Stokes

[HuskyNan]

In Kiah's words:

“Once you get down, it’s hard to pick yourself back up during the season,” Stokes said. “I thought I was working hard. When you get tired, you need to go that extra step. I didn’t realize that.

“Doing it my way didn’t work.”

Kiah knows what she needs to do. (So does Breanna, who's gotten the hook a couple times already this season for playing like a lunatic. A talented lunatic, but a lunatic nonetheless.)

Stokes re-emerging for UConn, Iowa Gazette

 

[Forty_four]

Actually, she's averaging 6.3 ppg in about 20 minutes this season, so 8 - 10
points per game doesn't sound out of reach. With all the fire power around
her, 6 - 8 ppg from her would be good enough.

Why don't you let her do it before predicting that she can do it.

 

[doggydaddy]

Why don't you let her do it before predicting that she can do it.

Huh?????

I think I will wait until Uconn wins the national champion before predicting they will win the national championship.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I sincerely hope that Kiah and/or her parents don't read the BY because if I was in their shoes I'd be really p1ssed about this senseless thread.

Kid messed up, got benched, and then played great in the 2nd half. Oh, BTW, no one mentioned Geno clapping after Kiah made a hustle play and hoop at one point in the 2nd half. Just my 2 cents.

this thread was started at the half... soooooo, she adjusted in the 2nd half as people noted.

its not the "start" of the thread its some of the content within the thread.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Kiah is an up and down player and she might need to be the 1st sub in the game to get her feet wet and get her the ball to score.....If not, she does not play with the same confidence..

do you have any evidence at all for this statement?

 

[Forty_four]

Huh?????

I think I will wait until Uconn wins the national champion before predicting they will win the national championship.

Keep raising the bar for Kiah, and when she does not achieve the expected bar then the critical comments start, which you abhor. So in her case let her achieve it before increasing her expectations.

 

[doggydaddy]

Keep raising the bar for Kiah, and when she does not achieve the expected bar then the critical comments start, which you abhor. So in her case let her achieve it before increasing her expectations.

The post you replied to said "Actually, she's averaging 6.3 ppg in about 20 minutes this season, so 8 - 10 points per game doesn't sound out of reach. With all the fire power around her, 6 - 8 ppg from her would be good enough."

I don't see how this is raising the bar to something unreasonable.

Some might think you took a shot at me, but I am proud to have the backs of the players from what I see as unreasonable comments.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Huh?????

I think I will wait until Uconn wins the national champion before predicting they will win the national championship.

But Doggy, if you predict a national championship and UConn doesn't win the national
championship, then the critical comments will start (which you abhor).

 

[pinotbear]

But Doggy, if you predict a national championship and UConn doesn't win the national
championship, then the critical comments will start (which you abhor).

Honestly, ed4, if you've followed DD through the years, he does not - not even remotely - abhor critical comments. What he objects to are unsupported or ill-thought-out comments, critical or otherwise. If you have a good argument, DD's your man. If you have an argument, but it's superficial or knee-jerk, or (frankly) mindless, well then, he's gonna call you on it. So, if you've got "the goods", then, fire away!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Stokes is a good kid. Unfortunately (for some) she is more concerned about her grades than how many points, rebounds or blocked shots she is credited with.

 

[pinotbear]

Stokes is a good kid. Unfortunately (for some) she is more concerned about her grades than how many points, rebounds or blocked shots she is credited with.

Well, I've got two problems with this post, Hoops: first of all, you seem to be taking a shot at some fans by insinuating that there are fans who care about Kiah's stats more than her academic progress - and, I've seen absolutely nothing in any fan posts that would support that. Now, if you're saying that Kiah's practice performance (that seems to be occasionally in question) is due to her focus on academics, then, say that plainly. Don't take swipes at the seemingly imaginary fans who are clamoring for her to forsake her grades for stats.

Second, if you are saying that Kiah's focus on academics adversely affects her basketball, then please substantiate that. Otherwise, as far as the rest of us know, you're just throwing stuff against the wall to see if it sticks. All student athletes, regardless of gender and sport, have to balance academics and athletics. Some kids have tougher loads than others - Cassie Kerns artistic load, Heather Buck's nursing load, Emeka Okafor's challenge to graduate, with honors, in 3 years. If you can truly make a case for Stokes' class load harming her basketball, and make a case that some fans don't like it, make it. Otherwise, knock it off.

 

[Forty_four]

The post you replied to said "Actually, she's averaging 6.3 ppg in about 20 minutes this season, so 8 - 10 points per game doesn't sound out of reach. With all the fire power around her, 6 - 8 ppg from her would be good enough."

I don't see how this is raising the bar to something unreasonable.

Some might think you took a shot at me, but I am proud to have the backs of the players from what I see as unreasonable comments.

It may not be unreasonable but it is unrealistic. In the 5 games in Dec her scoring output is 4pts; DNP; 0; 0; and 2. A grand total of 6 pts and you think she will average 10 pts per game?

 

[doggydaddy]

It may not be unreasonable but it is unrealistic. In the 5 games in Dec her scoring output is 4pts; DNP; 0; 0; and 2. A grand total of 6 pts and you think she will average 10 pts per game?

So, we should use her worst games to pick to predict her future output? Looks to me you are the one with unreasonable expectations. Yours are just negative expectations.

Her average right now is her average. I doubt it will go up or down much this season. She is mostly in there for rebounding and defense.

With the weak upcoming schedule, she will get plenty of minutes. 6-8 ppg even for the rest of the season is not unreasonable.

And I doubt that any boneyard expectations impact her performance in any way.

 

[pvdoggy]

With the weak upcoming schedule, she will get plenty of minutes. 6-8 ppg even for the rest of the season is not unreasonable.

In a 33 pts win against Cincinnati, she only got 9 min of playing time, the least of anybody (except of TL) by
five minutes. If that does not change (and hopefully it will), I don't see how she can score 6-8 ppg especially
as you indicated, she is usually in there mostly for defense and rebound. Since the return of KML/Tuck in
the last 3 games, Kiah has pretty much gotten the least amount of min on the team.

 

[doggydaddy]

In a 33 pts win against Cincinnati, she only got 9 min of playing time, the least of anybody (except of TL) by
five minutes. If that does not change (and hopefully it will), I don't see how she can score 6-8 ppg especially
as you indicated, she is usually in there mostly for defense and rebound. Since the return of KML/Tuck in
the last 3 games, Kiah has pretty much gotten the least amount of min on the team.

And as we all know, whatever minutes she played in the last game, or even the last three games is how many she will play going forward.

 

[Icebear]

Stokes is a good kid. Unfortunately (for some) she is more concerned about her grades than how many points, rebounds or blocked shots she is credited with.

Simply one of the most foolish and unsubstantiated statements ever made here. The vast majority of Boneyard regulars are very well educated folks and highly value education. This includes for their own kids and grand kids. We have college facility, lawyers, doctors and nurses and other medical professionals, business professionals, professional counselors, engineers, educators, and yes, even pastors and many others. To insinuate that any of these people do not value the education of these kids we love to watch is beyond silliness, foolishness, or any other kind of nonsense.

Second to imply that there are kids on the team that do not take grades or academics seriously is to fail to appreciate how the program itself holds the kids accountable for their academic performance and is to imply Geno and CD do not emphasize that. That is, also, nonsense by past historical evidence.

 

[Bigpetunia]

As the young women who play basketball at UConn have proved again and again over the years, a commitment to being the best one can be on the floor and a similar commitment in the academic arena, are NOT mutually exclusive. Having said that, any young woman who accepts a full-freight scholarship on the basis of her basketball skills has entered into a "contract" to fulfill the former commitment....fulfillment of the latter, as well, is generally a reflection of her personal character. With stunning regularity, our young women seem to excel in both areas.

 

[UcMiami]

As the young women who play basketball at UConn have proved again and again over the years, a commitment to being the best one can be on the floor and a similar commitment in the academic arena, are NOT mutually exclusive. Having said that, any young woman who accepts a full-freight scholarship on the basis of her basketball skills has entered into a "contract" to fulfill the former commitment....fulfillment of the latter, as well, is generally a reflection of her personal character. With stunning regularity, our young women seem to excel in both areas.

Agree with your post but just want to point out ... the contract they enter into is both basketball and academic related and thankfully, the team and staff take the academic aspect of the contract very seriously. I believe there was a player not allowed to go on a road trip last year because they had failed to take an academic commitment seriously enough and this was not an NCAA rules kind of thing but team/program rules. Unlike many players in men's programs, women athletes in general and women's basketball players specifically are not simply filling up spaces in classes but are getting an education.

 

[Forty_four]

So, we should use her worst games to pick to predict her future output? Looks to me you are the one with unreasonable expectations. Yours are just negative expectations.

Her average right now is her average. I doubt it will go up or down much this season. She is mostly in there for rebounding and defense.

With the weak upcoming schedule, she will get plenty of minutes. 6-8 ppg even for the rest of the season is not unreasonable.

And I doubt that any boneyard expectations impact her performance in any way.

I agree with your response in paragraph 2, 3, and 4.
Did not pick her worst games, she made them her worst games.
My expectations of her are not unreasonable but realistic based on her performance to date. She will not average 10 pts per game this season and that is just the reality of it.

 

[doggydaddy]

I agree with your response in paragraph 2, 3, and 4.
Did not pick her worst games, she made them her worst games.
My expectations of her are not unreasonable but realistic based on her performance to date. She will not average 10 pts per game this season and that is just the reality of it.

When you find a post that said she will average 10 points per game this season, let me know.

You picked her last few games. So if she happens to have 3 great games, 8-10 points, over the next few games, can I use those to predict her future output?

How about we see how she plays the rest of the year.

 

[Bigpetunia]

Agree with your post but just want to point out ... the contract they enter into is both basketball and academic related and thankfully, the team and staff take the academic aspect of the contract very seriously. I believe there was a player not allowed to go on a road trip last year because they had failed to take an academic commitment seriously enough and this was not an NCAA rules kind of thing but team/program rules. Unlike many players in men's programs, women athletes in general and women's basketball players specifically are not simply filling up spaces in classes but are getting an education.

You know, Uc, it's not that I disagree with your point, because I don't, but it alludes to the degree to which we fans of college athletics take the existence of a gender-related double-standard for granted (as you suggest in your closing sentence). If our men's BB program recruited a 7' post player from the Bronx who, as a Freshman, put up 27ppg. and grabbed a dozen rebounds and blocked a few shots, is there anyone who would utter a peep if he barely scraped by on the academics with all the special tutoring he could get? But everyone would be up in arms if he was a "slacker" on the athletic side of his scholarship-related commitment. Generally speaking, our young women set an outstanding example by their dual commitment, and, indeed, on the women's side, our expectations in the academic arena run deeper (why?). But I cannot agree with a poster who suggests that any excuse for not taking the athletic part of the "contract" seriously enough because of a higher commitment to grades is valid. You did not get awarded an academic scholarship...you receive high-quality academics as a result of your athletic "contract." Mind you, I'm not suggesting that Kiah does this...just responding to a post with which I cannot concur.

 

[RadyLady]

Honestly, ed4, if you've followed DD through the years, he does not - not even remotely - abhor critical comments. What he objects to are unsupported or ill-thought-out comments, critical or otherwise. If you have a good argument, DD's your man. If you have an argument, but it's superficial or knee-jerk, or (frankly) mindless, well then, he's gonna call you on it. So, if you've got "the goods", then, fire away!

Really really really really really like this post

 

[RadyLady]

You know, Uc, it's not that I disagree with your point, because I don't, but it alludes to the degree to which we fans of college athletics take the existence of a gender-related double-standard for granted (as you suggest in your closing sentence). If our men's BB program recruited a 7' post player from the Bronx who, as a Freshman, put up 27ppg. and grabbed a dozen rebounds and blocked a few shots, is there anyone who would utter a peep if he barely scraped by on the academics with all the special tutoring he could get? But everyone would be up in arms if he was a "slacker" on the athletic side of his scholarship-related commitment. Generally speaking, our young women set an outstanding example by their dual commitment, and, indeed, on the women's side, our expectations in the academic arena run deeper (why?). But I cannot agree with a poster who suggests that any excuse for not taking the athletic part of the "contract" seriously enough because of a higher commitment to grades is valid. You did not get awarded an academic scholarship...you receive high-quality academics as a result of your athletic "contract." Mind you, I'm not suggesting that Kiah does this...just responding to a post with which I cannot concur.

That Kiah puts the academics before athletics is simply an assumption on some posters part. All of this endless speculation is very unnerving and in my opinion we should just let it go...

 

[easttexastrash]

I was expressing my opinion. Coaches dont have to like every player on the team. You ask any coach in America and they all have had players they've loved, liked ....and God forbid .....not liked. It is possible Kiah falls into the latter category. I know saying anything negative about Geno on this board is "taboo" but it is my opinion.

Mulkey said once that she has had players whose graduation couldn't come soon enough.

 

[easttexastrash]

Well IMO, you are way out to lunch.

I think Geno likes Stokes a lot, at least as a person. She frustrates him, because he can't get her to live up to her potential, at least to this point in time. But he likes her.

Doesn't that fall back on Geno? Isn't it his job to find out what makes her tick and push the right buttons like he did with Charles? Didn't he have the same issue with her for a couple of years? And wasn't it the same with the post player Liz something-or-other that ended up transferring to Vandy.

Was Stokes incorrectly identified as fitting the UCONN mold?