LSU Game Thread

[Sluconn Husky]

I don't think pace has anything to do with it. She is missing wide open threes. However, she is a shooter just as Ekmark is and shooters need to shoot. They both averaged double figures in shot attempts in high school. Until they start shooting that much in college, don't expect their accuracy to improve much.

KLS is shooting more 3's per minute played so far than KML did for her career. If anything, I think she's taking too many. She became more of a factor tonight when she got involved elsewhere.

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't think pace has anything to do with it. She is missing wide open threes. However, she is a shooter just as Ekmark is and shooters need to shoot. They both averaged double figures in shot attempts in high school. Until they start shooting that much in college, don't expect their accuracy to improve much.

Agree, KLS is missing way to many open 3 Point shots for any level of basketball at this point IMO. Even if she were playing at the YMCA and missing that many open 3s would make you wonder. Since she is at UCONN it is magnified and bound to show up in future opponent game plans as it did for Moriah Jefferson for the better part of two years.

 

[WestCoastFan]

KLS is shooting more 3's per minute played so far than KML did for her career. If anything, I think she's taking too many. She became more of a factor tonight when she got involved elsewhere.

Totally agree. Once she "drinks the kool-aid" and completely buys into the fact she doesn't need to just shoot 3s, she'll be fine. She's not KML...time to give it up. You can tell there are moments when she realizes she can do so much more...then others when she falls back into the "easy way out." Lots of upside there. Phesse gets it...must have drunk the Choo-Choo Cherry.

 

[pvdoggy]

KLS is shooting more 3's per minute played so far than KML did for her career. If anything, I think she's taking too many. She became more of a factor tonight when she got involved elsewhere.

One thing I heard/read before is that KML shot is always online, so when she missed it is usually a little short or a little long, not left or right. KLS misses so far seem left, right, short, long, no real pattern. However the rest of her game is very solid, excellent passer, decent rebounder, better defender than a lot of people give her credit for. Beside scoring I think KLS overall game as a freshman is more advanced than KLM at the same point.

 

[CocoHusky]

The Box score has collier with 6 blocks which I believe to be incorrect. She blocked a shot on the baseline near the end of the game which was not recorded. Still 6 blocks is pretty badass!

 

[Kaizen]

The Box score has collier with 6 blocks which I believe to be incorrect. She blocked a shot on the baseline near the end of the game which was not recorded. Still 6 blocks is pretty badass!

She has 12 rebs, 4 stls. 7 blks and 7 pts...... awesome

 

[ctfjr]

Does Lou actually hit 3 pointers in practice? She's been inaccurate this year and I wonder why Geno gives her the green light if her shooting is not good...

We watched her warm up. She nailed about 10 in a row.

 

[todbo]

Anyone under the age of 60 at the game tonight?

Eliminate us codgers and crones and the fans would rattle around like beans in a maraca.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Bent and Irwin were sitting behind the UConn bench.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Bent and Irwin were sitting behind the UConn bench.

Hopefully that rant by Geno at Ek just before halftime doesn't scare them away. I thought Geno was gonna go full loco on her complete with throbbing vein. During the Geno Show after the game, they showed Geno ripping into Mo pretty good at a recent practice, so I guess no one is immune.

 

[MilfordHusky]

One thing I heard/read before is that KML shot is always online, so when she missed it is usually a little short or a little long, not left or right. KLS misses so far seem left, right, short, long, no real pattern. However the rest of her game is very solid, excellent passer, decent rebounder, better defender than a lot of people give her credit for. Beside scoring I think KLS overall game as a freshman is more advanced than KLM at the same point.

KML almost never shot off-line. Actually, most of Lou's misses have been on-line too.

 

[hoophuskee]

KLS is shooting more 3's per minute played so far than KML did for her career. If anything, I think she's taking too many. She became more of a factor tonight when she got involved elsewhere.

I don't agree with how you are coming up with your conclusion. She may very well be shooting more 3's per minute but 1st off KML still took many more 3's. She averaged 7 3's a game vs KLS's 4.5 3's per game. And more importantly - KLS is taking more 3's per minute BECAUSE SHE CAN. We would have loved to have given KML more shots - but she was limited due to her size and quickness.

This is KLS's strength at 6'3 on the perimeter she can get off a good shot any time she wants. As for several of her other 2 point baskets a lot have to do with either fast breaks which she has a layup or fastbreak when the lane isn't clogged she can get in the lane when an opponent runs out without proper defensive integrity/balance.

I'm pretty excited about KLS in terms of -- if before the start of the season if you were to tell me the worst part of her game has been the outside 3pt shot - I'd say "sign me up" because eventually a kid that prolific in high school who can get off a good look shot anytime she wants (because her teammates of BS, MT and MJ are so awesome) will eventually drain the shot. She just can't go in a shell - but how many freshmen in the history of UCONN never go into a shell for a certain amount of time? It's unrealistic.

I am so looking forward to see if "the Big 3" of Gabby, NC and KLS can pretty consistently hit outside shots this year. For GW and NC - a mid-range game. For KLS - knock down the 3. For example, I get more excited when I see GW and NC stick jump shots vs their "athletic plays." The really really good teams - who can possibly play UCONN tough aren't going to let these three beat them consistently with points around the basket (unless we beat them in transition for layups.). I can't wait to see each of these kids get their outside shots down. OFC we can win - without it. But I'm a FAN. And as a fan I'm excited to see how consistent they can become this year from the outside (among other things.). It's one of the things I can't wait to watch and see if it happens over the course of the season. This "development" would be awesome. When it does - if it does- our team jumps to another exponential level depending on the player and the efficiency.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I don't agree with how you are coming up with your conclusion. She may very well be shooting more 3's per minute but 1st off KML still took many more 3's. She averaged 7 3's a game vs KLS's 4.5 3's per game. And more importantly - KLS is taking more 3's per minute BECAUSE SHE CAN. We would haveloved to have given KML more shots - btu she was limited due to her size and quickness.

KML averaged 29 minutes per game for her career; Lou is averaging 18 minutes per game thus far. If you extrapolate KLS is averaging a higher shot rate than KML. And I don't agree with the reasons for why each took their respective shots. KML mostly took shots in rhythm, off screens, off passes when open, etc. KLS is forcing some bad shots as well as missing some open ones. The thing to note is that she is a freshmen so shot selection will theoretically improve with time.

 

[hoophuskee]

KLS is shooting more 3's per minute played so far than KML did for her career. If anything, I think she's taking too many. She became more of a factor tonight when she got involved elsewhere.

I

KML averaged 29 minutes per game for her career; Lou is averaging 18 minutes per game thus far. If you extrapolate KLS is averaging a higher shot rate than KML. And I don't agree with the reasons for why each took their respective shots. KML mostly took shots in rhythm, off screens, off passes when open, etc. KLS is forcing some bad shots as well as missing some open ones. The thing to note is that she is a freshmen so shot selection will theoretically improve with time.

IMO it is more relevant to to talk frosh vs frosh.

AS stated - and we can agree to disagree my friend. But I think you are way off-base with KLS. Those are fine shots from KLS and in rhythm. And not only will KLS's shot selection increase AND improve in time- so will her scoring efficiency from 3.

KML took her shots more when she was wide open as stated because she was shorter, less quick and slower. That's the only way she can get off her shot. This is what makes the potential future KLS so much more. A 6'3 "shooter" that can hit from anywhere on the floor. Not hitting now- but expect she will at some point. KLS has greater potential to be a greater scorer because her length on the perimeter. Very few bigs her size are accustomed to guarding a KLS. But many can guard a KML. We had to work a lot more in half court sets for KML.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

IMO it is more relevant to to talk frosh vs frosh.

AS stated - and we can agree to disagree my friend. But I think you are way off-base with KLS. Those are fine shots from KLS and in rhythm.

Her 3-pt rate is still higher than Mosqueda-Lewis' freshmen rate. Again, Lou is not suffering from a lack of 3-pt shot attempts.

But we do disagree on shot selection. Even some of KLS' makes have been with defenders very close, simply shooting over them.

KML took her shots more when she was wide open as stated because she was shorter, less quick and slower. That's the only way she can get off her shot.

I'd suggest she took higher quality 3's than what KLS has thus far because she---KML---had a high basketball IQ and a great shooter's IQ. She rarely forced shots, particularly after her first year. KLS has time to work these issues out.

 

[Bestiarius]

Didnt see the play that Geno was upset with Ekmark on. I know the LSU player made a 3 pointer but did Ekmark get picked off, or not hustle out to her?

Ekmark left her man on the perimeter to help defend the player with the ball in close. The ball went out to Ekmark's wide open assignment for the 3. Even worse, the player Ekmark went to help on had her back to Ekmark, thus there was no possibility of effective help. Thus the instant lesson from Geno.

 

[hoophuskee]

Her 3-pt rate is still higher than Mosqueda-Lewis' freshmen rate. Again, Lou is not suffering from a lack of 3-pt shot attempts.

But we do disagree on shot selection. Even some of KLS' makes have been with defenders very close, simply shooting over them.



I'd suggest she took higher quality 3's than what KLS has thus far because she---KML---had a high basketball IQ and a great shooter's IQ. She rarely forced shots, particularly after her first year. KLS has time to work these issues out.

What you define as "very close" I say it's not that close that the defender affected her shot. Stewie takes som shots with defenders "very close" to her too. She has since her frosh year. The fact that KLS can get the shot off and the defender in many many cases this year hasn't affected her imo makes the point of the defender being "relatively close" moot. Steve Kerr took a lot more great shots than many all-star caliber players. Problem was he couldn't get off enough of them and he is considered one of the game's greatest shooters ever.

