Busy day with the UConn/Olympic coach Wednesday as he reflected on helping the USA win gold in London.
He said he wasn’t interested in a second term.
He said chocolate mint chip ice cream is his favorite.
He said he knew Asjha Jones of the Connecticut Sun would help him win one game at the Olympics and she did [Australia].
He said he was more interested in spending the next four years with his young UConn players than training for Rio in 2016.
And he said he wasn’t concerned that losing Michala Johnson and Lauren Engeln to transfer would hurt his 2012-13 team in any way.
“Unfortunately or fortunately, for Michala and Lauren, them not being here is probably a blessing for them and a blessing for us,” said Auriemma. “They were not going to play this season. Now we have 11 players who, for the most part, are all going to play and will in some way will be deserving to play and that will even help our practices be more competitive. I am looking forward to that. We haven’t that in a while.
“You take chances on kids when you recruit them. They aren’t all Jamelle Elliotts, Meghan Pattysons or Jessica Moores. Some kids that you take chances on get to UConn and it doesn’t work. And while they are here and its not working out its a drain, believe me.
“I know everyone loved to see them in the last 2 minutes. But what the fans don’t realize was, it was a drain on the team because they couldn’t keep up with the team at practice. And it made it difficult. So I feel this season is going to be more competitive than ever for playing time.”
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8 Responses to Geno Talks About Departures Of Johnson and Engeln
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Best of luck to both Michala and Lauren. I’d love to know where they are going. I am sure at other colleges they would get much more playing time.
An unnecessary comment by Geno to say that Lauren and Michala were a drain on the program. I doubt he would take too kindly someone making a comment like that about his daughter. All he had to do was wish them well. Sometimes Geno is an ASS!
Geno is not just an ass sometimes he is an ass most of the time. I agree with you totally unnecessary comments.
In Johnson’s case maybe injury did her in, for Engeln it would seem she did not grow as the player they had hoped for. But to your point of the comment being unnecessary there is some truth to that. And as soon as an asinine press corps stops asking questions that have no place to go with an honest answer but where this question had to go you won’t have to read about it. I am certain had no one asked Geno the question he is not taking out a letter to the editor to explain that both the girls and the team are probably better off with their departures. Last season these two (except for someone else being in the doghouse for a game or two) were the last two off the bench. Guess what, only one player graduated and three outstanding freshman entered the mix. Even less playing time could be forecasted with Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck on board. Do the math, without them 11 players and 200 minutes per game. An average of 18+ per player per game. Add two players and the time drops to 15+. If everyone stays healthy, out of Geno’s doghouse and not in foul trouble least minutes probably go to Buck.
And above all remember that both these two and Samarie Walker MADE A CHOICE to leave. No one was kicked off the team, no revocation of their scholarship, only a release from any obligations they may have had to UConn and a “wish you well”.
Micala will be playing with her sister at Wisconsin in Madison (a couple hours from here)
Johnson and Engeln should have transferred after year one. The hand writing was on the wall–they didn’t have the talent to play at connecticut. Geno gave them a break by not cutting them and allowing them to leave after johnson was physically enough to play for another team. Those two got more from Geno than they gave. Geno is fed up with the “why did so and so leave??”. Kids leave every team–all the time–Uconn is so big time, it becomes big time news. I told them two years ago to transfer–I called them the pine sisters–for obvious reasons. Just like the Aggie going to Texas–they raised the BB IQ at where they left and wherever they are going. Love him or hate him–he’s still the greatest living basketball coach in the world–and just proved it in London..
When a coach speaks the obvious truth The truth that all Uconn fans knew. They forget that Geno and UConn paid for two years (out of their Budget) for the Medical bills for Johnsons knees and the rehab–that stuff isn’t cheap. He did the same for Brittany Hunter–but she was worth the cost. Johnson and Engeln never played defense even in clean up time. They wanted to get on he score card. Every try coaching players who just don’t get it?? It is a drain–on everyone–Geno has never been shy of telling the truth–if that makes him an ASS then then the world needs more ASSES!!!
It would not be far wrong, indeed, to say that Geno- like all of us other- like to speak truths. And that these two players never achieved the level of excellence he thought they could. And by pure arithmetic they and the team are better-off for their departure. While I can see why he might be irritated at people leaving (because it never look good for a program- regardless of the player’s status on the team),you do not slam players.Indeed, building up their ego as they go out might be the thing to do. Maybe he should think more about saving some the social capital he has accumulated for hard times. And the latter will come- one day. But there is also something call respectable society- which is a lot more than reducing sports to dollars and cents. While I’m not yet ready to call the coach an ass (too disrespectful), I’m not totally comfortable with his take-no-prisoners strategy- because it goes over others. If the world is divided into those who love him and those who hate him (as he himself has depicted it), I don’t see this as healthy (no one wins forever).