Saniya article from the Post

[HuskyNan]

She sounds like a great kid.

"She's just an amazing young kid," said Marie Kretzschmar, Chong's guidance counselor at Ossining. "With her talent, you would think she'd be pretentious, but she's not. She's down to earth. All the kids love her. No one looks to her like she's a snob. She doesn't care really about the prestige. She's grateful. She's just a delight."

Chong brings highest character, elite game to UConn.

 

[Forty_four]

And she will be rooming with the daughter of a high profile professional athlete.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Nice article. As a class of one she will receive a great deal of attention. I hope she can largely ignore the "noise", settle in and start contributing. Everything written about her personality is certainly encouraging.

 

[Bestiarius]

Saniya, I admireya!

 

[doggydaddy]

The recruiting "experts" just don't get her.

I read one analysis from Clay Kallum, who I believe has called her a three point specialist along with Ekmark. He complained that in the few games he saw, she only went left.

She is going to be a star.

 

[HuskyNan]

The recruiting "experts" just don't get her.

I read one analysis from Clay Kallum, who I believe has called her a three point specialist along with Ekmark. He complained that in the few games he saw, she only went left.

She is going to be a star.

Clay's a Left Coast guy and probably just hasn't had a chance to watch her develop.

 

[doggydaddy]

Clay's a Left Coast guy and probably just hasn't had a chance to watch her develop.

He based his opinion on the NIKE tourney. It's just weak and lazy work.

 

[connboy77]

I take more value in a person's opinion that has watched a player play more then just one or two times. I'm not sure how many times Clay has watched Saniya play, but if he had watched her develop over the last two or three years I believe he would have a different opinion of her.

 

[UConnCat]

He based his opinion on the NIKE tourney. It's just weak and lazy work.

Exactly. Anyone who makes an effort to learn about Saniya's game would know that she's not a three-point specialist. Complaining that she only goes left is pretty remarkable. Isn't it the case that most HS players, including highly ranked players, go stronger with one hand? Of course, Saniya is a right-handed player who made a conscious decision to learn to go strong and hard to her left.

 

[UConnCat]

Saniya will start summer school tomorrow (2nd Session) and should be joined by Kiah, Brianna and Stef. Bria and KML will likely join them after they return from Russia.

 

[HuskyNan]

Exactly. Anyone who makes an effort to learn about Saniya's game would know that she's not a three-point specialist. Complaining that she only goes left is pretty remarkable. Isn't it the case that most HS players, including highly ranked players, go stronger with one hand? Of course, Saniya is a right-handed player who made a conscious decision to learn to go strong and hard to her left.

I know Clay, have talked to him, worked with him, and understand how he operates. He's neither weak nor lazy. What he is is limited to travelling to those events that work into his schedule and usually on his own dime. Clay not only covers high school girls recruiting for several publications/site, he runs a web site and has a job - as a girls's basketball coach. So, yes, he understands girls have a preference for one hand. If he skimped on watching Saniya, it's probably because there are still hundreds of other girls out there that don't get the publicity she does. I've heard Clay express an opinion that the lesser known girls need coverage, too, so maybe he was busy writing about all those other girls that don't end up at UConn.

 

[DavidinNaples]

Saniya seems to be a down-to-earth, regular kid despite the enormous talent and recent attention. One other incredible trait is that she seems to be very cool under pressure. Shea Ralph spoke about the first game they brought Geno to see. "I remember we took Geno to a game and she made eight 3's in a row...right in front of him." Imagine a high school kid who finds out Geno is "in the house" and there specifically to watch you play. Apparently she wasn't nervous....

According to Shea, "She's going to be great in our system. She is a little bigger than most people think. She is very comfortable with the ball in her hands. She's a great passer. And she can shoot it from 30 feet out. She's a point guard, who also scores, a "scoring one".

No predictions, but I really want to see this kid play this season. Go Huskies..!!

 

[Icebear]

I know Clay, have talked to him, worked with him, and understand how he operates. He's neither weak nor lazy. What he is is limited to travelling to those events that work into his schedule and usually on his own dime. Clay not only covers high school girls recruiting for several publications/site, he runs a web site and has a job - as a girls's basketball coach. So, yes, he understands girls have a preference for one hand. If he skimped on watching Saniya, it's probably because there are still hundreds of other girls out there that don't get the publicity she does. I've heard Clay express an opinion that the lesser known girls need coverage, too, so maybe he was busy writing about all those other girls that don't end up at UConn.

Then don't run a rating service that represents itself as rating the best players in America and certainly do not label them with numbered ranking as if it provided any kind of reliable comparison between athletes. Do text assessments and leave it at that.

 

[doggydaddy]

I know Clay, have talked to him, worked with him, and understand how he operates. He's neither weak nor lazy. What he is is limited to travelling to those events that work into his schedule and usually on his own dime. Clay not only covers high school girls recruiting for several publications/site, he runs a web site and has a job - as a girls's basketball coach. So, yes, he understands girls have a preference for one hand. If he skimped on watching Saniya, it's probably because there are still hundreds of other girls out there that don't get the publicity she does. I've heard Clay express an opinion that the lesser known girls need coverage, too, so maybe he was busy writing about all those other girls that don't end up at UConn.

All I was referring to was his post on Rebkell about Chong. A couple of posters pointed it put and I thought his analysis based on seeing her at Nike and USA was weak and lazy. I'll take back the lazy. I'm sure he works hard.

It's a good thing, not a bad thing that she can use her off hand so well.

 

[Alydar]

Then don't run a rating service that represents itself as rating the best players in America and certainly do not label them with numbered ranking as if it provided any kind of reliable comparison between athletes. Do text assessments and leave it at that.

Yes.

It would also help if they listed when and where they observed all the players.

 

[JoePgh]

Will the guard who pairs up with Chong be referred to as her Cheech?

 

[UcMiami]

I will come to the defense of all the rating services - they all struggle with limited travel budgets and a daunting task of trying to evaluate thousands of girls across 50 states. Most of this is a labor of love, because the compensation they receive for the hours spent in the process would probably fall below minimum wage. And a player like Chong presents special problems because she never played for a national traveling AAU team and her high school until this past year never went to any of the major tournaments.
Add to that the fact that 'evaluating' players is a very inexact science- different people value individual and team skills differently, and in a team game, the teammates and opponents can greatly alter the effectiveness of a player from game to game.
I appreciate having the rating services out there as it gives some perspective on what would be a totally unknowable universe. I don't take any rating as gospel and enjoy getting indignant over the ratings afforded some Uconn signees.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Will the guard who pairs up with Chong be referred to as her Cheech?

That idea will go up in smoke.

 

[meyers7]

I've heard Clay express an opinion that the lesser known girls need coverage, too, so maybe he was busy writing about all those other girls that don't end up at UConn.

Well there's his problem right there. He's got to get his priorities straightened out. Completely ridiculous that he doesn't not spend all his time on the UCONN girls. Geez.

 

[DavidinNaples]

meyers.....shhhhhhh. The fewer people that know about the UConn prospects the better... lol

Dream scenario, Muffet says to her assistant, "Who is this A'ja Wilson that Geno just signed..??"

 

[boontonbomber]

And she will be rooming with the daughter of a high profile professional athlete.

uh oh!