Geno on DeBerry

[Charliebball]

Loved Geno's comment - "Are you someone who plays basketball, or are you a basketball player? Because if you want to be a basketball player, I need you to think, act, and talk like a basketball player. That will give me the opportunity to play you more minutes"...

Something like that. He used the analogy of "there are some people who play golf, and then there are Golfers".

I heard that but not entirely sure what she was doing to spark those comments.........

 

[BobbyJ]

I heard that but not entirely sure what she was doing to spark those comments.........

Probably not what she's doing but what she's not. To excel, not just be satisfied to part of the team at UConn's level you need to have the fire inside. Be willing to grind, scrap and force GA to play you. Not every kid who's been successful at the HS level has it but it has a lot to do with how good you become at the college level. Will she be happy to be on the team or does she want to excel? Looks like GA is going to find out early.

 

[Monte]

Then shouldn’t she be getting more court time?
I mean, what the...?

You state a very good point; if you want to win, and she is that good, then PLAY HER!

 

[Woof 101]

He talks about Amari at the 15 minute mark of this video. Hopefully she'll begin to act like a basketball player.

Good post and a good point by Geno presented here.

 

[hoophuskee]

I heard that but not entirely sure what she was doing to spark those comments.........

That's why it should be so tough to criticize harshly, right? After all the obscene winning that's been going on? Rather than assume we know who should be definitely playing, maybe just trust the extremely successful coach with 13 straight Final Fours and continued great recruiting, which top recruits keep coming, - that he knows what he is doing?

 

[Cuango]

It’s just amazing to me how a simple statement of praise for a freshman post by her coach can immediately trigger an argument by posters whose only knowledge of the player is what they have read and perhaps watching her play mop up minutes in blowouts! With all due respect, I think I’ll go with her coach who recruited her for years and who has interacted with her on and off the court for the last 6 months! I’m guessing he’s slightly more qualified to judge her skills than anyone on the boneyard!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Amari is the tallest and probably longest player on the team. She’s lean but bulkier than Liv. I think she’ll become rather strong. On Saturday, I sat next to a fan who works with Caroline’s uncle. This is surely hyperbole, but he said that Caroline has added 40 pounds of muscle since arriving at UConn in June. Pretty much every player looks stronger than last season.

 

[BobbyJ]

Amari is the tallest and probably longest player on the team. She’s lean but bulkier than Liv. I think she’ll become rather strong. On Saturday, I sat next to a fan who works with Caroline’s uncle. This is surely hyperbole, but he said that Caroline has added 40 pounds of muscle since arriving at UConn in June. Pretty much every player looks stronger than last season.

Guy must have been high. 10 pounds…….maybe.

 

[Florida Fan]

Then shouldn’t she be getting more court time?
I mean, what the...?

When does she pick up her AA award?

 

[CocoHusky]

It’s just amazing to me how a simple statement of praise for a freshman post by her coach can immediately trigger an argument by posters whose only knowledge of the player is what they have read and perhaps watching her play mop up minutes in blowouts! With all due respect, I think I’ll go with her coach who recruited her for years and who has interacted with her on and off the court for the last 6 months! I’m guessing he’s slightly more qualified to judge her skills than anyone on the boneyard!

I surprised you were surprise because Amari generated her own BY thread before she even made an appearance in a UCONN game.
BYers have many opinions on many subjects and not all of them were formed "perhaps" by the few minutes Amari has played in a UCONN uniform. These are not arguments they are difference of opinions and sorry ( not really) BY opinions sometimes differ from what Geno has said or done. Some of the opinions were definitely form from a misinterpretation of that simple statement and too much is being made of it entirely-oops that was really an opinion too.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Guy must have been high. 10 pounds…….maybe.

I agree--40 lbs. in 6 months is not possible, unless you're Sammy Sosa.

But the point is that she's a lot stronger than ever.

 

[oldhusky]

Then shouldn’t she be getting more court time?
I mean, what the...?

I think that was Geno's version of a backhanded compliment. Implying there are other things that are holding her back. Conditioning and reacting to the speed of the game have been mentioned previously, but his recent comments indicate there is potential there.

