Gregg Popovich and the Ability to Change as a Coach

[Charliebball]

Every time I mention that perhaps Geno needs to reconsider how he handles his bench and more specifically his freshmen, I get the usual "well why should he change the way he coaches when he's got the best record in WBB"...........I've read that Geno has great respect for Gregg Popovich so I wondered whether Popovich ever tweaked the way he runs his team even after all of the success he's had in the NBA..........sure enough I found article after article on that subject........here's just one of them..........

Gregg Popovich is a great coach because he’s willing to compromise

 

[CocoHusky]

Geno has considered how he handles the bench and coaching in general.
These suggestions that Geno recruit isolation type players or modify his approach about players earning playing time in practice or .... ring really hollow. What we are really saying best case is I wish Geno would try this and worst case he too stubborn or stupid to think of this. Maybe he has tried it and is smart enough to know what not going to work .
If you want Geno to emulate "Pop" guess what, he already has. Put these articles together and you can virtually substitute Bria Hartley for Manu or Tony Parker and Pop for Geno.
Hartley thrives in new role off UConn bench

 

[JoePgh]

Another myth is that Geno doesn't allow, or never encourages, 1-on-1 play.

Doesn't anyone remember the video of the Baylor game last year (the second or third game of Crystal's freshman year) when he said to her during a timeout, "Go out there and make a play to win the game for us!" And she did make a drive that split Cox and Brown to get a layup, looking just like Moriah Jefferson. After the game, Kim Mulkey said that she was the most effective player on the court.

I also remember a game against South Carolina on their court when UConn started in a 5-out offensive set. On the first play, Stewie beat A'ja to the basket and drew a foul. On the second or third play, Morgan Tuck left Alaina Coates flatfooted and made an easy layup. A few plays later, Coates should have helped on a MoJeff drive but again stood flatfooted as Moriah scored -- and then reproached her teammate for getting beat (or so it appeared).

Just as Geno has no doctrinaire objection to playing freshmen (as long as they earn their playing time), he has no doctrinaire objection to 1-on-1 play (if it is likely to work and if it is the best option).

 

[MadDogRevival]

Guy wins a nattie in year 1, wins a nattie in year 2, goes to FF and loses in OT in year 3, goes to FF and loses in OT in year 4. Loses fewer than 5 games in that period.

Fan? "This guy should consider changing up the way he is coaching."

Only a program with a cup running over like Niagara Falls would have a fan base that made such comments.

 

[trb123]

I do not believe Geno is alone in not playing freshmen or other players unless they earn playing time. Muffet and other good coaches must have similar restrictions to some extent.
Danielle Patterson sat on the bench a lot. However, Geno wears his principle on his chest (at least BYers think so) and I would like like to know if this is going to affect our recruiting.
Next year Notre Dame will be more formidable with the injured players returning. They may be the preseason top seed and the favorite to win next year.
If they win, they will have superb recruiting in near future. It will be interesting to see how Geno counters this.

 

[Charliebball]

I do not believe Geno is alone in not playing freshmen or other players unless they earn playing time. Muffet and other good coaches must have similar restrictions to some extent.
Danielle Patterson sat on the bench a lot. However, Geno wears his principle on his chest (at least BYers think so) and I would like like to know if this is going to affect our recruiting.
Next year Notre Dame will be more formidable with the injured players returning. They may be the preseason top seed and the favorite to win next year.
If they win, they will have superb recruiting in near future. It will be interesting to see how Geno counters this.

I know that members of the "Cult of Geno" will get up in arms as they always do but I think that publicly criticizing the entire bench and sitting the number one high school player in the country for much of the season and totally during the semi finals of the NCAA Tournament will certainly not be helpful to UConn recruiting..........I would love to be wrong but we'll find out soon enough...........

 

[Charliebball]

I do not believe Geno is alone in not playing freshmen or other players unless they earn playing time. Muffet and other good coaches must have similar restrictions to some extent.
Danielle Patterson sat on the bench a lot. However, Geno wears his principle on his chest (at least BYers think so) and I would like like to know if this is going to affect our recruiting.
Next year Notre Dame will be more formidable with the injured players returning. They may be the preseason top seed and the favorite to win next year.
If they win, they will have superb recruiting in near future. It will be interesting to see how Geno counters this.

Danielle Patterson is no Megan Walker........that you can believe.........ND always has good recruiting classes and they sometimes beat UConn to certain players just as other teams do..........I think this NC is going to help them going forward even if it is only one NC in 17 years........there are at least four or five recruits that the two teams are fighting for right now........let's see who gets the lion's share............

 

[Charliebball]

Geno has considered how he handles the bench and coaching in general.
These suggestions that Geno recruit isolation type players or modify his approach about players earning playing time in practice or .... ring really hollow. What we are really saying best case is I wish Geno would try this and worst case he too stubborn or stupid to think of this. Maybe he has tried it and is smart enough to know what not going to work .

regardless of what he considered it certainly didn't work this year................other then Z he had almost no bench.......................who's fault is that?...........if the players weren't good enough, who recruited them?.........if the players weren't motivated enough, who was in charge of motivating them? If the players couldn't learn the system..............who was teaching them?
Is all the blame to be placed on the players or does Geno have to take some responsibility for his choices regarding the bench?

 

[trisailin]

And since none of us sees the team in practice, none of us (including 100% of us) has ANY basis to make a complaint.
I dare say, Geno is way ahead of all of us understanding what it takes to make a winning team (of 18 to 22 year college kids). In fact, he's had a better winning record over the past year(s) than any other coach. It is rather preposterous to think any of us are so smart we could do it better.
@Charlieabball, saying "it certainly didn't work" - please explain what didn't work. Last time I checked, they had the best win/loss percentage in the country for two years in a row. Who was able to do better?

 

[BostonCanuck]

Geno made some good adjustments to the offense after last year's loss that on paper probably should have been enough with the roster he had this season.

But I would like to see him get a little more hungry again, if that's even possible at his age and given all that he has accomplished already. The current players do really lack an innate killer instinct. He would do well to exhibit that hunger more himself, and then directly challenge his best players to bring it, too. There's just a certain aspect/tone that was missing this year.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Geno made some good adjustments to the offense after last year's loss that on paper probably should have been enough with the roster he had this season.

But I would like to see him get more hungry again, if that's possible at his age and given what he has accomplished already. The current players do sort of lack an innate killer instinct. I think he would do well to exhibit that trait more himself, and then challenge them directly to bring it, too.

I don't think Geno has lost his edge.

It's more likely that this group of kids just didn't have that edge to begin with, and aren't so superior in talent or toughness that they can overcome it. To be fair, I'm not sure the Stewie class did either, but they were far and away more talented (and better coached) than everyone else.

In fact, Geno has alluded to his surprise that this group never looked like they were on a mission -- it smacks of a robotic attitude among the kids, too businesslike.

 

[Charliebball]

And since none of us sees the team in practice, none of us (including 100% of us) has ANY basis to make a complaint.
I dare say, Geno is way ahead of all of us understanding what it takes to make a winning team (of 18 to 22 year college kids). In fact, he's had a better winning record over the past year(s) than any other coach. It is rather preposterous to think any of us are so smart we could do it better.
@Charlieabball, saying "it certainly didn't work" - please explain what didn't work. Last time I checked, they had the best win/loss percentage in the country for two years in a row. Who was able to do better?

You're right nobody on the BY has any reason to complain............we are all very spoiled by the performance of this wonderful program............two unbelievable seasons with just one tiny blemish each year...........no questions to ask, no negative comments to make....................all is well...........see you next season

 

[Charliebball]

I don't think Geno has lost his edge.

It's more likely that this group of kids just didn't have that edge to begin with, and aren't so superior in talent or toughness that they can overcome it. To be fair, I'm not sure the Stewie class did either, but they were far and away more talented (and better coached) than everyone else.

In fact, Geno has alluded to his surprise that this group never looked like they were on a mission -- it smacks of a robotic attitude among the kids, too businesslike.

Geno has just come off two undefeated regular seasons, how could he be losing his edge?...............a total of two losses over two seasons.........nobody else has done better then that............what can you say............gonna do that again next season........looking forward to it