Crazy observation - not a complaint. Whazzup with Saniya's exaggerated head fakes? | The Boneyard

Crazy observation - not a complaint. Whazzup with Saniya's exaggerated head fakes?

I've seen Kia do it a few times too. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. With everything else Saniya brought to the table for the 90th win, her travel call (with the exaggerated head bobble) didn't bother me too much
 
KevCav said:
Maybe I'll play the game back to see if she faked anyone out. On a side note, Danger made the coolest move last night - and the fans were in awe.
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I have never seen anyone bit on Sanya's head fake in any game because it seems like her followed up move is so quick after the head fake that the opponent never has a chance to react to the fake.
 
pvdoggy said:
I have never seen anyone bit on Sanya's head fake in any game because it seems like her followed up move is so quick after the head fake that the opponent never has a chance to react to the fake.
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My sentiments. watching rerun of game now.
CBear01 said:
I've seen Kia do it a few times too. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. With everything else Saniya brought to the table for the 90th win, her travel call (with the exaggerated head bobble) didn't bother me too much
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I also like Saniya's soft jumper - she goes up on two feet, down and then puts up a smooth, almost mechanical shot - always the same motion.
 
KevCav said:
Maybe I'll play the game back to see if she faked anyone out. On a side note, Danger made the coolest move last night - and the fans were in awe.
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The head fakes are nothing more than old habits from her HS days. Some times they may work , most times they haven't.
 
pvdoggy said:
I have never seen anyone bit on Sanya's head fake in any game because it seems like her followed up move is so quick after the head fake that the opponent never has a chance to react to the fake.
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Completely disagree. The purpose of the head fake or up fake is 1) to freeze the defender mentally just long enough to go by and 2) to unload the defender's muscles and contact with the playing surface to where they can't react if the wanted to do that. Both are effective, one because it stops a defender the other mentally for a fraction of a second and the other because physically there is nothing the defender in the air can do. Saniya does use both. Not every defender bites on every fake. Saniya simply over exaggerates them compared to many. Yes, they have been effective for her but she does over use them at times.

Sometimes the officials bite on a good fake and miss the call, too.
 
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pvdoggy said:
I have never seen anyone bit on Sanya's head fake in any game because it seems like her followed up move is so quick after the head fake that the opponent never has a chance to react to the fake.
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Reminds me of my dad. He always said he never got faked out playing football. The runner would fake one way and come back the other. Dad said he was sooo slow, he'd still be there.
 
HGN said:
The head fakes are nothing more than old habits from her HS days. Some times they may work , most times they haven't.
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Never remember head fakes in high school. Usually she didn't have to, just blew by everyone to the basket. Saw most to her high school games, don't recall many head fakes.
 
Icebear said:
Completely disagree. The purpose of the head fake or up fake is 1) to freeze the defender mentally just long enough to go by and 2) to unload the defender's muscles and contact with the playing surface to where they can't react if the wanted to do that. Both are effective, one because it stops a defender the other mentally for a fraction of a second and the other because physically there is nothing the defender in the air can do. Saniya does use both. Not every defender bites on every fake. Saniya simply over exaggerates them compared to many. Yes, they have been effective for her but she does over use them at times.

Sometimes the officials bite on a good fake and miss the call, too.
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I can't be as analytical as Icebear, and I don't know as much, anyway, so here's my explanation: The head fake, done in as exaggerated manner as Saniya (and sometimes Kia) does, causes the defender to say to herself, "What the hell was that?" and as she does, the UConn player blows by her.
 
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pvdoggy said:
I have never seen anyone bit on Sanya's head fake in any game because it seems like her followed up move is so quick after the head fake that the opponent never has a chance to react to the fake.
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They televised her high school games in the NY area, and she did that all the time! And whenever she made that goofy move like she was about to fall over on her side, she would drive to the basket and either make the bucket, or get fouled, and make the free throws. Absolutely love it when she does that. For some reason, perhaps confidence, she has rarely done it at UConn, but that strange "I'm falling over!" move was a hallmark of her game in HS!! And it works!
 
tomcat said:
I can't be as analytical as Icebear, and I don't know as much, anyway, so here's my explanation: The head fake, done in as exaggerated manner as Saniya (and sometimes Kia) does, causes the defender to say to herself, "What the hell was that?" and as she does, the UConn player blows by her.
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LOL!

Great explanation!
 
She's been doing it since she's 11
Doesn't actually fake anyone...
just an affectation, before she passes off for an assist or makes a 3. :)
 
KevCav said:
Maybe I'll play the game back to see if she faked anyone out. On a side note, Danger made the coolest move last night - and the fans were in awe.
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Enough with the Saniya Chong negatives. Why simply post positives about her game, especially this season (as well as the positives concerning ever member of this team). You might learn to like it !!!
 
HGN said:
The head fakes are nothing more than old habits from her HS days. Some times they may work , most times they haven't.
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The head fakes just make me chuckle because they are so overly exaggerated. I really like Saniya's game.
Her leg problems seem to be behind her - or at least managed well by PT and hopefully, she will be able to rise to her potential with little physical ailments for the rest of the season.
 
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On the 6th day Geno created Saniya from the body parts of all the great guards in basketball. For fun he gave her a "bobble head".
 
Chong-Master said:
Enough with the Saniya Chong negatives. Why simply post positives about her game, especially this season (as well as the positives concerning ever member of this team). You might learn to like it !!!
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Tonight, the announcer made the announcement after one of Saniya's drives to the basket:

"Saniya and one,"

as she got fouled after making the shot.

Until the last several games, I wondered if Saniya would ever "get it." Well she has, weird head fakes and all. In fact, as she has blossomed, she does the head fake less and less. It seems as she gets out of rhythm, she starts using it.

Now a days, Saniya can best be described as Core Four, and one. She has earned her starting position, plus!
 
oldude said:
Saniya's head fakes are fine. At times though, she shuffles her feet when she does her head fake, leading to traveling calls.
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You caught it, the wobble head fakes AND the foot shuffle equals those walking calls.
 
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KevCav said:
Maybe I'll play the game back to see if she faked anyone out. On a side note, Danger made the coolest move last night - and the fans were in awe.
Expand ...
Did you see the head fake against A'ja Wilson. A'ja jumped so high, Saniya just went under her and dished it off to Gabby for and easy layup, which was missed but she got fouled. Great move and pass by Saniya which really didn't get mentioned by the announcers.
 
In the more general area of exaggerated head movements, has anyone noticed that when
Lou is trying to take a charge, she tries to sell it to the ref by throwing her head back on
contact. A bit overly dramatic for me, but maybe the ref buys it.
 
ed4ourgirls said:
In the more general area of exaggerated head movements, has anyone noticed that when
Lou is trying to take a charge, she tries to sell it to the ref by throwing her head back on
contact. A bit overly dramatic for me, but maybe the ref buys it.
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Lou's a big Boston Celtic fan. She got that move from watching old game films of Don Nelson draw foul after foul, which was pretty amazing considering Nelson couldn't jump and wasn't very quick.
 
oldude said:
Saniya's head fakes are fine. At times though, she shuffles her feet when she does her head fake, leading to traveling calls.
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Can't have happened too recently. When's the last time she had a turnover?
 
mntncougar said:
Can't have happened too recently. When's the last time she had a turnover?
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Seems to me that the original thread goes back to early January, so my comment was really referencing Saniya's play last season and before. I can only remember maybe one instance this season when Saniya did the exaggerated head fake and was called for traveling.

My conclusion is that Saniya has cleaned up that particular move, and of course she's playing incredibly well in this, her senior season.
 
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bobble_chongA.gif
 
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