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[HGN]

Could her defense , or lack thereof , be the reason she is not getting as much playing time as the other three girls???

The kind of question that makes you go .........Hmmmm

 

[rocky rococo]

Oh for god's sake none of this high school kids know how to play defense. KLS will learn just like every other player. And no, she won't be defending guards in college.

Not exactly none. Kelly jumped out at us because even as a frosh she understood and used proper defensive mechanics.

 

[MarlboroughMike]

Could her defense , or lack thereof , be the reason she is not getting as much playing time as the other three girls???

The kind of question that makes you go ....Hmmmm

Right - hold her out of the walkovers and put her in against the tougher opponents because she is a defensive liability. Hmmmmm, are you ten years old?

 

[UConnCat]

Not exactly none. Kelly jumped out at us because even as a frosh she understood and used proper defensive mechanics.

Well yes, there is always the exception. Kelly played AAU ball for her Dad and they didn't keep offensive stats. She was very unique.

 

[phil sampieri]

Young players are taught how to shoot and score. That's what they spend their time doing. There's no defense played in AAU tournaments and little played at the HS level. Players are taught how to play defense in college and some actually learn how to play it. Plus, 3x3 is like streetball with no team or help defense. Posters are certainly allowed to criticize the lack of defense played by high school players but I don't think it has much meaning.

There's (NO) defense played in AAU and little played at HS level.You just insulted thousands of coaches at those levels with that bullspit
Of course they are taught even at grade school level.Is defense stressed more at the higher level, sure. Ever watch NBA it looks like noone learned how to play defense

 

[rvwsleep]

Agree and disagree. I have watched all of the games and she is definitely suffering from the injury but my question is whats the other 3 players problem. They have all lost their man, been beat backdoor, given up 3s, They are hesitant on screen switches and often out of position. By that I mean when their player is on the weak side they guard and let them go baseline and wing toward the basket when their teammates are middle.

I'm not sure all of them are having problems playing defense. If they all did then 21-12 wouldn't be the closest score in a game so far.

 

[mysticmajor]

I'm just going to throw this out there. I know this board has fun stirring the pot a bit, but I think this criticism is out of line for young people in their position. They haven't even made it to college yet; they are not getting paid; and they have been through a grueling international competition. We are very fortunate for them to have selected UCONN to be THE place they want to spend their college years and us to be their fan/support group.

While I understand the desire to debate, these are young people who will be taking a big step to go far from home to study with the Master Coach, who is known to be a hard taskmaster. That is enough stress. It seems out of line to be anything other than supportive of their efforts to represent the USA to the best of their current abilities. I have been very impressed with their level of play and their character. I enjoy knowing that they are young and will develop into better players and people just as all UCONN players have.

At this point, I bet that they just want to be at home with their family in their own time zone and eating normal food. They must be physically and mentally exhausted. Even at 17 0r 18 years young, this competition is a huge accomplishment. They have performed much better than most adults going through business trips to Asia.

Maybe a bit over sensitive, but my unsolicited new person opinion is that it is unwelcoming to greet potential family members with unsolicited criticism. As Coach said in one of his shows with Stewie, everyone has to growup. You cannot rush it.

These are really good young people. I would not want to think of them as anything other than very talented young women growing into the next wave of superstars in the WNBA. Someday. If you want to criticize a professional athlete for play, go ahead. Maybe a current player has a fighting chance. But not these youngsters.

End of rant. But, BTW I've watched some of the guys games. They look 30, can dunk the ball, and act 15 when they get hit. That is when you realize you are looking at teenagers.

 

[rvwsleep]

This is why I find this board so fascinating. In another thread I gave an opinion that there may be a challenger to KML's 3 point crown coming to UConn in the near future. Only to be met with a chorus of how silly it is to speculate that a player that hasn't even stepped on campus should even be mentioned in the group of great 3 pt. UConn shooters. The praise was not yet warranted. Now, in this thread, an admonishment for even the mildest of criticisms. (I.E. rough game, lost her man).
Must I find the "Goldilocks" of repartee ? Not to hot, not to cold. And no speculating ! I could follow Doggy's lead but I think I will do what any sensible
poster (Not that doggy isn't sensible) in my position would do, as should KLS if she ever hears about this. It starts with an I and ends with an E

 

[mysticmajor]

