How Coach Geno Auriemma plans to delegate the point guard position

[Stymie]

Well they have just started practicing. Geno is thinking out loud about the PG position. The chemistry has to develop as it does each year. That's what practice and scrimmages are all about.

Many may not like it, but Nika starts at the point. Azzi is not, I repeat, is not a PG. Geno wants her to shoot. She needs to be able to move and get open to shoot. She's open, Nika gets her the ball were she needs it.

Thinking out loud?
How about putting things out there he wants out there?
Never a stream of consciousness riff- always a purpose.

 

[Notyetready]

This move marks a necessary changing of the proverbial guard at UConn in more than one important way.
Not only does UConn need to develop a whole new team chemistry due to the graduation of the senior leaders & Paige's injury which represents 4 key experienced players, but there's also a lack of overall experience & experience playing together for a significant length of time.
If we examine individual playing experience by their amount of team chemistry, then UConn lacks the continuity of having enough proven, reliable veteran scoring leaders on the team.
Azzi, Carol & Aubrey missed a lot of games, Dorka didn't average very many minutes, and Nika & Edwards weren't leading scorers & playmakers that could be relied on to deliver points in bulk or in the clutch.
That's why UConn needs to come up with a new identity and scoring chemistry while Paige is out.
They'll all be forced to grow their game & skills under game pressure to become better all around players.

Women players are said to generally not have as keen peripheral vision as the men players do.
Some women probably do while others don't.
But IMO it's vitally important for UConn to develop those players who do because that can make a huge difference in making plays & the best decisions to win the big games.
Some new chemistry & playmaking needs to be established to fill the voids in experience left by the departed & injured players.
It will become more apparent during the big games which players are the stronger & weaker links on the team, and which need to work on contributing more to the new formula.
UConn can't rely on only a few players, they will need a total team effort that only a nearly total make over in team chemistry can help provide.
It's a matter of necessity mostly due to personnel changes, but also due to a tough schedule and the amount of proven senior level experience that our opponents will have that we're lacking this year.
Hopefully it can be developed soon enough.

"Women players are said to generally not have as keen peripheral vision as the men players do."

It is just the opposite. Women have better peripheral vision than men. Men have better depth perception than women. Google it. But really, individuals are all different. Paige apparently has really good depth perception as we have seen from her down court passing. But good peripheral vision aids the half-court game. Paige is great at that as well. I don't know if you are going to find another guard who sees the court as well as Paige. Anywhere.

 

[jdote33]

 

[Purchase1]

Nika needs to be the Starting PG period. Anything other than that we will be in hot water faster than we know it . Lou can be eased into the rotation or just use Caroline at the 4 and Dorka at the 5 bringing Edwards off the Bench .

Nika
Azzi
Lou
Caroline
Dorka
(Tough gritty team)
or

Azzi
Lou
Caroline
Edwards
Dorka
(more scoring powered team)

Also how do you have a “tough gritty team” and have Aliyah on the bench? Lol

 

[Alydar]

Interesting points of views. Unfortunately can't open the article. So is Azzi odds on favorite to start at point guard? Atleast to start the season?

Much more likely in April than November. Right now UConn's strongest offense has Fudd at pg and Ducharme and LLS on the floor. Three great outside shooters. But I don't think Geno wants Fudd playing 30'/gm, and certainly not at pg.

 

[Charliebball]

Why?

like Geno said.........seems to me that point guard in the UConn system begins and ends at the halfcourt line.........unlike a lot of teams, nobody monopolizes the ball in the UConn offense.......

 

[Charliebball]

"Women players are said to generally not have as keen peripheral vision as the men players do."

It is just the opposite. Women have better peripheral vision than men. Men have better depth perception than women. Google it. But really, individuals are all different. Paige apparently has really good depth perception as we have seen from her down court passing. But good peripheral vision aids the half-court game. Paige is great at that as well. I don't know if you are going to find another guard who sees the court as well as Paige. Anywhere.

that's right.............I get the side eye from my daughters all the time..........