I don't agree at all that KML had a better basketball IQ when we compare frosh vs frosh. Nor do I agree with "the greater shooter IQ" comment if we refer to frosh vs frosh also. KML "rarely forced shots" because she couldn't get off good ones if someone was relatively close. Players like Stewie and the potential of KLS - they have length and unless the defender is in their chest - they aren't really going to affect their shot. At this point - other teams guarding KLS have no need get into her chest - thus the shots she is taking are fine. You NEVER had to be that close for someone like KML in order to bother her shot. Because KML NEEDED more space to get off her shot. That doesn't make her "better" or "smarter." IMO it makes her more like Steve Kerr i.e. more limited.

KLS just needs to knock down the good looks she is getting. The rest will fall into place.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Because KML NEEDED more space to get off her shot. That doesn't make her "better" or "smarter." IMO it makes her more like Steve Kerr i.e. more limited.

She wasn't too limited considering she was one of the most efficient scores in WNCAA history. I think finding the best shots and knowing when to shoot are attributes of great shooters. KML was very patient and smart. Samuelson will often take more difficult shots. I saw it with team USA last year. But she has a habit of making a lot of those. Right now she's hardly making any.

 

[hoophuskee]

She wasn't too limited considering she was one of the most efficient scores in WNCAA history. I think finding the best shots and knowing when to shoot are attributes of great shooters. KML was very patient and smart. Samuelson will often take more difficult shots. I saw it with team USA last year. But she has a habit of making a lot of those. Right now she's hardly making any.

Again - the same thing can be said about Steve Kerr. He was extremely efficient too-one of the most ever. KML certainly was limited. By "limited" it doesn't mean however she is "Pulido." There are degrees of limitation. Anyhow, if she wasn't, then instead of running the ball through Dolson in halfcourt sets as the "primary" - the offense would have been run through "one of the most efficient scores in WNCAA history." And again - yes KLS will take more "difficult shots" in a manner of speaking - because she can due to her size. That's a reason why height matters so much.

Right now she isn't making them but there is no reason this early in the season to think she won't because she has hit the shots prior. She'll take "tougher shots" just as Stewie will because she has the capability/size to hit them. KML needed more space. Needed more picks etc. Geno had said Dolson was one of the best he ever had setting picks. Perfect for KML.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Again - the same thing can be said about Steve Kerr. He was extremely efficient too-one of the most ever. KML certainly was limited. By "limited" it doesn't mean however she is "Pulido." There are degrees of limitation. Anyhow, if she wasn't, then instead of running the ball through Dolson in halfcourt sets as the "primary" - the offense would have been run through "one of the most efficient scores in WNCAA history." And again - yes KLS will take more "difficult shots" in a manner of speaking - because she can due to her size. That's a reason why height matters so much.

Right now she isn't making them but there is no reason this early in the season to think she won't because she has hit the shots prior. She'll take "tougher shots" just as Stewie will because she has the capability/size to hit them. KML needed more space. Needed more picks etc. Geno had said Dolson was one of the best he ever had setting picks. Perfect for KML.

Come on hoophuskee. Kerr was a role player, a spot-up shooter. KML was certainly far more than that, one of the best offensive players in the country her healthy sophomore and senior seasons. KML could take people off the dribble, occasionally post up, hit turn-arounds and floaters. Did Kerr ever do those things? She knew how to find, what were for her, high percentage shots in the right places.

 

[iri10]

I suspect Geno thinks it's worth having KLS take more shots than would otherwise be the norm, with the hope of restoring some reliability to it. You have to figure that if she does get it going (t0 40% or more), that will increase the potency of UConn's offense. The opposing team will have to guard her closely when she's out beyond the 3 - perhaps even with a forward - and that will open up additional things in the interior.

That's what KML brought even though she was otherwise not much of a shot creator (against potent defensive teams, anyway).

 

[CocoHusky]

Hopefully that rant by Geno at Ek just before halftime doesn't scare them away. I thought Geno was gonna go full loco on her complete with throbbing vein. During the Geno Show after the game, they showed Geno ripping into Mo pretty good at a recent practice, so I guess no one is immune.

Geno has been occasionally ripping into his best player since he was coaching HS basketball. We (Fans) get too caught up in that sometimes. The most important think is that the player understands that they have not met a UCONN standard. Courtney certainly understood, she made the correction and had her best half in a UCONN uniform immediately after. If that is what scares Molly and Kayla away from Geno, then they were not going to last very long at UCONN anyway.

 

[CocoHusky]

I suspect Geno thinks it's worth having KLS take more shots than would otherwise be the norm, with the hope of restoring some reliability to it. You have to figure that if she does get it going (t0 40% or more), that will increase the potency of UConn's offense. The opposing team will have to guard her closely when she's out beyond the 3 - perhaps even with a forward - and that will open up additional things in the interior.

