65.2% as a freshman, ND record. Riley is 2nd at 60.0%.
by Cavanaugh82 (2023-05-18 19:00:45)
Edited on 2023-05-18 19:01:23

In reply to: Ha, ha, I thought about her, but couldn't remember.  posted by BabaGhanouj

Post Reply Return to McGraw's Bench

I agree that many frontcourt players take time to adjust to the college game. My totally unsupported opinion is that they often develop some bad habits by dominating high school games against lesser, smaller players and need to adjust to playing against peers day in and day out. The more recent phenomenon of AAU tournaments and international exposure at younger ages no doubtedly helps some develop faster by increasing the level of competition forcing them to up their game.

I’ll always believe that injuries kept Turner
by SorinBasement  (2023-05-18 20:12:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

from being on the short list of best players ever at ND. Even with them she was pretty darn good.
She belongs in the Ring of Honor, in my opinion.
by Cavanaugh82  (2023-05-19 06:53:14)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Career Records:
Rebounds: 1st with 1,048 (Riley 2nd)
Blocked Shots: 1st with 372 (Riley 2nd)
Points Scored: 6th with 2,017 (Riley 5th)
Field Goal Percentage: 2nd with 62.4% (Riley 1st at 63.2%)

Yes, it seemed like her first couple of seasons were limited by a bum shoulder and, of course, the ACL kept her out an entire season but her PER each season (according to basketballreference.com) was 33.5, 33.2, 31.6, and 33.3. Not only was she outstanding but she was amazingly consistent.
Explosive athlete. Who can forget those alley oops! *
by MountainMan  (2023-05-19 10:05:29)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Thanks, I didn't mean to imply that
by BabaGhanouj  (2023-05-18 19:17:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

we are wrong for saying that, just that it is repeated often …sometimes as if we have never heard it before. But it is also nice to keep in mind that there are exceptions. Nothing is written, except, maybe, death and taxes.
There tend to be exceptions to everything
by cbiebel  (2023-05-19 08:47:13)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

A general rule is that freshmen tend to tire out later in the season and hit what is referred to as "the Freshman Wall." Unfortunately for us, Breanna Stewart didn't seem to get the memo regarding that one.

Yes, I remember someone bringing up
by BabaGhanouj  (2023-05-19 09:04:15)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

the mythical "Freshman Wall" with Sonia Citron. She got better later in the season. That one may be more of a "wives' tale" than a "general rule". We need more data!
The "Freshman Wall" isn't just "later in the season"
by cbiebel  (2023-05-19 11:25:08)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

It's specifically meant to be around Tournament time, since High School seasons don't last nearly that long. However, things might have changed now with more AAU teams, etc. resulting in players being used to playing for long stretches of time.

Yes, I understand the concept. Like Breanna Stewart,
by BabaGhanouj  (2023-05-19 12:00:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Sonia Citron did better at tournament time. Up until the tournament games, she scored 11.8 ppg, 43.3 fg%, 15.37 Efficiency rating, and 48.3 efg%—all excellent! During the tournament games she scored 12.8 ppg, 56.1 fg%, 16.25 Efficiency rating, and 58.5 efg%. (When I say tournament games, I mean ACC and NCAA.)

I agree with you that because of the longer season and that the games are against tougher opponents, you would think that the "Freshman Wall" would be real. For those two, at least, it was not. As I say, we need more data.

Maybe you are on to something with all the summer playing time in high school. The fact that some freshmen do even better against late season, tournament-quality opponents, probably says more to the character of the player.