A New Starting Lineup?

[BRS24]

Geno has always liked having the spark off the bench as the first sub. Nykesha, Diana, Shea, Maya, among others. The starters set the tone, and then dependent on what's happening, the 1st or 2nd sub will either continue the success, or create enough disruption where the opponent isn't ready for it.

These are just a few, there are probably more, and conversely, there are years where Geno probably had to start them based on injuries, etc, and for a few (Paige, Stewie & Sarah), they were too good not to start.

 

[meyers7]

I don't think Geno's gonna be changing a starting lineup that has outscored it's opponents 151-68 in the 1st quarter through 6 games. (only gonna get better as we get into conference)

That's averaging 25.2 - 11.3.

 

[Dogdude]

I don't think Geno's gonna be changing a starting lineup that has outscored it's opponents 151-68 in the 1st quarter through 6 games. (only gonna get better as we get into conference)

That's averaging 25.2 - 11.3.

Yup, agree 100%. And while we all love what Blanca brings, her game isn't quite complete yet. Right now, she's a super-sub, and I bet that stays for a while. The comparisons with Svet are apropos, but the athleticism and quality of team play amongst the top 25 are so much higher now than they were even just 10 years ago. That the sort of semi-in control play only takes you so far for so long. She'll develop that, of course, but it'll be a season-long process, I'm betting. Even as a sub, she'll still get over 20 mins a game, just more strategically placed. I remember Walter Berry at St. Johns being that sort of one-man wrecking crew, and failing at the pros as he refused to change or develop. I remember his quote, "Coach wants defense and fundamentals, and my game isn't built on fundamentals." As the women's game has progressed to where it is now, the ability to work in a system is more important than ever. Allie fits in superbly, and K9 is getting there, also still just a little wild. Come on Morgan, get healthy!

 

[Suebird10fan]

Towards the end of his postgame presser, Geno was asked about KK and Ash's performance, and he discussed how they have been used in the two previous years where they started as Freshmen and then came off the bench as Sophomores. He pointed out that UCONN won the National Championship with them coming off the bench and then stated "I like them (coming off the bench) better.

I think, given Geno's statement, that it is only a matter of time (and likely sooner than later) that he reverts to having KK and Ash come off the bench once again as "super agitators". Which begs the question, what the new starting lineup will be. This will be super controversial to be sure, but I think he will stick with Serah Williams as she has an extremely important role long term and that he simply cannot ignore what Blanca has shown. Sarah and Azzi are givens of course. I would posit that Allie will be the other new starter. I noticed, as I am sure many others here did, that Allie was on the floor at the end of the Michigan game when everything was on the line which tells me, he has great confidence in her when the stress is greatest. Of course, that raises the question as to who will be the PG? Sarah and Azzi have often brought the ball up and could again, but may not be the answer longer term. The alternative would be Heckel of course but she has been shaky of late.

I expect a LOT of differing opinions.

I totally agree .... there will be a LOT of differing opinions, LOL!

 

[ABCDFE]

I more or less agree that we’re likely to see Sarah and Azzi bring the ball up the court in pressure situations. And we’ve already seen Geno have Allie do the same on a few occasions against tOSU, Michigan and Utah. But I don’t think we’ll see her start anytime soon.

I suspect Blanca will replace Ash as a starter eventually, though perhaps not before the end of January. But replacing KK as a starter seems a lot trickier. Kayleigh is not yet a better option, and Azzi is not a better passer than KK. Geno may well prefer the energy KK brings off the bench and still not have a better option for the starting lineup.

Replacing Ash is also a bit tricky. She’s really the only other 3pt shooter I think can make shots within the flow of the offense. I know Strong is a solid 3 point shooter, but defenses will be focused on both her and Azzi. I’m not sure I’ve seen enough of Blanca to be that type of shooter, historically she has shown she’s just good enough to warrant no sagging from defenses but we def don’t want her shooting tons of threes. In my mind this is a true dilemma for Geno. What would’ve been ideal is if KK or Heckel were outstanding 3 point shooters, then I would think putting Blanca in as a starter is a no brainer. Right now I’m leaning towards putting Blanca in because it’s with a try.

 

[Suebird10fan]

KK has 24 assists, 5 TOs, 14 steals. Those are not the kind of stats that keep you out of the starting lineup.

 

[Bald Husky]

Nika Muhl: For some reason this sounds familiar.

