Dangerfield's potential

[Waquoit]

I have to admit, I'm already tired of talk about Dangerfield's potential. Because she is great right now. I know we like to hold our breath and reserve judgement but I say nuts to that. She may be the best player in the country today. No, I don't watch other teams regularly. But I just watched the #2 team last night and they don't have anyone in her time zone. Look at the way she confidently throws those entry passes into the post. Or the way she uses the glass on the high arching shot she has developed. She reminds me of Khalid El-Amin in the way she has adapted her game to her height. And like KEA, she has come to college ball with a mature game. She won't hit all her threes every game, but she will bring a high level of play to every game. No need to see any more to make that assertion.

 

[CocoHusky]

Q: Dangerfield's potential?
A:Multiple time All-American. Huskies Wall of honor. Lieberman awards. National POY. WNBA All-star. Olympian.

 

[Blakeon18]

If we don't regard Dee as 'just' a point guard but simply a basketball player, I think Crystal's game last night
was the best frosh point guard game I have seen at UConn in my 25 years of Husky fandom.
I was thrilled to read that her parents were at the game....btw...both ex-military folks who served in the Gulf war.
Just how....as a fan base...can we be so lucky!

 

[Fiftyish]

She reminds me of Khalid El-Amin in the way she has adapted her game to her height. .

Excellent analogy. He had no fear going into the "trees".

 

[bags27]

Crystal is exhibit A for why we love basketball and esp. WCBB. 5' 5" is not small for a young woman, but it is microscopic for a woman who plays basketball at the most competitive level. So she has a chip on her shoulders. And so she gets into terrifyingly good physical condition and becomes an all-time gym rat. And she has to develop clever ways of getting separation on her jumper. And she can't just sky to the rim, but needs to develop the emotional stability to go up against players a full foot taller and yet feather the ball in. etc. etc. Simply put, it's a beautiful thing to watch a kid with such determination and grit succeed in something against the odds. Kind of makes one into a believer of what's possible in this world....

 

[BobbyJ]

I have to admit, I'm already tired of talk about Dangerfield's potential. Because she is great right now. I know we like to hold our breath and reserve judgement but I say nuts to that. She may be the best player in the country today. No, I don't watch other teams regularly. But I just watched the #2 team last night and they don't have anyone in her time zone. Looked at the way she confidently throws those entry passes into the post. Or the may she uses the glass on the high arching shot she has developed. She reminds me of Khalid El-Amin in the way she has adapted her game to her height. And like KEA, she has come to college ball with a mature game. She won't hit all her threes every game, but she will bring a high level of play to every game. No need to see any more to make that assertion.

She has the gift of knowing how to control tempo and keep her head up and work a defense. She already understands not just the offense but the purpose of the offense. And how many PGs, let alone a freshman know how to work a two-man pick and roll correctly? She's a rarity and will be even better when the forwards learn how to play with her and expect the ball from multiple angles.

 

[BobbyJ]

Q: Dangerfield's potential?
A:Multiple time All-American. Huskies Wall of honor. Lieberman awards. National POY. WNBA All-star. Olympian.

She's not only physically gifted but she has it between the ears.

 

[VAMike23]

Along the lines of Geno's postgame comments, UCONN WBB under Geno often boils down to two things:

1. [Geno] Show me what you've got.
2. [Player] This.

You never know when it's going to happen or--with some players--if it is ever going to happen the way that both parties hoped when their career started. With Crystal, per Geno's presser, it 'took a while' (read: only two games) but now we know. Boy do we know!

 

[JavaMan]

​

 

[bags27]

That's a great article, and it summarizes at the end what we all feel after last night:

Right now, it is pretty upbeat in Storrs, and it should be. They have a freshman with no fear, and an undersized team with heart and determination, to go with a pretty strong skillset.


People often discuss "who will be the person to go to with the game on the line?" For this edition of the Huskies, the answer may end up being "anyone on the court at the time."

 

[Charliebball]

I've been following Crystal's career before she was even offered by UConn..............there was never much doubt that she would be an impact player at the next level...............I figured she would gain the starting point guard job about half way through the season...............couldn't be more thrilled that her coming out party would happen in her second game against a huge Baylor team................my only word of warning is that she is still a freshman, she will have some off days.............also, no reason to throw Saniya off the bus..........whether she starts or comes off the bench she will also play a vital role in the team's success this year

 

[TitleTown]

There is no doubt that Dangerfield had a great game or that she has the ability to be a great player, but she is just a freshman and it has just been one game. I think we need to temper our expectations a little bit and see her play a little more before we anoint her an All American. I am probably going to catch flack for this, but oh well I'm used to it.

