Walz in position "to own women's basketball"

[UConnNick]

People on this board seem to have a lot of respect for Jeff Walz. He may or may not build Louisville into a powerhouse but one thing is certain, Geno will retire someday and a suitable replacement who can attract top recruits will need to be found if UCONN is to continue as the top WCBB program. There has always been speculation about former players eventually replacing Geno but maybe, just maybe, the best candidate is once again a male. Sustaining excellence is not easy and recruiting is the key, along with exceptional coaching. That's not to say a former UCONN player couldn't do the job, but Walz is a proven commodity. The bigger question is, would he want the job, especially if his program continues to develop at its current trajectory?

He won't want it if UCONN is still playing in the American Whatever Conference when that happens.

 

[Geno-ista]

Louisville is definitely one of our current conference mates, at least on the WBB side, that I'd like to see on the OOC schedule fairly regularly. They're quickly becoming my second favorite program to follow. I'm just jealous of the WBB league they'll get to play in starting in 2014/2015.

Ditto from this fan- they were a great bunch to meet at the big east Tmt also- sat right next to the teams under the hoop and they were all super!

 

[UConnNick]

But as Phil says above, Waltz's start is better than Geno's was.

Of course, the difference between Louisville and its facilities nowadays and UConn and its facilities in the 1980s is astronomical.

Not to mention that nobody was watching women's college BB in the 1980's. It's a whole lot easier to get noticed now than it was then. Even after making the FF appearance in 1991, nobody was predicting Geno would eventually become the absolute best coach in the country at the D-I level. Nice puffery from the Louisville athletic dept., but that's about it.

 

[Geno-ista]

People on this board seem to have a lot of respect for Jeff Walz. He may or may not build Louisville into a powerhouse but one thing is certain, Geno will retire someday and a suitable replacement who can attract top recruits will need to be found if UCONN is to continue as the top WCBB program. There has always been speculation about former players eventually replacing Geno but maybe, just maybe, the best candidate is once again a male. Sustaining excellence is not easy and recruiting is the key, along with exceptional coaching. That's not to say a former UCONN player couldn't do the job, but Walz is a proven commodity. The bigger question is, would he want the job, especially if his program continues to develop at its current trajectory?

This is really the question that haunts me. I believe this will be geno's last tour of duty here. I hope i'm wrong. I always just thought Jen Rizzotti was the front runner. Jeff Walz is really something. Maybe Rick Pitino or coach K from Duke would like to take a crack at the woman's game in Ct??? Then they could experience real pressure and high expectations!!!

 

[DaddyChoc]

We were on her fairly early I think, but then backed off.

yup thats what happened

I wonder whats Jill Cook's gripe is with Geno these days

 

[intlzncster]

yup thats what happened

I wonder whats Jill Cook's gripe is with Geno these days

Do you remember why, Choc? I think we targeted someone else, but can't remember who or if we even got them.

 

[alexrgct]

The thing about Geno is that, no matter who is on the squad, he gets his kids to play a certain style and with a certain level of intensity and commitment. I don't see Jeff's teams playing like that- not consistently at any rate. He's doing a good job at Louisville, but to "own" WBB, it will take a maniacal obsession with doing everything perfectly all the time (Geno), or being able to get the very best players, irrespective of geography, on a consistent basis. Jeff hasn't done either of those things to this point.

Geno is 59. He might coach until he's 64. He might coach until he's 74. It's going to depend on a lot of factors even he doesn't know yet. How effective he'd be as he gets older is also variable based on a number of currently unknowable factors. But until he retires, he's Geno, he's the Godfather, and it's his world until he decides it's not.

 

[UConnCat]

Do you remember why, Choc? I think we targeted someone else, but can't remember who or if we even got them.

I don't believe Bria ever received an offer. Geno stayed in contact and attended several of Bria's games but he never seemed sold on Bria fitting in with the UConn offense. She's not a point guard, though Walz shifted her there to free up Schimmel. She doesn't shoot well enough to be an effective shooting guard and isn't going to spread the floor (she took a total of 7 three-pointers this season and didn't make one). He was satisfied bringing in KML and Brianna Banks.

 

[pap49cba]

I don't believe Bria ever received an offer. Geno stayed in contact and attended several of Bria's games but he never seemed sold on Bria fitting in with the UConn offense. She's not a point guard, though Walz shifted her there to free up Schimmel. She doesn't shoot well enough to be an effective shooting guard and isn't going to spread the floor (she took a total of 7 three-pointers this season and didn't make one). He was satisfied bringing in KML and Brianna Banks.

He may have decided the last he needed was Bria I, Bria II, Brianna and Breanna.

 

[Waquoit]

Hermann said. “I have been saying it for several years. I think he’s in a position to own women’s basketball.”

That's some bad karma right there. The "Jewel of the East" is still looking for title No. 1.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Do you remember why, Choc? I think we targeted someone else, but can't remember who or if we even got them.

maybe it was the Bria Smith situation (whatever that was)... I was just shocked at some comments she made recently.

 

[UConnCat]

I'm hardly a knee-jerk Walz supporter, far from it. However, the dismissal of his recruiting I've seen in a couple posts strikes me as a bit odd. Perhaps someone could remind me what the other schools in competition for Sara Hammond and Bria Smith were? My memory may have suffered from my illness, but I seem to recall there were some recognized national powers in the hunt for those players.

Walz's recruiting has been a bit of a mixed bag. Hammond did pick Louisville over UConn. Bria Smith originally committed to Virginia but was released from her NLI after Debbie Ryan retired. Bria then picked Louisville over Tennessee. Walz initially made a big splash with the 2013 class after receiving commitments from Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, two ranked players from Kentucky. But both players subsequently de-committed from Louisville and signed with Kentucky. Walz put a lot of effort (and a billboard) in to recruiting Mercedes Russell but lost out to Tennessee. He won the battle with Tennessee over Emmonie Henderson, though it was Russell who was the prize. Walz filled out his 2013 class with a couple of junior college kids. I don't think Louisville has any commitments yet for 2014.

 

[DaddyChoc]

didnt Louisville have a 6'5 post player from Alabama... a project? not Vails

 

[intlzncster]

maybe it was the Bria Smith situation (whatever that was)... I was just shocked at some comments she made recently.

Think I missed those. What comments are you referring to?

 

[intlzncster]

Walz's recruiting has been a bit of a mixed bag. Hammond did pick Louisville over UConn. Bria Smith originally committed to Virginia but was released from her NLI after Debbie Ryan retired. Bria then picked Louisville over Tennessee. Walz initially made a big splash with the 2013 class after receiving commitments from Makayla Epps and Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, two ranked players from Kentucky. But both players subsequently de-committed from Louisville and signed with Kentucky. Walz put a lot of effort (and a billboard) in to recruiting Mercedes Russell but lost out to Tennessee. He won the battle with Tennessee over Emmonie Henderson, though it was Russell who was the prize. Walz filled out his 2013 class with a couple of junior college kids. I don't think Louisville has any commitments yet for 2014.

Always have had a funny feeling about the guy at Kentucky. Not sure everything is above board there. Guarantee he's still recruits girls after they commit somewhere else, at the very least.