alexrgct
RIP, Alex
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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KELLY FARIS (clap, clap clapclapclap)
KELLY FARIS (clap, clap clapclapclap)
This was the cheer coming from the student section at Gampel on January 21, 2013. UConn is wiping the floor with Duke in the second half, thanks in no small part to the senior's 18 points, 12 boards, 6 assists, two steals, and hardened stare of wild, raw intensity as the game drew towards a close. Yes, even the students loved Kelly Faris every bit as much as the grandparent-ly part of the fanbase. The same KELLY FARIS (clap, clap, clapclapclap) chant would be a big part of Senior Night as well. NO worrying about a repeat of Senior Night 2012, as UConn easily demolished Seton Hall. But that was no real challenge.
The KELLY FARIS (clap, clap clapclapclap) cheer is stuck in my head. I think it through last season quite a bit. I remember everything about her. I think of her crashing onto the floor after layups and/or fouls, dropping and rolling with effortless somersaults. Her clean, to the point of "thing of beauty" backdoor cuts. The casual jumping around a would-be screener to maintain the perimeter defense. Oh yes, the perimeter defense. That was good stuff. Skylar Diggins and Kayla McBride still have nightmares about it. And that national semis game and the championship game both featured Kelly stealing a ball just past halfcourt and scoring another breakaway layup. Finally, you could see one of the biggest smiles after her last game at UConn. She had a nice smile or two for an interview, but you usually would see only stoicism, and yes, the aforementioned glare during the Duke game. But she NEVER smiled like that except after going out on top.
KELLY FARIS (clap, clap, clapclapclap).
If there's one thing you remember about Kelly it's that she belonged. I remember the telecast of UConn-Texas on November 17, 2009. It was only Kelly's second game, but the color commentator pointed out as she took the floor that Geno was "beaming" about her. You could immediately see why; she was trying her damnedest and playing the most fundamentally sound basketball you'd expect of her. She moved to the right part of the floor, and she always had her hands up on defense. Always. Even on a team with a long bench, Kelly was who played significant minutes as the season wound down to a close. Kelly has two championships. You can't take that away from her- not one bit.
Geno would go on to compliment her as much as anyone who's ever played for UConn. An all-timer like Maya Moore would get the praise she deserved, and Geno certainly supported that. But Geno wanted to make sure Kelly got the press. He loved that kid for one, and for another, he couldn't resist patting himself on the back for recruiting her. Of course he should be recognized for that. He's Geno freaking Auriemma. Would you ever fully question any recruiting decision after Kelly...if you ever would beforehand, that is?
I don't need to rehash disappointing conclusions to the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. But I remember plenty of the good stuff. How about January 8, 2011, in which Kelly dropped 20 on Notre Dame? Or November 21, 2011 against Stanford, in which the sub-6'0" Kelly would routinely use her muscular legs to force the 6'4" Sarah Boothe out of the post? Or maybe the national semis loss in 2012, a game UCOnn almost stole based on Kelly's late game heroics/intensity? I knew if she could carry that forward in 2012-13, UConn would be improved. It took some time, but when it came to pass, no opponents stood a chance.
Kelly's in the WNBA now, of course, Her effort, if it was even necessary to come from any peer, certainly came in part from Maya. Kelly, in turn, passed a bit of herself on to KML. Now, I adore KML and think she's as great thus far as I've hoped she would be. Geno himself acknowledges that KML works her butt off.
Having said that, at some point next season, KML is going to take games over on offense and defense. She's already shown pieces of it, but I expect her to do so at a championship level. When she does, when she contributes exactly and everything UCOnn needed, when she flashes a look of fire in her eyes on both end of the court, there will be three cheers from me. Two will be for KML herself. However, I won't be able to keep one final cheer from running over and over in my head.
KELLY FARIS (clap,clap, clapclapclap)
KELLY FARIS (clap,clap, clapclapclap)
KELLY FARIS (clap, clap clapclapclap)
This was the cheer coming from the student section at Gampel on January 21, 2013. UConn is wiping the floor with Duke in the second half, thanks in no small part to the senior's 18 points, 12 boards, 6 assists, two steals, and hardened stare of wild, raw intensity as the game drew towards a close. Yes, even the students loved Kelly Faris every bit as much as the grandparent-ly part of the fanbase. The same KELLY FARIS (clap, clap, clapclapclap) chant would be a big part of Senior Night as well. NO worrying about a repeat of Senior Night 2012, as UConn easily demolished Seton Hall. But that was no real challenge.
The KELLY FARIS (clap, clap clapclapclap) cheer is stuck in my head. I think it through last season quite a bit. I remember everything about her. I think of her crashing onto the floor after layups and/or fouls, dropping and rolling with effortless somersaults. Her clean, to the point of "thing of beauty" backdoor cuts. The casual jumping around a would-be screener to maintain the perimeter defense. Oh yes, the perimeter defense. That was good stuff. Skylar Diggins and Kayla McBride still have nightmares about it. And that national semis game and the championship game both featured Kelly stealing a ball just past halfcourt and scoring another breakaway layup. Finally, you could see one of the biggest smiles after her last game at UConn. She had a nice smile or two for an interview, but you usually would see only stoicism, and yes, the aforementioned glare during the Duke game. But she NEVER smiled like that except after going out on top.
KELLY FARIS (clap, clap, clapclapclap).
If there's one thing you remember about Kelly it's that she belonged. I remember the telecast of UConn-Texas on November 17, 2009. It was only Kelly's second game, but the color commentator pointed out as she took the floor that Geno was "beaming" about her. You could immediately see why; she was trying her damnedest and playing the most fundamentally sound basketball you'd expect of her. She moved to the right part of the floor, and she always had her hands up on defense. Always. Even on a team with a long bench, Kelly was who played significant minutes as the season wound down to a close. Kelly has two championships. You can't take that away from her- not one bit.
Geno would go on to compliment her as much as anyone who's ever played for UConn. An all-timer like Maya Moore would get the praise she deserved, and Geno certainly supported that. But Geno wanted to make sure Kelly got the press. He loved that kid for one, and for another, he couldn't resist patting himself on the back for recruiting her. Of course he should be recognized for that. He's Geno freaking Auriemma. Would you ever fully question any recruiting decision after Kelly...if you ever would beforehand, that is?
I don't need to rehash disappointing conclusions to the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. But I remember plenty of the good stuff. How about January 8, 2011, in which Kelly dropped 20 on Notre Dame? Or November 21, 2011 against Stanford, in which the sub-6'0" Kelly would routinely use her muscular legs to force the 6'4" Sarah Boothe out of the post? Or maybe the national semis loss in 2012, a game UCOnn almost stole based on Kelly's late game heroics/intensity? I knew if she could carry that forward in 2012-13, UConn would be improved. It took some time, but when it came to pass, no opponents stood a chance.
Kelly's in the WNBA now, of course, Her effort, if it was even necessary to come from any peer, certainly came in part from Maya. Kelly, in turn, passed a bit of herself on to KML. Now, I adore KML and think she's as great thus far as I've hoped she would be. Geno himself acknowledges that KML works her butt off.
Having said that, at some point next season, KML is going to take games over on offense and defense. She's already shown pieces of it, but I expect her to do so at a championship level. When she does, when she contributes exactly and everything UCOnn needed, when she flashes a look of fire in her eyes on both end of the court, there will be three cheers from me. Two will be for KML herself. However, I won't be able to keep one final cheer from running over and over in my head.
KELLY FARIS (clap,clap, clapclapclap)
KELLY FARIS (clap,clap, clapclapclap)
I'm an old person....and I like ARTY, too 