Saturday, September 26, 2015

Natalie Butler - The Answer in the Middle


 
If you have been reading my blog, you might have seen much of the write-up about Natalie that I wrote after she announced her transfer to UConn.  
 
She transferred in May of 2014 and boy, has she been working hard with the team to improve her game and body.  Butler lost 20 pounds since last transferring to UConn. She looks to be stronger and more mobile. Check out this instagram video of her high fiving with teammates after practice. She looks amazing.
 
    
 
First a little history -
 
Butler came out of Fairfax Station, Virginia and Lake Braddock High School. In an already familiar story, she was not highly regarded by the recruiting services, but Natalie exceeded all expectation by winning the Big East FOY and making 2nd Team all Big East. She started all 32 games and had double figures in rebounds in all but 4 games. Her season averages were 13.8 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, 1.9 assists per game, and 1.8 blocks per game.
 
So, what can we expect from Natalie this season?
  
I have read lots of questions about her starting or coming off the bench. Personally, I think she will start. Here are my reasons why. 
 
First, she started 32 games for Georgetown, so who knows how she will play off the bench. Sometimes a player has a starter's mentality.  
 
Second, there are only a few players in next years roster after the four returning starters that might be added to the starting line. As Geno has shown in the past, he is very reluctant to start a freshman unless there is no alternative. Butler and Williams would be the most likely candidates.          
 
Third, I believe Geno prefers to have a traditional center whenever possible and Butler certainly is that. And with Butler moving to the middle, Tuck can move to the 3 position. She certainly has the skills for that position.
 
Fourth, I think that Geno likes to bring speed of the bench and Williams gives him that option.
 
To me it seems to be an easy decision for Geno. Of course she has to earn it, but as I said, reports are that she has been working incredibly hard and will be even better next year than she was at Georgetown. 
 
The other concern I have been hearing is the fact that Georgetown is in a weaker Big East, that the teams they played were not as challenging as they would be at UConn.  
 
Now, some of that is true. UConn has one of the toughest OOC schedules but certainly we would all agree that the in-conference schedule is weak. Maybe a little better than the Big Easy? Maybe not. So, if you had to guess, how bad was Georgetown's SOS in Natalie's freshman year in 2013-14? 100? 150? 200?  Nope, it's actually pretty darn good in the scheme of things.      
 
realtime RPI - 41
Wbbstate - 38
Nolan - 49
  
Georgetown in 2013-14 schedule was in the top 15% of all of WCBB. That is nothing to sneeze at. So how did she do against the good teams? Teams under 100 RPI?
 
RPI 15 Penn State - 12 points 9 rebounds
RPI 25 DePaul - 9 points 10 rebounds, 15 points 13 rebounds, 8 points 11 rebounds
RPI 26 St. John's - 14 points 10 rebounds, 8 points 14 rebound
RPI 27 California - 16 points 15 rebounds
RPI 32 Michigan State - 7 points 12 rebounds
RPI 50 Villanova - 19 points 14 rebounds 12 points 13 rebounds
RPI 65 Florida - 16 points 18 rebounds
RPI 67 Creighton - 24 points 13 rebounds, 13 points 14 rebounds 
RPI 69 Princeton - 14 points 5 rebounds
RPI 70 George Washington - 17 points 8 rebounds 
RPI 86 Marquette - 12 points 12 rebounds, 14 points 8 rebounds
 
Against the teams with under 100 RPI, she averages 13.5 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. Not as good as her overall numbers, but most player are like this. But certainly averaging a double double against these teams should alleviate the concerns that Butler is not capable of these numbers next year for UConn depending on her minutes. And that will more than make up for the loss of Stokes. Much more.  
 
She is one reason that as good as the 2014-15 championship team was, this seasons team will be better. There just aren't that many big 6'5" posts that can run the floor.  
 
Here is a great article about her in late February. Natalie Butler
 
There are a lot of great quotes in this article. Here are a few:
 
Butler's rebounding prowess can be partly attributed to her bloodlines. Her father, Vernon Butler, was a key member of the 1985-86 Navy team, which reached the NCAA Elite Eight. Butler held several Navy rebounding records until his former teammate David Robinson broke them.

"My dad taught me the art of boxing out. Rebounding comes down to heart, and that's the way I was raised. I still play against my 6-foot-6 little brother, James. We feed off each other, and he has helped me become a better player."
 
About Offensive rebounding - "They're harder to get than defensive rebounds, because you're farther from the basket and have to work your way around the defense," she said. "But I know that offensive rebounding is another way I can score."
 
In regards to starting every game - She said she appreciated the opportunity to play immediately in one of the nation's most demanding basketball conferences.
 
"Coach [Jim] Lewis has given me the chance to play against this type of competition," Butler said. "The post players here are incredibly physical and strong, and really test you. Being agile and quick is how you survive in the college game, and I need to continue to get stronger and quicker."
 
And from another great article:
 
"There are not enough words for me to use to describe Natalie Butler," said Amanda Kimball, UConn's strength and conditioning coach. "She wants it and you can tell she wants it by how hard she wants to work. That's the kind of kid you want, someone who comes here [to UConn] by choice with the understanding that she's going to be playing with the best and for the best because she wants to be the best."

"I remember my dad asking me to watch her play on television and saying to me, 'Look at the way she [Dolson] moves, how she uses her body,'" Butler said. "It was encouraging to me. I know I have a lot to work on, but I can sense the potential for how much better I can be with this coaching staff working with me."

Here is a nice article from the NH Register in December 2014.

Butler has clearly found a home at UConn. She usually finds herself matched up against reigning national player of the year Breanna Stewart in practice. Other times she tried to get her shot off against senior Kiah Stokes, UConn’s career leader for blocks per 40 minutes.

She practices hard all the time and she really wants to learn,” Stokes said. “I think it is a big factor. She has a whole year to learn and she is going against me, which is good for me because she is taller. So it is good competition. She really wants to play. I know it is going to be hard for her to sit out this year but I know next year she will be really good.

At first, I thought it could be the hardest thing I could ever imagine doing because you sort of have the fever after the first year and you want to keep going,” Butler said. “I kind of got the rhythm down in my work habits, so at first I thought it was going to be very tough. Coach Geno and I had a very candid discussion and we called it a development year, a year to get bigger, faster, stronger.

Just being exposed to Kiah and Stewie the last couple of months has really kind of opened her eyes, Auriemma said. She is already significantly better than she was when she got here. Her ability to score around the basket has gotten better. She has always been a pretty good shooter from 10-12 feet. She still does that, but she is understanding that she has to pass the ball better, she has to move better defensively."

When she is in the lane with Stewie, Stewie can’t guard her, Stewie can’t move her and when Stewie is in the lane, she can’t get anything done because she just physically manhandles Stewie. But she also has to understand that she is going to be guarding a lot of other guys bigger than her. Every day she is learning something, and she is the kind of kid that every day she is going to get better.”

It's true that we haven't seen a lot of her playing. There is little video of that. But I'm certain she has the right stuff and will make her mark on this UConn team.

I think you all get the picture. Don't underestimate this young lady.


The Most Recent Natalie article



Pictures from her freshman year at Georgetown.




Getting her turn clipping the net at the championship game.
 
Three more times!!!!!
 
From the informal workouts!!
 



So, what impact can we expect from Natalie? With Stokes gone, Butler is now the only true post player with size. From what I have seen (not that much), her offensive skills appear to be better than Stokes but that might be based on her aggressive attitude more than skill. Butler is not afraid to call for the ball. Her rebounding, just based on stats, is on par if not better. The only place I see  where UConn is losing something is Stokes' fantastic shot blocking ability. But at a long 6'5", I'm sure Butler will more than adequate defending the basket.
 
She reminds me more of the Big Girl, Wolters, when Kara was younger and thinner!!
 
