Today's Badass Award definitely should go to the "C&C" Factory (Chong and Collier). Super Effort by both
I agree with Chong-Master. They
BOTH deserve co-badass awards today for different reasons.
Chong had a very steady game today. 17pts,6 reb & 6 ast. This is exactly the type of performance we needed from her today.
She was the floor general today that ran the offense, provided floor leadership and controlled the tempo, made good decisions and without turning the ball over.
Collier on the other hand, was putting the ball in the basket
consistently , and scoring much needed points in the first half as two of our starters were having an off day. SHE picked up the slack for them and the team. Collier played her usual game today. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary. 24 points, 9 rebounds & 3 assists in 31 minutes. Just another day at the office.
She was the presence UConn needed on offense all day, but especially the first 20 minutes. If Collier plays this way the rest of the season, I won't recognize or respect any All-American selection list that does not have her name on it.
Kia Nurse showed up, and played her usual solid game today despite her ankle injury.
If you've watched coached, or played organized basketball, you know that ALL players have these types of games once in a while. They have a day (game) where nothing goes in. It's not because of a lack of effort, their shot was just off today. Every basketball player has one of these days every now and then. Am I concerned about the way the team played in the first half today?, no. When it's obvious a player does not have it that day, you do exactly as Geno did, take them out.
If they begin their next game (Cincinnati) like that, then yes!! Horns will sound, and red flags will begin to flap in the wind. Adjustments were made at half time, and order was restored. Even with all of the missed shots in the first half, my final score prediction of 104-50 was not that far off. My prediction for Tulsa's points was right on the nose.
Crystal Dangerfield - She continues her journey through her freshman growing pains. Had a good game today. I thought she would get a lot of playing time. I predicted 30 minutes of PT for her, she had 27. I also predicted the bench would get a lot of floor time today, they did. Everyone got in the score book today except Lawlor and Bent. I think Geno is doing to Crystal want he does to most freshmen this time of year.
He tears them down at the beginning of the season, then in early February, he begins to build them back up. We continue to see flashes of her brilliance and skill set. Next year, she will be able to put those on display every game on a consistent basis. She'll make that sophomore leap. By the end of the month, Geno will have her where he wants her to be. I think she will be ready to contribute some
meaningful minutes come March.