EVINA IS COMING BACK! [Merged Thread]

[huskiemaniac]

Great news!

A couple of us had the good fortune/pleasure of speaking with Evina's mom prior to the Tenn game, in 2020. One topic discussed was, of course, E's basketball plans. We were assured she would stay at UConn for both years.

Quality family.

 

[HuskyNan]

Ouch! 🎻

Did the joke fall ♭?

 

[Fairfield Fan]

So this is how the minutes would roughly shake out next year with Evina returning:

Paige 30
Azzi 20
Evina 20
ONO 20
Edwards 25
DeBerry 15
Cristyn 25
Muhl 20
Makurat 20

That leaves just 5 mpg to be divided among all the other players: Griffin, McLean, Poffenbarger, Ducharme, Gabriel, not to mention the walk-on. How in the world does that work? If Coach Geno wants to free up minutes by taking playing time away from his top nine players, who would get cut back? Edwards should be playing more minutes, not fewer. DeBerry should also be given more playing time. And 25 mpg for Cristyn is already pretty low. So what has to give?


Total minutes for the first nine players: 195
Minuters per game available to everyone else: 5
Total Available minutes per game: 200

 

[oldude]

So this is how the minutes would roughly shake out next year with Evina returning:

Paige 30
Azzi 20
Evina 20
ONO 20
Edwards 25
DeBerry 15
Cristyn 25
Muhl 20
Makurat 20

That leaves just 5 mpg to be divided among all the other players: Griffin, McLean, Poffenbarger, Ducharme, Gabriel, not to mention the walk-on. How in the world does that work? If Coach Geno wants to free up minutes by taking playing time away from his top nine players, who would get cut back? Edwards should be playing more minutes, not fewer. DeBerry should also be given more playing time. And 25 mpg for Cristyn is already pretty low. So what has to give?


Total minutes for the first nine players: 195
Minuters per game available to everyone else: 5
Total Available minutes per game: 200

It’s a problem most coaches in the country would love to have.....

 

[EricLA]

Your second version of the starting lineup is what I would vote for at this point. That is the November version; the January, February, or March versions may be quite different. I would not expect anyone other than Paige to average more than 30 minutes per game, and even Paige may be in the 28 range with Nika getting the remainder of the PG time.

You may be correct, and this isn't the thread to discuss starting lineups so i don't want to belabor, but when asked about Nika being available, Geno said "we are a MUCH different team with Nika on the floor" as the starting PG. I get the feeling that a healthy Nika will be a permanent fixture in the starting lineup, but that's just a WAG on my part.

As for Evina, a few on the board mentioned specifically speaking with Evina's mom, and that's where I got my info as well. I knew that at the time of those conversations (last year), the plan was always for Evina to PLAY 2 years at UCONN.

I'm thrilled she is coming back. Huge logjam for sure. Younger players coming in knew what the roster was looking like and knew how hard it wold be to earn PT. Nika famously said something like "I know how good Paige is - but i'm good too. I'm looking forward to competing with her for playing time".

There may end up being some players who don't feel the same, or just want the chance to play more. I get it. We will know more in the coming months, but I suspect next years roster won't look like it does right now. And by that i'm also including injuries - we lost both Anna and Nika for extended periods this season, Paige missed a game or 2, so did Christyn. I think the only 2 players who played all 30 games were Evina and Olivia.

Evina is a glue player, a mentor and big sister figure for almost everyone on the team. Her inclusiveness for everyone was huge in cementing the teams' chemistry this year. I'm thrilled she's coming back. Thank you Evina!!

 

[huskeynut]

It's hard to sometimes! This news really strikes a chord.

So we'll have C, E, and G back next year. That's major!

We have to be in the key F. The C, E and G become dominant!!

 

[HuskyNan]

So this is how the minutes would roughly shake out next year with Evina returning:

Paige 30
Azzi 20
Evina 20
ONO 20
Edwards 25
DeBerry 15
Cristyn 25
Muhl 20
Makurat 20

That leaves just 5 mpg to be divided among all the other players: Griffin, McLean, Poffenbarger, Ducharme, Gabriel, not to mention the walk-on. How in the world does that work? If Coach Geno wants to free up minutes by taking playing time away from his top nine players, who would get cut back? Edwards should be playing more minutes, not fewer. DeBerry should also be given more playing time. And 25 mpg for Cristyn is already pretty low. So what has to give?


