Ayanna Patterson goal. Alot more than a super athletic Dunker.

[BBallF]

When I was a kid, BB sportscasters regularly used two clichés, 1) “getting on track” for a player who’s shot was off initially — he needed to get on track; 2) drawing a foul, in the sense of inducing the player covering you to foul. Both of them evolved over the years.

Al Maguire transformed #1 to “getting untracked.” Was he aware that he’d changed the phrase? Who knows, but the underlying sense had changed into something either incoherent or weird, namely a drug addict trying to kick the habit and missing shots becomes the withdrawal symptoms. It’s a rich image but not a very friendly one. The incoherent alternative would be that the player has gotten tangled up in his model train set.

#2 had the rich sense of drawing the foul from the opponent’s soul, as if someone was a sort of wizard. I imagine we can all remember stars from our childhood capable of such wizardry. For me it was Oscar Robertson and Walt Frazier. Later it became drawing the foul from the refs as though they were Las Vegas dealers.

For #2, one of the best examples in UCONN history of drawing the foul occurs with 1:45 left in the 2002 Finals against Oklahoma and the score 73-67. Geno calls a clearout on the left side for Diana, who is a sophomore, and she goes against 3 defenders, powers her way up, draws the 5th foul on Stacey Dale, makes the bucket, and ices the game. It was one of her greatest moves ever and that is saying a lot.

 

[CocoHusky]

For #2, one of the best examples in UCONN history of drawing the foul occurs with 1:45 left in the 2002 Finals against Oklahoma and the score 73-67. Geno calls a clearout on the left side for Diana, who is a sophomore, and she goes against 3 defenders, powers her way up, draws the 5th foul on Stacey Dale, makes the bucket, and ices the game. It was one of her greatest moves ever and that is saying a lot.

Indeed!

 

[Bone Dog]

Indeed!

Awesome play and awesome game!

 

[Bone Dog]

See Webster's.

Webster's, lol. Sorry, I use an actual etymological dictionary, like the OED. If I want to know what a word actually means, I find out where it came from. Otherwise, you're just trading in metaphors, sometimes in layers, and unwittingly.

But as I said, use whatever word you like. I'm not the grammar boss of anyone. I merely pointed out a linguistic preference of my own.

In other words, I love arguing about trivial stuff like this because it's my profession. But I don't expect anyone else to share my arcane tastes. I was ready to let the matter drop after the first post. But if folks want to keep this train of thought going, it's not my fault.

 

[sun]

With all of her athleticism and aggression, my hope is for Patterson to become UConn's version of Nalyssa Smith over the next four years......should be exciting to watch.......

I haven't watched any other high school WBB player as aggressive as Ayanna.
When she's dribbling the ball and someone steps in front of her, she puts her shoulder into them and knocks them over & draws the foul.
I don't know if she'll be doing that at UConn or not, but that's aggressive play.
I've also seen Ayanna get bowled over in a similar fashion right onto her duff during one of those Slam games.
Some coaches would definitely want Ayanna to keep that aggressive mindset as it makes players think twice the next time.
Players have also done it to Paige when she's tried to draw a charging foul and she slammed her head on the wood.
It's part of the legal moves of the game as players hustle trying to beat their opponent for floor position.

 

[Alydar]

With all of her athleticism and aggression, my hope is for Patterson to become UConn's version of Nalyssa Smith over the next four years......should be exciting to watch.......

Not bad. I hope she can be a 3 level scorer. In fact I'm hoping she can split time between the 3 and 4. Like many others I saw her two-handed dunk and fell in love but since then I've seen the way she can move around. Very fast end to end but for a tall woman she has extremely quick feet and hands. "Unlimited ceiling" is overused but Patterson is in that category. I wondered if she had the strength necessary to play inside. She was physically dominant in an all-star game. If she has any kind of outside shooting talent we are in for a treat.

UConn has several players eligible to make jumps or else surprise as freshmen. And looking at the recent classes it isn't a pipe dream.

 

[Alydar]

The point is that it's better to force the opposition to react to you than you to them and it's equally true for offense and defense. It takes the other team out of their rhythm and that leads to mistakes.

I never like "aggression". The media wants us to think it's a war but it isn't, nor should it be.

 

[cgshuskie]

Patterson, Edwards, Griffin and DeBerry will create a Task Force II. We are about to enter a new era!!!

 

[cgshuskie]

I forgot to add Brady to the list folks. Task Force II!

 

[Cuango]

With all of her athleticism and aggression, my hope is for Patterson to become UConn's version of Nalyssa Smith over the next four years......should be exciting to watch.......

Well said! I think that is a perfect goal for Ayanna!

 

[Cuango]

Physicality in the execution of an athletic move is a part of most team sports involving a ball. Two players go for a rebound and a 2 second struggle ensues. I have a problem when physicality becomes a strategy, ala UCF for an example. Physical intimidation is nothing more than bullying and officials who allow it should be fired. I know many think it's "part of the game" but getting beat up every morning on the way to school also used to be "just part of growing up".

Physical intimidation in the sense of bullying or going beyond the rules is,of course, wrong and should not be allowed. Physical intimidation in the sense of using your physical advantage within the rules is completely defensible. In fact, not using that physical advantage would basically be coaching malpractice. There wouldn’t be any advantage in having Shaq or Aneesah Morrow on your team if you put a tutu on them and made them play finesse basketball.

 

[Conndog]

Awesome play and awesome game!

Loved that play! When they cleared the area for her and Diana starting backing down the guard defending her, who was a great defender by the way, it was awesome to watch. Stacy Dales came over to late and fouled out, and that sealed the deal for UConn.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I'd like to see Ayanna use her body to shield the ball as she goes up to finish instead of gripping it with 2 hands so much to try to power it into the basket. Maybe hold people off with one hand as she finishes with the other on layups and such. It's tough to have any touch with her approach and she'll get the shot off but often miss. I love her work up to the shot as she has an Aneesa Morrow strength and physicality which is very tough to stop but that final touch on the shot needed work at least when I saw her in high school. I remember one opposing player saying that when she gets the ball under the basket it's over but in college the competition level is not going to let her to just force the ball in. Watch how Caroline finishes with so many approaches and moves around the rim.

 

[Bajan Best]

For the longest time now Coach has been saying his teams are way too nice on the court... and here we are discussing the word aggression... LOL, Why do you guys think the game changes for UConn when Nika enters the game? She is a very aggressive player. Some of the greatest who have played the game if you really look at what makes them special it is their unique level of aggression which also goes hand in hand with confidence on the court.

Maya Moore was an aggressive player, meaning basically she had an attack mentality. Jennifer Rizzotti, the same, Morgan Tuck played with aggression, Abbrosimova, Nakesha Sales, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash all were considered aggressive.. Further more most lock down defenders have this trait also in-common.. This is the edge that UConn has been missing in the last few years, and why we have come up short of the Natty,, ALL the teams that took us out of the tournament on that night were the more aggressive team, which took us out of our comfort zones That is what it takes to beat a really good team.. There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing aggressive, playing with more energy, playing with confidence, whatever you want to call it... The great ones all carry this "I don't care what you do, you cannot stop me from taking over this game attitude.. "

UConn for decades have intimidated teams just by showing up, all of a sudden that word too is suppose to be taboo.. These things are all part of sport.. It's time to change the image of this team, we need players with Diana's and Maya's killer mentality.. The games need to be over after the first 10 mins..

 

[CocoHusky]

For the longest time now Coach has been saying his teams are way too nice on the court... and here we are discussing the word aggression... LOL, Why do you guys think the game changes for UConn when Nika enters the game? She is a very aggressive player. Some of the greatest who have played the game if you really look at what makes them special it is their unique level of aggression which also goes hand in hand with confidence on the court.

Maya Moore was an aggressive player, meaning basically she had an attack mentality. Jennifer Rizzotti, the same, Morgan Tuck played with aggression, Abbrosimova, Nakesha Sales, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash all were considered aggressive.. Further more most lock down defenders have this trait also in-common.. This is the edge that UConn has been missing in the last few years, and why we have come up short of the Natty,, ALL the teams that took us out of the tournament on that night were the more aggressive team, which took us out of our comfort zones That is what it takes to beat a really good team.. There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing aggressive, playing with more energy, playing with confidence, whatever you want to call it... The great ones all carry this "I don't care what you do, you cannot stop me from taking over this game attitude.. "

UConn for decades have intimidated teams just by showing up, all of a sudden that word too is suppose to be taboo.. These things are all part of sport.. It's time to change the image of this team, we need players with Diana's and Maya's killer mentality.. The games need to be over after the first 10 mins..

 

[Alydar]

For the longest time now Coach has been saying his teams are way too nice on the court... and here we are discussing the word aggression... LOL, Why do you guys think the game changes for UConn when Nika enters the game? She is a very aggressive player. Some of the greatest who have played the game if you really look at what makes them special it is their unique level of aggression which also goes hand in hand with confidence on the court.

Maya Moore was an aggressive player, meaning basically she had an attack mentality. Jennifer Rizzotti, the same, Morgan Tuck played with aggression, Abbrosimova, Nakesha Sales, Shea Ralph, Swin Cash all were considered aggressive.. Further more most lock down defenders have this trait also in-common.. This is the edge that UConn has been missing in the last few years, and why we have come up short of the Natty,, ALL the teams that took us out of the tournament on that night were the more aggressive team, which took us out of our comfort zones That is what it takes to beat a really good team.. There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing aggressive, playing with more energy, playing with confidence, whatever you want to call it... The great ones all carry this "I don't care what you do, you cannot stop me from taking over this game attitude.. "

UConn for decades have intimidated teams just by showing up, all of a sudden that word too is suppose to be taboo.. These things are all part of sport.. It's time to change the image of this team, we need players with Diana's and Maya's killer mentality.. The games need to be over after the first 10 mins..

Aggressiveness is on defense is what Mühl brought from day one. UConn had become a defensive team that reacted to the offense, switching on all screens and letting the shot clock pressure the offense. Mühl forces offenses to react to her. It's very effective against weaker backcourts. Tenn is a program that has used defensive pressure a lot during the 30 years I watched them, trapping anywhere they can. Taking offenses out of their rhythm and into bad decisions. Causing chaos.
I would be happy if alternatives are found that allow Mühl to play just 25/gm and allow her to use her 4 fouls and play her style of BB. And who knows, her technique may improve and the fouling with it.

 

[Bigboote]

Geno's not allowed to tell anyone to do something, only suggest. I guess it was just a matter of time before players couldn't be aggressive.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Indeed!

Also equally impressive was the 3 pt block by Williams, team defensive rebounding (no second chance points after DT's spin move and all the free throws made by Sue Bird...

Seniors (plus a "super" sophomore in DT) playing serious team defense and "winning the play in front of you"...

 

[CocoHusky]

Also equally impressive was the 3 pt block by Williams, team defensive rebounding (no second chance points after DT's spin move and all the free throws made by Sue Bird...
Seniors (plus a "super" sophomore in DT) playing serious team defense and "winning the play in front of you"...

An also highly underrated aggressive play is the one by Asjha Jones immediately before the Taurasi clear out basket. Asjha grabbed the ball in the lane turned and knocked the defender on her behind and swished the ball in her face.
It been a minute since I've seen a UCONN player do that kind of thing and I sorely miss it.