The "Big, Big Problem" | The Boneyard

The "Big, Big Problem"

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This was dealt with a bit in another post, but I don't believe the tone was proper. Coach Geno called "a big, big problem" the slow development (lack of development) of his younger players. They're not "scrubs"; non-starters, but a key component of the team's future success.

On the plus side, Coach Geno stated in his remarks last night that of all the elements of last night's game against UCF, he was most heartened by "the last four minutes" of the game during which the non-starters played with confidence. He suggested it was eye-opening for him, and he hoped it meant that they would start playing with more confidence and less fear of making mistakes.

He's mentioned before that the freshmen have been slow to develop, and he must be including Megan Walker. It's difficult to recall a HS #1 player who has come into Connecticut and made less of an impression in her freshman year than Walker. She's scoring 6 points per game, but she has not been a dynamo off the bench, nor shown streaks of brilliance. By contrast, think of what KML did, what Tina Charles did, what Breanna did, etc. Even players who weren't ranked first in the nation have come in and made big impacts as freshmen: think Gabby and Moriah and Crystal. Last night, despite UConn's lengthening lead, Coach Geno didn't put Walker into the game until the closing minutes, deciding to play just six players for most of the game.

In addition, the two remaining freshmen (fingers crossed for AEH's quick return) have been relatively quiet, to say the least. Lexi Gordon has barely gotten into games, even when they've been blow-outs. Mikayla Coombs played well last night, though in those last few minutes.

I'm not being controversial here to recount Coach Geno's own disappointments with this class. We need them to be really good. Why they have not stepped up is a mystery, and a mystery, it appears, to the head coach as well.

What does the future hold for this year's freshman class? For last year's freshman class?
 
Fairfield Fan said:
He's mentioned before that the freshmen have been slow to develop, and he must be including Megan Walker. It's difficult to recall a HS #1 player who has come into Connecticut and made less of an impression in her freshman year than Walker. She's scoring 6 points per game, but she has not been a dynamo off the bench, nor shown streaks of brilliance. By contrast, think of what KML did, what Tina Charles did, what Breanna did, etc. Even players who weren't ranked first in the nation have come in and made big impacts as freshmen: think Gabby and Moriah and Crystal. Last night, despite UConn's lengthening lead, Coach Geno didn't put Walker into the game until the closing minutes, deciding to play just six players for most of the game.

In addition, the two remaining freshmen (fingers crossed for AEH's quick return) have been relatively quiet, to say the least. Lexi Gordon has barely gotten into games, even when they've been blow-outs. Mikayla Coombs played well last night, though in those last few minutes.

I'm not being controversial here to recount Coach Geno's own disappointments with this class. We need them to be really good. Why they have not stepped up is a mystery, and a mystery, it appears, to the head coach as well.

What does the future hold for this year's freshman class? For last year's freshman class?
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I believe Walker has shown at least “flashes” of brilliance. I was at the UCLA game and she looked pretty brilliant to me.
 
Fairfield Fan said:
It's difficult to recall a HS #1 player who has come into Connecticut and made less of an impression in her freshman year than Walker. She's scoring 6 points per game, but she has not been a dynamo off the bench, nor shown streaks of brilliance. By contrast, think of what KML did, what Tina Charles did, what Breanna did, etc. Even players who weren't ranked first in the nation have come in and made big impacts as freshmen: think Gabby and Moriah and Crystal.
Expand ...
Megan has been a major factor in several games. We may loose the Notre Dame game without her rebounding for example. Also this years incoming class have an established group in front of them, making it harder to get minutes and make an impact. BTW, even Moriah had limited minutes her freshman year.
 
This is not "a big, big problem." Geno is just mining for problems in his presser: maybe for motivation, maybe out of old-world superstition that you have to avoid hubris. If he wanted them to develop more quickly, he'd throw them into the game in the 3rd Q of blow outs. But he wants to continue to develop the first 6, as they still need the competitive time and ways of working Z in most effectively. Whatever he did with Meg last night (maybe she didn't practice well; maybe he's content with what he sees and feels he's got a chance to reward Molly and Kyla; who really knows?) it's clear he's got his top 7 for this year and, if Z returns, his top 5 for next year. No team in WCBB comes close to this amount of stability of top talent.

Geno's big, big problem is that he doesn't have a big, big problem.
 
.-.
We know from yesterday's presser that he's not happy with the work ethic of Megan (and possibly others) in practice. But the same could be said of Crystal last year, and others earlier who went on to become marquee players. So nothing really new about that, in my opinion.

I think what is different is that there was not any kind of sophomore leap from Bent and Irwin. Not that we really should have expected it, as these two were not among the top prospects in the nation by any means. Another has been held back while recovering from an injury. So now half of the team is made up of very young and less skilled players (Megan excepted), and and other half of truly outstanding upperclassmen.

And I think he realizes that unless some from that first half develop to a faster/greater extent than is now happening, the team could be quite vulnerable once Lou, Pheesa and Z graduate, leading to perhaps a couple of lean years for the Huskies.
 
bags27 said:
This is not "a big, big problem." Geno is just mining for problems in his presser: maybe for motivation, maybe out of old-world superstition that you have to avoid hubris. If he wanted them to develop more quickly, he'd throw them into the game in the 3rd Q of blow outs. But he wants to continue to develop the first 6, as they still need the competitive time and ways of working Z in most effectively. Whatever he did with Meg last night (maybe she didn't practice well; maybe he's content with what he sees and feels he's got a chance to reward Molly and Kyla; who really knows?) it's clear he's got his top 7 for this year and, if Z returns, his top 5 for next year. No team in WCBB comes close to this amount of stability of top talent.

Geno's big, big problem is that he doesn't have a big, big problem.
Expand ...


Thanks! Bags27, Exceptionally well put.

That was what I was alluding to in my "...Psychology on the UCF game..." in my earlier thread.

I was describing (and maybe not too well) how Geno used the starters as a foil to get his points across to the Freshmen.

In the last 5 minutes, the Bench were more focused on not mimicking the starters (and consequently not so worried about making mistakes) and so they took that step up.

It happens every year: Geno tears the team down until sometime in January and gradually builds backup to achieve maximum capability for tournament time.

This year is no different and last night was just the turning point.
 
I have marveled at how HCGA has handled the rotations this year. I, like many of you, fully expected him to play 8-10 players in a rotation. Too much talent, right? Gotta play'em, right? Bent and Irwin will be supplanted by all of the freshman, right? Wrong. If you are going to get meaningful minutes from HCGA, you are going to earn them. We assumed because Lawlor and Pulido played in all of those games two years ago (and Lawlor, Bent and Irwin last year) that these freshman would all play. That is proving NOT to be the case.

HCGA has his starting five that he trusts. He has Stevens and Walker behind them. That is a 7 player rotation (and it is really like a 6.5 player rotation because Walker plays sporadic minutes) on a team that has its full complement of scholarship athletes available. I have been shocked at how Irwin has improved her conditioning to the point where she appears to have held her own in the rotation. I have been shocked at how Camara has not cracked the rotation, although injuries have been a factor there. Finally I have been shocked that Gordon has been banished to the deepest regions of the bench. Bottom line, if you aren't ready to play the way HCGA wants you to play for this team, you aren't going to play. He doesn't care what your ranking was. How this will affect the roster going forward, who knows? That is as much as the BY Rules will have me say about that.
 
bags27 said:
This is not "a big, big problem." Geno is just mining for problems in his presser: maybe for motivation, maybe out of old-world superstition that you have to avoid hubris. If he wanted them to develop more quickly, he'd throw them into the game in the 3rd Q of blow outs. But he wants to continue to develop the first 6, as they still need the competitive time and ways of working Z in most effectively. Whatever he did with Meg last night (maybe she didn't practice well; maybe he's content with what he sees and feels he's got a chance to reward Molly and Kyla; who really knows?) it's clear he's got his top 7 for this year and, if Z returns, his top 5 for next year. No team in WCBB comes close to this amount of stability of top talent.

Geno's big, big problem is that he doesn't have a big, big problem.
Expand ...

There's also the possibility she may be injured or feeling ill. It's human nature to think the worse when a player does not get the minutes she usually does. Maybe Geno wanted to give other reserves a look, as he already knows what Megan will give him.
 
Big Mick said:
Thanks! Bags27, Exceptionally well put.

That was what I was alluding to in my "...Psychology on the UCF game..." in my earlier thread.

I was describing (and maybe not too well) how Geno used the starters as a foil to get his points across to the Freshmen.

In the last 5 minutes, the Bench were more focused on not mimicking the starters (and consequently not so worried about making mistakes) and so they took that step up.

It happens every year: Geno tears the team down until sometime in January and gradually builds backup to achieve maximum capability for tournament time.

This year is no different and last night was just the turning point.
Expand ...

I'd like to see the reserves adopt the mantra: The last 5 minutes of the game is ours!!! We're kicking A** and taking names. If anyone gets in our way, too bad!! :mad:
 
.-.
I'm still trying to figure out what HCGA stands for...is it for GENO? Same amount of letters. :rolleyes:
 
Fairfield Fan said:
This was dealt with a bit in another post, but I don't believe the tone was proper. Coach Geno called "a big, big problem" the slow development (lack of development) of his younger players. They're not "scrubs"; non-starters, but a key component of the team's future success.

On the plus side, Coach Geno stated in his remarks last night that of all the elements of last night's game against UCF, he was most heartened by "the last four minutes" of the game during which the non-starters played with confidence. He suggested it was eye-opening for him, and he hoped it meant that they would start playing with more confidence and less fear of making mistakes.

