congrats to Saniya Chong...

[EricLA]

For a really solid all around game.

13 points on 5-8 shooting, 2-3 from beyond the arc, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, all in 23 minutes of play.

I just want to say upfront that I see her as more of a 2G. As a PG, to my untrained eye, she tends to dribble the ball on the high side and I don't think she has the ball handling and control that even a player like KML has, but that's besides the point. Solid on defense, decent with the passes, aggressive in looking to score when she had the chance, and she seemed to have some of her confidence back.

I hope the last few games are things she can use to build on. People have wondered aloud what good some of these blowout AAC games do for the team, and this is the perfect example...

Stokes 28 minutes
Chong 23 minutes
Ekmark 23 minutes
Williams 21 minutes

These are really important minutes for the underclassmen - specifically Gabby, Courtney and Saniya. It gives them a chance to shake some rust off without the fear of being instantly pulled from the game, and to work on things they each need to work on. Saniya was an aggressive scorer with a scorer's mentality in HS. It's nice to see her show a little of that magic...

 

[HuskyFan1125]

This was a game where GA could let them work through their mistakes which is huge confidence booster

 

[MilfordHusky]

Other than 2 early TOs, I thought Saniya played pretty well. One of her strengths is hitting shots. She made a multiple treys and also a driving layup in traffic. I hope this boosts her confidence.

 

[NewCorn]

Good game, Saniya!

 

[alexrgct]

Agree, Eric.

Now let's turn this into a beyond-tangential discussion about playing Tennessee again once a bench player has a good game.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Saniya can actually dish at high proficiency, which she often does when she has more of the starters out there with her. When the pack of still not assured reserves are out there with her, the chances for assists go well down because they are just not moving around in the nicely choreographed formation of the starters. The situation might be better if Saniya drove in and drew defenders so she could pass off to Gabby or Kiah for a drive, but in a lot of cases she's at the top of the key waiting for something to happen, and it isn't. One of her few misses today was when a couple players passed up decent shots and handed the ball back to her with two seconds left on the shot clock. There' still work to do to get the offense flowing on the reserve corps, but it's getting better.

As to whether UConn should play UTenn again any time soon, I hope no.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Agree, Eric.

Now let's turn this into a beyond-tangential discussion about playing Tennessee again once a bench player has a good game.

Gee, I think you just said let's turn this into a play Tenn again inane discussion??? I heartily do not concur. But we could turn it into a we're doomed in the AAC thread instead??

 

[ThisJustIn]

Clearly you're all wrong about Chong... lol

 

[choochoo]

UT, GA, UNC, Duke, IT DOES NOT MATTER BECAUSE uconn can score from all 5 spots and is relentless on defense. None of them will stay within 15 of Uconn.

 

[NewCorn]

Clearly you're all wrong about Chong... lol

Saniya might already be the best number 3 guard in wcbb.

 

[Striper69]

Clearly you're all wrong about Chong... lol

In my book...

Saniya Chong can do no wrong!

 

[DobbsRover2]

In my book...

Saniya Chong can do no wrong!

Well, Saniya has had 17 officially counted wrongs (TOs) this year which along with a lesser FT% are the only areas where she isn't way up this year, and since she's playing the PG for more than half of most of the AAC games, a little rise in TOs is not unexpected.

But the statistics show a big development from freshman season, which is expected for a Husky, and not to repeat all the tripe that was being thrown at her here early in the season as she and the team developed into her and their roles, the end result is looking very good. Saniya will gladly now bomb away again like in the Stanford game, but now the defense for the team is gelling well. At the very least, one month down the road from certain postings, we can say that she's better than she was in high school.

 

[Zorro]

Was watching the UCF game last night. The full-speed backhanded bounce pass she made while hurtling out of bounds. to set up a bunny, was a thing of bearty! She looks to me like she has gotten her confience back. Neither she nor Gabby is going to lower our level much when they are in. And Kiah won't lower it at all, just change its nature.

 

[Striper69]

I just wish she'd use the pull-up jumper when she drives in the middle amongst the trees...

 

[Goodgood]

I just wish she'd use the pull-up jumper when she drives in the middle amongst the trees...

She will. Geno is making her practice until she can't miss..

 

[Striper69]

Either that or dribble through...

 

[Hoopsking]

Siniya being rewarded by her good play in the last game. So far hasn't played a minute in this game.

 

[pinotbear]

Siniya being rewarded by her good play in the last game. So far hasn't played a minute in this game.

I suspect the desire to get Jefferson minutes to evaluate her back - and not let it lock up - had some influence here.

 

[Hoopsking]

I suspect the desire to get Jefferson minutes to evaluate her back - and not let it lock up - had some influence here.

Jefferson was taken out and he did not sub in Chong for her. To me, that doesn't show a lot of confidence in Chong, who is more than capable of running the point guard to spell Mo Jeff some minutes. She's doing it as we speak.

 

[pinotbear]

confidence must have improved, somehow, over halftime, because Chong was first in for Jeff this half!

 

[WildEagle]

Saniya looking more comfortable every game had nice second half against EC. The bigs gotta convert more they are blowing assists. I like the development of the pull up jumper, coaching staff must be really pushing her on this.
She looks happy there at Uconn and happy players will continue to progress, Saniya keep up to improvements.

 

[Bgillon]

Hopefully Saniya can become a good third guard for us. We need her. But let's don't start back into the discussion about how great she could be if only Geno was nicer and complimented her more. She has the best coaching staff available, the best talent around her, and was given the starting job this year. She didn't perform the way the staff wanted and Nurse replaced her. Now she has the opportunity to become a great third guard this year. If she accomplishes that we should all be happy.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Hopefully Saniya can become a good third guard for us. We need her. But let's don't start back into the discussion about how great she could be if only Geno was nicer and complimented her more. She has the best coaching staff available, the best talent around her, and was given the starting job this year. She didn't perform the way the staff wanted and Nurse replaced her. Now she has the opportunity to become a great third guard this year. If she accomplishes that we should all be happy.

Not sure that any Husky fan has ever said "how great she could be if only Geno was nicer and complimented her more" because it is the total antithesis of being a UConn player and everyone agrees that it is not something that Geno ever does or that he should do. Just not sure where that's coming from, and it really sounds more like something a Vol fan should do to prop up some under performing player. So why even bring it up?

Saniya is performing well while getting in her 20.1 mpg (versus six weeks ago when posters were saying she wouldn't see the court except in those infamous and brief "disposable waste" times) and should give UConn the edge in the battle of guards against top teams coming ahead. For instance, the coming UConn - USCar match pits a starting tandem of Jefferson and Nurse vs. Mitchell and Sessions, and though TM is "one to watch," the stats are all hugely in UConn's favor there. And unless you consider A'ja Wilson a guard (as she is noted in the ESPN box scores) even though at 6'5" she is the tallest Gamecock and mainly seems to rotate among the forwards, you are left with Bianca Cuevas as the third USCar guard. Cuevas is not a bad ball handler and gets some steals, but she is shooting 37.0% and also 23.3% on threes, and she is not a guard that UConn will worry about that much on the outside. Chong's job is to feed some assists to a starter like KML, but if she's left alone on the perimeter, she'll drop some in. Again advantage UConn.

Between the Kiah-nator at C, Gabby at F, and Saniya at G with Courtney also making some progress, the UConn reserves are making a name for themselves. Putting that name in Geno's wine lexicography, they are becoming a Grande Reserve.