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Message: [QUOTE="EricLA, post: 2763714, member: 26"] “[I]One of the big differences between these two freshmen and last year’s freshmen is that these two understand that it’s hard, and they understand that it’s supposed to be really hard, and they accept it and they welcome it,” Auriemma said[/I]. When I read the article I knew this statement would raise some eyebrows. As [USER=366]@MilfordHusky[/USER] said, some kids are recruited as role players, some as potential stars/starters, and some are in-between - no one really knows how good they will be, or if they will end up as simply role players. Lexi (along with Molly and Kyla) are clearly role players. Andi and Mikayla were the "in-between" players. Meg is expected to be a starter/star at some point. Having said that, I do find it hard to fathom that the quartet class of 2017 did not understand that it's supposed to be really hard, but somehow the class of 2018 magically does. Didn't 2017 go to summer classes? Work out with the team and play during the summer? Talk to the teammates who had been thru it? Read up on other comments from players who endured brutal freshman years at UCONN? But they had no clue that it was going to be really hard as freshmen? I wonder if Geno was being a bit dramatic with his comments. I somehow doubt all 4 kids somehow just didn't get it, but amazingly, the following class does. Having said that, can't read too much into Geno's comments - could be metaphors, mixed messages, motivational tactics, etc. Clearly not only is he doing something right, but after all the hysteria on the board over "how the freshmen were 'treated'", neither Coombs nor Walker transferred out. Let's see how they do as sophomores - that will help determine if Geno "played it right" (so to speak) with how he handled them... [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach