The trap! Auriemma's opinion

[vtcwbuff]

From Mike Anthony in the Courant - LINK

“It's just typical women's basketball [bull], ya know?” he said. “We clear our bench, we put our subs in and all of the sudden there's a trap at halfcourt and they haven't trapped us one time the whole game. It's just dumb. It's just dumb. It's just dumb. My guys are just hoping that they don't dribble the ball off their foot, and you want to trap them. But it is what it is. I only coach my team, nobody else's."

He also had some comments about the UCF sideline antics.

 

[vtcwbuff]

My understanding is that he made his feelings known to the UCF coach in the handshake line. It was obvious that he was not pleased and he let her know it.

 

[eebmg]

Personally, I think Geno is having the time of his life. He has admitted this is one of the sweetest conference championships he as had having to over come alot of obstacles and finding out the makeup of the young kids and the night / day play of his defense

Getting into a little inter-conference rivalry should be the cherry on the top.

 

[Orangutan]

Trap/full-court pressure vs. deep bench/walk-ons drives me crazy. It's so pathetic. Good for Geno.

 

[huskeynut]

Don't forget Geno was critical of UCF's style of play last time they met. He made it very clear the overtly physical play of UCF is taught. This "stuff" last night just adds to Geno's "displeasure."

Abrahamson - Henderson made it clear in the post game presser her team was just playing hard. That statement says it all.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Don't forget Geno was critical of UCF's style of play last time they met. He made it very clear the overtly physical play of UCF is taught. This "stuff" last night just adds to Geno's "displeasure."

Abrahamson - Henderson made it clear in the post game presser her team was just playing hard. That statement says it all.

A couple of years back Green Bay , Fla Gulf Cost Classic, played "hard Hard" and it was a terrible game like this one. Upon being interview at games end Geno said: When his teams didn't have talent he played that way too. True or not that statement absolves all coaches from playing as UCF played.
Also, the TRAP is a legit function. Muffet trapped freshman Jefferson (Geno pulled her) Trapped KML too as a frosh. See the trend coaches trap the least likely to get out of the trap. The timing stunk, but alas that is College basketball ask no quarters give no quarters. Expect other teams as you tell your team--play hard to the final buzzer. I detest UCF's style of play--but it's their style. The choices aren't many for Uconn play them or get out of league, I don't think they are going away soon.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Also, the TRAP is a legit function. Muffet trapped freshm an Jefferson (Geno pulled her) Trapped KML too as a frosh. See the trend coaches trap the least likely to get out of the trap. The timing stunk, but alas that is College basketball ask no quarters give no quarters. Expect other teams as you tell your team--play hard to the final buzzer. I detest UCF's style of play--but it's their style. The choices aren't many for Uconn play them or get out of league, I don't think they are going away soon.

Geno's issue was that UCF didn't trap the entire game and then decided to do so against the Bent/Irwin/Camara group in the final seconds. What exactly was the point of doing that? I have yet to hear an answer.

 

[GDawg]

Trap/full-court pressure vs. deep bench/walk-ons drives me crazy. It's so pathetic. Good for Geno.

Agreed. I coach HS basketball. If it's what you do, and you do it all game long, then cool. But not pressing when my first or second bunch is in there and then pressing when the 3rd group comes in? Nah. One time a coach did that to me and I grabbed my starting 5 (even though we were up 30) and sent them to the scorer's table. I looked at the other coach and said, "Hey Coach....press this bunch!" They went through them like crap through a goose for about 4 layups before he finally got the point.

 

[GDawg]

A couple of years back Green Bay , Fla Gulf Cost Classic, played "hard Hard" and it was a terrible game like this one. Upon being interview at games end Geno said: When his teams didn't have talent he played that way too. True or not that statement absolves all coaches from playing as UCF played.
Also, the TRAP is a legit function. Muffet trapped freshman Jefferson (Geno pulled her) Trapped KML too as a frosh. See the trend coaches trap the least likely to get out of the trap. The timing stunk, but alas that is College basketball ask no quarters give no quarters. Expect other teams as you tell your team--play hard to the final buzzer. I detest UCF's style of play--but it's their style. The choices aren't many for Uconn play them or get out of league, I don't think they are going away soon.

Nah. I disagree. There's an unwritten rule that you don't do that crap. You don't sit back in a half court M/M all game and then press when the managers check in. You don't tell your player to "go lay it up" when I've backed off in the last few seconds and said "No fouls", either. It's bush league.