 

[sno-cat]

Why is everyone so fixated on the point guard position? In a fast paced, high scoring, positionless basketball team the offence should be pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-shoot-score or pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-shoot-rebound- score. Dribbling is for when you want to slow everything down. Too much dribbling usually leads to turnovers. As far as setting up plays I don’t think we need a point guard to direct all traffic. I think our team is good enough that our players will feed off each other and score. I’m not advocating eliminating the point guard position; but we will be fine with the players we have.

 

[CocoHusky]

like Geno said.........seems to me that point guard in the UConn system begins and ends at the halfcourt line.........unlike a lot of teams, nobody monopolizes the ball in the UConn offense.......

That bolded part is so incorrect I don't even know where to begin. Ponder this: The Lieberman Award was established in 2000. Since then UCONN has had 5 different PGs ( Sue Bird, DT, Renee Montgomery, Moriah Jefferson, and Paige Bueckers) combine to win 9 of the 22 Lieberman awards including the first 5 such awards. Good to excellent PG play is essential to the UCONN offense and it involves MUCH more than just getting the ball across half court.

 

[Iluvacc2]

"I would say based on one week of practice, Azzi’s as good as anybody we’ve had at this point in every area of the game”

Very high praise from Geno

 

[CL82]

Mühl is vocal, loud and sparks energy both on the court and off the bench. Now that she’s stepping into Bueckers’ shoes as the team’s likely starting point guard, she’s gone out of her way to make sure her team knows she’s ready for the role.

 

[sun]

For those who couldn't read the Courant article,

Auriemma had a conversation with Fudd this preseason in which he told her, " You got to be Azzi and you gotta be a little bit of Paige.” Bueckers had established herself as an aggressive, top-scoring threat to the point where she drew multiple defenders whenever she dribbled the ball. That in turn opened up the rest of the offense and got other players shots. Now he plans to run more of the offense through Fudd.

“Coach has really harped on this year kind of like whether we’re running a play, transition, whatever it is, the first thing you do is look to score,” Fudd said. “So I think that’s helped, just remembering that so when I bring the ball up first thing I’m trying to do is get to the basket and when someone stops me then I pass it. So far in practice, like when I was in running the point, it’s attack and then look to kick and stuff. So I’ve had a lot of fun, because it’s fun beating up on our practice players.”

It seems that Geno intends to run more of the offense through Azzi, and that will allow another scorer to be on the court who can score more than Nika can.
With all of the injuries last year, Nika averaged 21.7 minutes per game.
Since so many believe that this year's team has more depth, and more of the offense will be run through Azzi, then I don't see how Nika will be able to get any more PT than last year no matter which position she plays.
That could also indicate that Nika may be playing PG less than Azzi because it seems that Azzi will be controlling more of the offense.
Geno wants them all to attack the basket more.
Last year Azzi wasn't handling the ball as much probably because she wasn't at the PG position but mostly moving around without the ball.
The question will be who will Azzi be passing the ball off to when she's in the game?
Probably not Nika if she's not going to be on the court 1/ 2 the game.

 

[GEAinAustin]

Sun, you are absolutely correct. In U Conn's offense specifically, the P.G. has to have superior handles, have the ability to break down the opponent, penetrate into the lane, and be creative to manufacture coverage to her, enabling the offense to run their schemes and sets. With Azzi at the point, the ball would be in the best player's hands allowing 4 very talented players to show case their talent.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I don't care who starts but Azzi, Lou and Caroline should be on the floor for over 32 minutes a game when we play tough competition. Even 35 minutes a game. They all have done it before many times. Geno knows what to do and he will do it. And that means Azzi is our primary point guard. Go ahead and dispute it. You will be wrong. And it's not defined by who starts as Nika may well start and be helpful setting the tone. It doesn't matter who gets playing time against most Big East opponents. Watch who gets playing time against top competition. It will be interesting to see how much PT Nika gets against Texas. She might have more utility against a quick guard like Rori Harmon. I'm convinced our best team includes Lou, Azzi and Caroline on the floor together.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Azzi is a very sweet young woman, but this quote shows that she has a killer side: "So I’ve had a lot of fun, because it’s fun beating up on our practice players.”

 

[TeamFirst!]

And Ayanna is not a 3. Forget about it. I will be surprised if she gets much time at all at the 3 but maybe injuries might force it I guess. She doesn't have the outside shot for the 3. Maybe she could defend the 3 and constantly post up offensively in some sort of quirk offense.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Isn't Paige a PG and also our best offensive player? Why is it such a breakthrough thought for Azzi to be our PG?

 

[Skeets]

Even token pressure is going to speed up wearing out a PG. Paige suffered her first injury bringing the ball up court while exhausted at the end of the game. You want Azzi to be the PG? I want Azzi to be fresh for as many minutes as possible and shooting the ball. Nika can be the workman (workwoman?) bringing the ball up court 20-25 minutes a game.

 

[CocoHusky]

Even token pressure is going to speed up wearing out a PG. Paige suffered her first injury bringing the ball up court while exhausted at the end of the game. You want Azzi to be the PG? I want Azzi to be fresh for as many minutes as possible and shooting the ball. Nika can be the workman (workwoman?) bringing the ball up court 20-25 minutes a game.

Paige was "exhausted" and that's why she hurt her knee in ND game?
Your story lines to big up Nika are getting more reckless!
Geno Auriemma coach teams NEVER struggle against against just token pressure.

 

[Bone Dog]

I understand the worry about wearing Azzi out if she has to play too many minutes. It may not be a matter of which position she plays but simply how long she’s on the court.

Anyway, I get this worry, even if it isn’t well founded. Who wouldn’t feel this way after watching Paige go down twice? I’ve watched the ND game a few times and it doesn’t exactly look like she’s tired at the end. But she did get roughed up a bit during the game, taking a few hard fouls. A notable one in the second half involved diving for a loose ball and hitting Maya Dotson’s knee with her neck.

It wasn’t a dirty play by Dotson or anything like that. But Paige really threw herself into the middle of things in this game on several occasions. Before she collapsed at the end, I remember wondering if this level of intensity was sustainable across an entire season.

I don’t know if this is a valid concern to apply to Azzi, or if 35 mins is too much for her to be on the court. But I totally understand it. For Caroline too.

 

[UConnCat]

I guess I'm not as concerned or surprised about the situation as everybody else.

The reality is that Azzi will be starting SG and back up PG which means she'll slide over when Nika takes a break or gets some fouls. That makes room for the other available guards to play their more comfortable 2 or 3 guard position since Azzi is the most talented. Talent also brings responsibility.... she did a really good job facilitating for team USA when she was having foot issues and couldn't really put weight on the foot to shoot. She still really impacted the game because of her talent.

Now that is not an unheard of formula in the UConn identity. Geno always recruits talented high bball IQ guards.

For instance, I'll start with the greatest of all which is the Sue/DT back court. DT was the back up PG while being the starting SG. Quite often it was hard to really tell who was playing which role... I'll give honorable mention to the likes of Hartley/MoJeff, MoJeff/Nurse, Danger/Nurse, and when healthy Paige/Nika. Doty had that versatility too when healthy.

My main point is starting SG and back up PG is not a foreign concept in a UConn offense.

Agree with all of this.

Geno said earlier in the week that running offense without a true point guard is something he's done before. I'm thinking he was referring to 2009-2010. Doty technically was the point guard on that team but she was coming off acl surgery in 2008-2009 and had spent her earlier years at UConn as a SG. Tiff Hayes was the other guard and she was even less comfortable playing the point. Geno shifted some of his offense to a two-guard front which didn't really rely on one player handling the ball all of the time. In fact, I recall Roy Williams contacted Geno during that season to talk through playing without a true point guard because UNC lost Lawson to the NBA. Of course, during that season the job of the guards was to get the ball to Tina or Maya which they did very well (39-0).

As you said, Nika is going to start and Azzi will shift over to play the point when Nika sits. The rest of the team referred to Nika as the "tone-setter." I think you want that when starting the game. Also, Geno likes to bring offense off the bench so I'm thinking Lou or Caroline will fill that role.

 

[Charliebball]

That bolded part is so incorrect I don't even know where to begin. Ponder this: The Lieberman Award was established in 2000. Since then UCONN has had 5 different PGs ( Sue Bird, DT, Renee Montgomery, Moriah Jefferson, and Paige Bueckers) combine to win 9 of the 22 Lieberman awards including the first 5 such awards. Good to excellent PG play is essential to the UCONN offense and it involves MUCH more than just getting the ball across half court.

Those players were inherently great passers and shooters within the offense............ you either have those skills or you don't and with PB out Fudd is the only player with comparable abilities..........still every player on the court has an equal opportunity to pass the ball.......... under Geno's system the team shouldn't have to rely on only one player distributing the ball or scoring for that matter..........

 

[sun]

Be on the lookout for an interview with Geno about Azzi in a story to be written by CBS Sports writer Isabel Gonzalez.
Geno said that he wants Azzi to be the playmaker in place of Paige.
There's 2 more Twitter videos interviewing Geno after this one below, just click on the Twitter box & scroll down.

 

[BBallF]

Interesting thread with a lot of nuanced points of view. One thing that is not being emphasized enough IMO is that Nika is a born leader who would run through a brick wall for this team if she had to. She works as hard as anyone and brings enthusiasm and tenacity whenever she is playing. It is very important to have a great defender at the point and there can be no dispute about that ability of hers, with a caveat as to tick tacky fouls at times. Geno has often described her as the leader on the floor when she is out there.

When Nika comes out moving Azzi to the point is an easy fix and probably the configuration you want against top tier teams. Against BE lower tier teams you will probably see Ines at times to get her sea legs. So I see Nika , Azzi, CD, Lisa and Dorka starting and Lou and Aubrey spelling the guards/small forward and Ayanna coming in underneath for Liya with Amari and Ice as well for the 5 position which is Dorka. Of course, everything is situational and depends on the flow of the game. If Azzi is the best player every practice as Geno says, it sounds like she will be on the floor in any kind of close game with the ball in her hands at the point when we need to score and that her minutes will be extended in those types of games.

Having said all of that, I am very anxious to see this year's version of Nika. There was no real bump up last year from the summer but I think that will not be the case this year. We also don't know what the practices are showing. If Lou Two is that good and does start, it means Nika doesn't to me. CD is a natural 3, a match up problem for anyone because she moves so classically without the ball, and is a highly versatile shooter and scorer who proved she could carry the team last year as a freshman with no sense of nervousness or timidity once she had to perform. So in the final analysis, it's not Nika or Azzi, it's Lou or Nika. I think it's Nika. Having Lou, Aubrey, and Ayanna coming in as first substitutions is pretty impressive. Points, defensive chaos, and power. A very strong first 8 and I also hesitate to overlook Amari and Ice because we just don't know.

 

[Zarathustra]

Why is everyone so fixated on the point guard position? In a fast paced, high scoring, positionless basketball team the offence should be pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-shoot-score or pass-pass-pass-pass-pass-shoot-rebound- score. Dribbling is for when you want to slow everything down. Too much dribbling usually leads to turnovers. As far as setting up plays I don’t think we need a point guard to direct all traffic. I think our team is good enough that our players will feed off each other and score. I’m not advocating eliminating the point guard position; but we will be fine with the players we have.

Of course before the pass- pass - pass -pass, there is the issue of inbounding
and getting the ball across half court in 10 seconds. We'll know more about
our need for a superior , ball handing PG, during the first 10 minutes of
the Texas game, .. Rori Harmon, anyone??