Post-ND pressers

[Dove]

Muffett is a bitter person when it comes to UConn. ND overall is arrogant and thinks they are better than anyone else in everything.

I hope Miss Muffet's tuffet is cold tonight.

 

[JordyG]

I'll say MM is a great coach. And her presser today I agree. Excellent. And I even like the half-smile she gave when I think she was asked in some manner if she was okay with the loss. She wasn't okay with it- which a top coach with a strong team wouldn't be. I'm sure she would love to grab the reporter by the shoulders and shake him senseless. I just can't believe several years ago how much she completely hated UCONN. That seems to have passed. Glad for that.

Frankly UConn has become such a monolith, such unobtainium. It's almost like hating a chimera, an imaginary ghost that's haunting you. After a time, you hate that your hatred has hurt only you, and then you come to grips with it. It's won't be a rivalry again until ND wins again and she knows it. Don't write her or ND off. They'll be back, stronger than ever. Personally I'd would like to see more games between the two teams like this. So exciting, no foregone conclusions.

 

[mhshuskies]

So migraines for Gabby?

Sounds like it could be a major concern.

 

[mhshuskies]

What I found most interesting is that MM said her team was close to where they need to be. If you asked Geno about his team he would say they were anywhere near where they need to be, and yet they won the game. Would that mean there may not be much more growth for nd, but quite a bit for UCONN?

 

[Golden Husky]

I'll say MM is a great coach. And her presser today I agree. Excellent. And I even like the half-smile she gave when I think she was asked in some manner if she was okay with the loss. She wasn't okay with it- which a top coach with a strong team wouldn't be. I'm sure she would love to grab the reporter by the shoulders and shake him senseless. I just can't believe several years ago how much she completely hated UCONN. That seems to have passed. Glad for that.

What is the standard for greatness? I believe it has to be more than one national championship in 35 years. Maybe I'm a tough marker but I'm not sure I would extend the list of "great" college basketball coaches much beyond Geno, John Wooden, Pat Summit and Coach K.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I would say Tara, but a close third. A fine presser though by a great coach who could coach any team, any level, any gender. Unlike teams like Baylor, Maryland, and Texas, Muffet will play any team, anywhere, anytime. Unlike some on this site who hold much against her, and maybe rightfully so, she remains on of my favorite coaches in BB. Her teams always play a pretty basketball that's fun to watch.

I'd put Tara at 2 and Muffet at 3, but could reverse those rankings.

 

[MilfordHusky]

What I found most interesting is that MM said her team was close to where they need to be. If you asked Geno about his team he would say they were anywhere near where they need to be, and yet they won the game. Would that mean there may not be much more growth for nd, but quite a bit for UCONN?

Muffet is happy to play even with UConn for much of the game. Geno is not content with trailing for much of the game. He wants 26-9 every quarter.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Imagine - the winning coach was happier than the losing coach

well said... the things you read on these message boards!

I don't understand how they expect the opponent to bow down and kiss your Converse... talk about arrogant. Id be offended if the asked me about the other team's player performance (Dangerfield). Did anyone ask Geno about ND's best player today, maybe I missed it

 

[DaddyChoc]

I recall folks acting like it was gonna be a cakewalk especially after a ND player got injured in another game... I said "don't be sleep on ND".

We want Muffett to give praise but we wont give ND praise for a great game smh

 

[Rocket009]

What I found most interesting is that MM said her team was close to where they need to be. If you asked Geno about his team he would say they were anywhere near where they need to be, and yet they won the game. Would that mean there may not be much more growth for nd, but quite a bit for UCONN?

I think they are close to be where they need to be - they are ranked#3 and should be second best. That's pretty close.

 

[UConnCat]

well said... the things you read on these message boards!

I don't understand how they expect the opponent to bow down and kiss your Converse... talk about arrogant. Id be offended if the asked me about the other team's player performance (Dangerfield). Did anyone ask Geno about ND's best player today, maybe I missed it

Geno is often asked about an opponent's player, typically after a game at the opponent's arena. He's never appeared offended by those questions, nor should he be. Smh

I have no idea what Muffet said and doubt I would be bothered if I did.

 

[Vowelguy]

What I found most interesting is that MM said her team was close to where they need to be. If you asked Geno about his team he would say they were anywhere near where they need to be, and yet they won the game. Would that mean there may not be much more growth for nd, but quite a bit for UCONN?

She didn't say "where they need to be in March".
I took it to mean that they are on track in their progression - not behind schedule.

 

[Mlb0814]

well said... the things you read on these message boards!

I don't understand how they expect the opponent to bow down and kiss your Converse... talk about arrogant. Id be offended if the asked me about the other team's player performance (Dangerfield). Did anyone ask Geno about ND's best player today, maybe I missed it

I do like how Geno gives props to opposing players when it's deserved. Granted, it's after they usually win the game but he doesn't blame others or dismiss great play...

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Lol at Lou adjusting her clothing underneath her shirt during the interview. It was like watching that scene from aliens .

No, not wardrobe stuff. Geno has given her his post-game itchies!

 

[Amston Joe]

Imagine - the winning coach was happier than the losing coach

JG's comment was about the pre-game convo, not the post-game comments.

 

[augustaTC]

Lol at Lou adjusting her clothing underneath her shirt during the interview. It was like watching that scene from aliens .

I get dizzy watching Lou swaying, playing Aliens with her shirt, etc. in interviews - kid has lots of energy. PLUS her description of her last inbound pass was priceless!

 

[Orangutan]

JG's comment was about the pre-game convo, not the post-game comments.

Right you are. I misread "pregame" as "postgame".

 

[Teacherdeb]

What is the standard for greatness? I believe it has to be more than one national championship in 35 years. Maybe I'm a tough marker but I'm not sure I would extend the list of "great" college basketball coaches much beyond Geno, John Wooden, Pat Summit and Coach K.

I respect Muffet as a coach, but she had chances to win more championships a few years when we were out of it, and she failed- she should have 3 or 4 by now. Just underscores how tough it is to win one, and how other worldly Geno's accomplishments are.
I

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Muffett is a bitter person when it comes to UConn. ND overall is arrogant and thinks they are better than anyone else in everything.

But as the old saying goes, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it." Notre Dame, for all the times Muffet tweaks Connecticut's nose, plays really, really well. They play more like UConn- tenacious defense, seamless transition, great guard play, excellent outside shooting with great quickness- than any other team in WCBB. Stanford is always stacked with big players, but they are slow and ponderous, and when UConn is really good, they exploit Stanford's slowness. South Carolina is not that well coached. They have had some great players, including A'ja Wilson, who is probably one of the best bigs to ever play the game. But they are clumsy, and aren't well coordinated. Louisville plays well in spurts, but suffers from overstocked bench and defections.

Muffett tends to irritate, but year after year her team puts on the best display of well-coached basketball in the game, save for UConn. No one else this year has given us a areal fight, and I'm guessing that no one will again, unless it's Notre Dame.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

What is the standard for greatness? I believe it has to be more than one national championship in 35 years. Maybe I'm a tough marker but I'm not sure I would extend the list of "great" college basketball coaches much beyond Geno, John Wooden, Pat Summit and Coach K.

But you know, John Stockton and Carl Malone on the Utah Jazz were probably one of the best teams in the history of the NBA. But they had the misfortune of playing all those years against an even better team: the Chicago team with Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen. Chicago kept winning, but it didn't mean that Utah wasn't one of the all-time greats. Muffet's Notre Dame teams would have won multiple national championships over the years were it not for UConn.

Her teams are still great.

 

[Vowelguy]

I respect Muffet as a coach, but she had chances to win more championships a few years when we were out of it, and she failed- she should have 3 or 4 by now. Just underscores how tough it is to win one, and how other worldly Geno's accomplishments are.
I

Other than vs Texas A&M in 2011 (?), I would love to know all these years in which ND should've won.

 

[Dillon77]

I respect Muffet as a coach, but she had chances to win more championships a few years when we were out of it, and she failed- she should have 3 or 4 by now. Just underscores how tough it is to win one, and how other worldly Geno's accomplishments are.
I

The part of your comment that I think is absolutely spot on is the part I've highlighted in bold. Geno not only gets to the Final Four (which a lot of people consider "the accomplishment"), but if he gets to the final, paydirt. As you said, "other worldly." Tip of my entire hat collection.

MM has gotten to those final fours multiple times. I can only think of two instances that -- as a long-time ND alum, fan and (sometimes) somewhat objective watcher - that I'd like to have back.
- The final vs. Texas A&M. I think Muffet, Skylar Diggins and company relive the latter part of that game over and over.
- The Perfect Season finale against UConn. Not the final game itself, but the moment Natalie Achonwa went down with a season-ending ACL in the Final Eight game against Baylor. It sucked the air out of the arena because Achonwa as such a critical part of that team.
Not saying it made the difference in the final, but any ND fan has bittersweet, "what if..." thoughts about it.

BTW, I'm well aware that many teams lose players, such as UConn's during ND's run to the championship with Ruth Riley and Niele Ivey. But those are two instances where I thought ND came up short. Maybe you can attribute one to "failure," but Texas A&M had something to do with that, too.

As for the other year, UConn was not around. I don't think anyone outside of a WNBA team was going to stop Ms. Griner and Baylor that year.

I've noted that several people have given Tara V at Stanford a slight nod over Muffet or thought they're some combination of 2-3. Tara has those two championships in the early 90s and MM hers at the turn of the century. They've both won their conference championships and been back to the final four (a bit more for ND recently). Solid, solid work...good enough for peers to induct them into the highest honors.

So I don't think of these in terms of failure, but rather just how awesome Geno's track record is.

P.S. ND's longtime soccer coach, Bobby Clarke, recently retired at age 72 after coaching for more than 30 years at Dartmouth, Stanford and ND. The "Boss" won his one NCAA championship in 2013 and everyone in men's soccer in the country (save Maryland fans) were rooting for him because they know hard it is. If he had not won, would it have diminished what he did for ND, for soccer and the young men he coached? No. Everyone was lucky to have the Boss around. But the championship was the validating frosting. MM and Tara have not failed anyone.

 

[bags27]

I've noted Muffet's passive-aggressiveness too many times already to mention it again (whoops! how passive-aggressive of me!). Seriously, there's a lot of underlying psychological issues between these two Philly/St. Joe's coaches. We all admit that Geno has a lot of baggage; and certainly Muffet has hers. That's the nature of being a public figure, and that's especially true in college coaching, where the players graduate but the coaches stay and stay and stay. And, it must be multiplied in a sport in which up until recently you needed to stir up drama in order to pack the house.

Do teams, like dogs and their owners, take on the personality of their coaches? If so, then:

• UConn is sleek, clean, plays the game and the ball, not the other team; doesn't whine; believes in outworking the other team. Very charming and slick. (= Geno?)
• ND is somewhat unbalanced but really good where it needs to be and extremely competent in its role players, plays really, really tough (sometimes pushing that envelope), so plays the game, but also plays the opponents. And whines. A bit, well, passive-aggressive (= Muffet?).

Hope they end up playing each other eternally in heaven. Sort of sn inversion of Sartre's hell....

 

[Charliebball]

But you know, John Stockton and Carl Malone on the Utah Jazz were probably one of the best teams in the history of the NBA. But they had the misfortune of playing all those years against an even better team: the Chicago team with Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen. Chicago kept winning, but it didn't mean that Utah wasn't one of the all-time greats. Muffet's Notre Dame teams would have won multiple national championships over the years were it not for UConn.

Her teams are still great.

and thus no warm and fuzzies for the Huskies.........makes perfect sense to me...........

 

[DaddyChoc]

I do like how Geno gives props to opposing players when it's deserved. Granted, it's after they usually win the game but he doesn't blame others or dismiss great play...

Did he give props to any of the Irish players?