Evina Finishes Rehab Thread morphed into another Who Starts Next Year Thread

[DEpup]

I think the 5 freshman and Evina are going to do wonders for CW's game. The competition in practice will wake her up! Plus I would love for them to get her a good sports psychologist because I think her issues are between her ears not the hands or feet....

 

[eebmg]

I am embararrased to put an Evina update into an Evina thread but here we go.

Update article on Evina by Carl Adamec. Geno very high on Evina and how she has handled her rehab and attitude

Journal Inquirer

The latest news from Manchester, Connecticut, as well as coverage of Enfield, Vernon, South Windsor, East Hartford and beyond.

www.journalinquirer.com

“She’s been working her butt off and I’m really proud of her and the incredible job she’s done,” Auriemma said on Thursday. “Evina’s taken on a huge challenge and she’s been terrific. She’s done a great job staying in touch with our incoming freshman and with our returning players. Everything that she’s accomplished has been spectacular and I could not be happier for her.”

In summary, Evina planning to return some of her pain on her old school

Add a little about Jamelle and if she will be permanent assistant

Jamelle Elliott served as an interim assistant coach for the final month of last season after Jasmine Lister took a leave of absence from Auriemma’s staff due to personal reasons.

With Lister’s resignation on May 6, will the interim tag be removed?

“We’re trying to figure out what’s best for Jamelle,” Auriemma said. “She did a tremendous job. I know her, and she knows us and our program. It would be an ideal situation to pull it off.”
Elliott played four years at UConn and was an assistant coach on Auriemma’s staff for another 12 years. She was a forward on the Huskies’ first national championship team in 1995 and UConn won five more titles with her on its sideline. She returned to the school in 2018 as an associate athletic director for the school’s National C Club following nine seasons as the head coach at Cincinnati.
“We’re going to keep working on it,” Auriemma said. “There’s no rush, but I’d envision something happening sooner than later.

 

[Go/huskies]

It’s good to hear Evina is in touch with the team, I believe she made Valentine’s Day gifts for the whole team at one point, it sounds like she’s taking on a leadership role.

 

[j66kicker]

I am embararrased to put an Evina update into an Evina thread but here we go.

Update article on Evina by Carl Adamec. Geno very high on Evina and how she has handled her rehab and attitude

Journal Inquirer

The latest news from Manchester, Connecticut, as well as coverage of Enfield, Vernon, South Windsor, East Hartford and beyond.

www.journalinquirer.com

“She’s been working her butt off and I’m really proud of her and the incredible job she’s done,” Auriemma said on Thursday. “Evina’s taken on a huge challenge and she’s been terrific. She’s done a great job staying in touch with our incoming freshman and with our returning players. Everything that she’s accomplished has been spectacular and I could not be happier for her.”

In summary, Evina planning to return some of her pain on her old school

View attachment 54926


Add a little about Jamelle and if she will be permanent assistant

Jamelle Elliott served as an interim assistant coach for the final month of last season after Jasmine Lister took a leave of absence from Auriemma’s staff due to personal reasons.

With Lister’s resignation on May 6, will the interim tag be removed?

“We’re trying to figure out what’s best for Jamelle,” Auriemma said. “She did a tremendous job. I know her, and she knows us and our program. It would be an ideal situation to pull it off.”
Elliott played four years at UConn and was an assistant coach on Auriemma’s staff for another 12 years. She was a forward on the Huskies’ first national championship team in 1995 and UConn won five more titles with her on its sideline. She returned to the school in 2018 as an associate athletic director for the school’s National C Club following nine seasons as the head coach at Cincinnati.
“We’re going to keep working on it,” Auriemma said. “There’s no rush, but I’d envision something happening sooner than later.

AND... You forgot to mention that part of her rehab was growing another inch. Article says she's 6'1".

 

[eebmg]

AND... You forgot to mention that part of her rehab was growing another inch. Article says she's 6'1".

Has to stand out over Paige.

 

[Scud49]

I am embararrased to put an Evina update into an Evina thread but here we go.

How dare you hijack the thread back from the hijackers. Appalled, I say, just appalled....!

 

[BobbyJ]

AND... You forgot to mention that part of her rehab was growing another inch. Article says she's 6'1".

WTH is it with not being able to get accurate heights on kids? Isn't there some kind of App yet that you can point the phone and get the right number?

 

[hoopsfan22]

I would love for Jamelle to stay on as a permanent coach, but she may not want the time commitment that requires.

 

[Carnac]

I would love for Jamelle to stay on as a permanent coach, but she may not want the time commitment that requires.

