Huskies in Italy: Game #2

[UConnCat]

 

[Carnac]

Final score 88-66.

The freshman and sophs outscored 24-6 in 4th quarter.

That's a message I'm sure they'll get. They've got work to do. A poster mentioned this week that there is a large gap between the play of the freshmen and the rest of the team (which is not unusual). As the season goes on, that gap should get smaller a little bit every day. By the end of the year, that gap should be barely noticeable.

 

[Carnac]

Batting .1000 is easy, 1.000 is the trick. Sorry. Could not resist.

Thanks, I changed it. That was a test. I wanted to see how closely you were reading my post.

 

[eebmg]

Final score 88-66.

The freshman and sophs outscored 24-6 in 4th quarter.

I asked for the bench to be unloaded and I guess that is what happens. It is good lesson for the underclassmen that UConn dominance is not easy to achieve. No swelled heads or visions of grandeur on the horizon.

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm betting Wilson is the #1 pick this year, and, depending on how much support she gets so that she can "star," the NPOY. I think Pheesa is ultimately a better pro, because she has a better outside shot and is far, far more mobile, but at the college level, certainly, Wilson, under the right circumstances, can be unstopable (except by UConn).

A'ja's biggest competition for NPOY will come from Kelsey Mitchell and that has everything to do with Kelsey Plum. Mitchell is on pace to break Plum's NCAA scoring record and KML record for 3PT made. Plum was named
NPOY largely for breaking the NCAA record, given the same pool of voters it would be hard to vote against Mitchell (assuming she breaks the record) without getting some side way glances. The UCONN players Gabby, Napheesa, KLS, & Azura will be strong NPOY candidates but by virtue of being on the same team each candidacy will lose a few votes and may sort of have the effect of canceling each other out. UCONN will likely have 3 1st team AA for the 5th consecutive year. There are also other individual awards to consider Gabby most likely repeat as DPOY. The starting PG (Crystal or Kia) should make the Liberman watch list and have a pretty good run. If any of the 4 UCONN freshmen becomes 6th man or better in the UCONN rotation that Freshmen will also be a candidate for NFOY. Should be a fun season and I'd bet you to a Woman on that UCONN team the individual awards would pale in comparison to a NC.

 

[Carnac]

I asked for the bench to be unloaded and I guess that is what happens. It is good lesson for the underclassmen that UConn dominance is not easy to achieve. No swelled heads or visions of grandeur on the horizon.

The great thing about this lesson is it's one Geno didn't have to teach or harp on, but one they'll remember the rest of the year. Pictures and film do not lie.

 

[Golden Husky]

Mil and I were in the small minority who thought that Crystal Dangerfield would start in November over Z. It not only has to do with CD being a true/natural PG (while Kia is not), but also in Crystal's ability to control the offense, like a true floor general (a-la Rizotti, Bird, Jefferson, etc).

But... I agree with Scoop - I'll take 50-26 UCONN at the half every game regardless of who starts.

Question - this is the same team we played yesterday but isn't today's score more lopsided in UCONN's favor? Is it because of Nurse? Better chemistry? Players getting more comfortable with each other? Other factors?

I'll take Door No. 2...or 3, Monte...they're pretty much the same. If they're this cohesive this early, wow. I'll be curious to see the assists-to-baskets ratio. UConn teams usually excel in this category.

I asked for the bench to be unloaded and I guess that is what happens. It is good lesson for the underclassmen that UConn dominance is not easy to achieve. No swelled heads or visions of grandeur on the horizon.

I didn't see any of the game. Please tell me about the stuff I can't find in the box score: Did UConn play any zone? Did UConn press? Did they switch on everything? Was Pheesa mostly in the low post? Did any of the freshmen impress? Thanks.

 

[educasse]

The great thing about this lesson is it's one Geno didn't have to teach or harp on, but one they'll remember the rest of the year. Pictures and film do not lie.

Did Gordon get in the game?

 

[Carnac]

Collier brought her hard hat and lunch pale with her today. Another double-double (12/10). She's putting in work.

 

[eebmg]

That's a message I'm sure they'll get. They've got work to do. A poster mentioned this week that there is a large gap between the play of the freshmen and the rest of the team (which is not unusual). As the season goes on, that gap should get smaller a little bit every day. By the end of the year, that gap should be barely noticeable.

I agree that the gap will get somewhat smaller with some of the underclassmen but our upper level players will not level off. If 4 of the 6 underclassman make a jump, we will be very fortunate.

 

[bags27]

A'ja's biggest competition for NPOY will come from Kelsey Mitchell and that has everything to do with Kelsey Plum. Mitchell is on pace to break Plum's NCAA scoring record and KML record for 3PT made. Plum was named
NPOY largely for breaking the NCAA record, given the same pool of voters it would be hard to vote against Mitchell (assuming she breaks the record) without getting some side way glances. The UCONN players Gabby, Napheesa, KLS, & Azura will be strong NPOY candidates but by virtue of being on the same team each candidacy will lose a few votes and may sort of have the effect of canceling each other out. UCONN will likely have 3 1st team AA for the 5th consecutive year in a row. There are also other individual awards to consider Gabby most likely repeat as DPOY. The starting PG (Crystal or Kia) should make the Liberman watch list and have a pretty good run. If any of the 4 UCONN freshmen becomes 6th man or better in the UCONN rotation that Freshmen will also be a candidate for NFOY. Should be a fun season and I'd bet you to a Woman on that UCONN team the individual awards would pale in comparison to a NC.

I like your analysis, as always, Coco. Just not sure that even if Mitchell breaks the record she gets the award. Frankly, I think Plum is simply a much better all-round player (not just a far better team player, but can also do more things individually) than is Mitchell, IMO. So, it may not come down simply to numbers; in fact, if it's obvious, which it will be, that the team is focused on getting her the record, voters might turn against her (and especially how she was recruited).

 

[Carnac]

Did Gordon get in the game?

It doesn't look like it. She's got zeros across the score sheet. She didn't play yesterday either. Perhaps she's injured. She hasn't been on campus long enough to be in Geno's doghouse.

 

[eebmg]

Collier brought her hard hat and lunch pale with her today. Another double-double (12/10). She's putting in work.

6 offensive. A beast inside. I am sure her difficult FF game last year lit a real fire under her.

I hope the stat sheet will have minutes played added

 

[educasse]

It doesn't look like it. She's got zeros across the score sheet. She didn't play yesterday either. Perhaps she's injured.

Thanks.

 

[bizarro aj]

Yes i did say that z would beat out Collier for the 5th spot which isn't as far fetched as most of you thinking kls is going to be the starting pg and run the team's offense! Dangerfield will be the starting pg and run the offense!

 

[CocoHusky]

Yes i did say that z would beat out Collier for the 5th spot !

Noted and archived. Glad we could jog your memory.

 

[JRRRJ]

I'm guessing that PIP is Points In Paint, but can't figure what the POT and 2CP stats are on the screenshots of the game stats.

Edit: perhaps Points Off Turnovers? If so, how would you determine that?

 

[Vowelguy]

A rotated version with names:

 

[bags27]

Yes i did say that z would beat out Collier for the 5th spot which isn't as far fetched as most of you thinking kls is going to be the starting pg and run the team's offense! Dangerfield will be the starting pg and run the offense!

Gotta say that this is getting tiresome. Once and for all, I don't know who's suggesting that Lou play point, because, if it's anyone other than Crystal, I think we thought it might be Kia. That was the interpretation a couple of months ago about a local article, but on our re-reading it more closely, we realized that it was an inference. It might happen, but it wasn't what Geno was necessarily implying in that article

You're just setting this up as a straw man/woman, so that when it doesn't happen, you can gloat. But please, really and truly, Lou ain't going to play point, and no one is saying she will.

 

[chrissaran]

Katie Lou looks stronger. Great take when she went right into the body of the opposing player. Who will the opposition leave open? No one. They're all strong players. Z will start because there are so many positives to her starting. Back line defense, taking the pressure off Gabby, athleticism in a 6'6" body. The ability to shoot the 3 or draw the opposing center out and blow by them for the easy lay in.

 

[eebmg]

I agree that the gap will get somewhat smaller with some of the underclassmen but our upper level players will not level off. If 4 of the 6 underclassman make a jump, we will be very fortunate.

Relevant Quote from Geno before the Italy trip. We as fans are often too excited by new (even highly ranked) recruits

"What is going to be the big divider is the level of play between the returnees and the new players. It's a huge gap. What ends up happening is that you hope that little by little the gap narrows. But as far as people starting to figure each other out and everybody starting to get a feel, we might get a sense for who the young guys are, what their makeup is and what they're all about. It will help to find out those things in August that you normally wouldn't find out until November."

 

[UConnCat]

Kudos to Kia Nurse! From Buenos Aires to Rome, and she's in the starting lineup. That's Badass!

I hope she walked into the locker room wearing her gold medal.

Kia plays 6 games in 8 days, wins Gold, travels from Buenos Aires to Rome, suits up for the Huskies and scores 18 points.

 

[Kaizen]

Did Gordon get in the game?

I guess not. Is she sick?

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Before we get too excited about our easy victory over the Dutch National Team,
I looked up the NIKE FIBA rankings of national teams following the 2016 Olympics.
They ranked 77 teams, and the Dutch team was not among them.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sam Bowie over Jordan....Greg Oden over Durant...

And how did those turn out?