A different Season is approaching

[Tonyc]

We have a terrific incoming class. Talent athleticism and confidence. But they are in college now. They are at UConn now. This class is special and next years class and the class following are very special too. So as we start this season with two starters we depended on in tuff game situations who are now gone who do we turn too? Well we have grown from last season and we have no seniors which means everybody will be coming back not accounting for injuries and those who may leave to play pro ball. What is most important these first few games is to find out where we're at. Where each player is and how they can contribute to this team. We need to learn to play together as a team. We need to play defense. We need to blend and work together and not be dependent while being dependent on those who know Genos system. Hey guys we are going to make silly mistakes because we are young but we are talented and that can overcome alot.

This is a different team because we are not sure what to expect. We are really good but were not a polished UConn team like those in the past. We've seen great high school AAs struggle at UConn, which makes me feel we will see some of that this season. When you havent played a college game in your life its different. You have to think about where your suppose to be. Its a work in process. Stumbling forward as you learn and develop as an individual and as a team.

A couple of things. You came here because you were one of the best. At practice you compete against the best which makes you better. You learn Genos system and you all work hard. This team lacks experience in many of their players and they make up for it with talent. Confidence comes from doing the fundamentals over and over again until it becomes reflexive. Talent leads to in grown reaction to situations you can anticipate before they are happening. We've got that.

I expect this years team to become a steam roller over opponents. How long will it take for that to happen? As long as it takes. Be patient and watch with an open mind. We dont know how long it will take. We do know what we've got and imo we've got a FF team that can win a NC. They could also go undefeated when they mature and develop. This is one of the most talented teams Geno has ever had. They have their weakness's and flaws, but they do have it all, and over the next 2 years they will be even better. This is a monster team in the making. So as we go through our ups and downs in games over the next month understand we are going through growing pains. We are developing into a team that will be almost untouchable for a very long time. Dont get down on them. Enjoy them. Geno has built a dynasty before and this looks to be the greatest of them all. We're Going to the TOP......the Very Top

 

[The CDR-Ret]

We have a terrific incoming class. Talent athleticism and confidence. But they are in college now. They are at UConn now. This class is special and next years class and the class following are very special too. So as we start this season with two starters we depended on in tuff game situations who are now gone who do we turn too? Well we have grown from last season and we have no seniors which means everybody will be coming back not accounting for injuries and those who may leave to play pro ball. What is most important these first few games is to find out where we're at. Where each player is and how they can contribute to this team. We need to learn to play together as a team. We need to play defense. We need to blend and work together and not be dependent while being dependent on those who know Genos system. Hey guys we are going to make silly mistakes because we are young but we are talented and that can overcome alot.

This is a different team because we are not sure what to expect. We are really good but were not a polished UConn team like those in the past. We've seen great high school AAs struggle at UConn, which makes me feel we will see some of that this season. When you havent played a college game in your life its different. You have to think about where your suppose to be. Its a work in process. Stumbling forward as you learn and develop as an individual and as a team.

A couple of things. You came here because you were one of the best. At practice you compete against the best which makes you better. You learn Genos system and you all work hard. This team lacks experience in many of their players and they make up for it with talent. Confidence comes from doing the fundamentals over and over again until it becomes reflexive. Talent leads to in grown reaction to situations you can anticipate before they are happening. We've got that.

I expect this years team to become a steam roller over opponents. How long will it take for that to happen? As long as it takes. Be patient and watch with an open mind. We dont know how long it will take. We do know what we've got and imo we've got a FF team that can win a NC. They could also go undefeated when they mature and develop. This is one of the most talented teams Geno has ever had. They have their weakness's and flaws, but they do have it all, and over the next 2 years they will be even better. This is a monster team in the making. So as we go through our ups and downs in games over the next month understand we are going through growing pains. We are developing into a team that will be almost untouchable for a very long time. Dont get down on them. Enjoy them. Geno has built a dynasty before and this looks to be the greatest of them all.

I agree with your assessment!
Our High School restarted the wrestling team with a young coach when I arrived to teach Chemistry and Physics (calculus-based) for dual credit, and he has grown the program to cover 13 of the 14 weight classes for the first time this year, after getting the first wrestler through to the second day of the state finals at Banker's Life Fieldhouse last year (Indiana). I talked to one of our "veteran" wrestlers about how one can take risks when one knows they can score many points and make the "game" move faster than one's opponent is willing to move.
I believe the UCONN women can do just that. They can take risks to move the ball faster than the opponents can react, as their ability to close off passing lanes will be able to get the ball back quickly and capitalize using their speed. I hope it will be like my submarine team playing a French submarine's team on their home court in Toulon, France, and crushing them 109-16. I actually held them to seven points in the second half as we had one playyer near mid-court and the other three players stayed on the offensive end outside the 3-point line. I must have had around 22 blocks in the second half alone, caught them & through them to the player at mid-court, who then had his choice of 3-point shooters to pass towards. I was doing my best imitation of what Gabby Williams would do many years later. My thought was that I was not a scoring threat with an open lane, but with my background in wrestling and high jump, I was never worried about giving up scores even in a one versus five fast break. The funny part was that one of my partial blocks actually resulted in one of their three point shots to go in (three of the seven points scored in the second half).
Now that I have made a short story long, I cannot wait to see the speed at which the UCONN women play this year!!! Finally inside seven days to go..... Go UCONN!!!

