NY Times article on Crystal Dangerfield: The Vols' Bitter Pill

[Sluconn Husky]

The Times really kicking the Vols when they're down, and giving us a nice Crystal Dangerfield piece in the process. I'd call it a win-win.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/s...tennessee-in-its-rivalry-with-uconn.html?_r=0

 

[Fiftyish]

She's got some very big shoes (figuratively) to fill. Moriah is a very special, gifted player. I can't wait to see Crystal develop her skills under Geno and Shea's coaching.

 

[veryolddog]

In my limited opinion, I would bet that she starts before Saniya Chong siding with Kia Nurse.

 

[Carnac]

She's got some very big shoes (figuratively) to fill. Moriah is a very special, gifted player. I can't wait to see Crystal develop her skills under Geno and Shea's coaching.

You will! And you probably won have to wait very long. Crystal is an exceptional player. She didn't receive all of those national awards for nothing. She's the real deal.She won't disappoint.

 

[JavaMan]

Great article. Here's a nibble:

...for both of her visits to Connecticut, Jefferson was her host... “Moriah said, ‘They’re going to strip you down and mold you into the player they want you to be,’” Dangerfield said. “I loved hearing that. I watched them run a practice, and everything was at high speed, really precise. That’s how I am, how I want to be.”

She added: “I knew there were going to be some things said back home when I committed, but from when I was a young age, I never paid much attention to other people’s ideas if I believed in mine. I am my own person.”

Davonna Dangerfield said there was a prideful component for her and her husband, Christopher, when “we saw that Crystal had the courage to not allow outside influences to push her in a certain way.”

 

[Carnac]

She's got some very big shoes (figuratively) to fill. Moriah is a very special, gifted player. I can't wait to see Crystal develop her skills under Geno and Shea's coaching.

The article mentioned that Tennessee already has their point guard for the next 3 years (Te'a Cooper). So why would she go there and sit behind her?
These are troubling times in Vol Nation. Who in their right mind would want to go to a program that is having problems on and off the court, and are circling the drain? To quote the Late Ray Charles in a Pepsi commercial he did: "you got the right one baby".

 

[A10 fan]

Tennessee will be joining La Tech in obscurity.

 

[EricLA]

Tennessee will be joining La Tech in obscurity.

We can only hope!!

 

[Vowelguy]

Tennessee will be joining La Tech in obscurity.

Ridiculous.

 

[A10 fan]

We can only hope!!

In the era before UConn's rise, I was a big LaTech fan. They really killed their program when they got cute with Kim Mulkey. Summit's son is there now, trying to raise the dead.

 

[EricLA]

In the era before UConn's rise, I was a big LaTech fan. They really killed their program when they got cute with Kim Mulkey. Summit's son is there now, trying to raise the dead.

I don't think he will have any real or sustained success. He's not as good a coach as Jen Rizotti or Jamelle Elliot, and look at how they have struggled at UHart and Cinci. I don't get the feeling that La Tech is throwing any money at the program, and I think it's going to be really tough for him to do anything beyond mediocre.

I'm sure Tyler is a nice guy, but unless he cuts the cord, and learns how to teach offense, unlike his famous mom, he will never succeed, especially at a lower echelon school like La Tech...

 

[HoopsFan21]

Did anyone else think about waffles when reading the article and looking at the picture of Crystal and her teammates in the gym with the trophy?

 

[cferraro04]

This statement from her coach seemed a little odd...almost sounded like he was saying that there might be some sort of conflict in what Geno expects and Crystals playing style.


“She’s small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3. But she likes to handle the ball, and, you know, Geno expects his point guards to distribute, play a certain way.”

 

[Plebe]

I don't think he will have any real or sustained success. He's not as good a coach as Jen Rizotti or Jamelle Elliot, and look at how they have struggled at UHart and Cinci. I don't get the feeling that La Tech is throwing any money at the program, and I think it's going to be really tough for him to do anything beyond mediocre.

I'm sure Tyler is a nice guy, but unless he cuts the cord, and learns how to teach offense, unlike his famous mom, he will never succeed, especially at a lower echelon school like La Tech...

The best La Tech can hope for is to improve their standing within their conference. Right now they're middle of the pack. There are actually three C-USA programs that have now separated themselves year-to-year from the rest: WKU, UTEP and MTSU. And even if Tyler Summit can somehow bring La Tech back up to that level, let's be real: He'll then get poached by a power-conference school that will offer him a lot more money than whatever La Tech is paying him.

 

[DaddyChoc]

This statement from her coach seemed a little odd...almost sounded like he was saying that there might be some sort of conflict in what Geno expects and Crystals playing style.


“She’s small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3. But she likes to handle the ball, and, you know, Geno expects his point guards to distribute, play a certain way.”

 

[A10 fan]

The best La Tech can hope for is to improve their standing within their conference. Right now they're middle of the pack. There are actually three C-USA programs that have now separated themselves year-to-year from the rest: WKU, UTEP and MTSU. And even if Tyler Summit can somehow bring La Tech back up to that level, let's be real: He'll then get poached by a power-conference school that will offer him a lot more money than whatever La Tech is paying him.

