Geno to Coach National Team in Rio - 2016

[Vowelguy]

I would argue that any player that required more than fairly minimal direct interaction is NOT a player that UCONN is going to be chasing. The coaching staff does not spend time chasing.

Everyone has to play the game to some extent. I can recall recruiting articles about a UConn assistant making calls at 12:01 am, on the phone the minute that they were allowed to start contacting recruits. I'm sure UConn doesn't do as much wooing as some others, but to suggest that it does none seems very naive and doubtful to me.

 

[UcMiami]

I think this is great news for USA Basketball, Uconn, the team, the coaching staff, and Geno. Most of the time devoted to USA basketball by Geno and his coaches is 'down time' when they would be taking extended time off from work. Heck - the last 15 months USA basketball hasn't had a coach and no one noticed. There is not a whole lot of scouting/recruiting involved in the USA job and none of the players are available except for very limited-window 'camps', pre-event training camp (10 days) and the event it self. So the fixed time that Geno has committed to over the next 2.5 years is probably about 8 weeks so maybe an average of 3 weeks a year where he is not available on campus for unofficial recruiting visits - or in person visits to recruits or to watch their games. The rest of the staff is not required at all so can always not show up or leave early from those events. And as for his team - the events are not in season so the amount and quality of the time he can spend with the team is limited anyway. So that is the down side.
On the up side:
Being national team coach is pretty prestigious and has to be a positive for most recruits. GOOD publicity and face time never hurts a program. If you were an assistant at Uconn, would you leave in the next 2.5 years and blow the chance to go to your second Olympics expenses paid and with a ringside seat - so you have extended the loyalty of your staff and added to the great perks they enjoy. We talked about international recruiting in another thread and if there is anyone out there that has great talent and wants a US education this also will not hurt. USA basketball provides all the organizational support and probably requires a few promotional appearances from him, but the scheduling of those is more flexible and I am sure he can refuse a specific date if he has a conflict. And with USA basketball putting on a full court press to get him to re-up, I suspect that if he wanted to make a stipulation of say - all training camps not prior to the actual event will be held in the state of CT - that USA basketball would have agreed. And that specific request certainly would make Uconn's local fans happy!
Sorry - but there is no evidence at all that Geno's past involvement with USA basketball at any level has impacted recruiting. We had huge trouble getting a back-up post for Tina when she was here and only succeeded the year she left in getting Dolson. Geno does not usually recruit 'bodies' but rather a very select universe of HS players - and that means there are years when the fit doesn't work and the players go elsewhere. In the last 12 years I believe we have had three one player classes and a couple of questionable 2 player classes. So 3 great recruits a years ago, 1 this year, 3 next year (and counting) is not out of the norm but 'average' for Uconn.

On Edit - The majority of recruiting is done remotely as well and with modern communications that remote contact can be done from anywhere in the world.

 

[UConnCat]

When Faris class happened Geno swore no more one member classes. Presumably his intention saying that was to do as much as possible to avoid that. My concern is less the size of the class than the only player we did get was in our back yard, not a kid from Indiana.

As I said I'd like to know the number of hours, visits, and contacts involved in recruiting before, during and after. That is an attempt to quantify the impact. Was there sufficient time to build the relationships Geno likes to establish with recruits, especially those key recruits their are really targeting? I think it is naive to think there is no impact. That is not to say it cannot be overcome. If it was about Geno only I would have less concern but it involved significant efforts from the staff, too.

Tara Van Deveer took of time from him program because the demands of doing the two simultaneously are so significant.

You still have not provided a reason for the Faris class and how the reason for it differs from the Chong class. The issue is why there weren't others not where the two that did sign are from.

Like I said, UConn has signed several top recruits and won 2 national championships since Geno was named Olympic coach. Van Deveer is still waiting to win another NC since giving up her Olympic duties. Coach K also uses his Duke staff to assist with his USA coaching duties and has done so since being named Olympic coach in 2005. Coach K still managed to win a NC and land several great recruits.

What is it that UConn fans have missed out on because of Geno being named Olympic coach?

 

[diggerfoot]

There's logic behind the USA assignment helping recruitment = visibility + prestige + connections. There's logic behind the USA assignment hurting recruitment = time + effort away from recruiting. Meanwhile, the empirical evidence shows similar results in the quality and quantity of recruits obtained both before and after the first USA appointment.

In other words, this is a great topic for the Boneyard experts to discuss !

 

[Kibitzer]

I have thought, and posted, that I believe that Geno will contentedly retire when he has achieved at least ten NC's (two more than Pat and at least a tie with Wooden) and at least 1,000 wins (maybe, say, 1,072?). Now the irresistible conclusion is that he has added a couple Olympic gold medals to his "to-do" list.

I have no inside information upon which to base my speculation in this matter but it just seems reasonable.

