5 Takeaways from the McD All-Star Game

[Ozzie Nelson]

You have a good memory doggy. It's opinion, not factual, call it intuition.
She's been all around, seen all the good choices, she knows everything UCONN has to offer. Even her friends, some of our own players have cajoled her, but she's not sold. What new data can she be waiting for?
No, something is wrong for her here; and it's just possible it's her concern about playing time. I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star, the attention getter that she could easily be somewhere else. You more than anyone else keep saying Geno won't play freshman over upperclassmen. Or maybe it's some other factor, but many of our great ones have just come in and said "I gotta be here". There's just no advantage in delaying for her or her team mates.
Another of my unpopular posts, but hey, I don't mind being wrong. If she comes I'll buy you a beer at one of the games.

"I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star, the attention getter that she could easily be somewhere else"

Where did you "hear" that? IMO, your words are pure nonsense, backed up by only a soft breeze and winter sneeze.

 

[Icebear]

"I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star, the attention getter that she could easily be somewhere else"

Where did you "hear" that? IMO, your words are pure nonsense, backed up by only a soft breeze and winter sneeze.

I have not heard that either and personality wise it is rather opposite the kind of kid who said she was taking her time so that her teammates could, also, have more traffic and coaches seeing them.

 

[LesMis89]

"I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star, the attention getter that she could easily be somewhere else"

Where did you "hear" that? IMO, your words are pure nonsense, backed up by only a soft breeze and winter sneeze.

I read the same thing fairly recently but ONLY on a message board (really don't remember where but I don't frequent The Summitt). I didn't ever see a direct quote by DD stating as such.

 

[doggydaddy]

I can't believe the crap I'm reading on this board about what recruits are saying. I would suggest you supply a link with the quote by the player or shut up.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I read the same thing fairly recently but ONLY on a message board (really don't remember where but I don't frequent The Summitt). I didn't ever see a direct quote by DD stating as such.

My son once told me that the sun goes in the lake at night. Perhaps he also posted it on a message "bored".

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I can't believe the crap I'm reading on this board about what recruits are saying. I would suggest you supply a link with the quote by the player or shut up.

We should have a Boneyard Starting Lineup for fabricated recruit attributions...and you will have to work to lose your starting position.

 

[meyers7]

My son once told me that the sun goes in the lake at night. Perhaps he also posted it on a message "bored".

Which lake? Where? That would be cool to see.

p.s. I believe everything I read on a message board.

I also believe KML, Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck will start next year. All this years starters will lose their starting positions, just because it would be "ridiculous" that certain players wouldn't start. Geno will also only start 4 just to show DD that there is a "starting" spot reserved for her.

 

[doggydaddy]

Which lake? Where? That would be cool to see.

p.s. I believe everything I read on a message board.

I also believe KML, Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck will start next year. All this years starters will lose their starting positions, just because it would be "ridiculous" that certain players wouldn't start. Geno will also only start 4 just to show DD that there is a "starting" spot reserved for her.

Wow a starting spot for me? And I am not a "her"!!!

 

[Wonkster]

These debates about 'who starts' are amazing. When was the last time any of you read a game report that summarized the game and it said, 'But the starters were 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5?' Even Geno has said NUMEROUS times on his show "Who cares? People get too hung up on this stuff."

I could care less who the starters are. It means nothing in the final analysis. Geno will start whomever he likes and all the tea in China isn't going to change that until some BYer is appointed Head Coach.

Will the starters for the USA National Team be the key decision that determines whether we win the gold medal? I think not...

But if this thread had not reached Joycean levels, what the hell would we be talking about? Far better to be discussing playing time and who starts than, as has actually happened in the past, what Sue Bird's sneaker size is.
.

 

[Wonkster]

Wow a starting spot for me? And I am not a "her"!!!

I'm sure we could arrange whatever changes are necessary for you to medically qualify, DD.
.

 

[meyers7]

Wow a starting spot for me? And I am not a "her"!!!

I'm assuming you will make the appropriate changes.

 

[Icebear]

I'm sure we could arrange whatever changes are necessary for you to medically qualify, DD.
.

When I win the Mega Millions I will gladly pay for the surgery. I will, also, endow the CPTV pledge free Husky broadcast fund.

 

[Wonkster]

When I win the Mega Millions I will gladly pay for the surgery...

Oh, sure. "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Have you scheduled DD's procedure yet, Iceman?
.
.

 

[meyers7]

When I win the Mega Millions...... I will, also, endow the CPTV pledge free Husky broadcast fund.

One of the first things I'm gonna do.

 

[meyers7]

Oh, sure. "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

.

What "Wimp(y)"

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

35 minutes a game is way more than anyone plays on Tennessee. Stricklen this year was 32. no one else over 30.

Simmons played 25 a game.

So, how is she guarenteed 35 a game at UT?

If she is looking for a guarentee for starting and 35 minutes, Geno won't take her. He doesn't do that.

C'mn Doggydaddy, read my post! I did not say that she has been promised or guaranteed 35 minutes a game at Tennessee. With five seniors graduating, three inexperienced freshmen coming on board and no 2013 commitments, those "circumstances" will inevitably result in more minutes for as highly skilled a player as DD.

 

[Icebear]

C'mn Doggydaddy, read my post! I did not say that she has been promised or guaranteed 35 minutes a game at Tennessee. With five seniors graduating, three inexperienced freshmen coming on board and no 2013 commitments, those "circumstances" will inevitably result in more minutes for as highly skilled a player as DD.

However, you did not give any evidence for an unsourced comment by DD about stardom.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I googled many combinations about Diamond DeShields and found absolutely nothing that she had said in interviews that remotely connects to demands to be a starter off the bat. Everything from her comes across as being a humble player, very team-oriented and self sacrificing and someone who likes a coach who is "real". The closest mention of anything concerning all this of course came from a Summitt poster who naturally was hoping that DD (the player, not DoggyDaddy) would please come to Knoxville because here you have more chance to be a "star," which is what you would expect from that site but does not seem to reflect anything in DD's nature. A year and a half ago she had this quote from an interview on WBBInsider with FloridaKenny:

Kenny: Really so out of all of them if you could play with anyone in college who would it be?

Diamond: Well in college I am really set on playing with a great point guard so Bria (Hartley - Uconn), Alexis Jones (2012 TX) and Mariah (Jefferson) are all great point guards so I am not totally sure because my mind is no where near made up but I know I want to play with a great point guard.

UConn can also see if Bird, Taurasi and Montgomery have any eligibility left if it helps.

And in the same interview she was very diplomatic in a very mature way, and she cited PHS as the coach she felt struck her as being really intelligent, which sadly has had a tough situation emerge in the time since the quote. But unless anyone wants to think DD has had a complete personality change (again, we are talking about the player not the poster, the latter of whom we all are fervently praying has a radical cranial makeover so that he recognizes the brilliance of all of our posts), there is no reason to be spreading half-baked, I-kind-of-remember-that-my-uncle's- manicurist-said-they-heard-8th-hand type rumors. Might help to check out that old interview again, reposted by huskyfan on the Courant's topics blog, down at bottom of page 3.

 

[Icebear]

Good research, Dobbs.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

However, you did not give any evidence for an unsourced comment by DD about stardom.

You have me confused with another poster. I have never quoted DD. I have simply attempted to make reasonable inferences from undisputed facts. That I hope that my inferences are wrong does not make them any less reasonable.

 

[Sonny44]

You have me confused with another poster. I have never quoted DD. I have simply attempted to make reasonable inferences from undisputed facts. That I hope that my inferences are wrong does not make them any less reasonable.

Buck,
They're probably refering to my post where I stated up front that "It's opinion, not factual, call it intuition."
It seems that some of us cannot tolerate an opinion other than their own without getting upset and argumentative.
Makes me wonder why they even participate: don't they expect opinions other than their own?

 

[pap49cba]

Near as I can tell, a post in this thread seems to be the source of 'star' stuff...

LINK

 

[doggydaddy]

C'mn Doggydaddy, read my post! I did not say that she has been promised or guaranteed 35 minutes a game at Tennessee. With five seniors graduating, three inexperienced freshmen coming on board and no 2013 commitments, those "circumstances" will inevitably result in more minutes for as highly skilled a player as DD.

I read your post very clearly.

You said - "If DD chooses Tennessee (I will bite my tongue, beat a solid mea culpa and pull out the sackcloth and ashes), the weakness in Orange recruiting would surely guarantee DD a starting position and 35 minutes a game. At least that is what I deduce from perusing the Summitt. At some point, Uconn's recruiting success will work against it."

I replied - "So, how is she guarenteed 35 a game at UT?"

I never said anything about "promised" and YOU used the word "guarentee" and "35 minutes a game".

I only pointed out that even stars like Stricklen and Johnson didn't get 35 a game and in fact, even Parker averaged 29.8 her last year. So your 35 a game is ridiculous.

 

[doggydaddy]

Buck,
They're probably refering to my post where I stated up front that "It's opinion, not factual, call it intuition."
It seems that some of us cannot tolerate an opinion other than their own without getting upset and argumentative.
Makes me wonder why they even participate: don't they expect opinions other than their own?

Opinion is that she will not come to UConn.

This is not opinion - "I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star".

Find some quotes to back that up or don't state it. She NEVER said that.

 

[Icebear]

Sorry, buck, you are right it was Sonny44 who posted, "No, something is wrong for her here; and it's just possible it's her concern about playing time. I think from what I've heard she wants to be the instant star, the attention getter that she could easily be somewhere else."

Basis for such a statement was requested by several and none has been forth coming. As I noted it is very different from the material posted by Diamond in her own tweets and concerning holding off so coaches might still see her teammates. Opinion is fine Sonny but you included in it material that shaped something as Diamond's opinion. That is not simply opinion it is putting words in someone's mouth.

Other the other hand buck, you were having the exchange with doggy about playing time which was equally speculative and undocumented.

 

[Icebear]

Near as I can tell, a post in this thread seems to be the source of 'star' stuff...

LINK

So the source of this material is a seldom poster and fan of another team who notes "other message boards." That is great credibility. A perfect example of how rumor and opinions can be transfromed into "facts."

wes33 wrote:"I have read numerous times on message boards that she wants to be the star on the team she signs with. UNC is about the only one that offers that."




Thanks, pap.

 

[doggydaddy]

So the source of this material is a seldom poster and fan of another team who notes "other message boards." That is great credibility. A perfect example of how rumor and opinions can be transfromed into "facts."

wes33 wrote:"I have read numerous times on message boards that she wants to be the star on the team she signs with. UNC is about the only one that offers that."




Thanks, pap.

Opinion is fine, but when it is based on something that is not true, that opinion has to be revisited and more thoughtful.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

wes33 wrote:"I have read numerous times on message boards that she wants to be the star on the team she signs with. UNC is about the only one that offers that."


The content of "numerous times(what she said)" is a base canard IMO... I love to say base canard, especially in bold type.

 

[Tonyc]

Geno dosnt start freshman unless he has no other choice. They need to learn the system and learn to play within the system. They need to learn to play with their teammates. That takes time and practice. Another reason why. Because if Geno starts a freshman and shes fumbleing around because she dosnt know the plays and isnt intune with the chemistry then he has to sit her. Mentally thats a big blow. Mentally shes a failure. By coming off the bench shes earning her playtime without any pressure of having to perform. When you work hard for something and earn it, it means more to you and eliminates learning as you go which could be critical during the season, as you are deemed to make freshman mistakes. Nobody ever becomes anything when their handed somethng without working for it and earning it. Breanna most likely will not start for those reasons.

Now will she get alot of playtime along with Morgan and Mo yes but only when they earn it and Im confident they will earn it fast. Everything has to become second nature or reflexive, in other words no thinking, and being on the same page as every other player on the roster. They must be able to play with confidence and execute without thinking about it. There can be no self doubt.

Another point how do you tell an upperclassman who has worked her tail off and earned a starting position that your not starting her and she sits on the bench and watchs a freshman play in her place making freshman mistakes. There are exceptions but I dont see that happening until November when the season starts.

Could Breanna stop Griner with her wing span. Well I think she could but we will have to wait and see how she develops next season. All great freshman need to be developed and none of them can play to their potential when they have self doubt. Self doubt comes from failing at the highest level and UConn is at the highest level. As great as Breanna and the other incoming freshman are, they are great in HS where they are the go to player. At UConn they will be one of many and need to learn to play within a team concept and play within that team concept without screwing up and costing UConn a Championship. They must play with confidence and that comes with practice and coaching.

As far as Diamond. Nothing will change. IMO she will come to UConn because she will be developed, and win Championships. On this team she will be able to shine as not one player on this team can be guarded one on one. Diamond will be able to showcase her abilities like she can at no other place. Another reason is her dad was a great major league ballplayer and he wants her developed at the highest level. At UConn she can get that. I just read a post being the star. Well there is no better way to become a star then being surrounded by stars. If your not surrounded by stars in most cases you become a shooting star and their life span changes game to game. You see if you face a great defense your dead because defenses will key on you much like UConn does. But if you playing for a great team with alot of great players they cant key on you.

 

[Sonny44]

Near as I can tell, a post in this thread seems to be the source of 'star' stuff...

LINK

Thanks, yes.
But there were others going farther back.