Bigs, Guards, and Wings

[BfromCT]

There has been a good deal of discussion in recent weeks about next season and who will be starting, etc. In the off-season, this is an interesting topic for discussion on the part of fans and I am going to weigh in with what I hope offers a somewhat different focus.

We can divide up the players into several categories or classes and, for the sake of discussion, I will be using guards, wings, and bigs.

Guards - Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Ines Bettencourt, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers (6)

Wings - Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Qadence Samuels (3)

Bigs - Aaliyah Edwards, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady, Amari DeBerry (5)

Due to injuries, the team was short almost everywhere at one time or another last season, but the the Huskies did not have enough healthy guards last season. This year, however, should not be a problem. The squad has six players to fill two or three positions and one cannot look at the six players without feeling optimistic. One hopes that all will play and they will push the tempo.

The Huskies will probably always have one wing on the court. The likelihood is that Griffin will be starting and that Ducharme, if healthy at last, will get plenty of playing time and be counted upon as a scoring option. Samuels is gravy.

The one area in which the team seems light is with bigs or inside players. Aaliyah Edwards is returning for her senior year, will no doubt get the most playing time, and is an All-American candidate. Reports about El Afry and Brady are good and, if true, what might be considered a real concern will go away. Who knows what can be expected of Patterson and DeBarry. Neither played up to expectations last season and both are recovering from injuries.

Then there is the question of the parameters of the lineup. Three guards, one wing, one big?

Two guards, one wing, two bigs? Two guards, two wings, one big? Three guards, two bigs? No doubt we will see all these combinations this upcoming season provided no disabling injuries.

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

 

[Boreifs]

South Carolina lost six players. Why would you rate them above UConn? Virtually no one else does.

 

[Kaizen]

We have Paige and Azzi and they don't ....

 

[Huskee11]

There will always be a point guard on the floor. Nika, Paige, KK or Ines.

Other than that, Geno will mix and match depending on the situation and how he feels that day. Position-less basketball. I think we will see a smaller, pressing, fastbreak lineup quite a bit. Run, run, run as Tommy Heinsohn would say.

To get number 12 UConn needs to stay healthy and either Jana or Ice, or preferably both, need to be able to play competitively against the best centers in the country. There is reason to be optimistic in that regard, particularly Geno`s recent comments re Jana.

It is hard for me to imagine a championship game that does not involve UConn and LSU. Having said that, Notre Dame could jump in there, Virginia Tech or UCLA might as well. Stanford has no depth at all and while Iowa always has a shot with Clark around, I don`t see Iowa getting past UConn or LSU. South Carolina has lost a lot.

 

[CL82]

There has been a good deal of discussion in recent weeks about next season and who will be starting, etc. In the off-season, this is an interesting topic for discussion on the part of fans and I am going to weigh in with what I hope offers a somewhat different focus.

We can divide up the players into several categories or classes and, for the sake of discussion, I will be using guards, wings, and bigs.

Guards - Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Ines Bettencourt, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers (6)

Wings - Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Qadence Samuels (3)

Bigs - Aaliyah Edwards, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady, Amari DeBerry (5)

Due to injuries, the team was short almost everywhere at one time or another last season, but the the Huskies did not have enough healthy guards last season. This year, however, should not be a problem. The squad has six players to fill two or three positions and one cannot look at the six players without feeling optimistic. One hopes that all will play and they will push the tempo.

The Huskies will probably always have one wing on the court. The likelihood is that Griffin will be starting and that Ducharme, if healthy at last, will get plenty of playing time and be counted upon as a scoring option. Samuels is gravy.

The one area in which the team seems light is with bigs or inside players. Aaliyah Edwards is returning for her senior year, will no doubt get the most playing time, and is an All-American candidate. Reports about El Afry and Brady are good and, if true, what might be considered a real concern will go away. Who knows what can be expected of Patterson and DeBarry. Neither played up to expectations last season and both are recovering from injuries.

Then there is the question of the parameters of the lineup. Three guards, one wing, one big?

Two guards, one wing, two bigs? Two guards, two wings, one big? Three guards, two bigs? No doubt we will see all these combinations this upcoming season provided no disabling injuries.

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

Nice write up.

We are still doomed.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Oh my!

I agree that Stanford will be (relatively) down this year. UCLA has more weapons than they've had under Close. Can they make a run?

 

[Zarathustra]

There will always be a point guard on the floor. Nika, Paige, KK or Ines.

Other than that, Geno will mix and match depending on the situation and how he feels that day. Position-less basketball. I think we will see a smaller, pressing, fastbreak lineup quite a bit. Run, run, run as Tommy Heinsohn would say.

To get number 12 UConn needs to stay healthy and either Jana or Ice, or preferably both, need to be able to play competitively against the best centers in the country. There is reason to be optimistic in that regard, particularly Geno`s recent comments re Jana.

It is hard for me to imagine a championship game that does not involve UConn and LSU. Having said that, Notre Dame could jump in there, Virginia Tech or UCLA might as well. Stanford has no depth at all and while Iowa always has a shot with Clark around, I don`t see Iowa getting past UConn or LSU. South Carolina has lost a lot.

Lauren Betts and Charisma Osborne ( UCLA ) are playing 'great' and 'solid ' BB ( IMO )at the FIBA Americup Championship,
in process now. That being said, I agree with UCONN, LSU, N.D., and UCLA. ( I have not looked at Virginia Tech recently,
but "why not"?

 

[Bone Dog]

There will always be a point guard on the floor. Nika, Paige, KK or Ines.

Other than that, Geno will mix and match depending on the situation and how he feels that day. Position-less basketball. I think we will see a smaller, pressing, fastbreak lineup quite a bit. Run, run, run as Tommy Heinsohn would say.

To get number 12 UConn needs to stay healthy and either Jana or Ice, or preferably both, need to be able to play competitively against the best centers in the country. There is reason to be optimistic in that regard, particularly Geno`s recent comments re Jana.

It is hard for me to imagine a championship game that does not involve UConn and LSU. Having said that, Notre Dame could jump in there, Virginia Tech or UCLA might as well. Stanford has no depth at all and while Iowa always has a shot with Clark around, I don`t see Iowa getting past UConn or LSU. South Carolina has lost a lot.

Excellent post. I really hope we’ll always have a pg on the floor, at least one. We saw what happened when we didn’t have one against Princeton and Maryland. Inês did what she could but running a top 5 D1 offense against major competition was not yet within her powers. I have a feeling she’ll be much more ready this season. In the KLS/Phee/Gabby years the whole team was practically pg-ready. I want to see that again.

I also agree about Stanford and Iowa. I don’t think they have enough for this year. But if Caitlin can carry Iowa to another final four without Czinano she deserves every accolade she gets.

LSU and SC look to be solid competition, as well as Indiana VPI and Utah. And ND if Miles can come back. And UCLA might just put it together this year. I think this is going to be a very interesting year.

 

[Geew1992]

Excellent post. I really hope we’ll always have a pg on the floor, at least one. We saw what happened when we didn’t have one against Princeton and Maryland. Inês did what she could but running a top 5 D1 offense against major competition was not yet within her powers. I have a feeling she’ll be much more ready this season. In the KLS/Phee/Gabby years the whole team was practically pg-ready. I want to see that again.

I also agree about Stanford and Iowa. I don’t think they have enough for this year. But if Caitlin can carry Iowa to another final four without Czinano she deserves every accolade she gets.

LSU and SC look to be solid competition, as well as Indiana VPI and Utah. And ND if Miles can come back. And UCLA might just put it together this year. I think this is going to be a very interesting year.

Caitlin is gonna get her accolades whether or not Iowa goes to the Final 4. They are all decided before the tournament starts.

 

[oldhusky]

There has been a good deal of discussion in recent weeks about next season and who will be starting, etc. In the off-season, this is an interesting topic for discussion on the part of fans and I am going to weigh in with what I hope offers a somewhat different focus.

We can divide up the players into several categories or classes and, for the sake of discussion, I will be using guards, wings, and bigs.

Guards - Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Ines Bettencourt, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers (6)

Wings - Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Qadence Samuels (3)

Bigs - Aaliyah Edwards, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady, Amari DeBerry (5)

Due to injuries, the team was short almost everywhere at one time or another last season, but the the Huskies did not have enough healthy guards last season. This year, however, should not be a problem. The squad has six players to fill two or three positions and one cannot look at the six players without feeling optimistic. One hopes that all will play and they will push the tempo.

The Huskies will probably always have one wing on the court. The likelihood is that Griffin will be starting and that Ducharme, if healthy at last, will get plenty of playing time and be counted upon as a scoring option. Samuels is gravy.

