Samarie is playing well

[DaddyChoc]

on ESPN2 vs Vandy.... 13 & 8 at the half

 

[Wonkster]

.
I maintain the not-very-popular view that Walker's loss was catastrophic to UConn last year. I understand that her bad 'tude even before her arrival from Ohio out of shape and her disruptive effect on the team was intolerable, but a lot of fans took the "we'll get over it" stance. I knew UConn wouldn't.

It hurts us still today.
.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sam is averaging 7.9 points and 6.1 boards in only 18 minutes per game.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Lobo is funnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny...

 

[MilfordHusky]

Kentucky has interesting stats that reveal their strength and weakness:

They get outshot by their opponents, .414 to .406.

They outrebound their opponents by a little, 39.9 to 36.5.

The turnover differential is the key, 29 to 18. If they do not get TOs, they struggle.

 

[uconnfan68]

.
I maintain the not-very-popular view that Walker's loss was catastrophic to UConn last year. I understand that her bad 'tude even before her arrival from Ohio out of shape and her disruptive effect on the team was intolerable, but a lot of fans took the "we'll get over it" stance. I knew UConn wouldn't.

It hurts us still today.
.

Not catastrophic last year, and certainly not this year. I've been over "it" since the day she left. I'm sure the team is too.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Not catastrophic last year, and certainly not this year. I've been over "it" since the day she left. I'm sure the team is too.

you're mature... and so are "our girls"

 

[Wonkster]

.
Asserting something doesn't make it true, to paraphrase TJI's signature line.

Last year we died in the NCAA's for lack of fresh bodies. We needed a sparkplug and disrupter like Samarie Walker. Unfortunately, she was in Kentucky at the time.

And where is our weakness this year? Can you say P-O-S-T?
.

 

[meyers7]

.
Asserting something doesn't make it true, to paraphrase TJI's signature line.

Cuts both ways.

.
Last year we died in the NCAA's for lack of fresh bodies.

I don't really think that is true. We got to the FF. It's next to impossible to beat a good team 4 times in a season.

.

And where is our weakness this year? Can you say P-O-S-T?
.

Yes, but I think more appropriately you can say T-U-R-N-O-V-E-R. Or I-N-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y T-O G-E-T T-H-E B-A-L-L I-N-T-O T-H-E P-O-S-T.

The posts are not doing to badly when they get the ball. Between Dolson and Stokes we are getting 15/11 from the 5 spot. Add in Faris and another 6/5 along with 110 assists.

 

[cohenzone]

Holy whatever. The team has 3, count 'em. 3 losses. 2 of them winnable in very close games on the road to outstanding teams, one of them with THE dominant center in women's college hoops, probably in women's college hoops history and ultimately maybe in the world. In loss number three, St. John's dictated tempo, which is hardly the post players responsibility. Our post play is so much better than most teams we play that it isn't even close. Could it be better? A little. Would Stokes be here if Walker doesn't leave, who knows, but Stokes ain't bad. And I get but don't get the interest in players who are no longer with our program.

 

[magic]

on ESPN2 vs Vandy.... 13 & 8 at the half

Last night's game was the first time I saw her play as if it meant something to her with Kentucky. Still not crazy about their "system".

 

[msf22b]

I think Stokes has even more upside than Samarie

 

[DaddyChoc]

thats hard to tell...both were frosh, there's room for both to grow but its more about the coaches teaching them.

Samarie may be a better rebounder, more aggressive in the paint and Kiah is a better shot blocker.

 

[DaddyChoc]

didnt Stokes sign before Samarie actually left UConn... (I forget)

 

[MilfordHusky]

didnt Stokes sign before Samarie actually left UConn... (I forget)

Kiah committed in early November. Samarie left after the fall semester.

I think Kiah may have more upside based on her height and reach. Samarie is more of a slightly undersized power player.

Kiah has the better shooting touch: .634 vs. .500 from the field and .647 vs. .526 from the line. Both are averaging 13.2 rebounds per 40 minutes played.

 

[Forty_four]

Samarie is a bull on either backboard but she lacks any offensive game except a put back. She would have been a super star in Tenn program: miss a shot, get a rebound, try and score on the putback.

 

[Wonkster]

... I don't really think that is true. We got to the FF. It's next to impossible to beat a good team 4 times in a season.

And it IS impossible when you're playing only 6 people, 5 of whom who have been too overworked to play well, Maya's heroics notwithstanding.

Yes, but I think more appropriately you can say T-U-R-N-O-V-E-R. Or I-N-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y T-O G-E-T T-H-E B-A-L-L I-N-T-O T-H-E P-O-S-T.

Samarie has an unmatched loose-ball scarfing ability that we sorely need, even now.

The posts are not doing too badly when they get the ball. Between Dolson and Stokes we are getting 15/11 from the 5 spot. Add in Faris and another 6/5 along with 110 assists.

Counting Faris as a third post player is ludicrous, and it only shows we lack enough players to effectively cover the 80 minutes properly. You need three (80/3=27 minutes apiece). The combined pool of Dolson, Stokes, and Walker would have been great this year, but I realize Walker didn't have her head screwed on at Storrs.
.

 

[meyers7]

And it IS impossible when you're playing only 6 people, 5 of whom who have been too overworked to play well, Maya's heroics notwithstanding.

Well it's been done before. So not really "impossible".

Samarie has an unmatched loose-ball scarfing ability that we sorely need, even now.

Granted she may be a decent rebounder, but "umatched loos-ball scarfing"?? not at 6.4 a game. I can probably name 100 or more who can match that.

Any way, with a +11 rebounding edge (ranked 7th), I don't think that is really one of our main problems.

Counting Faris as a third post player is ludicrous, and it only shows we lack enough players to effectively cover the 80 minutes properly. You need three (80/3=27 minutes apiece). The combined pool of Dolson, Stokes, and Walker would have been great this year, but I realize Walker didn't have her head screwed on at Storrs.
.

Well if you want to divide by 3, then you have to count someone. In fact you would have to count more than Faris. Like Hayes or Lewis, which makes our out put of the 5/4 spot even better.

Now granted it would be great to have someone 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 to play along side Dolson/Stokes. However with the case of Walker, we have to remember, the team played much better without her than with her.

 

[DaddyChoc]

didnt Samarie do some good stuff against Griner while at UConn

 

[meyers7]

didnt Samarie do some good stuff against Griner while at UConn

Yes she did. So did Buck.

 

[cferraro04]

didnt Stokes sign before Samarie actually left UConn...


The reason Samarie left UConn had little to do with playing time. It had more to do with being closer to home and her significant other.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

Samarie Walker is an undersized (6'1") post player whose aggressiveness makes her a reasonably good rebounder when facing a team with mediocre post players. The Tennessee post players ate her up in the Orange rout of Kentucky. Walker's departure hurt Uconn last year . Catastrophic? Not even close. Had she remained, she would have been the third post player off of the bench. She simply does not have the skill set to play any other position. I see her as a Charde Houston type of player without Charde's ball handling and outside scoring abilities.