Geno's Biggest Decision For 2021-22: 3 Guards or 4?

[oldhusky]

I don't see 3 vs. 4 guards as a tough decision at all. The reason I say that is we all know we have talent and depth at every position. We can put a potential AA candidate at the 4 playing her natural position, with a backup that could be a sixth women of the year in many conferences. That is just Aaliyah and Aubrey, not even figuring any potential contribution from Mir, or Dorka or Amari playing some 4.

Is it a crowded numbers game at the guards too? Of course ,it is at every single position on the team. So why do we have to try to fit a square peg in a round hole? They may be great square pegs, but every one of the potential 4th guards at the 4 would be more effective at their more natural position.

For that matter the same principle applies to our undersized but very athletic 4's namely Aubrey and Mir. I am pretty sure they could easily play the 3 defensively, and in rare end of period defensive lineups maybe they could be used there for a possession, but for the most part we shouldn't be trying to figure out more ways to get them minutes at the wing either.

Evina is the most capable of the guards of "approximating" a 4, and her versatility (swiss army knife) is tremendous, but remember her first two years she was a point guard. Christyn and Azzi are natural 2's, and I would argue they would be slightly less effective as a 3, and much less effective battling bigs at the 4. The closest thing to a natural 3 on the roster by position might be Caroline, who will probably be fighting for limited minutes as a backup there.

If all of the players were new to the team, I don't think think we would be having much of the 3 vs. 4 guard debate. The debate is elevated because of having all our returning starters coming back, and three seniors among them. Demoting a very good starter, particularly a senior, is something some on the Boneyard would not want to do, or think is appropriate, even if the challenger was better.

I have no idea how Geno will react. If he defers to the returning starters and seniors he could keep the returning starters and a four guard lineup. If he picks the best player for each position, I think it is far more likely he goes with 3 guards, and a senior starter is benched. Regardless I think the burden of proof will be on the challengers. They probably have to clearly beat out a returning starter for Geno to make a change.

 

[CL82]

Tough to make the argument that CW is an among our best five. I suspect that Azzi is as well. I strongly doubt that we will see Olivia, Edwards and Dorka on the floor at the same time.

Regardless, “too much talent“ is a happy problem to have.

Ugh... that should say "Tough to make the argument that CW is not among our best five." I hate the new time limit on ending. It is pointless and reduced the readability of the board. IMO

 

[CL82]

Christyn and Azzi are natural 2's, and I would argue they would be slightly less effective as a 3,

I'm not sure there is all that much of a difference on Geno's system.

 

[oldude]

Ugh... that should say "Tough to make the argument that CW is not among our best five." I hate the new time limit on ending. It is pointless and reduced the readability of the board. IMO

I think everyone on the BY knew what you meant to write

 

[CocoHusky]

I'll have to youtube some Dolson, Stewie, and Stokes and some Stewie, Tuck, and Stokes moments to see what led to them because I don't disagree with your theory but he has done the big line up in the past. I just can't remember what was happening on the other side of the ball at those moments.

It was not one single thing, there was quite a bit happening throughout that season which gave Geno the ability to experiment with that line up. The most important consideration was that UCONN main opponents (Stamford, Duke, ND, Maryland) all had rosters that started or were capable of putting 2 or more bigs on the floor. A second consideration was UCONN started the season fully healthy and 9 players got meaningful minutes in the first major game of the season which was against # 3 Stanford. The full health did not last because both KML and Morgan Tuck would miss the third game of the season against # 8 @Maryland. In the Maryland game Dolson, Stewie and Stokes all struggled with foul trouble. KML and Tuck would miss the next 8 games during which Stokes and Banks became the starters. Moriah Jefferson had also not solidified her starting position as the starting PG. Moriah had Saniya Chong nipping at her heals and defenses were sagging off Moriah and daring her to shoot especially from deep. During the early part of the season Geno would many times slide Bria over to the PG position and KML to the SG. Of course Moriah put an end to all that by getting in the gym during Christmas break and the rest is history. Of that Dolson Stewie Stokes combination Geno would say he was basically telling the opponent "you better not miss a shot because with those three on the floor good luck getting a rebound". This was arguably one of the best & deepest teams in UCONN history even with the injuries to Tuck and KML.

 

[Charliebball]

obviously it depends on the size/quality of the competition's starting five..........also depends on which CW we see and exactly how good plays early on.......I could easily see a four guard offense against smaller, faster teams but obviously as stated by others not against the bigs of SC or Stanford......either way, what a wonderful situation to be in for Geno and co........

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

With all due respect to an abundance of quality guards, the Coach's likely biggest decision is not how many of them are on the floor at any given time BUT in the style this team will play, given their depth and capabilities (some developed, other brimming in potential). Does he stay with the limited number rotation he has used in most years because of lack of depth or does he deploy most of his deep resources? The latter will enhance fun and moral, especially if they catch on quickly and convincingly win with it. If he then decides to try to deploy them in waves, his next big challenge is to find the near-optimum combinations he puts on the floor at the same time. Does he stay with a fix set of fives after experimenting or is he able to mix and match as the game progresses to adjust to the opponent's capabilities and maintain his team's competitive edge?

I believe he will try to change the style of play to take advantage of the quality depth of this team and try to run the opponents to the ground and early submission.

Good luck to him. This will be a hard coaching year but it can also be the most fun for both him and the players. I can even see a game against a smaller team when 5 guards are on the floor with another one still on the bench or games where he will have two playmaking guards on the floor with three tall ones but ensuring good perimeter defense. Equally important is how he will be able to accelerate the process of turning this team into a well-coordinated motion offense. Bigs must pass well and move, guards not rooted in one spot and able to catch and shoot.

The combinations he comes up with for greater success may surprise even the most astute observers in these boards.

 

[Centerstream]

I don't think Nika will be in the starting 5...Aaliyah has proven her abilities and Liv needs her for support in the front court.

You could very well be right and all us fans can only offer our opinions. But if I remember correctly from last season, Aaliyah was a starter at some point, as was Aubrey, but when it came down to March and April, Geno stuck with the starting 5 (when all 5 were healthy) that I think will be the starting 5 at the beginning of this coming season.

 

[nuna23]

I think starting 5 are
ododa/Edwards/CW/Paige/EW

 

[veryolddog]

this was a good read. Lots of speculation on what may be. I think that I can be patient and wait and see what Geno will do. Pretty soon.

 

[CocoHusky]

You could very well be right and all us fans can only offer our opinions. But if I remember correctly from last season, Aaliyah was a starter at some point, as was Aubrey, but when it came down to March and April, Geno stuck with the starting 5 (when all 5 were healthy) that I think will be the starting 5 at the beginning of this coming season.

You may be forgetting that all players were never fully healthy except for the first 5 games of the season. Anna was the starter at the beginning of the season and she remained in the starting lineup for the first 5 games of the season before being replaced in the starting lineup by Aaliyah for the Providence game. Nika got her first start against Georgetown because two starters (Paige and Anna) were injured. Anna's injury caused her to miss the middle 13 games of the season and she did not return until March 6th for the start of the BE tournament where she played limited minutes=never more than 17 in any game after she returned. To put that into context Anna's injury would have qualified her for a Medical Redshirt if last year was a non-COVID year. The injury to Anna was the most significant event that lead to a 4 guard line up. If you want to consider a player fully healthy because they were available then that should also apply to Nika for the Arizona game but.....There was no way in hell that Geno was going to take Aaliyah out of the starting lineup for Nika after the way Aaliyah played in the Iowa and Baylor games where she went 11 for 16 combined.

 

[CocoHusky]

Geno had 20 plus games to experiment last year with not a single worry about losing any of those games…except one. Yet, with insurmountable leads, Paige and the starters were out there in the 4th quarter. And, the scrubs, got there 2,3,,4,5 minutes of floor mopping. Why would he all of a sudden change? This may be the most talented team from top to bottom but all that could mean is that UCONN has very talented players high fiving each other from the bench when one of the starters makes a 3.

There are no scrubs on UCONN WBB. Geno is not going to change because he has no reason to change. This program is not run like recreation league where everyone is guaranteed a certain amount of playing time and everyone gets a participation trophy. What is also severely underestimated is the amount of time and effort (practice) that goes into a team achieving the cohesion that is the hallmark of UCONN WBB. When you achieve that cohesion even 1 or 2 substitutions most times have you starting over. The other blunt reality that fans must come to understand is that the players are not of equal ability. Geno will not put a player into a game unless he is fairly certain that the player can handle the situation. When UCONN player demonstrate in practice that they can be trusted they will get minutes. 2013-14 team second game of the season was against #3 Stanford- that rotation was 9 deep. This team has the potential to be just as deep IMO.

