Geno's Post-Game Comments About Stewie and Morgan

[JoePgh]

Someone asked Geno at the postgame press conference whether he thought Stewie and Morgan had the right personality to receive the lesson that he was sending them by the benching today. His response (close paraphrase):

"I don't know. It's not some subliminal message that I'm sending between the lines. There is a certain standard level of play that I expect from anyone at Connecticut. I don't care if you are the National Player of the Year, the best player who ever walked the earth, if you are not playing to the level that is expected, you are not going to play. I never had to give that message to Maya, or to Kelly Faris, or to Stefanie Dolson or Bria Hartley. But I have to give it to these guys."

This was after he said sarcastically that "they must be tired" so "I don't want to wear them out" before "the biggest basketball game in the history of the world."

I think I know what he is saying (and he said it wasn't just about what happened today), but I take issue with his historical account. I remember witnessing a game at Marquette in KML's freshman year where exactly the same thing happened with Stef being the target of Geno's "message", along with Kiah. Stef and Kiah played with less than full enthusiasm for the first five minutes or so, and then did not play again. As was the case today, KML was the biggest UConn player on the floor, and did most of the rebounding. As was also the case today, Marquette had a small team and UConn was able to beat them handily without their regular post players.

And I guess it worked.

 

[Icebear]

Geno has a very selective memory.

 

[ChicagoGG]

To paraphrase Belicheck, "It's on to South Carolina. Next question."

 

[CTGirl15]

Geno also sat all the starters for the final 5 minutes of the final regular season game against ND at home in 2012; ND was up by about 10 and Geno had enough and yanked all the starters. UConn lost and ND won the regular Big East title on UConn's home court (XL Center, not Gampel). UConn came back and beat ND for the Big East tournament title a week later, so the team got the message that time. Different team, different circumstance, but the team came back and won the next week out.

 

[Sonny44]

We scored 80 points and won by 46 with our starters amassing record time on the bench. Doesn't make me fearful of SCU.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno has a very selective memory.

Very true.

 

[huskeynut]

The master of motivation is doing his thing.

On to Monday night and defeating SC!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In a couple of bench shots Stewie looked like Stewie, but Morgan, though always wide eyed, looked like a deer in the head lights. Going to be an interesting Sunday practice. I'm not worried about Morgan, but I am interested in seeing how Stewie responds. After all, it is "the biggest game in the history of women's basketball" - at least as one team and its fans see it.

 

[Hongster]

IMO what Geno did will have a negative effect to future Uconn recruits.

 

[Biff]

IMO what Geno did will have a negative effect to future Uconn recruits.

Hmmm. Do you think that it had a negative effect on him getting the recruits he wants when he did this many times in the past? Maybe that's why he can't get any top flight recruits anymore?

 

[sarals24]

IMO what Geno did will have a negative effect to future Uconn recruits.

The kind of recruits that will be turned away by being benched when they aren't playing well aren't the kind of recruits UConn wants.

 

[Northeast86]

The kind of recruits that will be turned away by being benched when they aren't playing well aren't the kind of recruits UConn wants.

Exactly. What coach on any level, in any sport doesn't bench players who aren't performing to their expectations? My middle school coach benched people who didn't work as hard as he liked.

 

[Hongster]

Hmmm. Do you think that it had a negative effect on him getting the recruits he wants when he did this many times in the past? Maybe that's why he can't get any top flight recruits anymore?

What he did in the past was just 1 player not all three at once, besides the crime did not fit the punishment.

 

[EricLA]

IMO what Geno did will have a negative effect to future Uconn recruits.

Actually I couldn't disagree more. If you are the type of recruit who is a primadonna and expects special treatment and expects to be a starter from day 1, then UCONN isn't the right place anyway for them. Those are the only types of kids who I think would be "turned off" by what Geno did.

Many kids who are really really good want to be even better. Having a coach who won't accept anything less than their best is usually exactly what they need to take their game to the next level.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say recruits AND their parents will see what Geno did and say "see - he gives no preferential treatment to his 'stars', and that's the kind of program to be a part of"... I think it enhances his reputation and likelihood of landing recruits in the future.

 

[Hongster]

The kind of recruits that will be turned away by being benched when they aren't playing well aren't the kind of recruits UConn wants.

LOL, you really bought into Genoism. It's what Geno wants not Uconn.

 

[Biff]

LOL, you really bought into Genoism. It's what Geno wants not Uconn.

OK I'm curious now. So are you saying that Geno is recruiting the wrong kind of player?

 

[Hongster]

Geno's expectation on his his players is unreal. Maybe he's forgetting that these are young people, young people don't have the same mental toughness as his.
I would give them a slack here and there not embarrass them on TV.

 

[Hongster]

OK I'm curious now. So are you saying that Geno is recruiting the wrong kind of player?

No. How did you come to that?

 

[Biff]

No. How did you come to that?

Well I'm trying to figure out what exactly your beef with Geno is. He's been coaching like this for many years. He demands the absolute best effort from the players he recruits. He doesn't hide his style or expectations or discipline methods. Above you seem to imply that he is being unfair to the players and that somehow what Geno wants is not consistent with what UConn wants. So maybe I'm misreading you but your one liners are critical yet very cryptic. So I'm just trying to figure out where you beef is. You clearly have one.

 

[Northeast86]

Geno's expectation on his his players is unreal. Maybe he's forgetting that these are young people, young people don't have the same mental toughness as his.
I would give them a slack here and there not embarrass them on TV.

This is how young people develop that mental toughness. These adult women deal with Geno, CD, Shea, Marissa and press daily.

I am certain every adult can look back and reflect on a mistake we made and how a person in charge corrected us. Sometimes we get corrected nicely, other times we don't. This is part of a life long learning experience. Granted, the average 18-22 year old doesn't have their mistakes and the repercussions thereafter broadcast on national television; however, most women who come to UCONN to play basketball have aspirations to keep playing basketball professionally. Their professional lives will be played out on TV, the lessons Geno hands out are lessons they need to learn.

 

[Intpseeker]

Geno's expectation on his his players is unreal. Maybe he's forgetting that these are young people, young people don't have the same mental toughness as his.
I would give them a slack here and there not embarrass them on TV.

Please tell me you aren't a coach.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Please tell me you aren't a coach.

or a parent.

I'm guessing Hongster hasn't been watching UConn basketball very closely these past three decades.

 

[sarals24]

Geno's expectation on his his players is unreal. Maybe he's forgetting that these are young people, young people don't have the same mental toughness as his.
I would give them a slack here and there not embarrass them on TV.

How do you suggest they develop mental toughness then?

 

[sarals24]

LOL, you really bought into Genoism. It's what Geno wants not Uconn.

It's UConn - the program. Geno, Shea, Marissa, CD, the other players, and those who built the program. They've set a standard. No person is bigger than the program as a whole. So no, it's not just Geno.

 

[j66kicker]

Geno's expectation on his his players is unreal. Maybe he's forgetting that these are young people, young people don't have the same mental toughness as his.
I would give them a slack here and there not embarrass them on TV.

I think they may be motivated Monday not to get embarrassed on national TV.