 

[oldude]

I don’t know if Coach Abe realizes that Geno did her and her team a big favor. Right now, Charlie Creme is projecting UCF as a 10 seed. Had Geno kept UConn’s press on through the 3rd qtr and beyond, the Huskies win by 40, perhaps knocking down UCF to an 11 or 12 seed. As a 12 seed, UCF ends up playing against 4 seed at their home arena.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno's issue was that UCF didn't trap the entire game and then decided to do so against the Bent/Irwin/Camara group in the final seconds. What exactly was the point of doing that? I have yet to hear an answer.

I'm a bit of a purest. If trapping is allowed don't be awestruck when it happens. Yea the timing stunk, but it was legit, no ref calls because of the trap (yes the foul after). It is part of the game. Accept it or get a rule to change it. Geno knows that. He was being emotional and an Emotional Geno dosen't always think before he speaks.
Geno probably was angry with the whole UCF game and latched on this to make a point.

 

[Centerstream]

A couple of years back Green Bay , Fla Gulf Cost Classic, played "hard Hard" and it was a terrible game like this one. Upon being interview at games end Geno said: When his teams didn't have talent he played that way too. True or not that statement absolves all coaches from playing as UCF played.
Also, the TRAP is a legit function. Muffet trapped freshman Jefferson (Geno pulled her) Trapped KML too as a frosh. See the trend coaches trap the least likely to get out of the trap. The timing stunk, but alas that is College basketball ask no quarters give no quarters. Expect other teams as you tell your team--play hard to the final buzzer. I detest UCF's style of play--but it's their style. The choices aren't many for Uconn play them or get out of league, I don't think they are going away soon.

And in the instances that you cite, was the trapping team down 20+ points with less than 90 seconds left in the game?
This was the scenario last night and I think that it explains why it seems so surprising and unsportsmanlike. But, hey, that's just my opinion.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Nah. I disagree. There's an unwritten rule that you don't do that crap. You don't sit back in a half court M/M all game and then press when the managers check in. You don't tell your player to "go lay it up" when I've backed off in the last few seconds and said "No fouls", either. It's bush league.

Un written rules aren't worth the paper they are written on. Yea, that the rule you can trap up to the final buzzer.
Accept it. or Change the rule. Sure you do. You trap when you want, there is NO rule written or not against it.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I'm a bit of a purest. If trapping is allowed don't be awestruck when it happens. Yea the timing stunk, but it was legit, no ref calls because of the trap (yes the foul after). It is part of the game. Accept it or get a rule to change it. Geno knows that. He was being emotional and an Emotional Geno dosen't always think before he speaks.
Geno probably was angry with the whole UCF game and latched on this to make a point.

Lots of things are allowed that are considered poor sportsmanship if they are instituted at certain times or in certain ways.

 

[cabbie191]

How UCF played at the end didn't bother me at all, and I'm not certain why it really should have bothered Geno. He always has taught that you play to a standard, not to a score, and that means playing hard to the end.

Seems to me that's what the UCF team did.

Side note: I participated in a high school career day this morning. This is a unique high school - it's public but jointly run by 9 school districts and has a curriculum that is internationally based. These are really above average kids in intelligence and motivation.

For each of the four groups that I worked with, I talked about Geno's working to have his team train and work to attain perfection in the expectation that they will achieve excellence, and used this as an analogy for one of the programs my office provides to the public. These are kids in southeast Michigan and many of them are from recently immigrated families. Quite a few of them knew who Geno was and UConn's record in WCBB. I was pleasantly surprised about this.

 

[cohenzone]

Geno's issue was that UCF didn't trap the entire game and then decided to do so against the Bent/Irwin/Camara group in the final seconds. What exactly was the point of doing that? I have yet to hear an answer.

As they say, bad news is better than no news. UCF motto.

 

[GDawg]

Un written rules aren't worth the paper they are written on. Yea, that the rule you can trap up to the final buzzer.
Accept it. or Change the rule. Sure you do. You trap when you want, there is NO rule written or not against it.

You wanted an explanation for why Geno was hot. That's it. You've obviously never coached before. I'm not saying you have to be a coach to understand the game of basketball. I am saying you have to be a coach to know that there are unwritten rules in the coaching fraternity and doing horsecrap like that will get called out. There's no rule saying you can't bunt to break up a no-hitter in the 8th inning, but if you do it to my pitcher you're getting earholed next AB.

 

[ochoopsfan]

The only part of Genos statement that I don't like is "My guys are hoping they don't dribble the ball off their own foot." Was he referring to Kyla? Someone else off the bench?
I wonder how his bench players feel after hearing that? I would have left that part out.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Actually, what UCF didn't bother me at all, and I'm not certain why it really should have bothered Geno. He always has taught that you play to a standard, not to a score, and that means playing hard to the end.

Seems to me that's what the UCF team did.

I'll ask again. What was the point of trapping players like Bent and Irwin in the final seconds of a blowout after not doing so the entire game? The issue is not the voracity with which UCF was playing.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

The only part of Genos statement that I don't like is "My guys are hoping they don't dribble the ball off their own foot." Was he referring to Kyla? Someone else off the bench?
I wonder how his bench players feel after hearing that? I would have left that part out.

Well, let's not kid ourselves. If the bench had to play the entire game and UCF trapped that hard they'd get beat by 50.

 

[GDawg]

The only part of Genos statement that I don't like is "My guys are hoping they don't dribble the ball off their own foot." Was he referring to Kyla? Someone else off the bench?
I wonder how his bench players feel after hearing that? I would have left that part out.

I assure you that those players would have never signed to play for Geno if a comment like that was going to hurt their feelings. He's not belittling the players. He's making a point to the other coach.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Those "unwritten " rules aren't rules. And yes I coached. I believe in the rules, as written. If one dosen't follow the written rules--object. If the rule is only in your mind object and see where that gets you. Hey officer I know the unwritten rule is 5 mph over the limit--why the ticket--SON, because the rule says 60 and you were doing 64.

Had Geno left his starting unit on the floor in the final seconds and trapped UCF's bench that would've been okay with you?

 

[Carnac]

Agreed. I coach HS basketball. If it's what you do, and you do it all game long, then cool. But not pressing when my first or second bunch is in there and then pressing when the 3rd group comes in? Nah. One time a coach did that to me and I grabbed my starting 5 (even though we were up 30) and sent them to the scorer's table. I looked at the other coach and said, "Hey Coach....press this bunch!" They went through them like crap through a goose for about 4 layups before he finally got the point.

Hey GDawg, thanks for sharing your insight. It brought a smile to my face. I nominate your comment for "Post of the Day".

 

[BroadwayVa]

You wanted an explanation for why Geno was hot. That's it. You've obviously never coached before. I'm not saying you have to be a coach to understand the game of basketball. I am saying you have to be a coach to know that there are unwritten rules in the coaching fraternity and doing horsecrap like that will get called out. There's no rule saying you can't bunt to break up a no-hitter in the 8th inning, but if you do it to my pitcher you're getting earholed next AB.

Actually I didn't ask for an explanation. In a championship game if a bunt serves the purpose it will be done, not matter when. This was a championship game. I don't agree with the UCF coach but the decision was within the rules. Hey officer why you stopping me? Cuz you was goin 64 mph. But Officer isn't the unwritten rule I get an extra 5mph? The law say 60, you exceeded the limit. Take to the judge. Same here you don't like what they did take it to the judge.

Do you actually believe there is any validity of posting how bad UCF's legal decision was when it was within the speed limit??

If Geno instead of being upset took his starting 5 back into the game at that point. That too is legit. Some coaches do that all the time up to the end. It's with in the rules. So, why moan over something so easily fixed, re-enter your starting 5.

 

[GDawg]

Actually I didn't ask for an explanation. In a championship game if a bunt serves the purpose it will be done, not matter when. This was a championship game. I don't agree with the UCF coach but the decision was within the rules. Hey officer why you stopping me? Cuz you was goin 64 mph. But Officer isn't the unwritten rule I get an extra 5mph? The law say 60, you exceeded the limit. Take to the judge. Same here you don't like what they did take it to the judge.

Do you actually believe there is any validity of posting how bad UCF's legal decisions was when it was within the speed limit??

You and I are going to have to just agree to disagree on this. You strike me as a very legalistic guy. That's fine and I'm in agreement that if you drive one MPH over the speed limit and get stopped, you have no right to complain. I may think it's BS, but certainly legal. Just like with this. I think if you polled 100 veteran coaches in the NCAA or the longest tenured HS coaches in America, they would OVERWHELMINGLY agree that it's poor taste to do what she did. Legal? I never argued that it wasn't. I'm arguing that you just don't do that. If you do, you're gonna get called out on it like Geno did.