Practices start, extra excitement, and great quote from Geno... | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Practices start, extra excitement, and great quote from Geno...

Cuango said:
Those coaches are trying to deny Nika because of her passing. They’re not afraid of her scoring! I got in on this late but I’m guessing the poster you are referring to, was saying she didn’t need to be defended from shooting. Which is true, to date, she has not been much of a scoring threat.
Once she passes the ball, defenses tend to sag off of her as they are not afraid of her shooting! Whereas they cannot do that with Paige, Azzi, Caroline etc. She got better last year however, and I am hopeful she will be even better this season. If she can put a little fear in our opponents as a scorer, as well as a distributor, we will be a much better team.
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But if you leave her wide open to pass - she can pick the lane to get the ball to the scorer being completely unimpeded to make the pass. For example, on here we've heard from some posters stating how Paige and Azzi can get double-teamed. with Nika in They really can't if Paige/Azzi are in a motion offense and aren't initiating the play. Guards on the perimeter running off of picks and moving as much as they do rarely can be double-teamed. So, it's the same scenario - -> it's not 5 on 4.
 
hoophuskee said:
So, if she wasn't the most consistent on the team but only as a forsh what was your point about her vs Nika? Nika isn't a frosh so how is it that you are tying KK being consistent as a frosh vs less minutes for Nika? I think you are taking Geno's comments way way too literal- and for someone like Geno known to exaggerate a lot - way too much literal.

As Digger replied to you, the Texas coach had an emphasis at some point to deny Nika the ball this pst year. And you could listen to the presser from Dawn after UConn vs South Carolina in which she stated one of the keys for South Carolina late was that they were denying Nika the ball.

Geno's comment of "Get out of the way," in context is in sharp contrast to the opposing hall of fame coaches deliberately trying/looking to "deny Nika the ball." That's why the 5 on 4 comment you made seems more like "dislike Nika Muhl," rather than reality. You specifically said she doesn’t need to be defended yet HOF coaches during games you watched are actively working to deny her the ball. That is not in realiity "get out of the way . . .".

Also, in regard to this summer, IMO there has to be an understanding that UCONN was playing exhibition games. Exhibition. Exhibition. Please let's not carried away with Exhibition. Anyhow I do think KK will get decent minutes but I believe a lot of it will be due to Ducharme being so questionable.

And if KK's offense is truly very very good then during games in which UCONN is winning comfortably in which they could rest Paige and/or Azzi -- then Nika could pass to a player like KK (and Nika can then get out of the way :)) too in which they both get minutes.
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I guess we agree to disagree. Fortunately the actual play will determine who was correct.
 
hoophuskee said:
So, if she wasn't the most consistent on the team but only as a forsh what was your point about her vs Nika? Nika isn't a frosh so how is it that you are tying KK being consistent as a frosh vs less minutes for Nika? I think you are taking Geno's comments way way too literal- and for someone like Geno known to exaggerate a lot - way too much literal.

As Digger replied to you, the Texas coach had an emphasis at some point to deny Nika the ball this pst year. And you could listen to the presser from Dawn after UConn vs South Carolina in which she stated one of the keys for South Carolina late was that they were denying Nika the ball.

Geno's comment of "Get out of the way," in context is in sharp contrast to the opposing hall of fame coaches deliberately trying/looking to "deny Nika the ball." That's why the 5 on 4 comment you made seems more like "dislike Nika Muhl," rather than reality. You specifically said she doesn’t need to be defended yet HOF coaches during games you watched are actively working to deny her the ball. That is not in realiity "get out of the way . . .".

Also, in regard to this summer, IMO there has to be an understanding that UCONN was playing exhibition games. Exhibition. Exhibition. Please let's not carried away with Exhibition. Anyhow I do think KK will get decent minutes but I believe a lot of it will be due to Ducharme being so questionable.

And if KK's offense is truly very very good then during games in which UCONN is winning comfortably in which they could rest Paige and/or Azzi -- then Nika could pass to a player like KK (and Nika can then get out of the way :)) too in which they both get minutes.
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I think that people forget that for much of the season Muhl was the only guard in the rotation. Bettencourt was too raw and Senechal was a wing. The denial strategy was to put the ball in the hands of UConn's non-guards. It made perfect sense last season but I doubt we'll see it used this year.
 
