So what did Geno "think" ...?

[VAMike23]

When asked about Kaleena's performance in what was her first 'real game' (per Geno) as a freshman:

“I don’t want to say what I think,” he said. “It’s too early.....There's some things that I think, that I'll share with you down the road."

My guess is that he was thinking KLM could end up being the greatest ever to play at UCONN, bar none. No WAY would he say that out loud, and rightly so. It would stir things up, especially at such an early stage. But that's my guess nonetheless.

This was a great post-game presser by Geno - it's now up as a free link on HuskyVision.

 

[EricLA]

wow that's a great quote. and good guess on your part. it's something i've been thinking as well, but realize that many UCONN fans would vociferously disagree. which is why i always say we need to wait till she's graduated before we evaluate how good she is compared to the other greats...

 

[VAMike23]

wow that's a great quote. and good guess on your part. it's something i've been thinking as well, but realize that many UCONN fans would vociferously disagree. which is why i always say we need to wait till she's graduated before we evaluate how good she is compared to the other greats...

Well it's only speculation when we talk about will she or won't she, nothing substantive to disagree about because it's just so early.
But I think even Geno was taken aback at just how good KLM was when we really HAD to have someone to come up big in that 1st half. It's not like anyone else besides Bria was able to get the ball in the basket during that stretch. And he noted her all-around game as part of what was so impressive, fighting like a seasoned warrior against the Cardinal bigs under the glass. He also noted that it's the exact same thing she has done in practice, every day, since October 15, but to do it in a game is another thing, and to do it in a BIG, BIG game is yet another. Lastly, at yet another level higher, is to do it in a BIG, BIG game, as a freshman, in only your 3rd game, when nobody else is able to score and it's beginning to look a little like the Surreal World of the 2010 NC game 1st half. All of those extras made her performance last night not just impressive, but truly massive.

 

[Phil]

I liked the follow up. One of the media said (I infer) "What would you say if you did have to say something"

He responded, don't pull that stuff. I don't have to say anything and I'm not going to.

Perfect example where a Geno detractor could quote it accurately, and make it sound bad, but if you actually hear it, he's simply being a Philly boy, and no one took offense.

 

[UConnCat]

Rich Elliott's blog has some terrific quotes from Geno that weren't from his presser: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/

On the team's defensive effort:

“A lot of times young teams really struggle on the defensive end,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “It may have helped that Stanford didn’t have a huge quickness advantage over us. We were able to keep that pretty much where we wanted it to be. For as small as we were for a lot of the game and the way we competed against their size and their physicalness, I think, and I told them this, that they earned the respect of the coaching staff. A win is a win and I understand that and 3-0 is better than 2-1. The other part is more important.’’

On how hard the team played:

“I like to think that how hard we play is what we’re all about and how we’ve got to this point in our program,’’ Auriemma said. “Everybody around the country likes to talk about how many points we score and all of the great offensive players that we’ve had. In the end, we’ve won most of our big games, if not all of them, because defensively every one of our kids buys into what we do and they commit themselves to it. And this particular group I wasn’t sure about.’’

Last, but not least, on Kelly Faris:

Faris was 0-of-5 from the field (0-of-3 3-pointers). She was 0-of-2 from the free throw line. She was scoreless for the first time since facing Marquette in the ninth game of last season.

Still, what she provided the Huskies Monday did not show up in the box score. She is the toughest player on the team. And she set a fine example in 21 grueling minutes against the Cardinal.

“I don’t know what hurts her more, the missed layup, missed jump shots, or the physical beating that she took out there,’’ Auriemma said. “There’s a toughness about Kelly that is just infectious for the rest of our team. We’ve got enough guys that will make shots, but I don’t know if we have enough guys that will be as physical as she is night in and night out.’’

 

[Suebird10fan]

He was thinking, "We have Kaleena and you don't!"

 

[HuskyNan]

My guess is that was thinking KLM could end up being the greatest ever to play at UCONN, bar none. No WAY would he say that out loud, and rightly so. It would stir things up, especially at such an early stage. But that's my guess nonetheless.

Seems to me I remember a freshmen hitting some tough shots in an extremely tight game against Baylor last year. Ol' Whatsername, the one that dribble too much?

UConn's been blessed to have some outrageous talent walk through the doors at Gampel through the years, heck even in the last two years. Kaleena was fabulous last night, no doubt about it, and I did my share of raving, too, but I'm going to follow Geno's example and wait another few games - or years - before I throw around the Best Ever tag.

 

[Phil]

“I don’t know what hurts her more, the missed layup, missed jump shots, or the physical beating that she took out there,’’ Auriemma said.

My guess, the missed free throws. She knows threes will come or not, but you should make a free throw. And yes, she took a physical beating, but I think that will be viewed as a good hurt.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well put by Nan: "Blessed to have some OUTRAGEOUS talent." And it gets even more outrageous next year.

 

[VAMike23]

Seems to me I remember a freshmen hitting some tough shots in an extremely tight game against Baylor last year. Ol' Whatsername, the one that dribble too much?

UConn's been blessed to have some outrageous talent walk through the doors at Gampel through the years, heck even in the last two years. Kaleena was fabulous last night, no doubt about it, and I did my share of raving, too, but I'm going to follow Geno's example and wait another few games - or years - before I throw around the Best Ever tag.

I'm waiting, too - I was just guessing what he might have been thinking that he held back from sharing.

 

[alexrgct]

Bria came up with some huge shots against Baylor last year, but KML's performance was on a whole other level. Maya scored 31 on Baylor, as I recall. KML carried UConn for much of the first half. That was an extraordinary performance.

Geno was also asked about KML at halftime by the young woman who does media work for UConn. He was reserved in his response then too...in part because I think he was legitimately at a loss for words at that moment. He did eventually manage to say something like her looking like the best player on the floor.