Freshman seasons: Lou and Kaleena

[MilfordHusky]

Lou hopefully has 7 games left this season, but I thought putting her stats next to Kaleena's would be interesting. Keep in mind that KML came to a team that had just lost the great Maya Moore and was in need of scoring punch. Kaleena led the team in scoring in each of her first 2 years. Lou came to a team that has arguably the best trio ever, so the circumstances differ.

Stat Kaleena / Lou

MPG 28.2 / 23.0 Kaleena was much needed

FG % .432 / .486 Lou gets to the hoop better.

3-pt % .384 / .382 With her late season flurry, Lou has basically caught K.

3-pointers 93 / 65 Lou needs to average 4.0 to catch K. Go Lou!

FT % .833 / .833 Very interesting! Both are closer to 90%.

RPG 5.4 / 3.2 We didn't get the rebounding Samuelson.

A:TO 64:56 / 73:36 Nice work, Lou! She's a good passer--and she has some outstanding targets.

Steals 47 / 33

PPG 15.0 / 10.7

 

[Sluconn Husky]

FG % .432 / .486 Lou gets to the hoop better.

70% of KLS's shots are 3's in comparison to 51% of KML's during her freshmen season. KML took 228 shots from inside the arc, KLS has taken just 75 thus far.

They're a lot more different as players than I had thought they would be coming into the year.

 

[johnnyc]

Lou hopefully has 7 games left this season, but I thought putting her stats next to Kaleena's would be interesting. Keep in mind that KML came to a team that had just lost the great Maya Moore and was in need of scoring punch. Kaleena led the team in scoring in each of her first 2 years. Lou came to a team that has arguably the best trio ever, so the circumstances differ.

Stat Kaleena / Lou

MPG 28.2 / 23.0 Kaleena was much needed

FG % .432 / .486 Lou gets to the hoop better.

3-pt % .384 / .382 With her late season flurry, Lou has basically caught K.

3-pointers 93 / 65 Lou needs to average 4.0 to catch K. Go Lou!

FT % .833 / .833 Very interesting! Both are closer to 90%.

RPG 5.4 / 3.2 We didn't get the rebounding Samuelson.

A:TO 64:56 / 73:36 Nice work, Lou! She's a good passer--and she has some outstanding targets.

Steals 47 / 33

PPG 15.0 / 10.7

Thanks! KML better rebounder because she was able to move bodies. Lou will get better as she gets stronger. Lou is a great passer. And even though KML has more steals I think Lou is the better defender.

Think I'm gonna watch a couple of old KML games to enjoy that shooting form.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Thanks! KML better rebounder because she was able to move bodies. Lou will get better as she gets stronger. Lou is a great passer. And even though KML has more steals I think Lou is the better defender.

Think I'm gonna watch a couple of old KML games to enjoy that shooting form.

I miss Kaleena's perfect ball rotation. And Maya's textbook jumper.

 

[MilfordHusky]

70% of KLS's shots are 3's in comparison to 51% of KML's during her freshmen season. KML took 228 shots from inside the arc, KLS has taken just 75 thus far.

They're a lot more different as players than I had thought they would be coming into the year.

Despite shooting more from distance, Lou has the higher shooting percentage.

Lou is adding variety, just as Kaleena learned to do. I love Lou's pull-up jumper. I think it may be in the Augustus-Taurasi-Bird class.

Lou is longer and 4+" taller than K, who may be 5'10.75". Kaleena was stronger. I don't agree with the people who said Lou was skinny and thinner than EDD. Or maybe playing next to Stewie makes her look ripped.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Despite shooting more from distance, Lou has the higher shooting percentage.

They're taking very different shots. KML took a lot of jumpers inside the arc. KLS gets more transition baskets. Samuelson is shooting a much higher % of her shots from three but in total has taken 72 fewer threes than KML.

 

[MilfordHusky]

They're taking very different shots. KML took a lot of jumpers inside the arc. KLS gets more transition baskets. Samuelson is shooting a much higher % of her shots from three but in total has taken 72 fewer threes than KML.

I'd like to see Lou take some 15-footers. She's money.

 

[DaddyChoc]

remember this is their FRESHMAN numbers...

I keep telling myself to go back and watch KML, I enjoyed watching her in a UConn uniform... along with Renee and Kalana Greene

 

[hoophuskee]

I'd like to see Lou take some 15-footers. She's money.

This is why next year is so exciting regarding KLS. This year from 2 she is 54-75. That's 72%. In her last 17 games from 3, her efg% she is shooting 61.84%. In her last 13 games, her efg% is 74% (37-75) from 3. That IS money too. As Geno has said, this year he needs player's to hit 3's in order to open up the inside for Stewie and Tuck (and Gabby). Lately KLS IS the best 3pt shooter. And even if she misses, she is a huge threat- the defense NEEDS to respect her shooting. With KML UCONN NEEDED her to be one of the lead scorers. For KLS we don't need that near as much.

KLS in the 2nd half of the year has been nothing but fantastic. And playing exactly to what this team needs. They're both similar. Just as we thought coming in that both are tremendous shooters. KLS has an advantage her frosh year she didn't have to be a top scorer for UCONN to win. That's why her efg% is superior. Big time kudos to the great KML- as a frosh she HAD to score yet we fell short. However, what KLS is doing right now is very, very, very amazing too. She is averaging more 3's per game than KML did thus is shooting near identical frosh vs frosh as a comparison vs arguably the greatest 3pt shooter in NCAA History. Therefore you would never want to pull her too much from taking 3's. And also- in this case, KLS is passing much better too. Both were/are giants as frosh.

 

[HuskyNan]

Lou hopefully has 7 games left this season, but I thought putting her stats next to Kaleena's would be interesting. Keep in mind that KML came to a team that had just lost the great Maya Moore and was in need of scoring punch. Kaleena led the team in scoring in each of her first 2 years. Lou came to a team that has arguably the best trio ever, so the circumstances differ.

Poor Swin, Ashja, and Tamika. Left in the dust already.

 

[calpedaler]

Poor Swin, Ashja, and Tamika. Left in the dust already.

They are part of a quad, TASS.

 

[HuskyNan]

They are part of a quad, TASS.

Jen, Kara, and Rebecca? Renee, Maya, and Tina? UConn's history is littered with great players.

 

[Kibitzer]

Jen, Kara, and Rebecca? Renee, Maya, and Tina? UConn's history is littered with great players.

Nifty juxtaposing of verb littered and adjective great in the same sentence -- about UConn's history.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Lou hopefully has 7 games left this season, but I thought putting her stats next to Kaleena's would be interesting. Keep in mind that KML came to a team that had just lost the great Maya Moore and was in need of scoring punch. Kaleena led the team in scoring in each of her first 2 years. Lou came to a team that has arguably the best trio ever, so the circumstances differ.

Stat Kaleena / Lou

MPG 28.2 / 23.0 Kaleena was much needed

FG % .432 / .486 Lou gets to the hoop better.

3-pt % .384 / .382 With her late season flurry, Lou has basically caught K.

3-pointers 93 / 65 Lou needs to average 4.0 to catch K. Go Lou!

FT % .833 / .833 Very interesting! Both are closer to 90%.

RPG 5.4 / 3.2 We didn't get the rebounding Samuelson.

A:TO 64:56 / 73:36 Nice work, Lou! She's a good passer--and she has some outstanding targets.

Steals 47 / 33

PPG 15.0 / 10.7

Thanks for this! Great work! Really revealing!

 

[HGN]

I miss Kaleena's perfect ball rotation. And Maya's textbook jumper.

Lou's rotation isn't bad.............But you still not sure Lou's is going in. I just had come to Expect KML's every open shot to splash the net. But its just Lou's freshman year , we still have time.

 

[Roundball fan]

The road to UConn, where good player can become legends. Geno, CD and all the other coaches and players, Thank You.
Don't they spoil us.

 

[hoophuskee]

Lou's rotation isn't bad...But you still not sure Lou's is going in. I just had come to Expect KML's every open shot to splash the net. But its just Lou's freshman year , we still have time.

SO KLS's % is equal to KML's frosh year and we lost more with KML shooting as much as she did, and in KLS's last 13 games she is shooting 37-75 from 3. KML's frosh average is near same as KLS's. Are you sure you aren';t comparing the senior KML vs the frosh KLS? Further, I don't know what more KLS has to show you - I mean over the last 13 games 37-75 - you expect a miss? Because 3pt shots aren't 50% you expect a miss?

 

[VAMike23]

I miss Kaleena's perfect ball rotation. And Maya's textbook jumper.

Same,

Plus I also miss Tiffany's rainmaker 3-pointers..! (Or was it 'rainbow' 3-pointers?) Also, the playing surface around the basket is much dirtier since her departure

 

[bags27]

They are two very different players, defined largely by different body types. KML was able to use her girth to move people way from the ball, and the fact that she didn't jump high meant that she saw different things on the court, scooped up balls lower to the ground, etc. MLS has far greater court vision, but has some difficulty controlling the ball lower to the ground and doesn't yet feel strong enough (though she is certainly mentally tough enough) to bang bodies. KML took shorter strides, meaning that she got a quick burst, while MLS takes much longer strides, so her start-up is a tad slower, but, once going, she covers ground very quickly. Lou's height makes her nearly unstoppable offensively: if she were on a weak team and the coach were inclined to build the team around her (if for no other reason than to get fans excited), she could be a 30 point/game player. Even if she were double-teamed, she'd get 25 shots/game in transition.

I have never understood the angst about Lou. She's a freshman. She's finally figured out where to buy toothpaste and how to get books from the reserve collection. Now she can concentrate on becoming the player she always felt she could be. She could have gone to sunny Stanford and played extremely well, staying close to home and hanging with sis and friends. But she wanted to get outside of her comfort zone, to explore the highest reaches of her talent, and now we're seeing the baseline performance from which she will grow. She's a monster talent.

 

[Kibitzer]

@bags27. Yup, she coulda gone to Stanford and shot treys like Bonnie. She came to UConn to become a Badass.

And win.

 

[hoophuskee]

They are two very different players, defined largely by different body types. KML was able to use her girth to move people way from the ball, and the fact that she didn't jump high meant that she saw different things on the court, scooped up balls lower to the ground, etc. MLS has far greater court vision, but has some difficulty controlling the ball lower to the ground and doesn't yet feel strong enough (though she is certainly mentally tough enough) to bang bodies. KML took shorter strides, meaning that she got a quick burst, while MLS takes much longer strides, so her start-up is a tad slower, but, once going, she covers ground very quickly. Lou's height makes her nearly unstoppable offensively: if she were on a weak team and the coach were inclined to build the team around her (if for no other reason than to get fans excited), she could be a 30 point/game player. Even if she were double-teamed, she'd get 25 shots/game in transition.

I have never understood the angst about Lou. She's a freshman. She's finally figured out where to buy toothpaste and how to get books from the reserve collection. Now she can concentrate on becoming the player she always felt she could be. She could have gone to sunny Stanford and played extremely well, staying close to home and hanging with sis and friends. But she wanted to get outside of her comfort zone, to explore the highest reaches of her talent, and now we're seeing the baseline performance from which she will grow. She's a monster talent.

I think a lot of the discussion is an underlying issue for everyone is- what is their personal preference how the game should be played? In other words, offensively does the person want KLS more like Stewie or more like KML? On the surface one would say "I want her to be more like Stewie because she can go more inside-and-out than KML ever could." However imo you just have listen to what Geno has said about how the three ball opens up the lane and what he said earlier this year when Stewie was the best 3pt shooter. He said if that is to happen "we are in trouble." Does anyone really believe Geno saying SPECIFICALLY that over the next 3+ years regarding KLS?

KLS 3pt% is NOW on the exact same pace as KML was as a frosh. KML IS one of the greatest three point shooters in NCAA History. KLS's three point shot was compared to KML's three point shot in high school. IMO "the angst" is just as you can see on another thread just created in which you have someone recommending KLS look to take more two's. Sure "more" is good but imo there might be an underlying notion that "way" too many three's are being taken by KLS vs two's which I disagree with. IMO if you have the capability to rival arguably the greatest shooter/ that can score many points from three in NCAA history, you don't put her in the paint very much at all so she can get doubled and pass the ball out to a worse three point shooter . You want her working to score from "3" a lot. But yes she does need to work on shooting two's too. But imo this is where you get some angst. If she has two poor games shooting from 3 in a row the angst will rise. But imo we definitely got the shooting/scoring three-ball Samuelson sister. Let her be free and shoot from 3!

 

[bags27]

You could be right, hoophuskee, but I admit I don't see basketball analyzed through style or statistical comparison. Each player is moving through 4 years of development at the same time as the team is moving through 4 years of different components and needs. It's such a fluid game, with some many unpredictables. I think this is especially true about Stewie and Lou. Precisely because they are both very tall and coordinated,virtually all offensive options are open to them all the time and they can score from anywhere. They defy categorization. The only important issue, IMHO, is giving them an occasional screen and enough space to operate. What type of shot they take will just depend on circumstance. No two great players are "like" each other (is LeBron "like" MJ?), because they are so dynamic that they are always changing, evolving, adapting to different needs and circumstances. I wish we would all wear a button: "LET LOU BE LOU."

 

[dtbtbtb]

A move which KLS does which I love is when she is guarded close when getting the ball beyond the 3 point line, she takes 1 or 2 dribbles, and shoots inside the line. She makes this shot consistently and that is what will make her un-guardable in the near future

 

[TWG236]

Just a short note. In her last seven games, KLS has really stepped up both her scoring and three point shooting accuracy. During this seven game span, she has scored 113 points (16.1 average - season avg. 10.7) and made 24 three point baskets (3.4 per game average - overall 2.1 per game average). Like Stewie before her, she seems to be peaking at just the right point of the season. As noted many times above, during this freshman season she has improved her game in many, many different areas and is making this game look easy. In many ways a completely different player then KML, but then again in many ways completely the same. Lucky for us that we have the pleasure of having both KML and her play for UCONN.

 

[bags27]

@bags27. Yup, she coulda gone to Stanford and shot treys like Bonnie. She came to UConn to become a Badass.

The reason why she couldn't be a Badass at Stanford is because everyone in Palo Alto gets plastic surgery!