Stewie's place in UCWBB History

[UcMiami]

hoophuskee - CD and Geno have always coached the way they did Stewarts freshman year - regular season is for breaking down their players and teaching - everything they do wrong is emphasized. And then at the end of the year it is all about building confidence and everything they do right is praised.

On DTs 2001 FF - she was struggling in the first half before the locker room explosion so even with the lead she was not contributing much at least in terms of shooting. And then it just got worse.

On Maya's 2011 FF - I don't really think it was coaching - it was just bad play by the team. Fouls (Faris, Dolson, and Dixon all ended with 4, Hayes and Hartley with three apiece) and no one shot well - Hayes, Hartley and Faris ended 8-23 and 1-5 from three. Dolson only got 4 shots, and the defense was bad - ND being the first team in 10 years or something to shoot over 50% and they shot 56% in the second half.

Jessica Moore as a red shirt Sophomore was every bit as good as Dolson the freshman by the way - she is a bit of a forgotten center, but was solid (as her long WNBA career proves.) Dolson became an AA, but she was nowhere near that calibre as an out of shape freshman.

And I love both Turner and Crockett (our miss March) - Turner was the undersized power forward in the mold of Eliot and with the same sort of fire, and Crockett seemed completely disinterested in all those boring regular season games, or even tournament games where we were winning easily, but when the team absolutely needed a little help she went into the phone booth and came out ready to take down those nasty villains! - then back to the dog house for a nice rest.

Crockett went 4-5 and Moore was 5-9 a combined 9-14 and a combined 4-6 on FT in that TX semifinal 22 points with 16 rebounds. Dolson and Faris went a combined 4-10 and 3-4 FTs for 11 points and 11 rebounds. Taurasi got a lot of help from the center position, Moore did not - she had to rely on Bria, Lorin, and Tiff who went a combined 7-19 for 16 points and 5 rebounds. And Taurus's other four teammates topped that - Ashley, Barb, Ann, and Maria going 6-20 for 23 points and 9 rebounds.

The talent on Maya's team might have been better, but on one night in their respective years I think it is pretty clear which supporting cast actually preformed better against their respective opponents - and both opponents were formidable teams. Did DT make the difference or was it just what the gods ordained.

 

[j66kicker]

The talent on Maya's team might have been better, but on one night in their respective years I think it is pretty clear which supporting cast actually preformed better against their respective opponents - and both opponents were formidable teams. Did DT make the difference or was it just what the gods ordained.

The subjective interpretations are limitless. No way to settle it that way. The facts are these: DT's team won. MM's team lost. These are the facts and they are undisputed (Kevin Bacon in "A Few Good Men"). You are what your record says you are (Bill Parcells in real life).

 

[hoophuskee]

hoophuskee - CD and Geno have always coached the way they did Stewarts freshman year - regular season is for breaking down their players and teaching - everything they do wrong is emphasized. And then at the end of the year it is all about building confidence and everything they do right is praised.
.

UC- I love this.

1—As for Stewie – imo NO – they did NOT coach her same way as all others. They TRIED but then had to doi it differently. I specifically REEMEMBER CD saying they NEEDED to coach Stewie differently when afterwards she was asked why such a quick transformation to being not only good but SUPER. CD CHANGED her approach. Wish I had kept the comments. When I said CD said “MY FAULT” or ‘OUR FAULT” that is NOT how they always say. In fact it is rare or they NEVER say “their fault.” Because it rarely is. With STewie it was. Think about Stewie and how she is in th pantheon. What did she do in her frosh year vs the top tier teams leading up the BET? Players like DT and MM and SB and TC – they showed you something vs elite teams during their frosh years. Why was BS “so late?” Because I REMEMBER CD saying her or the staff or whatever HAD to coach her differently. And CD said she recognized it very late.

2—On DT- sure she has had bad half. Maya Moore had a bad half vs Stanford in the awful played game in 09-10. She was 2-8 from the floor. Second half she was able to be great because the coach probably wasn’t as insane as we heard Bird say that Geno was 00-01.

3—In 2011 maybe oyu are right but I think that is apart of it. Geno has told us what he did. If he said it- I believe him to a point. Sure players didn’t paly well. Coach gets praise when his team does well and when he makes “great coaching decisions/substitution” why can’t ti be the other way? Especially when he SAYS it? In regard sot the stats you mention- weren’t they the same crummy stats vs Stanford? That’s my point. The team didn’t paly well and UCONN lost because it seems Geno changed their style. Some goes to the player but when the coach changes his style vs what he did all year- blame must be on the coach as well.

I get it. You either didn’t hear him sya it or you heard it and believe Geno is just deflecting or Geno just being Geno etc. In this case I think it is somewhat Geno being Geno – sometimes he is brutally honest (sometimes not) – but in this case UCONN had two crummy games and they were the games he SAID he changed the style. I believe him.

4—I don’t agree Moore was as good of a center as Dolson. Dolson had bulk Moore was finesse. The DT teams were small and soft if not for DT. Moore was a soft center in her soph year. With that said she is ok as a pf. Stewie gets criticized for being pushed around even today. And she was a LOT stronger than the soph Moore. But Stewie doesn’t get criticized as a pf. Similar to Moore.

5—Sure BT had fire. So did Farris. I got to go to work. Can’t add more for now. I enjoy this discussion. Just want to say when you spike the stats of Texas vs ND- it’s my point 1st off that Geno probably didn’t change his style. Second Dolson was in foul trouble so her numbers wouldn’t be very good. Third the high percentages have a lot to do with DT. Even if DT is 3rd as you say – she is/was unbelievably awesome. She helped them a great deal achieve those stats.

 

[Bonpland]

The subjective interpretations are limitless. No way to settle it that way. The facts are these: DT's team won. MM's team lost. These are the facts and they are undisputed (Kevin Bacon in "A Few Good Men"). You are what your record says you are (Bill Parcells in real life).

If only it were all that simple.

 

[boontonbomber]

Each person has their favorite, and their arguments are built around that. I don't see anyone changing anyone 's mind in this discussion. That said, Maya is my all-time favorite, but I see Breanna affecting a game in more ways than any woman in WCBB history. And both of them were , and are, class acts. That means a lot to me.

 

[UcMiami]

Each person has their favorite, and their arguments are built around that. I don't see anyone changing anyone 's mind in this discussion. That said, Maya is my all-time favorite, but I see Breanna affecting a game in more ways than any woman in WCBB history. And both of them were , and are, class acts. That means a lot to me.

I really can't separate all three of them - DT, Maya, and Breanna - and, like part of the reason I love Geno so much is his 'personality', I find I am more interested to hear what DT has to say than either Maya or Breanna. Perhaps she isn't the most decorous, but she is the most fun! They all demanded constant attention from opponents and performed miraculous plays on the court. They all made their teammates jobs immeasurably easier by being the focus of every defense they played against. The were all great passers and scorers and rebounders from their respective positions, and they all created problems for opponents offenses. And they all took what the coaching staff dished out and learned and grew as players and as people through their years at Uconn.

We have been privileged to watch them and cheer for them.

I personally think I rank DT above Maya in the pantheon, but it has nothing to do with 3 vs 2 NCs or the results of any particular game, or their teammates, or their coaches actions or inactions. That is what my posts above have all been about - not knocking down any one, but knocking some cobwebs out of peoples memories, including my own.

(I think when I look back in a few years, I will probably move Breanna to the top of the list and that probably does have to do with what she accomplished her freshman year in the NCAAs because that was breathtaking for someone so young.)

 

[UcMiami]

Hoophuskee - in response:
2. I was comparing DT to Breanna in semi-finals against the same coach as freshman. Absolutely agree that Geno blew that game as a coach in the halftime locker room - but the two star freshman had very different games. DT went 0-7 in the first half before the locker room and 1-8 in the second half - total 1-15, 0-11 for 4 points with 5 assists, 1 TO, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and 5 fouls - a nightmare. Stewart went 5-8 2-3 in the first half, and in total 10-16 4-5 for 29 points with 1 assist 1 TO, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 1 steal and 2 fouls - magical. Anybody can have a bad game any time - Breanna just had hers much earlier in the year - a string of them, DT saved hers for the most important game of that year unfortunately. You sort of expect that from even great freshman, but it does sort of matter, just like major victories are better than the rest of the golf or tennis tournaments - its what champions play for. DT and Maria vowed to each other in the locker room to never experience that feeling again, and they kept their vow - more power to them.

4. Interestingly the real strength of the two teams involved in those games is the reverse - TX strength was its front line, and it was neutralized by Moore and Crockett and Turner, and while Stef had the size advantage as a freshman, Moore had the speed and conditioning and savvy and was able to stay out of foul trouble. ND's strength was its wings/guards - Peters, and Bruszewski, and Achonwa were not that great a threat and were held in check and the damage came from the guards/wings playing against Tiff and Bria and Lorin and Faris.