Geno needs to show the #1 high school players of the year more love.

[Go/huskies]

I agree with the Op to a point, most people here might not like it, but I’m sure there are people telling Meg this and that about her freshman year, from other players, to friends and family, it’s all a part of life. But the good thing is Meg is still apart of the team and is looking forward to a new season next year. With Howard not coming in I think the 4 spot is wide open for Walker to step into and make an impact.

 

[cohenzone]

those #1s haven't done anything either

And there you see the Geno problem. Saying they haven’t achieved when all
they've done is lose in overtime in the last two national semi finals is something a great many No 1 recruits who shied away from UConn haven’t sniffed. I think he should have used MW against ND to sit KLS when her foul trouble made her a defensive liability. But he hardly messes up with his #1 recruits. Forget the hs rankings which might or might not be warranted, he seemed to succeed ok with most and most had a freshman learning curve. .

 

[msf22b]

This will be an interesting year to contemplate our understanding of Geno's methods and the achievable results.

The coaching staff is considerably altered...more so than just one leaving (who seemingly was not directly replaced, why?)

There is a cadre of sophs whom we barely know.
The junior non-starters have not shown that they can contribute in crunch time.

Two immensely gifted freshman join the party.

What does one expect will happen...

My guess (just a guess): Megan will be solid; one of the virtually unknown sophs will emerge, the two juniors will be mop-ups and the freshman will both play...plenty...and Batouly is the wild card. If she's healthy, she can help out a lot.

After all these years, I still cling to my Moriah hypothesis, that she was ready earlier; that what she turned into in her sophomore and Junior years was all there in a film of her high school exploits...and her dad said so as well. Geno remarked that as a frosh, she went too fast; seemingly changed her style and approach to something less valuable...When she returned to (or he trusted her to resume her natural tendencies) the essential Moriah emerged...perhaps not quite as imaginative a passer as CD, but her ability to score amidst the trees (and not be injured) was unparalleled and her defensive pestiness, game altering.

But, that's one player.

For this season, we have all the skill players necessary, but the absence of heft is a big, big problem.

 

[CocoHusky]

The OP's text is nearly a cut and paste of another identity that flew in here, then rapidly disappeared, a few months ago. It got properly debunked then. If necessary, we can supply suffient fact and logic to shread the reincarnated text.
For now, I'll just say it's a lot of poorly informed malarky.

Here is the earlier version of the same old claptrap:
Development of incoming freshman

Great catch!

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I am glad the OP started this thread. It needed to be said. Geno's approach up this point clearly hasn't worked. I wonder much more rope he gets until he is fired? Enough is enough!!

 

[CocoHusky]

What does one expect will happen...

I expect that for this coming season UCONN will lose a regular season game for the FIRST TIME in 4 seasons.
I expect UCONN to be in contention for a National Championship.
Same expectations I had at the start of the 2016-17 Season.

 

[Charliebball]

You really need to stop before someone calls you crazy again!
You have no idea what Geno's relationship with his bench is/was like.
You are not taxing your memory very hard because both the 14, 15 championships were won with a rotation of 6 players and 2 walk on players on the roster.
You speak of "cost to the program & some of it's players" , as if such a thing existed outside of your imagination.
You called UCONN a special place and probably should have stopped there.

stay tuned

 

[meyers7]

Why is this a foolish post? It’s a stated opinion ...and is certainly not from a troll. Geno has been highly successful enough not to be randonly second-guessed. Is , however, his handling of high recruits entering their first year of college level basketball subject to some question? Seems to be a valid discussion item worthy of diverse opinions- not attacked as some scandalous diatribe against our Hall of Fame coach. One would think that the Boneyard is capable of handling such diverse opinions- even diverse opinions that involve Coach Geno.

Sure posters can have opinions, but when they are foolish opinions, we should be able to say they are foolish opinions. And point out why they are so foolish. Which is what most posters are doing in this thread.

 

[meyers7]

His last 2 yr tradition isn't anything to celebrate! lol

Yep 72-2, 2 FF's, 2 Conference Championships, 2 Conference Tourney Championships, 2 undefeated Regular Seasons, yep nothing to celebrate here.

 

[Charliebball]

Rough crowd, anything short of a NC is a failure?

"We're so used to so much success at Connecticut that 32, or 36, or 37, 38, 39 — doesn't matter — ‘and-1’ is not a successful season," Auriemma said. "If you were one of my players walking around after that Mississippi State game, that's kind of what you heard. So when people say, 'How hard is it to play at Connecticut?' It's really, really, really hard.

 

[oldude]

Yep 72-2, 2 FF's, 2 Conference Championships, 2 Conference Tourney Championships, 2 undefeated Regular Seasons, yep nothing to celebrate here.

Agreed

 

[CL82]

Let's see what Megan does this year before we run Geno and CD out of town on a pole.

 

[Charliebball]

Let's see what Megan does this year before we run Geno and CD out of town on a pole.

Geno isn't going anywhere until he loses the ability to attract the kind of players that are willing to play his way..................he's the first to say it's getting more difficult every year to find those kids so I don't think even he knows when it's time to go..............

 

[donalddoowop]

Sure posters can have opinions, but when they are foolish opinions, we should be able to say they are foolish opinions. And point out why they are so foolish. Which is what most posters are doing in this thread.

Who are you to judge what is foolish and what is not foolish? Your opinion may be on track as far as you are concerned but foolish to someone else.

 

[Sifaka]

Ohhhhh.... Think of the children!

Ok. I stopped and thought. The freshmen are told, before they sign up to
give UConn their best, that playing time is conditioned on learning the system, as demonstrated in practice. If they are brighter than a garden tool, they may have noticed that most first year UConn team members play relatively limited minutes. So, therefore, it should neither surprise them nor hurt their feelings should they follow this same pattern.

B.b.b.b.buttttt, fulminate the drive-by nay-sayers, other freshmen at other schools play more. So efffing what!? Do those other schools make it to the final four with any notable frequency? Do those other schools win as many NCs? Do those players have better odds of making it to the WNBA? Do they have better graduation rates? Are their lifetime friendships with teammates and coaching staffs more solid?

Just what is the yardstick used to declare those other systems "better"?

Does it melt in humid climates?

 

[tower1]

Yea Geno is doing a terrible job recruiting #1 HS POY’s. That’s why he will only have 3 out of 4 (Lou, MW, CW) in Storrs next season, with Cox at Baylor.

Some of the die hards on this board will not admit Geno is not god. He is the best coach in the country and has proven it. But he also makes mistakes and is a very stubborn man. Things have changed for recruits. There are alot of good coaches out the there so they have more choices. I thought Walker should of gotten more playing time. She showed how good she was early on only to see her minutes diminish. She should of gotten more of Molly's minutes. She is a better player and was needed in the final 4. She is tough and an excellent rebounder. I think Geno took allott of her confidence away. Now days recruits see that more than the past and are pickier. Coaches have to change with times.

 

[oldude]

Who are you to judge what is foolish and what is not foolish? Your opinion may be on track as far as you are concerned but foolish to someone else.

You are certainly correct that whether a post is "foolish" or "insightful" is largely in the eyes of the beholder. But let's examine this thread and the OP, which is a rehashing of the same theme that another poster? started about 2 months ago, generating over 300 responses.

• A male poster from New Haven joins this forum 6 days ago and makes their 1st post last night, their only post so far, taking, shall we say, a controversial position to say the least.
• The thread suggests that #1 players need more love from Geno, despite all evidence to the contrary that there is no coach alive who's done a better job of developing top talent like Rebecca, DT, Maya, KML, Stewie, Mo, Gabby, Lou, Crystal, etc. with his "tough love" approach.
• The OP suggests that he knows what MW is thinking and feeling, without any actual evidence. While I'm certain that MW is disappointed that she didn't have a greater impact this past season, the suggestion that she's embarrassed is the worse type of speculation. I would just as soon speculate that MW is feeling "determination" to prove herself, just as Mo, Gabby, Crystal and others all did after less than stellar freshman seasons. The idea that the coaching staff is not sensitive to the challenges these young ladies face, is just not born out by the facts.
• Finally, the OP suggests that Geno is arrogant and that "we the fans" should have some say in who plays. I might go as far as agreeing that Geno is stubborn, but I certainly can't argue with the results. As for being arrogant, I would respectfully submit that it is the absolute height of arrogance to suggest that the fans have any say in who plays.

So yes, I agree with meyers7 that the origin post is foolish, and it is nothing more than my opinion.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Yea Geno is doing a terrible job recruiting #1 HS POY’s. That’s why he will only have 3 out of 4 (Lou, MW, CW) in Storrs next season, with Cox at Baylor.

