Crystal Dangerfield is Already Hearing it From the Boss

[Charliebball]

Freshman Crystal Dangerfield learning on the job

 

[JordyG]

All you guys who were saying Danger from day one will start. Well, I hate to say I told you so.

 

[Charliebball]

It would be ironic if Molly continues to be the first point guard off the bench.......................an unrated player over the number one player at her position in the class..............every player learns at a different pace, hopefully things will become clearer for CD after the first 1-15 games..................

 

[BroadwayVa]

All you guys who were saying Danger from day one will start. Well, I hate to say I told you so.

I still say she will start-- and she did start the PACE game--I said she'd start in December but before the NCAA's. That will happen. Read between the lines and between Geno's words---Geno does not waste huge amount of minutes (in a game) with a player he thinks isn't great. The harder he is on her the better he thinks she is--she has to be tough to stand the riggers of Uconn Div 1 BB--there is no other like it.

Rene said: "He'll get animated and yell and cuss you out and all that stuff," she said. "Ignore the delivery and just listen to the message."

My belief in Crystal Dangerfield is still the same--she is NOT Moriah--she's one da-n good Crystal. And the upside --she will only get better.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It would be ironic if Molly continues to be the first point guard off the bench........an unrated player over the number one player at her position in the class....every player learns at a different pace, hopefully things will become clearer for CD after the first 1-15 games...

That would be ironical (as Pattyson always said) if Molly became the first guard off the bench--but it will happen if only to motivate Crystal--by year's end --Crystal will be the point.
The best advice to fans was: She isn't Moriah and don't expect her to play like Moriah last April!!

 

[huskeynut]

Crystal is now taking Point Guard 101 with Professor Geno. She follows in the notable steps of Sue Bird, Renee Montgomery and Moriah Jefferson. She will earn her "A" soon enough.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Moly's best position will be as 2 guard and I agree that Geno sees CD as the future 1 guard.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm not worried. Crystal is going through what all the frosh go through. Lou had a tough first 15-20 games. Even the great Stewie had a freshman slump. Maya, who has a very strong internal compass, wasn't immune, though she was a consensus AA her first year.

In the long run, here's the important part:

"You can see how talented she is, right? You can tell how good she's going to be. So, it's a matter of when."

Mo didn't become a star until January of her sophomore year. Crystal will be great ... in time.

 

[donalddoowop]

Walker needs to read where Crystal said she played AAU, USA Basketball and all the other ball she played did not prepare her for what she is going through at Uconn. Walker mentioned that she had played AAU and USA ball also and should be prepared for Uconn.

 

[TroyHouse66]

Typographical error?

huskeynut-
<<Crystal is now taking Point Guard 101... in the notable steps of Sue.., Renee.. and Moriah.... She will earn her "A" soon enough.>>


I believe it should be reading:
<<She will earn her "AA" soon enough.>>

 

[huskyd]

Moly's best position will be as 2 guard and I agree that Geno sees CD as the future 1 guard.

I think you're right about Molly at the 2. But to be like Kia, Bent will have to demonstrate that she can score--from outside or on drives to the basket. Right now I think Molly's strengths are ball handling and defense; she has wonderful feet. She's also fast. Geno seems to agree with us that Bent will either develop the offensive qualities of a 2, or she will come off the bench to shut down one of the opposing players. Faris started because of her skill as a stopper on D and began hitting the occasional outside shot as a senior. We may be witnessing Kelly II.

 

[msf22b]

Molly can score...just you watch

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Crystal Dangerfield has all the ingredients of a future AA which will lead to her spot on the Wall of Honor!
Remember Geno has told all his PG's that every mistake her teammates make are her fault and she must know everyone's playbook, so the learning curve is different for PG's at UCONN!
The only thing Crystal Dangerfield has to do now is develop a tough skin for the words to bounce off of!

 

[Shorty Dee]

Crystal is good, and Geno is trying to make her great. Crystal will be ok. If there are times when she start doubting herself, she need to call/text Mo and talk about it. She can even talk with her coach, Shae. If anybody know how it is to be a good point guard/shooting guard under Geno, Shae Ralph do.

 

[JordyG]

I still say she will start-- and she did start the PACE game--I said she'd start in December but before the NCAA's. That will happen. Read between the lines and between Geno's words---Geno does not waste huge amount of minutes (in a game) with a player he thinks isn't great. The harder he is on her the better he thinks she is--she has to be tough to stand the riggers of Uconn Div 1 BB--there is no other like it.

Rene said: "He'll get animated and yell and cuss you out and all that stuff," she said. "Ignore the delivery and just listen to the message."

My belief in Crystal Dangerfield is still the same--she is NOT Moriah--she's one da-n good Crystal. And the upside --she will only get better.

She will start. EVENTUALLY you'll be right. As for the majority of minutes, even that won't happen right away. In this way, and this way only, I will compare her to Moriah.

 

[BroadwayVa]

She will start. EVENTUALLY you'll be right. As for the majority of minutes, even that won't happen right away. In this way, and this way only, I will compare her to Moriah.

Geno, is very high on this kid--no doubt about that. Only guessing, but his expectation is for her to lead this team. No one, certainly not me (I'm no analyst, data collector, just an observer) at this point can anyone accurately predict when and how well Crystal Dangerfield shall be the full time point.
AS a USA team member when i saw her--I thought that's Moriah--not knowing whom I was watching. Since then as a UConn team member I hope I don't do her the dis-service to make comparisons to (who I think ) is the best guard in Uconn history--Moriah.(and I love Sue)
I think we are speaking the same language on Dangerfield--just using different words.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Crystal is good, and Geno is trying to make her great. Crystal will be ok. If there are times when she start doubting herself, she need to call/text Mo and talk about it. She can even talk with her coach, Shae. If anybody know how it is to be a good point guard/shooting guard under Geno, Shae Ralph do.

Shorty--I like the way you think. Shea Ralph was one of the better guards/wings at Uconn--and pound for pound inch for inch there never was a tougher player. Shea has proven to be a top level coach whose word Geno respects. I hope Crystal does not doubt herself too much (humans have doubts)--she'll need every bit of confidence to withstand the Game and Geno.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Crystal Dangerfield has all the ingredients of a future AA which will lead to her spot on the Wall of Honor!
Remember Geno has told all his PG's that every mistake her teammates make are her fault and she must know everyone's playbook, so the learning curve is different for PG's at UCONN!
The only thing Crystal Dangerfield has to do now is develop a tough skin for the words to bounce off of!

It's postings like this that is why I look for your comments

 

[BroadwayVa]

Walker needs to read where Crystal said she played AAU, USA Basketball and all the other ball she played did not prepare her for what she is going through at Uconn. Walker mentioned that she had played AAU and USA ball also and should be prepared for Uconn.

Dorothy says---It ain't Kansas any more !!
DonaldDdoowop--I always wondered just how well these kids (like Walker) are prepared for the exceptional hard work and effort Geno demands--I guess , it's one of those things you can't know until your forced to do it.

 

[CocoHusky]

Faris started because of her skill as a stopper on D and began hitting the occasional outside shot as a senior.

Exactly. Kelly steadily improved her 3Pt FG% from 27% as Freshmen to 41 % as a Senior it was what kept her in the lineup.
Based on the very fews 3PT attempts by Molly so far, Molly has some work to do in that area.

 

[JoePgh]

Exactly. Kelly steadily improved her 3Pt FG% from 27% as Freshmen to 41 % as a Senior it was what kept her in the lineup.
Based on the very fews 3PT attempts by Molly so far, Molly has some work to do in that area.

"Very few 3-point attempts by Molly so far ..." -- infinitesimally few, in fact. I don't think we have seen enough to make any judgement at all about that. Her high school reputation suggests that she may be quite good at that, so I'd wait until we have a statistically significant sample size before we draw any conclusions. Even then, we have to remember how long I took KLS to find the range.

My hunch is that Molly will turn out to be a better scorer than Kelly, but a less capable defender and rebounder. I don't have much evidence to support that conclusion either.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Being 18 years old and hearing from your iconic and demanding coach that everything that goes wrong on the floor is YOUR fault is overwhelming. Even Sue and Moriah, 2 of the best PGs ever, were taken aback by that demand. But ultimately they embraced it.

In brighter news, Geno reports that Crystal has come on in practice the past 6-7 days. See the separate thread on that.

Coach knows he needs to be a little more flexible and patient than some years, because of the youth of this year's team. He also knows what Crystal's potential is, so he will push her to that. Watching her improve will be fun for us. It will be a lot of hard work for her.