Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston top AP preseason All-America women's basketball team

[hoophuskee]

I think Liv is going to be an A/A this year (whether it be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd). UCONN has one legit low post scorer and it's her. That means they are going to look for her. The superior guard play for UCONN's 1st option is going to be to look inside. There are 3 very good passing guards (Paige, Evina, and Nika) and a very good passing wing in Anna that's going to look for her.

So if UCONN is a top 3 team it probably means they found her a lot. Her scoring will pretty good, her fg% will be terrific. And on defense she would be the anchor leading in blocked shots and rebounds for a team arguably having among the nation's best defenses (if they wind up in top 3).

Thus, the players that beat her out either have to be on a team better or slightly below, or the player needs to put up tremendous numbers with tremendous efficiency.

 

[hoophuskee]

She did struggle by every conceivable measure including her own.

“Offensively it wasn’t flowing right, and defensively, I’ve always struggled defensively but I’ve depended on my offense so it kind of balances out,” Williams said. “But really nothing was going right, and I wasn’t mature enough yet to just take it one game at a time.”

UConn’s Christyn Williams looking to bounce back after ‘worst season of basketball’

UConn junior Christyn Williams was unhappy with her sophomore basketball season, but she...

www.ctpost.com

I was talking Tina Charles.

 

[hoophuskee]

Those are awards, not measurable performance. And how does she make 3rd team AA as a sophomore? Or is that a prediction? And I'm not saying she didn't have a great freshman year, just that it's a low bar. With the loss of the seniors Boston will have more responsibilities, at both ends. Maybe she will handle them but as I stated about Williams, freshman numbers don't necessarily translate.
Again, I wish UConn had gotten her but I think there's too much hand-wringing about playing against her. She'll be tough, but not impossible. Should be fun to watch.

I was talking Tina Charles.

 

[donalddoowop]

I agree (I assume you're talking about Ayoka Lee of Kansas State). She is one of the best posts in America and, like Boston, is I believe only a sophomore.

Yes, that is to whom I am referring. I was surprised when I found out she was a freshman. She should be one of the best sophomores in the country this season.

 

[hoophuskee]

Then I don't think they watched Charles and Geno in her 2nd year, and actually even the first half of her junior year. He yanked her out of many games, not to give her a blow, but because he didn't like her play. Like Boston, Charles did some great things and had great games, but she would also disappear for entire games at times and was a semi-permanent resident in Geno's dog house.

He yanked her out of one game because of "body language." "Body language." At one point in the season he even questioned if he was being too tough on her (wish I had saved the quote back then.). As a soph, she averaged 17.6 ppg and 11 rebounds yet she disappointed?

More like fans expectations out of whack for a frosh/sophomore expecting she is going to be "Lew Alcindor/Bill Walton." Yes he yanked her. He also yanked Stewie and Tuck in their junior year and Stewie many times in her frosh year. I can remember him making a comment during one game when they were jr's that it was the worst basketball he saw in his life. Geno yanking players as motivation and teaching doesn't mean the player was struggling when/if in fact she averaged 33.4 minutes per game. You get that many minutes and you're a top 4 team in which you are one of the 3 scoring leaders and top rebounder- you are NOT struggling. Your coach is just trying to do his job and "get more." That's all his benching and screaming was. How much "benching" did she get when she played 33.4 minutes? UCONN got beat in S16 2 years before. And Elite 8 2 other years (one year with Tina). He was just pushing for more.

Again -- Honorable Mention A/A her frosh year. That's really good. Her soph year 3rd team A/A is NOT struggling. Averaging 17.6 ppg and 11 rebounds for a top 4 team while getting 33.4 minutes is NOT struggling. Freshmen and Sophomores generally can get outplayed by juniors and seniors. Geno yelling at her and benching her wasn't as relevant as Geno playing her while Tina scored and rebounded in the manner she did.

We hear now from Sue Bird and others how Geno has mellowed. He was NOT mellow back then when the team wasn't making it to Final Four in 2-3 straight years.

 

[Carnac]

Then I don't think they watched Charles and Geno in her 2nd year, and actually even the first half of her junior year. He yanked her out of many games, not to give her a blow, but because he didn't like her play. Like Boston, Charles did some great things and had great games, but she would also disappear for entire games at times and was a semi-permanent resident in Geno's dog house.

Speaking of Geno's Dog House (or as Kara Wolters refers to it, "Casa de Bow Wow"), Can anyone think of who is the last UConn WBB player to take up residence in Geno's dog house for an extended period of time? I think I know the answer, but I may be wrong.

 

[Carnac]

Yes, that is to whom I am referring. I was surprised when I found out she was a freshman. She should be one of the best sophomores in the country this season.

Hi Don, A friendly suggestion...................When you refer to a non UConn player, use their first and last name. I've been in the yard for a short while, and I had no idea who you were referring to. Visitors (and some of us yarders) that drop in from time to time can't follow comments that only refer to players by their last name or their initials. Thanks.

 

[hoophuskee]

Then I don't think they watched Charles and Geno in her 2nd year, and actually even the first half of her junior year. He yanked her out of many games, not to give her a blow, but because he didn't like her play. Like Boston, Charles did some great things and had great games, but she would also disappear for entire games at times and was a semi-permanent resident in Geno's dog house.

Ooops I screwed up my stats. I referenced the wrong numbers. I couldn't get into the UCONN site and I looked it up on wiki-- that was her WNBA stats I used incorrectly.

Soph year she averaged 14.2 ppg, while averaging 25.8 minutes while shooting 60.4% while averaging 9.2 rebounds. Well we can argue this point- yes Geno did "pull" Tina. I'm way off about 33.4 minutes. I shoulda known that looked funny. Frosh year 12.7 shooting 59.4% while averaging 8.2 rebounds. This is good for a frosh center.

Comparing to past UCONN centers in Lobo era to now: Her stats numbers in her 1st two years are overall about even to Wolters.

and superior to anyone else not named Lobo for a center (excluding Stewie. Don't want to get into an argument if Stewie was center or not.).

I just don't agree that this is "disappointing." I won't hijack this thread any more. Her 1st two years she is only beaten by other all-tiem greats.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Yes I do. And do you remember that it wasn't until prior to her senior year that she took conditioning seriously?

I never intended to criticize Boston. I was trying to calm the nerves of some who see her as Polyphemus' sister.

Nice Homer reference. The Boneyard never ceases to surprise and delight.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Then I guess Boston didn't have a very good year either, because they put up very very similar numbers.

Nobody is talking about the numbers .... she improved her numbers radically in the last ten games or so of the season which helped her ppg and rebound averages but prior to that she was mediocre or worse with horrible shooting percentages, many turnovers and less than impressive defense .... I saw a major change towards the end of the season and that may have boded well for our chances in the tournament, if there had been one .... if she builds on how she was playing in that stretch, she's going to have a very impressive season and help the Huskies a lot .... Numbers DO LIE sometimes

 

[Reypl21]

You realize Nelson-Ododa had 14 more blocks than Boston last year, right?

She played in the AAC.

 

[donalddoowop]

Hi Don, A friendly suggestion...................When you refer to a non UConn player, use their first and last name. I've been in the yard for a short while, and I had no idea who you were referring to. Visitors (and some of us yarders) that drop in from time to time can't follow comments that only refer to players by their last name or their initials. Thanks.

I did not know her first name, but, I knew someone would and post it .

 

[visitingcock]

Nice Homer reference. The Boneyard never ceases to surprise and delight.

Don'r be so accusatory. I don't think he was being a homer at all. I thought he was being pretty even-handed and trying to suppress his bias.

 

[shiverz45]

Then I guess Boston didn't have a very good year either, because they put up very very similar numbers.

Boston played less minutes on average and played a tougher schedule. Her numbers were still a little better than Ono. What center in the AAC could match Ono? Ono is going to be a great center but you can't just look at the stats and compare the two.

 

[mudcat]

Yes, that is to whom I am referring. I was surprised when I found out she was a freshman. She should be one of the best sophomores in the country this season.

She was redshirted her first year, so was a redshirt freshman last year.