Adamec: lots of info from Bria Hartley in the JI

[diggerfoot]

I thought Bud was a big Schuie fan?

Ah, BudFrog - he's probably hding under his bed until Notre Dame football returns to its glory days

I think the Ralph discussion came when both men and women's boards were combined. I think he disappeared then reappeared when the women's board was separate and that's when he was a champion of Schumacher. Then again, I have trouble remembering what happened yesterday with accuracy.

For some reason this calls to mind another poster I'm trying to remember from yesteryear but can't. Here's all I have to go on: you (HuskyNan) and he once got into a debate about tattoos and band-aids, a la KJ; he was highly trained in statistics; and he had spent time in India. Does his handle come to mind?

 

[HuskyNan]

For some reason this calls to mind another poster I'm trying to remember from yesteryear but can't. Here's all I have to go on: you (HuskyNan) and he once got into a debate about tattoos and band-aids, a la KJ; he was highly trained in statistics; and he had spent time in India. Does his handle come to mind?

That was zymurg, a very smart fellow.

 

[diggerfoot]

That was zymurg, a very smart fellow.

Ah, yes, that was it. What happened to him?

 

[HuskyNan]

Ah, yes, that was it. What happened to him?

Not sure. He didn't register for a handle here.

 

[Dairyair]

Great article, thanks Blake. It's amazing how every time we have a top recruit, they have to start. Guess what? Didn't happen with Maya, didn't happen with KLM, and won't happen with Breanna, either! As many have pointed out, the best players are going to get plenty of playing time, whether they start or come off the bench. Not that I'm opposed to Breanna starting, (can't wait to see her play), BUT SHE IS NOT GOING TO START...GET OVER IT!

 

[JS]

Not sure. He didn't register for a handle here.

Zymurg was a Vandy grad who chose the Boneyard as his posting home.

He described himself as "older than dirt" even back when. Maybe he finally got too mature for us.

 

[Icebear]

zymurg was always a great asset to the Boneyard.

 

[HuskyNan]

Zymurg was a Vandy grad who chose the Boneyard as his posting home.

He described himself as "older than dirt" even back when. Maybe he finally got too mature for us.

He's one of my Facebook friends. I gave him a shoutout.

 

[JoePgh]

Those who say that 5 upperclassmen will start are (in my opinion) overlooking a very important issue -- it means that at the 4 minute mark it will be necessary to bring in all 3 freshmen and have them play together. That is a recipe for mistakes and poor execution. Assuming that you agree that all 3 freshmen deserve major minutes, the only way to keep all 3 of them from playing together is to have at least one of them start.

If Morgan really is the next generation of Asjha Jones (which I think may be about right), then I wouldn't be surprised if she is the one freshman who is in the starting lineup. This is for a very specific reason: I think she will be a monster rebounder (as Asjha was and still is), and that would nicely complement Stef, for whom rebounding is not a strength. Then, at the 4-minute mark, the 5-4 pair could be changed to Kiah-Breanna, with Kiah doing the major work on the boards.

On this premise, my predicted starting lineup is: Stef - Morgan - KML - Bria - Kelly, with Kelly as PG. At the 4 minute mark, Kiah - Breanna - Moriah would enter the game, with Moriah probably replacing Kelly but with those three (Bria, Kelly, and Moriah) basically sharing the backcourt minutes except for those that Caroline continues to get.

One thing I'm rather sure about is that there will be no 4-guard lineups in 2012-13. That was done last season by necessity rather than by choice, and with our new frontcourt riches, there is no necessity for it this year. That means that KML will basically be a fixture at the 3. Stef/Kiah will split the "5" minutes, and Breanna / Morgan will likewise split the "4" minutes.

 

[Vowelguy]

Those who say that 5 upperclassmen will start are (in my opinion) overlooking a very important issue -- it means that at the 4 minute mark it will be necessary to bring in all 3 freshmen and have them play together.

Not true.

First, you seem to be implying that mistakes are ok if a player is with 4 experienced teammates. Not with Geno. If a player is not good enough to play with 2 other frosh, then she's not good enough to play with 4 upperclassmen. Players will play when the coaches determine they are ready to play.

Second, the only player I'm sure will get major minutes in big games is Stewart. Jefferson and Tuck could be brought along more slowly depending on their progress - MoJeff in particular given the number of guards in front of her.

I see no reason that subs are "necessary" at the 4 minute mark. And I'm pretty sure that there won't be 3 at once. UConn had a great season last year largely with 6 players. They surely can play the first 10 minutes with 6.

 

[iri10]

The simplest answer why Stewart starting is better for the overall good of the team is rotational balance. Reducing the argument to Lewis starting versus Stewart ignores the rest of the forest. Are Kaleena and Breanna minutes the only concern? Isn't Morgan Tuck likely to deserve significant minutes? Didn't Kiah Stokes show enough to deserve minutes in competitive games?

The rotational balance argument is a compelling one. I can't be sure what Geno thinks about that, but let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if he prefers a two post lineup to be this year's bread and butter, instead of a four guard lineup. And if you want to build your team around having two posts on the floor most of the time, it does make sense to start with that sort of lineup.

You know what would be amusing? Geno throwing a curveball and going with this starting lineup:

Dolson
Stokes
Faris
Hartley
Doty

Seems a bit counter-intuitive, but it might actually make a nice compromise. It's a starting lineup composed of veterans, and it's a two-post lineup. When substitution time arrives, then you start bringing in some combination of KML (who would still be able to do good things as a bench spark) and froshies, preferentially maintaining at least two bigs on the floor. Now that UConn is rotten with competent bigs, its rotations will hopefully reflect that.

 

[slimmer56]

Regardless of who starts I am sure Geno is very happy being in the position he is in. I may be wrong, but it does seem that the last few years we had a 6, 7, 8 rotation. Depending on how the freshies develop, and how far Lauren, and Heather have come, the sky is the limit.
Our "D" last year was the best in the country, and will be even better this year! I mean, we had a girl Kiah Stokes at 6'3 playing the point on our 1-2-2 zone trap defense. 6'3... are you kidding me ? Now,we have another guy who could do it just as well as Kiah. That would be, as everyone knows, Breanna Stewart.
The potential these girls have is unlimited, and unfathomable.
Watch out for these girls the next few years. We may see things happen that never happened before, by anyone ....even UCONN

 

[Vowelguy]

The rotational balance argument is a compelling one. I can't be sure what Geno thinks about that, but let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if he prefers a two post lineup to be this year's bread and butter, instead of a four guard lineup. And if you want to build your team around having two posts on the floor most of the time, it does make sense to start with that sort of lineup.

You know what would be amusing? Geno throwing a curveball and going with this starting lineup:

Dolson
Stokes
Faris
Hartley
Doty

Given that the main complaint about Stokes last year was her inconsistent effort in practice, it seems unlikely that she not only meets the coaches' expectations but exceeds them so much that they want to reward her with a starting position before the season even begins.

 

[doggydaddy]

Given that the main complaint about Stokes last year was her inconsistent effort in practice, it seems unlikely that she not only meets the coaches' expectations but exceeds them so much that they want to reward her with a starting position before the season even begins.

I'm just amazed that after reading so many posts last year that said Lewis should be starting that some think she will be on the bench and Stewart should be starting.

 

[Kibitzer]

I am amazed, even astonished, that some posters actually believe that Caroline won't start. If she is physically "good to go," she is the first name on the lineup card. I see no need to repeat the justification yet again. Doty starts. Period.

 

[Scotter]

There are what 3 people in this thread that said they expect Stewart to start? Certainly the minority. And I don't about the other two, but I know that at no point last year did I say Lewis should be starting. In fact I consistently argued the opposite.

Given the majority opinion in this thread and the way it is being expressed, I do wonder if some people learned the incorrect lesson from Geno bringing Kaleena off the bench all season. There's the implication that Geno is far more dogmatic than I believe he actually is. I very well could be wrong about that. I'm curious to find out in November. I haven't got the opening starting lineup wrong in years. This time there is a pretty good chance I will get it wrong, and many people I typically agree with are right.

I'm just amazed that after reading so many posts last year that said Lewis should be starting that some think she will be on the bench and Stewart should be starting.

 

[doggydaddy]

There are what 3 people in this thread that said they expect Stewart to start? Certainly the minority. And I don't about the other two, but I know that at no point last year did I say Lewis should be starting. In fact I consistently argued the opposite.

Given the majority opinion in this thread and the way it is being expressed, I do wonder if some people learned the incorrect lesson from Geno bringing Kaleena off the bench all season. There's the implication that Geno is far more dogmatic than I believe he actually is. I very well could be wrong about that. I'm curious to find out in November. I haven't got the opening starting lineup wrong in years. This time there is a pretty good chance I will get it wrong, and many people I typically agree with are right.

Scotter, never said you said that Lewis should start last year. I was just noting that many did that last year, and now some (I didn't count how many) say that Geno will or should start Stewart. And it has been discussed in more than this thread, but again, I didn't note how many posters said it, just that some did.

I haven't been wrong on the starting lineup in years either. So, one of us will have their streak broken...lol.

 

[Kibitzer]

Just to make someone feel better or worse, I posted earlier that I believe that Stewart will start. Not in November, but in January when Big East competition starts.

By popular demand.

 

[zymurg]

He's one of my Facebook friends. I gave him a shoutout.

Here I am, still alive and kicking, but perhaps somewhat weakly.

In re the debate: Each season presents its own problems/opportunities. This year it is a reasonable expectation that the team has greater margin for error. At critical times last season against top opponents UConn was unable to get stops and to make key shots. Faris was the key defensively, when she was in foul trouble, the defense suffered. At the end of the season Dolson and Hartley were the key offensive options, when even one was off, UConn stumbled down the stretch.

I haven't really seen Stewart, but if she is half the player most aver, she could be a significant factor in team improvement on both sides of the ball. She doesn't have to be great, just really good. Dolson's physical conditioning, if improved, would give UConn still more margin for error. With the options available, I can't see Geno sacrificing two positions on the floor at crunch time to players with limited scoring potential, barring injury or foul trouble.

What I have preached, probably too often, is that we look too much at individual players in evaluating how the team will do. What is always the problem at the begining of the year is the process of finding an effective team on both sides of the ball. What is key is how the individuals function together. This coming season Geno has a bigger and richer puzzle to assemble.

Still there is always the potential for the unexpected: in the season when ND won its NCAA championship, UConn led by I believe 15 at the half in the Semi Final game. Geno figured they would come out of their zone, but they didn't. Taurasi was something like 1-12 in the second half. The other big guns were pea shooters, Schuey was the most productive UConn player. ND won going away.

 

[Icebear]

Here I am, still alive and kicking, but perhaps somewhat weakly.

In re the debate: Each season presents its own problems/opportunities. This year it is a reasonable expectation that the team has greater margin for error. At critical times last season against top opponents UConn was unable to get stops and to make key shots. Ferris was the key defensively, when she was in foul trouble, the defense suffered. At the end of the season Dolson and Hartley were the key offensive options, when even one was off, UConn stumbled down the stretch.

I haven't really seen stewart, but if she is half the player most aver, she could be a significant factor in team improvement on both sides of the ball. She doesn't have to be great, justreally good. Dolson's physical conditioning if improved, would give UConn still more margin for error. With the options available, I can't see Geno sacrificing two positions on the floor at crunch time to players with limited scoring potential, barring injury or foul trouble.

What I have preached, probably too often, is that we look too much at individual players in evaluating how the team will do. What is always the problem at the begining of the year is the process of finding an effective team on both sides of the ball. What is key is how the individuals function together. This coming season Geno has a bigger and richer puzzle to assemble.

Still there is always the potential for the unexpected: in the season when ND won its NCAA championship, UConn led by I believe 15 at the half in the Semi Final game. Geno figured they would come out of their zone, but they didn't. Taurasi was something like 1-12 in the second half. The other big guns were pea shooters, Schuey was the most productive UConn player. ND won going away.

Great to see you.

 

[Icebear]

Just to make someone feel better or worse, I posted earlier that I believe that Stewart will start. Not in November, but in January when Big East competition starts.

By popular demand.

This I expect is the most "likely" scenario.

 

[diggerfoot]

Here I am, still alive and kicking, but perhaps somewhat weakly.

In re the debate: Each season presents its own problems/opportunities. This year it is a reasonable expectation that the team has greater margin for error. At critical times last season against top opponents UConn was unable to get stops and to make key shots. Faris was the key defensively, when she was in foul trouble, the defense suffered. At the end of the season Dolson and Hartley were the key offensive options, when even one was off, UConn stumbled down the stretch.

I haven't really seen Stewart, but if she is half the player most aver, she could be a significant factor in team improvement on both sides of the ball. She doesn't have to be great, just really good. Dolson's physical conditioning, if improved, would give UConn still more margin for error. With the options available, I can't see Geno sacrificing two positions on the floor at crunch time to players with limited scoring potential, barring injury or foul trouble.

What I have preached, probably too often, is that we look too much at individual players in evaluating how the team will do. What is always the problem at the begining of the year is the process of finding an effective team on both sides of the ball. What is key is how the individuals function together. This coming season Geno has a bigger and richer puzzle to assemble.

Still there is always the potential for the unexpected: in the season when ND won its NCAA championship, UConn led by I believe 15 at the half in the Semi Final game. Geno figured they would come out of their zone, but they didn't. Taurasi was something like 1-12 in the second half. The other big guns were pea shooters, Schuey was the most productive UConn player. ND won going away.

Since I'm the one that was asking about you, please allow me to say welcome back. You might have remembered me as mapper.

 

[diggerfoot]

There are what 3 people in this thread that said they expect Stewart to start? Certainly the minority. And I don't about the other two, but I know that at no point last year did I say Lewis should be starting. In fact I consistently argued the opposite.

Given the majority opinion in this thread and the way it is being expressed, I do wonder if some people learned the incorrect lesson from Geno bringing Kaleena off the bench all season. There's the implication that Geno is far more dogmatic than I believe he actually is. I very well could be wrong about that. I'm curious to find out in November. I haven't got the opening starting lineup wrong in years. This time there is a pretty good chance I will get it wrong, and many people I typically agree with are right.

As I commented earlier I thought there were good points brought up on both sides. I was leaning one way before this "debate;" now I'm genuinely up in the air. Your "implication" about the "implication" of others, that Auriemma would prove dogmatic if he went with the line-up suggested by others, discounting some of the reasoning based on past experience (chemistry, learning help defense in the post, etc.), is itself a dogmatic position. Your reasoning for starting Stewart is not dogmatic, based on the experience that Auriemma does not always start upperclassmen (Bird, Cash, Charles, etc.) when conditions dictate otherwise. Indeed, I find your reasoning experience-based and rather compelling. However, your assessment of inserting a different line-up as being dogmatic is highly ironic. I'm thinking you might not have intended that. A line-up based only on the principles of starting seniority, or on the five most talented, are competing dogmas. What's been going on in this thread are competing skepticisms based on alternative experiences.

 

[Vowelguy]

Just to make someone feel better or worse, I posted earlier that I believe that Stewart will start. Not in November, but in January when Big East competition starts.

Has Geno has ever changed the starting lineup midseason unless there were problems?

 

[doggydaddy]

Has Geno has ever changed the starting lineup midseason unless there were problems?

Excellent question.

Here is what I believe.

MOST of the time, barring injuries, Geno keeps the same starting lineup all year.

MOST of the time, barring injuries, Geno will carry over the starters from the previous season.

MOST of the time, barring injuries, Geno will start the best player from the prervious season.

MOST of the time, barring injuries, Geno will not start a freshman no matter how talented.

Now, that doesn't mean he won't do any of the above. But MOST of the time, he follows what I have laid out. So, to me, my best guess is that -

The starting lineup will be Hartley, Dolson, Faris, Doty and Lewis. They will start all season. Stewart will be the first player off the bench (along with 1 or 2 others at the first sub situation he uses).

Anything else would surprise me. Again, this is what I think Geno will do and not necessarily what I would do.