Jeff Jacobs: Reality bites Auriemma, UConn

[BostonCanuck]

Jeff Jacobs: Reality bites Auriemma, UConn

Some great perspective on a whole host of topics in this post-mortem by Jacobs, who obviously got some good one-to-one access to the head coach. I hope Geno's mom makes a speedy recovery.

Sure do appreciate the outstanding work that the regular beat reporters do for the team throughout the season.

 

[eebmg]

Great article. Must read for those who think everything is black and white and coaching is easy.

 

[Charliebball]

"Now, if you said to me you should have given Lou a breather, I would have said you are absolutely right.”

so I guess even Geno makes mistakes occasionally.........but who could he have brought in to replace her for a few minutes?

 

[eebmg]

The part that was most interesting to me was


That was our second point. Samuelson, first-team All-American and leading scorer, got her fourth foul with 4:54 left. She took only three shots in the second half and one in the final 10 minutes, none in overtime. What the heck happened to her?

“I’m always thinking positive during the game,” Auriemma said. “I’m trying to overlook how ineffective she was defensively, trying to overlook everything except in a three-minute span she can go for 3-for-3 and that nine-point run is going to win it for us. Obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job of getting her the ball.”


I am guessing he meant "with Lou in Foul trouble". I think she got her third early as well and once you are in foul trouble, your entire game changes.

 

[outlaw]

Jeff Jacobs? Think you mean 'some guy'...

 

[Charliebball]

The part that was most interesting to me was


That was our second point. Samuelson, first-team All-American and leading scorer, got her fourth foul with 4:54 left. She took only three shots in the second half and one in the final 10 minutes, none in overtime. What the heck happened to her?

“I’m always thinking positive during the game,” Auriemma said. “I’m trying to overlook how ineffective she was defensively, trying to overlook everything except in a three-minute span she can go for 3-for-3 and that nine-point run is going to win it for us. Obviously, we didn’t do a good enough job of getting her the ball.”


I am guessing he meant "with Lou in Foul trouble". I think she got her third early as well and once you are in foul trouble, your entire game changes.

the foul situation definitely effected her play but he wasn't willing to take her out because she could still make some important shots and because he simply had nobody off the bench to give her a breather.............

 

[EricLA]

Great stuff. Thanks for the link!

I'm also glad Jacobs said it - re: Stevens. Apparently she surprised Geno by leaving (I wonder what went thru her mind). And per Jacobs, "Bad decision, Azura". I agree. No one in the W is going to push her to be more of a post presence like Geno and CD would have. Her interior game will not develop the same way in the pros as it would have at UCONN.

It would not surprise me to see her range way more out on the perimeter in the W and forego learning more about playing effectively in the post. I asked in a different thread if her career will be closer to Iciss Tillis or Brit Griner. It remains to be seen, but if she fancies herself a wing, it will be more Iciss Tillis.

 

[Orangutan]

"She could have been the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft. This would have brought her much fame and more money."

She's going to be the #2 or #3 pick in the draft. I believe there is exactly zero difference in WNBA salary between being the #1 and #2 pick. Staying in year sacrifices a year of earnings potential in Europe. In the short term at least, coming back to UConn would have definitely cost her money.

I agree that she is a "spectacular work in progress". It would have been interesting to see if Geno could have finally produced a finished product out of her. Ever since her freshman year at Duke, I've thought "Whoa, if this kid ever puts it together, watch out". She never fully did but was an All-American caliber player anyway.

I understand the sentiment that Geno could have helped her reach the next level and that ultimately would have benefited her career. But I find it presumptuous for an outsider to declare such a decision "bad". That's not for a sportswriter to decide. That's for Azura and her family to decide.

N.B. There are probably some posts of mine about Jewell Loyd that put me in a glass house on this issue.

 

[dogged1]

"She could have been the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft. This would have brought her much fame and more money."

She's going to be the #2 or #3 pick in the draft. I believe there is exactly zero difference in WNBA salary between being the #1 and #2 pick. Staying in year sacrifices a year of earnings potential in Europe. In the short term at least, coming back to UConn would have definitely cost her money.

I agree that she is a "spectacular work in progress". It would have been interesting to see if Geno could have finally produced a finished product out of her. Ever since her freshman year at Duke, I've thought "Whoa, if this kid ever puts it together, watch out". She never fully did but was an All-American caliber player anyway.

I understand the sentiment that Geno could have helped her reach the next level and that ultimately would have benefited her career. But I find it presumptuous for an outsider to declare such a decision "bad". That's not for a sportswriter to decide. That's for Azura and her family to decide.

N.B. There are probably some posts of mine about Jewell Loyd that put me in a glass house on this issue.

Well written as always, Orangutan. But I read the use of the word "bad" as in bad for her development as a basketball player and ultimately as a professional, not bad as in an ill considered decision. Jeff is usually nuanced enough to know that there are a lot of factors that go into a decision like this, I've seen him support men's players who have elected to leave Uconn.

I've been away from the board for a few days so please accept my congratulations on ND's NC. MM proved she earned her COY. It appears that I am the one up Knob's Creek without a paddle.

 

[hart2hart]

What a great article! Do you think
Double-screens would have helped Lou get off more shots? I remember Geno used them for Dee. Member the Texas game double-screen for Dee? Jody C knew it was Taurasi Time! We won!

 

[huskyrob1]

Jeff Jacobs: Reality bites Auriemma, UConn

Some great perspective on a whole host of topics in this post-mortem by Jacobs, who obviously got some good one-to-one access to the head coach. I hope Geno's mom makes a speedy recovery.

Sure do appreciate the outstanding work that the regular beat reporters do for the team throughout the season.

Can she take it back once she declares, if she changes her mind?

 

[dtbtbtb]

While I can understand Z's decision as she'll be most probably selected 2nd in the WNBA draft, it is a mistake for her to leave. She would have a much longer career in the WNBA if she would have stayed for another year at UConn. Z's inclination is to roam the outside and shoot 3's which as she is far from a great 3 point shooter and being 6'6, a waste and makes her I. Tillis and how long of a career did she have in the WNBA? Geno was transforming her to be much more of a post player against her instincts and another year of doing that with strength training would have helped her tremendously. Oh well...

 

[boontonbomber]

Pleased to see Geno admit that they didn't work hard enough to get Samuelson the ball in the second half and overtime. Could very well have made the difference. Seems to me that that's the kind of thing that your highly paid assistants should be paying attention to, and maybe they did input to Geno. Who knows, but to me it was a huge mistake, to have left your best player basically out of the offense for 25 minutes. Oh, and he certainly could have put Stevens in sooner in the second half, and given Samuelson a breather for a few minutes. When Stevens did come in, she scored UConn's last 7 points of the quarter.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

So ND assistants don't get paid?

Pleased to see Geno admit that they didn't work hard enough to get Samuelson the ball in the second half and overtime. Could very well have made the difference. Seems to me that that's the kind of thing that your highly paid assistants should be paying attention to, and maybe they did input to Geno. Who knows, but to me it was a huge mistake, to have left your best player basically out of the offense for 25 minutes. Oh, and he certainly could have put Stevens in sooner in the second half, and given Samuelson a breather for a few minutes. When Stevens did come in, she scored UConn's last 7 points of the quarter.

 

[bleeckerhusky]

KLS's last bucket came at 4:44 in the third quarter. That means that she didn't score for the last 19;44 of the game and she wasn't playing very good defense. She played all 45 minutes on a troublesome ankle, although I did not notice a limp in the 4th quarter as some have claimed. She certainly should have been subbed out for a few minutes, and given how well Megan Walker played in the regular season game against ND she should have been the one subbed in.

Also, each game stands on its own. No one is disputing the 11 NCs or the 36-0 record, but when you have a chance to play in another NC game you have to be on the top of your game as a coach. In his interview after the Mississippi State loss, Vic Schaefer talked about his 4-and-4 rule, which is that when his team is up by 4 points with 4 minutes to go, it is his responsibility to bring home the win. And he acknowledged that he failed to do his job. I was impressed by his honesty and lack of hubris and thought that he did a good job of deflecting some of the criticism from his players after a painful loss as well as reducing the pressure on them in future late-game situations. I'd like Geno to admit that his in-game coaching played at least a part in this year's loss as well as last year's loss.

 

[BostonFan]

Good article as it provides insights on how Geno saw the game unfolding. I totally agree with Geno that Lou needed to get more shots in the 2nd half. Of course, Geno wouldnt say who was at fault, but I thought our guard play was pretty bad in the 2nd half. They needed to drive & attack the zone, attract a double-team, & kick out to the open shooter like Lou. I saw little of that. Just a lot of perimeter passing & then late shot-clock jump shots. ND's defense was too comfortable & aggressive and we didnt make them have to change-up.

 

[BostonCanuck]

Can she take it back once she declares, if she changes her mind?

One can wish. Jacobs makes a great case for changing her mind, and I'm sure that Geno and his staff would have echoed some of those very points had she consulted with them beforehand. But based on the statement issued by Geno, it would appear that Z spoke first with her parents/family about it, and they probably worked out a decision among themselves.

