ESPN Article Olivia

[HuskylnSC]

Is Olivia Nelson-Ododa the key to UConn's success this season?

Coach Geno Auriemma is blunt about it: UConn is a better team when sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa plays well. So what's holding her back?

www.espn.com

Key quote for me; "It's something I continue to try to figure out day by day," she said. "You can have the physical tools, but if you don't have that confidence and belief you can do it, it's not going to work."

The way her comment is phrased I wonder if she has the confidence?

 

[eebmg]

Is Olivia Nelson-Ododa the key to UConn's success this season?

Coach Geno Auriemma is blunt about it: UConn is a better team when sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa plays well. So what's holding her back?

www.espn.com

Key quote for me; "It's something I continue to try to figure out day by day," she said. "You can have the physical tools, but if you don't have that confidence and belief you can do it, it's not going to work."

The way her comment is phrased I wonder if she has the confidence?

You can't have real confidence unless you experience success and fight through difficulties. As the article says, she has gotten incrementally better from the Baylor game to the TN , Team USA and OR games and no doubt she will get herself schooled in SC and quite possibly be overwhelmed. Experiencing and fighting through that is the only way to get real confidence and it is clear she understands that. Few HS players come in with world conquering confidence to start and with everything UConn throws at them, it is not realistic.


The particular problem with Liv at the moment is to push her through her instinct to be more of a perimeter player. That is the most interesting part of the article to me. He actually says Rebecca suffered from that malady her first 2 years.

So you get somebody like Liv who's 6-5 and long, and you go, 'Why do you not want to play inside?'" he added. "Other than the fact that it's physical in there, and you're going to get beat up. I don't think you made one jump shot against Oklahoma, and you had 27 points. See how easy it is?'

"The default button now is, 'Oh, just let them shoot 3s.' I don't think that helps Liv one iota in becoming a better basketball player."

 

[Jingo]

It would help a TON if Liv could get more and better entry passes .. eh?

 

[southofnorth]

It would help a TON if Liv could get more and better entry passes .. eh?

Couldn't agree more. They need to get her the ball when she posts up and she's got her defender pinned for a couple seconds. It seems like the perimeter players either miss her or hesitate until she's no longer open.

 

[eebmg]

Couldn't agree more. They need to get her the ball when she posts up and she's got her defender pinned for a couple seconds. It seems like the perimeter players either miss her or hesitate until she's no longer open.

I think they need to be more creative getting Liv inside leverage position through set plays and off ball motion. She is not strong enough to carve out position on her own against elite centers and when she has that problem, negative reinforcement enters her game and she does not want to stay inside.

 

[donalddoowop]

It seems that other teams with post not as tall have little trouble getting them the ball. Post who are not supposed to be as talented as Liv.

 

[veryolddog]

The young lady needs to take the bull by the horns and go on the attack. She needs to get angry and put that emotion on the court with the will to win instead of getting pushed around like she has been for the bulk of the season.

 

[MSGRET]

This is the first year in a very long time that the team does not have at least three players that look like they will have in excess of 100 assists for the season. Last year UConn had Crystal Dangerfield with 225, Pheesa with 134, and Lou with 132. Currently Crystal Dangerfield has 75, Meg 66, Liv 56, Anna 54, and CW has 51. Unless Meg, Anna, Liv, or CW has some great games with a high number of assists this will be the first time since at least the 2012-2013 that they didn't have 3 or more players having over 100 assists. (The UConn site does not have the statistics for the 2012-2013 season.) Another words since before Stewie was a Freshman.

 

[Plebe]

Yikes.

We're almosy two-thirds of the way through the season and Crystal has one-third her assist total from last year.

 

[Jingo]

It seems that other teams with post not as tall have little trouble getting them the ball. Post who are not supposed to be as talented as Liv.

Yes .. as long as you have willing and able passers, eh? .. it's a two-way street...

 

[MSGRET]

Got a PM from DavidinNaples and there were 4 players with over 100 assists in Stewie's Freshman year; MoJeff with 195, Bria 173, Stef 135, and Stewie 122. Thanks David for the Assist.