If UCONN/Notre Dame, UCONN/S.C. or UCONN/Maryland traded coaches for 1 game, would opponents win?

[UcMiami]

Geno can beat yourn with hisn, or hisn with yourn. I truly believe this. He is the best basketball mind in WCBB, and possibly in college basketball period.

I agree with your well thought out commentary... My initial question was ridiculous - I wanted to know if Geno, on the day of the UCONN - ND matchup, could inspire ND to adopt his style of the game enough to beat the Irish led by Muffit for one game. Maybe a little Irish on Irish scrimmage, a little sermon on the Mount, and a little tough love before hitting the floor. Geno would be starting with a core team that only is rivaled by UCONN itself, so he will not be coaching a group of ladies on training wheels. ND does pass but they are not as unselfish as UCONN players across the board. I am from Springfield, MA and have been a UCONN fan for decades, even though I was in the for decades and moved around. Now in Texas, I am NOT a fan of Baylor, UT, or even A&M. My daughter living in CT is not a fan of KLS because she considers her one dimensional, which I disagree. KLS has expanded her game just like KML did. KLS now drives to the basket for layups and is rebounding better. My personal mantra for UCONN is that they "Pass it forward" - which implies they play unselfish ball - no gunners. That's all. Thanks for commenting to my scenarios.

I always enjoyed that quote as a very good line talking about a very good coach, but the reality in basketball is that coaches don't tend to make a huge difference in games - yes they can make adjustments and Geno is good at that, but he is good at that because of the time he spends drilling his players individually and as a team to be capable of doing multiple things well and to be smart enough to understand the sometimes quite small adjustments and execute them, and compensate elsewhere because of those adjustments. He doesn't call many plays and his PG is likely to call most of the same plays without prompting. In a game like football, where every play has two teams executing designated plays called by the coaches, the coaching is much more impactful, thought the practice part of the process is similarly important.

Geno has I think mentioned that he feels basketball coaches tend to lose more games with in game coaching than they win - and at times has talked of trying not to screw it up and get in the way. (A younger Geno thought differently and coached differently, but he is so much wiser now. )

That is why the 'game day' replacement would actually be a disaster for both teams, unless the coaches basically said - you're on your own, tell me when you are tired and I'll get a sub in. And in that situation, I put my money on the uconn women beating the _____ women led by Geno.

 

[CL82]

I always enjoyed that quote as a very good line talking about a very good coach, but the reality in basketball is that coaches don't tend to make a huge difference in games - yes they can make adjustments and Geno is good at that, but he is good at that because of the time he spends drilling his players individually and as a team to be capable of doing multiple things well and to be smart enough to understand the sometimes quite small adjustments and execute them, and compensate elsewhere because of those adjustments. He doesn't call many plays and his PG is likely to call most of the same plays without prompting. In a game like football, where every play has two teams executing designated plays called by the coaches, the coaching is much more impactful, thought the practice part of the process is similarly important.

Geno has I think mentioned that he feels basketball coaches tend to lose more games with in game coaching than they win - and at times has talked of trying not to screw it up and get in the way. (A younger Geno thought differently and coached differently, but he is so much wiser now. )

That is why the 'game day' replacement would actually be a disaster for both teams, unless the coaches basically said - you're on your own, tell me when you are tired and I'll get a sub in. And in that situation, I put my money on the uconn women beating the _____ women led by Geno.

Assuming facts not in evidence as to a 'game day' switch. I agree with your point, though.

 

[KevCav]

Great observations. I agree that if Geno and Muffit or coach Staley or Bruno got on planes and switched at game time, the UCONN ladies are more disciplined and have more synergy and would beat any temp Geno team. My gut, however, is that if Geno had a day or two to instill value of unselfish play, it would be a different story.

I remember Brian Hartley in an interview explaining why UCONN excels:

She said our difference is that most teams practice until they get it right.... coach has us ractice until we get it wrong. I.e. the start out doing it wrong, work and repeatedly get it right, then when they finally get it wrong again - wrap it up, 'cuz, you got it!

 

[Tonyc]

When you look at some of the great players in WCBB and then you watch UConn game after game and see how players are developed and how good they become well just isnt any comparison. Even AA's. Listening to many of the WNBA and Olympic players talk about Geno well it doesnt get any better then that. I learned a long time ago that when your good you dont have to tell anybody how good you are, you keep your mouth shut and they will tell everybody how good you are and they will tell it beyond your most wildess dreams.

 

[KevCav]

Great observations. I agree that if Geno and Muffit or coach Staley or Bruno got on planes and switched at game time, the UCONN ladies are more disciplined and have more synergy and would beat any temp Geno team. My gut, however, is that if Geno had a day or two to instill value of unselfish play, it would be a different story.

I remember Bria Hartley in an interview explaining why UCONN excels:

She said our difference is that most teams practice until they get it right.... coach has us ractice until we get it wrong. I.e. the start out doing it wrong, work and repeatedly get it right, then when they finally get it wrong again - wrap it up, 'cuz, you got it!