Rich: Again Chong steps up for Huskies

[pap49cba]

“If she didn’t get it she wouldn’t have been able to do what she did (Sunday) or what she did against Stanford,’’ Auriemma said. “She’s a really, really good basketball player and she’s a good player because she has talent … Some players have talent and they have no instincts. She’s has great talent, but her instincts help that talent come out even more. So we have a pretty good player on our hands and I just want her to keep getting better. She had a lot of (guts) to make that 3 from the wing. The same thing in the Stanford game. And she’s a pretty bright.’’

LINK

 

[msf22b]

Let's not forget that dart of a pass she threw to Mo for an easy two that Cat and I referred to yesterday.
And her D is improving every game.

 

[EricLA]

“If she didn’t get it she wouldn’t have been able to do what she did (Sunday) or what she did against Stanford,’’ Auriemma said. “She’s a really, really good basketball player and she’s a good player because she has talent … Some players have talent and they have no instincts. She’s has great talent, but her instincts help that talent come out even more. So we have a pretty good player on our hands and I just want her to keep getting better. She had a lot of (guts) to make that 3 from the wing. The same thing in the Stanford game. And she’s a pretty bright.’’

LINK

Is Geno mellowing in his old age?? He's had nothing but glowing comments about Morgan and now seems to be on the same path with Saniya. Remember Sales? She was the original Precious. Asjha was apparently Precious II. They almost never got criticized by Geno. Could Morgan and Saniya be precious III and IV?

“I just see myself as another player on this team,’’ Chong said. “It doesn’t matter what grade you’re in. We’re all just one family and we all contribute. We all just play.’’

Great quote from her. She gets it, as do all UCONN players, and she's going to be special.

 

[Icebear]

Don't forget Kelly. Geno only criticized her in the mildest of ways. And only once or twice at that.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I love these freshmen who are confident, aggressive, and talented. She is going to be very, very good. I think we have 7 potential college AAs on the team, her included.

 

[DavidinNaples]

Is Geno mellowing in his old age?? He's had nothing but glowing comments about Morgan and now seems to be on the same path with Saniya. Remember Sales? She was the original Precious. Asjha was apparently Precious II. They almost never got criticized by Geno. Could Morgan and Saniya be precious III and IV?

“I just see myself as another player on this team,’’ Chong said. “It doesn’t matter what grade you’re in. We’re all just one family and we all contribute. We all just play.’’

Great quote from her. She gets it, as do all UCONN players, and she's going to be special.

eric...agree 100% Geno seems to be mellowing... Also 100% w/ your Chong analysis. She does get it. 77 minutes w/ just 2 turnovers. 30 pts on 52.6% shooting. 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Injuries have forced her to play 19.3 minutes a game.... Maybe we can say she is special already... Go Huskies...!!

 

[Zorro]

Even Geno couldn't find much to criticize in Kelly's game, even had he been so inclined.

 

[JoePgh]

I think there is something to the mellowing theory. I have been watching the team at close range since 2004, and during that time the only situation that I can remember where he criticized a player harshly (to the point of making me wince) was Charde. He was somewhat negative about Tina in her early years, but that was mixed with a lot of positives. Mel Thomas never heard a bad word from him or CD after the early part of her freshman year.

Barbed comments, such as the one about Bria after the Maryland game, are fairly easy for the player to diagnose as non-negative ribbing. I doubt the anyone is confused or particularly worried about those types of comments.

 

[Kibitzer]

Geno is smart like Red Auerbach was. Never go by that "treat all the players the same" crap.

I have it on video -- Tommy Heinsohn stating that Red never ever criticized either Russ or Cooz, even when they (as mere mortals) screwed up. Instead, he would figure out a way to dump on Heinsohn and Luscotoff, his favorite whipping boys. All the players knew the drill. And it worked.

Geno seems to operate the same way. It seems that Bria and Saniya are precious, so Kiah and Stef will need thick skins. You can be sure that he will make no phony pretense about treating everyone the same.

 

[msf22b]

I love Saniya's poker face.

 

[maddoggy]

Could be mellowing. Could also be a situation where Geno thinks he should be bolstering confidence in players who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by the temporary loss of their two talented teammates.

 

[TroyHouse66]

"...77 minutes w/ just 2 turnovers. 30 pts on 52.6% shooting. 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Injuries have forced her to play 19.3 minutes a game...."

Yes, she has found herself, suddenly, in the deep end of the pool...

Reminds me of what one of the Geology Profs once explained to us:
"A diamond is only lowly Carbon... under high heat and pressure..."

[KA-Chong!]

 

[msf22b]

No surprise, she's a gamer

 

[meyers7]

Let's not forget that dart of a pass she threw to Mo for an easy two that Cat and I referred to yesterday.
And her D is improving every game.

Really liked that pass, liked the cut and finish by Jefferson too. Good play. That was my play of the game.

 

[xHunt3r]

Watching her 54 point on youtube... it was not the scoring that stood out to me, but the court vision and passing. She sees the whole court, if you're a position to score... she will get you the ball.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This young lady has/is a real Cool Hand.

 

[jsloanjr]

She will light the lamp every night.....WOW!!!

 

[UcMiami]

I think he is mellowing and was thinking about this a few days ago. And I absolutely think he treats everyone individually - not one size fits all.
I am wondering if specifically last year and the difficulty he felt he (and the coaches) had reaching the team during the regular season might be influencing him this year. He wasn't able to bring Stewie out of her funk and he might have felt his hard criticism might have been part of the problem?
I also think the process of toning his act down for USA basketball has rubbed off on his day job - hard to turn on and off the wiseass depending on which shirt you pulled on before the news conference.

 

[Sonny44]

She will light the lamp every night.....WOW!!!

Watch out! Remember what happened after Stewarts's start last year? Seems every rookie has to go through a funk at some point.

 

[chrissaran]

Saniya and Breanna are not the same in terms of expectations. Geno said that Breanna, when all is said and done, could be the greatest player in UConn women's basketball history. That's a lot to deal with. Jen Rizzotti, Rebecca Lobo, Kara Wolters, Sue Bird, Dina Taurasi, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Maya Moore and on and on. Saniya doesn't have that weight on her shoulders, although expectations are high for every player.