Geno On His Injuries – And More

By On 2012/12/27 · 20 Comments

Geno Auriemma wasn’t as forthcoming as usual today when addressing his injury situation.

* He said Morgan Tuck has practiced and Kiah Stokes hasn’t. And that’s basically all he said. So we can assume Tuck, who has missed the last two games with a bruised knee, could play Saturday at Stanford and Stokes will not.

He was honest as usual when talking about Kelly Faris

* Geno also said it was likely Kelly Faris will end up guarding Chiney Ogwumike at some point because Faris always watches the opponent’s best player.

“But it is not an easy decision to make,” Auriemma said. “We’ll see if Kelly can handle Chiney and then we will worry about everything else. I don’t know if that’s [Faris on Chiney] the best way to go all the time. We’ll have to be smart about it. But I am not worried about Kelly’s defense. There isn’t anyone in the country she can’t guard. But we also have to be careful with how the other match-ups go because we could be helping ourselves in one area and hurting ourselves in the other.”

He was forthright, as expected, when answering a question about Saturday’s game being on ESPNU. You may have noticed Saturday’s No. 1 vs. No. 2 women’s game is on ESPNU as opposed to one of its older sisters in the family. We file this under the category of “it is what it is.”

ESPN is showing the Pinstripe Bowl featuring Syracuse. ESPN2 is airing another college bowl game featuring Navy.

* “If there is an NFL game on ESPN at the same time, then I understand,” Auriemma said. “That’s where the NFL lives. But if its just a bowl game between a couple of 6-6 teams, well, I guess the TV people have done their homework and have drawn conclusion that it [the bowl game] will probably be a great game for the fans to watch.

“That’s the battle we fight, that women’s sports fight all the time. I don’t know how you win the battle other than by playing some great games that everyone wishes they’d watched. But from the standpoint of coaches and players, we have to be careful about what we say about media coverage. We get bombarded from both sides; some people say we are lucky for getting the coverage we get, others say Stanford-UConn should be on [ESPN] instead of the Packers-Patriots [as an example].

“All we can do is try and put the best product we can on the floor so more people wish they’d seen it. And maybe the next one [gets better exposure]. …”

 

 

 

 
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20 Responses to Geno On His Injuries – And More

  1. Hip Hop Hood says:
    2012/12/27 at 6:40 pm

    Stop whining!

    The game is on ESPNU because no one cares about women’s basketball.

    • Fan in Fl says:
      2012/12/27 at 7:23 pm

      You may not care but there is a strong UConn fan base that does! To Geno’s point who cares about all these minor bowl games, who watches them?

      • Walterlinesjr says:
        2012/12/28 at 4:40 pm

        exactly thank you takecare go uconn happy newyear the men who dont care about womens bball secrelty know the woemn would beat them in a game lol hs last number years johnwooden preferd womens bball over mens i agree with him the women always give an effort gouconn

  2. village idiot says:
    2012/12/27 at 7:29 pm

    No ONE is Whining!! John said it is what it is. No whine there. Geno knows that as long as Women’s basketball get hind teat from the Media . Real people will never get to realize how great a game it is.

    Geno has done the slight of hand thing with player at Stanford before—he once said Dixon was injured and may not play–then she played and won the game–she was great.

    Stoke is the most important sub–she can add defense where needed.
    Tuck may play and this will be experience for next year, but don’t expect a freshmen to play like a senior.
    Kelly Faris is a great defensive guard–but she still is only five feet ten, Oguomike (?) will take her inside and rule the post with kelly on her. Geno would. Some how he’s going to have to guard 4 6 foor 3 inxh forwards with under six foot guards. It shall be an interesting match if it isn’t the brawl I expect with home time refs.

  3. Hip Hop Hood says:
    2012/12/27 at 7:35 pm

    Any college football game > UCONN women’s basketball.

    If UCONN women’s basketball had any value, we would be in a real conference instead of stuck in the Big East.

    • Val says:
      2012/12/27 at 8:25 pm

      Time to get your coat Hip Hop :)

    • Mike McManus says:
      2012/12/27 at 8:41 pm

      Hey Hip Hop, go crawl back under your rock. If your caustic comments are designed to aggravate, you’ve succeeded. If you have such disdain for women’s basketball, why do you even bother to participate in this blog?

    • Newgirl2 says:
      2012/12/27 at 8:42 pm

      Hip, I agree with Val in you getting your coat and hopping back to your hood!

    • Jeff Husky Fan says:
      2012/12/28 at 6:31 pm

      Hip Hop,
      Every time you open your mouth, or in this case type the thoughts coming from your empty head and posting it on this board it simply reveals what a complete dunce that you are. As far as the UConn Women being in the Big East for years do you suppose instead they should have been in the Pac-12 league, or the SEC? It’s nitwits like you constantly bashing women’s sports that make me wish that you would simply crawl back into the hole from which you emerged.

    • Metal Master says:
      2012/12/29 at 10:27 am

      HHH is as ignorant as it gets

    • billnaples says:
      2012/12/29 at 7:14 pm

      Suspect HIP could not carry the water bottles of a number of very good athletes that go by Stef, Kelly, Kaleena, Bria, and more. He may be fat headed enough to play football. The issues facing the Big East have little to nothing to do with the value of the UConn Women’s program. Funny how even when the B/E brand was the most powerful they still brought the tourney to Hartford but no value in that I suppose. It’s clear you don’t like (because you can’t understand it) women’s BB. They, especially UConn, play the game in most aspects the way it should be played. 7′ guys dunking shows me nothing. Don’t like it HIP then move on and don’t let the door hit you in your brain on the way out.

  4. Dave says:
    2012/12/27 at 8:34 pm

    Oh I get it hip hop along! Women’s basketball is like hip hop no talent and primitive. Right on BOY!

  5. mike says:
    2012/12/27 at 10:56 pm

    the game should be on a sister network . but thats how the cookie crumbles. tons will still tune in. Everyone forgets about Buck she can be raw at times but she is a body and can board we can use her to take up some fouls on chiney if it comes to it . Stanford is big and physical we can use a big body like buck for a few to get a board or hard foul or two to protect our paint. if stokes isnt playing and tuck lets her freshmen nerves and her not seeing action in 2 games affect her . but i have faith that it will be a W for uconn in the end. Our guard play will be huge KML and Banks will be looked upon lets hope Stewart doesnt get rattled with the physical play .

    • Bud Revet says:
      2012/12/28 at 12:45 am

      Buck on Chiney to give Kelly a break makes a lot of sense but I’m sure Geno see’s that. He and Ms Buck know each other very well. What I worry about is Kelly fouling out early in the game but again Geno will keep an eye on that for sure.

  6. Tom says:
    2012/12/28 at 9:53 am

    Hip Hop is the pathetic type of individual who lives on negativity, probably because he is unable to do anything positive. Hip Hop’s new name is Hip Hop Fool.

  7. Hip Hop Hood says:
    2012/12/29 at 7:04 pm

    How did the UCONN women do? Their game wasn’t on TV so no one knows the outcome.

    Win, loss, tie, anyone care enough to post the score?

  8. Jodi says:
    2012/12/30 at 8:19 am

    Moving on…I know Geno does it only one game at a time,according to him…He and his staff have to be reminded that Leon Barrmore has taught Brittany how to play basketball BUT he can’t change her personality. Her anger management is still poor, techicals and warnings from refs are VERY apparent and it seems easy to her her goat and therefore her bad behavior.

    • Hip Hop Hood says:
      2012/12/30 at 9:01 am

      You just describe the person who put UCONN on probation – Calhoun!