Auriemma Studies, Absorbs It All, Then Tailors Ideas To Fit Personnel

[Carnac]

After 11 NCAA titles, after enshrinement in the Hall of Fame and recognition as an elite coaching mind, Geno Auriemma is still a basketball student at his core.

Season after season, he is looking for something new or old to slide into his playbook. He is watching games at all levels, talking to coaches around the country and cramming as if he is building a program from the bottom up.

UConn Basketball 2016-17: Geno Auriemma Studies, Absorbs It All, Then Tailors Ideas To Fit Personnel

 

[bags27]

Absolutely great article for basketball junkies. But not sure your link is working, Carnac. If not, folks can try
UConn Basketball 2016-17: Geno Auriemma Studies, Absorbs It All, Then Tailors Ideas To Fit Personnel

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I am always impressed with Geno's sense of sharing and his willingness to open up about his game strategies. Of course, he has also said very pointedly that so many coaches are lazy and just stay within their own, old comfort zone.

 

[JordyG]

I must admit I was unaware how much Geno studied the triangle and his affection for it. I've commented before when the ball goes to the high post how much UConn's movement resembles the skinny post in the triangle. Now I know why.

 

[WiseOne]

Great article! Kudos to Dawn Staley for the compliment she gave Geno!

 

[Carnac]

Absolutely great article for basketball junkies. But not sure your link is working, Carnac. If not, folks can try
UConn Basketball 2016-17: Geno Auriemma Studies, Absorbs It All, Then Tailors Ideas To Fit Personnel

Thanks for having my back Bags.

 

[JoePgh]

This is the most detailed discussion of basketball strategy that I've seen that focused on Geno and the UConn team. It just reinforces something I have always thought: While Geno has a lot of "soft skills" (i.e., skills unrelated to basketball specifically, such as being effective salesman in recruiting, forming personal relationships with his players, motivating them, help them grow as people), the root of UConn's success lies in the fact that he is the best X's-and-O's guy in the women's game. That is how he won games against greater talent in the early part of his career, and that record plus his salesmanship is why he was able to recruit great players later in his career.

And as the article emphasizes, it's not just learning and absorbing what others do; it is adapting and improvement it, and melding the ideas of others together in a way that fits each year's team.

No one else can compare to him in that dimension.

 

[Shorty Dee]

Someone posted an article about the Japanese team, and when I read the article I started laughing, because Geno is perfecting that skill right now. I told my husband, Dawn is going to show her team the tape, but Geno and the Lady Huskies are going to perfect it. If you don't believe what I am saying go back and watch the exhibition games.
I am a firm believer....no matter what job you may have, you never stop learning.

 

[UcMiami]

Really enjoyable article. The flexibility at Uconn has always been a strength and I think that is something that allowed for the incredible consistency in the last couple of decades - I think Muffet and Tara have that quality as well. I think Pat struggled with that as do some others of that generation - they got the pick of the talent and they plugged them into their system. As the talent started expanding and the skill sets started changing and the competition for the top talent expanded they were not as adept at evolving to match their system to the talent they got.

Where I think Geno and CD differ from most coaches isn't touched on in this article - it is their eye to see the minutia of each player and each motion on the court, and the bloodymindedness to harp on that minutia until the errors they perceive are corrected. If you can't see it and can't correct it, it really doesn't matter how creative you are in designing your systems.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Now Coach has to figure out how to play 14 deep. I think the platoon system or hockey line substitutions may work.