Honestly, I Really Think This Year Will Be Very Interesting.

[SoCalCanine]

Love it. Geno and staff making vegetable soup. Of course to make the best soup you have to start with the best ingredients and this year the soup will be robust. Ask any cook about making a great soup and they will tell you to add a little vinegar; not a lot just enough. That's what this team will demonstrate: aggressive energy or in other words "p - - - and vinegar".

As a retired chef, I'm not eating soup at your house!

 

[PacoSwede]

Not all of us. There were a lot who said that by March they would be unbeatable. We saw the talent and the work ethic and while we knew that it would take time for the team to gel we were confident how it would end. I sat next to a young girl at the Dec game vs USC. UConn didn't look very good that day but I reassured her that she would be smiling in April.
Of course those who only read ESPN would have thought that there were too many unanswered questions and little hope that UConn could win it all.

This coming season will not have a learning curve. I expect greatness from game 1.

Not all of us. There were a lot who said that by March they would be unbeatable. We saw the talent and the work ethic and while we knew that it would take time for the team to gel we were confident how it would end. I sat next to a young girl at the Dec game vs USC. UConn didn't look very good that day but I reassured her that she would be smiling in April.
Of course those who only read ESPN would have thought that there were too many unanswered questions and little hope that UConn could win it all.

This coming season will not have a learning curve. I expect greatness from game 1.bout

personally, i was not confident because of constant worries about the seemingly inevitable injury curse. easy to be spooked by the multiple prior years.

 

[BBallF]

personally, i was not confident because of constant worries about the seemingly inevitable injury curse. easy to be spooked by the multiple prior years.

Yes, that too.

 

[BBallF]

I hate, hate, hate the period between May and October. Dribs and drabs about who we are recruiting, are we going to get this player or that player. The best time of the year is when we finally play our first game. It is then, and only then, that the starting lineup will be revealed. Anyone else curious about that????

Nah, everyone on the Boneyard already knows the starting team....and all the substitution patterns......

 

[WiseWillie]

It's not just about basketball. This team will also be a very human team. There's a phrase in Greek that captures this: τα ανθρώπινα, the human things. We love them because they're tremendous athletes. But also because they are tremendous human beings. The experiences they build together this year will be wonderful to watch from a distance.

Well said, Bone Dog. OK. I admit it. I'm biased. Whenever I have the chance to watch an interview of current or former UConn WBB players I come away impressed with not only their love of the game but their intelligence and downright human qualities. It is a testament to the type of player that Geno and CD have chosen to favor for forty years at the helm of the greatest women's basketball dynasty. UConn fans have much to be thankful for - as well as the right to be more than a little biased.

 

[BobbyJ]

I hate, hate, hate the period between May and October. Dribs and drabs about who we are recruiting, are we going to get this player or that player. The best time of the year is when we finally play our first game. It is then, and only then, that the starting lineup will be revealed. Anyone else curious about that????

No, I’m never curious or concerned about what the starting lineup will be. From a coaching standpoint my focus would be on whether I and my staff have worked enough on and helped every player maximize their strengths and improve their weaknesses. If that happens, who the first five bodies on the floor are will work itself out in October. And it also diminishes the importance of starting since it increases the options available. It just depends on what the coach wants to get accomplished in the first 5-7 minutes of the game. My curiosity is more about why fans get so fixated on starting lineups.

 

[Cuango]

Yeah, the starters thing is interesting but in the end, you just have to trust that Geno will, as he has for forty years, make the right choices and the right adjustments over the course of the season. For me, especially this year, with the number of players we have, I tend to obsess over whether my favorites will get any playing time. When I say favorites, I tend to mean those favorites that are not mortal locks to either start or be a big part of the rotation. Obviously, Sarah, a favorite, is going to start, Azzi, ditto, Ash, KK, etc.

My current concern is Caroline, Allie, Ice, Yanna, and Morgan. I really hope they can have some success this year! The freshies, while I love them as well, I know it’s simply a time thing and of course, Serah and Kaleigh are both likely to play big minutes as well. My fondest wish is to see Caroline knock it out of the park this season! I also have a soft spot for Allie. I just hope she can have enough success to fuel her to become the weapon I believe she can be in her final two years. Yanna, who doesn’t wish the best for her? I would love to see Ice finally become the player we all thought she could be before her injury. Finally, Morgan! Could there be a more likable player than this constantly upbeat, smiling young woman?

