Seriously, No One Posted This?

[RockyMTblue2]

I don't read every thread, so sue me if this is already here. Geno does his Patton speech to the Frosh:

Geno Auriemma Wants Inconsistent Reserves To Show They Are Unafraid

Auriemma told his players, “They're your age. I can't get you guys four minutes in a basketball game. Something is wrong with that picture. So until you guys start being less afraid — I said you need to pay more attention to what other people do in the world. The kid threw the pass to win the national championship. Even if he had overthrown it, doesn't matter because it took a lot of guts to throw that pass. And even if the kid would have dropped it, doesn't matter — the kid was wide open, he actually ran a great route. So, see, guys are not afraid no matter what age they are. You guys are afraid. And as long as you act like that, you're not going to play. Not that you don't have the ability to play, the talent, all that stuff.”

Man has a point ... maybe a point and a half.

Yeah, it's in Nan's News, but it's worthy of talk. He is right. So how do Geno et al convince freshman to Go For It? Like: You came here not to be great?

 

[my2cents]

There have been other threads where this has been discussed

 

[HuskyNan]

I don't read every thread, so sue me if this is already here. Geno does his Patton speech to the Frosh:

Geno Auriemma Wants Inconsistent Reserves To Show They Are Unafraid

Auriemma told his players, “They're your age. I can't get you guys four minutes in a basketball game. Something is wrong with that picture. So until you guys start being less afraid — I said you need to pay more attention to what other people do in the world. The kid threw the pass to win the national championship. Even if he had overthrown it, doesn't matter because it took a lot of guts to throw that pass. And even if the kid would have dropped it, doesn't matter — the kid was wide open, he actually ran a great route. So, see, guys are not afraid no matter what age they are. You guys are afraid. And as long as you act like that, you're not going to play. Not that you don't have the ability to play, the talent, all that stuff.”

Man has a point ... maybe a point and a half.

Yeah, it's in Nan's News, but it's worthy of talk. He is right. So how do Geno et al convince freshman to Go For It? Like: You came here not to be great?

Football freshmen almost always have a year or two of prep school. Tua Tagovailoa will be 20 in six weeks. But I get Geno’s point

 

[RockyMTblue2]

There have been other threads where this has been discussed

I agree. Ad nausem. But this article and this Geno speech? It's a rhetorical question. I share his bewilderment. You fought your way here to get timid?

 

[Biff]

Those comments were part of about 4 minutes of Geno going off on (primarily) the frosh. All full of Geno hyperbole and story telling but it's all about the core of Geno's philosophy.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Football freshmen always alway have a year or two of prep school. Tua Tagovailoa will be 20 in six weeks. But I get Geno’s point

Always?!

 

[HuskyNan]

Always?!

Tried to type almost always by got fat fingers

 

[Bronx23]

I just watched Geno's post game comments about the freshmen.
His thinking and comments demonstrate his genius and expectations. The fact that he's telling his young women they are capable of greatness, just like the two freshmen football players at Alabama is truly brilliant. Not accepting that being a freshman severely limits you says a great deal. What limits one he is saying is their fear of failing and / or succeeding.

This few minute clip is so basic to their success. It also speaks volumes about anyone who is a very highly ranked player in HS choosing to attend U Conn. To know you will surely not get starters minutes or lead your team in almost every aspect of the game, when that's probably what you've done as long as you've played. And see the big picture and how it will benefit and improve your game and more importantly who you are and become as a person speaks volumes about these young women.

MW has gone from the #1 recruit in the country to the #7 player on this team and she is busting her butt to get better, but also struggling with all this entails. We've seen a few very strong games for her with many more to come.

It also explains why AZ needs to and I hope will stay for her senior year. She will go from being a very good pro and high level pick to maybe a premiere player (as well as what it does for her as a person) in the WNBA.
While it is very rare for a freshman to come in and truly take hold and make strong, regular input into the team it is possible and needs to be the expectation, even when only the very few will get there.

One of the reasons KLS is one of my very favorite players is her learning curve and development. She chose U Conn when going to Stanford would have been very easy. She would have gotten to play for another truly great coach and also play with her sister. She played a meaningful, but regular consistent support role with three great seniors. She plays a half in the national SF game on a broken foot. She comes back last year turning herself into a an amazing all around player and then AA. She comes back this year, becoming significantly better defensive player and rebounder and probably one of the very best players in the country. She will I believe use this UCF game and getting fouled and pushed around to become a stronger player and person.

The freshman and sophomores need to take all this in and use it to better themselves.

Bronx23

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don't read every thread, so sue me if this is already here. Geno does his Patton speech to the Frosh:

Geno Auriemma Wants Inconsistent Reserves To Show They Are Unafraid

Auriemma told his players, “They're your age. I can't get you guys four minutes in a basketball game. Something is wrong with that picture. So until you guys start being less afraid — I said you need to pay more attention to what other people do in the world. The kid threw the pass to win the national championship. Even if he had overthrown it, doesn't matter because it took a lot of guts to throw that pass. And even if the kid would have dropped it, doesn't matter — the kid was wide open, he actually ran a great route. So, see, guys are not afraid no matter what age they are. You guys are afraid. And as long as you act like that, you're not going to play. Not that you don't have the ability to play, the talent, all that stuff.”

Man has a point ... maybe a point and a half.

Yeah, it's in Nan's News, but it's worthy of talk. He is right. So how do Geno et al convince freshman to Go For It? Like: You came here not to be great?

.

Patton the speech wasn't!

Far be it from me to disagree with Geno--but I regularly do.
FEAR was not the factor. Their aesthetics in love of a pure game was injured. EVERYONE, every team knows Uconn always plays for the perfect game.
Perfection cannot happen when you are fouled on every shot, on every cut. Perfection cannot happen when you are pushed pulled prodded on every turn. How then can you drop your expectation to less than perfect--that is GENO's challenge, that he has created.
Yet in the second half--they did not overcome FEAR--they played with a precision knowing it would be less than perfect.

 

[Longtime fan]

I don't read every thread, so sue me if this is already here. Geno does his Patton speech to the Frosh:

Geno Auriemma Wants Inconsistent Reserves To Show They Are Unafraid

Auriemma told his players, “They're your age. I can't get you guys four minutes in a basketball game. Something is wrong with that picture. So until you guys start being less afraid — I said you need to pay more attention to what other people do in the world. The kid threw the pass to win the national championship. Even if he had overthrown it, doesn't matter because it took a lot of guts to throw that pass. And even if the kid would have dropped it, doesn't matter — the kid was wide open, he actually ran a great route. So, see, guys are not afraid no matter what age they are. You guys are afraid. And as long as you act like that, you're not going to play. Not that you don't have the ability to play, the talent, all that stuff.”

Man has a point ... maybe a point and a half.

Yeah, it's in Nan's News, but it's worthy of talk. He is right. So how do Geno et al convince freshman to Go For It? Like: You came here not to be great?

Well, the Alabama coach did switch out a starter so the untested freshman could play. And he did give the two freshman he references every offensive play of the second half in the biggest game of the year. That is a lot different than giving a freshman 4 minutes against East Carolina, with nothing on the line. I love Geno and his style of developing teenage basketball stars. But his methaphor in this case is a bit exaggerated. I believe he would see a lot more progress if he granted these young players a lot more responsibility. However, I do " get it." If they don't have total command of the UCONN system, if they aren't working hard, you can't give it to them. They will be fine. I think a great analogy is Crystal...she was the top point guard coming out of HS and had a good, yet " mixed" freshman season. She returned as the best point guard in the college game, as a second year player. The same may happen with our 2017/2018 bench players.

 

[Longtime fan]

I just watched Geno's post game comments about the freshmen.
His thinking and comments demonstrate his genius and expectations. The fact that he's telling his young women they are capable of greatness, just like the two freshmen football players at Alabama is truly brilliant. Not accepting that being a freshman severely limits you says a great deal. What limits one he is saying is their fear of failing and / or succeeding.
This few minute clip is so basic to their success.
It also speaks volumes about anyone who is a very highly ranked player in HS choosing to attend U Conn. To know you will surely not get starters minutes or lead your team in almost every aspect of the game, when that's probably what you've done as long as you've played. And see the big picture and how it will benefit and improve your game and more importantly who you are and become as a person speaks volumes about these young women.
MW has gone from the #1 recruit in the country to the #7 player on this team and she is busting her butt to get better, but also struggling with all this entails. We've seen a few very strong games for her with many more to come.
It also explains why AZ needs to and I hope will stay for her senior year. She will go from being a very good pro and high level pick to maybe a premiere player (as well as what it does for her as a person) in the WNBA.
While it is very rare for a freshman to come in and truly take hold and make strong, regular input into the team it is possible and needs to be the expectation, even when only the very few will get there.
One of the reasons KLS is one of my very favorite players is her learning curve and development. She chose U Conn when going to Stanford would have been very easy. She would have gotten to play for another truly great coach and also play with her sister. She played a meaningful, but regular consistent support role with three great seniors. She plays a half in the national SF game on a broken foot. She comes back last year turning herself into a an amazing all around player and then AA. She comes back this year, becoming significantly better defensive player and rebounder and probably one of the very best players in the country. She will I believe use this UCF game and getting fouled and pushed around to become a stronger player and person.
The freshman and sophomores need to take all this in and use it to better themselves.
Bronx23

Which makes it all the more impressive to recognize that Kia Nurse has started every game since she walked on campus.

 

[MSGRET]

Which makes it all the more impressive to recognize that Kia Nurse has started every game since she walked on campus.

Played in every game. She didn't start her first game until after the loss to Stanford. She started the third game of her Freshman year.

 

[JoePgh]

Which makes it all the more impressive to recognize that Kia Nurse has started every game since she walked on campus.

Kia is not the only freshman who made it almost immediately into the starting lineup. I can also think of Caroline Doty, Bria Hartley, Stef Dolson, and Renee Montgomery having done that. I’m probably forgetting a few others.

While there were.a combination of factors in each case, what stands out in this list is that all of these players (in addition to being talented) were far more mature and coachable than the average 18-year-old. They made freshman mistakes, but they didn’t keep making the same mistakes, and they didn’t play timidly or with the objective of avoiding mistakes. They could all deal with Geno yelling at them without letting it affect their self-image.

This year’s freshmen don’t have that attribute — none of them. That’s why Geno says that they are a step behind the KLS/Pheesa class and the Kia/Gabbby class. But pretty soon, it looks like they will “get it”.

 

[DaddyChoc]

playing for Geno is different... those kids arent able to "do their thing" so its hard to compare other schools frosh players against what UConn "wants" from his frosh. Geno isnt easy

 

[eebmg]

If you recall, as part of Geno's Post conference comments on Tuesdsay, he pointed out that even though the bench played well, the real problem is lack of consistency and that they cant have multiple good practices and if the freshmen have good practices on Thursday and Friday, then our press corp's will have a real scoop on Saturday.

Well Saturday is here and I am not looking forward to the pre-game stuff with AEH and other bench questions most likely dampening the mood.

It's probably a good thing they are in TX and can reduce some of the distractions with relatively tough games back to back

 

[HuskyNan]

playing for Geno is different... those kids arent able to "do their thing" so its hard to compare other schools frosh players against what UConn "wants" from his frosh. Geno isnt easy

After practice Thursday at the Werth Family Champions Center, Auriemma discussed the notion of being difficult to play for.

"I'm the easiest guy in the country to play for," he said. "My expectations are pretty simple. I don't have a lot of rules — play hard. And do what I tell you. It's not that complicated."

Geno Auriemma Looking For UConn Players With An 'I Got This' Approach

 

[JS]

Football freshmen almost always have a year or two of prep school. Tua Tagovailoa will be 20 in six weeks. But I get Geno’s point

Then there's the routine athletic class designation (we're talking
major football schools here) of "Redshirt Freshman."

​

 

[HopJim]

After practice Thursday at the Werth Family Champions Center, Auriemma discussed the notion of being difficult to play for.

"I'm the easiest guy in the country to play for," he said. "My expectations are pretty simple. I don't have a lot of rules — play hard. And do what I tell you. It's not that complicated."

Geno Auriemma Looking For UConn Players With An 'I Got This' Approach

LOL at Geno's comments. Perfect isn't easy.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Personally I think expectations can be too high. Clearly uconn has a very high standard and camp Geno can be grueling but is it too grueling?

I feel like there's this expectation that every game has to start out 30-9 and we need to win by 40. Let me ask what the hell does that prove? Is that a positive if it comes at the cost of not playing our bench. How is the bench going to get confidence if they cannot get into the games WITH the starters. You know our starting SIX should not play the entire game save the last 4 minutes of garbage time!!! The starters should play the first few minutes of each half then possibly at games end if it's close( which it rarely is). Out side of those times Geno needs to mix in Irwin, BC, LG, MC with the starters throughout the game. Last game with KLS KN and CD all banged up and for him not to get them relief till four minutes left in game is really ridiculous. You mean to tell me the underclassmen are that awful?? Do they not know the plays? If they get out there and stop looking over there shoulder that they will be yanked if they make a bad play or miss a read, they and the team will be much better for it!!!

So that circles back, are expectations too high? If we're up 20-30 and we can only trust walker that's a huge problem.
Just my two cents

 

[DaddyChoc]

LOL at Geno's comments. Perfect isn't easy.

well said

 

[BroadwayVa]

Which makes it all the more impressive to recognize that Kia Nurse has started every game since she walked on campus.

Kia is by far a "special case". She played more high level basketball as a young kid on the Canadian National team on which she was given RESPONSIBILITY.
She was so well prepared for Uconn. Maybe not Geno's practices or demands--but Kia is a competitor and competed in practices as well as games.
Give Geno two more like KIA and they too will be either starting or 6th and 7th.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Personally I think expectations can be too high. Clearly uconn has a very high standard and camp Geno can be grueling but is it too grueling?

I feel like there's this expectation that every game has to start out 30-9 and we need to win by 40. Let me ask what the hell does that prove? Is that a positive if it comes at the cost of not playing our bench. How is the bench going to get confidence if they cannot get into the games WITH the starters. You know our starting SIX should not play the entire game save the last 4 minutes of garbage time!!! The starters should play the first few minutes of each half then possibly at games end if it's close( which it rarely is). Out side of those times Geno needs to mix in Irwin, BC, LG, MC with the starters throughout the game. Last game with KLS KN and CD all banged up and for him not to get them relief till four minutes left in game is really ridiculous. You mean to tell me the underclassmen are that awful?? Do they not know the plays? If they get out there and stop looking over there shoulder that they will be yanked if they make a bad play or miss a read, they and the team will be much better for it!!!

So that circles back, are expectations too high? If we're up 20-30 and we can only trust walker that's a huge problem.
Just my two cents

Hey Dos Centov's --I agree with much of what you posted--Geno wouldn't. Can Uconn be too grueling? Heck yes. The tried and true covers that--Uconn isn't for everyone, probably most.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Kia is not the only freshman who made it almost immediately into the starting lineup. I can also think of Caroline Doty, Bria Hartley, Stef Dolson, and Renee Montgomery having done that. I’m probably forgetting a few others.J

While there were.a combination of factors in each case, what stands out in this list is that all of these players (in addition to being talented) were far more mature and coachable than the average 18-year-old. They made freshman mistakes, but they didn’t keep making the same mistakes, and they didn’t play timidly or with the objective of avoiding mistakes. They could all deal with Geno yelling at them without letting it affect their self-image.

This year’s freshmen don’t have that attribute — none of them. That’s why Geno says that they are a step behind the KLS/Pheesa class and the Kia/Gabbby class. But pretty soon, it looks like they will “get it”.

JoePgh---I respectfully submit: Those you mentioned were more essential to the success of the team immediately than the current 3 frosh. Rene was about the only choice for Point, Stef was the only choice for post, Bria too was thrust into the melee for need. While I don't have a photo graphic memory--these scenarios seem to pop from the grey matter.
I also suggest the new Kids are "getting it" albeit slowly. Walker IMO is about as ready as Rene or Bria were as Frosh. The progress I am seeing with Coombs suggest she is on the right road. Alexi/Batouly are question marks for me.