Alydar said:
I think that people forget that for much of the season Muhl was the only guard in the rotation. Bettencourt was too raw and Senechal was a wing. The denial strategy was to put the ball in the hands of UConn's non-guards. It made perfect sense last season but I doubt we'll see it used this year.
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Yes bu tthere were comments made on here saying it was like 5 on 4. That wasn't an accurate statement. There tends to be inaccurate statements made agaianst Muhl moreso than anyone in recent memory. Regardless how many points she scored, there were HOF coaches activley trying to deny her the ball.

That's not "5 on 4."
 
Alydar said:
I think that people forget that for much of the season Muhl was the only guard in the rotation. Bettencourt was too raw and Senechal was a wing. The denial strategy was to put the ball in the hands of UConn's non-guards. It made perfect sense last season but I doubt we'll see it used this year.
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In the Texas game the denial of Muhl put the ball in the hands of Fudd, who many thought should have been the point guard last year. Fudd went on to score 30 points in that game, but she also scored 30 in the next game playing only off the ball.

On the other hand Fudd had 4 assists and 7 turnovers in her brief stint as lead guard against Texas, while Muhl had 9 assists, mostly in the first half when she was lead guard, and 3 turnovers. Albeit based on a limited sample size those back to back games revealed that whether Fudd was on ball or off ball did not matter for the guard’s production. However, the offense ran more efficiently with Muhl as the lead guard.

During our early stretch of games against decent competition there was indeed a choice of guards, both of whom various posters thought were PG material. Muhl was the one chosen and she was efficient enough with shooting, and certainly with passing, that she had to be guarded.
 
Tonyc said:
Opponents are going to find it hard trying to contain UConn from scoring 100 pts a game. I expect games to be slowed down to contain UConn. We have to many players who can put up big numbers. IMO this is why UConn is the best team in the country when healthy. Paige Azzi Aaliyah and Caroline can all lite it up big time. Opponents playing them one on one will be very difficult so I would expect teams to try and focus on keeping the score in the 60's which is not going to be easy. This team much like the Stewie teams is loaded and can Domin8 opponents.
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I'm an unsophisticated poster and not sure how to set up a poll-post.

To the matter at hand and TonyC's opinion on UConn scoring 100+ pts, I'm putting the O/U at 6.5 games.
 
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hoophuskee said:
Yes bu tthere were comments made on here saying it was like 5 on 4. That wasn't an accurate statement. There tends to be inaccurate statements made agaianst Muhl moreso than anyone in recent memory. Regardless how many points she scored, there were HOF coaches activley trying to deny her the ball.

That's not "5 on 4."
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Sorry but I refuse to get into that self-destructive discussion. :rolleyes:
 
diggerfoot said:
In the Texas game the denial of Muhl put the ball in the hands of Fudd, who many thought should have been the point guard last year. Fudd went on to score 30 points in that game, but she also scored 30 in the next game playing only off the ball.

On the other hand Fudd had 4 assists and 7 turnovers in her brief stint as lead guard against Texas, while Muhl had 9 assists, mostly in the first half when she was lead guard, and 3 turnovers. Albeit based on a limited sample size those back to back games revealed that whether Fudd was on ball or off ball did not matter for the guard’s production. However, the offense ran more efficiently with Muhl as the lead guard.

During our early stretch of games against decent competition there was indeed a choice of guards, both of whom various posters thought were PG material. Muhl was the one chosen and she was efficient enough with shooting, and certainly with passing, that she had to be guarded.
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Good points. The pts assists and TO stats may be miss-leading. How many of Fudd's assists were due to Muhl making a basket? Compare that to how many of Muhl's assists were due to baskets made by Fudd.
I have been a Muhl fan since day one and was one of the few who thought she could succeed starting after Bueckers went down. Last year she had a bunch of efficient scorers to pass to. Fudd (for 15 games), Senechal, Edwards and Juhasz. To her credit she took advantage of that.
I haven't a doubt that Fudd could lead UConn to a title playing the point. She's as good at the point as Bueckers is at the off-guard position and that's very very good.
 
Alydar said:
Good points. The pts assists and TO stats may be miss-leading. How many of Fudd's assists were due to Muhl making a basket? Compare that to how many of Muhl's assists were due to baskets made by Fudd.
I have been a Muhl fan since day one and was one of the few who thought she could succeed starting after Bueckers went down. Last year she had a bunch of efficient scorers to pass to. Fudd (for 15 games), Senechal, Edwards and Juhasz. To her credit she took advantage of that.
I haven't a doubt that Fudd could lead UConn to a title playing the point. She's as good at the point as Bueckers is at the off-guard position and that's very very good.
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Not only has Fudd’s A/T ratio been consistently and significantly less than Muhl’s as Huskies, her assists per minute is consistently less than any other guard. Fudd is in the line up to score, not to distribute, as she should be. Her decision making throughout her career has been that of a scorer, as it should be. In contrast, Bueckers still manages to rack up assists when in the line up with Muhl.

You often qualify Muhl’s ability by citing efficient scorers as teammates, as if good shooters is something new at UConn. Tamika Williams has the shooting percentage record. Cash, Taurasi and Jones all very good at shooting. Last year’s team was by no means the greatest shooting team for UConn percentage wise, nor in possessions per game, yet Muhl still set the assists record. Crediting her success to the good fortune of having good shooters as teammates is a clever argument, but does not hold true in comparison to other great UConn teams with great point guards like Bird, Montgomery and Jefferson.

Please present whatever tangible evidence you have that Fudd would be as good at point as Bueckers at off guard. Simply saying so does not make it true, and I am unaware of any data/evidence/experiences that supports that claim. To reiterate, her whole career Fudd has shown the mindset of a scorer, which she absolutely should. Suddenly anointing her a championship level point guard simply because she is highly skilled is a claim without any support.
 
diggerfoot said:
Not only has Fudd’s A/T ratio been consistently and significantly less than Muhl’s as Huskies, her assists per minute is consistently less than any other guard. Fudd is in the line up to score, not to distribute, as she should be. Her decision making throughout her career has been that of a scorer, as it should be. In contrast, Bueckers still manages to rack up assists when in the line up with Muhl.

You often qualify Muhl’s ability by citing efficient scorers as teammates, as if good shooters is something new at UConn. Tamika Williams has the shooting percentage record. Cash, Taurasi and Jones all very good at shooting. Last year’s team was by no means the greatest shooting team for UConn percentage wise, nor in possessions per game, yet Muhl still set the assists record. Crediting her success to the good fortune of having good shooters as teammates is a clever argument, but does not hold true in comparison to other great UConn teams with great point guards like Bird, Montgomery and Jefferson.

Please present whatever tangible evidence you have that Fudd would be as good at point as Bueckers at off guard. Simply saying so does not make it true, and I am unaware of any data/evidence/experiences that supports that claim. To reiterate, her whole career Fudd has shown the mindset of a scorer, which she absolutely should. Suddenly anointing her a championship level point guard simply because she is highly skilled is a claim without any support.
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Both Fudd and Bueckers went to the U17 tryouts as pg's. Both made the team. Fudd started at pg and Bueckers started at the off-guard. It may be old evidence but the fact remains that the USA coaches thought Fudd made a better pg than Bueckers. As far as I'm concerned, Bueckers is the best pg to come along in a long long time, maybe ever. So just to be considered in her class by coaches tells me all I have to know. Just watch some of the U17 games.

I rest my case. :)
 
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Anybody else notice the bandage on Paige’s hand?! Hope this isn’t the beginning of more injuries.
IMG_4049.jpeg
 
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jdote33 said:
That's what I tried to post and failed. Thanks for the screenshot. I definitely don't think it's a good thing.
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Lot’s of time still before the real deal. It’s obviously not good but hopefully it’s just a tweak and the wrap is precautionary.
 
Looks like a jammed thumb. Hopefully it's not serious, but a jammed thumb can be a real pain in the, well thumb. I'm assuming this is a recent picture?
 
PvP said:
Of course if you have a player who has to get out of the way, that means she doesn't need to be defended leaving the other team with the ability to double team whomever they fear most of our remaining 4 players. That was what he was forced into last year by the injuries but this year he will have options. I have to believe that KK's ability to score will allow the team to compete without one hand tied behind behind it will compel Geno to limit Nika's minutes even if she remains a "starter."
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Nika showed an increased willingness to drive last season, and her 34% from 3-pt range is enough to be a threat to score. Being the fifth scoring option isn't the same as being inept; it simply means that isn't her role. But you can bet that Paige or Azzi will find her if she's sitting wide open and unguarded at the arc. She CAN score when needed, she just won't be leaned on as much as she was last year (out of necessity).

Also take into account that Geno has his favorites, namely Paige and Nika. Paige for her obvious generational talent and basketball IQ, and Nika for the inherent natural leadership skills and energy that makes the team GO. It's not lost on him that there is NO WAY they do as well as they did last year without Nika playing 36 minutes a game and willing that team to the Sweet 16 in spite of only having 5 or 6 healthy players most nights. Unless Nika suddenly forgets how to pass and defend, he won't pull her off the floor until the game is safely in-hand.
 
Paige didn't participate in First Night because she jammed her thumb in practice a couple days before!
 
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