I guess I just want the best for the whole team! I feel like my little boy when we would take him to Toys R Us when he was just a little tyke and he would become overwhelmed by the choices and unable to make up his mind. It was heartbreaking in a sense. This team is so exceptional! I guess the best thing is to just root for all of them and leave it at that!

 

[rugbymate]

My sense is that this will be perhaps Geno’s most complicated coaching year ever. IMHO, there has never been a college basketball team with as much talent, athleticism and depth. How does he translate that into the all important team chemistry? He has been the GrandMaster of 1000 piece jig saw puzzles and this year he has a 5000 piece puzzle. I’m confident that by seasons end many of us will consider this his magnum opus.

 

[Skeets]

My sense is that this will be perhaps Geno’s most complicated coaching year ever. IMHO, there has never been a college basketball team with as much talent, athleticism and depth. How does he translate that into the all important team chemistry? He has been the GrandMaster of 1000 piece jig saw puzzles and this year he has a 5000 piece puzzle. I’m confident that by seasons end many of us will consider this his magnum opus.

I agree. Geno has the challenge of keeping 15 young women happy. I have a hard time keeping just 1 happy.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree. Geno has the challenge of keeping 15 young women happy. I have a hard time keeping just 1 happy.

The irony is that keeping a long roster happy has been Dawn's superpower for years.

 

[BBallF]

My sense is that this will be perhaps Geno’s most complicated coaching year ever. IMHO, there has never been a college basketball team with as much talent, athleticism and depth. How does he translate that into the all important team chemistry? He has been the GrandMaster of 1000 piece jig saw puzzles and this year he has a 5000 piece puzzle. I’m confident that by seasons end many of us will consider this his magnum opus.

For me, last year is going to be pretty tough to top. The coaching was extraordinary. We won the two games in the Final Four by a combined 57 points. There were moments of sheer beauty out there and "small ball" was a runaway freight train. However, the anticipation for this year is positively electric already and as you point out, the challenge for Geno is truly unique.

If you think about the last 8 years preceding #12, it was usually no size and very little depth. Now it's great size and great depth. What does that mean for player development? Does Jana become the player she was last year by the time of the first SC game if her playing time was halved, or quartered? Will the depth mean less PT for Ayanna who has missed so much time? Will the newcomers have a chance to grow?

One truism in basketball is that you get better as a player in practice, not games. However, you do improve what you do in games by playing in them. I just hope with the numbers we have, that the players who need to make mistakes to grow get that chance. Due to the competition for playing time and the sheer numbers, the practices will probably be the most intense ever. For our non-starters, the opposing players in practice will likely be better and stronger than any they face in games all year. So what does it all mean?

A very different kind of a team for us with different issues but also with seemingly limitless potential to become an historic women's college basketball team the likes of which we perhaps have never seen. Time will tell.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Exactly! This is the story of every season. We've all savored watching it happen every time. This season, I see 4 players who have a huge leg up on chemistry:

• Azzi Sarah KK and Ash. They've played together, they know each other. They understand Geno's way of doing things, and they know what it takes to get to a Final Four. That's a substantial core to start from.
• After them, I rank Serah, Kayleigh Jana and Ice. This is a serious group who will develop chemistry pretty quickly because in one way or another that've seen similar things at this level before.
• Next is those returning from injury or who didn't get rotation minutes last season: Carol, Ayanna, Allie, Morgan.
• And last but not least is the new kids: Kelis, Gandy and Blanca. There maybe a case for placing Blanca in the second group, because her experience is of a higher level of basketball. Only time will tell.

I think you forget the fact that Caroline has played plenty of minutes with Azzi, KK and Ash, so already there....and that, like Paige, while sitting in the sidelines, she continued to learn, transformed into a coach's mental frame.....I believe the latest therapy she went through has done wonders and she is looking almost like herself again. Chemistry with her teammates is the least of her hurdles.

