I think Geno would not really mind a loss. I think he would be incredibly nervous if they entered the NCAA's undefeated. They would mean a record win streak in NCAA history and going for 5 Championships in a row with a very young team. He would be very nervous the pressure of the records would get to them in the tourney. The media would be continuously asking about it and the target by other teams would be even bigger to end both streaks. A regular season close loss to ND and/or S.Carolina would be fine in his book.
Does Geno really want a loss?
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With out a doubt there is /was only one Diana--and only one Stewie. But I'm not a believer there are not a few close.
Scoring--Katie Lou Toughness--Kia dependable--Collier/Gabby Plays with abandon--Dangerfield DT had All these qualities and an EGO big enough to handle them--still does. But these five are filling some voids as a unit. Once in a lifetime players come along--ONLY ONCE in a life time!! We'll have to await reincarnation!!! I have a feeling Dangerfield may be one too.
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There is a unique kind of feeling building with this group that I don't remember before - a feeling that we are all in this together and are going to make it work. They don't seem to have a real leader, nor does it seem that they really need one, at least so far. Maybe an 'Alpha' will emerge as the year goes on and they face more adversity, but I can't see one at the moment.
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To add to your statement UcMiami.... a feeling that we can't let the Program down, to paraphrase Gabby I think after the Texas game. She essentially said that they feel that they met a great program built by the sweat and hard work of those that preceded them, so it would be disrespectful if they did not play hard or keep the tradition. IMO, Geno & CD have built a behemoth of a program, one that almost sustains itself. They built a program by recruiting and getting the buy-ins of the right kind of kids, be successful and win championships, graduate them and recruit other like-minded kids and show them what their predecessors have done. Now these kids in addition to their desire to be great (because that's the kind of kids they are) also have the understanding that they do not want to be the ones to 'degrade' a successful program that others built, so they work their tails off to keep the tradition. This is what I love about UCONN women's basketball and the young women who play....the feeling that they are obligated to give their all to continue a tradition. This is powerful as no one person can feel that they are indispensible to the Progam's success. This is genius!
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Yes, so exciting to watch these kids. Made both more exciting and yet also more comforting by the fact that, except for Saniya, they'll all be back next year and with amazing reinforcements to add to the mix, with more to come the year after. So, we're seeing just the beginning of a multi-year post-Stewie project here. It's like watching a Nova series on the origins of the universe (well, maybe a little exaggeration here...)
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Just bring this back up after Geno talking about his anticipated pleasure of preparing the team for ND in the TX post game press conference - he said it was his favorite part of the job. I think that speaks to that shift from pessimism back to the optimism of being the underdog in these games, or at least acting like it. He is back to trying to figure out a way to use the smoke and mirrors to hide the deficiencies of his team and find and exploit the opponent's weaknesses. No longer the grand master worrying about some young Geno exposing him, but the younger Geno again, finding ways to undermine his 'masters'.I am reminded of something Geno said a while ago and I have quoted a few times - when he was trying to get to the top, heading into an important game his thinking pattern was always 'we're going to do this, this, and this, and they're not going to be ready for it, and we can beat them' but once he reached the top and everyone was gunning for him his thinking became 'oh, no, they are going to try this this and this and we're going to have no answer for it and we'll lose'. A shift from optimism to pessimism leading up to games, or as a certain English poet put it 'Uneasy lies the head, that wears the crown!'
After watching this postgame and seeing Geno's easiness, and his reference to all the great teams coming up and how they better kick his team's ass - I think he is enjoying playing the underdog this year. He is no longer worrying about what the other team might do to attack his team, he is scheming about how he is going to come out and surprise them. I think he doesn't see his team as #2, in his mind and approach his team is #22 and he is the underdog against all of the ranked teams coming up in December. Forget about what the silly coaches and the misguided media members actually vote - none of them believe Uconn could beat Baylor, or will beat ND, Maryland, TX, or OSU, and Geno is feeding that to his team as well.
(and damnit - stop reporting those silly point spreads from Vegas - Uconn over Baylor by double digits, someone spent a week in Colorado eating funny brownies to come up with those numbers!)
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Wow, that is some subject-object post-Romanticist interpretation!
I think if the team finds a way to win the NC this year it will be one of Geno's favorite years. If they win he will have had to seriously out coach people in a few cases, as on paper they aren't the best team. This isn't like last year where UConn had to screw up big time to lose.
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