DePaul Game Notes

[JavaMan]

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[WiseOne]

My nerves are calming by the day...thanks! Keep progressing Dangerfield! Go UCONN!!!!!!!!!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If we need Crystal to handle DePaul at Gampel, then we are doomed! It is true that this team has shown vulnerability to the 3 and Bruno will try to platoon us into exhaustion. If Butler can build on the last game and Geno can spread our defense somewhat .... I'd rather not rush Crystal back and I'm sure Gen & Co. won't. Protocol would call for a full contact scrimmage tomorrow and it being game day I don't see that happening, but what do I know.

 

[Carnac]

It's interesting how Crystal's status has changed over the first two weeks. She went from unproven freshman on the bench, to a much needed and depended upon 6th man spark off the bench.
We can win without Crystal against DePaul, but the trek up THAT hill will be a lot steeper. We're going to need her for those other two games. I agree that she cannot be rushed back.

 

[bags27]

Crystal has played parts of 4 college games in her life. She's almost certainly playing against TX, which makes 5, unless she plays against DePaul, which makes 6. We will need her very, very badly next week against ND. In the meantime the more competition she sees, the more she gets to play with her team so that they can all be on the same page, especially with her extraordinary up-tempo passing, the better.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Over a week since the concussion, and she's still not normal. I'll bet her parents are very distraught. Forget the game. Let's hope that she makes a full recovery soon. Sports are replete with stories of young kids who suffer bad concussions and never play again.

Hoping for her good health.

 

[bags27]

Over a week since the concussion, and she's still not normal. I'll bet her parents are very distraught. Forget the game. Let's hope that she makes a full recovery soon. Sports are replete with stories of young kids who suffer bad concussions and never play again.

Hoping for her good health.

My sense is that she didn't even KNOW she had a concussion (which she might not actually have) until she tried to practice on Sat. Then they put her through the protocol and she's doing well, according to Geno. No reason to think she's "not normal" at this point. She's checked every box to recovery. I fully realize that severe concussions can be life-altering. This hardly seems like that. Why are you stretching to make this seem so dire?

 

[JavaMan]

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[Alydar]

If participating in a full contact practice without symptoms is the last step before playing, and if UConn is only having a non-contact practice between now and tomorrow night then why is she listed as questionable? I would think that no practice would mean OUT for the DePaul game.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

(which she might not actually have

Just something a tad short of that bags? They don't have her in the protocol for laughs. If we lose one or two in December and have Crystal flummox opponents for the rest of the year I'm good with that. Don't need no Jamie Carey drama here! Gag, did that kid milk that drama or what! Never seen Geno look more scornfully at an opponent. Can't find the pix.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

If participating in a full contact practice without symptoms is the last step before playing, and if UConn is only having a non-contact practice between now and tomorrow night then why is she listed as questionable? I would think that no practice would mean OUT for the DePaul game.

If she is suffering concussion symptoms, she suffered a concussion. If someone is having after-affects of a concussion for over a week, it's serious. Certainly we hope that it all clears up, and nothing like this ever happens again. But let's be clear that this is brain damage. And it's cumulative. And each succeeding trauma to the brain tends to make it easier for a concussion to occur. So were I this young lady's parent, I would be concerned.

Of course, we're all hoping that this was the first concussion, and that she hasn't suffered more in the past. But the fact that it appears that she suffered this concussion with such a glancing and modest blow to the head makes one wonder if it wasn't her first.

Fingers crossed.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She went from unproven freshman on the bench, to a much needed and depended upon 6th man spark off the bench.

That's not true Carnac. You know she's our new PG. Geno is just getting her mind right.

 

[Alydar]

If she is suffering concussion symptoms, she suffered a concussion. If someone is having after-affects of a concussion for over a week, it's serious. Certainly we hope that it all clears up, and nothing like this ever happens again. But let's be clear that this is brain damage. And it's cumulative. And each succeeding trauma to the brain tends to make it easier for a concussion to occur. So were I this young lady's parent, I would be concerned.

