Geno in California

[cardfan]

Maybe, maybe not tomcat. I agree the chances of her going to Stanford are much greater than i think her chances of coming to UCONN are, but one pitch that Geno can make that Stanford can't is that the likelihood of winning a NC is MUCH higher at UCONN than at Stanford.

Sorry Stanford fans, but Tara won NC's in 1990 and 1992. She's certainly made it to the NC game since then, but Geno has won 7 NC's 1995. Tara - 0.

The reality is that the chances of winning a NC are greater at UCONN than they are at Stanford. I think even our Stanford posters would agree. Having said that, Stanford is one of the top schools in the nation, in a great location, and Tara is a great coach. I think it's unlikely that she goes to UCONN, but if NC's are important enough for her, it might be enough to sway her our way...

again, because you have 'deeper' level of talent. We have top talent, but have not gone as deep due to admissions. Sure, we get talented, smart players, but who many players don't we get who can't get in. And we don't get all smart kids, see Lobo, Bird, Diggins, Buck, etc. There is no way we could have to F4 had our top players been hurt (like you and Svet and forgot who else). Injuries have been a major, major challenge for us getting to F4s and winning it more often, which again, do not take away from Tara's coaching abilities. If anything, she has achieved more, with less.

 

[ochoopsfan]

You might want to take a couple of things into account regarding where KLS might wind up.
She did play for a different AAU club team before joining her current team, Cal Swish.
She will only play with her sister, Karlie, for two years if she went to Stanford. So the UConn recruiting strategy is a lot different vs if a sister was there for all 4 years.
And as some have said, she may want to win a NC and UConn would be a favorite over the Farm.

 

[cardfan]

Don't know if Lobo applied there, but Tara recruited her pretty hard and if she applied she probably would have been accepted. Supposedly that was a factor in why Tara was less than fond of Rebecca during her Olympics. But again, she wasn't from CA, which does make some difference.

If you read the 2 two books about '96 Olympics, including Tara's book, "Shooting from the Outside", Tara liked Lobo, she just wasn't sure she had the big post body to endure International play.

 

[Husky7882]

One example? Sounds like she never applied and was excepted. Have there been any players that were accepted to Stanford that ended up at UConn?

I don't know if all 3 were accepted by Stanford, but I remember reading the names of R. Lobo, A. Strother and S. Bird associated with Stanford. Someone with a younger brain than mine might recall the details better.

 

[cardfan]

I don't know if all 3 were accepted by Stanford, but I remember reading the names of R. Lobo, A. Strother and S. Bird associated with Stanford. Someone with a younger brain than mine might recall the details better.

Strother and Bird were accepted, I don't recall if Lobo (or Buck) applied, but assume they would have been admitted.

 

[cohenzone]

If you read the 2 two books about '96 Olympics, including Tara's book, "Shooting from the Outside", Tara liked Lobo, she just wasn't sure she had the big post body to endure International play.

Let's just say based on some reliable inside information, I don't think there would be universal agreement with Tara's depiction of her treatment of Lobo. Lobo was pretty versatile.

 

[cardfan]

Let's just say based on some reliable inside information, I don't think there would be universal agreement with Tara's depiction of her treatment of Lobo. Lobo was pretty versatile.

not as versatile as others. I read both books and have heard Tara talk about the US team, many times.

 

[JS]

I don't recall if Lobo (or Buck) applied, but assume they would have been admitted.

In a commencement address a few years ago, Rebecca related how in her senior HS year she had narrowed her choices to five schools, including UConn and Stanford. Others were Notre Dame, Northwestern and Virginia.

Doesn't quite confirm there was an application and acceptance, but she clearly considered Stanford to be an available option.

Similarly, the Bootleg reported in Heather's senior year that her final four were UConn, Stanford, Maryland and Holy Cross.

 

[cohenzone]

not as versatile as others. I read both books and have heard Tara talk about the US team, many times.

All ancient history and Tara my recount it as she wishes.

 

[cardfan]

All ancient history and Tara my recount it as she wishes.

well, she was there, and you and I weren't. Read her book.

 

[Phil]

If you read the 2 two books about '96 Olympics, including Tara's book, "Shooting from the Outside", Tara liked Lobo, she just wasn't sure she had the big post body to endure International play.

I recently finished the book. One of the things I was concerned about, when I picked it up, would be the treatment of Lobo, because I had heard rumors that Tara wasn't Lobo's biggest fan. However, I came away with a positive impression of the interaction. Tara was extremely concerned about post play due tot he committee's selections, but it was more of a concern about experience than ability in the case of Lobo. Tara was extremely concerned about China, who had a 6' 8" player, and thought the original selection didn't have enough posts. While she didn't voice her concerns loudly, she did express them. My guess is that her concerns about lack of posts were interpreted as concerns about Lobo. The committee originally selected 11 players, and added a 12th player late. That last player was Venus Lacey, which made Tara very happy. Another thing that may have contributed to the feeling was that Lobo was the media darling, for a variety of reasons, so some people, especially UConn fans, interpreted that to mean she was the best player on the team. When Lobo didn't start, and didn't get 30 minutes of playing time, some thought this meant Tara didn't like her. Not the case.

 

[JS]

well, she was there, and you and I weren't. Read her book.

Some UConn fans will agree with you, cardfan, but neither you nor Tara will ever convince others.

Seems this is one of those things, be it myth or history, that has to surface every now and then among us old geezers and crones who sit around the fire and trade recollections.

Must say, invoking the analogy of the criminal justice system, an accused having been "there" may establish his opportunity but hardly establishes his story of what happened.

 

[cohenzone]

Some UConn fans will agree with you, cardfan, but neither you nor Tara will ever convince others.

Seems this is one of those things, be it myth or history, that has to surface every now and then among us old geezers and crones who sit around the fire and trade recollections.

Must say, invoking the analogy of the criminal justice system, an accused having been "there" may establish his opportunity but hardly establishes his story of what happened.

I stand by my sources who were much closer to Rebecca than I will wager any of you are to Tara.

 

[reno tony]

Maybe we will get lucky and this sister will actually be interested in winning a N.C. instead of just playing in the N.C. game.

 

[Husky1964]

Lets not forget when the National team visited Gampel Tara did not Play Rebecca more than a minute or 2 if at all, in the games dying moments!!!!!!

 

[MaineFan]

hey, is there any more information available about Geno's trip to California? Or about going on to Arizona?

 

[cardfan]

I stand by my sources who were much closer to Rebecca than I will wager any of you are to Tara.

you'd lose that bet, big time.

 

[cardfan]

Some UConn fans will agree with you, cardfan, but neither you nor Tara will ever convince others.

Seems this is one of those things, be it myth or history, that has to surface every now and then among us old geezers and crones who sit around the fire and trade recollections.

Must say, invoking the analogy of the criminal justice system, an accused having been "there" may establish his opportunity but hardly establishes his story of what happened.

I understand that, I suggested to read her book to get her perspective on how she coached the team, and what she thought about Lobo. "Venus to the Hoop", the other book about that team is a good read, too.

 

[cardfan]

Lets not forget when the National team visited Gampel Tara did not Play Rebecca more than a minute or 2 if at all, in the games dying moments!!!!!!

and you'll read in Tara's book why she did that.

 

[EricLA]

Anyway I'm glad Geno was there to see Canada. As several have pointed out, if winning a NC is important enough to Katie Lou, she has a much greater chance of winning one at UCONN. I'm really really hoping we land a class that looks like Canada, Ekmark, Calhoun, Turner and Wilson. that would be unreal.

 

[UConnFan23]

and you'll read in Tara's book why she did that.

I'm not going to read the book, but I am really curious what the reason was Tara (who I've always liked, but this situation does have me wondering...) offered in the book. On the face of it, not playing someone, essentially at all, in their home gym and in front of their home crowd feels like a pretty hostile thing to do. What reason did Tara give to justify not playing her?

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Anyway I'm glad Geno was there to see Canada. As several have pointed out, if winning a NC is important enough to Katie Lou, she has a much greater chance of winning one at UCONN. I'm really really hoping we land a class that looks like Canada, Ekmark, Calhoun, Turner and Wilson. that would be unreal.

You mean he was not in California to see you? The nerve of some people.

 

[MilfordHusky]

You mean he was not in California to see you? The nerve of some people.

I saw Eric over Thanksgiving, but maybe I should have dropped in on Katie Lou instead.

 

[Aluminny69]

I'm not going to read the book, but I am really curious what the reason was Tara (who I've always liked, but this situation does have me wondering...) offered in the book. On the face of it, not playing someone, essentially at all, in their home gym and in front of their home crowd feels like a pretty hostile thing to do. What reason did Tara give to justify not playing her?

Good Timing By Tara

From the article:

``But it was the Rebecca Lobo situation that made things hairy in a lot of people's minds. ``Rebecca was coming out as the darling of college basketball. There were a lot of great players already on that Olympic team, but all anybody wanted to talk about was Rebecca Lobo, Rebecca Lobo.''
Lobo didn't start in a much-awaited exhibition return to Storrs. She shouldn't have. But VanDerveer played her only 13 minutes in a 36-point rout of UConn and that came off cold. She came off even colder, saying Lobo had a problem saying no to endorsements and needed to say yes to more conditioning. Many UConn fans thought VanDerveer was jealous of the adoration UConn had received and her distaste for Geno's flamboyance was being visited on Lobo.
``The kids on that team had a chance to really be showcased [when they return to their campuses] and it didn't happen here,'' Auriemma said. ``I don't know if it was resentment on her part toward the way Rebecca was being treated or she didn't like the way Rebecca was playing or working. I never did ask her.''
Attention for the women's game was secondary, VanDerveer said. Her job was to win a gold medal.
And she did.
That was a long time ago. On Wednesday, VanDerveer told Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News: ``I know the Connecticut fans don't like me. But I don't have a problem with Geno.''

 

[Aluminny69]

SHOOTING FROM THE OUTSIDE

Excerpt from a review of her book:

For much of the year, VanDerveer worried that her players were too small to beat the larger and more formidable Russian and Chinese women. She urged the team's sponsors to replace some of them, including media star Rebecca Lobo. When that didn't work, VanDerveer vented her concerns to USA Today.
She plays down the negative effect the resulting media flap must have had on Lobo and the rest of the team. "The comments were born out of frustration and my drive to win," she says, with little evident remorse. That's no surprise from a woman who prides herself on keeping a certain psychological remove from her players, the better to stay focused on the goal of winning.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Tara-VanDerveer-s-Full-Court-Press-Driven-2829477.php#ixzz2Eesxpc1q​