More video and pictures of Tina with the team:
I think he'd give Geno/UConn the "family" discount. He's married to Napheesa now so he IS family. Whatever he charges, Amari is worth it!!!Wonder if Napheesa's husband is available. Probably charges a lot.
More video of Tina practicing with the team. Looks like AP and CD are still out but that is unconfirmed:
As I said in another thread, because I didn't see the growth and development I expected to see in Amari her sophomore year (that sophomore leap), I think that perhaps a different approach is in order. Time to bring in a professional "post-player" trainer this summer to work with her 1-on-1. Whatever they did this past summer did not work.Amari is still an enigma to me. Did UConn recruit her knowing she couldn't make it through a practice? Well that issue should have been over about this time last year. Is it over? She's a great kid and her teammates love her. When she does get in a game she has moments when she looks so skillful. Just running down the court she can look so fluidly athletic. I don't know why she is not contributing more, but I do know I'm still rooting for her to get there.
Geno talking about his time away and grief of losing his mother:
When Stef Dolson came to Uconn she had conditioning issues. But she worked hard mentally and physically to become the player she needed to be. But Stef had a high Basketball Iq to overcome her deficiencies. Not sure Amari has bb IQAmari is still an enigma to me. Did UConn recruit her knowing she couldn't make it through a practice? Well that issue should have been over about this time last year. Is it over? She's a great kid and her teammates love her. When she does get in a game she has moments when she looks so skillful. Just running down the court she can look so fluidly athletic. I don't know why she is not contributing more, but I do know I'm still rooting for her to get there.
Regarding your last couple of sentences, I wouldn’t pin it all on Auriemma and the staff. That’s what she was supposed to be on campus all summer for. It’s got to come from the gut of the kid. You can lead a horse to water but……..As I said in another thread, because I didn't see the growth and development I expected to see in Amari her sophomore year (that sophomore leap), I think that perhaps a different approach is in order. Time to bring in a professional "post-player" trainer this summer to work with her 1-on-1. Whatever they did this past summer did not work.
The session should be for at least 2 weeks (or longer.....maybe a month?). An experienced professional knows how to bring Amari up to speed and develop the skills she needs to be productive, which would allow her to elevate herself and her game into the 5-7 player rotation for next year.
There will be an opening. Dorka leaves after this year. Isuneh "Ice" Brady will be a red-shirt freshman, and Jana El-Alfie will be a true freshman. Neither of whom will have played one second of WCBB come that first game in November. Geno could really use an experienced post player next year. I don't see him trying to bring one in from the portal.
Amari will be the only returning post player with any prior experience. It was reported that Amari had some serious stamina challenges last year. It was said that at times she had difficulty finishing practice. Those challenges also need to be addressed over the summer months to ensure they ARE NOT an issue next season. UConn's strength and conditioning coach can fix that. Geno recruited her. He signed her. He owes it to her to invest in her and do everything he can to aid in her growth and development during her 4 years here.
I'd like to see Geno take it a step further and either have a former UConn post player come in during the summer and work with Amari every day for 2 weeks, or have a professional BIG man coach/trainer come in and work with her.
I think she would learn more from a professional trainer than a player because of a trainer's experience of working with numerous players like Amari that is at the place she is right now. They understand where she is, and where she needs to get to in the time frame they have to work with her...................whatever that time frame is.....a week, 2 weeks, a month. Then her position coach could take over from there.
Agree with your last statement. Just make sure the water is out there!!! Somebody has got to be there working with her. She can't work out by herself. She needs a trainer, coach, former player....somebody. I'm pretty sure she's willing to put in the time and effort to improve if someone will work with her. I respect the fact that YOU wouldn't pin it all on Geno, but I would and did. Geno has resources available to him that she does not.Regarding your last couple of sentences, I wouldn’t pin it all on Auriemma and the staff. That’s what she was supposed to be on campus all summer for. It’s got to come from the gut of the kid. You can lead a horse to water but……..
More video of Tina practicing with the team. Looks like AP and CD are still out but that is unconfirmed:
As I said in another thread, because I didn't see the growth and development I expected to see in Amari her sophomore year (that sophomore leap), I think that perhaps a different approach is in order. Time to bring in a professional "post-player" trainer this summer to work with her 1-on-1. Whatever they did this past summer did not work.
The session should be for at least 2 weeks (or longer.....maybe a month?). An experienced professional knows how to bring Amari up to speed and develop the skills she needs to be productive, which would allow her to elevate herself and her game into the 5-7 player rotation for next year.
There will be an opening. Dorka leaves after this year. Isuneh "Ice" Brady will be a red-shirt freshman, and Jana El-Alfie will be a true freshman. Neither of whom will have played one second of WCBB come that first game in November. Geno could really use an experienced post player next year. I don't see him trying to bring one in from the portal.
Amari will be the only returning post player with any prior experience. It was reported that Amari had some serious stamina challenges last year. It was said that at times she had difficulty finishing practice. Those challenges also need to be addressed over the summer months to ensure they ARE NOT an issue next season. UConn's strength and conditioning coach can fix that. Geno recruited her. He signed her. He owes it to her to invest in her and do everything he can to aid in her growth and development during her 4 years here.
Ummm, CD and Jamelle are "professional post-player trainers". But perhaps what you are pressing for is that a current post-player be brought in to train Amari over the summer. If so, are you proposing that said player skip the WNBA season? And then there is the more fundamental flaw in your proposal. Being able to perform and being able to coach up others are very different skill sets.
All college and pro coaches, even the mediocre ones have end of season evaluations and goal talks with their players. I have no doubt that GA, in his discussions with DeBerry, offered her all the help and instruction he could within NCAA regulations. That was the point of her staying on campus for a chunk of the summer. I’ve said several times before about other kids that they should be seeking out any competent instruction they can find to reach their goals. Many kids from UConn and other schools do just that. And some don’t. It’s called learning to take responsibility for yourself. Look at how Edwards managed to turn her game around in one offseason and she didn’t stay on campus. She found a way. At some point it may come down to either the ability or upside just isn’t there or the kid doesn’t want it bad enough. We’ll see what DeBerry does about it.Agree with your last statement. Just make sure the water is out there!!! Somebody has got to be there working with her. She can't work out by herself. She needs a trainer, coach, former player....somebody. I'm pretty sure she's willing to put in the time and effort to improve if someone will work with her. I respect the fact that YOU wouldn't pin it all on Geno, but I would and did. Geno has resources available to him that she does not.
If I'm a coach, and I recruit a kid, any kid, It's my duty and responsivity to that kid to do everything I can to help that kid develop into the best player and person he/she can be. Geno always says he absolutely WILL NOT allow any player that plays for him to cheat their potential. There's an old saying.................don't talk about it, BE about it. Don't talk and wish (lament) about how you wish or hope Amari or any player improves. DO SOMETHING to help her improve.