All about Paige Bueckers Vol 2

[TheGOAT23]

I tried watching, but the video would freeze after 20 seconds or so. I gave up after a few attempts. Thanks for the report!

McKenzie was averaging 31.6 ppg as of last week. She is reportedly the top Minnesota player in the Class of 2021. HoopGurlz does not have her in their top 60 nationally.

I tried watching, but the video would freeze after 20 seconds or so. I gave up after a few attempts. Thanks for the report!

McKenzie was averaging 31.6 ppg as of last week. She is reportedly the top Minnesota player in the Class of 2021. HoopGurlz does not have her in their top 60 nationally.

The game is on YouTube. I watched the entire game. Adalia McKenzie is a baller. Game recognize game! Paige and Adalia hugged, afterwards. I have to say that both teams were “gassed” in the 2nd half. Most of the turnovers committed was due to lazy passes because they were fatigued - especially, the BIGS from Hopkins. I expected them to dominate the inside at will. PC was very scrappy.

 

[victor64]

I watched the game. There is no way there are sixty juniors better than Adalia MeKenzie. The announcers said McKenzie doesn't have a position. Whatever. There is no room in the inn for her at UConn but just about everybody else does. She would start for Lindsay Whalen the minute she stepped on the Minnesota campus.

 

[hoophuskee]

Thanks for posting the game Slu!

Both players - Paige and Adalia were tremendous though at the end not much highlights. I thought the color commentator missed out on how great Paige's 1st half was as well however ( he mentioned a few times how great Adalia was-- and ofc she was.) . Though he did say she was terrific. He was complimentary to both - but he made some comments - just wanted to add to his. Paige was amazing too.

She had 17 points and at least 6 assists and just 1 T/O at halftime and I thought I heard him say that Adalia "did a pretty nice job on her"early in 2nd half speaking of the 1st half. Further early in 2nd half he mentioned that Paige "usually has more assists" referencing or implying Park Center's defense was affecting Paige somewhat in 1st the half.

I think though he forgot that early in the game that Paige had 4 assists in the 1st 6:15 as both teams were playing at a hectic pace.

Her 1st half was spectacular too. So when the color commentator spoke of "a pretty nice job" - Paige shot 6-10 from the floor (hitting a 3, Overall an EFG% of 65%) with 17 points and having 6 assists with just 1 T/O. Well other stats in 1st half for Paige were 6 rebounds at halftime as well. That's half-way to a triple-double for points, assists and rebounds with just 1 T/O.. And oh- by the way - she had 3 steals too.

Both were tremendous.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[ballhawk]

The announcer said when Paige goes to UConn, as a freshman she will be one of the top 15 or 20 players in the country. He said he didn't know what Geno could teach her. How about defense? Her man, McKenzie scored 40 points. Paige still has a lot to learn.

 

[hoophuskee]

The announcer said when Paige goes to UConn, as a freshman she will be one of the top 15 or 20 players in the country. He said he didn't know what Geno could teach her. How about defense? Her man, McKenzie scored 40 points. Paige still has a lot to learn.

That wasn't "her man" all the time. Sure her D will have to get better. And he did mention later that she needs to get stronger.

But in terms of McKenizie scoring -
1-- Sometimes she scored off someone else in halfcourt.
2-- Sometimes she scored in while Paige was in a zone.
3-- Sometimes she stole the ball or teammates did which resulted in her getting a wide open layups.
4-- Sometimes during fastbreaks Park City ran - they have numbers whether 2 on 1 break or 3 on 2 etc-- so at that point one-on-one defense doesn't matter.

She got a lot of points off of fastbreaks and steals that weren't Paige's "fault." Buy yeah Paige's D I'm sure needs work - and yeah McKenzie played one awesome game.

 

[eebmg]

Clearly Adalia has pushed her game to a new level. Will be interesting to see her move up the rankings

Prep athletes of the week: Park Center's Adalia McKenzie off to a focused basketball start

Follow the StarTribune for the news, photos and videos from the Twin Cities and beyond.

www.startribune.com

"At least one recruiting service has Adalia McKenzie ranked as the top girls' basketball player in the state in the class of 2021."

 

[oldude]

There are not enough superlatives to completely describe Paige’s game. Poise, vision, leadership are just a few that come to mind. But Paige will need to be a better defensive player at UConn. She needs to work harder on defense, get back on defense in transition and improve her defensive stance.

I’m not particularly worried though. I observed the same deficiencies last year in the 4 HS games I watched Aubrey play, and look what kind of defender she has become at UConn. In Paige and Aubrey’s defense, it’s not easy to have the ball in your hands all the time on offense and also play shutdown defense, particularly in HS where very few players develop college level defensive skills.

 

[JordyG]

There are not enough superlatives to completely describe Paige’s game. Poise, vision, leadership are just a few that come to mind. But Paige will need to be a better defensive player at UConn. She needs to work harder on defense, get back on defense in transition and improve her defensive stance.

I’m not particularly worried though. I observed the same deficiencies last year in the 4 HS games I watched Aubrey play, and look what kind of defender she has become at UConn. In Paige and Aubrey’s defense, it’s not easy to have the ball in your hands all the time on offense and also play shutdown defense, particularly in HS where very few players develop college level defensive skills.

Yeah. I think the things Geno will complain about initially is Paige's defense (as in "Can we get some defense from Ms. All Everything", or "I guess we only got the offensive AA/we need to see the defensive AA" or maybe he'll just pull out another chair), her need to get stronger and her conditioning. Believe me, she will take that stuff to heart and improve considerably by March 2021. But I don't see her taking the WCBB world by storm on day one. However, Fudd may be a different story.

 

[oldude]

Yeah. I think the things Geno will complain about initially is Paige's defense (as in "Can we get some defense from Ms. All Everything", or "I guess we only got the offensive AA/we need to see the defensive AA" or maybe he'll just pull out another chair), her need to get stronger and her conditioning. Believe me, she will take that stuff to heart and improve considerably by March 2021. But I don't see her taking the WCBB world by storm on day one. However, Fudd may be a different story.

Geno will also have the ability to sit Paige down and insert Nika in the lineup. That should get her attention.

 

[Alydar]

Yeah. I think the things Geno will complain about initially is Paige's defense (as in "Can we get some defense from Ms. All Everything", or "I guess we only got the offensive AA/we need to see the defensive AA" or maybe he'll just pull out another chair), her need to get stronger and her conditioning. Believe me, she will take that stuff to heart and improve considerably by March 2021. But I don't see her taking the WCBB world by storm on day one. However, Fudd may be a different story.

In spite of her exceptional skills the two most important traits I have seen in Bueckers are her competitiveness and her confidence. And when those two traits are coupled with the skills she has learned and her physical talent you have a special player. If Geno tells her she will never be great until she is a great defender she will take it as a challenge. Fudd is another exceptional player and always seems to shoot just a bit better, but in the few games the two have played against each other it's Buecker's team that wins.
While several Huskies have had great freshman years only Moore "took the world by storm day one". It just isn't the UConn system. Geno's players adapt to his offense, they don't get an offense designed for their game. Fudd could go to any number of elite schools and be an all-time high scorer and a multi-year NPOY or she can choose UConn and be part of a legendary team. And I'd wager that's the pitch UConn uses and that appeals to so many No 1 recruits.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

1/7

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[hoophuskee]

Paige is going to be an impact player immediately her freshman year. I can remember when Maya 1st came she would say she couldn't believe how good the guards were. Paige will be opposite - she won't believe the scorers she has that surround her.

And over the last few years because of a weak bench and small guards I didn't feel they could press. Now they can. Her size for a pg is awesome.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She missed 2 ... revoke her offer!

 

[Bama fan]

I tried watching, but the video would freeze after 20 seconds or so. I gave up after a few attempts. Thanks for the report!

McKenzie was averaging 31.6 ppg as of last week. She is reportedly the top Minnesota player in the Class of 2021. HoopGurlz does not have her in their top 60 nationally.

@MilfordHusky re the video freezing after twenty seconds. If you have been to Minnesota in January, you would know that nearly everything freezes after twenty seconds or so .

 

[eebmg]

She missed 2 ... revoke her offer!

after our team shooting? . LOL. If she only made 2, that is still an improvement

 

[oldude]

@MilfordHusky re the video freezing after twenty seconds. If you have been to Minnesota in January, you would know that nearly everything freezes after twenty seconds or so .

I have a friend who is a lawyer at a firm in Minneapolis who was promoted to Junior Partner. I congratulated him, and suggested he must be excited about the raise. He told me there was no raise, but he was clearly excited nonetheless, because the promotion came with a new parking space where he could plug in his car, so he could be sure it would start on those brutally cold winter nights when he put in a late night at the office.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I had a friend who went to UConn and then started grad school at Arizona. After a year, he transferred to Minnesota. He then took a year off and went back to Connecticut for a year off before finishing his degree at Minnesota. I joked with him that moving from Tuscon to Minneapolis caused him to need a year to thaw out.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Paige's game will be streamed tonight at 7:00 central at the link below.


Hopkins vs Wayzata

nspn.tv

www.prepspotlight.tv

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[Charliebball]

In spite of her exceptional skills the two most important traits I have seen in Bueckers are her competitiveness and her confidence.
While several Huskies have had great freshman years only Moore "took the world by storm day one". It just isn't the UConn system. Geno's players adapt to his offense, they don't get an offense designed for their game.

I believe PB is ready made to run the UConn offense yet has the entire three level arsenal necessary to carry the team when the offense isn't clicking...............I've said many times that she could have played serious minutes for UConn this year never mind next year and predict she will average around 14 points and 6 assists per game which mirrors Sabrina Ionescu's freshman season..............I'll be very, very surprised if her name doesn't end up on the GP wall........