Can we get Nika back? Why not, she did leave with one year of availability. Of course that sounds stupid, but a mens college program did sign a player that has been playing in the NBA D league. LOL

 

[Tonyc]

You all make great comments and opinions however all we need is one more scorer/shooter and we are fine. With that said Serah Jana Blanca Kayleigh Ash and Allie can fit that position. I feel with a little time they all will fit and I also believe when Ice is better she will too, plus our 2 AA's ( Azzi Sarah). KK will handle the point and disrupt our opponents. Folks we have a tremendous team and when they blossom its gonna be fantastic. Next Morgan and Yana get healthy and Caroline I feel they are being cautionary with. Kelis and Gandy need time and during the BE season everybody will get minute and time to develop. We are now playing our early season schedule with some ranked teams. When the BE season starts we have a few ranked teams and we should be able to handle them all.

 

[Charliebball]

Replacing Ash is also a bit tricky. She’s really the only other 3pt shooter I think can make shots within the flow of the offense. I know Strong is a solid 3 point shooter, but defenses will be focused on both her and Azzi. I’m not sure I’ve seen enough of Blanca to be that type of shooter, historically she has shown she’s just good enough to warrant no sagging from defenses but we def don’t want her shooting tons of threes. In my mind this is a true dilemma for Geno. What would’ve been ideal is if KK or Heckel were outstanding 3 point shooters, then I would think putting Blanca in as a starter is a no brainer. Right now I’m leaning towards putting Blanca in because it’s with a try.

I'd be very surprised if Blanca isn't a starter by mid-January........Geno can't leave that much talent on the bench for long......

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Can it? Sure. Will it? Undoubtedly. But that doesn't mean we will stop talking about this.

I'll echo some of the voices above that I think it's very unlikely KK won't continue to be the starter. I think she runs the offense better and provides the stability needed at the point in the beginning of games.

I'm less confident about Ashlynn. She plays hard in her presence is felt all over the court often in ways that do not show up in the boxscore. At least through the end of the year, I think she will continue as a starter, but undoubtedly Heckel and Blanca are making cases for themselves particularly with their offense.

If I were to guess I would anticipate both KK and Shade continuing as starters, but their minutes would be reduced in order to make more time for other players. Ultimately, that's probably a good thing as it lets every player give maximum output during their time on the court.

One final thought, which I think is a little counterintuitive, Blanca and Heckel may get some minutes from Williams. While they aren't at the same position, Geno has shown a preference for his small ball lineup. Ultimately there's only 400 minutes to go around. As players such as Blanca and Heckel show they can contribute, minutes will have to be adjusted to get them playing time. But that doesn't need to be a position for a position sub like you would see in football. I like playing the team with less individual minutes as I think it allows the players to stay fresh during the game and hopefully makes them less prone to injury.

(For what it's worth, I like Blanca as a sub for Strong for at least a couple of minutes per half. No one can replace with Sarah can do, but two minutes per half would reduce her to 36 minutes overall, which I think is more manageable and Blanca, though not yet the complete player that Strong is, offers a high octane boost to our offense. Opposing defenders breathing a sigh of relief as Sarah goes to the bench would inwardly groan when they realize they now have to account for Blanca attacking at 100 mph.)

In a "track meet" type game, I would like to see a lot of Sarah, Azzi, Blanca, KK, and K9. Hopefully, Geno has a lot of race cars in the garage, as Blanca, KK, & K9 will run the tires off the rims as they drive hard into the turns.

Not statements about starters, but the defense, fast breaks, and points off turnovers should be ridiculous! 😍 🔥 🔥 🔥 😍

Go Huskies!!!

 

[victor64]

Sorry DEup but this is fun. Here are my two cents.

-Ash averages nearly 25 minutes a game. Whether she starts or not, those minutes won't change much if she starts coming off the bench.

-One of the rotations against Utah had Azzi, Allie and Sarah sharing the point. I didn't see much impact on the offensive flow.

-I think he is waiting for Carol to give him a reason to give her more minutes. She may not be 100% but she is close. She just has not shot well.

-Geno will have a "small" lineup. I don't think those 5 are established yet. I would love to see a situation where a "big" lineup is needed. I also wonder what that will look like.

-Serah's and K9 offensive struggles are probably a concern but could it still be them realizing and being comfortable with the expectations?

-Probably near the top of list of concerns is zone offense. Michigan provided a possible method to slow down Sarah. I am sure facing more zones will be in their future.

 

[oldude]

I'd be very surprised if Blanca isn't a starter by mid-January........Geno can't leave that much talent on the bench for long......

I find it fascinating that Geno sat down with Blanca on Saturday for a 1 on 1 film session to review her mediocre performance against MI and then she came out on Sunday with a “lights out” performance against Utah.

Blanca could certainly force her way into the starting lineup this year. It could be Ash’s spot. But it also could be Serah’s spot. In the end, the competition will make everyone better.

 

[Skeets]

Ash is my favorite player. Even though her scoring is down a little early, she'll continue to start because the rest of her game is so solid. More solid than what anyone else has to offer. I believe Blanca is the next UConn superstar. Does she start? Who does she replace? I am conflicted.

UConn needs a PG. It's either KK or K9. KK will continue to start into the foreseeable future.

With Azzi and Sarah being locks, that only leaves 1 other spot a little shaky. Right now it's Serah. Could it be Jana, Ice or even Blanca? Serah should be looking over her shoulder. Something might be gaining on her.

 

[rugbymate]

In some ways, who is starting is probably less relevant than who is in during crunch time during March /April games. Having Sarah, Azzi and Blanca in the same lineup with KK running the point would be incredibly difficult to defend. The 5th player could be Ash or Jana/Serah depending on matchups. Conference play will help sort out chemistry. While Ash, Serah and Jana have high floors, Blanca has a much higher ceiling and seems her minutes should increase.

 

[mhshuskies]

I thought from the title of this thread it was going to be about Blanca starting in place of Serah. KK is a given and I would not trust any of the bench guards ahead of Ash at this point.

 

[Charliebball]

Ash is my favorite player. Even though her scoring is down a little early, she'll continue to start because the rest of her game is so solid. More solid than what anyone else has to offer. I believe Blanca is the next UConn superstar. Does she start? Who does she replace? I am conflicted.

UConn needs a PG. It's either KK or K9. KK will continue to start into the foreseeable future.

With Azzi and Sarah being locks, that only leaves 1 other spot a little shaky. Right now it's Serah. Could it be Jana, Ice or even Blanca? Serah should be looking over her shoulder. Something might be gaining on her.

Serah's basketball resume speaks for itself.......Geno is not going to pull her from the starting lineup six games into the season during her time of adjustment.......she's clearly trying to do too much and has gotten out of her normal rhythm......Geno knows her importance to the team come tournament time and will continue to monitor her progress.......that's not to say that he won't go with the small lineup that he seems to be so fond of when he sees the right matchups......patience my friend!!

 

[Ct Dog]

My eyes tell me Blanca will be starting sooner rather than later. Ash is a fierce competitor and does so much that doesn’t get her in the box score. Her energy might best be served as a spark from the bench. But i’m a fan not a Coach lol

 

[slug25]

Blanca will remain the 6th player for a couple of reasons. First, Geno likes having a potent offensive threat coming in. When the opponents start to sub or tire. Second, she’s foul prone at this point in her US development. Better for her to sit a bit and assess how the refs are calling things.

 

[Stagnant]

I think Xavier is a good time to change the starting lineup. And I think there is a > than 0% chance Geno will do just that.

 

[bayern7]

Is starting really that important though? The two mentioned are juniors who came to the program out of high school, they’ve put their time in with the team, and contributed valuably throughout their career.

I think it’s more likely you’ll see Blanca’s minutes increase, not necessarily a starting spot. I’m really high on Blanca and K9 has shown some good flashes. But I think the starting five is perfect the way it is. It’s so exciting seeing Blanca and K9 head over to the scorers table, and I’m sure it’s exhausting for opposing teams. It’s an incredible asset to bring a player of Blanca’s skillset/athleticism/size off the bench.

Let’s enjoy that facet of this team while we can, Blanca will be starting next season. Anddd I think Geno really likes having those weapons waiting on the bench…

 

[Gus Mahler]

Can it? Sure. Will it? Undoubtedly. But that doesn't mean we will stop talking about this.

I'll echo some of the voices above that I think it's very unlikely KK won't continue to be the starter. I think she runs the offense better and provides the stability needed at the point in the beginning of games.

I'm less confident about Ashlynn. She plays hard in her presence is felt all over the court often in ways that do not show up in the boxscore. At least through the end of the year, I think she will continue as a starter, but undoubtedly Heckel and Blanca are making cases for themselves particularly with their offense.

If I were to guess I would anticipate both KK and Shade continuing as starters, but their minutes would be reduced in order to make more time for other players. Ultimately, that's probably a good thing as it lets every player give maximum output during their time on the court.

One final thought, which I think is a little counterintuitive, Blanca and Heckel may get some minutes from Williams. While they aren't at the same position, Geno has shown a preference for his small ball lineup. Ultimately there's only 400 minutes to go around. As players such as Blanca and Heckel show they can contribute, minutes will have to be adjusted to get them playing time. But that doesn't need to be a position for a position sub like you would see in football. I like playing the team with less individual minutes as I think it allows the players to stay fresh during the game and hopefully makes them less prone to injury.

(For what it's worth, I like Blanca as a sub for Strong for at least a couple of minutes per half. No one can replace with Sarah can do, but two minutes per half would reduce her to 36 minutes overall, which I think is more manageable and Blanca, though not yet the complete player that Strong is, offers a high octane boost to our offense. Opposing defenders breathing a sigh of relief as Sarah goes to the bench would inwardly groan when they realize they now have to account for Blanca attacking at 100 mph.)

Not sure your math is mathin'.

 

[CL82]

Not sure your math is mathin'.

Every two games?

 

[ec33]

... come off the bench once again as "super agitators".

When Blanca and K9 came in the game the team switches to a full court press. That is your change of tone.

At this point, it is KK and Ash that are the steady hands that are trusted and played the majority of the minutes against Michigan despite doing little with that time.

 

[Stagnant]

Shade is shooting 35% from the field and 20% from 3. I know she hustles and does other good things on the court. But she is moving to the bench if those numbers don’t improve. There is a large enough body of work to expect them to improve tbf. Another tbf though… i wanted to see how KK and Shade looked this year without Paige. I really believe Paige opened the game up for the two of them a lot.

 

[Ct Dog]

Shade is shooting 35% from the field and 20% from 3. I know she hustles and does other good things on the court. But she is moving to the bench if those numbers don’t improve. There is a large enough body of work to expect them to improve tbf. Another tbf though… i wanted to see how KK and Shade looked this year without Paige. I really believe Paige opened the game up for the two of them a lot.

Great post and spot on.

 

[visitingcock]

She should be nicknamed "Beep Beep." Reminds me of "Hey Buddy how can I get this car out of second gear?"

Omg, my big sister had that and Ahab the Arab on 45’s. I drove my parents crazy playing those two songs . Haven’t even thought about them in Half a century! Thanks!

 

[HopJim]

I more or less agree that we’re likely to see Sarah and Azzi bring the ball up the court in pressure situations. And we’ve already seen Geno have Allie do the same on a few occasions against tOSU, Michigan and Utah. But I don’t think we’ll see her start anytime soon.

I suspect Blanca will replace Ash as a starter eventually, though perhaps not before the end of January. But replacing KK as a starter seems a lot trickier. Kayleigh is not yet a better option, and Azzi is not a better passer than KK. Geno may well prefer the energy KK brings off the bench and still not have a better option for the starting lineup.

No one can replace KK's defense and her outside shooting is improving. Suspect Geno would like to have her on the court for MORE minutes and his comment regarding "off the bench" is more related to his desire of having a bench player with her energy being available. Unlikely to be hint regarding KK not starting.
While no one seems to be mentioning this, I could see Blanca taking minutes away from Serah, potentially becoming a starter at the "5." While shorter than Williams, she appears physically stronger and much more active in going after the ball. She would likely add more offense. Suspect Geno is evaluating Blanca more on how she performs in the high pressure games such as Michigan.

 

[Cuango]

I think meyers7’s post (#32) says everything that needs to be said on this subjct for now! I find it very difficult to believe he will mess with a lineup that is giving him a 25.2to 11.3 start every game! (average)) He did speak somewhat wistfully of when KK and Ash were comng off the bench but it looks to me as if he essentially has that same kind of weapon with Blanca & K9! Not quite the same as they (especially K9) are not as consistent and provide a slightly different dynamic than KK & Ash but still game changing. I believe this will only get better as both of them continue to settle in to their roles. However, for the foreseeable future, I just can’t see him messing with what is clearly already working so well.

I won’t say that Ash will never be switched with Blanca as it seems clear that we have somehow found yet another future all-american to add to this incredible roster. For awhile, I was a bit skeptical of what I saw as the usual hyperbolic takes on a new player but, I’m convinced! It really does look as though the sky is the limit for this young woman! Hard to believe we’re adding Olivia and Jovana to this already unbelievable group of players and that, from everything I’m hearing about both of them, it is likely we will be having these same kinds of conversations regarding their talents! It’s good to be a UConn fan!

 

[ERWUC65]

Great post and spot on.

Ditto. Both Ash and KK are pressing due to Paige's absence. As teams focus more on Sarah as they did last year on Paige, it should open up the floor for them. Ash needs time to set for her 3pt shot and KK just needs a bit more time to realize she is THE pg on this team.

 

[Scud49]

Omg, my big sister had that and Ahab the Arab on 45’s. I drove my parents crazy playing those two songs . Haven’t even thought about them in Half a century! Thanks!

OMG. You just did it me, my day is shot now. Ahab is in my head on constant repeat. Some day I shall wreak my revenge!😝😛😛😛😛