Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="cferraro04, post: 2509823, member: 267"] Great post TonyC...I would add that I don't think anyone expected anything else especially with UConn returning the "big three" and Dangerfield as well as, adding AZ and Camara to the mix. Of course, Camara's slow recovery and her inability to be in game shape is slightly disconcerting and begs the question as to what if anything we can expect from her with regards to contributing to the team's success this year. On the other hand, I am watching the development of the freshmen and sophomores with interest. On the sophomore side there is no doubt that Kyra Irwin has figured out her role and she comes in ready to contribute with rebounds, put-backs and a few threes of her own. She also seems to understand the offensive scheme and moves in the motion offense pretty efficiently making passes and setting screens. Kyra's defense is improving but she still has some work to do in that area. Molly Bent heretofore has seemed to have been plagued with a lack of confidence but we have seen some of that begin to wear off in the last couple of games as she has started knocking down threes. She does seem to understand the offensive scheme and while she manages for the most part to keep her opponent in front of her she seems to get lost coming off of screens and misses opportunities where she should be switching off her man and picking up another. I think if Molly continues on this projectory she will develop into a dependable substitute off the bench. Now, to the freshmen... I will start with Hunter...I would be lying if I wasn't concerned about her future with the program...cryptic mentions about her taking care of personal business, her missing valuable time in the heart of the season and her lack of minutes have me running up the "red flag". I do hope I am wrong on this one...as I see her as a prolific scorer in the future. Makayla Combs...her limited minutes makes it hard to make any concrete conclusions as to her development and her future contribution. Of course, Geno and his staff see her everyday in practice and I am sure they know what they are doing in bring her along. I don't see any red flags with Makayla quite the opposite actually, when she passed up an easy lay-up to help Lexi Gordon get her first UConn points and then one offensive sequence later got herself open for 3 pointer of her own, I knew right then this kid has the right attitude and talent and that it is just a matter of time. I think Makayla is still learning the Offense and will become more effective once she learns Geno's system. Lexi Gordon...Lexi came to UConn with a certain amount of hype and to be truthful hasn't exactly lived up to it yet. She is like a deer in the headlights and that has resulted in air balls, missed defensive assignments and a lack of playing time. Unfortunately, it has manifested itself in a lack of confidence which in my mind is the demon that Lexi must overcome. I believe she has the talent and she came in with higher expectations for a variety of reasons...so, I guess Geno and his staff are going to have to work with Lexi in helping her to find that confidence, the rest is going to be up to her. Last but not least...Meagan Walker...our number one high school player coming out of high school. It is obvious that Meagan's transition to the college game takes some time given the plethora of capable players ahead of her in the rotation. As a freshman it is hard to show what you have when you have 5 Americans ahead of you and your coming off the bench...flashback Diana Taurasi's freshman year. The good news is not only has MW begun to show that she deserves to be on the floor offensively, but she is grabbing rebounds and making defensive plays. Additionally, it is becoming more and more apparent that her teammates are beginning to trust her as well as they are giving her the ball in the right place for her to take shots..."she seems to like the corner three". MW's confidence is growing and there is no doubt that by March she will continue to be Geno's first substitute coming off the bench as she will be someone he can depend on. Her sophomore growth spurt will be off the charts. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach