"The players and their issues have changed dramatically," she said. "Especially over the past 10-12 years. We're seeing far more issues that we didn't see much before.
"Some kids aren't ready for college and the independence that it gives them. Some don't express themselves well because they've never had to -- Mom and Dad always talked when they were supposed to be talking. So there are just things that are different about this generation."
There's no doubt that with each generation come traits or habits that bother older people. But the technology changes of the last decade make today's college kids more different from those of 10 years ago than that group was from its predecessors.
Cell phone communication has taken the place of face-to-face discourse so much that they sometimes lack the basic ability to look other people in the eye.
"That's the first thing we start with when they get here," Ryan said. "Look at someone when you're talking to them. It's a sign of respect. Teaching them things that are going to help them beyond here are critical. And there's more need for that now."
As for how girls are developing as basketball players, Ryan is equally straightforward.
"They don't spend enough time on fundamentals," she said. "They play too much and train too little. So when they get to the college level, they tend to go through overuse injuries right away because they aren't used to training. They're usually not at all prepared to play defense at this level, nor offense if it's complicated. They find that they're lost for the first semester, probably."
