Saniya Chong....wow!!!!

[DavidinNaples]

I'm having trouble getting the link to work (my computer skills suck)...so here are some parts of John Altavilla's great article on Saniya Chong. My goodness she is gonna be special... (be sure to read the whole article on his blog.)

Saniya Chong, the lone freshman to join UConn’s women’s basketball national champion next season, is within days of playing her ultimate transition game.
“My graduation [from Ossining (NY) High] is June 21 and I go up to UConn on July 15 for summer preseason,” Chong said Tuesday. “And what I m going to do for the time in between is relax a little bit, but not too much. I got a summer [workout] packet for me to start and I’ve been working with my trainer every day.”

“Being the only freshman just challenges me,” Chong said. “Knowing that I’m the only one makes me strive harder. And being the only one, I don’t want to make a bad impression. I plan to give my all [to the program].”

Chong, Parade Magazine’s Girls Basketball Player of the Year, is the third straight honoree to attend UConn. Chong, 5-feet-9, scored 2,988 points in four varsity seasons. She averaged 34.4 points, scoring a state record 928 points as a senior with 9.1 assists, six rebounds and five steals a game. She also shot 87 percent from the foul line.

In her career, Chong scored at least 30 points in 51 of her 96 high school games.

Despite her reputation and ability as a scorer (108 three-points in 27 games last season) Chong said she anticipates having no trouble putting those instincts aside to play the type of team game that Geno Auriemma and his coaches require.
“I will do anything to help my team win; if that means one game I need to just pass, one game I just need defense, one game they just need my support,” Chong said. “Being a team is the No. 1 priority for me.”

 

[trisailin]

So let me get this straight...a really really skilled player who wants to put TEAM ahead of self?
We're DOOMED

 

[Wonkster]

So let me get this straight...a really really skilled player who wants to put TEAM ahead of self? We're DOOMED.

Totally - what good can come out of that?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Totally - what good can come out of that?

We can kid about it, but remember when Geno was having some problems about Diana passing rather than shooting? "I did not bring you to UConn to pass the ball!" 'Course, she was great at that too. She was also great at putting this disdainfully bored look on her face when Geno was remonstrating with her over such matters as she sat on the bench!

 

[doggydaddy]

Here is the link.

http://courantblogs.com/uconn-women/

There are recruiting services and posters on other message boards and even some here that think because she played in NY and didn't play on an AAU team, that her numbers are inflated. They forget she averaged 30 ppg and 9 apg in the Nike tourney against three good teams.

You can't teach what comes natural to her. She is a great fit for next years team and will star eventually.

 

[Wonkster]

.
Does anyone here think Geno will not give Shaniya the green light after he sees how she's doing in her first college games? Having two long distance bombers on the periphery is a formidable threat against any team trying to crowd the inside against Stefanie and Breanna. Using Saniya as a shooter will give Kaleena some much-needed respite from the defense.

So, pick your poison - arsenic or cobra venom?

 

[DavidinNaples]

Here is the link.

http://courantblogs.com/uconn-women/

Thanks doggy......not sure if it was me or computer, probably me...

 

[RockyMTblue2]

.
Does anyone here think Geno will not give Shaniya the green light after he sees how she's doing in her first college games? Having two long distance bombers on the periphery is a formidable threat against any team trying to crowd the inside against Stefanie and Breanna. Using Saniya as a shooter will give Kaleena some much-needed respite from the defense.

So, pick your poison - arsenic or cobra venom?

Make that 3 long range bombers. Stewie's uncanny 3 point accuracy unnerved both ND and Louisville. Geno and CD et al will want to keep exploiting that capability.

 

[cohenzone]

I seem to recall that BB wasn't too shabby from 3, MJ was improving toward the end, and Bria we know has the ability. Of course, there is SD, the unexpected 3 point assassin.

 

[Icebear]

I seem to recall that BB wasn't too shabby from 3, MJ was improving toward the end, and Bria we know has the ability. Of course, there is SD, the unexpected 3 point assassin.

Yep, we had 5 threats for the 3 during the tournament this year and I expect 4-5 next year. Stef shot .421, KML-.492, Stewie-.333 on the rise during the tournament, Banks-.346, Hartley only .297 but we know she can shoot better.

 

[wbfree]

.
Does anyone here think Geno will not give Shaniya the green light after he sees how she's doing in her first college games? Having two long distance bombers on the periphery is a formidable threat against any team trying to crowd the inside against Stefanie and Breanna. Using Saniya as a shooter will give Kaleena some much-needed respite from the defense.

So, pick your poison - arsenic or cobra venom?

Saniya plays at warp speed. She's a blur going into the lane.

 

[doggydaddy]

Saniya plays at warp speed. She's a blur going into the lane.

I love how she is right handed but loves to drive with her left hand and finish.

She is truly ambidextrous.

 

[Icebear]

I love how she is right handed but loves to drive with her left hand and finish.

She is truly ambidextrous.

Indeed, she is the most purely ambidextrous player I remember seeing. I have been waiting for her since TonyC and I first talked about her almost 3 years ago.

 

[doggydaddy]

Indeed, she is the most purely ambidextrous player I remember seeing. I have been waiting for her since TonyC and I first talked about her almost 3 years ago.

Here is a great video of her 2 years ago.

 

[VAMike23]

Indeed, she is the most purely ambidextrous player I remember seeing. I have been waiting for her since TonyC and I first talked about her almost 3 years ago.

When I first saw video of her, I couldn't tell if she was righty or lefty until she took a jump shot.........

 

[VAMike23]

I love how she is right handed but loves to drive with her left hand and finish.

She is truly ambidextrous.

Chong is definitely ambidextrous (or close to it on the court), but IIRC many of MoJeff's most explosive driving layups in the NCAA tournament were from the left side and were finished the left hand. So she has got some nice skills with the left hand as well.

Can't wait to hear about those two getting after it in fall practices. And of course it will be great watching Mo in this summer's USA Bball games.

 

[winlots]

You know, I still get a wonderful feeling, along with some puzzlement, whenever I think about her rankings vs. her POY award......and the wonderful feeling only expands and grows when I think about her being the third POY in a row landed by Geno and staff.
How neat will it be to see all three on the floor at one time at their different positions? Holy Moly. (C'mon in, Jones, and play with all three in your freshman year. ))

 

[Icebear]

When I first saw video of her, I couldn't tell if she was righty or lefty until she took a jump shot.........

She can shoot the jumper with either hand, too.

 

[meyers7]

Here is a great video of her 2 years ago.

Yea, and that was when she was a "Sophomore".

 

[chrissaran]

No offense to Moriah, but Saniya will be a better all-around basketball player. First, she's taller, and I would say by more than two inches. She's a much better shooter, passer and rebounder, who also happens to block shots. When you watch her make no look passes it's because she has court awareness; she knows where the other players on her team are positioned. We are looking at an offensive juggernaut. If we can find someone to take over for Kelly and lead the charge defensively, we will be even better than last year. Stef and Bria will be healthy, Brianna will be back, Stewie and Kaleena still have a long way to go - isn't that scary - and Saniya will fit right in. If Kia makes the leap that everyone knows she can, we could be unstoppable. If walk-on Pope can play, that just makes us that much tougher. More depth, more running, more scoring.

 

[Icebear]

I'll wait for both to be upperclassmen before worrying about comparisons. I expect both to be super players and a lot of whining on the board about why this one or that one isn't starting or getting more minutes. Trust Geno.

 

[OHusky]

concerning being ambidextrous, I posted this once before. I went to a fund raiser where Rebecca was the attraction. After the festivities, I asked Rebecca for her autograph. She was very gratuitous and signed LEFT handed. I almost fell over!

 

[MilfordHusky]

I love how she is right handed but loves to drive with her left hand and finish.

She is truly ambidextrous.

I'm trying to think of a WNBA player who is better than Saniya at using her off-hand, and I'm having trouble naming one. I know Renee, Tiffany, Alana Beard, and Crystal Langhorne are not.

 

[Geno-ista]

Yep, we had 5 threats for the 3 during the tournament this year and I expect 4-5 next year. Stef shot .421, KML-.492, Stewie-.333 on the rise during the tournament, Banks-.346, Hartley only .297 but we know she can shoot better.

Morgan Tuck won the three point contest in the McDonalds All America game- she will be a force from 3 also as her comfort level and confidence grows!

 

[VAMike23]

I'm trying to think of a WNBA player who is better than Saniya at using her off-hand, and I'm having trouble naming one. I know Renee, Tiffany, Alana Beard, and Crystal Langhorne are not.

How about Bird? Serious question - I'd have to 'roll tape' and watch closely. Regardless, it doesn't get much more balanced than Saniya.