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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 3057589, member: 5798"] Agreed!!! Allow me to take this opportunity to proclaim myself the "unofficial" [B]president[/B] of the Olivia Nelson-Ododa fan club. Thank you. :D As we watch her play the rest of this season, look back to where she started from, and what she looked like game 1, and what she looks like [B]now[/B]. Rejoice in the fact that as you look at her today, this is as unpolished as she will look/be the remainder of her time at UConn. She won't look like this come November. She will get/look better (stronger) with each passing game/year. She's not nearly as good now as she will be her junior and senior year. Her defensive techniques (blocking shots w/o fouling and sliding over to help cut off opponents driving to the basket) will have greatly improved, as will her decision making. In time, she'll do these things[I] instinctively[/I] without thinking about them. We've got that to look forward to. In the mean time, I like what I'm seeing when she's on the floor. The more she plays, the more confident she becomes. [B]She has become the 6th man.[/B] She will see extensive playing time during the tournaments. I think she's ready. ;) I'm also excited about [B]Aubrey Griffin[/B] coming in next year. I've been following her play this year. I'm eager to see how she adjusts to "elite" Division one play, and how quickly she can adjust her skill set Geno's style of basketball, keeping in mind what [B]Geno says[/B] about freshmen needing [B]a full year[/B] to make that transition. Play and expectations at the "elite" level (top 25) programs are much different than that of lower mid-major programs i.e, Hampton or Winthrop. No visions of a NC or a high seed in the tournament there. They're happy to have a winning record at the end of the year, and hopefully receive a WIT bid. As other freshmen have said that have come before her, "UConn basketball is nothing like anything they've ever experienced." It's more intense, and faster than HS BB. I do however expect her to play like a freshman. Remember what Chrystal said in a video after the first two weeks of official practice? She said "nothing she did or experienced in HS or AAU ball prepared her for what she was going through now in UConn's practices" Three things ALL incoming freshmen are expected to learn and do is: 1. Go hard on every play in practice. Give maximum effort 100% of the time. 2. Play defense. 3. Learn how to play and move [I]without[/I] the ball. (Something Christyn is learning how to do). No doubt Aubrey will have these same revelations. :cool: [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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