Chong and Stokes

[Sonny44]

uh, you don't need 5 shooting threats to win NC's.

Well it can't hurt and I want to win every year.

 

[easttexastrash]

UCONN has four highly capable scorers. You are still way ahead of 100% of the competition.

 

[luckyhusky7]

We do like to eat our young huh??


Geno's opinion is the only opinion that matters....but like someone said, "what does he know, eh?"

 

[watanabe]

No question of her defense capabilities. Geno is on it. The lady needs to know she will not be sat down. She needs this. Missed shots with no getting pulled out is unquestionably necessary for her confidence. It's a great week for this. We will soon have five shooters.

 

[doggydaddy]

No question of her defense capabilities. Geno is on it. The lady needs to know she will not be sat down. She needs this. Missed shots with no getting pulled out is unquestionably necessary for her confidence. It's a great week for this. We will soon have five shooters.

100% agree!

Five shooters on this team is just unfair.

 

[alexrgct]

Kiniyah?

as long as it's not kiniyah Chokes.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Apparently Geno doesn't agree with some of you guys....

From John A.:

Freshman Saniya Chong started for the first time and played a career-high 37 minutes without scoring. She took just three shots with two rebounds and one assist. “I thought she was great,” Auriemma. “She did nothing to tell me she was overwhelmed. Little by little she will get the hang of it. Right now, the bigness of the situation is weighing on her mind. But she handled herself well and she’ll be better Wednesday [against Central Florida].”

Yeah, he actually did "agree with some of you guys" because he said she was great and then turned around and said she's having issues with "the bigness of the situation" so I think that's exactly what "some of you guys" has said. Semantics! It appeared early in the season that she was cool, calm and collected and actually hit a few key shots but for a while now she's been hesitant offensively though it appears she's still playing decent defense. Why do people feel they need to "protect" freshman players. I'm not suggesting throwing them to the wolves but at least be a little objective.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I didn't see the game, but it sounds as if Saniya was not aggressive on the offensive end. The fact that she played 37 minutes suggests, though, that Geno was happy with her, which is what he said.

I'm hoping that we get a 5th scoring threat in a few weeks. Would the best shooter in the country be good enough to please everyone?

 

[Bigpetunia]

Yeah, he actually did "agree with some of you guys" because he said she was great and then turned around and said she's having issues with "the bigness of the situation" so I think that's exactly what "some of you guys" has said. Semantics! It appeared early in the season that she was cool, calm and collected and actually hit a few key shots but for a while now she's been hesitant offensively though it appears she's still playing decent defense. Why do people feel they need to "protect" freshman players. I'm not suggesting throwing them to the wolves but at least be a little objective.

Nice thought...but objectivity tends to be in short supply on this forum. It is my ardent wish, for example, that the injury Tuck suffered, and KML's illness, will result in the golden opportunity for Stokes, Chong, and Banks to step up to be fully realized. But here, any suggestion that such a felicitous contingency has yet to occur is labeled a denigration of "our girls." These players are strong and talented young women Their self-proclaimed Protectors brook no suggestion, nor any analysis, that their contribution is not yet all it could, or even should, be. But their current opportunity clearly remains, as does my sincere hope for their success.

 

[Flahuskie]

I just got in after being at the game--let me say--three hour ride and I am a bit tired--but all I will say is it never ceases to amaze me as to how opinions differ--I thought Kiah had a better than average game--she has a knack for being in the right place to get a rebound and I think Soniya had the kind of game her Coach was looking for from her--good solid minutes, keep the turnovers to a minimum and don't try to do too much--the South Fla fans that I heard during the game and a few I talked to after all commented about the Huskies defense--they are just not used to seeing that kind of defense

 

[Billybonggg]

I thought they played solidly, but Chong didn't knock down any of her shots and Kiah seemed to defer to Stef and Stewie. Still, when you have basically 4 AA's on the court at the same time (I consider MoJett an AA, Bria, Stef and Stewie), you aren't going to get your number called much...[/qu

Both had opportunities handed to them on the proverbial silver platter today. Neither did much with them. Hope that changes...the opportunities aren't going away anytime soon.

 

[Billybonggg]

Both had opportunities handed to them on the proverbial silver platter today. Neither did much with them. Hope that changes...the opportunities aren't going away anytime soon.

Chong occupied the defender(s) in her zone. She didn't hurt the offense. Earlier in the season, she came off the bench and always hit a couple of threes when they didn't guard her. Now they guard her and the other four can run their plays. She played well on "D."

 

[DaddyChoc]

Well it can't hurt and I want to win every year.

too bad Geno didnt offer you a scholly

 

[sawxfan23]

Chong occupied the defender(s) in her zone. She didn't hurt the offense. Earlier in the season, she came off the bench and always hit a couple of threes when they didn't guard her. Now they guard her and the other four can run their plays. She played well on "D."

I am sorry Bill but I think we all expect a little more out of Chong than she "occupied the defenders" whatever that means. Last time I checked the goal in basketball is to not get "occupied" so you can score.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Chong occupied the defender(s) in her zone. She didn't hurt the offense. Earlier in the season, she came off the bench and always hit a couple of threes when they didn't guard her. Now they guard her and the other four can run their plays. She played well on "D."

no pressure earlier in the season "when she came off the bench"... now with KML and Tuck out she is being depended on... shoulder are feeling the pressure and coach played her 30plus minutes to get her thru it... great teaching!

 

[Icebear]

I am sorry Bill but I think we all expect a little more out of Chong than she "occupied the defenders" whatever that means. Last time I checked the goal in basketball is to not get "occupied" so you can score.

No, the goal is to make your team better so the team wins. There are many paths to that end. The first step can be making sure the defenders have to honor your position on the court keeping others from sagging off and doubling teammates. That is not the end of the journey, however, with time she will need to be a consistent threat to score or they will sag off.

She needs to regain some of her early ease. I think Geno's assessment is spot on in that she is getting done exactly what they need from her but seems a bit tight in the face of the new role now required of her and needs to be looser to be even more effective.

 

[JSB60]

I thought there were several times where Kiah established good post position and the guards didn't get her the ball.

 

[JS]

Nice thought...but objectivity tends to be in short supply on this forum. . . . here, any suggestion that such a felicitous contingency has yet to occur is labeled a denigration of "our girls." . . . Their self-proclaimed Protectors brook no suggestion, nor any analysis, that their contribution is not yet all it could, or even should, be.

Your opinion on how players did is welcome, Petunia. Likewise any substantive defense of your opinion.

Your condescension to the board -- not so much.

 

[doggydaddy]

Your opinion on how players did is welcome, Petunia. Likewise any substantive defense of your opinion.

Your condescension to the board -- not so much.

"Our girl" comment is a clue. Former poster?

 

[Icebear]

I thought there were several times where Kiah established good post position and the guards didn't get her the ball.

That is a constant timing issue for every team and UCONN is better at it than most. But yes it did happen to both Stef and Kiah yesterday. It does pretty much every game. The posts need to establish position quickly before a defender takes position and forces Stef, Stewie, or Kiah out too high. If that happens you need to move to the other side of the lane in an attempt to find lower position or if you are UCONN with multiple low post players rotate one to the top and bring a new player in low to find solid position in the low post. While all of that is going on the guards are dealing with their own challenges and sometimes the timing just isn't in sync plus the outside rotation may require Stewie to pop out to the wing or Stef to come up to the very high post. That movement and reset in the low post with Stewie or Kiah with fresh position is when Stef often gets the over the top assist.

 

[Icebear]

Nice thought...but objectivity tends to be in short supply on this forum. It is my ardent wish, for example, that the injury Tuck suffered, and KML's illness, will result in the golden opportunity for Stokes, Chong, and Banks to step up to be fully realized.

The problem is there is most often little analysis and most often just whining, statements or assertions that this or that is wrong with no insight as to why or what is causing the situation which is frequently something very different from what is observed.

 

[phil sampieri]

That is a constant timing issue for every team and UCONN is better at it than most. But yes it did happen to both Stef and Kiah yesterday. It does pretty much every game. The posts need to establish position quickly before a defender takes position and forces Stef, Stewie, or Kiah out too high. If that happens you need to move to the other side of the lane in an attempt to find lower position or if you are UCONN with multiple low post players rotate one to the top and bring a new player in low to find solid position in the low post. While all of that is going on the guards are dealing with their own challenges and sometimes the timing just isn't in sync plus the rotation may require Stewie to pop out to the wing or Stef to come up to the very high post. That movement and reset in the low post with Stewie or Kiah with fresh position is when Stef often gets the over the top assist.

Very well put. In an earleir post my comment was that with both Chong & Kiah there seemed a lack of the normal flow offensively ai.e. late passes or telegraphed passes. This is normal when
the starting 5 rotation gets new bodies. Not critisizing , just an observation. Am I the only one that is seeing this or do I need glasses ?

 

[UcMiami]

Very well put. In an earleir post my comment was that with both Chong & Kiah there seemed a lack of the normal flow offensively ai.e. late passes or telegraphed passes. This is normal when
the starting 5 rotation gets new bodies. Not critisizing , just an observation. Am I the only one that is seeing this or do I need glasses ?

Agree - nice analysis by Icebear and it is always a problem for pretty much every team - that synchronization of post play and wings. I think Uconn has struggled a bit more with this in the last two years. It is also why Stewart, Stokes, and especial Dolson can be so effective as entry passers - because of their length, and because defenders are usually a step further away they are not as often disrupted in seeing and making the entry pass.

 

[Icebear]

USF was willing to take chances yesterday jumping the gaps on a number of our passes. Williams did it out front at least twice and it happened at other places within the offense as well. The one post player at least twice jumped entry passes into Stef anticipating the pass. I would guess this was the result of pregame planning and USF's watching film.

 

[Henry]

Give me a break...

Yeah,I know. My wife gave me after I posted. I had a brain fart and couldn't remember how to spell her name. Of course, most people think I have a brain fart every time I post.