Hard to grasp....

[my2cents]

When you are seeing something for the first time, its hard to grasp and understand what you are seeing.
Its even more difficult to explain it in words. So, with Paige Bueckers, we have never seen a freshman player perform this well , so soon.
The natural reaction is to compare her to our other #1 HS recruits. This, which has been pointed out, is not applicable because these players ( Maya, Sue, DT and Breanna) all are future Hall of Famers, based on numerous Championships, MVP awards, etc. Paige has only played 17 games.
Its also hard to for TV color commentators to describe her. Meg Culmo described one of her made jumpers, "A great shot , by a freshman" The only thing "freshman" about Paige is the classes she takes in school. She didn't mean anything negative, she is hard to put into words. Another time , Meg said that it will be nice to see her improve as she gets older.. My question, how can she improve? Just shoot more has been the only critique.
Lastly, the basketball coaches that have seen her play have commented:
Staley: Generational player ( Before she torched SC)
Howard ( Georgetown) ; "She is a nightmare"
Hurley: "Stone Cold Killer" ( not sure her mom would like that one)
Burke ( ESPN) ; "She is special"
As I leave this, the only thing I will say, against her peer group, I have never seen a player man or woman play better basketball.

 

[PacoSwede]

fyi -- sue was not a #1 recruit

 

[Lynx23]

Interesting. I did a deep dive yesterday (too much time on my hands) and watched some of Paige's high school videos. She's the same "stone cold killer" player in high school that she is today, but perhaps with a little more swagger and attitude as a high school player. In one video she is exchanging words with an opposing coach, and in another she is admonishing a teammate for missing her perfect pass that should have resulted in an easy layup.. She literally reeks of confidence and an "I got this" attitude. Perhaps her on court personality has been tempered a little bit by Chris Daily and a discussion of the UCONN way, although it looked like she was calling out Geno at one point in the St. John's game. I became a fan of UCONN WCBB back in the day because of Rebecca and Diana, and it got another shot in the arm with Maya and Stewie. But Paige comes from a different place IMHO. I don't think we've seen the best of her and the next three years should be a period of joy for UCONN fans. I know you'll never convince a Diana fan that she isn't the G.O.A.T. inspite of the calculus you might use to convince him or her otherwise (e.g, most points scored goes to Maya and most championships goes to Stewie, but then you can argue if Diana ever really had the supporting cast she could count on), but I would say from what I've seen so far, that when all is said and done, Paige may one day make the discussion of G.O.A.T. moot.

 

[Lawrence]

fyi -- sue was not a #1 recruit

If my memory serves me correct, she was #18.

 

[Aluminny69]

There have been a few men's players who were NBA ready right out of high school. For example, both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James skipped college. I hope you are not trying to compare Paige's talent to those NBA superstars.

 

[todl31]

There have been a few men's players who were NBA ready right out of high school. For example, both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James skipped college. I hope you are not trying to compare Paige's talent to those NBA superstars.

And Darryl Dawkins

 

[MSGRET]

And Darryl Dawkins

And Moses Malone, had the privilege to see him his Senior year when I was stationed at Fort Lee. It was like watching a NBA player against a high school player, no one could stop him.

 

[chrissaran]

Let's hold the hyperbole. Paige is exceeding everyone's expectations we can all agree. When you start to say you've never seen a man or woman play better basketball, you need to go back and watch all the great players. Your statement is over the top. No offense to Paige, who is incredible.

 

[dragon]

How was the outside shot of Kobe and Lebron in the first year in the NBA. They both did a lot of dunking.

 

[my2cents]

There have been a few men's players who were NBA ready right out of high school. For example, both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James skipped college. I hope you are not trying to compare Paige's talent to those NBA superstars.

"against her peer group" was college, different levels have different criteria...but if I looked up Lebron James first year stats, do you think he shot 57% from the field and from three point range?

 

[Gurleyman]

Let's hold the hyperbole. Paige is exceeding everyone's expectations we can all agree. When you start to say you've never seen a man or woman play better basketball, you need to go back and watch all the great players. Your statement is over the top. No offense to Paige, who is incredible.

I’m on board with the hyperbole (just in the sense of what she’s doing as a freshman). I‘m not that young (Corny Thompson was my first favorite UConn player). I haven’t ever seen a player do this in their first year at a new level of competition (pro rookie, college freshman). Just the efficiency as a scorer and playmaker, combined with the clutch play, is unheard of.

I had a wait and see approach. I liked her highlight reels from HS, but college is a different level. She started out the year looking like she deserved the hype, but she was turning the ball over too much, so I thought that would be her one flaw that she would have to work on over time. Going for too many home run plays. She had six against Xavier in a game UConn was up 38-9 after the first quarter, so no big deal, but it was a red flag that she’d have to reel in her aggressive instincts and become more solid. She hasn’t turned it over more than 3 times in a game since. When she didn’t shoot well against UT, I thought that maybe good college athletes would slow her down enough that she’d have to develop more of her game to feel comfortable going against SEC-level teams. She was predictable on offense - just driving in straight lines and not figuring out ways to get clean looks. That didn’t last either. She took 26 shots against SC and every one she missed was a good clean look. I thought maybe you could quibble that she was a bit lazy on D and now she’s welcoming tough assignments.

