I didn't used to like the guy much. Changed some when I saw an indepth interview and report on him (can't remember who but sort of a 60 Minutes style thing).
Women's NCAA Tournament
- Thread starter Buster28
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I didn't used to like the guy much. Changed some when I saw an indepth interview and report on him (can't remember who but sort of a 60 Minutes style thing).
The talent is way more spread out in Men's than women's. Since 2000 in women's there's only been 6 school that have won it all in mens there's been 11. Don't even compare the skill level. The men are more skilled and it's not even close.
From a Mechelle Voepel article back in 2008. I bolded the part that stuck with me and looked up the article. Really to me cuts to some points on various issues but possibly explains, at least to me, why so many kids are content to just set on the bench for four years (and not just at the elite schools). Actually an article on Elena Delle Donne's transfer but morphed into more with a discussion of Nia Smith and Fennelly thoughts. The gals aren't as influenced by the men players visions of NBA sugarplums.
Linky: http://espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?id=3791182&columnist=voepel_mechelle
Linky: http://espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?id=3791182&columnist=voepel_mechelle
The ironic point is that I would bet that all those who trash UCONN for what they have done WISH it was their team doing this to every team they play.
I would love to find out if I would get bored with Iowa State crushing everyone else's tournament dreams. :smile:
Completely agree with the first part of your comment and disagree with the later. If you said there was more talent overall in men's basketball then I agree. But to say men are more skilled would be erroneous. Other than dunking the ball and looking at physical attributes, how do the skills of men basketball players exceed the women?
No teams should have that dominance. Can't blame anyone in particular but it's between inadequacies here and overly blessed there. It does not enrich my wbb experience to know my team (or almost any team) playing a game against Geno's would be over in less than five minutes with less than 1% chance of a win. Since Geno will be around for years, I can't wait to see his dominance from now until then. Sound fun?
So if it was our Cyclone women dominating women's basketball you would just quit watching because it would ruin the game. For me I can only wish we could be the team everyone else hates to play. Go Cyclones!!!
Well, to be a smart-*** I could start with simply being able to make layups in WBB which seems to be a lost "art". I like WBB but I think that while the very best are much better the middle level players are not as good. It's a little like the athletic brawling gals who Rutgers had years back. Athletic, strong physical players with not as much in the way of actual fine basketball skills.
Made me shiver reading that. Anyone remember all of the missed lay ups our men's team had this year? Dozens and dozens. Ouch.
They are just way better athletes. There isn't a stat for how skillful a player is so you can't really compare the two I guess
The only thing that is even up the same is free throws. Don't know the NCAA-wide stats but the Cyclone gals beat the Cyclone guys this year 75.5% to 70.2%.
:smile:
UCONN gals shot 80% for the year. :swoon:
As I posted priorly, Geno did not ruin WBB. He seems to be finding his success in taking advantage of the inherent condition of WBB over the past decades. It goes without saying, of course, that it would be splendid for Iowa State to attain UCONN's dominance.
Fantasies aside, am I justified to have a difference of opinion from those who do not see that losing one, or two, games to "competition" out of every hundred leads one to more than just overuse superlatives? But it is a little confounding to see others settle so far off UCONN's success after trying so mightily even emulating Geno's system? How does it escape questioning that when so much is done via the NCAA to create a level playing field, plus camps, AAU, expertise directing preteens in the ways of BB, limiting scholarship, regulation, one program is so far beyond it goes year-in and year-out with no loses? I believe Geno is right in that the competition is not up to his program.
My point is WHY? Is Geno and UCONN really that extraordinary? Are they? Could he take over an Iowa State Program and do the same? Not that it means a thing but, could Geno translate his genius and dominate men's NCAA BB in the same way? I doubt he could and see what is happening says something about WBB as it is today. What exactly it says I have yet to fully comprehend. A lot of discussion has gone into that topic, though.
(When Johnny Orr left mighty Michigan and took the challenge of building Iowa State's MBB program, it was to me admirable. This move was equal to a seasons worth of little sister bashing that has become UCONN's status in NCAA WBB today. I want answers to why other program attempt to emulate UCONN and are left with much less in the way of results.)
I try to be ambivalent about Geno/UCONN and as far as that goes I am near indifferent to the NCAA Tourney if Iowa State is not seeded. It will be a pretty nice thing to see a WBB Final Four where teams from all over the country have a chance. (If you haven't noticed the men's and women's NCAA tourney have been won by teams out of the East.) I like balance and how to achieve that is where I want answers. And, how did MBB seems to have developed some competitive balance?
I think maybe your confusing physicality, with skill levels.
By the way nice link to the article Boxster.
And this was an off year for the women. There have been several years they shot in the low 80's
I'm hoping to see UConn players take up coaching and disseminate the UConn way. Geno keeps assistants. His #1 has been with him for thirty years.
