Is KLS actually getting better..????

[PacoSwede]

Why do we here have a preference for calling her KLS? Is it a subtle/unconscious desire to see her as an heir to KML? Hope not.

Katie Lou has made it known that she prefers to be called "Lou." Why the reluctance to take her up on it? Lou is simpler to pronounce that KLS, by the way, and teammates seem to bow to Lou's preference. So, why in the Boneyard is she regularly referred to as KLS? I don't see/hear it much anywhere else.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

Breanna Stewart's freshman year was a riddle of inconsistency. And then came the NCAA Tournament. Breanna tore off her disguise as a mild mannered, inconsistent freshman and showed that she was really, really, really (that is 3 "reallys") good. And then she showed that she was more than "good" and became the best player in that tournament. And then she became the best player in women's college basketball. Can Katie Lou match that transformation? Probably not. But then I begin to muse: if Katie Lou and Natalie improve, as I expect that they will over the next 2 months, the entire team could be transmogrified and that 11th championship banner could well become a reality.

 

[HuskyNan]

KLS and Collier will be very good players in coming years....

As I said in another thread, I think Napheesa hit the freshman wall. It's almost always in January when the kids are living in hotels (dorms are closed) and this trip was particularly difficult for a young player. The Huskies played 4 games in 8 days in 4 different cities which is a far cry from high school. UConn is back home now and the dorms will open back up on Saturday. Hopefully she'll be back to her old self shortly.

 

[caramel]

Okay,class,repeat after me,Lou is a freshman.Again,Lou is a freshman.There have been very few freshman,whether on team Connecticut,or anywhere else for that matter,who immediately live up to the hype and expectations put on them.The goal,their freshman year,is to adjust to college,learn the system,and work to improve in the eyes of the coaching staff.
If Lou was not improving,if she was not understanding the system and what her place in it is,I am sure she would be glued to the bench a lot more than she is.Since she is getting valuable minutes and opportunities from our head coach,I would have to say,that he is seeing the effort and the commitment that he is asking for.That is satisfactory for me,as to whether she is improving or not.Class dismissed after you all chime in with,trust Geno.

 

[Kibitzer]

"Katie Lou is too good to not start."

(Perhaps not immediately, but surely eventually and permanently.)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

When Lou trusts herself good things happen and they are happening more and more. She's got a slick move to the hoop, can find the rebound, brings the ball up pretty well, has very good hands and knows how to dish the ball pretty well too.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"Katie Lou is too good to not start."

(Perhaps not immediately, but surely eventually and permanently.)

I believe someone on SNY conjectured about her starting next game off of her starting the 2d half last night.

 

[xoxxox]

Number One: Have you noticed how KLS gets a lot of close-up and lasting TV shots. The camera loves her -

Number Two: She is playing more-and-more. This would not happen if she was not making the progress the coaches know she is capable of. Her stats and floor activity continue to improve.

Number Three: She will become a better player then KML, before her time at UCONN is over. Starting next year, she will be expected to be one of the main pillars that support the team. Right now she is in training to do that - and everything looks like she is a good student.

Number Four: The kid is under pressure that none of use blowhards can comprehend, unless you played for the UCONN Woman's Basketball Team. [mod edit]

Number Four: If you disagree with any of the above - you are obviously INSANE.

 

[Carnac]

Why do we here have a preference for calling her KLS? Is it a subtle/unconscious desire to see her as an heir to KML? Hope not.

Katie Lou has made it known that she prefers to be called "Lou." Why the reluctance to take her up on it? Lou is simpler to pronounce that KLS, by the way, and teammates seem to bow to Lou's preference. So, why in the Boneyard is she regularly referred to as KLS? I don't see/hear it much anywhere else.

Well Paco, I'll take it upon myself to answer your query.

Here on the yard, we've been referring to Katie Lou Samuelson as "KLS" since we found out over a year ago that she had committed to UConn. It comes from years of referring to Kleena Mosqueda-Lewis as "KML".
An unknown commenter here on the yard began using "KLS" in reference to Katie Lou. It stuck.

Using her initials is much easier than spelling out her name. Most (not all) commenters & posters here on the yard use "KLS" when referring to her. It's not being done in a disrespectful, or irreverent manner, it's just what we've always used, and all of us know who KLS is.

I must admit that your post is the first of it's kind (as far as I know), and the first I've heard of her wanting to be called or referred to as "Lou". I don't/can't read all of the posts here on the yard. I don't have that kind of time. It's possible that someone has in fact made a comment regarding that dynamic in the past, but I'm not aware of it.

