Molly Bent vs. SMU: 5 A / 0 TO in 9 Minutes

[JoePgh]

Not to mention 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 points on a very nice fast break runout.

By contrast, Saniya -- the reigning master of the A/TO ratio -- had 7 assists and 0 turnovers in 35 minutes. So Molly's "assist efficiency" was amazing.

As I've been saying for a while, this player has all the skills. Her shot (reportedly reliable in practice, as it was in high school) is failing her in games, no doubt because of nerves and a personality that is prone to overthinking. But sooner or later she will overcome that problem.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to hold her own against the freshman studs who are arriving next year, primarily Coombs and Gordon at her position. We tend to assume that heralded freshmen will not have any "freshman issues" until they invariably do.

I would not bet against Molly, even next year.

 

[NewCorn]

In an unrelated matter, Crystal Dangerfield had 0 pts and 0 assists in 14 minutes.

 

[BigBird]

Not to mention 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 points on a very nice fast break runout.

By contrast, Saniya -- the reigning master of the A/TO ratio -- had 7 assists and 0 turnovers in 35 minutes. So Molly's "assist efficiency" was amazing.

As I've been saying for a while, this player has all the skills. Her shot (reportedly reliable in practice, as it was in high school) is failing her in games, no doubt because of nerves and a personality that is prone to overthinking. But sooner or later she will overcome that problem.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to hold her own against the freshman studs who are arriving next year, primarily Coombs and Gordon at her position. We tend to assume that heralded freshmen will not have any "freshman issues" until they invariably do.

I would not bet against Molly, even next year.

Nice post! Totally agree. Molly just needs to stay the course. She will be fine. Our incoming freshmen may displace veteran players. It can happen (as with Kia), but it isn't typically expected. I like what I see from her. And yes, the shooter's yips needs to get fixed.

 

[msf22b]

Molly looked composed and comfortable for the first time
She might even get some playing time tomorrow

For Crystal Dangerfield, it was not a great game
Dog House= motivator?
Moriah went through the same thing her first year.

Can't even begin to speculate what's going on (and don't want to try).

 

[BroadwayVa]

Not to mention 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 points on a very nice fast break runout.

By contrast, Saniya -- the reigning master of the A/TO ratio -- had 7 assists and 0 turnovers in 35 minutes. So Molly's "assist efficiency" was amazing.

As I've been saying for a while, this player has all the skills. Her shot (reportedly reliable in practice, as it was in high school) is failing her in games, no doubt because of nerves and a personality that is prone to overthinking. But sooner or later she will overcome that problem.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to hold her own against the freshman studs who are arriving next year, primarily Coombs and Gordon at her position. We tend to assume that heralded freshmen will not have any "freshman issues" until they invariably do.

I would not bet against Molly, even next year.

Amen, brother Amen---Thanks for the good words for a nice young woman. I've said this all season--she has the skills, she has the smarts , she lacks Kyla's confidence---Kyla just does--Molly thinks then does---if she just reacts with her God given talent and brain--she''d rack up big numbers and work her way into the first, second or third off the bench.
I'm a Molly lover--some of my postings don't sound that way--because I see what you have seen--she has everything required to do the job--except --playing the game as it evolves--and not "what would coach want me to do here" The day she can say ; Geno stick it--(to her self of course) that day she'll become a Uconn player.

 

[pspr11]

I feel that the last quarter kids are starting to Trust each other and are starting to play as a team. They are,getting it!

 

[Kibitzer]

Not to mention 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 points on a very nice fast break runout.
As I've been saying for a while, this player has all the skills. Her shot (reportedly reliable in practice, as it was in high school) is failing her in games, no doubt because of nerves and a personality that is prone to overthinking. But sooner or later she will overcome that problem.
I would not bet against Molly, even next year.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill(!):

"It may not mean the beginning of the end. . . but perhaps it is the end of the beginning."​

 

[Gus Mahler]

Amen, brother Amen---Thanks for the good words for a nice young woman. I've said this all season--she has the skills, she has the smarts , she lacks Kyla's confidence---Kyla just does--Molly thinks then does---if she just reacts with her God given talent and brain--she''d rack up big numbers and work her way into the first, second or third off the bench.
I'm a Molly lover--some of my postings don't sound that way--because I see what you have seen--she has everything required to do the job--except --playing the game as it evolves--and not "what would coach want me to do here" The day she can say ; Geno stick it--(to her self of course) that day she'll become a Uconn player.

I like your post.

 

[MilfordHusky]

In an unrelated matter, Crystal Dangerfield had 0 pts and 0 assists in 14 minutes.

Crystal Dangerfield had some nice set-up passes after which someone else got the assist.

 

[Bedford fan]

Not to mention 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 points on a very nice fast break runout.

By contrast, Saniya -- the reigning master of the A/TO ratio -- had 7 assists and 0 turnovers in 35 minutes. So Molly's "assist efficiency" was amazing.

As I've been saying for a while, this player has all the skills. Her shot (reportedly reliable in practice, as it was in high school) is failing her in games, no doubt because of nerves and a personality that is prone to overthinking. But sooner or later she will overcome that problem.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether she will be able to hold her own against the freshman studs who are arriving next year, primarily Coombs and Gordon at her position. We tend to assume that heralded freshmen will not have any "freshman issues" until they invariably do.

I would not bet against Molly, even next year.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Crystal Dangerfield had some nice set-up passes after which someone else got the assist.

She did have a couple of 'hockey' assists; victimized (if you can say that) by the extra pass mentality.

 

[Bedford fan]

I love this team and this board but I am not so much into magical thinking. Agreed, Crystal Dangerfield was in another time zone yesterday. But to compare Molly to Sania and Dangerfield is absurd. And if she plays against SC our women are either twenty up or twenty down. A few minutes in 4th quarter junk is meaningless for comparison.
Like many of you I have been around a lot of D1 players. They, unlike many of the posters are quite realistic about skill, talent and physicality. The new group of guards are studs. One of them is a Mac All American. They won't sit for long.
Same thing for six foot front court players who were not gifted with major speed or hops. It's no shame to reach your limit but there are going to be 4 players ahead of Kyla next season. She is smart and from a basketball family, she knows the way it works.

 

[JoePgh]

But to compare Molly to Sania and Dangerfield is absurd.

I've asked this question of you and other Molly detractors three or four times now, and I have never gotten a specific answer. Just exactly what is the deficiency in athletic ability that you see in her? With Kyla Irwin, it's easy to see that she lacks foot speed and leaping ability. But what is it that Molly lacks in comparison (say) to Saniya? It's not foot speed -- in the practice I watched a couple of months ago, Molly was easily outrunning Saniya on full-court sprints. Shooting form? Molly shoots from over her head, whereas Saniya releases at shoulder height in a set shot, and needs to be completely open (no one in 15 feet) to get it off. Is Saniya's ball handling superior to Molly's? Her decision-making?

And that is comparing senior Saniya to freshman Molly. If you compared freshman Saniya to freshman Molly, the only advantage Saniya would have would be in shooting accuracy -- in every other dimension, Molly would be better.

I agree that Crystal's talent is at another level in comparison to either Molly or Saniya. Gordon and especially Coombs may be close to Crystal in talent, but probably not quite that good. And just as Crystal is now having freshman issues, so (probably) will Gordon and Coombs. By next year, Molly should be past hers.

If basketball were just a matter of raw athletic ability, lots of people (starting with Larry Bird) would not be very good. Fortunately, that is not the case.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Molly looked composed and comfortable for the first time
She might even get some playing time tomorrow

For Crystal Dangerfield, it was not a great game
Dog House= motivator?
Moriah went through the same thing her first year.

Can't even begin to speculate what's going on (and don't want to try).

Crystal didn't rack up the Baylor game numbers---but with her concussion and foot issues--her minutes were good. She didn't screwup
She played pretty fair D. And handled the passing and the ball well. For a kid who has been doing a lot of bench warming and is a bit rusty --she did OK. The bow wow home works with some kids--others not so well. CD has an ego (don't we all) and knows she is among the best--

 

[iamcbs]

I've asked this question of you and other Molly detractors three or four times now, and I have never gotten a specific answer. Just exactly what is the deficiency in athletic ability that you see in her? With Kyla Irwin, it's easy to see that she lacks foot speed and leaping ability. But what is it that Molly lacks in comparison (say) to Saniya? It's not foot speed -- in the practice I watched a couple of months ago, Molly was easily outrunning Saniya on full-court sprints. Shooting form? Molly shoots from over her head, whereas Saniya releases at shoulder height in a set shot, and needs to be completely open (no one in 15 feet) to get it off. Is Saniya's ball handling superior to Molly's? Her decision-making?

And that is comparing senior Saniya to freshman Molly. If you compared freshman Saniya to freshman Molly, the only advantage Saniya would have would be in shooting accuracy -- in every other dimension, Molly would be better.

I agree that Crystal's talent is at another level in comparison to either Molly or Saniya. Gordon and especially Coombs may be close to Crystal in talent, but probably not quite that good. And just as Crystal is now having freshman issues, so (probably) will Gordon and Coombs. By next year, Molly should be past hers.

If basketball were just a matter of raw athletic ability, lots of people (starting with Larry Bird) would not be very good. Fortunately, that is not the case.

Molly Bent doesn't lack anything required to be successful at Connecticut. She's a freshman and adjusting to playing for the #1 team and most demanding coach in the country and that isn't easy. She's thinking the game instead of just playing the game and that's easily recognizable. She's just got to get to that point where she just goes out and plays. Kyla has already reached that point mentally, when she gets in the game she just cuts it loose. Molly is trying to be too fine, she'll be okay and a major contributor.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I thought that Molly took a nice step forward on Saturday. She plays well with Kyla, her classmate.