Maybe so, but as I recall the replay, she was all alone and others especially our guards were not moving. If she would have got holding the ball, then how much outrage here.
******UCLA vs Iowa Game Thread******
- Thread starter QChawks
- Start date
-
- Tags
- qcpizzasucks
Maybe so, but as I recall the replay, she was all alone and others especially our guards were not moving. If she would have got holding the ball, then how much outrage here.
I watched the replay. Betts was closing in. Too risky for O'Grady to attempt the pass. I think Clark would have been able to make the pass but not O'Grady.
Started playing better when Jan realized HS wasn’t a 4. And yes, the shorter rotation also.
Yesterday Stuelke and O'Grady played together for extended minutes. Nothing is cut and dry.
I think that was a decision based on defending Betts, Neither one could defend her 1 on 1. Don’t think they were in together when Betts wasn’t on the floor. I could be wrong though.
Possibly, but you couldn’t say that for every player ? I’ll tell you this, if Ava knew the offense, & could make 15 ft jumpers like AOG, I’m confident she’d be playing 🤷♂️
Last edited:
Honestly I'm not concerned with the scoring end so much. Ava can score enough. My issue is NONE of our other bigs can defend a good post taller then them. Hannah at least does the job on the boards, unless again she's outsized. AOG is simply not a good rebounder regardless. Its an issue when your biggest regular post player probably has the worst rebounds/mins played on the team. UCLA controlled their O glass in the 2nd half and was probably the biggest reason they won the game. Heiden is also a much better rim protector, clearly just from her minutes played. Its moot at this point as its obvious Jans not going to play her in games unless she has no other options. Like I said it is what it is at this point. I'll try not to bring it up again...
On the podcast Kachine Alexander does after Iowa games (Hawkeye of the storm) she said Ava really needs work in the weight room. She thinks she will eventually be very good. Again her opinion but she said asking Ava to try to match up with Betts at this point in her career would have been very unfair to Ava.
People forget Betts didn't play her freshman year. Perspective.
That’s my opinion. I’m of fan of kceasthawk so I have zero interest in questioning him, but I dont see it. Addie has questionable hands, Check…Addie is not a very good rebounder. Check…Addie is not a terrific defender Check….but I never notice Addie getting pushed back under the basket like Betts did to Stuelke. In no way shape or form have I watched Ava play and thought she was physical in any stretch. But that’s just me. I do watch these girls a lot and I do feel like I’ve had a pretty good gauge on them for a few years and I will readily admit we haven’t seen tons of Ava, but never once have I thought she had the weight or strength to wall somebody off. Addie has slow feet, so she struggles staying in front of somebody, but I don’t particularly see her getting pushed around.
🤷♂️
Interesting, didn’t know that & that is good perspective. Fanbases, and as reference South Carolina, fans clamored all year for Fulwiley to play more & even over others but it wasn’t until Watkins’s got hurt that her minutes went up. But back on point fans seem to always think there’s a freshman or other player on the bench that would make us better. And generally, it’s my belief, coaches typically have a pretty good reason why they’re playing who they’re playing.
Exactly. More experienced yes. She may be stronger, but she sure doesn't play like it.
She's also not all that athletic. She's tall, but shes very stiff and runs straight legged. Cardosa didn't play much early either. These are bad frames of reference though because these girls played with better players in front of them then AOG. Just IMHO...
She played, but only averaged around 10 minutes per game after being the top recruit in the country.* Stanford already had this woman named Cameron Brink at center.
Lauren Betts Career Stats - NCAAW - ESPN
Complete career NCAAW stats for the UCLA Bruins Center Lauren Betts on ESPN. Includes points, rebounds, and assists.
www.espn.com
*Fun fact: Four of UCLA's starters from Sunday were in the top 22 ranked recruits in 2022. The fifth was the 22nd ranked recruit of 2020.
2022 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100 - ESPN
Get the inside scoop on the top ranked high school girls' basketball players. In-depth player briefings, film and more on ESPNHS.com.
www.espn.com
Much better, but that’s kind of the thing, many don’t believe it but AOG is still better 🤷♂️
Honestly, OGrady should not be on the court for that play. Put in Guyton and you open up the shooters. No need to worry who defends Betts, you score or you lose.yeah, O'Grady should not be taking the game winning shot
Head-scratching comments - "tall and lanky," "doesn't have a college body yet," "not strong enough right now." Ava is a horse, I can't believe I just heard those comments.
I’d believe her before I would a bunch of old men on a message board. Especially after watching her play myself. I’m often times confused at what people see. I see an athletic 64 girl that is lean and still somewhat cumbersome because she hasn’t grown completely into her body & gain the strength and body control necessary to be consistently effective.
Never once have I thought oh dang I wish Ava Heiden was playing more. We definitely would be winning then. Seems this girl super close to the program would agree… And yet we’re going to question her too it seems Que sera sera 🤷♂️
Well, for what it’s worth if Kamilla Cardoza had missed that shot last year for South Carolina against I think it was LSU. I’m sure South Carolina fans would be saying the same thing…..🤷♂️
I don’t know dude, we’ve got some pretty good coaches on here, I’m sure they know best 🙄
As someone in another post stated, being a 6-7 girl is pretty similar to a 7 ft guy when watching a women's game. We know most 7 ft guys struggle to grow into their frame. Betts while not overly athletic, is very strong, and I"ve seen her workouts. She has worked hard on her strength, endurance, etc. She's not a leaper but most women in general are not and most 6-7 girls are not. Cardosa another example. Heiden has a long ways to go strength wise, which is also why it seems she gets fouls almost immediately when she comes in. I agree that O'Grady for her size is not a good rebounder at all but she can hit shots as needed and she's a veteran. I think Heiden has a bright future but Jan has a pretty good idea from what she wants at the post. If Heiden was ready she would be playing. Just my opinion.
Jan doesn't seem to have a problem playing the best players.
Well, look at that, looks like I should be a coach, just ask my old coaching buddies @DewHawk @shudaddy & @Bulldogs1974
But here’s the thing it really only makes sense, and in fact if you’re not an Irrational/emotional clod, it’s not really all that difficult to see why coaches do what they do. And I’m not trivializing what they’re doing. I think it’s a very difficult job, but if your first reaction is to evaluate why something happened generally speaking it will keep you from yelling and screaming about how bad the coaches suck from your couch with potato chips on your lap and mustard stains on your shirt.
These aforementioned cats are specialist at the latter. 🤪
Great work friend. This is a terrific post. Not incendiary, but very point and also a great point about Jan of all people, knowing what she wants in a post.
Ava fouls way to much, and I would agree “strength & body control” would definitely be a culprit.
My perspective from watching Iowa games. AOG has very little upper body strength and bad hands. Hips down she can hold her own. Has good face-up 10/15 foot shot. Not sure she has jumped off the floor all year and her reaction times are very slow. Just my take.
Besides watching Ava play in her limited minutes, no one really knows what she is capable of besides the coaching staff. Obviously she is not going to be as strong as a senior but she does provide something different from both Stuelke and AOG. I would love to see her play a few minutes a game just because she can do some things the others can't.
I think her posture on defense creates a lot of the fouls she gets, plus the game is just faster at this level. She plays a little hunched over right now and her balance gets too far out on her toes. Once she gets stronger, I hope her posture improves as well.
Last edited:
It was Tennessee, (in the SEC tourney semifinals), and it was the only 3 she made in her career, and she banked it in. That was nothing more then good fortune, luck, whatever...The next game they played LSU for the SEC championship, and thats the game where they had the brawl, and Cardosa got ejected for flattening an LSU player. Some fans, (including that players brother came out on the floor) Could have been areal mess....
Actually agree with this. That is however why she doesn’t get pushed under the basket
Fair enough. It just seems odd that AOG played 10 minutes/gm as a freshman (under Bluder) and we had Monica as the starter, and now we don't have a a true post (I guess you put Stuelke in there as a hybred) who's an All B1G level player, and Heiden can't get on the floor. Hope she puts the work in the off season and wins Jans confidence.
Not very physical? She was the primary reason the bulldozer from clown town gassed out IMO. Put me in the camp that wishes she had been getting a few more minutes all year in order to help for certain match ups. And at the same time thinking overall Jan has done fine her first year.
Last edited:
From my memory Jan switched Hannah back on Crooks in the second half, and she fronted her and was able to deflect several passes to the big girl.
She did, but was behind Brink who was an AA, Clarks closest competition for player of the year, and the 2nd pick in the WNBA draft...
I just remember Ava leaning on her and noticing how it was wearing crooks out because she was forced to endure constant pressure. She was My quiet impact player of the game
Last edited:
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
EC's Football Footnotes: Defense in Early Stages of Spring Ball, 4/10- Latest: Fryser Soze
-