 
 
I loved her attitude from the bench. She paid her own way to away games to support the team. She seems to be a leader and we will all learn more once practices start in earnest and we get to see her perform in pre-season games. Based on her hard work and great attitude, she will soon become a fan favorite.     

Friday, September 25, 2015

Katie Lou Samuelson - As good as it gets

Katie Lou Samuelson - 6'3" Forward/Guard

Completing the trifecta of incredibly talented freshmen is the baby of the Samuelson family, Bonnie and Karlie's little sister, Katie Lou. She prefers to go by Lou, so who am I to argue.

Lou is the most talented of the three sisters and UConn is lucky she is bringing her immense talent to Storrs. Unlike the other two freshman, there is so much info on Lou, I am not sure I can put it in one blog. I'll be posting several videos and just the list of accomplishments will fill a few pages.

Lou won the national Player of the Year by Gatorade, USA Today, McDonald’s (Morgan Wotten Players of the Year Award), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the Naismith Trophy. She was also named to the Naismith High School and WBCA High School All-American first teams. 

Yes that was pretty much a clean sweep of the POY awards. And well deserved. She was just dominant I the HS landscape in 2014-15.

I think it's time for a video. Here is the video produced by Gatorade for their POY.



Don't worry. Lou is every bit of 6'3". EDD was wearing heels when she handed Lou the trophy.

Here she is accepting the Naismith POY award.



Lou was a scoring machine in high school. She averaged 29.2 points and 8.5 rebounds her senior season. In her junior year she averaged 26.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 steals. She shot 62.0 percent from the field, 54.0 percent from 3-point land, and 84.0 percent from the foul line. Just some incredible stats from an incredible shooter.

Ok....time for another video so you can see for yourself how great a shooter Lou is. Words can't describe her quick release and unlimited range. And at 6'3" she is just impossible to guard. This video is 2 full minutes of Lou scoring in every way you can imagine.   

 

What you will also notice in this video is the fact that Samuelson is not afraid of contact. She finishes strong with either hand. She even hit a couple of 8 footers with her off hand.  

KLS (I got tired of using Lou) has been a big time player for USA basketball for several years.  



Lou has won four gold medals in international competition. She teamed with her fellow UConn freshmen  to win gold (3x3 competition) at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.  She averaged a team-high 13.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in earning all-tournament honors for Team USA at the 2014 FIBA U-17 world championships leading them to the gold medal. Lou set a USA U-17 team record by hitting six 3-pointers in the semifinals against Hungary. in the 2013 FIBA Americas U-16 championship she averaged 16.0 points and 5.4 rebounds to help Team USA win the gold medal. In the gold-medal game against Canada she set a USA record for 3-pointers and 3-point percentage by going 8-for-8 from behind the arc. Amazing shooting. All world shooting.

Her total take from USA basketball to date is 5 gold medals - U16 FIBA Americas, U18 3x3 FIBA Americas, U18 3x3 Worlds, U17 Worlds, and U18 3x3 Olympic. She is a winner.

Here are video highlights from her terrific performance in the U-17 world championships.

 

 
 
So, how does a player get to be this good? Just like the musician trying to get to Carnegie Hall, practice, practice, practice. You want to see someone work hard? Watch this video of Lou training for the U-19 team.
 
 
Sadly, this hard work didn't show results in the U19 games as there was an illness in the Samuelson family that prevented Lou from playing for Team USA this summer. The Samuelson family was very private about the specifics, but from DoggyDaddy's den, best wishes to Lou and her family.
 
But have no fear Huskie fans, KLS is on campus and putting these skills to work in the informal workouts.
 
Here is what Geno had to say about her -
 
“Katie Lou has a lot of advantages that a lot of other kids don’t have that are great shooters. She’s 6-3 and then she’s got a quick release and she’s a smart basketball player. And she has a huge advantage of being really, really well coached in high school. Katie Lou can compete immediately at the college level.  You see some of these kids that come out … If they have the right background, the right make-up mentally, and they’ve got the talent and the heart, anything’s possible.”     
 
High praise from the coach.
 
Her High School coach Kevin Kiernan, who happened to coach KML had this to say -
 
"You have a player like Kaleena come along who was the national player of the year and you naturally feel very fortunate about it. You tend to say to yourself, 'Wow, I feel very lucky to have experienced something like that. You feel it's something that will likely happen just once in your career. And then Katie Lou comes around and I've found myself in the same position again. All I can say is that Mater Dei has been blessed to have them in our program. It's just not supposed to happen like this. They both are just unbelievable shooters."
 
"She just wants to maximize her basketball ability against the best players in the country. She's a confident person who just wants to see how good she can be. She doesn't worry about what people think. She's a straightforward smart girl and she wants to see how good a player Coach Auriemma can make her."
 
USA head coach Sue Phillips on Lou -
 
"Katie Lou is a phenomenal shooter, but she is more than that for us. She is a floor leader, she grabs rebounds for us. She can handle the basketball, and she is a great passer. One of those things as a coach is when a player is that hot, keep giving them the basketball. That's what we said, even though they were extended on her, we said keep shooting. She just was feeling it, so you give her the green light."
 
So, what kind of impact will Katie Lou Samuelson have on this UConn team? I find it hard to think she won't be a big part of the regular rotation. Like Collier, I expect 20 mpg for this talented young woman. I know, there are folks out there saying she doesn't play defense. I admit to never seeing her in person and all the highlight videos are offensive minded. But I did see her play in several USA games and I saw her working hard on defense. She is long and surprisingly quick. Geno will get her playing great defense very quickly. On offense, being on the floor with such talented players, Lou will see more open shots this season than she did while being double and tripled teamed during her entire HS career. Her three point shooting is her greatest skill and her 6'3" frame just makes her even more dangerous from beond the arc. Shooting 6-6 in one USA game and 8-8 in another shows what she can do when left open. KML, move over, here comes Lou!!!

 
    
Katie Lou Samuelson Articles
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
She has REALLY long arms!!!


She is truly ambidextrous  


From her Facebook Page

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Napheesa Collier - The Silent Assassin

Napheesa Collier
6'1" Guard/Forward
Ok, that is just my nickname for her. But it fits. She is not loud, boisterous or demonstrative on the court. She just goes about her business, making a shot, stealing the ball, grabbing a board, running the court, dishing off the break.....etc..etc. And before you know it she just takes over the game and her team wins another.

Earlier in the recruiting process, it was a battle for the No. 1 slot in the recruiting rankings. Some services had Samuelson, some had Durr. It was back and forth for over a year between these two. But if you had to have another ranking after the summer, I have no doubt that Collier should be at the top.

Her USA performance this year for the U-19 team was nothing short of spectacular. She started all seven games and received the most minutes from Coach Staley. She was second in scoring to A'ja Wilson, first in rebounding, offensive rebounding, FG%, +/-, eff. rate, and steals leading the team to the gold medal. Yes, Wilson won the MOP but Collier was the best player in the tournament.

From Coach Staley - "She’s relentless. She plays hard all of the time, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a game or if it’s practice. She sets the tone for how the game should be played. She sets a great example for others. She’s probably one of the most efficient players on both of the sides of the ball. She made stuff happen. She’s a magnet for the ball, a great offensive rebounder that can knock down open shots from inside and outside the 3-point line. She picked up things well and was a pleasure to work with.”

Her high school career was just as amazing. She was the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year in both her junior and senior season. She led Incarnate Word Academy to three consecutive state championships. I told you she was a winner.

Individually, she was one of five finalists for the 2015 Naismith Award as national Player of the Year, a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School All-American and she was selected as a McDonald’s All-American. She was also a Naismith High School first team All-American. 

In her senior season she averaged 26.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.1 blocks, 4.1 steals and 2.7 assists and her junior year she averaged 23.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.2 steals. Great numbers that show her complete game on both sides of the ball. 


 Here is a great interview with Napheesa while still in HS. So composed, so intelligent.

I was looking for a mix tape of HS highlights, but I could only find individual clips.

 
 
Here are a few Napheesa articles
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My final thoughts on Ms. Collier. She is college ready and will get close to 20 mpg her freshman year. Only because she is playing with so many great players will her minutes be limited. One any other team she would get 25+. Her work ethic and hustle on the court will ingratiate her to every UConn fan. And Geno.
 
 From my friend Cat - In February of this year Geno was interviewed on a St Louis radio station.  At the end of the interview he talked about the local kid, Napheesa Collier.  
 
Geno said: "She holds herself accountable, she doesn't blame anybody when things don't go her way.  When they lose it's her fault, not anybody else's.  She gives all the credit to her teammates, her coaching staff when they win.  She's not well 'I got my 26' or 'if we lost it wasn't because of me because I got mine.'  She's more about being a leader and that sets her apart from your average kid that plays high school basketball.  The first time I saw her play I liked her.  The second time I liked her more.  The third time I liked her more.  The fourth time I loved her and by the time I met her family I loved her even more.  I would have been devastated if we didn't get that kid because she's going to be something special."   
 
Yes, something VERY special.


Sunday, September 13, 2015

De'janae Boykin - the forgotten recruit

De'janae Boykin


Forgotten? Well, not really, but there are times she seems like an afterthought when fans talk about UConn's incoming players. But with her missing most of her senior season with a wrist injury and her two incredibly talent classmates joining her along with a great transfer......well....you can understand why there hasn't been much talk about her contributions this upcoming season.

This is about to change. Starting here.


Time to meet De'janae. Here is a video from USA basketball with an interview with this lovely young woman. What an intelligent young lady. And a great smile!!!

Similar to Morgan Tuck dropping in the rankings after her knee injury, De'janae dropped from No. 10 to No. 23 (ESPN) after missing most of her senior season with a wrist injury.

So let's look at her last full season, her junior year. She was named the 2014 Maryland Gatorade Player of the year and averaged 21.1 points per game, 15.8 rebounds per game, 7.1 assists per game, 3.2 steal per game and 3 blocks per game. Her stats remind me of Kalana Greene in HS. She sure can fill up a stat sheet.

Here is another video of Boykin. It's a little grainy, but you can certainly see her skill level. I was pleasantly surprised by her outside shooting ability. I'm a big fan of players that shoot with a high arc and De'janae's shot is so high the ball leaves the picture almost every time.


 
She also has a terrific post game. Like Tuck (I like the comparison), Boykin finishes with either hand and does a great job sealing off the defender.

Signing her LOI


"I never really thought, me personally, that I would get recruited by them because they were such a high major school. But it feels great. I thought it was the best place for me to push me and challenge me and, of course, win championships. I just felt like it was a great decision for me."

“Of course I’d like to win, and I felt like that was the best place to challenge me and push me. It’ll push me, especially in the beginning, but I felt like that was the best place to develop my skills and show my skills and show what I can do.”

As usual, there is height questions about a recruit. De'Janae is listed anywhere from 6'1" to 6'3". It really doesn't matter. She has a college ready body, strong and long.


She played with fellow freshman Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson on the 2014 USA 3-3 team in the youth games winning a gold medal. She also started on the 2014 U17 team averaging 5 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. All this before her injury plagued senior season. Now 100% healthy, she is really looking forward to playing for the Huskies.

You know, there are many ways to look at a recruit. Stats, awards, size, quickness. But Geno looks for a certain type of player. Selfless. Players that put the needs of their teammates ahead of their own. Here is a link to a video about De'janae and what makes her just that kind of player and person when she transferred from Riverdale Baptist to C.H. Flowers to help her legally blind brother, Josh.

UConn fans will enjoy her contributions this season. Geno is going to be pressed to find her minutes in the very crowded bench. I can't wait to see her in person.