He's mentioned before that the freshmen have been slow to develop, and he must be including Megan Walker. It's difficult to recall a HS #1 player who has come into Connecticut and made less of an impression in her freshman year than Walker. She's scoring 6 points per game, but she has not been a dynamo off the bench, nor shown streaks of brilliance. By contrast, think of what KML did, what Tina Charles did, what Breanna did, etc. Even players who weren't ranked first in the nation have come in and made big impacts as freshmen: think Gabby and Moriah and Crystal. Last night, despite UConn's lengthening lead, Coach Geno didn't put Walker into the game until the closing minutes, deciding to play just six players for most of the game.

In addition, the two remaining freshmen (fingers crossed for AEH's quick return) have been relatively quiet, to say the least. Lexi Gordon has barely gotten into games, even when they've been blow-outs. Mikayla Coombs played well last night, though in those last few minutes.

I'm not being controversial here to recount Coach Geno's own disappointments with this class. We need them to be really good. Why they have not stepped up is a mystery, and a mystery, it appears, to the head coach as well.

What does the future hold for this year's freshman class? For last year's freshman class?
Expand ...

I don't often listen to Geno's messages about the Frosh--most often they are jabs to get the attention of those kid.
On Tina, KML, Breanna---do you remember their Frosh years? After game many easy games, game8, she more or less took her self out of the game until the Tourney. Tina didn't become Tina until the end of the 2nd year or beginning of the 3rd. KML was a shooter, stood in one place and shot. None were surrounded by 6 of the top 7 players in the country as Megan.
Few if any have had the "supporting" cast surrounding Megan. 5 or 6 double digit scorers. When the opportunity arises--Megan steps up to the plate and defends, rebound, scores as needed--all in the flow of the game.
What does the future hold for this FROSH class? Hard to tell. But my best guess is there will be at least 2 standout, real Uconn type kids, maybe 3, could be 4---no way can I sell any short.
 
donalddoowop said:
Who or what has caused the freshmen to be afraid of making a mistake? Evidently things have been happening or said at practice to cause that thinking.
Expand ...

I recall video of the team in Italy in which Geno told these kids that if they don't stop playing afraid, he won't put them on the court. This has been building for a long time, apparently.
 
JS said:
Pretty sure it stands for Head Coach Geno Auriemma.

Not a usage I've ever seen before.

Which means it could possibly stand for the Health Care Group of Ansonia or the Hartford Community Garden Association.
Expand ...
It’s something adopted from the football board
 
.-.
perhaps it's a bit premature to be making negative judgements about anybody 14 games into the season..................as for MW, if you were to put her in the starting lineup right now and she played starter's minutes, I bet she would average about 12-14 points per game, 5-7 rebounds per game and 3-5 assists per game but that's not the way UConn does it.................
 
JS said:
Pretty sure it stands for Head Coach Geno Auriemma.

Not a usage I've ever seen before.

Which means it could possibly stand for the Health Care Group of Ansonia or the Hartford Community Garden Association.
Expand ...

It stand for the former, not the latter.
 
JS said:
Pretty sure it stands for Head Coach Geno Auriemma.
Not a usage I've ever seen before.
Expand ...

On the Boneyard, it began as HCRE for Head Coach Randy Edsall (1.0). It was used as a pejorative.
 
.-.
Geno is just being Geno. Every year the puppet master pulls the strings and the puppets begin to wiggle the way he wants them to wiggle. He wants to know why they are afraid to make a mistake? They are terrified that they won't win his approval. Watch the players: they look over to the bench to see his reaction. He re-creates them. When they "get it", and lose the fear, and start playing the "Geno" way, then he will ease up and begin to praise them.
 
Rocket009 said:
Megan has been a major factor in several games. We may loose the Notre Dame game without her rebounding for example. Also this years incoming class have an established group in front of them, making it harder to get minutes and make an impact. BTW, even Moriah had limited minutes her freshman year.
Expand ...
I think you are onto the issue. Geno has, naturally, had to play the starting 6 for most of most games. He needs them to get into a rhythm and develop a feel ( and trust ) for each other. When a bench player gets in for 4-6 minutes, at most, it is pretty hard to do much that will "demand" more court time. Walker has played biggest in the biggest moments, but she must not be performing consistently in practice. I have no basis for this comment, other than that is the rhetoric which always comes out of the mouths of former UConn players; " you earn court time in practice. " But even that has limits, given the quality of the starting 6. I mean if Molly practices better than anyone, is Crystal going to sit down? I don't think ( barring injury ) there is any room for the bench players in most games, no matter how well they work in practice. In fact, when the NCAA tourney gets beyond the preliminary rounds, we shall likely see only 6 players. And we all know who they are. Next year, the doors open a lot wider.
 
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