Of course, we're all hoping that this was the first concussion, and that she hasn't suffered more in the past. But the fact that it appears that she suffered this concussion with such a glancing and modest blow to the head makes one wonder if it wasn't her first.

Fingers crossed.

The fact that it happened a week ago may not be the best measure of its severity. The protocol is the same for a bad and a mild concussion and it takes time to work through the 4 steps.

And I saw the hit to her head and wouldn't be so quick to characterize it as either modest or glancing. I'm sure the staff will err on the side of caution.

 

[Carnac]

That's not true Carnac. You know she's our new PG. Geno is just getting her mind right.

I know. We're just waiting for Geno to insert her in the starting line-up. That means somebody gets pulled. Who is it going to be? My guess is Chong, but what do I know You realize that Crystal been coming in during the first quarter earlier and earlier with each passing game. Maybe right now she's more comfortable coming in off the bench, but when she hits the floor, sparks fly. I expect to see start sometime THIS month.

 

[JavaMan]

Capsule: No. 15 DePaul At No. 2 UConn


What To Watch

Unpredictable Bruno: DePaul coach Doug Bruno is one of Geno Auriemma's best friends. He served as an assistant on the Olympic team and Auriemma said he admires Bruno's competitiveness. Another trait of Bruno's coaching style in that he's unpredictable. Last year, DePaul subbed players often and shot three-pointers as it gave UConn all it could handle. The Huskies ultimately won by 16 points, but it was the team's first challenge of the season. What will DePaul do this season? Tune in Thursday. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 108-84 win over Syracuse and their only loss came against Baylor. Their current ranking is their highest since the 2010-11 season.

Crystal's status: Freshman sensation Crystal Dangerfield did not play Tuesday against Chattanooga and it's not known if she will play Thursday. She collided with an opponent against Dayton last week and felt uneasy during practice Saturday, so she was sidelined for two practices as she was treated for concussion-like symptoms. She passed protocol tests Tuesday and was scheduled to undergo a test Wednesday. If she passed that and passes another test at shootaround Thursday morning, she would be cleared to play. If not, UConn will again give minutes to freshman Molly Bent. She played a season-high 18 minutes against Chattanooga.

Full Article [HERE]

 

[j66kicker]

Over a week since the concussion, and she's still not normal. I'll bet her parents are very distraught. Forget the game. Let's hope that she makes a full recovery soon. Sports are replete with stories of young kids who suffer bad concussions and never play again.

Hoping for her good health.

I don't think anyone said she's "not normal" - they're just following the protocol, and they started it way late because of the Thanksgiving holiday. In the NFL it takes about 3-4 days (or 3-4 minutes if the player is really needed). This is a very long time for a normal concussion protocol.

 

[bags27]

Right you are j66kicker.

We have no idea if she'd been suffering concussion symptoms for over a week! All we know is that when she returned from Thanksgiving and felt symptoms while practicing on Saturday and they started the protocol. That Geno is optimistic (even if it turns out to be unrealistic) about her playing tomorrow night suggests that she's checking every box so far. I have taught more hockey and football players than I care to count who have gone through this protocol, returned to competition and completed my courses. By no means am I minimizing how potentially serious and debilitating a concussion can be. But we know virtually nothing about this case (nor should we, as medical records are legally protected), and everything else is speculation.

 

[JavaMan]

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[bags27]

Just something a tad short of that bags? They don't have her in the protocol for laughs. If we lose one or two in December and have Crystal flummox opponents for the rest of the year I'm good with that. Don't need no Jamie Carey drama here! Gag, did that kid milk that drama or what! Never seen Geno look more scornfully at an opponent. Can't find the pix.

No, Rocky, but what, precisely IS a concussion and how is it determined? does any of us here know? Maybe if there's a previous EEG to establish a baseline and then one to compare it to after the collision, I would imagine (I do not know) that one could make a scientific call. But barring that, it's descriptive of symptoms, not analytical. And there will be concussions which are obvious (e.g. can't answer easy questions) and ones that aren't (e.g. where the patient has to self-report a headache). What we've done, appropriately, is in all instances err on the side of caution. All manifestations of symptoms are therefore called concussion-like and treated with the same protocol as if it were a concussion. And to the extent one quickly progresses through the protocol, we declare the patient safe to compete again.

Certainly, symptoms can persist for months--even years--afterwards. A dear friend and great doctor is now unemployable because of her concussion. So no minimizing on my part. My plea is not to speculate, not to impute emotions to her parents, etc.

 

[Wbbfan1]

DePaul is ranked 5th in Scoring Offense at 89.2 UConn 27th at 80.8
Scoring Defense DePaul Ranked 323 Giving up 76.8 per game. UConn 93rd Giving up 59.6

UConn Stats Summary: NCAA Statistics
DePaul Stats Summary: NCAA Statistics

 

[oldude]

From what I know about concussion protocol, it's not an exact science. Medical personnel must first establish a baseline for the affected athlete, and then determine the cognitive and symptomatic variance from that baseline. What makes it difficult is that every athlete"s baseline may be different. For instance, an athlete with ADHD may have a much different baseline than another athlete. Furthermore, establishing a baseline and cognitive and symptomatic variance depends greatly on the athlete's description of how they feel, i.e. "Are you having difficulty focusing?" This process is repeated through each step in the 5 step protocol. With the imprecise nature of the analysis, the rule of thumb should always be if there is any doubt about the athlete's recovery, they don't play.

 

[j66kicker]

No, Rocky, but what, precisely IS a concussion and how is it determined? does any of us here know? Maybe if there's a previous EEG to establish a baseline and then one to compare it to after the collision, I would imagine (I do not know) that one could make a scientific call. But barring that, it's descriptive of symptoms, not analytical. And there will be concussions which are obvious (e.g. can't answer easy questions) and ones that aren't (e.g. where the patient has to self-report a headache). What we've done, appropriately, is in all instances err on the side of caution. All manifestations of symptoms are therefore called concussion-like and treated with the same protocol as if it were a concussion. And to the extent one quickly progresses through the protocol, we declare the patient safe to compete again.

Certainly, symptoms can persist for months--even years--afterwards. A dear friend and great doctor is now unemployable because of her concussion. So no minimizing on my part. My plea is not to speculate, not to impute emotions to her parents, etc.

For a great education on sports-related concussions, read League of Denial by Mark Fainaru-Wada (investigative reporter who wrote Game of Shadows and broke the Barry Bonds/BALCO scandal) and Steve Fainaru (Mark's brother).
Amazon.com: League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth (9780770437565): Mark Fainaru-Wada, Steve Fainaru: Books

 

[JavaMan]

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
No. 15/14 DePaul at No. 2/2 Connecticut​

STORRS, Conn. – Armed with its highest ranking since 2011, the No. 15/14 DePaul women’s basketball team plays at No. 2/2 Connecticut at 7 p.m. (ET) on Thursday at Gampel Pavilion. The game will be broadcast on SNY and will also be carried on Comcast SportsNet Plus in Chicago and on ESPN3 with Eric Frede, Meg Culmo and Justine Ward on the call. Gametracker is available while in-game scoring and notes can be followed on Twitter -- @DePaulAthletics and @DePaulWBBSID.

Thursday’s game marks DePaul’s third straight game against a ranked team. The Blue Demons (5-1) are coming off an impressive 108-84 victory over then-No. 11/18 Syracuse which propelled them to a third place finish at the Gulf Coast Showcase. While in Florida, DePaul dropped a game to No. 5/6 Baylor (104-72) while it also defeated Western Kentucky (77-69), who was receiving votes in both national polls.

[MORE]

 

[JavaMan]

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[Jeff H]

Over a week since the concussion, and she's still not normal. I'll bet her parents are very distraught. Forget the game. Let's hope that she makes a full recovery soon. Sports are replete with stories of young kids who suffer bad concussions and never play again.

Hoping for her good health.

I've dealt with more player concussions (at high school level) than I care to count. With our protocol it almost always takes at least two weeks to get back. If Crystal was practicing non-contact yesterday that would seem to indicate no serious difficulties.