Espn thoughts on What Geno will do link [merged thread]

[Tonyc]

How Paige Bueckers' injury impacts UConn and what it could mean for March

What changes must UConn make while Paige Bueckers is out with a tibial plateau fracture? And how does her absence change the national championship race?

www.espn.com

 

[eebmg]

This blurb is moist poignant

Bueckers is not just the Huskies' best player; she leads them in hustle plays. After the Seton Hall win, she said, "I just want to set the tone. I just tried to really lay it all on the line tonight."

The bottom line is, anyone physically talented enough to play Division I can make hustle plays. That's about mindset, and UConn has always had that attitude as a team, wearing down even the best of opponents with execution, discipline, pace and hustle. If the Huskies focus on the best they can be at those four things even without Bueckers, they can still grow as a team without her.

 

[SLY63]

What will be required IMO ...

1. Senior Leadership - E, CW and ONO need to lead the team and raise their offensive contributions
2. More Offense - Someone to Step Up and Hit Outside Shots
3. Coaching - GA to really develop and get the most of the team (Specifically the freshmen)

 

[pvdoggy]

Uconn still has more highly ranked players than most teams even with injury to Paige, Azzi and Aubrey. If the team can't find a way to compete with what they have, perhaps the coaching staff is not as good as we think. However, I have full confidence that the team will have no trouble competing and winning against most teams, including Louisville. People will step up.

 

[victor64]

They still easily win the regular
season Big East title. May go undefeated in league play.

Once he gets over the shock of losing his best player, Geno demonstrates again why he is the best to ever coach the sport.

 

[FollowerCT]

Paige will become a consummate observer of the game and will help the team greatly as her understanding grows throughout the season; this will only help her when she returns and the team as they perform. As I have followed the team for decades, I am hopeful; when opportunity knocks for those players who might not have had the chance to play, we will see some players blossom in ways we might not expect. I cannot help but feel that this team will rally around each other in the midst of adversity.

 

[ConnMotors]

So the next three games are against solid teams. That is actually a good thing. Let the team play and adjust. Fudd, will be back soon. Hopefully, her recovery is quick and shooting touch comes back just as fast. Let Paige recover. Six to eight weeks is a long time. I just had rotator cuff surgery. I don't plan on rushing anything. Will do what I am told to do. When I am ready to do physical work I will. We have seen countless players at UConn get injured. Its a sad thing because we as fans always want to see them win. As they do themselves. Lets play. Lets grow as a team. Lets have fun. Lets win games. But, lets not sacrifice wanting Paige back soon or this season to win games. Just my thought.

 

[Dokey]

So the next three games are against solid teams. That is actually a good thing. Let the team play and adjust. Fudd, will be back soon. Hopefully, her recovery is quick and shooting touch comes back just as fast. Let Paige recover. Six to eight weeks is a long time. I just had rotator cuff surgery. I don't plan on rushing anything. Will do what I am told to do. When I am ready to do physical work I will. We have seen countless players at UConn get injured. Its a sad thing because we as fans always want to see them win. As they do themselves. Lets play. Lets grow as a team. Lets have fun. Lets win games. But, lets not sacrifice wanting Paige back soon or this season to win games. Just my thought.

Doing exercises in a swimming pool is a great way to recover from a torn rotator cup.

 

[TCC Kid]

How Paige Bueckers' injury impacts UConn and what it could mean for March

What changes must UConn make while Paige Bueckers is out with a tibial plateau fracture? And how does her absence change the national championship race?

www.espn.com

Geno, about 2 or 3 years ago, was in a deep dark hole. He couldn't buy a drink of water from USA recruits. So, he packed up his suitcase and headed to Europe and took in a transfer or 2. The point is, Geno will improvise, go off of his tried and true coaching beliefs and cobble together a team or 2 that work well. No, no NC's but teams we enjoyed watching. \
Further, he will push CW, CD (no not Christine), Dorka, Evina, ONO, AZZI, anyone with a good scoring past to score more and more often. I suspect the emphasis will be more on Offense and a bit less on defense, except in the post.
Geno, knows what Paige meant to this team. The team knows too. However, with a superstar like Paige who won't let her team lose some less aggressive players will let her do it all. Now those lookers must be players. I believe, with Geno's pushing, wih his boot, those bystanders will become players.

 

[TCC Kid]

So the next three games are against solid teams. That is actually a good thing. Let the team play and adjust. Fudd, will be back soon. Hopefully, her recovery is quick and shooting touch comes back just as fast. Let Paige recover. Six to eight weeks is a long time. I just had rotator cuff surgery. I don't plan on rushing anything. Will do what I am told to do. When I am ready to do physical work I will. We have seen countless players at UConn get injured. Its a sad thing because we as fans always want to see them win. As they do themselves. Lets play. Lets grow as a team. Lets have fun. Lets win games. But, lets not sacrifice wanting Paige back soon or this season to win games. Just my thought.

Turnovers are self inflicted wounds. Paige will not come back before she is ready. The medical staff will see to that, if not they, then her parent. Too soon could take away her future. I have hopes that certain few on this team become the next STARS (not one) and step up their game. The rest of the team needs to stop shooting themselves in the foot. Passing is an ART, the ART Uconn has been famous for. Until the most recent years Uconn was a low fouling team, fouls become turnovers. Each turnover could be worth 4 point, the 2 you lose and the 2 they make. In the ND game that would be at least 40 points thrown away. Giving Uconn the 58 point Margin I wanted.

 

[msf22b]

A few disparate points

It's possible that the over-reliance on Paige is a monster that Geno himself created.
He's smart, a great coach...Let's see what he can do to get the team out of this
dilemma.

There may be a few losses along the way...so what? It will be an entertaining period.
It's not as if the cupboard is bare.

On the thread that was sealed...the one about the demise of the boneyard, perhaps it wasn't mentioned, that if you win a whole lot of championships, and then you don't (for a while), eventually, eyebrows will be raised and leadership will be vulnerable to increased scrutiny...Goes with the territory.

In the past, I was willing to bellyache over issues with Geno, even during the period that the team won most years...which made my comments not exactly appreciated by the mods and certainly not by the pure fans.

But I am not taking a position on whether Paige should have been out there in the first place, Geno made it clear that he doesn't know either.

And the comparisons to Diana miss one important point: Diana was a whole lot more solidly constructed than our current waif-like superstar...and one thing Paige is going to have to start thinking about is how to preserve her body from the beatings that she is going to get regularly. Just ask Moriah (who apparently didn't figure it out) and Danger who did.

 

[HopJim]

I recognize this has a 1% of a 1% chance of happening but what if one of the high school guards Geno is recruiting graduated early and jointed the team?

 

[BobbyJ]

I recognize this has a 1% of a 1% chance of happening but what if one of the high school guards Geno is recruiting graduated early and jointed the team?

That's impossible since there are no guards in the 2022 class that's signed with UConn. Only Patterson a 6-2 wing and Brady a 6-3 forward.

 

[Jibariqua]

I recognize this has a 1% of a 1% chance of happening but what if one of the high school guards Geno is recruiting graduated early and jointed the team?

1. I doubt anyone coming from HS early would have that big of an impact.
2. Why would someone want to start college early to then be Paige's back up next season.

UCONN has 3 seniors that probably all see themselves as high draft picks in the next WNBA draft. Now they all have an opportunity to prove it.

 

[HopJim]

That's impossible since there are no guards in the 2022 class that's signed with UConn. Only Patterson a 6-2 wing and Brady a 6-3 forward.

Sorry if my attempt at humor could not be recognized. I was trying to make the point that Geno always comes up with a solution when faced with a thin roster. When it looked like we did not have enough players to practice a few years ago, seemingly by magic, Nika and Anna showed up. A few years before that, he sent the team out looking for walk ons.

 

[phil sampieri]

A few disparate points

It's possible that the over-reliance on Paige is a monster that Geno himself created.
He's smart, a great coach...Let's see what he can do to get the team out of this
dilemma.

There may be a few losses along the way...so what? It will be an entertaining period.
It's not as if the cupboard is bare.

On the thread that was sealed...the one about the demise of the boneyard, perhaps it wasn't mentioned, that if you win a whole lot of championships, and then you don't (for a while), eventually, eyebrows will be raised and leadership will be vulnerable to increased scrutiny...Goes with the territory.

In the past, I was willing to bellyache over issues with Geno, even during the period that the team won most years...which made my comments not exactly appreciated by the mods and certainly not by the pure fans.

But I am not taking a position on whether Paige should have been out there in the first place, Geno made it clear that he doesn't know either.

And the comparisons to Diana miss one important point: Diana was a whole lot more solidly constructed than our current waif-like superstar...and one thing Paige is going to have to start thinking about is how to preserve her body from the beatings that she is going to get regularly. Just ask Moriah (who apparently didn't figure it out) and Danger who did.

Yep that monster. Played Stevie, Rebecca, Sue, blah, blah, blah too much also. Great players want to never come out and that’s what makes them great . Yes not against a rest here and there but that’s not up to us is it

 

[asuwish]

How Paige Bueckers' injury impacts UConn and what it could mean for March

What changes must UConn make while Paige Bueckers is out with a tibial plateau fracture? And how does her absence change the national championship race?

www.espn.com

I think people forget about Mir. It sometimes seems Geno does. At around 5'10" she can play guard. No, she can't shoot 3's but she can really defend, and I dare most guards to try and keep her off the glass. I dare most bigs to keep her off the glass (the girl is a pogo stick). Different players contribute in different ways and Mir can give UConn valuable minutes.

 

[ConwayGmck]

People have been wondering for quite some time just what in the heck ESPN could be thinking, with their recent maneuvers. Thanks for this thread.....