentally sound, skillful but not spectacular kids who will do anything and everything to WIN. Not flashy, wow-did-you-see-that players, but the kind that are essential ingredients for winning national championships.
 
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I have felt all along that another guard was needed in the 2016 class, preferably a big guard. In that sense I am very pleased with the get. I think another big is also needed. That was the higher priority to me. I am hopeful of that still happening.

What's most interesting to me here is that this recruit parallels the Irwin case: Great kid, good student, solid character, coach's kid, not the most athletic but knows how to play, dedicated to the game, but neither is highly ranked. In one sense they're both risks/projects, in another they are insurance: filling out the roster to avoid the '13-'14 situation with 8 scholarship players. Given the rest of the talent on the team, this seems like a smart strategy, and Geno is in good position to pursue it.
 
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Tonyc said:
What makes some of you doubt Geno and Shea?
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Tony to question and try and make sense of a signing is not the same as doubt. None of us has reason to "Doubt" Geno or Shea. Questions on the other hand help us to understand the overall strategy- See Gus's most recent post as an example of something strategic that I had not even thought of.
 
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Tonyc said:
Im glad the videos were taken down because my fear would be that fans would come to conclusions based on them and many of the fans opinions would be negative.
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Quite frankly, who cares what someone's opinion of her is, whether it be positive or negative? Taking down the videos only prevents people from watching her in action which presumably was the point of putting them up in the first place.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
To quote an earlier poster calling a coach to bring her in: "Get Bent."
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Rocky they can't get Bent, we got Bent! :D

CocoHusky said:
Bent is going to be Dangerfield's backup & teammate. Yes that same Crystal Dangerfield from your own backyard!
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Wow Dangerfield never got no respect and now would never complain about getting Bent! ;)
 
Gus Mahler said:
In one sense they're both risks/projects, in another they are insurance: filling out the roster to avoid the '13-'14 situation with 8 scholarship players.
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No chance of that. There are already 12 scholarship or verbal Huskies for 2016.
 
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