Megan Walker ready for the next step

[eebmg]

Jeff Jacob's continues his detailed articles of our players.

Doug Bonjour Article.

Megan Walker gets the full treatment

UConn's Walker striding toward the next step


some quotes

“She knows she’s got to get better defensively,” Geno said. “I think the thing that she has spent a lot of time on is being able to go long stretches at a time, to be quick enough to go by people. I think she’s gotten more confidence because of that. … The fact that she’s in phenomenal shape and is able to do things that she couldn’t do last year, that’s a game changer for her.”

These last few weeks, if not months, have been all about transformation and transition for the former No. 1 overall recruit. She is another year older, another year wiser, and is shouldering more responsibility than ever before.

And she’s ready for what’s next.


“What do they say? ‘Preparation meets opportunity.’ We’ve been preparing ever since I got here,” Walker said last month at Geno Auriemma’s charity golf tournament at Hartford Golf Club. “Coach has been preparing me for this moment.”

Walker certainly believes her hard work is paying off.

“I feel like I have an all-around game,” she said. “I can score at all three levels, so just perfecting all of that, it seems probably kind of hard, but I’m used to it by now. Just getting back in the gym with the trainer, working with those things, I feel like it’s helped a lot.”

 

[Sonny44]

Jeff Jacob's continues his detailed articles of our players.

Megan Walker gets the full treatment

UConn's Walker striding toward the next step


some quotes

“She knows she’s got to get better defensively,” Geno said. “I think the thing that she has spent a lot of time on is being able to go long stretches at a time, to be quick enough to go by people. I think she’s gotten more confidence because of that. … The fact that she’s in phenomenal shape and is able to do things that she couldn’t do last year, that’s a game changer for her.”

These last few weeks, if not months, have been all about transformation and transition for the former No. 1 overall recruit. She is another year older, another year wiser, and is shouldering more responsibility than ever before.

And she’s ready for what’s next.


“What do they say? ‘Preparation meets opportunity.’ We’ve been preparing ever since I got here,” Walker said last month at Geno Auriemma’s charity golf tournament at Hartford Golf Club. “Coach has been preparing me for this moment.”

Walker certainly believes her hard work is paying off.

“I feel like I have an all-around game,” she said. “I can score at all three levels, so just perfecting all of that, it seems probably kind of hard, but I’m used to it by now. Just getting back in the gym with the trainer, working with those things, I feel like it’s helped a lot.”

We'll see.

 

[Lawrence]

I think she will, she's in the spotlight...

 

[veryolddog]

Well, it is the old shadow theory. While Briana, Morgan, Mo were in business, Pheesa and KLS took a back seat to the upper classwomen. Now that KLS and Pheesa are gone, the younger star with great potential now steps up. Watch out for CW and CD excell beyond what you have seen. With the additon of the new talent, and a year for ONO, we all may be pleasantly surprised about the growth and skill sets that will be displayed as we watch this Team during the new season.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Alas, this article is a regurge. A bit new but mostly dusting off a June article. When she arrived at Storrs that freshman summer I said to myself 'this kid looks surprisingly soft' for a star. And thus it was. Geno oversold where she'd be last fall. This year I hope he is closer to the mark.

 

[eebmg]

More cynicism than I expected.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Who, me, cynical? Don't mean to be where Meg is concerned. A depth of talent still unmeasured and somewhat unseen. Bit of an enigma to me.

 

[eebmg]

Who, me, cynical? Don't mean to be where Meg is concerned. A depth of talent still unmeasured and somewhat unseen. Bit of an enigma to me.

I just think she is one of those players that will rise to the level that the team needs her to rise. Last year, she was the 4th option and it is hard to turn it on when your mind set is "complementary" player. I think her performance in the Louisville E8 game to me is a good view of what we can expect on a consistent basis but with even more balance inside now that Pheesa is not there anymore.

 

[tchalla1]

More cynicism than I expected.

Thanks for providing the article on Megan--she does look different and shedding the 10+ no doubt will help her greatly ... IMO RockyMTblue is correct in his assessment of Megan being a little "doughy" her freshmen year; however last year, she came into her own--I don't see how she underachieved being that she was UConn's 4th scoring option, and yet averaged 12 and 8 during the NCAA tourney, and became a solid rebounder. Didn't see Geno's oversell of her at all.....

 

[pvdoggy]

 

[uconnever]

Spot on, she is progressing nicely. Don’t know what people expect.

 

[jaundicedeye]

Jeff Jacob's continues his detailed articles of our players.

Great piece. I believe Doug Bonjour wrote it.

 

[tchalla1]

Great piece. I believe Doug Bonjour wrote it.

Yes, I enjoyed the article as well--I am hoping Megan realizes more of her great potential this year. And yes, Bonjour was the author.

 

[Carnac]

Yes, I enjoyed the article as well--I am hoping Megan realizes more of her great potential this year. And yes, Bonjour was the author.

I would enjoy Bonjour doing similar pieces on the entire UConn roster spanning the summer months.

 

[oldude]

I watched Megan play several times in HS. She always had an ability to take over games down the stretch. One of the things I noticed about Megan this past season is that on a number of occasions she would come out and light it up, only to cool off as the game progressed.

I suspected that her streaky shooting was more about fitness than anything else. If Megan has lost 10 lbs and dramatically improved her fitness level, I for one can’t wait to see if that translates into an ability to come out hot and stay hot for the entire game, with the ability to take over games down the stretch once again.

 

[tchalla1]

I watched Megan play several times in HS. She always had an ability to take over games down the stretch. One of the things I noticed about Megan this past season is that on a number of occasions she would come out and light it up, only to cool off as the game progressed.

I suspected that her streaky shooting was more about fitness than anything else. If Megan has lost 10 lbs and dramatically improved her fitness level, I for one can’t wait to see if that translates into an ability to come out hot and stay hot for the entire game, with the ability to take over games down the stretch once again.

Very solid, keen observations, oldude, and I totally agree with them. Lack of Stamina can drain a shooter of her form in the later stages of the game and be the prime reason that the shooter cools off--especially a jump shooter because they lose their legs. Fatigue affects percentage shooting near the rim also, which is possibly why Meg missed so many bunnies down on the block. I am hoping as you pointed out, Meg's improved conditioning and fitness level will alleviate some of her shooting chill offs down the stretch.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I wonder if she's added some arc to her shot.

 

[Alydar]

walker was the most accurate 3pt shooter among the starters and was the 2nd leading rebounder. I thought she stepped up well last season. I think Walker is normally a quiet person and taking on a leadership role will be her toughest task, much like Collier last year.

But like stated somewhere above, ONO, Williams and Walker are uber-talented players who sometimes just watched KLS, Collier and CD (to a lesser degree) run 2 and 3 man offense. There are 1000 shots from KLS & Collier last year that need someone to take them this year.

 

[eebmg]

Great piece. I believe Doug Bonjour wrote it.

Sorry. Just corrected.