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Message: [QUOTE="Bone Dog, post: 5258745, member: 12088"] This is the central pedagogic principle of my little college — our students learn by trying to explain what they think they understand to each other. If things are going well, I hardly speak in class at all. But I’m not so sure it works as well in non-intellectual things. Azzi is one of the most “coached” kids ever. She didn’t just figure out that shot (and so much else about her game) merely by playing against other kids in pickup games. Ash is similar. Paige may be sort of an exception, since she probably developed some of her game from playing with her friend Jalen Suggs growing up. You can see it most clearly in the similarity of their passing verve. But Paige was also coached a lot. Jalen too. Still, I’d have to agree that playing pickup games against someone like Ash or KK or Caroline or Ayanna or Ice or Jana would be really good for Morgan and Allie, and probably Kelis and Gandy and even Serah. I left Azzi off this list merely because she may not be in Storrs much this summer, at least judging from last summer.:D But seriously, I think you learn a lot about your teammates by playing with them even casually, and this may be more important than any technical skills you might get that way. Allie could learn a lot about Ash’s indomitable will in pickup games. Morgan could learn a lot about having the nerve to finish at the rim — which she seems to need — by trying to stop Caroline in the paint. Ice is remarkably strong when it comes to setting screens, and she could learn how to be strong boxing out from playing with Ayanna. If Serah chooses UConn and reports to Storrs early, she could give all the bigs an example of how to face bigger stronger opponents. Just thinking about Ash while watching clips of Paige getting off that step back jumper she used to such great effect in the tournament — this is a missing element of Ash’s game. She has a beautiful midrange jumper. But she isn’t as nimble as Paige. A coach can teach her the footwork to get a step back jumper off, or to lean into the dribble-stop jumper coming off a screen. But the nerve and the verve needed is sure to be helped by playing pickup games against her teammates over the summer. And setting screens, which is not typical of pickup games, imagine developing the intuitive sense of one’s teammates by setting screens for each other in that context. Pic-n-rolls, back cuts, stuff like that, if you can improvise plays like that together, think how well you’ll be able to do it in formal practices and official games as part of set plays. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach