Starters need a breather

[RSHERMVIKES]

I understand there is a talent drop off after the 5 starters, but when you're up by 20 points you have a little wiggle room to catch a break, get some water and extra coaching then get the starters back in the game!
With the score 3 to 5 point lead you don't have that same wiggle room so Geno cannot sub then!
Every game has some time earlier when you can buy some minutes you may need in the 4th quarter!
If the lead were to go from 20 to 18 or 16 you get your starters back in ASAP, but they got that crucial time to regroup!

 

[KCD]

It sure would be nice to have a coach with a little experience with this and maybe one who knows something about winning. Oh wait, we do. We have the best coaching duo in NCAA history. I think that I'll stick with them.

 

[CL82]

Coaches are hard headed. A lot would rather lose on principle than to actually win the game.

In a one and done NCAA National tournament? I'd be amazed if you can even find one who would prefer to lose "on principal."

 

[CL82]

There is a reason the players are getting tired and worn down also. When the team had a twenty point lead would have been a good time to give someone a rest. Sometimes that practice rule needs to be pushed aside so the starters can get a much needed rest.

And if that led to a Duke run by exploiting the substitute, we'd still have this thread except that people would be complaining that he took the starters out when playing so well.

 

[JellyBean]

Definitely not a popular subject but you are you correct. The starters need a break. However, every game/team ain't the same. There are some game/teams where the competition or score dictates the flow of the rotation.

 

[Geesworld]

1. The 20-point lead that was surrendered, Q had nothing to do with.

2.Giving highlights of what a player can't do based off a small sample size of minutes per game is nuts to me. Case in point ice was asked to play huge minutes from start to finish in the Big East tourney. Not much was said about her play from a negative stand point. Limit her minutes and the magnifying glass gets bigger.

3. Ice and Brady only difference from KK and Shade is minutes. These freshman have good and bad minutes collectively.

 

[Geesworld]

In a one and done NCAA National tournament? I'd be amazed if you can even find one who would prefer to lose "on principal."

It's not about principal it's about coaching the moment. Playing the bench is so meaningful for a lot of different reasons.

1. Kids get tired
2. We are the Lower seed we have the shortest turn around. Save the legs when you can.
3. We have the greatest coach who gets the best players so develop them and live with what you get.

 

[Geesworld]

It sure would be nice to have a coach with a little experience with this and maybe one who knows something about winning. Oh wait, we do. We have the best coaching duo in NCAA history. I think that I'll stick with them.

Well tell that Duo to maybe recruit a bench they trust and use them.

 

[hoopsdiva]

Well tell that Duo to maybe recruit a bench they trust and use them.

The Duo have a bench they trust. Unfortunately that bench is out for the season with injuries.

 

[Geesworld]

OK, Geno puts Q, a player he knows is not ready to perform, in yesterday’ high intensity game. She gves up two turnovers, misses two shots, and commits two fouls. Duke scores six off those mistakes and UConn doesn’t score once because the player Q replaced wasn’t in the game and Duke makes three out of four free throws from the two fouls. We lose! Maybe , just maybe, Geno is right and she’s not ready for that kind of game. He is the one more likely to be able to evaluate whether a tired ( even exhausted) starter is better than an overwhelmed freshman. Obviously, I would like the starters to have some relief, but that game was basically played on the edge of a razor blade over the final three minutes! It’s easy to say, “send X to the bench and bring in Y for two minutes.“ The problem is, that one or two mistakes by the sub might have changed the outcome. We won! Geno did what he thought best, and we won!

So the 20 point lead was squandered with Q on the court?

 

[RedStickHusky]

Shade played for 38 minutes, and did not score a point......Q could not have done any worse.

Cmon don't sell her short, with turnovers and bad defense I'm sure she could've done worse.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Did I stumble onto some WCBB fantasy site? We're in Geno's hands and I'm good with that. He's got us in the E8 with Azzi, Aubrey, Caroline, Jana, and Alana sitting out. But thanks for telling us what he's doing wrong.

 

[Geesworld]

Did I stumble onto some WCBB fantasy site? We're in Geno's hands and I'm good with that. He's got us in the E8 with Azzi, Aubrey, Caroline, Jana, and Alana sitting out. But thanks for telling us what he's doing wrong.

Matchups are everything

 

[RedStickHusky]

He called a couple timeouts to try to get that breather a short substitution would provide.

He's even talked about how long the tourney TV timeouts are.

 

[jabstep]

For us to go any further in this tournament it is MY opinion since we are the smallest team left we will have to outshoot our opponents at the 3-point line. Similar to how Indiana stayed in the game against SC and how Iowa beat SC last year. We need fresh legs for our shooters and to accomplish that we need to as others have said substitute 2 additional players.

At times we will need another big because we are getting killed in the paint and other times all of our guards need a break from playing with the defensive intensity that we play. Someone who can shoot 3's also will help. Q is a better 3-point shooter than Nika and KK if she is on she can be instant offense. The lefty 3-point shooter for Oregon State came off the bench and kept them in the game.

That is my opinion. Nothing against others who would disagree.

 

[CL82]

It's not about principal it's about coaching the moment. Playing the bench is so meaningful for a lot of different reasons.

1. Kids get tired
2. We are the Lower seed we have the shortest turn around. Save the legs when you can.
3. We have the greatest coach who gets the best players so develop them and live with what you get.

Golly, those are great insights that I am sure have never occurred to Coach Auriemma. You should email him.

 

[luminosity]

I understand that this is a forum that responds to any criticism about Geno with "Well he is a HOF coach so trust him because he is perfect and never makes mistakes so who are you to question him?" so this criticism may be out of place but....

I agree that putting Q in briefly to give a breather is a move worth trying to avoid the fatigue factor. This is now two straight games where a lead has almost been blown because everyone was gassed near the end. It's worth a shot. People are acting like Q was this all time bad defender. Putting her in for a couple minutes at the end of quarters or halves is not going to blow any leads.

 

[Twolf]

In this forum when I read that we win in spite of the coach, or the coach should recruit a bench and use them I am curious how many coaches could have 6 of the players he did recruit, half of which were proven starters, sitting in street clothes and be playing this evening to go to the Final Four. IMHO, you could count those coaches in D-1 women’s basketball on one hand and have several fingers left, so I guess I would defer to him on playing the people who, in his opinion, give his team the best opportunity to advance.

 

[Bone Dog]

Let me see if I can change the tone of this thread. I love watching Q play and hope she gets into the game tonight. I don’t fault Geno for shortening his rotation. What I see in the team’s fatigue woes is an opportunity for Q. Yeah, she might make too many mistakes and get yanked, or she might hit a few 3s and grab a few rebounds. I’m hoping for the latter.

The risk I worry about is if Q makes a mistake and thinks she cost the team a win. That can haunt a young player for months or even years. I really hope Q makes it into the regular rotation next season and a good experience now might propel her into next fall. Go Q!

 

[Geesworld]

Golly, those are great insights that I am sure have never occurred to Coach Auriemma. You should email hi

That is a great response on a forum of opinion.

 

[Rowdy831]

Let's see, yesterday JuJu played 39 minutes!!!! How the h*[ [ could her coach not rest her?????
Why aren't people complaining about the USC coach??????

JuJu wasn't playing against a defense like Duke. That constant pressure wears you down and UConn was playing the same way on defense so there was zero rest within the game. The USC offense and defense is not where near as taxing as that game was. Good news is Monday should be a game they can play all the minutes and still not be dead tired.

 

[CL82]

That is a great response on a forum of opinion.

Thank you! That was very kind of you to say!

 

[DICKG]

I really like Q and have pointed out how often her per minute played stats are "top 3" but I draw the line when she is included in any comparison with D or Maya!

You did not understand my point. In no way does she compare to Maya and Diana. Geno preaches playing time depends on how you practice; but that "rule" does not refer to the stars on the team.

 

[RedStickHusky]

That is a great response on a forum of opinion.

The right to an opinion is not a right to be right, right?

 

[Rowdy831]

The fact is you could rest every player on the court 4 minutes per game by playing 1 extra player 20 minutes. I would rest Paige for the last minute or so of the 1st quarter and AE the first two minutes of the second, same for the 3rd and 4th, and rest the others around them. Ice proved she can play when counted on and that type of rest can be planned very easily.

Not to mention you have 4 timeouts too. It can be done very easily but unfortunately it seems nobody is thinking about how to rest the players without diminishing the chances of winning a game. I don't think it will matter against USC but they will need to be fresh to beat one team still alive in the tournament.