A little update on our Kiah

[Ozzie Nelson]

It's summer, so why not predict averaging 100/game, double/double averages for the starters and first three off the bench, frosh of the year, 6th player of the year and team of the millennium?

Mind you, I expect the team to make its 7th straight FF and likely 9th NC, but I also remember what it was like around here after that first loss to ND this past January. There are other good teams out there. I would expect some low scoring nail biters, and I can't rule out 1 or 2 losses along the way. Stuff happens, except in summer prognostication.

Buzzkiller

 

[slimmer56]

Dead on Charlie...
Before we played ND the first time I said no way can they match up to us. So they pull out a close one and that one was the key. It gave them the confidence that they could always find a way to win.
Keep in mind though, we never, ever played to our potential. Then it all came together in the semis !
A big piece of our puzzle was Stewie getting HER swag back. She quit worrying about missing shots, made the commitment to move and play defense, and that was all it took. Everybody saw what she was doing and decided to lay it all on the line. That game never got close. Now that I look back, and as bad as it felt at the time, it may heve even helped us. (The losses against ND) I can say now that it hurt like hell to lose to them, but I never lost faith, and I knew in the end the better team would prevail, when it counted most.
GO UCONN GO ! I cant wait for the season to start !

 

[jplotinus]

Ok, ok. 39-0; 90ppg scoring average.
Let's all Stay High!

 

[doggydaddy]

Ok, ok. 39-0; 90ppg scoring average.
Let's all Stay High!

View attachment 3166

Instead of putting down those who feel so optimistic how about you post your prediction in W/L record and scoring average.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I predict we start hearing Sweet Georgia Brown at home games...

 

[cferraro04]

Doggydaddy it isn't necessary for our new friend to post his predictions... For one, I could care less. I've been watching women's college basketball and more pointedly the UConn Huskies long enough to believe the following:

1. Stefanie Dolson may be the best Center in WCBB.

2. KML is the best shooter currently in WCBB.

3. Stewart is the best power forward in WCBB.

4. Hartley is a competitor who had a bad year last year and will without a doubt have a better one this year.

5. Jefferson is fast, gifted, can see the floor, can pass and shoot with the best of them...she was a freshman last year and will benefit from the Sophomore bump this year.

6. Banks is a great defender, has developed a decent 3 point shot, is unbelievably fast, a great slasher...and will be 100 percent by the time the season opens. Only question that needs to be answered is what if any residue will there be from injury?

7. Tuck is a tremendous player. Geno thought she was the best of the three at the beginning of last season...an injury caused her not to play to her potential... We saw some of what Tuck could do towards the end of last season. I think we will see the real Tuck this season.

8. Kiah Stokes is in my opinion the "X" factor. A lot has been written lately about her summer preparation, her new offensive mindset. I believe she has the potential to be next year's biggest surprise.

9. We know that we have a kid who is highly competitive, who has a strong work ethic and who is a proven shooter, passer and ball handler in Saniya Chong. Just how much she will contribute is still an unanswered question. However, as long as we stay healthy it may not be that crucial to answer that question next year. But, I have been told that Saniya will surprise many that she can be a game changer. She is lightning fast, can create her own shot and loves to pass the basketball...what's not to like about that?

10. Notre Dame and Baylor will not present the same challenges they presented last year. Louisville will be better but so will we and they weren't close last year. Duke...can present problems but I think we will be more of a problem for them than they will be for us. Stanford doesn't have enough horses to run with UConn. North Carolina good incoming class...too young. Tennessee will be tough and can be the dark horse next year...but they will have to cover a lot more ground to get to UConn's level than UConn will have to cover to stay on top. So, who, who is there out there that UConn has to worry about.

11. Barring injuries I just don't see anybody else beating UConn...I am thinking 39 and 0 as long as we stay healthy. I think Geno gets his 9th national championship.

12. Because the bench will be able to score against anybody...I don't see too much downside when the subs come in. With 9 players Geno will always have a starter on the floor. With 3 possible All Americans (Dolson, Stewart, KML) and at least one more future potential All Americans (Hartley, Jefferson) it is going to be extremely hard to stop UConn from running the score up. It will be hard for Geno and the Huskies to stop themselves from running the score up. Predicting that next year's version of the Huskies will challenge for the team highest offensive average in our history.

 

[Vowelguy]

I wouldn't be surprised if Kiah scores 20 points in any game this year.

I would. I'd be downright shocked. That would be a huge leap from where she is now.

 

[Sonny44]

Doggydaddy it isn't necessary for our new friend to post his predictions... For one, I could care less. I've been watching women's college basketball and more pointedly the UConn Huskies long enough to believe the following:

1. Stefanie Dolson may be the best Center in WCBB.

2. KML is the best shooter currently in WCBB.

3. Stewart is the best power forward in WCBB.

4. Hartley is a competitor who had a bad year last year and will without a doubt have a better one this year.

5. Jefferson is fast, gifted, can see the floor, can pass and shoot with the best of them...she was a freshman last year and will benefit from the Sophomore bump this year.

6. Banks is a great defender, has developed a decent 3 point shot, is unbelievably fast, a great slasher...and will be 100 percent by the time the season opens. Only question that needs to be answered is what if any residue will there be from injury?

7. Tuck is a tremendous player. Geno thought she was the best of the three at the beginning of last season...an injury caused her not to play to her potential... We saw some of what Tuck could do towards the end of last season. I think we will see the real Tuck this season.

8. Kiah Stokes is in my opinion the "X" factor. A lot has been written lately about her summer preparation, her new offensive mindset. I believe she has the potential to be next year's biggest surprise.

9. We know that we have a kid who is highly competitive, who has a strong work ethic and who is a proven shooter, passer and ball handler in Saniya Chong. Just how much she will contribute is still an unanswered question. However, as long as we stay healthy it may not be that crucial to answer that question next year. But, I have been told that Saniya will surprise many that she can be a game changer. She is lightning fast, can create her own shot and loves to pass the basketball...what's not to like about that?

10. Notre Dame and Baylor will not present the same challenges they presented last year. Louisville will be better but so will we and they weren't close last year. Duke...can present problems but I think we will be more of a problem for them than they will be for us. Stanford doesn't have enough horses to run with UConn. North Carolina good incoming class...too young. Tennessee will be tough and can be the dark horse next year...but they will have to cover a lot more ground to get to UConn's level than UConn will have to cover to stay on top. So, who, who is there out there that UConn has to worry about.

11. Barring injuries I just don't see anybody else beating UConn...I am thinking 39 and 0 as long as we stay healthy. I think Geno gets his 9th national championship.

12. Because the bench will be able to score against anybody...I don't see too much downside when the subs come in. With 9 players Geno will always have a starter on the floor. With 3 possible All Americans (Dolson, Stewart, KML) and at least one more future potential All Americans (Hartley, Jefferson) it is going to be extremely hard to stop UConn from running the score up. It will be hard for Geno and the Huskies to stop themselves from running the score up. Predicting that next year's version of the Huskies will challenge for the team highest offensive average in our history.

I repeat: MD is the only one with even a remote chance of beating us.

 

[jplotinus]

Instead of putting down those who feel so optimistic how about you post your prediction in W/L record and scoring average.

I wasn't putting down those who feel so optimistic. I was calling attention to a hazard of excessive optimism that manifested last January. In addition, i didnt mention a second hazard of over the top optimism. Last year, when our team barely squeaked by PSU and MD by <20, but >10, there was suffering and angst. That suffering and that angst was obviously caused by the buy-in to optimism.

Beating good teams by >10 is a good outcome. That could happen again this year. I'd hate for such wins to feel like defeat.

As to prediction, I already said 7 FF and contender for 9 NC. As to W/L and ppg specifics, I think it's too soon. I'd like to at least factor in outcomes of summer USA games where 5 are playing, and where that 5 is not even our starting 5!

So, come August, I might make a preliminary guess. After that, I'd like to await the start of practice and a few insider blog posts on how Saniya is coming along in practice and I might then go for broke and post up some numbers.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I wasn't putting down those who feel so optimistic. I was calling attention to a hazard of excessive optimism that manifested last January. In addition, i didnt mention a second hazard of over the top optimism. Last year, when our team barely squeaked by PSU and MD by <20, but >10, there was suffering and angst. That suffering and that angst was obviously caused by the buy-in to optimism.

Beating good teams by >10 is a good outcome. That could happen again this year. I'd hate for such wins to feel like defeat.

As to prediction, I already said 7 FF and contender for 9 NC. As to W/L and ppg specifics, I think it's too soon. I'd like to at least factor in outcomes of summer USA games where 5 are playing, and where that 5 is not even our starting 5!

So, come August, I might make a preliminary guess. After that, I'd like to await the start of practice and a few insider blog posts on how Saniya is coming along in practice and I might then go for broke and post up some numbers.

Posters are just having some summer fun, Plotzie. Take a nap, put your feet up, and anticipate the sun rising on an exciting basketball season.

 

[doggydaddy]

Posters are just having some summer fun, Plotzie. Take a nap, put your feet up, and anticipate the sun rising on an exciting basketball season.

Well, you said it much nicer than I was going to do.

I would only add that it felt like Plotzie was putting them down for their optimism.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Well, you said it much nicer than I was going to do.

I would only add that it felt like Plotzie was putting them down for their optimism.

He was...hence a nap was included in my suggestion.

 

[Wonkster]

11. Barring injuries I just don't see anybody else beating UConn ... I am thinking 39 and 0 as long as we stay healthy...

Do we even know for a fact yet that 40-0 is impossible in the AAC this year? Don't forget, Barnum and Baylor's 40-0 stunt was made possible only because of a realignment in the Big12 Circus, if I remember correctly.

 

[huskyharry]

Humility is good for the mojo...cockiness, not so much!

 

[doggydaddy]

Humility is good for the mojo...cockiness, not so much!

It didn't hurt the 4 other undefeated seasons. There were plenty of cockiness going on.

When you have a team this good, it's hard to have everyone follow the Mojo rules.

I don't think I will be blamed if they lose because I said they would go undefeated and win by 10+ points every game.

If fact, I believe the positive feelings counter any mojo stick poking.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Humility is good for the mojo...cockiness, not so much!

Come on Harry, posters are just having a summer fling.

 

[jplotinus]

Humility is good for the mojo...cockiness, not so much!

That's right.

 

[tonehill68]

I would. I'd be downright shocked. That would be a huge leap from where she is now.

There will be plenty of chances for Kiah to do so. In most of these games, she will play a lot of minutes against overmatched opponents (which is just about every conference game).

 

[MilfordHusky]

Will the new conference be so one-sided that it resembles the Pac-12?

 

[doggydaddy]

There will be plenty of chances for Kiah to do so. In most of these games, she will play a lot of minutes against overrated opponents (which is just about every conference game).

She had 14 points in 20 minutes against Idaho in the first round of the NCAA tourney. That's no small potatoes.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

That's right.

Ok Plotzie..since you are pushing it. I believe in talent, hard work, resilience, and a positive attitude...you can have superficial humility...and I believe in humor, having fun, and summer optimism.

There you have it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

She had 14 points in 20 minutes against Idaho in the first round of the NCAA tourney. That's no small potatoes.

You got that right, Spud!

 

[doggydaddy]

Ok Plotzie..since you are pushing it. I believe in talent, hard work, resilience, and a positive attitude...you can have superficial humility...and I believe in humor, having fun, and summer optimism.

There you have it.

I kinda agree.

But I'm more of a "screw the humility" kind of fan.

 

[huskyharry]

It didn't hurt the 4 other undefeated seasons. There were plenty of cockiness going on.

When you have a team this good, it's hard to have everyone follow the Mojo rules.

I don't think I will be blamed if they lose because I said they would go undefeated and win by 10+ points every game.

If fact, I believe the positive feelings counter any mojo stick poking.

I recall the boneyard being quite cocky right before Maya's senior year team lost to ND in the final four...don't want to see that result again!

 

[doggydaddy]

I recall the boneyard being quite cocky right before Maya's senior year team lost to ND in the final four...don't want to see that result again!

The only thing that would have changed if posters here weren't cocky would be that those posers wouldn't have had as much fun leading up to the game.

Uconn still would have lost.

You really don't believe that positive thinking here jinxes the team, do you?