Why didn't UConn have a bench tonight?

[HuskyBandDad]

You haven't seen the 1/2 long shows on Geno practices??

I watch every Geno show. Some of the same clips are used in multiple shows. The clips are 30-60 seconds long.
You hear Geno making comments at certain players. How do you draw conclusions based on those short tid bits.
Have they ever shown them in the film room? I have never seen it.
Everyone can have their opinion but as Geno has said before "no one knows" but him and his coaches.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I watch every Geno show. Some of the same clips are used in multiple shows. The clips are 30-60 seconds long.
You hear Geno making comments at certain players. How do you draw conclusions based on those short tid bits.
Have they ever shown them in the film room? I have never seen it.
Everyone can have their opinion but as Geno has said before "no one knows" but him and his coaches.[/QUOTE

I would suggest it were he and his coaches.

 

[bizarro aj]

Geno has said hundreds of times, if i look at you and see fear or doubt in your eyes you will not play! Im pretty sure he knows how to run his team with his 33yrs of experience.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

He, him all the same. Lol

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno DID play Megan in the UCLA and Notre Dame games, and she did well. I have to assume that she practiced well in advance of those games, but that she hasn't been practicing as well recently.he w

Apparently no one takes seriously his "moral hazard" argument -- that if you allow a freshman to get minutes despite bad practices, then she has a tendency to tune out your coaching for the rest of her time at UConn. That makes sense to me, and I have to believe that Geno knows that from bitter past experience.

You are right about the moral argument. And once you state your moral position--it's difficult to retract that.
But --when the need was there and the options were few--Geno used Frosh in nearly all positions as the need was seen. Charde--is my example --of one who today would not see the floor--her practices were not great, Geno by all reports thought her less than energetic. But she could score and he had few who could--she was excellent on the point of his press--he needed her.
Right now at this point ---he needs a Frosh/Soph or two to fill holes --give him a few minutes here and there. Walker, has shown she can play in big games. Coomb? Not Molly, not Touly, who else??

 

[DICKG]

of course UConn had a bench. Geno just didn't use it.

is Megan not good enough to play a couple of minutes? she hasn't seemed as effective since she had the flu, but has she really had the chance since? how about Kyla? she's playing very well lately.

Certainly not for the first time, Geno CHOSE to play his best 6 the entire 200 minutes. If (say) Z had also fouled out, Geno would have gone to Megan or Kyla, and one of them would have scored 6 points, got 4 rebounds, and we'd say she played great and that UConn had a terrific bench. But Z didn't foul out and so no one else played.

Everything else is just speculation and buzz.

Every year, the goal of this program is to get to the championship game. The Texas game was really an insignificant game in the whole scheme of things. I would rather a few on the bench players get some quality minutes in a game like this rather than win the game. Geno's comment after the game about his goal now is to get the bench more minutes is funny. He constantly berates his bench in the press. He jokes about Stevens' defense in the press. That is not how you instill confidence in a person. His feelings about his bench players should be kept for the locker room; after all he is the one who recruited all of them. Some of them were high school all americans and it is a reflection on him if none of them can give him "quality minutes", whatever that is.

 

[CocoHusky]

Rellah Boothe of Texas (who was going to avg 40 pts or something like that to show people she is the best recruit from last year) did not get in the game either, so don't feel bad for Megan.

None of the three highly touted Texas Freshmen 9 Boothe #3, Patterson #4, Littleton # 33 played in the game, pretty much the same as UCONN Walker #1, Coombs #13, Gordon #29.

 

[drweo]

That's who Geno is. Bench players making contributions against the dregs we play in the AAC doesn't impress him. He clearly has no level of trust with any of them past the sixth position.

He did almost pay a price for it tonight, though. Katie Lou played her heart out, but she was dead tired at the end. That's why she missed the FTs that would have made the final stretch much less nerve racking.

And the blackened, swollen eye may have contributed to the missed shots as well.

 

[Charliebball]

While 99% of my focus is on enjoying the great win, I do think about UConn in 2 years with no true post player. Geno usually figures out a way to overcome but with all the giants at Texas, Baylor, etc. curious what his plan is.

the loss of Charli Collier can't be underestimated but ONO is 6'4" and quite a fine shot blocker so they will have some additional height starting next year

 

[Charliebball]

Geno DID play Megan in the UCLA and Notre Dame games, and she did well. I have to assume that she practiced well in advance of those games, but that she hasn't been practicing as well recently.

