Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="diggerfoot, post: 2504332, member: 1673"] This thread has so much good food for thought. As to Rushmore, I agree with eebmg. The real Rushmore includes Washington, the first president. Being first and limiting his terms when others would have made him king makes him perhaps the most deserving figure, even though the other three may have more impressive executive office resumes. Just so, I support Lobo's permanent placement on the Mount because she ushered in the first NC and she personified all the characteristics on and off the court that became part of the ongoing UConn mystique. Though, as for downgrading Samuelson because she is surrounded by others of like importance, it should be noted that Lobo played with two other "players of the year," including best point guard and center, the two most valuable positions, and a fourth person who may have been the most talented of the whole bunch. I agree with UcMiami that Samuelson was more than a shooter even coming to UConn. I don't pay much attention to recruits until after they put on a UConn uniform, but even I saw enough highlights to know that Samuelson was a scorer, not just a shooter, who could get to the basket well. She also was reported as being tough in high school; I think it's part of the California rep that led others to doubt that until she played on a broken foot and after puking in a bucket. I would not compare Samuelson's "court sense" to Moore's. I think the word "instinctive" is more appropriate for Moore. Well into her upperclassmen years Auriemma made fun of Moore for not really knowing where to be, yet ending up at the right place at the right time to make the the right shot (that usually went in). Moore personifies effort and instinct, but not so much the "court sense" of knowing where to be and seeing things before they happened, like Taurasi, or Samuelson. I am not saying Samuelson is as good as Taurasi or Moore (or Stewart, who I think she most resembles), just that her "cerebrals" are more like Taurasi than Moore. In this regards I give a shout out to Mater Dei, because I thought KML also had great court sense coming in. Both fit well early in their UConn careers because they compensated for not being the greatest natural defenders with knowing what is going on in the system and how they should fit in (I also thought KML had a more complete offensive game from the get go than she was credited). Since Mater Dei is a common denominator, I suspect that might have something to do with it. Be well all and Happy New Year! [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach