A Kiah scoring question

[DGHuskyFan]

So I'm a big Stokes fan and am really excited about how well she's playing lately. I've been following the debate about her scoring ability. When I'm watching her on offense it looks like she fights really hard in the low post to get good position but rarely gets an entry pass thrown to her like Dolson and Stewart do. Then she goes back up to set picks.
Could she be a 10 - 15 point scorer if there was more of an effort to get her the ball down low when she is working so hard for it?

 

[HuskyPup]

I too am a big Kiah fan. DG I totally agree with you. I believe the time she had her career high (18 or 19 points), she got 11 shot attempts. Imagine what she could do if she consistently had that many shot attempts each game. She posts up hard with her defender on her back buried and yet doesn't get the same touches as stef or stewie. Another thing I noticed is that she runs the floor like a gazelle and many times has an over the top pass opportunity and the ball handler never throws it to her. She's athletic and can jump just as high as stewie but they rarely throw the lob/over the top pass to her. Bottom line ...she needs to establish communication with her team mates to let them know about those particular opportunities. As far as her rebounding and shotblocking.....she's a machine !

 

[easttexastrash]

From what I've seen, Stokes can finish really well around the rim but doesn't have much touch away from the basket. However, I think that she is going to be a nightmare to defend next year.

 

[DavidK]

I agree and am all for Kiah putting the ball up at the hoop, and feel she will take more of a vocal command next year when she is a senior and starts. But for now, what ever she does offensively I am happy with because she makes smart decisions when she has them.

Yet I have to admit, the best part of her on offense is getting offensive rebounds and getting it our to Bria for a reset..... Gotta love working the defense.

 

[Geno-ista]

I think Kiah is awesome. I think she will have a long pro basketball career. I think her confidence on the court has grown. You see her snaring loose balls and grabbing rebounds & blocking shots with a vengeance now- crashing the boards from every direction. IMO - until she can consistently hit some 10-15 jump shots, to draw her defender away from the hoop, our offense just isn't as explosive as it is when the big 5 are in there. In answer to the original qst- if she was capable of double digit scoring, she would be scoring in double digits. By next year she has to develop confidence from 10-15' to really keep our offense in high gear.

 

[UcMiami]

I remember complaints about Heather never getting the entry passes on offense in her limited time and Geno at some point responding to a question with 'Well, her teammates see what happens when the ball does get thrown to her in practice, and it isn't pretty!' so I am always a little wary of blaming teammates ... but I agree that she 1. has a very high shooting percentage, 2. does not force things when she gets the ball down low and sends it back out (maybe a little to often), 3. does not get the entry passes often when she is open.
I would also say the times I have seen her shoot from 10-15' it looks good. She has an incredibly soft touch on her foul shooting as if the ball is defying gravity as it floats toward the rim. I think she could be a very effective mid range shooter if she had more confidence in taking the shot.
With Stef gone next year I think she will rise to the occasion - defensively she is already so good and her offensive rebounding is great and in the last month she has been more aggressive on offense.

 

[DGHuskyFan]

I remember complaints about Heather never getting the entry passes on offense in her limited time and Geno at some point responding to a question with 'Well, her teammates see what happens when the ball does get thrown to her in practice, and it isn't pretty!' so I am always a little wary of blaming teammates ... but I agree that she 1. has a very high shooting percentage, 2. does not force things when she gets the ball down low and sends it back out (maybe a little to often), 3. does not get the entry passes often when she is open.
I would also say the times I have seen her shoot from 10-15' it looks good. She has an incredibly soft touch on her foul shooting as if the ball is defying gravity as it floats toward the rim. I think she could be a very effective mid range shooter if she had more confidence in taking the shot.
With Stef gone next year I think she will rise to the occasion - defensively she is already so good and her offensive rebounding is great and in the last month she has been more aggressive on offense.

Thanks UcMiami,
I do remember that statement about Heather. We don't know what goes on day-in day-out during practice. We are blessed with so much talent on offense that if Kiah is the last option and defers to others so be it.
My guess is next year she will surprise a lot of people with what she adds to her game!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Thanks UcMiami,
I do remember that statement about Heather. We don't know what goes on day-in day-out during practice. We are blessed with so much talent on offense that if Kiah is the last option and defers to others so be it.
My guess is next year she will surprise a lot of people with what she adds to her game!

I remember the last time we had a player in the starting rotation that was more defensive minded, and the result was 3 losses (and of course a championship when said player decided to play offense too) in one season to Notre Dame. Playing 4 on 5 doesn't work against a top team. Even Geno has said this - you have to play great defense but you need scorers too if for no other reason than to take pressure off your teammates. It's why the team clicks when it's Hartley, Stewart, Dolson, KML, and Jefferson on the floor. Besides being great defenders, all of them can drop 20 on you in a game and shoot the three ball.

 

[UcMiami]

I remember the last time we had a player in the starting rotation that was more defensive minded, and the result was 3 losses (and of course a championship when said player decided to play offense too) in one season to Notre Dame. Playing 4 on 5 doesn't work against a top team. Even Geno has said this - you have to play great defense but you need scorers too if for no other reason than to take pressure off your teammates. It's why the team clicks when it's Hartley, Stewart, Dolson, KML, and Jefferson on the floor. Besides being great defenders, all of them can drop 20 on you in a game and shoot the three ball.

I would agree mostly, but with the caveat that a low post center does not actually have to score to force a defense to devote a defender to them - everyone can make a layup. A wing or guard has to be able to hit open shots - not so much for a center. Even when Stokes comes out to set screens, her defender has to follow since KML or Bria coming off the screen would be open for their shot unless Kiah's defender is there. The problem with the bench right now is not Kiah and the results as folks have noted when she is in have generally been maintaining the lead or increasing it. The problem is that unlike early in the season, neither Chong or Banks are looking to take their shots when open, or have been missing them - they both seem to be in a funk on jump shooting.

 

[Shenandoah]

When I think of Kiah on offense, I think two things:
1) when she grabs an offensive rebound in close, she looks more often to pass the ball out rather than go up strong at the hoop
2) She does have a soft touch to 15'. In the off season, she should work on that aspect of her game. Watching how Stef has evolved; she's almost automatic from 15' in. Kiah can be that good...

 

[DobbsRover2]

Although it doesn't happen tremendously often, but when Kiah does get an OT near the basket, with her size she should be able to draw a foul if she shoots it, which would really help make the defense around the paint a little softer for everyone. But yeah, that doesn't tend to be where she's usually looking.

 

[Geno-ista]

I remember the last time we had a player in the starting rotation that was more defensive minded, and the result was 3 losses (and of course a championship when said player decided to play offense too) in one season to Notre Dame. Playing 4 on 5 doesn't work against a top team. Even Geno has said this - you have to play great defense but you need scorers too if for no other reason than to take pressure off your teammates. It's why the team clicks when it's Hartley, Stewart, Dolson, KML, and Jefferson on the floor. Besides being great defenders, all of them can drop 20 on you in a game and shoot the three ball.

Bingo-And that is why the team rock and rolled with Tuck in the game- last year and this year. It never skipped a beat- even as a freshman. She understands offense, can drain outside shots and take anyone off the dribble! Kiah has a long way to go offensively- still. It isn't just deferring to better players. She sin' guarded from 15-18'.
I love her- but she needs to develop some offense

 

[HoopsFan21]

Bingo-And that is why the team rock and rolled with Tuck in the game- last year and this year. It never skipped a beat- even as a freshman. She understands offense, can drain outside shots and take anyone off the dribble! Kiah has a long way to go offensively- still. It isn't just deferring to better players. She sin' guarded from 15-18'.
I love her- but she needs to develop some offense

Morgan Tuck is awesome. Can't wait to see her next year back and healthy. Oh yeah, the great thing is we have Ms. Tuck for THREE more years! How awesome is that?

 

[Geno-ista]

God I hope she is able to physically compete and come back. She is one of the classiest and greatest young ladies you will ever meet! If she was even relatively healthy this year- Notre Dame would hardly have a prayer if she were our 6th player.