Agree! They somehow didn't understand how precarious their situation was after Barmore retired. They had nothing going for them, except for their great tradition, and they flushed that down the toilet when they took it for granted that Mulkey would never consider another offer. They'd likely still be elite if she was their coach. The struggles of Tennessee should tell everyone how hard it is to follow a legend. Even UConn fans will be a bit nervous when Geno finally steps away.

 

[HuskyNan]

This statement from her coach seemed a little odd...almost sounded like he was saying that there might be some sort of conflict in what Geno expects and Crystals playing style.

“She’s small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3. But she likes to handle the ball, and, you know, Geno expects his point guards to distribute, play a certain way.”

Pick a random AAU game and go watch how the kids play. Being the top scorer seems to be the primary motivation for a lot of kids; maybe that's what the coach was referring to. Geno has spoken several times about needing a year to break players of bad habits (this is one of the reason he's reluctant to sign JUCOs) so I'm thinking Crystal is probably a typical kid that needs to have it reinforced that a point guard needs to pass and score. There's no conflict here IMO - just business as usual for the coaching staff.

 

[CocoHusky]

This statement from her coach seemed a little odd...almost sounded like he was saying that there might be some sort of conflict in what Geno expects and Crystals playing style.
“She’s small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3. But she likes to handle the ball, and, you know, Geno expects his point guards to distribute, play a certain way.”

Pick a random AAU game and go watch how the kids play. Being the top scorer seems to be the primary motivation for a lot of kids; maybe that's what the coach was referring to. Geno has spoken several times about needing a year to break players of bad habits (this is one of the reason he's reluctant to sign JUCOs) so I'm thinking Crystal is probably a typical kid that needs to have it reinforced that a point guard needs to pass and score. There's no conflict here IMO - just business as usual for the coaching staff.

I agree better example might be the one Geno spoke about recently-Kia's role on the Canadian Team is vastly different than her role on the UCONN team. Crystal is ""small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3" - There is zero chance that the UCONN staff couuld mess this up.

 

[Vowelguy]

They'd likely still be elite if she was their coach.

I disagree. The odds are too stacked against schools not in P5 conferences. They dont have the resources to keep pace with the big schools, and this getting even worse as the conferences are racking in more cash from their own networks.

Memo to all UConn fans who are saying TN is now a footnote: if the Huskies don't get in a better conference, that will be UConn within 10 years of Geno's departure.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

He soft-peddled how far Tennessee has fallen. No need for a "new storyline" if the two schools meet again. The only story is a great and consistent program, with a program on a nearly decade-long decline.

We don't have to waste a game on our schedule for Tennessee. Ancient history.

 

[BobbyJ]

I agree better example might be the one Geno spoke about recently-Kia's role on the Canadian Team is vastly different than her role on the UCONN team. Crystal is ""small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3" - There is zero chance that the UCONN staff couuld mess this up.

I agree with both CocoHuskey and HuskyNan. I take anything AAU coaches say with a grain of salt. Many are more salesmen than actual coaches. To be able to get the most talented kids, and knowing that those kids like to play and hang out together, they pretty much let them play how they want within the guise of a basic offense. Defense is mostly block shots and run around looking for steals. Those are the flaws that the college coaches have to clean up. I'm sure that Jefferson has explained to Dangerfield precisely what Auriemma will want from her and her committment indicates that she's willing to work with that.

 

[Farney]

We definitely can't afford to put Tenn back on our schedule. We already take enough grief for our poor on conference schedule. Why take a long step down in our of conference too?

 

[UcMiami]

This statement from her coach seemed a little odd...almost sounded like he was saying that there might be some sort of conflict in what Geno expects and Crystals playing style.


“She’s small but can really jump, is lightning quick and can shoot the 3. But she likes to handle the ball, and, you know, Geno expects his point guards to distribute, play a certain way.”

Just to follow on from what Nan responded - it isn't just AAU 'style of play' and wanting/needing to be a top scorer it is also the distribution of talent even on really good AAU teams. A player who is a finalist for national awards is going to have a significantly higher skill level than most of her teammates, and on a team with limited to non-existent practice time, success is predicated on the best players 'doing their thing'. Put those players in more structured environments like USA basketball with comparable talent and the good ones adapt to that situation. On USA basketball I suspect her game was completely different from her AAU and HS play. At Uconn it will be more like the USA basketball experience.

A similar coaching comment was made by Wilson's HS coach bemoaning that she was being restricted on the USA team to more of a low post player rather than a 1-5 type player she could be. Surprise, surprise - as the quality of players around her increased in college (and the defensive players) she is anchored in the low post.

 

[JellyBean]

Nice article. But I am so over this "renew the Huskies/Lady Vols rivalry " It has been 8-9 years. If we play the Lady Vols in the tournament, so be it. I will make sure that I watch the game with the sound off.

 

[Carnac]

Tennessee will be joining La Tech in obscurity.

We can only hope.