 

[HopJim]

While I don't see how anyone can keep Edwards from playing major minutes, I really don't care if its as a starter or early off the bench. With so much talent, does it matter?

 

[CocoHusky]

While I don't see how anyone can keep Edwards from playing major minutes, I really don't care if its as a starter or early off the bench. With so much talent, does it matter?

For me it does matter-I don't want to see another Azura Steven's Part II.

 

[Inthepaint]

I agree. Been following the BY for a long time, and it seems it's a great forum for everyone to pretend to be the head coach of the UConn women's team. Nothing wrong with that, since it's great fun and generates some outstanding discussions and arguments, but in the end it's all about what Geno will do, and that isn't dependent on what we think. He surprises us, the players surprise us, and the game surprises us. Ain't it wonderful?

I am a relative newbie, joining BY this year.
IMHO, the big question will not be who starts against Arkansas on November 14th (or on whatever date the first BE contest is if prior to the 14th), BUT...
Who starts against (fill in the blank) in the Final Four in April 2022 ( I refuse to contemplate getting booted before then)?
As long as we are all warming up the old crystal ball.
Will Azzi be the Husky's freshman lightning that strikes two years in a row?
Will Liv and CW FINALLY live up to their enormous potential and lead the charge?
AE's overpowering physical presence down low, or NM's annoyance & pocket picking?
Stay tuned, if you can figure out where & how to watch.

 

[HopJim]

You may be forgetting that all players were never fully healthy except for the first 5 games of the season. Anna was the starter at the beginning of the season and she remained in the starting lineup for the first 5 games of the season before being replaced in the starting lineup by Aaliyah for the Providence game. Nika got her first start against Georgetown because two starters (Paige and Anna) were injured. Anna's injury caused her to miss the middle 13 games of the season and she did not return until March 6th for the start of the BE tournament where she played limited minutes=never more than 17 in any game after she returned. To put that into context Anna's injury would have qualified her for a Medical Redshirt if last year was a non-COVID year. The injury to Anna was the most significant event that lead to a 4 guard line up. If you want to consider a player fully healthy because they were available then that should also apply to Nika for the Arizona game but.....There was no way in hell that Geno was going to take Aaliyah out of the starting lineup for Nika after the way Aaliyah played in the Iowa and Baylor games where she went 11 for 16 combined.

To add to Coco's endorsement of major minutes for Edwards, one of the best ways of assisting guard's shooting % is to have a strong inside game. For the past two years, we have typically had a non-shooter(s) in the line up, allowing double teams on the scorers. Edward's relentless inside presence would not only help Paige, Williams, etc. get wide open shots, but likely free up ONO more.

 

[Monte]

Too early to predict anything. After about 10 games, a coach will know who his BEST PLAYERS are! You can call them guards, or any name you want.........Stewie was a guard, center, and forward.

You have to wait and see what develops.

 

[tchalla1]

For me it does matter-I don't want to see another Azura Steven's Part II.

Double Amen to that, Coco....

 

[Heytherego]

I think chemistry is going to be what it comes down to. What rotation is more cohesive and has the best chemistry? It may not be who we think is 5 most talented.

 

[Ozimoto]

There is a lot of speculation about Geno adapting his line up to "match up" with opponents. I've also read that Geno prefers to play the game his way and force the opponent to adapt to UConn's play.

To me, it would be preferable to develop your team to play in a given way so that the players have a consistent approach to how the game is to be played rather than developing multiple approaches because this week we play A and next week we play B. Generally, the simpler and more consistent you can keep things the better. Of course, problems with this approach can arise when your preferred style of play isn't working. There has to be enough flexibility built into your preferred method of play to address those occasions when the other team is able to dictate how the game is going to be played.

To me, this inability to smoothly transition to a different style of play has been a shortcoming for the past couple of seasons. Approach A worked really well for most games, but when the opposition was able to shut down Approach A, there was either no workable Approach B or if there was, it looked rather ugly being implemented. Maybe this was a result of limitations in the number and type of players that were available.

With the anticipated skill level and depth on this years' team, it should be possible to make better contingency plans to address those times when the preferred style of play is not working for whatever reason. The question is one of execution and how easily the needed transition in style of play can be implemented.

As to the playing time issue, players want to play. Most players would probably be ok with less minutes if their time on the floor is meaningful (Paige may be the exception here) and they are contributing to the overall success of the team. I think this group of kids all have the ability to contribute in a meaningful way so I would hope that we don't have the issue where the same players get only "mop up" time every game. But, that's not my decision to make. That's between Geno and the kids based on their effort and practice performance and could easily change from week to week and game to game.

 

[Dokey]

Then there's the 5 best players option. Though a matter of opinion, that option leads me to 3 bigs and 2 guards. So: something like Azzi and Paige plus Dorka, Liv, and Aaliyah. That provides size, rebounding, and shooting around the post and great perimeter scorers/passers on the outside. I can imagine that line-up facing anyone UConn will play this year.
I understand that people get hysterical if a favorite player isn't included, but, in the end, the best 5 should be on the court whomever you think they are.

Poor CW, once again the forgotten heading for AA.

 

[Dokey]

Whatever you think about the idea you could—could and pigs might fly—see Geno copying the Storm’s use of Lou and Talbot as a combined three. It does mean fresh legs but it also interrupts the flow. There were games when Lou’s being on bench ultimately cost Storm the game. In the loss, Lou played 35 minutes, hit 6 of 10 (60%) of her shots, including 4 of 6 from 3 (67%), gaining confidence with every minute on the floor, being the main reason why the team earned overtime, and was the team’s top scorer with 18 points. There were numerous games when Lou spent early extended periods on bench with 7-10 points. So I might suggest Geno go with a modified two starting lineups, modified in that Paige is on both teams. Paige, CW, Ono, Evina, Aalilah then Paige, Dorka, Azzi, Nika, Caroline, each starting and playing a half.

 

[Alydar]

Last night I watched a Youtube highlight video of last year's S Car game. Right at the beginning the announcers discussed Geno's decision to start 4 guards. Edwards came off the bench and UConn won the game. UConn can start 4 guards and win. I don't think they will but they could.

Sorry if this was already posted but there's too many posts to read.

 

[Bald Husky]

I believe that Geno and the other coaches are already recording scenarios on paper about different combinations on the court. Using a 6-7 player rotation the past few years hasn't worked to get that golden ring, and he knows that he now has the opportunity to increase that to at least 8-9. I'm sure he wants to cut the PT of his starters by 6-8 minutes, and I'm talking about ALL starters. If we don't have fresh players playing in the fourth quarter, we may never get that ring. The level of energy playing a team like SC could be twice as much as playing a team like Butler. So his biggest challenge is finding out who can play at this level right now, and how can he incorporate the new players with the returners. He knows what last years starters can do, so I don't think those players will change in the beginning, with the emphasis being who can play with the players already starting. He know the starters are good, so his challenge will be to find the right combinations for the minutes when starters are on the bench resting. The girls that prove they can play will play, and these players will get all the minutes that the team needs them to play. Simple as that, so changing the starting line-up will be a headache he does not have to deal with. For now, lets just say that can change later in the season if it is warranted, but integrating new players in the line-up is what playing practice games (BE games) is all about.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Last night I watched a Youtube highlight video of last year's S Car game. Right at the beginning the announcers discussed Geno's decision to start 4 guards. Edwards came off the bench and UConn won the game. UConn can start 4 guards and win. I don't think they will but they could.

Sorry if this was already posted but there's too many posts to read.

Depends on who your biggest guard is having to guard, right?

for SC you could definitely live with a matchup with Saxton, but Boston might not go so well.

 

[Alydar]

Depends on who your biggest guard is having to guard, right?

for SC you could definitely live with a matchup with Saxton, but Boston might not go so well.

Guarding Boston one on one is difficult at any height.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Poor CW, once again the forgotten heading for AA.

Not to worry. After Paige I believe she will be consistently good during her senior year to merit AA honor, maybe even 1st team. Why? because of her awakening on defense and feeling free to play her natural game now that there are proven playmakers on the team and a great balance with the front court players exist on the team. She will be more confident to lead from strength.....that is expected of a senior.

 

[CL82]

Not to worry. After Paige I believe she will be consistently good during her senior year to merit AA honor, maybe even 1st team. Why? because of her awakening on defense and feeling free to play her natural game now that there are proven playmakers on the team and a great balance with the front court players exist on the team. She will be more confident to lead from strength.....that is expected of a senior.

I’m already on record on this, but I think this is going to be a really good year for Williams. I’ve talked about way before.

 

[Zanzman]

Toot toot

 

[Bobcat]

They will not start 4 guards, not with as many good Bigs as they have, two of whom started last year. There may be times when four guards are on the floor, but not on a regular basis. There may also be times when there are three Bigs on the floor and only two guards.