I became a UCONN Women's basketball fan because i love watching pretty basketball. Precision passing at high speeds. It's beautiful to watch when it's working. But this season i find myself craving (and UCONN needing) more "ugly points" - the put backs and the conversion or foul opportunity when you catch within 3 feet of the basket. Pretty basketball has taken a hit this year, but so have the ugly points.
MW is best example. Not sure she'll ever be an elite player, but absolutely love her grit and rebounding work ethic. She probably has more opportunities for ugly points than anyone on the team, but she does not finish well. ONO the same, but it may come as she gets stronger (although she may never have the feathery touch around the rim of NC). MW is strong and skilled and I think can be a difference maker this year - around the rim.
Until this year, when I've seen so many bunnies missed, i think i took ugly points for granted. Past players like Morgan Tuck were machine-like in the way they could finish around the rim. These are points we've always gotten, but are not getting this year. Probably the best finisher that I've seen in the program's history was Shea Ralph. She was a skilled, strong player (like MW), but also knew how to finish - stay strong, stay balanced, stay focused through the shot.
Here's where I am going with this. MW won't become a better jump shooter this year. But i DO think she (and others) can learn to finish better this year. And I think that could translate into at least 6-8 points a game. That won't have win/lose implications in AAC, but would against good competition. I'm sure the team practices finishing in traffic, but it doesn't look that way based on the poor form that you see on some of these putbacks and close shots.
Trust me, i get that this is a small part of a much bigger picture, and bigger problem (not the least of which is that we're undersized). But maybe it's the lowest hanging fruit.
I am long-time reader but first-time poster to BY. Always impressed by how insightful the comments are. Am I crazy on this?
We're going to win playing beautiful UCONN Women's basketball. But along with that, we need more ugly points. I don't see how we get to the NC game without them.
MW is best example. Not sure she'll ever be an elite player, but absolutely love her grit and rebounding work ethic. She probably has more opportunities for ugly points than anyone on the team, but she does not finish well. ONO the same, but it may come as she gets stronger (although she may never have the feathery touch around the rim of NC). MW is strong and skilled and I think can be a difference maker this year - around the rim.
Until this year, when I've seen so many bunnies missed, i think i took ugly points for granted. Past players like Morgan Tuck were machine-like in the way they could finish around the rim. These are points we've always gotten, but are not getting this year. Probably the best finisher that I've seen in the program's history was Shea Ralph. She was a skilled, strong player (like MW), but also knew how to finish - stay strong, stay balanced, stay focused through the shot.
Here's where I am going with this. MW won't become a better jump shooter this year. But i DO think she (and others) can learn to finish better this year. And I think that could translate into at least 6-8 points a game. That won't have win/lose implications in AAC, but would against good competition. I'm sure the team practices finishing in traffic, but it doesn't look that way based on the poor form that you see on some of these putbacks and close shots.
Trust me, i get that this is a small part of a much bigger picture, and bigger problem (not the least of which is that we're undersized). But maybe it's the lowest hanging fruit.
I am long-time reader but first-time poster to BY. Always impressed by how insightful the comments are. Am I crazy on this?
We're going to win playing beautiful UCONN Women's basketball. But along with that, we need more ugly points. I don't see how we get to the NC game without them.
