New Amari article

[Carnac]

This is what I’m gonna say on the subject.
I have to believe that Coach saw (potential) greatness in her during the recruiting process-both in physical skills and personality makeup.
I’m willing to write last year’s performance as a young (to this point) talent at a lower level being thrown into the ‘deep end’ of the pool.
Look at it like the difference between summer stock and Broadway.
If she really wants it- it’s there for her to grab.
Just staying on campus for the summer isn’t enough. It’s the hard work that is put in, not just ‘punching a clock’.
A college athletic career is a rather short one. Four years (usually).
If she miscalculated her freshman year- fair enough.
She is now in the 2nd quarter of her career and approaching half time.
Plenty of time to rise to the occasion and become a UCONN great.
It’s not like she’s a 6’1” number 5 needing to play ‘up’ to more physically gifted opponents.
She has the tools.
Does she want it bad enough.
I think we’ll know by January 1st.

To be fair and objective, I’m going to wait until after the 5th game in December to see what the new season brings. Amari will begin the new season a year older and wiser. This is June. Let’s see how much progress she makes between now and the first game in November. A lot can happen in 4.5 months. Time will tell how sincere Amari is about transitioning from a cheerleader to being in the 7-9 player rotation.

 

[FormerCTrez]

A lot easier than for a kid from a PA coal town who worked from 12 to 21 years old to earn the money for a college education. So far for Amari it is easy being an 18 year old freshman for the Huskies since she loafed her way through her freshman year. The other players get it and work hard. Dr. Frederick Herzberg taught you cannot directly motivate employees. You build an environment such that the employees can motivate themselves. However, he maintained this will fail for 1% of the employees. For these employees the manager must use KITA, kick in the ass. Geno apparently needs a bigger shoe size for Amari.

@SVCBeercats, just as you’re disappointed in Amari’s performance last year, so am I disappointed in you at this moment. Enjoy your perfect performance in all you do. Peace!

 

[uconnever]

Her being laid back is what I saw in her the two games I watched. She was getting beat up and gave up on herself, maybe it’s something that she is still fighting. She did look skill wise, nothing like the player in high school, I saw not much or anything, this year, I saw a lot to work with. She’s good I can tell just probably mentally she needs to get right. I expect a Kiah Stokes like career for her if she sticks it out. This year, a few more minutes but nothing earth shattering.

 

[SVCBeercats]

@SVCBeercats, just as you’re disappointed in Amari’s performance last year, so am I disappointed in you at this moment. Enjoy your perfect performance in all you do. Peace!

Thank you! I will.

 

[hoophuskee]

You are being far too harsh in your evaluation of a kid who hadn’t played basketball for 2 years when she arrived at UConn. I would also point out that Amari is hardly the first player to arrive at UConn that wasn’t fully prepared for the demands of UConn WBB. Both Gabby & Crystal have made similar comments about not working as hard as they should have as freshmen, and they are hardly alone.

I continue to be thrilled that Amari has made a commitment to spend basically her entire summer in Storrs, working on her game and fitness with the coaches and Andrea Hudy. Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt and see what she shows us this coming season.

I agree with you. To further that, think it absolutely wrong to be dissecting a 19 year old's comments in the manner the poster did. This is a 19 yo kid getting experience from High School to perennial top 3 program with the greatest wcbb of all-time.

There are reasons why 19 year old kids are also being asked to "study" and aren't CEO's of major companies or hold high management positions and have made business statements for major companies to use over-and-over; They aren't as experienced. Their quotes shouldn't be dissected even close to the manner the poster did.

To dissect their verbal comments is going too far. As Nan indicated. Nothing more than a rant. She wasn't even going to make the summer team unless others pulled out. Then she didn't get off the bench. Yet she is going to get blasted for for not being able to contribute to a team fielded with other H/S A/A's rated higher than her and future pros???