Freshman adjusting to college game

[stwainfan]

Is it easier for a guard to make the adjustment than a post player?

 

[Boxerpups4me]

Is it easier for a guard to make the adjustment than a post player?

My guess would be it's easier for a guard to adjust. The top post players in high school are used to playing against athletes much shorter and less athletic than them, so when they get into college and go up against girls who are as tall and stronger, then I'd imagine the adjustment would be tough..

 

[01Neaggrad02]

My personal opinion is yes... Guards are responsible for controlling the ball, the tempo, and shooting... while the tempo might be a tad faster..... there is not as much body contact and "banging for the boards" as there is for a post player. Post players are going to have to learn to deal with the contact, be able to box out, be able to stand their own in the paint... Whereas in High School there might not have been as many good post players defending you, now you are up against people of similar skill sets or better on a consistent basis.

Not to pick on Heather, because I really liked Heather, but she was one of the top post players in the state of Connecticut when in high school.... but who was she up against on a day to day basis? In college she was against Griner, The annoying tall players that Notre Dame consistently landed, the post players of Stanford....

 

[stwainfan]

I think it also has to do with a players skill level. Some players make the adjustment faster.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I think its equally tough... guards must learn how to run the show and post need to learn how to bang with others about the same height (not as easy to dominate)

 

[UCONNfan1]

I also think there's a difference (a subtle one) of adjusting vs. excelling. Just to use 2 easy examples BY'ers will relate to - Tina Charles and Mo Jefferson.

Tina was a "star" at UCONN from day 1, but she never really "got it" till early on in her junior year. I'm not sure if she started her first 2 years, but her scoring went from 12 to 14 to 16 to 18 over her 4 seasons. But Geno was constantly pushing her to do things better since he knew the potential she had. She was a monstrous beast her entire senior year.

Moriah showed flashes of what her speed makes her capable of, and Geno obviously trusted her - in the NCAA's she played 26 minutes vs. Kentucky, but only 11 in the following game vs. Notre Dame. You could tell she was overmatched by stronger and more experienced guards from ND vs. the slower and less experienced Evans and O'Neill from Kentucky (and I think O'Neill was a freshman?)

Both adjusted quickly, but I think we will see Moriah really excel this year, vs. it taking Tina 2.5 years to really excel. I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule, and post players who are top 3 recruits should easily average 10-15 points their freshman campaigns.

Griner, for example, was ridiculous averaging 18+ PPG her freshman year. Elizabeth Williams averaged over 15 PPG her freshman year. Post players who are truly gifted or who enter college with strong bodies able to grind through the wear and tear their first season are the most likely to be truly successful right out the gate. Tina was also very strong and athletic when she entered college.

 

[DaddyChoc]

and a player averaging 12pts for her 4yrs would be great for some players and coaches but not at UConn... Geno and Tina did a great job growing

 

[jdubct]

I also think there's a difference (a subtle one) of adjusting vs. excelling. Just to use 2 easy examples BY'ers will relate to - Tina Charles and Mo Jefferson.

Tina was a "star" at UCONN from day 1, but she never really "got it" till early on in her junior year. I'm not sure if she started her first 2 years, but her scoring went from 12 to 14 to 16 to 18 over her 4 seasons. But Geno was constantly pushing her to do things better since he knew the potential she had. She was a monstrous beast her entire senior year.

Moriah showed flashes of what her speed makes her capable of, and Geno obviously trusted her - in the NCAA's she played 26 minutes vs. Kentucky, but only 11 in the following game vs. Notre Dame. You could tell she was overmatched by stronger and more experienced guards from ND vs. the slower and less experienced Evans and O'Neill from Kentucky (and I think O'Neill was a freshman?)

Both adjusted quickly, but I think we will see Moriah really excel this year, vs. it taking Tina 2.5 years to really excel. I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule, and post players who are top 3 recruits should easily average 10-15 points their freshman campaigns.

Griner, for example, was ridiculous averaging 18+ PPG her freshman year. Elizabeth Williams averaged over 15 PPG her freshman year. Post players who are truly gifted or who enter college with strong bodies able to grind through the wear and tear their first season are the most likely to be truly successful right out the gate. Tina was also very strong and athletic when she entered college.

Tina started from game 1 in her freshman year. And she played her freshman year with an injured shoulder which made it difficult to score at times.

 

[Icebear]

Depends if one is speaking of someone expected to play PG or 2 guard. Also, depends on if we mean low post or just any post. The two steepest learning curves are PG and low post both mentally and physically. Overall, learning to play quality rotating defense and its reads is the biggest mental challenge and pace of the game.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

My personal opinion is yes.

From my years of watching WCCB, I feel that the guards seem to adjust quicker at the college level.

Some posts do as well, but I remember Rebecca Lobo speaking to the fact that scoring in HS was so much easier because most post players are far and away bigger than most if not all of their competition. When you get to college you have equally tall players and some come more physical and athletic. It takes a little more time to get used to that game.

 

[UcMiami]

Me - I think post players and PGs have the biggest adjustments to make while wing players especially those who are primarily spot-up shooters have it easiest. Posts because they just aren't used to the competition being as big, strong, and talented as they are let alone bigger, stronger, and more talented. PGs because they are learning new offense that is played at a faster pace against better defenses.