The Confident Go To

[meyers7]

I don't believe the BS put forth by Sue Bird (i love her) that the team deliberately lost that game
that's hogwash--

What!!???

 

[todbo]

What we don't know yet is how she responds to a defense that is focused on stopping her.

She won't have to worry. With four other starters capable of 20-point games, any concentration on her opens up another supply of daggers.

 

[mntncougar]

I'm still just hoping KLS will be able to recover from Geno's "heart" comment.

Time to recover. I suspect Geno has long since lost any doubt about KLS's "heart," and I'll bet he has made sure she knows it, perhaps without saying it outright. Many of his public statements have indicated quite clearly what he thinks now.

 

[DefenseBB]

What I was unclearly trying to say was that I view these players as playing different but overlapping positions. Ranging from Diana's strong 2 guard to Stewie's decent ball handling finesse forward.

What got me about other's postings were skill comparisons that put Diana below anyone else. I felt like Mrs. B does when anyone wants to critique Mozart- "Really"?!

Ranking these four in overall WBB, Diana is number one till ever supplanted, Stewie is heading for a top 10, the other two are TBD. Though I love Lou as much as everyone else here !

Yes these boards are for discussion so...SERIOUSLY? Stewie in top 10???? So a 3 time player of the year, 4 time FF MVP is only in the top ten? How kind of you. She revolutionized how teams had to try to handle her. Yes she had talent (and very good talent) around her and so DID Taurasi, yet Stewie's teams were a juggernaut that no one thought they could beat. You did her a great disservice say "top 10". DT great player but not a slam dunk #1 either for UConn and definitely not a slam dunk as GOAT.

 

[mntncougar]

I'm still just hoping KLS will be able to recover from Geno's "heart" comment.

It's time to recover. Geno has stated publicly many times what he thinks of her now, and I'll bet he has communicated it to her clearly, although perhaps without saying it.

I think I want to expand upon this a bit to address Geno's relationship to this entire team.

It's taken a while, but I think Geno is both dumbfounded by and in awe of this team. He said publicly many times that he set up the schedule intentionally to essentially "break" them. And the easily implied intention is that he would then pick up the pieces and mold them into the players and the team he wanted them to be by the end of the season.
But except for perhaps Nurse, these guys were essentially under the radar. With the madness of last season, with what was perhaps his greatest team he used the others as he needed them.But he never needed to spend the time to find out all their true strengths and weaknesses and what makes them "tick". Nor was he able to coach them as if they were his first line players.
But surprise Geno, your chickens have come home to roost. These young players bought into your system. Did they ever. They came to UCONN because of it and you. And the strengths you saw in them when you recruited them were all there, just waiting to be needed, and in the meanwhile being quietly honed.
You, Geno, were content to absorb the few early season losses that everyone expected. Perhaps it even appealed to you in some way so that the "break up the Huskies" din would die down.
But these are your players. Yours. The culmination of 32 years of the best coaching in the history of women's basketball. And the one thing they didn't buy into was the concept of accepting being beaten in order to learn. Because this is UCONN and they are the women's basketball Huskies from the mold you created. Losing is simply not an option as long as they have the power to prevent it, no matter what it takes.
They have bonded in that intention to the extent that they are not really just a team any more but a unit. If one goes down or is limited the others simply take over the responsibilities. They don't say it. They probably don't think it. They just do it. Can they be beaten? Perhaps, time will tell, but if it happens it will only be because it is beyond their collective abilities to prevent it.
Live with it Geno, its the monster you created.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno's sort of stuck going down this path. By that, I mean that he now sees that this team can win an national championship, despite two glaring weaknesses: lack of height on defense and a weak bench. Because of her size at wing, Lou's effectively unstoppable and has now demonstrated the chops (that we always knew she had) to get into a shooting match with any team; and that will keep UConn in any game despite these weaknesses. I think if UConn had lost a couple of games and the team's prospects less bright, Geno might have been more circumspect about Lou in order to begin molding a somewhat different team for next year. But with this year's team playing so great, next year will easily take care of next year. Geno's hoping that Lou, while certainly no D (no one is), can score as effectively as D, and we all know what that means....

