Someone help me understand....

[HoopsFan21]

No names on the Jerseys was ground breaking. Ego out the door, no me in team.

I thought UConn had names on the jerseys at one point? Back when DT was there? And the team can post on social media during the season. Stewie for example posted on one popular social media site just yesterday. They just can't use twitter, but apparently neither does anyone else these days.

 

[j66kicker]

I thought UConn had names on the jerseys at one point? Back when DT was there? And the team can post on social media during the season. Stewie for example posted on one popular social media site just yesterday. They just can't use twitter, but apparently neither does anyone else these days.

No names on jerseys ever, as far as I know. For sure not back to Lobo/Rizzotti days

 

[TWG236]

Geno gets his share of great players, as do several other programs. But there have been times when UCONN has won National Championships and their team did not have the best recruiting class nor players. It is my belief that he and his coaches excel at identifying players whom they believe will fit into their system. He doesn't promise them playing time, he only promises that if they work hard in practice every day, they will earn the chance to play. Once all of these players buy into the system, that the good of the team is more important then themselves, he then teaches them to play hard fundamental basketball for the full forty minutes. They also hold each and every player accountable. Nothing hurts a team's chemistry more then having player's complaining and sulking about not playing. In the end, he gets more out of all of his players then any other coach in the women's game. Geno and his staff have not always been right, as it is not for everyone and several players have left for various reasons. But besides Elena DD, I can't think of any of those players whom went on to win a National Championship or really became a "great" player. Their ability to pick and choose the "right" women is most likely the main reason we all fall in love with all of them. He is the best coach in women's basketball.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Maybe not PC but he doesn't treat them like girls, just players.

It's actually VERY PC to treat them as players. For me, PC is rooted in the reality that language is power. PC recognized the world had changed. For instance, there were now women in law enforcement. Apparently the men didn't want to be called policewomen any more than the women wanted to be called policemen. So, police officers became the inclusive form.

Of course, for some PC has been turned into some sort of default pejorative, as if being able to recognize and acknowledge there's a population that doesn't fit the powered norm of a particular environment is somehow weak. Seems to me that says more about them and their world view.

In general, I like to apply the flip test: sure, call them "girls" - are we equally comfortable calling male college players "boys"? Sure, call'em "guys" - are we equally comfortable calling male college players "gals"? If not, is there some alternate language that can be substituted without too much trauma? I, personally, love "folks" and "y'all."

Yes, yes, yes... it can get out of hand. I know that. But, it's amused me that thinking thoughtfully about language - beyond grammar and punctuation and spelling - makes people so cranky.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Maybe not PC but he doesn't treat them like girls, just players. I remember over the years him calling some players soft and by the end of their careers they had definitely toughened up. BamBam was a fan favorite back when.

That's a very good point and one with which I wholeheartedly agree. In 1986 my Gamecocks were playing Virginia Tech at home and being the good New Jersey native that I am, I was seated behind the Virginia Tech bench to suitably remind their players of their shortcomings. They had one in terrible foul trouble and I (politely) reminded her how many fouls she had after each one. After her 4th foul her brother came over and told me to leave his sister alone. I told him that she's a basketball player today and not his sister and that I treat opposing WBB players the same way I treat opposing MBB players.

Fun fact: one of Tech's players on that team was Susan Walvius, who was later our coach at USC.

 

[UcMiami]

Geno and his coaches also pay attention the "little things."
No headsets or earbuds coming off the bus
No social media during the season
No rolling up the shorts
No visible tats.
Expected to excell in the classroom

Also - notice how when the players are interviewed they are well spoken, concise and articulate.

And he has said more than once, he expects his players to figure it out on the court - team leadership.

There are many coaches will never have these expectations for the athletes.

Good point, and that is a point that is made from time to time with the same kind of examples, but it goes so much deeper and involves not just off the court stuff. The same attention to detail is applied to every action on every play, of every minute of every game - a badly set screen in the last five minutes of a blow out game, or a stupid shot, or a failure to defend a pick and role properly, can lead to an immediate and prolonged seat on the bench for any player.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Don't fool yourself into believing that that Geno doesn't and hasn't recruited the best players in the country. I don't and can't dispute your sentiments on his coaching style and his level of success, but he recruits the best players, as every other D-1, Power 5 coach does. The championship run started in 1991, when he recruited the #1 post player in the country out of MA to UConn, her name is Rebecca Lobo. Shea Ralph, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya, Stewie, KML and KLS, were each the #1 HS player in the country when they signed with UConn. In point of fact that's been one of the knocks on Geno nationally and he's addressed it, that he wins because he gets the best players. UConn has had more than their fair share of McDonald's AA's. Coaching alone doesn't make teams as formidable as Connecticut has been, it tales talent as well.

