Geno has something to say to Caroline doubters

[HuskyNan]

From the presser:

How important is Caroline Doty to this team?

"We've won a lot of games with Caroline Doty as our starting point guard over the years. We've won a national championship with her as our starting point guard. It's just been recently that she's the worst player ever to play at Connecticut if you listen to the outside coaches. But when you get in the NCAA tournament, there's really nothing like having been there before and having experienced what it feels like and knowing that you have something that you can provide for the team. I'm not surprised by how she played today. I just truly think that if Caroline can play significant minutes in this tournament, we're going to be a difficult team to beat.

 

[winlots]

Tell it, Coach. Solid, supportive comments. And give her the green light to go beyond two misses. She can make a few in a row and be a difference maker.

 

[RadyLady]

He was kind - I thought that he was going to tell the Caroline doubters to shut the front door

 

[DaddyChoc]

I like Doty... she knows the plays, experience! same for Bria

 

[EricLA]

The thing is, and I'm not trying to take sides in Caroline "doubters", but it wasn't the fans who played her 4 minutes total in the Big East semi's and finals combined. It was the coach. So either she was injured, she was sick, or he felt she couldn't contribute - and that would be HIS choice, not the fans. Or maybe it was another reason. All we could do as fans was wonder why she played bench warmer minutes in 2 very important games.

I agree with coach - "if Caroline can play significant minutes", UCONN will be hard to beat. So why did she play 4 minutes in 2 of the most important games of the season? I get that he's sarcastic, but I didn't see a single person on here say she was the "worst player ever at Connecticut".

So instead of taking a shot at some of the fans, why not explain why she played 4 minutes? And if he did already explain that, I must have missed it and I apologize. But if not, don't point to fans as being "wrong" when coach is the one who kept her on the bench.

I do want to point out that I totally agree with the people on here who pointed out some of the ridiculously harsh criticisms of her as way out of line. Not defending that at all.

 

[snowkot]

Yes she played better than she has - no doubting she was a nice presence on the floor. And she's unquestionably one of the top notch ladies ever to come through the program.

However, speaking specifically to last nights performance (only!) - I suspect most coaches might want a little more than 2 points on 1 of 3 shooting, and 1 assist in 24 minutes from their starting point guard.

Now - to be clear - that's absolutely NOT a criticism of Ms. Doty. It is simply a response to a coach using that performance to criticize the "outside coaches."

Of which I most certainly am not - but fair is fair...

 

[Kibitzer]

I am coming down on Geno's side in this discussion, and I confess that I am basing my view on pure supposition.

The Vanderbilt game was to be the last time Caroline would take the court at Gampel after five years (five years!) of total dedication to this team. (And note that in each final pre-game huddle, it is Caroline kneeling down in the center, giving that last pep talk to her youthful teammates.)

I do not expect Geno to admit it but I believe that starting Caroline in her farewell to Gampel was his way of acknowledging what she has meant to his team and her teammates through good times and bad for five long years. Loyalty repaid with loyalty. Geno's way.

He'll never admit it and I could be mistaken. But I'll betcha that everyone on that team knew just what he was doing and why. And they love him for gestures like this.

What a coach! What a guy!

 

[glenn fisk]

This girl has bled ,scratched,clawed,and supported Huskie basketball,and not only experience,but desire by her will make a difference as the tourney moves forward.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes she played better than she has - no doubting she was a nice presence on the floor. And she's unquestionably one of the top notch ladies ever to come through the program.

However, speaking specifically to last nights performance (only!) - I suspect most coaches might want a little more than 2 points on 1 of 3 shooting, and 1 assist in 24 minutes from their starting point guard.

Point guards that don't score a lot are more the norm than the exception. Their job is to keep the troops calm and in line, handle the ball securely and distribute it to the player that's in the best position to score. If the pg can score too, like a Sue or Renee, that's just gravy. I think that Sue and Renee have spoiled UConn fans and now we expect all pgs to be like them.

A complaint I have with basketball fans in general is that they rely on the number of points scored to determine whether or not a player is good or not. Isn't that one of the complaints we fan have had about the public's perception of Kelly? It's only this year she's been looking for her shot but we fans know how invaluable she is to the team, whether she scores or not.

 

[Icebear]

Caroline Doty like Kelly Faris IS the Heart of a Husky. They demonstrate it everyday in who they are. Folks love to second guess the coach and attempt to justify themselves. Geno could have been a lot harder and more caustic in his criticism but few of the critics are worthy of his strongest sarcasm he saves that for those he cares about.

 

[VAUConnFan]

To be fair, the national championship team on which Ms Doty was the point guard featured the two best players in WCBB that season who would go on to become WNBA Rookies of the Year, and two other players currently on WNBA rosters. Play well against Maryland and in the games remaining and Coach Auriemma can stand up and take jabs at at all the doubters and enjoy the last laugh.

It is also fair to say that everyone here is rooting for Caroline Doty to play well and to contribute. The criticisms are not necessarily leveled at her, but at the team's weaknesses against better teams. The better teams are few and far between, thus, relatively, so are the criticisms.

 

[Icebear]

To be fair, the national championship team on which Ms Doty was the point guard featured the two best players in WCBB that season who would go on to become WNBA Rookies of the Year, and two other players currently on WNBA rosters. Play well against Maryland and in the games remaining and Coach Auriemma can stand up and take jabs at at all the doubters and enjoy the last laugh.

It is also fair to say that everyone here is rooting for Caroline Doty to play well and to contribute. The criticisms are not necessarily leveled at her, but at the team's weaknesses against better teams. The better teams are few and far between, thus, relatively, so are the criticisms.

Then they could well be phrased better.

 

[pppggg]

Some members of the forum and one member in particular seams to delight in telling Geno who to play and when to play them - especially Caroline. Geno just gave a slap in the mouth to those members when he said "if you listen to the outside coaches."; I love it!

 

[msf22b]

He doesn't understand that the loyal doubters love Caroline as much as he does.

They just find his (seemingly) indecision about how to use her and the some of the others disconcerting to the team.

Doesn't it seem that when a starter is benched, they don't perform quite as well in subsequent games...that
includes..mmm...Stewie, Morgan, Mo, and now Bria (did I get the order right?) who looked pretty glum at the outset on the bench and went back to being inconsistent with regard her shot? Confidence is very important. didn't we spend an entire thread yesterday speaking of how terrif it was that coach had stayed with Bria threw thick and thin?

Not all have such a thick skin.

Who on the 'Yard believes that the level shown yesterday by the Upperclass will beat Notre Dame or Baylor?

And by the way...the frosh had no turnovers last night.

 

[Icebear]

I believe the levels the team has shown all along can beat ND and Baylor. The losses have all been potential victories. Not a beating among them.

Geno's point is that Caroline doesn't deserve the crap that some have thrown at her in trying to express their "wisdom." As always Geno plays Caroline when she is fully able and ready to go and best suited to the situation in the moment. The freshmen are no longer freshmen they contribute now in ways they were unable to 3 months ago. They will undoubtably play more and contribute much more BUT Geno and Caroline deserves the trust of the team and of the fans she has earned it and he knows what she is capable of day to day. The tournament is a giant jigsaw puzzle and the fans can only see half of the pieces.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Coach Auriemma, himself, has to shoulder his share of the blame for opening the door to outside criticisms when he loudly and profanely berates his 5th year senior on national television.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Coach Auriemma, himself, has to shoulder his share of the blame for opening the door to outside criticisms when he loudly and profanely berates his 5th year senior on national television.

Maybe.

It would also be useful for fans to be just that, not miniature Geno bobble heads, imitating and channeling his every action and word. We are not him.

 

[Icebear]

Coach Auriemma, himself, has to shoulder his share of the blame for opening the door to outside criticisms when he loudly and profanely berates his 5th year senior on national television.

And I guarantee you that what Geno says he has already talked with the kid about and is pushing specific buttons to certain ends. Something that no one here can or is involved in.

 

[doggydaddy]

He doesn't understand that the loyal doubters love Caroline as much as he does.

No they don't. None of us do.

 

[Waquoit]

Geno's comments reminds me of the punchline to that old joke - "Are you going to believe me or your own lyin' eyes?"

 

[bmayuc]

Coach Auriemma, himself, has to shoulder his share of the blame for opening the door to outside criticisms when he loudly and profanely berates his 5th year senior on national television.

Thats just coaching. I am not a hater, and admire her perseverence (and feel sorrow for what her potential was). However, she does not provide anything on offense or defense to elevate the team. In most games it is fine because the other offensive talent overwhelms the opponent and masks her weakness.

But where weaknesses show, as they surely always do, is against the elite teams. She cannot matchup with oddysey sims or Diggins. She gets exposed off the dribble and cannot generate anything on offense. Having a pg that struggles to create offense on the bounce kills end of shot clock sequences and she really hurts the team there. If you are looking at why we cannot close games that is our problem.

With that diagnoses over, I hope she has the games of her life in the next 4, hits some big shots and finishes ger career with performances that make us eternally wonder, what if?

sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using tapatalk

 

[warbler1055]

Geno's comments reminds me of the punchline to that old joke - "Are you going to believe me or your own lyin' eyes?"

My eyes were not lying!!!

 

[RadyLady]

The fact is Geno's has only spoken in general terms about how he assigns playing time, and it's usually related to practice habits and observations.
When there is a specific injury on a specific player then we are told.
Other than that we are given no specifics.

So in essence we don't really know specifically why Caroline or anyone is given the amount of time they are given.

Yet some fans and some detractors choose to question a coach who has built this program from the bottom up to be a national power house with consistent success for many years.

And heaven forbid if he makes a mistake and admits it - the naysayers, who by the way are never wrong and if they are they won't admit it -

They will decry and complain and "I told you so" and just tell this coach what a lousy job he's doing - this Olympic gold medal winning championship collecting coach that he is doing it wrong and they know how to do it better

Well

Then gods will be toppled and the world will change

SMH

Faith baby. Faith is built on a belief, some say a blind belief, depending upon with whom or about whom/what you are speaking. I don't think there's any blindness here, I don't think there's any cover up. I don't need to know, and I am sure that most times we should not know why things are done the way they are done. I have faith in what Geno and his coaching staff does with his team and how he does it.

I know everyone is human including this team, and sometimes we are not always going to come out on top. I know that things are going to be done for reasons that I am never going to be given.

I also know that as a husky fan I am so damn damn grateful that Geno Auriemma walk through the door at UConn so many years ago and brought this team in this university to greatness.


Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kibitzer]

IF IF IF I am correct in my assessment (that Geno started Caroline because it was her last game at Gampel and he wanted to make it special for her), it may be verified if he does not start her and reduces her PT a bit in the upcoming games in Bridgeport.

Should that happen the "outside coaches" (Geno's terminology, which I love!) can focus on some new deficiency in his coaching. After all, there were two seasons in the last 20 where he failed to win even 30 games -- there's always room for improvement.

 

[OneTrickPony]

So instead of taking a shot at some of the fans, why not explain why she played 4 minutes?

Think a little deviously, Eric...