Johnson was like Graves--both very athletic, both excellent rebounders, both with very limited offensive games that did not improve much over their collegiate careers. They improved a little but certainly not a lot. Most players who are talented offensively--like Parker and Harrison--were talented when they got here. It's pretty rare to see a player who is really transformed by coaching over four years--it typically doesn't happen. The vast majority of players--at least for us--play as seniors pretty much like they played as freshman. True of guards, true of bigs. To really transform a player, coaches have to spot a player's weakness their first week of practice as freshman and then aggressively attack, so to speak, that weakness--through drills, pre- and post-practice work, off-season work--turning into a strength or at least not a liability. I'm sure all of that is done, more or less, but players and coaches tend to work around a player's weakness. Thus a player like Graves won't shoot the ball when the opportunity is there, when in fact she should shoot, starting early in her career, so that she can develop some offensive confidence. Graves eventually did start shooting--as a senior. But by then it's often too late.
Bahsara and Johnson were actually more opposite than similar.
Glory Johnson was one of the most gifted athlete's to put on a Tennessee Lady Vol uniform. Glory was a 7x Tennessee track champion. Johnson's athletic ability (fastest, strongest, highest jumper) allowed her to not have to have so many offensive weapons because she could just out hustle her opponent.
Graves was thicker, not has fast, and couldn't jump as high, but she was tougher than most of her opponents. Because she lacked the athletic ability, her offensive ability came from her strength and post moves. She had to compensate, unlike Johnson, her offense and that is why she was so successful her first two years. I think her problem was teams caught on and watched tape. I don't think Graves got worse, Graves maxed out her potential (which is great), but teams just adjusted to her.
Johnson had to develop her offense, Graves had to develop her athletic ability. Coach's can develop offense, but can't develop athletic ability. That falls on the player and athletic personal.
Please don't interupt my following statements as a bash - disrespect - or any malice behind this ... I think the impact of CPS disease during the last 2-3 years of her coaching had a negative impact on the coaching staff. I say 'think' because I don't know. But, I do wonder how much of a distraction it really was for the coach's around. I know the talk was, 'nothing is changing', but it reality, CPS
was changing and I believe her disease did have negative impact on the team as a result of this horrible disease. I think the biggest impact though was on the coach's.
When my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I can honestly say my family, and especially myself, wasn't at our best during this time. We were up against a fight, and that is where our resources went at that time. Especially the first couple years when he was high functioning with the dementia symptoms.
Back to the topic ....
Johnson is a starter and a double double machine in the WNBA right now, she is completely right to thank Dean for her work and her development of her offensive skills.