IMO Saniya Chong is playing just fine.....criticism unfair...

[cohenzone]

Why do I suspect that Geno would be quite unhappy with her jacking up too many forced shots. When she's in the floor, she almost always will be the 5th scoring optio, meaning her shots darn well better be in the flow of the offense when she is surrounded by BS, KML, SD and BH. If most if those four don't touch the ball on most offensive sets, and SC is hoisting shots that are marginal, I see that as worse for the team. Not that MJ is as good a shooter as Chong, but she was non-existent on O for the most part last year. Maybe SC has hit a wall, but she's been fine in general and over the last several games, I'd want the other 4 shooting as often as possible, BS and BH in particular, because they are on fire.

 

[Geno-ista]

There's where I think Geno's problem with Chong is. She is not attempting to produce up to what he knows she can do.

Meyers7- IMO that kind of hits the nail on the head for me. She hasn't been as aggressive or a bit tentative and reluctant vs some of her earlier games. I'm still very glad we got her- we'll need her at her best in March obviously!

 

[Geno-ista]

If one steps back from the statistics and angst.

What is seemingly clear is that finding one's place in the current offense which is a moving target due to personnel availability issues regularly causes minor disruptions across the board.

I'm sure Geno would prefer for different pieces to just fit in whatever the role and necessity are required at any given moment but he is finding that a perfect balance in this regard is elusive.

But one can make a case that to some extent or another, Bria KML, Steff, certainly Banks and Chong, less Mo and Stewie but some, less for Morgan because she's hardly played and forever for Kiah…have had issues discovering the methodology that their talent can be best maximized within the floating crap-game, that the spate of injuries has created.

For example: Kaleena seems more passive lately during the scoring onslaught of Stewie and has been encouraged by staff to reignite her aggression, which indeed did start to show up in the 2nd half of the last game; Bria has had earliuer some games in which she disappeared for segments as all attention shifted to MoJeff's sensational activity at point. And in the recent past one might make the point that the situ has reversed.

One could call these two examples coincidence or merely a product of my grey matter but I feel a pattern in this regard is quite discernible.

It is Geno's task to minimize or eliminate this perceived issue prior to tournament time.

Great post! I'd feel a lot better when KML becomes less passive also- which appears to be happening slowly. Probably aided and abetted by Bria and Stewie being on fire! When KML and Steph and MoJef become or are 3rd 4th & 5th options- was gonna say Hallelujah! But I won't say it!!!

 

[DobbsRover2]

I did state that she played a total of 74minutes which is approximately 15minutes per game. That is just 3 minutes less than her season average. Also if you want to consider that 2-6, 3 rbs, 7assists, and 6 steals is "not that bad" for a player like Saniya Chong then your expectations are way low. Especially when you basically just picked her 3 best performances in that stretch. Finally I don't care who UConn played or how Bria, Moriah, or anyone else played. Saniya and Saniya only dictates her playing time and her stats.

Yeah, you've absolutely convinced me that Saniya's been odorizing the joint in the last 5 games she's played in. Absolutely and darn tootin', an no doubt about it. Certainly can't score or rebound, which all freshman guards at UConn are expected to do in buckets or they probably should be tossed. 8 points and 5 rebounds in the 74 minutes she's played in those games wouldn't cut it, as if you split the minutes into 2 games of 37 minutes each, that's 4.0 ppg and 2.5 rebounds a game. The extremely hot MoJeff has been averaging 9.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg a game over that span of games, and that's where Saniya has to be in order not to be tossed.

But still I was wondering if the Saniya of recent games games and horrible stats can be redeemed, because she is known for dishing an assist and getting a steal once in a while. Her minutes per assist in her last 5 games is 8.2, and minutes per steal is 10.5, with obviously the lower the number the better. Seemed like it might be interesting to check her stats there against the season's average of the 6 non-UConn guards who were mentioned as the top candidates for AA honors this year. The stat comparison versus Chong's (8.2) (10.5) is:

Player\Team...(mpa) (mps)
Mitchell \ USC: (8.5) ... (12.9)
Bias \ OK State: (5.4)....(16.9)
Sims \ Baylor: (6.8).....(16.4)
McBride \ ND: (8.1).....(25.3)
Schimmel \ LVil: (7.9)...(25.1)
Lucas \ (PSU): (16.3)...(18.1)

So bad as Chong has been in her last 5 games, it's comforting to know that her steals rate recently is better than all six of the top non UConn guards in the country and her assists rate is right in the pack. I agree that Chong should not be letting a Sims or McBride dish the ball better than any UConn player even if she is a freshman, but hey, this is just her bad span of games, right, especially when we all have such self-righteous high expectations? When she gets back to form, she'll leave Odyssey in the dust. As for the scoring and rebounding, I'm not sure that's her main job on the team, but Geno will let her know if she should be bombing the 3s.

Opinions and blather are cheap; facts and context are priceless.

 

[sawxfan23]

Yeah, you've absolutely convinced me that Saniya's been odorizing the joint in the last 5 games she's played in. Absolutely and darn tootin', an no doubt about it. Certainly can't score or rebound, which all freshman guards at UConn are expected to do in buckets or they probably should be tossed. 8 points and 5 rebounds in the 74 minutes she's played in those games wouldn't cut it, as if you split the minutes into 2 games of 37 minutes each, that's 4.0 ppg and 2.5 rebounds a game. The extremely hot MoJeff has been averaging 9.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg a game over that span of games, and that's where Saniya has to be in order not to be tossed.

But still I was wondering if the Saniya of recent games games and horrible stats can be redeemed, because she is known for dishing an assist and getting a steal once in a while. Her minutes per assist in her last 5 games is 8.2, and minutes per steal is 10.5, with obviously the lower the number the better. Seemed like it might be interesting to check her stats there against the season's average of the 6 non-UConn guards who were mentioned as the top candidates for AA honors this year. The stat comparison versus Chong's (8.2) (10.5) is:

Player\Team...(mpa) (mps)
Mitchell \ USC: (8.5) ... (12.9)
Bias \ OK State: (5.4)....(16.9)
Sims \ Baylor: (6.8).....(16.4)
McBride \ ND: (8.1).....(25.3)
Schimmel \ LVil: (7.9)...(25.1)
Lucas \ (PSU): (16.3)...(18.1)

So bad as Chong has been in her last 5 games, it's comforting to know that her steals rate recently is better than all six of the top non UConn guards in the country and her assists rate is right in the pack. I agree that Chong should not be letting a Sims or McBride dish the ball better than any UConn player even if she is a freshman, but hey, this is just her bad span of games, right, especially when we all have such self-righteous high expectations? When she gets back to form, she'll leave Odyssey in the dust. As for the scoring and rebounding, I'm not sure that's her main job on the team, but Geno will let her know if she should be bombing the 3s.

Opinions and blather are cheap; facts and context are priceless.

Facts are that she has hit a rough spot in her offensive game and Geno has let her know about it.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Facts are that she has hit a rough spot in her offensive game and Geno has let her know about it.

That I will certainly agree with you on, but we should also keep in perspective that Saniya's "rough patch" still has pretty smooth parts to the road even when compared against some of the top players in the country.

 

[Suebird10fan]

Yeah, you've absolutely convinced me that Saniya's been odorizing the joint in the last 5 games she's played in. Absolutely and darn tootin', an no doubt about it. Certainly can't score or rebound, which all freshman guards at UConn are expected to do in buckets or they probably should be tossed. 8 points and 5 rebounds in the 74 minutes she's played in those games wouldn't cut it, as if you split the minutes into 2 games of 37 minutes each, that's 4.0 ppg and 2.5 rebounds a game. The extremely hot MoJeff has been averaging 9.1 ppg and 3.0 rpg a game over that span of games, and that's where Saniya has to be in order not to be tossed.

But still I was wondering if the Saniya of recent games games and horrible stats can be redeemed, because she is known for dishing an assist and getting a steal once in a while. Her minutes per assist in her last 5 games is 8.2, and minutes per steal is 10.5, with obviously the lower the number the better. Seemed like it might be interesting to check her stats there against the season's average of the 6 non-UConn guards who were mentioned as the top candidates for AA honors this year. The stat comparison versus Chong's (8.2) (10.5) is:

Player\Team...(mpa) (mps)
Mitchell \ USC: (8.5) ... (12.9)
Bias \ OK State: (5.4)....(16.9)
Sims \ Baylor: (6.8).....(16.4)
McBride \ ND: (8.1).....(25.3)
Schimmel \ LVil: (7.9)...(25.1)
Lucas \ (PSU): (16.3)...(18.1)

So bad as Chong has been in her last 5 games, it's comforting to know that her steals rate recently is better than all six of the top non UConn guards in the country and her assists rate is right in the pack. I agree that Chong should not be letting a Sims or McBride dish the ball better than any UConn player even if she is a freshman, but hey, this is just her bad span of games, right, especially when we all have such self-righteous high expectations? When she gets back to form, she'll leave Odyssey in the dust. As for the scoring and rebounding, I'm not sure that's her main job on the team, but Geno will let her know if she should be bombing the 3s.

Opinions and blather are cheap; facts and context are priceless.

Great stuff Dobbs. Chong would look even better if you took her very low TOs (3 in 74 minutes during this stretch) into account.

 

[Tonyc]

Im not going to make comparisons between players. Saniya is not at this point in the season where Geno expects her to be. I would like to see her take it to the hoop more I saw her do it in hs and she was terrific. I think a lot of it has to do with her being a freshman on this talented team and giving way to her elders on the floor. When she decides to start scoring she will make Geno happy. I for one would like to see her look for her shot more. We do need more production out of BB and Chong. I will give them they've been sick and injured. I think we will see them produce over the next couple of games.

 

[UcMiami]

Im not going to make comparisons between players. Saniya is not at this point in the season where Geno expects her to be. I would like to see her take it to the hoop more I saw her do it in hs and she was terrific. I think a lot of it has to do with her being a freshman on this talented team and giving way to her elders on the floor. When she decides to start scoring she will make Geno happy. I for one would like to see her look for her shot more. We do need more production out of BB and Chong. I will give them they've been sick and injured. I think we will see them produce over the next couple of games.

I also think it is the same thing pretty much every freshman goes through when they get to Uconn. A learning curve. You start the season knowing very little of the nuances of the Uconn system and 'winging it'. You are often in the wrong position running the wrong direction but you are playing on instinct and when all else fails you head to the hoop or you shoot your J. Then as you learn more you start thinking more and are more often in the right position and running in the right direction, but now, because of the thinking, you may be just a half beat slow, and that gets you thinking even more. And then at some point late in the season or even over the summer it all sort of clicks and the instinctive part of the game comes back but now you are in the right spot by instinct and running the right direction naturally. It certainly happened with Stewart and Jefferson and Tuck last season and surprise surprise it is happening for Chong this season. She isn't playing badly, she is still getting steals and assists, still playing pretty well on defense, and the team doesn't need more right now, so she has time to get that instinctive action back into her game.
Players have often commented about the flow of a season and how the coaches work - regular season is for heavy coaching and breaking down of their games - and it can get ugly, and they are often the very worst post/guard/wing in the whole country. But the post season is about winning and the coaching changes - now they are brilliant, and everything they do is great, and their game is put back together. Their instincts are always right are given free range and they have emerged from a grueling season as the best post/wing/guard Geno has ever coached. (Until the next preseason where they have forgotten everything he has ever told them and can't even put their socks on the right way and once again are the worst post/wing/guard he has ever had to coach.)

 

[DobbsRover2]

Great stuff Dobbs. Chong would look even better if you took her very low TOs (3 in 74 minutes during this stretch) into account.

Sorry, can't do that, it would show up the elite guards of WCBB too much and put Saniya on a pedestal of superstardom.

Let's just let her enjoy her freshman year a bit and develop her talents more fully before demanding that she move right into the Husky pantheon of the legendary players of yore.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I also think it is the same thing pretty much every freshman goes through when they get to Uconn. A learning curve. You start the season knowing very little of the nuances of the Uconn system and 'winging it'. You are often in the wrong position running the wrong direction but you are playing on instinct and when all else fails you head to the hoop or you shoot your J. Then as you learn more you start thinking more and are more often in the right position and running in the right direction, but now, because of the thinking, you may be just a half beat slow, and that gets you thinking even more.

I think you put the finger on the "freshman phenomenon" that is torqued to an extremely high level at UConn. A freshman begins learning the UConn system from the start but it's a long process and no one is expected to get everything at the beginning. So they can wing it on instinct, and certain things like taking a 3 too early in the possession are forgiven more because the player is young and learning. But by this time of year with tourney action approaching, the coaches are expecting the freshmen to know the major basics of how to operate in the UConn system, and along with the strains of travel and a longer season the player is also beginning to feel the pressure of being closely judged and having always to make the right move. And that's tough and can indeed lead to freeze ups.

