Stanley on Allisha Gray

[Vowelguy]

I really like what Quinnipiac has done this tournament and take nothing away from them but I honestly think that South Carolina can/would/will win this game without Gray. I wouldn't rush back Gray for this game and hopefully play the next game. Staley should use the example of Coates' injury on why you should make sure a player is fully healthy before playing.

On the other hand, Grayou can be healthier than what is being said but SC is not saying anything.

SC by 25

 

[AndyCT]

sharris952 - just a note of caution on injuries, as we have just seen with Turner at ND - there are serious injuries that preclude playing a sport that are neither particularly painful or restrict joint movement in everyday situations. Turner could walk without pain or any obvious limp as she returned to the bench, but is out for the season. I don't think that is the case here, but from outside you just never know.

While I am as suspicious as anyone about Staley's reporting of Coates injuriy, no Connecticut fan should ever doubt the severity of a knee injury based simply on what we see on television. Some of our young whippersnappers should remember that Palmer Alaska's own Jessica Moore actually continued to play after tearing her ACL against Tennessee in the 2004 National Championship, and if I remember correctly she was in no obvious significant pain - at least not the excruciating agony we normally see - and hear. The injury comes at about 6:33 remaining and she comes back in at 3:01::

​

I can speak from personal experience that not everyone goes down in agony when they tear their knee ligaments. Like Jessica (except without the skills) I tore my ligaments in a basketball game. Since it was a pickup game (no coaches or trainers or anything) I got up and played for maybe another minute or two before I realized that I had a stability issue. It never hurt, other than a tingling like what you feel when your foot is asleep. It wasn't until the next day, when I couldn't bend it because it had swollen, that I saw the corpsman aboard my ship and found out what happened.

Over the years I eventually tore the both ACLs and an MCL (and a medial meniscus as well) but never had any acute pain and was able to walk every time for some time before the swelling. We're all used to the scream of agony when a player goes down, but there are some exceptions, perhaps depending on the specific nature of the tear and the player. I am one of the lucky ones, and so was Jessica and apparently Brianna Turner, so by itself we can't necessarily infer how serious Gray's injury might be.

P.S. By the way, for everybody whining about Syracuse's "rough" play, rewind this clip to the beginning and watch a game from the era of real "she-woman" (like "he-man?") physical NCAAW basketball, and then remember this isn't even a Big East - games in league, particularly against Boston College - in this era were brutal.

And as an added bonus, if you do rewind to the very beginning take a second to appreciate the camera angle for the tip off - that clip put Jess Moore into the opening credits of Sports Center for years.

 

[cabbie191]

When I was in my late 20's, many many moons ago, I dove for a Frisbee during a recreation break while at an in-service training for Maine 4-H agents. I unfortunately landed square on a spike just barely sticking out of the ground.

The result was a total blowout of my patellar tendon. What I remember was that it didn't hurt a bit, but I also couldn't move my leg below my knee. Fun driving a stick-shift home 3 hours away with the use of one leg!

I echo what AndyCT wrote - you can have a major injury and not feel pain at all.

 

[Blueballer]

Regardless of "appearances", if Gray plays and hurts that knee Staley is going to have to answer a lot of hard questions after the Coates situation.

 

[TitleTown]

Spikes and Talib? Oh please...do you know anything about their characters? Plus, they had a vested interest in appearing completely healthy for free agency, etc.

But okay, I concede that the Patriots have done this, although the Brady issue was legit. Just that other teams do it, too, clearly. But Belichick, like Geno, always draws the fire, 'cause no one likely someone who shows them up.

I absolutely agree with you that other teams do this as well. Like the old saying goes "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying"

 

[SCGamecock]

On the other hand, Grayou can be healthier than what is being said but SC is not saying anything.

Exactly. Nobody outside of the program knows the severity or lack thereof because SC hasn't said anything.

To those saying Dawn is being sneaky.. how is Dawn "being sneaky"... maybe Allisha is actually fine. Dawn never jumps to conclusions.. she gives things time to figure themselves out.

Dawn has said Allisha is "day to day" as recently as last night... but for what it's worth, Allisha is not currently in a boot and she was practicing at full speed today. Not saying she plays vs. QU.. but she's playing if SC advances.

 

[ASweet3781]

Shielding information after the fact about an injury that occurred for all to see on TV is not normal behavior for a collegiate program. At the very least an MRI would have been done and the results should have been announced by now. That's how Notre Dame did it. That's how pretty much everyone does it. It certainly is how UConn does it when players have gone down with injuries in the past. If nothing it is common courtesy to your fans who I am sure have great interest in the status of a key player for the tournament.

There's really no doubt that information on Coates injury was deliberately held from the committee until after the bracket was announced. It was announced the day after the bracket was announced. That is also, not normal behavior. And could have had an impact on a couple of teams, how they were seeded, and where they were sent. Most notably whether SC would stay ahead of Baylor and avoid UConn until the title game.

While Staley's behavior may not be technically wrong or even sneaky, it is not noble or normal.

When KLS hurt her foot against Oregon State, Geno said she would not play in the title game. No tricks. No gimmicks. No secrecy. No BS. Probably because he has confidence in his coaching and his teams abilities. Not to mention respect for his fans.

 

[SCGamecock]

One of our beat writers (somebody that actually knows what's going on) just tweeted that "Allisha Gray is full-go. Her injury was akin to a really bad charley horse"...

There. I guess we can shut this thread down now.

I hope some of you are as quick to express your relief at a player not actually being injured as you are at condemning everything SC does that the great and perfect UConn doesn't do.

 

[Carnac]

Perhaps Dawn is a student of Belichick! The Patriots are very adept at being sneaky as regards injury status.

A sports writer once said that Bill Belichick adopts the Sgt. Shultz (Hogan's heros) approach when it comes to answering questions, or disseminating information about player injuries.............."I know nothing".

 

[Carnac]

Exactly. Nobody outside of the program knows the severity or lack thereof because SC hasn't said anything.

To those saying Dawn is being sneaky.. how is Dawn "being sneaky"... maybe Allisha is actually fine. Dawn never jumps to conclusions.. she gives things time to figure themselves out.

Dawn has said Allisha is "day to day" as recently as last night... but for what it's worth, Allisha is not currently in a boot and she was practicing at full speed today. Not saying she plays vs. QU.. but she's playing if SC advances.

I'm glad that Gray's injury was not season ending, and that she is able to participate in team practice. I like Gray, and wish her well, whether she plays or not.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

One of our beat writers (somebody that actually knows what's going on) just tweeted that "Allisha Gray is full-go. Her injury was akin to a really bad charley horse"...

There. I guess we can shut this thread down now.

I hope some of you are as quick to express your relief at a player not actually being injured as you are at condemning everything SC does that the great and perfect UConn doesn't do.

Now, see, you were on the right track there. But then you veered off at full speed into a reinforced abutment.

 

[SCGamecock]

Shielding information after the fact about an injury that occurred for all to see on TV is not normal behavior for a collegiate program. At the very least an MRI would have been done and the results should have been announced by now. That's how Notre Dame did it. That's how pretty much everyone does it. It certainly is how UConn does it when players have gone down with injuries in the past. If nothing it is common courtesy to your fans who I am sure have great interest in the status of a key player for the tournament.

There's really no doubt that information on Coates injury was deliberately held from the committee until after the bracket was announced. It was announced the day after the bracket was announced. That is also, not normal behavior. And could have had an impact on a couple of teams, how they were seeded, and where they were sent. Most notably whether SC would stay ahead of Baylor and avoid UConn until the title game.

While Staley's behavior may not be technically wrong or even sneaky, it is not noble or normal.

When KLS hurt her foot against Oregon State, Geno said she would not play in the title game. No tricks. No gimmicks. No secrecy. No BS. Probably because he has confidence in his coaching and his teams abilities. Not to mention respect for his fans.

Turner had an MRI. Gray had an MRI. Neither school released information about the MRI (because contrary to popular belief, YOU DONT HAVE TO).. Notre Dame only released information once it was confirmed that Turner was going to miss the remainder of the season (she obviously has a season ending injury).. Gray on the other hand, doesn't have a season ending injury, so what information should SC release for the public? Should SC jump the gun and release that Gray is fine and will play vs. QU.. We now know that Gray is fine and will play but at the time SC likely didn't know whether Allisha was going to be back for QU or the game after (in the event there is one). So again, what information should SC have released?

