Can Paige carry this team....

[Carnac]

While not a ranked team, the talent level will be much better when they travel to Seton Hall. This is a conference game that will be taken very seriously, and I don’t expect the foot to be taken off the gas. How our girls perform in THIS game will tell us more than their play Saturday. After seeing Paige play at this level for the first time, I’m not concerned about who will play pg the rest of the season. Who will step up tomorrow night?

 

[ctkaiser]

Wow I must be slow. I had no idea everybody could draw such definitive conclusions about a group of student athletes who played a few minutes of college basketball in their first
game of the season. Hopefully their coaches are a little more tempered in their reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and was desperate to get a glimpse of the seven new players. I also hope some of you aren't ready to give up on Olivia cause she missed 4 layups in a row or Christyn cause she didn't hit over 40% on 3s last year. Relax and give them a chance.

 

[willtalk]

But she shot pretty well her frosh year from 3. So don't most players improve during time? SO why wouldn't the expectation be "she still is a good shooter" if for a full year she shot well- more than just the ND game?

While she shot better her frosh year. 367% to her 333% her jr season. I wouldn't consider 367% pretty well for a shooting guard with the players she had on her team getting most of the defensive attention. Pretty well needs to be closer to 400%, unless she is a point who has to take a lot of clock winding down shots. There is only about 30% difference between the two season, which is not that much difference. What I was referrring to was in respect to consistency. That has remained the same. She is a streak shooter who will hit when she is on and often disappear. If a player is faced with a really good defender it will negate even a hot streak. She has always been an opportunist in respect to scoring. She takes what the defense gives her.

And no, players do not usually improve their shooting over time. The improvement usually comes through better shot selection and Williams has always made good decisions in that respect. Or sometimes if a player has really bad form they can work on that. Most of the time though players are either good shooters or not. It all depends on how much effort they have already spent on working on their shots. Williams worked this summer on getting into better shape and sometimes adding muscle will affect a players shooting negatively.

 

[hoophuskee]

While she shot better her frosh year. 367% to her 333% her jr season. I wouldn't consider 367% pretty well for a shooting guard with the players she had on her team getting most of the defensive attention. Pretty well needs to be closer to 400%, unless she is a point who has to take a lot of clock winding down shots. There is only about 30% difference between the two season, which is not that much difference. What I was referrring to was in respect to consistency. That has remained the same. She is a streak shooter who will hit when she is on and often disappear. If a player is faced with a really good defender it will negate even a hot streak. She has always been an opportunist in respect to scoring. She takes what the defense gives her.

And no, players do not usually improve their shooting over time. The improvement usually comes through better shot selection and Williams has always made good decisions in that respect. Or sometimes if a player has really bad form they can work on that. Most of the time though players are either good shooters or not. It all depends on how much effort they have already spent on working on their shots. Williams worked this summer on getting into better shape and sometimes adding muscle will affect a players shooting negatively.

I don't agree with much of this. But that's okay. Anyhow, the difference between 33.3% from 3 vs 33.67 is the difference between a 50% 3 pt shooter and 55% shooter.

You did say CWill did shoot "pretty well" - but then did you backtrack that? A player that shoots 40% from 3 is equivalent to a 60% 2-point shooter. How is 60% is just "pretty well?" If everyone on your team shoots an equivalent of 60% from the floor, you aren't going to lose many games.

Nor do I agree with your shooting perspective. Shot selection is part of it - sure--- but the improvement also has to do with a lot of practice. Meg Walker and Dangerfield as examples -- sure shot selection along with experience - but also practice over the summers taking many, many shots. Their shooting improved.

Overall I can't agree with what you're saying here if one of your main points is that overall players don't improve their shooting. At least with UCONN- the perimeter players generally take good shots.

 

[willtalk]

I don't agree with much of this. But that's okay. Anyhow, the difference between 33.3% from 3 vs 33.67 is the difference between a 50% 3 pt shooter and 55% shooter.

You did say CWill did shoot "pretty well" - but then did you backtrack that? A player that shoots 40% from 3 is equivalent to a 60% 2-point shooter. How is 60% is just "pretty well?" If everyone on your team shoots an equivalent of 60% from the floor, you aren't going to lose many games.

Nor do I agree with your shooting perspective. Shot selection is part of it - sure--- but the improvement also has to do with a lot of practice. Meg Walker and Dangerfield as examples -- sure shot selection along with experience - but also practice over the summers taking many, many shots. Their shooting improved.

Overall I can't agree with what you're saying here if one of your main points is that overall players don't improve their shooting. At least with UCONN- the perimeter players generally take good shots.

First let me say that I should not have left out the percentage point in my stats. It should have been 33.3% her Jr year and 33.7% her frosh season. When comparing these numbers to the Uconn team average it gives a better perspective. In her frosh season the UConn team average was 36.4% which puts her average .3% higher and by all measures just average for the team. Now last season ( her soph year ) the team average was 39.9% compared to her 33.3% putting her 6.6% below team average. I would consider neither as shooting pretty well for a top level team. I never said once that she shot pretty well.

What point is made comparing her percentages in the thirties to arbitrary percentages in the fifties is beyond me? Now her two season 3pt shooting percentages are not really that far apart for one or the other to be an abaration. Now a player can improve over the off season by focusing on shooting and correcting form. But i added that Williams spent her summer working on her body and fitness. Generally when you do that your shooting practice is just to adjust the new body to your existing form rather than making drastic improvements in that area. Too many times, especially on this site, fans make an assumption that players will exponentially improve their entire game. The new reality is that by the time players get to college there isn't that much skill developmental ceiling left, especially for guards. By the time they get to this level, they have spent years working with individual trainers and playing year round even before they get to high school.

As I have mentioned many times, players now days come into college having spent entire summers working on ball and shooting skills so their is not much improvement ceiling left. Williams worked on an area where she felt their was and it shows by her increased level of speed and quickness. But that will not translate to increased shooting percentages.

 

[chrissaran]

They need to find someone who can give Paige a break.

 

[CocoHusky]

They need to find someone who can give Paige a break.

Here is my suggestion. Edwards into the starting lineup Evina out. Evina can rotate in for 1-3 and Aubrey can come in for 3-5. Find some minutes for Mir and that is your rotation to build on.

 

[hoophuskee]

First let me say that I should not have left out the percentage point in my stats. It should have been 33.3% her Jr year and 33.7% her frosh season. When comparing these numbers to the Uconn team average it gives a better perspective. In her frosh season the UConn team average was 36.4% which puts her average .3% higher and by all measures just average for the team.

This is so wrong imo. I'm sorry. I'[m done. A player can shoot shoot 90% but every one else shoots 91% then that means the player is a below average shooter?

 

[peace & love]

First let me say that I should not have left out the percentage point in my stats. It should have been 33.3% her Jr year and 33.7% her frosh season. When comparing these numbers to the Uconn team average it gives a better perspective. In her frosh season the UConn team average was 36.4% which puts her average .3% higher and by all measures just average for the team. Now last season ( her soph year ) the team average was 39.9% compared to her 33.3% putting her 6.6% below team average. I would consider neither as shooting pretty well for a top level team. I never said once that she shot pretty well.

What point is made comparing her percentages in the thirties to arbitrary percentages in the fifties is beyond me? Now her two season 3pt shooting percentages are not really that far apart for one or the other to be an abaration. Now a player can improve over the off season by focusing on shooting and correcting form. But i added that Williams spent her summer working on her body and fitness. Generally when you do that your shooting practice is just to adjust the new body to your existing form rather than making drastic improvements in that area. Too many times, especially on this site, fans make an assumption that players will exponentially improve their entire game. The new reality is that by the time players get to college there isn't that much skill developmental ceiling left, especially for guards. By the time they get to this level, they have spent years working with individual trainers and playing year round even before they get to high school.

As I have mentioned many times, players now days come into college having spent entire summers working on ball and shooting skills so their is not much improvement ceiling left. Williams worked on an area where she felt their was and it shows by her increased level of speed and quickness. But that will not translate to increased shooting percentages.

And how do you know she didn’t work on shooting?

 

[browns]

Megan this, Megan that....Megan's gone
One of the many UConn players with a pretty distinguished career
that didn't quite knock our socks off, nor win championships
(no one does it by themselves).
But she did improve quite a bit every year.
Her first season in the W was not so distinguished but she's 22 for goodness sake and may wind up just fine...but I'm not fixated.

But this group that Geno has now...now that's worth out attention.

I agree Megan was invisible in most big games.One thing I'll give her huge credit for was how she transformed her body from soph to junior year..must have taken a lot of hard work

 

[oldhusky]

Here is my suggestion. Edwards into the starting lineup Evina out. Evina can rotate in for 1-3 and Aubrey can come in for 3-5. Find some minutes for Mir and that is your rotation to build on.

I liked this starting lineup from the beginning, but I would define Evina and Aubrey's roles mostly as 2/3 and 4/5 respectively. Evina could easily play 1, but if Nika shows more she won't have to, and can be a super-sub at 2/3. Aubrey can also play the 3 (particularly defensively), but with Evina available off the bench there, she is more needed at 4/5.

Mir is the hard one to find regular minutes for. On paper she appears to be the third best option for any position she is likely to play. Injuries or illness can create an opportunity of course, but if everyone else is available she may be a change of pace substitution or inserted as a defense or rebounding specialist as needed.

If Geno decides to press more (hope he does) that would raise the minutes for the tail end of the rotation, but this small ball starting lineup limits significantly the number of minutes you can give collectively to Aaliyah, Aubrey and Mir. All three of those are probably best at the 4, but there are not even 40 minutes to split between them because we start the game with a wing there. Aaliyah can get some of her minutes behind Liv, but in general, more minutes from any of those three means less minutes from Anna or Evina at the 4.

Like CocoHusky starting Edwards and bringing Evina off the bench is a direction I would like to see Geno go.

 

[BobbyJ]

Here is my suggestion. Edwards into the starting lineup Evina out. Evina can rotate in for 1-3 and Aubrey can come in for 3-5. Find some minutes for Mir and that is your rotation to build on.

Agree. He needs to maximize Edwards' minutes, she's too good to play backup time. If he had a true big to rotate with her and ONO it would be ideal but you can't have everything I guess.

 

[JellyBean]

Pretty much. The bigger question is, will the rest of the team allow it? If everyone understands their roles and how valuable they are to the success of the program, great things can happen.

 

[Ex Nutmegger]

.......... Now last season ( her soph year ) the team average was 39.9% compared to her 33.3% putting her 6.6% below team average. I would consider neither as shooting pretty well for a top level team. I never said once that she shot pretty well. .................

Actually, the difference between CW and the rest of the team is much greater than “6.6%”. If you remove CW’s 3pt numbers(43/129) from those of the entire team((281/705), you get 238/576 for the rest of the team or 41.3% - a bit more respectable. So CW was eight points lower than the rest of the team. Those are percentage points, not a percentage. She was actually .413-.333/.413 percent or 19.4 percent lower than the rest of the team. Now I call that significant.