HoopHuskee, you seemed to have misunderstood me. I was referring to Nurse's turnstile defense. Game after game she gets beaten on the dribble, faster guards just blow by her. Sometimes she will catch up and often hammer the offender. Yes, I and several other get upset watching Nurse play minute after minute, going out of control to the hoop and getting caught underneath and also laying brick after brick from outside.
Look at the USF game, Nurse was 2 for 8 from the floor until that little flurry she had in the last 5 meaningless minutes of the game.
Who else gets to go 2 for 8 and not get benched. At times this season the girl is putting up enough bricks a game earn a Union Card!!!
I don't agree- we can agree to disagree. I heard Saniya was hurting and I don't think Nurse is as bad as you say.
1-- I like Chong but she is a soft player. She can't rebound well and her defense is just as much turnstile. Her lateral quickness is not very good and if you're as small as she is, that's not good. . Before Butler came in, this team can get overpowered. And when UCONN plays man-to-man defense, they switch at times. Chong can't guard anyone with physicality going after rebounds or in the post unless the player is just as small as her. Nurse has more size and strength to compete.
My guess is that you've played basketball by the way you post and notice things. I played too- I was a quick guard, athletic, but much smaller vs the bigger trees. When I tried to defend inside or go for rebounds I got thrown around like a twig. I was fine outside vs quick guards. I feel that is the same way as Saniya. She has no height or bulk. MoJeff is smaller or smaller but she is a freak athlete with tremendous hops and tremendous lateral quickness.. Saniya isn't. Nurse is strong and gives the team much more of what it needs imo.
2-- I sort of like Nurse's want to take the ball in the paint and challenge. Teams are playing a lot of zone against us - and we can take three's easily. Nurse provides something - a real
want to attack the lane. If you had all the same five shooters they wouldn't ever get fouled, never create anything. Geno had said last year UCONN vs ND in finals to paraphrase- "my players think they can post without moving and be in a good position to score." -- I think Nurse attacking off the bounce as much as she does is a good thing. I don't think Saniya can do it well. When you attack you can open up opportunities even on missed shots. Shots aren't falling enough for our complete liking but imo Nurse provides toughness.
3-- Just because a player goes 2-8 doesn't mean you pull her. Even super players can go for 2-8.
4-- I don't think in terms of overall team improvement the last 5 minutes were meaningless. The old John Thompson-led Georgetown Hoyas made a living playing cupcakes while improving. It may turn out maybe the minutes were - but one can never know. The kids on the court got a chance to play for 5plus minutes at the end vs a pretty good team. I don't think that is meaningless. Nurse doesn't get a chance to play much pg and if Saniya is hurting who else is going to play pg? She NEEDS those 5 minutes.
I believe uconnkat on another thread stated Geno felt like Saniya was hurting in pregame. Maybe he would have yanked her after going 2-6 and she would have been benched. But I get why she doesn't necessarily get benched. Her physicality is a current need.
