I'm Stoked !

[Ozzie Nelson]

Once again Oz I have to disagree and I actually find you post a bit condescending. Are you saying that one can't understand how the game is played if they haven't played it? Lots of fans here have been watching UConn basketball for many years and have a more than a passing understanding of how the game should be played.

Good for them.

I stand by my post. Sorry if you found it not to your liking, but this is a message board, and we all disagree from time to time.

 

[magical2]

Geno says this type of thing persistently but there are those who do not wish to accept that it is less about Stef than about timing and team play.

There are many good and intelligent posts in this thread! Kia is improving which is great for her,the team,and Stef because Kia and Stef can play together the better Kia gets! It is true not having Maya around has put more pressure
on Stef because the ball is not getting to her the way it was with Maya in there. This is an ongoing issue that Geno
has addressed with the players. They are different players with different skills at this point! Stef has great hands and knows the fundamentals better than Kia<Kia is learning> Stef is able to use her body to deal with the physical play,Kia is like a young athletic colt! She is just touching the surface of how good she can be athletically while learning the schemes and fundamentals that Geno wants and demands! I love her blocking,ability to get off of the floor. She is learning the game. Stef needs to get more consisitent help from her teammates! The better Kia gets,the more options Geno has, and the better the team becomes. Keep remembering 6+,7,8,9 The higher that # is the better we will be as a team!<per Geno going back months now.
It was mentioned of how next year the options we will have. Well the same goes for what we do have this year! The improvement of individual and team play will be necessary if we want to give ourselves the opportunity of NC #8 and carry this over to the following season.

 

[VAMike23]

Now,just imagine,a front line of Dolson,Stokes,and Stewart,with a rotation of Morgan,Kelly,and Heather.SCARY!And yet,even better with Hartley,KML,Jefferson,Doty,etc.outside doing their thing.This is going to be one unbelievable team going forward!

Funny how Kelly's name pops up in the rotation no matter which position we're talking about ......

 

[magical2]

Funny how Kelly's name pops up in the rotation no matter which position on the floor we're talking about ......

VA I am a HUGE fan of Kelly and I am happy to see that many others are aware of why Geno has been playing her since she was a FR! I am in agreement with Geno and an increasing # of CT posters<as well as reporters,announcers,other coaches,and players>who are aware of how good and important Kelly is. I think it was Geno last week who said "if we had a team full of Kelly's we would win Nationally Championships" I am in complete agreement! I love this kid

 

[phil sampieri]

Once again Oz I have to disagree and I actually find you post a bit condescending. Are you saying that one can't understand how the game is played if they haven't played it? Lots of fans here have been watching UConn basketball for many years and have a more than a passing understanding of how the game should be played.

That poster was spot on, you can obsrve from afar but to really understand the xx's and oo's , having played the game some level does give to a better understanding.
Many posters were so upset about coaches being anti-productive by screaming at
their players, that tells you they never palyed and really don't get it.
Let our hall of fame coaches do their job and enjoy

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

That poster was spot on, you can obsrve from afar but to really understand the xx's and oo's , having played the game some level does give to a better understanding.
Many posters were so upset about coaches being anti-productive by screaming at
their players, that tells you they never palyed and really don't get it.
Let our hall of fame coaches do their job and enjoy

Phil…not only do I feel that way about the experiential component of basketball, but I also postulate the same for, among a long list, wine tasting, carnal pleasures, brain surgery, toothaches, and hitting a curve ball.
I am reminded of Roy Hobbs asking Max Mercy(sportswriter), in the screen adaptation of Bernard Malamud’s fine novel “The Natural”… "Max…did you ever play ball”

 

[Icebear]

I have no disagreement with Kiah improving and doing so in a solid and steady manner. Her doing so only helps Stef. There is more than one way to contribute to a team's rebounding. Kiah attacks the ball directly, in contrast, many times Stef contributes by boxing out and clearing space for others like Kelly and KML to attack and gather the ball. One thing I would change in Stef's boxing out is I would change her position from the tradition butt to the defender position to one at 90 degrees to the defender so that she could see more ball flight into the hoop for better opportunity to respond to the ball path.

Last night much of Stef's first half play was hampered by her two foul in less than the first two minutes of play. She had to control her aggressiveness on both ends of the court. As to missing the lay ups two were relatively close minihooks very early but one was under very physical contact. Kiah, also, missed a couple badly but played very well over all helping to erase those? Fact is the difference between Kiah and Stef's statistical game last night was exactly one made basket for Kiah (4 for 8 to 3 for 8), and 2 rebounds (7 to 5), one more foul for Kiah, 3 blocks for each that's right BOTH had 3 blocks, And two more assists and one more steal for Stef. It was Stef who drew collapsing in the post. So fact is that Kiah did not have a spectacularly better game. Maybe not even a better game since she cumulated her stats in 24 minutes to Stef's 20. Not Stef's best game but a lot of the criticism of Stef is about expectations and not about the game and what Kiah vs Stef is facing on the court in the real world. Part of the reason Tiff could go off last night was Syracuse physical play in the lane packing in on Stef. Together Stef and Kiah did well defensively against Alexander and Leary and Hemmingway in the second half.

 

[Fiftyish]

Last night much of Stef's first half play was hampered by her two fouls.

Hit the reply too quickly. Her poor game last night, IMO, was directly related to starting the game and quickly accumulating two fouls. She committed both fouls by swiping with her arms coming down. She's a soph and shouldn't continue to make those kinds of fouls. She's got to have her head in the game and not committ silly fouls.

 

[Icebear]

Last night much of Stef's first half play was hampered by her two fouls.

Hit the reply too quickly. Her poor game last night, IMO, was directly related to starting the game and quickly accumulating two fouls. She committed both fouls by swiping with her arms coming down. She's a soph and shouldn't continue to make those kinds of fouls. She's got to have her head in the game and not committ silly fouls.

I will agree with that on the first one, not the other that foul was with the body. She, also, should have had another assist on the first offensive possession but KML was fouled hard on what should have become our first basket.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Quite right Ice...many fans never played BB, nor understood the concepts of BB, e.g. team play, entry pass timing, hi lo court position, and emphasis on outside vs inside screens etc...they just know points and number of shots taken.

exactly... I "watch" a lot of tennis but that doesnt mean I can go out there and stop Roger's 1st serve for that matter Serena's