Geno Auriemma defends his take that Paige Bueckers is the best player in the country | SNY

UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma defends his statement that Paige Bueckers is the best player in the country and previews the team's matchup with Duke on Saturday.
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[@markreep7841]

Caitlin's the most impressive shooter I've seen. Paige's game has no weaknesses. We're lucky to be watching them both in good health, playing in the tournament.

[@Anita-kd4zu]

Don’t understand why everyone is so crazed over this. Of course he thinks Paige is the best. Why wouldn’t he? What they’re so pressed about is that we’re not all on the Cc train like they want us to be.

[@neetrab]

Exactly

[@richardkuyath3590]

Paige’s field goal percentage is 54%, which is #1 in the country for guards. Paige has made 290 out of 537 field goal attempts, which equals 54%. Caitlin Clark has made 360 out of 789 field goal attempts, which equals 45.6% Paige would have to make 100 more field goal attempts and miss every one to have the same field goal percentage as Caitlin Clark (45.6%).

[@toddoaurello5177]

“Addicted to Buckets 🔥🔥🔥”

[@neetrab]

Haven't watched this yet, but looking at the title of this vid, this makes me like Geno better than I did, which wasn't much. I expect EVERY coach to say their players are the best. To not do that is disrespectful to who you coached and tells me that your coaching wasn't all that good. He doesn't need to get on the CC train. It's silly for ppl to think everyone has to.

[@frankzelesnik2497]

Nobody is going to stop Paige. She is on a mission to show who is the best in the Country.

[@captain0310]

Do you know that CC wanted to come to UCONN but Geno recruited PB instead.

[@lindsaymathews5127]

CC would not fit into the UCONN way of playing basketball. At UCONN the point is that the team wins, not one player who scores 40 points, but they lose the game - like Iowa did this year. That is not done in UCONN. Yes, we have outstanding players, but the reason they get so good by the time they graduate is because of Geno Auriemma and being in the basketball culture in CT. In the year 2000 (I think) BOTH our men's and women's teams won National Championships. And that might happen again this year. No other women's team can come close to the number of National Champions as the UCONN women's basketball team. We have 11 National Championships going on 12!!!! If you watch commentary about our men's team they will say the same thing that they would say about the women's team. They say that they can't point to any one player on either of our teams that is the "star" or the "best". Yes, we have outstanding players, but all of them on both teams and their benches are outstanding players who make unique contributions to the game. And, they come to UCONN to win National Championships. That's what we do here.

[@captain0310]

​@@lindsaymathews5127 ​What do you mean WE? Besides being a fan, what is your role with the UCONN?

[@geraldroraback5432]

Paige is the best player in the country. She is the ultimate “Team” player not a “look at me” player. That is why she was recruited by the most NCAA colleges and universities in the US. That’s a fact.

[@JusBellAndAri]

Cc isn't a look at me player she does what her team needs. She has so many double digit assist games and averages over 30 also. You don't know basketball if you think Caitlin Clark is a look at me player she's just that good

[@neetrab]

​@@JusBellAndAri she's definitely a look at me player. sorry

[@cbrend22]

@@JusBellAndAriare you serious? She has 2 players on her own team that shoot better from 3 than she does. NOBODY shoots 14 3's a game and only makes 37% who isnt a look at me player. Why shoot from the logo?! You can get that shot anytime and it's a bad shot. If she's taking that, then she cant get around her defender. She makes less than 25% from over 26 feet. Moreover, against ranked opponents, she shoot 36% from the field and 31% from 3. That's pathetic. Don't even get me started on her D. She's a media creation and no serious coach would take her over Paige. She's an inefficient gunner who's a liability on D. The media needed a tool for pushing women's ball, and chasing a scoring record is easy and gets clicks. No one mentions that she has to shoot more than anyone in history to do it. Looking at advanced stats just for the top 50 draft eligible players, she's barely top ten in most, none in which efficiency is factored in, and she's in the mid 30's or lower in defense metrics. Wake up, youre embarrassing yourself .

[@yoyo-jc5qg]

@@cbrend22 caitlin leads the nation in points (32) and assists (9) per game and carried iowa to back to back final fours, i'd say that's pretty good

[@gooddays6924]

Paige can get it 😻

[@paulboring9053]

LMAO

[@danwayment6842]

No need to defend anything!!!

[@neetrab]

Exactly

[@lindsaymathews5127]

Caitlin Clark is not the best women's basketball player. She has not led her team to 1 - not ONE National Championship. Why? Because she and her team have not been coached to play the team of basketball properly. Iowa appears to play as an enterprise to make Caitlin Clark a "star". This does nothing for women's basketball. Paige Bueckers, one of our players (I live in CT) is a very important part of our TEAM because WE WANT TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP and Paige knows and understands she doesn't want to be treated like a star. She is incredibly wise because she understands from the best coach in the country (Geno Auriemma) that at UCONN it's all about team. She plays the role necessary to contribute just like the other 4 players contribute. Unlike Iowa's team, we have 5 players who often score in the teens. We have 5 stars on the floor at all times because our players are taught how to play basketball the right way. Basketball is a TEAM sport. There is no "I" in the word team. If CC does go into the WNBA she's going to be playing with lots of UCONN former players and others who will put her in her place as a team player, not a money making star. She may actually learn a hard lesson - that she is just one of a team and she can't win much by HERSELF!

[@gregyoung7310]

Your ignorance is showing. The first thing Caitlin Clark says in every interview is how great her teammates are. Lisa Bluder has masterfully integrated a 5-star recruit into a team with no other top-50 recruits. Look at Caitlin's assist numbers. 9 assists per game. The only reason she is treated like a star is because she is one, not just because she wants to be one. Did you know Iowa has two other players that average over 10 points per game, and a fourth player who has averaged over 13 points over the last 7 games since she became a starter at the beginning of the conference tournament? Did you know Maya Moore is one of Caitlin's idols? Did you know she bows in reverence to all of the great players that have come before her, giving them credit for building a platform that she stands on? Please, do a little more research before you go accusing a 22-year-old of the things you're saying.

[@renovo56]

Its irrelevant, South Carolina will win it all.

[@user-cd4js1wu9e]

it may be but there not a shoe in. I think Texas could give them a game. Look they barely beat Indiana so to say there a shoe in might be a stretch. Will they win it I think so but there are still teams in the tourney who can give them a hard time. Tennessee and Indiana proved there beatable. Had it not been for a lucky bank shot they would not be undefeated. If they have a bad shooting game from the outside they are getable. But yeah they probably win it.

[@renovo56]

If you add all the points Paige Buckers and Hailey Van Lith has scored in their 4 years together it is still 300 points less than Catilin Clark, same with rebounds and assists.

[@Paul15.]

Clark's first 2 postseasons were a disaster. Last year was good. We'll see this year.

[@norainsyah6021]

Great shooter ≠ Great player

[@user-rp6zx2gg8m]

Paige has missed a season and a half so bad comparison!

[@captain0310]

If Paige attempts the same number of shots as CC, PB would have more points than CC.

[@debrachampagne7715]

​@@captain0310thank you ...... PAIGE > clark

[@qman66]

We all know she's not but he's gotta defend his players. That what makes Geno the goat.

[@brianmchugh3757]

Maybe you don’t know it, but anyone who knows/follows basketball understands how good Paige is. Geno isn’t defending his previous comment because he fully believes what he said. Clark is exceptional in a couple of areas, but she doesn’t possess the full range of skills that Paige has.

[@johnstewart9166]

He has to say that. She plays for his team. But the entire country that follows basketball knows Caitlin Clark is way better then anyone else. However Beckers might be the second best player and UCONN may go further in the tournament as they probably have a slightly better overall team than does Iowa. Beckers jump shot reminds me of Jerry West’s jumper, same form, a true jump shot, not the current shoot-jump Steph Curry and most everyone else.

[@neetrab]

Uh, no, "the entire country that follows basketball" does *NOT* know that Caitlin Clark is "way better than anyone else" - wtf??? She's not God and she doesn't play ANY defense whatsoever. She's no where near the best. If you think the players in the wnba will just let her shoot from the logo, you're sadly mistaken.

[@user-um2xr6ku3c]

I respect dat old guy he very smart but duke will finally Beat dem

[@MooreCEJr]

11 championships,,, 30 straight sweet 16...fastest coach to reach 1200 games... higherst win/loss percentage .... The Duke coach is a ex-Tennessee player whom during her match up with UCONN.. never won a champioship. Going to be a very interesting game. :)

[@lindsaymathews5127]

@@MooreCEJr I have lived in CT my whole life and like thousands of others in CT, I am a UCONN basketball fan. That means that I (and others) have been watching the finest style (and best) of basketball imaginable. Geno has taken his teams to win 11 National Championships. Only John Wooden at UCLA has won more - 12! Geno could match that. We are used to our teams winning National Championships. Yes, we have some years w/o them because - stuff happens. Our men's teams have won 5 and they are the National Champs now and working on their 6th. In CT we know what good basketball is. It's not ONE player shooting their brains out, but never really learning how to PLAY basketball the winning way. Only players who know they are going to be pushed to be all they can be come to UCONN. Two of our newest players, Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold are already almost as good as our veteran players. Why? Because they are coached the right way. They are coached to be all they can be and to win National Championships. They are well-rounded players, but each players has a special thing that they do (A. Edwards for example). If Duke beats UCONN so? Duke is not a better team than UCONN is and that's because UCONN has the best team in the country - a coach who has won 11 National Championships and that is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve. He demands excellence from every player whether it's in practice or on the floor. UCONN players leave UCONN being really good basketball players AND really good people!