Bags I know you posted this days before the ECU game--but --when (as you indicate above, one weakness showed it's deadly head--Number 24 got in foul trouble--terrible fouls were being called. Whether by plan or on her own (I'd bet on plan) the first play out of a time out--put KLS under the basket rebounding. That alone changed the complexion of the frenetic defense was doing --and stopped their scoring binge ! KLS was and is effective under the basket--how that will work against Baylor (if we see them again) or (for the Californians)
University of South Carolina--nee USC). However a bit --not a lot --of the weakness was lessened by good play and scoring by Butler--she need an DT aggressive gene transplant!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

I don't agree with your points here and I don't think stats are going to prove anything. I can look at stats and could argue that Tamika Williams was overall a greater player than Morgan Tuck (which she wasn't). While she didn't average as many points, she had a higher fg%. Was a better rebounder. Had more steals. Tamika was the stopper both inside and outside within a range of quick guards/wings to power forwards.

DT in her frosh year got Most Outstanding in the Regional, didn't she? AT this point Lou needs to get something similar but D did this as a frosh.

**I don't have proof of this - I wish I could find it - you can choose not to believe me. But watch that play in 2001-2002 in the finals in which DT isolated and ended up fouling out Dales and wound up all but icing the game. The comment Geno made- which I can't find - which you don't have to believe me with is- Geno had said afterwards, to paraphrase "we could have run that isolation play anytime we wanted but that's not how we want to play." Basically I thought Geno was telling us-- I could have used DT to score whenever I wanted. OFC he didn't say that but it sounded almost like it. Anyhow - with championship on the line and with all the seniors -- Geno chose "an isolation play" in which DT was shooting poorly the entire game. That's how much confidence Geno had in her. While I'm sure he has a ton for Lou-- at this point in their careers -- DT took a final four team as a frosh in which they experienced a major injury in Shea of which DT had to become more of a weapon immediately after the Big East Tourney and DT was able ot turn on the lights immediately and wind up being Regional MVP.

Anyhow-- I do think it is possible Lou can be thought of among Stewie DT and Maya -- or in the Tina/Bird etc but it depends on what she does vs the elite tourney teams too. Not just the reg. season Tulanes. Meaning we got more to see especially tourney time-- this year!!!!

UConn played seven or eight top fifteen teams earlier this year and it seems to me that KLS showed herself pretty well. You talk about DT winning the MVP in the regionals and I don't recollect that (but it may be true). You do realize that in the regionals, most of the time you are playing at least a couple of games (if not more) against mediocre, at best, teams. A lot of UConn blowouts leading up to the Final Four attest to that. You must also remember that her horrific shooting in the semi-final game at the Final Four against Notre Dame was one of the most putrid exhibitions in the history of the Final Four. I realize she was only a freshman but it was dreadful by any standards. She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and yet her cockiness had her lofting bad shot after bad shot after bad shot. I much prefer the quiet confidence of a player like KLS than the bombastic nature of someone like DT. She obviously was (is) a great player but I often felt that it was more about her and less about the team. Anything that would get her attention was in order (including that silly stuff punching that orange stanchion) and give me the Silent Assassin (KLS), every time. I respected (respect) her abilities but she is well down the line of my favorite Huskie women. She was one of those people who LEAST exemplified "the Huskie way", in my opinion.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I am of the that view that Geno is now pointing out of KLS upside that while KLS doesn't have that "swagger" D had/has she is capable of more and could surpass D. I also think Breanna Stewart is the best player/most complete in the program history and over time I think Geno will give her those props. By using D as a motivating factor for this crew it is sort of legend they are chasing. Having watched those teams intently, early on, yes D had great players and at the end not so much. So while she achieved a lot, I would argue she may not have raised the others games as much as "legend" would have us believe. Yes, she is an all time great-on the Mount Rushmore of UConn however I think Stewie and KLS can earn the right to be in the discussion. Again, IMO to not offend the others who love D.

I just want to say that Breanna quite probably graduated from UConn as "probably" the most complete player in program history but that she wasn't nearly that for a good part of her time in Storrs. She was mediocre at best for two thirds of her freshman year and was still a somewhat weak defender and rebounder into her junior year. Inevitably she obviously excelled, particularly as a defensive player with her incredible wingspan devouring rebounds but more importantly intimidating anyone daring to try and penetrate the box. We are only two thirds of the way through KLS's sophomore year and what she is right now is pretty impressive, to say the least. Her defensive game is improving by the game and her ability to score in a variety of manners, is off the charts. I thought that KML had a beautiful shot and was amazing shooting the ball but the stroke of KLS is so amazing and so quick and deadly. We are so fortunate to have her. Tara must really be going buggy that she had the older two sisters (who were good) but lost out on the gold mine of the family.

 

[phil sampieri]

UConn played seven or eight top fifteen teams earlier this year and it seems to me that KLS showed herself pretty well. You talk about DT winning the MVP in the regionals and I don't recollect that (but it may be true). You do realize that in the regionals, most of the time you are playing at least a couple of games (if not more) against mediocre, at best, teams. A lot of UConn blowouts leading up to the Final Four attest to that. You must also remember that her horrific shooting in the semi-final game at the Final Four against Notre Dame was one of the most putrid exhibitions in the history of the Final Four. I realize she was only a freshman but it was dreadful by any standards. She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and yet her cockiness had her lofting bad shot after bad shot after bad shot. I much prefer the quiet confidence of a player like KLS than the bombastic nature of someone like DT. She obviously was (is) a great player but I often felt that it was more about her and less about the team. Anything that would get her attention was in order (including that silly stuff punching that orange stanchion) and give me the Silent Assassin (KLS), every time. I respected (respect) her abilities but she is well down the line of my favorite Huskie women. She was one of those people who LEAST exemplified "the Huskie way", in my opinion.

I might suggest you think about the last 3 years that DT played and we won title without any player near as good as what Stewie had. This is not in any way denigrating Stewie but citing a freshman year one game does not make your case.DT could have scored 30 plus every game per Geno in his book but chose to set the record for assists and make her mediocre players better. Unquestionably the best pressure player ever not just my opinion

 

[Buzzyboy]

I might suggest you think about the last 3 years that DT played and we won title without any player near as good as what Stewie had. This is not in any way denigrating Stewie but citing a freshman year one game does not make your case.DT could have scored 30 plus every game per Geno in his book but chose to set the record for assists and make her mediocre players better. Unquestionably the best pressure player ever not just my opinion

For Geno to throw out that DT could have scored 30 plus every game, it's just something he would say to note how special DT is, AFTER THE FACT. While she was playing, his praise wasn't as obvious and that's common with all his very special players. Do you think he really believes that she could score 30 points a game? In his system? No way! In some games she would but when she was having a bad shooting night (and she had them), she would have had to jack up a massive amount of shots to do so and do you think that he would have appreciated that. You could just use the fact that someone mentioned the other day about the record for most consecutive games with double digit scoring for the Huskies and guess WHO DIDN'T HAVE IT? DT did not have it so she obviously had games where she didn't light it up though I'm sure she contributed in some other way. I'm not saying she wasn't (or isn't) a great player but I think there's more than a few people who have a bit of a distorted opinion of her and think she has a Big S on her tee shirt beneath her team uniform. You're talking of the mediocre players that DT had? Is that what you'd call them? There are people on this board that have raved about the contributions of Maria Conlon often and Anne Strother and Barbara Turner weren't exactly chopped liver, were they? Didn't Wilnett Crockett save the day and allowed UConn to overcome and escape a UCLA win to enable them to win that championship when DT had another OFF Night. You can't have it both ways regarding Maria Conlon. The level of talent in 2003, 2004 throughout women's basketball wasn't nearly what it is today. How many special teams did you have in that era? Do you know what people now say about the New England Patriots? They talk this year about the fact that though Tom Brady is supposed to be so great, that more credit should go to the system that Bill Bellechik has put in place because when Brady was suspended the first four games, they still won 3 games without him against teams that were good enough that some thought they'd go 1-3 instead. Even then, the game they lost was primarily because their backup quarterback was hurt and their third string quarterback, a rookie, was playing with a torn ligament on his throwing hand. Maybe it's more the UConn system under Geno that should be given the credit for those championship seasons in DT's junior and senior year than DT's GREATNESS. Again, no one is saying she's not a great player but to the extent that she's the BOAT is based on her winning those two championships, after the TAASK class graduated. What about this years team that may win it all and actually go undefeated after losing the new 1, 2 and 3 players drafted by the WNBA???? Did either of her teams (after TAASK left) go undefeated or even close to it? I do not consider DT better than Stewie nor do I think she's better than Maya! I know there are a number of people who don't agree but I do believe there are others who support my view, thinking that either or both might actually be better than her. It isn't being disparaging because all three are special players in their own right. The only thing I'll concede is that DT is the most cocky (and probably arrogant) of the three.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I might suggest you think about the last 3 years that DT played and we won title without any player near as good as what Stewie had. This is not in any way denigrating Stewie but citing a freshman year one game does not make your case.DT could have scored 30 plus every game per Geno in his book but chose to set the record for assists and make her mediocre players better. Unquestionably the best pressure player ever not just my opinion

I question that fact. How many MVP awards did she get in the post season, comparing her to Stewie? Obviously not nearly as many, right? Doesn't that suggest that Stewie was better under pressure and so good, in fact, that the games weren't nearly as close as Stewie. How many losses along the way in her junior and senior year? Those games were somehow meaningless to her where she didn't need to perform at her best. It's the feeling of superiority that you seem to give her that makes me continue to pursue this topic. She was a great player and your favorite player but I don't agree those last two titles somehow make her the preemptive best Huskie ever.

