UConn women

[intlzncster]

Damn. How about that handle for a 6'1 wing (women's)?

Check out the hesitation at 3:01 or so. That's a mature player's move.

 

[uconnfan68]

What's the name on the top freshman coming in next year?

Two transfers too. Azura Stevens, 6'6, all-ACC at Duke last year. And 6'2 from NYC via Kentucky. They might not lose next year, again.

 

[intlzncster]

I liked Williams as a freshman. As a soph, I couldn't understand why she wasn't talked up as UConn's next monster. She's a slightly undersized (5-11) interior player who can hit from distance when she needs to, with a point guard mentality and a just plain nasty defensive mindset. Listening to the annoncers tonight, you'd think she had no skills until this year.

She was a bit raw coming in, but damn, what an athlete. She was a huge track star in high school. 2x Nevada track athlete of the year, all kinds of individual state championships.

Even had a chance to go to the Olympics for the high jump. She was in the Final Five for 3 spots...as a 15 year old!

 

[Horatio]

Damn. How about that handle for a 6'1 wing (women's)?

Check out the hesitation at 3:01 or so. That's a mature player's move.

Ridiculous!!!

 

[Horatio]

In order to de-throne Uconn It'll probably take a group of two or three top girls getting together and saying " let's go to
South Carolina or Syracuse or another school so we can beat Uconn".

 

[jibsey]

Their ball movement is ridiculously good. They have an idea on every possession, work the ball to the best advantage. Geno is a master, supposedly he and KO talk, i wonder what about?

 

[uconnfan68]

In order to de-throne Uconn It'll probably take a group of two or three top girls getting together and saying " let's go to
South Carolina or Syracuse or another school so we can beat Uconn".

They tried that at UNC a few years ago. I think they all transferred.

 

[uconnfan68]

Their ball movement is ridiculously good. They have an idea on every possession, work the ball to the best advantage. Geno is a master, supposedly he and KO talk, i wonder what about?

Golf.

 

[Dove]

Can't Geno get Diaco whacked?

You new here?

Of course he can.

 

[Scoe]

They tried that at UNC a few years ago. I think they all transferred.

They also dont have Geno, he just gets the best out of his players, his teams are just so well conditioned and athletic, its possible Geno has gotten better as a coach as he's gotten older coaching the olympic team and he's gotten some coaching notes from Popovich.

 

[TheChamps990411]

First time I've watched them this season and really impressed. For the first time in forever it seems like nobody was picking them this year and they are clearly still the best. Really good coaching job by Geno after losing an all-time great in Stewart and some other great players. Awesome ball movement and decision making by everyone. Gabby Williams does everything for them and I really like the little freshman guard, Dangerfield. To win that way on the road, never even really letting ND and their crowd get into it is impressive. They may never lose again.

I rarely watch the the chicks but ive watched them twice this year and i am absolutely impressed by Geno. That guy can flat out coach and he is clearly head and shoulders above anyone other coach in the womens game. I usually prefer my women in the kitchen and the bedroom but man these girls are really changing my chauvinistic way of thinking.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Geno had to have his kids ready to play right away this year, and he did. Incredible preparation of a young team facing an absolute gauntlet in November and December.

Next toughest tests are @Maryland and vs. South Carolina.

Speaking of tough, Gabby Williams was an absolute monster. Our bigs should watch tape of her.

 

[Danzz]

They are more fun to watch this year. Last year Geno would simply run a play for Stewart if they ran into a scoreless streak and they had the best PG in the country to do it. End of scoreless streak.
This years team will have to work much harder for wins against good teams and that makes for more competitive games. It was impressive how hard they played last night.

 

[BugsyCT]

They have been & still are ridiculously good. Wish there was a way to harness the level of dominance the women's hoops program has had and channel it towards our football & MBB teams. Especially football. Even a sprinkling.

 

[David 76]

Williams is a great athlete. Didn't Geno switch her to play forward from guard?
I am impressed at how Katy Lou has become a pretty gritty, multi-faceted player.
Great coach.

 

[8893]

I also watched them last night for the first time this season. I watched with my youngest daughter, who, like her older sisters, has heard me preaching the gospel according to Geno and Jim in various respects over the years as it pertains to sports, especially Geno's approach to practice. I had reminded her of Geno's practice tactics just last week when we accidentally showed up late for her soccer clinic (Mrs. 8893 had the time wrong, but that's a whole 'nother story...). She had missed her clinic but the coach offered for her to stay for the next clinic. She is ten years old and the next clinic was for 12-14 year olds. She knew I wanted her to stay so she did, and it turned out to be just her and seven 12-14 year-old boys. It was really tough for her. She worked her ass off, got beat a bunch, but held her own and by the end of the session when they played 20 minutes of 4 vs. 4 she was right there with them, especially her defense, and I could not have been more proud. I emphasized that the most important thing was that she never got beat psychologically, and I reminded her of how Geno runs his practices.

Fast forward to last night, and she was rapt in attention as she watched with me. She was so excited with the way they pulled ahead in the second half that she ran over to give me a hug, and when they interviewed Geno and he stressed how important their mental toughness was and how it reinforced what he does in practice, she gave me the biggest knowing smile...and she admitted that she had felt like crying at the beginning of that advanced clinic last weekend and was so happy that she gutted it out.

Geno's ability to push himself and his players is truly unequaled. I don't know how he keeps his drive after all he has accomplished. The most impressive part to me last night was when we grew the lead to 7 points down the stretch, and he told them in the huddle to remember the good old days when they would take a 7-point lead and push it to 17 instead of trying to just hold on, and then he laid into them for not making enough hard cuts. These are young kids and they grew tremendously last night, showing both him and themselves more than they knew they had.

I don't care whether it's women's basketball or tiddlywinks, this guy is just flat out one of the best coaches ever, at any level, of anything. We are very lucky to have him.

 

[sdhusky]

At lot of me would as well, I'm just really curious.

Coach the football team...

 

[Ricker]

goshdarn. She apparently put up 19 and 9 and at Duke and will have this year to get even better.

I hope one day Geno tries the men's game. The guy is truly a legendary coach. Casual fans assume he gets the top 5 players every year but there are a handful of teams that recruit on the same level. He is just that special sauce.

Keep in mind he coached his son's AAU team and in their age group he went I think to the national semi finals. Husky Nan or other source of Geno memory might have a better recollection of the details. This was without a star studded group. His son was a walk-on or end of the bench player for Martinelli at St Joe's and yet was Geno's star point guard, Aaron Hernandez was a key player, and there was a 3rd player that as I recall also had a football reputation, not basketball, yet the team won on a national level. His quips from the experience relate to the fact that guys don't listen or allow themselves to be coached like the women, so it was exasperating. In truth I think it did somewhat affirm staying on the women's side. So you don't have to wonder, he has successfully coached guys.

 

[elmcityboy]

UConn Women's Notes: Dailey Gets Samuelson To Emulate Rip Hamilton, And It Works

cool article -- apparently chris dailey wants katie lou to model her game on rip hamilton.

 

[elmcityboy]

i also watched the team for the first time last night. i have a hard time believing that any one will beat them in the regular season...

 

[FartMan69]

It's not like other women's program don't reel in their fair share of top 100 recruits, this is all Geno's coaching. Dude plays Chess while the others play Candy Land. Don't really enjoy watching women's ball but can't deny this dominance is pretty decent TV.

 

[Pudge]

This is a gutty performance.

On the women's side, I call this the AAC advantage. You play the big early season games like you're in the BET because you know you'll hardly be challenged in the conference. The players are locked in. You can see how intense they are. They outgutted ND.

This is a good blueprint for the men as long as we're in the AAC, if the men can ever get there. Play the early season like it's the only thing that matters, and then take care of business inside the conference. That is the path to a 2 seed.

You seem to forget that the Women's game is almost exclusively 4 year players. They don't leave to transfer that often; no early NBA. Therefore the early season isn't an equivalency. Men constantly need to bring together 2-4 new faces. And then the depth of the Men's game includes playing schools 230-360 that have guys that HAVE PLAYED together. You are right in principle ... but it's hard to carry out.

 

[upstater]

You seem to forget that the Women's game is almost exclusively 4 year players. They don't leave to transfer that often; no early NBA. Therefore the early season isn't an equivalency. Men constantly need to bring together 2-4 new faces. And then the depth of the Men's game includes playing schools 230-360 that have guys that HAVE PLAYED together. You are right in principle ... but it's hard to carry out.

I think you're right--but of course this women's team is very young outside Nurse.

 

[8893]

Speaking of tough, Gabby Williams was an absolute monster. Our bigs should watch tape of her.

Sinking those two foul shots and gutting it out down the stretch, literally choking back tears from the shot she took to the throat, was remarkable. Topped only by her incredulous response afterwards when asked how she managed to stay in the game after taking such a shot: "This is why I came to UConn...how could I come out of the game then?!?!"

 

[Dove]

Must avoid injuries to Collier and Williams. Last night Chong took an elbow to the cheek. Looked pretty bad.