Some Absolutely Politically IN-Correct Observations...

[CocoHusky]

(caveat: I love this team, these kids, the coaches) but I'm taking off the rose-colored glasses for a moment, setting myself up for target practice and wondering...

- Will Gabby Williams ever become an offensive threat when she is more than five feet away from the basket? She is a great athlete (but not a top basketball player) who in spite of all the premature hoopla has yet to develop any kind of shot or a handle. Will she ever? Is a 5-10 foot shot so hard to develop?
- For all those who denigrated Saniya Chong's skill set and dismissed her as a possibly important contributor to this team (and there were many), boy, I bet you'd absolutely love to have a healthy Saniya on the floor now.
- Ekmark really tries and does give her all when she's in, but nothing can compensate for her complete lack of foot speed and quickness. She is a serious liability on defense who opponents readily exploit.
- To all those who deliriously hyped the G-Town transfer as the sure-fire 5th starter and difference-maker (injuries happen, I get it)... well, maybe she'll take double or triple red-shirt years.

[That said, I think we'll be fine. Just a few more nervous moments and bumps in the road to Indianapolis.]

With all that said We are doomed!
1) Yes Gabby can and has developed a good 5-10 foot jump shot. She is also shooting much better from the free throw line. There is a two time All-American same size a Gabby playing at Baylor and she doesn't have much of a Jump shot either. Gabby has plenty of handles and is among the best interior passers on the team. The former (handles) is rarely required of a Forward in the UCONN offense.
2) Saniya has many denigrators? I would bet she has many more supports. I would love to have ALL UCONN players healthy and on the floor not just Saniya.
3) We are in agreement that Courtney lacks great foot speed and lateral quickness, but there is such a concept of Team defense where the sum of the parts is greater than individual pieces and other UCONN players lacking individual foot speed have contributed well in a team defensive concept. Saniya has all the foot speed in the world and at times is also a defensive liability-unless you consider that denigrating Saniya.
4) The "deliriously hyped the G-Town transfer's" name is Natalie & Georgetown is 2 full years in her rear view mirror. She has worked very hard to become a Husky, I find it strange (bitter even) that the best you can wish for her , with Christmas looming is " double or triple" redshirt years.

Have you kicked any other kittens lately?

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I like the way Collier is developing. Could see her being a top player in the country by next year.

I think she's been awesome. Just love how she rebounds the ball. The Kiah Gillespie - Collier battle Monday night might be the most interesting of the game.

 

[CocoHusky]

Two things regarding Courtney.

1) I watched most of the game but was away when Geno became upset with her. Announcers just alluded to it but just what did she do to earn Geno's wrath?

2) Courtney, compared to others on the UConn roster (past and present) isn't the fleetest - but compared to some bigs I've seen on other ranked teams, she's poetry in motion. I have to believe that Geno knew her strengths and limitations when he recruited her, and that there is great potential that he will hopefully draw out of her during the next 2 1/2 years.

What Courtney did was a complete breakdown of everything you are taught defensively and she did it right in front of Geno and the LSU player hit the open shot. Courtney turned her back to her player to double team a LSU player in he post. The proper technique is to slide down and maintain eye contact with your player. See man see ball at all times. There was no post player on LSU worthy of a double team so I'm pretty sure that (Double the post) was not in the UCONN scout of LSU. Courtney recovered to play arguably her best half in a UCONN uniform.

 

[JoePgh]

Regarding Courtney, let me offer again the analogy of Mel Thomas. She wasn't quick or fast either, but her head was always in the game and she could hit the three consistently by her junior year. I think Courtney has at least the same potential plus a few extra inches of height.

Another parallel for Courtney might be the final version of Caroline after all of her knee injuries. She wasn't very fast either.

Courtney has a chance for serious minutes next year if Crystal's development path is similar to Moriah's, i.e., if her minutes as a freshman are limited. Although Courtney has less physical potential than Saniya, she may play as many or more minutes if she can play like Mel or the later Caroline.

 

[Carnac]

Like what you said about Geno getting on players he gives a damn about. Of course I'm just a serial lurker and don't know the game like the serial Prophets of Doom that lurk on the Boneyard!

Wha..what? Did someone mention "prophets"?

 

[Carnac]

The bottom line is: when this team gets into the Final Four, keep your eyes open, and see who gets the most minutes.
If a game is real close, see who does NOT play. All questions about all players will then be answered.

This is a very true statement. I remember last year's championship game against ND, a game that we could not put away until the very end.

The game was close. UConn was never able to pull away from ND that day. Geno went with the starting 5, and Kiah off the bench. I can't remember if one bench player got into the game. If they did, it was for a very short period. As I recall, Geno didn't pull the starters until there was about 1:08 left in the game with a ten point lead.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I'm only responding to Monte's "bottom line statement", not any of the other comments.

 

[sarals24]

Kiah and Gabby both played in the NC game.

 

[HoopsFan21]

This is a very true statement. I remember last year's championship game against ND, a game that we could not put away until the very end.

The game was close. UConn was never able to pull away from ND that day. Geno went with the starting 5, and Kiah off the bench. I can't remember if one bench player got into the game. If they did, it was for a very short period. As I recall, Geno didn't pull the starters until there was about 1:08 left in the game with a ten point lead.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I'm only responding to Monte's "bottom line statement", not any of the other comments.

Gabby played a little. I'm pretty sure she was one of the players on the court as the clock ran out. Not sure about Saniya though.

 

[Kibitzer]

Totally disagree. Magnum was a private investigator (P.I.). Obviously you don't understand acronyms. Geeeeez.

Obviously you don't understand acronyms. P.I. is an abbreviation; i.e., a series of letters that represent words (e.g., P.I., LSU, NCAA).

An acronym differs in that he series of letters create a pronounceable "word"; e.g., NASA, POTUS, UConn.

Geeeeez!

 

[CocoHusky]

All five UCONN starters were on the floor during the last min of the NC game. With 31 seconds left in the game Stokes came in for Stewie and Gabby came in for Morgan Tuck. Gabby and Stokes were the only UCONN subs during the game.

 

[HuskyNan]

Gabby played a little. I'm pretty sure she was one of the players on the court as the clock ran out. Not sure about Saniya though.

Gabby played 3 minutes in the game. She and Kiah went in with 30 seconds left on the game clock so that Breanna and Morgan could be shown proper appreciation by the crowd. Moriah, Morgan, and KML played all 40 minutes, Breanna played 39 minutes, Kia 29, Kiah 10, and Gabby 3.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

- To all those who deliriously hyped the G-Town transfer as the sure-fire 5th starter and difference-maker (injuries happen, I get it)... well, maybe she'll take double or triple red-shirt years.

You're a mean one Mister Grinch... normally we see eye to eye... did the dog pee on your leg when you woke up and were scrambling eggs ... In spite of your suppressed angst over her absence I wish you a merry Christmas.

 

[Monte]

This is a very true statement. I remember last year's championship game against ND, a game that we could not put away until the very end.

The game was close. UConn was never able to pull away from ND that day. Geno went with the starting 5, and Kiah off the bench. I can't remember if one bench player got into the game. If they did, it was for a very short period. As I recall, Geno didn't pull the starters until there was about 1:08 left in the game with a ten point lead.
If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. I'm only responding to Monte's "bottom line statement", not any of the other comments.

Well, at least one person agrees with me! In a championship game, you are not a "real" coach if you do not try to win. To win, you use your best players. It is just common sense.

 

[Carnac]

Well, at least one person agrees with me! In a championship game, you are not a "real" coach if you do not try to win. To win, you use your best players. It is just common sense.[/QUOTE

If you don't use your best players and lose, you'll get crucified in the local and national media (TV, social, and print). Would-be coaches across the country will tell anyone that will listen how / where you screwed up, and what you should have done. They'll also mention several times in their comments how stupid you are. Although in fairness, most coaches don't care about that.

ANY coach lucky and good enough to get to the championship game, should do any and everything to win that game for the following reasons:
1. That's his / her job!!! That's what they're getting paid to do.
2 He / she owes it to the team, the fans and the school.
3. He/she may never get to the championship game again. (ask former NFL quarterback Dan Marino about that one) You can't second guess yourself at that point.
4. Remember those immortal words of the hall of fame coach Vince Lombardy: "Winning isn't everything, its the only thing".

In the championship game, you pull out ALL the stops. Short of cheating, you do anything you or your staff can think of that will help you win that game.
If that means you play your starters 40 minutes, so be it!! None of them will want to come out of the game anyway.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Obviously you don't understand acronyms. P.I. is an abbreviation; i.e., a series of letters that represent words (e.g., P.I., LSU, NCAA).

An acronym differs in that he series of letters create a pronounceable "word"; e.g., NASA, POTUS, UConn.

Geeeeez!

You got issues. P.T. is an acronym...PeeTee. Come on now...repeat after me...even you can say it..."Pee Tee". It's also an abbreviation. P-T..."playing time."

 

[Kibitzer]

This is the post that started this discussion. TJI typed "P.I." possibly in error.

Obviously you don't understand the concept of P.I., but that's not unusual.... You do ask a lot of rhetorical and closed questions, though...

Next, you scolded her for not understanding acronyms. Geeeez!

Totally disagree. Magnum was a private investigator (P.I.). Obviously you don't understand acronyms. Geeeeez.

After I called you out by explaining the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym, your response was to make the flawed and contrived argument that "P.T." meets the standard of an acronym.

You got issues. P.T. is an acronym...PeeTee. Come on now...repeat after me...even you can say it..."Pee Tee". It's also an abbreviation. P-T..."playing time."

Nice try.

 

[JS]

You got issues. * * * Come on now...repeat after me...even you can say it...

Please refrain from personal insults.

Thanks.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Geno took Gabby out quickly, gave her a hug and a talking basically saying "You're not ready for the brightest lights of the season but Ill have you ready for next season"

 

[Sonny44]

I think this was a really bad or ridiculous post or maybe just had a bit of a nasty tone to it- and here's why:
I am away and did not watch the LSU game yet- But Gabby has been great. She has already become deadly at the foul line. She has shown the capability to pull up and hit some mid range pull up jumpers and shoot from the elbow. She hasn't had to shoot much from the outside with 4 other scorers on the floor at all times. She is significantly better than her freshman year. She affects the game with her defense and rebounding and pure athleticism and she scores in double figures. And she is now a forward who was a guard that lost 2 yr's of basketball. She is performing at veteran Ashley Battle and Kalana Greene standards, with more offensive punch than they ever had as sophomores. She is an X factor option and match up nightmare depending on our competition's line up.
Re Saniya- anyone who is/was critical of her game. For her benefit personally and as well as the team's benefit, no one didn't want her to improve and succeed. And most of all see her get hurt. And we all know we are very thin in the back court.
That observation is just nasty and stupid in my opinion. And I have been one of her critics re her defense. But have seen her growth in both ends of the floor.
Re Courtney- she certainly understands the game and makes great passes into the post. But she will have a tough time getting big minutes barring injuries, possibly because of physical attributes vs her competition. She seams to box out well and rebound pretty well. And fortunately, because of her 3 pt shooting , in big situations, she helps spread the floor.
Re Natalie- I'm not sure what the premis or point was????
I will add the following- if she is able to play in Jan or Feb- I want her this year and expect her to play a lot this year. Not because we need her this year. Because we desperately need her to be big gm ready day one in the fall of 2016- period end of story. She needs all the big gm important minutes with her next year's future teammates that we can give her next year.
I hope you have a Merry Christmas! And get rid of that little "Scrooge" edge of yours!

Just the response the OP was looking for.