Geno embarrasses his starters today

[BackBay]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

 

[JamesinGR]

Respect your opinion, but disagree. IMO, message sent, message received.

 

[BackBay]

Respect your opinion, but disagree. IMO, message sent, message received.

We'll see. Some of the starters played poorly the whole game.

 

[Jaybird65]

The players understand the expectations of their coach. If you don’t meet those, you come out.

 

[Plebe]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

Well, luckily for all of us, you're not a recruit.

 

[Bigboote]

If a player can't take being benched when she's playing with no energy, she shouldn't go to UConn. Geno didn't embarrass them, they embarrassed themselves. Anyone who reads the BY will know that I'm not one who says many negative things about players. But after that performance in the first five minutes, Geno had to do something, and I think he did what he needed to do.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Talk about over reaction

If the player is playing poorly and isn't playing with energy, they deserve to come out

 

[vtcwbuff]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

I think Auriemma probably knows his players better than you do.

So you think that recruiting has fallen off ( has it?) and transfers increased (have they?) because he decided to bench the starters in this game? Makes sense -

 

[JordyG]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

I've heard this before from new members and those new to UConn BB. Let's just say this has always been and always will be Geno's style. Fortunately it won't change for you or anyone else new to UConn's mode of play. So far it's worked rather well for him, with all the banners, all of the League pros and Olympic champions he's produced in Storrs. 'Nuff said.

 

[JordyG]

Well, luckily for all of us, you're not a recruit.

Or a coach, or a player or accustomed to Geno and his style of coaching.

 

[Sifaka]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

There are different ways to look at this.


“ I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look.”

Was the first quarter starters’ play a good look?

“Some players just dont respond to this.”

Some played better after being benched. Did any of them get worse? Geno is certainly not the only good coach who benches players when they perform badly. I suggest that players who expect to be rewarded with minutes after playing badly have a problem.

“If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me.”

All recruits should think long and hard about whether they want to play for a demanding coach, and if they don’t they should go elsewhere.


“Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately”

Now you and I have a serious disagreement. (1) There has been no “sudden increase in transfers”. (2) Do you include Walker, Williams and Nelson-Ododa in your poor recruiting?

We won’t, and can’t, know if Griffen is “poor recruiting” until she arrives in Storrs.

Finally, even if you were correct in linking recent recruiting and transfers to a single mass substitution, the timing is wrong. The recruiting misses and transfers occurred before today’s game.

 

[rbny1]

I remember well, as I'm sure other Boneyarders do, when he benched Stewie early in a game during her freshman year because her effort wasn't meeting his expectations. Many of us were surprised, even shocked, when she sat the rest of the game. But Geno knew what he was doing: she came back on fire the next game. It's a motivational technique he has used to good effect many times over the years.

 

[Vowelguy]

I'm old enough to remember when folks thought the starters were playing too much.

 

[Carnac]

I've heard this before from new members and those new to UConn BB. Let's just say this has always been and always will be Geno's style. Fortunately it won't change for you or anyone else new to UConn's mode of play. So far it's worked rather well for him, all the banners and all of the League pros and Olympic champions he's produced in Storrs. 'Nuff said.

Once again I’ll recall the words of that legendary and hall of fame coach John Wooden. He like Yogi Berra had many quotes and sayings (Woodenisms). One of them was “the bench is an excellent teacher “. Another way he said it was: “If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.” That is proven statement in all levels of sports, men and women.

Another one: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

 

[HuskyNan]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

He’s done it before and will do it again if the players don’t play up to a certain standard. I will be shocked if the players don’t acknowledge their sub-standard play in the presser

 

[Plebe]

Even the title of the thread is fundamentally flawed. Geno didn't embarrass anyone. If there was any "embarrassment" it was the starters who did it to themselves by playing poorly.

 

[meyers7]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

 

[Crossover]

I'm old enough to remember when folks thought the starters were playing too much.

Me too. Then again, so is anyone who is more than four weeks old.

 

[huskeynut]

I know he wanted to send a "message", but that was a poor look. Some players just dont respond to this. If I was a recruit, I would be thinking long and hard about playing here & if its right for me. Could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.

Are you now the coach? You are allowed your opinion. But you are so far off base its annoying.

 

[JordyG]

I'm old enough to remember when folks thought the starters were playing too much.

Remember those days? The good ole days?

 

[Vowelguy]

Even the title of the thread is fundamentally flawed. Geno didn't embarrass anyone. If there was any "embarrassment" it was the starters who did it to themselves by playing poorly.

USF is not a good team. In the past month they lost 78-49 to LSU and also were defeated by a terrible UVa team.

 

[pinotbear]

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

He’s done it before and will do it again if the players don’t play up to a certain standard. I will be shocked if the players don’t acknowledge their sub-standard play in the presser

It isn't only Geno, lots of coaches at one time or another (including Vivian) have sat the starters abruptly for various lengths (I assume from this thread that's what happened). And every time, some fans complain. Considering how respected Geno is and his results, I'm surprised, because even I know he has done it before. At least when they are bitching about Vivian or some other coach doing it, they are usually not a fan of the coach to begin with.

As to effectiveness, however, it does depend on the team / players. UConn players, in the UConn culture, would be expected to respond well. Obviously there are players out there who could get sulky at a benching, even a brief one.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Anyone remember when he benched Battle during the Rutgers game. Or sat all the starters early in the game v. Providence. And Marron? (Or was it AV?) Hit that three?

 

[CL82]

Things I learned on the Boneyard:

1. If Geno doesn't play subs, he is destroying their confidence, which could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.​

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2. If Geno plays his subs it is disrespecting his starters, which could explain why the sudden increase in transfers & poor recruiting lately.​

#damnedifyoudo....