 

[JavaMan]

Crystal demonstrates UConn's new dribbling drill.

​

​

 

[OldAlum]

I think she has shown us what she can do. But before we award her a starting role and immediate stardom, let's see how consistent she will be. It is probably likely that she will have some ups and downs this season. I suspect that Saniya will continue to start for a while. Dangerfield may get more and more minutes if Saniya isn't more assertive early in games. But is also great to have that spark off the bench!

 

[warbler1055]

How can anyone not falling in love with Crystal Dangerfield's game and be a basketball fan? Confident, fearless and talent to back it up in big games. She was the best player on the floor in this game.

 

[CocoHusky]

My only word of warning is that she is still a freshman, she will have some off days...also, no reason to throw Saniya off the bus.....whether she starts or comes off the bench she will also play a vital role in the team's success this year

I think she has shown us what she can do. But before we award her a starting role and immediate stardom, let's see how consistent she will be. It is probably likely that she will have some ups and downs this season. I suspect that Saniya will continue to start for a while. Dangerfield may get more and more minutes if Saniya isn't more assertive early in games. But is also great to have that spark off the bench!

The UCONN offense after two games is missing two staples 1) backdoor cuts for layups off the high post entry and 2) the quick hitting wing three off the pin down. Crystal has the best skill set for orchestrating the UCONN offense and regardless if she starts or not I would project her to average 25-30 minutes per game as the primary orchestrator of the UCONN offense. If you can't get the basics out of the offense that puts too much pressure on you to shoot a high percentage every game. Saniya & Kia are will still be greatly needed.

 

[Waquoit]

If you can't get the basics out of the offense that puts too much pressure on you to shoot a high percentage every game.

That is very true. But given the their BB IQ and how hard they play. I'm confident they will have it going by tournament time.

 

[easttexastrash]

You mean she's gonna get better?

 

[donalddoowop]

Charliebball, Title Town, and OldAlum it baffles me how so many Uconn fans jump to conclusions so quickly about a player's future after only one or two games. Last season people were saying Gabby would average a double double after she had back to back double doubles in her first two games. It is not as easy to be consistently good as some people think. Your posts show that you put some thought in your analysis of player performances. Just saying.

 

[CocoHusky]

Charliebball, Title Town, and OldAlum it baffles me how so many Uconn fans jump to conclusions so quickly about a player's future after only one or two games. Last season people were saying Gabby would average a double double after she had back to back double doubles in her first two games. It is not as easy to be consistently good as some people think. Your posts show that you put some thought in your analysis of player performances. Just saying.

It baffles me that you don't think there was much though put into this praise worthy performance by a Freshmen playing her second college game and dropping 19 points on the #2 team in country. That kind of performance happens everyday, every year, almost never....? I'm thinking almost never and I'm glad she's at UCONN.

 

[Waquoit]

It baffles me that you don't think there was much though put into this praise worthy performance by a Freshmen playing her second college game and dropping 19 points on the #2 team in country. That kind of performance happens everyday, every year, almost never....?

But it's not just the numbers, it's the skill set she displayed. That's not going to just disappear in Game 3.

 

[alexrgct]

The Geno-Crystal Dangerfield embrace right after Geno's post-game interview was priceless. If you missed it and can't watch it again, I'll take and post a picture from my TV.

 

[VAMike23]

The Geno-Crystal Dangerfield embrace right after Geno's post-game interview was priceless. If you missed it and can't watch it again, I'll take and post a picture from my TV.

Please post !

 

[CocoHusky]

The Geno-Crystal Dangerfield embrace right after Geno's post-game interview was priceless. If you missed it and can't watch it again, I'll take and post a picture from my TV.

Mad props to you for identifying the correct version of CD!

 

[Kibitzer]

Geno was asked (see NY Times article) if he had expected Crystal to display her swagger so soon. He answered artfully, explaining that if he said "Yes," that would be wishful thinking; had he said "No," that would discredit her.

Reminds me of how Mark Twain once reportedly responded to a difficult question:

"In your youth did you ever seek sexual gratification while alone (the, um, "m-word")?

"I would be a fool to say Yes, and a liar to say No."​