oldude
bamboo lover
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2016
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Confidence can be a fragile commodity. For over 2 seasons, Molly Bent appeared to struggle with hers. One of the hardest working players on the team, when Molly got on the court, she would play at a feverish pace, frequently turning the ball over. In addition, while Molly would practice shooting for hours on her own, at times she was reluctant to shoot, even when left wide open with the ball in her hands. In recent weeks, something remarkable has occurred. Molly still plays all out, all the time, but the game has seemingly slowed down for her, and that change has resulted in a corresponding increase in Molly’s confidence as well as her performance.
Molly has always been an absolute pest on defense, hounding opponents the full length of the court, chasing down loose balls and long rebounds like a terrier and getting a hand on wayward passes. It’s on offense that we’ve seen the biggest change. Molly’s passes are now crisper and on time. In fact, the other day she made a spectacular pass in traffic that was worthy of the very best we’ve seen from Crystal, only to have her teammate miss the resulting layup.
But it is Molly’s shooting that most clearly demonstrates her renewed confidence. Over the past two games, Molly has buried her last 3 shots from the arc. Most impressive to me was the pull up, mid-range jumper that Molly knocked down yesterday on the break. In the past Molly might have committed a charging foul or a turnover in that situation. Yesterday, she had the defender on her heels and quickly elevated to hit the shot, something I haven’t seen her do since watching her HS highlight videos.
Through all this, Molly has become a player that UConn fans enthusiastically root for. How can you not love her attitude, work ethic and commitment to excellence in and out of the classroom? To be clear, this is not the same as UConn fans support for players like Polly and Tierney, who were only going to see the court during mop-up time. There is a real sense of hope that Molly might be a prime-time contributor.
Molly is now at the level where she appears to be very comfortable against AAC foes. I am curious to see if, and when Geno uses her on Monday night against SC’s guard heavy lineup. Whatever happens, it’s hard not to root for Molly.
Molly has always been an absolute pest on defense, hounding opponents the full length of the court, chasing down loose balls and long rebounds like a terrier and getting a hand on wayward passes. It’s on offense that we’ve seen the biggest change. Molly’s passes are now crisper and on time. In fact, the other day she made a spectacular pass in traffic that was worthy of the very best we’ve seen from Crystal, only to have her teammate miss the resulting layup.
But it is Molly’s shooting that most clearly demonstrates her renewed confidence. Over the past two games, Molly has buried her last 3 shots from the arc. Most impressive to me was the pull up, mid-range jumper that Molly knocked down yesterday on the break. In the past Molly might have committed a charging foul or a turnover in that situation. Yesterday, she had the defender on her heels and quickly elevated to hit the shot, something I haven’t seen her do since watching her HS highlight videos.
Through all this, Molly has become a player that UConn fans enthusiastically root for. How can you not love her attitude, work ethic and commitment to excellence in and out of the classroom? To be clear, this is not the same as UConn fans support for players like Polly and Tierney, who were only going to see the court during mop-up time. There is a real sense of hope that Molly might be a prime-time contributor.
Molly is now at the level where she appears to be very comfortable against AAC foes. I am curious to see if, and when Geno uses her on Monday night against SC’s guard heavy lineup. Whatever happens, it’s hard not to root for Molly.
