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They're not playing a very good team today. In fact they're playing a really bad team. But sometimes that's the point. They came to Hartford and competed with the same or more energy than UConn, snuffed out any inkling they may have had of winning the game in the opening possessions, and seemed to relish doing it. That's the way they've been for five years now. Methodical. Ruthless. Focused.
If you want to see what the equivalent to Geno's program would be in the men's game, this is it. You wouldn't be able to guarantee that they win the title every year. You wouldn't be able to guarantee that the NCAA didn't botch a key players eligibility and cost you a second title in a row. But you would be able to identify the right players for your program. You'd be able to identify the ones who will blossom, the ones who will be great at their jobs instead of OK at someone else's. You'd be able to identify which players might be interested in staying for more than one or two years. You'd be able to do all of that and then you'd be able to teach them how to do the fundamental things that nobody else in college basketball does. You'd be able to teach them the value of spacing, the art of the jump stop, you'd be able to instill the patience required to drive and dish and you'd be able to convince them to compete for 30 seconds every possession on the other end.
People say the one and done has ruined college basketball. It hasn't. Nobody in this program was supposed to be a one and done. What has ruined college basketball is the constant transferring, the desire (and in some cases need) to make money right away overseas, and the general taking for granted of the college basketball experience. And look, I'm not here to lecture. The NBA is the dream and college isn't for everyone. But sometimes the things we don't know are the ones that save us and when you don't know anything about all of that other stuff, playing college basketball in the same place with the same kids for four years is pretty damn cool. For a lot of players on this Nova team, there may not be the NBA. There may be the four best years of their lives and then a pretty damn good career playing the game they love after that. Something tells me that they'll be OK with that and that anything else will come down to luck.
Again, I swear this isn't a Rothstein take. If you're miserable somewhere, leave. Jay Wright doesn't fit the mold of an angry, mentally unstable guy who nails his players to the cross after losses. You don't need that because what they have going right now is enough. They have a program where people want to come and people want to stay. That's why it seems like they're still in 2006 and everybody else is subtweeting about playing time. It's also why it's hard not to root for them even as they're dancing on UConn's grave. Whether it's with Ollie or somebody else, we need to get back to that.
If you want to see what the equivalent to Geno's program would be in the men's game, this is it. You wouldn't be able to guarantee that they win the title every year. You wouldn't be able to guarantee that the NCAA didn't botch a key players eligibility and cost you a second title in a row. But you would be able to identify the right players for your program. You'd be able to identify the ones who will blossom, the ones who will be great at their jobs instead of OK at someone else's. You'd be able to identify which players might be interested in staying for more than one or two years. You'd be able to do all of that and then you'd be able to teach them how to do the fundamental things that nobody else in college basketball does. You'd be able to teach them the value of spacing, the art of the jump stop, you'd be able to instill the patience required to drive and dish and you'd be able to convince them to compete for 30 seconds every possession on the other end.
People say the one and done has ruined college basketball. It hasn't. Nobody in this program was supposed to be a one and done. What has ruined college basketball is the constant transferring, the desire (and in some cases need) to make money right away overseas, and the general taking for granted of the college basketball experience. And look, I'm not here to lecture. The NBA is the dream and college isn't for everyone. But sometimes the things we don't know are the ones that save us and when you don't know anything about all of that other stuff, playing college basketball in the same place with the same kids for four years is pretty damn cool. For a lot of players on this Nova team, there may not be the NBA. There may be the four best years of their lives and then a pretty damn good career playing the game they love after that. Something tells me that they'll be OK with that and that anything else will come down to luck.
Again, I swear this isn't a Rothstein take. If you're miserable somewhere, leave. Jay Wright doesn't fit the mold of an angry, mentally unstable guy who nails his players to the cross after losses. You don't need that because what they have going right now is enough. They have a program where people want to come and people want to stay. That's why it seems like they're still in 2006 and everybody else is subtweeting about playing time. It's also why it's hard not to root for them even as they're dancing on UConn's grave. Whether it's with Ollie or somebody else, we need to get back to that.
