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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 2562911, member: 5798"] [SIZE=6]E[/SIZE]very year Geno is called out by fans here and there that think he's too hard on their favorite freshmen. This year being no exception. A commenter recently posted a quote by Geno (I wish I could find it, I would copy & paste it) saying that most UConn fans don't know what they're talking about (he's also said that to Justine Ward on his TV show on SNY). This was in reference to some of the letters and e-mails he's received lately. (I'm paraphrasing here) He said that It's hard for freshmen to come to UConn and pick up things right away. His system is very difficult to learn. He said it takes the average freshman a year to master his entire system. He said this group of freshmen[B] can't[/B] do the things he wants them to do in practice for 3 days in a row, yet the fans want him to put them in a game anyway, and expect them to do all of the things correctly and successfully that they can't do in practice, like so many other coaches do. Since the fans don't see what he sees everyday in practice, or know what he and the other coaches know, those fans make suggestions that he probably considers "uninformed and unrealistic". Geno does not do things THAT way. Geno is considered by many college coaches and media types, the best and most successful coach in women's college basketball history. Why is this? Could it be because he does things differently than other coaches do....................like demanding things (standards) from his players that other coaches don't? Like making [I]every player[/I] earn their minutes instead of just giving it to them? Like demanding that [I]all players[/I] be able to play defense to his satisfaction, instead of just going through the motions? Insisting that all of his players have a certain attitude and demeanor while at practice and during games? Like holding ALL of his players accountable? If Geno is the best coach in the game today, and his team rarely loses, what is he doing that the other coaches aren't? A lot of things! Starting with not letting freshmen play until they reach the level of play (consistently) as the rest of the team. They have to be able to play UConn basketball, which is much different that regular Division 1 WCBB. It's why they seldom lose. They have to prove their proficiency in practice. Until they do, Geno can't/won't trust them enough to put them on the floor during meaningful minutes. He has said many times, he's not going to put a player on the floor and allow her to embarrass herself, because she couldn't play well. The following is an excerpt from an article written after the Stanford loss in 2014: "[I]Nurse played 20 minutes before she fouled out. Gabby Williams never even got a chance to step onto the court that day [B]and on multiple occasions[/B], Williams admitted [B]she wasn't ready to play [/B]in a game of that magnitude". [/I] If you want to play (and of course every player does), first you have to gain Geno's trust. [B]You gain his trust in practice[/B], not during games. [B]You prove you can play with the other players in practice, [/B]not in actual games. At UConn, playing in games is your reward for learning the things you [U]must[/U] learn to play for Geno. There are no exceptions. Geno has also said that most of the highly touted and highly rated blue chip players in high school can't play defense, so they must be taught. It's a lesson not learned overnight. It took Dangerfield a year to learn how to keep her man in front of her. If you've noticed, her defense is much better now than it was last year. That's one of the differences (there are others) in Auriemma than other coaches. Just ask any D-1 coach or "[I]long time[/I]" college basketball analysts, they'll explain it to you. Why does he get requests [U]everyday[/U] from high school and college coaches requesting to come to campus and view his practices? Some of these coaches request they be allowed to bring their entire team. Because he's doing something no one else is doing. He taking the road less traveled, and he's very successful with it. When you figure that out, then perhaps you'll understand. His way works. ;) [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach