After last night's game, does Molly come out of shell...

[CL82]

and look for her shot within the flow of the offense? Sometimes I think Molly is her own worst enemy, or at least her hesitancy which I suspect is due to self doubt. She got a lot of meaningful minutes and appeared to grow more comfortable as the game progressed. Was last night the start of the Bent renaissance?

 

[JoePgh]

You should listen to Geno's postgame press conference for his take on that. He praised her and noted how much it means to her and Kyla to get meaningful minutes in a meaningful game, and noted her contributions against Seton Hall. However, he still complained about her turnover ("she makes a couple of shots and thinks she's Moriah Jefferson!"), and noted a time when she left her own player unguarded (despite the fact that player had already made a couple of 3's) and ran across the court to pick up another player who was already guarded.

He clearly wants her to just slow down and act like a "backup quarterback" ("throw the 5-yard pass, hand it off to the running back") rather than trying to impact the game more than that.

I'm not sure I agree with that prescription, but I'm sure that is what she will do. By the way, I think her reluctance to shoot in the Ohio State and Dayton games, and her willingness to shoot last night, probably had to do with the minor injury and bandage to her shooting hand that several posters here noted in the games last week.

 

[victor64]

I don't think Molly will ever get completely comfortable looking for her shot. I also don't think she will slow down enough to satisfy Geno. He commented that he could not slow her down in three years, why would anyone expect it to happen this year.

However, and you alluded to this, has she done enough in the past two games to earn Geno's trust and give her minutes in big games to spell Crystal? I think she has because I think she is a decent defender.

 

[tower1]

I don't think Molly will ever get completely comfortable looking for her shot. I also don't think she will slow down enough to satisfy Geno. He commented that he could not slow her down in three years, why would anyone expect it to happen this year.

However, and you alluded to this, has she done enough in the past two games to earn Geno's trust and give her minutes in big games to spell Crystal? I think she has because I think she is a decent defender.

Molly plays hard and is a team player . But she is too slow and not quite this level of player. But she is a good backup off the bench as is Kyla.

 

[eebmg]

Part of the issue is that she generally feels she is the 5th best playyer on the court (by alot?) and every one of her teammamtes is a better option. In the SH game, we were a bit depleted and the great divide probably felt a lot smaller and that she was needed.

Its a psychology that will probably not go away since she is such a humble kid.

 

[eebmg]

Molly plays hard and is a team player . But she is too slow and not quite this level of player. But she is a good backup off the bench as is Kyla.

Disagree with Molly being too slow. Yes, she is not a speedster but she is a good athlete and is easily in the range of many D1 guards in top schools. (She was a track kid in HS I believe) It is her mindset and anxieties that gets in her way. Kyla on the other hand is slow but makes up for it as best she can in a myriad of ways.

 

[UConnCat]

So true

 

[Argonaut]

So true

But... but...

These ladies don't have real majors! They're majoring in basketball!

 

[lanieer]

Molly should be applauded for her 20 minute time against bad teams that will not make the tournament. As Geno said she played “good” but gave him heartburn. Let’s get serious now. With Crystal we would have beat SH by 30.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[donalddoowop]

Molly should be applauded for her 20 minute time against bad teams that will not make the tournament. As Geno said she played “good” but gave him heartburn. Let’s get serious now. With Crystal we would have beat SH by 30.

You don't know that. UConn had Crystal against the other so called bad teams and did not beat them by 30. It seems that Ohio State is a lot better than many thought. They were supposed to be one of the bad teams.

 

[FanHam]

She gets twitchy a lot of the time when she gets into games, but I've always been a fan of hers - I think she has a lot to offer as a big point guard who can shoot, make passes and bang the boards. She's tough and resilient. She definitely brings energy.

Not to second guess Geno, but maybe if he hasn't been able to slow her down in 3+ years he ought to consider taking his foot off the brake.

If she could just get over those brain locks. . .

 

[BostonBay]

She can spell minutes against the weaker teams or in a blowout. That's her value. But, I just dont think Geno trusts her in critical game situations. Too many TOs, rushed shots, missed defensive assignments, etc. She just doesnt have the reps or experience against the top opponents to be consistently effective, imo.

 

[my2cents]

I have not been a big fan of Molly based on her play . Last night she showed me why Geno has liked her all these years. Other than a couple of times where she over dribbled into the lane (mainly to her left), she played an outstanding game.
Its all about confidence, lets hope she builds on that game, and Geno will have no problem using her.

 

[Geew1992]

Molly's had the misfortune to be at UConn at the same time as two of the best point guards UConn's ever had - Moriah Jefferson and Crystal Dangerfield - so she's not gotten the amount of playing time she might have if things were different.

She gets twitchy a lot of the time when she gets into games, true. But I've always been a fan of hers - I think she has a lot to offer as a big point guard who can shoot, make passes and bang the boards. She's tough and resilient. She definitely brings energy.

Not to second guess Geno, but maybe if he hasn't been able to slow her down in 3+ years he ought to consider taking his foot off the brake.

If she could just get over those brain locks. . .

I don't think Molly played when Moriah was there. Hence, the senior class is the first class in a long time with a ring.

 

[soxfan23]

Molly should be applauded for her 20 minute time against bad teams that will not make the tournament. As Geno said she played “good” but gave him heartburn. Let’s get serious now. With Crystal we would have beat SH by 30.

Maybe so, but Bent did her job and should applauded for that. She stepped up as a Sr. backup PG and helped guide her team to a victory on the road while facing foul/injury issues. Bent deserves a lot of credit for stepping up.

 

[bluedevil]

Molly should have gone to Yale...would have been a 4 year starter and learned lots of math.....

 

[JoePgh]

Molly should have gone to Yale...would have been a 4 year starter and learned lots of math.....

But I'm pretty sure that her parents are glad she went to UConn, where she got a full scholarship (not likely from any of the Ivies).

Actually, I think her Ivy League offer was from Courtney Banghart at Princeton.

 

[UConn2SF]

But I'm pretty sure that her parents are glad she went to UConn, where she got a full scholarship (not likely from any of the Ivies).

Actually, I think her Ivy League offer was from Courtney Banghart at Princeton.

But but but shes a "recruited walkon"

 

[PacoSwede]

But but but shes a "recruited walkon"

yeah, i noticed that too. one of 2 off them! what was that BS?

and where did it come from? someone must have have fed that crap to the broadcast folks. that's disgraceful and disrespectful.

i find it pretty disgraceful too, the way so many posters here have seen fit to continue to denigrate Molly and Kyla's contributions even when they have performed very well by any reasonable standard. Some, apparently, have pigeonholed them as not of acceptable UConn 'quality' when it comes to court-time. i know they're not as capable as D or BT or Ketia or Kiah, but they're plenty as capable as hundreds of D1 starters, and would be prized by many teams.

if you don't have anything good to say about them, fine -- but keep it to yourself, because they don't deserve your scorn and we don't benefit from hearing belittlement of them. at least i don't. but of course, i don't speak for the BY, sorry.

 

[Jingo]

Molly should be applauded for her 20 minute time against bad teams that will not make the tournament. As Geno said she played “good” but gave him heartburn. Let’s get serious now. With Crystal we would have beat SH by 30.

Disagree completely .. and i m serious...

 

[bluedevil]

Ivy leagues give plenty of scholarships to athletes..don't kid yourself..

 

[JoePgh]

Ivy leagues give plenty of scholarships to athletes..don't kid yourself..

But rarely are they FULL scholarships; the family is expected to pay as much as they are considered able to afford.

 

[Bama fan]

Molly should have gone to Yale...would have been a 4 year starter and learned lots of math.....

I think she is happy with her choice. And I think math works in Storrs much like it does in New Haven.

 

[cohenzone]

Molly should be applauded for her 20 minute time against bad teams that will not make the tournament. As Geno said she played “good” but gave him heartburn. Let’s get serious now. With Crystal we would have beat SH by 30.

Molly is no star. But the one really critical comment I heard him make was about her D and it was about something my untrained eye spotted on TV and commented on here that frankly he could have fixed on the spot. He said she was dropping off their 3 point shooters too far to hedge toward possible double teams and couldn’t recover. Why let her keep doing that if he saw her doing that? Clearly their outside shooters had quick releases. Kind of a weird comment from him.