Christyn

[DEpup]

I see your point, but IMO criticism such as that should be left for 'professional' athletes......not college athletes!

Its UConn! They are one step from professional athletes. Do you think Napheesa became rookie of the year in the WNBA because she was allowed to be given a pass for being a college athlete? No way. Napheesa was and is a machine on the court. She was always professional just like the other greats. Who can you say exhibits that sort of machine mentality on this team? I can tell you who it isn't. Title of this thread. I love her and she is so sweet but it doesn't mean she can't be expected to improve her game and be consistent. I am sure that a lot of people are going to get angry at this but college isn't cheap anymore. Not many college age female kids are earning $50K a year to play basketball and get an education on top of it. Its a small club. There is a certain professionalism and responsibility that has to come from that. Our kids today are so immature. Maybe it's helicopter parenting or always having their heads in screens and not real people. Geno recently took the team to see the young guy on the Mavericks who at their age has to bring it every night and this team needs some of that mentality to win big games. It may not be cheerleading speech but sometimes tough love is needed. If these freshman are all they are cracked up to be , Anna gets in UConn shape over the summer, Evina is healthy and hungry, and Jamelle keeps doing what she is doing with Aubrey, I predict Meg, Liv, and Chrystin will spend a lot of time next year on the bench if these immature antics continue. I bet there is a part of him that can't wait to send some messages..

 

[ubasketball]

While I agree with your points regarding ONO's development, perhaps this is one of the outcomes of the past 3 year's weak recruiting. Who does CD and Geno have to guard and push her in practice? Seems like we always had a Butler or Stevens or Stokes to push the starter(s).

With all due respect HopJim, you may have a misconception about practice. Recruited players have nothing to do with the starters' development in practice. Our women do not scrimmage/practice against each other; rather, they play against aggressive, talented intramural UCONN men who are selected specifically to make our players experience a competitive challenge. In past years when I have seen practice, it's not unusual for them to lose to the men.

 

[tower1]

There are at least two problems with this point of view:

1. The majority of Olivia's fouls do not result from "tough defense". Either they are offensive fouls (especially in recent games), or they result from bad defense (fly-swatting at shots, or failing to box out and then going over the back). Either way, they are avoidable, ill-considered (i.e., dumb) fouls.
2. Obviously it's Geno who is telling Olivia that she needs to stay in the game, which all too often she doesn't do because of dumb fouls. She has had a number of games where she has been limited to 12-20 minutes, largely because of foul trouble. I'm sure Geno is sending the same message to Megan and Christyn, and they are being observant of it. I'm not sure about Christyn, but it appears to me that Megan usually plays effective defense without fouling.

Do you really want Megan and Christyn to play defense in such a way that they too are limited to 15 or 20 minutes per game? I don't see how that would contribute to the team's success.

No, But I would like them to play defense a little more especially Christyn. And Megan practice her layups and put backs. They have showed why they were the #1 players in their class now they have to prove it in the big games.

 

[FedupFred]

CWs last 2 games: 5 for 25.
Stink Stank Stunk by any standard.

 

[JonathanXIV]

CWs last 2 games: 5 for 25.
Stink Stank Stunk by any standard.

Not her best for sure. But not nice by you. Hope those in your life are a little bit more generous when you have a couple of bad days.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

So you also believe that tickets to UConn games should be free?!

I'm guessing he doesn't think tickets to UConn games should be free.

He probably doesn't thing tickets to High School games should be free either.

 

[FedupFred]

It's more than a couple of bad days.
Vandy 5/15
Depaul 6/15
UCF 1/9
Tenn 4/14
Cinc 4/14
Ore 2/9
SC 2/12
SFL 3/13

27/103

I may be rude but I'm not stupid. A couple of bad days my arse.

 

[DefenseBB]

In watching a lot of PAC12 games this year, and especially last nights game of Oregon State vs. UCLA, I think Christyn needs to use her body more to shield her shot when driving to the basket like Destiny Slocum and Aari McDonald do, which allows them to get their shot off without the defender able to block it. Both are shorter than CW, Slocum is as solid as CW is and Aari is significantly slighter. So CW should be able to learn from their layup style to be more effective while driving, which is what she was known for.

 

[HopJim]

In watching a lot of PAC12 games this year, and especially last nights game of Oregon State vs. UCLA, I think Christyn needs to use her body more to shield her shot when driving to the basket like Destiny Slocum and Aari McDonald do, which allows them to get their shot off without the defender able to block it. Both are shorter than CW, Slocum is as solid as CW is and Aari is significantly slighter. So CW should be able to learn from their layup style to be more effective while driving, which is what she was known for.

In the beginning of the year, I rated CW one of the best 2 point shooters in the country. Too strong, too big for most guards to handle and physical enough/quick enough to create her own shot. Her 12-15' shot was money. I don't have more than guesses why she is not getting these shots today and relying more on 3 pointers.

 

[Jumpy Radar]

My 2 cents on CW is this...She's thinking too much about the scoring drought. She is in a slump that is for sure. But babygirl, remember that the game is supposed to be fun too. Stop thinking so much and start having fun again. It will all come back. CW has a load of skills and talent. She may have hit a wall, but I am confident she will tear that wall down. Please don't get it twisted. This young lady can ball!

 

[UConn990411]

She’s not the first sophomore to underachieve, and she won’t be the last.

If she isn’t an All-American next season, I won’t post on this board ever again.

 

[WLT1717]

We don't have to. Your claim was that Bueckers is better than anyone currently in a UCONN uniform. Your words, not mine. You are simply wrong with no way to back up your assertion.

Checking back in with you @hoopsfan22 - would you rather have someone from last year’s team, anyone else from this year’s team, or Paige - I will wait.

 

[AgStatesman]

She’s not the first sophomore to underachieve, and she won’t be the last.

If she isn’t an All-American next season, I won’t post on this board ever again.

You can get a do over. No one will remember this.

 

[Geesworld]

This post is ridiculous. UCONN is winning as a team every single player has contributed and I personally prefer it that way. Lets go UCONN!!!

 

[eebmg]

Guessing this thread may be locked by end of night.

 

[Waquoit]

This post is ridiculous. UCONN is winning as a team every single player has contributed and I personally prefer it that way. Lets go UCONN!!!

Yeah, but some contribute more than others.

 

[AmeriConn]

Only 3 players have fire 🔥 in their bellies. Paige, Nika and Aaliyah. Aubrey gets honorable mention. Who steps up on offense when Paige has an off night?

 

[eebmg]

Only 3 players have fire 🔥 in their bellies. Paige, Nika and Aliyah. Who steps up when Paige has an off night?

When Geno said the freshman were competitive and that is a nice change, we should have taken that more literally.

 

[Waquoit]

When Geno said the freshman were competitive and that is a nice change, we should have taken that more literally.

I missed that but yeah. I also noticed that once practice started Geno has given Paige nothing but (deserved) praise. No ball-busting like we've seen with others.

 

[Lucelab113]

The sooner Geno turns this team over completely to the underclassmen the better. I suspect Mir would be steadier than some of the things I saw our upperclassmen do that 4th qtr.

 

[AmeriConn]

The sooner Geno turns this team over completely to the underclassmen the better. I suspect Mir would be steadier than some of the things I saw our upperclassmen do that 4th qtr.

Amen Brother

 

[eebmg]

The sooner Geno turns this team over completely to the underclassmen the better. I suspect Mir would be steadier than some of the things I saw our upperclassmen do that 4th qtr.

Maybe lend them to some BE teams like they do in soccer. Like AEH.

 

[atlasshrugs]

I'm not giving up on our juniors yet. I'm really hoping Christyn turns it around. Such a sweet kid and I'll always have a soft spot for her since her freshman year. Maybe Geno needs to adjust the way he's handling her.

 

[Twolf]

I'm not giving up on our juniors yet. I'm really hoping Christyn turns it around. Such a sweet kid and I'll always have a soft spot for her since her freshman year. Maybe Geno needs to adjust the way he's handling her.

I too, hope she comes around on offense, but before that she has to get out of her own way. Anyone can have a poor shooting night, but she, after the first bad miss, was aiming her shot, hesitant to look for her shot, and her body language said she wanted to pass & not challenge the defense. This team can get by with Nika scoring in single digits because she adds a lot in many different areas, but at CW’s position that’s not a recipe for long term success for this team. The two players who had the most moxie and confidence under the bright lights in the SC game were PB, obviously, and AE, IMO. I don’t think how Geno’s coaching her has much, if anything, to do with her struggles since a coach can’t coach confidence or trusting yourself to make plays or shots- that has to be fixed by the player from the shoulders up.

 

[willtalk]

How long are some UConn fans going to keep this up. They expected CW to fullfill their expectations of her for this being the third year now. She is an opportunistic player who takes advantage of what the defense gives her. She does not possess the foot speed or the shooting ability to take her to the level that people have based on her rating out of high school. She is a fairly good player who can be an asset to any team, but she is not a top level AA star.

She has always been a streak shooter who was smart and knew how to play within her abilities. In other words if she was not on she would not shoot. However, peoples expectations of her had often led her to do things she used to know better than. This led to games where she took and missed a lot of 3's. Let her just be what she is and take all those unrealistic expectations off her back.

 

[TRest]

How long are some UConn fans going to keep this up. They expected CW to fullfill their expectations of her for this being the third year now. She is an opportunistic player who takes advantage of what the defense gives her. She does not possess the foot speed or the shooting ability to take her to the level that people have based on her rating out of high school. She is a fairly good player who can be an asset to any team, but she is not a top level AA star.

She has always been a streak shooter who was smart and knew how to play within her abilities. In other words if she was not on she would not shoot. However, peoples expectations of her had often led her to do things she used to know better than. This led to games where she took and missed a lot of 3's. Let her just be what she is and take all those unrealistic expectations off her back.

I agree she has a ceiling on her abilities, but opposing defenses are encouraging her to take open 3's, not the fan's expectations.

 

[TheGOAT23]

How long are some UConn fans going to keep this up. They expected CW to fullfill their expectations of her for this being the third year now. She is an opportunistic player who takes advantage of what the defense gives her. She does not possess the foot speed or the shooting ability to take her to the level that people have based on her rating out of high school. She is a fairly good player who can be an asset to any team, but she is not a top level AA star.

She has always been a streak shooter who was smart and knew how to play within her abilities. In other words if she was not on she would not shoot. However, peoples expectations of her had often led her to do things she used to know better than. This led to games where she took and missed a lot of 3's. Let her just be what she is and take all those unrealistic expectations off her back.

I also agree that Christyn is opportunistic. I’ve never seen her highlight reels from high school/ AAU on YouTube. If anyone has, how was the competition level? I know that this is a Christyn thread, but what was the level of competition that Liv faced in high school/ AAU. I believe that some high school players get a false sense of accomplishment after they’ve been dominating mediocre talent for over 4 years. Liv for example, when she gets the ball in the post and goes to the basket or on a put back, she shoots the ball consistently from her chest and not from the apex. This may work in high school a majority of the time, but only some of the time against elite talent in college. Did her high school coaches offer any corrective measures? She brings the ball down on offensive rebounds instead of keeping it high and going back up. At 5’8” in high school, I was able to do this against guys my height because I worked on it. Back to Christyn, she should dribble less because she goes East/West and not enough North/South towards the basket. There were empty possessions where she dribbled most of the time off of the shot clock. As always, I want all of these ladies to succeed. Go Huskies!

 

[CL82]

How long are some UConn fans going to keep this up. They expected CW to fullfill their expectations of her for this being the third year now. She is an opportunistic player who takes advantage of what the defense gives her. She does not possess the foot speed or the shooting ability to take her to the level that people have based on her rating out of high school. She is a fairly good player who can be an asset to any team, but she is not a top level AA star.

She has always been a streak shooter who was smart and knew how to play within her abilities. In other words if she was not on she would not shoot. However, peoples expectations of her had often led her to do things she used to know better than. This led to games where she took and missed a lot of 3's. Let her just be what she is and take all those unrealistic expectations off her back.

Disagree, mostly with emphasis. She is a good player and for most teams she'd be a great player. She can hit open threes in rhythm, has a quick first step and can finish through contact. She needs to focus on the things that can do and she'll be effective.

 

[Majic Hands]

It's weird. Two post's similar to the realization that I've came to.

CW is an excellent player when she is in her lane. I simply gave her a pass as a freshman as I do all freshman. No, there was no sophomore jump. As a junior, eh. My anticipation of growth is basically unfair.

All I hope for is that at some point she realizes that knocking down 50-60% of 15 foot jumper's is a lot more beneficial for her team than averaging less than 30% from 3. Continue getting better on defense. Just do what she's good at.

I know this is a CW thread. I apologise in advance. Everything I've expressed about CW is exactly what I think of Ono. With one caveat. The only time Ono steps outside of the 3 point line is when she's going to the other end of the floor to play defense.

 

[LCConnFan]

I don't know why the starters are so immobile on offense, but Geno does not have better options on the bench. I have never believed Geno when he says he would rather lose a game to make a point. Geno wants to win every game. This team can consistently beat about 98 percent of their potential opponents, but this year there are a handful of teams that are just too big and too talented for us. Accept that. We are not entitled to win every year. Enjoy the development of this team and look forward to improvement next year.

I have to disagree with you here. IMO, the original 3 starters, Christan, Liv and Anna all have a bad case of no confidence in themselves......especially in big games. It also comes out if they start missing shots. All 3 HAVE THE POTENTIAL to be excellent at their positions, but shy away when things don't go the way they want to.