Napheesa Collier should have been MVP, not A'ja Wilson...:)

[iri10]

HGN NOOOOOOO!!!!!!, Please no not The Pheese.. Did you actually sound that out? I didn't think so! The trademarked nickname is The Pheenom.

"The Pheenom" is a bit too ponderous for me. It reminds me of a pro wrestler's style of handle.

"The Pheese" makes me think of The Fonz. I'd expect Collier to shout "Eyyyyyy" after every good play she makes.

I like plain old "Phee." Distinctive and simple. Though "The Pheenom" might work for when she's just destroyed some poor team's hopes for winning the game.

 

[HGN]

There will be long debates and differences of opinion as to who should have been MVP. Valid arguments all.

And I will add that Dangerfield acquitted herself very well to be a rising HS senior playing among older and bigger players.

But most of all I would have loved to have seen KLS at this Tournament to watch her display her considerable skills. We all know about her shooting touch but we could have seen some BB IQ , ballhandling , movement without the ball , defense , etc.... Something , anything , to wet our unbelievable thirst for WCBB.

But being the supportive Boneyard fans that we are we understand her necessary absence. And we wish her , her Mom and family the very best. And will keep them in our Prayers.

 

[SCGamecock]

Please remind Tina that in addition to song writing she may want to spend some time working on her defensive stance. That way she doesn't end up in another Moriah Jefferson all time highlight.

Haha poor Tina... She's not the best defender but having her guard Moriah Jefferson is a tall order. Jefferson has a way of making even the best defenders look average.

 

[triaddukefan]

There will be long debates and differences of opinion as to who should have been MVP. Valid arguments all.
.

I think the only debates and differences in opinion are among UCONN fans

 

[HGN]

I think the only debates and differences in opinion are among UCONN fans

That might be true Triad........... We are just so lucky and fortunate to have a good team and coach. That I will admit that we do get overjoyed at times.

 

[VAMike23]

Seems that "Pheese" is what the other players call her, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what sticks at UCONN.

 

[triaddukefan]

That might be true Triad...... We are just so lucky and fortunate to have a good team and coach. That I will admit that we do get overjoyed at times.

While I dont think that Stevens should have gotten MVP of the game.........but without her first half scoring.......perhaps the USA would have been in a hole that they may not have been able to dig out of. Azura was hands down the MVP of the first half

 

[CocoHusky]

Seems that "Pheese" is what the other players call her, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what sticks at UCONN.

Not you too! @PHEEsespieces is her official twitter handle. If you drop the pieces you have a different word. Phee is what the other players call her for short.

 

[VAMike23]

Not you too! @PHEEsespieces is her official twitter handle. If you drop the pieces you have a different word. Phee is what the other players call her for short.

From recent news bites:

_________

Dangerfield and Collier will have three years together in Storrs.

“I love playing with Pheese,” Dangerfield said on the telephone. “She’s high energy and so intense, just a great player on both sides of the ball. This past month I’ve learned from her and she’s helped me, and I can’t wait to get to Connecticut to play with her.”

******
“Pheese (Napheesa Collier) is relentless,” added Staley. “She is competitive. She doesn’t want to lose and she leaves it all out there every time she steps on the floor.”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

What I'm about to say may be totally off base and unfair, because USA U - coaches are given an impossible task: taking a bunch of talent and turning it into a team in 3-4 weeks. But, what I noticed in the last 2 games was how much the team looked like Staley's college team, both strengths and limitations. Very good D and a whole lot of stilted offense. If I was on the committee picking the next USA prime time players coach after Geno it would not be Staley.

 

[rvwsleep]

If it was an "impossible task", why the condemnation ?
Compared to the Pan Am team, it was a well oiled machine.

 

[Kurtzl]

A'ja was the main factor US beat Russia. Well deserving of MVP

 

[FAN11]

What I'm about to say may be totally off base and unfair, because USA U - coaches are given an impossible task: taking a bunch of talent and turning it into a team in 3-4 weeks. But, what I noticed in the last 2 games was how much the team looked like Staley's college team, both strengths and limitations. Very good D and a whole lot of stilted offense. If I was on the committee picking the next USA prime time players coach after Geno it would not be Staley.

I don't think the committee would have a problem with her 20-0 record as coach of team USA. Actually she should be tops on the list to replace Geno.

 

[Bestiarius]

As a UConn fan, I have no issue with A'ja winning the MVP award. Congratulations to her, she played well for the USA. Remember, she was the number one recruit in her class plus she's had a year's worth of big time college experience, so I expected that she would play at a high level.

What we UConn fans need to remember and rejoice is that Napheesa is still just a high school kid without the exposure, experience and college level coaching that is all in her future. Though relatively inexperienced, she more than held her own in every way against all comer in the tournament.

Then there's Crystal Dangerfield, a gem who performed mightily in the tourney. With another year of high school ahead of her, she is even less experienced than Napheesa . Think about where these two players could be when they are, like A'ja, approaching their Sophomore season but under the tutelage of Geno and company. The future is bright.

 

[DaddyChoc]

From recent news bites:

_________

Dangerfield and Collier will have three years together in Storrs.

“I love playing with Pheese,” Dangerfield said on the telephone. “She’s high energy and so intense, just a great player on both sides of the ball. This past month I’ve learned from her and she’s helped me, and I can’t wait to get to Connecticut to play with her.”

******
“Pheese (Napheesa Collier) is relentless,” added Staley. “She is competitive. She doesn’t want to lose and she leaves it all out there every time she steps on the floor.”

Reese's Pieces...

and/or Pheese is the *

 

[Kibitzer]

As a UConn fan, I have no issue with A'ja winning the MVP award. Congratulations to her, she played well for the USA. Remember, she was the number one recruit in her class plus she's had a year's worth of big time college experience, so I expected that she would play at a high level.

What we UConn fans need to remember and rejoice is that Napheesa is still just a high school kid without the exposure, experience and college level coaching that is all in her future. Though relatively inexperienced, she more than held her own in every way against all comer in the tournament.

Then there's Crystal Dangerfield, a gem who performed mightily in the tourney. With another year of high school ahead of her, she is even less experienced than Napheesa . Think about where these two players could be when they are, like A'ja, approaching their Sophomore season but under the tutelage of Geno and company. The future is bright.

The operable word for this is "upside" (formerly "potential").

 

[CocoHusky]

The operable word for this is "upside" (formerly "potential").

Is there such a thing as " rising" Freshmen? We know that she is done with high school.

 

[hjoerring]

At best, it could have gone either way. Based on the statistics give by DavidNaples a solid case could be made for Collier. (And if the coaches had given her the green light or the #1 scoring option she would have scored 30?) She had a diff role. It seems that none of the other American bigs were up to the task of playing the Russians and therefore without Wilson's performance we would have come up short. With the exception of Dangerfield, I was less than impressed with our guards. I think the Russians had a great team, but they may have been outcoached by Dawn and Co.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Overall, I found the U19 games much more enjoyable to watch than the Pan American games, despite the fact that my two absolute favorite players, Stewie and Moriah, were in Toronto. The U19s, whether dictated by rules or refs, played a much more flowing, uptempo style with an emphasis on skills and athleticism, whereas the Pan Am games was more often than not a punishing exercise in physicality, grabbing, hacking, and mauling and far less aesthetically pleasing to this fan.

Maybe because I'm accustomed to the US college game and not international women's play, or maybe because teams like Cuba, Brazil et al. resorted to non-stop bruising and roughhousing to compete since they were unable (mostly) to match the much younger Americans skills-wise. Either way, I found the product on the court in Toronto was less about entertaining basketball and more about survive and advance. Literally.

 

[PhillyCoach]

Overall, I found the U19 games much more enjoyable to watch than the Pan American games, despite the fact that my two absolute favorite players, Stewie and Moriah, were in Toronto. The U19s, whether dictated by rules or refs, played a much more flowing, uptempo style with an emphasis on skills and athleticism, whereas the Pan Am games was more often than not a punishing exercise in physicality, grabbing, hacking, and mauling and far less aesthetically pleasing to this fan.

Maybe because I'm accustomed to the US college game and not international women's play, or maybe because teams like Cuba, Brazil et al. resorted to non-stop bruising and roughhousing to compete since they were unable (mostly) to match the much younger Americans skills-wise. Either way, I found the product on the court in Toronto was less about entertaining basketball and more about survive and advance. Literally.

Hey Rule - You described my feelings exactly. Totally agree that the 18 & 19 yr old players were free flowing and athletic. As you stated the National Teams were bangers and hackers. Reminded me of Philly BB games where the older guys played the young studs and HAD to bump, grab, pull, (I know I did), move the screen, body-up (with those BIG bodies), hang back, cherry pick, etc. This was survive and advance and I was worried and concerned that Stewie and MO were not going to survive the beating. Nothing like a 34 yr old Cuban or Brazilian savvy vet waiting to" lay one on" the top players of America. Not entertaining at all.

 

[triaddukefan]

At best, it could have gone either way. Based on the statistics give by DavidNaples a solid case could be made for Collier. (And if the coaches had given her the green light or the #1 scoring option she would have scored 30?) She had a diff role. It seems that none of the other American bigs were up to the task of playing the Russians and therefore without Wilson's performance we would have come up short. With the exception of Dangerfield, I was less than impressed with our guards. I think the Russians had a great team, but they may have been outcoached by Dawn and Co.

Steven's isnt a big ?

 

[CocoHusky]

Steven's isnt a big ?

Know thy own team. The Duke official website roster has Stevens listed as F/G so technically she is not a big.
http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1846&SPSID=22763:cool:

 

[triaddukefan]

Know thy own team. The Duke official website roster has Stevens listed as F/G so technically she is not a big.
http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1846&SPSID=22763:cool:

But but but but she was listed as a F on the U-19 roster

 

[johnnyc]

But but but but she was listed as a F on the U-19 roster

Looks like coach McCallie has different plans for Stevens.

 

[CocoHusky]

But but but but she was listed as a F on the U-19 roster

...and she definitely play Big!