Geno post game presser

[Biff]

 

[msf22b]

Geno gave a wonderful answer to the question (essentially)
How do you protect the players (what do you say to them) from the bad press they're going to see tomorrow?

His answer...You don't...When you win, the adulation is great...but the flip side is equally real.
We got destroyed at home...and you have to be willing to face that and take your lumps if you hope to improve.

Great answer.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Geno seems pretty calm. Surprised to hear that he has to send the Kobe shirt back though.

 

[victor64]

I think about half the posters in the post game thread, should listen to Geno's comments after the game before sharing their thoughts. He rarely deflects on even the toughest of questions.

He is as concerned as everybody else, not sure of the solution but sure as heck has not given up.

Wouldn't be surprised if they pounded Memphis and gave the SC everything they want and more.

 

[uconnfan68]

Didn’t sugarcoar anything. Good for him.

 

[Watchdog]

Love his comments. About Sabrina, "she didn't get to the line much tonight but that's because nobody was near her."

 

[hoopsfan22]

ONO:

 

[hoopsfan22]

Crystal:

 

[Charliebball]

I'll never get used to Geno letting his frustrations lead to the public disparagement of his players like he did to Olivia during that press conference............some things should be between player and coach

 

[pvdoggy]

The struggle that this team is facing against bigger and more physical teams and the lack of depth has to fall on Geno and the coaching staff's shoulders for the bad recruiting from 3+ years ago, and the slow development of the only interior player, Liv. This is the same as what happened to the Patriots this year. A lot of the blame there falls on Bill Bellichick's shoulder who did a lousy job in putting together the skill's positions for the NE offense. You can't win without the horses, Geno has pretty said that many times in the past.

 

[BostonBay]

I think Geno is realizing that the WCBB game is changing with more athletic, bigger bodies leading the way across all positions. He knows this team is not comprised to compete for a Title - undersized, little physical presence, little to no consistent scoring leaders, inexperienced, etc. Blame it on a lot of factors - poor or bad luck with recruiting strategy, injuries, etc. Anyway, next year's class can start the rebuild.

 

[willtalk]

The WCBB landscape has been changing during the last few years and Gino has had to change with it. He is still in the process of doing so as evidenced by the present rebuild.

 

[hoophuskee]

The WCBB landscape has been changing during the last few years and Gino has had to change with it. He is still in the process of doing so as evidenced by the present rebuild.

What exactly does he need to change?

What's beaten him is size mostly. In KLS and NC frosh year they lost a big. She transferred or quit early. SO he had a big coming.

He goes 36-1 -loses on a last 2nd shot in OVT. Next year he gets two big players and goes 36-1 again and loses on a last 2nd shot. So he had a big 2 years ago. After that, nne of his transfer bigs bails out as a surprise, and the other has been constantly hurt. What exactly passed him by when his bets big leaves him and teh other he counted on is hurt again?

So after going 2 years 36-1 and last year getting to the final four in which he needed bigs but one kid hurt, one kid bailed out, and one elite recruit probably shocked him, and he has been in a rotten conference, what is the perennial final four team needing to change? Telling their players don't leave or get hurt? Poor UCONN only getting to final fours - what "great" rebuild is needed for poor UCONN?

Yes Geno is blundering about! (sarcasm) A reminder ot some. Two years of going 36-1 and losing in the final four is hardly "the rebuild years." Few years implies more than 1. If you are talking two years ago - well you shouldn't be.

 

[eebmg]

I'll never get used to Geno letting his frustrations lead to the public disparagement of his players like he did to Olivia during that press conference............some things should be between player and coach

After this comment, I did not want to hear the video since I feared some brutal rant by Geno but to my surprise, there was very little. Geno just using low key comparisons trying to get Liv to take it as hard as Tina did when she was dominated by Fowles hoping to get her game to the next level (like a Ruthy or Sebally).

Perhaps you can say Geno was too hard on Liv since she was not the biggest problem tonight and did some positive things (although defensively she was not part of the solution) but what would be gained by giving her luke warm comfort before SC pulls the wings off our precious butterflies. I just hope in SC, we bring more fight. SC will not outplay us using beautiful basketball like OU but by dominating us physically at all levels. Our players as a group have to respond better.

 

[hjoerring]

What exactly does he need to change?

What's beaten him is size mostly. In KLS and NC frosh year they lost a big. She transferred or quit early. SO he had a big coming.

He goes 36-1 -loses on a last 2nd shot in OVT. Next year he gets two big players and goes 36-1 again and loses on a last 2nd shot. So he had a big 2 years ago. After that, nne of his transfer bigs bails out as a surprise, and the other has been constantly hurt. What exactly passed him by when his bets big leaves him and teh other he counted on is hurt again?

So after going 2 years 36-1 and last year getting to the final four in which he needed bigs but one kid hurt, one kid bailed out, and one elite recruit probably shocked him, and he has been in a rotten conference, what is the perennial final four team needing to change? Telling their players don't leave or get hurt? Poor UCONN only getting to final fours - what "great" rebuild is needed for poor UCONN?

Yes Geno is blundering about! (sarcasm) A reminder ot some. Two years of going 36-1 and losing in the final four is hardly "the rebuild years." Few years implies more than 1. If you are talking two years ago - well you shouldn't be.

My understanding of what others are saying is that the players are changing and, pulling the top player from every class is not enough to win. The fact that the team has been 36-1 is deceptive. All the current top teams have big, competent and athletic players starting and sitting on their bench. Personally, I have enjoyed this current team and their development, but I have never consider them to be a top 5-team. Yes, on paper they can play better than they have against Baylor and Oregon if they get the usual 20+ points from CW (who might be playing out-of-position-- and hasn't really adjusted) and Walker. However, those numbers have not come from playing in competitive games. So, can Walker put up 15+ points and rebound against Baylor, Oregon, S.Carolina? Secondly, they are being asked to move and cut without luck. It is interesting that no one has asked- are they, individually, players who move. If you remove the 2 Freshmen I would say no. I think CD is playing well and is probably not 100%; she is also overworked and makes silly mistakes due mainly to what I see as tiredness.

As for next year, my thinking is that too many people are counting their chickens too soon. What I am most looking forward to having is a full team, where players get a chance to develop beyond role-player. One clear problem this year is that players who have been forced to be role player are now being asked to step outside their box and it isn't easy.

 

[willtalk]

My understanding of what others are saying is that the players are changing and, pulling the top player from every class is not enough to win. The fact that the team has been 36-1 is deceptive. All the current top teams have big, competent and athletic players starting and sitting on their bench. .-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That certainly is part but not all of the change that has happened. The players from the high school feeder pools have changed. Most Uconn Boneyarders are knowledgeable with respect to college players but relatively ignorant with respect to the feeder pool of high school players upon which the college teams rely. The type of player coming out of high school today is different not only in ability but as a consequence in attitude as well. That is compounded by the availability of more options for them to choose from.

The skill level of players coming out of high school has increased exponentially in the last ten year alone. Almost every player who has aspirations to get a college scholarship has a personal trainer and plays year-round ball. It is the ignorance of the competitive level at that early stage that made people on this site believe that Mo'ne Davis was a candidate for playing for Uconn. She had a snowballs chance in hell of even getting a D1 scholarship let alone playing for Uconn. The dynamic had changed so much that even her parents and mentors were clueless as to what it took. Players, even by the time they get to high school have been though the AAU feeder systems. The level of time and effort they put in is unreal. That leaves less upside to develop on the personal skill level in college.

Players are less apt to want to commit to a highly challenging program as Uconn runs. Especially since they have been living basketball for so many years already. You add the fact that there are many more high level and successful programs to choose from and the pick of every class is not longer aways there like it was in the past. Geno could pick and choose who he wanted because every top player usually wanted him or they chose Tenn or Stanford. Not so much anymore.

The reality today is that players do not feel they have to go to Uconn or the few other programs that existed to be able to be successful in the WNBA. Stevens was an example of that. Geno took her with the intention of using two years to develop her inside game along with her wing skills. She chose to leave early and that really threw him for a loop. Most of the players he had before would have taken that extra year to develop their skills farther.

The reason Steven chose not to stay that extra year was because she knew she would be picked in the top ten and make a team. The WNBA is not like the NBA where you get paid proportionately to your where you are picked. Pretty much all-rookie salaries are the same. It made more sense for her to enter early because the sooner you enter the sooner you are able to draw a veteran's salary. Long term it would have been in her best interest to stay that last year, but we are talking about youngsters here. Players see that you can play for other teams and still make it the next level. Most no longer see it as effort cost-effective. Playing for Uconn is not the easiest road to professional basketball.

Plus add the fact that there are more good players available it makes it hard to dominate on talent alone. Teams are more apt to pick teams where they can play right away because in today's WCBB waiting your turn does not always work out because teams bring in grad transfers to play in front of you. Uconn has a good class coming in because there are openings for players to start right away. Heck Cal has a really good class coming in because the players know they will start right away. Things are nothing like they used to be just 5 years ago.

Geno never took transfers before Stevens, but the necessity of the changing landscape impelled him to adjust. Most will attest that it has been many years since the talent base at Uconn was as low as it is this year. That is what is meant by having to rebuild. Geno has had to consider lowering his standards for the type of player that fits his system.

 

[uconnell]

Didn’t Geno take Brittnet Hunter as a transfer from Duke?

 

[Carnac]

A retraction - I had made up my mind not to post any post-game comments about the Oregon game. I failed. I let one poster sucker me in because of a difference in perception. I made a simple statement of an observation, he disagreed. It was on.

Unless you're a lurker, you've posted a comment or two, believing that your comment was true, correct and it had merit. We all know that no matter what you say or believe, there is someone here that will disagree with you. Even if what you say can be proven factually.

If you're a meteorologist, and you predict a rain storm based on the models and instruments you use to aid you in studying weather patterns, and it does in fact rain, you were correct. If you are a financial analyst, and all of the tools and trends you use to predict stock market trends or swings, and you predict a crash, and it does in fact crash, then you were correct in making that call.

I made a simple innocent observation last week about the upcoming Oregon game. I said: "UConn can’t afford for any of their starters to disappear at anytime. All five must show up, and show out for 40 minutes. The starting unit must play with the same “hustle and flow“ in the fourth quarter as they do in the first. No drop off in intensity or urgency during those last ten minutes."

The all 5 of our starters needed to show up and show out statement meant they ALL had to play well in order for UConn to beat Oregon. One poster disagreed. He suggested that my observation was not relevant, and that I was wrong. Well, only one starter played well (and one reserve). Not only did we lose, we lost by the largest margin (at home) since 1986. We were blown out. That is a fact!! To me, it appears that I was right, he was wrong. My ego had been stroked.

Wrong. He suggested a certain player played well, I disagreed. I used numbers stats to suggest I was right. Some posters agreed with him, some with me. We saw the game differently. You can't argue with facts or stats. While I'm totally satisfied that my observation was true and correct, as I look back, it's not important to me anymore.

I call myself a UConn Women's Basketball fan. I didn't act like one last night. I let my emotions get the best of me. I thought about all of the comments I posted and was not happy about it. I have since removed all of my posts related to the Oregon game. I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We heard about some of the scathing posts and comments some of the members of Vol Nation put up on their board about their players after their loss to UConn.

I'd like to think we're better than that. I'm sure none of our posts were a caustic as theirs because our mods would delete them immediately. We want our girls to KNOW their fans support them win or lose. They know they didn't play well. They don't need us to tell them. They already feel horrible and embarrassed. No need to rub salt into the wounds and make them feel worse.

I want to be an "unconditional" fan and supporter of OUR program. Not a fair-weather fan that will praise the team when only they win, and call them out, and throw them under the bus when they lose. Last night, UConn lost to a superior team plain and simple. Geno said so in his post-game presser. If you haven't watched it, you should. Oregon beat us the way we beat AAC teams.

They were bigger, more talented and more mature. They wanted to win, and they did. That knockout punch was heard across the country. They left no doubt who was the best team that night. I apologize to Olivia Ododa-Nelson for singling her out in my attempt to make my case. None of our girls should be singled out, or made scapegoats at our leisure to make a point or stroke our egos. They are 18-22 year old young women playing a sport. They always try to play hard and do the very best they can. That's all we can ask.

 

[veryolddog]

A retraction - I had made up my mind not to post any post-game comments about the Oregon game. I failed. I let one poster sucker me in because of a difference in perception. I made a simple statement of an observation, he disagreed. It was on.

Unless you're a lurker, you've posted a comment or two, believing that your comment was true, correct and it had merit. We all know that no matter what you say or believe, there is someone here that will disagree with you. Even if what you say can be proven factually.

If you're a meteorologist, and you predict a rain storm based on the models and instruments you use to aid you in studying weather patterns, and it does in fact rain, you were correct. If you are a financial analyst, and all of the tools and trends you use to predict stock market trends or swings, and you predict a crash, and it does in fact crash, then you were correct in making that call.

I made a simple innocent observation last week. I said the all 5 of our starters needed to show up and show out, meaning they all had to play well in order for UConn to beat Oregon. One poster disagreed. He suggested that my observation was not relevant, and that I was wrong. Well, only one starter played well (and one reserve). Not only did we lose, we lost by the largest margin (at home) since 1986. We were blown out. That is a fact!! To me, it appears that I was right, he was wrong. My ego had been stroked.

Wrong. He suggested a certain player played well, I disagreed. I used numbers stats to suggest I was right. Some posters agreed with him, some with me. We saw the game differently. You can't argue with facts or stats. While I'm totally satisfied that my observation was true and correct, as I look back, it's not important to me anymore.

I call myself a UConn Women's Basketball fan. I didn't act like one last night. I thought about all of the comments I posted and was not happy about it. I have since removed all of my posts related to the Oregon game. I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We heard of some of the scathing posts and comments some of the members of Vol Nation put up on their board after their loss to UConn. I'd like to think we're better than that. I'm sure none of our posts were a viral as theirs because our mods would delete them. We want our girls to KNOW their fans support them win or lose. They know they didn't play well.
They don't need us to tell them. They already feel horrible and embarrassed. No need to make them feel worse.

I want to be an "unconditional" fan and supporter of OUR program. Not a fair-weather fan that will praise the team when they win, and call them out, and throw them under the bus when they lose. Last night, UConn lost to a superior team plain and simple. Geno said so in his post-game presser. If you haven't watched it, you should. Oregon beat us the way we beat AAC teams. They were bigger, more talented and more mature. They beat us by a LARGE margin. I apologize to Olivia Ododa-Nelson for singling her out in my attempt to make my case. None of our girls should be singled out, or made scapegoats at our leisure to make a point or stroke our egos. They are 18-22 year old young women playing a sport. The always try and do the very best they can. That's all we can ask.

You are too hard on yourself. Your posts are honest, objective and to the point. I wish more people would be more realistic like you. Last night, I saw a very good, and I mean really good Oregon Team play UConn basketball and beat UConn. Last night, I saw UConn, of which I am an 1964 graduate, play basketball the way they have played all season. To me, and only what I see, is that they are completely disjointed. They do not know how to play like a Team in the traditional UConn system that we have become accustomed to see over the years. It is not a question of talent. It is a question of accepting and playing within the framework that is taught by Geno and Chris. I do not know what the answer is, but it always seems, from my experience it comes down to commitment and heart. One person cannot be a Team. One person cannot carry a Team. They all have to be able to taste it and have the "eye of the tiger". The success that this UConn team has had, is because they have played and defeated vastly inferior teams.

 

[RowdyFan]

Carnac, we have become so spoiled. Oregon was a superior team. Geno has said time and again, this is not a typical UConn team. I get it. But they are MY team. I enjoy your posts, please ease up on yourself.

 

[Charliebball]

After this comment, I did not want to hear the video since I feared some brutal rant by Geno but to my surprise, there was very little. Geno just using low key comparisons trying to get Liv to take it as hard as Tina did when she was dominated by Fowles hoping to get her game to the next level (like a Ruthy or Sebally).

Perhaps you can say Geno was too hard on Liv since she was not the biggest problem tonight and did some positive things (although defensively she was not part of the solution) but what would be gained by giving her luke warm comfort before SC pulls the wings off our precious butterflies. I just hope in SC, we bring more fight. SC will not outplay us using beautiful basketball like OU but by dominating us physically at all levels. Our players as a group have to respond better.

I would have preferred if he had answered the question about the Fowles photo with a simple "I sure hope so" or "that's a good question" as opposed to "nah I don't think so.... go ask her"..............what motivates one person may not work for another, it's the coach's job to figure out what works best for the individual.........

 

[Majic Hands]

A retraction - I had made up my mind not to post any post-game comments about the Oregon game. I failed. I let one poster sucker me in because of a difference in perception. I made a simple statement of an observation, he disagreed. It was on.

Unless you're a lurker, you've posted a comment or two, believing that your comment was true, correct and it had merit. We all know that no matter what you say or believe, there is someone here that will disagree with you. Even if what you say can be proven factually.

If you're a meteorologist, and you predict a rain storm based on the models and instruments you use to aid you in studying weather patterns, and it does in fact rain, you were correct. If you are a financial analyst, and all of the tools and trends you use to predict stock market trends or swings, and you predict a crash, and it does in fact crash, then you were correct in making that call.

I made a simple innocent observation last week about the upcoming Oregon game. I said: "UConn can’t afford for any of their starters to disappear at anytime. All five must show up, and show out for 40 minutes. The starting unit must play with the same “hustle and flow“ in the fourth quarter as they do in the first. No drop off in intensity or urgency during those last ten minutes."

The all 5 of our starters needed to show up and show out statement meant they ALL had to play well in order for UConn to beat Oregon. One poster disagreed. He suggested that my observation was not relevant, and that I was wrong. Well, only one starter played well (and one reserve). Not only did we lose, we lost by the largest margin (at home) since 1986. We were blown out. That is a fact!! To me, it appears that I was right, he was wrong. My ego had been stroked.

Wrong. He suggested a certain player played well, I disagreed. I used numbers stats to suggest I was right. Some posters agreed with him, some with me. We saw the game differently. You can't argue with facts or stats. While I'm totally satisfied that my observation was true and correct, as I look back, it's not important to me anymore.

I call myself a UConn Women's Basketball fan. I didn't act like one last night. I let my emotions get the best of me. I thought about all of the comments I posted and was not happy about it. I have since removed all of my posts related to the Oregon game. I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We heard about some of the scathing posts and comments some of the members of Vol Nation put up on their board about their players after their loss to UConn.

I'd like to think we're better than that. I'm sure none of our posts were a caustic as theirs because our mods would delete them immediately. We want our girls to KNOW their fans support them win or lose. They know they didn't play well. They don't need us to tell them. They already feel horrible and embarrassed. No need to rub salt into the wounds and make them feel worse.

I want to be an "unconditional" fan and supporter of OUR program. Not a fair-weather fan that will praise the team when only they win, and call them out, and throw them under the bus when they lose. Last night, UConn lost to a superior team plain and simple. Geno said so in his post-game presser. If you haven't watched it, you should. Oregon beat us the way we beat AAC teams.

They were bigger, more talented and more mature. They wanted to win, and they did. That knockout punch was heard across the country. They left no doubt who was the best team that night. I apologize to Olivia Ododa-Nelson for singling her out in my attempt to make my case. None of our girls should be singled out, or made scapegoats at our leisure to make a point or stroke our egos. They are 18-22 year old young women playing a sport. They always try to play hard and do the very best they can. That's all we can ask.

Opened the BY last night. Thought, no. Don't even want to see what anyone has to say, closed the BY.
I'm trusting that the girls can learn/grow and be able to make it a game the next time they are on the floor with the Ducks.

PS. the team I follow after UConn. . . The Ducks. If one can't see the similarities of intent, how to play the game, coaching, between these two teams, I'm thinking they must be blind.

Unfortunately, the current UConn team is not competitive at the level fans have become accustomed to. I personally will continue, watching and cheering for our girls ever time they play.

Positive I saw last night. Hell's bells, Meg makes a sharp pass to Anna who was actually open for a 3, splash.

 

[Steelerone]

While enjoying my morning coffee, after watching last nights game and reading this mornings Courant and the many comments from the Boneyarders (who's knowledge of the game and the Huskies I admire), I offer the following. First, I'm happy to see the majority of the comments are positive and realistic. Secondly, it doesn't' appear that we have to have a mass suicide watch. Thirdly, the fact of the matter is that we got "Uconned". We finally played the team who we have been for almost the past twenty years but are not at this moment in time. They were large, they were deep, they were talented, and they had a great coach. And, from the comments it appears that a lot of people are beginning to finally realize just how much the woman's game has changed in a short amount of time. It has evolved in many ways the same as the men's game. In the 40's and 50's the game belonged to the guards. Then the "bigs" started to take over. This has gradually permeated into each posistion, with bigger guards and forwards. Those are what we have coming in for the next few years but until then we are going to have to dig a lot deeper than usual.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Last night this team had an embarassing loss on its home floor. It is a good team but not great and I doubt it will see the final four. Of course a good deal of this is a result of recruiting disappointments. As a fan I'll keep rooting for my Huskies.

 

[OneTrickPony]

ONO:

Olivia gets it...