I can't think of a Uconn new Freshman that --just slid into the program--oops, 2 come to mind DT/Svetlana
"
I'm amazed Crystal can play as well as she did, and then have the courage to admit that she didn't know then, everything she knows now. This young lady is a winner and a leader..!! Below is an analysis I wrote comparing Crystal to MoJeff's freshman stats. Dangerfield matches or exceeds in most statistical areas. Like Moriah, she will get better and better. She will improve because she has tremendous talent and the right attitude to match. I suspect there are very few Boneyarders who could survive a week of Geno and company, much less a season. It is much less of an effort to criticize players from the safety and anonymity of the couch in their living room. As I said at the end of my piece, I'm a believer in Crystal..!!
Written July 10th...
"Like most UConn fans, I'm dying to know how good of a player Crystal Dangerfield will turn out to be. I can't resist the urge to compare her with a recent player of her size, talents and position, Moriah Jefferson. Unfortunately, I tend to compare the Crystal we just saw, with the MoJeff we remember. That isn't fair to Dangerfield, because the Jefferson we most remember was a mature All-American winning her 4th straight National Championship. So, let's go back to Moriah's freshman year for a more accurate comparison. The results are very interesting.
1. Games played & started - Mo played all 39 games for UConn her freshman year and started only 2. With her concussion injury, Crystal played in 31 games, but started 6. The total minutes played, however, are very close at 677 for MoJeff and 733 for Crystal. No advantage either way.
2. Points scored - Remarkably, both players scored 73 baskets their freshman seasons. Crystal took slightly more shots (181 to 172), and made more 3s (26 made vs 17 for Mo.) Moriah's overall shooting % was 42%, while Crystal's was 40%. Still very similar. Total points ended up 188 for Crystal and 182 for MoJeff.
3. Assists & steals - Here is where difference between the two players, at least as freshman, appears. Crystal had 114 assists for the season, doing what she does best, pass the ball. MoJeff had 69 her first year. Clear advantage for Dangerfield. However, steals go the other way, with Jefferson getting 52 and Crystal only 29. In the beginning, one was better with the ball, the other at stealing the ball.
4. Rebounds & turnovers- Again the stats are very close. Crystal had 69 boards, while Moriah grabbed 64. Mo had a slight advantage in offensive rebounds 13 to 8. Turnovers are also in Jefferson's favor at 49 for her and 53 for Dangerfield. Close enough to be statistically insignificant, at least to me.
5. Three point shooting & free throws - As mentioned, Crystal was better from beyond the arc. She made 26 of 82 threes for 31.7%. MoJeff was 17-64 or 26.6%. From the free throw line, Moriah was clearly better, making 76% on 19-25 shooting. Crystal struggled from the charity stripe at 59.3% on 16-27 shooting. Of interest, both failed to get to the line much, considering how often they had the ball.
Two conclusions about Crystal seem obvious. The Baylor game showed she can score and indeed, takeover a game if need be. And, the 114 assists as a freshman shows she is a brilliant passer. The key to her impact this season will be the improvement in her shooting, both from the field and the free throw line. MoJeff went from 42% shooting as a freshman, to 57% as a sophomore. Crystal will see 900-950 minutes of action, if she stays healthy. Watch for her to step up to the next level, just like MoJeff did. I'm a believer...
Go Crystal and go Huskies..!!
I'm amazed Crystal can play as well as she did, and then have the courage to admit that she didn't know then, everything she knows now. This young lady is a winner and a leader..!! Below is an analysis I wrote comparing Crystal to MoJeff's freshman stats. Dangerfield matches or exceeds in most statistical areas. Like Moriah, she will get better and better. She will improve because she has tremendous talent and the right attitude to match. I suspect there are very few Boneyarders who could survive a week of Geno and company, much less a season. It is much less of an effort to criticize players from the safety and anonymity of the couch in their living room. As I said at the end of my piece, I'm a believer in Crystal..!!
Written July 10th...
"Like most UConn fans, I'm dying to know how good of a player Crystal Dangerfield will turn out to be. I can't resist the urge to compare her with a recent player of her size, talents and position, Moriah Jefferson. Unfortunately, I tend to compare the Crystal we just saw, with the MoJeff we remember. That isn't fair to Dangerfield, because the Jefferson we most remember was a mature All-American winning her 4th straight National Championship. So, let's go back to Moriah's freshman year for a more accurate comparison. The results are very interesting.
1. Games played & started - Mo played all 39 games for UConn her freshman year and started only 2. With her concussion injury, Crystal played in 31 games, but started 6. The total minutes played, however, are very close at 677 for MoJeff and 733 for Crystal. No advantage either way.
2. Points scored - Remarkably, both players scored 73 baskets their freshman seasons. Crystal took slightly more shots (181 to 172), and made more 3s (26 made vs 17 for Mo.) Moriah's overall shooting % was 42%, while Crystal's was 40%. Still very similar. Total points ended up 188 for Crystal and 182 for MoJeff.
3. Assists & steals - Here is where difference between the two players, at least as freshman, appears. Crystal had 114 assists for the season, doing what she does best, pass the ball. MoJeff had 69 her first year. Clear advantage for Dangerfield. However, steals go the other way, with Jefferson getting 52 and Crystal only 29. In the beginning, one was better with the ball, the other at stealing the ball.
4. Rebounds & turnovers- Again the stats are very close. Crystal had 69 boards, while Moriah grabbed 64. Mo had a slight advantage in offensive rebounds 13 to 8. Turnovers are also in Jefferson's favor at 49 for her and 53 for Dangerfield. Close enough to be statistically insignificant, at least to me.