I think he recruits the best players that play in a style that he likes and that will take the team first philosophy to heart but obviously in his first years, he had no ability to get any of the players that he might have been interested in. Initially, none of them would have considered to come to Storrs since they had only one winning season in their history. He took the players that he had and got them to buy into his system and they inevitably started having "some" success and over time, he started having the ability to get a better level of talent. He eventually got a real prize and that was Kerry Bascom and she really was the catalyst to a high level of success, including their first Final Four. The successful recruiting of Rebecca Lobo contributed to their first national championship and after that they started having access to the best of the best recruits but in the first ten years it wasn't as if Geno could pick and choose anyone he wanted. To assume that his success is entirely based on getting the best players is totally wrong though in the last 20 years he's been able to get exceptional talent. There are others including Tennessee who have had that ability for many more years that haven't had anywhere near the level of success that the Huskies have had.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I, personally, love "folks" and "y'all."

Yes, yes, yes... it can get out of hand. I know that. But, it's amused me that thinking thoughtfully about language - beyond grammar and punctuation and spelling - makes people so cranky.

I just love it when the 6th folk goes in for the Huskies and they get on a roll, or when their folk-to-folk defense puts the clamps on the opponent's offense. I love the Huskies' new group of freshfolk for this year and think they're destined for great things. And I really enjoyed when hard-to-please Geno told the players at half time, "Y'all playing good defense out there."

But the best things about "y'all" and "folk" is that when a bunch of arrogant Vol fans come mouthing off, the two words can be used effectively to tell them what they can go do t0 themselves.

 

[Dougie]

I agree with virtually all of the above posts and would like to add the following.

Geno is one of the most intuitive people/coaches on the planet. He has incredible instincts and then acts on those instincts. Winning is wired into his DNA and he has street smarts beyond street smarts.

Geno is completely confident in himself and that confidence is internalized by his players. Believing you can win is a huge advantage for a team. Of course his self assuredness is interpreted by some as being brash and cocky. I'm sure he gets under the skin of fans across the country. If I weren't such a huge UCONN fan I might dislike him too.

Geno thinks differently and sees the court differently than other coaches. Yes, there are many other terrific coaches in college basketball but Geno's skills go way beyond Xs and Os. I think his greatest attribute is his ability to motivate. Great leaders are great psychologists. He knows what buttons to push and when to push them. Give his players to another coach and somehow the magic doesn't happen.

No one has handed him anything. If top talent wants to play for him it says something about them. Geno has earned everything he has achieved.

 

[Bliss]

Recruits the best players who want to continue the tradition of being the best, thoroughly understands the nuances of both the game and his "guys," uses his female coaches not only as on-hands coaches but as sounding boards and accepts their feedback as opposed to being a "I know everthing so just do whatever I say" coach, doesn't accept "that's the way I've always done it" from his players if it's contrary to what he wants, and says what he thinks regardless of where the chips may fall. He has a leadership quality and it's obvious that his players and coaches respect that. After John Wooden he's probably the second-best BB coach in history.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I just love it when the 6th folk goes in for the Huskies and they get on a roll, or when their folk-to-folk defense puts the clamps on the opponent's offense. I love the Huskies' new group of freshfolk for this year and think they're destined for great things. And I really enjoyed when hard-to-please Geno told the players at half time, "Y'all playing good defense out there."

But the best things about "y'all" and "folk" is that when a bunch of arrogant Vol fans come mouthing off, the two words can be used effectively to tell them what they can go do t0 themselves.

When it comes to posts like this, you the folk!

 

[EricSD]

You think Geno's basketball knowledge gets overlooked? That's the thing he's primarily known for. What are you talking about?

Perhaps among UCONN fans it's not overlooked, but if you ever see a thread on the men's board regarding the success of the UCONN women, there are generally 2 comments that get made in various forms:

1. Women's records not so great because there's zero competition
2. Geno wins because he has the best players

I think 99% of the time Geno wins when he's supposed to win. It's rare when one of his teams loses a game when they shouldn't (Stanford last year, 'Nova and BC in the BET years back for example), and more likely that when he had "lesser" teams on paper than programs like Tennessee years ago, his teams out outplay Pat's almost every time.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Pat Summitt was a great coach but even she back in around 2009-2011 recruited 4 players 6'2" and NO PG! She then had to go to a JC player, 5'1," (can't remember her name), and they haven't been back to FF since 2008!

 

[ThisJustIn]

I just love it when the 6th folk goes in for the Huskies and they get on a roll, or when their folk-to-folk defense puts the clamps on the opponent's offense. I love the Huskies' new group of freshfolk for this year and think they're destined for great things. And I really enjoyed when hard-to-please Geno told the players at half time, "Y'all playing good defense out there."

But the best things about "y'all" and "folk" is that when a bunch of arrogant Vol fans come mouthing off, the two words can be used effectively to tell them what they can go do t0 themselves.

Case in point...

Not to put too fine a point on it... play the "flip game" for the next 24hrs - substitute white for black, Christian for Muslim, man for woman, gay for straight, etc.... what do you notice?

 

[EricSD]

Pat Summitt was a great coach but even she back in around 2009-2011 recruited 4 players 6'2" and NO PG! She then had to go to a JC player, 5'1," (can't remember her name), and they haven't been back to FF since 2008!

Shannon Bobbitt...

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

ericsandiego- - - There ya go! Thanks!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Case in point...

Not to put too fine a point on it... play the "flip game" for the next 24hrs - substitute white for black, Christian for Muslim, man for woman, gay for straight, etc.... what do you notice?

For sure, and I thought Stephanie Black did a pretty nice job with the UC0nn - OSU game on Monday. And I will never forgive Muslim Laettner for that confounded lucky shot that sank the Huskies' guys in 1990. Just telling it gay there.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I just love it when the 6th folk goes in for the Huskies and they get on a roll, or when their folk-to-folk defense puts the clamps on the opponent's offense. I love the Huskies' new group of freshfolk for this year and think they're destined for great things. And I really enjoyed when hard-to-please Geno told the players at half time, "Y'all playing good defense out there."

But the best things about "y'all" and "folk" is that when a bunch of arrogant Vol fans come mouthing off, the two words can be used effectively to tell them what they can go do t0 themselves.

Do what people do in the South; just say, "bless their heart(s)".

 

[watanabe]

Do what people do in the South; just say, "bless their heart(s)".

Ha ha, that is not usually used nicely, but it sure is polite. Usually when I heard it it was. "Well bless your heart."

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Ha ha, that is not usually used nicely, but it sure is polite. Usually when I heard it it was. "Well bless your heart."

It "sounds" nice, but it means, "what an idiot"!

 

[cabbie191]

After her 4th foul her brother came over and told me to leave his sister alone. I told him that she's a basketball player today and not his sister and that I treat opposing WBB players the same way I treat opposing MBB players.

Fun fact: one of Tech's players on that team was Susan Walvius, who was later our coach at USC.

I'm curious - how did the brother respond to your comment?

 

[PhillyCoach]

Case in point...

Not to put too fine a point on it... play the "flip game" for the next 24hrs - substitute white for black, Christian for Muslim, man for woman, gay for straight, etc.... what do you notice?

Did I accidently change the channel or plug into the wrong socket? This is still the BY?
It's the flip game alright--it flipped me out! Can you say," Is it me or what?."
Maybe I am the oddball, but The Golden Rule pretty much covers it for me and my favorite game is WBB.

 

[watanabe]

It "sounds" nice, but it means, "what an idiot"!

Yeah, we all know that, but it's still fun to watch grandma say it. Little kid time we all thought it was her way of sticking up for us when M&P got mad at us. Now I know it was a show of solidarity with them. Still laughing.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I'm curious - how did the brother respond to your comment?

He whined about how he'll make me stop, lol.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

One kind of measurement could include testimonials from outstanding pro players who did not play for him.
When put together with Geno at US Olympics, Elena DD said.
"The way he breaks things down and teaches the game. It's amazing".

My fav from this summer from EDD was:

"But he kind of explains things in a different way. And it’s been great. I feel like he’s the sun and I’m just trying to soak in all that knowledge. It’s been fun.

“I’m thrilled that I’m able to have him as my coach right now.”

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2015/10/delle-donne-fits-in-with-the-best.aspx

 

[Kibitzer]

Permit me to add two apparent effects of "Geno's rules" (enforced by CD). I do not recall:

- ever hearing a UConn player, in an on-air or published interview, utter a disparaging remark about another team, player, coach, or game officials; or,
- ever seeing a UConn player draw a "T" because of a confrontation with a referee.​

It's not a coincidence.

 

[billnaples]

Pat Summitt was a great coach but even she back in around 2009-2011 recruited 4 players 6'2" and NO PG! She then had to go to a JC player, 5'1," (can't remember her name), and they haven't been back to FF since 2008!

Having a spouse with dementia I can tell you that it is completely plausible that Pat was being marginally impaired at that time with the early onset of her bout with Alzheimers. Given her stature and tenure and it being before her diagnosis it's highly unlikely that anyone and certainly not Warlick could talk her out of some of her choices. Just a thought because the timing seems to fit.