Do you agree with Geno?

[pap49cba]

From John A.:

"Geno reiterates preseason contention that Kiah Stokes is likely key to tournament for #uconnwomen"

 

[Wonkster]

.
It's a lot to put on a freshman, but yes - if she plays like she did against Duke, she can take a huge part in winning the national championship.
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[VAMike23]

I agree with Geno - you have to win 6 games for the NC, and what we've seen is that certain matchups are difficult for Stef inside. Kelly is a terrific rebounder and is excellent in space, but she obviously does not have the length that Kiah has to be an inside stopper.

Stef is still our go-to player in the middle under most circumstances, but not *all* circumstances. And simply the fact Stef does not have to play 30+ mins and risk foul trouble is huge.

The reason that she is the key is that she is the one player with the skillset Geno really needs for this role. On the perimeter, if one guard has an off game then you hope someone else is 'on'. If Stef is having an off night or has a bad matchup, Geno feels like Kiah is his only option.

Having said all this, we will still need one Heather Buck if we play well enough to get to the final, and Baylor is waiting for us.

 

[alexrgct]

I'd say that for UConn to go the distance or even come close, there needs to be a careful balance across the rotation where everyone makes significant contributions. That includes Kiah. I don't know if she's THE key, but she's certainly a key. At some point in this tournament, we'll need her to make her mark on a game or two. And to VAMike's point, we would very much need all bigs on hand against Baylor if both teams made it that far.

 

[MilfordHusky]

If Kiah plays to her ability, as long as it is not due to foul trouble or injury for another player, I really like our chances. It is a lot of pressure on a frosh, but that is part of what sigining with UConn means. It depends on matchups, but against a team with a big front line, Kiah's size and skills can be very important. If we want to win the title, we may be seeing Maryland, Stanford, or Baylor. I think those are the three best front lines in the nation.

 

[Kibitzer]

There are several keys to (1) getting to the Final Four, then (2) winning the national championship.

First, win two games at Bridgeport while playing "UConn basketball," as Geno is wont to say. Win with a 40 minute intensity on offense and defense and get "into the zone" (Woody Harrelson's exultant claim in "White Men Can't Jump"). Bonuses: Banks and Buck get some meaningful PT, along with the front seven, and nobody gets hurt.

Second, step it up in Kingston. Geno has often said that game #4, to graduate from Elite Eight to Final Four, is the most problematic, fraught with peril. By that time the competition gets tough (think St. John's), the preparation time is minimal, and the team needs to be playing suffocating defense, hitting shots, and avoiding turnovers or foul trouble. And rebounding at both ends and hitting free throws.

Third, win two games in Denver. Opponents must be limited to 60 points and we must aim to score 75. How? Fifty from Kaleena, Tiffany and Bria (two score 15, one 20; easy for me to say). Fifteen from Kiah/Stefanie combo. Ten from Caroline and anyone else (e.g., Heather/Brianna).

Impossible? No. A daunting challenge? Yes. To keep it simple, just play relentless UConn basketball twice a week for three weekends.

Then cut down the netx.

 

[wbfree]

From John A.:

"Geno reiterates preseason contention that Kiah Stokes is likely key to tournament for #uconnwomen"

If everyone plays well, we will have a chance for a NC. It's not on one player.

 

[huskeynut]

Kiah will make her statement at some point like she did against Duke. I would not be surprised to see Caroline, Brianna and Heather play key roles as we approach and make the final four.

Let the games begin!

 

[magic]

I agree, and have thought this all season. However, she has to be in the game first. I would like to know what has suddenly changed since the BET. She has only averaged 13 minutes a game, and I think she should be getting around 20 minutes per game. GA wants certain players on the court all the time, but you can only play 5. I will be interested to see whether or not there are some new wrinkles come this weekend. Huskies are flying under the radar coming into this tournament. Baylor has BG, but has not played a difficult game away from home all season. I don't count the Big 12. Irish have no inside presence, and it will be exploited in the tournament. Stanford has the "sisters", but played a cupcake schedule. Looking closely at the brackets , I see a lot of made for tv games . 2nd round has some ptentially great matchups.

 

[JoePgh]

I think this statement is another indication that Geno would like to play Stef and Kiah together, particularly against teams with a lot of inside strength, but has been unable to do it mainly because Kiah just doesn't reliably "come to play". When she does (e.g., the Duke game), the combination is very effective. Kiah didn't play much in the BET because her head was elsewhere -- very obvious in the final game against ND and was the reason why Stef played the entire second half despite sucking wind for much of it.

I had visions of a bracket where UConn would play Delaware and Tennessee in successive games. In those games, Kelly just can't be expected to defend or match up on the boards with EDD or Glory Johnson, so you would need Kiah out there for most of the game.

Now it appears that we will face at most one of those teams (probably neither), and that would be in the national championship game.

With the bracket as it is (no big brawny teams in UConn's region), Kiah's contribution probably won't be critical (and Kelly might actually do better) until the Final Four. But if Uconn faces Maryland in the national semifinal and Baylor in the final round, having both Stef and Kiah hitting on all cylinders will be crucial.

 

[Sonny44]

I think this statement is another indication that Geno would like to play Stef and Kiah together, particularly against teams with a lot of inside strength, but has been unable to do it mainly because Kiah just doesn't reliably "come to play". When she does (e.g., the Duke game), the combination is very effective. Kiah didn't play much in the BET because her head was elsewhere -- very obvious in the final game against ND and was the reason why Stef played the entire second half despite sucking wind for much of it.

I had visions of a bracket where UConn would play Delaware and Tennessee in successive games. In those games, Kelly just can't be expected to defend or match up on the boards with EDD or Glory Johnson, so you would need Kiah out there for most of the game.

Now it appears that we will face at most one of those teams (probably neither), and that would be in the national championship game.

With the bracket as it is (no big brawny teams in UConn's region), Kiah's contribution probably won't be critical (and Kelly might actually do better) until the Final Four. But if Uconn faces Maryland in the national semifinal and Baylor in the final round, having both Stef and Kiah hitting on all cylinders will be crucial.

Good point. I was also glad to see that we don't have to play against some of the rugby teams disguised as basketball players.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Good point. I was also glad to see that we don't have to play against some of the rugby teams disguised as basketball players.

KY fits this description (rugby teams disguised as basketball)...we need the whole team to play on all cilinders to get to the Final 4 and to win but the one player that we have an issue with filling for if she is in foul trouble is Stef and it's bound to happen in one of those (hopefully) 6 games so Kiah will need to step up big time.

 

[Replicant]

From John A.:

"Geno reiterates preseason contention that Kiah Stokes is likely key to tournament for #uconnwomen"

Absolutely. I'd expand it to include ALL our frosh!