Here's Part Of The Problem

[hokievol12]

During an interview in the recent past, Holly was talking about how great the practices had been, and made this amazing statement..."Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..."...Folks, SOMETIMES doesn't cut it for a team striving to become elite. UCONN players and coaches have consistently commented on practices being harder than the games themselves, going so far to say that actual games seem like a welcomed "break" from the regular routine. Connecticut practices are reported to be "extreme" in repeating drills until players EXECUTE and RETAIN mastery of that specific drill...Yes, some have revealed that Geno has brought them to tears in some instances. It's all part of his sales pitch to a top recruit, that I will make you the very best player you can be, and you will have an excellent chance of playing in the WNBA upon graduation. UCONN players exhibit a "killer" instinct, and most games are over by the end of the first quarter. Sure, some of that comes from being a top 10 recruit with superlative skills before even getting to college, but he refines and develops and turns any weaknesses into strengths. It's not magic, it isn't a fluke...it's preparation, repetition, dedication, and desire to be your best. I marvel at the execution when one of their players crosses midcourt, and not one SINGLE dribble is made before 4 or 5 players touch and PASS the ball to find the best shot.

 

[livefaith]

During an interview in the recent past, Holly was talking about how great the practices had been, and made this amazing statement..."Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..."...Folks, SOMETIMES doesn't cut it for a team striving to become elite. UCONN players and coaches have consistently commented on practices being harder than the games themselves, going so far to say that actual games seem like a welcomed "break" from the regular routine. Connecticut practices are reported to be "extreme" in repeating drills until players EXECUTE and RETAIN mastery of that specific drill...Yes, some have revealed that Geno has brought them to tears in some instances. It's all part of his sales pitch to a top recruit, that I will make you the very best player you can be, and you will have an excellent chance of playing in the WNBA upon graduation. UCONN players exhibit a "killer" instinct, and most games are over by the end of the first quarter. Sure, some of that comes from being a top 10 recruit with superlative skills before even getting to college, but he refines and develops and turns any weaknesses into strengths. It's not magic, it isn't a fluke...it's preparation, repetition, dedication, and desire to be your best. I marvel at the execution when one of their players crosses midcourt, and not one SINGLE dribble is made before 4 or 5 players touch and PASS the ball to find the best shot.

It may not be magic, but only a handful of human beings among the 250 million or so individuals in this nation are capable of pulling such precision off.
We've all heard the statement "If it was easy, then everybody would be doing it". That applies here.

EDIT: Didn't mean to come off as a jackass. This is actually a good post OP. It appears their is a significant difference in leadership between us and the de facto elit program right now.

 

[LasVegasBill23]

During an interview in the recent past, Holly was talking about how great the practices had been, and made this amazing statement..."Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..."...Folks, SOMETIMES doesn't cut it for a team striving to become elite. UCONN players and coaches have consistently commented on practices being harder than the games themselves, going so far to say that actual games seem like a welcomed "break" from the regular routine. Connecticut practices are reported to be "extreme" in repeating drills until players EXECUTE and RETAIN mastery of that specific drill...Yes, some have revealed that Geno has brought them to tears in some instances. It's all part of his sales pitch to a top recruit, that I will make you the very best player you can be, and you will have an excellent chance of playing in the WNBA upon graduation. UCONN players exhibit a "killer" instinct, and most games are over by the end of the first quarter. Sure, some of that comes from being a top 10 recruit with superlative skills before even getting to college, but he refines and develops and turns any weaknesses into strengths. It's not magic, it isn't a fluke...it's preparation, repetition, dedication, and desire to be your best. I marvel at the execution when one of their players crosses midcourt, and not one SINGLE dribble is made before 4 or 5 players touch and PASS the ball to find the best shot.

Wow is this so spot on!!! All teams should practice AT LEAST as hard in practice as they do in games.....Great post.

 

[madtownvol]

During an interview in the recent past, Holly was talking about how great the practices had been, and made this amazing statement..."Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..."...Folks, SOMETIMES doesn't cut it for a team striving to become elite. UCONN players and coaches have consistently commented on practices being harder than the games themselves, going so far to say that actual games seem like a welcomed "break" from the regular routine. Connecticut practices are reported to be "extreme" in repeating drills until players EXECUTE and RETAIN mastery of that specific drill...Yes, some have revealed that Geno has brought them to tears in some instances. It's all part of his sales pitch to a top recruit, that I will make you the very best player you can be, and you will have an excellent chance of playing in the WNBA upon graduation. UCONN players exhibit a "killer" instinct, and most games are over by the end of the first quarter. Sure, some of that comes from being a top 10 recruit with superlative skills before even getting to college, but he refines and develops and turns any weaknesses into strengths. It's not magic, it isn't a fluke...it's preparation, repetition, dedication, and desire to be your best. I marvel at the execution when one of their players crosses midcourt, and not one SINGLE dribble is made before 4 or 5 players touch and PASS the ball to find the best shot.

Okay, first let's get the quote right. Here is what Holly said--SOURCE: http://www.asaptext.com/asap_media/media/65/321/transcripts/5471.pdf:

COACH WARLICK:

I've had the opportunity to work with these ladies every day. To say that we were disappointed in our regular season, we were. But these guys, they never faltered. They're one of the best practice players, teams that we've had. We would get beat down. They'd keep responding. Sometimes I think practice has been harder than the games. But you just don't give up on 'em. They're great kids. They work hard. At times we didn't play well. We needed a couple of breaks here and there

So, there is a significant difference in connotation between your paraphrase of "Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..." and Holly's actual statement that LV practices are sometimes HARDER than games.

But to the larger point, without question, Geno A. and company are doing some things that are getting unprecedented results. However, it is not just a failing of Holly; UConn is dominating everybody. So, you can say Holly is falling short but also Tara Vandaveer is falling short; Muffet McGraw is falling short; Brenda Freese is falling short; Dawn Staley is falling short and on and on down the list of top 25 programs. Are all these other programs simply lacking desire and effort?; I don't think so.

Geno and staff have an excellent eye for talent; recruit very effectively (and Storrs, CT is not the best lifestyle draw) and I think they must also be smarter in how they direct their players efforts.

I am not a fan of Geno but I concede that his team has significantly raised the bar and everybody needs to up their game (though some more than others).

 

[governmentmule]

COACH WARLICK:

i would have gave a like madtown,but I would feel dirty with the word UConn in the post :hi:

 

[LasVegasBill23]

couple of coaches mentioned..... Tara beat UConn last year, and Muffet won 7 of 8 vs UConn 2010 - 13 I believe... so there is hope....

I saw Brenda on Outside the Lines.... I like her as a coach, but she was saying how UC is too good essentially, that the bar is too high to get to...

 

[Voltopia]

Geno and staff have an excellent eye for talent; recruit very effectively (and Storrs, CT is not the best lifestyle draw) and I think they must also be smarter in how they direct their players efforts.

I am not a fan of Geno but I concede that his team has significantly raised the bar and everybody needs to up their game (though some more than others).

They put players in the WNBA, they treat their players like star athletes in every sense of the word, and they're close to ESPN, which offers one of the few viable paths to employment for athletes who want to use their skills or their experience in the game after their competitive days are over. Given how far the sport has to go, it's only natural that players want to be close to that pipeline and those connections. ESPN's always had a lot of love for its local school.

And, whether we like it or not, the fact is that they get the best players year in and year out, and they get at least some improvement out of many of them through their system. Pat's father told her a long time ago - you need the horses. Pat knew it. UConn knows it. Sign Candace Parker? You win. Sign Maya Moore? You win. Sign Brittany Griner? You win. It's not complicated. If you get the best horses, you win. Pat's name was a huge recruiting draw, one of the few things that could beat out the appeal of that school, and it's gone now. No one can stand up to them, so right now they get almost all of the best players. It is what it is. When there was a bit of parity between UT and UConn it was bearable, at least for us I imagine, but now it's just them. Until other programs pony up money or create the same environment -- until they and their local media care as much as UConn's does -- that won't change. It's one big fish in a small pond where support is sporadic and uneven. As long as their coaching staff stays intact, that won't change.

Though, to be fair, if UT was getting great results out of this team, the recruits would come. We'd probably miss out on more than we used to, but we'd still be competing for some of the best players. It's not some big mystery.

 

[LasVegasBill23]

UConn gets good players, but not all of them.... I think I saw on Sports Center today that they have had the best class one time in last 5 years.... Maryland signed the best class for next year..... so lets see how they come back to the pack

 

[Chitownvol1129]

During an interview in the recent past, Holly was talking about how great the practices had been, and made this amazing statement..."Sometimes we practice as hard as we play in games..."...Folks, SOMETIMES doesn't cut it for a team striving to become elite. UCONN players and coaches have consistently commented on practices being harder than the games themselves, going so far to say that actual games seem like a welcomed "break" from the regular routine. Connecticut practices are reported to be "extreme" in repeating drills until players EXECUTE and RETAIN mastery of that specific drill...Yes, some have revealed that Geno has brought them to tears in some instances. It's all part of his sales pitch to a top recruit, that I will make you the very best player you can be, and you will have an excellent chance of playing in the WNBA upon graduation. UCONN players exhibit a "killer" instinct, and most games are over by the end of the first quarter. Sure, some of that comes from being a top 10 recruit with superlative skills before even getting to college, but he refines and develops and turns any weaknesses into strengths. It's not magic, it isn't a fluke...it's preparation, repetition, dedication, and desire to be your best. I marvel at the execution when one of their players crosses midcourt, and not one SINGLE dribble is made before 4 or 5 players touch and PASS the ball to find the best shot.

Well, Holly, a 2 time AA, national champion winner, and first Lady Vol to have her jersey retired, coached, and was appointed head coach, by the best women's basketball coach of all time, Pat Summitt (spelled correctly) but, please, tell us what you know of the game, and how you know what cuts it, and what doesn't, from your experience, in division 1 Basketball Practice, or are you just complaining on her choice of words, to the media? Been there, done that? Thank you for quoting, the cheater Geno, but seems, Holly learned from Pat, and I guess you assume, or do you know, that she has soft practices? Do you need players crying to the media, that someone made them cry? Geez, grow up, real women don't cry, they suck it up, this team did that, but please tell us more of Geno's motivational tactics!

 

[Chitownvol1129]

UConn gets good players, but not all of them.... I think I saw on Sports Center today that they have had the best class one time in last 5 years.... Maryland signed the best class for next year..... so lets see how they come back to the pack

they.SC and us are hurting this coming year in recruiting, accept for Dangerfield. SC and UCONN lost members of their freshman class this year to transfers. UNCONN will be like they were when Parker was at UT next year, out side the picture, and it might not be as easy as a return as they hope. I like our chances in 2017, and I like our team next year, no surprises, they all know all year what they have to do to make a difference, no new blood. UCONN loses three, even if Tuck stays, and I really doubt it, they are stripped. Maybe Holly should add them to the schedule?

 

[DaddyChoc]

How many UConn players work for ESPN? That connection is getting old (sorry to barge in on this post). Cause ESPN is down the street from UConn all the games are televised? UConn was loyal to CPTV a very local PBS channel and is now currently associated with SNY which 2.5 hrs away from Storrs. I don't get the ESPN thing but the rest of the thread starting with the OP is dead-on.

 

[brassie]

How many UConn players work for ESPN? That connection is getting old (sorry to barge in on this post). Cause ESPN is down the street from UConn all the games are televised? UConn was loyal to CPTV a very local PBS channel and is now currently associated with SNY which 2.5 hrs away from Storrs. I don't get the ESPN thing but the rest of the thread starting with the OP is dead-on.

I think Lobo is the only ex UConn player at ESPN. Her in studio partner is UTenn's Kara Lawson. SNY has a couple of ex players covering UConn games.

 

[brassie]

they.SC and us are hurting this coming year in recruiting, accept for Dangerfield. SC and UCONN lost members of their freshman class this year to transfers. UNCONN will be like they were when Parker was at UT next year, out side the picture, and it might not be as easy as a return as they hope. I like our chances in 2017, and I like our team next year, no surprises, they all know all year what they have to do to make a difference, no new blood. UCONN loses three, even if Tuck stays, and I really doubt it, they are stripped. Maybe Holly should add them to the schedule?

I think there is a huge difference in hurt between UConn's 3 member recruiting class that includes an elite player and UT's class that includes ?

Stripped? No way. UConn did lose a freshman to transfer but the two remaining have already made an impact, one as a starter and one averaging 17 mpg.

 

[hokievol12]

I'm impressed! The sunshine pumpers are working hard and into the wee hours of the morning!:wink2: I've heard the sad saga about injuries for the last several years. I'm beginning (almost) to believe the rhetoric...just my opinion, but Carter should never have been in the game against Syracuse since she could basically only dribble until harassed by a couple of defenders who saw blood in the water. There were options on the bench. Just another example of poor judgment by the coaching staff. Maybe some of you sunshine pumpers should make a sign that says "Send me your crippled, your hobbled, your walking wounded" to Tennessee so that we have an excuse when blown out by teams with far less talent...there were options...just not utilized. Syracuse didn't have half the talent... but looked much better prepared and played with greater heart and desire. Retired, former SEC coaches like Nell Fortner, Carolyn Peck, Andy Landers were perplexed all season by the inconsistent play of this team, and they weren't harping on injuries as an excuse.

 

[DR2]

they.SC and us are hurting this coming year in recruiting, accept for Dangerfield. SC and UCONN lost members of their freshman class this year to transfers. UNCONN will be like they were when Parker was at UT next year, out side the picture, and it might not be as easy as a return as they hope. I like our chances in 2017, and I like our team next year, no surprises, they all know all year what they have to do to make a difference, no new blood. UCONN loses three, even if Tuck stays, and I really doubt it, they are stripped. Maybe Holly should add them to the schedule?

Note that if you assume that UConn will lose its top 3 scorers who are all seniors (Tuck a redshirt) plus the walk-on Pulido, the remaining players still combined to average about 50 points per game this year, and three would be stepping into starter's roles where the ppg would hugely increase. The LVs are losing the scoring of Graves, Moore, and the 6 games for Jones from this year's team that averaged 65.6 ppg, so the term "stripped" may be a little strong unless you are saying that the LVs will also be stripped to the bone.

 

[Voltopia]

How many UConn players work for ESPN? That connection is getting old (sorry to barge in on this post). Cause ESPN is down the street from UConn all the games are televised? UConn was loyal to CPTV a very local PBS channel and is now currently associated with SNY which 2.5 hrs away from Storrs. I don't get the ESPN thing but the rest of the thread starting with the OP is dead-on.

It's not the working specifically - it's the accessibility and availability of ESPN, and the potential for things in the future, and I think that all stacks up when you're considering your options. ESPN's not the only thing that matters, and it's not going to be a huge selling point, but having the worldwide leader in sports about an hour's drive away from your campus is more helpful than not. And it's unique. I don't meant to imply everyone gets jobs as a result of the proximity, but I do mean to imply that you can have closer connections with the largest media machine that powers college athletics- as evidenced by *that* tour, and no we don't need to rehash the propriety of it, I'm just talking about the fact that it happened. Of course it happened, it's ESPN, they're a big deal for college sports. The proximity may not translate into jobs but it can still be penned in as a recruiting advantage. Winning the title three years in a row is a much bigger recruiting advantage, to be clear, but they're both advantages.

 

[DR2]

It's not the working specifically - it's the accessibility and availability of ESPN. It's not the only thing that matters, but having the worldwide leader in sports about an hour's drive away from your campus is more helpful than not. I don't meant to imply everyone gets jobs as a result of the proximity, but I do mean to imply that you can have closer connections with the largest media machine that powers college athletics- as evidenced by *that* tour, and no we don't need to rehash the propriety of it, I'm just talking about the fact that it happened. Of course it happened, it's ESPN, they're a big deal for college sports. It's a recruiting advantage. Winning the title three years in a row is a bigger recruiting advantage, to be clear, but they're both advantages.

Understand the thinking about UConn and ESPN since the HQ is in Bristol and they do give a lot of attention to the women's team for obvious reasons, but a huge part of the UConn fan base (especially football and men's ball) loathe ESPN and consider it a Duke and ACC loving company that employs mainly ACC types. And considering all the work that ESPN did to break up the Big East for the ACC and leave UConn out in the cold, you will find a lot of Husky fans thinking they should move their HQ down to Charlotte. But yeah, having an ESPN HQ or WHOF nearby can be a nice asset.

 

[BigOrangeD]

Holly just needs to go. The 2016 recruiting class says it all. She cannot coach at an elite level.

 

[Rudy123]

It may not be magic, but only a handful of human beings among the 250 million or so individuals in this nation are capable of pulling such precision off.
We've all heard the statement "If it was easy, then everybody would be doing it". That applies here.

EDIT: Didn't mean to come off as a jackass. This is actually a good post OP. It appears their is a significant difference in leadership between us and the de facto elit program right now.

Population of America is between 350,000,000 & 375,000,000.

 

[SAMCROVIPER]

Great post, hokievol12! :thumbsup:

 

[SAMCROVIPER]

Population of America is between 350,000,000 & 375,000,000.

You beat me to it. Dangbummit!!!

 

[Voltopia]

Understand the thinking about UConn and ESPN since the HQ is in Bristol and they do give a lot of attention to the women's team for obvious reasons, but a huge part of the UConn fan base (especially football and men's ball) loathe ESPN and consider it a Duke and ACC loving company that employs mainly ACC types. And considering all the work that ESPN did to break up the Big East for the ACC and leave UConn out in the cold, you will find a lot of Husky fans thinking they should move their HQ down to Charlotte. But yeah, having an ESPN HQ or WHOF nearby can be a nice asset.

Interesting, that's not a thing heard in my neck of the woods. I heard more about the other schools, I think BC in particular, and some turf wars, but ESPN's involvement wasn't something I'd read about in any detail. Not that I wouldn't doubt it, I think the more money they provide schools, the more they might be inclined to "shape" the product they sell. But hey, if y'all hate 'em too much, you can just ship them our way (Just don't tell anyone here -- no real Tennessean will ever fully forgive ESPN for the Charles Woodson thing or that elevator commercial, so I have to keep this on the DL).

And, you know, I've often wondered if the WHOF has any draw or influence. I know it exists and I've seen it, but I've no idea if it plays any real role in recruiting or if it has an impact on decisions of that nature.

 

[FlyFishnVol]

My concern, is how recruits view the current UT program, does the LV provide the same level of competitiveness now and in the future with Holly? It appears the fan base have lost confidence, has UT's AD lost confidence as well? I think all of this will be revealed soon.

 

[SAMCROVIPER]

I'm having difficulty understanding the benefit/ advantage of having ESPN near a school. ESPN usually televise college teams/games that are good to get the ratings up...the Tennessees, the UConns, the Baylors, the NDs, etc. just like any other network. On the Baylor board, a Baylor fan mentioned that Baylor was always on ESPN during the Griner/Sims era. Look at the Golden State Warriors as another example, they barely got any coverage from TNT/TBS during the Run TMC era because they didn't win many games, but look at their coverage now. Off the charts!!! Same as the Bulls during the Jordan era and the Lakers during the Showtime era. Sports networks cover good teams, period. If UConn was UMaine and had the same success, they would still get coverage because they're good. CPTV & now SNY covered most of the UConn games, not ESPN. If someone is being recruited to play for any school and they gave them a tour of ESPN, would that be a selling point to get them there? It wouldn't for me. It's a friggin sports studio. Whoopty Doo!! "Mom & Dad, I'm definitely going to take my talents to UConn because ESPN is an hour away and I love their 3 seasons (winter, sprummer & fall)." I would think that the advantage would be that major cities and attractions are nearby such as NYC & Boston or simply....I want to be a better student and become a better athlete. If ESPN has that much of an affect, UCF should be stacked with top recruits (Disney/ESPN/beaches and more beaches). There is an ESPN studio in LA. Maybe that's why UCLA women had the top recruiting class in 2014. They all took a tour of the studio. (FYI -I just found out that Jaime Nared was a part of that UCLA's top class).

IMO, I think the ESPN selling point is overrated. Advantage = ESPN $$$$

 

[terrypedigo]

Here is the problem U-CONN has the best coach by far in the game, plus they get the elite recruits year after year.