UcMiami
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I started posting this in another thread and realized it was sort of off topic, though like all threads it was meandering a bit, but here it is on its own:
One of the things that I see mentioned on the board frequently, is scoring as a determining factor of value in a rotation, and everyone likes someone who average 20 ppg. But for a five player team on the floor at any moment to be most effective you just need the threat of scoring and not the actual numbers to force teams to devote a defender to each player and to make them pay for doubling any one player.
People seems particularly worried about a few of our current rotational players:
We have two players who are averaging 19 ppg so no need to discuss them here. the others:
Nurse: 13 ppg at the moment so not really an issue - she's shooting 3s at .413 which just underlines the fact you really can't let her spot up and ignore her.
Williams: 11 ppg at the moment so again not that much of an issue - hasn't proven to be a 3 point threat yet, but is hitting her 15' shots, shoots .482, and is a monster from 15' in on both shots and assists (leading the team), and is in motion and on the ball frequently. No ignoring her.
Chong: 5 ppg at the moment and has been a bit reluctant to shoot after her opening 6-6 16 point game. Her three is a little suspect at the moment at .300, but she is shooting .481 overall. Maybe you could cheat away from her a little but she has shown big in big moments - last year MD and this year FSU. And she is the PG so with more ball possession you really can't ignore her.
Dangerfield: 7 ppg at the moment with her big 19 against Baylor - she like Chong is erratic from 3 at the moment at .333, and a rotational worst .407 from the floor - she is a freshman so there may be a coach that will treat her like Tara did Jefferson just leaving her alone at the arc - it worked once, but never again, and Jeff tried the same strategy with another freshman Tiffany and she burned him a new one. Risky business. She too is a PG so has the ball a higher percentage.
Butler: 4 ppg at the moment shooting .452 which for a post is not great, but she is a post player and while she may not demand a double team, you just can't ignore someone in the low block and she has a nice 10-15' shot that she will take and hit if open so you have to defend her in the high post and short corner too. Beyond 15' you can sag away, but she doesn't spend many seconds that far from the basket.
On top of the above, six of the seven rotational players has gone off at least once in the nine games to date for 19 points or more, and two of them have topped 25 points multiple times. And Butler the only one not to do so is 6'5" and lives near the basket - you cannot slack off her.
Uconn this year as every year is a good passing team averaging assists on 72% of their baskets and 21+ assist per game - the ball will find the open player and as a team they shoot 50% so they are going to make the shots at a consistently high rate - they also rebound 37% of their misses so the effective scoring per possession is much higher - not counting shooting fouls and turnovers they are making a basket on 68.5% of their possessions that end with a shot(s) at the basket.
Just as a little reference - last year Uconn assisted on 63% of their baskets, rebounded 41% of their misses shot 53% so scored baskets on 74% of their possessions that ended with a shot at the basket. That was an exceptional team that also played 38 games against a schedule whose average strength was much weaker than the current 9 games.
Bottom line - this years team is very similar to last year's - it threatens on offense from five positions even when bringing on the two bench rotational players.
One of the things that I see mentioned on the board frequently, is scoring as a determining factor of value in a rotation, and everyone likes someone who average 20 ppg. But for a five player team on the floor at any moment to be most effective you just need the threat of scoring and not the actual numbers to force teams to devote a defender to each player and to make them pay for doubling any one player.
People seems particularly worried about a few of our current rotational players:
We have two players who are averaging 19 ppg so no need to discuss them here. the others:
Nurse: 13 ppg at the moment so not really an issue - she's shooting 3s at .413 which just underlines the fact you really can't let her spot up and ignore her.
Williams: 11 ppg at the moment so again not that much of an issue - hasn't proven to be a 3 point threat yet, but is hitting her 15' shots, shoots .482, and is a monster from 15' in on both shots and assists (leading the team), and is in motion and on the ball frequently. No ignoring her.
Chong: 5 ppg at the moment and has been a bit reluctant to shoot after her opening 6-6 16 point game. Her three is a little suspect at the moment at .300, but she is shooting .481 overall. Maybe you could cheat away from her a little but she has shown big in big moments - last year MD and this year FSU. And she is the PG so with more ball possession you really can't ignore her.
Dangerfield: 7 ppg at the moment with her big 19 against Baylor - she like Chong is erratic from 3 at the moment at .333, and a rotational worst .407 from the floor - she is a freshman so there may be a coach that will treat her like Tara did Jefferson just leaving her alone at the arc - it worked once, but never again, and Jeff tried the same strategy with another freshman Tiffany and she burned him a new one. Risky business. She too is a PG so has the ball a higher percentage.
Butler: 4 ppg at the moment shooting .452 which for a post is not great, but she is a post player and while she may not demand a double team, you just can't ignore someone in the low block and she has a nice 10-15' shot that she will take and hit if open so you have to defend her in the high post and short corner too. Beyond 15' you can sag away, but she doesn't spend many seconds that far from the basket.
On top of the above, six of the seven rotational players has gone off at least once in the nine games to date for 19 points or more, and two of them have topped 25 points multiple times. And Butler the only one not to do so is 6'5" and lives near the basket - you cannot slack off her.
Uconn this year as every year is a good passing team averaging assists on 72% of their baskets and 21+ assist per game - the ball will find the open player and as a team they shoot 50% so they are going to make the shots at a consistently high rate - they also rebound 37% of their misses so the effective scoring per possession is much higher - not counting shooting fouls and turnovers they are making a basket on 68.5% of their possessions that end with a shot(s) at the basket.
Just as a little reference - last year Uconn assisted on 63% of their baskets, rebounded 41% of their misses shot 53% so scored baskets on 74% of their possessions that ended with a shot at the basket. That was an exceptional team that also played 38 games against a schedule whose average strength was much weaker than the current 9 games.
Bottom line - this years team is very similar to last year's - it threatens on offense from five positions even when bringing on the two bench rotational players.
