Tectonic Plates Shifting on UConn Depth Chart

[HopJim]

I disagree with regards to Saniya and Crystal. All you need to do is look at the Maryland game and see Saniya played 32 minutes while Crystal played 13. The last 2 games are irrelevant because both UCF and ECU were severely overmatched and vs. ECU, no starter played more than 26 minutes except Samuelson who played 28 (Chong had 23 and Dangere 24). USF is up next and we will see what sort of minutes Geno gives to each.

Again, with regards to Molly, UCONN faces USF next - a legit top 25 team. We will see how much PT she gets against a "better" team. UCF and ECU are not good measuring sticks for what we are debating...

Similar to your thoughts, based on minutes and performance, Crystal appears to me to moving further down the list. Turnovers continue to go up, her minutes go down. In the big games like Maryland, she is playing less and less. I could see Molly begin to taking some of her court time. As with art and music, opinions vary.

 

[CajunHusky]

There you go--you listed another asset To DANGERFIELD. She's a risk taker.

Questions: How is it Uconn recruits top and mid level talent--and we discuss --they ain't ready!!
But MD , Ohio, Baylor, Texas, ND all throw in their newly arrived frosh---and in the MD game one of them went off on Uconn for 23 points--are they recruiting better
OR is Uconn process a longer road to greatness??? /

I glad you picked up that first item as I intended .... being a risk taker is an asset.

With respect to you questions ... certain of those freshmen at MD, Baylor etc are ready to go. That Slocum is something else! Holmes, Young, Cox are getting minutes but certainly not more than Crystal. But all in all I think the difference is defense. Geno just isn't going to put a player on the floor that can't play competent defense within his system.

I don' know why but Crystal makes me think of Svet ..... Geno was constantly on Svet to play the UConn way.

 

[NewCorn]

I don't think Kia is a streaky shooter - she shoots 3s just about as well as KLS.

I agree. Kia had a slow period at the beginning of the year, but soon snapped out of it. It seems that every year somebody wants to take Kia out of the starting lineup. But I think she has started every game since the last UConn loss 89 games ago. That tells us that Geno knows he can count on her. Kia is surely the most under valued player on this team.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I glad you picked up that first item as I intended .... being a risk taker is an asset.

With respect to you questions ... certain of those freshmen at MD, Baylor etc are ready to go. That Slocum is something else! Holmes, Young, Cox are getting minutes but certainly not more than Crystal. But all in all I think the difference is defense. Geno just isn't going to put a player on the floor that can't play competent defense within his system.

I don' know why but Crystal makes me think of Svet ..... Geno was constantly on Svet to play the UConn way.

I say so many nonsense things ---but I don't remember comparing Dangerfield to Sveta--and yesterday i was tested for
Alzheimer's --I passed--no that does not mean I have the disease.
If you go back in Uconn WBB history---with rare exceptions--Freshmen, highly talented/highly recruited players
arrive at Uconn and sit much longer than Freshmen at ND or other schools. Good or Bad?? Katie Lou extremely talented scoring machine sat more than half the year. Moriah about the same.

 

[NewCorn]

Facing a strong team we will need Sanyia since she is more reliable.
Molly's problems are same as Sanyia, don't shoot the balls. If you are widely opened just shoot the damn ball since they are both a good shooter.

Saniya in particular should not pass up open shots. She could help Lou and the team a lot if she shot more.

 

[NewCorn]

Molly was given the same instruction set Butler received. To me that means assist when proper to assist--and Score when open. Molly didn't look much to score--she will---geno will give her a swift kick in the psyche and get her on target

Thanks for helping me to understand where the psyche is located.

 

[msf22b]

I'm not sure about tectonic plates but.
Crystal, Molly, Em and Irwin are all gaining experience
And gradually becoming useful.
Their presence may very well be required as the season unfolds.

 

[StephStorrs]

Saniya in particular should not pass up open shots. She could help Lou and the team a lot if she shot more.

I agree. While the assists are always important - and everyone on the team is just as happy with the assist as they are with the points - I would like to see Saniya shoot more in conference play. I was over the moon during the UCF game when Kia opted to pass to Saniya so she could take the shot rather than shoot herself, despite the fact that she was pretty much wide open. I would love to see her really hit her stride down this stretch of the season and take some shots. If they miss, they miss. If they go in, even better. I'll just be happy if she tries.

 

[Wbbfan1]

I think Geno is attempting to limit Saniya's minutes to prevent further injuries. My gut is telling me that Saniya is not 100% healthy, but still able to play and Geno trusts her more then Crystal. Team runs better offense when Saniya is playing with the Core 4 and so far able to get off to a lead when the game starts. Once a lead is established, Geno turns the reigns over to Crystal and will continue to play her as long as Crystal plays the way Geno wants her to. If not, Geno will have a quick hook and in non conference games will put Saniya in or go with a bigger lineup and put Natalie in. Since conference play Molly has been playing more minutes.