 

[LarryLegend]

Amari is the tallest and probably longest player on the team. She’s lean but bulkier than Liv. I think she’ll become rather strong. On Saturday, I sat next to a fan who works with Caroline’s uncle. This is surely hyperbole, but he said that Caroline has added 40 pounds of muscle since arriving at UConn in June. Pretty much every player looks stronger than last season.

and she added 6 feet to her vertical

 

[Stymie]

When does she pick up

Guy must have been high. 10 pounds…….maybe.

Or “Hands of Stone”.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

and she added 6 feet to her vertical

6 feet? Wow, so she’s over 12 feet tall now?

 

[CTyankee]

Playing her in tight games puts a burden on her she’s not ready for. Giving her limited minutes against various opponents is a way to ease her in to the rotation without overloading her with expectation that she has to be great right away

We're going into the Big East season shortly and I would be pretty sure he will use her often (maybe extensively) to see how much she has absorbed of his "guidance".

 

[Stymie]

We're going into the Big East season shortly and I would be pretty sure he will use her often (maybe extensively) to see how much she has absorbed of his "guidance".

Please don’t make me scroll through last years rollovers when Coach could have thrown the end of the bench a ‘bone’ with a couple of minutes.
Please don’t.

 

[Longtime fan]

High praise from Geno yesterday. Called Amari “the most purely skilled big UConn has had since Brianna Stewart”.

Ummmmm....Geno must be smoking that blunt again. I love complementing this young player. But the court time he is awarding her is about 1/100th what he gave Stewy at the same career point. In fact, didn't Stewy pretty much start from day one? (And then she didn't do what he wanted and he sat her down)? I guess I don't know what coach means by " purely skilled." Does that mean she handles the ball as well? Shoots as well? Defends as well? Rebounds as well? Dishes off as well? Has the same energy and endurance? Can be as dominant as Breanna was? Help us coach. That is high praise.

 

[Longtime fan]

I couldn’t agree more! But…..I’m not going to second guess Geno here. There’s a reason he’s not playing Amari more that we don’t know about.

While I’m excited about her potential, and look forward to seeing her get more minutes, I’ll wait until Geno decides when the time and game situation is right.

I’m sure he wants to see Amari be successful and flourish in the program. I was delighted when Amari committed to UConn. She’s going to do some great things and help us win a lot of games during her time here. I expect to see a lot of her once conference play begins. In Geno I trust.

There was clearly something going on when she first arrived that was concerning. However, watching her now...particularly on the bench...she seems happy and enthusiastic. I love her joy and smile. A happy player will b a great player.

 

[vaeman]

It’s just amazing to me how a simple statement of praise for a freshman post by her coach can immediately trigger an argument by posters whose only knowledge of the player is what they have read and perhaps watching her play mop up minutes in blowouts! With all due respect, I think I’ll go with her coach who recruited her for years and who has interacted with her on and off the court for the last 6 months! I’m guessing he’s slightly more qualified to judge her skills than anyone on the boneyard!

100% in agreement with Cuango. So many negative BY posts. It's ridiculous. Especially fair weather fans on BY posting that said player should go to a different program. UConn is down 4 on the DL. Rather than worry that the sky is falling perhaps take a more positive approach? It's a perfect opportunity for players that haven't earned minutes out of the gate to step up and show everyone what they can do! I have two college athletes and the message is the same. Every practice and every game is a tryout. Make the most of what you get and it will pay off.

 

[Dynastic]

I would really like Amari, Azzi and Caroline to USE this time with players out as an opportunity to show us and themselves that they belong @ UConn and really contribute to a team that needs some youthful aspiration!

 

[Longtime fan]

I would really like Amari, Azzi and Caroline to USE this time with players out as an opportunity to show us and themselves that they belong @ UConn and really contribute to a team that needs some youthful aspiration!

They will. But Azzi won't be on the court until late January ( in my opinion, based on the pre-fracture foot injury diagnosis ). So she won't be showing much until end of February. Hopefully, everyone else will be healthy by then ( except Paige...whom I expect will have surgery and be gone for the season). I also have long term worries about Aubrey. A recurring back problem is not easily dismissed. I have a friend who had that...tried every remedy ....and , in the end, required surgery...which worked spectacularly. But if Aubrey is headed there....good by for this season.