Considering that UConn sophomore Kelly Faris is an Indiana native, her talents are no surprise to the Notre Dame coaching staff. But assistant coach Carol Owens has a bit of a different insight into Faris' game than the rest of her fellow Fighting Irish coaches.

Owens coached Faris on the U.S. Under-18 team in 2008 and U-19 squad in 2009 so after Notre Dame rallied to beat DePaul in Monday's Big East semifinal, I spoke with Owens about Faris and to say that she was complimentary about Faris would be an understatement.

"She did a little bit of everything for us," Owens said. "I can see how valuable she is to the Connecticut team. I remember in my second year of coaching her during the trials and I felt like 'we have to have Kelly Faris on our team.' She is a special player defensively, offensively. I remember when we were in Bangkok starting that (U-19 World Championship) tournament out and she said 'what do I have to do better, not only here for USA Basketball but in my college career?' I said 'play to your strengths, you've got Maya Moore on your team and Maya Moore is pretty special.' She did. She plays to her strength. She doesn't go above and beyond, she just does what she has to do. If it is to guard the best offensive player on the team, then that is what her job is. Or it is to shoot 3's like she did (against Rutgers). She is a kid I am sure Coach Auriemma is happy to have. She does the little things. They have plenty of scorers but she comes up with the big rebounds, the defensive stop or a big 3. She does it all. I am happy for her."

On the U-18 and U-19 team, she was known more for doing all the little things and leaving the scoring to others. Owens believes Faris' unselfishness is a rather rare attribute.

"It is very rare because everybody wants to score," Owens said. "When you are on a team with stars, you are going to have to do other things that are going to help stick out and I think she does that very well."

Of course Faris did not look like a secondary scoring option against Rutgers in the first semifinal on Monday night, scoring 19 points as the Huskies defeated Rutgers 75-51. Obviously, UConn is a different team when Faris is aggressive taking and making shots from the perimeter.

"It is really tough because you have to play everybody straight up," Owens said. "I am see that she has really worked on her 3-point shot. I am sure she is in the gym quite a bit knowing her. Her dad's a coach and she has a good basketball mind. I am sure he has taught her a lot about the game and she has had some valuable experience before she got to college. "

ACHONWA REMEMBERS MOORE, AURIEMMA WELL
Notre Dame freshman Natalie Achonwa said her most memorable experience playing for Canada in the FIBA World Championships came against the United States squad featuring UConn's Maya Moore and coached by UConn's Geno Auriemma.

Achonwa, the youngest member of the Canadian team, had two points and a rebound in 14 minutes in Canada's 87-46 loss to the eventual champions.

"The best memory was probably playing against Team USA even though we ended up losing," Achonwa said. "It was just the experience. I was playing against a whole team of WNBA players and one college player - Maya Moore. It was an amazing experience to play against just great players and learn from them. I got 15 minutes in that game but being on the bench, being able to watch, learn and taking everything back to my university program.

"I played in the World Championships against Skylar (Diggins) when I played for the U-19 team and just getting to know her was great. Last summer it was a great experience. I just loved it, being physical just like tonight (against DePaul) being physical, hammering people. Being able to play with older players and taking what you can from them is what I tried to focus on."

Achonwa played a key role in Notre Dame's win over DePaul, coming off the bench for eight points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. She also helped keep DePaul senior Felicia Chester scoreless.

If senior Becca Bruszewski is unable to play because of injured ribs, something that Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said was a distinct possibility after the game, Achonwa could find herself making her first collegiate start tonight. If that's the case, she could see plenty of fellow freshman post Stefanie Dolson of UConn.

"I never really like the 'well she is a freshman kind of deal,'" Achonwa said. "Growing up, I always tried to get away from the 'oh, she has potential. Oh, she is a freshman is the same thing.' I know Stefanie Dolson and I are both trying to break that frame and play as hard as we can for our team and our program and it is going to be a battle."

Achonwa, who had six points and five rebounds in 11 minutes in the second half as the Fighting Irish rallied from a six-point deficit to earn their first Big East championship appearance since 2001, has drawn rave reviews from the Notre Dame coaching staff for her rapid development and willingness to listen and work.

"We say her play for the Canadian team when we were there (for the U-19 tournament)," said Owens, who coaches the Notre Dame post players. "She is a kid who is very mature for her age. She comes in with a lot of poise. At times early in the season, freshmen can be up and down but she came up big for us tonight. She got some key rebounds when we needed some rebounds down the stretch. She had to guard Chester, who is a senior, and she had a big shot for us so I am really proud of her.

"The main thing I am impressed with is that she is so coachable. She wants to get better, she puts a lot of pressure on herself. That poise that comes out down the stretch inbounding the ball (in the final minute) when everybody is going everywhere and it is choatic, she is able to make that pass."

Dolson and Achonwa have already met twice and if the teams meet in the NCAA tournament, they could square off four times as freshmen setting the stage for what could be an intriguing individual rivalry inside the resurgence of the UConn/Notre Dame rivalry.

"They're two of the top freshmen post players in our league," Owens said. "There are always really good guards but it is good to see post players step up and make an impact on our league."