Chong isn't going anywhere!

[CocoHusky]

I'm a supporter of Saniya and ever since I've been on this board I've been disappointed in the amount of criticism she receives. My point in all this is not to be critical of the other players, but Saniya's shortcomings are often quick to be reported here. I do agree with you (and others) that she could be solid, and that she will be an important component of next year's team. Let us hope she is healthy enough to contribute and finish out her UConn career on a high note.

Gus all fair points. I have been accused of being a Saniya “detractor”-(I’ll use a nice word) and there are a couple of thoughts as to why Saniya (perhaps) receives more than her fair share of criticism.

Saniya is the only one in her class and has to carry the burden of an entire class.

I don’t think the staff is doing Saniya any favors by casting her in PG role because she is not as skilled being game manager; she is much more skilled finisher & going straight line point A to B. In fairness to the staff though, minutes are and have been available at the backup PG position for 3 years now and no one has grabbed those minutes.

Saniya does not recover her confidence easily. If she starts playing well she will finish well but if starts poorly rarely turns it around and this leads quick hooks.

Saniya is extremely talented-but she is also a Junior and while her struggles this year can be attributed to IT band injury overall 3 years at UCONN can be characterized as-capable but inconsistent. Capable enough to start UCONN games as a Freshmen, Sophomore & Junior. Her steal, cross over and overhead reverse layup in MD game was exactly the same move that Moriah execute in the NC game against Syracuse. She also handed out two critical assist to Stewie & Moriah just before the half to right the UCONN ship after MD has taken the lead.

Saniya is definitely capable of starting next year but she badly needs an in game reset button or the ability to flush the last play and move on to the next one.

 

[pinotbear]

When you play on a team with the kind of success UConn has had, minutes played by subs holds very little meaning. The playing time they get is derived more from the overwhelming success of the starters (top 7-8 players) than anything else.

well, if you are to define "starters" as (top 7-8 players), she was 8th in minutes per game this season while injured, and 6th in minutes per game last year while healthy.

 

[NHFan]

It must be more difficult to be the only recruit in your class in this high level and difficult team structure. The other girls(Kia/Gabby, Lou/Napheesa, etc. seem to be very close and have been quoted as appreciating having someone to help share with the highs and lows of this program. I'm sure this level of basketball and the expectations that follow, in addition to schoolwork is very tough! I hope Chong can step it up and succeed in her senior year. She has the offensive skills that are going to be needed to help replace the points provided by Stewie, Moriah and Morgan. On to 16/17!

 

[meyers7]

For the most part her playing time is against a defeated team, so I fail to understand the so-called importance of her turnover ratio?

Really? Are you that obtuse?

You said "She makes tons of mistakes and turns the ball over way too much".

But you can't understand someone refuting that with actual evidence?

 

[Geno-ista]

At all?

It is almost scary how she is almost invisible on defense. Yes , unfortunately she would have played many minutes while the games were in doubt. I think she is that bad on defense- relative to our standards for sure.

 

[bags27]

It is almost scary how she is almost invisible on defense. Yes , unfortunately she would have played many minutes while the games were in doubt. I think she is that bad on defense- relative to our standards for sure.

This seems pretty harsh, and it's sort of hard to judge because of all the switching and overall team defense UConn plays. But if one watches the Stanford game from 2014, it's pretty clear that she was effectively clueless on D. Of course, that was last year. CocoHusky's points seem in every way correct. My own (very amateurish) view is that often she moves the ball sideways and can stall the offense. She is far better, it seems to me, making scoring opportunities for herself than playing 5-person offense, UConn style. To be constructive, she will undoubtedly get more minutes in the early part of the season (waiting for Crystal to get experience), so she will have a reasonable opportunity to make her mark.

 

[Geno-ista]

We need another person that can light it up- and she can! But if someone hasn't materialized by their junior year, they usually don't. This has me concerned about Natalie too. Hey- I hope I'm wrong- but she is the weakest defensive player I've ever seen at UConn. And her quickness should be an asset. It must be a mindset that just does not seam to fit her personality.

 

[Fiftyish]

But if someone hasn't materialized by their junior year, they usually don't. .

Yes, but Kiah Stokes was a non-factor until her senior year. Saniya may yet contribute.

 

[Geno-ista]

Yes, but Kiah Stokes was a non-factor until her senior year. Saniya may yet contribute.

Well- not sure that's a great analogy. Or it may be. Kiah was athletic and a great rebounder and defender by her Jr yr. And got even better at what she was already good at. She never ever got comfortable with the ball in her hands - ever at UConn. At the elbows or high post. It was like a hot potato- and I used to laugh at people that thought she would go 2nd or 3rd round in WNBA- she struggled on offense with us- even during her Sr yr- and lacked confidence on offense. Identical to Saniya's lack of confide see- especially on the defensive end!

 

[JRRRJ]

...While I'm on this rant, a point was made earlier about her not looking good in the first half of the NC. Did she even play in the first half? A few days ago a poster asserted that she turns the ball over too much. But in absolute terms, over the course of the season she was among the lowest on the team. Obviously, she played fewer minutes than other players, so we would really need a relative measure such as TOs per minute to judge that. Her A/TO ratio of 1.5 overall and 2.5 in the conference seem rather good to me....

I can help here. Saniya's TO-per-40 number for the full year is 2.15. Only Kia (1.97) and Lou (2.07) were lower. Next lowest is Stewie (2.23), then up to Morgan (2.40). (Briana is at 0.58 but with only 2 TOs.)

I share your displeasure at the sniping.

 

[Geno-ista]

I can help here. Saniya's TO-per-40 number for the full year is 2.15. Only Kia (1.97) and Lou (2.07) were lower. Next lowest is Stewie (2.23), then up to Morgan (2.40). (Briana is at 0.58 but with only 2 TOs.)

I share your displeasure at the sniping.

Sorry- they will all fix their minor weaknesses and will cruise to another NC.
I suppose I was sniping when I predicted and almost gtd that Morgan would go pro. This is an opinion board. I was under assault. I was stating my opinion that turned out to be true. I hope she learns how to play defense next yr- because we are desperate for her offense.