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Message: [QUOTE="Bone Dog, post: 5308784, member: 12088"] This thread has raised a question for me about [B]Timea Gardiner[/B]. She ought to be a key member of the UCLA lineup next season, maybe even a starter. But somehow she's only been a role player, not a difference maker. Is there something lacking in her skill set? She was a very good player at OSU and then transferred to UCLA. [B]Why didn't she have more of an impact? [/B]I guess part of the issue is that OSU was already a very good team and quite comparable to the UCLA team she transferred into. So, maybe there wasn't enough of a difference for her to breakout above what she'd already done. In some respects, her skills are similar to Sarah Strong's, at least on offense. She's got a great perimeter shooting game and was a good rebounder at OSU. She may be a bit slow-footed compared to Sarah and isn't really a transition threat. But these aspects of her game could have been developed. If I want to understand why UCLA's roster last season fizzled out so badly in the Final Four, I have a feeling Timea is like the canary in the coal mine. Next season, perhaps with the departure of Barker, she can have that larger role. Lauren did everything she could to carry this team. If they're going to go further next season, I can't help but think it will rest on the shoulders of the rest of the team, and especially Timea. [/QUOTE]