What some people have to improve on from year to year, it seems like she does in days.

Now there’s a tournament coming and maybe a 3-14 game and a loss will sour her first year a bit, especially with Stewie as a standard. But on a day in and day out basis, I just haven’t seen a player do this as a rookie. Every possession she has the ball is something good. It isn’t two great plays followed by a boneheaded one. It‘s just constantly delivering quality possessions over and over and over.

I‘d say (not to you specifically - but anyone still wanting to reserve judgment), don’t diminish what you're watching. You might never see it again.

 

[my2cents]

Let's hold the hyperbole. Paige is exceeding everyone's expectations we can all agree. When you start to say you've never seen a man or woman play better basketball, you need to go back and watch all the great players. Your statement is over the top. No offense to Paige, who is incr

There have been a few men's players who were NBA ready right out of high school. For example, both Kobe Bryant and Lebron James skipped college. I hope you are not trying to compare Paige's talent to those NBA superstars.

my statement was about relative performance in her sport. Not saying Paige is better than Kobe or Lebron. Saying her shooting % is way better. assts, etc , she is way outperforming them ,albeit she is not in the NBA

 

[Tonyc]

Paige has given you every reason why she is the NPOY dont make excuses to not give her the award that she has earned

 

[Dokey]

Look, I waited to get on Paige bandwagon. I watched her high school games, I watched her international play. I saw a good player. Then I watched her this season. The verdict: she just might be the most gifted basketball player, male or female, I have ever seen. She isn’t a giant like some men, Jordan, Bryant, James. What she does is beyond that. It is why I watch the women’s game rather than the men.

 

[huskeynut]

Forget all the talk NPOY, best ever and anything else you can think of. Enjoy the player she is at 18/ 19 years old.

Her movement on the court is a thing of beauty. Its like a she just flows thru the defenders. Her shot is so consistent. Never wavering. Almost always nothing but net whether its beyond the arc of that 15 foot jumper.

Think of all the UConn players/ greats we have witnessed over the years. Lobo, Sales, Bird, Tarausi, Moore, Charles, Stewart. We have been treated to the cream of the crop. And here is this 18/ 19 year old leading the #1 team in the nation. She is leading a legendary program as a freshman with grace, humility, and unbelievable talent.

Every game watching Paige is a treat. Take the time to enjoy this. It's truly amazing. What a ride!!!

 

[MSGRET]

Forget all the talk NPOY, best ever and anything else you can think of. Enjoy the player she is at 18/ 19 years old.

Her movement on the court is a thing of beauty. Its like a she just flows thru the defenders. Her shot is so consistent. Never wavering. Almost always nothing but net whether its beyond the arc of that 15 foot jumper.

Think of all the UConn players/ greats we have witnessed over the years. Lobo, Sales, Bird, Tarausi, Moore, Charles, Stewart. We have been treated to the cream of the crop. And here is this 18/ 19 year old leading the #1 team in the nation. She is leading a legendary program as a freshman with grace, humility, and unbelievable talent.

Every game watching Paige is a treat. Take the time to enjoy this. It's truly amazing. What a ride!!!

Even on her 3pt shot near the end of the SC game it hit back iron went up about 7 feet and came back down with nothing but net.

 

[huskeynut]

Even on her 3pt shot near the end of the SC game it hit back iron went up about 7 feet and came back down with nothing but net.

Deja Vu all over again.

 

[Woof 101]

Let's hold the hyperbole. Paige is exceeding everyone's expectations we can all agree. When you start to say you've never seen a man or woman play better basketball, you need to go back and watch all the great players. Your statement is over the top. No offense to Paige, who is incredible.

No attack and it's not hyperbole. I do not like to compare the men's game to the women's due to the few different elements of playing above the rim and strength obviously.
Going back to when you could get into the women's game for free if you had a ticket to the men's. I have never seen a player that could do what PB can at such an early stage. She is a basketball ballerina with the moxie of a boxer.
There we go she floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, kind of like Muhmmad Ali.

 

[Aluminny69]

I remember watching Jackie Stiles slice and dice her way through the 2001 Tournament. It was probably the only national appearance she made. Her game against Duke is on Youtube. Here's a profile video.

 

[JordyG]

I love Paige, but I'll wait for the official coronation.

 

[Jronp]

No one was or is like Paige at this age! No hyperbole!

 

[PJCLaw]

my statement was about relative performance in her sport. Not saying Paige is better than Kobe or Lebron. Saying her shooting % is way better. assts, etc , she is way outperforming them ,albeit she is not in the NBA

Not to rain on your parade, but unless you're going to compare Kobe and Lebron to what they would have done against girls or Paige and what she would have done against guys, then your statement is comparing apples to oranges. Perhaps Paige's shooting percentage is so high because she does not have 6'3" to 7 footers coming at her to block her shot or playing defense against her. I love Paige and think she is a generational talent, but to compare her to an NBA hall of famer and sure to be HOF is misplaced. Comparing her to DT, Maya, Sue and Stewie is more representative of a comparison. Just my $.02.

 

[chrissaran]

Paige is absolutely incredible. We can all agree on that. How come, when the other team knows she's going to shoot, is she so often wide open to take the shot? Yes, she's hit many shots with a hand in her face. If UConn can figure out how to shut down the other team's best shooter, why is no one in the grill of Paige all game? Just wondering.

 

[Aluminny69]

No one was or is like Paige at this age! No hyperbole!

You need to watch the Jackie Stiles video, which was done her senior year in High School. She averaged 47.5 points per game! For an extra treat, watch her destroy Duke, single handedly, in the Elite Eight.

 

[Ozimoto]

Paige is absolutely incredible. We can all agree on that. How come, when the other team knows she's going to shoot, is she so often wide open to take the shot? Yes, she's hit many shots with a hand in her face. If UConn can figure out how to shut down the other team's best shooter, why is no one in the grill of Paige all game? Just wondering.

Some of that has to do with UConn's motion offense and the way they set screens.

 

[Gurleyman]

Paige is absolutely incredible. We can all agree on that. How come, when the other team knows she's going to shoot, is she so often wide open to take the shot? Yes, she's hit many shots with a hand in her face. If UConn can figure out how to shut down the other team's best shooter, why is no one in the grill of Paige all game? Just wondering.

They don’t know she’s going to shoot. She’s really a pass first player, so your entire defense has to be connected as to who is helping where or she‘ll be getting teammates layups if you scheme to stop her with a second defender. Other than losing her on a couple back door plays, I think SC probably had the right game plan - stay connected as close as you can, but don’t bring too much help so you can take away her passing game, and force her shoot tough two-point shots instead. We didn’t score enough to win that game really, we just held SC to 54 in regulation as well.

We could see a box and one at some point just to get the ball out of her hands, which I think Christyn could shred by driving into the gaps - but we have to be ready for it.

 

[EricSD]

If my memory serves me correct, she was #18.

That sounds about right. I think at that time, there was only 1 or 2 recruiting services. My recollection (FWIW) is that she should have been #1, but because she chose not to play for Mike Flynn's AAU team (he ran Blue Star), he dropped her ranking down to #18. Pretty punitive and petty.

 

[chrissaran]

I’m on board with the hyperbole (just in the sense of what she’s doing as a freshman). I‘m not that young (Corny Thompson was my first favorite UConn player). I haven’t ever seen a player do this in their first year at a new level of competition (pro rookie, college freshman). Just the efficiency as a scorer and playmaker, combined with the clutch play, is unheard of.

I had a wait and see approach. I liked her highlight reels from HS, but college is a different level. She started out the year looking like she deserved the hype, but she was turning the ball over too much, so I thought that would be her one flaw that she would have to work on over time. Going for too many home run plays. She had six against Xavier in a game UConn was up 38-9 after the first quarter, so no big deal, but it was a red flag that she’d have to reel in her aggressive instincts and become more solid. She hasn’t turned it over more than 3 times in a game since. When she didn’t shoot well against UT, I thought that maybe good college athletes would slow her down enough that she’d have to develop more of her game to feel comfortable going against SEC-level teams. She was predictable on offense - just driving in straight lines and not figuring out ways to get clean looks. That didn’t last either. She took 26 shots against SC and every one she missed was a good clean look. I thought maybe you could quibble that she was a bit lazy on D and now she’s welcoming tough assignments.

What some people have to improve on from year to year, it seems like she does in days.

Now there’s a tournament coming and maybe a 3-14 game and a loss will sour her first year a bit, especially with Stewie as a standard. But on a day in and day out basis, I just haven’t seen a player do this as a rookie. Every possession she has the ball is something good. It isn’t two great plays followed by a boneheaded one. It‘s just constantly delivering quality possessions over and over and over.

I‘d say (not to you specifically - but anyone still wanting to reserve judgment), don’t diminish what you're watching. You might never see it again.

We just might see it again next year with Azzi.

 

[Boreifs]

And Moses Malone, had the privilege to see him his Senior year when I was stationed at Fort Lee. It was like watching a NBA player against a high school player, no one could stop him.

Kevin Garnett as well. However, there were also a ton of players out of high school who flamed out and might have had different results going to college instead.

 

[Lawrence]

That sounds about right. I think at that time, there was only 1 or 2 recruiting services. My recollection (FWIW) is that she should have been #1, but because she chose not to play for Mike Flynn's AAU team (he ran Blue Star), he dropped her ranking down to #18. Pretty punitive and petty.

Very interesting.