Geno on Maya and Kaleena (again)

[MilfordHusky]

From Rich's blog:

“That’s why I love when people talk about the great contribution that the freshmen are going to make and, `Yeah, you lost Maya but you’ve got Kaleena Lewis so nothing’s going to change,’’’ Auriemma said. “If I hear that one more time I’m going to throw up. As if Kaleena Lewis as a freshman can replace maybe one of the greatest college basketball players in the history of college basketball. So it’s a process and sometimes we look really, really sharp and sometimes it just looks like there’s a lot that we have to get done.’’

Now that she is gone, Maya gets her due from Geno.

 

[Icebear]

From Rich's blog:

“That’s why I love when people talk about the great contribution that the freshmen are going to make and, `Yeah, you lost Maya but you’ve got Kaleena Lewis so nothing’s going to change,’’’ Auriemma said. “If I hear that one more time I’m going to throw up. As if Kaleena Lewis as a freshman can replace maybe one of the greatest college basketball players in the history of college basketball. So it’s a process and sometimes we look really, really sharp and sometimes it just looks like there’s a lot that we have to get done.’’

Now that she is gone, Maya gets her due from Geno.

Same old same old from the coach.

 

[UConnCat]

So, in other words, he reads the Boneyard and wants to throw up.

I thought Kelly's comments were very interesting. She said similar things at media day yesterday (or maybe these quotes are from yesterday). She said that Geno is putting the team in difficult situations in practice and making them figure things out for themselves. She said it's frustrating but will prove beneficial down the road. I'm wondering if Geno is applying lessons learned from the last time his team lost a superstar. That team struggled to move on from its dependency on Diana and stand on its own, and Geno's not going to let that happen again.

 

[MilfordHusky]

So, in other words, he reads the Boneyard and wants to throw up.

I thought Kelly's comments were very interesting. She said similar things at media day yesterday (or maybe these quotes are from yesterday). She said that Geno is putting the team in difficult situations in practice and making them figure things out for themselves. She said it's frustrating but will prove beneficial down the road. I'm wondering if Geno is applying lessons learned from the last time his team lost a superstar. That team struggled to move on from its dependency on Diana and stand on its own, and Geno's not going to let that happen again.

I think I am making Coach sick. Sorry!

 

[EricLA]

So, in other words, he reads the Boneyard and wants to throw up.

I thought Kelly's comments were very interesting. She said similar things at media day yesterday (or maybe these quotes are from yesterday). She said that Geno is putting the team in difficult situations in practice and making them figure things out for themselves. She said it's frustrating but will prove beneficial down the road. I'm wondering if Geno is applying lessons learned from the last time his team lost a superstar. That team struggled to move on from its dependency on Diana and stand on its own, and Geno's not going to let that happen again.

good points Cat. it will be interesting to see how they look when the games really start...

 

[Icebear]

So, in other words, he reads the Boneyard and wants to throw up.

I thought Kelly's comments were very interesting. She said similar things at media day yesterday (or maybe these quotes are from yesterday). She said that Geno is putting the team in difficult situations in practice and making them figure things out for themselves. She said it's frustrating but will prove beneficial down the road. I'm wondering if Geno is applying lessons learned from the last time his team lost a superstar. That team struggled to move on from its dependency on Diana and stand on its own, and Geno's not going to let that happen again.

That team did not have this year's incoming class.

 

[MilfordHusky]

So, in other words, he reads the Boneyard and wants to throw up.

I thought Kelly's comments were very interesting. She said similar things at media day yesterday (or maybe these quotes are from yesterday). She said that Geno is putting the team in difficult situations in practice and making them figure things out for themselves. She said it's frustrating but will prove beneficial down the road. I'm wondering if Geno is applying lessons learned from the last time his team lost a superstar. That team struggled to move on from its dependency on Diana and stand on its own, and Geno's not going to let that happen again.

I think he is trying to learn from that and make changes. Though the Strother, Moore, Battle, Turner, Crockett, et al. teams were talented, I think the Hayes, Faris, Doty, Dolson, Hartley, Lewis et al. team is more talented, confident, and assertive. We have a better center, better PG, and better shooter in this group. And far more athleticism.

 

[Icebear]

The team losing Taurasi lost the whole backcourt.

 

[Scotter]

The team losing Taurasi lost the whole backcourt.

That team also lost an entire recruiting class, which tends to get lost in the focus on losing Taurasi. Wright, Robinson, and Sherwood may not have been exceptional players, but losing an entire class is a significant loss as well.

 

[UConnCat]

I think he is trying to learn from that and make changes. Though the Strother, Moore, Battle, Turner, Crockett, et al. teams were talented, I think the Hayes, Faris, Doty, Dolson, Hartley, Lewis et al. team is more talented, confident, and assertive. We have a better center, better PG, and better shooter in this group. And far more athleticism.

I agree this year's team is more talented and I'm sure Geno agrees. But in just a few days he's seeing similarities and seems to be making a point of forcing these guys to figure things out.

"It’s going to be a real challenge for these kids to figure out how to get things done collectively as opposed to having one person that can bail you out. It is kind of like when Diana (Taurasi) graduated. It has that same feel that all of a sudden everybody’s trying to put the pieces together because it was so easy before."

 

[NCorBust]

I think he is trying to learn from that and make changes. Though the Strother, Moore, Battle, Turner, Crockett, et al. teams were talented, I think the Hayes, Faris, Doty, Dolson, Hartley, Lewis et al. team is more talented, confident, and assertive. We have a better center, better PG, and better shooter in this group. And far more athleticism.

You think ... Geno knows!

 

[alexrgct]

Does anyone really think a freshman KML will replace a senior MM?

I think everyone knows there's a process involved in going from an elite HS player to elite college player, and we've seen how variable a length of time it takes for that process to be completed. Just look at Maya vs. Tina.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Does anyone really think a freshman KML will replace a senior MM?

I think everyone knows there's a process involved in going from an elite HS player to elite college player, and we've seen how variable a length of time it takes for that process to be completed. Just look at Maya vs. Tina.

Posts are generally slower to develop, so we need to keep that in mind. But the point is a good one. For Tina, it was some time in her 3rd season. For Maya, it was more like some time in her 3rd game.

 

[Icebear]

That team also lost an entire recruiting class, which tends to get lost in the focus on losing Taurasi. Wright, Robinson, and Sherwood may not have been exceptional players, but losing an entire class is a significant loss as well.

+1

 

[Icebear]

Does anyone really think a freshman KML will replace a senior MM?

I think everyone knows there's a process involved in going from an elite HS player to elite college player, and we've seen how variable a length of time it takes for that process to be completed. Just look at Maya vs. Tina.

I think that everyone is clear that this will not be the case. Most have said Maya's points will be replaced from several places. What is more critical is replacing Maya's leadership. While Diana's style was vocal, out front and obvious and Maya was criticized at times last year for not being so. The lack of Maya's leadership and it's cohesive impact on the team will undoubtably be felt, far more than the points issue. She was and still is in the WNBA a quiet leader. This may be where Grandma Doty's contributions may be most important, vocally but reports are that Tiff and Kelly may be following more of Maya's path as quiet leaders.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think Maya has become very demonstrative over the past 2+ years. She was cool as an underclassman, but she is a fiery player now.

 

[Icebear]

I think Maya has become very demonstrative over the past 2+ years. She was cool as an underclassman, but she is a fiery player now.

Yes, she is intense, but not always vocal.

 

[blackbird]

I don't think this team struggles nearly as much as the team did without Taurasi.