Today's Games (11/15)

[UConnCat]

A reminder that in addition to Uconn's game against UOP, there are two other games of note:

#9 Louisville v #6 Texas A&M @ 4pm on ESPNU Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid and Tia Gibbs are all out for L'ville. A tough game just became a whole lot tougher.

#7 Miami v #3 Tennessee @ 6pm on ESPN2. Much has been written and said about Miami's two guards and I'm looking forward to watching them play. I caught about half of the Tenn game on Sunday. Tenn still struggles with keeping quick guards out of the lane (Tenn is not alone with this struggle), so we should expect to see Miami spread the floor and allow its outstanding guards to go to work. (Tenn may have to play some zone) Tenn is a much better team with Massengale on the floor. No surprise there given Massengale's talent. Without Massengale (she was whistled for 2 quick fouls in the 1st half), Tenn looked like last year's team.

 

[alexrgct]

Will be interesting to see if Miami can step up here. Expectations are high this season- can they live up to the hype and win a big-time game against another top team (and storied program)?

 

[Blakeon18]

Shenise Johnson is a very good wing guard type for Miami. I had the pleasure of seeing her play in the NYS tournament a few years ago in Glens Falls. Her Rush-Henrietta team [Rochester] gave CTK [with Tina and Lorin] all they could handle for one half. RH might have led by 1 or 2 at that point. CTK did pull away in the second half to win by a dozen or so.

Shenise didn't have a particularly good shooting night but she looked like a real player. They had no business hanging with CTK who finished the year undefeated and national #1. I sat with a coach who was recruiting someone else and asked her about Johnson pregame. She said that she was top 10. I asked her if she meant top ten in the state. She said 'no...top 10 in the country'...and based on what I saw....she was right.

 

[UConnCat]

Shenise Johnson is a very good wing guard type for Miami. I had the pleasure of seeing her play in the NYS tournament a few years ago in Glens Falls. Her Rush-Henrietta team [Rochester] gave CTK [with Tina and Lorin] all they could handle for one half. RH might have led by 1 or 2 at that point. CTK did pull away in the second half to win by a dozen or so.

Shenise didn't have a particularly good shooting night but she looked like a real player. They had no business hanging with CTK who finished the year undefeated and national #1. I sat with a coach who was recruiting someone else and asked her about Johnson pregame. She said that she was top 10. I asked her if she meant top ten in the state. She said 'no...top 10 in the country'...and based on what I saw....she was right.

Thanks Blake. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable WCBB fan and I try to watch as many games as I can. But I am completely ignorant when it comes to Williams and Johnson. That's why I'm really looking forward to this game. Like alex said, everyone will be watching to see how Miami plays on one of the biggest stages in WCBB.

 

[VAMike23]

Shenise Johnson is a very good wing guard type for Miami. I had the pleasure of seeing her play in the NYS tournament a few years ago in Glens Falls. Her Rush-Henrietta team [Rochester] gave CTK [with Tina and Lorin] all they could handle for one half. RH might have led by 1 or 2 at that point. CTK did pull away in the second half to win by a dozen or so.

Shenise didn't have a particularly good shooting night but she looked like a real player. They had no business hanging with CTK who finished the year undefeated and national #1. I sat with a coach who was recruiting someone else and asked her about Johnson pregame. She said that she was top 10. I asked her if she meant top ten in the state. She said 'no...top 10 in the country'...and based on what I saw....she was right.

If she has a strong senior campaign, the Lynx might take a look at her with the 3rd pick. I, too, will be watching how she fares against the LVs.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Johnson is a solid player, who was the ACC POY over Jasmine Dixon, I believe. She should be a top 5 or so player this year.

Williams has talent galore and is very explosive, but she is more of a quantity shooter (at about 39%).

Tennessee may not face a pair quite like them all year.

 

[DaddyChoc]

A reminder that in addition to Uconn's game against UOP, there are two other games of note:

#9 Louisville v #6 Texas A&M @ 4pm on ESPNU Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid and Tia Gibbs are all out for L'ville. A tough game just became a whole lot tougher.

#7 Miami v #3 Tennessee @ 6pm on ESPN2. Much has been written and said about Miami's two guards and I'm looking forward to watching them play. I caught about half of the Tenn game on Sunday. Tenn still struggles with keeping quick guards out of the lane (Tenn is not alone with this struggle), so we should expect to see Miami spread the floor and allow its outstanding guards to go to work. (Tenn may have to play some zone) Tenn is a much better team with Massengale on the floor. No surprise there given Massengale's talent. Without Massengale (she was whistled for 2 quick fouls in the 1st half), Tenn looked like last year's team.

good stuff Cat... I had no clue about the 4pm game. Thanks

 

[UConnCat]

Tex A&M up on Louisville 33-25 at the half. I don't get ESPNU so I can't offer any opinion on the play except for what the stats say. Poor shooting by both teams.

Again, Louisville is without 3 of its best players (Shoni, Reid and Gibbs).

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tex A&M up on Louisville 33-25 at the half. I don't get ESPNU so I can't offer any opinion on the play except for what the stats say. Poor shooting by both teams.

Again, Louisville is without 3 of its best players (Shoni, Reid and Gibbs).

I don't see how L'ville can compete without those players.

 

[UConnCat]

I don't see how L'ville can compete without those players.

I don't either. L'ville is shooting 29% and turned the ball over 13 times so should feel fortunate to be down only 8. A&M shooting 36%. Bone with 4 points.

 

[alexrgct]

Can't watch right now, but maybe A&M just isn't that good this year? Adams and Colson were significant pieces to a team that was really considered a fringe contender most of last season.

Then again, maybe they blow the doors off in the second half.

 

[speedoo]

Very ragged game. Aggies should be up by more but they are TO'ing over a lot as well. Bria Smith playing great for the Cardinals and Shoni's kid sis is hanging in there. Aggies will be tough when Bone gets the rust off.

 

[Ruffian75]

The player that interests me is Pepper Wilson. I wondered what happened to her. Didn't know she had tranferred from Pitt to Miami. A 6'6 presence with a harassing Georgetown type Cane team could give the Vols fits.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

does anyone else think Louisville is going to be tough this year? I am watching the game and they have had some good moments and with disregard of the current score, have been hanging with A&M. They are doing all of this with Shoni Schimmel, Monique Reid, and Tia Gibbs. Cierra Warren has played well for them in the post and Bria Smith...... OH mY......she is good!!

 

[speedoo]

Aggies pulling away now as Tyra White is scoring on jumpers and putbacks. Cardinals are ridiculously outmanned in this game but they hung in there for a while, had the lead down to 6 but TAMU just has too many weapons.

 

[speedoo]

By the way, if the Aggies are ranked 6, that is too low. They are easily a top three team.

On edit, maybe not "easily" because Louisville is so shorthanded and that makes Aggies look better than they would otherwise.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

By the way, if the Aggies are ranked 6, that is too low. They are easily a top three team.

I was wondering that same thing!

 

[caravaggio]

Does A & M really look that good without Adams & Colson? I'm at work, so I can only follow the scores and stats.

BTW: From the stats, Bria Smith appears to be very good (impressed by the scoring off of steals). Wondered why Geno decided to stop recruiting her (I recall she said the end of her recruitment by UCONN was a mutual decision).

 

[speedoo]

Bria Smith is strictly a slasher, she apparently has no jump shot. And she does not look to pass much either, so she's not really that well rounded a player.

Bone really adds a lot for the Aggies with her physical presence in the middle and she has plenty of skill as well, so the loss of Wilson is not that great except possible for her scoring. And in this game, they don't really miss Colson hat much either because they seem to be controlling the game with their aggressive defense, forcing TO's and scoring in transistion.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

A&M has had some sloppy moments, but its early in the season. SO I guess to answer your question, yes they look good. Their defense intensity is there and they have a post presense in both Bone and Kara Gilbert ( who looks better in her sophomore year). Bone needs to get back into the swing of things after sitting out, but she is going to be just fine. I am impressed with the play of Adrienne Pratcher at the PG and Alexia Standish-the freshman has been good as well. Carter/White/Elonu all look great. A&M is gonna be there come March.

 

[UConnCat]

Bria Smith is strictly a slasher, she apparently has no jump shot. And she does not look to pass much either, so she's not really that well rounded a player.

Future opponents will scout games and defend Bria by forcing her to hit perimeter or pull-up shots . She'll have to adjust and develop a consistent shot.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Bria Smith is strictly a slasher, she apparently has no jump shot. And she does not look to pass much either, so she's not really that well rounded a player.

I think she made some real good passes early in the game, but the post players couldnt handle the pass. Slashing today is whats working for her. Louisville looks lost on offense at times like no one wants to take a shot.

 

[speedoo]

Miami guards shooting well, Miami has the lead. Spani is keeping LV's in the game.

 

[UConnCat]

Williams has talent galore and is very explosive, but she is more of a quantity shooter (at about 39%).

She's a quantity shooter alright. Just checked the box and she shot 8-28 overall and 3-12 from beyond the arc. Yikes.

I missed the 2nd half so will have to check it out at some point. Miami turned the ball over a lot (21) and committed lots of fouls (21) but did grab a lot of offensive rebounds (16). The difference in the game was Tenn's great 3-point shooting.