My opinion - I do not like the quote at all.
Coach is a Hall of Famer - possibly the most respected women's basketball coach in the world. His words have impact far greater than our little community here in CT. And not everyone will read them with the same, "Oh that's just Geno being Geno" sensibility that a great number of folks here do.
These are college juniors, not professionals. Young women who, last time I checked hadn’t done anything wrong. They were recruited to come to UConn, did what they were told, studied and achieved good grades, and were good teammates.
Very true. All indications are that they were great teammates.
And now they must speak to this very public statement by the most visible off the court figure in women's basketball.
Maybe yes, maybe no. It is very likely they do not need to address it at all. If so, I wonder to whom?
"They were not going to play this season. Now we have 11 players who, for the most part, are all going to play and will in some way be deserving to play, and that will even help our practices be more competitive."
Implication: these two players were not only never going to play, but they were not "in some way deserving to play." And that their failures were so complete, that were not able to even help make "practices be more competitive."
Why even go where Coach went? To explain that this wasn't his failure, it was theirs? To me - this is just not on.
Simply stating something probably already discussed with the kids, we don't know. Maybe even observations the kids made to him and/or the staff as they tried to make their decisions. We just don't know. It may well be nothing more than stating what the kids, Lauren and Michala, were already expressing and Geno was doing what he frequently does, taking the heat off the kids.
Why not, “Look, it just turned out that - despite the best efforts of the school and the players themselves - UConn wasn’t a great fit for them. It happens. These are two great kids who will do well wherever they go. I hope they enjoyed their 2 years at UConn as much as we enjoyed having them here. I and the rest of the team wish them success wherever they go. Except when they play us, of course!!”
Never heard Geno speak like that, ever. Plus it comes off as the type of insincere press drivel that everyone hates and then questions anyway. Such comments always end up sounding like what is he covering up. Plus a little bruskness may help everyone move on easier.
All the usual disclaimers about what Coach means to the state of CT, the women's hoops program in specific, basketball in general, and the lives women who come through it apply.
But NOBODY'S perfect. We've all read - and Coach readily admits - he sometimes opens his mouth and "stuff" comes out (didn't he say that one of those times his wife wouldn't speak to him for a week?).
Yup, happens sometimes and add to that the post Olympic emotional let down and fatigue and it wouldn't be surprising that he might do it differently given a second chance maybe not.
To me, Coach might have been better served giving a little more respect and gratitude to the two young women, whose signing days must have been among the happiest in their young lives, and who spent the last two years as part of this program.
Maybe, maybe not. That was the point of my what if the underlying assumptions were wrong. Hope that helps. I wasn't criticizing you or just noting other possibilities exist. One very real one was the he was talking about the drain on Lauren and Michala, as well as, the team not in a negative way but a realistic way. Kind of like the rest of the team wanting to bring Lauren and Michala along in skills and growth on the court and being frustrated, disappointed they couldn't and realizing their friends were going to get less and less time as the new talent came in. Michala and Lauren were to all signs great teammates and that can make the team want to protect them all the more.
Be frustrated, angry and disappointed Geno didn't say it better but know that that is just another possibility of what he wants.