 

[hoophuskee]

UConn played seven or eight top fifteen teams earlier this year and it seems to me that KLS showed herself pretty well. You (1) talk about DT winning the MVP in the regionals and I don't recollect that (but it may be true). You do realize that in the regionals, most of the time you are playing at least a couple of games (if not more) against mediocre, at best, teams. A lot of UConn blowouts leading up to the Final Four attest to that. (2) You must also remember that her horrific shooting in the semi-final game at the Final Four against Notre Dame was one of the most putrid exhibitions in the history of the Final Four. I realize she was only a freshman but it was dreadful by any standards. She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn (3) and yet her cockiness had her lofting bad shot after bad shot after bad shot. I much prefer the quiet confidence of a player like KLS than the bombastic nature of someone like DT. She obviously was (is) a great player but I often felt that it was more about her and less about the team. (4) Anything that would get her attention was in order (including that silly stuff punching that orange stanchion) and give me the Silent Assassin (KLS), every time. I respected (respect) her abilities but (5) she is well down the line of my favorite Huskie women. She was one of those people who LEAST exemplified "the Huskie way", in my opinion.

I don't agree with your tone and as you and many of us are fans of UCONN we have different views of players we like and their styles. Overall I agree with you whether you said it on this post or another, is that in our opinions Stewie is UCONN GOAT. However in our posts and all posts of others sometimes it is so hard on here at time to get a clear understanding of all of this from poster to poster. You made it clear though you don't like her style.

1-- Anyhow below is the link of DT all-regional. I don't agree with how you downplay the regionals. If a freshman who has players like all-time greats Sue Bird and Swin Cash edns up being the most understanding over these all-time great upperclassmen. I think what Dt did as a frosh was a tremendous accomplishment. ANd as far as blwouts-- that should be "good" in a way shouldn't it? You mean if DT and UCONN overall played like garbage in the E8 and barely won in which DT wins MVP but wasn't that good, I'm supposed to think that is better than playing up to the UCONN standards and wiping out the opposition? I don't. Kudos for UCONN and DT for blowing a team out and she is regional MVP. And kudos for DT being able to get a wonderful award while she had super more-experienced players like Bird and Cash on her team.

UConn-Louisiana Tech Postgame Notes & Quotes

2-- Yes I remember her awful game - but that one game is supposed to eliminate her other tremendous games? I can see if this was the only time she got there. But it wasn't. Also with your comment in bold -- you and I have a different way of looking at things- "I realize she was only a freshman."

3-- What can I say about how much I disagree with your entire outlook and tone of number 3? That's your perception. No one can ever change that. Because I think what you saw isn't what I saw/remember just as you don't remember DT being MVP all-regional and downplayed it-- you and I have different memories and perceptions. Juts as you can I'm sure recall DT's failings in that final four and is embedded in your memory- overall you and I view DT differently. Therefore I am never going to agree on your views of DT and similarily I'm sure you won't agree with mine ever - other than we agree DT is great.

4-- I see that bothers you. I can care less. I understand though - you have preferences -- I do too. I can't articulate well what I like and don't like. I can care less about a "silent assassin" or a "cocky kid" that punches the Orange stanchion. None of the "UCONN silent assassin" or "cocky kid" matters a smidgen to my enjoyment. of watching the UCONN team or the player. Thus whenever I hear criticism to DT's cockiness - I basically discard the criticism because it doesn't bother me one iota.

5-- Okay - I don't share your opinion. So when it comes to DT -- every time you speak of her - I'll politely disagree with your entire view. We all have different things we like. All can't look at the game and the player's with the same view.

I think you said on another thread you said you thought it was "all about her" in the way she acted? If you did say this -- again we're on opposite sides - so when you add up all that we disagree -- we kindly disregard the other person's opinion when it comes to DT. I just want to reiterate we do think Stewie was best. SO it's not like we don't value many similar aspects of basketball.