VaTech 67, TN 63, final

[Gus Mahler]

It is puzzling that Tennessee is not more successful since Pat left the picture considering how many top rated players they have been able to attract. All the opinions expressed on the Boneyard as to why this is so have merit.

There are many in Lady Vol land who are clamoring for Holly's ouster. Perhaps an equal number are blaming the players for the problems. In my opinion, both are at fault. Holly recruits the wrong type of player for the wrong reasons and everyone at Tenn has the wrong mindset for success.

I would like to illustrate my points by comparing the difference between the current UCONN vs. Tennessee way:

1. TN: I want to play for Holly. She is nice and will let me do my own thing without interference. There is nothing she needs to teach me. I want to be a star and my natural ability will win out. It will be easy.

UCONN: I want to play for Geno and his system. I realize I have raw ability and preconceived BB attitudes, but I'm still a babe in the woods and will do anything to improve and fit in. I too want to be a star and I'm willing to put in the effort to become one.

2. TN: Tennessee is in the dumps right now. I'm the person with the ability to ride in, put things right, and become the legend I deserve to be.

UCONN - I'm probably not going to exceed the accomplishments of former players, but I yearn to be part of that fantastic family while developing my skills to the fullest to fulfill my future goals.

3. TN : I know I'll always get a pat on the back no matter how I perform. Holly is a nurturer. I'll feel good about myself.

UCONN : I expect to cry alot. I will be the worst player on the roster in Geno's mind. Even so, I will never give up.I will show him through extreme effort.

4. TN : No way do I want to play for that egotistical maniac in Storrs. I don't need to run myself ragged just for him. I'm a highly desired recruit and I can succeed anywhere, and Holly really wants me. I will have lots of fun at Tennessee and the fans will adore me.I'm better than my teammates, and if they get me the ball, I'll be the one to slay UCONN and bring the Lady Vols back to their rightful place.

UCONN : I recognize that I don't know my true potential, but the UCONN staff has proven, over time, that they do. Geno may be hard to deal with in the beginning but my will is strong.

5. TN : So much playing time is available! It will be easy to break into the starting lineup with my superior skills.

UCONN : There are so many excellent players ahead of me and I will have a difficult time getting minutes.But I know the coaches will not abandon me if I put forth great effort and am willing to learn.I will always be supported through the criticism that is sure to come.

5. TN : Coach Holly is a great recruiter. Look at all the top rated players she has signed. So many are McDonalds all americans. Her philosophy - if you're a McD AA, you must be good. Bring them on, particularly if they love me. My players can do no wrong. I'll always find something to praise in them. A trophy for everyone! I've received lots of criticism for my lack of coaching skills. But underneath it all, the fans know it's the players that are the problems, not me.

UCONN : Coach Geno and staff are great recruiters. But sometimes their choices and who they reject are puzzling to the fans. Their recruiting skills are beyond our comprehension but they somehow know which players and their families are the true stars. That's why we support the UCONN staff without question.

My basic point is Holly attracts players with thought processes that are different from those of UCONN recruits. The mindset of recruits that choose UCONN and its coaching staff just produce superior results regardless of the underlying talent inherent in all top ability kids.

Nice post.

 

[CocoHusky]

It is puzzling that Tennessee is not more successful since Pat left the picture considering how many top rated players they have been able to attract. All the opinions expressed on the Boneyard as to why this is so have merit.

There are many in Lady Vol land who are clamoring for Holly's ouster. Perhaps an equal number are blaming the players for the problems. In my opinion, both are at fault. Holly recruits the wrong type of player for the wrong reasons and everyone at Tenn has the wrong mindset for success.

I would like to illustrate my points by comparing the difference between the current UCONN vs. Tennessee way:

1. TN: I want to play for Holly. She is nice and will let me do my own thing without interference. There is nothing she needs to teach me. I want to be a star and my natural ability will win out. It will be easy.

UCONN: I want to play for Geno and his system. I realize I have raw ability and preconceived BB attitudes, but I'm still a babe in the woods and will do anything to improve and fit in. I too want to be a star and I'm willing to put in the effort to become one.