As far as Coates. Different situation (because she was actually injured), but ill addressed it here as well. Everybody knew Coates was injured, including the committee, maybe they actually did take her injury into consideration. The only information that the public didn't know at the time was that Coates was out for the year.. maybe I'm naive but just as likely it is that SC withheld that information about Coates, it's also just as likely that SC didnt know for certain she'd be out for the tournament until after the bracket was released... to go even further, it's also just as likely that Coates and her family came to a conclusion that instead of rushing Coates back from an injury maybe we should rehab her, not risk further injury and get her prepared for a professional career. It's quite possible that Coates injury isn't that severe as well.

I know it's too easy to condemn other coaches and programs when they don't do things the "UConn Way" but maybe it's possible that not everybody is cutting corners. Everybody does things their way.. you may not like it, but it's what works for them.

 

[sharris952]

Shielding information after the fact about an injury that occurred for all to see on TV is not normal behavior for a collegiate program. At the very least an MRI would have been done and the results should have been announced by now. That's how Notre Dame did it. That's how pretty much everyone does it. It certainly is how UConn does it when players have gone down with injuries in the past. If nothing it is common courtesy to your fans who I am sure have great interest in the status of a key player for the tournament.

There's really no doubt that information on Coates injury was deliberately held from the committee until after the bracket was announced. It was announced the day after the bracket was announced. That is also, not normal behavior. And could have had an impact on a couple of teams, how they were seeded, and where they were sent. Most notably whether SC would stay ahead of Baylor and avoid UConn until the title game.

While Staley's behavior may not be technically wrong or even sneaky, it is not noble or normal.

When KLS hurt her foot against Oregon State, Geno said she would not play in the title game. No tricks. No gimmicks. No secrecy. No BS. Probably because he has confidence in his coaching and his teams abilities. Not to mention respect for his fans.

Every coach does things his/her way. Dawn's fan base was getting updates as she learned them. She is always guarded with releasing information until she has all of the answers. The next morning after the game, they were waiting on the tests. Before the Brianna Turner announcement, Dawn thanked the fans for their prayers and that they seemed to be answered because Allisha was on the mend. Without definitively saying so, she hinted that she would be fine. Again staying true to how she handles these things. They had not practiced on Monday as that was their day off, so I assume she wanted to see her go through workouts before getting the fans hopes up or not which would have occurred earlier on Tuesday. It was obvious by the pep rally that Allisha was doing much better, and she stated later that night that Allisha would not miss any gametime. This was the audience of the entire gamecock fan base via in person or the radio airwaves. So it seems that after the initial shock and well wishes our rival teams were more concerned than anyone else. It is not here job to enlighten the competing teams of this information, so I have no problem with this. Some coaches allow open practices, other coaches don't. Some allow players to speak to media. others limit that access. All coaches have varying ways the deal with their programs and it is their prerogative. There is no right or wrong with what happened. Just different.

 

[Charliebball]

Every coach does things his/her way. Some coaches allow open practices, other coaches don't. Some allow players to speak to media. others limit that access. All coaches have varying ways the deal with their programs and it is their prerogative. There is no right or wrong with what happened. Just different.

no, no,no................there's the right way, the wrong way and the UConn way............

 

[sharris952]

Regardless of "appearances", if Gray plays and hurts that knee Staley is going to have to answer a lot of hard questions after the Coates situation.

Okay, it was revealed today that she had just tweaked came up with a bad charley horse and lock of of the muscle near her hamstring. It was relaxed overnight and she was better the next day. It scared her. Her knee was not involved at all. This was also confirmed by the doctor that handle all problems at SCAR. She was moving full speed in practice in front of local tv media. She practiced twice in front of local media and was moving at full steam and even running conditioning drills with the team. So could everyone stop trying to speculate about a knee issue that does not even exist. Dawn would not put a player in harms way. Coates was cleared by the team doctor and wanted to get in to the SEC Tourney. Unfortunately she had another setback thus decided after a re-evaluation that it would be better to shut her down so she would be ready for the WNBA draft and upcoming season.