Was Boykin on the bench tonight?

[Kaizen]

I am actually very happy for DJB. She enters a great school and has a great coach really cares about her health as well as academic performances.
DeJanae, we are looking forward your coming back very soon.

 

[JS]

So then Natalie wouldn't qualify for a Medical hardship since the doctors cleared her to play a couple weeks ago, or so it was reported. Correct? I mean 1) how can you say it's season ending when the doctors cleared you to play after 5 or 6 games into the season.

Don't think she needs medical hardship (misnomered as "medical redshirt").

If she never plays in a game, I think she qualifies for a non-medical redshirt, a la Jess Moore in her freshman year.

Basic rule is you have five years to complete four seasons of play. Very exceptionally (e.g. Jamie Carey), in NCAA discretion, six years.

Medical hardship is about starting game play in a season, and then a batch of rules on how far you can get into that season (before going down with season-ending injury) without it counting as one of your four seasons of play.

 

[Biff]

... I absolutely agree with Eric's earlier post: I'm disappointed in the UCONN staff right now.

This is not about the kid anymore...it's about the grownups managing a situation. And I think by just being honest and forthright, this entire controversy could and should have been avoided.

Even if its none of our business, it's turned into a (very minor) public relations nightmare.

So you are disappointed in the UCONN staff right now. Really? How did they disappoint you? By not telling you details of a personal nature that you have no personal right to be informed on?

So it's about the grownups managing the situation. Where have they not been honest?
Controversy? Only one created in your eyes.
No it's not any of your business when there are personal issues with a player/student and it's the responsibility of those managing grownups to assist the student athlete with as much discretion and privacy as the situation can allow. I think that Geno has done a great job in treating DJB with respect and privacy.

Public relations nightmare????? Honestly? Because you and a few others don't immediately know some details? Wow. I'm not sure how Geno recovers from this one.

 

[Sargassoc]

I'm disappointed in the UCONN staff right now. This is not about the kid anymore...it's about the grownups managing a situation. And I think by just being honest and forthright, this entire controversy could and should have been avoided. Even if its none of our business, it's turned into a (very minor) public relations nightmare.

It. Is. Against. The. Law.

Start there.

 

[MilfordHusky]

DJB--study hard and best wishes! Needless to say, this is very important.

 

[JS]

Just a few unmentioned slants on this:

1. Sargasso seems to be the expert on FERPA. but apparently it doesn't prohibit the very general references to academics made by Geno.

2. Why make even those? Possibly because the horde has eyes on the BY and reporters are asking.

3. Exams are pending. Game day activities for athletes -- especially away from campus -- take more time than people think. Much more than the few hours to which we're attuned. Better things to do under the circumstances than hang out with the team.

4. As far as msf's intermittent war dance, aside from its relevance under point 2:

Jeesh, Michael, as a musical guy you missed your calling as an actor -- Shakespearean or Greek tragedy at best, but melodrama -- for which you have demonstrated talent -- at the lower and more likely end.

Anyway, as a thespian with range from high dudgeon to implicit paranoia, you coulda been a contender.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is getting into territory where neither Boykin nor Butler may not be able to provide meaningful minutes for us this year. Even if both come back at some point, they'll have been out of action so long it will take several weeks to get them up to speed.

When's the last time we brought in a completely new player in January or later and got major contributions from them?

 

[stamfordhusky]

Don't think she needs medical hardship (misnomered as "medical redshirt").

If she never plays in a game, I think she qualifies for a non-medical redshirt, a la Jess Moore in her freshman year.

Basic rule is you have five years to complete four seasons of play. Very exceptionally (e.g. Jamie Carey), in NCAA discretion, six years.

Medical hardship is about starting game play in a season, and then a batch of rules on how far you can get into that season (before going down with season-ending injury) without it counting as one of your four seasons of play.

Actually in Natalie's case, she would need some sort of medical reason because she would be petitioning for a 6th year (theoretically). Definitely can't get a 6th year without a serious injury and some other extenuating circumstances.

 

[msf22b]

So you are disappointed in the UCONN staff right now. Really? How did they disappoint you? By not telling you details of a personal nature that you have no personal right to be informed on?

So it's about the grownups managing the situation. Where have they not been honest?
Controversy? Only one created in your eyes.
No it's not any of your business when there are personal issues with a player/student and it's the responsibility of those managing grownups to assist the student athlete with as much discretion and privacy as the situation can allow. I think that Geno has done a great job in treating DJB with respect and privacy.

Public relations nightmare????? Honestly? Because you and a few others don't immediately know some details? Wow. I'm not sure how Geno recovers from this one.

Sorry, Biff, I did not create this situation and disparaging me will not make it go away.

it's the responsibility of those managing grownups to assist the student athlete with as much discretion and privacy as the situation can allow.

I think that's the point: A roster in announced, a team picture is made public, various puff piece are written about the recruits, their stories are told. Fans become enthusiastic and develop attachments. That is the nature of the beast.Perhaps there's something wrong in that already, but that's the nature of the racket which draws all these Senior Citizens to admire the athletic prowess and wonderful teamwork of a bunch of kids in their late teens and early 20's. ( I won't touch the theory of surrogate grandchildren).

At that point those on the team are somewhat in the public domaine (how much...only a good lawyer can tell you) and changes to their status are to some extent public information.

Obviously the above point is common knowledge...Teams routinely release injury and status reports. ND just announced that one of their players will leave the team for the rest of the season. Sure, some fans would like to hear more. But I completely agree that the U is not required to provide any anything additional and what little privacy is retained is advantageous as you say...what the situation allows.

But in this case:

1. A student athlete is left home from a road trip due to academic difficulties... a clear and unambiguous notice is given.

2. But then at a semi-home game the student is absent and no explanation is given (until afterwards)

3 The release given out to the press at this game omits mention of her status

4. (while retaining the players status on the roster...your point) the team's holiday picture is executed with the player in question not photographed.


Is in the very best light, this is an awkward way of communicating a message...and who is the intended recipricantt, one might ask? All the public needs to know is that a student-athlete is injured and/or in academic difficulty.

But this in-between status, unnecessarily created entirely by the U is unprofessional. Is it meant to be punitive in some way?

From a public-relations standpoint a simple announcement along the lines of the Notre Dame statement or the announcement at the road trip is sufficient. What has transpired the last few days is unworthy of the institution.

 

[Biff]

Sorry, Biff, I did not create this situation and disparaging me will not make it go away.

Is in the very best light, this is an awkward way of communicating a message...and who is the intended recipricantt, one might ask? All the public needs to know is that a student-athlete is injured and/or in academic difficulty.

But this in-between status, unnecessarily created entirely by the U is unprofessional. Is it meant to be punitive in some way?

From a public-relations standpoint a simple announcement along the lines of the Notre Dame statement or the announcement at the road trip is sufficient. What has transpired the last few days is unworthy of the institution.

I can see this conversation will go nowhere constructive so I leave it with these parting comments:

There is no "situation" unless you are referring to DJB's academic situation but I do not think you are.
There is no "in-between status". You are fabricating that. She is on the team and dealing with academics.
The U has not been "unprofessional".
You are making up a new strawman now alluding to something being "punitive". You are tossing more dust in the air.
The institution has done nothing here that is "unworthy".

Why create these unnecessary extrapolations from the basic facts? It all just creates artificial drama. I'm not sure why you feel that is constructive. I don't.

All the public needs to know is that a student-athlete is injured and/or in academic difficulty.

And I'm done.

 

[msf22b]

Me too.

 

[JS]

Actually in Natalie's case, she would need some sort of medical reason because she would be petitioning for a 6th year (theoretically).

Agreed. Somehow I thought we were talking about DJB (notwithstanding the post I quoted), who hasn't already sat out a year.

 

[NEforceUConn]

I totally get what you guys are saying, but Geno's comments do not address why she's not on the Christmas card picture. It takes what - an hour to shoot the picture for the team? If she has so much going on that she can't find an hour to shoot the holiday picture...

Not putting her on the holiday card as part of the team picture is a very conscious decision. I just don't get it. To me that means she's not part of the UCONN team in some material way.

Maybe she took the picture, extra credit for her art class?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maybe she took the picture, extra credit for her art class?

Now, that's putting some positive spin on things.

 

[Goodgood]

She is not part of the team on game day/practice. When is the best time to take a pic of the whole team together? before/after they play a game or practice. There you go.

 

[meyers7]

Maybe she took the picture, extra credit for her art class?

Maybe she doesn't celebrate Christmas. Maybe she's Jewish or only celebrates Kwanzaa. Or maybe even......

 

[1fan]

From today's Hartford Courant:

Boykin's challenge: It is clear the coaches have decided freshman De'janae Boykin should not be a part of the team on game day until she remedies some early problems she's having in the classroom. It's one thing when the team keeps you home from road trips, but Boykin was not at Mohegan Sun Arena Friday and its unlikely she will return until she stabilizes her school work. Auriemma believes this is a necessary step to ensure her future with the program. "It's been hard. She hasn't been healthy with wrist and Achilles issues," Auriemma said. "And the other problem is the academic issues we are trying to work through. It's like she hasn't been there. it's been a struggle for her – not so much for us - but a huge struggle for her. Hopefully she takes care of what she needs to take care of this week and we'll go from there."

Its been a struggle for 'her' - not so much for 'us', then no pix in xmas card. i wouldn't expect DJB to ever play for uconn after this grab bag of insults.

 

[sarals24]

Its been a struggle for 'her' - not so much for 'us', then no pix in xmas card. i wouldn't expect DJB to ever play for UConn after this grab bag of insults.

Grab bag of insults? I think Geno is just telling the truth. She's on a full scholarship and isn't holding up her end of the bargain academically. Meanwhile, UConn hasn't had a game in single digits. If she wants to be a part of the team she needs to get her studies in order. And I'm sure that's true of any school she plays at.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Grab bag of insults? I think Geno is just telling the truth. She's on a full scholarship and isn't holding up her end of the bargain academically. Meanwhile, UConn hasn't had a game in single digits. If she wants to be a part of the team she needs to get her studies in order. And I'm sure that's true of any school she plays at.

Maybe not UNC

 

[Kaizen]

I certainly hope things work out. Next year, there will not be surplus of people who can mix it up in the paint. Hopefully there will be Morgan / Natalie / Napheesa, but who is the 4th "big"? All three of those players may be in the starting lineup. If one of them gets into foul trouble, who does Geno bring in? Will Kyla Irwin have to be that fourth big? Will Lou have to mix it up in the paint in that case?

We still have Kia, Chong , Gabby and KLS .....and Crystal, the #1 guard in her class.

 

[mrmojack]

I think we should give this girl a chance to get her issues in order. She is a good kid and
she is UCONN. Sometimes adjustments to college life and its difficulties need a little
time to adjust to. I am not writing her off. They recruited her for a reason. Lets see
where she stands after her finals. Good luck to Ms. Boykin.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Gee, I didn't get a card. Is it a Christmas Card or a Holiday Card?

As an aside there were some fans at the FSU game that put up a sign that said HAPPY HANUCONN! Bad taste? Offensive to a Jew?

 

[EricLA]

Side note - I did not get a UCONN Christmas card this year as I just moved to LA. Anyone able to upload the team photo on the Christmas card that was sent out?

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I didn't receive one either! Do you have to be a big $ donation to get a carD?

 

[sarals24]

I feel like all BY members should get one, just saying. How else would Geno know who to start??