Fuller's Game Piece Focuses on Walker

[RockyMTblue2]

So did Geno:

“Megan is really talented, she has a lot of different kinds of skills,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “The intensity and pace of the game, little by little she is catching onto it. You saw glimpses of it today. There are practices when she just flows right into what we are doing. She is a lot stronger than she looks and a little bit quicker than she looks, so I am hoping the way it looks right now that between her and Z (Stevens), those two combined we have two really good players to add to the five that started today.”

Freshman Megan Walker steps up in UConn’s final preseason game

 

[tomcat]

Yes, so barring injury, I would contend that UConn could use one more solid sub to take quality minutes, not just mop-up minutes. Who that would be has yet to be seen. Geno appears to be giving Molly the opportunity, and she has not looked bad, but the spot is there for the taking. Kyla, with her size, would be the logical one, but she has looked slow and behind the play so far.

 

[oldude]

We don't want to get ahead of ourselves here, but there were a few plays by MW tonight that reminded me of a young MM.....

 

[victor64]

Megan just needs to be a more consistent outside shooter. She is not shy about putting it up. Everything else is far beyond her freshman status including being a willing, aggressive on the ball defender.

 

[MilfordHusky]

We don't want to get ahead of ourselves here, but there were a few plays by MW tonight that reminded me of a young MM.....

She's not the shooter Maya was, but she's big, strong, fast, smart, and aggressive. She wasn't a fluke as HS NPOY.

 

[MilfordHusky]

We've seen these twins before.

 

[oldude]

She's not the shooter Maya was,

Not yet.....

 

[MilfordHusky]

Not yet.....

I actually meant to put "yet" in my post. Thanks!

 

[bags27]

We've seen these twins before.

Kinda melts your heart, huh?

 

[oldude]

Kinda melts your heart, huh?

Or scares the hell out of opposing teams....

 

[RockyMTblue2]

We've seen these twins before.

Playing for Geno at UConn. Pure drudgery.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I see a solid 8 players, barring injuries.
Kia, Gabby, Napheesa, Lou, Crystal, Azura, Megan and Batouly (once she is cleared by the doctor).

 

[CocoHusky]

Yes, so barring injury, I would contend that UConn could use one more solid sub to take quality minutes, not just mop-up minutes. Who that would be has yet to be seen. Geno appears to be giving Molly the opportunity, and she has not looked bad, but the spot is there for the taking. Kyla, with her size, would be the logical one, but she has looked slow and behind the play so far.

Batouly when she gets healthy would be my bet.

 

[TitleTown]

Yes, so barring injury, I would contend that UConn could use one more solid sub to take quality minutes, not just mop-up minutes. Who that would be has yet to be seen. Geno appears to be giving Molly the opportunity, and she has not looked bad, but the spot is there for the taking. Kyla, with her size, would be the logical one, but she has looked slow and behind the play so far.

My guess is that once Camara gets back to being healthy and knocks the rust off, that she will be able to give some decent minutes.

 

[BroadwayVa]

So did Geno:

“Megan is really talented, she has a lot of different kinds of skills,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “The intensity and pace of the game, little by little she is catching onto it. You saw glimpses of it today. There are practices when she just flows right into what we are doing. She is a lot stronger than she looks and a little bit quicker than she looks, so I am hoping the way it looks right now that between her and Z (Stevens), those two combined we have two really good players to add to the five that started today.”

Freshman Megan Walker steps up in UConn’s final preseason game

This is the first time my internet speed was proper to see Uconn play without interruptions. I saw |Walker for the first time and I was truly impressed. She among the Frosh stood out. AEH was good for a frosh, the others all need work but you can see they are UConn types. I posted in the after game threat that I believe Walker will be among the 7 or now 8 ( Collier, Gabby, KLS, Kia, Danger, Z, Touly, add Walker for those who believe Geno works with 8 this sets the tone.
Again seeing Molly she has improved, plays better defense, but still is shy of tossing the square ball up.

 

[BroadwayVa]

We don't want to get ahead of ourselves here, but there were a few plays by MW tonight that reminded me of a young MM.....

Come on jump on the wagon and --get ahead-- didn't Megan Walker give you a hint of things to come?? She was good in the USA games but not this good I could offer the same for Danger.

 

[donalddoowop]

Don't expect much from Camara for a while. When she was healthy Geno said she needed a lot of work. Missing so many practices puts her at a big disadvantage. Missing practices their first year playing with the team hurt Butler, Eckmark, and some other players who never caught up enough to be effective. Camara will get there but it may not be ready before mid December.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

These lists being compiled don't (seem) to give us a secondary point guard. That would be high on my list. Geno trying to have Molly get there. Maybe Coombs will come along?

 

[Roundball fan]

I think Megan is going to be special. One time she took a rebound and went the length of the court blowing by everyone, she lost the ball going up for the shot but the speed she has with the ball was very impressive. She also plays hard on D and rebounds. Her shots will fall with a little more seasoning and confidence.

 

[JoePgh]

These lists being compiled don't (seem) to give us a secondary point guard. That would be high on my list. Geno trying to have Molly get there. Maybe Coombs will come along?

The conclusion that I drew from watching the substitution patterns in yesterday's game is that Geno is trying to give Molly every opportunity to win the backup PG position, but she didn't do it yesterday (in my opinion and I think in his, based on how the game unfolded). As I said in another post, Mikayla seems to be more aggressive at this point -- she may make more mistakes, but she will make more things happen. I think she now has the inside track to be backup PG.

 

[EricLA]

I agree with everyone on the core 7 - I think people are more hopeful than confident that the 8th player will be Batouly. Not only did she have improvements needed, but being out for 3 weeks has really set her back. IF she comes back 100%, it might not be till January that we see her get serious minutes in a big game.

I still have high hopes for Coombs. She has all the tools, but needs to put it all together. I believe in blowouts, everyone will get some decent PT, but as the season wears on, and Geno narrows his focus, I need to remind myself that it's not T-league where everyone plays. Even in blowouts, Geno will want to work on developing the players who will be needed in the conference and NCAA tourneys. And it won't be about scoring on fast breaks or whatever. It will be working on other things - some of which Geno alluded to as being worked on, but not rolled out yet.

Once we get into February and Geno's looking ahead to March/April, IF Mikayla is able to work he way into the "core group", or get close to it (or any of the other players for that matter), I could see Geno going with Crystal, Kia, Lou, Gabby, Napheesa, Azura, Megan, and then hopefully Batouly and Mikalya. Whoever's not in that core could be looking at 4-6 minutes even in blowouts.

Maybe I'm wrong and the team will be so in synch that this years' "reserve" players will be able to get greater PT than I'm thinking.

 

[JoePgh]

Speaking of Batouly, did anyone notice Bob Joyce's comment during Sunday's broadcast that she herself said she thought she was 3 weeks away from returning. Also (and more alarmingly), she said that she initially thought that she had torn an ACL until she received the diagnosis. Neither of those things sounds very encouraging.