Samuelson takes AAC coaches vote in stride

[SVCBeercats]

Samuelson takes AAC coaches vote in stride
https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/samuelson-takes-aac-coaches-vote-in-stride/258759072

"I don't know why. I don't know," Collier, who shared Co-Player of the Year honors with Samuelson last season and was named the preseason Player of the Year on Monday, said with a shake of the head. "I was really surprised by that, too."

"I got a little better, actually," Samuelson said with a smile after noting she's been spending quality time on the practice court with coach Geno Auriemma and assistant Shea Ralph. "I'm working on trying to play through anything and finding different ways to get open so people can't take me out of the game. I've been finishing a lot better and attacking the basket a lot harder."

Geno on the freshmen's introduction to the UCONN way.
"Believe it or not the first day of practice was exactly the same as it's always been," Auriemma said. "It was as if the trip to Italy never happened. But what is different is that the freshmen are a little different. The reason they look different is that they realize, 'Man, we went to Europe where the games don't mean anything and Coach said you guys ain't playing because you guys are horrible at practice and your work ethic is horrible. If he's not going to play us in games that are meaningless, what's going to happen when the games mean something?' So they could see the way we operate is different than it was in August. So the trip was good for them."

 

[bizarro aj]

If it wasn't for kls drawing the defense outside collier wouldn't have had the season she had last year. Teams were more worried about kls and gabby beating them then guarding collier.

 

[Golden Husky]

Samuelson takes AAC coaches vote in stride
https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/samuelson-takes-aac-coaches-vote-in-stride/258759072

"I don't know why. I don't know," Collier, who shared Co-Player of the Year honors with Samuelson last season and was named the preseason Player of the Year on Monday, said with a shake of the head. "I was really surprised by that, too."

"I got a little better, actually," Samuelson said with a smile after noting she's been spending quality time on the practice court with coach Geno Auriemma and assistant Shea Ralph. "I'm working on trying to play through anything and finding different ways to get open so people can't take me out of the game. I've been finishing a lot better and attacking the basket a lot harder."

Geno on the freshmen's introduction to the UCONN way.
"Believe it or not the first day of practice was exactly the same as it's always been," Auriemma said. "It was as if the trip to Italy never happened. But what is different is that the freshmen are a little different. The reason they look different is that they realize, 'Man, we went to Europe where the games don't mean anything and Coach said you guys ain't playing because you guys are horrible at practice and your work ethic is horrible. If he's not going to play us in games that are meaningless, what's going to happen when the games mean something?' So they could see the way we operate is different than it was in August. So the trip was good for them."

There's nothing tepid about this SoCal kid. From the upchuck game at Maryland to the two clutch free throws versus Mississippi State to having the temerity to muss Geno's hair on television, Samuelson plays with an infectious self-confidence. She's the best shooter in the country, her range opening the floor and creating opportunities for her teammates.

A kid who didn't need motivation just got some from the slight of an AAC coach. You poke this Husky at your own risk.

 

[HoopsFan21]

There's nothing tepid about this SoCal kid. From the upchuck game at Maryland to the two clutch free throws versus Mississippi State to having the temerity to muss Geno's hair on television, Samuelson plays with an infectious self-confidence. She's the best shooter in the country, her range opening the floor and creating opportunities for her teammates.

A kid who didn't need motivation just got some from the slight of an AAC coach. You poke this Husky at your own risk.

She's not the best shooter in the country.

 

[wallman]

I would argue she is along with many others. From our perspective we were trying to not let her get the ball, that was our game plan. She scored against us in the first and Close called timeouts because of it. Every game I watched, the game planning for the other team was trying to limit her touches and/doubling. Even in the Maryland game when she was sick as a dog, one for the ages, Charles was in her in shorts full court. The fact that she scores with that kind of defensive attention makes her the best at what she does.

 

[AussieHusky]

If it wasn't for kls drawing the defense outside collier wouldn't have had the season she had last year. Teams were more worried about kls and gabby beating them then guarding collier.

Just stop it, please! That is so unfair and definitely untrue. Just how did Lou draw the defense outside for Collier to score? Collier consistently played against bigger and stronger players in the paint. Those were not players that were being drawn outside to double team Lou. Collier is legitimate player who, I believe will translate very well at the next level. Lou is legit too. The AAC coaches selected Collier as the pre-season POY, so what? Its time that we celebrate ALL of our players instead of griping that our favorite did not get something.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I would argue she is along with many others. From our perspective we were trying to not let her get the ball, that was our game plan. She scored against us in the first and Close called timeouts because of it. Every game I watched, the game planning for the other team was trying to limit her touches and/doubling. Even in the Maryland game when she was sick as a dog, one for the ages, Charles was in her in shorts full court. The fact that she scores with that kind of defensive attention makes her the best at what she does.

She's not even the best shooter on our team, let alone the country.

 

[Huskee11]

I honestly have no idea how other teams are going to be able to defend UConn.

Lou, Stevens and Nurse are good/great from the outside, and Collier and Williams are presumably getting better. Actually, I thought Collier was good from the outside last year, just didn`t take many threes.

Zone defense typically leads to open shots from the outside, so on any given night some/all of that group will be feeling it and shooting the other team out of the zone. Since UConn`s outside shot will also have to be respected in man to man defense, the middle should be open with not much double teaming going on.

So, I hope that part of what Lou is doing is working on post up moves. She showed some ability in that regard last year but it wasn`t a major part of her offensive game. Stevens in the lineup increases the odds that Lou will be covered by a guard and she should be able to bury her smaller defender inside. Any help that would otherwise come will probably stay glued to the other good/improved UConn shooters who set up outside to clear the middle. If defenses focus on Lou like they did last year and double her, then someone else will make them pay for that.

I`m hoping Geno calls the post up for Lou more often this year, especially early in the game to get Lou going - occasionally she seemed to drift a bit early in the game last year, until she hit her first shot.

In any event, I am predicting a great year for Lou - AAC POY or another co-POY.

 

[Kaizen]

She's not the best shooter in the country.

She will be, this year.

 

[rugbymate]

She's not even the best shooter on our team, let alone the country.

I'm not sure what "best shooter" means. If defined by shooting percentages then KLS had neither the best overall or 3 point fg shooting percentage on the team. However, if you said who was the most feared shooter on the team( and perhaps in WCBB) ,IMO, it was definitely KLS as she seemed to draw extra attention by the defense. And yes, she did spread the floor which facilitated scoring opportunities for her team mates.
Interestingly, as part of her evolution she appears to be working on tactics that will improve her options when guarded closely. IMO, she will be better at beating her defender this year and that will help with her scoring and probably assists.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

She's not even the best shooter on our team, let alone the country.

Who is? Team? Country?

 

[HoopsFan21]

Who is? Team? Country?

Kia is the best shooter on our team. The best 3 point shooter more so than KLS by quite a lot (46 vs. 42%), better FT shooter (85 vs 84%) and about the same from 2 slight edge by a fraction of a percentage point to KLS. Kia and Collier shot better from 3, and Collier and Gabby shot better from 2.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Who is?

Kia is the best shooter on our team. The best 3 point shooter more so than KLS by quite a lot (46 vs. 42%), better FT shooter (85 vs 84%) and about the same from 2 slight edge by a fraction of a percentage point to KLS. Kia and Collier shot better from 3, and Collier and Gabby shot better from 2.

Can not argue the % but what were the number of shots taken by each? Who would you want to take a 3 pt to win a game?

 

[bizarro aj]

She's not the best shooter in the country.

Name the other players in the country that went 10 for 10 from 3pt range last season?

 

[HoopsFan21]

Can not argue the % but what were the number of shots taken by each? Who would you want to take a 3 pt to win a game?

Kia. Toughest player on the team and a senior.

 

[SVCBeercats]

She will be, this year.

She has to be better than Kia and Phee which last year she was not.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Name the other players in the country that went 10 for 10 from 3pt range last season?

A single data point does not make a trend. According to the NCAA 2017 Women's basketball statistics KLS (48.6 FG% & 42 3FG% ) was 81st in overall shooting %, 14th overall for just guards, and 17th in 3pt shooting %. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough was #1 at 52.5% overall. She was tied for 2nd in 3pt shots made. By the way Karlie Samuelson shot 48.5% 3FG%. She was the 3rd best 3pt shooter on her own team behind Kia and Phee. None of us are prophets and cannot know the future. If she does what she has been practicing then she will hopefully have a real shot at being the best shooter.

"I'm working on trying to play through anything and finding different ways to get open so people can't take me out of the game. I've been finishing a lot better and attacking the basket a lot harder." Last year when an opponent assigned a player to follow Lou everywhere then she did not perform well. Perhaps this year she will respond with better offensive moves and focus on setting up her teammates to score forcing the opponent to drop the "Lou Defense." We will see how well she and the team as a whole will perform early on since their schedule is front-loaded with top 25 teams.

 

[wallman]

Not true. The Maryland game alone throws that argument out of the water. You are also comparing apples to oranges. A post is expected to get in the 60% range because they are taking shots close to the basket, a shooter is in the high 40s range. Even then you cannot compare Nurse hitting open 3s to the shots that KLS was taking. That is not taking anything away from Nurse as she showed that she could hit those shots when they were needed. Respect by the other team is when they game plan for the types of player like KLS, they know she can blow the game out of the park and the fact that she still averaged over 20 shows how much of a competitor she was.

But clearly silly me, this was not your goal was it.

 

[oldude]

She will be, this year.

I do think Lou is a great 3-pt shooter destined to break KML’s all-time NCAA record before she moves on from UConn in 2 years, but I honestly believe that Kia will give her a run for best 3pt shooter on the team this year, simply because Kia will get more open looks.

As Kia demonstrated during the tournament last season when she set the all time record for 3’s made, if you leave her open at the arc, she is deadly accurate.

 

[hugefan]

Just stop it, please! That is so unfair and definitely untrue. Just how did Lou draw the defense outside for Collier to score? Collier consistently played against bigger and stronger players in the paint. Those were not players that were being drawn outside to double team Lou. Collier is legitimate player who, I believe will translate very well at the next level. Lou is legit too. The AAC coaches selected Collier as the pre-season POY, so what? Its time that we celebrate ALL of our players instead of griping that our favorite did not get something.

So I take it you will be chastising all posters who do the same or is only when it is a certain player?

 

[nwhoopfan]

By the way Karlie Samuelson shot 48.5% 3FG%.

I was thinking the same thing, not even the best 3 point shooter from her family, let alone the best in the country, last year.

I've never even heard of her, but rising Jr. Darby Maggard from Belmont nailed 116 treys (only 3 less than KLS) at a 48.7% clip last year. That might be your best shooter in the country right there.


The 10-10 game was amazing, but it was one game. Over the course of an entire season KLS wasn't as accurate behind the arc as a number of other players, some of which were also the primary focus of every defense they faced.

Here's a link to last year's stats for 3 point shooting stats.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...dividual/109&usg=AOvVaw36VPXQ6zEuKS2x88NBC0eN

 

[SVCBeercats]

I do think Lou is a great 3-pt shooter destined to break KML’s all-time NCAA record before she moves on from UConn in 2 years, but I honestly believe that Kia will give her a run for best 3pt shooter on the team this year, simply because Kia will get more open looks.

In addition I am really curious to see if Z's presence in the post will allow Phee to more often move out for baseline 3 pointers. I hope Kia continues to be a serious three point threat a la Jefferson. Mo's 3pt scoring blossomed in her Jr year and continued to bloom through her Sr year. It would be killer to have three 3pt aces.

 

[bizarro aj]

Ask geno who the best shooter is on the team! I guarantee he says kls! So where was the great shooting from collier and nurse in the final four game against miss. st.? Collier couldn't even make an easy uncontested layup if her life depended on it in that game, if she could uconn would've won #12!

 

[Nuyoika]

Ask geno who the best shooter is on the team! I guarantee he says kls! So where was the great shooting from collier and nurse in the final four game against miss. st.? Collier couldn't even make an easy uncontested layup if her life depended on it in that game, if she could uconn would've won #12!

BINGO.... if it's the last shot & it has to be a 3, I GUARANTEE Geno wants her to take, he already said as much at his coaching clinic. So no matter what any non-D1 fake coach on this forum says, in Geno I trust.

 

[oldude]

Ask geno who the best shooter is on the team! I guarantee he says kls! So where was the great shooting from collier and nurse in the final four game against miss. st.? Collier couldn't even make an easy uncontested layup if her life depended on it in that game, if she could uconn would've won #12!

While I agree that Lou is the best 3pt shooter on the team, I’m not sure what purpose is served by taking a cheap shot at Kia & Pheesa for the MS St game.

Kia set the all time NCAA tournament record shooting 22/31 from the arc. Lou was 9/31 from the arc in the tournament. At the same time Pheesa was spectacular in the regional tournament with 27 & 28 pts vs UCLA & Oregon. In addition she was 5/10 from the arc throughout the tournament.