Moriah Jefferson

[DavidinNaples]

Imagine you play guard for an opponent facing UConn. You guard Jefferson for the first 10 minutes of the game. She has Geno's "green light" to go fast as she wants. You're exhausted. You breathe easier when she exits the game. Then you notice you're now guarding Banks. She is like Jefferson, only bigger. Your coach switches you to guard Hartley at #2 guard. Geno counters with Chong. She's like Bria, only bigger. You ask to be taken out.....

 

[doggydaddy]

Imagine you play guard for an opponent facing UConn. You guard Jefferson for the first 10 minutes of the game. She has Geno's "green light" to go fast as she wants. You're exhausted. You breathe easier when she exits the game. Then you notice you're now guarding Banks. She is like Jefferson, only bigger. Your coach switches you to guard Hartley at #2 guard. Geno counters with Chong. She's like Bria, only bigger. You ask to be taken out.....

BEGGING to be taken out.

With the lack of "end of the bench" type players, it will truly be "40 'minutes of hell".

What would a reply of mine to you be without a correction. Bria is bigger. Even if Chong is a little taller, she is a skinny kid. Hartley is physically much stronger.

It won't make any opponent feel any better. Chong is going to contribute right away and will not give anyone a break when she comes in.

 

[glenn fisk]

Big,small,short,tall,the opponents won't have to work out in the weight room,they just have to practice or play against our young ladies.

 

[vtcwbuff]

"With the lack of "end of the bench" type players, . . . "

What are the expectations for Pope?

 

[doggydaddy]

"With the lack of "end of the bench" type players, . . . "

What are the expectations for Pope?

I guess I didn't phrase that right.

By "lack" of end of bench players, i meant "few". Actually, one, and that is Pope.

 

[Icebear]

"With the lack of "end of the bench" type players, . . . "

What are the expectations for Pope?

Can't discuss the Pope.

 

[winlots]

Imagine you play guard for an opponent facing UConn. You guard Jefferson for the first 10 minutes of the game. She has Geno's "green light" to go fast as she wants. You're exhausted. You breathe easier when she exits the game. Then you notice you're now guarding Banks. She is like Jefferson, only bigger. Your coach switches you to guard Hartley at #2 guard. Geno counters with Chong. She's like Bria, only bigger. You ask to be taken out.....

DAV: perfect. What a creative but solidly realistic scenario. (Could maybe add that when the kid staggers down to the other end and tries to go inside, she meets two or three of our big guys who promptly snuggle the ball up against her tonsils.)

 

[winlots]

Re the theme of the thread, I'm with those who seem to feel that you just can't pick a "best" out of all the top flight players we've been blessed to have. I go back to the old Williams/DiMag analogy: at a certain level, you just about have to lump the superstars all in "top tier" and let it go at that (other than the fun of arguing the fine points of differences in their play).

 

[DavidinNaples]

Imagine you play guard for an opponent facing UConn. You guard Jefferson for the first 10 minutes of the game. She has Geno's "green light" to go fast as she wants. You're exhausted. You breathe easier when she exits the game. Then you notice you're now guarding Banks. She is like Jefferson, only bigger. Your coach switches you to guard Hartley at #2 guard. Geno counters with Chong. She's like Bria, only bigger. You ask to be taken out.....

...your coach says "no". You stagger back to your position. Their lead is now double digits. You bring the ball up court, summoning every last ounce of energy and drive the lane. You pass their guard, you see the basket, you're gonna score!! You release a high, arcing floater..... You see a large hand, then hear a "smack" as the ball disappears from view. Where did that come from...?? Oh yeah, the one they call Stewie... then you realize the ball is still in play. She blocked it to one of her own players, they fire a long pass, to your man, for the lay up.... You feign injury....

 

[doggydaddy]

...your coach says "no". You stagger back to your position. Their lead is now double digits. You bring the ball up court, summoning every last ounce of energy and drive the lane. You pass their guard, you see the basket, you're gonna score!! You release a high, arcing floater..... You see a large hand, then hear a "smack" as the ball disappears from view. Where did that come from...?? Oh yeah, the one they call Stewie... then you realize the ball is still in play. She blocked it to one of her own players, they fire a long pass, to your man, for the lay up.... You feign injury....

And this all in the first 5 minutes of the game.

 

[John Glass]

Imagine you play guard for an opponent facing UConn. You guard Jefferson for the first 10 minutes of the game. She has Geno's "green light" to go fast as she wants. You're exhausted. You breathe easier when she exits the game. Then you notice you're now guarding Banks. She is like Jefferson, only bigger. Your coach switches you to guard Hartley at #2 guard. Geno counters with Chong. She's like Bria, only bigger. You ask your coach if you can play zone.....

corrected

 

[pinotbear]

Can't discuss the Pope.

can we still make fun of that goofy-lookin' hat?!