Agreed. Jemelle has paid her dues. At THIS point in her life, she has earned the right to choose and be happy in HER choice of assignments. She may not wish to coach any more. At some point, ALL coaches decide they've had enough (as Muffet McGraw just did), and either retire or move on to other opportunities or interests. I emphatically join you in your desire to have Jemelle back for as long as she wishes to stay, but it's about what SHE wants. WE can't be selfish here. The entire team would profit from her experience and approach to the game. We should ALL want her to be happy in what ever career path she chooses to take from here. Jemelle, we're glad to have you back home.

 

[MilfordHusky]

AND... You forgot to mention that part of her rehab was growing another inch. Article says she's 6'1".

I saw a nice pic of Evina, Meg, and Crystal over the weekend. Evina looked slightly taller than Meg.

 

[DEpup]

I saw a nice pic of Evina, Meg, and Crystal over the weekend. Evina looked slightly taller than Meg.

I saw them close to each other in person a couple times and they are about the same size in height and even build. With them, I think a different shoe or a little slouch can make one look taller than the other.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I saw them close to each other in person a couple times and they are about the same size in height and even build. With them, I think a different shoe or a little slouch can make one look taller than the other.

I think Meg is heavier/more solid, though Evina has a nice athletic look to her. Both seem to be 6'0" to 6'1".

 

[BBallF]

I'm excluding "the 1st week starters" for this discussion and looking more towards who will mostly start. And providing instances to your question of how Paige breaks in and settles as the eventual starter. OFC it's possible she won't. But I don't think so.

There are 4 wildcards when it comes to starters at PF (Griff, Edwards, Anna, and Evina). To further that- imo we don't know what Evina is. For example you see her as a 1/2, I see her as a 3 hopeful she can be a 4, ---and as a backup 1 and a 2.

I realize their is legit fear of rebounding. And as you mention "a 2nd rebounder." So assume Anna or Evina is the PF and we lose that 2nd rebounder. Liv will be a better rebounder than last year. With experience Evina or Anna that plays the SF will be a better rebounder than last year. CWill should be better. And Paige should be a better rebounder than Danger. In addition the team will possibly be able to press and trap more thus forcing game to be played at more a fast guard type pace rather than halfcourt pound in the paint pace. Thus it could be possible that not starting that 2nd rebounder can be overcome.

One option: If Muhl is legit and if either Evina or Anna (I don't see Anna as a PF but others think possible. I think possible though less possible.) can play the PF then Paige starts. Even if Muhl is not legit then if Anna or Evina can play the pf then it means Paige starts.

2nd Option: On the other hand-- if Evina is not much of a pg - but more of a situational/backup pg then maybe she comes off the bench similar to UCONN having Stevens come off the bench even though she was better than Danger. If Evina comes off the bench similar to Stevens years ago then Paige starts.

3rd Option: It's also possible that Evina is a better sf than Anna and either Edwards or Griff establish themselves a good legit PF. Then it could mean Paige starts and Anna comes off the bench.

4th Option: Edwards or Griff are legit-- doesn't matter who SF is-- Paige being a superior PG to anyone on the team-- she starts.
--------------------
There is only 1 player that can prevent Paige from not starting and that's Evina. The poster UConnCat sent me a post on this thread with quotes from Geno that even he had no idea what Evina is.

First of all, why would you put anyone else out of position to play the 4and not play

I'm excluding "the 1st week starters" for this discussion and looking more towards who will mostly start. And providing instances to your question of how Paige breaks in and settles as the eventual starter. OFC it's possible she won't. But I don't think so.

There are 4 wildcards when it comes to starters at PF (Griff, Edwards, Anna, and Evina). To further that- imo we don't know what Evina is. For example you see her as a 1/2, I see her as a 3 hopeful she can be a 4, ---and as a backup 1 and a 2.

I realize their is legit fear of rebounding. And as you mention "a 2nd rebounder." So assume Anna or Evina is the PF and we lose that 2nd rebounder. Liv will be a better rebounder than last year. With experience Evina or Anna that plays the SF will be a better rebounder than last year. CWill should be better. And Paige should be a better rebounder than Danger. In addition the team will possibly be able to press and trap more thus forcing game to be played at more a fast guard type pace rather than halfcourt pound in the paint pace. Thus it could be possible that not starting that 2nd rebounder can be overcome.

One option: If Muhl is legit and if either Evina or Anna (I don't see Anna as a PF but others think possible. I think possible though less possible.) can play the PF then Paige starts. Even if Muhl is not legit then if Anna or Evina can play the pf then it means Paige starts.

