Over the years, no aspect of being a fan of Geno's program has brought more satisfaction than watching talented, but otherwise unheralded players transition from competence to greatness under the tutelage of this coach and the staff he assembles. No better example of this phenomenon exists, in my opinion, than what we have witnessed with respect to the Croatian Fireplug! We knew from Day One that Nika would always bring a lot of passion to the floor, but we also knew that that passion was largely undisciplined, and that consistent foul trouble and a boatload of turnovers would surely result...and they did! Well, the passion remains, unalloyed, but the maturity and discipline that her time under this level of coaching talent has created has transformed her game immeasurably.
Basketball is a game of roles for any team that aspires to be great...we all know that. Yet, with respect to many of those roles, few are more under-appreciated by casual fans than the one that doesn't show up as ppg, but results in that statistic for others. Let a player offer ten to fifteen assists per game, in last night's case more than the entire Lady Vol team combined, I'll show you a legitimate All-American candidate, or one who should be. I could be wrong, but I cannot imagine Nika"s emergence as a player on so elite a level happening to the same degree under any other coaching staff at any other program, so this homage is dedicated as much to Geno a it is to Nika. So much fun to watch!!
