A Potential Answer for our Guard Issue Next Year

[meyers7]

Freshman guards running the point? It'll take a year at least to earn Genos trust, unless you consider them generational recruits.

What? Why would they be running the point while Bueckers, Muhl and Fudd are still here in 2023?

 

[DefenseBB]

I don’t know why people think Stanford is so good because they have Cameron Brink? She draws a lot of stupid fouls, if she has 3 fouls before halftime tomorrow night, UConn wins.

Because despite occasional foul trouble, she has a very good post up game, blocks shots, has a nice midrange game and runs the floor VERY, VERY well. Oh yeah, those attributes earned her 3rd team All-American and she was the PAC12 Defensive player of the year. Stanford also has significant depth to their post position with Belibi, Prectal and Iriafan all logging significant minutes.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Because despite occasional foul trouble, she has a very good post up game, blocks shots, has a nice midrange game and runs the floor VERY, VERY well. Oh yeah, those attributes earned her 3rd team All-American and she was the PAC12 Defensive player of the year. Stanford also has significant depth to their post position with Belibi, Prectal and Iriafan all logging significant minutes.

I guess Belibi, Prectal, Iriafan, really stepped up against South Florida, or Indiana who we beat by 20.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Freshman guards running the point? It'll take a year at least to earn Genos trust, unless you consider them generational recruits.

If you have seen Shade play as a Junior in the Indiana State Tournament {largest school population class} you would have seen her dominate through the State Championship.

Shade is very strong, and even more talented than many of the guards our women will be facing in the final four - this year. She should be starting by January of her Freshman year.... [Jan 2024]

 

[billnaples]

I have no idea if it could be a factor but remember one of the team rules at UConn is NO VISIBLE INK. Gabby had to use the athletic tape to cover hers. Could be one of the considerations, on both sides.

 

[Alydar]

If you have seen Shade play as a Junior in the Indiana State Tournament {largest school population class} you would have seen her dominate through the State Championship.

Shade is very strong, and even more talented than many of the guards our women will be facing in the final four - this year. She should be starting by January of her Freshman year.... [Jan 2024]

All 4 of next year's guards will still be there. Bueckers/Mühl as seniors and Fudd/Ducharme as juniors. I like the future freshmen but that will be a tough group to beat out.

 

[Dogstar]

What? Why would they be running the point while Bueckers, Muhl and Fudd are still here in 2023?

Which is the "Point" tht I'm trying to convey.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Ihiope DeBerry makes enough progress so she fills the Liv void having a year under her belt. I expect Brady and Patterson to start on the bench and evolve organically.

I saw Patterson at the Power Aide Jam, and she was incredible, reminds me of Gabby.

 

[Bald Husky]

NWIH we don't get another guard before next year. Injuries necessitate it. We do not have enough depth. Kind of surprised they didn't recruit one for next year already.

We were hoping for KiKi Rice, at least I was.

 

[Blueconn]

I have previously cited our issue of only having 4 returning backcourt players with no freshman guards committed for next season.

I have a completely out of the box potential solution.

The number 3 player in the nation coming out of high school is a remarkably versatile and athletic "big" named Janiah Barker who is on record as being able to man any position from 1 through 5. She is 6'4" but can hit from the outside and would obviously be a major matchup problem.

She is only available because she just decommitted from Georgia after the Georgia coach who recruited her left to coach elsewhere.

Remember she would be the number 5 guard behind perhaps the best guard foursome in the country so really an insurance policy in case of injury or illness. And then the following year the issue goes away with Ashley Shade and KK Arnold Arnold coming to Storrs when Barker could become one of the "positionless" players that Geno loves.

With all due respect…Don’t think there is an “issue” regarding 4 returning guards and no incoming freshmen guards next season. The time to wonder is a can we kick further down the road for now. But situations change and it seems like your question and analysis is worth pondering after this weekend.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Earlier in this thread, I said that the roster next year does not need another guard because of Ayanna and Aubrey, both of whom can play wing: Aubrey is being remade by the coaching staff and Ayanna has guard skills. She is a bit like a reverse of Gabby who was a guard that learned to play in the front court excellently. Ayanna is a small forward/wing with guard skills - here's a progression of scouting reports from ESPN, if you haven't read it:

Classic in the Country Challenge-January 2020: Athletic forward prospect knocks down mid-range jumpers in traffic; quick-leaper, pounds the glass, visits the charity stripe with consistency; explosive in the paint, delivers results with consistency; versatile defender. (Olson)

USA Trials-May 2019: Impact small forward with developing guard skills; attacks the basket, displaying soft touch in the key; consistently pressures the defense off the dribble, near the rim; catch and shoot range at the arc; superb in uptempo, pressure game; a BCS prospect with off-the-charts potential. (Olson)

The Classic-May 2019: Ultra-athletic perimeter performer plays to the rim; quick off the bounce with baseline attack, rises on jumper in mid-range game, exploits the smaller defender and produces results; active on the glass, quick-leaper with emerging perimeter game consistency. (Olson)

USJN-July 2018: Explosively athletic prospect with versatility; quick-leaper, competes on glass, wins the battle; rebounds and attacks in transition game; rises on jumper in mid-range game, manufactures shots with college-ready frame; an impact prospect in the class of 2022. (Olson)

With someone like that coming in, why would Coach think of Barker? He already has a full roster and he needs to develop them in the best way possible and part of that is available playing time.....something clearly demonstrated this year when the absences accelerated development of most new players. Or, a really good guard who will end up sitting on the bench most of the time because the current four incumbents will take most of the minutes.

 

[Cuango]

We need a dominant BIG!!!!

We need Tina Charles, Sylvia Fowles, Courtney Paris, or Stef Dolson!