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Message: [QUOTE="#12in21, post: 4447981, member: 10763"] As to your point three. During their freshman year Geno pretty much from day one spoke of Paige, Aaliyah and Nika being "special players'. He saw something in each of them and as a group that I think gave him a little boost in keeping coaching. He knew what he had in Paige, as did the rest of the basketball world, but he also knew from day one that Aaliyah and Nika were going to be special players for Uconn. As much as he complains about each of them I think he has a special place in his heart for all three and come hell or high water wants to help them to each reach their potentials. Not because they are in any way simply favorites but rather he knows each of them want the challenges he will give them to become the best they can be. They want to be pushed to their limits by him to be the best they can be and do all they can for their team. I think he loves that about them. The point being that this season, both Aaliyah and Nika are being put in the position that they are the big dogs in their particular positions, no-one is in front of them its time to or get off the pot and they are both stepping up big time. Both those guys are big time team first players and are being put in the position of needing to have major impacts. And they are stepping up big time. For Geno, IMO with these two, it's more than being proud of them as their coach its almost a parent thing pride. What they are doing this season doesn't just energize their teammates, I think they energize Geno too. I may be off base but the way I see it, three guys in that class have given him a reason to keep on coaching. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach