First Big East preview

[HopJim]

I think BE coaching on the women’s side is pretty good. There’s a solid mix of veteran coaches along with some talented newbies: Bruno, Tartamella, Dillon, Duffy & Bozzella to name a few. IMO, the challenge is recruiting in an environment that is dominated by P5 schools and UConn.

I do note that Bozzella’s Seton Hall Pirates and Tartamella’s St John’s Redmen we’re both able to attract some pretty talented players in the frenzie of transfers following last season.

Dude, I think you hit on the core issue regarding the quality of women's coaching. The difference is coaching versus recruiting. In the BE, we have good tactical coaches but no one, except Geno, is great at recruiting. Similar to the SEC in football, the top talent goes to a limited number of schools, so when teams like Seton Hall or St. Johns get a Top 75 player its a big deal. For UConn's overall ranking, we are fortunate, as are most leagues, to have more than 2 teams in the Top 25. Nothing has changed in many years.

 

[oldude]

Dude, I think you hit on the core issue regarding the quality of women's coaching. The difference is coaching versus recruiting. In the BE, we have good tactical coaches but no one, except Geno, is great at recruiting. Similar to the SEC in football, the top talent goes to a limited number of schools, so when teams like Seton Hall or St. Johns get a Top 75 player its a big deal. For UConn's overall ranking, we are fortunate, as are most leagues, to have more than 2 teams in the Top 25. Nothing has changed in many years.

I think this is something of a “chicken & egg” question. Are BE coaches not effective recruiters or are top recruits not considering BE schools because they haven’t had the success and don’t provide the visibility of P-5 schools?

 

[Skeets]

I think this is something of a “chicken & egg” question. Are BE coaches not effective recruiters or are top recruits not considering BE schools because they haven’t had the success and don’t provide the visibility of P-5 schools?

I believe there's a lot of truth to the "chicken & egg" problem. Somehow Geno broke through first with Kerry Bascom and then with Rebecca Lobo. Did the success with Kerry enable the recruiting of Rebecca? I suspect that Kerry was "flying under the radar" with a lot of top schools. I don't know this for a fact...

 

[eebmg]

2nd part of this (@ 5:55) , with the Big East's John Fanta, previews the Uconn WBB team-

I like that he brought up the Minnesota connection and how there is no way on earth she will lose in MN.

 

[eebmg]

I believe there's a lot of truth to the "chicken & egg" problem. Somehow Geno broke through first with Kerry Bascom and then with Rebecca Lobo. Did the success with Kerry enable the recruiting of Rebecca? I suspect that Kerry was "flying under the radar" with a lot of top schools. I don't know this for a fact...

Geno as the chicken (or more to the point husky) came first. From listening to Rebecca, she would have followed Geno anywhere and I doubt the 1991 FF run had that much to do with it. His personality was so unlike the other coaches of his day, it drew the right kind of kids to him.

 

[Carnac]

Why would teams not look forward to coming to Storrs, or Hartford? Why do you think that they will circle the dates? It's exciting for them, the players and coaches, and their fans. There is plenty to gain and to learn. Certainly the coaches want their players to play against UConn, as it's a rare learning opportunity for them to see how it's done. And maybe, just maybe... And there are good basketball players on these teams, and if you can play the game you want to play the best, to see if you can compete with them. Fans are more caught up with the wins and losses than the players necessarily are. Sadly, that's all that we fans have. The players just love playing the game; at least that's the way I remember it from when I played. Nice to win, but, hey, let's just go play!! Your yard or mine; I don't care.

Bomber, I hear you. I suggested that teams may not look forward to coming to Connecticut because most teams (players) don't look forward to getting beat. Your take that teams can learn from taking a "whuppin" from an elite team has merit. You can also learn from other teams (losses) as well as narrow victories. No team I ever played on liked losing, or looked forward to going on the road to play a team we knew was more talented than us, and was probably going to beat us by 30+.

We knew who they were. Like former NFL head coach Dennis Green said: "They were who we thought they were", but WE didn't let them off the hook. We had the sprit of competition, the will to win and always accepted the challenge. But by halftime time they had usually handed our butts to us, and we were down by 25+, and there was nothing we could do to stop them, or slow them down. it wasn't fun after that. They were simply better than us and we knew it.

I was only speaking from my own experience. Today's players may have a different take. The fans (student section) in some of those venues were brutal which only added to our frustration. Personal attacks were not uncommon. They were sure to let you know you weren't welcome there, and that they enjoyed watching you take a whuppin. So yeah, there were teams we hated to play at their place. We knew what was coming. There was no way you could look forward to that. Your take has been duly noted.

 

[cancontent]

Just saw this and had to share. Love the confidence of this UConn fan.

 

[boontonbomber]

Bomber, I hear you. I suggested that teams may not look forward to coming to Connecticut because most teams (players) don't look forward to getting beat. Your take that teams can learn from taking a "whuppin" from an elite team has merit. You can also learn from other teams (losses) as well as narrow victories. No team I ever played on liked losing, or looked forward to going on the road to play a team we knew was more talented than us, and was probably going to beat us by 30+.

We knew who they were. Like former NFL head coach Dennis Green said: "They were who we thought they were", but WE didn't let them off the hook. We had the sprit of competition, the will to win and always accepted the challenge. But by halftime time they had usually handed our butts to us, and we were down by 25+, and there was nothing we could do to stop them, or slow them down. it wasn't fun after that. They were simply better than us and we knew it.

I was only speaking from my own experience. Today's players may have a different take. The fans (student section) in some of those venues were brutal which only added to our frustration. Personal attacks were not uncommon. They were sure to let you know you weren't welcome there, and that they enjoyed watching you take a whuppin. So yeah, there were teams we hated to play at their place. We knew what was coming. There was no way you could look forward to that. Your take has been duly noted.

And I hear you, Carnac. Often we can only speak from our own experience. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Alydar]

Just saw this and had to share. Love the confidence of this UConn fan.

No matter how dominant you are it's never a good idea to disrespect any opponent.

In an aside, when Bueckers played in HS her team was dominant and away games were often well attended by the opposing school's students who were right on top of the court and we all remember how rude teenage boys can be. Well, Bueckers was constantly subjected to "over-rated" and other taunts but used it as motivation. She said that whether they were booing or cheering it was always better to play with a crowd watching.
Just another reason I love her game.

 

[Skeets]

No matter how dominant you are it's never a good idea to disrespect any opponent.

In an aside, when Bueckers played in HS her team was dominant and away games were often well attended by the opposing school's students who were right on top of the court and we all remember how rude teenage boys can be. Well, Bueckers was constantly subjected to "over-rated" and other taunts but used it as motivation. She said that whether they were booing or cheering it was always better to play with a crowd watching.
Just another reason I love her game.

Taurasi had a funny quote one time. UCONN was play an away game somewhere down south (Texas maybe?). After the game she was asked how she handled the booing. She said: "They were booing? I thought they were mooing". Pure Taurasi...

 

[Skeets]

Geno as the chicken (or more to the point husky) came first. From listening to Rebecca, she would have followed Geno anywhere and I doubt the 1991 FF run had that much to do with it. His personality was so unlike the other coaches of his day, it drew the right kind of kids to him.

You probably have something there. In a book about Geno, I don't remember which one, one of his early recruits, I again don't remember which one described a young Geno as a "hottie". Maybe in addition to everything else a HC needs, being a "hottie" won't hurt.

 

[eebmg]

You probably have something there. In a book about Geno, I don't remember which one, one of his early recruits, I again don't remember which one described a young Geno as a "hottie". Maybe in addition to everything else a HC needs, being a "hottie" won't hurt.

I have heard Tina, Nykesha and Jamelle say or allude to that being a factor. And I do think Paige digs Geno's hair.

 

[CL82]

Taurasi had a funny quote one time. UCONN was play an away game somewhere down south (Texas maybe?). After the game she was asked how she handled the booing. She said: "They were booing? I thought they were mooing". Pure Taurasi...

That was Tennessee. After Semeka Randall had made a cheap foul UConn fans booed her every time she got the ball. Her teammates ended up giving her the nickname “Boo” and it stuck with her her whole playing career.

Tennessee fans decided to do retaliatory booing of Taurasi. As you noted above, it really didn’t phase her and she fired off a classic one liner.

 

[CL82]

You probably have something there. In a book about Geno, I don't remember which one, one of his early recruits, I again don't remember which one described a young Geno as a "hottie". Maybe in addition to everything else a HC needs, being a "hottie" won't hurt.

In the SNY interviews Lobo talked about Geno bring attractive as part of off the reason she wanted play for him. Not a big part, but part. I think she used the phrase “ It didn’t hurt.” I believe Jamelle said the same thing.