Apparently no one takes seriously his "moral hazard" argument -- that if you allow a freshman to get minutes despite bad practices, then she has a tendency to tune out your coaching for the rest of her time at UConn. That makes sense to me, and I have to believe that Geno knows that from bitter past experience.

I believe it but I think there's a compromise position where the best of the lot get some useful minutes even if they have been somewhat less then stellar in practice..........obviously anybody that dogs it gets nada................in the end if you don't play your bench you hurt the starters and negate the development of your younger players

 

[CocoHusky]

The bench players have not demonstrated in practice that they are ready to play up to UConn’s standards yet . Once they do they will play. I for one am glad that Geno and UConn don’t cave and make the players earn their playing time.

Hasn't Megan Walker earned any level of trust from her play in the UCLA and ND games? Hard to imagine she could have played better.

 

[Goodgood]

None of the three highly touted Texas Freshmen 9 Boothe #3, Patterson #4, Littleton # 33 played in the game, pretty much the same as UCONN Walker #1, Coombs #13, Gordon #29.

Yes, that is correct but 9 Texas players were in the game vs 6 for UConn. We just need to give the starters more rest so we don't lose like we almost always do in overtime.

 

[CocoHusky]

While 99% of my focus is on enjoying the great win, I do think about UConn in 2 years with no true post player. Geno usually figures out a way to overcome but with all the giants at Texas, Baylor, etc. curious what his plan is.

the loss of Charli Collier can't be underestimated but ONO is 6'4" and quite a fine shot blocker so they will have some additional height starting next year

How about an entirely foreign Rx for the UCONN post.
An Australian in 2018-Ezi
A gal from U.S. Virgin Islands in 2019- Aliyah
A Brazilian in 2020- Kamilla.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Every year, the goal of this program is to get to the championship game. The Texas game was really an insignificant game in the whole scheme of things. I would rather a few on the bench players get some quality minutes in a game like this rather than win the game. Geno's comment after the game about his goal now is to get the bench more minutes is funny. He constantly berates his bench in the press. He jokes about Stevens' defense in the press. That is not how you instill confidence in a person. His feelings about his bench players should be kept for the locker room; after all he is the one who recruited all of them. Some of them were high school all americans and it is a reflection on him if none of them can give him "quality minutes", whatever that is.

You don't follow the program much?

 

[HuskyBandDad]

102 ? straight regular season wins. 169-1? I think it sounds crazy to be complaining about anything.

 

[JoePgh]

Every year, the goal of this program is to get to the championship game. The Texas game was really an insignificant game in the whole scheme of things. I would rather a few on the bench players get some quality minutes in a game like this rather than win the game. Geno's comment after the game about his goal now is to get the bench more minutes is funny. He constantly berates his bench in the press. He jokes about Stevens' defense in the press. That is not how you instill confidence in a person. His feelings about his bench players should be kept for the locker room; after all he is the one who recruited all of them. Some of them were high school all americans and it is a reflection on him if none of them can give him "quality minutes", whatever that is.

And how is this different from the way that Geno has coached from Day 1? He has made disparaging public comments (often with a sarcastic grin) about nearly every player whose name is on the wall and who made it onto Olympic teams. Apparently it worked with them.

He has acknowledged that the freshmen who aren't playing have all the physical talent that they need to play well and make a contribution. He has even said that they have shown it at UConn, but not on a consistent basis, so he doesn't know what he will get if he puts them in the game.

His method makes more sense to me than the approach used with Carter at TA&M or with Kelsey Mitchell as a freshman at Ohio State a few years ago. Let them come in, crank up shots, not play defense, not coordinate with the rest of the team, etc. That may lead to some gaudy scoring stats, but it doesn't lead to good team play, and it doesn't lead to them developing better habits later on in their college careers. If Ms. Carter at A&M were on the UConn roster, should would probably have been attached to the pine last night, and justly so, based on how I saw her play against Tennessee (even though A&M got a victory).

Those of you who are saying that this year's freshmen should get more game experience need to ask whether that would have been the right move for freshman Gabby Williams, freshman Napheesa Collier, freshman Crystal Dangerfield, or freshman KLS. Would they be as good as they are now if they had gotten to play as freshmen without learning the UConn system and playing within the team concept? And how would UConn have fared last night if they had never grasped that?

 

[CocoHusky]

Every year, the goal of this program is to get to the championship game. The Texas game was really an insignificant game in the whole scheme of things. I would rather a few on the bench players get some quality minutes in a game like this rather than win the game. Geno's comment after the game about his goal now is to get the bench more minutes is funny. He constantly berates his bench in the press. He jokes about Stevens' defense in the press. That is not how you instill confidence in a person. His feelings about his bench players should be kept for the locker room; after all he is the one who recruited all of them. Some of them were high school all americans and it is a reflection on him if none of them can give him "quality minutes", whatever that is.

I disagree entirely. Each year the goal is to win the Championship not to get to the Championship game. (You might have UCONN confused with ND). In support of that goal no game can be considered "insignificant" certainly not one against a top 10 team and potential future tournament opponent. You do not have to lose to actually learn something from a game and get better. Geno does NOT constantly berate his bench. After the UCF game he said : " That group that was out there to close out the game (no starters) did some nice things and things looked more like what we are used to seeing from the kids in this program".
I'm shocked ( but not really) that you don't know what "quality minutes" means.

 

[Charliebball]

How about an entirely foreign Rx for the UCONN post.
An Australian in 2018-Ezi
A gal from U.S. Virgin Islands in 2019- Aliyah
A Brazilian in 2020- Kamilla.

I'll settle for one out of the three thank you

 

[Charliebball]

102 ? straight regular season wins. 169-1? I think it sounds crazy to be complaining about anything.

yes but that one loss was a doozy......................

 

[SVCBeercats]

Right, and going into this year, they had a 4 player rotation ...

Wrong! They had at least a five player rotation Phee, Gabby, Lou, Kia and Azura. Danger was going to be good based on the number of minutes she played and her development. Turns out Dangerfield made a massive jump which I don't believe would have happened without playing significant minutes last season because Geno was forced to do so. UCONN came into this season with six strong players to say the least. As of now UCONN will enter next season with four strong players and Walker is not one of them, Phee, Lou, Danger, Azura. Next year this difference we have won't exist because Geno will be forced to play less than fully develop players for significant minutes. Guess what they may lose more games than "normal" 0 to 1, but by NCAA time they will have developed into really good players because they will have played more than 2-4 minutes per game.

 

[UConnCat]

Hasn't Megan Walker earned any level of trust from her play in the UCLA and ND games? Hard to imagine she could have played better.

Agreed. What has happened since the ND game? Megan came down with the flu and did not play in the Oklahoma and Duquesne games. We understand she was frustrated trying to regain her conditioning when the team returned after Christmas. Meg returned to play the 2nd half of the Memphis game and played well. She also played well against ECU and played okay against USF. Then, after the team returned home from Florida and played UCF we heard frustration from Geno about the freshmen not being able to string together consecutive good practices. Megan played 3 minutes against UCF, 11 not-so-good minutes against Houston and not at all against Texas.

I remember a nationally televised Monday night game against Baylor in February 2013, a game in which Stewie played 7 minutes and put up zeros across the board. She was completely lost on an inbound play which allowed a Baylor player to score an easy basket. That was the end of her night. Afterwards Geno spoke some tough words: "But we can't worry about Breanna right now. We have games to win. Breanna has to take care of herself. I have to make sure I am doing the best for the remainder of the team."

Breanna did begin to take care of herself and went to work under the early morning tutelage of Chris Dailey. The rest, as they say, is history.

Maybe Megan and CD need to get to work. Sounds like Geno is ready to address it as well.

 

[bags27]

Wrong! They had at least a five player rotation Phee, Gabby, Lou, Kia and Azura. Danger was going to be good based on the number of minutes she played and her development. Turns out Dangerfield made a massive jump which I don't believe would have happened without playing significant minutes last season because Geno was forced to do so. UCONN came into this season with six strong players to say the least. As of now UCONN will enter next season with four strong players and Walker is not one of them, Phee, Lou, Danger, Azura. Next year this difference we have won't exist because Geno will be forced to play less than fully develop players for significant minutes. Guess what they may lose more games than "normal" 0 to 1, but by NCAA time they will have developed into really good players because they will have played more than 2-4 minutes per game.

Not really. Z was untested at UConn, so there were only 4 players with significant time. And you've made the calculation of who's getting playing time this year with 1/2 a year to go. Very clearly, Geno is going to give at least 2 or 3 players (certainly Meg and Kyla, and then Molly, and at least one more guard) a lot of playing time the rest of the way.

 

[CocoHusky]

Wrong! They had at least a five player rotation Phee, Gabby, Lou, Kia and Azura. Danger was going to be good based on the number of minutes she played and her development. Turns out Dangerfield made a massive jump which I don't believe would have happened without playing significant minutes last season because Geno was forced to do so. UCONN came into this season with six strong players to say the least. As of now UCONN will enter next season with four strong players and Walker is not one of them, Phee, Lou, Danger, Azura. Next year this difference we have won't exist because Geno will be forced to play less than fully develop players for significant minutes. Guess what they may lose more games than "normal" 0 to 1, but by NCAA time they will have developed into really good players because they will have played more than 2-4 minutes per game.

Love how you are already giving up on Megan who is averaging roughly the same amounts of minutes that Gabby and Napheesa did as Freshmen and were AA by their respective Junior and Sophomore seasons.

 

[SVCBeercats]

“Right, and going into this year, they had a 4 player rotation, too …”

Wrong! UCONN came into this season with four UCONN starters, one Duke starter (who was an ACC FOY and a honorable mention AA), and a sophomore who developed reasonably well because of playin g significant meaningful minutes. Minutes Geno was forced to give her. At the beginning of the season there were two camps touting either Azura or Crystal as the starters. There was no doubt about their abilities. Care to review some of your posts on this subject? Next Season UCONN will have at least one AA (Lou), two seasoned starters (Phee & Danger), and Azura as a starter. Four strong players will be it. Walker needs playing time this season to begin a Dangerfield like metamorphosis. Coombs and Gordon were highly rated high. I believe their upside is greater than Kyla’s and Molly’s upside. Coombs and Gordon should also be developed this year for next year by playing meaningful minutes. Maybe then there will be 7 strong to reasonably strong players returning for next season.

Actually our difference will not exist next year since Geno, once again, will be forced to play under developed sophomores and raw freshmen for significant meaningful minutes and they will develop as they should have this year. UCONN will probably lose more than the usual 0 to 1 games but it will have developed players ready for the NCAA. Winning the NCAA is another story since other programs are recruiting players UCONN wants. Their coaching is much better than ever before. There are at least 6 programs making big strides.

 

[CocoHusky]

“Right, and going into this year, they had a 4 player rotation, too …”

Wrong! UCONN came into this season with four UCONN starters, one Duke starter (who was an ACC FOY and a honorable mention AA), and a sophomore who developed reasonably well because of playin g significant meaningful minutes. Minutes Geno was forced to give her. At the beginning of the season there were two camps touting either Azura or Crystal as the starters. There was no doubt about their abilities. Care to review some of your posts on this subject? Next Season UCONN will have at least one AA (Lou), two seasoned starters (Phee & Danger), and Azura as a starter. Four strong players will be it. Walker needs playing time this season to begin a Dangerfield like metamorphosis. Coombs and Gordon were highly rated high. I believe their upside is greater than Kyla’s and Molly’s upside. Coombs and Gordon should also be developed this year for next year by playing meaningful minutes. Maybe then there will be 7 strong to reasonably strong players returning for next season.

Actually our difference will not exist next year since Geno, once again, will be forced to play under developed sophomores and raw freshmen for significant meaningful minutes and they will develop as they should have this year. UCONN will probably lose more than the usual 0 to 1 games but it will have developed players ready for the NCAA. Winning the NCAA is another story since other programs are recruiting players UCONN wants. Their coaching is much better than ever before. There are at least 6 programs making big strides.

After a 1/2 a decade of UCONN dominance those 6 programs "had to make great strides" the same way Geno is going to be "forced" to play to play under developed player. The latter will never happen ( he'll retire first) and the former is pure fantasy.