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BBallFanCT729
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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 Posted: 11/02/06 11:00 pm ::: UConn vs. Team Concept~My Observations |
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My UConn Observations:
The Starters~
Renee~Looked solid. Broke the pressure fairly well and had a nice hesitation dribble that froze the defender (Moore) a couple of times. Just a solid job as the PG...basically what we saw last year, just better.
Tina~So that is what it looks like to have an AA-type post in the middle. Wow...athletic & just has a nose for the ball. Showed scoring abilities with both hands. Needs to work on passing out of a double team, but otherwise, you can just see stardom written all over her. Everything she was advertised as...I really can't remember a time where we had a post game like we did tonight with her & Charde. It's a beautiful thing. However, Tina...please practice your FTs
CHARDE~So that is the all-time scoring leader in CA history. Damn woman...rebounding, stealing the ball, dribbling up the court, playing defense, and scoring. She just proved that she is a legit AA candidate. It may have been 2 years coming, but still...it was worth the wait. Her & Tina provide such a versatile & athletic post presence. I am so happy for Charde...she looked great.
Mel~Hit some shots when she was open & hustled as always. She is not the fastest player nor the most versatile on offense, but she still did what she is supposed to do...hit open shots. If she can do that, we'll be good.
Kalana~Looked improved to me, and I thought, did a fairly good job defensively on Diana. She is definitely a lot more confident out there, and some of the things she does seem so natural to her...like stealing the ball out of midair. She looked for her shot and just overall looked improved & like the player we've heard about in practice. Tonight was more about the post players for UConn, though, but she still made her mark.
The Reserves~
Kaili~Can you say efficiency? Rebounding, scoring, heck...playing defense, she was doing everything out there. She needs to lose weight, but she is a great addition to the UConn lineup. She adds a nice "perimeter" dimension to the post players...ball-handling & conditioning need to be worked on, but she already looks better than she did at the SuperShow. I really like Kaili & I think she'll be a solid player for us all 4 years.
Ketia~She hit 3s!!! She had some iffy ball-handling moments, but her speed allowed us to break the full court press & double teams when they were applied. She is a solid backup for Renee when Mel is in the game, and provides a good PG to Renee's SG when that is the lineup. Her shot does show much more rotation.
Meghan~I really like her. She surprised me in a way Gavin Edwards of the men surprised me last night. Solid defense, good ball-handling, and just knew where to be on the court. Is constantly involved in the play. She'll be a nice complimentary player.
Tahirah~That girl is so athletic. Didn't really get a good feel on her. She'll be an AB-type defensive stopper for us who can get the key rebound & putback or the momentum-shifting steal.
Cassie~She moves better around the court than she did last year. She wasn't in long enough to really get a good feel on any difference from last year.
Jacquie~Was solid in the minutes she played. Her defense & conditioning need work, but she provided good guidance when she was playing PG and knew where to be on the floor.
Kristen & Brittany~Dressed in their uniforms but did not play. They didn't really need to...with Tina, Kaili, and Charde having their way tonight. I hope they are both healthy soon.
I really like our starting lineup...and I hope Geno does too .
The Negatives:
Perimeter Defense...that being said, UConn hasn't really worked on defense in practice yet & they don't have to face Rita Williams/Diana Taurasi/Sue Bird/Tamara Moore every game. It will improve.
Free Throws...I know what they'll be practicing this week.
Three-Point Shooting...Mel & Renee will not be as "off" as they were tonight...but Ketia shows an improved rotation in the ball and Meghan will be a threat off the bench (and Kaili, too, if need be). Not too concerned about this, and unlike past years, UConn has the hustle & presence down low to get offensive putbacks or reset the play after getting an O board. The scoring attack should be much more balanced than usual between the backcourt and frontcourt.
I already mentioned the positives, and I know you are all sick of my novel.
Final Score: UConn 101...Team Concept 87
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/AllStories/WBasketball/2006/11/02/concept1.htm
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/02/06 11:39 pm ::: Re: UConn vs. Team Concept~My Observations |
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Great observations, I agree with all of them. Charde, was amazing...granted, Taurasi was the tallest player for the other team, but still..doesn't take away how great she played..30 points 19 rebounds...She was just great..
Free throw...IMO, Kaili missed most of them....(I would have guessed, didn't see a box score..) But that will be the hardest thing to improve, because that typically is the hardest thing..
Three point shooting, there were some shots missed that are typically automatic for Mel..and I'm sure Renee will look better too. The best thing though, with the guards, they were all moving around and getting good shots for themselves..(coming off of screens and such..) Those shots will fall, the fact that the three of them are moving so fluidly in the offense is a great thing for the team. But the best guard tonight was Ketia..(some amazing passes as well..)
This game showed a lot of promise for the Huskies...I personally did not expect Taurasi to lose to Geno...but the post for Team Concept is sooo thin (like, non existant thin..) our posts dominated. I think the potential for this team is great.
LOL, my friend didn't know any of the players, and Thus made up nicknames..We have a few here:
"Little white girl who knocks people over" (yeah, take a guess who that one is..)
"pretty white girl"
"Ridiculously tall white girl"
"Tan white girl"
"That really good player"
"Big Girl"
"Giant"
"K"
And on the other team..(although she knew some of these players..)
"D"
"You, Freddy Kruger Bitch" (you'd have to see Robin Williams standup to get that one..)
...I have to say, it's hilarious to sit next to someone who doesn't have a clue about basketball...but doesn't ever shut up..("did she just punch her" "Bite her, Bite her" "That blue and white guy is hilarious" "He looks interesting" (Precious..) )
Also, Diana was so funny. Between bickering with Geno, the "blue and White guy" Mr. Swanier, Mel, and the refs...It was a very fun game.
edit: Never mind..Free throws were mostly Tina..although...let's just blame the freshman.. 
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Last edited by mercfan3 on 11/02/06 11:50 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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BBallFanCT729
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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CamrnCrz1974
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 12:49 am ::: |
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| Quote: |
| Mel~Hit some shots when she was open & hustled as always. She is not the fastest player nor the most versatile on offense, but she still did what she is supposed to do...hit open shots. If she can do that, we'll be good. |
2-11 from three? 3-13 from the floor? Zero rebounds in 29 minutes. Hit open shots? Was she guarded on the ones she didn't make?
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BBallFanCT729
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CamrnCrz1974
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:29 am ::: |
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Charde is your best offensive threat, not Mel. But Charde is also your biggest threat to travel with the ball.
Tina will end up being your most consistent offensive threat.
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BBallFanCT729
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:35 am ::: |
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| CamrnCrz1974 wrote: |
Charde is your best offensive threat, not Mel. But Charde is also your biggest threat to travel with the ball.
Tina will end up being your most consistent offensive threat. |
Probably...though you should know that Charde did not travel once tonight...miracles do happen.
Charde & Tina are a nice tandem...I want us to pound the ball down there all season (with Kaili & Britt providing depth as well).
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bballjunkee212
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 7:46 am ::: |
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| Sorry, I smell a fix. I mean, look at that TC roster: It's almost all UConn. Wake me when they face an opponent that doesn't know it's a G-D show and thinks it's a G-D game.
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ucbart
Joined: 21 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 8:21 am ::: |
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| bballjunkee212 wrote: |
| Sorry, I smell a fix. I mean, look at that TC roster: It's almost all UConn. Wake me when they face an opponent that doesn't know it's a G-D show and thinks it's a G-D game. |
I feel bad for UCONN. No matter what they do, they never do a fucking thing right by any fans excpet their own. We haven't won in two years, yet the haters are still everywhere. It was a friggin exhibition game for christ sakes.
"Concept had no post players"
"It was a show"
"Charde will always be Charde"
"Mel missed open shots?"
"Renee missed all of her three pointers"
We have watched this team struggle to score points in friggin warm-ups for two years. It was the first exhibition game of the season with a lot of new players, and a lot of experience having left. Mel and Renee played against two of the best players in the world and the two greatest guards in UCONN history. I'm not saying this makes us world beaters, but it was a nice game to start with. Charde looks better, take it from people that have seen her play and attitude night in and night out for two years. Obviously there is a ton of work to be done, but I like the make up of this team.
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dtsnms
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 9:57 am ::: |
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| Thank you bart. Damn straight. Can't stand this fucking board's mentality towards UConn.
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memphis10
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
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CamrnCrz1974
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 12:06 pm ::: |
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| dtsnms wrote: |
| Thank you bart. Damn straight. Can't stand this fucking board's mentality towards UConn. |
Has nothing to do with a mentality against UConn, at least from my vantage point. My response was solely based on BBall fan's comments on Mel vs. what I saw in the box score. No more, no less.
And you can't claim the game is a fix when the most prolific offensive player in the WNBA is playing, plus a starter on the top team (regular season) in the Western Conference.
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atlasshrugs
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: 11/03/06 12:08 pm ::: |
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| I was listening to the radio broadcast, and wasn't really paying attention, but did the commentators say something about the team traveling to Italy with Sue and Diana as chaperones? Is UCONN going to Europe this year? And that part about Diana being a chaperone was a joke right? Isn't this the same girl who tried to order beer when she was only 17/18 while w/ the National team?
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:03 pm ::: |
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| CamrnCrz1974 wrote: |
| dtsnms wrote: |
| Thank you bart. Damn straight. Can't stand this fucking board's mentality towards UConn. |
Has nothing to do with a mentality against UConn, at least from my vantage point. My response was solely based on BBall fan's comments on Mel vs. what I saw in the box score. No more, no less.
And you can't claim the game is a fix when the most prolific offensive player in the WNBA is playing, plus a starter on the top team (regular season) in the Western Conference. |
I will say, that it really did look like Diana was looking to score 50, not looking to win. Granted, she would have wanted to win...but occassionaly she didn't go down the court on defense..(when she'd end up on the ground...stuff she typically does in a normal game...she was clearly having fun...regardless, it's Taurasi..the guards did as well as they can with her..
Now Mel, I won't get into that either because I clearly have different feelings towards her than You and BballCtfan...But I will say, that out of the shots she took, she only was guarded about three or four times...and one of them was when the shot clock was running out, and she threw one up, another one was when she got clobbered by Taurasi. I would have said that she just simply missed quite a few open shots, shots that she usually makes..
Edit: Yup, whose idea was it to make Diana a chaperone..
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“Anyone point out that a Donald Trump anagram is ‘Lord Dampnut’”- Colin Mochrie
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atlasshrugs
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:19 pm ::: |
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| Yes, but is the UCONN team heading to Europe this year? When? During the winter break?
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mercfan3
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:22 pm ::: |
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| atlasshrugs wrote: |
| Yes, but is the UCONN team heading to Europe this year? When? During the winter break? |
Yup, during Thanksgiving break.
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“Anyone point out that a Donald Trump anagram is ‘Lord Dampnut’”- Colin Mochrie
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ThreeBall25
Joined: 21 Jan 2005
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:24 pm ::: |
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| Renee and Mel (everyone knows she has her short-coming) were up against the starting backcourt for Team USA. Give me a break bballjunkee.
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atlasshrugs
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:25 pm ::: |
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| Thanks for the clarification! UCONN hasn't traveled to Europe since...gosh, I don't remember, maybe 98? It should be a great experience for the girls, and I feel bad that the last few classes missed out.
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ucbart
Joined: 21 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 1:45 pm ::: |
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| atlasshrugs wrote: |
| Thanks for the clarification! UCONN hasn't traveled to Europe since...gosh, I don't remember, maybe 98? It should be a great experience for the girls, and I feel bad that the last few classes missed out. |
UCONN went to Europe before the 2000 season.
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auntie
Joined: 16 May 2006
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| Posted: 11/03/06 5:10 pm ::: |
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| Question: Was the Kennitra JOHNSON listed in the box score, the same woman who transferred out of UCONN a few years ago? In any case, does anyone know what she is up to?
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RedEqualsLuck
Joined: 28 May 2005
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| Posted: 11/03/06 7:14 pm ::: |
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| auntie wrote: |
| Question: Was the Kennitra JOHNSON listed in the box score, the same woman who transferred out of UCONN a few years ago? In any case, does anyone know what she is up to? |
no... this KJ is out of UofHartford.
The old KJ is, I believe, MIA. Didn't stick at Purdue, but I thought i remember her at a D2 school?
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Grumps
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 7:18 pm ::: |
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| Quote: |
| I feel bad for UCONN. No matter what they do, they never do a fucking thing right by any fans excpet their own. We haven't won in two years, yet the haters are still everywhere. It was a friggin exhibition game for christ sakes. |
Bart, I believe Bill is an equal opportunity basher...
Congrats on your win...
Grumps
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PUmatty
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 11/03/06 8:44 pm ::: |
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| RedEqualsLuck wrote: |
| auntie wrote: |
| Question: Was the Kennitra JOHNSON listed in the box score, the same woman who transferred out of UCONN a few years ago? In any case, does anyone know what she is up to? |
no... this KJ is out of UofHartford.
The old KJ is, I believe, MIA. Didn't stick at Purdue, but I thought i remember her at a D2 school? |
University of Southern Indiana. She only lasted a semester at Purdue.
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mabell3368
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| Posted: 11/05/06 12:19 pm ::: |
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| Why is it that anyone who disagrees with a UConn fan's rosy interpretation of a friggin' exhibition game is labelled a UConn basher? Y'all need to develop a little bit thicker skins! I found the initial analysis to be an interesting take on this year's Huskies, but full of bright shiny optimism that may or may not be justified. What say we let the season get underway and then let the real bashing begin?!
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SueBirdFan
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
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. I could get into my feelings on Mel...but not here. She hit her open shots and hustled...that's all I can really say.
I'm so psyched that the season is finally here.