"No Flow to Our Offense" - Geno expands on post-SC comments

[Skeets]

I've responded once each to multiple statements of the same thing from the same source. You guys have referenced a banner that was hung up once, about five dozen times. Talk about Roy Rogers' horse.....

1886 SC-90, Conway, SC 29526. When should I be expecting the delivery??

I sincerely hope that's not a real address.

 

[meyers7]

I love Geno, and I think he has the best basketball mind in the business, men or women. I really hate to say this, but I'm really getting tired of the way he chastises players publicly. These girls play their heart out, and if they screw up or just don't have a good game he can address this at practice or in his office. I myself get embarrassed whenever he does this at pressers, especially when the player is sitting right next to him at the table. I can't believe the university hasn't said anything to him, because from the outside many could say it is abuse, and lately this is becoming a very big topic. He may think it is funny, but to me it isn't. Like I already said, I love him, he's the best, but come on, treat the players with respect, at least publicly.

 

[meyers7]

in other words, winning is not the most important thing, it's the only thing.

No, not really. Geno is more after perfection than wins/loses.

 

[boontonbomber]

I’m sorry if that’s the implication you took from my post, because that’s not what I meant at all. I was referring to the many different styles that coaches use in an attempt to reach the same goal. John Wooden’s style and personality is 180 degrees from GA’s, yet they both are at the top of their peers in terms of championships. Tony Dungy won a NFL championship, and Mike Ditka, who was the polar opposite in terms of style & personality, won one also. Dungy was criticized as being too quiet and laid back, but winning a championship quilted the critics and made his style the right one because he won. This has nothing to do with winning at all costs at all. Your posts indicate that you are no fan of parts of GA’s coaching style, nothing wrong with that opinion, but if you think that he’s a win at all costs type of coach I would contend that his former players and his peers would tend to disagree. If he treated players unfairly or abused them you would see a mass exit, ala Syracuse, despite his championships and how many games he’s won.

JMO

To be very clear: my gripe with him is the post-game public criticism, that sometimes is pretty harsh. Again, I see no point in doing that. That others may do it doesn't make it right. In fact, when other coaches have thrown their players "under the bus" in postgames ,the Boneyard has been quick to point it out. And rightfully so. I've asked in the past, and I'm asking again, why should Geno be exempt. I really think, and some may think I'm being dramatic, that it is a betrayal of players for coaches to roast them in public. And to be really dramatic, it may be a bit of bullying. Certainly coaches have to be tough with their players at times. No one is saying that they should be coddled. But there is a time and a place. For example, I expect that he spent face-to-face time with Paige regarding her play against SC in the 2nd half. So what on earth IS THE POINT of airing it out in his postgame? I don't have a problem with different coaches having different styles. In the end, though, you would hope that they all would show respect for their players. I just don't think pointed public criticism shows that respect. JMHO.

 

[boontonbomber]

No, not really. Geno is more after perfection than wins/loses.

good luck with that.

 

[hoophuskee]

To be very clear: my gripe with him is the post-game public criticism, that sometimes is pretty harsh. Again, I see no point in doing that. That others may do it doesn't make it right. In fact, when other coaches have thrown their players "under the bus" in postgames ,the Boneyard has been quick to point it out. And rightfully so. I've asked in the past, and I'm asking again, why should Geno be exempt.

"Exempt?"

Are you implying that all of us as UCONN fans should not be bias against other teams and coaches as we might want to be/like to be?

And are all "harsh comments" the same level?

And who determines what is considered "harsh?" we all don't have the same definition.

And as a coach, we would expect the coach knows the player very well, right? So there are some players that Geno can joke around with while others don't like it, right? Because each person is different.
So why not trust the coach that has been winning for so long that he knows what he is doing? . . . And it seems at least his top level players don't ever transfer out, right? So he seems to be knowing the type of buttons to push, right? And we certainly don't, do we?

 

[ConwayGmck]

I sincerely hope that's not a real address.

It is. It's the address to my county's Solid Waste Authority.....

 

[boontonbomber]

"Exempt?"

Are you implying that all of us as UCONN fans should not be bias against other teams and coaches as we might want to be/like to be?

And are all "harsh comments" the same level?

And who determines what is considered "harsh?" we all don't have the same definition.

And as a coach, we would expect the coach knows the player very well, right? So there are some players that Geno can joke around with while others don't like it, right? Because each person is different.
So why not trust the coach that has been winning for so long that he knows what he is doing? . . . And it seems at least his top level players don't ever transfer out, right? So he seems to be knowing the type of buttons to push, right? And we certainly don't, do we?

Don't understand your 2nd sentence. UConn fans have felt, and should ,feel quite comfortable calling out other coaches when they think they've stepped over the line. So why shouldn't UConn fans feel comfortable calling out Geno? Tell me, why not Geno? A certain Duke coach was called out regularly here. Who determines what is harsh? Well, I guess the fans have the right to make that judgement.
I coached high school teams for 3 seasons for many years, and certainly knew that all my players reacted differently to my "coaching". But, in general, I tried to be careful what I said in front of the other players. Some things had to be said; some were best saved for one-on-one.
Geno's record should not exempt him from comments. Sorry, I'm not going to trust that Geno is infallible just because of his record. You don't mind his style; at times I do. I greatly admire what he has accomplished at UConn. But there are times when I wish he would keep his mouth shut. Nothing more to say.

 

[hoophuskee]

Don't understand your 2nd sentence. UConn fans have felt, and should ,feel quite comfortable calling out other coaches when they think they've stepped over the line. So why shouldn't UConn fans feel comfortable calling out Geno? Tell me, why not Geno? A certain Duke coach was called out regularly here. Who determines what is harsh? Well, I guess the fans have the right to make that judgement.
I coached high school teams for 3 seasons for many years, and certainly knew that all my players reacted differently to my "coaching". But, in general, I tried to be careful what I said in front of the other players. Some things had to be said; some were best saved for one-on-one.
Geno's record should not exempt him from comments. Sorry, I'm not going to trust that Geno is infallible just because of his record. You don't mind his style; at times I do. I greatly admire what he has accomplished at UConn. But there are times when I wish he would keep his mouth shut. Nothing more to say.

You've made it sound like all posters called out coaches from other teams combined with that if you call out other team’s coaches then you must call out Geno. That's not the case. But aside from that, what if you feel what the other coach did was worse? You seem to not want to distinguish between calling out. Unless you are saying every time a coach calls out a player it is exactly equal to any other comment made by any other coach that criticizes publicly? SO when for example the Florida coach Cam Newbauer was accused by players on his own team of different issues (you can google it), that is the same as what Geno is doing? You can tell the difference, right? For the record, these allegations could be completely false against Cam- I don’t know. I was just using this an example to show that there are differences.

And that is awesome that you coached and congrats super great for you. I mean that - awesome. And please don’t take offense. But why must Geno be exactly like you? SO following up with that- you agree that in all of sports there are some coaches thought of as "player’s coaches" vs others that are thought of as "tough coaches." right? Well what do you think "tough coaches do? They would be pretty brutal in some circumstances, right? Because even yelling can be considered bullying. I'll PM you where to find the article if you wish. It says that bullying can be a management style and I find it hard to believe the very tough coaches - the very tough ones don't use bullying in some manner.

And you have a style of things to be best said one-on-one. Well don’t you think Geno says things one-on-one too? But are you suggesting he must follow your guidelines exactly and if he isn't then he is going over-the-line? If so, how many former UCONN players can you find me or tell me about that have transferred that seem to agree with your philosophy that Geno has gone over-the-line? You are saying that, aren't you?

And the point of bringing up Geno's record is because there are also comments on here that what he is doing doesn't really help the player. That's why I brought it up. It's that his players aren't complaining though. The only ones that are complaining are fans on a chat board that have no idea the relationship of Geno’s relationship with the player.

I'm absolutely fine what he’s doing. And if I criticize other teams (and I may have bias against some teams anyhow which imo is no problem because sports is emotional)) – At least for me when I criticize other coaches, I tend to feel there is a definite separation between what Geno does vs the specific ones I criticized. And for the ones that have criticized other coaches, what if they were wrong in some cases for doing so??? They need to compound that wrong?

 

[Sluconn Husky]

UConn is 194th in PPG allowed and even worse by possession, 277th!

On offense, they aren't getting enough extra possessions from steals and offensive boards, and are playing pretty slow. 292nd in possessions per 40 minutes.

