Gems from Geno

[UConnCat]

Jim Fuller tweeted a column about Geno at a coaching clinic in Arkansas this week.

The coaches treated him like royalty. Afterwards, there was a giant scrum around him with coaches holding cell phones high in the air to get treasured videos.

He used members of the Central Baptist College men’s basketball team as both demonstrators and straight men. He gently teased them when they messed on on a series of fast-paced drills that left them huffing. We suspect the guidance has more of a sting when he is challenging his players.

” A big guy who is a good passer is as valuable as two point guards.” [Hello Stef Dolson and Gabby Williams (though Gabby isn't a big guy)]

McCollum’s Column: Wisdom from Geno (with video)

 

[Blakeon18]

Hmmm...it was in Arkansas? I wonder if Christyn Williams might have been lurking around a bit.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Hmmm...it was in Arkansas? I wonder if Christyn Williams might have been lurking around a bit.

She should be on her 5 official visits cycle by now.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"Before the impromptu meet and greet, Auriemma joked, challenged, encouraged, philosophied, advised and reasoned about things that have made the 63-year-old one of the great coaches in history. " The described "watch challenge" is part of his standard play set and I suspect 90% of it was. He could do it in his sleep. But it is all great stuff. There is an extensive YouTube arrays of his seminars if you want to see more.

 

[Carnac]

Jim Fuller tweeted a column about Geno at a coaching clinic in Arkansas this week.

The coaches treated him like royalty. Afterwards, there was a giant scrum around him with coaches holding cell phones high in the air to get treasured videos.

He used members of the Central Baptist College men’s basketball team as both demonstrators and straight men. He gently teased them when they messed on on a series of fast-paced drills that left them huffing. We suspect the guidance has more of a sting when he is challenging his players.

” A big guy who is a good passer is as valuable as two point guards.” [Hello Stef Dolson and Gabby Williams (though Gabby isn't a big guy)]

McCollum’s Column: Wisdom from Geno (with video)

Geno looks for many things in a potential recruit. Here's just a couple, and some of his pearls:

* “The No. 1 thing I look for in a kid is to be competitive. Not every kids wants to compete. They want to play but don’t want to compete. Just being competitive doesn’t make a player a good basketball player but it’s a good way to start.”

* “You can’t take a selfish kid and train him to be unselfish.”

* “Kids are harder to coach nowadays because of all the stuff and a short attention span. But kids are not different today. The biggest difference is their parents are screwed up. They want to be their friends and not parents. They don’t like their kids’ school, they change schools (sound familiar?). If they don’t like their coach, they get the coach fired. It makes it hard to get kids who understand how to be unselfish and understand it’s not about me.”

As we know, these are just a few of the reasons why a kid that looks like a "can't miss" top rated, all-everything high school prospect, won't get an offer from UConn. They don't fit Geno's criteria.

 

[UConnCat]

Here's a video clip from the clinic (notice Chris Dailey sitting in the background) and interview with Geno. There's mention also of visiting Christyn Williams which is surely why Geno was able to do the clinic. A two-fer.

 

[JordyG]

Thankfully there is no royalty in this country. Geno however doesn't need to be a Lord in order to be a national treasure.

If I had a boatload of wishes one would be to make this guy feel 10 years younger.

 

[Rocket009]

Thankfully there is no royalty in this country. Geno however doesn't need to be a Lord in order to be a national treasure.

If I had a boatload of wishes one would be to make this guy feel 10 years younger.

or 25 years younger!

 

[Carnac]

Here's a video clip from the clinic (notice Chris Dailey sitting in the background) and interview with Geno. There's mention also of visiting Christyn Williams which is surely why Geno was able to do the clinic. A two-fer.

Since the "Wizard of Westwood" (John Wooden/UCLA) is no longer with us, Geno is the next man up. He is the reigning wizard if you will. He's at the very top of the totem pole of active basketball coaches. What up and coming basketball coach would pass up the opportunity to attend a clinic featuring Geno Auriemma? No doubt EVERYONE left with a nugget or two they can take back to their program and employ.

 

[Zorro]

” A big guy who is a good passer is as valuable as two point guards.” [Hello Stef Dolson and Gabby Williams (though Gabby isn't a big guy)]

McCollum’s Column: Wisdom from Geno (with video)

This brings to mind what some astute sportswriter once said about Calvin Murphy; "Calvin is not really 5'9". He is really 6'5". It is just that his mainspring is wound exceptionally tight". That applies equally well to Gabby.

 

[Nuyoika]

Man Geno is getting really gray. Also, as it pertains to this quote

” A big guy who is a good passer is as valuable as two point guards.”

Do you realize how hard it is to convince people of that? I was having this exact conversation on Volnation about how useful it would for Mercedes Russell to have passing skills. My argument fell on deaf ears.

 

[JordyG]

Man Geno is getting really gray. Also, as it pertains to this quote Do you realize how hard it is to convince people of that? I was having this exact conversation on Volnation about how useful it would for Mercedes Russell to have passing skills. My argument fell on deaf ears.

Well, that's to be understood. When you look back on those Summit teams that won championships, those that lost them, and the teams on the court now the offense hasn't changed. The guards do the bulk of the work and the forwards do the bulk of the scoring. It's bruteball, and works under the assumption that you have the biggest and baddest up front. The forwards for the most part shoot poorly, throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and they hope something sticks. It's a narrative that no longer applies since,
A) UT no longer gets the biggest and baddest and
B) With todays athletic, long armed, mid sized forwards, size becomes less important and
C) Big plodders up front will always be susceptible to motion oriented teams that pass well.

In essence the game has (happily) evolved while UT insists on playing this antiquated, limited offense. It doesn't matter what ranking their class is while their coaches refuse to admit their shortcomings and their fans continue to drink the Kool Aid.

 

[CocoHusky]

Man Geno is getting really gray. Also, as it pertains to this quote Do you realize how hard it is to convince people of that? I was having this exact conversation on Volnation about how useful it would for Mercedes Russell to have passing skills. My argument fell on deaf ears.

Deaf ears on VolNation?

 

[bags27]

one slight error. Geno is NOT one of the greatest coaches of women's basketball. He is both the greatest coach in women's basketball history (with all due respect to Pat) AND one of the greatest coaches in all of basketball. Frankly, there has never been a greater coach. period.

 

[Nuyoika]

Deaf ears on VolNation?

Well the narrative of the thread where I was discussing this with them was about how she stated she wanted to average a double double this year and I basically just commented that since she only was less than a rebound shy of averaging a double double last year and I think maybe 2 rebounds shy the year before it wouldn't really be some huge undertaking to get 1 more rebound. It would likely happen by default since they lost like 40% of their rebounding with transfers & graduations anyway she she was bound to get more just based on that alone.

I thought the staff would be wise to help her with her passing skills since she will be getting even more defensive attention with the departure of Deshields and really only 1 other proven scoring threat in Nared on the floor. Most thought it was a waste and that she should just stay near the basket. I was thinking it would immensely help an offense plagued by no movement and poorly timed difficult shots. Oh well. I tried.

Anyway, I also heard Sherri Coale is also back doing a coaches clinic this fall. I'm glad we will be playing Oklahoma. Nice to see a little bit of nostalgia on the schedule.

 

[skideeppowder]

Geno went to Conway.. Across the state line is Twitty. Hence the name of the great but departed Conway Twitty.

 

[bags27]

Geno went to Conway.. Across the state line is Twitty. Hence the name of the great but departed Conway Twitty.

 

[meyers7]

Geno went to Conway.. Across the state line is Twitty. Hence the name of the great but departed Conway Twitty.

You mean old Harry Jenkins?