She Looks Exhausted ...This Is Good, Right?

[JavaMan]

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[Rixxx]

I like that Natalie was practicing her baby hooks after practice.

 

[alexrgct]

I like that Crystal wasn't having fun but could keep it all in perspective. Nowhere to go but up!

 

[JavaMan]

I like that Crystal wasn't having fun but could keep it all in perspective. Nowhere to go but up!

I think this is the first time I have seen Crystal without a huge smile on her face.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

There isn't a single UConn player who came in as a freshman and was not pushed to the limit and found a new limit (at some point, with Geno's "help"). Just because I don't think we are about to discover a senior as starting point guard doesn't mean I think Dangerfield will rise like a phoenix to smote the enemy. But, in the not to distance future, we will see some smotey stuff out of CD.

 

[Monte]

I think this is the first time I have seen Crystal without a huge smile on her face.

I want her to look like this after a tough practice. I want to see the smile AFTER a winning game!

 

[EricLA]

Hard to tell really what she's thinking. She could be all business because a practice has just ended. She could have heartburn from something she ate earlier. There literally are hundreds of reasons she's not "beaming" in the short interview.

But what she says - about it being different from anything she's ever experienced (USA Basketball, HS hoops, etc), and going hard for 3 hours indicates to me (like all freshmen), no matter how prepared they may think they are, the reality is something they simply could not have been prepared for.

 

[pvdoggy]

Hard to tell really what she's thinking. She could be all business because a practice has just ended. She could have heartburn from something she ate earlier. There literally are hundreds of reasons she's not "beaming" in the short interview.

But what she says - about it being different from anything she's ever experienced (USA Basketball, HS hoops, etc), and going hard for 3 hours indicates to me (like all freshmen), no matter how prepared they may think they are, the reality is something they simply could not have been prepared for.

 

[HGN]

I think this is the first time I have seen Crystal without a huge smile on her face.

I agree Java.....I think this is the first time that I haven't seen Crystal without a smile or showing joy. Fatigue , or or just total exhaustion , I am not sure which. But I think it's good. I believe they have been working out long and hard getting ready for the season.
A season that Geno is going to have to depend upon freshmen more than he probably would like.

 

[CL82]

I agree Java.....I think this is the first time that I haven't seen Crystal without a smile or showing joy. Fatigue , or or just total exhaustion , I am not sure which. But I think it's good. I believe they have been working out long and hard getting ready for the season.
A season that Geno is going to have to depend upon freshmen more than he probably would like.

Break 'em down so you can build them up.

 

[JordyG]

I want her to look like this after a tough practice. I want to see the smile AFTER a winning game!

I want to see all of the freshmen look like this after EVERY practice. Danger is now learning what it takes to 1) Be a Husky 2) Become a champion 3) As Geno says no player can tell me how far they can go. Or else what do they need me for? I'LL tell them how far they can go. 4) How to keep pushing through those walls so you can achieve your potential. As DB has said the process is arduous and sometimes painful. It won't be the first time Geno has reduced one of his players to tears. This is Geno's crucible that produces.

 

[Carnac]

The words came directly from her mouth: "It's different than high school, different than USA, different than AAU basketball". Playing basketball at the D-1 level, and especially for Geno, is a different dynamic that takes time for newcomers to learn. She intimated that the experiences this summer did not prepare her for this. It's different. But learn she will. Stewie and Moriah both said it took time for them to really understand what Geno wanted and why. That revelation did not come to them their first year.

When you're a freshman, you're learning so many different things.......at once. Moriah said her first year, she was more concerned about not making mistakes than anything else. She admitted to not being comfortable her sophomore year (her first year as the starting pg). Bria Hartley was the starting pg Mo's freshman year, and thus Mo played very sparingly. Bria seldom came out for rest. Gabby said at the beginning of her sophomore year: "I'm more comfortable now. I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm supposed to do, and where I'm supposed to be on both ends of the court".
Fear not, Crystal will be just fine. She's a gamer. She wants to be great.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Break 'em down so you can build them up.

How many times have you heard that "actual games are easy, after having had to practice like we have" or something to that effect.

 

[JordyG]

The words came directly from her mouth: "It's different than high school, different than USA, different than AAU basketball". Playing basketball at the D-1 level, and especially for Geno, is a different dynamic that takes time for newcomers to learn. She intimated that the experiences this summer did not prepare her for this. It's different. But learn she will. Stewie and Moriah both said it took time for them to really understand what Geno wanted and why. That revelation did not come to them their first year.

When you're a freshman, you're learning so many different things..at once. Moriah said her first year, she was more concerned about not making mistakes than anything else. She admitted to not being comfortable her sophomore year (her first year as the starting pg). Bria Hartley was the starting pg Mo's freshman year, and thus Mo played very sparingly. Bria seldom came out for rest. Gabby said at the beginning of her sophomore year: "I'm more comfortable now. I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm supposed to do, and where I'm supposed to be on both ends of the court".
Fear not, Crystal will be just fine. She's a gamer. She wants to be great.