The one area in which the team seems light is with bigs or inside players. Aaliyah Edwards is returning for her senior year, will no doubt get the most playing time, and is an All-American candidate. Reports about El Afry and Brady are good and, if true, what might be considered a real concern will go away. Who knows what can be expected of Patterson and DeBarry. Neither played up to expectations last season and both are recovering from injuries.

Then there is the question of the parameters of the lineup. Three guards, one wing, one big?

Two guards, one wing, two bigs? Two guards, two wings, one big? Three guards, two bigs? No doubt we will see all these combinations this upcoming season provided no disabling injuries.

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

Good post. The only areas I might differ somewhat will be the always having a wing on the floor, and defining Aubrey as a wing. Like others I think always having a PG on the floor will happen, but I think we may play with three players classified as guards quite a bit of the time, mostly because Paige in addition to being the best PG, and potentially the best SG, is also probably the best SF even though it is not her best position.

I expect Nika, Azzi and Paige to be on the floor a lot together and if they are Paige might be the best choice for the 3 as she is longer and a much better rebounder than Azzi.

As for Aubrey I consider her as much 4/3 as 3/4. While Caroline is more 3/4 than 4/3. Aubrey was mostly a 4 her first two years and an excellent one despite her size. She did a great job at the 3 last year mostly because of injuries. This year Geno can use her in either role, and she represents a serious threat to Ayanna's playing time behind Aaliyah, and a very different skill set to Caroline if at the 3.

 

[Tom677777]

Texas is also gonna be very good this season. With Harmon, Gonzalez, Holle, running the front court and they also got booker who is really talented. They also have a deep bench especially with bigs. Tennesee also looks very good to me, unlike the year they had last year I think they will be likely be really good to with Jackson, spears, wells, and tamari returning. Louisville is a big question because basically there whole team is transfers but if they come together they will be good too

 

[Bone Dog]

Texas is also gonna be very good this season. With Harmon, Gonzalez, Holle, running the front court and they also got booker who is really talented. They also have a deep bench especially with bigs. Tennesee also looks very good to me, unlike the year they had last year I think they will be likely be really good to with Jackson, spears, wells, and tamari returning. Louisville is a big question because basically there whole team is transfers but if they come together they will be good too

I agréé about Texas. They should be significantly better, especially if Moore is healthy

 

[wingsfan055]

Due to recent injury history, I think Geno will manage minutes very carefully and play the bench more this year. Even if it means more regular season losses. As we saw last year, seeding doesn't matter match compared to how healthy you are and who is available in March. This is a change for Geno, but with the quality depth this season, I think it's the prudent way to go.

 

[mudcat]

I also agree about Stanford and Iowa. I don’t think they have enough for this year. But if Caitlin can carry Iowa to another final four without Czinano she deserves every accolade she gets.
think this is going to be a very interesting year.

I think Iowa is going to be stronger in the frontcourt this year despite losing Czinano, and will be stronger in 23-24 than in 22-23. And I agree that it will be a VERY interesting year

 

[Bone Dog]

I think Iowa is going to be stronger in the frontcourt this year despite losing Czinano, and will be stronger in 23-24 than in 22-23. And I agree that it will be a VERY interesting year

Can you say how you see their roster working out to make this happen? I'm interested.

 

[Bald Husky]

Due to recent injury history, I think Geno will manage minutes very carefully and play the bench more this year. Even if it means more regular season losses. As we saw last year, seeding doesn't matter match compared to how healthy you are and who is available in March. This is a change for Geno, but with the quality depth this season, I think it's the prudent way to go.

I think that would be a great idea. With the last couple of years at the back of his mind, he might be more receptive to playing more players in case the injury bug strikes again. Having talented players get enough minutes so they can function as a UConn basketball player if called upon will be an asset. With the bench talent that we will have, having more players available with some good PT in the books will only ease his and our minds if disaster occurs again. I hope Geno sees it that way.

 

[Jumper33]

Oh my!

I agree that Stanford will be (relatively) down this year. UCLA has more weapons than they've had under Close. Can they make a run?

Agreed, UCLA could be really strong. Adding Betts following Kiki Rice’s very promising freshman season. Not to mention Osbourne. If Rice makes a sophomore leap, they could potentially top the Pac12.

By 2024-2025 season I think Rice and Betts will be a real force.

 

[hoophuskee]

There has been a good deal of discussion in recent weeks about next season and who will be starting, etc. In the off-season, this is an interesting topic for discussion on the part of fans and I am going to weigh in with what I hope offers a somewhat different focus.

We can divide up the players into several categories or classes and, for the sake of discussion, I will be using guards, wings, and bigs.

Guards - Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Ines Bettencourt, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers (6)

Wings - Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Qadence Samuels (3)

Bigs - Aaliyah Edwards, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady, Amari DeBerry (5)

Due to injuries, the team was short almost everywhere at one time or another last season, but the the Huskies did not have enough healthy guards last season. This year, however, should not be a problem. The squad has six players to fill two or three positions and one cannot look at the six players without feeling optimistic. One hopes that all will play and they will push the tempo.

The Huskies will probably always have one wing on the court. The likelihood is that Griffin will be starting and that Ducharme, if healthy at last, will get plenty of playing time and be counted upon as a scoring option. Samuels is gravy.

The one area in which the team seems light is with bigs or inside players. Aaliyah Edwards is returning for her senior year, will no doubt get the most playing time, and is an All-American candidate. Reports about El Afry and Brady are good and, if true, what might be considered a real concern will go away. Who knows what can be expected of Patterson and DeBarry. Neither played up to expectations last season and both are recovering from injuries.

Then there is the question of the parameters of the lineup. Three guards, one wing, one big?

Two guards, one wing, two bigs? Two guards, two wings, one big? Three guards, two bigs? No doubt we will see all these combinations this upcoming season provided no disabling injuries.

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

A Wing is a 2/3. A clear definition of a Wing specifcially identifies the SG as a Wing also.

 

[Bone Dog]

I think that would be a great idea. With the last couple of years at the back of his mind, he might be more receptive to playing more players in case the injury bug strikes again. Having talented players get enough minutes so they can function as a UConn basketball player if called upon will be an asset. With the bench talent that we will have, having more players available with some good PT in the books will only ease his and our minds if disaster occurs again. I hope Geno sees it that way.

This seems right to me. But now you have me thinking about a remark Geno made at the GHO interview, that Nika had played roughly 10 more games than the starters on any other team they met. He could address this by playing a deep bench rotation in Nov-Jan until he eventually settles into the familiar 5+2 pattern by March. This way he could have “the usual suspects” play 35+ mins in the tournament without having exhausted them during the season.

 

[Alydar]

As for Aubrey I consider her as much 4/3 as 3/4. While Caroline is more 3/4 than 4/3. Aubrey was mostly a 4 her first two years and an excellent one despite her size. She did a great job at the 3 last year mostly because of injuries. This year Geno can use her in either role, and she represents a serious threat to Ayanna's playing time behind Aaliyah, and a very different skill set to Caroline if at the 3.

Rather than trying to label them by position it might be better to say that Griffin is an extremely athletic 6'1 who specializes in lockdown defense, rebounding and running the floor while Ducharme is a 6'2 three way scorer who plays best in pressure situations. Ducharme will play when either Fudd or Bueckers is sitting to offset the loss of outside shooting. Both are great at what they do and showcase the versatile roster that Geno has to work with.

 

[Rowdy831]

Due to recent injury history, I think Geno will manage minutes very carefully and play the bench more this year. Even if it means more regular season losses. As we saw last year, seeding doesn't matter match compared to how healthy you are and who is available in March. This is a change for Geno, but with the quality depth this season, I think it's the prudent way to go.

Geno didn't play his bench last year when he was almost forced to so I don't see him changing his approach, ever.

 

[Rowdy831]

There has been a good deal of discussion in recent weeks about next season and who will be starting, etc. In the off-season, this is an interesting topic for discussion on the part of fans and I am going to weigh in with what I hope offers a somewhat different focus.

We can divide up the players into several categories or classes and, for the sake of discussion, I will be using guards, wings, and bigs.

Guards - Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, Ines Bettencourt, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers (6)

Wings - Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, Qadence Samuels (3)

Bigs - Aaliyah Edwards, Ayanna Patterson, Jana El Alfy, Ice Brady, Amari DeBerry (5)

Due to injuries, the team was short almost everywhere at one time or another last season, but the the Huskies did not have enough healthy guards last season. This year, however, should not be a problem. The squad has six players to fill two or three positions and one cannot look at the six players without feeling optimistic. One hopes that all will play and they will push the tempo.

The Huskies will probably always have one wing on the court. The likelihood is that Griffin will be starting and that Ducharme, if healthy at last, will get plenty of playing time and be counted upon as a scoring option. Samuels is gravy.

The one area in which the team seems light is with bigs or inside players. Aaliyah Edwards is returning for her senior year, will no doubt get the most playing time, and is an All-American candidate. Reports about El Afry and Brady are good and, if true, what might be considered a real concern will go away. Who knows what can be expected of Patterson and DeBarry. Neither played up to expectations last season and both are recovering from injuries.

Then there is the question of the parameters of the lineup. Three guards, one wing, one big?

Two guards, one wing, two bigs? Two guards, two wings, one big? Three guards, two bigs? No doubt we will see all these combinations this upcoming season provided no disabling injuries.

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

I don't see any reason to think they need wings on this roster to be successful. The reality for me anyway is both Paige and Azzi are as good as any wing in the country even if that isn't their primary position. They both have a great feel for where the ball is coming off the rim which allows them to get rebounds and they both play decent defense.

I do agree they have a lot of players that we as fans are counting on that we haven't seen play at this level. But any team with 3 All Americans (and the 2 time defensive player of the year) has enough of a nucleus to compete against any team out there. In the end I expect the 4 knowns and the best defensive big player they have that we haven't seen yet to be the starters.

 

[wingsfan055]

Geno didn't play his bench last year when he was almost forced to so I don't see him changing his approach, ever.

LoL. What bench? He barely had enough players to field a team. We now know Ono wasn't physically and mentally ready to play big minutes. AP was battling injuries. He did play Ines somewhat but she wasn't ready. This year Geno has a much deeper and quality bench. He has more options.

 

[Bald Husky]

Geno didn't play his bench last year when he was almost forced to so I don't see him changing his approach, ever.

As far as guards are concerned, he didn't have a bench.

 

[meyers7]

Due to recent injury history, I think Geno will manage minutes very carefully and play the bench more this year. Even if it means more regular season losses. As we saw last year, seeding doesn't matter match compared to how healthy you are and who is available in March. This is a change for Geno, but with the quality depth this season, I think it's the prudent way to go.

Ummmm, no. Geno is not gonna play his bench just to play his bench if it means UCONN loses. Never has (unless forced to by injuries). If, however, he has a good bench that he trusts, he'll play them plenty.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think that would be a great idea. With the last couple of years at the back of his mind, he might be more receptive to playing more players in case the injury bug strikes again. Having talented players get enough minutes so they can function as a UConn basketball player if called upon will be an asset. With the bench talent that we will have, having more players available with some good PT in the books will only ease his and our minds if disaster occurs again. I hope Geno sees it that way.

Geno has always been receptive to play bench players. On another thread the poster digger pointed that out as well. It's the posters that have wanted to see excessive bench play is the issue.

There is a reason why Geno has continued to have his teams perform as well as they have and continues to recruit as well as he has and it's because however he has used his philosophy; he gets recruits and he wins. An unpopular comment I'm going to make here is that "not everyone has to eat."

Our team is in Storrs CT out-recruiting and winning more than anyone else. If someone could point to maybe other than Paige in the ND game playing too many game minutes - and I emphasize maybe-- that recent past injuries were a result of too many game minutes, then please advise. There usually is silence after this question. If anyone can't provide examples, then the comment is just a dart being thrown due to personal preference. Bottomline is UCONN wins with it's current strategy despite being in a non P5 and in Storrs. Why change the strategy that has been so successful vs trying to throw a dart at the wall withotu clear examples to support?

 

[oldhusky]

The way Geno used the bench can be interpreted many ways. My take is Geno preferred very tired players to using Ines, Amari and in some cases Ayanna. He would rather have an exhausted player in the core group than use those players. In Ayanna's case she had a clear path to significant minutes, because Dorka and Aaliyah were great, but a third big in a minimal rotation was up for grabs.

She was also aided by Amari not matching expectations, and Aubrey being largely unavailable because she was needed more last year on the wing. Still there were a few games where Geno avoided using Ayanna and Amari like the plague, even though there were not any other viable third big options. That is a pretty serious lack of confidence in both of them.

For Ines the expectations were much lower. She was pretty much an emergency last second recruit, where we had to take the best we could get after HS seniors had decided, portal transfers had made their decision, and we were also limited to foreign recruits that already had satisfied visa requirements, and likely had to make an immediate decision without even having time to visit the school. Under those circumstances Ines was a good get, and way better than the walk-on final alternative.

My best guess is that if Geno thinks a fresh bench player is close to as good as a very tired player in a short rotation, then he will expand it. We have many candidates this year that could easily get the rotation to 9, 10, or even 11, but Geno's lack of faith in Ines, Amari and even Ayanna suggests they may be underdogs to get there.

Throwing Ayanna into that class probably surprises many. Yes she disappointed, but the potential and effort are clearly there so we all hope for more. What is different this year is there could be as many as three players ahead of her that were not last year. On paper I suspect Ice and Jana could get more time. All three might have been considered roughly equal high level prospects in high school, but Ayanna fell short of expectations, and the other two may be better bets at this time.

Although both are needed a little more at the 5 this year, one of them could potentially back up the 5 and the 4 and threaten Ayanna's minutes. In addition Aubrey off the bench would have time for significant minutes at the 4 and the 3. Further she proved in her first two years that she is a very good backup 4, so assuming we are not devastated with guard injuries, the backup 4 will need to be at least as good as the option of using Aubrey there, a much much higher bar for playing time than last year.

Regardless I hope the rotation is very deep, and we can pursue a fast breaking pressing style as a result of that depth.

 

[hoophuskee]

As of early July, therefore, prospects look bright, but it remains to be seen if the team is as good as LSU and South Carolina, the two most obvious contenders for a national title. And, one should not forget Iowa, Notre Dame, and Stanford who appear to be the remaining cream of the crop.

If healthy, it remains to be seen if the other teams will be good as UCONN. UCONN beat Iowa without Paige Bueckers. Last year South Carolina beat UCONN without Paige and Azzi and yet UCONN played South Carolina tough while South Carolina steamrolled LSU. In-of-itself this doesn't mean much but looking at this from the perspective that we know LSU strengthened their team a lot - if healthy UCONN is adding potentially two Caitlyn Clark's. -so UCONN strengthened its team by extreme measures too. UCONN added two POY candidates.

The opposing teams need to fear UCONN if UCONN is healthy. On paper, LSU is good match -so I wouldn't say they would have fear but the point is UCONN is an extreme juggernaut if healthy. Just want to add that when healthy, Paige was a better player than Clark throughout her career when healthy. Azzi prior to college was better than Clark and then she showed why during the early season matchup of last year she was at least equivalent to Clark. Paige and Azzi playing together improves each of their games so even though to start they aren't as great as Clark but their combination puts them right up with her if they are healthy. Then add in, they are playing with Edwards - an All-American.

They have an experienced excellent passing guard (Nika) so Paige and Azzi don’t always need to have the ball like Clark does. UCONN has tremendous defensive support for Paige and Azzi at their positions so they won't have to be chasing the other' team's number 1 scorer around much because of Nika and Aubrey. Adn if healthy, there is another potentially strong scoring option is Ducharme.

Combine all this- with the realization that the object of the game is to score the most points - then this is a titanic shift vs what UCONN has had since early of last season. Its “enormous” – not just “good.” If one main super player like Clark can take down that excellent South Carolina team, then what do we think two players very near her level can do with overall stronger player support than what Clark had can do? Can anyone specify the players that are going to stop the combo of Paige and Azzi if they are healthy? Super players add your team exponentially. What could be more exponential then adding not 1 but 2 if they are healthy?

 

[Cuango]

Agreed, UCLA could be really strong. Adding Betts following Kiki Rice’s very promising freshman season. Not to mention Osbourne. If Rice makes a sophomore leap, they could potentially top the Pac12.

By 2024-2025 season I think Rice and Betts will be a real force.

UCLA “should“ be really strong! I’m from Missouri on their coach, though!
she imo has a history of underachieving with good players. JMO!

 

[mudcat]

I think Iowa is going to be stronger in the frontcourt this year despite losing Czinano, and will be stronger in 23-24 than in 22-23. And I agree that it will be a VERY interesting year

Can you say how you see their roster working out to make this happen? I'm interested.

Stuelke will be a soph and has physical talent that Czinzano never possessed. Czinano , for all her scoring prowess, was never that good defensively or rebounding. O'Grady, backed up by Solomon will provide more of both. Plus both Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall are back as starters. Kylie Fuerback (sp?) the all big 12 guard transfer from IA state adds depth to the backcourt.