 

[JellyBean]

Not all of us. There were a lot who said that by March they would be unbeatable. We saw the talent and the work ethic and while we knew that it would take time for the team to gel we were confident how it would end. I sat next to a young girl at the Dec game vs USC. UConn didn't look very good that day but I reassured her that she would be smiling in April.
Of course those who only read ESPN would have thought that there were too many unanswered questions and little hope that UConn could win it all.

This coming season will not have a learning curve. I expect greatness from game 1.

You must not attend the "Chat" room alot

All I saw in the comments was "This team isn't coming together, yet" or "We are close but wait until we face a South Carolina or USC. Those teams are more competitive". Even though we saw the talent and potential, we didn't know the mindset of this team.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Those who play effective defense will get the most minutes per game, how the rest works out is anybody's guess.

 

[BBallF]

Those who play effective defense will get the most minutes per game, how the rest works out is anybody's guess.

Seems to be a pattern here. Morgan was the best evidence of that last year.

 

[Linart]

The irony is that keeping a long roster happy has been Dawn's superpower for years.

You got that right. In the space of a few years, Geno will go from not having enough players to start a Big East game to managing the minutes of a bench full of talented players. I dare say this may be a new skill for him to learn!

 

[Alydar]

You must not attend the "Chat" room alot

All I saw in the comments was "This team isn't coming together, yet" or "We are close but wait until we face a South Carolina or USC. Those teams are more competitive". Even though we saw the talent and potential, we didn't know the mindset of this team.

I stopped using chat rooms decades ago. Too many Chicken Littles who panic that the sky is falling after every turnover.

 

[ConnMotors]

I wonder if Geno has thought about possibly redshirting a player or two. Yes it sounds ludicrous but it may be an option because of necessity. It’s hard to play 15 people in 40 minutes. Even with the poor league that we play in. I remember Geno saying once that a huge mistake that he made was redshirting Rita Williams.

 

[huskeynut]

There is always a learnimg curve for each season. This is not the same team that won the national championship.

New players, returnees who have devloped their game, new combos on the court. Throw in what Geno and company have been developing for the offense and defense.

And do not forget that Geno will continue to cycle back to the fundamentals of the game. For the fundamentals do not change.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Geno’s large roster management harkens back to the first three years of TASSK. It predates Dawn’s.

• For example, the 2000-01 team (derailed by late injuries to Svet and Shea from achieving a repeat) had 14 players; the minutes distribution, as best can be gleaned, seems remarkably managed and bodes well for this coming year.

This year’s championship-winning team is very special even among UConn’s special teams:

• There were no championship veterans;
• There was the biblical injury plague, the paradigm shift of NIL/ portal, and the championship drought that festered speculation that UConn’s dominance was past (even Geno played devil’s advocate with it: Bleacher Report @0:15);
• The 40-minute top-down quality roster mix-match took some time (zero to South Carolina, in fact) to reach its promise;
• In the end, Geno said love is the special sauce (a la Harry Potter): Bleacher Report @2:00.

Next year’s team will not have same headwinds as this year’s team: The trajectory is reasonably expected to be faster, steeper and more-targeted (with potentially developed new lethal rotations):

• Paige, Kaitlyn and Aubrey helped provide a much-needed living template proof of concept;
• We now have championship veterans again — and seven former starters — joined by impact incomers such as Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh;
• Caroline and Ayanna have their Sue Bird-injury hiatus years, hopefully with similar results;
• The NIL/ Portal/ SuperTeam era has permissively empowered Geno and CD to do some holiday shopping on a full top-down quality roster;
• Size?, “Athleticism”?, Former Point Guards?, Shooters?, Slashers?, Scorers?, Speedsters? Gamers? Traditional Post-Play? Bruisers? Agents of Chaos?, etc. on a baseline of 100% effort, high-BBIQ versatile CD-type players who value the extra pass leading to a best shot;
• There will be less weaknesses that Geno will attempt to hide and that opposing coaches will try to exploit;
• All these attributes are available strategically to Geno and CD, provided the players “love one another” as they did in Paige’s last year.

Only around 15% of UConn’s games (6 games) are games that warrant tighter rotations:

• So for most games, (5)+6 [the seven former starters + 3 impact incomers (Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh) + 1 of (Ayanna, Morgan, Allie)] is a feasible minimum competitive minutes rotation size for farm system development;
• And the players Geno elects to play for each game will potentially differ from game to game, which is the beauty and innate nature of a mature mix-match — possibly the fullest expression of Geno and CD’s “beautiful basketball”;
• Geno will tighten the rotation for the tougher 6 games or so, but I can’t imagine it would be any less than (5)+4, consistent with what is needed for a self-sustaining large roster strategy;
• The Big East schedule does have its farm system advantages for developing end of the roster players who will need to grow through intense quality practices and impactful quality minutes into future key roles.

 

[Jim R]

Geno’s large roster management harkens back to the first three years of TASSK. It predates Dawn’s.

• For example, the 2000-01 team (derailed by late injuries to Svet and Shea from achieving a repeat) had 14 players; the minutes distribution, as best can be gleaned, seems remarkably managed and bodes well for this coming year.

This year’s championship-winning team is very special even among UConn’s special teams:

• There were no championship veterans;
• There was the biblical injury plague, the paradigm shift of NIL/ portal, and the championship drought that festered speculation that UConn’s dominance was past (even Geno played devil’s advocate with it: Bleacher Report @0:15);
• The 40-minute top-down quality roster mix-match took some time (zero to South Carolina, in fact) to reach its promise;
• In the end, Geno said love is the special sauce (a la Harry Potter): Bleacher Report @2:00.

Next year’s team will not have same headwinds as this year’s team: The trajectory is reasonably expected to be faster, steeper and more-targeted (with potentially developed new lethal rotations):

• Paige, Kaitlyn and Aubrey helped provide a much-needed living template proof of concept;
• We now have championship veterans again — and seven former starters — joined by impact incomers such as Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh;
• Caroline and Ayanna have their Sue Bird-injury hiatus years, hopefully with similar results;
• The NIL/ Portal/ SuperTeam era has permissively empowered Geno and CD to do some holiday shopping on a full top-down quality roster;
• Size?, “Athleticism”?, Former Point Guards?, Shooters?, Slashers?, Scorers?, Speedsters? Gamers? Traditional Post-Play? Bruisers? Agents of Chaos?, etc. on a baseline of 100% effort, high-BBIQ versatile CD-type players who value the extra pass leading to a best shot;
• There will be less weaknesses that Geno will attempt to hide and that opposing coaches will try to exploit;
• All these attributes are available strategically to Geno and CD, provided the players “love one another” as they did in Paige’s last year.

Only around 15% of UConn’s games (6 games) are games that warrant tighter rotations:

• So for most games, (5)+6 [the seven former starters + 3 impact incomers (Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh) + 1 of (Ayanna, Morgan, Allie)] is a feasible minimum competitive minutes rotation size for farm system development;
• And the players Geno elects to play for each game will potentially differ from game to game, which is the beauty and innate nature of a mature mix-match — possibly the fullest expression of Geno and CD’s “beautiful basketball”;
• Geno will tighten the rotation for the tougher 6 games or so, but I can’t imagine it would be any less than (5)+4, consistent with what is needed for a self-sustaining large roster strategy;
• The Big East schedule does have its farm system advantages for developing end of the roster players who will need to grow through intense quality practices and impactful quality minutes into future key roles.

Excellent points…..as far as tighter rotations- think you’re spot on with the 5+4, and most of us feel like pinching ourselves knowing that our “second 5” may be the second best team on the floor (just behind our starting 5), even against the tougher competition…lots of promise, and a season that can’t get here fast enough

 

[Bone Dog]

Geno will tighten the rotation for the tougher 6 games or so, but I can’t imagine it would be any less than (5)+4, consistent with what is needed for a self-sustaining large roster strategy;

Sounds just about right. 5+4 appears to be a number he’s comfortable with in March. And you remind me of something Rebecca mentioned in the UCLA (or SC?) game, that UConn was working as hard in the 4th quarter as most teams can only manage in the 1st quarter. “They’re still doing it,” she said breathlessly as Paige & Co were pulling away at the end. That kind of energy requires a good rotation.

 

[BBallF]

Geno will play the number of players that he thinks will work best and get us where he wants us to get. He doesn't have a magic number. It's not going to be 5+4 unless that is what it should be, not by any preconceived number. If you take Azzi, Serah, Sarah, Jana, Ice, Ash, Caroline, KK, Kayleigh you have 9. What about Ayanna? She is a very strong player who is looking great in summer workouts. Morgan was in the regular rotation last year. As a 6'2" solid defender and floor player, she is out? Allie is out too? Forget about the 3 freshmen then too. These are the tantalizing questions. Any rigid formulaic answer to them is not what the best basketball coach of all time will do. If nothing else, he proved his uncanny and unrivaled ability to coach his talent, to adapt and to evolve last year. I mean "small ball"? It was brilliant. If he decides on 5+3 it's 5+3, if 5+5 it's 5+5. There is an abundance of talent here and a lot of potential looks. He will not let anyone left out who deserves to play and who will help the team because he has a magic number.

 

[Alydar]

I'll be looking to see how aggressive everyone gets. With reduced minutes they can't fart around for a period. This could result in 40 min of stifling defense as everyone presses everyone.

I think the coaches will experiment with 5 in 5 out with the practice players, and managers tracking everything. I doubt they'll do it but 3 in 3 out will happen a lot in many games.

 

[WiseWillie]

Geno’s large roster management harkens back to the first three years of TASSK. It predates Dawn’s.

• For example, the 2000-01 team (derailed by late injuries to Svet and Shea from achieving a repeat) had 14 players; the minutes distribution, as best can be gleaned, seems remarkably managed and bodes well for this coming year.

This year’s championship-winning team is very special even among UConn’s special teams:

• There were no championship veterans;
• There was the biblical injury plague, the paradigm shift of NIL/ portal, and the championship drought that festered speculation that UConn’s dominance was past (even Geno played devil’s advocate with it: Bleacher Report @0:15);
• The 40-minute top-down quality roster mix-match took some time (zero to South Carolina, in fact) to reach its promise;
• In the end, Geno said love is the special sauce (a la Harry Potter): Bleacher Report @2:00.

Next year’s team will not have same headwinds as this year’s team: The trajectory is reasonably expected to be faster, steeper and more-targeted (with potentially developed new lethal rotations):

• Paige, Kaitlyn and Aubrey helped provide a much-needed living template proof of concept;
• We now have championship veterans again — and seven former starters — joined by impact incomers such as Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh;
• Caroline and Ayanna have their Sue Bird-injury hiatus years, hopefully with similar results;
• The NIL/ Portal/ SuperTeam era has permissively empowered Geno and CD to do some holiday shopping on a full top-down quality roster;
• Size?, “Athleticism”?, Former Point Guards?, Shooters?, Slashers?, Scorers?, Speedsters? Gamers? Traditional Post-Play? Bruisers? Agents of Chaos?, etc. on a baseline of 100% effort, high-BBIQ versatile CD-type players who value the extra pass leading to a best shot;
• There will be less weaknesses that Geno will attempt to hide and that opposing coaches will try to exploit;
• All these attributes are available strategically to Geno and CD, provided the players “love one another” as they did in Paige’s last year.

Only around 15% of UConn’s games (6 games) are games that warrant tighter rotations:

• So for most games, (5)+6 [the seven former starters + 3 impact incomers (Serah, Blanca and Kayleigh) + 1 of (Ayanna, Morgan, Allie)] is a feasible minimum competitive minutes rotation size for farm system development;
• And the players Geno elects to play for each game will potentially differ from game to game, which is the beauty and innate nature of a mature mix-match — possibly the fullest expression of Geno and CD’s “beautiful basketball”;
• Geno will tighten the rotation for the tougher 6 games or so, but I can’t imagine it would be any less than (5)+4, consistent with what is needed for a self-sustaining large roster strategy;
• The Big East schedule does have its farm system advantages for developing end of the roster players who will need to grow through intense quality practices and impactful quality minutes into future key roles.

Nice sum up, NycUcwbbfan. Your list shows all the myriad details involved that need to mesh together correctly - and importantly at the right time - to be not only consistently competitive but successful at the Div I elite level. We die-hard UConn fans are all the beneficiaries of how its done correctly and successfully here in The Basketball Capital of the World.