What's up with MoJeff?

[Sonny44]

There is no doubt that Mo has not been herself yet this year. I just think she is trying to do too much and pressing a little bit. She is trying too hard to be the best leader, best scorer, best passer, best defender, best on floor coach, etc. and when you try to do that much you don't do any of those things well. I have confidence that Mo will relax a little bit and let the game come to her and when she does that she will play like the Mo of last year.

You may be right. Those who are chalking it up to a period or just a bad game are kidding themselves. Something is different this year so far. A couple weeks ago I was hyping her to be our leader; boy was I wrong.
This is not to say that it can't be turned around, but she, Geno and Shea must recognize and figure it out. I think we will need the real MoJett to reimmerge.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I am extremely disappointed in both Stewart and Jefferson - they have been so completely overhyped and their true natures are finally coming out! Jefferson is a turnover machine and really scoring challenged and Stewart, don't get me started. Add in the fact that KML obviously can't get through a season without getting sick and it just proves how pathetic the women's game is tat Uconn can still be ranked in the top 10. Thank goodness for the freshman!

OK - meds have kicked in and I got that panic out of my system!
I was worried when I first saw Moriah's 0-8 line that she had been jacking threes but most of her shots were blown layups - she had a really cold shooting day - it happens (ask DT.) And ND generally plays really good defense. Stewart was missing bunnies as well.
I think Uconn is still struggling to adapt their offensive this year to Dolson not being there (sort of like they struggled last year when Dolson was not on the floor.) They have trouble getting KML open, Stewart misses the entry passes and screens Dolson set, Moriah is playing with a freshman rather than a senior as her back court mate. Nurse is playing great, but Moriah had two years to develop a rapport with Bria and it will take some time to so the same with Nurse.

It's safe to say that Stewie will not be the GOAT, so can we please stop with all that nonsense? She will never be the reincarnation of Maya and/or D no matter how much we wish it so.

 

[UcMiami]

It's safe to say that Stewie will not be the GOAT, so can we please stop with all that nonsense? She will never be the reincarnation of Maya and/or D no matter how much we wish it so.

That whole first paragraph in my post was sarcastic - hence the emoticons. And I am not ready to say that Stewart will not be the GOAT nor that she will be.
All I am saying is we are 7 games into the season - a season in which we are adjusting to the loss of two senior all american players to graduation - and it is going to take a while for the returning players to adjust to not having two four year starters on the floor one of whom was the lynchpin of our offense for at least the past two years.

 

[meyers7]

It's safe to say that Stewie will not be the GOAT, so can we please stop with all that nonsense? She will never be the reincarnation of Maya and/or D no matter how much we wish it so.

It's not safe to say that at all. She may not be, but she's got a shot at being in that conversation.

 

[HoopsFan21]

It's not safe to say that at all. She may not be, but she's got a shot at being in that conversation.

I disagree. She really doesn't. She's well into her junior campaign and unless things change soon, yeah she will be remembered as a top 10 player, but won't be in the same club as Maya or D.

 

[UcMiami]

I disagree. She really doesn't. She's well into her junior campaign and unless things change soon, yeah she will be remembered as a top 10 player, but won't be in the same club as Maya or D.

Let see ... as a freshman she was the Final Four MVP and won her first National Championship. As I recall neither Maya nor DT accomplished quite so much their freshman years. Then she repeated the feat her sophomore year and was won her first NPOY award. And spent her summer playing for the national team in the WC to add to her haul of gold medals with USA teams - more than either Maya or DT had at similar times of their careers.
Obviously she is falling far short of previously fabulous Uconn players.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Let see ... as a freshman she was the Final Four MVP and won her first National Championship. As I recall neither Maya nor DT accomplished quite so much their freshman years. Then she repeated the feat her sophomore year and was won her first NPOY award. And spent her summer playing for the national team in the WC to add to her haul of gold medals with USA teams - more than either Maya or DT had at similar times of their careers.
Obviously she is falling far short of previously fabulous Uconn players.

DT3 is the GOAT in my opinion. Maya is a close #2. Do you disagree? Where does Stewie match up with either of these two legends of women's basketball?

 

[Vowelguy]

Where does Stewie match up with either of these two legends of women's basketball?

Ask me in 16 months and I'll have answer.

 

[meyers7]

I disagree. She really doesn't. She's well into her junior campaign and unless things change soon, yeah she will be remembered as a top 10 player, but won't be in the same club as Maya or D.

Interesting, based on what? She isn't "well" into her Jr year, actually just kinda starting it.

Anyway, she already has 2 NC's, 2 FF MVP's, already AA, already NPOY. Scored more points as a Soph than any other UCONN player ever. Actually if things DON'T change, just stay the same, she'll be a 3 time NPOY, 4 time NC, 2500+ points, 1000+ rebounds, one of the top shot blockers in UCONN history.

