The Next step for Mississippi State is.......

[UConnCat]

You'd have to give several other coaches comparable talent to what Geno and company are working with to make this statement definitively. It's apples and oranges, the development some other really good coaching staffs do with what they have to work with, which is nowhere near what Geno and staff have to work with.

To be fair we should give these unnamed coaches a roster comparable to UConn's roster in 1985, throw in no basketball arena for the first 5 years, and see what they can do.

 

[nwhoopfan]

To be fair we should give these unnamed coaches a roster comparable to UConn's roster in 1985, throw in no basketball arena for the first 5 years, and see what they can do.

That's a very good point. Geno of course built this thing from the ground up and got it rolling. It's interesting to think of how Geno now compares to Geno back then. I have no doubt he's grown and improved as a coach, but I think he'd have a really hard time doing what he did back then currently.

As far as a coach starting from basically nothing, Rueck definitely fits that bill. Obviously he has not taken them near the level that Geno accomplished in Storrs. But he took over a dumpster fire that had basically nothing going for them, and in short order took the program to heights they'd never seen before.

 

[UConnCat]

As far as a coach starting from basically nothing, Rueck definitely fits that bill. Obviously he has not taken them near the level that Geno accomplished in Storrs. But he took over a dumpster fire that had basically nothing going for them, and in short order took the program to heights they'd never seen before.

Except being in a major conference with its own network and being in a state that produces really good basketball talent. I like Rueck a lot and admire what he's done but the dumpster fire he took over is 1000 times better than the dumpster fire Geno inherited back in 1985.

 

[DaBball]

Rueck was holding open tryouts as OSU nearly dropped their program... in the Pac-12. That to a final four in 6 years is pretty remarkable.

Both Rueck and Geno made the final four exactly 6 years after taking over their respective programs.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Okay, but OSU's Athletic Dept. budget is nothing compared to many of their Pac 12 competitors, and Corvallis is considered the second most backwater location in the conference next to Pullman. They definitely don't have any competitive advantages compared to their conference mates. Rueck took over in 2010. Pac 12 Network didn't launch until 2012. Back then there was only Fox Sports Northwest (morphed into current ROOT Sports), and it had fairly spotty coverage of women's hoops.

You have to make a distinction between what the Big East was when Geno took over in 1985 (not much in women's hoops) and the Pac 12 in 2010. Who was UConn competing against? No Notre Dame or Rutgers or Louisville at the time. Stanford had been the best program out West for several decades, that's who OSU was chasing down. That's definitely apples and oranges.

Really there's 2 different things here. Turning UConn into a national powerhouse was remarkable. Turning them into the class of the Big East as it existed back then is less so. OSU isn't quite a national powerhouse, but taking them from a doormat to the top of the Pac 12 is quite an accomplishment.

 

[UConnCat]

Okay, but OSU's Athletic Dept. budget is nothing compared to many of their Pac 12 competitors, and Corvallis is considered the second most backwater location in the conference next to Pullman. They definitely don't have any competitive advantages compared to their conference mates. Rueck took over in 2010. Pac 12 Network didn't launch until 2012. Back then there was only Fox Sports Northwest (morphed into current ROOT Sports), and it had fairly spotty coverage of women's hoops.

You have to make a distinction between what the Big East was when Geno took over in 1985 (not much in women's hoops) and the Pac 12 in 2010. Who was UConn competing against? No Notre Dame or Rutgers or Louisville at the time. Stanford had been the best program out West for several decades, that's who OSU was chasing down. That's definitely apples and oranges.

Really there's 2 different things here. Turning UConn into a national powerhouse was remarkable. Turning them into the class of the Big East as it existed back then is less so. OSU isn't quite a national powerhouse, but taking them from a doormat to the top of the Pac 12 is quite an accomplishment.

Who here is talking about UConn becoming the class of the Big East? Only you, but doing so only makes Geno's accomplishments at UConn more remarkable. Geno took a team that regularly finished last in the Big East (as you said not much in women's hoops back then) and turned them in to the best and most accomplished women's basketball in the history of the game. Oh, and before it was destroyed by ESPN, the Big East eventually became the best conference in women's basketball.

Seriously, I don't know what your point is.

 

[Bigboote]

Agreed. But there are a number of high-profile programs that continue to underachieve while consistently bringing in top talent.

Yeah, my favorite is that two years ago Texas lost in the Sweet 16 with, IIRC, 12 McDonald's All-Americans, while Mississippi State made it to the Championship game with none.

 

[Bigboote]

Okay, but OSU's Athletic Dept. budget is nothing compared to many of their Pac 12 competitors, and Corvallis is considered the second most backwater location in the conference next to Pullman. They definitely don't have any competitive advantages compared to their conference mates.

Not everybody wants to be in the middle of a city. I certainly don't. So I myself would consider that a competitive advantage. Although I haven't been to Corvallis, I can say with a high level of confidence there are many universities/cities I've been to in the Pac-12 that I'd like less than Corvallis/OSU.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Sorry UConnCat, I thought I was responding to a reference about the Big East but apparently I imagined that.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Not everybody wants to be in the middle of a city. I certainly don't. So I myself would consider that a competitive advantage. Although I haven't been to Corvallis, I can say with a high level of confidence there are many universities/cities I've been to in the Pac-12 that I'd like less than Corvallis/OSU.

I like Corvallis personally. You're right, some prospects may be drawn to that type of environment. But I'm sure plenty are drawn to bigger cities.

 

[DaBball]

Vic still waiting for his first McDonald’s All-American. Doesn’t look like he has any in his 2019 class either unless he adds Rickea or Zia.

Scott Rueck also yet to recruit a McDonald’s All-American. Of course Slocum was one but she transferred in, and Taya Corosdale was a Jordan Brand one. Potentially Jones or Brown?

Both Texas and Baylor consistently recruit tons of McDonald’s All Americans, but you wouldn’t guess looking at post season results

 

[MikeBlue]

Vic still waiting for his first McDonald’s All-American. Doesn’t look like he has any in his 2019 class either unless he adds Rickea or Zia.

Scott Rueck also yet to recruit a McDonald’s All-American. Of course Slocum was one but she transferred in, and Taya Corosdale was a Jordan Brand one. Potentially Jones or Brown?

Both Texas and Baylor consistently recruit tons of McDonald’s All Americans, but you wouldn’t guess looking at post season results

Texas and Baylor...smh. We've lost some really good recruits to them. Imagine us with Kalani Brown the last 3 years. Wow!