 

[bluedevil]

I agree with your assessment!
Our High School restarted the wrestling team with a young coach when I arrived to teach Chemistry and Physics (calculus-based) for dual credit, and he has grown the program to cover 13 of the 14 weight classes for the first time this year, after getting the first wrestler through to the second day of the state finals at Banker's Life Fieldhouse last year (Indiana). I talked to one of our "veteran" wrestlers about how one can take risks when one knows they can score many points and make the "game" move faster than one's opponent is willing to move.
I believe the UCONN women can do just that. They can take risks to move the ball faster than the opponents can react, as their ability to close off passing lanes will be able to get the ball back quickly and capitalize using their speed. I hope it will be like my submarine team playing a French submarine's team on their home court in Toulon, France, and crushing them 109-16. I actually held them to seven points in the second half as we had one playyer near mid-court and the other three players stayed on the offensive end outside the 3-point line. I must have had around 22 blocks in the second half alone, caught them & through them to the player at mid-court, who then had his choice of 3-point shooters to pass towards. I was doing my best imitation of what Gabby Williams would do many years later. My thought was that I was not a scoring threat with an open lane, but with my background in wrestling and high jump, I was never worried about giving up scores even in a one versus five fast break. The funny part was that one of my partial blocks actually resulted in one of their three point shots to go in (three of the seven points scored in the second half).
Now that I have made a short story long, I cannot wait to see the speed at which the UCONN women play this year!!! Finally inside seven days to go..... Go UCONN!!!

what is a submarine team? Do they make foot longs?..Fire torpedos?

 

[msf22b]

It is a rare occasion when I (or anyone else on this site) is more optimistic
than our beloved Tony C...but this evening, I am.

The amount of talent Geno has accumulated is prodigious
The Freshman are a team within a team.
International and semi-pro experience in abundance
Different from collegiate; yes; but (almost) equivalent
There will be be moments; segments in which we will tear our hair out...
But the outcome will rarely be in doubt.
Pure talent rules...Geno knows...
Read between the lines of the Adamec piece....
He knows what he's got...and it won't take long.

 

[veryolddog]

I agree with Tony's assessment. However, I think that with the talent that this Team has on board, that we will be impressed sooner than we think. I will give these young folk credit to be hard chargers and fast learners under Geno's tutelege, and that they will pursue excellence with a desire to demostrate far more than what we have seen to date.

 

[MSGRET]

I just hope and pray that we will be able to see this team all the way through the NCAA Tournament and hopefully this talent can bring home a 12th NC in these trying times.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

what is a submarine team? Do they make foot longs?..Fire torpedos?

A submarine team is made up of a few people with talent for any given sport and those who will give anything a try because they don't want their shipmates to lack enough to make the minimum number of starters (out of the 100-ish personnel onboard), who are not on-watch that day. In basketball, I was one of the latter. Regardless, we all still "refuse to lose," Needless to say, not much basketball gets practiced onboard a submarine, but plenty of stories are told on the mid-watches.... The day we played the French, three of the better players were coming off watch and had been challenged by our hosts to a basketball game because the Frenchmen were taller than two of them, so they asked if I would like to play against the French team.
The punch line to this is that we had a fleet exercise against the French carrier battelgroup scheduled for two days later, and we "sank" their carrier [simulated of course] with 5 minutes left on the three day clock to win the exercise (also with 1 nautical Mile inside the excercise zone). If either of the time and space limits had expired, we would not have won.
In a different submarine, at a different time it was vs. Australia in rugby, but we only had one former player {not me] but won nevertheless....

 

[bluedevil]

A submarine team is made up of a few people with talent for any given sport and those who will give anything a try because they don't want their shipmates to lack enough to make the minimum number of starters (out of the 100-ish personnel onboard), who are not on-watch that day. In basketball, I was one of the latter. Regardless, we all still "refuse to lose," Needless to say, not much basketball gets practiced onboard a submarine, but plenty of stories are told on the mid-watches.... The day we played the French, three of the better players were coming off watch and had been challenged by our hosts to a basketball game because the Frenchmen were taller than two of them, so they asked if I would like to play against the French team.
The punch line to this is that we had a fleet exercise against the French carrier battelgroup scheduled for two days later, and we "sank" their carrier [simulated of course] with 5 minutes left on the three day clock to win the exercise (also with 1 nautical Mile inside the excercise zone). If either of the time and space limits had expired, we would not have won.
In a different submarine, at a different time it was vs. Australia in rugby, but we only had one former player {not me] but won nevertheless....

Thank you..I completely missed that..didn't notice the avatar..