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Message: [QUOTE="MilfordHusky, post: 2530294, member: 366"] Our freshmen year in and year out are comparable to or better than similarly ranked players on other teams. I think these are the key factors this year: 1. We return 3 All-Americans, an Olympian, and possibly the most improved player in the country, plus we add an All-ACC player who could be a #1 overall WNBA pick. No one has a top 6 that remotely compares to ours in terms of talent and experience. Trying to fit into that lineup and play at the level of the top 6 is really tough for a newbie (or anyone). 2. Geno's coaching approach is generally very different. He pursues perfection. Other coaches allow newbies to play through their mistakes far more than Geno does. He does it only when a freshman is the best available option (see Renee and Tina as examples). Geno wants the players to be mistake-free [B]before[/B] they get into the game. He may have set the bar higher than in the past after 8 years of coaching the best team in the world (Team USA). 3. Geno's system is more complicated than most. The offense involves a lot of reads, and the defense involves considerable switching. That's all new to most freshmen. It takes time to learn. But when the players learn all that, they become, among other things, better pro prospects. 4. The effort required at UConn is higher than elsewhere. Other teams play hard and other players play hard, but no one as hard as UConn teamwide--diving on the floor for lose balls when up by 40 points. As Geno says, they don't coach effort, and there is no such thing as being tired at UConn. Many coaches do have to coach effort. Other than Maya Moore and Kelly Faris, most players had to learn to play harder at UConn. Some got it by the middle of their first year; others took longer. 5. As Moriah and others have said, the coaches break you down and then build you back up. Geno has said that the one thing needed to play at UConn is confidence. With the new and complicated system, increased effort required, extreme competition, and being broken down, many kids take a big hit in confidence. The freshmen are going through that now. Brianna Banks still had confidence issues after 3 seasons when she transferred. Kiah Stokes still has confidence issues on the offensive end. Perhaps only the supremely confident Diana and Maya didn't suffer confidence issues. Even the great Stewie had a rough slump her first year. Once the newbies see that they are getting the hang of things and get praise from the coaches and their teammates, their confidence will rebound (no pun intended). [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach