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Message: [QUOTE="msf22b, post: 2525943, member: 656"] I'm at sea; wireless not of sufficient strength, did not see the game. Therefore my comments are not indicative of direct observations, rather past trends seemingly repeating themselves. For all of Geno's extraordinary record he has had players that have resisted his style of coaching and/or did not thrive in it. He also has a chronic distrust of freshmen and a process that involves (speculation here) smacking them down/later building them back up in his image. Several years ago, I took issue with the way he initially handled Moriah. It was my view that if she was handled more gently with a more positive approach (no absolute proof that she wasn't) the mini-monster, stealing machine, fast break demoralizer and penetrator to the trees, would have been available in her freshman year. Her father as much said so and video of her high school efforts seem to indicate all the stuff that we grew to love so much. Many disagreed. Interestingly, during that season it was Morgan (the most stoic and confident of the big-3) who thrived when she was not hurt...almost singlehandedly winning the overtime loss to ND, much in the way that CD did in the winning effort against Baylor. But of course Stewie (who had struggled mightily in the middle of that season and had been told by an exasperated Geno (at least that's the impression he gave ) in public .....to figure it out herself...and she did (maybe not by herself) and the rest is history. After the ND semi-final, there was no way that team could have been taken and they rolled. So now we come to 2018, Batouly is injured, another (talented) kid left and Geno has little faith in the rest. I grant you that the soph reserves have not developed enough to be useful in a competitive game...but that leaves three award winning frosh from which group Geno has to find at least one and possible two to assist this team from physical and mental exhaustion in crunch time. And is it possible that even Pheesa's mini-slump has to do with the tough love manner in which she has been coached from the start of this season and that she is not responding positively to it. What I am saying is that it is possible that "La Methode" may suit some better than others and that some flexibility might bring even better results especially with the youngest. I am not definitively saying that my supposition is absolutely correct...but as a variant of the issue noted above persists seemingly season after season, there may be something to it. But of course, my detractors will say...there is the record...For which I can only reply that it is unlikely that we can go all the way with just 6; even 7 and that it may be possible to develop new approaches in getting the talented frosh, game ready [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach