Jana - In Madrid - FIBA Games

[JoePgh]

That’s a good list of 10 that are/were highly self motivated players. Now off the top of your head can you name 5 great players who did not have a high motor that needed to be prodded and reminded to play hard? I can’t.

The first person on that list would be Tina Charles. She did not start to use her full talent until her junior year. Geno was making jokes about how (20 years later when she was married and had children) she would finally understand what he was saying about effort. He also made jokes about Carl Sagan (light from distant galaxies needing centuries to arrive on earth).

Kara Wolters would be another UConn person to add to the list. Stef Dolson might be another.

Actually I recall Geno commenting in an interview that the number of players who arrive at UConn already understanding the level of effort that will be required for them to excel at the D1 college level is quite small. The great majority of UConn players need to be taught that when they come to UConn.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Also it’s laughable to say Taurasi and Bird had high motors defensively. Offensively? Yes but I’ve definitely seen them take a play or two off defensively, even in their UConn days. This whole conversation about Jana is weird and seems have some strange undertones of something. Now Jana doesn’t have a high motor because she was slow getting back on defense in one u-19 game where she played 37 minutes? Ok

 

[Bone Dog]

I don’t think of players who take a play or two off in a game, so much as players who dont typically seem to be expending a lot of energy and still get a lot done. Oscar Robertson comes to mind. But among big guys, Kareem is another. Kevin McHale. Giannis. Embiid. In the W, Kara Wolter. Stef Dolson. All of them worked really hard on the court. But they were moving big bodies up and down the floor, grappling with other big bodies in the paint, little guards slapping at their faces to get the ball. They need to conserve energy where they can. They’re not hummingbirds

 

[Carnac]

I'll gladly reassess Jana's play during the holiday break. We can trade notes and observations on her play then.

 

[Zarathustra]

Looks like an old Big East men's game when there were six fouls allowed. Pretty rough under the basket.

The third and fourth video short displays a lot of " give and take". But it was "one on three" with
Jana being the "ONE"! I believe that it was after the third sequence that Jana had to leave the
game for a bruise/scrap to her forehead. They were picking on our big girl!!

 

[DEpup]

That’s a good list of 10 that are/were highly self motivated players. Now off the top of your head can you name 5 great players who did not have a high motor that needed to be prodded and reminded to play hard? I can’t.

I think Tina Charles early in her college career needed motivation from Geno to be great.

 

[HuskyNan]

That’s a good list of 10 that are/were highly self motivated players. Now off the top of your head can you name 5 great players who did not have a high motor that needed to be prodded and reminded to play hard? I can’t.

Tina Charles, Charde Houston, Stewie freshman year

 

[Bald Husky]

Tina Charles, Charde Houston, Stewie freshman year

Tina and Stewie moved on to be great players, but Charde was a huge disappointment throughout her UConn career, capped off by her end of game missed bunny in an elite 8 game against Duke.

 

[BobbyJ]

The first person on that list would be Tina Charles. She did not start to use her full talent until her junior year. Geno was making jokes about how (20 years later when she was married and had children) she would finally understand what he was saying about effort. He also made jokes about Carl Sagan (light from distant galaxies needing centuries to arrive on earth).

Kara Wolters would be another UConn person to add to the list. Stef Dolson might be another.

Actually I recall Geno commenting in an interview that the number of players who arrive at UConn already understanding the level of effort that will be required for them to excel at the D1 college level is quite small. The great majority of UConn players need to be taught that when they come to UConn.

Look at the criteria. I specified "5 great players". These were all kids who were not great players yet. Once Charles became a great player she didn't need that prodding and those reminders. Wolters and Dolson both needed physical makeovers to allow them to become great, they weren't lacking in compete level. And GA said one of the reasons he recruited Dolson was because, although slow, she never stopped trying to hustle whenever he saw her play in HS. El Alfy may become a great player eventually but she will need to develop that work ethic and mindset to do it. My point is that players either already have that compete level and work ethic or they have to develop it to become great players.

 

[BobbyJ]

I think Tina Charles early in her college career needed motivation from Geno to be great.

She did. That's what helped her to eventually become a great player.

 

[BobbyJ]

Tina Charles, Charde Houston, Stewie freshman year

As I say in post #109, the criteria was 5 great players who needed motivation. My point is that players who have become great don't coast and need to be prodded and reminded to hustle. No college freshmen are great players yet, just very advanced HS players with the potential to be great. Developing their compete level and work ethic is what allowed them to eventually become great players. Although Houston had a lot of potential, she didn't really ever become a great player.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

And on what do you base this impressive piece of analysis?

It is a good example of the "I've got this" syndrome, and she will be on the Egyptian Senior National team soon with dad as the coach. Mom was a volleyball player and each of their children tried volleyball, but loved basketball. Therefore, Jana likes to re-enforce that she chose correctly in favor of basketball instead of volleyball. I'm pretty sure sure mom is already convinced...

Don't take it the wrong way, as she [Jana] is extemely coachable, and has a tremendous skill set that is improving every day....

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Thank you! These attacks on Jana are as weird as they are transparent.