So there is a lot to work on, and not just on the defensive side.

 

[UConnCat]

UConn is 194th in PPG allowed and even worse by possession, 277th!

On offense, they aren't getting enough extra possessions from steals and offensive boards, and are playing pretty slow. 292nd in possessions per 40 minutes.

So there is a lot to work on, and not just on the defensive side.

How much stock should be put in rankings like these at this point in the season? A lot of schools have feasted on cupcakes. UConn has played all of 4 games none of which would be considered cupcakes.

 

[TeamFirst!]

It's been my experience that if you flog the horse too much they will not respond when you need them. You want to develop lions, not dogs that have been kicked repeatedly into compliance. Tito Francona got it and that's part of the reason why he has been so successful. Lot's of coaches know that. You don't have to say your best player was terrible in the media just after they lost their biggest game. But I'm tired of flogging Geno when 90% of you think he's beyond reproach.

That same mentality is what keeps him from playing subs more. He just can't stand losing. In the long run, developing that bench is what MIGHT make a difference for him in March. He's NOT doing it well so far. If his justification is to help the draft prospects of his seniors I get it a little. If he just refuses to lose any game for personal reputation reasons and is willing to ride his horse to death to maintain his win record I don't support it.

 

[jchusky]

How much stock should be put in rankings like these at this point in the season? A lot of schools have feasted on cupcakes. UConn has played all of 4 games none of which would be considered cupcakes.

Minnesota was a cupcake lollll, unless the Jacksonville Sharks are now some powerhouse that I was not awae of.

 

[UConnCat]

Minnesota was a cupcake lollll, unless the Jacksonville Sharks are now some powerhouse that I was not awae of.

Wrong. LOL A bad loss does not make a team a cupcake and Minnesota -- a middle of the pack Big 10 team -- is not a cupcake.

You have no idea what a cupcake is.

 

[meyers7]

good luck with that.

11 NC's, .886 winning percentage, 13 consecutive FF appearances, numerous Coach of the Year awards, Basketball HOF inductee, WBB HOF inductee, 1st, 2nd and 3rd longest winning streaks in WBB, multiple Gold Medals coaching the NT.

Seems to be working for him.

 

[Alydar]

UConn is 194th in PPG allowed and even worse by possession, 277th!

On offense, they aren't getting enough extra possessions from steals and offensive boards, and are playing pretty slow. 292nd in possessions per 40 minutes.

So there is a lot to work on, and not just on the defensive side.

You are ready to defend stats based on 4 games, three of which were played on consecutive days?
You actually think that UConn's defense is 277th out of 350 teams based on a 4 game season? I guess you do because I see an exclamation point.
Or were just trying to provoke?

I agree about there being a lot to work on, there always is, but a lot less than just about every other team in D1.

It's been my experience that if you flog the horse too much they will not respond when you need them. You want to develop lions, not dogs that have been kicked repeatedly into compliance. Tito Francona got it and that's part of the reason why he has been so successful. Lot's of coaches know that. You don't have to say your best player was terrible in the media just after they lost their biggest game. But I'm tired of flogging Geno when 90% of you think he's beyond reproach.

That same mentality is what keeps him from playing subs more. He just can't stand losing. In the long run, developing that bench is what MIGHT make a difference for him in March. He's NOT doing it well so far. If his justification is to help the draft prospects of his seniors I get it a little. If he just refuses to lose any game for personal reputation reasons and is willing to ride his horse to death to maintain his win record I don't support it.

If you were criticizing Geno I would have no problem but what you are saying is more "flogging"(your descriptive words) than reasoned opinion.

Like this:

willing to ride his horse to death to maintain his win record

Lots of reasoned argument there. Do you picture him in a black hooded cloak, using his crop while the horse foams at the mouth as it rides to its death?

Personally I'd rather the UConn coach was more focused on winning than in providing their bench minutes.

 

[JoePgh]

11 NC's, .886 winning percentage, 13 consecutive FF appearances, numerous Coach of the Year awards, Basketball HOF inductee, WBB HOF inductee, 1st, 2nd and 3rd longest winning streaks in WBB, multiple Gold Medals coaching the NT.

Seems to be working for him.

I would say that for the present discussion, the loyalty of many of his ex-players (including those whom he coached the hardest and criticized loudest in public) is a more impressive credential than those which demonstrate on-the-court success (those you listed).

I don't think Geno is either infallible or a saint, but I do think he has a better sense of his players' needs and personalities than casual posters on this board, who in many cases are extrapolating from their experience coaching youth basketball -- a whole different population group than UConn players who aspire to pro basketball careers. If you were the music teacher for an 18-year-old violinist who appeared to have both the talent and the desire to become the next Hillary Hahn, would you coach that person the same way you would coach an 8th-grader who was playing the violin recreationally?

Despite being a Geno supporter, I admit that he has said some things about his players publicly that have made me cringe. (These do not include his recent comments about Paige's second-half play against South Carolina. If he had said anything on that subject other than basically what he said, it would have flunked the "get real" test, and it would not have made Paige feel any better since she knows how she played just as well as Geno does.)

His most cringe-inducing comment that I can remember occurred in Breanna Stewart's freshman year after a Baylor game in which she played only 7 minutes, and played very poorly -- and UConn lost. He started by saying that UConn might have won the game if he had not played Stewie at all, and went on to say that she was in a mental place at that moment where she couldn't help the team very much -- but maybe that would change "next week or next month". Well, we all know how that turned out. Stewie was not shattered by the comment (although she was very hurt, and told her parents that, but never suggested to them that she wanted to leave the program). Her mental state did turn around and she become the MVP of the NCAA tournament that year.

Obviously, if Stewie were a middle-school basketball player or even a "pretty good" high school player, she might well have headed for the exit gate. But that is not who Stewie is, and it is not who any player is who entertains serious aspirations of a successful pro career. Geno understands that distinction, and coaches his players accordingly. Many posters here do not see any distinction between coaching avocational players and coaching aspiring pros -- and they are wrong.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

How much stock should be put in rankings like these at this point in the season? A lot of schools have feasted on cupcakes. UConn has played all of 4 games none of which would be considered cupcakes.

Some stock I think. It won't look that way at the end of the year, but it's still a snapshot of these first four games.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

You are ready to defend stats based on 4 games, three of which were played on consecutive days?
You actually think that UConn's defense is 277th out of 350 teams based on a 4 game season? I guess you do because I see an exclamation point.
Or were just trying to provoke?

I agree about there being a lot to work on, there always is, but a lot less than just about every other team in D1.


If you were criticizing Geno I would have no problem but what you are saying is more "flogging"(your descriptive words) than reasoned opinion.

Like this:


Lots of reasoned argument there. Do you picture him in a black hooded cloak, using his crop while the horse foams at the mouth as it rides to its death?

Personally I'd rather the UConn coach was more focused on winning than in providing their bench minutes.

It's fair to point out what UConn has done well and hasn't, no? If they had averaged 100 points to this point wouldn't that be worth noting? It's fair to point out there are rebounding and possession issues no? We can see it in action and the stats back it up.

And while UConnCat makes a valid point about small sample size and opposition, do we really expect UConn to be that poor in that many categories just because they have played one good team and one great one?

We know UConn can clobber lesser competition. But we're not grading them on a curve. The goal is to be great enough to beat the elite and win a title.

 

[Alydar]

It's fair to point out what UConn has done well and hasn't, no? If they had averaged 100 points to this point wouldn't that be worth noting? It's fair to point out there are rebounding and possession issues no? We can see it in action and the stats back it up.

And while UConnCat makes a valid point about small sample size and opposition, do we really expect UConn to be that poor in that many categories just because they have played one good team and one great one?

We know UConn can clobber lesser competition. But we're not grading them on a curve. The goal is to be great enough to beat the elite and win a title.

I agree with all you say, although your ppg stats are more a measure of scheduling than of performance. My complaint is with posters making inflamatory comparisons of Geno and his players with some angel of death riding a dying horse. The comparison would have been fine if there had been some evidence behind it other than that vague reference to giving his bench more time.

The other day I read a post somewhere saying that Tara goes deep in her bench and that Geno should be more like her. I checked the box scores and Geno played 8 and while Tara used 11 players, 3 of them totaled like 10 minutes so in effect Tara also used 8.

 

[boontonbomber]

I would say that for the present discussion, the loyalty of many of his ex-players (including those whom he coached the hardest and criticized loudest in public) is a more impressive credential than those which demonstrate on-the-court success (those you listed).

I don't think Geno is either infallible or a saint, but I do think he has a better sense of his players' needs and personalities than casual posters on this board, who in many cases are extrapolating from their experience coaching youth basketball -- a whole different population group than UConn players who aspire to pro basketball careers. If you were the music teacher for an 18-year-old violinist who appeared to have both the talent and the desire to become the next Hillary Hahn, would you coach that person the same way you would coach an 8th-grader who was playing the violin recreationally?

Despite being a Geno supporter, I admit that he has said some things about his players publicly that have made me cringe. (These do not include his recent comments about Paige's second-half play against South Carolina. If he had said anything on that subject other than basically what he said, it would have flunked the "get real" test, and it would not have made Paige feel any better since she knows how she played just as well as Geno does.)

His most cringe-inducing comment that I can remember occurred in Breanna Stewart's freshman year after a Baylor game in which she played only 7 minutes, and played very poorly -- and UConn lost. He started by saying that UConn might have won the game if he had not played Stewie at all, and went on to say that she was in a mental place at that moment where she couldn't help the team very much -- but maybe that would change "next week or next month". Well, we all know how that turned out. Stewie was not shattered by the comment (although she was very hurt, and told her parents that, but never suggested to them that she wanted to leave the program). Her mental state did turn around and she become the MVP of the NCAA tournament that year.

Obviously, if Stewie were a middle-school basketball player or even a "pretty good" high school player, she might well have headed for the exit gate. But that is not who Stewie is, and it is not who any player is who entertains serious aspirations of a successful pro career. Geno understands that distinction, and coaches his players accordingly. Many posters here do not see any distinction between coaching avocational players and coaching aspiring pros -- and they are wrong.

Glad you agree that he makes these cringe-worthy comments at times. That's about all that some commenters said here, other than, besides being cringe-worthy, they are pointless. Thanks for reminding me ( or maybe I wish you hadn't reminded me) of the Stewart comments he made after that Baylor game.

 

[BobbyJ]

I would say that for the present discussion, the loyalty of many of his ex-players (including those whom he coached the hardest and criticized loudest in public) is a more impressive credential than those which demonstrate on-the-court success (those you listed).

I don't think Geno is either infallible or a saint, but I do think he has a better sense of his players' needs and personalities than casual posters on this board, who in many cases are extrapolating from their experience coaching youth basketball -- a whole different population group than UConn players who aspire to pro basketball careers. If you were the music teacher for an 18-year-old violinist who appeared to have both the talent and the desire to become the next Hillary Hahn, would you coach that person the same way you would coach an 8th-grader who was playing the violin recreationally?

Despite being a Geno supporter, I admit that he has said some things about his players publicly that have made me cringe. (These do not include his recent comments about Paige's second-half play against South Carolina. If he had said anything on that subject other than basically what he said, it would have flunked the "get real" test, and it would not have made Paige feel any better since she knows how she played just as well as Geno does.)

His most cringe-inducing comment that I can remember occurred in Breanna Stewart's freshman year after a Baylor game in which she played only 7 minutes, and played very poorly -- and UConn lost. He started by saying that UConn might have won the game if he had not played Stewie at all, and went on to say that she was in a mental place at that moment where she couldn't help the team very much -- but maybe that would change "next week or next month". Well, we all know how that turned out. Stewie was not shattered by the comment (although she was very hurt, and told her parents that, but never suggested to them that she wanted to leave the program). Her mental state did turn around and she become the MVP of the NCAA tournament that year.

Obviously, if Stewie were a middle-school basketball player or even a "pretty good" high school player, she might well have headed for the exit gate. But that is not who Stewie is, and it is not who any player is who entertains serious aspirations of a successful pro career. Geno understands that distinction, and coaches his players accordingly. Many posters here do not see any distinction between coaching avocational players and coaching aspiring pros -- and they are wrong.

Just wondering. Assuming that Bueckers knows that she didn't play well in the 2nd half and assuming that Auriemma could have discussed her play at length with her at any time following the game, who was the message for? Other than entertaining the media, who benefited from him speaking it into a microphone publicly? I doubt that it was to show the other players that PB isn't above criticism since they know that she as well as they get verbally hammered in practice regularly.