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Message: [QUOTE="Bone Dog, post: 5010162, member: 12088"] I agree with [USER=10677]@Skeets[/USER] and [USER=7511]@oldude[/USER]. It’s too narrow to say Geno’s job is merely to win games, if we mean that as a narrow focus on a single season. We all know Geno also thinks in terms of building a program, and that requires a broader focus. He has to think m across several seasons. The potential he recruits for in players typically takes more than one season to develop. Yes, it’s true that he plays to win, not to make teenagers happy with their playing time. But building a program that can develop players over 4 years is a multidimensional problem. On the one hand, he has to recruit the sort of kids who want to be developed, who are willing to play team defense, who fit a certain team culture of sacrifice and mutual support. On the other hand he has to actually build that culture, which means making sure practice is both challenging and rewarding so that teenagers can see the progress they’re making, can feel the satisfaction of playing as part of a great team with other great players — and part of this entails getting to experience real game pressure from time to time. Geno and CD pay careful attention to morale, body language, bench demeanor, etc. Nobody’s saying he coddles kids to keep them from transferring out or risks losing close games merely to flatter an entitled adolescent. He challenges them, he breaks them down, he builds them up, he yells and he praises [grudgingly], he employs sarcasm and humor… in short he is a teacher and a mentor — it’s a really complex task he and CD take on each season. And one of his important tools is letting them experience real game pressures at this level so they can see where they stand. Typically this happens early in conference play and is one of the reasons the rotation shrinks as the season grinds on. In November through January playing time is distributed more widely while in February and March it is mainly limited to 7 or 8 players except in blowouts. The main task is to build a tight core that can win it all. But he and CD also have an eye on long term development. An addendum: the key to the multidimensional problem is team defense. Geno says finding scorers is easy, but he recruits players who can score [B]and[/B] are willing to play team defense. It’s not just because he thinks offense comes from defense. It’s also because this is where team culture is constructed. Team defense isn’t about flashy plays and glory. It’s about switching, disrupting and getting to spots more than about making a great block. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach