POST CHAMPIONSHIP THOUGHTS

[magic]

1) No one is going to beat Baylor next year with role players . You'd better have 5 scorers on the floor and play defense.
2) Enough of the Brittany Griner " Pitty Party" already. She's going to be a great player, and it's because she's 6'8.
3) I like the way Baylor plays defense. They put a body on you. Not a lot of grabbing, holding and clawing.
4) The officiating was pretty good. EXCEPT- The illegal screen called on Peters in the second half. I thought it was a better than pretty good screen. You can't play basketball if thay are going to call those illegal.
5) I've had enough of DORIS BURKE.
6) Griner has great offensive skills because of her size. But, moving without the ball is not one of them. She rebounded great last night. I'm not sure about her basketball IQ.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yes, Griner will be a great player some day, despite the fact that she has a low basketball IQ and can't move without the ball and is only good on offense because she is tall. Hopefully she is able to pull it together enough to reach her potential. If she can just learn to play defense, watch out!

I have been tired of Burke for several years. Everything she says seems scripted.

UCONN will have the players to challenge Baylor next year. I saw all three play this past weekend in the all-star game and they certainly will not be role players.

 

[easttexastrash]

Another championship thought: Odyssey is the best point guard in the nation. She plays defense like no other.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I have been tired of Burke for several years. Everything she says seems scripted.

That's exactly how it seems. I find it annoying.

 

[VAMike23]

Another championship thought: Odyssey is the best point guard in the nation. She plays defense like no other.

As I watched her playing defense (bulldog-like, and that's a compliment), I thought "maybe we should have Brianna Banks sit down and watch film of Odyssey Sims".

 

[magic]

Yes, Griner will be a great player some day, despite the fact that she has a low basketball IQ and can't move without the ball and is only good on offense because she is tall. Hopefully she is able to pull it together enough to reach her potential. If she can just learn to play defense, watch out!

I have been tired of Burke for several years. Everything she says seems scripted.

UCONN will have the players to challenge Baylor next year. I saw all three play this past weekend in the all-star game and they certainly will not be role players.

Griner's a great defensive player right now, because of her size. When she learns how to move without the ball she will be " SCARY" good. I'm sure all these players coming in are very good. I've only seen BS. But they better be on the floor , not on the bench. Teams are going to have to flat out outscore Baylor next year.

 

[bertieboy]

I don't know that I believe that teams are going to have to flat out outscore Baylor next year. We played them very well defensively in December and they only won by 5, 66-61. No other team came closer than we did but 2 equaled it. Had not Heather gotten injured in that game, I believe we would have won.

We still have Heather next year and we have some stars coming in. We will still play wonderful defense and we will have more scoring options. We can beat them. Whether or not we will is another matter.

 

[Icebear]

Griner is great but I hate to think of the beast she might have been in the hands of Geno and CD at this point in her career. I cannot imagine her standing around as much as she does at times if she had been at UCONN. Plus if the UCONN conditioning staff did half the job with her that they have done with Stef, watch out!

Do not get me wrong I think that she has developed under KM but I do not think it is near what it could be.

 

[VAMike23]

Next year we will have the personnel to do what Stanford tried to do--and sometimes did pretty well: play with one big behind BG and one long/athletic type hedging between BG and the perimeter ballhandler. One of Stanford's dilemmas, besides foul trouble, was that the other players not preoccupied with BG were not able to stop the remaining Baylor players.

I think next year we will have the necessary size and talent across the board to not only slow down BG a little bit but to defend the rest of the floor. She will still get her points but so will we at the other end.

 

[magic]

I don't know that I believe that teams are going to have to flat out outscore Baylor next year. We played them very well defensively in December and they only won by 5, 66-61. No other team came closer than we did but 2 equaled it. Had not Heather gotten injured in that game, I believe we would have won.

We still have Heather next year and we have some stars coming in. We will still play wonderful defense and we will have more scoring options. We can beat them. Whether or not we will is another matter.

Baylor is way better than they were when we played them in december, especially offensively. I believe teams will have to score points to beat them next year.

 

[sparky]

To stop Griner you need a bazooka. The key is to shut down Sims and make their 3 contested. Griner will get her's, but limit the others. Also trying to challenge her with small players driving is difficult because she doesn't body into the player when blocking shots. Finally box her out and make her reach over you for the ball.

 

[cferraro04]

Amen Sparky...I have always contended that the secret to beating Baylor lies in stopping Sims. You can play Griner face up one on one and rely on weak side help...she will get her 25 points and 10 rebounds but so what stopping Sims will disrupt the entire teams rhythm.

 

[meyers7]

Another championship thought: Odyssey is the best point guard in the nation. She plays defense like no other.

I agree. I think she is better than Diggins.

 

[VAUConnFan]

1) No one is going to beat Baylor next year with role players . You'd better have 5 scorers on the floor and play defense.
Agreed
2) Enough of the Brittany Griner " Pitty Party" already. She's going to be a great player, and it's because she's 6'8.
She's 6'8" and talented; Good footwork, good timing, moves exceptionally well.
3) I like the way Baylor plays defense. They put a body on you. Not a lot of grabbing, holding and clawing.
No argument.
4) The officiating was pretty good. EXCEPT- The illegal screen called on Peters in the second half. I thought it was a better than pretty good screen. You can't play basketball if thay are going to call those illegal.
I, also, believe that was a good screen Peters set, albeit hard. It's possible though that her feet were not square with her shoulders on the contact. A hard screen is not illegal.
5) I've had enough of DORIS BURKE.
6) Griner has great offensive skills because of her size. But, moving without the ball is not one of them. She rebounded great last night. I'm not sure about her basketball IQ.

You refuse to give her much credit. In fact, want to take some away. And inject basketball IQ into the equation. It is to be expected. Hopefully, as you do so, you come armed with a few facts and figures. Otherwise, you are just throwing out some preconceived notions.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Griner is great but I hate to think of the beast she might have been in the hands of Geno and CD at this point in her career. I cannot imagine her standing around as much as she does at times if she had been at UCONN. Plus if the UCONN conditioning staff did half the job with her that they have done with Stef, watch out!

Do not get me wrong I think that she has developed under KM but I do not think it is near what it could be.

Ice, I respectfully disagree. I see plenty of players on all teams, including UConn, standing around at times. It happens. Players will get tired at times. But Griner can hardly be said to be loafing.

Griner is now an 80 percent free throw shooter, has added a mid-range shot, can turn over either shoulder, and can finish with either hand. And this year she shot 61 percent from the floor, up from 50 percent as a freshman and 54 percent as a sophomore. She has added range while improving her shooting percentages by tremendous amounts.

Her rebounding has also improved, especially in terms of offensive rebounds per game (going from 2.48 offensive rebounds per game as a freshman to 3.25 as a junior...and that is with Destiny Williams on the team getting tons of offensive boards). She is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game on a team with great rebounders. Consider this...teams attempted 760 three point shots against Baylor (19 attempts per game). That is because of Griner's presence and how she changes the game. Part of the reason she stands around on defense is because she is the frontline defense against dribble penetration and needs to be prepared to move laterally. On offense, Griner demands the ball much more than she ever have, but the pounding she receives takes a toll even on the best-conditioned players (and much of it is uncalled).

Also, Griner played 40 games this year and only had 66 turnovers (against 65 assists). She did not foul out of a single game this year. This is compared to 35 assists and 98 turnovers as a freshman and 52 assists and 79 turnovers as a sophomore.

While Geno is a great coach and individual player development is one of his hallmarks. Mulkey has turned Griner into a beast while exponentially improving her game.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Ice, I respectfully disagree. I see plenty of players on all teams, including UConn, standing around at times. It happens. Players will get tired at times. But Griner can hardly be said to be loafing.

Griner is now an 80 percent free throw shooter, has added a mid-range shot, can turn over either shoulder, and can finish with either hand. And this year she shot 61 percent from the floor, up from 50 percent as a freshman and 54 percent as a sophomore. She has added range while improving her shooting percentages by tremendous amounts.

Her rebounding has also improved, especially in terms of offensive rebounds per game (going from 2.48 offensive rebounds per game as a freshman to 3.25 as a junior...and that is with Destiny Williams on the team getting tons of offensive boards). She is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game on a team with great rebounders. Consider this...teams attempted 760 three point shots against Baylor (19 attempts per game). That is because of Griner's presence and how she changes the game. Part of the reason she stands around on defense is because she is the frontline defense against dribble penetration and needs to be prepared to move laterally. On offense, Griner demands the ball much more than she ever have, but the pounding she receives takes a toll even on the best-conditioned players (and much of it is uncalled).

Also, Griner played 40 games this year and only had 66 turnovers (against 65 assists). She did not foul out of a single game this year. This is compared to 35 assists and 98 turnovers as a freshman and 52 assists and 79 turnovers as a sophomore.

While Geno is a great coach and individual player development is one of his hallmarks. Mulkey has turned Griner into a beast while exponentially improving her game.

Good job!

 

[Icebear]

Ice, I respectfully disagree. I see plenty of players on all teams, including UConn, standing around at times. It happens. Players will get tired at times. But Griner can hardly be said to be loafing.

Griner is now an 80 percent free throw shooter, has added a mid-range shot, can turn over either shoulder, and can finish with either hand. And this year she shot 61 percent from the floor, up from 50 percent as a freshman and 54 percent as a sophomore. She has added range while improving her shooting percentages by tremendous amounts.

Her rebounding has also improved, especially in terms of offensive rebounds per game (going from 2.48 offensive rebounds per game as a freshman to 3.25 as a junior...and that is with Destiny Williams on the team getting tons of offensive boards). She is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game on a team with great rebounders. Consider this...teams attempted 760 three point shots against Baylor (19 attempts per game). That is because of Griner's presence and how she changes the game. Part of the reason she stands around on defense is because she is the frontline defense against dribble penetration and needs to be prepared to move laterally. On offense, Griner demands the ball much more than she ever have, but the pounding she receives takes a toll even on the best-conditioned players (and much of it is uncalled).

Also, Griner played 40 games this year and only had 66 turnovers (against 65 assists). She did not foul out of a single game this year. This is compared to 35 assists and 98 turnovers as a freshman and 52 assists and 79 turnovers as a sophomore.

While Geno is a great coach and individual player development is one of his hallmarks. Mulkey has turned Griner into a beast while exponentially improving her game.

Cam, you are correct she has developed skills. As to standing around there is a qualitative difference I notice in Brittney's inactivity. I expect she would have developed those skills under CD's guidance, too, what I do not see in Brittney is the mental force and compete every possession attitude that Geno and Cd are so good at bringing out of players, such as, Tina Charles. More than anything else that is what would make Brittney the most impossible player in the world to deal with. Fortunately for her she may well have that opportunity on the Olympic team in addition to what she has already said she learned from him last summer/fall. I did not say she hasn't developed under Mulkey, I said she has and would add she has tremendously BUT I think there is still a missing element that Geno is the best at delivering.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Cam, you are correct she has developed skills. I expect she would have developed those under CD's guidance, too, what I do not see in Brittney is the mental force and compete every possession attitude that Geno and Cd are so good at bringing out of players.

Ice, with all due respect, UConn players stand around. It does not mean they are not mentally focused. There are times, entire possessions even, whet KML stands in the corner, outside the arc. It does not mean that she is not mentally focused, just as it does not mean Griner is not mentally focused. Given her performances on the biggest stages and considering how much more she demand the ball, it seems clear Griner has developed the mental focus that you are referencing.

 

[Icebear]

Ice, with all due respect, UConn players stand around. It does not mean they are not mentally focused. There are times, entire possessions even, whet KML stands in the corner, outside the arc. It does not mean that she is not mentally focused, just as it does not mean Griner is not mentally focused. Given her performances on the biggest stages and considering how much more she demand the ball, it seems clear Griner has developed the mental focus that you are referencing.

KML has only had one year under Geno, the comparison would be seniors like Maya. When it happens most often the standing that does happen is the result of confusion about attacking the defense. By the end of the season except for very limited moments KML stand around much less. Maya very rarely stands around.

 

[easttexastrash]

KML has only had one year under Geno, the comparison would be seniors like Maya. When it happens most often the standing that does happen is the result of confusion about attacking the defense. By the end of the season except for very limited moments KML stand around much less. Maya very rarely stands around.

I did see her standing around a lot last night...with the championship trophy and the MOP trophy in her hands.

 

[easttexastrash]

I am not saying that BG does not have areas of improvement. She absolutely does. But also keep in mind that she has only been playing organized ball since her freshman year of high school. By that time, most players had already been playing for several years. She is still learning the game.

 

[easttexastrash]

As far as the comparison to Tina Charles, who was an phenomenal player, she did not average double digit rebounding in a single UCONN season.

Griner finished the season with 206 blocks and averaged 2.05 fouls per game. She is the most dominant defensive force ever seen and only averaged 2 fouls a game! That is an incredible stat.

23.2 ppg
9.5 rpg
5.15 bpg
60.9% fg
80% ft
50% from three point range (1 of 2...LOL)

Now give the woman her due and quit nitpicking. Why is it so hard for some to admit what a great player she is? And if her improvements continue as they have I can only imagine what there stats will look like next year.

 

[Bestiarius]

To stop Griner you need a bazooka. .

Yes, bubble gum on her shoes would be quite distracting. All she had on her shoes this year was icing.

 

[Bestiarius]

I am not saying that BG does not have areas of improvement. She absolutely does. But also keep in mind that she has only been playing organized ball since her freshman year of high school. By that time, most players had already been playing for several years. She is still learning the game.

Tremendous improvement just since last year. If she can gain weight and muscle, wow!

When she was crossing off the "unfinished" on that sign after the final, the multitude of bruises covering her arms were quite evident.

 

[JByron21]

I guess I'll throw in my .02.

First off, no denying how dominant Griner is in my opinion. As was previously mentioned, her offensive repertoire is about as impossible to defend as I have ever seen, height included. I think what is crazy is not only how good she is already, but how much room for improvement she still has. What scares me is the day that Mulkey & Co. decide that Griner needs to touch the ball on 100% of Baylor's offensive possessions. Not 70%, not 90%, every damn time down the floor.

Getting double and triple teamed down low? Flash the 80+% FT shooter up to the foul line and feed her. She turns and pivots and can either a) routinely drain the FT line jumper that she already can do so well and without the worry of being blocked, or b) see over the entire defense and find the open teammate. I don't know who could stop that, especially with her supporting cast next season (I mean that with the utmost respect to her teammates).

As far as Ice's comment about her standing around at times, if I was Baylor I would want her to demand the ball a bit more. Yes, easier said than done, but it's that killer instinct that I have seen her show in spurts where she essentially tells her team "nobody can stop me, just gimme the damn ball and I'll take over" that would push her into a tier that we may have never seen before. THAT is what I think Geno and CD would have already stressed to her at this point had she attended Uconn. That's not to say Mulkey has not done a great job, but that's just one person's critique of it.