UConn Final Four Media Interviews

[Storrs South]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Umami Zen]

Since Dan has mentioned Coach K in these and other interviews about feedback he gets from him.. I stumbled on Coach K's Sirius BB show.."Basketball and Beyond" the other day and he was talking with/interviewing the Princeton BB coach.. And he had an interesting comment to make re: comparing the pressure in an Elite 8 game (for coaches and players) vs the pressure in Final Four games.. It was his opinion there was more pressure (esp. on coaches/him)in Elite 8 games in an attempt to make the Final Four.. Vs once you've made the FF.. You can enjoy the experience and play loose and let it rip.

Was surprised by the comment but he's been there.. Hopefully Danny has the time to enjoy the experience with the team/his Family/the fanbase.. I'm sure input from JC/Geno/Jay W/Coach K/his Dad and brother.. Have helped.. Has a great perspective.

 

[bendm]

It was his opinion there was more pressure (esp. on coaches/him)in Elite 8 games in an attempt to make the Final Four.. Vs once you've made the FF.. You can enjoy the experience and play loose and let it rip.

in general, i can see how the pressure to make the FF is greater than making the finals, but what about actually winning the finals?? that's gotta be the most high pressure situation, e.g., 99 against duke.

then again...it probably depend on the year because it felt like the semifinals in 04 and 11 were the de facto finals. there was more pressure in those games against duke and uk than in the finals where we just had to show up against GT and Butler.

 

[bendm]

continuing my thought, i'd rank the games with the most pressure as: 1) finals, 2) elite eight, 3) final four (unless the de facto finals)

 

[Umami Zen]

in general, i can see how the pressure to make the FF is greater than making the finals, but what about actually winning the finals?? that's gotta be the most high pressure situation, e.g., 99 against duke.

then again...it probably depend on the year because it felt like the semifinals in 04 and 11 were the de facto finals. there was more pressure in those games against duke and uk than in the finals where we just had to show up against GT and Butler.

Just for context.. These were only his opinions about how he felt.. As an example he used.. Once you're in the FF ..You're there-You're not battling to get there. So you could exhale a little bit in the week that proceeds the first game knowing you're playing--you've made it-- instead of trying to get in the game and the pressures associated with that.--Elite 8 game

Clearly playing in the FF creates its own sets of pressure/game planning/managing the team, etc. I was just surprised by his perspective because I had never looked at it that way and it kind of threw me. If you think about UConn's first big FF win over Duke.. IIRC ..Duke was being touted as a can't miss champion vs us.. They had all of the superstars/All-Americans/Team for the Ages.. JC had us ready--We were playing with house money. But guess what.. As Adama would say.. They thought they were going to win.. They did not.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Since Dan has mentioned Coach K in these and other interviews about feedback he gets from him.. I stumbled on Coach K's Sirius BB show.."Basketball and Beyond" the other day and he was talking with/interviewing the Princeton BB coach.. And he had an interesting comment to make re: comparing the pressure in an Elite 8 game (for coaches and players) vs the pressure in Final Four games.. It was his opinion there was more pressure (esp. on coaches/him)in Elite 8 games in an attempt to make the Final Four.. Vs once you've made the FF.. You can enjoy the experience and play loose and let it rip.

Jay Wright said something similar over the weekend.