Adamec: Moriah wants to be a lot better this year!

[Blakeon18]

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/jefferson-ready-for-pan-am-games-challenge/#more-16303

The link is to Carl's latest blog about MoJet...we got her and nobody else does.

 

[ktuck911]

she will be better.. no doubt in my mind... I think we might be scarier than last year's squad, which ran a basketball clinic everytime they stepped on the court, save the early season Stanford game...If KLS plays anywhere the way Stewie did as a frosh (both being #1 players in HS for 2 years if I'm not mistaken), it won't be a proverbial cakewalk, but darn near close.. my opinion....

 

[meyers7]

It's gonna be a fun year.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Mo and Stewie......love them like I loved Sue and Dee together.

 

[Kevin G]

Love this kid!

 

[Blakeon18]

We saw her at some point this summer practicing her pull-up 'j'. My bet is the over/under on the number of times she took that shot last season is about 3. If she develops that shot into a real asset...then combine it with her trey set shot and her streaking to the basket, she will be darn near unguardable. When she does shoot it, she seems to be doing a pretty fair imitation of Kemba Walker...a high compliment.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Improvement? She was awesome last year. But for the second year in a row, she started slowly. I don't recall the exact time frame, but I think Moriah turned it up in mid January as a sophomore and mid December as a junior. Here are some interesting numbers from Carl:

"But in her last 30 games, she shot 62.9 percent from the floor, 55.2 percent from behind the arc, and 91.6 percent from the foul line to go with an assist-to-turnover ratio of plus-3.53." Those are Lieberman numbers and some of the best Lieberman numbers ever. There are not many members of the 60/50/90 club!!

 

[BroadwayVa]

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/jefferson-ready-for-pan-am-games-challenge/#more-16303

The link is to Carl's latest blog about MoJet...we got her and nobody else does.

Can you image what it would be like if Moriah got much better??? 700 shots muscle memory is set in stone. Shea has got to be a very dedicated coach. The characteristic of a UConn type player--humble--"I've been cut and I know how it feels" from a truly great standout BB player. I lived in Puerto Rico, loved it, they are a commonwealth of the USA like Mass and Virgina--it tickles me that they have a Puerto Rican NATIONAL team even a bob sledding team (at least once) in the Olympics. I guess Connecticut could have it's own Women's National Basketball team (UConn) and play in the Olympics.

 

[UcMiami]

I will be curious to see if she gets an invitation to the Senior team trials next spring - if she has a good year I think she will - doubt she makes the team, but she should get her feet wet.

I don't think we can really expect her to shoot much better this year than she did last year after the slow start - guards and especially point guards just don't shoot .600/.500 very often - her percentage is so high because of her speed and ability to get to the rim for uncontested layups. What I do expect is that her attempts will go up a bit and that should increase her average by maybe a point or two.
This year should be an easier transition for her and the team compared to last year - Bria and Stef were so integral to the offensive flow and their graduation changed the dynamic significantly. KML was super but the offense never centered around her play. Hopefully that will solve the 'slow start' issue.

 

[caramel]

What you have to love about her and other standouts at Connecticut,is the attitude,that,even though you achieve All American status,even though you win awards as an outstanding player,even though you have won three straight championships,you are never satisfied with yourself.You look at your game,and see where you can improve,and you expect to get better,turning your weakest part of your game,into a strength.On top of that,you enjoy being pushed by the coaches,to get better.How many other girls on other teams would say that?

 

[Bigpetunia]

There's a part of me that wants to just continue to anticipate the upcoming season, but not have it actually begin. When it does, the "clock" will start winding inexorably down on the two best WCBB players in the nation, a prospect tough to bear. I have very little interest in, or affection for the pro game. But for Moriah especially, whose stature may limit her somewhat at the next level, the college game is a perfect fit, and we'll all hate to see it come to an end. Still, yes, I, like others, can't wait to see the "new and improved" version! Wow!!

 

[UcMiami]

What you have to love about her and other standouts at Connecticut,is the attitude,that,even though you achieve All American status,even though you win awards as an outstanding player,even though you have won three straight championships,you are never satisfied with yourself.You look at your game,and see where you can improve,and you expect to get better,turning your weakest part of your game,into a strength.On top of that,you enjoy being pushed by the coaches,to get better.How many other girls on other teams would say that?

I suspect the answer for the best players on other teams is almost all of them - the real difference at Uconn from my perspective is that the coaching staff has a vision of the 'prefect' Moriah or Stewart, or _____ - the best possible player that individual can become, and they have a plan from day one to help them on the road to that ultimate goal, and the skill to teach them. Not every player gets as far down that road as they hope, but it is not from lack of trying on the coaches part. (And it may also not be the players fault if they fall short - the chemistry between coach and player doesn't always work.)

 

[UcMiami]

There's a part of me that wants to just continue to anticipate the upcoming season, but not have it actually begin. When it does, the "clock" will start winding inexorably down on the two best WCBB players in the nation, a prospect tough to bear. I have very little interest in, or affection for the pro game. But for Moriah especially, whose stature may limit her somewhat at the next level, the college game is a perfect fit, and we'll all hate to see it come to an end. Still, yes, I, like others, can't wait to see the "new and improved" version! Wow!!

In reading this I thought back to the HS rankings - the services don't always get it right, and some players fall of due to injury or just reaching a plateau, but Stewart and Jefferson have lived up to their 1/2 billing.