I hope this answers your question.

 

[PacoSwede]

"Using her initials is much easier than spelling out her name."

It's easier to spell "KLS" than "Lou"? Wow. I didn't know that! But I was in the BY when Lou came on board, so I know "KLS" has long been used -- just not why.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

I recall reading a post months ago, before the season began, that reported that she
preferred to be called Lou.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well Paco, I'll take it upon myself to answer your query.

Here on the yard, we've been referring to Katie Lou Samuelson as "KLS" since we found out over a year ago that she had committed to UConn. It comes from years of referring to Kleena Mosqueda-Lewis as "KML".
An unknown commenter here on the yard began using "KLS" in reference to Katie Lou. It stuck.

Using her initials is much easier than spelling out her name. Most (not all) commenters & posters here on the yard use "KLS" when referring to her. It's not being done in a disrespectful, or irreverent manner, it's just what we've always used, and all of us know who KLS is.

I must admit that your post is the first of it's kind (as far as I know), and the first I've heard of her wanting to be called or referred to as "Lou". I don't/can't read all of the posts here on the yard. I don't have that kind of time. It's possible that someone has in fact made a comment regarding that dynamic in the past, but I'm not aware of it.

I hope this answers your question.

The origin on Lou is from KLS or Lou herself stating that she did not like being called Katie Lou. She preferred Lou to Katie Lou. It's in one of those pre-commit videos on YouTube. I don't think any of us would hail her on the street or in the mall as KLS. Nor do I think it is a sign of disrespect to refer to her as KLS on the Boneyard.

 

[Carnac]

"Katie Lou is too good to not start."

(Perhaps not immediately, but surely eventually and permanently.)

Of course she's going to start eventually and permanently. They did not bring her in to come off the bench, or play in garbage time. She's a sniper. A sharp shooter. No one (coaching staff) wants to admit it, but we all know she was recruited to replace KML. She's still got a rough edge to her.

She's only got 14 or so games under her belt. The season is only half over. Look at the progress she's made already. These edges will be smoothed out and polished between now and the first game next season. I can guarantee you that!

Geno and staff won't have it any other way. They too have high expectations of her, and they know how to get her to the place she needs to be. She will be depended upon heavily next year. She has to be ready.

How about we push back on expecting her to make that "sophomore leap" while she's still a freshman. Let's cheer for her, and encourage her, and acknowledge the good things she does, as she goes through this very demanding and pressure filled inaugural season. She comes from a great athletic family. She's got a great attitude, and she's willing to learn. She'll be fine.

Let's take a look at where she is at the end of the summer. She's going to play a lot of basketball between now and then. If we can put off judging her over-all progress until then, I think we'll be satisfied with her progress up to that point, and the milestones she's achieved.

At that point, we can all relax, and allow ourselves to resume having visions of grandeur with respect with to the program, as we also welcome the 2016 class into the fold, and ponder their fate.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In a single page feature of UConn late summer in SI Geno is quoted as saying "if we are to win our 4th in a row, Katie Lou will play a big part in that." Now, that was Geno planting a seed I'm sure, but it sure caught my eye.

 

[cbraarj]

Her family calls her Lou and she said that is what she prefers.As far as KLS being easier to spell than Lou.The 3 keys for Lou are alot closer on the keyboard than KLS,LOL.

 

[MilfordHusky]

"Katie Lou is too good to not start."

(Perhaps not immediately, but surely eventually and permanently.)

That looks like a split infinitive to me.

 

[Kibitzer]

That looks like a split infinitive to me.

Yes it is -- and it's grammatically correct!

First, I'll cite George Bernard Shaw: "Every good literary craftsman splits his infinitives when the sense demands it."

Next, I' call upon expert guidance from William Safire, language maven of the NY Times (author, "On language," weekly column, NY Times Magazine): "If you want to emphasize your modification of the verb, stick it (modifier) in the middle of the infinitive," as I have done. ("Katie Lou is too good to not start.") Had I not split the infinitive (e.g., ". . . too good not to start"), I would not have achieved the essential emphasis on the verb (as modified) to make my point.

Back atcha!

 

[meyers7]

Why do we here have a preference for calling her KLS? Is it a subtle/unconscious desire to see her as an heir to KML? Hope not.

