We know that in any group of people, there is a continuum for all dimensions of behavior and emotion. To the topic at hand - passion and ardor for the game of basketball - this is also true. Some players (fans, coaches) will have more passion then others.
It is entirely possible that over time, there can be a general trend line where the "average" player coming into the college ranks has less passion for the game then her counterparts a generation ago. Our daily lives are constantly changing, particularly for young people where forms of communications are constantly in flux, there are more options when young for exploring talents, etc.
It is also likely true that an elite program like UConn's will be somewhat immune from experiencing this trend line. Here's why I believe this to be true.
Let's say arbitrarily that in 2000, 75% percent of players tested for their passion of basketball scored high on the metric, and when the same test was given in 2015, the percent of players scoring high on the same metric dropped to 25%.
The chances are good that Connecticut will continue to attract the players in the upper 25% tier. That is the reward for all the sweat and toil Geno and CD and the rest of crew have put into the program during the first 20 years of their tenure here. They will attract the kids with great desire. I think this will tend to be true for a few other schools as well: Baylor, Stanford, ND, MD come to mind.
So it is entirely possible that while we don't see much drop-off but a program that has entered an era of uncertainty like Tennessee is more vulnerable to experience the passion shift.
But last, keep in mind that every few years Geno acknowledges that the students coming into our program, though still great players and great people, come in with different expectations than prior classes.
rivers here in western Montana.
