Dishin & Swishin Podcast: Lin Dunn & Rebecca Lobo on the "UConn Dilemma"

[DishNSwish]

...Is dominance good for the game, and does it make good television?

If you've followed Lin Dunn on twitter, she's become the social conscience voice of women's basketball. So it is only fitting on our holiday podcast that Coach Dunn and ESPN broadcaster Rebecca Lobo discuss what I call the "UConn Dilemma" or is dominance a good thing and does it make for good TV?

The discussion includes:

- Should there be rule changes and adjustments to promote parity in the game
- Are coaches doing enough to improve their teams and their own abilities to coach
- Who are the “elite” coaches, who is in the next tier and are they ready to move to elite status
- Does it matter if a head coach in women’s basketball is male or female, and should it matter
- What is the role of the institution, the college itself, in building a program to elite status or should it fall strictly to the athletic department
- Can and should ESPN find ways to show “better games” nationally, and what constitutes a better game (close outcome, better skill players, etc.)
- Is out of conference scheduling a tool to better games on television, and how important is it for the growth of players and also interest in the game overall

Really interesting listen that I am proud to be a part of! Enjoy!

http://post original url/qweeUv0CjA

 

[Striper69]

Listened to the entire thing. Great conversation with two of the best people involved in the game right now. I thought Lin Dunn was retiring this year?

Interesting point about Jason Kidd and Sheryll Swoopes getting the coaching jobs with no experience.

 

[DishNSwish]

Glad you enjoyed; Stephanie White was named associate head coach or some "in waiting" title, but Lin hasn't said she's retiring yet.

I hope she goes on forever!

 

[Striper69]

Ms. Dunn did an awesome job beating The Chicago Sky in the playoffs. I didn't even think they'd make the playoffs. She and Brian Agler really impressed me last season.

 

[UcMiami]

Really great show yet again! You do get a great line-up of folks to be on your pod casts and then lead really interesting discussions with them.
Found the discussion about watching other coaches coach as a learning tool very good - Jeff Walz did that the first time Uconn traveled to Louisville - he actually had the whole team watch a Uconn practice because he wanted them to see what a successful programs practice looked like and what he was trying to bring to Louisville - a new mind set.
I know Geno often has HS coaches at practices during the preseason and I think some division 2/3 coaches, but seldom college coaches - schedule conflicts obviously are a problem with other D1 coaches.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Got 4 things out of this discussion: Dunn thinks the top tier consists of 1 team and it may be an "historic" team; as far as ESPN is concerned, a close game between 10-30 rank teams does not draw like a "whatever" UConn game; lots of coaches in WCBB are coasting and a few more Jim Foster like firings would be healthy; more often than not the coaches striving to improve are men.

 

[DishNSwish]

Got 4 things out of this discussion: Dunn thinks the top tier consists of 1 team and it may be an "historic" team; as far as ESPN is concerned, a close game between 10-30 rank teams does not draw like a "whatever" UConn game; lots of coaches in WCBB are coasting and a few more Jim Foster like firings would be healthy; more often than not the coaches striving to improve are men.

I thought a very telling statement was Coach Dunn saying she thought too many college coaches are out chasing high school kids (or something like that) and not enough are trying to improve themselves instead or at the same time.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Good Listening. Don't agree with Coach Dunn saying she'd rather see a competitive close game, then watch UConn blow out teams. The average Sports fan is not going to begin to watch St Johns, Minnesota or any other team of similiar ilk if they are scheduled. They will begin to watch UConn, Duke ND Women's Basketball game because they know the teams are good. I agree once the game becomes a blowout many will click away from the game to look for another game or sporting event. However, they did start to watch the game, whereas an unknown team they might not have even begun to watch.

 

[JS]

Very interesting discussion, well moderated.

There isn't much out there to keep me listening that long, but this did.

Kudos, David.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Very interesting discussion. Well done David!
I don't think the game will add fans by showing low level, low skill (one on one, missed lay-ups, no shooting ability, running aimlessly on the court with no real direction, coaches who are cheerleaders more than actual coaches, etc...) but close games. In order to grow the game and interest the level should go higher and not by not showing the excellence called UConn Basketball!

 

[sarals24]

I for one am never bored by UConn blowouts.

 

[pap49cba]

Very interesting discussion. Well worth a listen. Great job as always David.

 

[EasyEd]

UConn isn't the only team to blow out other teams. Lin Dunn complained about UConn/Cincinatti. I was looking at the top 25 schedule for Dec 29. The only game that might be interesting is Notre Dame vs Oregon St (8-3). Otherwise they all look like blow-outs and even that game will probably be a blow-out. Why not watch the "best" team (UConn). I don't want to watch those mid-games where there isn't quality play and your scores are 55-49. I don't expect to see that good of basketball from non-ranked teams. I know I wouldn't want to watch USF vs UCF unless I lived in Florida. The fact that the game is closer doesn't make it a good game to get people excited about women's basketball. However, I do think there should be an effort to show games with ranked teams. If someone happens to beat UConn, you wouldn't not want to show that game, so whenever UConn plays a ranked program that could beat UConn, you would want to show it.

 

[David 76]

Nice job. Great listen. Isn't it great to have Rebecca representing UCONN? Bright and incredibly nice. I liked Dunn

 

[Striper69]

I thought a very telling statement was Coach Dunn saying she thought too many college coaches are out chasing high school kids (or something like that) and not enough are trying to improve themselves instead or at the same time.

That probably is one of the main problems. Even if the coaches get the best players they're unable to teach them how to win games or coach to win games as well as UCONN etc.

 

[Striper69]

Really great show yet again! You do get a great line-up of folks to be on your pod casts and then lead really interesting discussions with them.
Found the discussion about watching other coaches coach as a learning tool very good - Jeff Walz did that the first time Uconn traveled to Louisville - he actually had the whole team watch a Uconn practice because he wanted them to see what a successful programs practice looked like and what he was trying to bring to Louisville - a new mind set.
I know Geno often has HS coaches at practices during the preseason and I think some division 2/3 coaches, but seldom college coaches - schedule conflicts obviously are a problem with other D1 coaches.

This idea of teams seeing other teams practice kinda goes against the grain. Remember the scandal of the NE Pats taping the Rams practice for the Super Bowl? Maybe most coaches aren't aware that they can watch other teams practice because of stuff like that.

 

[Striper69]

FWIW I've been watching teams other than UCONN and other top teams and enjoying it. Last night I watched a game between BYU and Utah State that I had recorded and thought it was pretty good.
Utah State has a guard named Jennifer Schlott that scored 44 points in the previous game and she did pretty good. I mainly recorded the game because I wanted to watch Jen Hamson the 6' 7" center for BYU. BYU just got the ball to Hamson as much as they could and Utah State played "Hack-a-Shack" but still lost.
I like watching Kansas play because of the Gonzalez sisters and Louisville because of the Schimmel sisters.

 

[uconnfan68]

This idea of teams seeing other teams practice kinda goes against the grain. Remember the scandal of the NE Pats taping the Rams practice for the Super Bowl? Maybe most coaches aren't aware that they can watch other teams practice because of stuff like that.

Slight difference between observing the other team's game plan against you vs. a simple practice. And I'm a Pats fan.

 

[Tonyc]

Dave terrific job. Never lost interest and a lot of good points. I have been told for years by fans and coaches in NY that UConn is like the NY Yankees. Lets face it UConn is a draw. They put fannies in the seats and make fans turn on their tv to watch them . SNY ESPN etc wouldn't have UConn featured if they didn't draw. They make a lot of money for a lot of people. So yes people want to see the UConn women and if its a blowout so be it. They want to watch the stars perform and UConn has the stars. I believe that playing in the AAC this season UConn will help its conference foes to put fans in the stands. It will take time and if UConn stays in this conference it will help those teams build their programs. WCBB needs more UConn ND UConn Stanford UConn Duke UConn MD games. UConn and top teams. Maybe have a Women's double header with UConn and a top 5 school in the second game.

Another good point was coach's in the women's game need to watch practices and talk to successful coach's like Geno Tara and Muffet. I know in the golf business the top asst pros do that and many of them land big time jobs. From what I heard not many do that. For the women's game to get better you need to get coach's who are willing to build a program not just land a job with a big school and make a lot of money and sit back and go through the motions. Coaching is not a job its a commitment to excellence. JMO

 

[Striper69]

Slight difference between observing the other team's game plan against you vs. a simple practice. And I'm a Pats fan.

So what exactly is the difference? If a team comes to play another team then they're going to be practicing what they need to do to beat the other team.

 

[JSB60]

How do you change the rules to promote parity? The only thing I can think of is lower the scholarship limits, and that is a poor idea. Not only that, but as the first part of this season showed, it wouldn't necessarily make UCONN less dominant.

 

[DishNSwish]

So what exactly is the difference? If a team comes to play another team then they're going to be practicing what they need to do to beat the other team.

The top coaches, like the three mentioned, don't have heavily scripted offenses that are easily stopped. They run to the open spaces, motion, etc etc. That can be observed, because basically you are telling the other team stop us, we'll find the open space.

It's more the attitude, the intensity, the mentality that needs to be observed and replicated.

 

[Icebear]

So what exactly is the difference? If a team comes to play another team then they're going to be practicing what they need to do to beat the other team.

With one you ask permission and receive it and the other you do it without permission or try to sneak it.

 

[VAUConnFan]

...Is dominance good for the game, and does it make good television?

If you've followed Lin Dunn on twitter, she's become the social conscience voice of women's basketball. So it is only fitting on our holiday podcast that Coach Dunn and ESPN broadcaster Rebecca Lobo discuss what I call the "UConn Dilemma" or is dominance a good thing and does it make for good TV?

The discussion includes:

- Should there be rule changes and adjustments to promote parity in the game Absolutely not. Besides, how does one promote parity in basketball. there was a sham of an attempt made in men's basketball in the 60's when the dunk was outlawed. any attempt to promote parity will only reward the better players. UConn already has the better players.
- Are coaches doing enough to improve their teams and their own abilities to coach More than likely, yes.
- Who are the “elite” coaches, who is in the next tier and are they ready to move to elite status I have no idea
- Does it matter if a head coach in women’s basketball is male or female, and should it matter it shouldn't but, until more women are hired to coach men, the women should limit the encroachment upon their game.
- What is the role of the institution, the college itself, in building a program to elite status or should it fall strictly to the athletic department It is a joint effort. Good schools attract good students and good athletes. Good athletes generate publicity beneficial to students choices of schools and the prestige derived from their association.
- Can and should ESPN find ways to show “better games” nationally, and what constitutes a better game (close outcome, better skill players, etc.) There is very little ESPN or anyone can do to create better games. right now, all the top players have taken their talents to Storrs. UConn could beat every team in the country right now with very little to no coaching. That is how extreme the talent disparity is as we enter 2014.
- Is out of conference scheduling a tool to better games on television, and how important is it for the growth of players and also interest in the game overall Year in and year out, absolutely. The PAC 12 and other conferences would benefit more because they are never as top to bottom strong as, what used to be The Big East, The ACC or The SEC.

Really interesting listen that I am proud to be a part of! Enjoy!

http://post original url/qweeUv0CjA

 

[Adesmar123]

Sorry to disagree ...but the discussion revolved around around how to make UConn weaker and keep them off the air.

What about bringing everyone else's ability up?

And I really want to know who the "our" is in "our game". In most sports it referred to as "the game". Our is a dividing term...us vs them.