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Message: [QUOTE="Surly1, post: 4798091, member: 11599"] Thanksgiving is upon us, and many are digesting the loss of Azzi for the remainder of the season. Still others decry UConn's overall lack of size going forward. I'm here to state that it is not the end of the world, and I offer a contrasting, more hopeful outlook for the season ahead. Last season, the Iowa Hawkeyes had a tourney run for the ages, almost culminating in a NC. At the beginning of the 2022-23 year, few would have predicted Iowa could beat a loaded, undefeated SC on the way to reaching the championship game. In retrospect, it shouldn't be surprising. Iowa rode the coattails of a generational talent and a core of fundamentally sound and unselfish players, and demonstrated that a team doesn't have to be the tallest, deepest, or most talented team to succeed. Let's dig in and compare last year's Hawkeyes team to the 2023-24 UConn team. Iowa has Caitlin Clark to UConn's Paige Buckers. Last season, Monika Czinano was a 6'3 center and UConn has 6'3 Aaliyah Edwards. At the "4" spot, Iowa had 6'1 McKenna Warnock & UConn will use Aubrey Griffin at 6'1. Over the course of the season, Iowa slowly incorporated their freshman talent Hannah Stuelke into the offensive scheme. UConn has 4 exciting freshmen to utilize, and Ice Brady at 6'3 is the closest counterpart to Iowa's Stuelke. Iowa schemed Caitlin Clark's ability to shoot from anywhere to space the court with shooters, allowing Monika Czinano to do her thing in the paint. Early on, Iowa was lacking on the defensive front, but by the end of the season, their defenses had improved considerably. It also should be noted that despite Iowa's size, they out rebounded opponents on the season by 4 rebounds per game. For many critics of UConn, this is where they hang their hat. Yes, rebounding might be UConn's weakness for now, but over the course of the season, there's no reason why this area can't improve. UConn has their own generational talent. Without Azzi & Caroline Ducharme in question, it's incumbent on Paige to adopt more of a "shoot first" mentality as a "2" guard. UConn has capable hands in Nika & KK to handle the point guard responsibilities. Without a consistent outside shooting presence, teams will collapse on Aaliyah Edwards, forcing other players to beat them. When Iowa lost last year, more often than not, Clark had an off shooting night. The other Iowa starters played off Clark and did not create their own shots. If Paige has an off shooting night, UConn has more weapons available to pick up the slack. Iowa entered last season with the same starting lineup from Caitlin Clark's freshman year. Their chemistry and familiarity was evident and played a significant role in their success. UConn has a blend of promising new players & established upperclassmen. While they might lack Iowa's cohesiveness, they do have more overall talent. That's not a knock against the Iowa players, who are better players than generally given credit. UConn players usually enter the program with a higher pedigree. The new players have the opportunity for a lot of playing time, and as the season progresses, rotations and roles will evolve. If so, team chemistry will look far different in March than now. UConn can mirror Iowa's trajectory from last year. Wins and losses, while important in November, are not necessarily a prelude to postseason success. Despite injuries, UConn remains a team with talent. UConn can mirror Iowa's success from last year, but a few things have to occur. Players have to embrace their individual roles, accept a defense first identity, prioritize team rebounding, and the freshmen blossom ahead of schedule. Offensively, UConn has to push the ball, utilize their depth to create easy baskets and dictate the flow of the game. Like Caitlin Clark, Paige has to accept the challenge of carrying the team from the outset, rather than waiting to pick her spot. She needs to be more like the player who shot 15-26 against SC in her freshman season and the one who shot 15-19 in her sophomore year opener against Arkansas. Paige can be offensively passive, preferring to be a distributor, but needs to be more like Caitlin Clark, taking upwards of 20 shots per game. Like Clark, Buckers can make things easier for her teammates when she's in aggression mode. Winning a NC requires having the winds of fortune at your back. Having the best team is no longer a guarantee of winning it all. UConn has the right pieces to replicate what Iowa accomplished. The season is still early, and if Lady Luck ever decides to cast favor on UConn again, this might be a heck of a team by season's end. [/QUOTE]

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