Not sure how that doesn't put one in the conversation with Moore and Taurasi. (Besides she's already ahead of them from a USA Basketball perspective.)

 

[MilfordHusky]

MoJett played hard on defense. Jewell Loyd is a load.

Moriah had a poor game on the offensive end, but Maybrey was also 0-fer.

MoJett will be fine.

 

[Vowelguy]

MoJett played hard on defense. Jewell Loyd is a load.

I thought she played well on D in the 2nd half. But not in the 1st half.

 

[RadyLady]

What have you learned on the show tonight Craig!

Well the observant eye would see that if you dare to have a bad game even if you don't dare, if it just happens suddenly all your previous accomplishments will be wiped out and nullified for some who either can't or don't want to see the whole picture.

Losing 2 all Americans is no small thing and adjustments have to be made - the rhythm has to be sorted and the chemistry has to be re-established.. UConn is coming along fine and people are going to have bad games. that doesn't mean they're no good or they have lost a step or their menses isinterrupting everything and I told you not to go there...
Or that a player that has been dubbed by many to be greater than Diana and Maya suddenly becomes on the equivalent of well I don't know I don't even know where you guys are going with that and I don't care you are a tough room. Heaven forbid someone comes up short in your world.

UConn won.

Decisively.

Somebody put her name out there as a huge impact player, somebody who's been dealing with injuries since she came to UConn. She was awesome. Why aren't you focusing on her instead of things that didn't appear to go well.

Someone else came into the game and made an immediate impact and just owned the paint.

A freshman and a JR played lockdown defense on their best player who by definition of being the best player was still able to get some shots off but certainly not what she was capable of doing.

There is a lot of stuff that doesn't get into the stat line - a lot - there is all of the defensive work, the switching the sets, the screens the spacing the passing.. I am not in the least bit disappointed and anything that I thought tonight of course there's always room for improvement but we won we destroyed Notre Dame can we just sit back and say yeah baby that was really cool.

and stop focusing on the negative stuff.

 

[Hongster]

Arh!!!!!!! Come on! Give the kid a break. How many time have you seen her changed the momentum of the game from her pick pockets? She's at her best when she's at the PG and her job is to disrupt the other team's PG from executing their plan.

To assign her to guard the best player from the other team is big mistake, that job should be Tuck or Gabby Williams.

 

[Rob Signor]

Mo Jeff is just struggling on offense. Here is my opinion. She is still playing great defense. I just think she is in a bit of a funk. She plays hard. Her team is improving around her and the pressure on her is being diminished by the increased cohesiveness. I don't think it is bad that she is working through this right now. it will only get better. If she was on her game today it would not have been a fair contest.

 

[tomcat]

I guess today I was disappointed that on top of some of the careless things we saw from her, we also saw her (twice, if I recall correctly) really rush the ball down the court. Great shades of Rita Williams! That was something I really didn't expect.

 

[geneticrex]

Jefferson has taken a step backward so far the season.

It is blatantly obvious.

 

[hoophuskee]

What have you learned on the show tonight Craig!

Well the observant eye would see that if you dare to have a bad game even if you don't dare, if it just happens suddenly all your previous accomplishments will be wiped out and nullified for some who either can't or don't want to see the whole picture.

Losing 2 all Americans is no small thing and adjustments have to be made - the rhythm has to be sorted and the chemistry has to be re-established.. UConn is coming along fine and people are going to have bad games. that doesn't mean they're no good or they have lost a step or their menses isinterrupting everything and I told you not to go there...
Or that a player that has been dubbed by many to be greater than Diana and Maya suddenly becomes on the equivalent of well I don't know I don't even know where you guys are going with that and I don't care you are a tough room. Heaven forbid someone comes up short in your world.

UConn won.

Decisively.

Somebody put her name out there as a huge impact player, somebody who's been dealing with injuries since she came to UConn. She was awesome. Why aren't you focusing on her instead of things that didn't appear to go well.

Someone else came into the game and made an immediate impact and just owned the paint.

A freshman and a JR played lockdown defense on their best player who by definition of being the best player was still able to get some shots off but certainly not what she was capable of doing.

There is a lot of stuff that doesn't get into the stat line - a lot - there is all of the defensive work, the switching the sets, the screens the spacing the passing.. I am not in the least bit disappointed and anything that I thought tonight of course there's always room for improvement but we won we destroyed Notre Dame can we just sit back and say yeah baby that was really cool.

and stop focusing on the negative stuff.

Why not talk abotu stuff we can improve on?

As a fan part of the joy I have is watching players grow. In my heart I KNOW MoJeff can become a 1stteam all-american. As a fan, I WANT her name on the Wall of Honor. Maybe someone like a former coach can talk of her form or someone else can speak of how Ralph is working on her stop-and-pop. I'd like to hear more of that. If others don't keep a discussion going, we may never hear about these things.

 

[hoophuskee]

Arh!!!!!!! Come on! Give the kid a break. How many time have you seen her changed the momentum of the game from her pick pockets? She's at her best when she's at the PG and her job is to disrupt the other team's PG from executing their plan.

To assign her to guard the best player from the other team is big mistake, that job should be Tuck or Gabby Williams.

I don't agree with any of this other than no need to be too hard on her but imo it's okay to be disappointed.

 

[UcMiami]

Currently Moriah is:
Scoring 9.6 ppg compared to 10.0 for last year (before today she was at 11.2)
Assists per game are at 4.7 vs. last year at 4.9 (before today she was at 5.2)
A/TO is 1.8 vs. 2.95 (before today she was at 2.4)
Field goal percentage is at .463/.350 vs. .575/.418 (before today .543/.411)
It is early in the season and she had a statistically bad game against one of the best teams in the country. The team is replacing two AA seniors and one expects some struggles early in a season with both turnovers and offensive efficiency.
(And if I remember correctly it wasn't until Moriah went on a tear after Christmas last year that her shooting percentage climbed rapidly into the stratosphere - as I recall in November last year her 3 point shooting was around .300 and field goal shooting barely above .400.)

 

[hoophuskee]

Currently Moriah is:
Scoring 9.6 ppg compared to 10.0 for last year (before today she was at 11.2)
Assists per game are at 4.7 vs. last year at 4.9 (before today she was at 5.2)
A/TO is 1.8 vs. 2.95 (before today she was at 2.4)
Field goal percentage is at .463/.350 vs. .575/.418 (before today .543/.411)
It is early in the season and she had a statistically bad game against one of the best teams in the country. The team is replacing two AA seniors and one expects some struggles early in a season with both turnovers and offensive efficiency.
(And if I remember correctly it wasn't until Moriah went on a tear after Christmas last year that her shooting percentage climbed rapidly into the stratosphere - as I recall in November last year her 3 point shooting was around .300 and field goal shooting barely above .400.)

A home run hitter that hits home runs off bad pitching and hits home runs when game is already won is nice but his hitting is an illusion when it comes to playoff time. The type of team that is going to beat us is a top 10 team --and in those two games so far MoJeff is 2-15 with just 6 points with 8 assists and five turnovers. It's on the thing to be doubled - in a way Stewie is. It's understandable if she was sick. Or if she is being gaurded by an elite player designed to shut her down. But that hasn't been the case.

MoJeff hasn't played like the one of the 11th best players in wcbb which was her projection to start the season and she is still being left wide open by the top-tier teams. The Notre Dame defense was giving her wide open shots as well as Stanford. I expected her to grow during her jr year not remain near stagnant from last year. Notre Dame and Stanford aren't doing anything special with her on the halfcourt sets except they are much more quick/long/athetic to contest her when she gets in the lane. But they are leaving her wide open from the outside and she hasn't converted now vs two top tier teams that have the potential to knock us off in March/April.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I am a huge MoJeff fan, and expect her to be just fine..... The coacing staff will work with her and get the kinks out......

One thing I would like her to change is the baseline drive from the right side, which ends in her picking up her dribble in midair and depending on the pass to KML in left corner to be open..... opponents are frequently looking for this....

 

[HuskiesU]

She's playing to fast. She's needs to slow down and let the game come to her. As a point guard get everybody else involved far as penetrating kicking out to KML and Nurse than drive let the defense collapse and dish to stewie and Morgan kiah. And than the lane will open up for her. Also work on her pull up

 

[Billybonggg]

Mo-Jeff was fine. "But Billy, her man outscored her 31-0!" There are different components of winning. Jewell hoisted a ton of shots, at a low percentage to get those points and had a large number of turnovers. Mo will score when the situation dictates.

 

[watanabe]

Before we knock stewie, imagine what the game would be like without her. I dare say that our record might not be as good. Just a thought. Same with Mo Jett. Season's early yet.

 

[HuskyNan]

Last year, opponents game-planned for Bria, giving Moriah some breathing room to do her thing. Now, teams are trying to affect Moriah's distribution, forcing her to go where she doesn't want to go, and making her shoot from spots she'd rather not shoot from. It's new to her but she's a smart kid and has a great coaching staff to help her - she'll figure it out. The addition of Kia Nurse will definitely help as defenses try to affect her rhythm and give Moriah a bit more space to operate.