 

[JellyBean]

I don’t think of players who take a play or two off in a game, so much as players who dont typically seem to be expending a lot of energy and still get a lot done. Oscar Robertson comes to mind. But among big guys, Kareem is another. Kevin McHale. Giannis. Embiid. In the W, Kara Wolter. Stef Dolson. All of them worked really hard on the court. But they were moving big bodies up and down the floor, grappling with other big bodies in the paint, little guards slapping at their faces to get the ball. They need to conserve energy where they can. They’re not hummingbirds

This!! Well said! A lot of the greats took moments off. They had to conserve energy. Those great players knew when to attack and when you back off. Heck, Jordan took moments off. The great Flu game, Jordan knew when he had to turn it on and when to dial it back a notch. He had to conserve his energy.

 

[HuskyNan]

As I say in post #109, the criteria was 5 great players who needed motivation. My point is that players who have become great don't coast and need to be prodded and reminded to hustle. No college freshmen are great players yet, just very advanced HS players with the potential to be great. Developing their compete level and work ethic is what allowed them to eventually become great players. Although Houston had a lot of potential, she didn't really ever become a great player.

A few things:

• It took Tina over 2 years to learn to bust her butt on every play. Geno prodded her endlessly, something she’s spoken of many times.
• If you’re excluding freshmen from your criticism on hustle, what is your beef with Jana who is, essentially, just out of high school?
• Post-graduate layers that lack effort and hustle don’t have long careers as pros so they don’t have the chance to even try to be great players so your argument is specious

 

[wbbhoops278]

I don’t think of players who take a play or two off in a game, so much as players who dont typically seem to be expending a lot of energy and still get a lot done. Oscar Robertson comes to mind. But among big guys, Kareem is another. Kevin McHale. Giannis. Embiid. In the W, Kara Wolter. Stef Dolson. All of them worked really hard on the court. But they were moving big bodies up and down the floor, grappling with other big bodies in the paint, little guards slapping at their faces to get the ball. They need to conserve energy where they can. They’re not hummingbirds

For some reason, I immediately pictured Steph Dolson's face on a hummingbird, and I think it made my entire week already. LOL

 

[BobbyJ]

A few things:

• It took Tina over 2 years to learn to bust her butt on every play. Geno prodded her endlessly, something she’s spoken of many times.
• If you’re excluding freshmen from your criticism on hustle, what is your beef with Jana who is, essentially, just out of high school?
• Post-graduate layers that lack effort and hustle don’t have long careers as pros so they don’t have the chance to even try to be great players so your argument is specious

1- I agree. Once the lessons took hold she was able to go on to realize her potential.
2- Not excluding, including. All freshmen who don’t already have work ethic and hustle need to develop it. Some already have it coming into college. No beef with Jana, I hope she develops it and becomes another Tina Charles.
3- I agree. That’s why I like to see young players who have a lot of potential learn the lessons early so that they have the shot to become great before it’s too late.

 

[Huskee11]

No discussion of lack of effort is complete without giving Benoit Benjamin his due.

Benoit Benjamin was drafted third overall in 1985 and played 15 seasons in the NBA (nine teams).

7'0" tall, explains his longevity. Not known for his effort. Teams will tend to put up with a lot if the player can block shots. Averaged 2 per game over his career.

Peter Vecsey - "After an earthquake in Los Angeles - The earth in LA moved more in one hour than Benoit Benjamin did all last season with the Clippers."

 

[Rowdy831]

My observations of the Egypt team in general is they are not very good. They look like an average HS team playing a college team and that is going to make it tough on anyone to look good on defense. "Helping out" on defense is only possible if the first line of defense is doing their job and for Egypt that wasn't happening.

What I noticed about Jana is she has a lot of ways to score and sees the floor pretty good on offense. On defense she is playing with 4 others that are very poor on defense and she really can't be the primary defender on all of them. Her speed is what you would expect from a player coming from that level of competition. She will find it much easier to defend when the other 4 are doing their part.

 

[Charliebball]

From Geno's early comments, all of the freshmen worked their butts off and were extremely impressive during their initial workouts at Storrs.........I don't think there will be any major issues with their intensity at either end of the court.......

 

[HuskyNan]

Instead, she took the opportunity to observe and learn. She watched how hard Aaliyah Edwards and Dorka Juhász played under the basket, how they used their bodies to demand space and always knew where to look for an open teammate.

El Alfy says the biggest growth she noticed in herself has been her mindset.

She began noticing the small, yet important details. How fast she needs to get back on defense during a game, how she needs to turn her body after a rebound to create space for a pass.

'Here for a purpose': How UConn women's basketball redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy used her extra semester

UConn women's basketball redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy enrolled early to get a head start on adjusting to college. This fall, she'll make her collegiate debut.

www.ctinsider.com

 

[Gus Mahler]

I don’t think of players who take a play or two off in a game, so much as players who dont typically seem to be expending a lot of energy and still get a lot done. Oscar Robertson comes to mind. But among big guys, Kareem is another. Kevin McHale. Giannis. Embiid. In the W, Kara Wolter. Stef Dolson. All of them worked really hard on the court. But they were moving big bodies up and down the floor, grappling with other big bodies in the paint, little guards slapping at their faces to get the ball. They need to conserve energy where they can. They’re not hummingbirds

Good one.

 

[Gus Mahler]

For some reason, I immediately pictured Steph Dolson's face on a hummingbird, and I think it made my entire week already. LOL

With purple hair?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Jana is the one I'm really looking forward to this fall. If she gives us half of what has been suggested it is going to be ripping good fun.

Maybe she could crochet a travel cover for #12?