 

[Bronx23]

Excellent article and helpful in understanding Geno's thinking.
I think he clearly stated that KLS involvement late in the game both in getting her a breather and getting her more shots is an important aspect to the game. But that issue existed in a good # of games especially late in the year. Surely some of it is on KLS, but some is on his system which didn't adjust and prepare for just such a scenario.
His answer to the other question about starting lineup in the second half really concerns me. Yes often you go back to what you do and also yes you sub they sub you do it again.
There's no way his decision to go back to his small lineup as the first half went on and what happened . very quickly in the 3rd period wasn't a significant coaching error. His logic that they were up eight so it wasn't too bad, for me at least doesn't hold water. First of all if they tried the big lineup in the beginning of the third quarter they may well have widened the gap or even blow them out. The other side is you were up eight, so what went wrong and what role do you play in that.
Your team started off the game weakly, same in the third period and same in overtime. Shouldn't this tell you something,
Yes I know all about Geno being maybe the best coach certainly in wcbb ever and maybe in all of team sports but two years in a row they lost almost the exact same way. His coaching record in overtimes should tell him something is off.
I don't for one second minimize what Geno, CD and his coaching staff and the amazing young women of this program have brought! But, they lost two games where they started poorly came back by the half, had numerous opportunities to have a cushion and couldn't do that. I wish he got it(unless he's either still contemplating all this or is not playing his full hand), because these things point to some issues that weren't successfully addressed.
Again the last two seasons were tremendously successful with only two losses and while that shouldn't be discounted and surely Geno, CD and the coaches get lots of credit for all that, they also get some blame for the outcomes as well!
But what does anyone else know in comparison to the Master? Sorry for this sarcasm but I can see the reactions to this post!
Bronx23

 

[dogged1]

Can she take it back once she declares, if she changes her mind?

Wouldn't it be the same as for the men? If you hire an agent your done, otherwise if you don't sign a contract, you're still eligible?

 

[Aluminny69]

I agree that she is a "spectacular work in progress". It would have been interesting to see if Geno could have finally produced a finished product out of her. Ever since her freshman year at Duke, I've thought "Whoa, if this kid ever puts it together, watch out". She never fully did but was an All-American caliber player anyway.

I know this is slightly off on a tangent, but I was thinking exactly the same thing about Miss. St.'s Tiera McGowan. If she ever learns how to play center, she could become unstoppable. The only thing to do with her is hope she misses, which she did quite a bit in the finals. But she is really big, and strong. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like she has a very strong supporting cast next year, but she definitely could become a force to be reckoned with. Just my two cents.

 

[dogged1]

KLS's last bucket came at 4:44 in the third quarter. That means that she didn't score for the last 19;44 of the game and she wasn't playing very good defense. She played all 45 minutes on a troublesome ankle, although I did not notice a limp in the 4th quarter as some have claimed. She certainly should have been subbed out for a few minutes, and given how well Megan Walker played in the regular season game against ND she should have been the one subbed in.

Also, each game stands on its own. No one is disputing the 11 NCs or the 36-0 record, but when you have a chance to play in another NC game you have to be on the top of your game as a coach. In his interview after the Mississippi State loss, Vic Schaefer talked about his 4-and-4 rule, which is that when his team is up by 4 points with 4 minutes to go, it is his responsibility to bring home the win. And he acknowledged that he failed to do his job. I was impressed by his honesty and lack of hubris and thought that he did a good job of deflecting some of the criticism from his players after a painful loss as well as reducing the pressure on them in future late-game situations. I'd like Geno to admit that his in-game coaching played at least a part in this year's loss as well as last year's loss.

Not looking to pick a fight here bleecker, but to what end the bolded part of your post? If the point is to examine his mistakes as a coach, I'm certain that a man with his record of success re-lives and agonizes over every coaching mistake he has made; it's just an essential part of the process of making yourself that good.

If on the other hand the point of a public mea culpa is to make us feel better about our second guessing , then it serves no purpose to the team or to him, and he should not consider doing it.

 

[AussieHusky]

"Now, if you said to me you should have given Lou a breather, I would have said you are absolutely right.”

so I guess even Geno makes mistakes occasionally....but who could he have brought in to replace her for a few minutes?

Oohh, maybe Megan Walker? Or Azura?.... I don't think he was lacking options like last year. I think it was more or less he wanted to play it a certain way, nothing wrong with that. But imo, a different way couldn't have hurt. But he's the hall of fame coach... I am just a basement dweller, to borrow a phrase from another board...lol!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Interesting comment about Philly coaches:

Jay Wright 2 of 3

Geno 4

Dawn 1

Muffet 1

 

[nwhoopfan]

Didn't Kiah Stokes improve after she left UConn? Are there literally no good coaches in the WNBA? (That's rhetorical; I don't follow the WNBA very closely but I happen to think Cheryl Reeve and Brian Agler are excellent coaches, so there's at least 2) Maybe, just maybe, Stevens will continue to develop as a pro and she'll be just fine.

Also who's to say everything would've magically come together for Stevens as a Sr. at UConn. She was there for 2 years. If she still had a tendency to drift to the perimeter after 2 years, why would it have changed her Sr. year?

 

[boontonbomber]

So ND assistants don't get paid?

Not sure what your point is.