Moriah Jefferson

[Sonny44]

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

We'll see about that after Stef leaves, eh?

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

No...she is just more than a "center"...period

Have you sseen her play?

 

[vtcwbuff]

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...

But you have to temper the interesting facts with the fact that she was playing D3 ball.

 

[vtcwbuff]

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.

Quick is good, but I haven't seen her demonstrate the composure that Bird possesses. IMO Bird had an abundance of the most important PG trait - ice water in the veins. There are only a handful of UConn players that I can think off that was as unflappable come crunch time.

I think I'll give Jefferson another year or two to show what she can do before I crown her Bird's successor. She'll need to find an outside shot before that will happen.

Breanna Stewart is not and will not be a center. Dolson's replacement at center could well be Kiah Stokes.

 

[Geno-ista]

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.

Good Points VA Mike- I hope Chong can handle the ball really well. We know she can score!

 

[Geno-ista]

This.

I am expecting Jefferson to have the keys to the Ferrari next year.

I think you are right!

 

[Vowelguy]

Breanna Stewart is not and will not be a center. Dolson's replacement at center could well be Kiah Stokes.

And if Stokes isn't up to it? Who plays center, Tuck?

 

[Icebear]

And if Stokes isn't up to it? Who plays center, Tuck?

Yes, she did this year numerous times.

 

[DavidinNaples]

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.'"

Hey vtcw and forty-four.....which one of you is gonna call Shea Ralph and have her "temper" her "expectations" about Pope? She thinks Pope can "play" and "shoot". And UConn "can use her." Maybe you can remind her it was just D3.....why don't we just trust Shea and Geno for now and see what Pope can do when she gets to play....

 

[Icebear]

David, I think you over extend Shea's comment in tone and expectation. 60% in one practice doesn't mean a lot other than a kid can shoot and may have a usable skill. Steve Kerr had a career with one key skill and Ray Allen continues to extend his with that same one essential skill. But what about Pope's liabilities and other aspects of her game. Shea places a big qualifier of Pope's "one individual workout."

If nothing else she may be very helpful in practice forcing the defense to deal with a spread floor. As vtc implied there is no benefit in extending Pope's game with unreasonable expectations. As you said let us wait and see.

 

[Sonny44]

Quick is good, but I haven't seen her demonstrate the composure that Bird possesses. IMO Bird had an abundance of the most important PG trait - ice water in the veins. There are only a handful of UConn players that I can think off that was as unflappable come crunch time.

I think I'll give Jefferson another year or two to show what she can do before I crown her Bird's successor. She'll need to find an outside shot before that will happen.

Breanna Stewart is not and will not be a center. Dolson's replacement at center could well be Kiah Stokes.

Ha, she'll be what the team needs her to be.

 

[Vowelguy]

Hey vtcw and forty-four.....which one of you is gonna call Shea Ralph and have her "temper" her "expectations" about Pope? She thinks Pope can "play" and "shoot". And UConn "can use her." Maybe you can remind her it was just D3.....why don't we just trust Shea and Geno for now and see what Pope can do when she gets to play.... B

Pope will average less than 5 mins.

 

[DavidinNaples]

vowel...you're probably right, if she recovers from surgery, etc....
ice....I'm worried about both of our sleep habits....we stay up way too late. Or get up way too early....lol
Anything UConn gets from Pope will be gravy....yes, her prior heroics were D3, and she has been hurt... Shea saw enough to get Geno to let her join the squad. Nobody, me included, knows what to expect or how she will do "in the heat of battle". She is "the last player on UConn's bench".... I'm glad UConn has another warm body to help out...

 

[doggydaddy]

Pope is a walkon. And like almost all walkons she is there to help the team practice, to be a positive teammate, and to help give the starters a break.

I think 5 minutes per game is too low. It won't give a starter enough minutes off. Closer to 10.

 

[meyers7]

But you have to temper the interesting facts with the fact that she was playing D3 ball.

Temper the "facts"?

 

[meyers7]

As vtc implied there is no benefit in extending Pope's game with unreasonable expectations.

The thing is, nobody did that.

 

[Icebear]

ice....I'm worried about both of our sleep habits....we stay up way too late. Or get up way too early....lol

Up too early. I'm in CT through the 20th doing nursing care duty at my parents' in Branford. Once again the CT State Police failed to keep me from crossing the border.

 

[meyers7]

Up too early. I'm in CT through the 20th doing nursing care duty at my parents' in Branford. Once again the CT State Police failed to keep me from crossing the border.

One can't really trust the CT government for anything. All those taxes, to no avail.

 

[Forty_four]

I will be shocked if she gets anything but "Buck" minutes. She won't be making any significant contribution in games of importance. And I bet Shea would agree when everything she said is put into context.

 

[EricLA]

I will be shocked if she gets anything but "Buck" minutes. She won't be making any significant contribution in games of importance. And I bet Shea would agree when everything she said is put into context.

You may be correct, and in normal seasons (with a team of 12-13) you'd probably be correct. However, with a team of only 10, and with 9 of them capable of being starters on most WCBB teams, the amount of blowouts this year will be extremely large. I can see, against teams like Houston, and others who are on the PC level, Pope getting 10+ MPG. I'd bet she averages somewhere in the 8 MPG range mainly because the rest of the team is just so damn good.

 

[DavidinNaples]

I am appointing myself "keeper of Pope's minutes".... Extra drinks on me at Regional tourny at Mohegan for the winner..or desert if you don't imbibe... I have eric down for 10+, icebear for just under 10, doggy for 5 per game and forty-four down for "Buck minutes".... (I'll have to check on that one....) Go Huskies...!!

 

[DavidinNaples]

...and vowel down for "less than 5 minutes"....also, in the best line of the thread, Phil is in for "infallibility"...which I will have to somehow convert to a number....

 

[60'sfan]

Quick is good, but I haven't seen her demonstrate the composure that Bird possesses. IMO Bird had an abundance of the most important PG trait - ice water in the veins. There are only a handful of UConn players that I can think off that was as unflappable come crunch time.

I think I'll give Jefferson another year or two to show what she can do before I crown her Bird's successor. She'll need to find an outside shot before that will happen.

Breanna Stewart is not and will not be a center. Dolson's replacement at center could well be Kiah Stokes.

After their freshman year, Jefferson and Bird had similar stats although Bird was injured after eight games and had to sit out the rest of the season. I think Jefferson was the better defender. You're are absolutely right about Sue's composure. You may remember she hit the shot to beat Notre Dame in a game that has been labeled the greatest women's basketball game ever. We will have to see about Moriah.

I think you will see Stewart playing center at times next year and, assuming that she adds some muscle to that skinny frame, she could be the starting center in two years. But it will depend on where the other talent is. She could play almost anywhere.

 

[meyers7]

I am appointing myself "keeper of Pope's minutes".... Extra drinks on me at Regional tourny at Mohegan for the winner..or desert if you don't imbibe... I have eric down for 10+, icebear for just under 10, doggy for 5 per game and forty-four down for "Buck minutes".... (I'll have to check on that one....) Go Huskies...!!

Buck minutes = 4.8.

I'll go with 7.1

 

[Vowelguy]

Buck minutes = 4.8.

The problem with the average is that it only counts game in which the player appears. But if she is not injured, it really should be counted as a 0.