Graham Hays on Kelly's All-American chances

[schmendrick]

from ESPNw:

If there was any question beforehand that a player averaging a modest 10.4 points per game deserves All-American honors -- and we're talking about a place in the conversation for the first team -- it should end now. There is no shortage of tangible when it comes to Faris. She leads the team in assists. She ranks second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. She has more than twice as many steals as any other player on her team. She can guard Maryland forward Alyssa Thomas as comfortably and stiflingly as she can Duke point guard Gray, as their turnovers and field goal percentages against her attest. So when people talk about intangibles, it's not in place of the tangibles, it's in addition.

Yeah baby.

 

[arty155]

- What a superb article by Graham Hays ... lots packed into it. Thanks a lot for highlighting this one.
- Here is the LINK, guys.

..."They needed her on this night. More specifically, Auriemma needed her. After the game, he talked about the frustration of recent weeks, of not finding the right buttons to push, the right words to say or the right lessons to teach to get the most out of this team. That came to a head at halftime with a message that was one part tactics and one part angry challenge....
"...Auriemma challenged them, and Faris led them...."

 

[freekimchee]

What a great read. Thanks for the link!

 

[EricLA]

Boy I'll say. Great link. Totally agree and the more the "talking heads" discuss Kelly and her worthiness, the better her chances. There are 13 seniors who average more than 19 PPG so far this season, and I'm betting Kelly will be drafted ahead of all of them (with the possible exception of Sugar Rogers, and even then I'd take Kelly over her in a second).

Duke point guard Chelsea Gray -- who spent a good portion of the night the subject of closer attention from Faris than President Obama received from his Secret Service detail during the day's inauguration events in Washington, D.C. -- finished with two points on six shots, four turnovers and a look of incalculable frustration.

That was a singularly great line. And you gotta love McCallie... She was talking about trying to get a tougher non conference schedule...

"It's not as easy as you think." McCallie said. "Some teams won't play you, refuse to play you. And some teams say come play us, but we're not going to return. So it's not as easy as you think, unless we could get some help, maybe, from ESPN.

"I mean, Connecticut plays everybody. That's what they do. But that's not everybody."

 

[Icebear]

McCallie's words are almost exactly what we have heard from Geno over the years.

 

[Bobanozz]

It's such a shame that a player like Faris will only have a place in our hearts, not the, "Huskies of Honor" wall. I wouldn't trade Faris for any of the 'PPG stat sheet' All Americans.

 

[MilfordHusky]

With a little PR campaign, Kelly can get her name on the wall.

I still think we'll have 2 or 3 players on a 10-player team, especially if we beat Baylor and/or ND.

Start figuring out how to fit "Mosqueda-Lewis" on the wall.

 

[pppggg]

It's such a shame that a player like Faris will only have a place in our hearts, not the, "Huskies of Honor" wall. I wouldn't trade Faris for any of the 'PPG stat sheet' All Americans.

I maintain there needs to be an award for kids like Kelly. They give so much to the program and they give us so much enjoyment, But their names may never be on the wall.

HEART OF A HUSKY AWARD-- voted by the fans.

 

[meyers7]

Faris was definitely in a zone last night. A woman possessed. Probably one of the best overall performances I've seen in quite some time.

 

[Icebear]

Faris was definitely in a zone last night. A woman possessed. Probably one of the best overall performances I've seen in quite some time.

She may have been in a zone last night, but I am pretty sure Chelsey Gray thought she was inside her uniform.

 

[pap49cba]

Great photo courtesy of the Hartford Courant...

 

[Samanthabrown3]

McCallie's words are almost exactly what we have heard from Geno over the years.

And that's what he said about Pat, too, especially in the beginning.

 

[ScarlettB]

I think it will be hard for Kelly to make 1st team AA. She doesn't have the gaudy stats that sway the voters. She is someone you actually have to watch play for several games before you can really appreciate just how good she is - and how valuable she is to her team. She is never the most talented player on the floor - at least on offense, which is usually what the voters focus on, but she is generally the hardest worker. She is a leader, she never quits and she makes her teammates better. Her defense is superb. Even so, I don't think she will be chosen over the flashier players like Diggins or Sims.

 

[trisailin]

Faris was definitely in a zone last night.

And I thought they played lots of man to man. OK OK - it was just waiting to be said

 

[Kibitzer]

When the legendary Celtics of the Russell-Auerbach era were winning championships annually (8 in a row, 11 in 13 years), they never had a league-leading scorer but had three HoF defenders named KC Jones, Satch Saunders and the immortal Bill Russell. Total championship rings: Russ 11, KC and Satch 8 apiece.

Their defense never rested. Just like Kelly.

 

[meyers7]

And I thought they played lots of man to man. OK OK - it was just waiting to be said

I must still be on holiday from MLK, I had to read that twice before it clicked. Well done.

 

[CL82]

Geno needs to start campaigning for her. It's possible but an uphill climb. I suspect that we may get her on the wall even if she doesn't meet the 1st team AA criteria. Geno's not a stickler for rules. He'll do the right thing.

"There's been some great players play in this building," Auriemma said. "There's been some legends play in this building wearing that Connecticut uniform. But I don't know that anybody ever represented that uniform and herself and her family the way that kid did tonight. I know there's a lot of players out there that are really good. I know there's a lot of All-Americans. I know there's a lot of great players. But man oh man, that was one for the ages right there."

 

[bruinbball]

Geno needs to start campaigning for her. It's possible but an uphill climb. I suspect that we may get her on the wall even if she doesn't meet the 1st team AA criteria. Geno's not a stickler for rules. He'll do the right thing.

I think Geno has been campaigning all year for year...calling members of the media and coaches for not having her on the pre-season BE teams.

Which would you rather have:

10.8 PPG, 55.1%FG, 45% 3FG, 73.7 FT, 5 R, 4.6 A, 54 steals (3/game) and 7 blocks, with an A/TO of 2.83 - 18 games played
or
15.3 PPG, 40.0% FG, 31.8% 3FG, 87.6 FT%, 3.3 R, 5.9 A, 51 steals (3/game) and 13 blocks with an A/TO of 1.59 - 17 games played

 

[RoyDodger]

It's such a shame that a player like Faris will only have a place in our hearts, not the, "Huskies of Honor" wall. I wouldn't trade Faris for any of the 'PPG stat sheet' All Americans.

She's a Husky of Honor as far as I'm concerned.

 

[VAMike23]

Great photo courtesy of the Hartford Courant...

AWESOME PIC

 

[bruinbball]

I want a shot of Geno faceguarding her on that one sideline play - classic!

 

[UcMiami]

No question in my mind Kelly deserves AA consideration. Uconn AAs almost never have the gaudiest of stats because of the system they play in - except in the W/L column. I do think that Kelly has a chance if she can keep her scoring above 10 PPG and her shooting percentage above 45% - especially if she can lead the team to a title.
On the other side there are a number of players who were really great that have not made it to the wall individually. So while current favorites are hard to see miss out, players like Eliot are certainly as deserving.

 

[grizz36]

I want a shot of Geno faceguarding her on that one sideline play - classic!

Yeah! Me also. I really didn't catch it until they switched away.