This is after the SJ defeat. UCONN is used to steamrolling its opponents. It does not get too many chances to play a tight game at the last minute when you need to scramble for possession. How does such a team preapare for this occasion? There are 2 questions here - how do the coaches prepare and how does the team prepare. What are the main problems in such a situation and how do they get past them?
I don't think a team needs to spend time preparing for that occasion. Only the coach has to be prepared with a strategy, and the team just has to do what the coach says. The doing isn't much different from every play, as every 30 seconds is like an end of game scenario.
Whatever the strategy in this situation Geno has to be the least experienced coach in the world atdealing with it.
It's hard to REALLY prepare for those moments -- in any walk of life -- that is, the emotional, head rush, heart beat, crowd pounding, omg of it. That being said, we've often heard about Geno putting them in pressure situations during practice.
Why do you say that?? UConn scored in the last few secaonds to go ahead by a point. SL's scored a 3 pointer after Tif or Kiah failed to get out on the shooter. If they had stooped the shot within the defense Geno called you wouldn't be complaining about him. Despite Geno's terrible strategy as a coach UConn has been the most successful WCBB over the past 10 years. GEt a Life !!!
I think he was simply speaking of the fact that UConn wins so many games by double digits that ironically because UConn is SO SUCCESSFUL Geno has few opportunities to coach in those circumstances. Nothing more.
I am sure that Geno does what any competent coach does. To the extent that he can, he simulates in practice all likely "pressure" situations. It's not possible to anticipate every single potential game situation, which accounts in part for the mistake Bria made in committing a deliberate foul prematurely by a few precious seconds very late in the SJ game. Surely she is wiser now. As Mark Twain once said: "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience consists of exercise of bad judgment." Watch how well Bria performs next time she is in one of those "clock management" situations.
Indeed, Kib, we know that Geno attempts to simulate all kinds of situations. Unfortunately, what one can not simulate is the sense of emotional significance and urgency that accompanies a late season key conference matchup or one and done tournament game.