2nd Option: On the other hand-- if Evina is not much of a pg - but more of a situational/backup pg then maybe she comes off the bench similar to UCONN having Stevens come off the bench even though she was better than Danger. If Evina comes off the bench similar to Stevens years ago then Paige starts.

3rd Option: It's also possible that Evina is a better sf than Anna and either Edwards or Griff establish themselves a good legit PF. Then it could mean Paige starts and Anna comes off the bench.

4th Option: Edwards or Griff are legit-- doesn't matter who SF is-- Paige being a superior PG to anyone on the team-- she starts.
--------------------
There is only 1 player that can prevent Paige from not starting and that's Evina. The poster UConnCat sent me a post on this thread with quotes from Geno that even he had no idea what Evina is.

First of all, why put a player like Anna or Evina out of position to play the 4 when you have a player whose natural position it has become in Aubrey? There is no way Anna can play or should play the 4. She is not athletic enough( although I think we will see improvement over the summer) in terms of jumping or physicality and is a great open court passer and needs to be out in transition first. Power forwards don't lead the break. They can't since they are too far back in the court to start it. Yes, Evina is a question mark but she was the PG on Tennessee, not a forward and she is not going to play out of position. Nobody is this year. Meg was the 4 last year because you start and play your best players and there was no choice and she had the gifts to rebound. One center rebounding is not enough in women's basketball and you also need a solid defender at the 4 as well, i.e. Aubrey with Edwards coming in. When you have the players you don't put people out of position because it compromises other aspects of the game. Evina starts unless she hasn't come back from her surgeries. She is very, very good and is being overlooked because of Paige frenzy. I love Paige too but we have a very deep team and Evina is a lot better than she is being given credit for and has 2 years experience and is 3 years older.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Agreed. Jemelle has paid her dues. At THIS point in her life, she has earned the right to choose and be happy in HER choice of assignments. She may not wish to coach any more at THIS point in her life. At some point, ALL coaches decide they've had enough (as Muffet McGraw just did), and either retire or move on to other opportunities or interests. I emphatically join you in your desire to have Jemelle back for as long as she wishes to stay, but it's about what SHE wants. WE can't be selfish here. We should ALL want her to be happy in what ever capacity she chooses to work in at UConn.

You are again, proving to be the venerable sage....

 

[hoophuskee]

First of all, why would you put anyone else out of position to play the 4and not play

First of all, why put a player like Anna or Evina out of position to play the 4 when you have a player whose natural position it has become in Aubrey? There is no way Anna can play or should play the 4. She is not athletic enough( although I think we will see improvement over the summer) in terms of jumping or physicality and is a great open court passer and needs to be out in transition first. Power forwards don't lead the break. They can't since they are too far back in the court to start it. Yes, Evina is a question mark but she was the PG on Tennessee, not a forward and she is not going to play out of position. Nobody is this year. Meg was the 4 last year because you start and play your best players and there was no choice and she had the gifts to rebound. One center rebounding is not enough in women's basketball and you also need a solid defender at the 4 as well, i.e. Aubrey with Edwards coming in. When you have the players you don't put people out of position because it compromises other aspects of the game. Evina starts unless she hasn't come back from her surgeries. She is very, very good and is being overlooked because of Paige frenzy. I love Paige too but we have a very deep team and Evina is a lot better than she is being given credit for and has 2 years experience and is 3 years older.

How did Walker do playing the PF? She was out of position and started and was 1st team A/A. Walker is a better basketball player at the 4 than what Griff was. Why can't Evina be 1st team A/A or close to it at PF by being similar to Walker? I don't agree overall with your acceptance of Meg as a PF but then you speak of "Playing out of position" as reason not to play others. IMO it's a contradiction. It doesn't make a difference that they "had to play" Walker at PF. What is important is that when she played it- she did it very well even though she was out of position.

I tend to agree with you about Anna but I won't dismiss the Anna PF possibility either.. But as as PF;s not leading the break -- it won't matter- the team will have to gang rebound. Again I don't know if Anna can but leading the break imo isn't much to concern about. Paige, Evina and CWill potentially lethal enough if they were on the break. It shouldn't matter that Anna is not one of the 3 if the other 3 are devastating. But again I thought Anna less likely - similar to you - though I feel she is a possibility.

As far as "one center rebounding" is not enough-- I agree. Which is why you have other players helping. There are more players that can rebound other that PF's. Danger gave UCONN really no rebounding help. Potentially you have 4 better rebounders. As I've said in the past Anna or Evina don't have to be as good of rebounder as Walker. Just be close -- whatever "close is."

And again I don't entirely agree when you say you play Meg because "you play your best players" then disregard potentially Evina at pf and Paige at PG. Your defense of that statement is that "Edwards and Griff" are good enough. Well if Aubrey can't shoot then imo she isn't good enough. Show me Aubrey can shoot then ofc I'm more inclined to have her start. If you have a player that can't score, can't pass very well then unless you have a superstar like a DT or Maya etc - that one player will drag down your offense. And as far as Edwards-- I don't know what she is yet. If you are confident in them-- great. I hope you are right. I'm just open to questioning how good they are.

As far as Evina-- I don't think she was a very good pg. She looks extremely awkward playing it. IMO she was playing out of position at PG for Tennessee or similar to UCONN with Walker they were forced to play Evina (or promised her) there. But again I only saw a little bit of her. I need to see more of Evina before I declare her a good pg which you think she is. If she is-- great. Until i see it-- I think she is more of a SF. SO if Edwards or Aubrey is legit PF on both sides offense and defense- then after I'm looking for Paige to be the PG whether it be week 1 or 3 or 5- and then have Anna or Evina off the bench. As UconnCat pointed out on this thread - direct quote from Geno-- he doesn't know what Aubrey is either. The limited time I saw her- I don't see a natural pg.

 

[diggerfoot]

First of all, why would you put anyone else out of position to play the 4and not play

First of all, why put a player like Anna or Evina out of position to play the 4 when you have a player whose natural position it has become in Aubrey? There is no way Anna can play or should play the 4. She is not athletic enough( although I think we will see improvement over the summer) in terms of jumping or physicality and is a great open court passer and needs to be out in transition first. Power forwards don't lead the break. They can't since they are too far back in the court to start it. Yes, Evina is a question mark but she was the PG on Tennessee, not a forward and she is not going to play out of position. Nobody is this year. Meg was the 4 last year because you start and play your best players and there was no choice and she had the gifts to rebound. One center rebounding is not enough in women's basketball and you also need a solid defender at the 4 as well, i.e. Aubrey with Edwards coming in. When you have the players you don't put people out of position because it compromises other aspects of the game. Evina starts unless she hasn't come back from her surgeries. She is very, very good and is being overlooked because of Paige frenzy. I love Paige too but we have a very deep team and Evina is a lot better than she is being given credit for and has 2 years experience and is 3 years older.

My defense of Makurat at the 4 was not an advocacy. It was presented in the context of "if Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams and Makurat were to start" some thought Westbrook would have to play the 4, making that an automatic arguments against it. My defense then was to claim that if those four were the starters, it would be Makurat as the most logical to play PF. Any of those four would be out of position as the PF, but Makurat has the physical attributes most suitable for PF out of those choices and pays attention to fundamentals. I have no doubt she could be trained to execute the fundamentals of a PF.

It is true that Griffin is the best returnng defender, but there are a few caveats to that. ONO's sheer height, for example, makes her an intimidating presence in the paint regardless of her ability (which is good). You would not start Griffin over ONO even if she was the weakest of the five (which she is not, I'm just making a point). I actually think Griffin's best position would be as a wing, not a post, because of her athleticism and ability to be all over the place. Makurat does not have that ability, of course, but neither did Dolson, a DPOY not by virtue of athleticism, nor of height alone, but also because of footwork and always being in the right place at the right time (same is true for Voskuhl on the men's side). That is more critical in the post than at the wing and I actually would trust Makurat to be in the right place at the right time more than most of the UConn roster. So the question then becomes how much has Griffin developed on offense to make it worth starting her at the wing or PF instead of one of the other four.

Personally, I think Edwards is destined for the PF sooner rather than later. Personally, I do not think Makurat or Griffin belong at PF as our upcoming roster blossoms with bigs. But if I had to pick one out of Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams or Makurat to play PF, the most likely choice to me would be Makurat. I certainly would not pick Westbrook, Williams would probably be my second choice with hopes she could perform like the 5'11" Barbara Turner at that position; those two players have a few similarities.

 

[Huskie02]

This removes any "speculation" about her status and health going into the season. For the sake of discussion, we can now assume she is 100% healthy. Now, all we have to figure out is how she fits into the equation, and who the 5 starters will be (It's THAT time of the year ). We will also assume that the 3 returning starters (ONO, Williams & Makurat) will be starters again THIS year.

Some think she's a starter for sure, others think she comes off the bench. I think it's too early to tell at this point. November is 5 months away. There are several leading candidates for the two openings: Evina Westbrook, Aubrey Griffin, Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl. I believe the two new starters will come from this group. Query: What if Geno decides to run a 3 guard offense?

Anyone of these players can muscle their way into the starting lineup. I can't see Aubrey Griffin coming off the bench again this year. She paid her dues. There are some here that want to keep her as 6th man. I say start her, and develop a new 6th man. She's too valuable to come off the bench. Edwards, because of her experience with the Canadian National Team, is the only newbie coming in that has experience at a higher level of play than Griffin, and the only newcomer that (IMO) has any chance of moving ahead of her on the depth chart.

Edwards (and the others) still have to gain Geno's trust and have a clue of the system before he puts then in a game for long periods of "meaningful" minutes. When Geno looks down the bench this year for a sub, he'll have lots of options that he didn't have the last two years. Geno will put the freshmen on the floor at the appropriate time in situations they can handle and have success in.

View attachment 54533

This is a new year. Expect Griffin to make the anticipated sophomore leap. She should know what's she's doing now. She's a year older, stronger and more mature. She's a play maker!! I look for her to be more aggressive on offense, and not defer to others as much as she did last year. THAT ship has sailed. I also look for Geno to give her a little more leeway this year.........perhaps a lot more leeway.

"Before the season, Auriemma said neither he nor Griffin knew how good she could be. Thirty-two games into her collegiate career, that sentiment still holds true. While she showed flashes of greatness with performances such as the 25 point, 12 rebound game vs Seton Hall, or the 16-point, 15-rebound night in the AAC Tournament, those games barely scratched the surface of her potential.

Most of Griffin’s points either came off offensive rebounds or from the free throw line — which isn’t a knock on her. Instead, it just shows how dangerous of a player she already is without much of a refined offensive game. If Griffin can smooth out the edges and have more moments where she’s aggressive and unstoppable going to the rim instead of the deer-in-headlights moments, the sky is the limit for the rising sophomore."

She can still do things no one else on the team can do. The freshman mistakes she made last year, won't be made THIS year. In short, if there's somebody on the team that has "earned" to start over her (smh), UConn is going to have one hell-of-a-team this season. I don't know who the 5th starter will be (I like Westbrook for lots of reasons), but I'm betting Aubrey will be #4.

Note - No guarantees here, but the 6th man has a fairly consistent track record of starting for Geno the next year. We'll see.

Geno said that NONE OF US here in the yard have a clue, so that means that this comment and all of the other comments posted here and $5.00, will get you a cup of coffee at Starbuck's. There are only so many combinations he can put out there. Some of us have got to be right with our choices.

One thing I do know.......... I'm going to root and cheer hard for whoever he puts out there.......................ALL SEASON LONG!!

Anyone of the players you mentioned could push Makurat out of her starting role which presents a different scenario.

 

[Carnac]

Anyone of the players you mentioned could push Makurat out of her starting role which presents a different scenario.

And if one of them do, that will make UConn even more formidable and deeper that we (the yard) anticipate they’ll be. That won’t be a problem. I'm sure that would make Geno very happy.

 

[Go/huskies]

My defense of Makurat at the 4 was not an advocacy. It was presented in the context of "if Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams and Makurat were to start" some thought Westbrook would have to play the 4, making that an automatic arguments against it. My defense then was to claim that if those four were the starters, it would be Makurat as the most logical to play PF. Any of those four would be out of position as the PF, but Makurat has the physical attributes most suitable for PF out of those choices and pays attention to fundamentals. I have no doubt she could be trained to execute the fundamentals of a PF.

It is true that Griffin is the best returnng defender, but there are a few caveats to that. ONO's sheer height, for example, makes her an intimidating presence in the paint regardless of her ability (which is good). You would not start Griffin over ONO even if she was the weakest of the five (which she is not, I'm just making a point). I actually think Griffin's best position would be as a wing, not a post, because of her athleticism and ability to be all over the place. Makurat does not have that ability, of course, but neither did Dolson, a DPOY not by virtue of athleticism, nor of height alone, but also because of footwork and always being in the right place at the right time (same is true for Voskuhl on the men's side). That is more critical in the post than at the wing and I actually would trust Makurat to be in the right place at the right time more than most of the UConn roster. So the question then becomes how much has Griffin developed on offense to make it worth starting her at the wing or PF instead of one of the other four.

Personally, I think Edwards is destined for the PF sooner rather than later. Personally, I do not think Makurat or Griffin belong at PF as our upcoming roster blossoms with bigs. But if I had to pick one out of Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams or Makurat to play PF, the most likely choice to me would be Makurat. I certainly would not pick Westbrook, Williams would probably be my second choice with hopes she could perform like the 5'11" Barbara Turner at that position; those two players have a few similarities.

I agree, I also pointed out earlier that Westbrook, had some high assist games while at Tennessee, that’s why I think she will share the backcourt with Paige, moving Williams to the wing.

 

[chrissaran]

I agree Griggs. Aubrey needs to hit mid-range jumpers and be more in control of her play. Controlled aggression.

 

[HopJim]

Anyone of the players you mentioned could push Makurat out of her starting role which presents a different scenario.

With many of UConn's key competition having strong inside players, they often use pick and rolls against smaller guards. Another benefit of having Makurat out there is that she has the strength not to get overpowered on switches.

 

[BBallF]

My defense of Makurat at the 4 was not an advocacy. It was presented in the context of "if Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams and Makurat were to start" some thought Westbrook would have to play the 4, making that an automatic arguments against it. My defense then was to claim that if those four were the starters, it would be Makurat as the most logical to play PF. Any of those four would be out of position as the PF, but Makurat has the physical attributes most suitable for PF out of those choices and pays attention to fundamentals. I have no doubt she could be trained to execute the fundamentals of a PF.

It is true that Griffin is the best returnng defender, but there are a few caveats to that. ONO's sheer height, for example, makes her an intimidating presence in the paint regardless of her ability (which is good). You would not start Griffin over ONO even if she was the weakest of the five (which she is not, I'm just making a point). I actually think Griffin's best position would be as a wing, not a post, because of her athleticism and ability to be all over the place. Makurat does not have that ability, of course, but neither did Dolson, a DPOY not by virtue of athleticism, nor of height alone, but also because of footwork and always being in the right place at the right time (same is true for Voskuhl on the men's side). That is more critical in the post than at the wing and I actually would trust Makurat to be in the right place at the right time more than most of the UConn roster. So the question then becomes how much has Griffin developed on offense to make it worth starting her at the wing or PF instead of one of the other four.

Personally, I think Edwards is destined for the PF sooner rather than later. Personally, I do not think Makurat or Griffin belong at PF as our upcoming roster blossoms with bigs. But if I had to pick one out of Bueckers, Westbrook, Williams or Makurat to play PF, the most likely choice to me would be Makurat. I certainly would not pick Westbrook, Williams would probably be my second choice with hopes she could perform like the 5'11" Barbara Turner at that position; those two players have a few similarities.

How did Walker do playing the PF? She was out of position and started and was 1st team A/A. Walker is a better basketball player at the 4 than what Griff was. Why can't Evina be 1st team A/A or close to it at PF by being similar to Walker? I don't agree overall with your acceptance of Meg as a PF but then you speak of "Playing out of position" as reason not to play others. IMO it's a contradiction. It doesn't make a difference that they "had to play" Walker at PF. What is important is that when she played it- she did it very well even though she was out of position.

I tend to agree with you about Anna but I won't dismiss the Anna PF possibility either.. But as as PF;s not leading the break -- it won't matter- the team will have to gang rebound. Again I don't know if Anna can but leading the break imo isn't much to concern about. Paige, Evina and CWill potentially lethal enough if they were on the break. It shouldn't matter that Anna is not one of the 3 if the other 3 are devastating. But again I thought Anna less likely - similar to you - though I feel she is a possibility.

As far as "one center rebounding" is not enough-- I agree. Which is why you have other players helping. There are more players that can rebound other that PF's. Danger gave UCONN really no rebounding help. Potentially you have 4 better rebounders. As I've said in the past Anna or Evina don't have to be as good of rebounder as Walker. Just be close -- whatever "close is."

And again I don't entirely agree when you say you play Meg because "you play your best players" then disregard potentially Evina at pf and Paige at PG. Your defense of that statement is that "Edwards and Griff" are good enough. Well if Aubrey can't shoot then imo she isn't good enough. Show me Aubrey can shoot then ofc I'm more inclined to have her start. If you have a player that can't score, can't pass very well then unless you have a superstar like a DT or Maya etc - that one player will drag down your offense. And as far as Edwards-- I don't know what she is yet. If you are confident in them-- great. I hope you are right. I'm just open to questioning how good they are.

As far as Evina-- I don't think she was a very good pg. She looks extremely awkward playing it. IMO she was playing out of position at PG for Tennessee or similar to UCONN with Walker they were forced to play Evina (or promised her) there. But again I only saw a little bit of her. I need to see more of Evina before I declare her a good pg which you think she is. If she is-- great. Until i see it-- I think she is more of a SF. SO if Edwards or Aubrey is legit PF on both sides offense and defense- then after I'm looking for Paige to be the PG whether it be week 1 or 3 or 5- and then have Anna or Evina off the bench. As UconnCat pointed out on this thread - direct quote from Geno-- he doesn't know what Aubrey is either. The limited time I saw her- I don't see a natural pg.

Okay, let's continue this dialogue because it makes next year even more interesting. First of all, Anna is not Meg. She doesn't jump as high, she isn't as physical as Meg and never will be and Geno loved Anna in transition with the ball in her hands. I can't see her defending the second big on the better teams. While Meg made AA last year, she was very much outsized and out muscled against the bigger and better teams. Her numbers against those teams were poor and part of it was because of the height mismatch on both offense and defense. Why push Anna or Evina down below when you have other low post players? If Paige is that good that fast you may see different lineups against different teams but I doubt it. That is not how Geno works. Let's look at the past 4 years. We were undersized from Day 1. The game has gotten bigger and stronger underneath. When you get into the Big Dance size matters. Both SC and Baylor were very big teams when they won it, both with dominating post players. If we had another strong inside player in the last 4 years to complement Pheesa or Liv, with the exception of Azure for her 1 season, I dare say that the seasons would have lasted another game. It's not just height, it's power and strength which dominate in the second half as the players get tired or worn down. As for Evina, I repeat she averaged 15 and 5 on a lousy team. Can she be a good PG for the Huskies? Yes. Please don't forget that she received some of the POY awards in high school with Meg. As I said, there is the Paige factor. If she is even close to having the readiness of Maya, and is one of your top 5 players, then give her the ball and move Evina to the 2. You are definitely starting both other Juniors so that leaves AG or Anna for the 4. Under that arrangement I think AG starts and Anna first replaces any one of the 3 guards/wings that are on the floor. But really, who knows how any of these players will have improved their skill sets or their bodies come Midnight Madness? All I know is that Geno has choices this year, chess moves to make when he wants to, and we have all seen what he can do even when he doesn't have size or depth. Next season he has both. The season after that he has 3 seniors if EW stays and 2 juniors, experienced sophomores and solid freshmen coming in and if Azzi comes, forget about it.

 

[hoophuskee]

bbif-- I love the discussion. Other years we could be hearing about how each of the freshman looked during the summer along with other players etc. I'll just talk about possibility of Evina at PF.

You're either implying/ suggesting that Walker didn't play well because of other team's size. Absolutely that is a part of it. But she also didn't play well because of her teammates - and most important the guard play had to dominate -- and didn't. Look at the games they were beaten - overall 36 assists to 40 turnovers in the 3 games. The best game was 16 asst vs 15 to.

Now look at the History of UCONN Championships - Jen Rizzotti, Sue Bird, DT, Montgomery, Hartley, and MoJeff. One title was without an A/A caliber guard but we had Maya and Tina. All these others are A/A caliber guards (not necessarily pg). In 12-13 while Hartley wasn't A/A she played terrific at end of season and you still had either KML and Faris (Faris was 2nd team A/A I believe) - whoever you consider to be the 2-guard -- UCONN's title years they had tremendous guards. The last few years they haven't. They had good/ very good guards but not "great guards." So it wasn't just "size" that knocked them off.

So yeah when you talk about size being the difference and "Baylor;" sure Baylor has been successful lately. But it's not because "the game has changed." Baylor has been fortunate UCONN hasn't had their great guards during this stretch. This past year UCONN played Baylor and they had 8 assists vs 10 Turnovers. That's not great guard play. It wasn't just"size" that affected UCONN like this. I love Danger but you look at her FF performances. Also in 16-17 and 17-18 look at Nurse. Both did not play well in FF in contrast to the names above - it's no contest. UCONN runs a fast paced offense. The guards are crucial. Baylor plays differently. UCONN shouldn't "try to be more old school Baylor."

 

[hoophuskee]

This leads me to your point on Geno. IMO Geno is more into offense rather than worry how he is going to defend another team. Not saying he doesn't care about it. But replay the halftime interviews of Geno and Kim (Rebecca quoted what Kim said) from the 11-12 game between UCONN and Baylor. Here you get to hear a clear difference in coaching philosophies between Geno and Kim. Geno at halftime said "I think game is going to be won on the offensive end tonight not on the defense as much." When Kim was asked about Geno's comments and the game overall- she disagreed and said "It's still going to be about defensive stops." And look at 17-18. He started Danger instead of going big with Stevens and try to win with great defense and use his size. Geno started the games "small." The prior year watch how Natalie Butler's minutes went to nearly nothing as the season progressed in their closer games. IMO he is more interested in ball movement vs having a second rebounder. And I'll say again I have no idea if Evina could play PF. But IF she is close to Walker on her defense that might be good enough IF Griff or Edwards are not good offensively. **If she can't be near the defender Walker was and compete for rebounds then I agree - she can't be PF.

As far as Evina "15pts and 5 assists" at Tenn, why can't she be at least 15 and 5 at UCONN as a PF with superior talent surrounding her and then move during the game to other positions? As far as a 2guard-- I think CWill can defend sg's better than Evina while having the capability of being the team's leading scorer.

 

[BBallF]

This leads me to your point on Geno. IMO Geno is more into offense rather than worry how he is going to defend another team. Not saying he doesn't care about it. But replay the halftime interviews of Geno and Kim (Rebecca quoted what Kim said) from the 11-12 game between UCONN and Baylor. Here you get to hear a clear difference in coaching philosophies between Geno and Kim. Geno at halftime said "I think game is going to be won on the offensive end tonight not on the defense as much." When Kim was asked about Geno's comments and the game overall- she disagreed and said "It's still going to be about defensive stops." And look at 17-18. He started Danger instead of going big with Stevens and try to win with great defense and use his size. Geno started the games "small." The prior year watch how Natalie Butler's minutes went to nearly nothing as the season progressed in their closer games. IMO he is more interested in ball movement vs having a second rebounder. And I'll say again I have no idea if Evina could play PF. But IF she is close to Walker on her defense that might be good enough IF Griff or Edwards are not good offensively. **If she can't be near the defender Walker was and compete for rebounds then I agree - she can't be PF.

As far as Evina "15pts and 5 assists" at Tenn, why can't she be at least 15 and 5 at UCONN as a PF with superior talent surrounding her and then move during the game to other positions? As far as a 2guard-- I think CWill can defend sg's better than Evina while having the capability of being the team's leading scorer.

Meg was 5-11 against SC from the field, 3-16 against Oregon and 5-20 against Baylor. That's your AA. Crystal didn't shoot her shots. It was Meg who shot them and she forced many of them. She was never a Big Game player and I still think she got outsized. I agree with you about the guards at UCONN and the score in buckets philosophy but let's look closer. Who dominated in 1995? Rebecca was 6'4'' and Kara was 6'7". Skip to the last 4 titles just for brevity. In 2013, we had Stewie at 6'4" with a reach of a 6'6" player, Dolson at 6'5" and a space eater, Morgan Tuck at 6'2" and Kiah Stokes at 6'3". It was a bruising team. The same inside cast the next year and don't forget KML who was a big swing player. In 2015 you have Tuck again, Stewie, Stokes and in 2016 you have a 6'3" SF in KLS. It's size and power underneath. What happened in our last 3 ? We were undersized. We had Gabby playing center at times. Geno went with what he had but what he went out and got this year and next is size and power to go along with guard and swing offense. Not true about Geno wanting ball movement to the exclusion of prioritizing defense. He himself said that what changed the team this year was a change in defense which was basically a full court press in the front court. We all saw it. Even the AAC tourney announcers said it over and over again. Personally, I thought it was one of his best coaching jobs and coincided, not accidentally, with Jamelle coming aboard. Defense led to offense but we never got to see the new D against the better teams. I am one of the few people anywhere, including the BY, who thought that the second Oregon-UCONN game would have been a toss up. So, back to the crux of the matter. In my view, you don't repeat the mistakes of the last few years by playing someone smaller out of position like EW at the 4. I think CW is the 3 and Liv is the 5. Your first 6 players are definitely Paige, EW, AM, AG and the two above mentioned Juniors with maybe Edwards as 7th and who knows next. Nika is terrific and Mir is a real find. Of the next 4 players after the Juniors, I think it will depend on practice. He will want Paige to have a baptism of fire because she will have the ball in her hands for years to come. BTW, Paige can play the 2 also. She did it on her high school team and a good all around PG can always move to the 2 if size isn't a factor. So, guards are important but Jen Rizzotti doesn't win without Becca and Kara and MoJeff doesn't win without the domination underneath and while Geno does have a "more points we win" perspective he figured something out this year and is not going away from it in the next, not with the depth and speed he has. That is why they are going to be fun to watch and lethal at the same time. Imagine, let's get Piath some time at the end of the game. Here comes a pretty athletic 6'5" kid looking to earn her stripes. Pretty terrifying.