What is up with Stef?

[schmendrick]

She picked it up last night somewhat in the second quarter but only after having been benched for a lot of the first.

Is this the dreaded sophomore slump? December slump?

If memory serves, Geno pretty much minted her the leader at the beginning of the season--or at least said that the offense would run through her. It has, but not as often as I would have expected, not recently anyway.

Thoughts?

 

[DaddyChoc]

its going to happen to someone... Stef, Tiff, KML.... every year someone hits the wall (slump or whatever you want to call it)

 

[alexrgct]

Complete and utter speculation on my part:

I think she's hit a bit of a mental wall that she's just going to have to work through. She got her game together the second half of last season, was embraced enthusiastically for it, etc. But now the expectation is that she's going to keep playing at a really high level, and perhaps it's weighing on her. Add to the pressure of expectation the fact that no one other than KML seems to focusing on getting her the ball (and KML doesn't start), and the fact there's no Maya Moore to be the focal point of opposing defenses, and she may just be having a tough time adjusting.

Geno and CD know what they're doing. I expect they'll help her get well before too long.

 

[phil sampieri]

She picked it up last night somewhat in the second quarter but only after having been benched for a lot of the first.

Is this the dreaded sophomore slump? December slump?

If memory serves, Geno pretty much minted her the leader at the beginning of the season--or at least said that the offense would run through her. It has, but not as often as I would have expected, not recently anyway.

Thoughts?

 

[phil sampieri]

I partially agree but the last few games the defense has really collapsed on her
so if we make a lot of 3 pointers, eventually they will have to come out and guard us a lot closer.We also need to give her the ball at the right time as I've seen her open but getting the pass a bir late

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Stef will be fine!! I find sometimes that the guards dont feed the post enough. Many times she is posting hard and they pass it around the wing rather than putting it out to Stef. Stef is a great passer and if she gets doubled she can send it back out and reset or an assist to an open shooter.

Im not concerned.

GO UCONN!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno was really pleased with her play against A&M. Her last 3 games have not been great, however. I agree that part of it is that she is not getting her ball in the right spots enough. She looks to be in good shape, so physical conditioning does not seem to be an issue. I am one of those who expected about 5 ppg more from her.

 

[tomcat]

I think Stef's slump is the story line of the season so far. I mean,. can you imagine going into a game against Notre Dame without a high-performing center and expecting to win? Possible, yes,. Likely, not so much. I know Geno would never say this, but if you could peek into his brain and see what he through were givens for the season, they might have been: Bria continues to get better; Tif stabilizes as a senior; Stef builds on what she accomplished last year; KML is good enough to make a major contribution.

I have been surprised not only that she has disappeared anumerous times, but that at other times, they seem to have run the offense around her, rather than through her. I don't know whether this is deliberate (it seems to be) or not, but it is not doing her a world of good.

 

[NCorBust]

She picked it up last night somewhat in the second quarter but only after having been benched for a lot of the first. Is this the dreaded sophomore slump? December slump? If memory serves, Geno pretty much minted her the leader at the beginning of the season--or at least said that the offense would run through her. It has, but not as often as I would have expected, not recently anyway. Thoughts?

Geno said recently he cannot state which player should be the leader; the player must develop into the leader. He said he knows who it should be. He said he needs a "D", a Jenn, a Shea to call out the players not putting forth the effort. This type of player is not on this team. Perhaps the other players do not heed what Stef has to say. Perhaps she is in a down mood and tired of working for position, only to have the other players ignore her and launch 3 points instead of giving her a 2 pointer. I became attracted to the UCONN team through Ann Strother and then stayed because they played the game the way it should be played. Their offense was beautiful. The ball rarely touched the floor whether in transition or in the half court. The plays were run to perfection. I guess the talent was better back then and through the Renee, Tina, and Maya years. Perhaps those players believed that Geno and CD knew better. They believed in the team offense. Now I watch dribble, dribble, dribble, ad infinitum. The beauty of their play is gone. Hopefully Mloriah or Morgan or Bree will be a player who demands all players put forth maximum effort. It is not anyone currently on the team.

 

[vtcwbuff]

"I don't know whether this is deliberate (it seems to be)"

I kinda' thought the same thing for a while, but in the end I concluded that defenses are collapsing and the guards can't find her. Though it seems as if they had no problem finding Stokes last night.
All I know for sure on the Dolson front - it's not what I expected from her this year.

 

[Husky68]

Stef of last year got better as the season went on (from a very weak base), but had an inside presence of Maya. This year it's just her (per the Geno lineup). She is more Liz Sherwood at this stage than Tina/Kara. Maybe a Jessica Moore comparison except where Jessica had skillet hands, Stef has lead feet.
Stef rebounds like Thabeet, makes no moves to the ball as it is in the air, if she extends to reach the ball she doesn't have the strength to pull it in (expecting her to get slammed like Blair did to Thabeet if she gets her arms caught reaching for a rebound).
Not helping Stef is there is no Renee driving the lane somewhere within the foul lane (or near by). Faris and Doty make almost no personal offensive plays to the basket (even when they have positional advantages) and Tiff almost always drives from wide and almost never passes to another player when driving. Hartley drives under control and makes plays for herself (except where Griner scared her), very seldom does she pass when driving.
Stef needs dribble penetration and then have her cut, seems Uconn players are much more comfortable passing around the 3 point line (almost reminds me of the wonderball passing of the Ann/Barb/Wilnett/Nicole teams).
Stef is not in good enough shape. If she is going to be Jane A. from Stanford she need to lose a lot more weight and gain a lot more strength. Against any team with a reasonable post presence Stef can not effectively post up with back to basket, catch and then manuever to get a shot. Ball will be stolen, she will walk or trip, or end up with a hard angle shot (with no offensive rebounder over 5'11" to hit the boards). She will get a few nice high passes that will lead her to layups, but that isn't a staple nor a great go to crunch time move (where refs swallow whistle even more than usual which lets opponents body Stef). Her most effective positioning is not posting hard but picking near foul line and trying to catch and shoot from there (with an occasional drive - and hopefully no Griner to scare her into walking).
Stef also needs to crouch and spread her feet and get balance (on defense and in prep for rebounding). She stands up too high and feet too close together, like a top ready to fall over. She needs to take up space (like Heather). Wouldn't hurt to also jump once in a while going for a rebound.
Geno should cut the 2nd best center in WCCB crapola and get back to the Lobo/Wolters/Williams/Tina - I've got the worst post play in WCBB and here are all the things you need to get better at - and I mean at today's practice.
WHAT'S UP - SKILLS AND ATHLETISM DON'T EQUATE TO 2ND BEST CENTER IN WCBB. She might be the 2nd most effective center on the Uconn team!

 

[EricLA]

Complete and utter speculation on my part:

I think she's hit a bit of a mental wall that she's just going to have to work through. She got her game together the second half of last season, was embraced enthusiastically for it, etc. But now the expectation is that she's going to keep playing at a really high level, and perhaps it's weighing on her. Add to the pressure of expectation the fact that no one other than KML seems to focusing on getting her the ball (and KML doesn't start), and the fact there's no Maya Moore to be the focal point of opposing defenses, and she may just be having a tough time adjusting.

Geno and CD know what they're doing. I expect they'll help her get well before too long.

i was thinking something similar, especially since i don't see the games right away and can only rely on what Kara wolters and Bob Joyce say on the radio. Last night, especially, Kara really harped on and on about how no one is trying to get the ball into the post. she said she gets if they double or triple team and Stef has to kick the ball back out, then they can look for a jumper. But she has said many times that the team really needs to start adjusting their mentality (ie. the guards) and stop jacking up shots without getting the ball into the post first...

 

[magical2]

"But she has said many times that the team really needs to start adjusting their mentality(ie.the guards)<<<lol that is all that is out there most of the time,along with a 5> and stop jacking up shots without getting the ball into the post first...." The other difference is as stated,the absence of Maya! Maya was all everything and Stef benefited by it.

 

[alexrgct]

i was thinking something similar, especially since i don't see the games right away and can only rely on what Kara wolters and Bob Joyce say on the radio. Last night, especially, Kara really harped on and on about how no one is trying to get the ball into the post. she said she gets if they double or triple team and Stef has to kick the ball back out, then they can look for a jumper. But she has said many times that the team really needs to start adjusting their mentality (ie. the guards) and stop jacking up shots without getting the ball into the post first...

It's really quite noticeable. KML looks for Stef significantly more frequently and more effectively than anyone else, and I have no idea why. Even the 16 footer Stef hit last night was set up by a pass from KML.

 

[magical2]

"But she has said many times that the team really needs to start adjusting their mentality(ie.the guards)<<<lol that is all that is out there most of the time,along with a 5> and stop jacking up shots without getting the ball into the post first...." The other difference is as stated,the absence of Maya! Maya was all everything and Stef benefited by it.

Many have bought into Stef being the 2nd best center/5 in womens college BB! I love the improvement in Stef since the beginning of her FR Season. With her own work ethic,the work CDsr + puts in with her,her summer ball with Jen,MAYA,we had a different makeup for her! I don't see her as the 2nd best 5 in college. I wonder if Stef would/needs a PF type. If we consider the big O,a center or others out there,EDD<whatever you call her> Stef has limitations <along with her teammates finding her in the right places and timing>

 

[rington]

I think it's 2 things:
1. They are not going to her as the first option
2. I think part of it is physical. She seems to be laboring more on the court. She seems "bushed" and red-faced, at times. I had read earlier in the year that she got herself into better shape over the summer. I hope she is all right physically.

 

[magical2]

I think it's 2 things:
1. They are not going to her as the first option
2. I think part of it is physical. She seems to be laboring more on the court. She seems "bushed" and red-faced, at times. I had read earlier in the year that she got herself into better shape over the summer. I hope she is all right physically.

Tcertainly hope that is not a factorhe physical aspect,I must admit although I have questioned her physical play I had not considered health!