Azura article (sorry if this is a repeat)

[HuskyNan]

Duke transfer Azura Stevens adjusting well at UConn

Associate head coach Chris Dailey and assistant coach Marisa Moseley, who have seen former pupils Stefanie Dolson, Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck taken in the first round in the last three WNBA Drafts, will get to work for Stevens for as many as three seasons.

“I am so excited,” Stevens said. “Just being around them for the first month, learning different things that I didn’t know before, or didn’t think of before. And they have coached really great players, so knowing they are going to be coaching me is honestly a privilege.”

What does McCallie do? How can the UConn coaches be showing Azure things she's never seen before? Wow.

 

[reno tony]

Duke transfer Azura Stevens adjusting well at UConn

Associate head coach Chris Dailey and assistant coach Marisa Moseley, who have seen former pupils Stefanie Dolson, Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck taken in the first round in the last three WNBA Drafts, will get to work for Stevens for as many as three seasons.

“I am so excited,” Stevens said. “Just being around them for the first month, learning different things that I didn’t know before, or didn’t think of before. And they have coached really great players, so knowing they are going to be coaching me is honestly a privilege.”

What does McCallie do? How can the UConn coaches be showing Azure things she's never seen before? Wow.

They showed her a bowl full on N.C. rings.

 

[mdakota]

Duke transfer Azura Stevens adjusting well at UConn

Associate head coach Chris Dailey and assistant coach Marisa Moseley, who have seen former pupils Stefanie Dolson, Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck taken in the first round in the last three WNBA Drafts, will get to work for Stevens for as many as three seasons.

“I am so excited,” Stevens said. “Just being around them for the first month, learning different things that I didn’t know before, or didn’t think of before. And they have coached really great players, so knowing they are going to be coaching me is honestly a privilege.”

What does McCallie do? How can the UConn coaches be showing Azure things she's never seen before? Wow.

McCallie's too busy driving the bus.....

 

[JavaMan]

“I am so excited,” Stevens said. “Just being around them for the first month, learning different things that I didn’t know before, or didn’t think of before. And they have coached really great players, so knowing they are going to be coaching me is honestly a privilege.”

What a phenomenal testament to the UConn WBB program and coaches. Outstanding!

​

 

[triaddukefan]

I entered this thread expecting to read up on a particular shade of blue, silly me

 

[mhshuskies]

McCallie's too busy driving the bus.....

...but she has to stop to throw the players under it!

 

[Sonny44]

Duke transfer Azura Stevens adjusting well at UConn

Associate head coach Chris Dailey and assistant coach Marisa Moseley, who have seen former pupils Stefanie Dolson, Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck taken in the first round in the last three WNBA Drafts, will get to work for Stevens for as many as three seasons.

“I am so excited,” Stevens said. “Just being around them for the first month, learning different things that I didn’t know before, or didn’t think of before. And they have coached really great players, so knowing they are going to be coaching me is honestly a privilege.”

What does McCallie do? How can the UConn coaches be showing Azure things she's never seen before? Wow.

How about Character?

 

[JudgeSCR]

I think the UConn coaches will likely show Stevens a fair amount she hasn't seen or heard from McCallie -- putting aside the fact that Ms. McCallie doesn't seem to be a top tier coach (or person).

I think they will show Stevens what the "hard" in "practicing hard" really means and what the "tough" in "playing tough "feels like. I remember Stewie saying that the staff pushed her beyond what she thought were her limits. It is one of the reasons that even when UConn had a short bench you would see many of their players staying in for virtually the entire game and still out-hustle "fresher" players. Remember when announcers fretted that UConn would get worn down? Didn't happen.

I suspect they will teach her much about the mental aspect of the game. The offense UConn uses is very different. It forces you to read the situation, your teammate and react appropriately. Not a paint by numbers approach. It forces you to THINK about the game very differently.

They will teach her about backside help and what playing both individual and team defense involves.

None of the above even counts for the finer points of the game. How you use your defense stance to force your opponent to a specific side of the court or into your help defense, why it is important which had you raise on defense, when and how you set a screen. How you play a high low offense and pass the ball.

How to practice hard. Every day. Every moment of practice. What the pace of good practice looks like. Why so many of UConn's baskets are the result of a teammate's assist.

I know some of these are lessons yet to come and one might think this stuff (and more) is standard across college teams but I think it is likely not, and most probably not with Ms. McCallie's teams.

 

[mdakota]

...but she has to stop to throw the players under it!

She aiming for the other teams now

 

[cbraarj]

...but she has to stop to throw the players under it!

Off then Under,lol.

 

[EricLA]

What does McCallie do? How can the UConn coaches be showing Azure things she's never seen before? Wow.

They showed her a bowl full on N.C. rings.

Reno - I actually laughed out loud at your reply. While I know the coaches are showing much more than that, in reply to Nan's initial question, the reality is that there are very few, if any, coaching programs out there who do as much with their players in improving them as UCONN does. I am NOT saying that other teams aren't excellent at developing players, but consistently, we hear that UCONN players who enter the WNBA are the "most ready" of any rookies the HC's have ever coached.

Also, from what I understand, McCallie basically treats her job like it's a 9-5 gig, leaves a lot of the minutia in practices up to her assistants, and is relatively un-involved in the hoops lives of her players - she's more of a "big picture" gal - as in "I dream of NC's but lead my team to the NIT" - probably not the big picture she was dreaming of...

Still, you asked a fair question Nan. I've read quotes from players on the Olympic team who have said how much they love playing for Geno and how much he teaches them even in the short period of time he has them. And that's with the disadvantage of only having them for weeks at a time and being very limited to the "new" stuff he can roll out...

And not to repeat, but what Judge said pretty much sums up many of the specifics she will likely enjoy at UCONN...

 

[UcMiami]

I entered this thread expecting to read up on a particular shade of blue, silly me

But that is exactly what you got - by inference the difference between two different shades of Blue! The nice shiny National Flag blue and its pale cousin from NC (That is North Carolina and not National Championship!)

 

[shinobimono]

I entered this thread expecting to read up on a particular shade of blue, silly me

az·ure (ăzh′ər) - A bright blue, as of a clear sky

 

[JordyG]

Ho-hum. Another thread that shows why I avidly read the The BY. Can you guys do some boring threads once in a while like how to make oatmeal or what's the perfect bath salt?

Reno - I actually laughed out loud at your reply. While I know the coaches are showing much more than that, in reply to Nan's initial question, the reality is that there are very few, if any, coaching programs out there who do as much with their players in improving them as UCONN does. I am NOT saying that other teams aren't excellent at developing players, but consistently, we hear that UCONN players who enter the WNBA are the "most ready" of any rookies the HC's have ever coached.

Also, from what I understand, McCallie basically treats her job like it's a 9-5 gig, leaves a lot of the minutia in practices up to her assistants, and is relatively un-involved in the hoops lives of her players - she's more of a "big picture" gal - as in "I dream of NC's but lead my team to the NIT" - probably not the big picture she was dreaming of...

Still, you asked a fair question Nan. I've read quotes from players on the Olympic team who have said how much they love playing for Geno and how much he teaches them even in the short period of time he has them. And that's with the disadvantage of only having them for weeks at a time and being very limited to the "new" stuff he can roll out...

And not to repeat, but what Judge said pretty much sums up many of the specifics she will likely enjoy at UCONN...

I just caught up to this thread and you beat me to the quotes from the Olympic team members. Some players said every time they play for Geno they learn something new. As for McCallie to paraphrase CocoHusky, the stuff is on now. I can't wait to play her teams (or maybe Dawn will hopefully get to her first. Love Dawn) and smash her and her comments into the dirt. From now until McCallie reaches puberty.

 

[triaddukefan]

az·ure (ăzh′ər) - A bright blue, as of a clear sky

Huskynan edited the title this evening

 

[Carnac]

I think the UConn coaches will likely show Stevens a fair amount she hasn't seen or heard from McCallie -- putting aside the fact that Ms. McCallie doesn't seem to be a top tier coach (or person).

I think they will show Stevens what the "hard" in "practicing hard" really means and what the "tough" in "playing tough "feels like. I remember Stewie saying that the staff pushed her beyond what she thought were her limits. It is one of the reasons that even when UConn had a short bench you would see many of their players staying in for virtually the entire game and still out-hustle "fresher" players. Remember when announcers fretted that UConn would get worn down? Didn't happen.

I suspect they will teach her much about the mental aspect of the game. The offense UConn uses is very different. It forces you to read the situation, your teammate and react appropriately. Not a paint by numbers approach. It forces you to THINK about the game very differently.

They will teach her about backside help and what playing both individual and team defense involves.

None of the above even counts for the finer points of the game. How you use your defense stance to force your opponent to a specific side of the court or into your help defense, why it is important which had you raise on defense, when and how you set a screen. How you play a high low offense and pass the ball.

How to practice hard. Every day. Every moment of practice. What the pace of good practice looks like. Why so many of UConn's baskets are the result of a teammate's assist.

I know some of these are lessons yet to come and one might think this stuff (and more) is standard across college teams but I think it is likely not, and most probably not with Ms. McCallie's teams.

A good point. An illustration of this is when Little Miss Muffet (McGraw) lamented after her team lost to UConn in the 2014 NCAA championship game 3 years ago in Nashville. She said "We kept waiting for them to substitute for some of the starters, but they never did". One of the many hallmarks of UConn women's basketball is that the starters are conditioned mentally and physically to play 40 minutes in the BIG games if they have to.