Notable Posts

Occasionally, someone will post something on the Boneyard worth remembering for more than a couple days. These are posts I thought deserved a reread. We've also seen a few special features; I'll list those first.

Special Features:

Uconn Womens Basketball Movie by the Boneyard
Pictures by AnnieM

Boneyard Posts:

New Thanksgiving by wolff17
The Cincinnati Kid by Smoltzie29
The Importance of attitude by gardnerchase 
Got to take my 6th graders to UConn Practice Saturday! by dtsnms
ThisJustIn's Great Adventure in Chicago. by ThisJustIn
UConn women: A look at Gampel doings on Monday by Blakeon18
Observations at the Adidas Top Ten Camp 2003 by Dave Fee
Nike Summer Slam observations, Part I by Speedo
Nike Summer Slam observations, Part II by Speedo
Scouting Erlana Larkins By Olde Coach
Rockin' and rollin' at the RAC HuskyNan & some Kibitzer
A courtsider's view from Miami By Olde Coach
A Huskymaniac's Encounter with the Cameron Crazies by Speedoo
December 11, 1993 by Poecile
Aetna Basketball Team by John Molina
Recruiting ...all you can do is make your best offer by jonathan husky
Random Ramblings and Reflections by ThisJustIn
NBE Analysis by zymurgp
A sort of primer for new Boneyarders by Zorro Gris
My Sophomore year of mostly lurking on the Boneyard by T9
Some wisdom for the masses...........by duchess9
Mel assessment by ice_cube
The greatest teams by Kibitzer
This is my first post on any board ever by CatCamille
My take on the guard situation by Biff
This team is seriously flawed and can't possibly compete for the NC. by kibitzer
A few Christmas presents tossed under the tree by Blakeon18
DT - a legend in progress. by Caleb
A ticket story by UCinsider
I'm BBAACCKKK!!! by Pookie34
Okay, (deep breath), here goes: by Felonius Monk
Yet Another Lost Recruit by Vowelguy
Way to Go, JMo. You have fans in Florida, too. by Olde Coach
Uconn vs. tenn. on thurs. night? by Blakeon18
A little story by Creaky
Re: How come we don't have Duke's OOC schedule? My guess by Codger1
Liz's moves by Vaderdog
Liz's moves... by Koonsy
Re: UConn's dominance worries me..by Codger1
Lots of variables to ponder in recruiting wars by SallyH
NCAA has major culpability in ACC raid and the dominoes to follow. by Olde Coache
A Syracuse fan's encounter with Geno by Packridge
UConn-UT series, rank the wins for each team from best to worst...by Sweet V
Vols and Huskies....a UT fan's point of view by LCCards
Perspective: What a fantastic bunch of kids! Olde Coach
Attendence and women's basketball unmwbfn
nicole wolff observations.....and "virgin"post 4 on the T
UConn makes my daughter's dream come true. TonyCop
Who has next year's best recruiting class? Senor Hoops
If you had told me then...! If you tell me now...! blakeon18
Seniors fan since 1989
Open practice yesterday  uconnfan310
John Wooden and Geno Auriemma. Comparison. Kibitzer
UConn vs. Stanford SakiBomb25
The psychology of streaks: On "monkeys", "elephants", and "helpers". Olde Coache
Response icebear
DT vs. Beard and My advice to the Lady Huskies. Quickliz
A view from an outsider CleveCurio
Big East Tourney.. if it were to start today... speedoo
News Flash from the Daily Planet!! Extra to The Boneyard!Southwick Mutt
Geno saw the same game I saw. speedoo
The bad news. We won at home mapper
Maria's defense.doggydaddy
Who does the UConn stats? Joe Hurley
My favorite Pepperdine moment Biff
Huskies team chemistry problems // Catalysts needed.Olde Coach
Re: She's the best coach's 6th Player - nuff said!UCONN Larry
A small rant on fans doggydaddy
Team Spirit Olde Coach
Re: UCONN dropped to 6th in poll Olde Coach
Why do I love this program Cosmic C, big_ed, Abel Bachelor, Pinotbear, Poecile
Positions & names Reply (Complete list) Biff

Some wisdom for the masses...........
by duchess9

To be or not to be..........................Shakespeare
To be is to do.................................Descartes
To do is to be................................Albert Einstein
Do be a Do Bee.............................Romper Room
Do be do be doo............................Sinatra
Do be a Dookie..............................Dick Vitale

4/28 6:57 PM

Another chapter in this fabled rivalry was written Tuesday night in Atlanta. The game,which UConn led throughout,was seemingly in doubt late when we staged somewhat of a rally, but, in typically of late fashion, we didn't execute down the stretch and let another one get away. Give credit to UConn and staff.
I realize on the Summitt it's "cool" and "correct protocal" to bash Geno and Co. Well, I've always gone against the grain when it come to posting my opinions. Some may read this post and accuse me of pandering to the Husky faithful. Nothing can be further from the truth.
If I may, let me rant for awhile:

(1)Geno and staff have built a monster that won't be slain anytime soon. They just seem to find the right players at the right time. Has Geno outrecruited Pat in the last 5 years? Absolutely. Even the Iraqi Info Director would admit to that.
(2) IMO,UConn is the BEST and WORST things to happen to UT. We simply got complacent and failed to keep up the pace we had set. We're seeing the results in recruiting battles. Geno,to his credit,is out working us.And he will continue to do so for a pretty good while.
(3)UT is facing a very important season in 02-03. Losing Gwen,Kara,and Mickie will definitely hurt us.I'm not very optimistic that Redding and Spencer will take up much of the slack. The loss of Coach DeMoss hurts most of all because she is now coaching a rival SEC team. Imagine Chris Dailey coaching Syracuse. I imagine not a lot of fans would look forward to facing a CD coached Syracuse team.
(4)I love Ashley Robinson,but there is NO excuse for her poor free-throw shooting. One for five in the championship game is inexcuseable.
(5)We took a team full of upperclassmen and failed to beat a team of lower classmen. That is our fault entirely. The officials did not beat us. We beat ourselves because we failed to execute at the right times. Twice,we rallied to tie the game and had momentum,only to lose it after a Geno TO. We are a veteran squad coached by a legend.We were beaten and it was our fault entirely.
(6) Ann Strother will surpass many UConn faves in the hearts of UConn fans IMO. Her game is fantastic to watch when she is "on".
(7)Barbara Turner is just plain nasty. She will be a MAJOR frontline force in the future. I love the big girls who can post up for the '3'. I saw her in the McD's Allstar game and said to a friend,'That Turner that UConn got is just plain nasty.She's gonna be a monster in a few years'.

Let me wrap up my rants by saying this...I know where Geno comes from w/his humor. I'm sort of the same way myself. However,bveryone doesn't have the same sense of humor that Geno or I have. It CAN sound like trashtalk if you LET it sound like trashtalk. I talk that way to some of my friends,but they know it's all in fun. Geno doesn't bother me at all because I know why he says the things he does...he loves reactions. That means that people are listening.

>>Never trust a doctor whose office plants are dead.<<

Posted on 4/10 7:10 PM

It has been really interesting to read the press accounts the past two days about the players' and coaches' responses to making the final four.

Geno is finally, really HAPPY. He understands what an enormous effort the kids have made all year. Jessica was in tears after the Purdue game -- and "so proud of what this team has done". Barbara expressed an enormous respect for all the guidance and "push" and faith Geno has given the team all year.

All the kids -- after the Purdue game -- were totally exhausted. They played the last five minutes on a really empty tank -- not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I have never seen a player so thoroughly "tired to the bone" as Maria was when she stepped to the foul line for those four free throws in the waning minutes. She was close to tears, and totally spent. She reached really deep into her reserves of heart and pride and desire to win for her team -- and made four of four to get her team to the final four. Geno was deeply touched by her heart and her effort. She has given SO MUCH to this team.

And Diana, in the Purdue game was mentally and physically the most tired I have seen her all year. In the first five games of the Tourney, Diana played with laughter and joy. From the tip-off with Purdue, she was pushing herself and rationing her energy with great care. She barely made it to the end -- and had two dribbling turnovers in the last three minutes. Total fatigue! But she pushed on to the end.

And when the final horn blew, Diana didn't even smile. She had the grim look of a tired soldier that only said "Mission accomplished -- I am completely spent and want to sleep for three days."

For the whole team there was little joy -- and immeasurable pride. They had set themselves a very high goal back in October, and they had (in AB's words) "fought to the death".

NOW THE REAL PERSPECTIVE:

These kids have a life beyond basketball. They have classes, and friendships, and travel. The freshmen were all homesick for long periods.
I don't think any of us, from our fans' perspective, can ever fully understand or appreciate the total "load" this team has carried throughout the season. Regardless of all the other things in their lives, they came together for every game with the focus and purpose required to produce another win, to improve their play, to build a legacy of greatness for their UConn team.

Does anyone remember how young and lost most college freshman are? These kids -- who gave us so many thrills on so many nights -- who put in so many hours of really gruelling practice that we never saw -- who did all the other things that college kids do -- who hardly got home for Christmas -- they bonded together. They learned to play Connecticut basketball. They won 31 consecutive games and earned their half of the NCAA record 70. They played at home and away -- with injuries from BT's late start to Nicole's season ending fractures. Morgan played in pain. And Diana. And AB and Will had lesser injuries. But they played through them -- all the way to the Final Four. They had a goal and they never let up in their quest to earn respect for their young team, and to honor the traditions of Husky basketball. They absorbed Geno's constant pushing to learn faster and play better -- to reach levels they had no idea they were really capable of. In the end, they did learn how good they could be.

They finally got so tired, they couldn't cope with Nova's challenge. Then they got some rest, and stormed into the NCAA tourney, and gave all they had for 5 joyous and energetic games, and one last gutsy performance.

These kids have earned my respect as few teams have over my lifetime in sports. They have finally broken even Geno's instinctive pessimism -- and touched his heart with the certainty that they ARE a very special group of kids. Whether they win or lose in Atlanta -- they are just THE BEST. Every one of them -- from Diana to Stacey -- has played a role and been a part of a TEAM that has earned the nations' respect, the adoration of Husky fans, and most important -- a very high level of self-respect. Hurrah for every one of them -- as individuals (each with her own special life) and together as a team.

Posted on 4/3 7:33 PM

I hope you don't mind another New Mexican thowing his two cents in on your board. In an older thread someone made the comment that the Monday night attendence would have been less if New Mexico were not in it (and they also acknowledged the same would be true if Uconn were not playing) and you will get no argument from me on that point, but the games would still be well attended because of the exposure our teams have brought to women's basketball. In some communities (yours is a great example) falling in love with your local team leads to a first time appreciation for women's basketball in general.

This is certainly the case with myself, 10 years ago if someone said I would never miss a women's home game in over four years I would have said they are totally nuts! I could have seen myself catching a game or two but that was about it. Once I started "catching a few games" because the team played good ball I started getting hooked, to the point were I am now an "addict" and I suspect I am preaching to the choir here. i even find myself watching non-Lobo women's games on TV, something I would not have been caught dead doing several years ago.

We all have different reasons for supporting women's bb and I think for some we despise the cockiness (confidence is a different matter) and showboating you sometimes see in the mens game. I think a lot of us love supporting the girls because they are good role models and this matters for those of us with daughters (and maybe even granddaughters). Most female role models come from the entertainment industry and they are not women I would want my daughter to model her life after. Working on campus I get to know some of the girls and they are exceptional women and I am sure the same would be said about your players. But I really don't think these are the reasons I became interested in the first place.

The typical sports fan goes to games to either support their local home team, whether it be on the professional level or community level (i.e. high school teams), and they like it when their team wins and they expect to be entertained. I think many of us have been brainwashed into thinking womens sports can't be that entertaining (most of the country seems to think that way it seems) and then you go to a game with thousands of screaming fans and you watch female athletes bang bodies, dive for balls, and do the things we have learned to appreciate and you discover this is a hell of a lot of fun. You have discovered this in Stors, we have in Albuquerque, and so have places like Lubbock and Knoxville.

I would like to think we have something no other community can ever have, that we are just special fans because of where we live, but that is probably not very realistic. We have just been exposed to something we did not think could be as enjoyable as it turned out to be and now we keep coming back for more. With some programs it may be getting that one special player that people come out to see to get it all started. I admit I am puzzeled why other communities with great women's programs don't get local support. Are there too many competing factors in their communities, that could be part of the reason, or is it because marking departments just don't give a crap about women's sports because they think there are no bucks in it? Maybe our communities will get the ball rolling for women's basketball because I have had a blast supporting our team and maybe others will discover they can too.

Sorry for the long post, I do get carried away! These boards are just as addicting as our teams!

Posted on 4/3 7:03 PM

please allow me to introduce myself...i'm ed (long time "lurker"
and a fan of both women and men husky hoops.) i'm a 6th grade teacher in naugatuck ct.....
seems to be a recent trend...to post observations that were made by people attending the game....for the benefit of those not fortunate enough to live close enough to see the game...either live or on tv...
with that in mind...my observations of nicole wolfe ...(from the top of
sec. 105) she emerged from the tunnel with a big smile on her face...and
positioned herself at half-court...so she could high-five every team member as she returned to the back of the "lay-up" line ...she also gave a nod of encouragement to each.....
nicole moved under the basket when the team went into a shootaround..
and stood there with wc who hadn't even removed her warm-ups...knowing that she wasn't going to play either....they were both chatting and laughing...(it was great to see her so up-beat) she even redirected a few bouncing bb's with the tip of her crutch....about a minute before
the buzzer sounded to clear the floor..nicole made her way to the bench area to be with the team as they jogged back from final shootaround....
following the anthem and the final words from geno..the starting five made their own little huddle....as did the non-starters including nicole..
make THEIR own little huddle..(which,by the way, was verbally run by av)
nicole followed the game intently...joined every time-out meeting..one
without the crutches....and looked very comfortable all night long....
(for those fashion conscientious..she was wearing a black long-sleeve top..and like a very dary grey pair of dress slacks....the long blonde hair you already know about......
the other thing i saw that was pretty heart-warming.....happened with about 3 min. remaining in the first half....a pass was thrown over maria's
head in the direction of the end of the west virginia bench...she tried to save it behind her back....but it wasn't even close.....however maria's momentum caused her to run up about 4 rows up ....where she came to a sudden halt with the helping hand of a seated security person and a dad who had his daughter (i assume) sitting on his lap...she looked about 6 or 7 years old.....well...the expression on the little girl's face of
sheer joy and surprise spread to EVERYONE seated near her ... i kept my binoculars on that scene even though ..play had begun...no one close to the girl was paying attention to the game anymore....because the expression on the faces of the little girl..and her hero father...were temporarily more satisfying........
so that's it ! enjoy tournament-time.............ed

Posted on 3/6 11:34 PM

A couple of years ago my oldest daughter was looking at colleges and we had a tour of UConn. Near the end of the tour my youngest daughter asked the guide where Gampel was and she replied up ahead. She said daddy can we go in and meet the girls. The guide said you cant get in because the girls are practicing and no one is allowed in. Its a closed practice. So we toured the weight room and were ready to leave when out of no where Shea Ralph walks up to her. The smile on her face, the excitement was worth it all. Shea chatted with her and asked if she like an autograph. It was like the commerical with the little kids who see mickey mouse for the first time. Then Shea made all her dreams come true. Shea asked if we would like to come into the gym and watch the team practice.As we walked in and watched my daughter walked right out on the court and introduced herself to Geno and asked him if he received her letters and poems. They chatted for a while and then Ashley Battle took her to the side they played one on one . Some of the other players came over and spent time with her too. SHe got all their autographs and 2 hours later she asked me if she could stay with the team for the weekend and I said no and we left. She really hadnt played much BB up to that point, softball was her life shes a pitcher and thats all she did. When we got home I bought her a basket and now shes hooked. She said daddy what do I have to do to play for Uconn. I said practice. Well she just turned 13 and is averaging 12 pts a game in the city league. I couldnt be more proud.. and its all started with UConn.


Posted on 3/7 11:51 AM

 This is really a very subjective question as very few people have actually seen all (if any) of the players in action. Also, the competition each goes against in high school is at different levels so statistics are necessarily a good comparison either. Let's just say that the consensus top 50 players are all very good. The most important factor isn't what they have accomplished when they arrive on campus but how they develop AFTER they arrive. To me, the program and coaching (as well as the committment and drive of the player) will determine this. Obviously some programs/coaches develop players better than others. And there are always players that "slip through the cracks" or bloom later.

Maybe a better question would be what program/coach developes players the best. A good comparison might be to compare a "recruiting classes rank" with their actual team ranking during their 4 years of ball. If a program continuously gets top 25 recruiting classes but isn't in the top 25 rankings then you have to wonder why? Were the players overrated is the program not developing the players. Any comments on this comparison?

On Nov. 1, 2002:

If you had told me we'd be #1 and unbeaten in late Feb. 2003, I would have said that you are daft.

If you had told me that Diana will have a chronic ankle problem all year and that Nicole will be a non-factor due to injury from Christmas to March, I would have been hoping for a 4 seed.

If you had told me that Barbara will be our most effective frosh and that Ann has more upside than even BT, I would have believed you.

If you had told me that Jessica will average 10 points [on 60% fg shooting] and 6 boards, I would have jumped up and down.

If you had told me that Ashley B will be our 6th man energizer bunny a la shooting, defense, rebounding and scrappiness...playing without an ounce of smugness but with 160 pounds of confidence, I would have been 'warily hopeful'.


On Feb. 24, 2003: If you tell me right now that we are very vulnerable to an upset once we hit Round 3 in the NCAA tourney, I believe you.

If you tell me right now that we run the table for 38-0 and Ring #4, I say 'Sha-Zam, you might just be right!'

If you tell me right now that LadyVol gets knocked off before we would have to play them in the NCAA, I say 'Yippee'. Not because I hate them but because they are really good.

If you tell me right now that we lose the BE tourney finals to Rutgers at the RAC and they storm the court, I say 'you might well be right'. And...it would probably turn into a positive thanks to the wisdom of our staff and the character of our kids.

Long ago note: when Rutgers beat us down there in the regular season in 1998, I believe it was frosh Linda Miles who ran around the court shouting '4 more years' [of beating UConn]. Never happened again in her years at Rutgers. Linda [recruited by Geno] was the kind of player you loved to hate. I confess to liking her now especially after she came to the RAC at last year's BE tourney, schmoozed with UConn folks and held up a big sign 'Geno loves Ohio players!' Or something to that effect. Tamika and the BT Express [then a signed recruit] with Linda also being from the Buckeye state...Cincy?

Posted on 2/24 10:58 AM

As a grey-haired almost senior, I couldn't resist posting my very first post after being just a lurker who usually enjoys the fine posts on this board. I have been going to women's basketball games since the very 1st game at Gampel during the 1989/1990 season. I have bleacher seats near the top of both Gampel and at Hartford. My blood is Husky Blue with grey streaks of age and proud of it The money to pay for the season tickets is hard earned and is the planned "vacation trip" money that is budgeted each year. It just sounds like you are a "band wagon jumper" who probably hasn't even tried to get tickets each year. I hope you made a pledge to CPTV so that the games will continue to be bradcast for your "enjoyment". I do this also every year. Because, I also can remember when NESN would broadcast the Big East women's game of the week and Uconn would be on only when they played Providence, and they would televise the Big East Tournament Championship games. (My oldest taped game is of Uconn @ Providence 1990) As for the way we look-I proudly wear my Huskie apparel and do so when I am lucky enough to go to an out of town game. Geno and the team has helped me to keep my life on an even keel these past years especially during some pretty hard times and on "Senior Day" it is I who will be clapping and cheering as loud as ever to them for what they have given me all of these years.

    Yesterday I attended an open practice at Gampel for about 1 1/2 hours. there were a couple people there, and 2 girl's bball teams. when we first came, Sarah Darras warned us that since the team had played pretty bad on Wednesday, Geno might be mad and "don't mind the swearing, he's pretty mad about the way they played against Miami. after waiting a couple of minutes, the players came out and took a lap and stretched. they all looked pretty tired. Morgan looked so pitiful running her lap. i felt so bad for her. if someone doesn't need their feet, will you please donate them to her? :-)
   After a couple of minutes, Maria and Nicole came out. Maria was dressed in her red shirt and shorts, but she didn't have her jersey on. she looked OK, but pretty tired. Nicole looked much better, and she was in better spirits. she looked like she was having fun with her crutches, and was swinging her legs and trying to kick Maria in the butt. they went off with Rosey. i later heard Geno say to the Horde (who were sitting a couple seats away from me) that Maria had sprained her ankle before the Miami game and it had started to swell up yesterday, so they let her take the day off.
   The practice started with the forwards and the guards switching spots. AB, D, Stacey, Ann, and Ashley V. were on the guards side. Jess, Will, Babs (that's what they call BT), and Moe were over on the forwards side. I was nearer to the guards, so I mostly watched them. they did a lot of 3-point shooting, setting picks, and working on driving to the basket. the forwards were working on shooting the ball from outside a little more, and doing regular post moves.
A sad note: D's ankle is really not right. every single time she came down on it wrong, she would gasp. not a little gasp or grimace, but a big "ooowwwhhhh". it seemed like everyone in the building would flinch as she did it. other than that, she seemed fine, very into what Geno was saying. she's so into basketball it's crazy. she listens, helps others through, gives them advice, and praises the little things they do. she's so great.
   Soon after they had split up, they got back together and started a scrimmage w/ the white players. only Stacey and AV were on the white team, playing defense. the rest of the players were in blue. the practice started out OK, and I must say that Ann shoots so much more. my friends and I were wondering how she can take so long to get into games, and she starts out smoking in practices! they played good the first couple of times, and then the mistakes started coming. every time Will would get the ball in the post, she would dribble although she didn't have to. Coach went crazy. to my surprise, he wouldn't swear, he would just yell "Geez Will, you don't have to dribble the ball!". she also couldn't make a layup to save her life. I hope that was one of her worse practices.
   Then Ann and BT started doing screwy things. Ann received a pass from BT, and thought she say AB on the other side of the court. so she throws an overhead pass to noone. all Geno did was say "Ann Strother. Ann Strother." and shake his head. then she made another horrendous pass out from the post to where D was "supposed" to be. it went straight to Geno. he caught it and said, "well, Ann, I was open. I'm not a player or anything, but I was open!" real sarcastically. everyone who was watching, trying to be quiet. we didn't succeed :-D
   Another spectacular play happened. I think it was Ann that got the ball picked from her by 1 of the practice players. he started dribbling, and decided to pass it up the court to 1 of his teammates. all of a sudden, AB comes flying out of nowhere and intercepts the pass. she was a blur. again, the people in the stands were forced to be quiet, while everyone was ready to jump up and down and start clapping! she passed the ball upcourt to Will, who made the layup. it was one of the prettier plays.
   After the practice was over, the players all ran up the bleachers to some mysterious hidden door up in the upper section of Gampel. Morgan and AV raced each other, and everyone but D and Ann ran. they just walked up slowly. they looks pretty tired. and then poor Nicole was limping behind all of them. all i wanted to do was run up there and help her up the stairs. i feel so bad for her. i agree with Olde Coach, she won't be back this year.
   Some side notes: Olde Coach, i think your analysis of the players from the Miami game has stayed about the same. Nicole looked pretty perky for a while, however, but when she was walking up the bleachers all alone i thought about what you said about her looking very down on herself. it's so sad. D is crazy as usual, but she seems so much like a leader. And Geno is Geno. i've never really HEARD him coach, so it was an experience i'll never forget. it was one of the best days of my life :-)

*~Eileen~*

Posted on 2/22 1:57 PM

John Wooden and Geno Auriemma. Comparison.

Kibitzer

A week or so ago, MSNBC columnist Mike Celizic wrote a glowing column about the extraordinary success of the "Lady Huskies." He had the temerity to mention John Wooden and Geno in the same sentence and in what many would consider to be pure heresy, compared Geno favorably to the the immortal UCLA coach. No doubt many were aghast.

I got curious and looked up Wooden's record. To be sure, he coached eight straight NCAA champion teams, a record that will stand, possibly forever. He did so by coaching a quick and very undersized team in 1963-1964 to a perfect season and victories over bigger and seemingly more talented teams in the NCAA tournament. He then won the next seven with guys named Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and Bill Walton leading the way.

But what about the period at UCLA from 1948-1949 to 1962-1963? Not really all that sizzling. Four NCAA appearances in 14 years. Over the course of six seasons immediately preceding his great run (1957-1958 to 1962-1963), his teams won 102 and lost 59. The rest, as they say, is history.

Wooden and Auriemma coached in different eras and obviously one coached men and the other coaches women. Geno has not yet approached Wooden's ultimate record. In fact, he still has some catching up to do with Pat Summitt. But you must agree that he is off to one helluva start.

It is now a fair question to ask: Will the Wizard of Westwood ultimately be matched or surpassed by the Genius of Gampel?
Posted on 2/15 12:14 PM

UConn vs. Stanford
SakiBomb25

A Stanford fan had post the question, who would win between Stanford and UConn, if they played deep into the tournament. Here were my thoughts on the match-ups:

Point Guard
Maria Conlon vs. Susan King
This would be an interesting match-up. I think King is the better defender and better scorer, but Conlon is more consistent with the three, I believe. Conlon is also the better passer, though King is just a monster on defense and defense is so important.
Advantage: Stanford

Shooting Guard
Diana Taurasi vs. Kelley Suminski
Suminski has really improved this year, but you can't compete with the best player in the nation. Not only can Taurasi shoot from any where on the court, but she can also make a pass like no one else can. She talks a big game, but can definitely back it up. Her biggest asset is that she can get her team fired up and make them play better. Suminski has improved with her quickness and her inside game, but is still no match for Taurasi (like most players in the nation).
Advantage: UConn

Small Forward
Ashley Battle vs. Nicole Powell
Ashley Battle is an tenancious defender who is just finding her offensive touch. However, Nicole Powell is simply in a class of her own. Ms. "Triple-Double" is the best player to suit up in the Cardinal Red since Kate Starbird and she has the stats to prove it. She could have problems with Battle's defensive pressure, but even if she can't score, she can still rebound and pass to an open teammate.
Advantage: Stanford

Power Forward
Ann Strother vs. Azella Perryman
This is another interesting match-up. In order for us to win, Perryman has to be playing with the utmost confidence. She needs to be hitting her shots and rebound aggressively. Strother is a wonderful player with great basketball skills and athletic talent. Because Strother is a frosh, she might not play her best, though that might not happen. She will be a star one day. The only thing that separates the two players is the fact that Strother is a much more versatile scorer and better passer. It would still be interesting to see the two go head-to-head.
Advantage: UConn

Center
Jessica Moore vs. T'Nae Thiel
Chelsea Trotter was once quoted as saying that Thiel was the kind of player you look at (and she doesnt look like much) and say " I'll guard her, and then she totally trashes you." Thiel is awesome on defense - she plays textbook defense and she is probably one of the most underrated post players in the country. Moore is a strong scorer and rebounder and she has 3 inches over Thiel. It will be interesting to see these two go at it because it is basically offense vs. defense. Thiel doesn't make the best decisions when she passes the ball - when she passes into the post, she gets picked off way to many times. She needs to take better care of the ball. But she is the defensive anchor in the post and is an important part to the team.
Advantage: Even

Bench
UConn: Barbara Turner, Nicole Wolff, Wilnett Crockett
Stanford: Sebnem Kimyacioglu, Chelsea Trotter, Krista Rappahahn
UConn has the advantage in size and athleticism. Barbara Turner is one of the best frosh in the country, both for her speed, rebounding, and scoring abilities. Wilnett Crockett is a big, mobile post, a good back-up to Moore. Her offense is a bit unpolished, but she is still one of the better posts in the Big East. Nicole Wolff, though injured, is one of the best three-point shooters on the team. She is still injured, though due back any day now, I believe. If Auriemma can get her up to speed to the point where she was before she was injured, she will be a great contributor to the team.

For Stanford, Sebnem Kimyacioglu is the team's best three-point shooter and one of the better defenders. She needs to learn how to drive to the basket in order to be a more versatile scorer. None-the-less, she is still dangerous behind the arc. Chelsea Trotter is one of the most underrated centers in the country because of the injuries. If she had been healthy since the beginning of her Stanford career, she would have been a potential All-American. She is a monster on the boards and she has a variety of post moves to score at will. Her liability is her knees - because of the pain, she can only practice and play a limited amount. But she makes the most of her opportunities. Krista Rappahahn is just a frosh, but she is coming along nicely. She knows her limitations so she doesn't try to do too much, though she has an excellent basketball IQ, so she knows how to exploit other teams weaknesses.

The verdict? The nod goes to UConn because the reserves are bigger and more athletic.
Advantage: UConn

Coaching
Geno Auriemma vs. Tara VanDerveer
As much as it pains me, you have to give the hand to Auriemma. Until VanDerveer can reach another Final Four, Auriemma has the clear advantage. He has recruited the better players and been to more Final Fours in the past 5 years than any other team in the nation. In VanDerveer's defense, she has two national titles under her belt, been to 6 Final Fours in the 90's, and lead the United States to Olympic Gold. Though Auriemma has the upperhand now, I have all the confidence that VanDerveer will catch-up. And it all starts with this year's team.
Advantage: UConn

Overall
In most cases, UConn will win. They have the better players, they are more athletic, they play better defense, and they are a superb passing team. But that does not mean they are unbeatable. If we take care of the ball, score on easy lay-ups when they are given to us, rebound like heck, and hit our free throws, we will have a chance. It will also depend on who is in foul trouble. The other intangible is who will play with more heart: who will slide on the floor to recover the loose ball, gives up their body for the possession, which team wants the "W" more. It will also be a great game to showcase another duel between the two best players in the nation - Taurasi vs. Powell. It would be a great game to watch!>>

If the two teams did match-up, it would be a great game to watch, though I do fear it will either be a close game, or a complete blowout. Whatever the case, I do that these two teams do get to play each other sometime in the near future.

The psychology of streaks: On "monkeys", "elephants", and "helpers".  
Olde Coache

Let me start with some non-conventional wisdom:

THE STREAK (61-0 and counting) has now become a "helper" to our team's goals rather than a burden. Here's why:

There is wide understanding that undefeated teams play with a number of unique challenges.

Undefeated teams become THE prime target for every opponent they play. With every win, the "monkey on their back" becomes larger and larger -- until eventually the monkey feels like an elephant. The longer a streak is sustained, the more likely it becomes that an undefeated team will play "not to lose" rather than play to win. All sports fans know that playing "not to lose" does not work well.

UConn presently has six major streaks (and a few minor ones) riding on their shoulders. These are:

1. 61-0 (NCAA record)
2. 22-0 (season record)
3. 9-0 (consecutive Big East Season Titles)
4. 9-0 (consecutive Big East Tourney Titles)
5. 1-0 (consecutive undefeated seasons)
6. 1-0 (consecutive NCAA Championships)

Other streaks like consecutive home wins and big east wins are too obscure to keep track of. But the six above are too obvious to escape.
Each, in its own way and its own time, is inescapably a monkey on the team's back.

For Geno and the kids, the priorities are clear. The end goal is to win the NCAA Championship. The Big East Season and Tourney titles are important. The road to these successes is simply to win the next game. The streaks are important to the press; but only the next game is important to the kids. That's the theory, of course. Is it the reality?

How big are the burdens on the kids, and how are they coping? Some history, please.

In 2000, when we lost 72-71 to Tennessee at the HCC on February 2, I had a big smile on my face and said: "Great. The monkey is off our back. Now we will win the National Championship." Eight weeks later we did.

Last year, we carried the monkey all year -- and even with four very talented and experienced seniors, the monkey felt more and more like an elephant as the season progressed. The undefeated target of 39-0
was, in fact, a heavy burden to carry -- especially as the games were played in the late season tourneys. It was an especially big burden on last year's team because everyone expected them to win every game. They were, after all, the "best ever in NCAA history."

Now, what is ahead for our current team of young players.

1. After yesterday's win, they have some breathing room for the Big East season challenge. This relieves some pressure for the next seven games.

2. The three Big East Tourney games that follow will be a new experience with one-and-out -- but a loss does not end the season; it only costs them a title -- and may help them reach their next goal. So the monkey is manageable through the Big East Tournament. Still, with each additional win the undefeated season issue grows ever larger. This will be a much bigger issue than the NCAA record as the season moves toward a close.

3. If the Huskies carry 71-0 and 32-0 into the NCAA Tourney, the undefeated season monkey grows large. How can our kids handle this pressure?

Here is where the NCAA STREAK becomes our friend. I can see Diana when asked by some reporter about the pressure of going two consecutive years without a loss. Her reply: "38-0? It's no big deal. Been there. Done that. We're 70 something and 0. We play one game at a time."

The advantage for the Huskies now is that they have already been through the record breaking hype this season. They own the NCAA biggie. They have played with it long enough that they neither know nor care what The Streak number is on any given day. It's really off their radar.

I think dealing with the NCAA record has evolved over the past three weeks into a huge benefit for the Huskies. Being undefeated is old hat to them now. They really have been there and done that. So the NCAA record has turned from burden to helper -- and it becomes a bigger helper with each additional win. This is a unique situation in the history of potential undefeated seasons. If we get deep into the NCAA Tournament, I think the pressure on this year's team will be much less than on last year's.

In addition to what we have learned from The Streak, Diana, Jess, AB and Maria went through the undefeated season stuff last year. They will be less affected this year, and will set a relatively relaxed tone for the freshmen.

So where are the "monkeys" and the "elephants" on our kid's backs? I think the undefeated season elephants have been shaken off by the NCAA streak. Are there still monkeys? Sure. But we have won so much with a team from which so little was expected -- that I think we may be in the best position of all the contenders to play fearlessly in the NCAA Tourney. In a unique way, we will have less to lose (and more experience with winning) than would be the case if we were not adding to THE STREAK in every game we play.

We will, if we get to the final four, still have a big target on our back. But if The Streak is 75/76 at that point (or some lesser number) the fact that we have dealt with it so successfully since early February will be money in the bank for our young team.

What think you pundits?

Response  
icebear

Some streaks eventually become irrelevent by their size. Coach has identified all of the reasons with his usual applomb.

One of my hobbies is shooting archery. I have shot well enough at times to be among the top archers in PA. I was trained at the World Archery Center (TWAC) in Connecticut as an instructor and even preached there during their closing session. I, also, have a parishioner who has been world champion as an individual once and as member of two man team twice. Along with numerous other awards.

The difference between his shooting and mine, physically, was at times minuscule. However, mentally it was light years. Shooting archery is a sport of mental discipline. Indoors at the top ranks you simply "cannot" miss. 60 shots in a row and a target the size of a modern Silver/Gold dollar. No misses. Miss once and your probably second, miss twice or three times and you move down the ranks quickly. Most tournaments 600 (60 x 10) or 1200 (2 x 60 x 10) clean wins; or ties. Then it can be end for end shoot-offs of three arrows each or head to head arrow for arrow. Shooting the ten ring clean inside out. No arrow even touching a line. This means you cannot be even 3/8s to a half inch of dead center with a bow at twenty yards. Most people are astounded when then see a world class archer shot, they cannot imagine the precision.

I shot one 600 round in competition, a couple of 599s and numerous 596-598s. The difference between those and 600s has nothing to do with physically making the shot. You shoot hundreds and thousands of them all year. Long stretches of clean shots. Never giving a thought to missing and that is the problem.

The difference is doing it under pressure. In most sports there is what is called the comfort zone. Where you are comfortable with your ability to perform. For bowlers it can be seen in someone rolling 7,8,9 straight strikes then suddenly the wheels fall off: splits and opens. They couldn't believe they might roll a 250, 270, 300.

In archery, its coming to the last end clean and not even being able to release the shot for fear that you set a new personal record, are you ready for that, no way could you shoot that, and then suddenly your afraid that you can't shoot a shot just like you shot 57 times already today; its irrational but much of competitive weakness is. Letting that arrow go and hitting the center with the arrow is what separates world champions from state champions and so on down the list. I've seen many 600s lost on the last arrow, some my own, some by others, sometimes that last arrow isn't even near the gold. There's a saying in archery, "Step one: learn to shoot a ten, Step two: repeat step one 60 times." It's easy, except for one thing, the mind. The answer don't think about, use muscle memory and just shoot the shot, don't even think about the outcome.

The streak now helps because these girls have shot that last end clean when they needed it. They now know they can do it under pressure. 11 for 12 from the foul line in the last two minutes at Duke; wow! That's archery like focus. They can even do it when they aren't clean and perfect coming into the last end because they now have experience to draw on. They know the next basket is always a close as the next perfect pass or the next perfect shot and they've made hundreds, even under pressure. Their comfort zone has expanded dramatically this season. They now believe they can beat anyone. The streak is simply confirmation to them that they are still on target. Each game is just an opportunity to show how well they can execute that one perfect shot. Don't even think about it, just use all that muscle memory from hours of practice and hours of film, just shoot the shot, just the play the game, don't think about the win.

For all the ridicule on this board that Gail Goestenkors took over her half time speech last year what she was trying to do was good sports psychology. She was trying to take her kids back into their comfort zone, back to a place where they just knew how to perform without thinking. She wanted them in a mindset where they knew success.

DT vs. Beard and My advice to the Lady Huskies.
Quickliz

Taurasi is a special gift that only happens once in a lifetime. Her ability to move without the ball, pass, and hit the three makes her the best collegiate basketball player in the country. Her overall game is gracious, exciting, and insightful to watch.

I have only seen the entire team play on television, but seeing a college game live there is more emotion, intensity and excitement all built into one big game and that so happens to be tomorrow. Taurasi has a team under her wings with her leadership qualities to guide her Uconn team. She looks out for her teammates and has their back, that is how leaders are born.

As for Beard, her play is one of a kind, but very different from Taurasi's. She is not as flashy or thrilling as D is with her passing. Beard is not one dimensional, neither is taurasi, but they can be sometimes. DT is explosive, exciting, and a thrill to watch.

If I ever had to the chance to ever step into a lockeroom and give advice to all the Uconn women basketball players before a big game like tomorrow, this is what I would say and it is all coming from my heart and soul:

"Today is a new day and what task that lies ahead of you is going to be challenging, rewarding, and tough. The game of basketball is physical, agressive and sometimes frustrating. Do not let frustration or anger block your visions or dreams.

You are the stronger team, the one that stands out in the face of adversity. Uconn is No. 1 in my heart and you are what makes connecticut a complete basketball town. Play with confidence, faith, and most importantly trust one another."

Someone once told me, "Champions do not make excuses, they are too busy getting better." Whatever happens tomorrow, I still love the heart and hustle that this team displays :) Go Huskies!

A view from an outsider
CleveCurio

As I am new to this list, I want to share my opinion of this list as somewhat of an outsider. I have been a women's hoops fan for a long time....Stanford WAS always my team...but since Geno has successfully recruited some Pittsburgher's (Cash and Battle) and now a Clevelander (BT) I have been watching UConn much more closely these past 5 years. I will admit to not being a long time fan of Geno..( I have always respected him however) Only since hearing him speak in person after the Pitt game game last Saturday, will I admit to genuinely finding the man charming.

Now after appropriate disclaimers, I must opine:
This list is one of the more informed women's basketball lists I've seen. You for the most part give reasoned opinions to topics of interest at UConn and women's hoops in genral. you thoughtfully address general women's sports issues and controversies. You are one HECKUVA creative bunch.

I would think that having a list of people so in numerous and so caring about his program would be a plus to him in the recruiting wars. My goodness if these kids would read ALL the posts, they might even LEARN some things.

I've heard Geno put his spin on many things. He surely can spin anything that a kid might perceive as negative into something postitive. Something like "hey at least our fans care, they feel like they, even, have a stake in our team." I've heard that he has said things like 'At Tennesse it's all about the coach, but at UConn it's all about the players" well if that's the image he wants to sell/promote, then he shouldn't be surprised if the outcome is that the fans talk about, comment on, or criticize players.

Some kids even choose schools, god forbid for academic reasons. (New disclaimer, I'm a former university admission director) Might that have played a role in him losing a player to Duke?

It's far too easy to blame thngs outside of ones control when one loses a recruiting battle...so why not cast the net as far as he can, and even blame a fan list? If geno perceives this as a batch of lemons he needs a recipe for lemonade....to turn this into another positive. Classic Geno spin is all he needs. Trust me if this list is lemons...compared to all other programs, he'd have the sweetest lemonade!

I am glad to see HuskyNan taking a cautions approach and not limiting talk of recruiting. Thank you Boneyard gang you do a great job!



Posted on 1/28 12:55 AM

Big East Tourney.. if it were to start today...
speedoo

I agree with your BE NCAA teams. ND has to start winning immediately or they are probably out.

Anyway, with these big games in the conference now underway, I took a peek at the current BE standings and the Tourney brackets.

As of today, given the standings on the BE site.... top 4 seeds would be Uconn, Nova, BC, Miami and these 4 teams would get the critical 1st round byes. I say critical because it is a tournament that requires teams to play every day after the first day, so a team that is seeded 5 or below has to win 4 games in 4 days. Very, very difficult.

Syracuse and West Virginia would be out of the tournament.

If the teams held form (higher seed wins every game) Uconn's 1st opponent would be #8 seed Georgetown (I assume they would beat #9 seed Notre Dame), followed by #5 seed VaTech, and then #2 seed Villanova in the Championship game.

I fully realize the current standings will not hold up. But when you go through this exercize, you can see how critical games like last night's RU vs. Vatech are. The difference between being the # 4 seed vs. #5 seed in this tournament is huge. The #4 seed gets a first round bye while the #5 seed has to beat the #12 seed on the first day, and then the #4 seed (who gets day 1 off) the next day. Should #5 be able to get by the rested #4 seed, they get to play the winner of the #1 seed (almost certainly Uconn) vs. the 8/9 winner. In other words, the #5 seed would have to win three games in three days, including a win over Uconn, just to get to the Championship game.

Furthermore, there is a huge incentive to gain a #2 or 3 seed instead of the 4 or 5 seed, becuase the 2/3 seeds get into the half of the bracket opposite the #1 seed. So they would be able to get to the championship game without beating the #1 seed.

So, while it's interesting to think about Duke, Stanford, Tara, 800 wins for Pat & Jody etc. there are some really critical conference games being played these days.

23 Jan 03

News Flash from the Daily Planet!! Extra to The Boneyard!
Southwick Mutt

TAURASI RENDERED MORTAL!!

Louisiana Mystery Cult Suspected!

Tonight, atmospheric physicists making routine measurements detected a highly unusual energy beam, originating in Louisiana, bouncing off ionized particles in the upper atmostphere, and returning to earth in the greater New York area. Spectroscopic analysis reveals that the beam was enhanced and focussed radiation from the rare mineral ballhogchicktonite. The only known property of ballhogchicktonite is to render Diana Taurasi merely mortal. Yes, America, this pernicious radiation strips Diana of her amazing BallHog Chick powers!

At the request of the Office of Homeland Security, electronic surveillance was conducted to determine the source. Attention was immediately brought to the Leonians, a shadowy cult that operates from a nondescript warehouse just outside Ruston, LA. Wild reports have emanated from within that building, known by cult initiates as Castle Barmoral. Claims by the Leonians that they have succeeded in cloning former Louisiana Tech basketball coach Leon Barmore have met with widespread skepticism. Analysts further disagree on whether the Leonians have the technological ability to highly enrich weapons-grade ballhogchicktonite, but the recent appearance at the Leonian facility of several prominent research physicists from Duke University raises grave concerns. UN Secretary General Kofi Annaniemma has issued an urgent summons to Hans Blix to drop whatever minor matters he may be handling at present and to form a team for the immediate inspection of Castle Barmoral.

Medical experts indicate that the prognosis for Ms. Taurasi to return to complete form is very good, despite a night of 1-12 shooting. Independent analysts agree that even highly concentrated ballhogchicktonite does not have a long term impact on its target, and recovery begins immediately when exposure to the ray stops. No lousy mineral, no Illuminati cult, can ever bring low the One True Ballhog Chick! Hail Diana!

- 30 -
Posted on 1/15 11:39 PM

Geno saw the same game I saw.[Seton Hall 15 Jan 03]
speedoo

The bad news. We won at home.
mapper

After the Tennessee game there was a general euphoria (well, also another debate about Conlon but let's forget about that for now). I think people thought that victory proved we must be better than any team except, perhaps, Duke. I did not want to burst any bubbles then, but ...

First, we are likely not better than Tennessee. Beating them by one point in an arena that houses 16.000 of your own fans is not the same as even playing them on a neutral court. We can hope that with the addition of Wolff and a couple of months more experience we are better than Tennessee in March, but we are not better than them now.

By extension, I think we can assume we are not better than Duke, either. Of course, Tennessee and Duke are the teams we assumed would be better than us. Even the optimists projected us as #3 at the beginning of the year.

From what I have seen, I believe LSU is better than us as well. Heck, they have three previous starters now coming off the bench, and those starters weren't chopped liver last year. A Ruth Riley or Kara Wolters kind of team, maybe even a Chantelle Anderson kind of team, may give LSU trouble--but we are not that kind of team.

I think that even an ardent fan, if being reasonable, would acknowledge the potential superiority of those three teams. That makes us fourth at best, still able to break into the Final Four if things go as planned.

But the non-UConn fan, I think, might suspect the possibility of a few more teams being better than us. I don't expect any ardent fan to agree with this, but unbiased observers might suggest Kansas State or even Texas Tech as possibly better teams. People on this board might disagree, but we should at least conceed that such opinions are not unreasonable. If things play out under that assumption, that means Elite Eight, not Final Four.

And that's OK. What do those five teams have in common? Much, much more experience than us. I know I sound like a broken record on this board saying this, but experience is tremendously important. Experience is why Oklahoma, though far from being the second most talented team in the country last year, was the second best.

I know I bring this point up somewhat in vain. Heck, when people get upset about a win over Rutgers during a time when history shows we will not being playing our best (see good news below), you know there will be folks upset even even if we fail to go undefeated.

But for those folks who do not enjoy coronaries, it's best to keep things in perspective. We are in a "developmental" year. It's a luxury that we can be in such a year, yet still be one of the top teams in the country. Most of us, if we really try, can live with such "bad news."

Posted on 1/9 6:24 PM

Maria's defense.
doggydaddy

So, I went back and watched the tape of the game [CT/TN 4 Jan 03]. Of course I only set it up for 2 hours, and didn't get the overtime.

But in regulation I tallied some statistics. I won't say they are perfect, but they are pretty accurate.

A few things to remember. I only counted plays that were in the 1/2 court defense. When someone that Maria was covering received the ball, that counts as a possession. If they pass it, it counts as a stop. If they shoot and miss, I note that. If they shoot and hit, I note that. If they are fouled in the act I note that. And finally, if they drive by her I note that.

So here goes. While guarded by Maria in the 1/2 court defense:

Lawson - 23 possessions. 1-8 from the field. 2 foul shots. 4 points. ONE drive by.

Moore - 14 possessions. 0-1 from the field. 0 points. 1 drive by and Maria disrupted her shot and she missed.

Zolman - 6 possessions. 0-2 from the field. 0 points. 0 drive bys.

BJackson - 3 possessions. 0-1 from the field. 0 points. 0 drive bys.

Total - 46 possessions. 1-12 from the field. 4 points. 2 foul shots. 2 drive bys resulting in 2 fouls shots.

So, the next post that says that Maria can't play defense is just what I have been saying. WRONG!

GO HUSKIES!

I can possibly shed some light on this. I have worked clock/scoreboard, official book, and other table duties at other colleges in the past and so have had an opportunity to see this firsthand.

Obviously, the official scorekeeper is the final word on points, free throw shooting, fouls, etc. For other stats, like rebounds, assists, turnovers, steals and blocks, this is done in one of two ways:

1. The "old fashioned way". The home team (who is responsible for such things) will have three or four people with sheets of paper with both teams players listed. Each person will be responsible for tallying only one type of stat (e.g. rebounds), and will keep track of that stat. Sometimes, in addition, there will be an additional person, a so-called "spotter" who will call out the action for their benefit as it happens. (e.g. Blue 22 shoots for 2, no good, rebound white 10.) This is then typed up into a typed "play by play," which you can see on the UConn Huskies web site as a link from the game summary, below the official box score.

2. The "new fashioned way," is via computer. Instead of four or five people with paper and pencil, you'll have one person with a computerized stats program. Usually there will still be a spotter but this person will put everything in, and the computerized stats program will generate the typed play by play you see on the Huskies web site. But it still starts with a spotter and then the stats person will just type in "B22 A2 NG R W10" or some similar shorthand for "Blue 22 attempts 2-point field goal, no good, rebounded by white 10."

Since the home team is the official book and stats keeper, the stats from last night's game were being done by the Florida State staff. I don't know if they had the "old fashioned" or "new fashioned" system. I do know that UConn for its home games does the "New fashioned" system. (I actually know the guy who does the book for the UConn women's home games -- he's top notch and very good at what he does.)

Hope that this sheds some light on the question about stats. Remember, at the bottom of whatever type of process are human eyes watching 10 people in close proximity to an orange ball trying to keep track of who's touching it. And doing so without benefit of TV instant replay. It's not easy, and there will always be errors or differences of opinion (and I offer no opinion as to which of these was involved in the discrepancies you cite).

In addition, the rules on assists in particular are very subject to judgment. The "official" rule is that an assist is a "pass that leads directly to a basket." Some stats keepers will say that if the recipient of the pass puts the ball on the floor even once, that kills the assist; others will allow one dribble before the shot and still award an assist. I tend to fall in the latter camp, but the argument for the other side has plenty of merit, and I'm sure you and I could go back and forth all day on it, and at the end of it find that both our positions have plenty of merit.

Go Huskies!

Regards,
Joe Hurley

My favorite Pepperdine moment.
Biff

I know it's time to think ahead, to St. Joe's and beyond. But, I thought I'd share my favorite moment from the Pepperdine game.

I often focus away from the ball. I'll follow a player or an area (e.g. low post) to try to see what's going on. Kind of my own isolation camera. Of course this causes me to often miss lots of othe action because I only have that one camera in my "studio". Thank God for CPTV and videotape (sorry Wonks...Ain't got TiVo)so I can go back and watch the whole game later to see what I probably should have been watching in the first place. I was fortunate enough to sit a couple rows behind the team bench at one of the exhibition games last year. For most, this probably would have been an opportunity to see the game up close but I saw even less of the game than usual because I got to see so much of the dynamics on the bench betwen the coaches and the players. I even watched the water girl, tirelessly and seemingly with little appreciation, run around and support the players with their drink bottles and towels etc. Watching the whole team function during a timeout is a reflection of the overall structure, organization and purpose stressed in Geno's system. Everyone does what they are supposed to do so effortlessly and smoothly, it looks easy but Geno's timeouts are very efficient and organized. I remember last year at that exhibition, at the end of the game Stacey was in and there was a timeout. Well Stacey's normal job in a timeout is to retrieve the little playboard and have it ready over Geno's right shoulder if he want's to use it. Since Stacey was in the game, it fell to Diana to retrieve the board. Tonya could have just reached down and grabbed it from it's defined storage place next to the scorer's table, but she just backed away and made a path for Diana to get it to pass to Geno. Just an example of the quiet dicipline on the team. Anyway I digressed. Back to my isolation camera.

Near the end of the Pepperdine game, with the bench being cleared, Maria was subbed out for the apparent last time. As she jogged towards the bench she maintained that solemn look she tries so hard to keep when on the floor. The team was standing and obviously anxious to greet her as she exited to a very appreciative applause from the crowd. She first reached Geno who uncharacteristically gave her a vigorous pat/rub on the head and said a few words to her. I saw his face from my seat as he turned near the end of those comments and he was beaming. Then as Maria was enveloped by the rest of her team, I could see her fail in her attempt to maintain her stoicism and I saw the corners of her mouth curl up into a proud grin (my interpretation).

Now I know that one game against a relatively slow and lesser opponent doesn't make Maria the second coming of anything. I know she will screw up at times during the remaining schedule. She will be beaten by faster opponents. She will have turnovers that Sue Bird would not have. She will not be one of the best overall players in the Nation, the conference, or even on this team. But she has earned her spot, she has earned her time. She has established her place on this team and is emerging as a "quiet" leader. And, with Diana on this team, you probably don't need another loud leader anyway.

With the departure of TASS Maria was assured some increased playing time this year as the the WNBA came up to speed. But, it was also clear that each of these four were gifted and they all would soon command increased PT of their own. Maria was at a juncture in her BB career. Stay pat and slowly slide right on the bench. Or, work hard, harder than ever, and fight for her place. She made her choice. Minutes that BT may have gotten because of her superior talent now have to be earned. Maria and her improved fitness and confidence is making the overall team better as she is keeping the bar raised. It will only be a matter of time before the freshmen will improve to heights above Maria's reach due to their superior talent and gifts. But they will not just pass her by based on the gifts they walked in with. They will have to work their way past.

Maybe I read too much into my little isolation camera shot. Maybe Geno was just telling a joke. Who knows. I'll choose to interpret the scene my way. Even if Maria is too short.

Huskies team chemistry problems // Catalysts needed.
Olde Coach

Re: She's the best coach's 6th Player - nuff said!
UCONN Larry

A small rant on fans.
doggydaddy

It's been 3 years since I have been posting on this board. I have seen many critical posts about most of the players on the team at one point or another. And to me, there is NO reason for any of it.

We should be thanking our lucky stars that we get to enjoy the great entertainment these kids supply for us. We get to see them come in as 17 year old kids and grow into wonderful women.

Do they make mistakes on the court? Of course. Are they doing the best they can with the skills they have? Damn right!

I tend to think of them as my own kids. We get to read about their personal lives, see them interact with each other. I take any insults toward them very personally.

If you think that posting about someone making a bad foul, or missing too many shots, or any other discresions that they make helps the team in any way, you are sadly mistaken.

I don't know if it's the anonimity of posting, or that some of us are just plain nasty, but it is too easy to throw out an insult on this place.

I don't want this place to be all postive posts, and discussion of the games is great. We can be upset that we might have had an off game. But they are MY girls. And I know they are doing their best.

I guess I treat them here like I would treat my own kids. When they are good...I enjoy it. I tell them they were great. If they are not getting the results they want, I pat them on the back, say nice try you did your best, and move on to the next game.

Sometimes we post like these kids owe us something.

And...it's only basketball.

An e-ball for Stacey Marron: Team Spirit for this year's Huskies.
Olde Coach

I have written a number of posts here over the past year about team chemistry -- for UConn, Tenn, and other teams. The bottom line has been consistent:

UConn has more "spirit, high-fives, excitement for teammates' accomplishments, laughter, and joy in the game" than any other team in WCBB. I obviously don't get to see all the teams. But I watch all the women's games I can get which includes a lot of ACC and SEC games here in the South. The Tenn bench has been relatively morose for years (but is better this year). They have defined the low end of the spectrum. UConn has defined the high end. Most teams fall in a comfortable middle ground -- which UConn is far above.

Last year's seniors were great leaders in team spirit generation (and they were still yucking it up in Raleigh on Sunday night). But the new team was also jumping out of their seats all night and showing the traditional Husky spirit.

Frequent readers here know that I am an inveterate "bench watcher". Our new team gets very high rankings for high fives and the spirit that generates them. And the leader of the cheering squad is Stacey Marron. One of her assignments (from the end of the bench) is to be the head cheerleader. But this is not an assignment that can be carried out by just anyone. There has to be universal respect and sharing of emotion and cameraderie between all the players and Stacey. She has this respect and has the team "on cue" all the time for celebrations. She makes a very large contribution to her team in this role. And what a great role/accomplishment for a walk-on -- a kid who challenged the odds and chose to come and play for UConn -- uninvited, but now warmly accepted.

If you have a tape of the NCState game, check the 3 point basket by Will Crockett. Stacey did a 30" vertical jump out of her seat, and lateral hopped down the bench line high tenning everyone -- all of whom were already up cheering and pumping their fists (while Geno was cringing in his seat).

For a number of years, the Huskies have lead the nation in "pop-out-of-your-chairs-and-jump-up-and-down" minutes. And by a large margin. This is a key component of why they have won and will continuing winning. For both last year and this year, Stacey has been/is a key player in this UConn advantage.

Kudos to the coaches and the kids for developing this atmosphere -- but especially to Geno and CD who have built a system in practice that translates into games. I know the secret, but will never reveal it in print. There are too many lurkers here for whom I prefer it remain a mystery. Trust me, it isn't something that just happens. It is programmed to happen as surely as back door cuts and help defense. But it is not an order from the coaches. The spirit is spontaneous and deeply genuine; but it is consciously energized.

Anyone who wants to observe the "spirit factor" should look not only to the bench, but to player huddles on the court (five players) and at time-outs (all eleven). I was very impressed with the togetherness and shared focus of all the groups who played together on Sunday -- whether mostly veterans, or Diana and the four frosh (who did all play together at one point). Regardless of the group, they shared a strong focus and an excitement for the challenges they were facing. These guys are TEAM. And they will become more so after a week in Hawaii, and more months and games and practices shared. They are carrying the Husky flag, and are determined to carry it with the same pride and focus as the 2002 NC Team. I see this in their faces, and I love it.

Re: UCONN dropped to 6th in poll???? Here are six observations.
Olde Coach

1. K State played well in a real game and gained additional respect by doing so.

2. This year's rankings are about this year's teams. They do not reflect history. In particular, UConn has lost more talent than any team in recent memory. Our new group has to prove themselves. I hope they will earn higher rankings as the year progresses. For now, I don't give a hoot where they are ranked. No other top ten team has as many question marks as UConn. The teams ranked above us all have more known returnees. We have potential; but so far have proven nothing except we can fumble our way to 26 turnovers. That's a disgrace even if we're playing the Lakers.

3. Relax. Check the polls again on March 1. That is when we will all have some real knowledge on which to base our judgements.

4. UConn is particularly vulnerable to injuries. If we lose Diana or JMo or AB we become really freshman dependent.

5. Be not jealous of kudos given to Duke or the Vols. They have the best talent that has been proven -- and some new players who make them stronger than last year. We have to prove we can beat them. (And Sue, Swin, Asjha, Tamika can NOT help.) I like the challenge ahead of us. But I am keeping my mouth tightly shut as regards predictions of our success or of Duke's or the Vol's failure. I am optimistic we can give them a good game -- especially in March/April. But this may be a year we will best be served by showing some humility. Then, if we do knock off the favorites, the victories will be all the sweeter.

6. I am surprised how many Boneyarders think Tenn will beat Duke. I think Duke actually has the more talented top seven/eight. They have yet to prove they can win the big games; but they are a year older and wiser.
I predict Duke beats Tenn by six. If Tenn can press the Duke guards into sufficient mistakes, then Tenn gets the advantage. Point Guard is Dukes weak link. Time will tell how well they can cover that weakness with their strength up front and Alana Beard's all-court play. The question I have about Duke is: "How tough are they?" It will be an interesting season.

Why do I love this program?
Cosmic C

The Junior All-American (DT).
The (JM) Center.
The Kid from CT (Conlon)
The Freshman (Class Acts who can PLAY THE GAME!)
The Associate Head Coach (CD is the 2nd best Head coach in the country)
Ashley Battle (heart, hustle, enough said)
The Valley girls.
Gampel. - what a venue
The Fans - Damn - you are the best in the country.
The head coach (never forget how fortunate we are)

I know there are many more additions I neglected. Please feel free to add to the list,

big_ed

Stacey Marron working hard and hitting a three at the end of the game
Seeing Rebecca Lobo or Shea or Jen in the stands
Watching every game on CPTV
Sitting on my front porch talking with my neighbors about the Husky Women and their chances each year
Reading about how the Husky I cheered last year is helping her community this year
Seeing the pride in a young recruits face when she commits to UConn
CD showing the same loyalty and pride by staying in the program when she could be elsewhere as a head coach

stick with me here, this'll take a minute..

there still exists - admirably so - a difference in UConn women's b-ball, and the men's program, and football, etc.

Abel Bachelor
Four words...Geno, CD, Tonya, and JJ....

Pinotbear

We still cheer for "our girls"
We call 'em by their first names, or nicknames
We feel a part of the program, a connectedness
It's still, even with the WNBA, an amateur sport atmosphere, a school sport atmosphere, a state backing a program that they're proud of.

Just got done finishing the SI article on high school sports, which, among other things, lamented that the era of small towns feeling a part of, and a pride in, their local high school sports heros & accomplishments, has essentially dissappeared: that sense of pride, personal connection, and, yes, love.

We still got a piece of it, folks. Cherish it. Senior Night happens a lot of places, but nowhere better than Gampel. Stacy singing the anthem, Sveta gimping out with her parents who have never seen her play college ball, etc. There's still a sense that these are our kids, and we're so incrediably proud to have watched them over their time here.

wouldn't trade it for anything, and couldn't buy it, if I wanted to.

Poecile

Positions & names Reply (Complete list)
Biff 

BASIC NUMBERS:

UConn trailed Miami 15-23 with 7:38 remaining in the first half. The Huskies then went on a 22-6 run to close the half with an eight point lead at 37-29. After scoring the first 11 points in the second half (to lead 48-29), Connecticut cruised to an entertaining 81-60 win. More numbers are available through "Boxscore" and "News Links". The rest of this report will provide "up close and personal" information available only to the most curious (and when required) aggressive on-site reporters.

THE SITE:

The brand new UM Convocation Center (hereafter CC) is an impressive building beautifully situated on a large tract of land that is adjacent to other athletic facilities and is on campus. The CC is surrounded by expansive grassy areas, majestic palm trees, and ample FREE PARKING. (Eat your hearts out Husky fans!)

The building is rectangular in shape, very tall, has impressive columns on the facade, and a large raised porch area from which one enters the building. (There are no basements in Florida, as the ground water level is only 4-6 feet below the surface. Thus the court has to be at Ground level, and the main entrance to the arena is raised some 30 feet above ground.) The CC is set back nearly 100 yards from Ponce De Leon Boulevard. Long stairways rise from both sides to the raised entry way porch (an exterior rotunda) where nearly 1000 people can gather before the entry portals. The only public entrance to this Center is from this rotunda. (No north, south, east, west entries, etc.)

PRE GAME OUTSIDE (in the shade of a palm tree):

This reporter arrived at the CC at 5:00 P.M. -- two hours before game time. There were already as many as 200 basketball fans strolling around the grounds, or leaning against a royal palm -- in shorts and T-shirts, enjoying the late afternoon sun, the eighty degree weather, and the occasional (barely clothed) coed crossing campus. (Eat your hearts out Husky fans!).

Of these 200 fans, at least 199 were wearing some kind of UConn logo clothing or carrying a UConn flag or sign. Over the next hour, I spoke with perhaps 20 of these fans -- just saying hello and striking up a conversation. The most interesting were two men in their late 50's who had taken four days to drive down from CT through snow in NJ and PA, to sleet in North Carolina, and driving rain from there to Jacksonville. They were happy to be in Miami.

I asked every person I spoke with if they were readers of the Boneyard. The score: zero for twenty. These are rabid Husky fans who would love the information available every day on the Yard, but none had ever heard of it. They knew only of the official UConn site. I clued them in; and we'll have twenty new lurkers starting today. About half of these fans told me they have relatives in CT who tape all the CPTV games and send them south every week. One couple from Fort Lauderdale said they donate $200 to CPTV every year. Be assured that even Floridians are supporting UConn's TV arrangements.

THE BUS. THE BUS.

By 5:30, the crowd had grown to nearly 400, and was gathered on the rotunda and around the stairways rising to it when -- with an excitement comparable to Santa's reindeer landing on your roof -- appeared a bus with COACH USA in red, white and blue. And a cry went up: "HERE COMES THE BUS. THE BUS".

And sure enough it WAS the UConn bus. And it stopped right in front of the rotunda. And in the right rear window there was Diana -- with a smile so broad and a twinkle in her eye so bright that Santa himself would be jealous. And a mighty cheer went up -- 400 Husky Fans strong -- that could be heard from Coral Gables almost to South Beach:

U-C-O-N-N . . . U-C-O-N-N.

And applause filled the air. And the players waved from the windows. And there was CD in the right front seat, and Geno behind the driver. And the fans were fulfilled. There didn't even need to be a game. They had seen Diana with her carefree grin. And Ann with the sweetest smile. And BT with a look of wonder that said so clearly: "It's Miami for God's sake. We're 1500 miles from home. And we are friggin rock stars among the palm trees. THIS is what I came to UConn for!"

The bus stopped before the rotunda for a few long minutes; but the door did not open, and the bus soon drove on to a place out of sight on another side of the building. I was one of fifty who followed the bus to the player's entrance at ground level on the west side of the building. And CD got off, and Rosemary the trainer, and the managers. The managers unloaded all of the players bags from under the bus and set them in a neat row on the ground. And the adoring fans waited, enthralled, for five long minutes -- just looking at faces in the windows: Diana and Maria and Jess and Barbara and Nicole and Ashley V. And then the door opened again and the players came out one by one, moving slowly and methodically until they found the bag with their number on it, slung it over their shoulder and disappeared into some secret place in the arena where they would prepare for the night's work that lay ahead.

READING FACES:

Geno has said that he "reads faces and body language before games, and gets a lot of clues about who is going to play well on a given night." Standing just five feet from their bags, and watching each player emerge to greetings from the small crowd assembled, I watched faces. I looked into each player's eyes. And I watched each walk up to her bag and then away -- with her work clothes slung over her shoulder, and a tough game just 90 minutes away.

Here is what I saw:

Diana: Big smile. Eyes bright. Bounce in her step. Everything about her said: "I've got game tonight." Two or three people who were close to me remarked that D looked wonderful, and they thought she would break out of her slump this night. My notes: "D has her A game tonight."

Maria: Less ebullient than Diana by nature -- but very confident, rested, and energetic. Great warmth, courtesy and appreciation shown to the crowd. She looked every inch the quiet leader she has become; and she was clicking on all cylinders. Expect the A game.

Ann: Very relaxed. Incredible warmth. Sweet but alert. Good energy level. Expect her normal, "professional" game.

Jess: A little below normal energy level. Eyes and smiles subdued. Less "hops" and "joyfulness" than she has had in recent games. Expect a B game.

BT: Looked a little tired. Proud. Ready to work. But didn't have her "attitude" up to snuff. Expect a C+ game.

Will: Looked very tired. Not much sparkle in her eyes or her smile. Dragging her feet a little. Expect a sub-par game.

Morgan: Came off the bus with a very big smile, and a lot of bounce in her step. Had some attitude, too. Energy level was high and she looked very ready to play.

AB: Very composed. Mature. Thoughtful. Calm. Strong. I was very impressed with her quiet self-confidence and focus. Good game expected.

It is uncanny how close these "off the bus" observations are to the games the kids played. Have I cheated with hind-sight for this report? Skeptics may think so. But I swear the little sketches above are exactly what I saw before the game.

For those of you who watched the game on TV; you will know how accurate these pre-game sketches are. Diana and Maria players of the game. Ann her usual good self. Morgan her best game of the year. BT sub par in scoring. Will missing lay-ups. Jess played well but not as sharp or aggressive as in some recent games. AB very solid game.

Note: In the game, BT and WC did the dirty work on defense and rebounding. That's their job description. It was their offense that was sub par -- that's the half of the game that requires imagination and focus and creativity. Tired minds and bodies miss lay-ups. But if they wear a UConn uniform, they still play defense!

BACK TO THE ROTUNDA:

At 5:45 I climbed the stairs to the rotunda outside the entry gates. Maybe 600 people here now -- forming lines to be early into the building when the doors open at 6:00. I remember my assignment from the Boneyard to look for Erlana Larkins. I scan the crowd looking for one or more athletic, high school age, six foot plus black girls. None in sight. But wait -- there at the very front of the line! Could it be? An athlete for sure, #1 in line, obviously with her mother.

A RECRUITING SCOOP FOR THE BONEYARD:

I approach graciously, make eye contact with the girl, and ask politely: "Excuse me, may I ask if you are Erlana Larkins?" The girl smiles, a little shyly. The mother smiles and laughs politely and says: "No. Who is Erlana Larkins?"

I respond: "She is a great basketball player in the Junior class in Palm Beach; and UConn is very interested in her, and I was hoping she would be at this game and I could just encourage her to choose UConn -- because it's the best program in the country."

Now the girl speaks up: "I'm only in the ninth grade, but I love basketball, and my dream is to play for UConn someday."

So here is the skinny, Nan: Put it in your recruit file. Her name is Kaneisha Barr. She's 14 and in the ninth grade. She is 5-10 and growing. She has a wonderful body for basketball -- broad shoulders, athletic, strong, graceful. She is a delightful young girl. Very well spoken. Carries herself with pride and dignity. Was exceptionally polite and respectful. She has been raised well by her mom (who was also a delightful and sharp lady). Two classy people. Kaneisha grew up in CT but now lives in the Miami area. Rebecca Lobo is her hero. (Yes, Rebecca is still a recruiting force for UConn.) I hope this girl has game and does show up on our radar a few years down the road. She is an A+ kid. Will pass all of Geno's character and academic standards with high marks. I was impressed. I love people who sit in the front row, and hustle to the front of a line. We talked for five minutes.

And no, Erlana never showed up at the game. Her team is involved now in state playoffs. She probably could not take the night off.

BONEYARD CONTACTS:

At 6:00, the doors opened. Once inside, I quickly connected with Boneyarders "Sailor" and "Dick44" -- both with wives, and good people all. Dick had seats IN THE THIRD ROW DIRECTLY BEHIND THE UCONN BENCH. A bonus for this reporter. I used my own mid-court seat the first half -- then went down to visit with Dick at halftime, and stayed for the 2nd half in the empty seat right next to Dick and his wife. The ushers at the CC were very friendly and accommodating. (Eat your hearts out Husky fans!)

ATTENDANCE:

I estimated 5000 at the game, and saw 4937 listed this morning in the papers. Looks right. How many were Miami fans? Less than 1000 for sure. Probably 600-700. The Miami announcers were smart at the start of the game asking all Miami fans to stand until the first basket was made -- so it wouldn't be so obvious when the CT fans all stood. Well, UConn scored first, and sat down. And there weren't a lot of people still standing. The Miami fans I spoke with were very complimentary of UConn. Expressed nothing but respect for our players and coaches. There was no animosity in the building.

SIGNIFICANT SIGHTINGS:

Sitting next to Dick's wife was KEIRSTEN WALTERS. When I arrived there at half-time she was in a long conversation with Dick. Keirsten looks TERRIFIC. And then some. How can I say this? She looks in prime condition for the finals of the "Fitness America" contest. She has been spending a LOT of time in the gym, and working with a very good trainer. She is as buff and muscular as AB. Has a tan to die for. Beach (no L ) blonde hair. A smile and bright blue eyes that lit up the whole gymnasium. She could not look more healthy or happy. (Did FOX pick her up on the TV? I saw no mention on the Yard last night.) Both Dick and I thanked her for recruiting Ann.

CARON BUTLER -- was a few seats away. Two Miami fans in front of me spotted Caron immediately. They said he is a favorite player of many Miami men's bball fans. Good to see him still supporting the UConn girls.

NICOLE WOLFF -- looked very sad. Through the bus windows. When she got off the bus. All night long on the bench. She is on crutches. Took a few steps away from the bench at one timeout, and Rosemary Riegle was up in a heartbeat delivering the crutches to her. My guess is we will not see Nicole again this season. Stress fractures can be painfully slow to heal. I don't like the looks of this situation. Nicole has been a pretty positive bench cheerleader for the past seven weeks. Last night she looked really down in the dumps. Some cheerful notes from some fans might help her. I will send a card tomorrow.

MARIA'S AUNT:

This is not pleasant, Boneyarders -- but deal with it. Maria's aunt sat right in front of us. A pleasant woman. We suspected she was related to Maria by her enthusiasm for each of Maria's good plays -- of which there were many. At a time out late in the second half, Dick asked her if she knew Maria, and she said she was her aunt. After we exchanged enthusiastic kudos for Maria's play all year, I asked this woman as politely as I could "if she ever read the Boneyard".

I will never forget the look on her face. It was instantaneous. And it was full of hurt and anger. She tried to hide these feelings out of politeness. But her pain was palpable. She said her husband looks occasionally at the Boneyard; but that it is essentially something they try to shut out of their lives. I have no doubt that many in Maria's family share this hurt and anger.
I won't preach here -- other than to say that this was a harsh reminder that when we are critical of the young kids whom we are supposed to be fans of, we can really hurt people. I think the Yard needs to be much more sensitive about this than we are. Dick told Maria's aunt that I was a major supporter and cheerleader for Maria on the Yard. She said "thank you" with great sincerity and gratefulness. And we moved to another subject.

LAUGHS OF THE GAME:

#1. In the closing minutes, when there was a four player scramble on the floor in front of the UConn bench, Ashley Valley emerged from the fray with the ball, dribbled down the baseline and scored the lay-up. AB and Jess laughed so hard they could barely stand up. It was an ultimate AV play.

#2. In the 2nd half BT got a rebound, saw no open guard to outlet to, and decided to play point guard herself. She dribbled up court, evaded one defender. Crossed the midline (looking very self-confident) and was immediately trapped by a Miami double team. They tied Barbara in a knot and stole the ball from her. Geno was not pleased; but the rest of the bench was laughing.

#3. AB, near the end of the game, drove into the lane from the left corner, got forced out about ten feet from the basket, and took a running, off balance jump shot on which she got a big hip check just as she went airborne. She was half way to being up side down when she released the ball. The shot hung on the front rim, and fell out. There was a quick play stoppage at mid-court and AB stood there with her teammates laughing delightfully at herself. Even Geno laughed at this one.

#4. Near the end of the game, Morgan made some dumb mistake. She had played her best game of the year. But Geno, ever the perfectionist was all over during the timeout that closely followed the play. He was just chewing on Morgan. She listened with mock attentiveness for about ten seconds, than just looked up in the stands with a smirk on her face while Geno kept berating her. It was a "look away" that no freshman would dare make, but Morgan has earned license to. I wish I had a picture of Morgan's little smirk.

SITTING COURTSIDE:

Basketball is a different game when viewed from 15 feet than from 50. Even sitting in the eighth row, it seems the players are not really rushed and the game has time and space for players to work in. Last year, I was fortunate to sit for one game at the press table at Gampel. And last night I was just a few feet behind the UConn bench. From this distance there is neither space nor time available to each athlete. Every cut, every drive, every shot is a movement that must be chosen in a hundredth of a second not in tenths. The action (when seen up close) seems faster by a factor of ten than it appears on Television or from any seat that is more than fifteen feet from the court.

When we watch the game from a distance, turnovers look like stupid mistakes. From up close, the wonder is that there are not many more turnovers. Players are in your face and on your back. Passing lanes close in the blink of an eye, and cutting lanes too. The focus of the players must be incredibly intense to see everything and everybody and make the complex, instantaneous decisions that are made continuously on the court.

From close up -- my respect for the athleticism and intelligence of the players grows very large.

GAME WRAP-UP:

The first play of the game was a beautiful back door cut by Morgan Valley who was clear of all defenders by about five yards. The first three pointer made by UConn was by MV. She was a rock all night, and played probably more minutes than in any game this year. If Morgan had two good feet, and had played all of last year pain free, she would be an extraordinary player for the Huskies. As it is, she is really smart, confident and disciplined. She took one monstrous charge last night -- and got off the floor with a very big smile.

It is hard to travel 1500 miles, and be expected to play at your best. Especially when you know you are flying home after the game. Leave arena at 9:45. Airborne at 10:45. Bradley at 2:15. Dormitory about 3:00 A.M. Morning classes. It is hard work.

When I watched the kids get off the bus, I had a deep recognition that these were kids going to work. Hard physical work. Intense mental work. They carried their bags like artisans. They walked with the measured pace of people conserving energy for a task ahead.

Some looked tired (WC, BT, Jess a little.) Diana and Maria looked like leaders -- knowing that a part of their job was to energize their crew of laborers and be certain they did a good job. Diana approaches this job (most nights) with apparent love and excitement -- though she has been tired at other recent games. Maria is steady. The point man. The lead climber on a mountaineers rope.

And AB really impressed me last night -- from the bus to the bench to the court. She is one of the leaders now. And she is finally comfortable in that role. There is a great peace in her eyes and her whole expression -- face and body language. UConn had a rough start. The tide began to change when AB entered the game. She was so cool and collected going to the scorers bench and onto the court. Yes, her job is to create chaos; but she does it under control now, and she has become supremely confident compared to earlier in the season. She is a warrior princess. I believe she will be an increasingly large force ("fight to the death") in the difficult games that lie ahead. She is bringing intelligence and control to the war games now. UConn closed much of the scoring gap in the first minutes AB was on the floor -- but then fell back again when Ann missed two consecutive threes, and the 'Canes scored at the other end. AB was not flustered, and she stayed focused, and UConn began again to close the gap.

And speaking of intelligence. I want to offer a loud round of applause for Maria's basketball intelligence. One game at a time, she keeps showing how really smart a player she is. Last night she was not only streaking on breakout plays; but was seeing open lanes and driving often to the basket. Defenses are having to worry about BT and AB and Jess and WC now. Maria is the forgotten one who draws the weakest defender. She is seeing her opportunities and taking advantage now.

AND THEN THERE IS GENO'S INTELLIGENCE.

It was really interesting to sit behind the bench and hear what Geno was saying in the timeouts. He is an amazing game coach. In the first half, when UCONN was struggling, he just kept coaching and teaching. There was no panic. No berating of players for mistakes. He studied the game, found the opportunities we could exploit, communicated them to the kids, and kept the ship on course until the sails filled with wind.

And then, when we were up by 20, the perfectionist that drives this team began to rant and rave over every tiny mistake -- constantly imploring his "guys" to seek the perfect possession and score the perfect basket. Impressive, indeed.

Which is what the Huskies are -- every one of them.

A Huskymaniac's Encounter with the Cameron Crazies
By: speedoo

Date: February 4, 2003

Pre-Game Stuff

My first glimpse of Cameron and K-ville came around noon, Saturday. As my daughter drove past the Cameron parking lot, I noticed a charter bus and wondered if it might belong to the UConn. It might have been, but it was more likely the Duke team returning to campus following a pre-game hotel stay. I say this only because I saw a player (she was very tall, that's how I know she was a player) who was definitely not a UConn player, maybe Duke's Brooke Smith.

Later on, after meeting up with my new bud uconnfan_tenn, hereafter referred to as "Dave", I returned to Cameron, ready for the game. Walking through the parking lot, we noticed some Duke fans tailgating. Dave is a friendly guy and he struck up a conversation. Following some good-natured banter, we found ourselves in serious basketball conversation with one of the Duke fans and regular game attendee. I commented to this woman that I thought she really knew her basketball and she told me that she had once been an assistant coach under Coach G's predecessor, Debbie Leonard.

This was a serious opportunity for me to ask a true expert some serious questions. Some recollections of that conversation:

Q: How did she think it was different to coach women vs. men?

A: First, most male college players bring a more competitive attitude, an ability to confront opposing players. This comes from playing more "street ball" as well as organized ball. This was something she felt was different about Taurasi, she has this kind of competitive attitude, very unique among women players. She did not feel Beard has the same attitude, although Alana is a great player, just not a vocal leader.

Second, she said male players are able to get over failure in games much more quickly, female players allow the resentment, guilt, whatever, to persist much