Does coach G have what it takes?

Uh sure overseasbbfan1. That makes perfect sense.
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I'll have what you're drinking.
 
Seattle, I'm just curious and I have a few questions in an attempt to understand your way of thinking a little better. If you don't mind. What were your expectations when GG was hired? And what were your basis for those expectations other than her salary? I can tell you where you are with out a doubt wrong on something. We are far from the laughing stock of other programs. I attended a coaches clinic in Baltimore last week and Suzy Merchant (MSU) was one of many speakers and someone asked her if she was already looking ahead to next season and if so what games concerned her the most she replied with something along the lines of "as a coach you always look ahead once your season is over so that you can start improving as quickly as possible. And as far as next season we have to make a trip to Austin and for people who don't know Texas is quickly restoring it's tradition behind the scenes which means no one wants to face them on the court so I'm not excited about that" she said that with emphasis as well. So I interpret that to mean that recruiting wise Texas is becoming a factor again. Not like the glory days when Jody would walk in the gym and all other coaches would leave, but we are back in the discussion. So add her as another big name coach who see's the improvement on and off the court. And as a coach at any level will tell you, the respect of your peers is not something to be taken lightly and I can honestly say that she has that.
 
Jody did have charisma that translated well into recruiting. Too bad she couldn't convert all that talent into championships. I was a huge fan of hers going all the way back to the AIAW days, but I've never seen any other coach piss away more talent. Geno or Pat or a half dozen other coaches would have had at least 4 championships with the talent we had.
 
I was talking more about the earlier years surrounding our only National Championship, but as far as Conradt's last gasp at earning my respect, I think Jamie Carey had the most to do with that. We did have a lot of good players that really hustled on that team, didn't we. Kayla Bowers was my personal favorite. She didn't always score a lot, but she always gave 110%.

Edit: I grudgingly admit that Conradt may have had something to do with the Carey-Bowers-Schreiber etc. success. I think we came within a blown charge call of going to the title game, where I would have liked our chances. But alas, it was not meant to be.
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Probably a mental block that I don’t remember the charge. I do remember the play at the buzzer with Alisha Sare and Diana Taurasi…..My daughter met DT in New York several years ago and asked her about that play. Even DT said that she fouled Alisha…….That was a great Texas team regardless…….

Jamie Carey was absolutely the player that drove the team, and pushed them to be great. But, there were a lot of other major contributors. Stacy Stevens almost averaged a double-double. She seemed to have a way of always being in the right spot to get the rebound, and then followed it with a put-back even in the middle of a crowd of taller players. Appropriate that she later thanked her teammates for all of those missed shots. Heather Schreiber seems to me one of the most underrated players in UT history. She was the second leading scorer and rebounder behind Stacy that season, and the most accurate 3-point shooter. She also had a nasty baseline turn-around jumper that she used to take right in front of me. Kala just made plays. Even watching replays I sometimes never understood how she did what she did. It was like she was transported from spot on the court to another. If you needed a hustle play there was a good chance it would be her that came to the rescue. Tai Dillard brought the classic jumper and lock-down defense. Annissa Hastings could guard anyone on the floor. Nina Norman playing like she was at the rec center, Coco Reed playing through the knee injuries, Alisha Sare putting up the threes…..That may be my all-time favorite Texas team. I think that was the year Nina hit the 3-point shot (almost) at the buzzer to beat Tennessee.

….There was also a mid-90’s team with Angie Jo Ogletree, Amie Smith, Danielle Viglione, Kim Lummus, Angela Jackson, Vanessa Wallace, Erica Routt, Amber Hasenmyer, Taryn/Angela Brown, and Dee Smith that is among my favorites.

But, that was not what this was supposed to be about. Just got sidetracked…….I’m not disagreeing with anyone here. Just a thought…..

I always find interesting the conversations about what coaches do with talent. It starts with a perception of that talent. In general we usually know who the really, really good players are. Most fall into a different category. Some are better than their perceived basketball value, some not as good. Sometimes it depends on the system in which they play, sometimes the players who are around them. But, always it is up to the player to put in the work, and have the commitment, to be the best player that their physical talent will allow.

Sometimes that happens and an average player becomes great. Sometimes it doesn’t and a player with great physical talent becomes average. You can say that it is up to the coach and staff to bring out the best in each recruit. And, there is some truth to that. But, it is also true that sometimes good parents have problem children. I think in recruiting it is just as important to look at work ethic, commitment, and attitude as physical skills. That isn’t an exact science, and we generally don’t get to see that side of the equation.

I’m not sure that I have a point here. “Mediocre” is really a subject term. Sometimes “talent” is subjective. But, it is fun to talk about.

On the other hand, “laughingstock” is, well….laughable. I can’t even take that seriously.
 
Anybody who chooses to invoke the old "men want women to stay in the kitchen" in response to a sober analysis that the coach of the women's basketball might be in trouble due to her huge salary (in relation to the actual interest in the sport relative to men's football and basketball) and total lack of results is WAY too emotionally involved to be taken seriously.
 
I can appreciate your comments but after four years most people want to see a return on an annual salary of $1,000,000.... it's common sense and there really is nothing deep about it....
 
i was just addressing your comment about salaries being relative to interest in a sport, which isn't applicable. there are many programs that only draw a few hundred fans to games or meets.
 
I think it is applicable. If a sport is being subsidized then the salary is possibly artificially high relative to sports that pay for themselves. In that regard I would say the pressure on the subsidized salary earner should be high as assets are voluntarily being diverted from another program. It's not a matter of what the law say's. It's a matter of what is the intent inside the program itself and if the intent is to pay a very high salary for a very high result then it's obvious it is not happening.

There is a salary level to hire a coach in order to field a team in order to cmply with Title IX. Then there is the incremental amount to hire an elite coach. This is the amount of money thst should be discussed relative to other programs that could use the money themselves to achieve their goals.
 
We can't recruit a superstar? Cokie Reed for all intents and purposes is a "superstar" when people throw out analysis of this years team most don't mention that she was out for the entire season. She would've cured a lot of things. Being a coach I believe that whole heartedly. Fewer turnovers, more pts per game and less opponent points per game. It would've been extremely hard to score over a front court with two 6'4s in the lineup. And offense looks much better when you can thrown it into the post to a player who commands a double team. More open 3's and more points in the paint.

It hasnt happened in a while, but I also took note of some posters who have been critical of CP. Which is also unfounded. We have one of the best all around womens programs in the nation and we compete on a national level in most if not all sports!! And maybe, just maybe she knew exactly what she was doing when she inked Gail to a 5 year deal. Because let's remember that Gail had a 10 yr and a "lifetime" contract offers on the table from other programs. I'm guessing she knew that's exactly how long it would take to bring this program back to notoriety. It just kills me that so many "fans" have such a hard time finding the faith when all the indicators are there showing that we are on the cusp of success. Recruiting has improved immensely, we have a TOP 10 class coming in next year, that's impressive for me for two different reasons. It shows me that your a good program when you can still get top kids to come to your school even when you've had no major recent success to bank off of. 03 was to far back for most of these kids to remember. So I look for at least 25 wins next year (pre NCAA tournament) and no worse than a 3 seed and top 3 finish in the big 12. It wont be easy but I believe that we have the right people in place.
 
Cokie Reed for all intents and purposes is a "superstar"
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UT fan, I hope you are proven correct, but we sure have failed to land a ton of them, as in Griner (from Houston), Ogkwenike (sp? from Houston), Kelsey Bone (from Houston),etc. My point is that we should be landing some of these in state blue chippers.
 
So that's not Gails fault that the university didn't fit the academic needs. Which made the very average athletic performance something even harder to overcome. Gail did all she could with nneka and chiney especially. It just wasn't a good overall fit
 
Outlookdude:
I am in Seattle and not in Austin, so not being in town to watch the games live puts me at a disadvantage in terms of providing a more objective assessment on pieces to the Texas program. I do, however, get to see them on Comcast when the games are being televised over the web.

Let me address your culture change comments. Some of the things Coach G implemented like assigning books to read that fit the player's aptitude and personality was a step in the right direction. I do not know whether this practice is being continued year in and year out but getting to the message of the assigned book gives a lesson that you cannot necessarily get from just being on the floor. The culture of the team should be lived and breathed by the coaching staff, like energy and passion. I remember Brittany Raven saying in one of her videos about "thinking and acting like champions." I honestly don't know whether that mindset has continued to be emphasized every season as seniors graduate and freshmen join the team. Champions do not quit... yet, when the team only plays or shows up in the 2nd half only, you wonder what is going on with the team when they can't play a full 40 minutes with the effort shown in the 2nd half!? What is consistent in the past 4 years is the inability to finish out the season strong. There were "glimpses" of greatness like the 5 game winning streak that some pointed out, but those games were against the lower half of the conference. UT's "best" victories were a sweep over Tech and at KSU. The game @ ISU should have been won by the Horns. Yes you are right, you can't measure or detect culture. What is a byproduct or the result of culture are the wins and losses.

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't the connection between team and fans go downhill as well since Coach G came to Texas?

I keep on forgetting about the injuries sustained by the Class of 2005, but it seemed like a negative energy permeated from that class and affected the classes afterwards. How can a team go from a Final Four that almost beat UConn go to a losing mentality, as shown by the final 2 seasons under Coach Conradt?

But I don't want my response to deviate from the core of the subject, which is Coach G and her 4 years.

There is a fallacy in your statement about last year's football result. That was an aberration in a string of highly successful years. This season was supposed to be an improvement from last season as the 1st 3 seasons showed. Going 7-9 and being swept by the Top 3 teams and not being competitive in those 6 games (ok ok 4 of the 6 games except OU and @A&M) is in my mind not improving... actually, that's stepping backwards.

A 77-50 defeat by Texas A&M is a blowout.... remember the 2nd game of the Big 12 tourney?

Records should be thrown out when Texas plays A&M. I guess the rivalry that you see between the two programs in football just doesn't translate in Women's Basketball? I still stand by my assertion that a Texas coach in any sport would not be thought of well if your main rivals dominate you year in and year out.

So my question is if "help" is on the way with next year's freshman class, how can success be immediately recognized when the expected starters will be freshman? I don't see a fab 5 freshman class like Michigan's men's basketball team at Texas. What I do expect is to see these games being more competitive and less of blowouts like the 96-68 win by Baylor, or the 91-62 loss to Oklahoma.

The only reason I can think Texas garnered Top 25 votes was because of Coach G's reputation. Missouri exposed the team and then losses to Baylor, OU and A&M sealed their fate in terms of being a presence in the Top 25 polls.

Michelle Voepel continues to lavish praise on Texas. It makes you wonder whether it's intentional given the results that Texas has shown. I think her opinions are still directly influenced by her years at Duke. It's not what happened yesterday that matters. It's what you can do for me today that counts. So to see her insulting questions in her chat that "impatient fans" buy out her contract and find someone better is a bit condescending. There are rising coaches out that I can bet do the same or even better job than what we've seen these past 4 years.

A #9 seed was a gift. No way were they one of the Top 36 teams in the country. Had Texas beat Marquette, I think you'd see some respect that the inclusion was justified. RPI and SOS do matter, but when you've lost 6 of your last 9 games and make a whimper in the conference tournament, that should have factored into their exclusion. I have to believe that a run in the WNIT would have given more experience for this team. An early exit as we saw this year didn't exactly give anything to the team other than experience. I can't fathom getting confidence out of a loss.

Hook' Em.
Seattle
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Seattle,

I’ve always wanted to visit Seattle and I’ve never made it there. Maybe some day.

I can tell you that my perception might be different if I only saw the team on TV. The experience sitting right behind the bench I think gives me a little different experience. I clearly see a group that works hard and cares. That includes a coach who obviously knows that there is still work to be done. I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t all come across on TV. I’ve been sitting in those seats for a while now and from that view I was much less frustrated this past season than in the past.

About culture….One of the most pleasant things I saw in the team this past season was that they did not quit. The same culture that you talk about is still being preached, if not always in the same exact words. Most of the inconsistency I saw this past year was about what I expected from a group that was half freshmen. I also think that some of them just got tired. They played long minutes due to a lack of depth, and the college season is a lot longer than HS. They also finished with several players far from completely healthy. I think that some of what is still missing from that culture is confidence. We need for some of the hard work to pay off with a big win or two. There is nothing like winning to build confidence and create a winning culture. Until you get the wins that culture is just words. I think a few of those are coming soon and that it will make a huge difference.

Team/Fan connection – You actually hit on a pet peeve of mine. The relationship is different, and I miss the past. I don’t think the present is wrong, and I understand the intent. But, I still miss what we had. I think the connection in the past was somewhat unusual in today’s WBB world. The intent now is more about allowing student athletes to focus on basketball and academics. They have a difficult schedule without pandering to the fans. GG has started a regular radio show from a local restaurant than allows fan interaction. I think that is a step in the right direction.

I don’t think that the chemistry issues were a result of the ’05 class. I have a pretty good idea where some chemistry issues started, prior to GG, but that was from a different source, (and not a coach.) Past history and I’d rather not talk about it on a public board. No impact to the current team.

I’m not comparing the football team to the basketball team. No comparison there. I’m just saying that sometimes you have to re-evaluate your expectations based on what you have learned since you first developed them……I have made several comments about the problems with analogies. Naturally someone would call me on using one of them.

77-50 is a blow out. My point was that the series has not all been that way. aggy has been better, and there have been a couple of those games. But, the series as a whole, I don’t think, can be described that way.

I’m not sure that the WBB team feels the same hate for aggy that is true of the football team. They might. But, I don’t get that feeling. Still they care because aggy has been very good and Texas needs to beat some very good teams. Upsets are more likely between rivals. But, I don’t think you can just throw out the records either. Those rivalry upsets are still rare.

There were other teams getting top 25 votes with losses worse than Texas. I think that Texas fans are Texas worst critics. Texas resume this past season was extremely good, and compared very, very favorably to any other non-elite team….except for the lack of a win over a top team. That was complicated by the top heavy schedule. It is a problem that needs to be fixed. But, other than a handful of elite teams everyone had bad losses.

I don’t think Mechelle Voepel has any secret agenda. I don’t always agree with her, and there is no reason that you have to agree. But, I think she genuinely believes that the Texas program is headed in the right direction. I think, and you certainly don’t have to agree with me either, that this past season was an example of excellent coaching because I thought that overall Texas overachieved. To me that justifies the praise.

I still disagree about the tournament seeding. I think Marquette was seeded too low, based on a very bad late season loss, and I don’t think that you should ever put too much emphasis on one game. I think the trick to getting further in the tournament, at least until you are a true NC contender, is a better record going in to get a higher seed and more favorable matchup.

I really think that the only important thing that we disagree about is what to expect next season. And, on that we both hope that I am right.
 
Outlookdude, Interesting take on looking @ the season from bottom up rather than top down. Without the more senior players on the team like AT, AG, Kat, Kristen and Yvonne, I would have agreed with the overachieving. I just rewatched a video on Texassports interviewing Coach G about her team's prospects at the beginning of the season -- although the depth of the team is an issue, this team will surprise. Looking at the body of work for 2010-11, I am not sure those objectives were met. I don't believe Anne Marie played "significant minutes" unlike Chassidy. I didn't see Lancaster or McCoy play much, which then again may have been a result of not seeing all the games on TV. It's interesting to match the body of work with the preseason assessment of the team.

I would have loved to see or read a wrap-up of the season to the fans. To me, this shows accountability of the coaching staff by stating the team's strengths, accomplishments and areas of opportunity for growth.

Different strokes for different folks...

Seattle
 
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