Katie Lou has made it known that she prefers to be called "Lou." Why the reluctance to take her up on it? Lou is simpler to pronounce that KLS, by the way, and teammates seem to bow to Lou's preference. So, why in the Boneyard is she regularly referred to as KLS? I don't see/hear it much anywhere else.

KLS is a lot shorter than Samuelson. I personally don't use their first names. They are not my daughters or friends or buddies, I don't follow them on FB or Twitter or Instagram, they are just players that play for the team I support. Just players.

And Stewart, Stewie, Hartley, Pulido, Banks is a lot easier than trying to figure out which Breanna, Briana, Brianna, Bri, Bree, Brie, to use.

 

[meyers7]

Number Four: If you disagree with any of the above - you are obviously INSANE.

We post on the BY, so our sanity, or lack thereof is pretty much already established.

 

[meyers7]

Well Paco, I'll take it upon myself to answer your query.

Here on the yard, we've been referring to Katie Lou Samuelson as "KLS" since we found out over a year ago that she had committed to UConn. It comes from years of referring to Kleena Mosqueda-Lewis as "KML".
An unknown commenter here on the yard began using "KLS" in reference to Katie Lou. It stuck.

Using her initials is much easier than spelling out her name. Most (not all) commenters & posters here on the yard use "KLS" when referring to her. It's not being done in a disrespectful, or irreverent manner, it's just what we've always used, and all of us know who KLS is.

And with KLS we don't have the same problems we used to have with KML

I must admit that your post is the first of it's kind (as far as I know), and the first I've heard of her wanting to be called or referred to as "Lou". I don't/can't read all of the posts here on the yard. I don't have that kind of time. It's possible that someone has in fact made a comment regarding that dynamic in the past, but I'm not aware of it.

Really?? She has mentioned it herself in interviews and such. This is pretty much common knowledge or should be for fans of UCONN.

 

[UcMiami]

UcMiami, I made that statement based on the one game I saw her play in person, A California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) post-season game last year. As you know, she attended Mater Dei High School here in southern California. I also saw KML at our local high school when she was a senior at Mater Dei. That too was a CIF post season game. Mater Dei is a private parochial school that has a long reputation and tradition of having championship caliber boys & girls basketball teams. Like UConn, it's news when they lose. They have a very large and loyal following.

Both boys and girls teams are usually rated #1 in the state, and top 10 in the country. Mater Dei recruits it's players. They are also petitioned by parents of some of the best female players in the area for admission into their school and their basketball program. ALL of their players are hand picked. They are the best players from various local club teams.

Katy Lou's Mater Dei team did not need her to do the things that Geno is asking her to do. The game I saw featured her as their 3 point shooter. She never once drove to the basket, as she was defended by smaller, quicker opponents. I did not see her take a shot off of a dribble. She took lots of 3's with no one in her face (set shots), or shot from behind a screen.

As I remember, she only missed 1 or 2 shots. She didn't bang down low under the basket on defense. They had a very capable big handling those duties. Mater Dei blew out their opponent that night. Katie Lou was the star and MVP of the game. That night, she did what was asked and expected of her. Granted it was only 1 game. I'm NOT suggesting that she's not a well rounded player. I just made an observation based on the 1 game I saw her play.

If you have seen her in action more than once (while she was in high school) in person or on TV, then I bow to your opinion. You would have more games from which to draw an opinion from than me.

We're usually on the same page, but if you disagree on this one, I'm OK with it.

I never saw Lou live, and saw only a few full game videos and some USA team game sand some compilation highlight stuff, so I am certainly no 'expert' on her pre-Uconn game, but I did see some nice interior work from her, some good passing, and some mid-range off the bounce stuff as well as catch and shoot off screens. She was definitely a three point 'specialist', but had a more complete game than I thought your statement gave her credit for. I liked your whole post, just felt that one statement was a little 'dismissive' of the rest of her game.

I liken the way she has started at Uconn to what we saw from Stewart her freshman year - when challenged, young players fall back on what they are most comfortable doing and where they are least unsure. For any HS star with a good outside shot, interior play against stronger, taller, and faster college defenders than anything they saw regularly in HS is a little scary, so they go to the easier more familiar territory outside the lane.