The key for the freshmen is to find what things they can comfortably within the system and the role that best fits their current talent level. If they can find that status, they can get some extended minutes in tourney play; if they can't, not. Maybe Saniya can spot up for 3 a bit more often, and maybe she can cut inside for a feed to a big more a little more often. But anyone who thinks a player who is averaging 5.6 ppg and 2.0 rpg is suddenly going to start putting up 10-15 ppg or crashing the boards for a half dozen rebounds is going to be disappointed. She is no longer playing against HSers. The total of 25 points she put up against Boston U, and UC Davis is not going to happen in the big games. As noted from the stats, she's still spot on with some of her stats and a big key for UConn is she rarely makes big mistakes. Her level of play so far should earn her better epithets than "weak" and "underperformer" or whatever. I know good is never good enough at UConn, but we still need to keep a little grip on reality.

 

[hoophuskee]

Bottom line if you play well enough Geno will find playing time for you no matter what. The reason that Chong didn't get a lot of minutes in those games is because she is not playing to her full potential. You don't think Geno would like to give his starters rest In every game?

I agree here. There's a reason why he made the comment - he wants her to play better. It's that simple.

With this said, Geno's view on things is that of a coach to strive for excellence. As a fan, we don't have to be that way. For me, my perception of Saniya is fine because I never believed she was "the number 1 recruit." PARADE MAGAZINE- I can remember one year they had a pg listed as number 1 over pretty much consensus number 1 Candace Parker. And I never believed that early season discussion Saniya should overtake Mo Jeff.

IMO - this thread -a lot comes down to what the coach wants vs each individual fan's perception of a player- in this case Chong. IMO you and I agree she doesn't deserve the minutes. I don't know about you - but for me I don't think she is playing bad. I just happen to think he is trying to motiviate her to play at a higher level so she isn't such a drop off to Mo Jeff and Bria whom I happen to believe are playing outstanding all-amercian caliber. And Geno's using "playing time" as his motivation tool.

For me in the long run, I'm hopeful Banks can elevate her game. I think with Saniya this year we'll get the big-swing up-and-downs which at the worst hopefully the ups are in when needed.

 

[hoophuskee]

Actually for 74 minutes 6 steals is quite good. (How many freshman guards do you think are averaging more than that per minute? Not many) And for a 2 guard 9 assists in 74 minutes with only 3 TOs is more than respectable. It's only the shooting that's an issue. All in all this 5 game stretch is much better than Breanna's worst stretch last year.

But by bringing up Stewie- she wasn't playing well at the time. You are comparing someone that wasn't playing well vs. another that is playing "okay" and then using that as a comparsion that Saniya "must be playing well."

Just listen to post game finals comments from Louisville coach about Stewie. To paraphrase he said "That's the way we thought she'd be playing duirng the year." Thus Stewie's play during a stretch during the year was disappointing. So much so Geno benched her. She rose above it. Maybe so can Chong. Because as of right now, Geno's perception of how Saniya is playing isn't that great, is it? And are her assists mostly that of plays she has created or is it a function of having multiple all-amercians on the court? Maybe Geno is taking that into account?

 

[sawxfan23]

Wow, did I just her those comments by Saniya on the game broadcast right? I could have sworn she said herself what I posted here but I was challenged by many saying I didn't know what I was talking about.

 

[VAMike23]

Wow, did I just her those comments by Saniya on the game broadcast right? I could have sworn she said herself
what I posted here but I was challenged by many sying I didn't know what I was talking about.

What was she saying?

 

[pap49cba]

She said (according to the announcers) she was thinking too much and it kind of paralyzed her.

 

[sawxfan23]

What was she saying?

She said that she was so afraid of turning the ball over that she started thinking about every little thing she did instead of just reacting and playing with confidence. Basically she had a case of "paralysis by analysis".

 

[Suebird10fan]

But by bringing up Stewie- she wasn't playing well at the time. You are comparing someone that wasn't playing well vs. another that is playing "okay" and then using that as a comparsion that Saniya "must be playing well."

Just listen to post game finals comments from Louisville coach about Stewie. To paraphrase he said "That's the way we thought she'd be playing duirng the year." Thus Stewie's play during a stretch during the year was disappointing. So much so Geno benched her. She rose above it. Maybe so can Chong. Because as of right now, Geno's perception of how Saniya is playing isn't that great, is it? And are her assists mostly that of plays she has created or is it a function of having multiple all-amercians on the court? Maybe Geno is taking that into account?

No, just saying that as rough patches go it ain't all that bad. Or should I say wasn't, after today ...

