Katie Lou and her 3 pt shot...just the facts...!

[DavidinNaples]

Katie Lou Samuelson was the most prolific and consistent 3 point shooter for UConn last season. She improved her 3 pt accuracy from 39.4% as a freshman to 42.0% as a sophomore. She took more threes, and made more, than any other Husky. Given the number of minutes KLS had to play last season, it is entirely possible this year will see even more improvement, not just in 3 pt shooting, but in her overall game. Here are the facts:

1. Katie Lou tried 283 three point shots last season. The next two Huskies, Kia and Saniya, also tried 283 threes, combined.
2. Samuelson made 119 of her three points shots or 42.0%. Saniya made 50 for a 40.0% accuracy rate and Kia had 73 threes for 46.2%.
3. Lou only had two games where she failed to make a three point basket. She also had two games with just 1 three. So, in 33 of 37 games, she had 2 or more three point baskets.
4. Katie Lou led the team in minutes played last season with 1,177 or 31.8 per game. As a freshman, she averaged 23.5 minutes per game.
5. KLS shot 46.6% on threes at home (61-131), including the AAC tournament. Oddly, both her games with 0 threes were at home.
6. Katie Lou scored 61 threes in 19 home games (including AAC tourny) and 58 threes in 18 away games.
7. She went 0-7 vs Tulsa and 0-5 vs South Carolina. She went 10-10 vs USF in the AAC final..!!
8. In addition to 283 three point shots, Lou tried 250 shots from inside the arc. She made 140 or 56.0%. She was 2nd on the team in points with 747. (Collier was first with 754.)
9. Samuelson went 110-131 from the free throw line. That is 84.0%, 2nd on the team to Kia's 85.5%.
10. Lou had 118 assists, 143 rebounds, 56 steals, 10 blocked shots and 69 turnovers.Of her rebounds, 23 were offensive..!

Geno played Katie Lou a lot of minutes last season, including a few games where she was clearly tired. The addition of two transfers and four freshman should provide UConn with more depth and less need to pile the minutes on the starters. Lou made great strides her sophomore year in every statistical category and earned All American honors. This season, look for perhaps fewer minutes, but continued improvement all over the court.

Go Huskies..!!

 

[Huskee11]

Great post as usual, David. I am a huge KLS fan. Like many great shooters, it is all about rhythm with Lou. There were games where she started slow but would catch fire and all of a sudden have 20 at halftime. I expect her to make improvement as well and one area I would like to see is a more consistent start to games.

 

[bags27]

As always, David: thanks so much! Yes, the minutes played is really remarkable, especially how beat-up she was. But there was no obvious substitute for her. Natalie could come in for a bit to spell Pheesa and/or Gabby. But Lou, because she didn't go underneath a lot, generally stayed out of foul trouble, and her 3-point fire power made the defense overplay her, opening up a lot underneath for others. Looking for her to play fewer minutes this year, but picking up where she left off mid-season when she started loosing steam (and being so banged up): running defenders off of picks for the mid-range jumper or the drive.

 

[huskeynut]

Another great post!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bigboote]

If you have it handy, where does she stand in made threes vs. KML, Maya, et al.?

 

[MilfordHusky]

If you have it handy, where does she stand in made threes vs. KML, Maya, et al.?

Lou made 78 and 119, for a total of 197. Kaleena's record is 398. That's within reach. Maya had 311 and Diana made 318. Lou should surpass those. Lou is currently

Having decided to stay in college, Kelsey Mitchell should shatter Kaleena's NCAA mark. Kelsey has about 375 at this point and could reach an astounding 500. But she'll never match Kaleena's accuracy.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Thanks, David! I believe the shooting percentages for Kia and Saniya under point #2 are reversed. Kia was our leading sharpshooter last season.

 

[chrissaran]

KML - 398
Maya - 311
KLS - 194

 

[TitleTown]

I really think the reduction in minutes KLS will see this year will help her immensely. Towards the end of last year, when she was worn down, her shot suffered a little bit. I would not be surprised at all if she shot over 50% from 3pt range this year.

 

[DriveLH]

If you have it handy, where does she stand in made threes vs. KML, Maya, et al.?

During their first 2 seasons KML was 211 of 482, and Maya was 170 of 418.

 

[MilfordHusky]

KML - 398
Maya - 311
KLS - 194

194 or 197 for Lou?

 

[Rixxx]

I just love the +100 assists.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I had to catch a train, so I didn't finish my earlier thought. At #11, Lou has already passed Tiffany, Maria, Kerry, Moriah, Stewie, and Sveta. Next up are Sue and Jen, with 207 each. Then come Mel, Renee, and Big Shot Bria.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Between her offensive firepower and her gutsy game at Maryland, Lou has earned the name "Buckets Samuelson."

 

[Bigboote]

During their first 2 seasons KML was 211 of 482, and Maya was 170 of 418.

Tanks, mon.

 

[Huskee11]

194 or 197 for Lou?

197

Lou trails KML slightly in threes after two years. But, KML injured her elbow in a November game against Stanford during her junior year and missed 12 games. She only had 66 threes during her junior year. 121 as a senior.

 

[Golden Husky]

Between her offensive firepower and her gutsy game at Maryland, Lou has earned the name "Buckets Samuelson."

Glad you brought up the game versus the Terps, Milford. More than all the numbers, Lou's determination to play in the Maryland game and the two clutch free throws she made versus Miss State were defining moments last season, fueling expectations (but, hopefully, no more expectorations) that she'll be a real leader on this year's team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Glad you brought up the game versus the Terps, Milford. More than all the numbers, Lou's determination to play in the Maryland game and the two clutch free throws she made versus Miss State were defining moments last season, fueling expectations (but, hopefully, no more expectorations) that she'll be a real leader on this year's team.

Lou may be a pretty girl from Surf City, but her competition with her sisters and challenges from Geno have made her far tougher than she looks. Yes, she made 2 extremely clutch FTs after being hit in the throat with the game on the line. She also made a key 3-pointer a little earlier to cut the deficit. I want Lou on my team!

 

[chrissaran]

The stats I looked at said 194.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

Lou may be a pretty girl from Surf City, but her competition with her sisters and challenges from Geno have made her far tougher than she looks. Yes, she made 2 extremely clutch FTs after being hit in the throat with the game on the line. She also made a key 3-pointer a little earlier to cut the deficit. I want Lou on my team!

Completely concur... I want Lou on my Team too! But I also see how well these ladies work together and "have each other's backs"...One of the reasons I really enjoyed watching last year's team... every game seemed like a different player carried the load and produced. Some times it was for a series of games (Lou and Pheesa in particular), other times it was just what they needed to pull out one game (such as Danger vs Baylor), and sometimes it was on the defensive end. This Team worked so well as a Team..."No I in the 2016/17 Huskies" and I'm sure Geno and the Coaches will make sure the newest addition is balanced and Team focused again. I can't wait for the season to begin!!! Looking forward to 2017/18 Huskie Basketball.

 

[BroadwayVa]

As always, David: thanks so much! Yes, the minutes played is really remarkable, especially how beat-up she was. But there was no obvious substitute for her. Natalie could come in for a bit to spell Pheesa and/or Gabby. But Lou, because she didn't go underneath a lot, generally stayed out of foul trouble, and her 3-point fire power made the defense overplay her, opening up a lot underneath for others. Looking for her to play fewer minutes this year, but picking up where she left off mid-season when she started loosing steam (and being so banged up): running defenders off of picks for the mid-range jumper or the drive.

Thank you David---Bags, your assessment of KLS is nearly spot on.
I have a question for DAVID and a different point of view than both of you:
Question: 0 three point shots in USC game (made) --WHY? Lou has been tightly guarded, sick, and abused and scored a few 3's--what did USC do to cause this, if anything?
I don't see KLS's minutes, in big or medium games going down much--Geno has spoken of her having the green light open or not.
I'm sure most AAC games will give her rest--will this help to reduce the minute?? Time will tell. The real point impact may be Azura if she is anywhere near as reported