This is why I find this board so fascinating. In another thread I gave an opinion that there may be a challenger to KML's 3 point crown coming to UConn in the near future. Only to be met with a chorus of how silly it is to speculate that a player that hasn't even stepped on campus should even be mentioned in the group of great 3 pt. UConn shooters. The praise was not yet warranted. Now, in this thread, an admonishment for even the mildest of criticisms. (I.E. rough game, lost her man).
Must I find the "Goldilocks" of repartee ? Not to hot, not to cold. And no speculating ! I could follow Doggy's lead but I think I will do what any sensible
poster (Not that doggy isn't sensible) in my position would do, as should KLS if she ever hears about this. It starts with an I and ends with an E

If this was pointed at me, I probably need to clarify or apologize. I actually thought that saying someone had a bad game or rough shooting night was the perfect way to state facts without implying doubt about the person's ability. That is probably how the ladies would characterize the day.

My comments were based more on the memory of having been in china for a month when I was slightly older than these kids. Even having gone through some college, I am not sure that I would have been able to take certain comments in as fair after two weeks on the road. Maybe it is a projection, but I think these ladies are probably ready to be at home and are toughing it out the best they can. Maybe I should have just said that.

I apologize if it came across differently. The problem with soapboxes is that you spend all your time talking instead of listening.

 

[rvwsleep]

No need to apologize mm. Though I appreciate the offer. Thank you for clarifying your position. It was just "stream of consciousness" on my part. I find it interesting how people react to various postings. It seemed to me that I was getting some friction whether I praised an incoming recruit or pointed out a possible shortcoming. A no win situation, as it were (speculation bad). Now, if you have room on that soapbox, I'll join you for a moment. And this is not directed at you.
Imagine what this board would look like if a Boneyarder considered how everyone else might react to his/her thoughts and then crafted a post of his/her opinion on a subject so as not to "upset" anyone even in the slightest. I assure you it would not be interesting reading. Certainly there are topics that are out of bounds and there are ways to disagree with other posters without insulting them. And if those lines are crossed, well, that's what the mods are here for.

 

[RadyLady]

well....if it hasn't been said already, welcome to the board mysticmajor.

"Maybe a bit over sensitive, but my unsolicited new person opinion is that it is unwelcoming to greet potential family members with unsolicited criticism. As Coach said in one of his shows with Stewie, everyone has to growup. You cannot rush it."

This is a very good point. Thank you for making it.

 

[Bestiarius]

I'm just going to throw this out there. I know this board has fun stirring the pot a bit, but I think this criticism is out of line for young people in their position. They haven't even made it to college yet; they are not getting paid; and they have been through a grueling international competition. We are very fortunate for them to have selected UCONN to be THE place they want to spend their college years and us to be their fan/support group.

I think you might be underestimating the ability of UConn recruits to withstand and even thrive in the environment they have signed up for. It's not that long ago in this country that teens were facing significantly more stress than they face today. Yesterday's young kids were working in factories and farms, and were often responsible for their younger siblings. They even toted guns in wars.

I think it's a mistake to mollycoddle todays teens and to give each of them a trophy merely for existing. They can handle it. Particularly the kids who choose to be UConn athletes. They are tough. No criticism from the Boneyard is going to deter them from reaching their goals. They are here because they know they are strong and are winners!

 

[RadyLady]

I think you might be underestimating the ability of UConn recruits to withstand and even thrive in the environment they have signed up for. It's not that long ago in this country that teens were facing significantly more stress than they face today. Yesterday's young kids were working in factories and farms, and were often responsible for their younger siblings. They even toted guns in wars.

I think it's a mistake to mollycoddle todays teens and to give each of them a trophy merely for existing. They can handle it. Particularly the kids who choose to be UConn athletes. They are tough. No criticism from the Boneyard is going to deter them from reaching their goals. They are here because they know they are strong and are winners!

That said...I don't believe, from reading the posts on this thread that anyone is interested in giving these recruits something for nothing as your post implied, and some of us are merely trying to manage expectations just a little.

Certainly nothing on the Boneyard is going to deter anyone from anything...and some of the posts this week certainly can verify that but some do read the board, and some of the parents do read the board. Thus, when very high expectations are not met within the alotted time of the expector (LOL!!! - I didn't intend to write that intentionally, but now that I did, pun intended ) certain criticisms usually follow.

 

[RadyLady]

I crack myself up sometimes.