Poll - Will Amari start for any tip offs this year?

[meyers7]

Nothing against the OP, but this has got to be one of the strangest polls/ideas I've seen on here. To come up with this and have data and arguments to try and back it up, is really....amazing.

A defensive specialist, a 3 pt specialist, even a rebounding specialist. Ok, I can see those. But a Tip-Off specialist? That's a really niche specialty to hang your hat on.

 

[oldhusky]

So pretty much a coin flip. I think that extra 2 1/2% may be due to unequal matchups where the winning team is winning every facet of the game.

Actually I think there is a logical reason here that might support the 2 1/2% difference but for reasons that have nothing to do with the tip itself. The team that loses the tip starts with the ball in the second half, so no extra possession is obtained.

It does reveal, however, which team has the player who can get the highest in most cases. That advantage exists for every minute that player is in the game. that player is probably a good rebounder and shot blocker, so it would not surprise me at all if the team that wins the tip also gets more rebounds and blocked shots in the game.

It is not the possession that makes a difference, rather it is an indirect indication of advantages that player has that applies to the rest of the game as well.

 

[Centerstream]

Many of us fans are hoping for a Junior leap, just like we were hoping for a Sophomore leap around this time last year. It didn't happen last year and most likely will not happen this year due to her back injury. So I voted No. As others have posted, I can only see Amari starting, jumping center, if Aaliyah, Ayanna and Ice are not available. If that's the scenario, the tip off won't be a major concern.

 

[EricLA]

I think the OP question is interesting, but in reality, the question more likely would be "will Amari get any real playing time outside the last 4 minutes of blowouts?" I echo the folks who asked "tip off specialist??". If she were to start a game for the tip, she'd most likely be playing the first 4-5 minutes, and I'm not sure she will average much more than that in regular games anyway.

She's got height and apparently a pretty decent jumper, but she's coming back from an injury, and I'm just not sure I see her contributing in any meaningful way on the court. As for tip-offs, I would guess Edwards and Patterson could both outjump her. Maybe even Samuels. But it's just a guess.

Having said that, she's an incredible teammate. In almost every video or photo of the team, you see her in the middle of everything. She's very well spoken and is a great kid by all accounts that I think all of us are rooting for big time.

I have a feeling that this season Amari and Ines may be at the bottom of the depth chart. On a team with 13 total players, that doesn't give a lot of room for them to carve out PT. It seems like both are really enjoying UCONN, Amari especially. This will be a very interesting year to see who trends up, who trends down, and if it changes much during the season.

I really do hope that on a team with so much talent, the top players don't really average more than 25-ish MPG to give everyone else a chance to play.

 

[sun]

I noticed that the UConn roster lists Jana as a center but Amari as a forward.
That seems strange since it may not jive with reality.
Did anyone think that Jana would be starting at center for the tip-offs this year as a freshman?
It's hard to say for sure but Jana's running speed may also be as slow or slower than Amari's.
I'd guess that Amari has gained some court speed since she arrived at Storrs.

 

[hoophuskee]

Geno will probably experiment & maybe Ice can even play at the 3 position allowing for different sub packages.

Just wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Zanzman]

I would have Nika jump opening tap just to have more conversation about her on the boneyard

 

[oldhusky]

I noticed that the UConn roster lists Jana as a center but Amari as a forward.
That seems strange since it may not jive with reality.
Did anyone think that Jana would be starting at center for the tip-offs this year as a freshman?
It's hard to say for sure but Jana's running speed may also be as slow or slower than Amari's.
I'd guess that Amari has gained some court speed since she arrived at Storrs.

As for thinking Jana might start at C as a freshmen, it was a possibility. Remember there were no proven returnees at that position. A junior who had failed at least in her first two years to crack the rotation, and two first year players in Ice and Jana. I don't know if I thought Ice or Jana had the best chance to take the starter's role, but I had them both ahead of Amari by a sizable margin.

True we could have moved a proven 4 there in Aaliyah, and slid another proven player Aubrey into the 4, but that was not ideal, and we would have been undersized against some of our best competition. If we wanted a player that could be considered a 5, then it was a two year disappointment, or one of two freshmen, those were the available choices, so yes Jana could have started if she was the best of the three.

 

[TCC Kid]

Will Amari be given any starts for tip offs this year?
How important are winning tip offs against teams that have very tall centers?
Will her height & shot blocking ability give Geno a reason to start her for tip offs under any circumstances?

Winning the tip is NICE but not necessary for the win. Some have spoken of her "Mental State" it is no more nor no less important for DeBerry than any other Uconn kid. She knows the game, she has played for years and coached by Geno for 2 of them. She is still growing mentally and physically, as we all did at that age.
My hope is she will 'get it" or Geno will see her importance to the team.
She has one thing Geno can't teach--6ft 6 inches. She too can shoot and score. She has a dozen reasons to play her. I am NOT privileged to the Negatives. I'd like to see her as a useful Uconn player getting her share of the PT available or more.

 

[TCC Kid]

I noticed that the UConn roster lists Jana as a center but Amari as a forward.
That seems strange since it may not jive with reality.
Did anyone think that Jana would be starting at center for the tip-offs this year as a freshman?
It's hard to say for sure but Jana's running speed may also be as slow or slower than Amari's.
I'd guess that Amari has gained some court speed since she arrived at Storrs.

Ameri is a NATURAL Forward AND that is her favorite position, I've been told. 6 ft 6 inches is hard to not want that in the Post.

 

[sun]

Just wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey simmer down, stop throwing peanuts from the peanut gallery!

Peanut gallery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[hoophuskee]

Hey simmer down, no more throwing peanuts from the peanut gallery!

Peanut gallery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Just having fun saying no.

 

[CTrefugee]

There's an article below with a section titled: Why Do Teams Want To Win The Tip-Off?
It provides 3 reasons.

1. Because winning the tip-off gives the team an offensive possession needed to score points.

2. Data shows that teams that win the tip-off end up winning the game 52.5% of the time.

3. Time of possession is a crucial stat used by coaches to determine how well the team is doing with ball control. Advanced statistical analysis shows that having the ball more often provides more scoring opportunities & a better chance to win.
It then provides a link to an article that describes the advanced statistical theory.

What is a Tip-Off in Basketball?

Every NBA, WNBA, NCAA, and High School Basketball Game begins with a tip-off. Here is the complete breakdown of it!

thestadiumreviews.com

An Introduction to Advanced Basketball Statistics: Understanding Possession Estimation and the Factors that Control Efficiency

An Introduction to Advanced Basketball Statistics: Understanding Possession Estimation and the Factors that Control Efficiency

www.burntorangenation.com

52.5% of the time, the better team wins the tip off. If you are the better team, at least half the time you will have the best center. It's a silly measure of the importance of the tip off.

 

[#12in21]

For the reasons many have stated I can’t see Geno starting Amari simply because she may win the tip off. If she starts any games it will be for her exhibiting a broader range of skills. Having said that I do hope she can earn significant playing time this year.

 

[Dezoworld]

Will Amari be given any starts for tip offs this year?
How important are winning tip offs against teams that have very tall centers?
Will her height & shot blocking ability give Geno a reason to start her for tip offs under any circumstances?

That's definitely the wrong question to ask. The question is, is she ready to be an impact and important piece for the Huskies??

 

[wbbhoops278]

Can we change the name of this thread to "Just the tip"?

 

[cohenzone]

Not to totally put down this poll, but I’d wager UConn’s % of one possession games lost when they lose the opening tip is meaningless. You can cherry pick the rare UConn close loss to see if they lost the opening tap. More important is the turnover and shooting % and defense during the course of the game. The opening tap rarely if ever means a thing to UConn and using a player who wouldn’t start on the chance, not the guarantee, they would win a tap and then might have to be on the floor for several possessions before being subbed out, is something no coach would do.

 

[LarryLegend]

That's definitely the wrong question to ask. The question is, is she ready to be an impact and important piece for the Huskies??

An excellent example of how difficult evaluating and recruiting 16 year old kids is. Sometimes they are just much taller than everyone they play against.

 

[Zarathustra]

Hey simmer down, stop throwing peanuts from the peanut gallery!

Peanut gallery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I was in the HOWDY DOODY " peanut Gallery" ... once upon a time! (REALLY!).
My big sister won the bicycle that was given away on the TV show. How about
Princess Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall? A long time ago and far away... in a world
that no longer exists.

 

[sun]

Not to totally put down this poll, but I’d wager UConn’s % of one possession games lost when they lose the opening tip is meaningless. You can cherry pick the rare UConn close loss to see if they lost the opening tap. More important is the turnover and shooting % and defense during the course of the game. The opening tap rarely if ever means a thing to UConn and using a player who wouldn’t start on the chance, not the guarantee, they would win a tap and then might have to be on the floor for several possessions before being subbed out, is something no coach would do.

If Amari will average playing 4-5 minutes per half anyway, then why not let her tip off, especially if she can prove that she's the best at it?
The outcome of March Madness elimination games aren't predictable.
Amari should at least be given the opportunity to tip off to get practice against other tall centers in real games that aren't elimination games.
I don't know what there is to be afraid of when she may be able to tip off better than anyone else.
Why should UConn even jump if the staff doesn't really want to try to win the tip off from the start?
If the tip off matters at all then it should be worth trying to win it with your best.

 

[cohenzone]

If Amari will average playing 4-5 minutes per half anyway, then why not let her tip off, especially if she can prove that she's the best at it?
The outcome of March Madness elimination games aren't predictable.
Amari should at least be given the opportunity to tip off to get practice against other tall centers in real games that aren't elimination games.
I don't know what there is to be afraid of when she may be able to tip off better than anyone else.
Why should UConn even bother to jump if they're not going to try to win the tip off?

If Amari should start because she belongs as a starter, fine. She needs value way beyond one opening tap she might lose anyway. Who cares if we win the opening tap against Butler. If she wins the opening tap vs. say So Carolina and turns the ball over twice in the first 4 minutes, scores no points and gets scored on, winning the tap did not help.

 

[meyers7]

If Amari will average playing 4-5 minutes per half anyway, then why not let her tip off, especially if she can prove that she's the best at it?
The outcome of March Madness elimination games aren't predictable.
Amari should at least be given the opportunity to tip off to get practice against other tall centers in real games that aren't elimination games.
I don't know what there is to be afraid of when she may be able to tip off better than anyone else.
Why should UConn even jump if the staff doesn't really want to try to win the tip off from the start?
If the tip off matters at all then it should be worth trying to win it with your best.

Now you want her to play so she can get "practice" at winning the tip? Which we've explained doesn't matter.... pretty much at all? (at least to UCONN) Practice??

 

[Huskie02]

Auriemma did not start Stevens, a more highly regarded 6’6” player than DeBerry. Also, if Auriemma were to start someone for the sake of the tip off (he wouldn’t), that player would more likely be Patterson, who is both higher up on the depth chart with athleticism that gets her up higher than DeBerry, similar to G. Williams doing the jump instead of Collier.

I predict this poll will not get as many responses as most. There has to be some controversy or doubt to spur engagement. There is neither here. I suppose an argument can be made for why DeBerry should start for a specific circumstance, but the question is “will” not “should,” which means historical events surpasses all other reasoning as a predictor for what Auriemma “will” do. There is no supporting evidence whatsoever that Auriemma “will” start DeBerry for situational reasons (as opposed to having earned the starting spot).

Sorry-I have seen enough of this young lady over the past 2 years. She may be a great teammate but she hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for her. Now that she is recovering from back surgery I wouldn’t risk an injury.

 

[diggerfoot]

Sorry-I have seen enough of this young lady over the past 2 years. She may be a great teammate but she hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for her. Now that she is recovering from back surgery I wouldn’t risk an injury.

? Did you reply to my post by mistake? If anything we are advocating something similar. I am puzzled and genuinely curious as to why you think your comment here is related to mine.

 

[Zanzman]

Funny that a poll is started then if they disagree Sun tries to argue to convince people to go with his theory