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So much to say, so little time
OK, so where do we start today.
The post-practice interview session with Geno Auriemma was as entertaining and far reaching as ever.
First, he confirmed what we expected - that seniors Cassie Kerns and Tahirah Williams would make their first career starts on Saturday in their final regular-season home game. Tiffany Hayes will be coming off the bench to make room for the seniors but Geno was not 100 percent clear on whether Maya Moore or Tina Charles would be relinquishing their starting position on Saturday.
"I usually go with the youngest guys. I try to keep the youngest guys and keep the guys who have been with them the longest in there with them. That's one way to accomplish that."
Taking that at face value, that would mean that Maya Moore would be pulled from the starting lineup. But reading between the lines, it would not be shocked if he opted to sit Tina Charles instead.
Geno said that Tahirah Williams' new hairstyle reminded him more of Angela Davis, a political activist during the 60s and 70s, than former Husky Charde Houston.
He also addressed one topic which delighted him (the success of his former assistant Tonya Cardoza) and one which causes him much disdain (the ongoing saga of former UConn recruit Elena Delle Donne).
Cardoza posted the most impressive win of her young coaching career when Temple handed Xavier its first Atlantic 10 Conference loss of season on Wednesday.
"They are an NCAA tournament team now and Tonya, Dan Durkin and crack assistant Brittany Hunter," Auriemma said. "When you get some fresh ideas and fresh blood it can do either way. It could go south or all of a sudden it goes the other way. The kids have responded, 10-3 in the league."
The subject of Delle Donne's renewed interest in basketball (since she started working out and doing a little volunteer coaching work with her former high school was brought up by television announcer and former UConn star Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo during a special taping of his show on CPTV, this one with fans in attendance able to ask questions. While Auriemma was predictably asked about recruiting, the question that surprised him the most came from Culmo.
"It's funny, the way it was presented. Meghan is saying I can't tell you how many e-mails, I am flooded with e-mails that unimpeachable sources are telling us ... As soon as I hear that, I want to throw up. It is what it is.
"One of the unfortunate things that we've created, it is nobody's fault, is the story surrounding our seasons most of the time have nothing to do with our games because our games have become so predictable. There is too much boredom so let's go to everything else, no matter what that is because there is no mystery of how they are going to do Saturday, how are we going to do Monday. The mystery is all gone, the anticipation is all gone so the people in Boneyard (the UConn online fan forum), the chat rooms hope we play on Saturday? We are struggling a little bit, we have to get back on track. What are they going to talk about? It's just a not there so it took me by surprise when Meghan said it. I was like 'what?' I was the most shocked person in the room, I think."
Auriemma's response to the inquiry about Delle Donne, the 2008 Naismith national high school player of the year, was brief and emphatic. When the subject was raised on Thursday, he was just as succinct.
"I wake up every morning and read she is playing basketball at Delaware. She is not playing at Connecticut, if she was going to play at Connecticut, she'd be here by now. People generally just don't do that. You don't go, leave and then come back. Look at the history of any sport and then come back."
Speaking of recruiting, assistant coach Jamelle Elliott was in attendance last night when Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif. defeated Laguna Hills in a state tournament game. UConn has received unofficial visits from Matei Dei sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Laguna Hills junior Lauren Engeln. Shea Ralph was down in West Virginia doing some recruiting of her own although I am not certain which player she was looking at.
Auriemma was up at North Babylon High School watching highly-touted junior guard Bria Hartley in action at practice. All I have to say is that each member of the UConn staff who goes to see Hartley in action comes away even more impressed than the one who previously witnessed her play or practice. Since I get plenty of e-mails about recruiting, let me make this clear - Hartley and Engeln are atop UConn's wish list for the undecided guards/wing players among the current high school juniors. New Jersey phenom Laurin Mincy and Aaryn Ellenberg out of Las Vegas have caught the eye of the UConn staff but it is Engeln who secured a scholarship offer and Hartley will also be offered once she makes a campus visit. If UConn gets pledges from Hartley and Engeln to go with Samarie Walker and Stefanie Dolson, UConn will likely set its sights on adding a forward like a Michala Johnson to complete what would be a spectacular class.
The last bit of info, I received the ESPN announcing teams for the conference tournaments.
Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod and Bob Picozzi will do the noon and 2 p.m. quarterfinals on Sunday (UConn is already slotted in for the 2 p.m. game) while John Rooke, Meg Bulger and Picozzi will do the 6 and 8 p.m. quarterfinals. All four games will be shown on ESPNU.
Monday's semifinals, also televised on ESPNU, will be called by Mowins and Weisbrod. Tuesday's championship game, shown on ESPN, will feature Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck and Rebecca Lobo.
The post-practice interview session with Geno Auriemma was as entertaining and far reaching as ever.
First, he confirmed what we expected - that seniors Cassie Kerns and Tahirah Williams would make their first career starts on Saturday in their final regular-season home game. Tiffany Hayes will be coming off the bench to make room for the seniors but Geno was not 100 percent clear on whether Maya Moore or Tina Charles would be relinquishing their starting position on Saturday.
"I usually go with the youngest guys. I try to keep the youngest guys and keep the guys who have been with them the longest in there with them. That's one way to accomplish that."
Taking that at face value, that would mean that Maya Moore would be pulled from the starting lineup. But reading between the lines, it would not be shocked if he opted to sit Tina Charles instead.
Geno said that Tahirah Williams' new hairstyle reminded him more of Angela Davis, a political activist during the 60s and 70s, than former Husky Charde Houston.
He also addressed one topic which delighted him (the success of his former assistant Tonya Cardoza) and one which causes him much disdain (the ongoing saga of former UConn recruit Elena Delle Donne).
Cardoza posted the most impressive win of her young coaching career when Temple handed Xavier its first Atlantic 10 Conference loss of season on Wednesday.
"They are an NCAA tournament team now and Tonya, Dan Durkin and crack assistant Brittany Hunter," Auriemma said. "When you get some fresh ideas and fresh blood it can do either way. It could go south or all of a sudden it goes the other way. The kids have responded, 10-3 in the league."
The subject of Delle Donne's renewed interest in basketball (since she started working out and doing a little volunteer coaching work with her former high school was brought up by television announcer and former UConn star Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo during a special taping of his show on CPTV, this one with fans in attendance able to ask questions. While Auriemma was predictably asked about recruiting, the question that surprised him the most came from Culmo.
"It's funny, the way it was presented. Meghan is saying I can't tell you how many e-mails, I am flooded with e-mails that unimpeachable sources are telling us ... As soon as I hear that, I want to throw up. It is what it is.
"One of the unfortunate things that we've created, it is nobody's fault, is the story surrounding our seasons most of the time have nothing to do with our games because our games have become so predictable. There is too much boredom so let's go to everything else, no matter what that is because there is no mystery of how they are going to do Saturday, how are we going to do Monday. The mystery is all gone, the anticipation is all gone so the people in Boneyard (the UConn online fan forum), the chat rooms hope we play on Saturday? We are struggling a little bit, we have to get back on track. What are they going to talk about? It's just a not there so it took me by surprise when Meghan said it. I was like 'what?' I was the most shocked person in the room, I think."
Auriemma's response to the inquiry about Delle Donne, the 2008 Naismith national high school player of the year, was brief and emphatic. When the subject was raised on Thursday, he was just as succinct.
"I wake up every morning and read she is playing basketball at Delaware. She is not playing at Connecticut, if she was going to play at Connecticut, she'd be here by now. People generally just don't do that. You don't go, leave and then come back. Look at the history of any sport and then come back."
Speaking of recruiting, assistant coach Jamelle Elliott was in attendance last night when Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Calif. defeated Laguna Hills in a state tournament game. UConn has received unofficial visits from Matei Dei sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Laguna Hills junior Lauren Engeln. Shea Ralph was down in West Virginia doing some recruiting of her own although I am not certain which player she was looking at.
Auriemma was up at North Babylon High School watching highly-touted junior guard Bria Hartley in action at practice. All I have to say is that each member of the UConn staff who goes to see Hartley in action comes away even more impressed than the one who previously witnessed her play or practice. Since I get plenty of e-mails about recruiting, let me make this clear - Hartley and Engeln are atop UConn's wish list for the undecided guards/wing players among the current high school juniors. New Jersey phenom Laurin Mincy and Aaryn Ellenberg out of Las Vegas have caught the eye of the UConn staff but it is Engeln who secured a scholarship offer and Hartley will also be offered once she makes a campus visit. If UConn gets pledges from Hartley and Engeln to go with Samarie Walker and Stefanie Dolson, UConn will likely set its sights on adding a forward like a Michala Johnson to complete what would be a spectacular class.
The last bit of info, I received the ESPN announcing teams for the conference tournaments.
Beth Mowins, Brooke Weisbrod and Bob Picozzi will do the noon and 2 p.m. quarterfinals on Sunday (UConn is already slotted in for the 2 p.m. game) while John Rooke, Meg Bulger and Picozzi will do the 6 and 8 p.m. quarterfinals. All four games will be shown on ESPNU.
Monday's semifinals, also televised on ESPNU, will be called by Mowins and Weisbrod. Tuesday's championship game, shown on ESPN, will feature Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck and Rebecca Lobo.
posted by Jim Fuller at
6:02 PM
2 Comments:
Post practice interview? It's mid-week in the regular season before game against a so-so team. I am an avid fan of the team, and follow the blogs, but a "post practice interview" now sounds like things are getting a bit over-board. As does chasing the games of prospects. Sorry Jim.
That could be the most idiotic comment I have ever seen posted. Every interview session we have with the coaches or players are either post-game interview sessions or post-practice interview session. Without post-practice interviews there are no advances to the game, no features on the players, no coverage of the team other than on game days. As far as providing information on players UConn is recruiting, hate to break it to you "avid fan" but that is my job and something my bosses expect me to provide because the real "avid fans" are interested in that sort of information. Just curious of which team you are an avid fan of because judging by your comment, it is not the UConn women's basketball team.
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