Geno on Slappin' Glass Podcast
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Carnac
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This is a MUST LISTEN TO podcast!!! IMHO, this is by far the best podcast/interview Geno has done. I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. If you're a Geno fan, if you're a UConn women's basketball fan, you must listen to this podcast. It's long...29 minutes in duration, but worth the investment. Great questions put to Geno by the hosts. You'll come away with a better understanding of Geno, and a better appreciation for what he has to deal with on and off the court being a head coach in today's women's college basketball environment. Just a great show. 
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RockyMTblue2
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JoePgh
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I've never heard a Geno interview where he got into the technical aspect of basketball (especially offense) as deeply as he does here. I was impressed by how much he has picked up from NBA sources, especially Mike D'Antoni. It certainly convinces me that he is always adding to his personal repertoire, and that he is doing it from professional basketball levels rather than other college coaches (apparently including college MBB coaches, since he doesn't mention any of them).
I can't imagine how difficult it must be to teach college players how to make all the real-time decisions that (he says) the best basketball players can make. I like the story about how he showed Renee Montgomery some film of D'Antoni's teams, and she expressed confidence that she could play that way. Evidently she could, because it resulted in an NC in 2009.
He briefly talked about the Arizona game. He said that AZ "blew up" a lot of UConn's normal offensive action, as is to be expected when you get to a Final Four game. The UConn players were young and didn't know how to adjust what the defense was doing, or so he said. Considering that there were three juniors plus Paige on the floor for UConn, this is disappointing, but that is why the 2021 team is not the equal of the UConn NC teams of the past.
I can certainly understand why players who come to UConn quickly realize how much they still have to learn, no matter how good they were in high school. Well, at least some of them learn that. Others who are great athletes (like Megan Walker) never fully learn, which limits their achievements in college.
It also helps to understand what he may have been thinking with the Morgan Valley hiring. Morgan was apparently one of those who was a serious student of the technical aspects of the game, so he probably expects that she will "get" the points that would go over the head of another assistant coach.
I can't imagine how difficult it must be to teach college players how to make all the real-time decisions that (he says) the best basketball players can make. I like the story about how he showed Renee Montgomery some film of D'Antoni's teams, and she expressed confidence that she could play that way. Evidently she could, because it resulted in an NC in 2009.
He briefly talked about the Arizona game. He said that AZ "blew up" a lot of UConn's normal offensive action, as is to be expected when you get to a Final Four game. The UConn players were young and didn't know how to adjust what the defense was doing, or so he said. Considering that there were three juniors plus Paige on the floor for UConn, this is disappointing, but that is why the 2021 team is not the equal of the UConn NC teams of the past.
I can certainly understand why players who come to UConn quickly realize how much they still have to learn, no matter how good they were in high school. Well, at least some of them learn that. Others who are great athletes (like Megan Walker) never fully learn, which limits their achievements in college.
It also helps to understand what he may have been thinking with the Morgan Valley hiring. Morgan was apparently one of those who was a serious student of the technical aspects of the game, so he probably expects that she will "get" the points that would go over the head of another assistant coach.
Plebe
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I haven't listened to this just yet, but merely seeing the summary and this post reminds me of how Geno just sees the game at an uncannily high level, unique among his peers.
His ability to translate his high-level vision of the game into high-level team performance is essentially what won me over to UConn WBB many years ago.
UcMiami
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He always adjust what he does to the personnel he has - and Syracuse has been a bombs away from three offense for about 8 years. I don't think you can take what a player does under coach A and translate it to a Big G coached team. Evina certainly played a different game from what she did with Holly.
Carnac
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Until she gets in better shape (if she's not in shape in November), he could bring her in the last 12-13 minutes of the game. Surely she'd have that much wind.
UConn has trainers that are more than capable of getting her in basketball shape before the season starts.
I doubt UConn will be tied or behind in very many games next season. She could come in and slam the door shut!! No late game heroics or come backs for our opponents. There are lots of scenarios they could employ here. Think outside the box. Try some things that are unconventional. Make it work. Like I said earlier. I believe she could be very instrumental in helping this team wins games in late March.
The list of "coaches" that have failed with talent is long and winding. What makes Geno the best is he's a triple threat: recruit/coach/motivate.
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Yeah I agree, he would find a way to maximize her gifts.
BRS24
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Gently redirecting this thread to its original topic. I listened to the podcast, and although I am a hoop watcher, I don't have any depth of knowledge of half of what he was talking about, however, I realized that he knows what he's talking about. It was a fascinating listen, even though I had no idea there were that many types of screens.
With the exception of 16 wins in 1980-81, the program had never won more than 9 games between 1974-1985.
Geno's record at UConn from 1985 to 1989 shows a vast improvement with the addition of Bascom, bringing in Daley, recruiting his players, resulting in BE regular season & tourney champ, and first NCAA berth in his 4th year. In 1991, Bascom's senior year (his 6th), they got to the FF. That's a huge improvement and significant change of culture in the program. Lobo follows, and in his 10th year, BE regular, tourney, and NCAA champs.
Yes, Lobo/Rizzotti, Elliot, Sales and others gave him his first championship in 1995, however the trajectory in the prior years set the stage for this event. Bird/Cash/Jones/Williams lead to Tarausi, which lead to Moore, then Stewart, and now Bueckers. And yes, there are other star players within these teams but for brevity, I'm including the highly ranked recruits.
Had some fun with the media guide this am (there may be typos in my file!) to show the program's progression over 47 years and 4 head coaches. Enjoy!
SVCBeercats
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See was coached to say that by Sue Bird!
Great listen what was most interesting to me was Coach GA comment at the end about playing zone
Couldn’t tell if he was serious or not
Perhaps with a long bench three-quarter quarter zone press or half-court trap press would be interesting to see
A few instances this year when he did use zone did not seem to be particularly effective
He has stated that he would like to play faster in the upcoming season
Extending the floor with the Zone press would be a way to achieve that
Couldn’t tell if he was serious or not
Perhaps with a long bench three-quarter quarter zone press or half-court trap press would be interesting to see
A few instances this year when he did use zone did not seem to be particularly effective
He has stated that he would like to play faster in the upcoming season
Extending the floor with the Zone press would be a way to achieve that
Fascinating listen. Particularly insightful was part about Geno scaling back what he gives his players in more recent years due to difference in generational player retention & preference for game play vs drills in practice.
Wonder to what extent this change has contributed to their still fantastic but less prodigious final Tournament result last 4 years. In other words, might additional changes/tweaks he would otherwise have implemented but didn’t given player capacity/resistance have made any difference. Interesting to ponder.
Wonder to what extent this change has contributed to their still fantastic but less prodigious final Tournament result last 4 years. In other words, might additional changes/tweaks he would otherwise have implemented but didn’t given player capacity/resistance have made any difference. Interesting to ponder.
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It was B’s visit host(s) that sold her, iirc. She could see the atmosphere. That was Meghan Pattyson.
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No attack @Drew8 just a different opinion. Geno is not going to change the offense for any single player they will change to fit the UConn offense. That or not be recruited or transfer accepted. A basketball offense cannot be built to fit one player, should they go down the season and a lot of work is a wash.
UConn has one of the deepest lineups in the Geno era loaded with talent, it would be silly to change the well rehearsed choreography of the team for any one incoming player. I highly doubt he would consider doing so.