Another Short Bench for the Huskies This Season?

[eebmg]

I don't think boreifs meant that as a challenge.

What exactly are you a longtime fan of??

You want to compare Patterson (So), Vaughn (So), Gilbert (Fr), Nixon (Fr) and ummm Prohaska (Fr) with KLS/Collier/Dangerfield/Walker/Williams??? Seriously? That's what you think of UCONN's starting 5?

ND's starters might (might) be better than our starters, but that's pretty close. On any given day. But UCONN starters vs ND Bench??? I'll take UCONN 100 out of 100 times and give 25 points.

I am very confused. What is the point being made in comparing a team's bench against another team's starters?

 

[Bama fan]

I am very confused. What is the point being made in comparing a team's bench against another team's starters?

A very blunt point I'd say. One might even say it it pointless.

 

[paisan]

As was previously mentioned, the coach of the reigning National Champions, who is generally regarded as a very good coach in women's game, handled her bench in exactly the same way as Geno. She played only six players in the Final Four, and had other players on her bench, including some with notable high school honors, who got basically no minutes all year except in garbage time.

I guess she did a poor job also, even while winning an NC.

I am still looking for an explanation of how sitting bench players when you have a 40 point lead benefits anyone ,starters or subs.

 

[eebmg]

I am still looking for an explanation of how sitting bench players when you have a 40 point lead benefits anyone ,starters or subs.

You have heard the explanations. You just don't like them.

 

[oldude]

I am still looking for an explanation of how sitting bench players when you have a 40 point lead benefits anyone ,starters or subs.

I’ll take a shot at this one. There is this general misconception that Geno doesn’t play his reserves enough. That’s just not the case. Obviously, Geno expects players to earn time in practice, and their performance in games will determine whether or not he trusts them enough to give them even more PT in future games. Last season, just about every reserve, with the possible exception of Batouly & Lexi were given prime time minutes with the starters.

Geno typically plays his starters for the entire 1st qtr, whatever the score, with the exception of foul trouble or injury. The starters always need sufficient time on the floor together to stay sharp for the big games ahead.

If UConn has a big lead after 1 qtr, Geno will start to substitute in reserves in the 2nd qtr to play with starters. He never substitutes in mass, as execution declines considerably. It’s much better for the reserves development to work with the starters.

All 5 starters typically start the 2nd half. If the lead continues to balloon Geno will start subbing in reserves to work with the starters about midway through the 3rd qtr.

If it’s a full fledged blowout, Geno usually leaves no more than one starter in the game to start the 4th qtr, usually a guard to establish some level of continuity.

Last season, UConn had only one player who averaged more than 30 minutes per game, Kia with 33. On average, at least 5 reserves were playing at least one full qtr per game. If you exclude games vs top competition (UCLA, ND(2), Tex, Lou, SC(2), Duke, etc.) the reserves played considerably more than 1 qtr per game.

 

[meyers7]

I am very confused. What is the point being made in comparing a team's bench against another team's starters?

IDK, Longtime fan said "I do not think this team can possibly compete with a team like ND, whose bench is as good ( nearly ) as our starting 5. "

You'll have to ask him why he was comparing UCONN starters to ND's bench. And unfavorably at that.

 

[JoePgh]

I’ll take a shot at this one. There is this general misconception that Geno doesn’t play his reserves enough. That’s just not the case. Obviously, Geno expects players to earn time in practice, and their performance in games will determine whether or not he trusts them enough to give them even more PT in future games. Last season, just about every reserve, with the possible exception of Batouly & Lexi were given prime time minutes with the starters.

Geno typically plays his starters for the entire 1st qtr, whatever the score, with the exception of foul trouble or injury. The starters always need sufficient time on the floor together to stay sharp for the big games ahead.

If UConn has a big lead after 1 qtr, Geno will start to substitute in reserves in the 2nd qtr to play with starters. He never substitutes in mass, as execution declines considerably. It’s much better for the reserves development to work with the starters.

All 5 starters typically start the 2nd half. If the lead continues to balloon Geno will start subbing in reserves to work with the starters about midway through the 3rd qtr.

If it’s a full fledged blowout, Geno usually leaves no more than one starter in the game to start the 4th qtr, usually a guard to establish some level of continuity.

Last season, UConn had only one player who averaged more than 30 minutes per game, Kia with 33. On average, at least 5 reserves were playing at least one full qtr per game. If you exclude games vs top competition (UCLA, ND(2), Tex, Lou, SC(2), Duke, etc.) the reserves played considerably more than 1 qtr per game.

I agree that this is a precise description of his substitution pattern. But it doesn't directly address the question of why he doesn't let subs play with starters earlier in the game, when the lead is perhaps 15-20 points in the second quarter rather than 40 points in the late 3rd or 4th quarters.

I think the answer is that minutes in games, outside of garbage time, are the reward that he pays to players who prove in practice that they are BOTH working hard and "getting it". Last year, Molly certainly worked hard but did not really "get it", i.e., she failed to take open shots and had too many turnovers. I'm guessing she did the same thing in practice, and Geno wasn't going to give her real minutes until she demonstrated in practice that those problems were behind her. Other players, especially Megan (last year) and Mikayla, were neither working hard nor getting it very often, and that is why their minutes lagged.

Again, last year was an unusual case. In other years, freshman such as Kia (but not Gabby), KLS, Napheesa, Stef, Bria, Kelly Faris, and Caroline Doty demonstrated in practice that they were both working hard and getting it, and they played serious minutes. That appears to be the case this year with Christyn and hopefully also with ONO.

Geno has said that if a coach gives players (especially freshmen) minutes even when they aren't practicing well, then "there's no coaching them" in later years. They have to gain an appreciation that practice counts, and high school resumes don't. That's why (he believes) it benefits the subs not to play them outside garbage time even in a 40-point game if they haven't been practicing well. And that approach seems to be working (finally) with Megan and Mikayla.