Most Surprising Husky this Season?

[BroadwayVa]

Gabby because you turned a 5'11" high school shooting guard into one of the best centers in college basketball. Gabby had to relearn everything, mostly playing offense with her back to the basket. Simply amazing!

I too picked Gabby--UC Miami said we saw glimpses of each of the last year--true. I also saw KLS start to emerge in game after game she became more and more of a force. Kia I expected her to take charge this year. Napheesa--saw her in the USA's a couple of years ago and she was (almost) what she is now--although she learned some new trick. Saniya I had greater hopes for her--kept awaiting her HS scoring to return--it almost has.
But Gabby--there are times in games --it becomes the Gabby show. I have posted Gabby is dead in the water against any one over 6 ft 2 inc--that's been proven false. She blocks, steals, scores (at will), rebounds against those 6 inch taller,
The point is Gabby does everything , for her size, she can't do --but she does them--and scores

 

[Oldbones]

Saniya and Stanford. Stanford and Saniya. Sheeeeesh! Even poor Yankee pitcher Steve Howe got a few do-overs.

 

[oldude]

View attachment 18811 Saniya and Stanford. Stanford and Saniya. Sheeeeesh! Even poor Yankee pitcher Steve Howe got a few do-overs.

OB, I love the attachment, but I'm not sure about the Steve Howe comparison. Saniya appears to be a wonderful young lady who will undoubtedly be successful in life. Steve Howe was a talented but tragically flawed individual, whose career in the Show was cut short by drug use. He ended his playing days with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League. Howe's life also ended prematurely in a car accident while driving under the influence of drugs. Sad story.

 

[huskeynut]

This one was difficult. All have stepped up their game big time.

I voted for Gabby. I knew she would be a starter and contribute but I never thought she would dominate taller post players. Her defense is scary - I say that in a very positive way. But what got me was her assists and steals. She has a sense for the ball and how a play is developing. Her passing is on the money and she and Pheesa have developed a great on court relationship - and its deadly for the opposition!. Plus she has that mid-range jump shot that makes her dangerous when she is at the foul line area. She's averaging double figures in scoring. We are running a good high-low offense and Gabby is a very big reason why.

 

[Kmoney]

I voted Lou but I think it is a tie between her and Pheesa.
Lou surprises me with her toughness and her ability to penetrate to the basket or open spaces. She is proof that UConn takes great prospects and makes them great players like no other school.

Pheesa surprises me with her ability to score inside and rebound. She really works hard to get good position.

Nothing Gabby does really surprises me. She is an amazing athlete, with a high basketball IQ and a relentless attitude towards dominating all facets. I don't think we'll see the full Gabby until she turns pro.

 

[msf22b]

I didn't vote
Read the thread...agree with everyone.
Most surprising for me is the collective Husky's

We all expected one or another to step up...I kept on remembering Pheesa destroying Texas.
We all knew Katie Lou could shoot; even if last year she was clanging all over the place at times.
One recalled that amazing steal and duet with Mo that Gabby pulled off against Miss. State
And that Saniya was a big scorer in HS as Geno is wont to say.

Sure didn't look like much...not much hight, where was the help D coming from...and all the points that the big 3 put up.

So What do we have with February just around the corner?

Geno unceasingly ragging KLS to become a Stewie clone and by god, succeeding. The flowers and fragrance of Souther Cal. are wafting away and a cold-eyed Big-East-style killer is emerging.
Who would have thunk it?
She must still have a lot of upside if Geno is still on her so relentlessly.

Pheesa and Gabby, I'm least surprised at since we saw it in miniature last season.
But what we didn't see in Gabby is the rock solid determination to do anything it takes to prevail.
And to accept responsibility for it.

And Saniya...having failed to reach her for 3 years, Geno finally figured it out or maybe they both did....She was broken, gone...the rare UConn coaching failure..Now she's back, playing well is becoming routine. A good sign: Geno ragging her in public...lazy, he called her. Expect her to get better yet.

So whom do I pick.

The man, Geno Auriemma and his trusty band. We're watching a coaching alchemist.
Win or lose in March and April, this season is by far his greatest feat.
He's my pick.

One more thing. The switching D (effort and desire Geno says) is the best I've ever seen.
Smooth as silk....Coaching again.

 

[Oldbones]

OB, I love the attachment, but I'm not sure about the Steve Howe comparison. Saniya appears to be a wonderful young lady who will undoubtedly be successful in life. Steve Howe was a talented but tragically flawed individual, whose career in the Show was cut short by drug use. He ended his playing days with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League. Howe's life also ended prematurely in a car accident while driving under the influence of drugs. Sad story.

OB, I love the attachment, but I'm not sure about the Steve Howe comparison. Saniya appears to be a wonderful young lady who will undoubtedly be successful in life. Steve Howe was a talented but tragically flawed individual, whose career in the Show was cut short by drug use. He ended his playing days with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the independent Northern League. Howe's life also ended prematurely in a car accident while driving under the influence of drugs. Sad story.