Total minutes for the first nine players: 195
Minuters per game available to everyone else: 5
Total Available minutes per game: 200

It’s not going to be the same every night, like a schedule set in stone. It will depend on match ups, who’s have a bad/good night, injuries, how big the scoring differential is, etc. Another poster mentioned pressing more; having more bodies will allow Geno to do that when he thinks it’s appropriate. @oldude is right - 350+ teams would love Geno’s problems.

 

[Rb335]

Amari has to get playing time to be ready for the good teams. I'm sorry, but Liv is undependable and we can't take a chance of a repeat performance of what she has shown multiple times this season. If there will be any weakness for us next year it will be in the post. The combination of Alya and Amari may be our best bet to survive the more physical and taller teams.

Olivia is a known entity, we have seen what she is capable of for three seasons. Amari hasn't played a single college game, so I'd expect Olivia to be the better player to start the season. I do believe that Amari is the future of the center position at Connecticut, so I expect to see a 3 player post rotation with Aaliyah. It will be important for her to gain experience next season for the years to come, but I wouldn't expect her to be our first post option. We return our two posts from a final four team. The biggest advantage of adding her this year is that she can provide another option for when one of our posts are not performing. But none of us know how good she will will be, and we won't until the season starts.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

It’s not going to be the same every night, like a schedule set in stone. It will depend on match ups, who’s have a bad/good night, injuries, how big the scoring differential is, etc. Another poster mentioned pressing more; having more bodies will allow Geno to do that when he thinks it’s appropriate. @oldude is right - 350+ teams would love Geno’s problems.

I don't know. Coach Geno always goes with a set line-up, and picks his dependable subs. He shrinks the line-up as he gets to the end of the season. My point is that he isn't in a position that he has nine great players, then some scrubs. He has five players who are tremendous talents who won't even get enough time for garbage time. What if Gabriel gets better? What if he gets a set line-up with DeBerry demanding more court time? What if Azzi Fudd turns out to be a phenom? That takes time from everyone else.

Coach Geno at the beginning of this past season stated that he was surprised to get so many recruits, and that the number wasn't "ideal." I can't see all of these players being happy.

 

[tchalla1]

Slightly shocked I must say, but very very very happy about this!

So was I--Evina was projected to be top five pick in WNBA draft.... it's a good shock though.

 

[ScottCT]

Big mistake for Evina. And creates more problems for the team.

How can you say it's a big mistake for her? You don't know what she wants in life.

 

[JoePgh]

I would like to see the front court situation resolve itself so that Amari is Olivia's backup. That by itself will ensure that she gets healthy minutes, since I expect that Liv will have bouts of foul trouble and/or poor shooting when she will need to sit. Amari will almost certainly have her own tendency to foul (it's an occupational hazard of inexperienced posts), so she won't be able to play starters minutes even if they were available.

I am hoping that Aaliyah can settle into the 4 spot and play at least 25 to 30 minutes there as the NaLyssa Smith of the North. Acting as her backup may be Caroline Ducharme's best chance for minutes. I don't think Saylor has the muscle for that role, and I'm hoping that Caroline Ducharme does.

 

[tchalla1]

I don't know. Coach Geno always goes with a set line-up, and picks his dependable subs. He shrinks the line-up as he gets to the end of the season. My point is that he isn't in a position that he has nine great players, then some scrubs. He has five players who are tremendous talents who won't even get enough time for garbage time. What if Gabriel gets better? What if he gets a set line-up with DeBerry demanding more court time? What if Azzi Fudd turns out to be a phenom? That takes time from everyone else.

Coach Geno at the beginning of this past season stated that he was surprised to get so many recruits, and that the number wasn't "ideal." I can't see all of these players being happy.

Ah, correction: Azzi Fudd was a phenom in high school and will be in college--equal in talent to Paige. She is simply the best shooter ever in the women's game...

 

[mbr33ct]

How can you say it's a big mistake for her? You don't know what she wants in life.

C'mon, this is the Boneyard...some of us know what's best for the players.

 

[MSGRET]

Ah, correction: Azzi Fudd was a phenom in high school and will be in college--equal in talent to Paige. She is simply the best shooter ever in the women's game...

Yet she lost to Caroline Ducharme in the 3pt contest.

 

[BRS24]

How can you say it's a big mistake for her? You don't know what she wants in life.

Agree, We have no idea of her future goals, where she is physically with the recovery of her knee, or anything else that is going on in her life. And, as many former UConn players have said, being in the pros is completely different - you are responsible for your own fitness, diet, time management, among many other things. What if she wanted one more year of structure and a great support network to get as healthy as she could before playing in the WNBA, if that's what she wants?

If in fact she committed to playing two years, then that's what she's doing. If she's enjoying the experience, why cut it short? Even though she could not participate last season due to surgery and rehab, this will be her fifth year in college. I commend any young person that makes this sort of commitment. I know that I have no idea what these student athletes experience in a typical year, so I tend not to judge their decisions.

 

[Longtime fan]

Slightly shocked I must say, but very very very happy about this!

I think a lot of this year's seniors, on various teams, will choose to do the same. They missed playing in front of fans at the college level....a dream lost. Maryland, for example, has announced that all of their seniors are returning. I think only " sure thing " pros will leave the college scene. And I am making this last point up....it is based on fantasy and "gut" feel....it has no basis in fact: I see Evina doing something other than turning pro. Like being a surgeon, or a supreme court judge, or running Goldman Sachs.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I see a full court press in our future taking advantage of our outstanding athleticism. Games will be over by half time.

Lovely idea and you sucked in 3 heavy weights with their likes, but this notion was heavily touted last year. Alas, didn't happen. For most opponents we don't need it and where it is useful against the heavies on the schedule they can break it.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think a lot of this year's seniors, on various teams, will choose to do the same. They missed playing in front of fans at the college level....a dream lost. Maryland, for example, has announced that all of their seniors are returning. I think only " sure thing " pros will leave the college scene. And I am making this last point up....it is based on fantasy and "gut" feel....it has no basis in fact: I see Evina doing something other than turning pro. Like being a surgeon, or a supreme court judge, or running Goldman Sachs.

Please, not the Goldman Sachs thing!

 

[jaydee602]

Here is the projected roster for UCONN in the upcoming seasons. A lot of talent, but it will be a challenge finding playing time for them.

 

[OneTrickPony]

This news made my day!

 

[CL82]

I don't know. Coach Geno always goes with a set line-up, and picks his dependable subs. He shrinks the line-up as he gets to the end of the season. My point is that he isn't in a position that he has nine great players, then some scrubs. He has five players who are tremendous talents who won't even get enough time for garbage time. What if Gabriel gets better? What if he gets a set line-up with DeBerry demanding more court time? What if Azzi Fudd turns out to be a phenom? That takes time from everyone else.

Coach Geno at the beginning of this past season stated that he was surprised to get so many recruits, and that the number wasn't "ideal." I can't see all of these players being happy.

I kind of agree but I don't see Geno walking away from the advantage of quality bench depth. If the kids can contribute reliably, he will find minutes for them.

 

[MooseJaw]

Did the joke fall ♭?

You are sharp, it fell in a major way.

 

[UcMiami]

It would be interesting to watch the battle of wills if Geno were to try to limit Paige to less than 30 mpg. As it is, it will be hard enough for Geno to limit Paige to 35 mpg.

The contract was already renegotiated ... Paige isn't exactly happy with the minutes, but Geno is bringing in three more of her friends, so overall she couldn't argue too much. It was a tough negotiation session, but everyone shook hands and they're cool.

The reality is that 30 minutes for anyone, and Christyn, Paige, and Evina all average over 30 minutes, isn't likely to happen next year. Those that average 25 minutes will be special. And the ones that get 20+ will need to produce at a high level every minute they get.

This could be a really exciting year and the team could feel like a USA basketball team - forget McD AAs - this team has USA basketball pedigree/Canadian,Croatian,Polish NT pedigree - all 3 of our seniors, 1 junior, 3 of our sophomores, and 4 of our freshman have been selected for USA/Canadian/Croatian/Polish teams. Add in Griffin, McLean, and Gabriel and that is loaded. Go all out for 5 minutes each quarter and have fresh legs in the 4th when you have run the other team ragged for 30 minutes already.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Geno just has to tell Paige if she wants to play more minutes, then she has to be the one to go tell all of the players on the bench that they can't play because she thinks she should get to play more instead of them getting a chance.