Defensive play - Nika

[RockyMTblue2]

Very gratifying to read all these appreciative posts. Having viewed all her European film I knew last Spring she had what it takes, though the rough start was worse than I though possible. I have long since given up paying attention to those on the BY who write off a recruit in 6 weeks as they did Nika. Those folks may want to reflect on their basketball acumen and fan loyalty. The so called end of the bencher is now the starting Point Guard for the Number 1 team in the nation.

 

[Huskee11]

Nika has begun setting up very low in her defensive stance, giving her better quickness and mobility. And while it seems counterintuitive that a player who earlier in the year had difficulty keeping her opponent in front of her would benefit from picking up her opponent so high (sometimes just past the half court line), it seems to work in that Muhl bottles up her opponent before she can get started, allowing her to make poke-check steals.

It's made a vast difference in her play, her confidence and how much she's been able to contribute to the UConn effort.

Very astute. Athletes are taught to bend from the hips. Think linebackers, batters in baseball. Even golfers, especially golfers. High handicappers bend from the waist. Nika looked like she was bending a bit at the waist earlier, giving her a higher center of gravity. The tendency as a defender is to fall forward just like a high handicapper falls into the golf ball. I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. Her stance has definitely improved.

I also agree that she is getting to her opponent before the opponent can “get downhill”, which is the style of play - getting downhill - dominating the NBA now.

I never got the Molly comparison. Nika is the player we wanted Molly to be.

I was rewatching the Marquette title game and take a look around 6:19 of the third quarter. She is covering her opponent very closely (duh!) and the opponent appears to shove away at her around the shoulder/head area. Nika appears to point at her, as in I saw that, knock it off. This team has found its edge now.

 

[jazz]

Yea, Rizzotti and Conlon both shot around 37%. So Muhl is about right there.

IMHO, I know it is splitting hairs but high 30s is good...mid 30s is average/ok, 40% is very good. More than that is excellent. Then you have Bird, KLM and Page whom all were well above 45 IIRC. That is out of this world.

Not sure what I would call in excess of 50% if PB every got back there.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Nika has begun setting up very low in her defensive stance, giving her better quickness and mobility. And while it seems counterintuitive that a player who earlier in the year had difficulty keeping her opponent in front of her would benefit from picking up her opponent so high (sometimes just past the half court line), it seems to work in that Muhl bottles up her opponent before she can get started, allowing her to make poke-check steals.

It's made a vast difference in her play, her confidence and how much she's been able to contribute to the UConn effort.

I think there are 3 factors in play here:

1. Nika's foot/ankle problem from early in the season largely healed.

2. Nika is slightly less aggressive in terms of physical contact and going for steals. Hence, fewer fouls and fewer situations of leaning the wrong way.

3. I think that Nika has made a subtle adjustment in that she steps backwards just a little more than previously. Thus, she keeps the offensive player in front of her by gradually giving up just a little more territory.

She has become a really solid defender. Coaching and effort work wonders. Throw in lots of toughness and you have one Badass defender!

 

[Huskee11]

My bad it was 6:19 of the THIRD quarter.

Corrected my post.

 

[jazz]

Yea, Rizzotti and Conlon both shot around 37%. So Muhl is about right there.

That is as a Freshman and a very poor start. So the arrow may be pointing to 40% in the future which would be very good!

 

[BBallF]

Always been a Celtics fan and met Rodman several times his rookie season while living in Detroit. Both were elite defenders. Nika has had some excellent defensive games but let's not stretch the comparisons too far.

I wasn't actually comparing at all since there is no comparison. I was simply highlighting the fact that great defenders are cerebral about what they are doing also and study the game. I was flabbergasted when I watched the Last Dance and saw Rodman preparing. I always thought he just ran out on the court. I think Nika prepares well too and studies her opponent and waits for the right moment to deflect the crossover. She has gotten much better at not fouling doing it although it does still happen. For Geno to say she is one of the 3 toughest players he ever had with Jen and Jamelle is very, very high praise.

 

[BBallF]

Dick Fosbury won the high jump gold medal in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. I was there and saw it, and can guarantee he used the flop then. (Not saying Russell dId, though - obviously he was before 1968 too. Seems like he would be able to just step over the bar...?)

This is exactly why you shouldn't trust Wikipedia! I went back and reread it about Russell and the clear implication is that the Flop came about in 1978, not 1968. Russell did not use the flop as you point out because it was not yet invented but still won several collegiate championships. Since you are "old" like me, you will remember the Sunday afternoon games on TV between the Celtics and the 76ers with Wilt against Russell. Russell also averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists for his career.

 

[j66kicker]

This is exactly why you shouldn't trust Wikipedia! I went back and reread it about Russell and the clear implication is that the Flop came about in 1978, not 1968. Russell did not use the flop as you point out because it was not yet invented but still won several collegiate championships. Since you are "old" like me, you will remember the Sunday afternoon games on TV between the Celtics and the 76ers with Wilt against Russell. Russell also averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists for his career.

Don't remember those. I was only a kid when we went to Mexico City in 1968, plus I didn't live in New England until 1985, and didn't care for the Celtics (Magic/Kareem vs. Bird/McHale Laker fan).

 

[j66kicker]

When I was 18, I didn't want to move across town....it was too far from home....

Now all those posters who thought NM was slow and never going to be any good, well since GA saw it a different way and gave her the start way back when, just like magic, all those comments disappeared.

You're older than 18?

 

[jazz]

You're older than 18?

I'm afraid so...

 

[meyers7]

That is as a Freshman and a very poor start. So the arrow may be pointing to 40% in the future which would be very good!

The whole point of my original post was that Muhl doesn't need to be very good or excellent, "specialist" was the word used. We'll have plenty of them (hopefully - Bueckers, Mazurat, Fudd, Ducharme, maybe even Poffenbarger), Muhl will only need to be decent to keep the defense honest. And she'll probably get good opportunities.

Jefferson started out at 27% as a FR, but ended up as a career 42%. ?

 

[JRRRJ]

IMHO, I know it is splitting hairs but high 30s is good...mid 30s is average/ok, 40% is very good. More than that is excellent. Then you have Bird, KLM and Page whom all were well above 45 IIRC. That is out of this world.

Not sure what I would call in excess of 50% if PB every got back there.

Nika's 34.8% would put her at 110th in NCAA D1. Well above average.

And it's been a pretty steady climb:
35.5% for the last ten games
40.0% for the last eight
50.0% for the last six
50.0% for the last four
60.0% for the last two
66.7% for the last one.

 

[BBallF]

Don't remember those. I was only a kid when we went to Mexico City in 1968, plus I didn't live in New England until 1985, and didn't care for the Celtics (Magic/Kareem vs. Bird/McHale Laker fan).

You also saw Bob Beamon set the long jump record?

 

[SVCBeercats]

What is it over the last 10 games? I think it might even be higher...

As a further mea culpa for you, I calculated Nika's 3FG% for her last 10 games and then some. The spreadsheet shows her running 3FG% and a 10 game moving 3FG%. Currently she is shooting 34.8% for 3FGs. For her last 10 games she is averaging 35.3% for 3FGs. Not much difference. I graphed them. It looks like for this season her 3FG% will fluctuate between 30% and 35%. Hopefully she has an epiphany and averages between 40% and 45% during the NCAA tourney. Big request since she has never approximated 40% this season. Nika better practice all summer long since there will be three new gunslingers in town next season. Hear tell Azzi the Kid is a distant relative of Annie Oakley. Might need more than grit next season. But hey, no worries. You are Geno's slime!

 

[hoopingcrane]

Segrist gave her the two arm push in the back almost in the beginning of the Villanova game.

 

[Bama fan]

In the St John's game on Friday night Nika was harassing them early. #22 Clegg came in and scored right away racing down the court and passed Nika to score. A few plays later Clegg got the ball along the sideline and moved toward halfcourt and Nika was all over her about a foot away from her face. Clegg got so mad she shoved Nika with two hands and drew an offensive foul. It was late in the first period after Nika already had her hands on and took two of them.

 

[j66kicker]

You also saw Bob Beamon set the long jump record?

Yup. My Dad was a track guy at North Carolina and his brother lived in Mexico City, so a lot of interest, and opportunity. Back then TV didn't control the schedule, so all the track & field finals were basically on the same day. Saw the Tommie Smith/John Carlos Black Power salute on the medal stand, saw Jim Ryan unexpectedly lose the 1500 meters, etc.

 

[Fore!]

Meghan Culmo was really down on Nika toward the end of the season. Constantly pointing out the things she disliked about her game. Perhaps I am overstating it, but she seemed determined to get the lineup changed. Of course we have not heard from Culmo during the BET, but I sure hope she rethinks her late season criticisms. Since overcoming her early season injury, Nika has been growing and learning steadily. Can't ask for much more. She is a big part of this team's commitment to excellence that has been blossoming since the loss at Arkansas and she lifts her mates to higher ground.

I learned to tune out MC long ago; her best attribute on her resume is F.O.G.

 

[Bigboote]

I also think that Nika has learned to position herself so that if her opposing player does get around her, she is forced in a direction where they then have to contend with Liv or Aaliyah where as earlier in the season when she got beat there was no help. All a part of learning to operate in the context of "team defense" that has improved so much from the Arkansas game.

Also interesting to note that Dennis Rodman is one of Nika's favorite players...

I've noticed that recently, too. I'm thinking, Nika's gotten beat. . . nope, she sent her mark right into the shot blocker.

There was a really good 30-for-30 on Rodman awhile back. He still comes off as weird (which I don't consider a bad thing at all), but it gives a lot of context, and he became much more relatable.

 

[jazz]

As a further mea culpa for you, I calculated Nika's 3FG% for her last 10 games and then some. The spreadsheet shows her running 3FG% and a 10 game moving 3FG%. Currently she is shooting 34.8% for 3FGs. For her last 10 games she is averaging 35.3% for 3FGs. Not much difference. I graphed them. It looks like for this season her 3FG% will fluctuate between 30% and 35%. Hopefully she has an epiphany and averages between 40% and 45% during the NCAA tourney. Big request since she has never approximated 40% this season. Nika better practice all summer long since there will be three new gunslingers in town next season. Hear tell Azzi the Kid is a distant relative of Annie Oakley. Might need more than grit next season. But hey, no worries. You are Geno's slime!
View attachment 65572
View attachment 65571

Wow that is a really impressive stat collection. Thanks for that! Also, check our JRRJ's stats, she is shooting 40% for the last 8 games, 50% in the last 6. I should have said check out the last 8 games instead of 10.

Either way, she is shooting better than most, including our shooting guards/wings CW and EW. She is only a freshman and a point guard, not known for her shooting, so that is one hell of an accomplishment in my view. 35% is ok/average for a shooting guard but good for a point and very good for a freshman point....it can only go up I recon. I'd be happy with high 30s.

Her job as a point is to distribute first, second and third and then shoot. Shooting guards who only shoot, should be averaging 40% in my view.

Thanks again for the the facts and stats!

 

[jazz]

Nika's 34.8% would put her at 110th in NCAA D1. Well above average.

And it's been a pretty steady climb:
35.5% for the last ten games
40.0% for the last eight
50.0% for the last six
50.0% for the last four
60.0% for the last two
66.7% for the last one.

I guess what I mean is average from what I'd like from her shooting. To be honest, I was thinking more of just the shooting guards, so seeing as she is a point guard who is not known for her shooting and recruited to be a facilitator, 35% is pretty darn good. I'd like it a bit higher for a shooting guard. I don't like comparing stats to everybody because there will be some poorly coached teams that allow poor shooters to jack up shots driving the average down. But it is interesting to see nonetheless and I thank you for it.

Nice work on the stats and facts though! That is a really impressive climb. I'd still be happy if she is at 35% though.

 

[jazz]

The whole point of my original post was that Muhl doesn't need to be very good or excellent, "specialist" was the word used. We'll have plenty of them (hopefully - Bueckers, Mazurat, Fudd, Ducharme, maybe even Poffenbarger), Muhl will only need to be decent to keep the defense honest. And she'll probably get good opportunities.

Jefferson started out at 27% as a FR, but ended up as a career 42%. ?

Sorry Meyers. I get you point, but if she exceeds that and it is likely she will, that is even better wouldn't you think?