Articles about De'janae
            
 
Boykin Commits to UConn - NH Register
 
 
 

Friday, September 11, 2015

They are not just walk-ons - Lawlor and Pulido


Tierney Lawlor
Briana Pulido

Walk-ons?? Nahhhh - PLAYERS


I can't think of an other way to start my 2015 preview series than to talk about two of my favorite players. And I do mean players.

Before their first practice, Geno had this to say about the duo -

“Walk-ons usually fit a certain mold. They’re great kids and that made an impression on our players and work really hard and have been able to get our players to accept them as people. Obviously they’re not going to be at the level our players are on the court. Their demeanor and the way they are, just their attitude has made an impression and that’s more important than anything else."

“I want to see them doing the thing they know they can do and not try to do the things they can’t do. I’m sure there will be a week or so that will be difficult for them at practice. I’ve been around really good walk-ons and I’ve been around bad walk-ons. From all reports, these kids are going to be great, they’re going to be great for us.”

Boy, was he right about them. From day one they were more than practice players. And they always have his back.



Yes, when Stewart put out her tweet asking for former high school basketball stars enrolled at UConn to try out for the squad it was because the UConn roster that season was only 9 players. Even the novice basketball fans knows you need ten to run a full practice certainly on the road. They would also be needed to allow some starters to rest at the end of blowouts and we know there were many of those games. But once they made the team after working out for Ralph and Mosley they were every bit the equal of any scholarship player in almost every way.  

You know they were part of the team early in there experience when the Huskies opened their exhibition schedule. Once inserted late in the game Pulido took a pass from Stewart for a layup. Polly threw out a fist pump and sprinted back on defense!

“We enjoyed that as a team. The kids enjoy it,” Auriemma said. We put Polly in second because we knew the second she’d touch the ball she would shoot it.” “Tierney is a 10-times better shooter than Polly, but Polly will shoot it 10 times more,”.

Yep, Geno's sarcasm isn't just for the scholarship players. He treats them all the same and they have earned that with hard work and doing what the team needs.

Recently, I had the pleasure of conversing with Terry Pulido, mother of Briana or "Polly" as her teammates call her. A lovely women with a great attitude, she is rightfully proud of her daughter.

Terry - I am of the opinion that we, as parents of the players, should interact with the fans via social media in positive ways. In this way, the fans can feel "connected" and "part of the family."

I would add that the reverse is true and fans need to interact on social media in positive ways and in a respectful manner to the players.

Here is a terrific article on Briana from her Junior year in High School. It tells us a lot about Polly the person.  

Terry Pulido 
So, what has Briana been doing this summer in preparation for her senior year at UConn? According to Terry, she spent the summer doing the same workouts and conditioning as the players except in Miami. She's been working on getting all of her pre-med classes and getting ready to graduate in 2016, take MCAT and apply to medical schools.

I can tell you that you can sign me up as one of her patients when she becomes a doctor. I hope she is working with geriatrics!!!

Tierney is a junior this season and is the local girl of the two walk-ons. Coming from Ansonia, the chance to play for UConn has been a once in a lifetime experience.

“I came to UConn strictly for academics. When I found out about the tweet I said ‘why not give it a shot, just the opportunity to try out is awesome, so being able to make the team is even better."

Here is a great article after Tierney's freshman year in High School. She was quite the star in three different sports. She is a terrific athlete and it has shown in her first two years playing with the best team in WCBB.

When she tried out for Shea, Tierney was impressive.  Shea said - “You have to be able to play a bit and know the game. You have to be coachable. Tierney came in and hit about 70 percent of her shots in the tryout and these weren’t layups. They were 3-pointers and jumpers. We let her join the team for preseason and she worked hard. She kept up with everybody and that is what you need."

Just watch her when she enters the game. She plays with the same intensity that any of the starters show. She always looks like she belongs. And that's because she does. As does Briana.

Moriah Jefferson said this about the duo - "They come in and give us energy off the bench and in practice they work hard every day so you can’t ask for anything else, It takes a lot of guts to come to a place like this and walk on. I take my hat off to them every day when they come to practice.”

So, what are the expectations for this season? More of the same, only less. Same intensity. Same terrific teammates. Same hard work. Same hustle. But with the larger roster of players ahead of them, it will be in less minutes. It's just the way it is.

I'll end this blog entry with more from my conversation with Briana's mom, Terry Pulido.

"I appreciate your posting about Tierney  and Briana because they do work hard and go through the same things as the other "recruited" players do. We have been truly blessed to be able to experience this journey with her.  I now can see why the other former Huskies form a bond throughout the years that can never be broken, but rather strengthens with time. Getting to know all of the ladies as well as their families has been a real treat for us as parents. The coaches know what they do when they do it. People may not understand that, but we have seen it first-hand and applaud their efforts for ALL of these years. UConn Women are Champions because of the caliber of players, and the knowledge, dedication, and guidance of all of the coaches and staff."

********************************************************************************

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, September 5, 2015

DoggyDaddy's PreSeason Schedule

Just like the UConn women, I have a schedule of preseason activities planned out before the season starts. It's not etched in stone but here is what I'm thinking of writing about.


Player by Player evaluation - includes off-season activities, expectations, videos, pictures and quotes from coaches and players alike. I'll try to do one per week but still pretty busy with golf, a trip to Hawaii in October and playing with my new Grandson Logan!!!!


 
 
I'll also take a closer look at the schedule team by team.  There are some terrific games on the schedule and I'll write a little more detail on those matchups.
 
Who starts? How does Geno dole out the minutes? I'll give my best guess on that. From what I've read in the message board world, there is much debate on that topic.
 
There was plenty of action by UConn players on the international scene playing for USA basketball. Look for a summation of that great action.
 
It's been four months since the season ended and I last wrote about UConn Women's basketball. We are closing in on another season with UConn going for an unprecedented fourth straight championship.
 
 
Sorry Stewie's finger is a little weird. Best I could do...lol.
 
 
DoggyDaddy!
 
      


Friday, September 4, 2015

UConn/Notre Dame Championship game Postgame Report



Final Four Championship Game
 
UCONN 63 NOTRE DAME 53
 
 Post game report 
 
All year long I've heard the same thing, "what happens when UConn is challenged", "how will UConn handle a close game",  "Can UConn win when they don't play their best".
 
Well, all of those have been answered.
 
What happens when UConn is challenged? They respond.
How will UConn handle a close game? With great defense and clutch shooting.
Can UConn win when they don't play their best? They just did.
 
This game wasn't exactly what everyone expected between two of the best offenses in WCBB. Sure, UConn also has the best defense, but ND doesn't and the over/under was much more than the 116 points scored between the two teams. Defense ruled the day and when it came time to make clutch shots, UConn was right there to make them.
 
I have to give Notre Dame plenty of credit. They were able to make UConn uncomfortable on offense, never allowing the Huskies to get into any extended period of their well know offensive execution. They certainly took a few players out of their comfort level. You could tell by Tuck's misses that she just wasn't the same confident player we saw for most of the season.
 
But UConn was able to do just enough on offense and applied devastating defense against the Irish, led by the Tasmanian Devil, Moriah Jefferson. Her defense on Jewell Loyd in the second half was stuff legends are made of. Sure there were complaints of clutching and grabbing by the Irish fan base. But that is just sour grapes. Jefferson dominated this game on the defensive end, something you don't see very much from point guards. The rest of the UConn defense was great as well, holding Notre Dame to 53 points, including a 35 foot three pointer from Mabrey to close the scoring and another late shot clock beating bank shot from Turner.
 
Notre Dame was only able to manage 33% from the field and 27% on threes. UConn was not that much better at 41% and 34%, but they hit big shots when they needed to. I don't think Geno was ever prouder of the effort by his teams than he was with this teams effort in this game. You could see the absolute glee on his face and the faces of the coaching staff. I don't know what it was, but this one seemed really special.      
       
 
 
Game Quotes
 

 Coach Geno Auriemma
 
 ''Obviously ten is a very significant number because that's the number that's been out there and people want to talk about it. I'll be the first to say I'm not John Wooden and I got a bunch of friends who'd tell you I'm right, I'm not. As I said the other day I just think what we've done here in the last 20 years is pretty remarkable in its own right. I'll let the people who write the history decide where I fit in.''
 
''Each day after January 1, this team just kept proving over and over again. You wouldn't notice this by the scores. Every day this team kept working, they deserve everything they have.''

''I just know that in our sport, from 1995 to today, what we've done against our peers is as good if not better than anybody else has done in their sport against their peers. I don't care whether it's harder in that sport.''

"It's incredibly rewarding to do what we did. ... It was really hard to do it," Auriemma said. "We knew playing Notre Dame would be really, really difficult."

 "I'm glad that the two buckets that K made down the stretch was kind of the difference," Auriemma said. "That's the way she's supposed to go out."
 
Coach Muffet McGraw
 
''It was a great accomplishment to get here,'' McGraw said. ''Was disappointing we weren't able to play our game.''

"I thought the three that Lewis hit in transition was critical," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "We had just cut it to six. ... It's a five-point swing, six went to 11, and that was the game."

"We felt at halftime that we were guarding them in the half court offense pretty well and our problem was in transition and second chance points. We held them to 63 points which is probably a season low for them. Our problem was on offense, we couldn't score,".
 
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Player evaluations
 
 Breanna Stewart

 
''We had to work hard this is one,'' Stewart said with tears streaming down her face. ''This is one of the hardest things we've had to do since I've been here.''

"I said I wanted to win four," Stewart said. "You can't win four without winning three."

Stewart was a warrior in winning her unprecedented third straight final four MOP. While she didn't put up a lot of points, her stellar defense (4 blocks) and imposing rebounding (15) were enough to dominate.

She had a nasty ankle turn midway through the first half and you know it had to impact her offensive game. But tough is tough and Stewart showed that she was TOUGH.

 
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
 
Kay was just terrific in her last game for UConn and her poise on offense in the last few minutes were incredibly important in UConn holding on for the win. After 4 years of hearing about her lack of conditioning (euphemism for overweight) from some pretty nasty fans, she played 40 minutes and was playing as hard in the last 5 minutes as she was in the first 5 minutes. Her 15 points were great but I loved her two important blocks. She will be missed!     
 

Moriah Jefferson 
 
What a terrific game for the now All-American point guard. 15 points and 5 assists in an  energetic 40 minutes. Her defense on Loyd sent Jewell right to the WNBA where she figured it had to be easier than playing UConn. She was a vocal leader for much of the season and particularly in this game.
 
  
 
 
Morgan Tuck   
 
 
After dominating the paint for the first 5 games of the NCAA tournament, Tuck really struggled from the field in the Championship game. She just didn't seem to have the same touch. She short-armed a few shots, rushed a few more. But she he 2-3 three point shots and she lead the team as a point-forward with 7 assists. A really great complete game.  
 
 
Kia Nurse
 
Nurse had a nice game considering that she was a freshman in this game. She managed 9 points and hit a few key baskets, but she did rush her game some. Loved the hustle and defense showed throughout the game. 28 minutes for a freshman in the championship game was quite the accomplishment for the rising star from Canada.      
 
 

Kiah Stokes

I thought that Stokes played well for the limited minutes and I was surprised she didn't see more. Geno was going to go with his four star starters for as long as possible and it really impacted Kiah's minutes. I don't think she was upset. Winning does that.  
 

Gabby Williams
 
  Geno gave her just enough time on the court to get her feet wet and prepare her for next season. You can bet Gabby will be working hard on her shooting and bring a new offense game to the team next year.
 
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  (pictures from the Hartford Courant, UConnhuskies.com)