Collier Gets Backhanded Compliment From Geno

[tonehill68]

She's going to be an absolute beast as a pro. Precisely the type of player who plays under constraints in college, and then cuts loose as a pro. Reminds me so much of Marques Johnson--playing carefully and in control under John Wooden and then unleashed with the Bucks.

She also has the demeanor and skills to be a good pro player.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Has anyone noticed that it is only the really good players that get the most grief from Geno. He has this innate ability to get more out of the great ones than they think they are capable of. Keep on trucking.

That's the theory! However, how often is Geno interviewed about the bottom of the stack?? Usually with new kids as the season starts--before first game--they get really nice words from Geno--. Kiah got more than a fair share of negative comments--or half hearted --she defends/rebounds that's what she does--when she probably saved the game.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

In the past I was quite vocal about his critiquing (negative type) of any of his players on radio or TV. I don't like public speaking of anyone's lack of ability, effort or phraseology. In the past century (no not the 1700's) I was taught :
Praise in public--reprimand in private. After Sveta departed--I gave up complaining and just accept this is the way he works--for better or worse.

What we have come to know is that the person Geno is the hardest on is himself. There was an interview a while back where he said in the beginning it was thinking about what they could do to beat someone, and now it is thinking about all the ways we can lose. The man has my undying admiration for his perpetual search for perfection and, equally, my sympathy.

 

[Paesano]

You are funny. Geno is my guy with all his liness and snark. The title was to give a sense of where the writer was coming from. Did you actually read it? That's rhetorical.

Fair enough but, just to be clear, you don't think it was a backhanded compliment? Or do you agree with the writer and are just OK with it being so?

 

[BroadwayVa]

What we have come to know is that the person Geno is the hardest on is himself. There was an interview a while back where he said in the beginning it was thinking about what they could do to beat someone, and now it is thinking about all the ways we can lose. The man has my undying admiration for his perpetual search for perfection and, equally, my sympathy.

The search for perfection is an excellent goal--so few think along those lines. Interestingly--if you think of the many ways you can lose--you are also thinking of the ways to counter them and win--which you can be sure of is exactly what Geno is doing. Good field commanders --do just that--make an assessment of their weaknesses--weak links in their defensive line.
and how to fix them.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Geno is a perfectionist and sees all the weaknesses. They keep him up at night. Every year we have weaknesses. Some are major, and some are minor. He tries to shore them up or hide them. He is driven by his perfectionism and experiences from his youth when he tried to prove himself and be accepted.

Yes, he is hard on the players who want to be driven. At one point, CD asked Tina if she still wanted to be an AA. She told Tina that Geno would ease up if she had lowered her goals. Tina, of course, said that she wanted to be an AA. She's now on the short list of best players in the world.

Geno generally is toughest on the best players, because he doesn't want to let them cheat their talent. He was tough on Diana, Tina, Maya, Stewie, et al. OTOH, he rarely criticized Nykesha or Morgan. Maya was a special case, because she always played hard and was unbelievably talented. She was stubborn and sometimes wanted to do things her way, but Geno never faulted her for lack of effort.

Geno expects all the kids to play hard, whether its the HS POY Lou or the former walk-on Tierney. He doesn't expect the same level of play, but he does expect the same level of effort.

With regard to Pheesa, yes she is Silky! She glides and almost always does something positive. The comment about helping everyone out reminded me of his comment on Bria about 3-4 years ago: She guarded both baskets (played good defense and shot something like 1-14).

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Fair enough but, just to be clear, you don't think it was a backhanded compliment? Or do you agree with the writer and are just OK with it being so?

Of course it was a backhanded compliment. But I bet Pheesa grinned when heard it. Plus, we can't ignore the rest of what he went on to say, which boils down to she's pretty remarkable and there are few like her. I bet the grin widened with that. Put that together with his remark a couple of weeks ago the she will get better and better and better. What's not to like. There is part of Geno who is that Italian wise guy from Norristown quipping at the mouth, and then he catches himself and makes it much better. A lot like this Scottish wise guy.

 

[Buzzyboy]

She's going to be an absolute beast as a pro. Precisely the type of player who plays under constraints in college, and then cuts loose as a pro. Reminds me so much of Marques Johnson--playing carefully and in control under John Wooden and then unleashed with the Bucks.

She reminds me a little bit of Maya but she doesn't shoot the ball nearly as well from distance.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Tina, of course, said that she wanted to be an AA. She's now on the short list of best players in the world.

"What Coach Auriemma has done for me means everything to me," Charles said. "It didn't just prepare me for basketball, it prepared me for the game of life. It's going to help me transition to what's coming next in the real world, as he would say."

This, from Tina, as the evening when her Huskies of Honor banner would be raised. That video clip of her, breaking down, as she hugged Geno has become a classic. On of the great Geno and player tussles of all time.

Tina Charles Joining Huskies Of Honor

 

[MilfordHusky]

"What Coach Auriemma has done for me means everything to me," Charles said. "It didn't just prepare me for basketball, it prepared me for the game of life. It's going to help me transition to what's coming next in the real world, as he would say."

This, from Tina, as the evening when her Huskies of Honor banner would be raised. That video clip of her, breaking down, as she hugged Geno has become a classic. On of the great Geno and player tussles of all time.

Tina Charles Joining Huskies Of Honor

Yikes, that article is almost 7 years old. Seems like yesterday.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Yikes, that article is almost 7 years old. Seems like yesterday.

It is Einstein's Time Acceleration Conundrum!

 

[mntncougar]

She's going to be an absolute beast as a pro. Precisely the type of player who plays under constraints in college, and then cuts loose as a pro.

I bet a lot of the teams they've played this year think she's a beast now, and that goes for Gabby too.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Fair enough but, just to be clear, you don't think it was a backhanded compliment? Or do you agree with the writer and are just OK with it being so?