5. Three point shooting & free throws - As mentioned, Crystal was better from beyond the arc. She made 26 of 82 threes for 31.7%. MoJeff was 17-64 or 26.6%. From the free throw line, Moriah was clearly better, making 76% on 19-25 shooting. Crystal struggled from the charity stripe at 59.3% on 16-27 shooting. Of interest, both failed to get to the line much, considering how often they had the ball.
Two conclusions about Crystal seem obvious. The Baylor game showed she can score and indeed, takeover a game if need be. And, the 114 assists as a freshman show she is a brilliant passer. The key to her impact this season will be the improvement in her shooting, both from the field and the free throw line. MoJeff went from 42% shooting as a freshman, to 57% as a sophomore. Crystal will see 900-950 minutes of action, if she stays healthy. Watch for her to step up to the next level, just like MoJeff did. I'm a believer...
Go Crystal and go Huskies..!!
Did you noticed that I called out Stewie when she was in her "I know best how I play" attitude. Her moment of clarity came and the rest is history ... she started listening to Geno and CD. Crystal apparently has finally had her moment of clarity. More than half this board believe and want Crystal to start. Chill! No one is just picking on her. Someone will pick on all of them from time to time. 
Current squad example, please. But it's okay... I'll chill for now.No, she is the only one anyone ever says anything negative about.
Besides... we got bigger fish to fry. They just lost and we have no video evidence to pick apart and cast blame. LOL.No, she is the only one anyone ever says anything negative about.
You must be new to the board. Do your own due diligence and search for posts on each player and determine if the post was positive or negative. Then tally up and determine for yourself if Crystal is the only player being called out. I am sure if I or someone else did it and showed other players were picked upon you probably would doubt our veracity. I believe you will find Kia Nurse has had her share of negative comments. Lou during her slump was called out. Also she was hectored for being only a shooter. Lou had freshman problems with practice intensity. By the way Collier played her freshman year with a torn Labrum in her hip that required surgery with no complaints or anyone making excuses for her. She had her moment of clarity before coming to UCONN and has always practice hard, not always correctly, just really hard. Everyone on this board may hammer this player or that player but every single one of us really, really, really like OUR UCONN girls. Everyone of them! If anyone them gets flack from an outside source, heaven help that source. This board will hammer them relentlessly. Don't think any UCONN girl is unloved by anyone on this board.
Amen sister, Amen! As an educationally challenged over the hill game presiding member, I don't see any one attacking Danger--I love that kid so much (heck I love em all) but Danger is special to me--that I'd willingly take any naysayers of Danger to task.
Dave, you did it again. Your timing could not have been better. In addition to a like, here's 2 thumbs up!! This post should calm some nerves here. I can't understand why folks that are suppose to be hard core UConn fans, are so hard and demanding of Crystal. Most of us are (I guessing) over 55 years old. I know a few are over 70. Crystal was 18 years last season. A freshman coming into what is thought to be the hardest system to learn and play under, for the coach that is also one of the most demanding and difficult to please, and we can't understand that. I wonder how many times she went to bed a night wondering.....What am I doing here?
She said it last year 2 weeks after official practice began. She said (I'm paraphrasing): "Nothing I did or experienced in high school or AAU prepared me for what I'm going through now". Every former UConn player says the same thing: Geno's practices are tough, real tough. Harder than the games. We (the fans) hear that, but it does not register with us. Some of us think that because a freshman come here highly touted, that she is suppose to make the adjustment , flip a switch, and seamlessly meld into the fabric of the program, and should be able to go on the floor and play like she's been in the program for 3 years. It's not going to happen. "NOTHING I did or experienced in high school prepared me for what I'm going through/experiencing now".
I think DavidinNaples said what many of us are really thinking when he wrote (above): Written July 10th...
"Like most UConn fans, I'm dying to know how good of a player Crystal Dangerfield will turn out to be. "I can't resist the urge to compare her with a recent player of her size, talents and position, Moriah Jefferson. Unfortunately, I tend to compare the Crystal we just saw, with the MoJeff we remember. That isn't fair to Dangerfield, because the Jefferson we most remember was a mature All-American winning her 4th straight National Championship. So, let's go back to Moriah's freshman year for a more accurate comparison. The results are very interesting".
Crystal came on right after Mo's departure. She came in so highly touted as the best player in the state of Tennessee. The winner of every award given the the best point guard in the country. Won every thing in sight. We were told she is the second coming. We were bombarded with reports and sports columns about Crystal that we got so deep into the forest, we could n longer see the trees. Crystal was expected to take over where Mo left off. When she didn't, the wolves, nay sayers and critics all came out of the woodwork.
Because of the "non-existent" bench Geno had last year, Dangerfield was put in a very though and unenviable situation. She was thrust into the 6th man spot by default, having to come in and play with the starters, and perform consistently at a very high level. I looked at the expression on her face at times during different games. A deer in head lights look describes it best. A times she looked confident, other times she looked lost, hoping and praying not to make a mistake or doing something to incur Geno's wrath. I can't forget what Gabby said just before the season began her sophomore year (paraphrasing )"Now I'm ready to play. Last year I didn't know what I was doing, now I do. I'm ready to play".
Give the freshmen a year to grow and make the transition from high school to college. Give them a year to learn Geno's system, and get comfortable with playing basketball his way with the best players in the country, which is totally different that what they where use to in high school/AAU. Yes, they will all experience growing pains which is expected. Players learn at different rates. How about we just trust Geno and staff to bring them along as THEY see fit, trust their judgment, and root like hell for them when they are on the floor. How about that?
Molly and Kyla and Saniya at times Nurse and Butler Big time took hits ---none very nice. Danger during the year received a lot of compassion from the BY because of her Concussion and with Geno on her case---the By can be very protective.
But how is that possible when you just joined the board in Feb of '17?
