Paige ESPN All American

[Gurleyman]

Kaleena took a lot more 3-point shots than Moriah. Kaleena hit 398 of 890 3-point shots. Can't find Moriah's career stats anywhere, but I know she probably took maybe half as many as Kaleena.

I agree. Megan rarely played well against the top teams.

The best she played against a top team was the exhibition against Team USA when we had a chance to beat them.

 

[MooseJaw]

I agree.
To further that, if this team had Walker, UCONN would be like some of other of the great UCONN super teams. I don't agree with anyone "talking down Walker" to the degree it's being done.

With Walker,
1-- This team wouldn't have to see much of Liv (or Aubrey) taking 15+ 20+ foot jump shots in close, big games.
2-- UCONN would have been undefeated.
3-- There would have been more rest for Paige, CWill and Evina because UCONN would have blown out teams much earlier.
4a-- Her presence would have allowed for growth due to stiffer competition between Edwards, Evina, CWIll and Nika.
4b-- Walker would have given a shot to have benched anyone at the 1-4 positions who wasn't performing such as CWill's game vs Arkansas. (Geno would have used minutes as the driving force to reward playing time rather than having to play players that weren't performing to his standards.).
5-- Walker would have been playing with better players across the board (I love ya Danger but Paige is better) coached by the greatest WCBB in the history of the sport. That would have translated into better performances across the board.
6-- Her terrific shooting would have opened up the lane - thus resulting in tremendous ball movement / execution of offense sets.
7-- She would've fit perfectly with Paige. You'd have two tremendous outside shooters. It's not like UCONN hasn't had super players on the same court before. Especially when one is a great, great, great passer.
8-- UCONN would have been the prohibitive favorite to win it all.

Just countering all the negative regarding Walker. Walker should not have been brought up here but as she was - then might as well give her her deserved props. She helped keep UCONN relevant on a highly flawed team. And that's huge.

I agree with what you stated, however you must admit that once the ball was in Walkers hands the only way it left was on a shot, What we will never know is if having a better supporting cast this year would have her looking to her teammates for more offense. Alas we will never know and at this point it doesn't matter.

 

[cbraarj]

This should have been about Paige and her teammates! Another thread that has gotten off topic!

 

[Jingo]

Really? If I had not crossed the street, the bread truck would not have hit me. Total speculation for what purpose? Paige is here, Megan is not and we are seeing a generational talent play great UConn basketball. Why does there ALWAYS has to be at least one person to diminish a player's accomplishment by throwing hypotheticals or speculating, "If not this, then that..."? It could easily have been that if Megan stayed Paige still starts and does what she is doing, but what's the purpose of even speculating?? Just enjoy the team for what it is and who's on it!!

Speculation is a large part of a forum such as the Boneyard. A straight fact sheet would be quite boring. For example, Nika's facts [her statistics], don't show her real value to the team, eh? Nor Evina's value..

 

[AmeriConn]

I don’t know that Walker would have taken PT from Paige, but she would have done three things that might not have allowed this team to grow into the potential national championship team that they have become.

Walker would likely have taken minutes from Aaliyah, limiting her development. She would also command the ball more in isolation, potentially stifling movement on offense.

Lastly, as the only senior on the team, Megan would have most likely been the designated team leader, relegating Paige to a supporting role. IMO Paige’s leadership is her most important contribution to this UConn team.

Agree with everything, except I don’t think Megan ever had it in her to be a leader of the team.

 

[Go/huskies]

On another note had Walker stayed and then decided to come back next season, UConn would have had 4 players who were ranked number 1 overall coming out of high school, imagine that.

 

[hoophuskee]

I agree with what you stated, however you must admit that once the ball was in Walkers hands the only way it left was on a shot, What we will never know is if having a better supporting cast this year would have her looking to her teammates for more offense. Alas we will never know and at this point it doesn't matter.

Please note this is not meant to be a mean post. I’m re-reading it and it could sound like it but no way is it. I respect your opinion and others.

As for Walker and last year- that was the nature of her team. She's a scorer. UCONN needed her to score. Liv wasn't as good as last year. Anna can't get off her own shot. Look at all the help CWill needed to be what she is- and last year she was one year younger/worse and overall last yar they weren’t as good. Basically look at last year’s 5th and 6th and even 7th players. Yet they were 5th in the country. You think with all the youth and how that team was constructed they should've done much better?

And I don't understand why you think she wouldn't look for her teammates more if she didn't have to score as much. She was a good enough teammate for 2 final fours in which she didn't take a lot of shots - so you think she was going to forget all about it and just hog the ball on every shot? You don't think Geno could have done anything with her considering he has Paige – and then with Evina, CWill, Edwards and Nika? If she was going to ball hog you don’t think Geno would’ve benched her?

All the years many years of Geno coaching - we're going to suddenly think that more than likely he can't make a plyer pass the ball more?

Regardless of her being a 1st team a/a or any a/a for that matter -- -- since when does adding a very good basketball player to your team hurt your team? OFC some team’s chemistry is affected. Well in the UCONN women's program – over the last 20 years - how many players have ruined chemistry? And who were they?

 

[huskeynut]

I stayed out of this post when it went way off track.

Congrats to Paige on a well deserved honor. She is an amazing talent who will only get better. Definitely looking forward to three more years of Paige leading the charge!!

 

[darkstar1]

Speculation is a large part of a forum such as the Boneyard. A straight fact sheet would be quite boring. For example, Nika's facts [her statistics], don't show her real value to the team, eh? Nor Evina's value..

And as good as Paige’s stats are, they don’t show her real value either.

 

[hoophuskee]

Which can be said for nearly any starter in the history of the sport that didn't win a championship in that season that they started.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Some interesting career stats:

Sue shot 48/46/89

Kaleena shot 49/45/87

Moriah shot 55/42/82

Maya shot 53/40/80

Stewie shot 53/36/80

Diana shot 47/39/82

The best overall shooter from the floor of this group was 5'7" Moriah Jefferson. The best 3-point shooters were Sue and Kaleena. The best FT shooters were also Sue and Kaleena. In 2014-15, Mo shot .496 from the arc, edging out the great KML, who shot .482.

With the NCAA tourney left, Paige has shot 54/47/84, which is slightly better than Moriah in two of three categories, and some brilliant poster earlier said that we were seeing Paige "at her worst." I personally can't wait to see her at her best.

 

[hoophuskee]

But I never argued that she was "great." Just that she would make the team much better.

 

[hoophuskee]

But I didn't start this with Walker. Other posters STARTED THE SPECULATION of "what if Walker stayed. . . " and there were some negative comments about her.

If they could START the speculation then my comments were only a reply as to why I felt she didn't deserve the negative comments that she wouldn't help.

Just offering balance to a very, very good basketball player which I felt was getting a bad wrap - and as I stated should never have been dragged into this thread.

In terms of dragging Walker into this thread, this is the same poster that suggested on a previous thread that CWill was jealous of Paige because that's human nature - the quote below in bold.

It is part of human nature...it probably bothers her and her teammates will help.

Just saying if people can post negative stuff then I'm just replying in kind. He further suggested I take things personal. I hope you don't think that. I don't I just don't understand why the negative when it should be about Paige. And Walker was a very good player- so what that she wasn't "great."

 

[Jingo]

But I never argued that she was "great." Just that she would make the team much better.

I don't think Megan would "fit in" with UConn's current team .. especially with ball movement and the intangible called "chemistry" .. I mean, Evina brings more to the 3-spot than Megan in terms of ball-handling and assists, plus, in terms of chemistry, Evina is the "glue", eh?
And AE brings [much] more to the 4-spot in terms of 'power' scoring close to the basket. Megan had very few successful moves under the basket. AE also does a lot more with the pick-n-roll.
Moreover, for various reasons, Megan could not displace Paige, Liv nor Nika from their spots on this year's team.
Crystal was, IMO, the best player on last year's UConn squad. Crystal has prover herself at the next level - the WNBA - by winning the Rookie-of-the-Year award.
Megan in the WNBA, facing stiff defense every night like she did against SC, Baylor and Oregon, has struggled. She is averaging 3 points and 1 rebound per game and is shooting 14% [1-of-7] from beyond the arc.