Napheesa, the next Morgan Tuck?

[Drumguy]

Just watching how quietly she contributed during the tournament, continuing on from the AAC tourney as well. She's effective, energetic, efficient around the basket and quality defense as well. She's always battling among the trees and she gives up a fair amount of height but still is very effective on defense, including several blocks.

Just a thought that came to me as I watched the game last night.

 

[MumboJumbo]

Love Napheesa and looking forward to what we hope to be a bright future for her!

She's a steady presence off the bench. Not as quite versatile on offense as Tuck, but I expect her to improve drastically over the next few years. How about that nifty reverse early in the 4th quarter!

 

[bruinbball]

I met her father yesterday. He was nice as could be. I think she will continue to do great things and will a starter for the next 3 years.

 

[PacoSwede]

i see a potential tamika catchings

 

[Monte]

Just watching how quietly she contributed during the tournament, continuing on from the AAC tourney as well. She's effective, energetic, efficient around the basket and quality defense as well. She's always battling among the trees and she gives up a fair amount of height but still is very effective on defense, including several blocks.

Just a thought that came to me as I watched the game last night.

Right, but she has to work on her outside shots.

 

[Lurker]

Right, but she has to work on her outside shots.

Before the Texas game I was watching her in warmups. She easily and gracefully drained 9 in a row from 3, and after that miss drained another four 3s before working on mid-range. She has got the shot, she just needs the confidence and green light to use it. I love the way she runs and her beautiful smile - she and Lou are quite the pair (see the photos from Indy)

 

[Hongster]

Love Phees! She has the potential to be a star in WCBB and I predict she will.

 

[donalddoowop]

Right, but she has to work on her outside shots.

I mentioned that at the beginning of the season but Sluconn Husky said she was capable. I watched her for three years during her high school career and saw never saw her ATTEMPT a three point shot. The farthest she shot was about ten feet. Her coach had her play down low. He did the same thing with his 6 foot two freshman who was on the ESPN watch list. She has no outside game.

 

[meyers7]

Just watching how quietly she contributed during the tournament, continuing on from the AAC tourney as well. She's effective, energetic, efficient around the basket and quality defense as well. She's always battling among the trees and she gives up a fair amount of height but still is very effective on defense, including several blocks.

Just a thought that came to me as I watched the game last night.

I've thought that for awhile. Great moves around the basket, can drive from the top of the key or baseline. Will need to work on her 3 pt shot, but I think she was ok in HS. ?? She is/will be a better rebounder and already is a better shot blocker.

 

[Monte]

Before the Texas game I was watching her in warmups. She easily and gracefully drained 9 in a row from 3, and after that miss drained another four 3s before working on mid-range. She has got the shot, she just needs the confidence and green light to use it. I love the way she runs and her beautiful smile - she and Lou are quite the pair (see the photos from Indy)

That's good to hear, about her outside shots.

 

[UcMiami]

Napheesa has had a really productive freshman year:
Blocks - Yesterday she passed both Dolson and Lobo into 6th place for a freshman in blocks with 47. If she gets three tomorrow she would tie Kiah for #4
Steals - she needs three to tie Moriah and Kiersten for #10 by a freshman
Rebounds - she is in 12 place behind KML (and leads the team in offensive rebounds!)
This all coming from a player averaging 17 minutes per game.

She will be a good one.

 

[UconnWBB]

I hope that she has been taking intense notes about Tuck's myriad of offensive moves. She has a great nose for the ball, and I for one am excited about her progress from Freshman to Sophomore year.

 

[Mdoggie]

Before the season started I spoke with a friend who is all things womens bball. He is the head coach of a very successful Junior College in SoCal. He also heads one of the top bball clubs in the area. We spoke of Uconns incoming freshmen, that being Boykins, KLS and NC. His thought was that NC was the best of the 3. He said she would leave her mark at Uconn before it's said and done. We shall see. I do see her as the second coming of Tuck. She may surprise and surpass.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I see Napheesa as a budding star, but not that much of a Tuck-type player. They have different body types and skills.

Napheesa is longer and a total ball magnet. She has admitted that learning this year was tough.