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Seethe Geno comments: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/2014/02/01/chong-shines-in-reserve-in-win-over-cincinnati/

I do not know what he is saying when he says: "if she is not concentrating on it all the time it just goes away." Can anyone interpret that for me.

 

[sawxfan23]

Seethe Geno comments: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/2014/02/01/chong-shines-in-reserve-in-win-over-cincinnati/

I do not know what he is saying when he says: "if she is not concentrating on it all the time it just goes away." Can anyone interpret that for me.

Just my opinion but I think it refers to her being aggressive. If she is not making a concerted effort to attack and be aggressive she sometimes sort of defers to others and plays passively.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Seethe Geno comments: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/2014/02/01/chong-shines-in-reserve-in-win-over-cincinnati/

I do not know what he is saying when he says: "if she is not concentrating on it all the time it just goes away." Can anyone interpret that for me.

It follows on "she wants to do all those things," which is likely referring to all the parts of the game she knows she can contribute in, the assists, nail some 3s, an occasional block, a steal (though none yesterday), and basically solid defense and learning how to switch off.

But midway through freshman year, Saniya has not built up a big history of big games yet nor is she ensconced as a top scoring option in the UConn offense. So it's tough to get into a real groove and then the concentration might waver a bit, though her numbers rank with top freshman guards in the country in most areas. Even after a game yesterday where she goes 4-6 on 3s and dishes 4 assists, Geno's remarks on her progress were not exactly glowing, saying she was "better" and that her play has been spotty and that "She's not there yet." So anyone who was under the delusion that Geno would be lauding Saniya to the skies after a performance that most fans would consider pretty great, well, they didn't get their expectations. And like Kara said and Geno knows, great 3-pt shooting can fade in a moment as the better teams get out and guard you and your focus is a little off.

But better than plaudits, Geno gave Saniya the highest praise he can give by talking about her at length. That is the sign that he is really excited about a player and is expecting big things. If he basically ignores you, you know you're not in a good place. So after the Temple game he said he wanted more from her, and after the Cinci game he's telling her she has to get "there." He'll never be satisfied and he'll be pushing her to the end, but the important point is that she's good enough to be out there and getting pushed.

 

[sawxfan23]

CDobbs I am interested to hear your thoughts on the comments that Saniya herself made that basically mirrored the comments of "moaners" like me. Its ok to have an opinion on things but when other posters see it differently, then the head coach sees it differently, and finally the player herself sees it differently I have to think your probably wrong and you should just give it up.

 

[hoophuskee]

Seethe Geno comments: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/2014/02/01/chong-shines-in-reserve-in-win-over-cincinnati/

I do not know what he is saying when he says: "if she is not concentrating on it all the time it just goes away." Can anyone interpret that for me.

IMO her speaks of her "entire game" gets away from her if she isn't concentrating at her fullest. IMO read the next sentence Geno says "It's spotty." IMO the "it" is her game and it relates to the quote you mentioned above.

 

[DobbsRover2]

So Sawx, now you're saying that Saniya's comments that she needs to improve are proof that she's been an underperformer, that the fact that the coach's less than fulsome appraisal of her performance following the game still somehow means she had a huge leap yesterday when she hit 4 basically unguarded three-pointers against a very weak team?

You were also crying about her supposedly horrible 1.2 steals average during the 5 games you were anguished about. Yesterday Saniya, had 0 against a Cinci team that was basically begging the Huskies to take the ball from them. So, I guess Saniya must have been really lousy there yesterday. And only 1 rebound in 23 minutes. That's half her average for the year, so we must be seeing a serious slide for her.

As posters have repeatedly noted, there are many different aspects to a player's performance, and on most of them Saniya has been pretty steady throughout the year, though she knows now still more is expected of her. I am thrilled that Saniya hit 4 three-pters yesterday, though I doubt she would have hit them or even tried to take them with a defender in her face. And that's why Geno was saying, "She hasn't got there yet" yesterday about her, and that there are many other facets to work on, one's she has been working on all year.

But you are free to make cream soup over the open threes. We were all thrilled that she got the extra minutes and produced more in some areas, but really, she needs to start grabbing some rebounds and getting some steals because yesterday's performance left something to be desired there. But she'll do better, even if she doesn't hit four threes in the next game.

 

[sawxfan23]

You need to look up the word CONTEXT in the dictionary. Listen lets just agree to disagree because there is nothing getting solved here.