I feel honored to be in the company of your great mind Veteran!
All true about Nika, Jazz. You couldn't have said it better! I can't wait for the tourney to begin.
And guess who knew exactly what he was doing when he got in her face and then prodded her?Terrific observation BBallF. I never quite thought of it that way.
I bet she never, not even for a split second thought of packing it in and going home or transferring anywhere else. Through those tears, she probably thought 'I'm gonna show you, you damn SOB!'
Wait, you just invented a new basketball term for the BY. "Fribbling" means dribbling with fear because it is going to be stolen by Nika.
. As Geno said earlier in the season "she is as stubborn as a Mühl!"
I think she does:
I think that should be the winner for neologism of the year on the BY all star list.
How can a Bama fan utilize terms like neologism? ? ? Is that the study of old logs?
New logs😇
Classic case of knowing that you have to treat each player differently. The same technique might not work with another player, but it seems GA knew how tough NM was/is and knew how to get through to her. He is really good at psychology as well which is very important in coaching today's kids.
Thanks for posting, that's a good insight that's led me to this thought: Geno has always known that Nika is tough as nails and focused as all getout. In that game, she'd obviously lost focus, and Geno pointed that out in a (emphatic) way that might deflate most players, but he knew that Nika of all people would respond as he intended.
Thoughtful insight Bigboote! That may have been a bit of a turning point. It is possible that the scolding NM received and the tears that followed sort of brought them together even more. NM's toughness, even as a freshman, may be rubbing off on the rest of the team.
Yup, now she can work on the jump and the quick release, and being the athlete she is she will pick it up quickly.
After Nika had the big scoring game against Creighton in late February, she did the post game interview along with CW. During that session she was asked about her back and forth with Geno. She says that she was struggling to understand how to play within the system here, and arguing with Geno during practices. CW says that Nika had a hard time accepting what was a foul in WCBB. Nika admits that once she started listening to Geno and the coaches, the game became easier for her and that team defense improved. She says that "You can't win an argument with him." I believe that she had her "Road to Tarsus" moment that night when she was called to the bench and openly chastised. Geno has the knack for judging how far each kid can be pushed, and you could see in her eyes that night that he got his message across. She has been on an upward trajectory since then for sure. I believe she and Geno "get' each other pretty well. Onward and upward, Nika!