PTI Questions if UConn's Days of Dominance Are Done

[TeamFirst!]

Did you read the post by @TeamFirst! to which I was replying, or his subsequent posts in this thread? His argument (with which I agree as a factual matter) is not that Geno wouldn't take SC's players, but that they wouldn't choose to play for him rather than Dawn, because they feel a greater cultural affinity for Dawn based on their socio-economic backgrounds being more similar to hers than his.

@TeamFirst! 's further argument (with which I disagree) is that no team can succeed in winning NC's with any regularity unless its demographic composition is similar to that of Dawn's current team. I listed a number of really good to great WBB players from other demographic profiles -- profiles which might lead them to play for Geno or Tara or Kelly Graves rather than Dawn. A team full of such players would have an excellent chance to win one or multiple NC's -- especially if you take a completely unique player such as Aliyah Boston out of the picture.

This is very difficult subject matter to discuss since it does border on racial or class stereotypes, but I think that both @TeamFirst! and I are doing our very best to have an honest discussion without crossing that line. Please give us at least the benefit of presuming positive intent.

For clarification, I'm not saying Uconn can't succeed. In an earlier post I detailed lots of real advantages Uconn clearly still has for recruitment and program siuccess. I'm saying there are two areas where Uconn might have a disadvantage. 1) Relating culturally to the biggest demographic of great players and 2) Potentially not relating as well as some other coaches to the current generation of players. Obviously Geno is a great coach and overall he has great relationships with players and has all sorts of great attributes ( being great at player development, track record of players having great careers in the WNBA, the promotional advantages and exposure of the uconn program.etct, etc...) but the program also comes with "great expectations" and great pressure. Quotation marks intended in relation to the "Great Expectations" book. Pressure and expectations can be destructive as well as developmental enhancements. Geno needs to find ways to make it fun, reduce the expectations and still maintain the standards and work ethic. For one, he needs to make it clear that being in the finals, in itself, is a great accomplishment and not a failure.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I think Geno would be happy to have almost any player on South Carolina's roster and especially in the top 8-9. Probably any of them. I see no problem children there.

 

[NU2BY]

I could see Sue Bird becoming a good manager. I could see Nika, Evina or Paige becoming a good manager. That doesn't mean I'd give any player the reins to this program without significant coaching experience.

I would give Sue Bird the keys to UConn's castle anytime she would be willing to accept them.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Geno has a few decent years left. Anyone consider Jen Rizzotti for a future coach or Carla Berube.

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[ballerfan]

Just to be clear, Dawn recruited Paige and wanted her to play at South Carolina, but Paige’s dream was UConn. Still, South Carolina was on Paige’s short list. After Paige got injured in the ND game, Dawn sent out a tweet saying that Paige was a generational player and that she was praying for her.

Geno recruited Boston, and Boston seriously considered UConn. UConn might have ended second in her decision making. It was reported that Boston cried after giving Geno the news that she was going to South Carolina.

Although it has been reported that some players want a coach that looks like them (a women or an African American or both), they also want to win, and many are attracted to Geno and his success. Patterson and Brady, for example.

The bigger problem in my mind is the increasing number of great high school players these days, and they can’t all play for SC, UConn, and Stanford. Bad for UConn but great for the sport.

As I’ve said elsewhere, the biggest challenge for UConn will be Geno’s retirement. If they can’t find a high profile, exciting replacement, UConn is going to lose the talent search. But I’m a bleed blue fan, and I’ll support UConn even if it goes 0-30. Still, I want UConn to dominate.

 

[BRS24]

Geno has a few decent years left. Anyone consider Jen Rizzotti for a future coach or Carla Berube.

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My choices:

1 -Berube - has shown she can coach in big games, upward growth from Tufts to Princeton
2 - Shea - assuming she wants to leave the south, which right now, is not certain
3 - ????? - will Tamika be ready by then? Is there a dark horse that Geno/coaches/admin have been watching from afar? Kim Barnes Arico? Others?

We need a coach that can show success of building on what is there. As we've seen with other storied programs - Tenn, ND, UCLA MBB, and soon to be Duke, there's a whole lotta hole to fill after legendary coaches that have had continued success.

I don't think Rizzotti has the skillset. Her records at UH and GW weren't overwhelming.

 

[TheFarmFan]

On the topic of recruiting and competing with Dawn, this Slam article from a few weeks ago was a great read. Dawn is a uniquely charismatic woman and it's obvious why 17-year-old WBB players are drawn to her. That she has succeeded at the highest levels as a player has to be so appealing to recruits who aspire to play pro. Geno can't offer that. Nor can Tara, Walz, or Graves. Mulkey can, but her pro experience feels like from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth since there basically was no pro opportunities.

To me, the most interesting potential competition for Dawn would be Lawson at Duke and Ivey at Notre Dame, because they too have experienced it all as players and can pitch that model of mentoring through lived experience. And I suspect that's what draws people to the possibility of a potential Bird or DT coach.

 

[TeamFirst!]

That Slam article is yet another example of Dawn's cultural advantages. If you listen to her players they tell the story. Dawn markets to the parents and "gets it". She's been there before. She's worked through the problems. She helps them on and off the floor. A lot of it is pure effort. I've read several articles about her and her program and it's clear she has an appealing culture that generates interactivity and involvement with players who can relate to her. Her players "buy into" the process. As with any major program some players are going to find it appealing. Kiki going to UCLA, for example, when everyone expected Stanford or Uconn. It's not all win/loss records or coaching reputations. A lot of it is fit and culture.

 

[fomalhaut]

Hard to see the dominance is finished when they keep on making Final Fours. The Yankees haven’t won a title since 2009, but they’ve won the most games in the last 13 years.

The Yankees have only been in four American League Championship Series (winning none) since their last title in 2009. Not even remotely comparable any more to Connecticut. Somewhat better than Tennessee.

 

[fomalhaut]

One thing’s for sure, the rest of women’s basketball better toughen up because Dawn Staley is not going away! Her teams are setting a new standard for tough, unrelenting defense that is going to have to be matched by any teams wanting to take their championship away!

Connecticut, particularly during the Moore/Stewart era, set a standard for defense that has never been matched. And their defense in the National Championship game, even at partial strength, was as good, if not better, than South Carolina's. (Rebounding was another story, though.)

 

[hoophuskee]

It depends.

If teams can no longer have 23+ year olds transferring while UCONN has an all-time great with a couple other all-americans in which 1 or 2 is also 1st team which they have balance- then they probably will be as dominant again for multipile successive titles.