2. TN: Tennessee is in the dumps right now. I'm the person with the ability to ride in, put things right, and become the legend I deserve to be.

UCONN - I'm probably not going to exceed the accomplishments of former players, but I yearn to be part of that fantastic family while developing my skills to the fullest to fulfill my future goals.

3. TN : I know I'll always get a pat on the back no matter how I perform. Holly is a nurturer. I'll feel good about myself.

UCONN : I expect to cry alot. I will be the worst player on the roster in Geno's mind. Even so, I will never give up.I will show him through extreme effort.

4. TN : No way do I want to play for that egotistical maniac in Storrs. I don't need to run myself ragged just for him. I'm a highly desired recruit and I can succeed anywhere, and Holly really wants me. I will have lots of fun at Tennessee and the fans will adore me.I'm better than my teammates, and if they get me the ball, I'll be the one to slay UCONN and bring the Lady Vols back to their rightful place.

UCONN : I recognize that I don't know my true potential, but the UCONN staff has proven, over time, that they do. Geno may be hard to deal with in the beginning but my will is strong.

5. TN : So much playing time is available! It will be easy to break into the starting lineup with my superior skills.

UCONN : There are so many excellent players ahead of me and I will have a difficult time getting minutes. But I know the coaches will not abandon me if I put forth great effort and am willing to learn.I will always be supported through the criticism that is sure to come.

5. TN : Coach Holly is a great recruiter. Look at all the top rated players she has signed. So many are McDonalds all americans. Her philosophy - if you're a McD AA, you must be good. Bring them on, particularly if they love me. My players can do no wrong. I'll always find something to praise in them. A trophy for everyone! I've received lots of criticism for my lack of coaching skills. But underneath it all, the fans know it's the players that are the problems, not me.

UCONN : Coach Geno and staff are great recruiters. But sometimes their choices and who they reject are puzzling to the fans. Their recruiting skills are beyond our comprehension but they somehow know which players and their families are the true stars. That's why we support the UCONN staff without question.

My basic point is Holly attracts players with thought processes that are different from those of UCONN recruits. The mindset of recruits that choose UCONN and its coaching staff just produce superior results regardless of the underlying talent inherent in all top ability kids.

While I agree with your entire assessment , I think your analysis could also be extended to many many other coaches besides TN and Holly.

 

[trb123]

It is puzzling that Tennessee is not more successful since Pat left the picture considering how many top rated players they have been able to attract. All the opinions expressed on the Boneyard as to why this is so have merit.

There are many in Lady Vol land who are clamoring for Holly's ouster. Perhaps an equal number are blaming the players for the problems. In my opinion, both are at fault. Holly recruits the wrong type of player for the wrong reasons and everyone at Tenn has the wrong mindset for success.

I would like to illustrate my points by comparing the difference between the current UCONN vs. Tennessee way:

1. TN: I want to play for Holly. She is nice and will let me do my own thing without interference. There is nothing she needs to teach me. I want to be a star and my natural ability will win out. It will be easy.

UCONN: I want to play for Geno and his system. I realize I have raw ability and preconceived BB attitudes, but I'm still a babe in the woods and will do anything to improve and fit in. I too want to be a star and I'm willing to put in the effort to become one.

2. TN: Tennessee is in the dumps right now. I'm the person with the ability to ride in, put things right, and become the legend I deserve to be.

UCONN - I'm probably not going to exceed the accomplishments of former players, but I yearn to be part of that fantastic family while developing my skills to the fullest to fulfill my future goals.

3. TN : I know I'll always get a pat on the back no matter how I perform. Holly is a nurturer. I'll feel good about myself.

UCONN : I expect to cry alot. I will be the worst player on the roster in Geno's mind. Even so, I will never give up.I will show him through extreme effort.

4. TN : No way do I want to play for that egotistical maniac in Storrs. I don't need to run myself ragged just for him. I'm a highly desired recruit and I can succeed anywhere, and Holly really wants me. I will have lots of fun at Tennessee and the fans will adore me.I'm better than my teammates, and if they get me the ball, I'll be the one to slay UCONN and bring the Lady Vols back to their rightful place.

UCONN : I recognize that I don't know my true potential, but the UCONN staff has proven, over time, that they do. Geno may be hard to deal with in the beginning but my will is strong.

5. TN : So much playing time is available! It will be easy to break into the starting lineup with my superior skills.

UCONN : There are so many excellent players ahead of me and I will have a difficult time getting minutes.But I know the coaches will not abandon me if I put forth great effort and am willing to learn.I will always be supported through the criticism that is sure to come.

5. TN : Coach Holly is a great recruiter. Look at all the top rated players she has signed. So many are McDonalds all americans. Her philosophy - if you're a McD AA, you must be good. Bring them on, particularly if they love me. My players can do no wrong. I'll always find something to praise in them. A trophy for everyone! I've received lots of criticism for my lack of coaching skills. But underneath it all, the fans know it's the players that are the problems, not me.

UCONN : Coach Geno and staff are great recruiters. But sometimes their choices and who they reject are puzzling to the fans. Their recruiting skills are beyond our comprehension but they somehow know which players and their families are the true stars. That's why we support the UCONN staff without question.

My basic point is Holly attracts players with thought processes that are different from those of UCONN recruits. The mindset of recruits that choose UCONN and its coaching staff just produce superior results regardless of the underlying talent inherent in all top ability kids.

UConn points 1 thru 5 (not the repeat 5) will be tested next season (perhaps beyond) when we have 14 players many of them top-rated.

 

[UcMiami]

There was a recruit actually at the end of Pat's career who came for her official visit to Uconn as a 'strong lean', there were reportedly a number of questions about starting and minutes to be played from both the recruit and the parents, and she left without an offer. A week or two later she signed with TN and was announced as the new starting ____ over a player already on the team who had just had a very well regarded freshman year. That was Pat, but I get the sense that Holly is definitely following the same model - this is a quote from an article about recruiting Westbrook this year:
Warlick said. “I’m sitting on my porch and I get her [on the phone]. I said you have an opportunity here to run this basketball team.
That I think is it in a nutshell.
Geno - You will play the minutes you earn in practice, and you will play the position the team needs you to play.
Holly, et al - You will start and get starters minutes and you will play the position and style you like to play.

Shea said it was Geno's brutal honesty that convinced her to commit to Uconn over coaches who promised her all sorts of things. She started wondering, what they would promise the kids who came the next year, and what they would tell the players on the team when she arrived.
If I am guaranteed to start and play x minutes without going to my first college practice, how dreadful are the current players who will be my teammates?!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Why is she so good at attracting highly desired players when there are obviously deep problems with the program? I dunno, but here's a suggestion:
She learned the patter of recruiting from a master and repeats it pretty well. No one ever gets tired of it, because it's a new group every year that's listening (the same reason I can repeat my lectures ad nauseum ). But game coaching can't be memorized; it's all about innate instinct and (frankly) skills.

In Clay's article he suggests this works for Holly because kids and their parents really ignore what is actually happening at these colleges. As idiotic as that sounds, it is sort of the only rationale that explains Tenn's class for next year. That or the Diamond Deshields disease suggested by Kib.

 

[Cheddie]

Quick thought to what I read above. Beyond recruiting, player development, motivation, systems, etc., Geno and staff are exceptional game coaches. They develop great game plans to neutralize opponents, and very importantly adjust those plans on the fly as needed. I've seen game after game when things were ragged or going south in the first half, and UConn starts the 2nd half with strategic adjustments that turn things around.

 

[Biff]

Quick thought to what I read above. Beyond recruiting, player development, motivation, systems, etc., Geno and staff are exceptional game coaches. They develop great game plans to neutralize opponents, and very importantly adjust those plans on the fly as needed. I've seen game after game when things were ragged or going south in the first half, and UConn starts the 2nd half with strategic adjustments that turn things around.

I don't disagree with what you say but for one case. It seems to me that Geno's drawn up plays for end of period possessions almost never work. It's puzzles me but I write it off as them having few cases where they actually "need it".

 

[Gus Mahler]

I don't disagree with what you say but for one case. It seems to me that Geno's drawn up plays for end of period possessions almost never work. It's puzzles me but I write it off as them having few cases where they actually "need it".

Yes! I'm surprised we haven't heard of more chalkboards being broken. . . .

 

[baggerbob]

It is puzzling that Tennessee is not more successful since Pat left the picture considering how many top rated players they have been able to attract. All the opinions expressed on the Boneyard as to why this is so have merit.

There are many in Lady Vol land who are clamoring for Holly's ouster. Perhaps an equal number are blaming the players for the problems. In my opinion, both are at fault. Holly recruits the wrong type of player for the wrong reasons and everyone at Tenn has the wrong mindset for success.

I would like to illustrate my points by comparing the difference between the current UCONN vs. Tennessee way:

1. TN: I want to play for Holly. She is nice and will let me do my own thing without interference. There is nothing she needs to teach me. I want to be a star and my natural ability will win out. It will be easy.

UCONN: I want to play for Geno and his system. I realize I have raw ability and preconceived BB attitudes, but I'm still a babe in the woods and will do anything to improve and fit in. I too want to be a star and I'm willing to put in the effort to become one.

2. TN: Tennessee is in the dumps right now. I'm the person with the ability to ride in, put things right, and become the legend I deserve to be.

UCONN - I'm probably not going to exceed the accomplishments of former players, but I yearn to be part of that fantastic family while developing my skills to the fullest to fulfill my future goals.

3. TN : I know I'll always get a pat on the back no matter how I perform. Holly is a nurturer. I'll feel good about myself.

UCONN : I expect to cry alot. I will be the worst player on the roster in Geno's mind. Even so, I will never give up.I will show him through extreme effort.

4. TN : No way do I want to play for that egotistical maniac in Storrs. I don't need to run myself ragged just for him. I'm a highly desired recruit and I can succeed anywhere, and Holly really wants me. I will have lots of fun at Tennessee and the fans will adore me.I'm better than my teammates, and if they get me the ball, I'll be the one to slay UCONN and bring the Lady Vols back to their rightful place.

UCONN : I recognize that I don't know my true potential, but the UCONN staff has proven, over time, that they do. Geno may be hard to deal with in the beginning but my will is strong.

5. TN : So much playing time is available! It will be easy to break into the starting lineup with my superior skills.

UCONN : There are so many excellent players ahead of me and I will have a difficult time getting minutes.But I know the coaches will not abandon me if I put forth great effort and am willing to learn.I will always be supported through the criticism that is sure to come.

5. TN : Coach Holly is a great recruiter. Look at all the top rated players she has signed. So many are McDonalds all americans. Her philosophy - if you're a McD AA, you must be good. Bring them on, particularly if they love me. My players can do no wrong. I'll always find something to praise in them. A trophy for everyone! I've received lots of criticism for my lack of coaching skills. But underneath it all, the fans know it's the players that are the problems, not me.

UCONN : Coach Geno and staff are great recruiters. But sometimes their choices and who they reject are puzzling to the fans. Their recruiting skills are beyond our comprehension but they somehow know which players and their families are the true stars. That's why we support the UCONN staff without question.

My basic point is Holly attracts players with thought processes that are different from those of UCONN recruits. The mindset of recruits that choose UCONN and its coaching staff just produce superior results regardless of the underlying talent inherent in all top ability kids.

You left out Stewie, Geno will make me the best player I can be, and I want to win 4 championships.

 

[UcMiami]

Quick thought to what I read above. Beyond recruiting, player development, motivation, systems, etc., Geno and staff are exceptional game coaches. They develop great game plans to neutralize opponents, and very importantly adjust those plans on the fly as needed. I've seen game after game when things were ragged or going south in the first half, and UConn starts the 2nd half with strategic adjustments that turn things around.

And he recruits high basketball IQ players, and then helps them hone that IQ, and forces them to use it to 'figure things out'. That was what 'I've got four fouls coach. Yeah, well that's not my fault' was all about - spelled out, yes you do, so now figure out how to play effectively without picking up #5. And next game, be smarter after you pick up three! You can't change plans, especial in a game if you don't have smart players (and practice all sorts of 'situational' stuff before the games.)