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Message: [QUOTE="sun, post: 4498057, member: 11664"] UConn has certainly benefitted from the transfer portal this year. UConn is also a brand which is a lot like the good old US of A being a brand in the global market place. They're both the strongest systems in the world but they've both somewhat weakened in stature because of detractors and the widespread distribution of wealth whether it's money or basketball talent. It wasn't very long ago that UConn fans acknowledged that parity was good for the game and that its progress would not be able to be stopped. Prior to that it started to become widely believed that UConn's monopoly of winning NC's was bad for the game. And now we've come to the NIL stage where top players can receive money by selecting certain schools which can alter the future recruiting landscape. Maybe in part that's why Geno has gone with more international recruiting where the players aren't as susceptible to the NIL influences. That doesn't mean that international players will always make UConn a better team, and it won't be long before other schools follow the UConn pattern of international recruiting. UConn can always glorify its history of accomplishment just like the Yankees, the Packers. the Patriots, the Lakers, the Celtics in other sports. But dynasties always tend to eventually evoke an evil empire mentality, as something that fans root for to be defeated. Coach Geno and the prestigious UConn alumi have always acted as fantastic ambassadors for the UConn WBB program which has always helped with the recruiting pipeline. Success does breed more success. Geno himself has developed somewhat of a cult of personality & mystique around the UConn program. It remains to be seen what will happen when Geno eventually decides to retire whenever that might be. In the meantime he and the players always battle hard to maintain UConn's status of being the gold standard of WCBB. And there's so many schools and players that can challenge UConn for the national title in any given year. I suppose that with the right transfer of authority from Geno to a new coach that his aura can somehow be transferred to keep UConn at the forefront of WCBB for many decades to come. At this point it seems to be mostly like the big 3 US auto makers with GM, Ford and Chrysler being the main players. But you know that there will always be others that are up & comers that will challenge the status quo, just like Honda in Indy car racing or Toyota in NASCAR. What will happen in the future is anyone's guess. I suspect that UConn's success will continue to live on but perhaps with slightly less intensity. But not to the extent of the UCLA men under Wooden because the men's side is different than the women. And I didn't intend to equate UConn WCBB with the greatness of the United States of America. No power under God will ever supplant the glory of the United States of America, so help us God. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach