Most Basketball Knowledgeable Uconn Player

[Monte]

I did not attend the tournament games at Mohegan Sun. A friend of mine did. He has seen numerous games over the years, and he was tremendously impressed by Gabby Williams. He stated that she seemed to always be in the right place at the right time, and whenever she got the ball, she knew what to do with it.
I told him that my choice would have been Jefferson. Any other opinions?

 

[Kaizen]

I watch Gabby very closely in last two games and agree with your friend.
Gabby's action is so quick and powerful. Several times I saw she was far away from the basket but ended she got the rebound ball. And she knows exactly where she should be and she can make some
power layup.

 

[UcMiami]

Jefferson or Tuck. Gabby is great but I would not put her basketball IQ in he same class as any of the seniors or even a few of the bench players who have a lot less skill than she has. She is learning and her improvement through the course of this year is noticeable on the knowledge front. She 'has a nose for the ball' as does Collier, but that is not the same thing as basketball IQ.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Mo, by far. She not only knows where she should be, but makes sure others are where they should be. Choreography at its best.

 

[sarals24]

Stewie has a very high basketball IQ. She has really developed that at UConn - she knows when her team needs her to score, when she needs to get others involved, and when she just needs to take over.

 

[Geno-ista]

Jefferson or Tuck. Gabby is great but I would not put her basketball IQ in he same class as any of the seniors or even a few of the bench players who have a lot less skill than she has. She is learning and her improvement through the course of this year is noticeable on the knowledge front. She 'has a nose for the ball' as does Collier, but that is not the same thing as basketball IQ.

Bingo UC!

 

[Woof 101]

You have presented a strange one here Monte . Because UConn women are one of the few teams that play like a team / family it automatically makes Geno the most knowledgeable on the TEAM.
Having said that I am sure you want somebody on the floor. I have to go with Stewie. She is far and above most at knowing where to be on the floor and as fast as a point guard getting down it. I have seen her several times telling Katie Lou where to be as Mo handles the ball, takes a pass from Mo and gets KL the open shot. She can put the ball on the floor when needed as good as many guards.
Her ability to amass 107 blocks and 53 steals while only fouling 40 times is amazing. Most of this is done with ball anticipation. Gabby is good and will only get better but for my money this year there is nobody better in the country than The Stew!

 

[Geno-ista]

Morgan had a natural instinctive BB IQ her freshman yr. that's why she played do much- and in the tournament! When Steph was suffering w stress fractures or something- the offense did not miss a beat with her at the high post! Smart and calm and cool w the ball!

 

[Vowelguy]

The announcers always seem to talk about Tuck being very vocal on defense.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Morgan directs the defense and leads huddles. As the PG, Mo is a close second in my mind.

 

[CocoHusky]

I would vote for Gabby because she cleared the highest BB IQ hurdle IMO. As a freshmen after sitting out her senior year of high school she changed positions from PG/Wing to a post player and was able to get minutes on a national championship team that was not exactly devoid of post players (Stewie, Tuck, Stokes). Her impact as a starter (Ohio state) or bench player (USF) is immediate. She seems to make a play within the 30 seconds of being put in the game.

 

[facey76]

I did not attend the tournament games at Mohegan Sun. A friend of mine did. He has seen numerous games over the years, and he was tremendously impressed by Gabby Williams. He stated that she seemed to always be in the right place at the right time, and whenever she got the ball, she knew what to do with it.
I told him that my choice would have been Jefferson. Any other opinions?

Love me some Gabby Williams, her play seems more instinctive than due to Hoops IQ, though instincts are probably most of the battle. She is doing a much better job lately of knowing when and when not to.

The whole team is pretty high on the Hoop IQ scale, so we are really splitting haires now as we wait for games.

 

[alexrgct]

Is Stewie underrated in this regard? Her game is complete, her coded dialect she yells out on the court is more what you see from Draymond Green of the Warriors than anyone else, and her sense of the moment is nearly impeccable. Throw in all those boards and assists as well as blocks and points, and you have a stratospherically complete and knowledgeable baller. Who in women's basketball averages 19, 8, and 4 per game? That is stuffing a stat sheet, folks.

What Stew-Conn does that's so smart is find ways to contribute to every game, even though she's the focal point of opponents. We all know someone's got a game plan for her, but she's got her own game plans: Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, etc. that's smart stuff right there.

 

[boontonbomber]

For a kid, Samuelson has a very mature basketball IQ. She moves very effortlessly around the floor. That's a big part of why she was the best high school player last year. She really has shown her growth in understanding the college game over the last 8-10 games. Her smoothness reminds me of Keith Wilkes, "Silk" back in his UCLA days.

 

[VAMike23]

Definitely Morgan or Mo.

Does anyone recall USA Basketball coach Katie Meier's comments re: Morgan at one of their practices?

------------------------------------------
For Meier, she had the pleasure of coaching Tuck last summer with the USA U18 National Team and was instantly amazed at the 6’2” forward’s intellect. She provided an example of how she ran a play where Tuck discovered something that needed to be changed based strictly off instinct.

“I stopped practice,” Meier explained, “and said, ‘Tuck what did you just do?’ She’s like, ‘Well I saw the curl and I read it and popped.’ I was like, ‘I’d been running that play 20 years Morgan, and I’ve never had someone show me that wrinkle.”’
-------------------------------------------

Mo is surely an excellent student of the game as well, and has soaked up an awful lot under Geno, Shea & Co. at the PG spot.

Another point in Morgan's favor is that her footwork is fabulous. Footwork is not God-given. Players with that kind of footwork are players that are constantly READING the floor, what's there, what's not, where the defender's body is in relation to the basket, where it isn't, where the help is, etc., and then taking maximum advantage. Moreover, footwork of Morgan's quality does not arrive overnight. She has been reading the floor that way for years, refining it. Reading the floor with that kind of keen eye for years and years allows you to soak up bball knowledge that manifests itself in other ways, not just the feet.

Morgan's combination of footwork and floor recognition are, together, the best of any UCONN player I have ever seen. I only started watching in earnest in 2008 so YMMV. Sue Bird as a senior (unfair to use the current, professional Birdie as a comparison) would certainly rank very high on the 'basketball knowledge' scale as well.

 

[MilfordHusky]

In terms of past UConn players or any players, I think the twins, Sue and Dee, are as knowledgeable as anyone. One would give you well-reasoned, clear info, and the other would give it to you with a wise-ass comment that you'd never forget.

 

[UcMiami]

I said Morgan or Mo at the top, and I'll come back with Moriah.
Giving this a little more thought -
On the offensive end Moriah really does run the show - she controls the tempo, gets the offense into the right sequences, and reset it when it doesn't work. She has great 'material' to work with in all her teammates, but it is she that has to read everything that is happening all the time.

On the defensive end while Morgan is generally at the center and is the main communicator and disseminator of information to the team, Moriah's individual defense is so devastating because she often knows where the offensive player is going before they do themselves. Her anticipation is greater than any player I can remember watching - not just anticipating passes but also the cuts and drives and screens that are coming. And you can often see her, off ball, setting traps for unsuspecting passers, allowing her player to appear open, but waiting to pounce on the pass.

 

[JordyG]

I would vote for Gabby because she cleared the highest BB IQ hurdle IMO. As a freshmen after sitting out her senior year of high school she changed positions from PG/Wing to a post player and was able to get minutes on a national championship team that was not exactly devoid of post players (Stewie, Tuck, Stokes). Her impact as a starter (Ohio state) or bench player (USF) is immediate. She seems to make a play within the 30 seconds of being put in the game.

I don't know Coco. I've often seen Gabby out of position, but because of her quickness and athleticism she makes the play. For instance as a rebounder she'll start in a poor position then quickly slither to the correct position to get the rebound. From what I see Morgan is rarely out of position. She always makes the smart play. She's constantly telling the others (including Gabby and Mo) where to be and what play to make on both offense and defense. No one ever has to tell her where to be. One thing I will say. If anyone checks out Gabby's body shape from last year you'll notice how much she's gained in upper body size and definition. To me she is the most improved player from last year. At her rate of improvement she's going to make some AA lists next year and be a real contender as a senior. As for Gabby's change, the job of a post is simpler than that of a PG/G. It is however more physically demanding, and there she has met the challenge. Just my opinion, addled as it may be.

 

[bags27]

at least a couple of types of intelligence here:

pure reaction intelligence: the ball is shot, where is it likely to bounce and can I get there? or should I concede the rebound and do something else? Gabby's the master, but so is Napheesa.

read-and-react intelligence. Mo and Morgan are masters of: they're playing this type of defense, so here's my best percentage play.

and then there's Stewie's intelligence: I can do anything I want against anyone I want whenever I want. So, what do I feel like doing this time?

 

[Geno-ista]

Love me some Gabby Williams, her play seems more instinctive than due to Hoops IQ, though instincts are probably most of the battle. She is doing a much better job lately of knowing when and when not to.

The whole team is pretty high on the Hoop IQ scale, so we are really splitting haires now as we wait for games.

Nail on the head!