Plus Guns was the top-ranked guard in her class, and 3rd overall.

 

[oldude]

Some of the die hards on this board will not admit Geno is not god. He is the best coach in the country and has proven it. But he also makes mistakes and is a very stubborn man. Things have changed for recruits. There are alot of good coaches out the there so they have more choices. I thought Walker should of gotten more playing time. She showed how good she was early on only to see her minutes diminish. She should of gotten more of Molly's minutes. She is a better player and was needed in the final 4. She is tough and an excellent rebounder. I think Geno took allott of her confidence away. Now days recruits see that more than the past and are pickier. Coaches have to change with times.

While neither you nor I have absolutely any way of knowing what effect Geno's decisions have on MW, we do know the results of similar decisions on other players. During their freshman years, Mo, Gabby and Crystal, to name a few, all struggled to have an impact during the NCAA tournament, and ended up sitting during prime time. All of them came back the next season , considerably better, and highly motivated. Two of the 3 ended up as 1st team AA's and top 5 draft choices, and I would make a strong case that Crystal is on that same path.

MW is a smart young lady and a tough competitor. Let's give her an opportunity to demonstrate to everyone that she's learned from her freshman season and is prepared to embrace the challenge of greatness that UConn offers her.

 

[Orangutan]

Geno's approach has always attracted those willing to survive the gauntlet....unfortunately last year's bench issues were not a positive for some of those concerned...

I believe you could make that statement for just about any season, not only in Storrs, but at practically every top WBB program nationwide.

An article about Arike said that she was frustrated by her freshman year with ND. She said she never wanted to transfer but she thought about it because she had friends that were playing much more at other schools. Her parents told her that she could go somewhere else and be the big fish immediately or stay at ND and become the big fish. Safe to say she became the big fish.

I don't think anyone that comes to UConn thinks they will be anointed "big fish" right away. If they do, Geno will soon remove that misconception from their minds.

Megan will become a big fish in time as long as she puts in the work. Be patient and trust the process...

 

[oldude]

An article about Arike said that she was frustrated by her freshman year with ND. She said she never wanted to transfer but she thought about it because she had friends that were playing much more at other schools. Her parents told her that she could go somewhere else and be the big fish immediately or stay at ND and become the big fish. Safe to say she became the big fish.

I don't think anyone that comes to UConn thinks they will be anointed "big fish" right away. If they do, Geno will soon remove that misconception from their minds.

Megan will become a big fish in time as long as she puts in the work. Be patient and trust the process...

Thanks for the insight. Sometimes we UConn fans have tunnel vision, believing that Geno and the Huskies are the only team in the country to face these types of issues. Texas had three 5-star recruits this past season, none of whom played substantial minutes, and one of whom has already departed Austin for a JC in FL.

 

[Charliebball]

An article about Arike said that she was frustrated by her freshman year with ND. She said she never wanted to transfer but she thought about it because she had friends that were playing much more at other schools. Her parents told her that she could go somewhere else and be the big fish immediately or stay at ND and become the big fish. Safe to say she became the big fish.

I don't think anyone that comes to UConn thinks they will be anointed "big fish" right away. If they do, Geno will soon remove that misconception from their minds.

Megan will become a big fish in time as long as she puts in the work. Be patient and trust the process...

Very true....,,.......but sometimes you have to let the young fish swim around in the pond to help them get BIGGER!!!!

 

[oldude]

Very true....,,..but sometimes you have to let the young fish swim around in the pond to help them get BIGGER!!!!

More often than not, the young fish swimming around in the pond get eaten by the bigger fish.

 

[Charliebball]

More often than not, the young fish swimming around in the pond get eaten by the bigger fish.

That's why next season will be so interesting.................those two new fish are going to either sink or swim out on the damn court whether the fisherman likes it or not..................given the chance, don't be surprised if they turn into a couple of sharp teethed piranhas............

 

[Orangutan]

Very true....,,..but sometimes you have to let the young fish swim around in the pond to help them get BIGGER!!!!

I do sometimes wonder if Geno couldn't find a little more time in lopsided games for some of the lesser-used players so that maybe Megan could have got 18 or 19 minutes per game rather than 15. But it's still not like Megan was totally rooted to the bench. 38% of the time she was out there all the time