Nika Muhl

[Bigboote]

Know your ref! I use to coach and always told the players see how the ref is calling the game and adjust. If you think refs should all call the same well yes they should butno they dont!

That's for players playing with the same rules. Nika's been playing pro ball in Europe for 3-4 years. It takes awhile to unlearn those years-long habits. But she's motivated and has the best coaches in the game.

 

[JordyG]

Know your ref! I use to coach and always told the players see how the ref is calling the game and adjust. If you think refs should all call the same well yes they should butno they dont!

Which is one reason why I never complain about refs. I've said this exact thing many times. It just seems a fruitless homer exercise. I've also said many times if you're a good enough team you're able to overcome any kind of referees.

 

[Littlemin]

How about we let the kid play and then see what we think?

Novel idea seeing a player play before passing judgement! I still believe Muhl may be a “missing link” to a team that may, MAY, be still a certain mental toughness away from realizing their potential. Just a very subjective observation from a few games, but having to abandon man to man defense for a zone in several games does not bode well for the last 1-4 game stretch later in the tournament when the competition improves game to game. Still very early but concerning IMO.

 

[SVCBeercats]

See the video below at the 7:25 mark to hear how Geno rates Nika. Top 7.

To me, she is still a core rotation person with Aaliyah and Aubrey to make 8.

When Nika gets back on the floor, she better start hitting her shots.

There will always be room in the rotation ...

 

[pvdoggy]

See the video below at the 7:25 mark to hear how Geno rates Nika. Top 7.

What does that say about Aubrey's progress from year 1 to year 2 when 2 freshman is ahead of her in the rotation? Didn't Geno say that Aubrey is like 100 times better this year than last year?

 

[Bigboote]

See the video below at the 7:25 mark to hear how Geno rates Nika. Top 7.

But. . . but. . . That’s only Geno, what does he know? We’re the Boneyard.

 

[jazz]

What does that say about Aubrey's progress from year 1 to year 2 when 2 freshman is ahead of her in the rotation? Didn't Geno say that Aubrey is like 100 times better this year than last year?

I wouldn't hold him exactly to that. Nika subs for the guards and AE is probably first for the bigs but Aubrey will get hers. The problem with Aubrey is that you will need to have shooters in the game when she is in. Aubrey hasn't shown us a jumper yet and that makes her limited and the team limited on offense when she is in.

But there is no denying that, despite this, she makes an impact when she comes in...

I just think that maybe the offense doesn't flow as nicely as GA wants with Aubrey in the game, but she makes up for it with second chance rebounds and amazing defense which often leads to easy fast break points. She also runs better than anybody so she wears down the other team and I've seen GA use her as a post up too. GA is figuring out how to get the most out of Aubrey when she is in the game. Think about it, he calls a post up for the 8th man in the rotation? Yeah, he is looking to get her involved given her 'super human' athleticism.

She is a nice piece to have coming in off the bench. Teams aren't too excited to know that after playing X amount of minutes AND being a little tried, now they have to bust it up and down the court and bust in on getting rebounds because the jack rabbit is in the game!

 

[HopJim]

I wouldn't hold him exactly to that. Nika subs for the guards and AE is probably first for the bigs but Aubrey will get hers. The problem with Aubrey is that you will need to have shooters in the game when she is in. Aubrey hasn't shown us a jumper yet and that makes her limited and the team limited on offense when she is in.

But there is no denying that, despite this, she makes an impact when she comes in...

I just think that maybe the offense doesn't flow as nicely as GA wants with Aubrey in the game, but she makes up for it with second chance rebounds and amazing defense which often leads to easy fast break points. She also runs better than anybody so she wears down the other team and I've seen GA use her as a post up too. GA is figuring out how to get the most out of Aubrey when she is in the game. Think about it, he calls a post up for the 8th man in the rotation? Yeah, he is looking to get her involved given her 'super human' athleticism.

She is a nice piece to have coming in off the bench. Teams aren't too excited to know that after playing X amount of minutes AND being a little tried, now they have to bust it up and down the court and bust in on getting rebounds because the jack rabbit is in the game!

Will summarize-its all about match ups. In a game where UConn is fast breaking, Aubrey is great. Against the better defensive teams where the game slows down to a half court battle, she often looks lost. Usually stays near basket and doesn't move much without the ball.

 

[DefenseBB]

What does that say about Aubrey's progress from year 1 to year 2 when 2 freshman is ahead of her in the rotation? Didn't Geno say that Aubrey is like 100 times better this year than last year?

I wouldn't read that much into it. Both Nika and Aaliyah represent their countries in FIBA and are much more polished players. Aubrey is has a high ceiling and will be needed as a core player. Geno will go 8 deep in top games.

 

[Bigboote]

Will summarize-its all about match ups. In a game where UConn is fast breaking, Aubrey is great. Against the better defensive teams where the game slows down to a half court battle, she often looks lost. Usually stays near basket and doesn't move much without the ball.

Geno hasn't had the luxury in several years to sub based on matchups. I've been saying for some time that one great thing about this team is that he can do exactly that. For some years the players have been to a great extent interchangeable -- lots of wings/guards, one big, one point guard. Now if the starting point guard pulls up lame, there's another point guard; if Liv gets into foul trouble, there's Edwards; if Anna keeps getting beat on defense, there's Aubrey. And if UConn plays a really big team, there are twin towers (and a third who should be able to give a few good minutes by tourney time). And still lots of wings.

 

[MooseJaw]

I wouldn't hold him exactly to that. Nika subs for the guards and AE is probably first for the bigs but Aubrey will get hers. The problem with Aubrey is that you will need to have shooters in the game when she is in. Aubrey hasn't shown us a jumper yet and that makes her limited and the team limited on offense when she is in.

But there is no denying that, despite this, she makes an impact when she comes in...

I just think that maybe the offense doesn't flow as nicely as GA wants with Aubrey in the game, but she makes up for it with second chance rebounds and amazing defense which often leads to easy fast break points. She also runs better than anybody so she wears down the other team and I've seen GA use her as a post up too. GA is figuring out how to get the most out of Aubrey when she is in the game. Think about it, he calls a post up for the 8th man in the rotation? Yeah, he is looking to get her involved given her 'super human' athleticism.

She is a nice piece to have coming in off the bench. Teams aren't too excited to know that after playing X amount of minutes AND being a little tried, now they have to bust it up and down the court and bust in on getting rebounds because the jack rabbit is in the game!

You could substitute Gabby in place of Aubrey for her first 2 years, she turned out OK I think Aubrey will as well.

 

[jazz]

You could substitute Gabby in place of Aubrey for her first 2 years, she turned out OK I think Aubrey will as well.

I really think you are on to something here. Very similar players. Gabby didn't do much her first couple years. She never had a consistent outside jumper but they used her a lot a the foul line extended and she gets the ball and uses her quickness to get to the rim. I think going forward. Geno will have more options than he did when Gabby was here, so it's possible that AG plays a smaller role however.

 

[HopJim]

I really think you are on to something here. Very similar players. Gabby didn't do much her first couple years. She never had a consistent outside jumper but they used her a lot a the foul line extended and she gets the ball and uses her quickness to get to the rim. I think going forward. Geno will have more options than he did when Gabby was here, so it's possible that AG plays a smaller role however.

I hope you are correct. Gabby had a very specific and productive role, particularly as a soph on. She moved/cut constantly, lead the team in pick and roles, driving for layups, and taking attention away from the 3 point shooters. Teams needed to guard Gabby.

 

[HuskylnSC]

There is an adjustment to make as you move between USA and Euro ball. The change from here to there was easy for me. You just amp up the aggression a bit. Don't worry about going through that pick or pushing for position. But the move back requires a different mind set you have to overcome the reflexive reactions to situations. Changing those instinctive moves is the hardest part. Trying to change instincts causes a player to appear indecisive and slows their reaction times. Losing games is terrible for Nika's development. She needs to be able to have fouls called that won't impact the outcome of the game until those instincts are altered. She needs game minutes. I believe by tourney time she will be able to really slow down some of these quick guards that have been a problem to us.

 

[jazz]

I hope you are correct. Gabby had a very specific and productive role, particularly as a soph on. She moved/cut constantly, lead the team in pick and roles, driving for layups, and taking attention away from the 3 point shooters. Teams needed to guard Gabby.

Gabby had a sense of where to go. AG does that in rebounding only but not in creating space or within the offense. but it is still early in her soph year. no matter what, it is a dream to have an athlete like AG coming in off the bunch to run the other athletic big into the ground.

You will make the most athletic kid on the other team guard her, which means running like hell up and down the court and working like hell to keep her off the boards. Usually, the most athletic kid is a number 1 or 2 scorer, so you are wearing them out as well.

So playing AG to me makes even better strategy if you know that the number 1 or 2 scorer will have to check her. That kid is going to be tired and compromised on offense. Not to mention AG is probably our best defender, including perimeter defender...I think she is better at perimeter defense than any of our guards.

 

[hoophuskee]

There is an adjustment to make as you move between USA and Euro ball. The change from here to there was easy for me. You just amp up the aggression a bit. Don't worry about going through that pick or pushing for position. But the move back requires a different mind set you have to overcome the reflexive reactions to situations. Changing those instinctive moves is the hardest part. Trying to change instincts causes a player to appear indecisive and slows their reaction times. Losing games is terrible for Nika's development. She needs to be able to have fouls called that won't impact the outcome of the game until those instincts are altered. She needs game minutes. I believe by tourney time she will be able to really slow down some of these quick guards that have been a problem to us.

I hope I'm wrong-- but she doesn't seem quick enough to be able to slow down the quick guards. I know there are issues with her foot- but she still seems like she will never be that quick-- and especially year one as a frosh - to be much of a factor to slow down the quicker guards.

And offensively, if she can't shoot - she will affect how UCONN plays. The really good teams are going to affect UCONN's offense when she is in regardless how well she passes. Especially if a player on UCONN's perimeter is struggling to go along with if she is in at the same time as Griffin.

She does need minutes and she'll get some because UCONN will blow out many teams. But i'm just skeptical of her quickness, and her ability to shoot the basketball. Overall I think her defense can become adequate in year 1 but as far as her offense-- imo any time off kills her - and she's already missed valuable time not only for herself but how her teammates play with her during game conditions. But if you give her time for a pg that can't shoot - you affect how the game is being played all in the "hopes" that a bench player "might" find a touch.

So not only I think the defense is critical for her and ofc her passing on offense - but can she knock down shots? If she can't know down shots imo you are making it way too hard on other players- especially if she is also playing with Griff. And until she shows she is a "stopper" in any capacity she is "not Kelly Faris."

 

[oldude]

I hope I'm wrong-- but she doesn't seem quick enough to be able to slow down the quick guards. I know there are issues with her foot- but she still seems like she will never be that quick-- and especially year one as a frosh - to be much of a factor to slow down the quicker guards.

And offensively, if she can't shoot - she will affect how UCONN plays. The really good teams are going to affect UCONN's offense when she is in regardless how well she passes. Especially if a player on UCONN's perimeter is struggling to go along with if she is in at the same time as Griffin.

She does need minutes and she'll get some because UCONN will blow out many teams. But i'm just skeptical of her quickness, and her ability to shoot the basketball. Overall I think her defense can become adequate in year 1 but as far as her offense-- imo any time off kills her - and she's already missed valuable time not only for herself but how her teammates play with her during game conditions. But if you give her time for a pg that can't shoot - you affect how the game is being played all in the "hopes" that a bench player "might" find a touch.

So not only I think the defense is critical for her and ofc her passing on offense - but can she knock down shots? If she can't know down shots imo you are making it way too hard on other players- especially if she is also playing with Griff. And until she shows she is a "stopper" in any capacity she is "not Kelly Faris."

While it remains to be seen just how well Nika will do at the collegiate level, I would suggest we have some indication from her performance last year during the FIBA U-18 European championships. In 7 games Nika averaged 12.6 ppg, shooting 8/21 from the arc for a respectable 38%. She also averaged 6.6 apg, 5.7 rpg and 2.6 stpg. That indicates to me a very active and versatile player who can knock down the 3.

Obviously Nika needs to be healthy and get comfortable at the US collegiate level. But I’m reasonably confident that she’s got what it takes to succeed. More importantly, Geno seemed to be very confident that Nika would contribute this year, prior to her foot injury.

 

[jazz]

I hope I'm wrong-- but she doesn't seem quick enough to be able to slow down the quick guards. I know there are issues with her foot- but she still seems like she will never be that quick-- and especially year one as a frosh - to be much of a factor to slow down the quicker guards.

And offensively, if she can't shoot - she will affect how UCONN plays. The really good teams are going to affect UCONN's offense when she is in regardless how well she passes. Especially if a player on UCONN's perimeter is struggling to go along with if she is in at the same time as Griffin.

She does need minutes and she'll get some because UCONN will blow out many teams. But i'm just skeptical of her quickness, and her ability to shoot the basketball. Overall I think her defense can become adequate in year 1 but as far as her offense-- imo any time off kills her - and she's already missed valuable time not only for herself but how her teammates play with her during game conditions. But if you give her time for a pg that can't shoot - you affect how the game is being played all in the "hopes" that a bench player "might" find a touch.

So not only I think the defense is critical for her and ofc her passing on offense - but can she knock down shots? If she can't know down shots imo you are making it way too hard on other players- especially if she is also playing with Griff. And until she shows she is a "stopper" in any capacity she is "not Kelly Faris."

Too early to tell but based on her Euro success and the small sample size we have thus far, I think she can give us some quality minutes to spell the guards. Most teams don't have much as far as guards coming off the bench but I think we will be very good there with NM and EW playing guard in some situations.

I'm reserved on NM's movement skills due to the foot injury. I think when she concentrates more on moving her feet and less on swiping at the ball, she will be better than average. But, as I said, it is too early to be sure since she has had the foot issues. Despite the foot, I saw some things however, that gave me some hope on the defensive end.

 

[DefenseBB]

First and foremost MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Second, let’s all understand that trying to say Aubrey is Gabby redux is not accurate. Gabby was a guard in High School and her first years at UConn. She knew how to pass and move without the ball so her transition to Point-forward or point-center was fairly transparent. Gabby was a facilitator whereas Aubrey is more of a wing-slasher. As she learns more and gets comfortable with the new flow of the UConn system she will develop. If she can up her defense intensity to become a lockdown defender she can really help this team.

mom Nika, she’s had all of 2 games and both while playing hobbled so please how about some patience and compassion here?

Please Enjoy the day and stay safe! 4 days until DePaul!

 

[hoophuskee]

While it remains to be seen just how well Nika will do at the collegiate level, I would suggest we have some indication from her performance last year during the FIBA U-18 European championships. In 7 games Nika averaged 12.6 ppg, shooting 8/21 from the arc for a respectable 38%. She also averaged 6.6 apg, 5.7 rpg and 2.6 stpg. That indicates to me a very active and versatile player who can knock down the 3.

Obviously Nika needs to be healthy and get comfortable at the US collegiate level. But I’m reasonably confident that she’s got what it takes to succeed. More importantly, Geno seemed to be very confident that Nika would contribute this year, prior to her foot injury.

As I said- I hope I'm wrong. And really "wrong" is the "wrong" word. More like - "hopeful to see" very good play eventually. Anyway, she'll get enough open looks to see if she can knock down shots. I'm rooting for your assessment of the games you cited to be more representative of the player she is/ will become as the season progresses.

In terms of Geno, imo he puts in players at start of season with an expectation of progression. Not all players progress in the way he'd like them to while others progress at a much higher rate than the players that don't .- Ergo- too valuable to take out. . I'm concerned that she isn't going to show that progression this year but obviously love it if she does. And obviously my concern means nothing. We can all watch her play - because I expect she'll get minutes because I expect a lot of blowouts. So I am eager to see what she can do.

 

[hoophuskee]

First and foremost MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Second, let’s all understand that trying to say Aubrey is Gabby redux is not accurate. Gabby was a guard in High School and her first years at UConn. She knew how to pass and move without the ball so her transition to Point-forward or point-center was fairly transparent. Gabby was a facilitator whereas Aubrey is more of a wing-slasher. As she learns more and gets comfortable with the new flow of the UConn system she will develop. If she can up her defense intensity to become a lockdown defender she can really help this team.

mom Nika, she’s had all of 2 games and both while playing hobbled so please how about some patience and compassion here?

Please Enjoy the day and stay safe! 4 days until DePaul!

I agree with your assessment regarding Gabby vs Griffin. To further that- I think Gabby was showing legit post moves even as a frosh. Aubrey - I'm not so sure yet she has legit post moves. I love Aubrey's game but I don't see Gabby in it- at least not yet.

As far as Nika - were you referring to me? I hope not. I said I'm hopeful I'm wrong - and wrong was a bad word to use because I am eager to watch her. That I hope doesn't mean I'm not being "compassionate." I was strictly speaking of her skills what I see. That's what this site is for in part. This doesn't mean I'm not compassionate.

I wish you a super Merry Christmas as well!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

While it remains to be seen just how well Nika will do at the collegiate level, I would suggest we have some indication from her performance last year during the FIBA U-18 European championships. In 7 games Nika averaged 12.6 ppg, shooting 8/21 from the arc for a respectable 38%. She also averaged 6.6 apg, 5.7 rpg and 2.6 stpg. That indicates to me a very active and versatile player who can knock down the 3.

Obviously Nika needs to be healthy and get comfortable at the US collegiate level. But I’m reasonably confident that she’s got what it takes to succeed. More importantly, Geno seemed to be very confident that Nika would contribute this year, prior to her foot injury.

Calling her slow is ridiculous. In Europe she made a career out of stealing the ball and burning it to the other end for a layup. Blatantly false as a mere passing glance at her European footage demonstrates. Her defensive footwork is also very good and accounts for a lot of those steals. The penchant some have for all but burying recruits early in their freshman year does not reflect well on the some.

 

[jazz]

EW I meant...sorry. I've corrected it now.

 

[hoophuskee]

Calling her slow is ridiculous. In Europe she made a career out of stealing the ball and burning it to the other end for a layup. Blatantly false as a mere passing glance at her European footage demonstrates. Her defensive footwork is also very good and accounts for a lot of those steals. The penchant some have for all but burying recruits early in their freshman year does not reflect well on the some.

Are you talking about me? I said I am burying her? I said she is going to get a chance. If you are talking about me implying that I am even close to burying her a complete exaggeration of what I said.

I said she is going to get minutes in blowouts to see what she can do. And what I see yes she is slow. I think anyone that sees her and doesn't think that is wrong. Slow players however can be great. You don't need to have elite speed to be great -and you can still be good even if you are slow. And I'll just say again to even imply that I am even closely burying her completely misrepresents my post. I said she'll have her chances. How do you interpret that as "burying her?"

It's Christmas not looking for a fight. I can't believe you implied that I am burying her if you did so. . .