Uniquely Mature Frosh - Nurse and Williams

[Buzzyboy]

There have been many freshmen who have started as mentioned above. Mainly because of necessity. Stef Dolson also started. I think Tina Charles did as well. Geno generally doesn't like to start freshmen - unless he has no other choice. Gabby is unique not only in that she was asked to play a different position than she did in HS, but she was coming off a 2 year injury hiatus, and has improved as much as any freshman I've ever seen.

Kia was mature from day 1 - her experience on the Canadian National Team is mostly responsible for that. But Gabby has been the biggest pleasant surprise for me this year...

Sveta was another with that maturity on the court, from day 1. She also played on National teams in Russia, did she not? Will always be one of my very favorite Huskies! A Huskie that was mentioned that I still am not the biggest fan of was Renee Montgomery. I thought she played out of control a lot and often passed up a teammate with a better scoring opportunity to shoot or drive to the hoop herself. She came across (to me) as one of those players who I would have thought Geno would have benched because she seemed to have a "me first" rather than a team first attitude. JMHO!

 

[Buzzyboy]

I don't want anyone to take this wrong and I do think both Kia and Gabby are both great players. They both bring their own style, Kia a hardnosed in your face. defensive style and Gabby a high energy player with great leaping ability and moves in the post. I just want to see what Gabby can bring in big games against quality opponents who have big front lines. I can't wait for SC game and NCAA tourney to begin to see how they do.

I may be wrong but I think Gabby might have an advantage over a lot of these big lineups because her forte is her athleticism and her quickness and she might trump a lot of these vaunted players because of it. I remember Charles Barkley having an immense amount of success in the NBA because of his body type and his quickness and relentlessness. Time will tell but I'm pretty optimistic.

 

[meyers7]

Frosh low-post excellence? The name Tamika Williams jumps to mind.

Yep.
13.5 ppg / 6.8 rpg / shot 65.8% from the floor in 22 mpg.

 

[meyers7]

A Huskie that was mentioned that I still am not the biggest fan of was Renee Montgomery. I thought she played out of control a lot and often passed up a teammate with a better scoring opportunity to shoot or drive to the hoop herself. She came across (to me) as one of those players who I would have thought Geno would have benched because she seemed to have a "me first" rather than a team first attitude. JMHO!

She's #3 on UCONN's all time Assists list. Ahead of Bird and Hartley. 5 assists behind Rizzoti and 16 behind Taurasi. Doesn't seem to be too "me first".

 

[boontonbomber]

Boonton,
memorable moments was perhaps a clumsy choice of words on my part and if Geno said it then I definitely believe it. So no doubt, Gabby impacts the game!

The elements of memorable moment that I am trying to convey involve a quality opponent usually where the game is hanging in the balance. In my opinion Gabby has not had one of those memorable moments yet. Kia on ther other hand set the tone of the game by driving hard to the basket at ND and hit some jumper late in that game to stretch the lead and seal the game away.

Not a clumsy choice of words at all. Certainly there is no moment(yet) for Gabby like those you mention, but my point is that there has already been a collection of Gabby moments that , taken together, stand right up and shout at you in the same way that those you mention for Morgan and Saniya do.

 

[Intpseeker]

I am still learning and definitely do not know how to post video here.
Here is a Youtube link. FF to the 12:47 mark of the first half . Score should be tied @8.

Thanks for the clip. Impressive sequence by Morgan, and, for the record, I still don't like ND!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Sveta was another with that maturity on the court, from day 1. She also played on National teams in Russia, did she not? Will always be one of my very favorite Huskies! A Huskie that was mentioned that I still am not the biggest fan of was Renee Montgomery. I thought she played out of control a lot and often passed up a teammate with a better scoring opportunity to shoot or drive to the hoop herself. She came across (to me) as one of those players who I would have thought Geno would have benched because she seemed to have a "me first" rather than a team first attitude. JMHO!

She may not have met all fans' "eye test" but in the fact test if you are going to be peeved at Monty you would need to be even more so at Hartley who scored 4 more points and had 82 less assists than Renee in her career. Personally, I think for both players there were times when their scoring was needed big time, and they responded.

UConn PGs seem to fit in three basic categories.

A, those who averaged between 2 and 2.5 points per assist. I guess these are the classic "pass first" PGs that many fans prefer and include Rizzoti, Bird, Faris, and now Jefferson.
B, those who average between 3 and 3.5 points per assist. These are PGs who get a lot of assists but also score a lot as hybrid SGs. Montgomery and Hartley are the main examples.
C, superhero types who become legends and average more than 3.5 points per assist. No one can quite define whether she was the best PG or best SG in WCBB lore. Name is Taurasi.

 

[j66kicker]

UConn PGs seem to fit in three basic categories.
A, those who averaged between 2 and 2.5 points per assist
B, those who average between 3 and 3.5 points per assist
C, superhero types who become legends and average more than 3.5 points per assist. No one can quite define whether she was the best PG or best SG in WCBB lore. Name is Taurasi.

And that ratio is not because she was stingy with assists. DT remains the all-time UCONN assists leader.

 

[Buzzyboy]

She's #3 on UCONN's all time Assists list. Ahead of Bird and Hartley. 5 assists behind Rizzoti and 16 behind Taurasi. Doesn't seem to be too "me first".

Well, the amount of playing time she got was one factor and also playing with Tina and Maya, two of the all time best at putting the ball in the hoop. When you dominate the ball, you have a chance for not only more scoring but getting an assist. I think often there were other girls playing who would have assisted on shots, had they been able to touch the ball. Geno's offense works better when
EVERYONE touches the ball, not just Renee Montgomery and the inevitable scorer!

 

[Buzzyboy]

She may not have met all fans' "eye test" but in the fact test if you are going to be peeved at Monty you would need to be even more so at Hartley who scored 4 more points and had 82 less assists than Renee in her career. Personally, I think for both players there were times when their scoring was needed big time, and they responded.

UConn PGs seem to fit in three basic categories.

A, those who averaged between 2 and 2.5 points per assist. I guess these are the classic "pass first" PGs that many fans prefer and include Rizzoti, Bird, Faris, and now Jefferson.
B, those who average between 3 and 3.5 points per assist. These are PGs who get a lot of assists but also score a lot as hybrid SGs. Montgomery and Hartley are the main examples.
C, superhero types who become legends and average more than 3.5 points per assist. No one can quite define whether she was the best PG or best SG in WCBB lore. Name is Taurasi.

I know you make some good points but you do realize that Montgomery was categorized as a point guard while Bria was a shooting guard. Not only that, Bria played on teams that weren't as talented offensively as were the Renee Montgomery teams. As I recall, Tina and Maya were pretty good at putting the ball in the hoop.

 

[meyers7]

Well, the amount of playing time she got was one factor and also playing with Tina and Maya, two of the all time best at putting the ball in the hoop. When you dominate the ball, you have a chance for not only more scoring but getting an assist. I think often there were other girls playing who would have assisted on shots, had they been able to touch the ball. Geno's offense works better when
EVERYONE touches the ball, not just Renee Montgomery and the inevitable scorer!

Granted she was a scoring PG. But you really don't have any evidence to support she was a ball hog or didn't share the ball. Least ways no more than DT who actually was The Ballhog Chick.

 

[HuskyPhan]

I love, love, love the play of both Kia and Gabby-what incredible freshman players. Is there anyone else out there who thinks of Dr. J when Gabby pulls of that awesome two-step layup that starts from 12 feet out?? Amazing......

 

[MilfordHusky]

I love the composure of Kia and Gabby.

We had a pretty good freshman in 2007-08. She finished 2nd in the NPOY voting. I'd say she made an impact.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I know you make some good points but you do realize that Montgomery was categorized as a point guard while Bria was a shooting guard. Not only that, Bria played on teams that weren't as talented offensively as were the Renee Montgomery teams. As I recall, Tina and Maya were pretty good at putting the ball in the hoop.

So you're telling me that playing with people like Maya Moore, Stef Dolson, Breanna Stewart, and KML shows that Bria was not on talented teams? Yikes, Bria played on two NC winners, while poor Renee labored on teams that lost 9 games her first two years, and she got her lone NC as a senior. The teams of Bria's four seasons actually outscored the teams of Renee's four seasons. Don't cry for Bria, because the players she was with were also pretty good at putting the ball in the hoop.

As with the question of whether DT was a PG or SG, the answer for both she and Bria is both, as game circumstances required. You may say that the player with the 5th most assists in UConn history was a "shooting guard," and okay if that's the label you want to slap on her. I would say Bria was a guard who shot the ball but also passed the ball a really helluva lot, like Renee. Players who pick up 559 assists are more than just "shooting guards."

 

[Buzzyboy]

So you're telling me that playing with people like Maya Moore, Stef Dolson, Breanna Stewart, and KML shows that Bria was not on talented teams? Yikes, Bria played on two NC winners, while poor Renee labored on teams that lost 9 games her first two years, and she got her lone NC as a senior. The teams of Bria's four seasons actually outscored the teams of Renee's four seasons. Don't cry for Bria, because the players she was with were also pretty good at putting the ball in the hoop.

As with the question of whether DT was a PG or SG, the answer for both she and Bria is both, as game circumstances required. You may say that the player with the 5th most assists in UConn history was a "shooting guard," and okay if that's the label you want to slap on her. I would say Bria was a guard who shot the ball but also passed the ball a really helluva lot, like Renee. Players who pick up 559 assists are more than just "shooting guards."

Well, I do think there is a little distortion there. When is the last time Geno didn't have talented teams. It's the level of talent. I think there's a distinction when evaluating high school talent where someone like Hoopgurlz would have players like Breanna and Moriah at 98 whereas they may have someone who I consider exception at ONLY 94 or 95. It's the difference in being a second string All American player and being a likely Player of the Year. I think last year that Moriah was our point guard and Bria was a shooting guard though at times the distinction between the two was vague, at best. There were variables but I always thought of Montgomery as a point guard. As I said, MHO means exactly that. It's apparent you don't agree and you're entitled to your opinion as am I. I do agree that Diana was a ball hog but particularly after TAASK graduated, the talent level probably contributed to Geno insisting that she take more of a role on the offensive end.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I do think of Bria more as a shooting guard than a point guard, but duties might be split 60/40, and the specific labels really mean little for many players. PGs like DT who are their teams top scorers are not just PGs, but again, a player who racked up the assists like Bria was playing a point role much of the time. But as for the question of who played on the more offensive and talented teams, it is just incorrect to say Renee was the one who had the more thriving environment. As noted, whatever our opinions and "eye tests" and "gut feelings" about these questions, the stats and facts show the reality to be different. I trust the numbers more than our often fuzzy memories and opinions, but that's just me.

 

[j66kicker]

I think last year that Moriah was our point guard and Bria was a shooting guard though at times the distinction between the two was vague, at best. There were variables but I always thought of Montgomery as a point guard. As I said, MHO means exactly that. It's apparent you don't agree and you're entitled to your opinion as am I. I do agree that Diana was a ball hog but particularly after TAASK graduated, the talent level probably contributed to Geno insisting that she take more of a role on the offensive end.

Diana was the only person who could be the all-time UCONN leader in assists and also be called a ball hog, and have that make sense. (If that makes sense...?)