I didn't post after the NC game because I really wanted to see two games in a row before gathering my thoughts. I agree with most of what already has been said, especially about Ken and Lex. I really don't think you will find a pair of guards in the PAC12 that have more talent, tenacity, speed and, most important, the chemistry that these two ladies have. As far as them switching off roles, that has happened before this and to be honest, I'm not too sure that JR has much to do with that. Both those girls came to CU with extensive high level coaching and playing backgrounds and they see and do things that other kids need to be taught at the college level. Now that they have a year of extensive playing time, they are playing like a pair of well seasoned vets. If you watched closely, you noticed that JR seldom directs them, almost like she knows that they know what she wants. To add to this, I think that the most pleasant surprise that I had was watching Ari play last night. Look, I knew this girl had plenty of talent because, let's face it, Jeff Walz doesn't make too many recruiting mistakes and she was highly rated by more than one scouting service coming out of high school. What I saw last night convinced me that she is going to be another force to be reckoned both scoring and defending as she sheds the rust and regains the confidence she lost in her freshman year at Louisville.
As far as the front court players, I know some of you have little confidence in them but I think that both Kenzi and Zoe Correal have really improved their games, You must understand, it is much harder for front court players to adept to the college game than it is for the guards. In HS you were the biggest girl on the court and you could just force your way into doing what you want. When they get to college they quickly find that no longer applies. Last summer I spent some time going over all the high level post and forward freshman to compare their HS rankings and their freshman performances. With the exception of a very few, like Cal's Kristine Anigwe who is just a beast, most of them really struggled. It usually takes at least one and sometimes two years before they reach their potential and some never do. If both Kenzi and Zoe can give us 15 or so minutes and 6-8 RB and 8 Pts, I will be pleased because Haley Smith should add the rest of the needed scoring and rebounding, as well as having those 'super games' that she seems to come up with a couple times a year when she suddenly remembers that she is the best pure shooter on the team and takes more than 8 shots a game. Drives me nuts because this girl should be taking at least 12-14 shots a game.
Zoe BF and Becca are very good role players, who can give you good minutes when you need them and both have the experience and ability to be able to stretch those minutes if need be.
That leaves us with the 'Unknowns', Monica, El, Q and Huggy. Monica, who I have always believed was a highly underrated recruit, is going to be one of the best power forwards in the PAC when she finally sheds all the rust and gets her mojo working. She can rebound with the best and she has the potential to be a better shooter than Haley is and Haley is the best pure shooter on the team. I really, really like El and I think she can be a terrific post when she gets fully healthy and gains more confidence. She is so athletic and I love her attitude. You can almost see her comfort level, both on the court and with her teammates increasing with each game. By the middle of the year, she will begin to really come on.
At one point last night I was watching Quinessa bring the ball up the court and I just busted out laughing. I couldn't help but think, I bet she never dreamed, last year at this time, that she would be playing point guard for a PAC12 team in November and getting substantial minutes, at that. She's a great kid, with a lot of athletic ability and some real speed, who with time and good coaching, is going to be a very good player. She is a great fit for a freshman with this team. With Huggy, I just don't know what to expect. If she still has the fire and can stay healthy, she could really bring some much needed experience and some sorely needed scoring punch. I hope this is the case, because she will always be one of my favorite Buffs and I love the chemistry that she brings to the team.
Well, that's my take on things, so far and, of course, some things will change as we go forward. As to how we will fare in the PAC? Well, I don't really think that anyone can say. I have watched these predictions for years and I have learned not to get too invested in what you see in November and that applies for, not just the Buffs, but also for the rest of the league. Preseason predictions are cheap entertainment. The complete collapse of our team last year should tell you that. I knew we wouldn't be real good, but I never saw that mess coming. The same thing has happened in the past to UCLA, SC, Stanford and Cal just last year. Let's play the games and we will know how good they are.
