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Message: [QUOTE="diggerfoot, post: 3481095, member: 1673"] This is Geno-speak. Sales really did not struggle as a freshman; Rizzotti thrived as a freshman. Rizzotti started from day one and had her second productive season as a freshman point-wise and minute-wise, more productive than the season that landed her on the cover of SI. From the time of Rizzotti up until this decade Auriemma started his incoming point guard of the future from day one. In addition to Rizzotti there was R. Williams, Bird, Montgomery and Hartley. The only exception within that time frame was Conlon. Point guard has proven to be the position Auriemma is most likely to start as a freshman, with center close behind. However, he did not start his two most recent point guards of the future, Jefferson and Dangerfield. Does this represent a new trend? Perhaps, but .... For the past few years we have not had as natural a leader as Taurasi (or Rizzotti). Add to that our unusual situation here with no returning juniors (excluding Westbrook for now). The last time that happened we were fine, because one of the returning sophomores was named Taurasi. Yet no matter how talented and experienced ONO or Williams may be they do not have Bueckers innate leadership skills. If any situation was ideal for a freshman to start, it would be the one Bueckers finds herself coming into. If Bueckers is the leader she appears to be it is in the program's best interest to invest in her immediately. Tell her if anything goes wrong it's her fault, like Auriemma did with Bird, if she is a player that can handle that. Even if there are bumps in the road from starting her immediately (which there may not be considering that the bumps for Rizzotti, Bird and Montgomery were minimal) the starting leadership role should be handed over to her immediately, if she is indeed the born leader she appears to be. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach

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