 

[NewCorn]

Similar to your thoughts, based on minutes and performance, Crystal appears to me to moving further down the list. Turnovers continue to go up, her minutes go down. In the big games like Maryland, she is playing less and less. I could see Molly begin to taking some of her court time. As with art and music, opinions vary.

Yeah. Like I always said, Rembrandt was a jerk.

 

[Pride fan]

Minutes played in AAC games has little correlation to minutes in March. Even if there is a shift during the coming weeks of the AAC games, once it is tournament time, the minutes will look just like they did during the first 12 games (absent foul trouble or someone getting hurt). No Tectonic plates are shifting. This is simply the time to let the bench gain experience for the bigger roles next year and beyond.

 

[Monte]

I absolutely agree with your assessment, but I would feel so much better if Molly pulled the trigger a few times just to prove to herself that she can shoot the ball. Last night, there were at least 3 times that I felt she passed up open shots to pass the ball to her teammates, not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you just have to let it fly.

I feel that the hesitation to shoot is a quality of both Bent+Chong. We know Chong can shoot; can Molly?

 

[Huskee11]

P.S. I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned that meaningless layup Crystal took at the end of the ECU game.

Well, I will mention it since I had predicted the final score to be 88-45, and that made it 90-45. The nerve of her!

Crystal may yet earn more minutes, but at this point I would look to the Maryland game, where Chong got 32 minutes, as the best read on the current state of affairs.

As I had noted in an earlier thread, in each of the last four UConn NCAA championship games decided by 10 points or less, Geno only played 7 players. At this point, barring injury or unusually significant foul trouble, I would not expect to see Molly and Kyla in the big games for more than a token appearance.

I do like their play though, especially Molly, and it is evident from last night that they are improving. Also agree with those saying that Molly should look to shoot, no attempts in 16 minutes is not good.

 

[B BLOCK]

Last night's ECU game is an indicator of nothing. They were sorely outmatched and Geno pulled the guns early. Garbage times started before the first break in the 3rd quarter. I am surprised he let the subs play so much, didn't see that the past 2 or 3 years.
Chong will continue to play the significant minutes in the big games to come. Dangerfield has been pretty lack luster the past 10 games, maybe the freshman wall? Yes, we all wish Chong would unleash the beast but this reluctance to score started midway through her Junior year of high school and seems to have gotten worse every year since. Great start last night and then back into her shell.
As for this years group of freshmen, if AEH can be the type of player at Uconn that I think she is capable of being, these 3 will not see much of the floor as Sophs.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Thanks for helping me to understand where the psyche is located.

It kind of moves around ---my wife finds mine by slapping me aside of the head. Boy does that work!!

 

[CocoHusky]

Well, ok, but can Kia hit shots from the second balcony?

I fear that this very clever reference is lost, wasted, or over the head of so many so I'm going to try and help.

 

[UcMiami]

I actually pretty much disagree completely with the OP.

1. Saniya has established herself as the go to starting point guard and the one that the coaches really trust in big games. Don't see that changing any time soon. Crystal is going through a serious funk right now. So ... welcome to blow out city - Chong gets the start and the team establishes itself, and then Geno starts finding minutes for Crystal and Natalie (who I think the coaches 'trust' more, right now, than Crystal.) Start of the second half same situation. Chong gets a fair amount of minutes at the end of the game because she is the one starter who hasn't played as much, and she can help try and organize the bench players.

2. Yeah Molly is getting more minutes than Kyla so in that sense she is 'closer', but they are still both miles away. If USF is able to make a game of it, they will both be glued to the bench.

When Crystal comes out of the funk things may change a bit - but unless she consistently brings her Baylor game, Chong will remain the go-to PG for tight spots.

 

[tomcat]

Couldn't disagree more. I think it is obvious to even the casual observer, UConn is a much better team with Saniya on the floor. Crystal is getting minutes because she needs time with the core four. She is just starting a multiyear learning curve while Saniya is a senior at the top of that learning curve. Molly and Kyla are getting minutes now because Geno wants them to get some meaningful game time and he can do that during the conference schedule (and keep his core four from burning out).

P.S. I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned that meaningless layup Crystal took at the end of the ECU game.

More than meaningless, that layup. I thought the practice was to hold the ball when they get possession with less than 30 on the clock.

 

[CocoHusky]

I actually pretty much disagree completely with the OP.

1. Saniya has established herself as the go to starting point guard and the one that the coaches really trust in big games. Don't see that changing any time soon. Crystal is going through a serious funk right now. So ... welcome to blow out city - Chong gets the start and the team establishes itself, and then Geno starts finding minutes for Crystal and Natalie (who I think the coaches 'trust' more, right now, than Crystal.) Start of the second half same situation. Chong gets a fair amount of minutes at the end of the game because she is the one starter who hasn't played as much, and she can help try and organize the bench players.

2. Yeah Molly is getting more minutes than Kyla so in that sense she is 'closer', but they are still both miles away. If USF is able to make a game of it, they will both be glued to the bench.

When Crystal comes out of the funk things may change a bit - but unless she consistently brings her Baylor game, Chong will remain the go-to PG for tight spots.

I disagreed with OP also. I also disagree with you that "Saniya has established herself as the go to starting point guard" By not being aggressive and taking more shot Saniya has left some doubt. Saniya took (and made) her fist shot 7 seconds into the game last night. She played a total of 23 minutes and attempted only 1 more shot. An established PG at UCONN has got to be more aggressive and be more of a threat other wise you find yourself playing 5 vs 4.

 

[mntncougar]

I absolutely agree with your assessment, but I would feel so much better if Molly pulled the trigger a few times just to prove to herself that she can shoot the ball. Last night, there were at least 3 times that I felt she passed up open shots to pass the ball to her teammates, not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes you just have to let it fly.

I don't recall the exact quote but Geno made the remark a week or so ago, after UCF I think, that the team was passing too much when they had makeable shots.

 

[AfroQueen]

Similar to your thoughts, based on minutes and performance, Crystal appears to me to moving further down the list. Turnovers continue to go up, her minutes go down. In the big games like Maryland, she is playing less and less. I could see Molly begin to taking some of her court time. As with art and music, opinions vary.

So are you suggesting that Crystal is the only player that turns the ball over? BS!

 

[UcMiami]

I disagreed with OP also. I also disagree with you that "Saniya has established herself as the go to starting point guard" By not being aggressive and taking more shot Saniya has left some doubt. Saniya took (and made) her fist shot 7 seconds into the game last night. She played a total of 23 minutes and attempted only 1 more shot. An established PG at UCONN has got to be more aggressive and be more of a threat other wise you find yourself playing 5 vs 4.

Not sure I see shooting 60% and scoring 45 points in each half as the sign that a team is playing 4 on 5. Not going to bother checking but I suspect Chong was probably +30 or so in that game even getting about 8 of her minutes with the reserves at the end of the game.

 

[housekeys]

Both Saniya and Crystal are great. Just want to add that they bring different skill sets to the table and both are needed. Take the Baylor game. In retrospect, Mulky's game plan was to extend her defense on the perimeter because she thought her bigs will take care defending inside against the smaller UConn forwards. Extended pressure on the perimeter was problematic for Saniya, Kia and KLS, but Crystal had the quickness to go by the pressure. She also had the confidence to take and make the shots they gave her. So I am guessing Crystal is a more useful weapon to counter such defenses. But Saniya demonstrated a similar skill at the FSU game. So I think matchups, experience and strategy influence who plays as much as who is better.

 

[Waquoit]

I actually pretty much disagree completely with the OP.... Yeah Molly is getting more minutes than Kyla so in that sense she is 'closer', but they are still both miles away. If USF is able to make a game of it, they will both be glued to the bench..

Totally agree. Neither Bent nor Irwin are ready for prime time yet.

 

[DefenseBB]

I glad you picked up that first item as I intended .... being a risk taker is an asset.

With respect to you questions ... certain of those freshmen at MD, Baylor etc are ready to go. That Slocum is something else! Holmes, Young, Cox are getting minutes but certainly not more than Crystal. But all in all I think the difference is defense. Geno just isn't going to put a player on the floor that can't play competent defense within his system.

I don' know why but Crystal makes me think of Svet ..... Geno was constantly on Svet to play the UConn way.

This is actually a pretty timely and key post with points you made. Here is my rift on your opening-Baylor and MD both played UConn however they also played a very weak OOC remaining list of schools to get court time for all their new players. MD had the #1 ranked class and Baylor had the #1 recruit (and Chou). By playing the soft teams both coaches were able to get their newbies into the team flow and they are now benefiting from it-particularly Baylor who is clearly the best team out there not named UConn. Geno now can get valuable minutes for Nat, Crystal Dangerfield and Molly to have them earn his trust. Kyla too if she keeps working. One other point I would add about UConn star freshman is they often have sit on a star team! Last year Laksa won ROY over KLS and Asia Durr got so much more press and minutes, however look now at which player is clearly is the stronger AA candidate-KLS. Why, she found out what it takes to get to the next level and is doing it.