 

[willtalk]

UcMiami, I made that statement based on the one game I saw her play in person, A California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) post-season game last year. As you know, she attended Mater Dei High School here in southern California. I also saw KML at our local high school when she was a senior at Mater Dei. That too was a CIF post season game.--------------------------------- Mater Dei recruits it's players. ------- ALL of their players are hand picked. They are the best players from various local club teams.------------------Katy Lou's Mater Dei team did not need her to do the things that Geno is asking her to do. The game I saw featured her as their 3 point shooter. She never once drove to the basket, as she was defended by smaller, quicker opponents. I did not see her take a shot off of a dribble. She took lots of 3's with no one in her face (set shots), or shot from behind a screen.------------------------------------As I remember, she only missed 1 or 2 shots. She didn't bang down low under the basket on defense. They had a very capable big handling those duties. Mater Dei blew out their opponent that night. ---------------- Granted it was only 1 game. I'm NOT suggesting that she's not a well rounded player. I just made an observation based on the 1 game I saw her play.-------------------------------------If you have seen her in action more than once (while she was in high school) in person or on TV, then I bow to your opinion. You would have more games from which to draw an opinion from tha-----------------------------------------

You seemed to have responded to the wrong poster. It was I who claimed to have seen KLS multiple times in high school. I don't remember Miami having said he did.

First of all let me say I am not really a fan of the extremes that MD goes to get it's players. Allowing players in the area chose their school but going out of state which they have done before is going over the line in my opinion. I feel they were the main reason that the CIF rewrote their criteria for transfers. The old ones if enforced equally were far superior to what we ended up with. They allowed easier transfers for players after their freshman season.

There were also various aspects of KLS game I was also not a fan of but those do not change her over all impact as a player. As I stated before- over all she impressed me in a variety of ways.

It seems the game you saw her in was a blow out against an inferior opponent. I wouldn't give those kind of games much credence. The games I saw her in were close and against top level talent. Some that come to mind were two games against Chaminade which MD lost. Also the game against them where KLS had an off shooting day ( she was dealing with an injury) but she came through in clutch time in the closing minutes to win the game.

Two games that also come to mind are games against St. Mary's of Stockton and the previous one against Carondelet in the WCJ. In the one against Corondelet she put on a shooting exibition from all over the court. The Corondelet players were hot as a pistol but KLS matched them shot for shot.

The game that really impressed me was the one that followed against St Mary's. You do not get uncontested shots against that team. They trap-press full court the entire game. St Mary's was beating MD because MD was turning over the ball and couldn't break their press. They then put the ball in KLS hands and she was the one that broke the press via her ball handling and passing. She also did all the things you say you did not see her do. Take the ball to the hoop off the dribble, hit the boards and play defense. MD pulled it out in the end mostly due to KLS efforts. I must say they had a bit of officiating help on that one. I became a KLS believer that weekend.

I do understand your perspective based on one game, but that is a trap that even talent evaluator's fall into. You never know if you are seeing the players A' B, C, D, or F game. As you stated she did what was necessary that game but that doesn't really show what she could do when the necessities become greater.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Correction on Geno SI quote I offered yesterday. Found the article. Not late summer. Nov. 9th. "If we are going to win a national championship, Katie Lou [he didn't get the memo apparently] is going to be a big part of that, believe me." Another Genoism from this tiny article: "I think the biggest motivator for us is we are the only team in America that wants us to win." That's a strange one; why would any team want another team to win other than for strategic standing reasons? Final tid bit: Morgan's 19.2 points per game avg. in NCAAs led the Huskies - she shot a 60.8% avg.

 

[Grayjay]

Yes it is -- and it's grammatically correct!

First, I'll cite George Bernard Shaw: "Every good literary craftsman splits his infinitives when the sense demands it."

Next, I' call upon expert guidance from William Safire, language maven of the NY Times (author, "On language," weekly column, NY Times Magazine): "If you want to emphasize your modification of the verb, stick it (modifier) in the middle of the infinitive," as I have done. ("Katie Lou is too good to not start.") Had I not split the infinitive (e.g., ". . . too good not to start"), I would not have achieved the essential emphasis on the verb (as modified) to make my point.

Back atcha!

Reminds me of the following, attributed to Churchill on the occasion of being criticized for ending a sentence with a proposition: "That is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put!"

 

[BobbyJ]

Samuelson is probably capable of a lot of things and she probably did all of them in HS because that was HER team. The real players go to the bottom of the well and bring up the best when it's THEIR team. It's normal for freshmen to defer to older players especially when they're as good as UConn's top 3. The light will go on for her when Auriemma tells her in private to go out and play like this is HER team regardless of who's there. That's when you find out what the kid's got. And it might be this year if a key injury pops up. And I believe it may be this way for Collier too.