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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 4385754, member: 5798"] I can't argue that to date, Amari has not shown the desire, hustle or intensity that is necessary to play and achieve success in this program. I also agree those traits can't be taught. You either have them or you don't. [B]Paige Bueckers,[/B] [B]Aneesah Morrow, NaLyssa Smith, Rhyne Howard[/B] and [B]Skylar Diggins-Smith [/B]are but a few examples of players that have a high motor and play with the [U]insatiable desire[/U] to win. Geno has said many times that[I] "if a player doesn't get "IT" by their sophomore year, they never will."[/I] ([B]Tina Charles [/B]was an exception to this theory). This is the beginning of Amari's sophomore year. She's at the fork in the road so to speak. No doubt Geno, Jamelle Elliott (her position coach) and her teammates have been in her ear in an attempt to trigger the internal switch inside of her allowing her to play up to her potential this year. I'm hoping she has matured enough over the last year to realize the dynamics that kept her on the bench last year when her presence on the court was needed, especially during the times when player depth was at its lowest. Amari can be as good as SHE wants to be, but SHE has to want to and begin to practice and play like it. She must realize that the road (at UConn) to potential greatness and being in the top 7-8 player rotation begins in practice. How you practice is how you play. Geno said many times last year that Amari was not a good practice player and displayed indifference in becoming one. That indifference kept her on the bench. If you want to play, you must first gain Geno's trust. You do that in practice. My narrative expressed [B]my hope and optimism [/B]that after being in the program for 16 months and languishing on the bench last year, Amari begins the year with a new attitude and resolve and is now ready to assume her place on the team as a every game rotation player and contributor. When you associate, you assimilate. I'm hoping that being around other teammates that DO have high motors and a desire to play and be a meaningful contributor to this team will motivate Amari to realize the posture she had in high school will not fly here. Amari is on the team. We'll see if she wants to be "part of the team" or not this year. The choice is hers. In the mean time, I'm rooting and cheering for her like crazy. I have nothing to lose by doing so. I see Amari's glass as half-full, not half empty. You see it differently and that's OK. I'm sitting on the front row of her cheering section with over-sized pom-poms and a box of popcorn. ;) So................Go Amari. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach