Not Geno's Best Look (merged thread)

[boontonbomber]

Geno's look is reflected in the type of player/woman he recruits. No bad actors. Solid citizens. Compare Geno's girls with the ND gang. Muffett will take anyone and their behavior controls her, not the other way around.

besides Arike, who, over the years, would you include in ND's "gang"?

 

[HopJim]

Geno's take was that Izzo's players love him, would go through wall for him, and aren't complaining.
- "Players still love you & come back for more" - OK
- "Players feel abused" - NOT OK

Geno yells, cusses, taunts and publicly criticizes. He has a reputation for "knowing what buttons to push" for each individual player, and he also seems to know the limits for being tough on each player as an individual.

He employs 3 ethnically and age diverse females on his coaching staff who represent 3 different generations (big sister, mother, grandmother?), and each of whom was a high-level/elite WCBB player in her day. These ladies are close to the players (often playing the "good cop"), and I'm sure they give him plenty of feedback if they think he's getting close to the line.

Geno definitely passes the "players still love you" test.

My company hired Izzo for one of the more interesting talks and Q&A sessions I have heard. His take was that while he hasn't changed his in game style, he has embraced the new normal and relates to his players better than most. He mentioned several times that while this team understands he is the ONLY decision maker, he works with each as an individual and that the evolving motivational needs of today's players help, not hurt, his recruiting and in season success.

 

[wbball novice]

I'm not sure it's a good idea to generalize about the "soft" cultural climate based on player transfers, which Mike Anthony seems to be doing. We don't generally know why players transfer -- isn't it usually confidential? -- and it seems evident that players don't all transfer for the same reason. Did EDD transfer because she was "soft" or for compassionate reasons? Maybe Destiny Slocum left Maryland because her mother was ill. Was Azure Stevens "soft" because she wanted to develop her playing skills? And playing time: if it's clear you're going to be riding the bench for the duration of your college career and you want to play college basketball, it seems to me it's perfectly acceptable to seek an environment where there is a reasonable chance of playing a lot more , e.g. Ekmark. Conversely -- Stevens again -- you're a starter but you're willing to be on another team because you have a better chance of playing in the national tournament -- isn't this ambition and initiative?

As to "abuse," the definition and scope have evolved. Most cultural changes have positives and negatives. I don't think it's a good idea to see it as one or the other.

 

[Oldbones]

Considering that the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament wraps up this weekend, The Masters is a week away, the AAF is folding, MLB is just getting into full swing, The Patriots Owner continues to be news, the NFL Pro Days are in full final swing before the Draft, and the NHL is in its final Pre-Stanley-Cup positioning weekend, I am pleased to see Women's college Basketball getting this much attention.

 

[HuskyNan]

DO NOT CALL PEOPLE DIRTY. It’s middle school caliber name calling. Criticize the play all you want but stop ranting about the ND players being “dirty”. Otherwise, we’ll all be calling others stupid because they made a stupid post. Get it?

No more time outs. The next batch of bans are permanent