Practice makes Perfect

[msf22b]

I went back to the drawing board and accumulated a few quotes which taken as whole seem to indicate this forum's faith in the axiomatic theorem (redundant?) that you earn your playing time on the practice court.

We also know that at least in the case of Caroline with regard this season, that concept strains credulity.

What possible explanations exist for the furtherance of this myth?

1. It doesn't apply to beloved seniors
2. It doesn't apply to Caroline
3. It only applies to underclassmen...disproved by Heather
4. It only applies to individuals that Geno doesn't want to play.
5. It's a misunderstanding perpetuated by the 'yard.
6. It's a method for Geno to avoid criticism of his rotations, knowing that none of us or the working press regularly views practice.

There may be other explanations, please feel free to offer them.

I think it is time for us to restrain ourselves in offering that explanation for Geno's player patterns.

This is not a criticism of Geno's methodology, rather ours.

Please find a recent selection of a few of the direct and indirect quotes from posters on this subject.


I read here how we're "playing the wrong players", "players shouldn't have to earn their time in practice" trisailin, Mar 7, 2013

Folks, just to clarify: these girls earn their playing time during their practice time. RadyLady, Feb 27, 2013

I suspect Auriemma will focus a lot less on assigning minutes based on practice. vtcwbuff, Saturday

As Geno says if you can't handle pressure during practice you will not handle it in the game. Icebear, Mar 11, 2013

Coach then explained how he puts the kids thru high pressure situations in practice and those players that don't handle the pressure well are probably not going to be put into high pressure situations in big games. McHuskyFan, Mar 9, 2013

How can Stokes performance in practice be bad enough to risk having Dolson foul out ASweet3781, Mar 4, 2013

Morgan must have had some great practice sessions over the past few days. Olde Coach, Mar 2, 2013

With her gifts, Geno might have gotten fed up this week when he saw her production on the practice court. VAMike23, Feb 28, 2013

Why she sat last nite? I dont know. Maybe it was poor practice
Tonyc, Feb 27, 2013

Her practices must be VERY unsatisfactory. JoePgh, Feb 27, 2013

I hope she is close to meeting Geno's expectations in practice.
MilfordHusky, Feb 26, 2013

 

[maddoggy]

Why do you think that "at least in the case of Caroline with regard this season, that concept strains credulity"?

It seems to me that what Geno values the most in Caroline's play is not her ability to score or penetrate the lane or even defend against quick opponents. It is her ability to keep others on the team from running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

If I am right, then Caroline may be earning her time in practice because others aren't showing that they can provide that element in the mix.

What may make it confusing for outside observers is that -- in addition to what Geneo values in Caroline's play, there are things he admires in her character. But the fact that he admires THOSE things as well may not have anything to do with his evaluation of whether she has earned the playing time.

 

[msf22b]

Why do you think that "at least in the case of Caroline with regard this season, that concept strains credulity"?

Because it is unlikely that Caroline is any more mobile, defending quick guards better, or shooting a higher percentage in practice then in games based solely on her regrettable disabilities.

 

[maddoggy]

But what makes you think that Geno feels those qualities are the missing element in the mix of other players?

Maybe he feels Caroline's ability to organize and keep things calm is what is in short supply elsewhere., and having them on the court is more important than having the mobility or points.

Instead of saying Caroline doesn't show scoring or mobility in practices. maybe you should be saying that other players don't show enough calmness and organization.

 

[UcMiami]

There is a huge difference between being physically unable to practice and being in practice and not giving effort or not practicing well. Players like Caroline (and previously Hunter) are held out of some practices due to a desire to limit the amount of strain on chronic injuries. The same happens when players are ill. The earning of playing time is based on practice habits, not necessarily the ability to be present for every practice. The decisions on ability to practice and time limits on practice for certain players are made in consultation with the trainers - same is true of whether a player is physically able to play in games. But those decisions do not affect the coaches rotation in games beyond the physical limitations. The rotational decisions are made on practice performance during the practices the player is physically able to attend and on the actual game play in the game.
As far as CD's practice habits, I have never heard of any coach questioning them during her 5 years on campus.

 

[msf22b]

The point that I have made and that I reiterate is that it is impossible for Caroline to have excelled in any physical aspect of practice. Period.

 

[Kibitzer]

MSF, you seem to have elevated a topic worthy of discussion first to a cause, and now to a fetish. Without trying to be rudely confrontational, I will offer my take (once only, no follow-up).

1. I don't recall that Geno ever said that PT was earned only by quality practices. My sense is that a general principle of his is to reward diligent practice with game PT -- but that that is not the sole consideration.​

​

2. Geno has stated his (general, IMO) rule about the relationship between practice habits and PT publicly, and often. The irresistible assumption is that he tells recruits and their families and coaches the same policy.​

​

3. I have never known nor heard of a player (active, alum, or transfer) indicate that Geno has been in any way deceitful in this matter.​

​

4. I therfore conclude that Geno should be taken at his word, but allowance must be made for factors other than practice habits when granting PT. After all, that is his prerogative, is it not?​

 

[meyers7]

Please find a recent selection of a few of the direct and indirect quotes from posters on this subject.


I read here how we're "playing the wrong players", "players shouldn't have to earn their time in practice" trisailin, Mar 7, 2013

Folks, just to clarify: these girls earn their playing time during their practice time. RadyLady, Feb 27, 2013

I suspect Auriemma will focus a lot less on assigning minutes based on practice. vtcwbuff, Saturday

As Geno says if you can't handle pressure during practice you will not handle it in the game. Icebear, Mar 11, 2013

Coach then explained how he puts the kids thru high pressure situations in practice and those players that don't handle the pressure well are probably not going to be put into high pressure situations in big games. McHuskyFan, Mar 9, 2013

How can Stokes performance in practice be bad enough to risk having Dolson foul out ASweet3781, Mar 4, 2013

Morgan must have had some great practice sessions over the past few days. Olde Coach, Mar 2, 2013

With her gifts, Geno might have gotten fed up this week when he saw her production on the practice court. VAMike23, Feb 28, 2013

Why she sat last nite? I dont know. Maybe it was poor practice
Tonyc, Feb 27, 2013

Her practices must be VERY unsatisfactory. JoePgh, Feb 27, 2013

I hope she is close to meeting Geno's expectations in practice.
MilfordHusky, Feb 26, 2013

Damn, what I wouldn't give to have that much time on my hands.

 

[msf22b]

I just retired and have been thinking about the issue for few days since Doggy mentioned a varient of it.
Took an hour.

 

[glenn fisk]

They call the point guard,at times,the field general.Generals ,usually,keep order,keep things to the game plan,give instructions,reprimand if necessary,direct both offensively and defensively,and usually have much battle experience.This is Caroline.The point here,is she doesn't necessarily have to score,rebound,etc.,if she does the above things to help make the team successful.I believe Geno values these skills in her,more than scoring and rebounding.

 

[Icebear]

msf,

When Geno says playing time is earned in practice he doesn't mean any one aspect of practice. Saying that time goes to those who earned it working hardest is a bit reductionist. He has made statements indicating everything about practice is included in the decision; availability, effort, understanding goals, quality of execution, handling pressure situations, etc. some add time, some reduce it.

Going to your background of music it is the equivalent of whom to place in the various band units this week. Excuse me for not using or understanding the proper music terms or insider shorthand.

You may have talented players who constantly miss practice (technical practice of scales or pieces etc.) or rehearsal (full band performance prep); ones who play with mechanical accuracy but no sense of the emotion of the music; others who do not take rehearsal for the performance seriously and although there treat it trivially; there are, also, up and comers given to slight errors but who are fastidious in practice and in rehearsal and showing promise; others who maybe the weakest musicians but whose instrument is critical for the pieces being performed; the reed, horn or wind player who has a damaged lip and cannot reliably address their instrument in all ranges; and more. Out of all of this and more you must pull together the musical team for the impending short term goals and long term goals of the band in the face of immediate performances for classmates and/or parents and, also, future opportunities to accompany professional soloists in concert. Those are the decisions Geno is making about the team and who is on the court today and tomorrow.

The quote of mine you included is actually a corollary to your premise in that it is an inverse form. Playing time can be lost in practice not just earned in practice. If you cannot handle pressure in practice your likelihood of seeing game time is diminished.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I'll bet it's complicated...

 

[Joe6cats]

I have never understood the preoccupation by many on this board with this topic. Would it surprise anybody to discover that who and when to substitute is an extremely complicated matter, often made on instinct in the moment? Why would anybody seriously believe words thrown out by Geno about practice performance can be taken as gospel, a standard we can measure him against in assessing his actual game-time decisions? It's a message to the players about taking practice seriously. For fans to get hung up on it... great source of hot air, big waste of time. Relax and enjoy the show.

 

[bruinbball]

While Caroline may not be scoring at a clip we would like to see, let's look at this (+/-) for the 4 games we lost:

Game 1 vs ND : +7
Baylor : -5
Game 2 vs ND : -12
Game 3 vs ND : DNP

In the Baylor game, 0-4 FG, 0 Pts, 2:1 ATO in 14 minutes. Obviously the team did not fare as well with her on the floor, but it was still better than the -6 for Kelly and Stef and the -7 for Stewie.

In Notre Dame 1: 0-2 FG, 0 Pts, 1:1 ATO in 10 minutes. Her +7 led the team with MoHeff at +5 and KML at +3 and the rest below that. Therefore, regardless of her production, the team was much more efficient with her on the floor as we outscored Notre Dame by 7 points with her at the helm.

In Notre Dame 2: 0-1 FG, 0 Pts, 1:2 ATO in 21 minutes. Her -12 had to lead the team, but I didn't calculate everyone else's +/-. More telling is that she was not in at the end of the 3rd OT - when the Notre Dame went up by another 7 points.

In summary, when Caroline is on the floor in a big game, we need the offense to be efficient and the team defense to be great. She will struggle with the Diggins and Sims - it's just a fact. She doesn't have to score, but everyone else needs to take their open shots if they are good shots to take. We need to make these teams pay for guarding KML so well by hitting our shots, but it hasn't happened at the rate we need it to.

 

[JoePgh]

There is also (perhaps primarily) an issue of "Who/what is the alternative?" There was a point early in the season where Geno removed Caroline from the lineup and replaced her with Breanna, which worked great for a few games and then did not work at all until about two weeks ago. When Bria was injured, she was not an alternative, and for a very long time after she returned, she was no more productive than Caroline. So the practical alternatives were Moriah and (until the St. Johns game) BBanks. Moriah's decision-making and defense have been problematic all year, and her jump shot in college has hardly been a motivation to play her for lots of minutes. (All of that seems to be improving and she may be an all-conference point guard next year.) BBanks doesn't appear ever to have thought of herself as a point guard and had difficulty as a freshman learning the offense. She was making great strides and might indeed have become a starter in Caroline's place if she had remained healthy, but she didn't.

So Caroline may have been the least unsatisfactory of a set of none-too-enticing alternatives. Now, with Breanna's resurgence, the question will hopefully become moot.

I think the issue of "earn it in practice" applies to the fact that Moriah and BBanks, in the early part of the season, were not demonstrating in practice that the mental aspect of their games was at the level where they could be a starting UConn point guard. Faced with a choice between physical and mental fitness for the PG position, Geno chose the better decision-maker and distributor -- the one who had the most on-court awareness of what the other 4 positions were doing and were supposed to be doing. To me, that is an understandable and credible decision.

 

[BooRadley]

There is also (perhaps primarily) an issue of "Who/what is the alternative?" There was a point early in the season where Geno removed Caroline from the lineup and replaced her with Breanna, which worked great for a few games and then did not work at all until about two weeks ago. When Bria was injured, she was not an alternative, and for a very long time after she returned, she was no more productive than Caroline. So the practical alternatives were Moriah and (until the St. Johns game) BBanks. Moriah's decision-making and defense have been problematic all year, and her jump shot in college has hardly been a motivation to play her for lots of minutes. (All of that seems to be improving and she may be an all-conference point guard next year.) BBanks doesn't appear ever to have thought of herself as a point guard and had difficulty as a freshman learning the offense. She was making great strides and might indeed have become a starter in Caroline's place if she had remained healthy, but she didn't.

So Caroline may have been the least unsatisfactory of a set of none-too-enticing alternatives. Now, with Breanna's resurgence, the question will hopefully become moot.

I think the issue of "earn it in practice" applies to the fact that Moriah and BBanks, in the early part of the season, were not demonstrating in practice that the mental aspect of their games was at the level where they could be a starting UConn point guard. Faced with a choice between physical and mental fitness for the PG position, Geno chose the better decision-maker and distributor -- the one who had the most on-court awareness of what the other 4 positions were doing and were supposed to be doing. To me, that is an understandable and credible decision.

JP,

Your post was obviously well considered, rational, and logical.

In other words, it is a poor fit for this thread given the absurdity of its premise. As a penance, you should watch three hours of ESPN and listen to an hour of sports radio. Absolution will eventually be yours.


Your Ol' Pal Boo

 

[Icebear]

There is also (perhaps primarily) an issue of "Who/what is the alternative?" There was a point early in the season where Geno removed Caroline from the lineup and replaced her with Breanna, which worked great for a few games and then did not work at all until about two weeks ago. When Bria was injured, she was not an alternative, and for a very long time after she returned, she was no more productive than Caroline. So the practical alternatives were Moriah and (until the St. Johns game) BBanks. Moriah's decision-making and defense have been problematic all year, and her jump shot in college has hardly been a motivation to play her for lots of minutes. (All of that seems to be improving and she may be an all-conference point guard next year.) BBanks doesn't appear ever to have thought of herself as a point guard and had difficulty as a freshman learning the offense. She was making great strides and might indeed have become a starter in Caroline's place if she had remained healthy, but she didn't.

So Caroline may have been the least unsatisfactory of a set of none-too-enticing alternatives. Now, with Breanna's resurgence, the question will hopefully become moot.

I think the issue of "earn it in practice" applies to the fact that Moriah and BBanks, in the early part of the season, were not demonstrating in practice that the mental aspect of their games was at the level where they could be a starting UConn point guard. Faced with a choice between physical and mental fitness for the PG position, Geno chose the better decision-maker and distributor -- the one who had the most on-court awareness of what the other 4 positions were doing and were supposed to be doing. To me, that is an understandable and credible decision.

This captures the complexity of coaching decisions I was attempting to express in the form of my band analogy.

 

[msf22b]

This captures the complexity of coaching decisions I was attempting to express in the form of my band analogy.

I'm really an orchestra guy; the band stuff was my childhood.
But obviously the analogy is equally apt.

 

[pppggg]

The point that I have made and that I reiterate is that it is impossible for Caroline to have excelled in any physical aspect of practice. Period.

Really? Congradulations at being at very pactice. It must be great to have a lifestyle that allows you to do that.
Apparently UCONN gave the wrong guy $10 million because you are a better judge of someone's effort than Geno. I would send your resume to the AD. What's Geno done for us lately?

Here's a thought. Have you ever consider the possiblity that Caroline gives 100 % (most likely 110%) of what she is capable of giving at every practice and every drill and that's what Geno is looking for? Wait I am sorry. Caroline has to excell to YOUR standards and please YOU in what she does, not Geno's. Heck the last thing Geno wants to do is win another NC so he is playing someone who hasn't "earned" playing time. My mistake.

It would be the worst thing in the world for the team if Geno was actully playing anyone who didn't earn their time for 1 big reason. The rest of the team would know it and Geno would lose his crediblity withthe other girls.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

This topic was posted to poke the bear.

 

[Icebear]

This topic was posted to poke the bear.

WHAT people are poking bears!

 

[boontonbomber]

i think the " they earn their game minutes in practice" actually was started here, not by geno. he read it and thought, "what the heck, sounds good to me."

 

[Icebear]

I'm really an orchestra guy; the band stuff was my childhood.
But obviously the analogy is equally apt.

I almost used orchestra but decided on band because I felt it was more appropriate to the developmental nature of some examples I used.

 

[RadyLady]

quoth the raven, "Nevermore"

 

[msf22b]

i think the " they earn their game minutes in practice" actually was started here, not by geno. he read it and thought, "what the heck, sounds good to me."

that's sort of what I was trying to say