So, I've got a question

[SallyH]

Didn't both Tuck and KML play a lot of games in the off season? On USA teams, etc? While they gain international experience, could it be too much wear and tear on their bodies? I know Geno encourages this, but I'm just wondering if the benefits are worth the risks.

 

[caramel]

Your concern is justified.Sometimes too much of anything can be the wrong thing for you in the long run.
However,these young ladies are in much better shape than the average young lady,and as part of the process to achieve to become better at their game,extra activities in their expertise is important in some ways,to their growth as a player and person.
Even the most careful player in any sport can become injured,because of the repeated use of muscles,and in some cases,the abnormal use of the muscles due to falls,poor positioning,body contact,etc.
With Morgan and KML,this just happens to be a year where the right place and the right time happened for injury.
I am very confident,that if the coaching staff,and especially the training staff,thought that Morgan couldn't go this year without repeating injury,and that KML wasn't good to go,in their professional thoughts,both girls would have not started or continued in the games.
My hope is that Morgan gets a full recovery and is able to resume the things she holds dear to her,with no limitations.
My hope is KML gets through this setback completely healthy and renewed with the energy she has always displayed in the thing she loves to do.

 

[doggydaddy]

I don't see how KML playing over the summer for USA basketball had anything to do with her elbow injury and contracting mono.

 

[UcMiami]

We talk of USA basketball as a big time commitment, but it really isn't. The trials are a three day weekend and then the training camp and competition is usually about 4 weeks maybe stretching to six. So ... their off-season starts the second week of April and their preseason starts the first week of October (ish) - basically 5 and a half months. With USA basketball cut that to 4 months. That should be plenty of rest, and the USA Baskteball typically takes the place of the serious pick-up game time and other training they would be doing anyway.
That is very different from the pros who play in Europe and miss training camp in the WNBA if they are in the tournaments and then miss the start in Europe if they are in the playoffs in the US. At least the asian season ends sooner so players like Maya get a month off before the WNBA training camps start. While the culture shock is greater in Asia, that rest is important and I wouldn't be surprised if more players start playing there over Europe.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I don't see how KML playing over the summer for USA basketball had anything to do with her elbow injury and contracting mono.

Yep, both kind of flukey occurrences. And even if a player makes a quick move, lands funny, and tears up her ACL, I'm not sure how that could be equated to too many minutes. This is not like a baseball pitcher throwing too many innings or a football player taking too much of a pounding. Most basketball injuries are things revolving around stepping on an ankle or planting the foot the wrong way.

 

[Aluminny69]

Jefferson and Stewart don't seem to be any worse for the wear.

 

[SallyH]

I don't see how KML playing over the summer for USA basketball had anything to do with her elbow injury and contracting mono.

Fair enough, but Tuck has been battling knee injuries since before she got here.

 

[SallyH]

Jefferson and Stewart don't seem to be any worse for the wear.

See thread below.

 

[msf22b]

Jefferson and Stewart don't seem to be any worse for the wear.

Famous last words.

 

[Icebear]

Jefferson and Stewart don't seem to be any worse for the wear.

Oops!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Fair enough, but Tuck has been battling knee injuries since before she got here.

The situation can change after a player has had a major injury or two or three, and the following years after a return may require some limits. For a player like Caroline Doty there had to be a huge cut in the minutes. But even for a player like Kalana Greene who made about as good a recovery as could be hoped for, there was some drop in minutes from a high of 29 as a sophomore to 25 as a fifth year senior. Different circumstances require different solutions.

 

[UcMiami]

The situation can change after a player has had a major injury or two or three, and the following years after a return may require some limits. For a player like Caroline Doty there had to be a huge cut in the minutes. But even for a player like Kalana Greene who made about as good a recovery as could be hoped for, there was some drop in minutes from a high of 29 as a sophomore to 25 as a fifth year senior. Different circumstances require different solutions.

Dobbs - tough also just to use minutes as a determinant because each year the composition of the team changes. Next year for example may be very interesting with the four guard/wing recruits arriving adding to the MJ, BB, SC, KML group.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Dobbs - tough also just to use minutes as a determinant because each year the composition of the team changes. Next year for example may be very interesting with the four guard/wing recruits arriving adding to the MJ, BB, SC, KML group.

It's possible, as the 2009-10 had 9 players with at least 12+ minutes, and Kalana was just a little short of the other starters for minutes. My impression back then was that there was talk of a little precaution in preserving her a bit to make sure she was strong for the tourney and that she could get those 32 minutes in against Stanford in the NC. Who knows?

The minutes projections that were made in preseason on the BY for Husky players in 2013-14 have gone different ways as the available personnel has changed, and probably we will see the same thing happen next year.