The Geno Project: Leadership

[RockyMTblue2]

ESPNW has a new snippet themed Leadership on now. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:11891215

We have discussed this a length and there is only one thing in the snippet to catch the ear: Rebecca Lobo saying very matter of fact: " It isn't Breanna."

An opinion worthy of respect. Personally I hope she is right, because I don't think it is Breanna's highest and best use. Stewie is WCBB's deadliest weapon. She is our assassin. That should be her focus within a team with 1-2 others tasked with vocal on court leadership. Until someone else shows up, that is MoJeff with support from Morgan. I suspect next season Nurse will come to the forefront, but let next year take care of itself.

 

[JFC613]

It's even more interesting and revealing to hear what Lobo and DT have to say since this was taped well ahead of the Stanford loss. Leadership has become such a topic for this team and I'm not sure I can see that some one has stepped up completely, but it's certainly been a different team with the insertion of Morgan and Kia. Hopefully what's developing will carry them through ND and another tough environment. Based on their second half against GB and the horrid officiating I think this team is maturing rather nicely.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I don't see what the big deal is. I could see if this were a young team, but of the starters, only Kia is younger than a junior.

 

[watanabe]

... I suspect next season Nurse will come to the forefront, but let next year take care of itself.

I respectfully disagree. Age and class has nothing to do with leadership. Sure it can be learned, but learned leadership never beats natural leadership. Nurse is showing that she has it naturally. She is carrying the torch right now. It will grow and blossom. Sure I have loyalty to the others, but they have always been followers. Nurse hasn't had anything but the void to grow into. I think we will all be pleaseantly surprised.

 

[UcMiami]

I don't see what the big deal is. I could see if this were a young team, but of the starters, only Kia is younger than a junior.

In the Husky's All Access program this past weekend Geno said 'we as coaches tell the players things in time-outs but what a team needs is that player who walking away from the huddle pulls a player aside, or in the huddle after a stoppage and takes ownership for what the team needs to be focused on' (paraphrase) - that there is a big difference in the reaction to the coaches and to a fellow player saying 'we need to stop ____ from driving left' or '____ - this next rebound is critical and you need to own it!'
Teams can survive without that kind of leadership on the floor, but they tend to thrive if they get it.

(Did people already comment on the incredible error at the start of that program - the 'record tying ninth national championship' in the voice over? - was a little shocked the SNY didn't catch and correct that. Otherwise I thought the program was fabulous. Most interesting insight to me was the short bit on the changing relationship between Geno and Stewart.)

 

[UcMiami]

I respectfully disagree. Age and class has nothing to do with leadership. Sure it can be learned, but learned leadership never beats natural leadership. Nurse is showing that she has it naturally. She is carrying the torch right now. It will grow and blossom. Sure I have loyalty to the others, but they have always been followers. Nurse hasn't had anything but the void to grow into. I think we will all be pleaseantly surprised.

Disagree a bit here - both Moriah (last year) and Morgan with USA basketball have proven to be natural leaders. I agree that Kia is exhibiting those traits as well, but ... age is somewhat of a factor when everyone is so young and one of the youngest is also one of the newest to the team. (Montgomery was probably the last freshman to be so gifted.)

 

[Bgillon]

The key to the ultimate success of this team is the development of team chemistry and it's leader. The leader has to be someone the other players will follow. She doesn't have to be the star of the team. This team will be very exciting to follow as it matures. We certainly have the best coaching staff to help it reach its potential.

As an interesting comparison, look at what's happening with Tenn. It is a team with a lot of talent and one that lost their leader to graduation.

 

[JudgeSCR]

A team needs three kinds of leadership from its players: 1) the visual leader -- "look at me and follow my example. I will work hard in practice every day, I understand what the coaches are trying to convey. Do as I do."; 2) the verbal leader -- the person who in moments of stress (during practice and games) is going to pull the team together and direct, encourage and translate the coaches to everyone as necessary; and 3) the performance leader, the one who will score or get the big stop or rebound in the big moment.

Often they are the same person Maya, Diana, Sue, Magic, Michael, Kobe. That is when personality, understanding, an incredible drive to be the best and a great basketball skill set come together in one person.

Sometimes more than one person fills those roles. Last year Stef and Bria filled the first two roles for the most part while Stewie filled the third (with an assist from Stef and Bria).

Those roles are almost never filled by freshman (not even Diana or Maya) because the team doesn't know you yet. They haven't seen you in crunch time over and over again to have the confidence that you know what you are doing. Those roles generally fall to upper classmen.

Who fills those roles this year is the big mystery. Clearly the team will still look to Stewie for the performance leadership. But who fills the first two is an open question. I think Mogan and Moriah.