That's what KML brought even though she was otherwise not much of a shot creator (against potent defensive teams, anyway).

KLS is never going to have less defensive attention than she has now while sharing the floor with Stewie & MoJet.
The UCONN offensive has never been dependent on any individual player being a "shot creator"-except maybe DT senior year. The offensive is dependent on ball movement, spacing, and read and react. There was never a need for KML to be a "shot creator" because the offense provided plenty of shots for her. Enough shots in fact for KML to lead the team in scoring as a Freshmen. The offense is providing enough open shots for KLS. KLS needs to knock down a higher percentage of her open shots because these open shots only become harder next year and will matter much more.

 

[iri10]

KLS is never going to have less defensive attention than she has now while sharing the floor with Stewie & MoJet.
The UCONN offensive has never been dependent on any individual player being a "shot creator"-except maybe DT senior year. The offensive is dependent on ball movement, spacing, and read and react. There was never a need for KML to be a "shot creator" because the offense provided plenty of shots for her. Enough shots in fact for KML to lead the team in scoring as a Freshmen. The offense is providing enough open shots for KLS. KLS needs to knock down a higher percentage of her open shots because these open shots only become harder next year and will matter much more.

I'm not sure we disagree; I think we're talking about two separate, yet complimentary things. KML drew a lot of defensive attention even without dynamically creating her own shot, because she was so darned good at shooting. Her mere presence on the court therefore added additional complexity to the defensive assignments of UConn's opponents. There was no "safe" range with her - no distance from the basket where you could sag off her and be in position to help defend against things happening closer to the basket.

Having a player who is so dangerous from range allows forces the defense to space itself more widely to defend against that player, plus the other 3pt shooters. The result is that KML made everyone else's offense more potent, even as their own play helped give her so many great opportunities to take her 3s (plus do some work inside when appropriate).

That is what I suspect Geno wouldn't mind seeing from KLS, even if she won't ever get quite to KML's crazy shooting percentages. Don't get me wrong - he also wants her to do everything else well. But that includes the 3, which is why KLS continues to shoot at high volume. If Geno didn't want that, he'd put a stop to it easily enough.

 

[hoophuskee]

Come on hoophuskee. Kerr was a role player, a spot-up shooter. KML was certainly far more than that, one of the best offensive players in the country her healthy sophomore and senior seasons. KML could take people off the dribble, occasionally post up, hit turn-arounds and floaters. Did Kerr ever do those things? She knew how to find, what were for her, high percentage shots in the right places.

C'mon Slu we are talking college ball. Kerr was an amazing shooter in college ball and averaged 14.4 his junior year. KML could NOT take people off the dribble her frosh year. You are going to use rare examples when she playing "Cincinatti" as a case in point? KML WAS a super-great shooter. Her jr year and sr year her offense began to evolve more. For Kerr to average 14.4 per game are you saying it was all on 3's? IMO what you are doing is loking at Kerr's pro career and not looking at KML's pro but looking at her college.

What post ups did KML do her frosh year? You're going to use a rare instance as a case in point?

If you gave Kerr in college all-star supreme players - in which for example you have someone like Stewart who may very well be a supreme great of all time, and you gave Kerr a superstar pg, a superstar center etc - you don't think in college he wouldn't have looked awesome? You realize he helped his team get to the final four his senior year, right? While KML had other things she was able to do by her senior year- let's not overdue what KML was as a frosh.

While you are on KLS for taking so many 3's per minute, sure she can be better ----as any frosh could. But KLS doesn't have KML's "luxury" of having many minutes with an opportunity to shoot from all over. The idea for KLS is to get the ball to BS and MT. , thus she will have limited chances to shoot. And who were the big scorers that KML should get the ball to when she was a frosh?

And here is further info on Kerr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fwxwgd8hzw

With one minute into the youtube it- see the yotutube video. You spoke of “floaters’ etc that KML can do but Kerr couldn't. You can see what Kerr could do driving in the lane with a scoop type of shot. He got on the team in the World Championships. Highly doubt he was just a 3 pt shooter in college especially when you see stats from below. But he and KML basically that is what they are great at - shooting. The other stuff "they get by." Isolated plays here or there doesn’t change that.


http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/arizona/1988.html


And here the link above you can see on that terrific 35-3 Final Four Team AZ Team Kerr, led his team in assists. So yeah Kerr could hit floaters. He could have benefited big time playing off the ball a lot more too. KML couldn’t be the pg so KML posting” later in her career it’s a wash. Because overall KML is superior college player – they are more of the same. KLS – her size lends itself to a much much higher ceiling. Basically, Kerr and KML are not “floater” types. They showed they can on occasion do different things. But basically they are shooters that need space.