We were damned good last year even without Maya

[doggydaddy]

I am glad someone mentioned the final four game. Moore had 36 points--12 straight at one point. There was only 1 other 3 pointer (besides hers) in the game: Hartley.
Hayes, the 2nd leading scorer all season had 4 points. Most of the others stood around and watched Maya. She had 21 points in the 2nd half.

It was the only game that happened. And Geno took the hit on that.

 

[Waquoit]

What questions? It's not the same team. Excellent additions will limit the impact of Moore leaving.

I don't want to get yelled at, but I question Hayes without Maya around. If she plays smart, team ball like the star many here thinks she is and helps bring the newbies along this team will be a FF team.

 

[doggydaddy]

I don't want to get yelled at, but I question Hayes without Maya around. If she plays smart, team ball like the star many here thinks she is and helps bring the newbies along this team will be a FF team.

Nah...no onw will yell. She has to prove it. Based on Geno's statement, we will be all happy.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I'm reserving my Hayes judgement for the Stanford game. If she plays to form she will be awesome in the cupcake games leading up to Stanford. Many BYer's will be praising her. It will be meaningless.

I don't care if she averages 4 points a game against Holy Cross and Pacific. It just doesn't matter. If she plays well (scores - none of this "well she did other things") against Stanford I will become a believer. Bas on what AUriemma has said and the comments she has made I think she will.

Great players rise to the occasion.

 

[justML]

And . . . . did anyone think the UConn men would win it all last year???

How great is a victory that rises above the lowest of expectations?

 

[Cafe Poliziano]

With all respect to the OP we all watched last years season and saw the flaws, outside of this years frosh (not that they are not expected to perform) the remaining players will have to show they are able to gun it hard with out MM, we do have a good team for certain but a good team with something to prove. It is always this way in a transition year.

GO UCONN !!!!!!!

 

[intlzncster]

The key for me is that, this year, we will not have to rely solely on a freshman PG and a freshman C. Our frosh can actually come off the bench, which is better for everybody. We also double the vet experience at PG with CD coming back.

Massive void left by Maya, but so many pieces available to plug it up. Maya HAD to do too much last year, as we didn't have enough horses.

I remain skeptical that this is Tiffany Hayes' team. I've yet to see her be a completely reliable player. At this point, all talk regarding that is just that. Talk. If the game is on the line, who's hands do I want the ball in? Right now, I'd say Bria on the perimeter and Stef in the post.

Tangentially, I'd love to see Kelly stepping into a more offensively assertive (balanced) role. Who knows if it'll happen.

 

[Kibitzer]

I liked that description: "a good team with something to prove."

That #6 standing in the pre-season is fair, not very important, and great motivation to prove it wrong.

I happen to believe that they will take the torch from their glorious predecessors and hold it high at the season's end.

 

[John Fryer]

Re #1 ... a valid point but was that really worth more than two or three points a game? Maybe but my gut says no.

Re #2 ... you have to take accunt of the 35% fg shooting. When you miss that many shots you're not helping your team with your shooting. As i said these are the stats of a solid starter but not much more than that.

Again i'm a huge Maya fan. Best ever in wcbb imho. But DT, Candace Parker et al likewise had their share of games when they were merely good.

My larger point is simply that we do have some clues that can help us quantify the impact of losing Miss Moore. And I like what the data suggests. Just something to have fun with until we get some real info later this month.

This thread has no value to this year's team whatsoever!

Simply put, your analysis complete ignores the fact that in most if not all of the games that you analyzed, the opposition used 2 or more player to guard Maya!

Peace,

John Fryer