[jonnyss]

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Is she coming off an injury?

"conditioning"?  With such an impressive resume it's hard to understand she's not in good condition coming to college.  Or getting into condition working with the team for three months prior to the season.   Maybe she's not ready for the speed of DI and coach was looking for a nice way to say it. Or maybe I don't know the meaning of conditioning as used here.

No injury that I know of.

At chalk talks you have to read a little between the lines, since the coach talking to us knows that anything said there could get to the player and her family--and you want to coach the player privately and not publicly.   But I seem to recall the issue was endurance.  What I concluded from what was said--and others here who were in attendance can chime in--was that when Umeh got to campus she could not keep up with the team for more than short spurts, but the coach said that she had gotten much better.  

Furthermore, while we have seen her do good things on offense, on the other end of the court she has been beaten by more agile players a few times.  Good rebounding,  maybe a block or two, but she may need to develop her other defensive skills.  Again, from a chalk talk, we heard that she was used in one game for a possession or two just to see how she would do, and the defensive match up issue (I don't remember with who) caused her to come out of the game and stay out.

Basically, the coaches are bringing her along slowly.  I worry a bit about that, but they know a lot more than we do and they have to gauge what will be best for the team and the development of the player.  We don't know, for example, whether there might be a niggling injury of some sort.  Next chalk talk we can ask the question directly.

kennedy has played for 31 min over 7 games - 4 1/2 min per game played.  imo conditioning is not the reason - at least not a good reason - why she doesn't come in the game earlier. so what if she can't run a brisk 2 miles! do we really need to punish her (and the team) for arriving without endurance?  to my eyes, she's plenty fast running the floor - both on fast breaks and getting back on defense. i've never seen her panting, hands on knees - or running slow. anyway, if she tires after 5 minutes, take her out;  put her back in later.

to my eye, she plays great under the basket. i suppose maybe she's not ready to follow her player around the court on d. but can't you design a defense that keeps a giant shot-blocker under the basket?

[jonnyss]

.
Is she coming off an injury?

"conditioning"?  With such an impressive resume it's hard to understand she's not in good condition coming to college.  Or getting into condition working with the team for three months prior to the season.   Maybe she's not ready for the speed of DI and coach was looking for a nice way to say it. Or maybe I don't know the meaning of conditioning as used here.

No injury that I know of.

At chalk talks you have to read a little between the lines, since the coach talking to us knows that anything said there could get to the player and her family--and you want to coach the player privately and not publicly.   But I seem to recall the issue was endurance.  What I concluded from what was said--and others here who were in attendance can chime in--was that when Umeh got to campus she could not keep up with the team for more than short spurts, but the coach said that she had gotten much better.  

Furthermore, while we have seen her do good things on offense, on the other end of the court she has been beaten by more agile players a few times.  Good rebounding,  maybe a block or two, but she may need to develop her other defensive skills.  Again, from a chalk talk, we heard that she was used in one game for a possession or two just to see how she would do, and the defensive match up issue (I don't remember with who) caused her to come out of the game and stay out.

Basically, the coaches are bringing her along slowly.  I worry a bit about that, but they know a lot more than we do and they have to gauge what will be best for the team and the development of the player.  We don't know, for example, whether there might be a niggling injury of some sort.  Next chalk talk we can ask the question directly.

kennedy has played for 31 min over 7 games - 4 1/2 min per game played.  imo conditioning is not the reason - at least not a good reason - why she doesn't come in the game earlier. so what if she can't run a brisk 2 miles! do we really need to punish her (and the team) for arriving without endurance?  to my eyes, she's plenty fast running the floor - both on fast breaks and getting back on defense. i've never seen her panting, hands on knees - or running slow. anyway, if she tires after 5 minutes, take her out;  put her back in later.

to my eye, she plays great under the basket. i suppose maybe she's not ready to follow her player around the court on d. but can't you design a defense that keeps a giant shot-blocker under the basket?