Agreed. Unfortunately for PG there is so much more to learn than any other position on the floor. That is why so many say the PG is an extension of the coach on the floor; that is why so few start initially at The UConn. Unlike some who post here, some whose opinion I greatly respect, from the moment Danger committed I said she would not start game one. I also said by mid season on she would become vastly more important. But again, Danger plays under control. She rarely turns the ball over. She has a good change of pace, a nice shot to the arc, nice deception on her passes, sees the court well, anticipates well, makes good decisions, has quick feet on defense and is a nasty pest, and thinks team first. Clearly she's a gym rat and takes coaching well. What the heck more can you ask of a starting PG? Her time will come this year. Just not right away.

 

[Carnac]

Agreed. Unfortunately for PG there is so much more to learn than any other position on the floor. That is why so many say the PG is an extension of the coach on the floor; that is why so few start initially at The UConn. Unlike some who post here, some whose opinion I greatly respect, from the moment Danger committed I said she would not start game one. I also said by mid season on she would become vastly more important. But again, Danger plays under control. She rarely turns the ball over. She has a good change of pace, a nice shot to the arc, nice deception on her passes, sees the court well, anticipates well, makes good decisions, has quick feet on defense and is a nasty pest, and thinks team first. Clearly she's a gym rat and takes coaching well. What the heck more can you ask of a starting PG? Her time will come this year. Just not right away.

Jordy, We are definitely on the same page. I said the same thing you did here about 2 hours ago in another post. The only difference is that you said it more eloquently, and you said it in only one paragraph. It took me two, but as I'm sure you realize by now, brevity is not my strong suit.

Tip in: Isn't it nice to have something else to talk about than you know who?

 

[Charliebball]

Jordy, We are definitely on the same page. I said the same thing you did here about 2 hours ago in another post. The only difference is that you said it more eloquently, and you said it in only one paragraph. It took me two, but as I'm sure you realize by now, brevity is not my strong suit.

Tip in: Isn't it nice to have something else to talk about than you know who?

Hmmmmmmmmm wonder how MW views that boot camp environment?

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Practices haven’t always been a barrel of laughs. Tuesday’s practice was supposed to wrap up around 5 p.m., but it ended early as UConn coach Geno Auriemma lectured the group on using this time to constantly improve. For good measure, there was a wind sprint just so Auriemma’s message truly hit home.

UConn freshmen will be in spotlight in preseason opener

 

[MilfordHusky]

I like that Natalie was practicing her baby hooks after practice.

Arguably, the best shot in history was Kareem's sky hook. Tina's little hook is a great shot that she can shoot over even Griner. That hook can be a great weapon for Natalie.

 

[JordyG]

Hmmmmmmmmm wonder how MW views that boot camp environment?

Why would she care, she's going to be attending the relative Texas day at daddy's backyard BBQ. Under the tree drinking sweet tea.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Why would she care, she's going to be attending the relative Texas day at daddy's backyard BBQ. Under the tree drinking sweet tea.

"Lemonade"

 

[MilfordHusky]

The freshmen can go to Lou and ask how she survived. Lou will explain that she came in as the #1 recruit in the country, but then missed most of her shots early on, was lost at practice, and was physically and mentally exhausted. But she talked to Stewie, who said she had run into the same thing as a freshman and urged Lou to keep working and trust the system. A few months later, Lou was on a truck in a parade in Hartford after yet another undefeated season and national championship. The path is not clear to the freshmen and it certainly isn't easy, but Geno and staff will take the players to a place they didn't know existed. And they will be set up for life.

 

[TitleTown]

Break 'em down so you can build them up.

Geno does this every year with every team. There is a quote by either Lobo or Taurasi in which she says "coach spends from October to March telling us we are the worst team in the country and can't win a game, then the tournament comes around and he tells us we can't be beat".

 

[TitleTown]

I like that Natalie was practicing her baby hooks after practice.

I was looking more at her feet. She was practicing her drop step also during that drill and looked very fluid and a lot less choppy than last year.

 

[UcMiami]

The difference as reported by many who have watched and participated in practices at Uconn is that there are no breaks - one drill runs into the next into the next until the final whistle so there is no chance to stop and allow body and mind to catch up. The mental fatigue is probably harder than the physical and both together are daunting because the criticism remains constant and the expectations never waver.

(Sue once mentioned after hearing a freshman talking, that they obviously hadn't yet learned the water bottle trick - the need for hydration could occasionally give you a minute of respite that came in handy for the more experienced players.)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"Female players of today can run faster, jump higher and are better in terms of athletic skills. But the ability to play five-on-five basketball doesn’t exist, according to Auriemma." His critique of player development is pretty well written up in Have I Got Your Attention Yet? | An NCAA Champion Feature | NCAA.org

Of course, he's overstating his case to make a point, but this is the guy who crawled under the stands to have a melt down when the Huskies had a bad practice.

He's happy now. I hope he stays that way. I suspect that has less to do with the current quality of practice, but the fct that he has 3 new pieces of Play-doh to mold.