UCONN's Ogunbowale cometh - her name, Christyn Williams

[SVCBeercats]

Next season UCONN gets it s version of Arike Ogunbowale in the person of Christyn Williams. I just hope she has a higher FG%. She is a player who can manufacture herself a shot when she needs one ... like crunch time! Watch her HS vids. She has a similar attitude, confidence, and demeanor not unlike Ogunbowale. I hope Williams and ONO bring some fire in the belly attitude to this team.

 

[pvdoggy]

Assuming she get over the supposedly too complex Uconn system and get off the bench! People were raving about MW this time last year as well.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Assuming she get over the supposedly too complex Uconn system and get off the bench! People were raving about MW this time last year as well.

I wasn't enthralled with Walker. I never saw what everyone else saw in her when I watched her HS vids. I thought she was a very good player but I did not see a HS NPOY. I hope next year, I am wrong about Walker and right about Williams.

 

[oldude]

I wasn't enthralled with Walker. I never saw what everyone else saw in her when I watched her HS vids. I thought she was a very good player but I did not see a HS NPOY. I hope next year, I am wrong about Walker and right about Williams.

Don’t give up on MW yet. In HS her size and athleticism allowed her to take over games by forcing her way into the paint and scoring at will. I saw glimpses of that this season and I expect to see a lot more of it next season. After all, MW is certainly not the first freshman at UConn that didn’t exactly set the world on fire (Tina, Mo, Gabby, Crystal, etc.)

 

[DaddyChoc]

oh now its ok to compare UConn recruits to Arike Ogunbowale... she was the worse thing ever around here not long ago

 

[bbballfan23]

Sorry but she won’t be Arike & we shouldn’t want that. Arike is not efficient, she made two excellent shots in the final four but she just went 6-21 in the championship. She’s a freshman & will have to learn. She’s behind Lou, Pheesa, Crystal & Z (if she stays). Arike is a great player but wouldn’t fit in our system.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I sure hope Megan is not reading this thread. I'm pretty disappointed with all the shots being taken at Megan and Kia on this board. Give me a break. Check that, give her a break.

 

[Sonny44]

Next season UCONN gets it s version of Arike Ogunbowale in the person of Christyn Williams. I just hope she has a higher FG%. She is a player who can manufacture herself a shot when she needs one ... like crunch time! Watch her HS vids. She has a similar attitude, confidence, and demeanor not unlike Ogunbowale. I hope Williams and ONO bring some fire in the belly attitude to this team.

I actually like Durr better than Ogunbowale.

 

[bbballfan23]

I personally like Megan’s athleticism. She rebounds well at the guard spot. A lot of production comes with opportunity. Let’s face it, she was playing along side girls that won’t play next year so her next to our starters will help take pressure off. I think she can have a good year and average 12-14ppg for us & 6 rebounds.

 

[Reypl21]

I actually like Durr better than Ogunbowale.

I hope you like not having an NC vs not having one. (durr vs O)

 

[bbballfan23]

If anyone claims they saw Pheesa & Gabby turning into consensus 1st team AA’s last year & going undefeated until the FF is lying. Less room for error for sure with the losses of individual talent but I think we will have more defined roles, which will help at the end of big close games.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I hope you like not having an NC vs not having one. (durr vs O)

Nyquil kicking in?

 

[willtalk]

Nyquil kicking in?

Williams is a very good player with a high BBIQ. She will be a great asset to the UConn program, but if anyone believes she will have the same results in college that she had against high school competition they are mistaken. She lacks the athleticism and foot speed to be that kind of "take over" player. She suits the Uconn system which relies more on ball movement and play making and less on one on one heroics.

 

[Roundball fan]

UConn's offense is a beautiful thing when shots are going down. But when they are not and we need someone to break down the defense for a drive and dish or a shot, that is some thing I feel we are missing right now. I am not questioning any thing just saying that when Kia or CD drive I usually cringe. CD can do it but very inconsistent against better teams when it really matters. One more thing is that Lou has to play 6'3 and get tough on the inside. Well I 'm going to look forward to next year and see what magic the coaches and players can come up with. UConn will be back and this year will fade. Go Huskies.

 

[veryolddog]

Do not short change Megan Walker because of intermittent excellence this year. She really has the potential to excel beyond expectations. All she needs to do is play with confidence and get her long range shooting skills in order. Just like Crystal made a change this year, so will Megan Walker and every one will be going ooooh and aaahhh.

 

[JoePgh]

Do not short change Megan Walker because of intermittent excellence this year. She really has the potential to excel beyond expectations. All she needs to do is play with confidence and get her long range shooting skills in order. Just like Crystal made a change this year, so will Megan Walker and every one will be going ooooh and aaahhh.

I saw enough of her potential in games this year to believe that. I also thought that towards the end of the year, she was starting to pick up the system and make cuts that were part of the offense, getting open under the basket several times. It just took so long that Geno couldn't really use her in the last three games. If the same thing had happened in January, he would have used her (as he used Crystal last year), but that did not happen.

I also think that Batouly will be a significant factor next year, probably ahead of Kyla Irwin. Her problem this year was that she was injured in the early part of the year when Geno was teaching the system to all the newcomers, so she couldn't practice it then. Later in the year when she was healthy, the learning gap was too much to manage. But her natural style of play is exactly what UConn needs -- tough and physical under the boards at both ends of the court. Other than Kyla, there is no one else on the roster that really fits that description.

 

[meyers7]

oh now its ok to compare UConn recruits to Arike Ogunbowale... she was the worse thing ever around here not long ago

Well not the worst thing, but she's no Asia Durr.

 

[connboy77]

How quickly some people forget about Crystal Dangerfield's first year at UCONN and how much she improved her second year. I expect the same thing to happen to Megan.

 

[DaddyChoc]

How quickly some people forget about Crystal Dangerfield's first year at UCONN and how much she improved her second year. I expect the same thing to happen to Megan.

I think the #1 ranking hurts her...

 

[VivaLsVgs]

The title of this thread is cracking me up.....is Arike what everyone should aspire to be now because of her performance over the weekend (which was amazing, BTW)? I know very little about her game and haven’t seen her play enough to know if this was a “peaking at the right time” with a little divine intervention from the Basketball Gods weekend or if she does this on a regular basis. Also, haven’t we learned from this year to stop anointing unproven Freshmen as the next big thing. Building up Williams only to tear her down if things don’t turn out the way we like next year seems like deja vu.

 

[Otter5]

How quickly some people forget about Crystal Dangerfield's first year at UCONN and how much she improved her second year. I expect the same thing to happen to Megan.

Or Kia Stokes

 

[MilfordHusky]

For a couple of years, I’ve been saying that, in Christyn, I see elements of 3 players:

Ogumbowale, for her aggressiveness and strength.

Durr, for being left handed and accurate.

Taurasi, for confidence, willingness to take the tough shot, and ability to make it. CW has swagger like Dee. She wants to be “legendary.” She said she was going to the McD’s game to try to win the MVP. Sounds like some lanky kid who said she wanted to win 4 NCs.

We all know the dangers of expecting too much from freshmen, but I also see some Chennedy Carter in Christyn.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I wouldn't compare Christyn Williams to Arike. Christyn shares the ball, and she do not just throw the ball up as soon as the ball hits her hands.