KK has a fan

[HuskyNan]

 

[The deacon]

Well said, Renee... KK is special.

 

[hoopsfan22]

It's like you don't know Geno at all...

 

[EricLA]

It's like you don't know Geno at all...

Agreed. KK is GOING to be special. Nika IS special. Barring injury, Nika will start every game for the rest of her UCONN career.

 

[Bone Dog]

Agreed. KK is GOING to be special. Nika IS special. Barring injury, Nika will start every game for the rest of her UCONN career.

I’ll be surprised if KK starts this year. But I suspect she’ll see lots of pt. What Geno gets from Nika is someone who knows exactly how to run the offense — she’s not figuring it out as she goes — and how to be the pointy end of the defensive spear. KK will be able to contribute, but to start her means putting a ton of pressure on a freshman. Nothing is gained that way.

 

[Carnac]

Well said, Renee... KK is special.

I’ll be surprised if KK starts this year. But I suspect she’ll see lots of pt. What Geno gets from Nika is someone who knows exactly how to run the offense — she’s not figuring it out as she goes — and how to be the pointy end of the defensive spear. KK will be able to contribute, but to start her means putting a ton of pressure on a freshman. Nothing is gained that way.

That's the consensus so far. She doesn't need to start. She will get close to starter's minutes....IMO. The more she plays....the more she plays. We've seen in just two games how special she is. I could tell Paige was special after that fist game her freshman year. KK has shown me enough. I'm sold. KK will know the system and be a lot more comfortable with the offense come March. All things in time.

 

[jdb50]

KK may be the Kahlid El Amin of the woman's program. She has that personality.

 

[Next 12]

Any time a freshman played more starter minutes in past teams of Geno's than was expected ,was because of a short bench due to injuries. That is not the case with this team. GOD FORBID,barring injury of any kind, this team has the quintessential starting five in all of Women's BB. Their success is in no doubt and the end of the rainbow,the NC, is theirs for the taking. GO HUSKIES!!!!

 

[DEpup]

Game knows Game!

 

[wingsfan055]

Can KK play the 4?? She would get starter minutes then! UConn is filthy talented and rich at the guard position.

Nika will probably start at the beginning of the year because of her past performance and experience. But KK brings a skill set that is unique.

 

[victor64]

So far on the trip she been a little out of control at times and forced things some but those are fixable. Nike has to be prepared to play fewer minutes this year. KK is relentless.

 

[ballerfan]

Agreed. KK is GOING to be special. Nika IS special. Barring injury, Nika will start every game for the rest of her UCONN career.

Maybe we should wait before we say KK is only « going » to be special. And if Geno eventually picks Paige as the PG, Nika won’t start anyway, and KK could play the 2.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I am in total agreement...KK is special. I look forward to watching her with the rest of the Huskies. I know it's exhibition games, but KK is nice....like ice!!

 

[JonathanXIV]

Maybe we should wait before we say KK is only « going » to be special. And if Geno eventually picks Paige as the PG, Nika won’t start anyway, and KK could play the 2.

Arnold is not a 2. She was born and built to play point.

 

[oldude]

KK has been the most impressive freshman on the European tour. She is explosive off the dribble and a relentless defender. Clearly, KK will get a lot of PT this coming season. But let’s be clear. Nika is and will be the starting pg all season long. The great thing about having KK on the team is that Nika won’t have to play 40 mpg this season.

UConn has 4 outstanding guards that they can plug and play right now: Paige, Azzi, Nika & KK. Ashlynn is close to making it 5 and Ines has proven that she can step in if needed. With everyone healthy, UConn’s backcourt is as strong as I have ever seen it.

That brings us to the frontcourt. Right now, Aaliyah & Aubrey start, with Ice and Quadence off the bench. Caroline, Ayanna and Amari are all question marks due to health issues and or their perceived ability to step up in prime time.

If UConn can get quality PT out of every frontcourt player, the Huskies will be formidable. But that still remains to be seen.

 

[SEbluebood]

KK may be the Kahlid El Amin of the woman's program. She has that personality.

Since Khalid won a national championship, I am good with that comparison!!

 

[Bone Dog]

Can KK play the 4?

For those of you didn’t get to see her hs games, KK sometimes jumped the opening tip-off for her team.

 

[TCC Kid]

If KK can be near as good a RENE, I'll be thrilled. I loved the way RENE played the glass.

 

[ballerfan]

Arnold is not a 2. She was born and built to play point.

KK is not like Nika. Nika is a 1 or nothing according to people here. She’s the PG or on the bench. Her skills are too limited to play anything but the 1.

KK is a much better shooter Nika. She appears to do many things better than Nika. Her natural position might be the 1, but judging from the last European game, she has the skills to play the 2. Paige is a natural 1 and won the best point guard in the country, but some people here want her to play the 3.

If Nika starts at PG and shares that position with Paige (or the other way around), KK won’t get many minutes unless she can also play the 2. If Nika starts at the 1 and KK is the backup, then Paige, maybe the best PG in the country, has to play out of her natural position always. I think some people have forgotten how good Paige is and how good of a PG she is. Or they say that anyone who suggests that Paige should be the PG is being disrespectful to her, an argument in bad faith.

There is this sentence by oldude, whose posts I love.

« But let’s be clear. Nika is and will be the starting pg all season long. »

No one knows this for sure, not even oldude.

I want the starting lineup to be Nika, Azzi, Paige, Aubrey/Ice, Aaliyah. But I believe Geno might eventually choose Paige to be the starting PG, as he did during Paige and Nika’s sophomore year. And I believe, after watching the last game, that KK might be a serious threat to Nika’s minutes. Sorry to some here, but KK might one day be a much better player than Nika, maybe this year. We’ll see.

 

[TCC Kid]

KK has been the most impressive freshman on the European tour. She is explosive off the dribble and a relentless defender. Clearly, KK will get a lot of PT this coming season. But let’s be clear. Nika is and will be the starting pg all season long. The great thing about having KK on the team is that Nika won’t have to play 40 mpg this season.

UConn has 4 outstanding guards that they can plug and play right now: Paige, Azzi, Nika & KK. Ashlynn is close to making it 5 and Ines has proven that she can step in if needed. With everyone healthy, UConn’s backcourt is as strong as I have ever seen it.

That brings us to the frontcourt. Right now, Aaliyah & Aubrey start, with Ice and Quadence off the bench. Caroline, Ayanna and Amari are all question marks due to health issues and or their perceived ability to step up in prime time.

If UConn can get quality PT out of every frontcourt player, the Huskies will be formidable. But that still remains to be seen.

Nice analysis of the Guard position. I agree Uconn is bless with Guards (both) up to 5 of them.
My less than knowledgeable guess is: with the possible exception of Nika --even Paige Geno has the option and shall use it, with interchangeabilities.
I know this is hopeful reasoning, but Uconn post players have the talent, the practice experience to be very good. Is it desire, physical or mental that is not allowing them to show Geno they are very good?
Jana El Alfy from the little I saw, is a great loss for this season.

 

[TCC Kid]

KK is not like Nika. Nika is a 1 or nothing according to people here. She’s the PG or on the bench. Her skills are too limited to play anything but the 1.

KK is a much better shooter Nika. She appears to do many things better than Nika. Her natural position might be the 1, but judging from the last European game, she has the skills to play the 2. Paige is a natural 1 and won the best point guard in the country, but some people here want her to play the 3.

If Nika starts at PG and shares that position with Paige (or the other way around), KK won’t get many minutes unless she can also play the 2. If Nika starts at the 1 and KK is the backup, then Paige, maybe the best PG in the country, has to play out of her natural position always. I think some people have forgotten how good Paige is and how good of a PG she is. Or they say that anyone who suggests that Paige should be the PG is being disrespectful to her, an argument in bad faith.

There is this sentence by oldude, whose posts I love.

« But let’s be clear. Nika is and will be the starting pg all season long. »

No one knows this for sure, not even oldude.

I want the starting lineup to be Nika, Azzi, Paige, Aubrey/Ice, Aaliyah. But I believe Geno might eventually choose Paige to be the starting PG, as he did during Paige and Nika’s sophomore year. And I believe, after watching the last game, that KK might be a serious threat to Nika’s minutes. Sorry to some here, but KK might one day be a much better player than Nika, maybe this year. We’ll see.

Nika--doesn't have the talent of KK. Nika is very good. The toughest mentally and physically I have seen. Raw talent isn't Nika. She has earned and worked for everything she has.--that the power of Muhl.
KK, Paige, Fudd, are TALENTS. That's not to say others on the team are not their equals, I just don't know them.
Edwards works well with Nika because they are both tough beyond the norm. We've seen Paige take over games---we've seen Caroline in the last second have the toughness to make that final shot.. Which begs the question about her reaction to head shots. Does KK have THAT in her?

 

[SEbluebood]

Might be time to tap the breaks on the KK hyperbole based on two games against sub par competition. Are fans really ready to anoint her as a TALENT akin to PB and ? Not me. We know Nika is a proven commodity. It looks like KK had tremendous potential. Time will tell how that potential plays out.

 

[EricLA]

Maybe we should wait before we say KK is only « going » to be special. And if Geno eventually picks Paige as the PG, Nika won’t start anyway, and KK could play the 2.

How many actual games has KK played for UCONN? Not even gonna wait for an answer. It's zero.

BTW who was 2nd in the entire nation in assists last season? Again I'll answer for you - Nika. Who broke the record for total assists in a season, passing Sue Bird, the greatest PG ever to play the game? Nika.

I continue to be absolutely stunned at the people who seem to want to diminish NIka's contributions. There is zero chance - I'll say it again for emphasis ... ZERO CHANCE that Geno demotes Nika to the bench as a non-starter. Unless she's injured.

Honestly, and this is a small rant not necessarily directed at you, but I'm tired of people not giving Nika the credit she deserves. Paige may be the face of UCONN WCBB, but Nika is the heart and soul. She's the engine that drives the entire team. She BLEEDS blue. We are so blessed to have her.

 

[FormerCTrez]

Might be time to tap the breaks on the KK hyperbole based on two games against sub par competition. Are fans really ready to anoint her as a TALENT akin to PB and ? Not me. We know Nika is a proven commodity. It looks like KK had tremendous potential. Time will tell how that potential plays out.

SEbluebood, your statement reflects my thoughts on this topic, so thank your for posting it here.