OD, I was trying to compare the (8, I believe) additional chance MLB gave to Steve Howe, while some of us BYers prefer to dwell on the Stanford game. I prefer to point out that Saniya applied the dagger both succeeding years to Maryland with crucial threes, topping the 12/19/2016 contest with a great block. Maybe the killer three plus a killer block this year trumps the killer three last year. We are too history-minded and stats-minded to drink of the River Lethe on things like this, but maybe we can...............

 

[tonehill68]

I chose Gabby by a slight margin over Saniya. My reasons are these:

We all knew that Gabby was a really good defender. What is surprising to me is that she is a really great defender who can guard players 1 through 5 and should be Defensive Player of the Year.

She has surprised me on offense with her assists from the high post, decision making and scoring (although not a big scorer).

We all knew the potential this young lady had but she far exceeded it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I chose Napheesa. I'm not surprised at her stellar play or rebounding, but 19 ppg has been a very pleasant surprise. I expected maybe 12-14. I thought she could be an AA by her 3rd or 4th season; I think she makes it this year.

My second choice is Gabby. I knew she was on a steep trajectory, but she has become a very disruptive defender and an excellent passer. Her assists are well beyond my expectations. She takes over games.

Lou becoming a superstar and the go-to scorer has come a little earlier and reached a little higher level than I expected, but I knew she had greatness in her. Last year, I projected her career scoring to be very close to Kaleena's total and possibly at Tina's level. She may even challenge Stewie.

I'm not surprised at Saniya. She has pleasantly exceeded my expectations, but we had seen glimpses of her outstanding scoring ability in the past. We are now seeing it more often. Her defense and A/TO ratio have been pleasant surprises. The primary question for me was her health.

 

[HumblePie]

My vote has to go to Phee. Saniya has made great strides over the past few games but that can't (or at least shouldn't) over take Phee's season to date contributions.

By the way oldude, very good breakdown and recap for each player.

 

[HoopsFan21]

So was Diamond Deshields.....

Yea but so was Mercedes Russell or was it Diamond DeShields?

Are you guys saying those players don't have talent? I think they do and wouldn't be surprised if they were doing something extraordinary too, just like Lou. The difference being one receives world class coaching wringing out every last drop of potential, while the others might as well not have any coaching at all.

 

[CocoHusky]

Are you guys saying those players don't have talent? I think they do and wouldn't be surprised if they were doing something extraordinary too, just like Lou. The difference being one receives world class coaching wringing out every last drop of potential, while the others might as well not have any coaching at all.

No. I'm saying not every player ranked #1 turns into a word you used to describe KLS and claimed not to be surprised. Do you remember what word you used? The word was not "talented" or even "extraordinary", which I would not have questioned.

 

[oldude]

Are you guys saying those players don't have talent? I think they do and wouldn't be surprised if they were doing something extraordinary too, just like Lou. The difference being one receives world class coaching wringing out every last drop of potential, while the others might as well not have any coaching at all.

I believe the word that CocoHusky is trolling for is "Superstar"

 

[Mdoggie]

Brian Crichlow told me Naphessa was the real deal

 

[hoophuskee]

I voted Chong though I almost voted "other" similar to ucmiami and anyone else that would have picked "the team."

I thought this year's team was an E8 team and then depending on Matchups they could win it all. I thought there would be a weakness or two that other team's could exploit - either through great perimeter/wing defense or great size. I never thought thought we'd be undefeated at this point. I did think we had a potential championship team, so I thought it possible the best 4 in combination could be terrific. I've always thought over the years that size gets overrated. Plus I thought Danger could be a huge impact. I heard both Gabby and Collier were going to surprise with their 3's to start the season so of course I held onto some belief our offense would be awesome if that were true. SO I can't sya I'm surprised with their offense. And while Gaby hasn't with her perimeter game as much, but Gabby's defense has. So that is a wash - in which Gabby is a better than I thought but so are Lou and Collier. I had confidence that Collier was a stud as was Lou. OFC not this awesome but still I thought they'd be real good. And I think Kia has been real good. The Texas game she was huge. Texas could have had us on the ropes. Kia's outside shot and decisions with the ball (2 to 1 assists to to ratio) and her presence is just so darn solid.

But Saniya's brilliance vs FSU -- this is why we're number and have the record. And unlike Danger just having the one big game vs a tough opponent. But was also huge vs Md. Two of the 3 games we were challenged most, in one game she was unreal late and the other she was terrific, terrific at Md. I can watch her play now and feel an incredible comfort level and when we play again vs tough teams, I expect her to compete well. With her injury from last year and just how she has played other years, I wasn't sure to what extent she could contribute other than "she won't hurt us." Not any more.

 

[CocoHusky]

Brian Crichlow told me Naphessa was the real deal

Then Brian knows basketball.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I believe the word that CocoHusky is trolling for is "Superstar"

What I wrote still applies. Diamond was hyped as the next greatest thing in WCBB when she first was breaking into the sport. Then injuries, a transfer, poor coaching, and perhaps a less than coachable attitude. That's the blueprint for how a potential superstar never gets there. But would I have been surprised if Diamond became a superstar? Nope. Does every #1 make superstar status? Nope, but it never ever surprises me when a #1 does, or really any of the top rated recruits in that talented 1-5 range. That was really my point. I voted Saniya because surprising to me is a player that didn't have the hype nor signs of doing what they are now doing. To me that is Saniya whose career has been marked by injuries, lack of focus, and inconsistent play, but to her credit she has put her mind to it this season and is doing things she hasn't done since she's been at UConn.

 

[CocoHusky]

Does every #1 make superstar status? Nope...

 

[Los24]

Didn't know how I'd vote, so I first read all the above. Coco convinced me. I always thought Pheesa would be good (last spring, I posted that she would start every game her final 3 years, and I actually got blow-back to that prediction), but I never thought she'd be this good. Right now, she's also the best pro prospect on the team (unless or until Lou learns how to rebound).

Now I know why someone called you out on the rebounding comments on Lou.... I won't give you any slack because I get the same when I say Gabby needs to improve her shooting : - ) Pheese has surprised me and I wonder how much other non-UConn fans realize how much she actually dominates (both sides of ) the game. She got my vote on this survey.

 

[CocoHusky]

I won't give you any slack because I get the same when I say Gabby needs to improve her shooting : - ) P

Gabby's shooting is fine, she shooting 55% 2nd best on the team

 

[JordyG]

All of the starters. Gabby's ability to play anyone on defense, rebound and suddenly becoming the best passer on the team. Lou's ability to diversify her game and become a more complete offensive player while improving her defense. Pheesa's ability to score with such a wide assortment of shots, rebound, a remain a steady inside contributor. Saniya's ability to be a steadying influence on offense, not turning over the ball, and especially, consistently stay in front of her opponent on defense. Lastly Kia's ability to maintain her energy on defense and offense, shoot well while always taking the toughest guard or wing.

 

[Los24]

I too picked Gabby--UC Miami said we saw glimpses of each of the last year--true. I also saw KLS start to emerge in game after game she became more and more of a force. Kia I expected her to take charge this year. Napheesa--saw her in the USA's a couple of years ago and she was (almost) what she is now--although she learned some new trick. Saniya I had greater hopes for her--kept awaiting her HS scoring to return--it almost has.
But Gabby--there are times in games --it becomes the Gabby show. I have posted Gabby is dead in the water against any one over 6 ft 2 inc--that's been proven false. She blocks, steals, scores (at will), rebounds against those 6 inch taller,
The point is Gabby does everything , for her size, she can't do --but she does them--and scores

She is everything you said, except she does not score at will. She is very good at driving to the basket, good in the post, and average at best hitting open shot at the high post. Scoring at will is what Lou and Pheese do as they have a variety of was to score.

 

[bags27]

Gabby's shooting is fine, she shooting 55% 2nd best on the team

But that's because she's so effective underneath. What's her % from 10' and beyond?

 

[Florida Fan]

My first impulse was Saniya, then I went for Gabby because she is playing out of position and has at times taken over the defense with steals, rebounding, assists and blocks. Saniya came to UCONN as a prolific shooting guard needing only to assimilate the UCONN systems. That she took over three years to flower is certainly surprising. That she is doing so well, seemingly out of Geno's doghouse, is wonderful. But this year, this TEAM has collectively risen to so many occasions with timely stops and scoring that we are all in awe of their commitment, passion and skill. So kudos to this dedicated group where surprise remains an operative word until such time when their performances become expectation.

 

[CocoHusky]

But that's because she's so effective underneath. What's her % from 10' and beyond?

Apparently....

average at best hitting open shot at the high post

 

[Los24]

Gabby's shooting is fine, she shooting 55% 2nd best on the team

I guess since Shaq had a high FG% he had a good outside shot too. It did not matter for him because he was 7' 1" weighing 300 pounds going into the NBA and she is 5'11" at 170? Please look at what the point is, those critiques were regarding (A) what she needs to improve on to be a POY winner and (B) become really good at next level. Sorry she is averaging 11pts because of physical gifts, converting on steals, putbacks and drives. If they let her shoot as often as Pheese and especially Lou, she would not score as much as they do and her percentage would be lower.

 

[dtbtbtb]

While all of them surprised me to some extent, Gabby is my choice as her growth as a basketball player is the most astounding to me. She was always exciting to watch due to her crazy hops but who would have bet that she'll lead the team in assists???

 

[Los24]

Apparently....

And that is why Geno said in a practice the only thing he knows is if they pass it to Lou or down low to Pheese the ball is going in the basket, otherwise its an unknown. I watch the games, and many other posters have stated the same thing about her shot. I am sure she was aware of it because her coaches are honest with her. In fact, they needed to tell her to relax just like lastnight after she missed a few more free throws with that great shot...LOL

 

[geneticrex]

Pheesa............................and it isn't close.

She has made the biggest jump in America as far as I'm concerned. From limited time as a freshman in mainly meaningless situations, to 1st Team AA caliber play in the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, 7 months later.

 

[bizarro aj]

The first game of the season when geno told chong she was going to make the winning play in the huddle and she did to beat FSU. Then she hits the 3 to end Maryland's thoughts of an upset. She is definitely the biggest surprise so far.