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Message: [QUOTE="YKCornelius, post: 5264497, member: 9864"] Ozimoto, while I agree that UConn will remain where they are in the pecking order while Geno and CD are still leading the way, I am no longer inclined to think that the program will hit a down turn once they retire. Rather, I think this year's championship cemented the notion that it is not so much about Geno, as it is about the program culture that he and CD built. I will go one step further. I think it is quite probable that the way that $$ are being offered for 1-2 years of hired talent, that most of the other WCBB quality programs will continue to fall short in consistently bringing together Final Four contenders. There are some that will - South Carolina, Iowa, Duke and possibly Texas - because these schools, like UConn, focus on a building a "team first" chemistry. But the majority of the other top programs - i.e., the ones trying to buy an All-American squad, will have to be content with Sweet Sixteen appearances, vying for Elite Eight, and an occasional Final Four. Meanwhile, UConn, S Carolina, Iowa, Duke, and Texas will continue to attract top HS and international freshman talent, and deliberately mold them into high performing teams that will be FF competitive every year. At least until the other programs come to the realization you can't buy National Championships. You have to build and develop them. Armed with this thought, I think it is quite plausible that the other UConn coaches can continue with the same similar "team first" concept which they have been exposed to and inculcated by Geno and CD over the past few decades. The exceptional culture is there, the successful history is there, the superb assistant coaching is there (as evidenced by the game scouts), the devoted fan base (sell-out crowds and frenetic student body) is there, and top programs' interest in competing against the UConn mystique will still be there. If just one of the current assistant coaches has learned how to identify HS and international talent to fit the program culture the way Geno has, then I think UConn WBB will continue to sustain greatness. In light of the current environment of throwing bags of $$ to individual players in order to attain immediate results, I am more than very optimistic about the future post-Geno environment. I am confident. [/QUOTE]

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