Gabby

[boontonbomber]

I liked Battle, and I really liked Kalana, but I already really , really like Gabby. This may sound crazy, but the player she reminds me of at this very early stage in her career, except for the tatoos and piercings, of course, is Dennis Rodman.

 

[Geno-ista]

Notice Geno put her in in the 1st half when the outcome was still uncertain. I have no doubt he is on to her.

Great point Sonny!!!!

 

[Rocket009]

LOL. What a ridiculous post. SC has 5 future WNBA players, possibly 6 if White develops at the post. She certainly has the body.

SC have a tremendous amount of talent and have had for some time. While Dawn Stanley is obviously a great recruiter, she needs to demonstrate that she can develop these talented kids into great players. That we have not seen yet. Perhaps that's what intimidates some of these recruits into veering away from UCONN. They are not confident enough that they can become great. The ones that do come to UCON seem to believe from the beginning that they can be great players.

 

[MilfordHusky]

How do you think KG would have finished her career at UCONN had she not had the knee injury?

I followed UCONN only sporadically before 2008, having watched the 2002 team in the final four and quite a few of Taurasi's games until she graduated, but I did not see Kalana play before the injury. From all accounts, she was an elite-level athlete even for UCONN. Post-injury, I was always [still] impressed by her quickness and explosiveness. At the same time, her ability to elevate didn't seem to quite measure up to the same high standard.

When she visited campus as a recruit and played with the team, she was"unguardable."

When UNC beat us by 20+, Kalana was our only player with the athleticism to compete with the UNC players.

I believe that the UConn women played the first game in John Paul Jones at Virginia. I think Kalana had about 25 points. She had a great midrange fall-away jumper.

I'm not sure about the level of the competition, but KG averaged close to a quadruple-double in each of her last 3 high school seasons.

 

[Geno-ista]

When she visited campus as a recruit and played with the team, she was"unguardable."

When UNC beat us by 20+, Kalana was our only player with the athleticism to compete with the UNC players.

I believe that the UConn women played the first game in John Paul Jones at Virginia. I think Kalana had about 25 points. She had a great midrange fall-away jumper.

I'm not sure about the level of the competition, but KG averaged close to a quadruple-double in each of her last 3 high school seasons.

KG did have a monster year and some big games in her Sr yr after injury. She rounded out one of our most dominant teams ever. She was a monster rebounder, defender, and she became a really good option & scorer as well. She was always receptive to nice chats during her recovery. I've had a few nice visits with her.

 

[DICKG]

Notice Geno put her in in the 1st half when the outcome was still uncertain. I have no doubt he is on to her.

Gabby has yet to play any "real meaningful" minutes. He praised her before the season started and fails to use her in big games. She did not play in the Stanford game and was put in against ND only when Lewis got some fouls. GENO always seems to have one player he does this to. I don't want to hear that she doen't practice hard. I am sure Diana wasn't always great in practice.

 

[Zorro]

She got a few meaningful minutes against ND.

 

[mysticmajor]

I think of the situation with Gabby a bit differently. Her progress has been impeded for the last season or two. So she has had physical recovery (done ) + skill recovery from high school + freshman year development that has to get done in parallel. From what I have heard, the coaching staff believes in her and her ability. I think that they have gone out of their way to find ways for her to play successfully. I think she is coming along nicely.

 

[Tonyc]

Its early in the season and our young players have strengths and weaknesses. Geno knows what they are and will use them in certain situations. The conference is weak and I would expect our freshman and sophomores to see more minutes and Geno using them in different lineups and situations. What we know is what we have seen and we haven't seen much. The little we have seen has been up and down with potential. The potential is there but only the coaching staff knows from watching in practice and discussing where the underclassman fair and need development before they can be trusted in game situations. What they need is playtime but first they must be able to execute in practice before they can be put in game situations. With Ek out Gabby is the only other option as Nurse is starting. I believe both Ek and Gabby will see more minutes. Geno will find their niche and it will not start with their weaknesses.

 

[Geno-ista]

Gabby has yet to play any "real meaningful" minutes. He praised her before the season started and fails to use her in big games. She did not play in the Stanford game and was put in against ND only when Lewis got some fouls. GENO always seems to have one player he does this to. I don't want to hear that she doen't practice hard. I am sure Diana wasn't always great in practice.

I think your assessment of this couldn't be more wrong. Geno didn't want to throw her to the wolves in the tight Stanford game away. She hasn't played B Ball for two years. At the open practice he spoke to this point a lot. Geno loves Gabby & she knows it. She will play a lot as we develop leads in all the upcoming games. I will be very very shocked if your inclination is right. And with Sadie leaving already - kind of thinned the herd to our core. Gabbie is already #8. Geno is already raving about all her raw attributes all the time. Dick- Gabbie will be a key match up cog for us by March. She will end up being a huge piece of our next 4 yrs.

 

[JoePgh]

He made a comment to her father in Florida that was somehow quoted in the newspaper, to the effect that she is still learning the game of basketball, but that by her senior year she will be able to score in any way that is needed. I think that the "still learning" comment applies to her playing in the front court, as well as playing within a team-oriented offense and defense rather than freelancing with her athletic ability.

There is no indication at all that Geno is "down" on her, just that he sees her as too raw to play major minutes in competitive games at this time. By the end of the season, that may be different.

I don't sense that Gabby has any problem with how the coaches are handling her. She and her parents seem (based on casual observation in the hotel in Florida) total comfortable with her situation at UConn.

 

[mrmojack]

This kid is going to really be something. You just have to watch her move on
the court and you can tell she is different. I think she we improve leaps
and bounds as the season goes on. Every practice she will learn something
new and gain more confidence as the season progresses. Her defense is
improving also. Just watch her.

 

[Biff]

The snippet on Gabby from the All Access show....Geno's comment to Rosemary is most pertinent to this discussion.

 

[vtinct]

The snippet on Gabby from the All Access show....Geno's comment to Rosemary is most pertinent to this discussion.

Hey Biff, this is great! Where did you find this video? I don't get SNY and would love to see the parts of the all-access show. Thanks!

 

[boontonbomber]

This kid is going to really be something. You just have to watch her move on
the court and you can tell she is different. I think she we improve leaps
and bounds as the season goes on. Every practice she will learn something
new and gain more confidence as the season progresses. Her defense is
improving also. Just watch her.

I find myself really focused on her when she gets on the court. Yes, just watching her move you can tell that she is different. Apparently has great confidence in herself, which would have to be true of someone who did as well as she did competing against the best high jumpers in this country. Not likely that she is going to be intimidated by anything or anybody even though she is a first-year. Just like Nurse.

 

[WildEagle]

Thanx for the input Mr. Williams!

 

[hoophuskee]

I don't want to hear that she doen't practice hard. I am sure Diana wasn't always great in practice.

IMO you are taking his comments and unitentionally misrepresenting them. I am near 100% certain that DT got crticized BIG TIME regarding her practice habits as a frosh.

But DT was known in her sr year high school as a player than only comes around every ten years or so. You don't thinks she showed that in some practices? Is Gabby in that DT category - a "once in every 10+ year" type of player (ofc we know DT is way above that- but just sayin. . .)?

For any of you that think Gabby deserves big minutes in big games - to start with please tell me why Stewie and KML don't deserve 35 minttues each and Tuck just under that - say 32. Doesn't Stokes deserve at least 20? Doesn't MoJeff and Nurse deserve about 60 between them? That's 182 minutes. In the ND game there were 17 minutes left over.

So you have Chong mixed in there -- where is Gabby going to get big minutes in big games?

 

[sarals24]

I think Gabby is getting valuable minutes and Geno obviously wants her to get some experience. She's going to be a big part of the team the next three years. He put her in the ND game when it was definitely still in question - in the first half, I think UConn was up by 4. He wasn't putting Edwards in at that time, that's for sure. And he didn't need to put her in - no one was in foul trouble, Stokes and Tuck were both playing great. So clearly he wants to work her in.

I think we forget what a luxury it is to actually have a bench, because it's been so long since there's been more than a one or two player bench. I think in Geno's ideal world he would use freshmen exactly how he is this year with Williams...get her experience in big games, play her more minutes in blowouts, and get her ready to contribute for three years. What he had to do out of necessity with Bria and Stef is out of the norm for him.

Look at how he used Maria Conlon as a freshman...she got into a lot of games, but definitely wasn't a key player as a freshman (or a sophomore). But she earned her time and played a ton as a junior and senior.

 

[NewCorn]

I expect Gabby to be AA as a junior. For now she is getting the minutes she needs to be a factor in March.

 

[mysticmajor]

I have found it interesting to see how Gabby has responded. I think her 'world class' experience as a high jumper helps her keep perspective about the level of her own performance. It is interesting to see these young ladies figure out how to perform at a high enough level consistently in order to earn minutes. I expect that Courtney will respond as well when she gets back from her injury.

There was another thread recently with an older game when DT and Swin came off the bench as freshmen. THAT put it all in perspective for me. Given that sight, I have lost a bit of patience with the angst about losing people by not playing them or when others don't sign up for this fear.

 

[Bestiarius]

Funny story...

Geno was talking about Gabby with someone from the press and was talking about her skills. He asked her what position she played in high school and she said "Point Guard". Now keep in mind she's not played for 2 years due to injuries. He said something like "She can't dribble, pass, or shoot the ball. No idea how she could ever play the PG position"...

I'm sure my quotes aren't quite right, but that's why she won't ever play guard at UCONN, or at least not any time soon...

What this Geno quote says to me is he really, really likes Gabby!

 

[MeteT]

The snippet on Gabby from the All Access show....Geno's comment to Rosemary is most pertinent to this discussion.

Great post. Geno's comments about Gabby are very revealing. What little I have seen of her she is the best athlete on the team. As mentioned in previous posts several rebounds that I thought were made by Stokes were in fact made by Gabby. Not too many players can make the basket that she made at the end of the ND game.

 

[OldAlum]

So what is the Geno Scale?
How does "Unbelievable" rank with "Really good" and "Really, really good"?

 

[j66kicker]

So what is the Geno Scale?
How does "Unbelievable" rank with "Really good" and "Really, really good"?

"Unbelievable" is just a tad higher than "really, really good", but somewhat lower than the hypothetical "really, really, REALLY good." Of course then there's "really unbelievable", "really, really unbelievable", etc....

 

[MeteT]

Watching Gabby play I could tell there was something unusual about the way she runs and especially the way she goes for a shot near the basket but I could not put my finger on exactly what it was. After watching the rerun of the DePaul game It dawned on me that her runs are just like a high jumper's approach run to the high jump bar, knees high, long gait, elbows pumping. Her background in high jump is helping her basketball career. If she continues to improve at the rate I have seen so far she will be a great player. She made the right choice coming to UCONN. where she will be coached to reach her potential.