 

[vtcwbuff]

Re the theme of the thread, I'm with those who seem to feel that you just can't pick a "best" out of all the top flight players we've been blessed to have. I go back to the old Williams/DiMag analogy: at a certain level, you just about have to lump the superstars all in "top tier" and let it go at that (other than the fun of arguing the fine points of differences in their play).

Winlots - I guess I'm one who has no problem picking the best PG ever to play at UConn. Sue Bird, no contest. Best basketball player, Maya Moore, no contest.
Best basketball playa', Diana Taurasi, no contest. Best center ever, Tina Charles, no contest.

 

[Geno-ista]

I think Bria Hartley will be our starting point guard with MJ backing her up. Moriah will however see plenty of playing time.

I would think Brianna Banks may be playing some point also with Mo Jef. I would think Geno would like to move Hartley to shooting guard as soon as he thinks he can. As always I could be wrong!

 

[Geno-ista]

At this point I don't know, but I do know the starting job won't be handed to her and IMO Hartley is a better point guard. The fifth starter? Could and should be Banks if healthy, could be Tuck or Chong. Or, Hartley could play the two with MJ starting.

I think Hartley will be shooting guard and Mo Jef will start/ share point with Banks. Tuck will spell Dolson and Stewie. When KML is out, Hartley, Stewie or Chong can play the three, and Tuck can take Stewie's spot if needed. Geno's got more options than he knows what to do with them this yr. I hope Banks still has most of her quickness and first step intact after injury!!!

 

[VAMike23]

From what I have seen and recall Geno saying, he really sees Banks as much more of a 2-guard.

Unless he decided to both: (A) go with a really big lineup, so that KML is at the 2; and (B) put BB out there as the only pure guard, I don't see any kind of lineup that would feature BB as the primary ball-handler this year outside of end-of-game situations where she and Chong happen to be on the floor together. Even then it seems to me that Chong would handle the ball as much or more than BB. This is no knock on BB; I love her game and she is REALLY fun to watch.

OTOH, Geno has said a number of times that he sees Moriah as naturally having a point guard mentality. She wants that, she is used to that, her skill set is suited for that and she wants to lead on the floor. Not only that, but she earned at least a stripe or two for the Huskies in that role already--with some ups and some downs along the way, as any freshman PG is bound to have.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I see Banks as a shooting guard-wing- slash to the basket player...she has not looked comfortable(indeed, she has looked uncomfortable)at point.

 

[Phil]

"With the lack of "end of the bench" type players, . . . "

What are the expectations for Pope?

Infallibility

 

[meyers7]

What are the expectations for Pope?

From this article awhile back.

"Just even to have another body will be good, and she can play," Ralph said. "Don't leave her open. She can shoot. In that one individual (workout) we had with her, I think she shot like 60 percent from the 3-point line. Some of my guards don't do that so I was like, 'Alright, I think we can use her.'"

http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2012/12/10/sports/uconn/689390.txt

 

[DavidinNaples]

Just to review....the last player on the UConn bench is a kid with a great attitude, who wants to "accept any role on the team", led her other team in scoring and rebounds as a freshman, was All-New England as a sophomore, shot 60% from 3 pt stripe during her tryout with Shea Ralph and is a life time fan of UConn basketball..... wow..!!

 

[60'sfan]

Winlots - I guess I'm one who has no problem picking the best PG ever to play at UConn. Sue Bird, no contest. Best basketball player, Maya Moore, no contest.
Best basketball playa', Diana Taurasi, no contest. Best center ever, Tina Charles, no contest.

I agree with your post but I would word it a little differently. Sue Bird, best PG, Tina Charles, best center, Maya Moore, most talented player ever, Diana Taurasi, best player ever. Two changes could be made by then end of the next three years. Moriah could be come the best guard. She is quicker than Sue and may already be a better defender. Plus Breanna Stewart could become the best center ever.

 

[Forty_four]

Just to review....the last player on the UConn bench is a kid with a great attitude, who wants to "accept any role on the team", led her other team in scoring and rebounds as a freshman, was All-New England as a sophomore, shot 60% from 3 pt stripe during her tryout with Shea Ralph and is a life time fan of UConn basketball..... wow..!!

She is a walk on, comming off surgery, try to keep the expectations in check.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I agree with your post but I would word it a little differently. Sue Bird, best PG, Tina Charles, best center, Maya Moore, most talented player ever, Diana Taurasi, best player ever. Two changes could be made by then end of the next three years. Moriah could be come the best guard. She is quicker than Sue and may already be a better defender. Plus Breanna Stewart could become the best center ever.

She(BS) is not a "center" in the Tina sense, or any sense for that matter...

 

[DavidinNaples]

She is a walk on, comming off surgery, try to keep the expectations in check.

There were no "expectations" in my post....just interesting facts from the article posted by meyers... I also called her "the last player on the UConn bench"...but I agree we should wait and see how she does when she plays...

 

[Vowelguy]

Moriah has great potential. But you're talking stratosphere when you mention Bird, Taursai, Rizzotti, Renee, Sales.