Morgan can't jump very well, but is the craftiest inside player I've ever seen. She can manage to get shots off among the trees. She's also very versatile. Her hallmark is as a steady and smart player. As Mechelle Voepel wrote, "Tuck is to unflappable what IHOP is to flapjacks."

The closest player to Morgan in terms of style was Asjha Jones, in my opinion.

 

[alexrgct]

I see Napheesa as a budding star, but not that much of a Tuck-type player. They have different body types and skills.

Napheesa is longer and a total ball magnet. She has admitted that learning this year was tough.

Morgan can't jump very well, but is the craftiest inside player I've ever seen. She can manage to get shots off among the trees. She's also very versatile. Her hallmark is as a steady and smart player. As Mechelle Voepel wrote, "Tuck is to unflappable what IHOP is to flapjacks."

The closest player to Morgan in terms of style was Asjha Jones, in my opinion.

Her sky-high reverse layup against Oregon State was vintage Morgan.

 

[JordyG]

In a word, no. She's going to be the first Napheesa. She's going to be an AA and very special.

 

[Kaizen]

Napheesa grandfather Gershon was an ambassador who helped Sierra Leone gain independence from Great Britain back in 1961. There’s even a photo of him with President John F. Kennedy in the Collier household.

 

[Geno-ista]

I mentioned that at the beginning of the season but Sluconn Husky said she was capable. I watched her for three years during her high school career and saw never saw her ATTEMPT a three point shot. The farthest she shot was about ten feet. Her coach had her play down low. He did the same thing with his 6 foot two freshman who was on the ESPN watch list. She has no outside game.

She'll have one next year- Gtd!

 

[nd2tty]

Collier will be excellent, but I don't see the Tuck comparison. Tuck, as early as her freshman season (and improving since), had incredibly polished primary and secondary post moves, driving ability, and the ability to hit the 3 semi-regularly. Collier is much more instinctual, reliant on her athleticism, kind of a taller/longer wingspan version of Gabby Williams (with not quite as an explosive jumping ability of course).

 

[Carnac]

Before the Texas game I was watching her in warmups. She easily and gracefully drained 9 in a row from 3, and after that miss drained another four 3s before working on mid-range. She has got the shot, she just needs the confidence and green light to use it. I love the way she runs and her beautiful smile - she and Lou are quite the pair (see the photos from Indy)

She'll get more opportunities to shoot next season. This was not her year. She was a freshman this year. Geno already had plenty of "pistols" on the court. They did not run plays fro her.
Stewie, Tuck and Lou were the three players that were suppose to do the bulk of the shooting. Mo took shots, or drove when no one else had an open look or she was wide open. Geno will have 3 openings next year in his starting lineup. Its a good bet that Napheesa and Gabby will earn two of those spots.

 

[Sonny44]

Collier will be excellent, but I don't see the Tuck comparison. Tuck, as early as her freshman season (and improving since), had incredibly polished primary and secondary post moves, driving ability, and the ability to hit the 3 semi-regularly. Collier is much more instinctual, reliant on her athleticism, kind of a taller/longer wingspan version of Gabby Williams (with not quite as an explosive jumping ability of course).

She had a really neat reverse lay up though against OSU.

 

[HuskiesU]

Before the Texas game I was watching her in warmups. She easily and gracefully drained 9 in a row from 3, and after that miss drained another four 3s before working on mid-range. She has got the shot, she just needs the confidence and green light to use it. I love the way she runs and her beautiful smile - she and Lou are quite the pair (see the photos from Indy)

Still has to translate that to the games. Hitting shots in warm ups means nothing if you can't do it in the games.

 

[ricky]

Right, but she has to work on her outside shots.

That will come since she has a very good history of that shot. Just let her take more shots like KLS. Maybe not that many.

 

[ricky]

I mentioned that at the beginning of the season but Sluconn Husky said she was capable. I watched her for three years during her high school career and saw never saw her ATTEMPT a three point shot. The farthest she shot was about ten feet. Her coach had her play down low. He did the same thing with his 6 foot two freshman who was on the ESPN watch list. She has no outside game.

I saw her take those longer shots for USA last summer. Swoosh!!

 

[OldAlum]

I think she gets to take that shot in situations similar to the last game. But not if things are tight.