As for the effect on recruiting, I think it's a wash. On the one hand he (and his staff) may have less time to identify HS talent and establish contact, but -- on the other hand -- there are a host of HS and AAU coaches who will be trying to call his attention to blue-chip (or even red- or white-chip) players on their teams. Not to mention a few hundred young ladies who would give anything to have an opportunity to play for this legendary coach. (A'ja Wilson or Asia Durr may be among them, we'll see.)

 

[UConnCat]

Meanwhile, the empirical evidence shows similar results in the quality and quantity of recruits obtained both before and after the first USA appointment.

Very true. Geno and his staff had a ton of time to recruit after Diana graduated and there were some lean years. Fortunately he and his staff have figured out how to make use of less time.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Great for UCONN, as I see it. Beats home visits and recruiting calls. Geno is The Man, UCONN is The Program. Period. “You always get what you give” with UCONN’s WBB.

Also serves to fire up the doom and gloomers who, for some reason, like to post such here at The Boneyard. Need a PHD Psychologist to figure out that one.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yay!

Our Man in London will be learning Portuguese!

 

[DavidinNaples]

phil...I'm speculating Geno tweeted, "I still say that second bottle of my signature wine isn't as good as the first....it's better, so buy more..."

ice...I don't know total hours, visits, contacts in typical year's recruiting...good question. BUT, here are 5 observations:
1. IMO the LIMITS on number of visits, calls, contacts and the limits on WHEN "recruiting" can occur makes the total time Geno can use to recruit finite. (As opposed to unlimited.)
2. Geno is either 3/4 or 3/5 done w/ 2014 recruiting AND already making home visits for 2015 recruits. Seems ahead of the game, not behind. (not saying you say he's behind)
3. Geno (and staff) spent every waking moment last season getting UConn in position to win another N.C. Impact on recruiting = HUGE (and nobody else got that advantage)
4. UConn in good position to repeat #3. Impact on recruiting = HUGE, no "off season" effort needed by Geno.
5. UConn had three players spend two months w/ a prized recruit this summer. Impact on recruiting = We will see...., but Geno didn't have to do a thing.

Top recruits know if Geno is interested and offering a scholarship. I trust Geno budgets enough time to get his "pitch" to those few top recruits he wants. UConn's N.C.s and players on USA teams gives Geno advantages over most other programs. Hopefully, that does overcome any time issues...Go Huskies..!!

 

[UConnCat]

From Rich: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/

“USA Basketball adamantly wanted Geno to serve for another four years,’’ a source said. “He mulled the decision over for months while USA Basketball waited patiently for him. The two points are they really wanted him back and he honestly had a change of heart I think. He initially was planning on not doing it again. They convinced him to do it again.’’

BTW, tomorrow's 1pm press conference from Gampel will be streamed at usabasketball.com.

 

[FairView]

In addition to Kelly, wasn't Kennitra Johnson a one-player class?

 

[UcMiami]

This is a joking post so chill everyone, but ...
The biggest advantage I see is that Geno can finally shut out TN from the national team - Catchings - too old, Parker ... sort of duplicates what he can get from the younger talent out there in EDD and Griner and Stewart, so ... sorry.
Then he can pack the team with former Uconn players - six was not enough:
Tina, Maya, DT, Sue obviously, but now KML, Stewart, Kelly and Bria can join them - 2/3rds of the national team sounds about right.

Actually I believe Maria and some of her brethren on a certain board are having this exact nightmare right about now. So that is definitely a plus to the current news.

 

[Icebear]

You still have not provided a reason for the Faris class and how the reason for it differs from the Chong class. The issue is why there weren't others not where the two that did sign are from.

Like I said, UConn has signed several top recruits and won 2 national championships since Geno was named Olympic coach. Van Deveer is still waiting to win another NC since giving up her Olympic duties. Coach K also uses his Duke staff to assist with his USA coaching duties and has done so since being named Olympic coach in 2005. Coach K still managed to win a NC and land several great recruits.

What is it that UConn fans have missed out on because of Geno being named Olympic coach?

The point of saying that it is anecdotal is that there are no direct similarities to be made. What is known is Geno's stated desire to avoid similar situations to Kelly Faris and Kennitra Johnson. It didn't happen but we have no provable/measurable reason why thus I said anecdotal because the storyline is it happened despite Geno's protestations against such things. It was even questionable for awhile that Chong was going to come. That would have been a class of zip.

It is reasonable to ask the question of the impact of USA basketball. I suggested one method by which it might be measured. It is not in my power to resolve the statistical evidence since I do not have access. Geno and staff have signed exactly 1+3 players since the Olympic push. The 3 were in the year following when time was not pressured by the Olympic event. I said it is naive to think it doesn't impact. I did not say it means it is impossible to get recruits. I said it can be overcome, that means extra effort from those involved. My concern is that potential impact on recruiting in 2017 which is the equivalent of the recruitment of Chong in 2013. I do not expect a potential negative beyond the year of the Olympics when closing commitments and LOI are signed when time demands return to normal.

Using one's own staff makes all the sense in the world because they will be the best interpreters of a head coach's approach to the game. It still means the use of time they would likely invest in other pursuits whether rebuilding their own health and personal resources or less time with family or other things related to the program at UCONN. There are only 24 hours in a day. No one gets any more.

There are tremendous assets to a college program having the head coach with the visibility of being Olympic coach. They are part of what helps to balance the costs.

 

[Kibitzer]

Geno (presumably accompanied by CD, Shea or Marisa) will be making home visits to a few top recruits soon (e.g., Durr, Wilson).

It is easy to visualize a little visual presentation about the eight NC's and the Basketball Development Center now under construction.

As for Geno's ability to "close the sale"? I once read that when he finished his spiel he could walk out the door with the family dog and the family would be grateful in the knowledge that their beloved pet was in such good hands.

 

[UConnCat]

Ok, so who will be joining him?

Tina, Fowles, Angel, Maya, Parker, DT seem likely
with Augustus, Bird, Catchings, Whalen possible

Griner and EDD seem shoo-ins.

with players like Nneka, Sims, KML, TBS also contending

World Championships in 2014 and Olympics in 2016. Many lessons learned in London, including the need for size and toughness in the post to deal with Liz Cambage and the Aussies. I trust USA BB and Geno to come up with the right blend of experience and youth.

Coaches? Bruno maybe. Cheryl Reeves might deserve a shot. Other possibilities?

 

[Icebear]

David wrote:
ice...I don't know total hours, visits, contacts in typical year's recruiting...good question. BUT, here are 5 observations:
1. IMO the LIMITS on number of visits, calls, contacts and the limits on WHEN "recruiting" can occur makes the total time Geno can use to recruit finite. (As opposed to unlimited.) Do these times align with the demands of the Olympic program?
2. Geno is either 3/4 or 3/5 done w/ 2014 recruiting AND already making home visits for 2015 recruits. Seems ahead of the game, not behind. (not saying you say he's behind) Yes, I do not think it likely impacts these years at all.
3. Geno (and staff) spent every waking moment last season getting UConn in position to win another N.C. Impact on recruiting = HUGE (and nobody else got that advantage) Of course, but not relevent to assessing whether Olympics commitments alter regular recruiting activity.
4. UConn in good position to repeat #3. Impact on recruiting = HUGE, no "off season" effort needed by Geno. Yep.
5. UConn had three players spend two months w/ a prized recruit this summer. Impact on recruiting = We will see...., but Geno didn't have to do a thing. Yep, and again irrelevent to recruiting of the class of 2017 which is the parallel year to Chong's class of 1.



Those are all things that need to be considered and which help to mitigate any negative impacts of participation in responsibilities to the Olympics.. I am not saying in anyway or manner that it is not worth doing. Just that I think it is very naive to think there are no costs or impacts on a program. In some ways I think that coaching the Olympic team in this cycle is easier because players will already have experience with Geno's thoughts and expectations. The learning curve will be better. Also, the CT staff will have a better idea of how to manage time with a second go around which can only help.

 

[Icebear]

Yay!

Our Man in London will be learning Portuguese!

Rosetta Stone is offering deep discounts right now. They did wonders for your speaking English.

 

[Phil]

This is a joking post so chill everyone, but ...
The biggest advantage I see is that Geno can finally shut out TN from the national team - Catchings - too old, Parker ... sort of duplicates what he can get from the younger talent out there in EDD and Griner and Stewart, so ... sorry.
Then he can pack the team with former Uconn players - six was not enough:
Tina, Maya, DT, Sue obviously, but now KML, Stewart, Kelly and Bria can join them - 2/3rds of the national team sounds about right.

Actually I believe Maria and some of her brethren on a certain board are having this exact nightmare right about now. So that is definitely a plus to the current news.

I understand you were joking but there are some who think the coach selects the team. In fact, the team is selected by a USA basketball committee. That committee is not unaware of the identify of the coach, which may play a part in close calls, but it is a myth that the head coach picks the players.

 

[Icebear]

Sure, Phil, but in Knoxville they are sure you are wrong.

 

[Forty_four]

This is a joking post so chill everyone, but ...
The biggest advantage I see is that Geno can finally shut out TN from the national team - Catchings - too old, Parker ... sort of duplicates what he can get from the younger talent out there in EDD and Griner and Stewart, so ... sorry.
Then he can pack the team with former Uconn players - six was not enough:
Tina, Maya, DT, Sue obviously, but now KML, Stewart, Kelly and Bria can join them - 2/3rds of the national team sounds about right.

Actually I believe Maria and some of her brethren on a certain board are having this exact nightmare right about now. So that is definitely a plus to the current news.

I do see the smiley face so I presume it is mostly for Kelley making the team. The Summitt would implode if that were to happen.

 

[FairView]

I'm amazed how we often find things to itchbay about in the face of good news.

I am unbelievably proud that the coach of my favorite team in any sport has been chosen again to coach the Olympic squad for my country. I am prouder still that after he decided not to coach again and made that very clear to USA Basketball and the press, he has chosen to take on the challenge once again when asked. That tells me that perhaps USA Basketball surveyed the landscape and wasn't satisfied with who was available or willing to sacrifice the time and take on the responsibility. So they called on Geno to take on the helm again because he was the absolutely best available prospect from sea to shining sea. That makes me proud. Then, after he said he would not do it again, and despite the great personal sacrifice of his precious little available time, he changed his mind to help out our national team. That makes me proud. Thanks, Geno.

 

[UcMiami]

Ok, so who will be joining him?

Tina, Fowles, Angel, Maya, Parker, DT seem likely
with Augustus, Bird, Catchings, Whalen possible

Griner and EDD seem shoo-ins.

with players like Nneka, Sims, KML, TBS also contending

Pretty good pool of players there though I would put Angel in your second list not because of skill or age, but because of last years WNBA oddities. And I think the pool will likely include a few more younger guards - Bria is certainly a possibility, not sure who else to include. I believe Vandersloot also got a run in the USA pool last time? Do we think Cappy is no longer under consideration? By the way - I assume TBS = The Breanna Stewart?

 

[triaddukefan]

Just my opinion, but I really think its an unfair advantage for a college program to have their coach be the head coach of the USA National Team for multiple Olympics

 

[UcMiami]

I understand you were joking but there are some who think the coach selects the team. In fact, the team is selected by a USA basketball committee. That committee is not unaware of the identify of the coach, which may play a part in close calls, but it is a myth that the head coach picks the players.

Who are you kidding with this stuff - Geno has it in his super secret double hidden invisible ink clause in the contract that he has absolute authority to choose only the players he wants with no regard for what either USA basketball wants or their relative talent merit. Now I haven't actually seen the executed version of the contract, but I have my sources and they are really 'inside' sources if you know what I mean (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and they got me a hand written copy of the draft document which I wish I could share with you, but ... I have to protect my sources. And my best friend's second cousins wife's former boyfriend's half brother knows someone who works with ESPN (Uconn's personal broadcasting network as everyone knows) who was there when the whole thing went down. So TRUST me, this is the real story and you can take it to the bank.
And Phil - you really disappoint me that you could have fallen for all that PC crap that the 'USA Basketball Selection Committee makes all roster decisions' - As if!

 

[msf22b]

I haven't seen one piece of evidence where his coaching the national team impacted recruiting.

But of course there was my theory that it impacted his coaching, (especially in his understanding the capabilities of the frosh) national championship aside.

 

[msf22b]

Very true. Geno and his staff had a ton of time to recruit after Diana graduated and there were some lean years. Fortunately he and his staff have figured out how to make use of less time.

My late cousin, the late, illustrious composer, Morton Feldman, once told me that when he was asked to be the head of the 8th street Studio School, he had far less time to compose…and yet composed even more music, simply because he had to be more efficient and judicious of his time.

 

[msf22b]

This is a joking post so chill everyone, but ...
The biggest advantage I see is that Geno can finally shut out TN from the national team - Catchings - too old, Parker ... sort of duplicates what he can get from the younger talent out there in EDD and Griner and Stewart, so ... sorry.
Then he can pack the team with former Uconn players - six was not enough:
Tina, Maya, DT, Sue obviously, but now KML, Stewart, Kelly and Bria can join them - 2/3rds of the national team sounds about right.

Actually I believe Maria and some of her brethren on a certain board are having this exact nightmare right about now. So that is definitely a plus to the current news.

Might be in jest, but not funny

 

[doggydaddy]

I'm sure those that believe that it impacted Geno's ability to recruit can tell me what players he missed out on that he actually wanted to come to Uconn.

 

[Kibitzer]

Just my opinion, but I really think its an unfair advantage for a college program to have their coach be the head coach of the USA National Team for multiple Olympics

Are you speaking for Tennessee or Duke or Australia or Russia?

 

[grizz36]

Just my opinion, but I really think its an unfair advantage for a college program to have their coach be the head coach of the USA National Team for multiple Olympics

Cheer up, Triad. Maybe in 12 more years our favorite Maineonian (Coach P) may be selected for the position ..... after 11 consecutive NCAA runnerup spots.