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UCLA players reflect on history
There will be a sizeable story in tomorrow's Register about the reaction of UCLA players to the UConn women's basketball team going for its 88th straight win. Even though my editors were generous in alloting me space for the story, there was stuff I was not able to get in from my interviews with Andre McCarter and Pete Trgovich.
I'll start off with some goodies from McCarter
REFLECTING ON THE RECORD WINNING STREAK
"Sixty-one was the goal." McCarter said. "People forget that 88 is what we extended it to but 61 was the mark because Bill Russell and the USF (University of San Francisco) teams held the record. The streak wasn't our goal. We were like, we've got it now go leave us alone. Everything that happened after that was just gravy and we did what we were supposed to do. We weren't happy that we lost. We were in a last-second situation where we still lost."
DO THE WINNING TRADITIONS OF TEAMS LIKE UCONN AND UCLA INTIMIDATE OPPONENTS
"The girls from (Baylor) they had a great opportunity. They really should have beaten them that day but when it came down to it, they didn't fear UConn. That is what I saw in them. Notre Dame, Digger Phelps, one of his good coaching qualities is he knew how to coach against UCLA. He got beaten by them quite a bit but at the key moments he seemed like he knew how to get those players to believe. He took away some of the fear, I think. Some coaches can get that away. Other teams, you can sense when they don't keep up in the games. We always thought of ourselves as the best conditioned team so when teams started bending over and grabbing their trunks, it is time for them to go home because we weren't allowed to do that. If teams made mistakes, we always capitalized on them. That is the signs of good teams. That is what UConn does in the games I do see. They say don't turn the ball over. Why? Because if you turn it over against UConn, if you turn the ball over against UCLA, they are going to capitalize on it. They are trained to execute (off) those mishaps and that separates you from a lot of teams."
Now here's some of Trgovich's reaction to UConn's success.
"I get so excited for those girls because I know they are going to do something that is going to last a lifetime. I get so excited for them. I envy them, I wish I could do it again like they are doing.
"I have never really followed women's basketball but since I am hearing about the UConn team, I do catch them when they are on and I watch them as much as I can. They are about the only team that I watch."
Now for soem interesting facts about the two former teammates.
McCarter has been gathering photos for the pictorial recollection honoring Wooden's 10 national championship teams. The project called "Anatomy of the Champion" is in the process of trying to secure investors so the project featuring more than 700 photyos can be published.
This is the first year in quite some time that Trgovich is not involved in basketball. A former high school and college coach, Trgovich has taken a break and is spending time tracking the athletic exploits of his daughter Alaina, a redshirt junior, who is one of the top players on the Wisconsin women's tennis team. Last season she played five matches at No. 1 singles for the Badgers.
I'll start off with some goodies from McCarter
REFLECTING ON THE RECORD WINNING STREAK
"Sixty-one was the goal." McCarter said. "People forget that 88 is what we extended it to but 61 was the mark because Bill Russell and the USF (University of San Francisco) teams held the record. The streak wasn't our goal. We were like, we've got it now go leave us alone. Everything that happened after that was just gravy and we did what we were supposed to do. We weren't happy that we lost. We were in a last-second situation where we still lost."
DO THE WINNING TRADITIONS OF TEAMS LIKE UCONN AND UCLA INTIMIDATE OPPONENTS
"The girls from (Baylor) they had a great opportunity. They really should have beaten them that day but when it came down to it, they didn't fear UConn. That is what I saw in them. Notre Dame, Digger Phelps, one of his good coaching qualities is he knew how to coach against UCLA. He got beaten by them quite a bit but at the key moments he seemed like he knew how to get those players to believe. He took away some of the fear, I think. Some coaches can get that away. Other teams, you can sense when they don't keep up in the games. We always thought of ourselves as the best conditioned team so when teams started bending over and grabbing their trunks, it is time for them to go home because we weren't allowed to do that. If teams made mistakes, we always capitalized on them. That is the signs of good teams. That is what UConn does in the games I do see. They say don't turn the ball over. Why? Because if you turn it over against UConn, if you turn the ball over against UCLA, they are going to capitalize on it. They are trained to execute (off) those mishaps and that separates you from a lot of teams."
Now here's some of Trgovich's reaction to UConn's success.
"I get so excited for those girls because I know they are going to do something that is going to last a lifetime. I get so excited for them. I envy them, I wish I could do it again like they are doing.
"I have never really followed women's basketball but since I am hearing about the UConn team, I do catch them when they are on and I watch them as much as I can. They are about the only team that I watch."
Now for soem interesting facts about the two former teammates.
McCarter has been gathering photos for the pictorial recollection honoring Wooden's 10 national championship teams. The project called "Anatomy of the Champion" is in the process of trying to secure investors so the project featuring more than 700 photyos can be published.
This is the first year in quite some time that Trgovich is not involved in basketball. A former high school and college coach, Trgovich has taken a break and is spending time tracking the athletic exploits of his daughter Alaina, a redshirt junior, who is one of the top players on the Wisconsin women's tennis team. Last season she played five matches at No. 1 singles for the Badgers.
posted by Jim Fuller at
2:15 PM
1 Comments:
When I first decided to get into coaching basketball, John Wooden became my favorite teacher along with Morgen Wooten, Bob Hurley, etc...; Then I had the opportunity to watch the UCONN women practice in San Antonio during the Final Four and I couldn't imagine anyone running such a crisp, efficient practice except the Wizard of Westwood. It was like Geno tagged the Wizard and said I'll teach the fundamentals and respect for the game now that you're, no longer coaching. No matter what happens today (12/19/2010), the UCONN WOMEN have taken the game to a whole new level, and if John Wooden is the Wizard of Westwood (God rest his soul), then to day, I, Donna Bruneau-Lester, dub Geno Auriemma; "The Sorcerer In Storrs" !!! Good Luck Today and May The Spirit Of John Wooden Be Watching!!!!!!!!!
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