Video - Duke Post Game Press Conference.

[Icebear]

I just watched both pressers and I found it odd that the Duke coach and players did not mention UConn players names... it was "30" and "23", not "Breanna" or "Stewart" or "Kaleena" or "Lewis". Our guys mentioned Gray and Liston by name more than once. Odd and mildly disrespectful, I thought. Some kind of coaching ploy during practice to dehumanize the opponent or ensure the team recognized the jersey #s that could not be left open? Odd that it carried over in to the presser.

More of a tactic to avoid being overwhelmed by awareness of just who you are playing and intimidation. I have read of others using it. I do not think that it works. These kids have known each other for years in many cases.

 

[pap49cba]

More of a tactic to avoid being overwhelmed by awareness of just who you are playing and intimidation. I have read of others using it. I do not think that it works. These kids have known each other for years in many cases.

Whatever. The coaches drive this and it is bush.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If you go to ESPN and check out their Total Access photo series http://espn.go.com/espnw/photos/gallery/_/id/10158185/image/1/kalia-johnson-duke-total-access

you will come upon a photo of a couple of Duke lockers surrounded by plaques of impromptu and carved in stone institutional platitudes and another shot of a conference room door with more of the same. Sooner or later it is all white noise. Immediacy, intelligence, intensity Oh My!

 

[Icebear]

Whatever. The coaches drive this and it is bush.

I agree. I was just telling the logic which coaches use. It is done in football, too.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Whatever. The coaches drive this and it is bush.

Some say that if you say the devil's name you invite him in.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Even the players refer to the opposition by number. In one instance a reporter asked Peters about Mosqueda-Lewis and she responded that "23 is good shooter." It's kind of silly and just sounds forced, because they obviously know the names of who they are playing, and quite frankly with the amount of attention UConn gets, you'd have to have your head in the sand to not know their names.

 

[RoyDodger]

If you go to ESPN and check out their Total Access photo series http://espn.go.com/espnw/photos/gallery/_/id/10158185/image/1/kalia-johnson-duke-total-access

you will come upon a photo of a couple of Duke lockers surrounded by plaques of impromptu and carved in stone institutional platitudes and another shot of a conference room door with more of the same. Sooner or later it is all white noise. Immediacy, intelligence, intensity Oh My!

Great link, Rocky. Outstanding photos, regardless of the subject. But I was taken with a couple of other empty-headed platitudes in that same shot:

"If we are going to get anywhere, everyone needs to get outside their comfort zone." & "We are responsible for what we create."

Duh! Boy, such inspiring original thoughts.

 

[Frodo]

Seen this before - I think the idea from the coaching staff is to reduce the hype surrounding opponents stars - I am not playing against AA Stef Dolson, I am playing against #31 in Blue, etc.

If the Duke coaches choose to go this way before the game to help their players psychologically prepare that's one thing, but it seems to be really poor form after the game and more than just a little bush.

 

[Geno-ista]

How can Elizabeth Williams, HS player of the year, still throw up the worst jump shot I have ever seen from 12-15'. And she's a what- Jr or Senior? These other programs don't demand the same commitment, or don't get the women to buy all in like they do here. Or maybe both. We attacked and disrupted them all night- even when the trapping led to some relatively easy hoops in the end, I believe our relentless attacks on both ends of the court just physically and mentally wore them down.

 

[RoyDodger]

How can Elizabeth Williams, HS player of the year, still throw up the worst jump shot I have ever seen from 12-15'. And she's a what- Jr or Senior? These other programs don't demand the same commitment, or don't get the women to buy all in like they do here. Or maybe both. We attacked and disrupted them all night- even when the trapping led to some relatively easy hoops in the end, I believe our relentless attacks on both ends of the court just physically and mentally wore them down.

Despite her reputation, Williams certainly hasn't shown much against UConn. On January 30, 2012, when UConn won 61-45, Williams scored 10 points and had 4 rebounds. On January 21, 2013, UConn won 79-49. Williams had 11 points and 6 rebounds. Last night she had a grand total of 9 points and 6 rebounds. Shouldn't someone with her reputation be doing a little better than that in big games against a major opponent?

 

[Geno-ista]

This one issue about a HS player of the year- speaks volumes about the difference between us an them- our two programs /coaching. Look at Steph Dolsons improvement each year. You can take almost a anyone of our players progression each year. It's our coaching with the right type of player!

 

[RoyDodger]

Incidentally, Duke plays Notre Dame twice in February. That should be interesting.

 

[Buzzyboy]

What did Geno mean when he said "the jury's still out on that one..." I think it was a swipe at Stewie? What else could it have meant?

I think he's suggesting that she still has periods where she doesn't play as hard as he feels she should or gets too nonchalant at things that need to be done. It might be a little bit of what Tina Charles did through a lot of her freshman and sophomore year before she really became the monster All American that she did in her junior and senior year.

 

[Buzzyboy]

This one issue about a HS player of the year- speaks volumes about the difference between us an them- our two programs /coaching. Look at Steph Dolsons improvement each year. You can take almost a anyone of our players progression each year. It's our coaching with the right type of player!

This is the reason that I'm really surprised that some of the kids that we recruit who are interested in a WNBA career decide to go elsewhere where their development will be nothing like it would have been had they come to UConn. Not everyone develops as substantially as Stef but how many recruits haven't evolved in their time at UConn????

 

[msf22b]

I think he's suggesting that she still has periods where she doesn't play as hard as he feels she should or gets too nonchalant at things that need to be done. It might be a little bit of what Tina Charles did through a lot of her freshman and sophomore year before she really became the monster All American that she did in her junior and senior year.

I don't think the comparison to Tina is apt.

In her case, she was too nice, not aggressive, didn't comprehend the hights to which her talent could take her. Geno used every arrow in his quiver: sarcasm, disgust, outright humiliation and more to beat the message into her. And eventually, the light-bulb went on and she became the relentless campaigner that she has now become.

Stewie understands very well what she brings to the game, but at least this season displays it selectively.
There's a little war going on now between the two, one the I expect Geno will prevail in.
There's a 40 or 50 point game in our future with 8 blocks and 14 rebounds, mark my words.