(I think) Evina (will be) Squeezed Out

[Cornell Lt]

It is often said that often bad things happen to good people. Evina has been everything UConn has needed this year without any thought to her personal stats or prospects. It has been only about doing whatever the team required to win. Now looking ahead to next year, if she doesn't opt to go professional, all that unselfish effort will be rewarded by a drastic reduction in minutes assuming that Azzi is as good as advertised. If she is, Azzi will be Geno's starter next to Paige and Christyn. With Liv as a given, I have to believe that Geno will be deciding between Nika and Aaliyah depending of the opponent, with the one not starting most likely the first sub. After that there still remain many other options -- Aubrey, Caroline, Saylor, Mir, even Anna -- to share minutes. Evina should have gotten at least an honorable mention for the All-Big East Conference and/ or Tournament Team but again her contributions were so distributed that they were easy to ignore, except by Geno who has praised her repeatedly all season. I hope for her sake that she goes pro, even if her unselfish numbers don't result in a WNBA draft selection. She doesn't deserve what will happen to her next season if she returns.

Evina is a proven commodity within the program. There is so much more to that young lady than basketball stats. If she chooses to go to the WBNA/Oversees then good for her. If she chooses to return to Storrs, then good for her and the fans of UConn women's basketball. Only one person makes any personnel decisions and he's not been shy about how he feels about Evina.

 

[mbr33ct]

Assuming Evina is returning (personally I want her back) and with 4 additional Freshman arriving (counting Saylor) not only Evina will be "squeezed out of minutes" but just about everyone on the current roster.

As others have mentioned, thread title leaves a lot to be desired...not to mention the timing.

 

[HuskylnSC]

morgan Tuck's early retirement because of knee issues will have to play into E's decision.

 

[cbraarj]

When Geno has had a full returning team, he hasn't started superstars. Maya came off the bench as a freshman until injuries hit, Taurasi came off the bench until injuries hit. But ... if he has ten players he feels confident in playing, he plays all ten (see Olympic and WC squads) if he has eight, he'll play eight. If you have two players for the same position, it is better to have them each play 20 minutes full out and fully aggressive than play one who is pacing themselves half the time on court.

He loved running pressing and trapping defenses when he had the guards and forwards to do it, and that requires a lot of subs because players are scrambling around the full 7,290 square feet of the court, and because that kind of aggression leads to a few more fouls 75 feet from the basket. If next year's freshman are good enough and this years freshman improve enough, they will get meaningful minutes - they may not get 30 minutes but they will sweat and their uniforms will need to be washed, and the floor burns will need treatment.

As for Evina - she will get minutes if she returns and she will get drafted in the first round if she leaves.

Everything sounds good except comparing the National Team with his Uconn team. Talent gap is to wide.

 

[UcMiami]

Everything sounds good except comparing the National Team with his Uconn team. Talent gap is to wide.

Sure it is wide, as is the general talent gap between his seniors and his freshman, and the players he gives serious minutes to and the rest of the bench. But ... if everyone things next years freshman should all start, then obviously they have the same talent as his seniors, juniors, and sophomres have so he will have at least ten equally talent players and he can play all ten the way he did when he coached USA basketball.

 

[cbraarj]

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Just thought I would get this out of the way now. It seems to be a yearly thread topic. Okay, here it goes.
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Does not make a difference who starts for UConn WBB during 2021-22. UConn's second team is good enough to be in the Top 10. Geno will play first and second teams like Hockey line shifts. 5 in, 5 out.
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No he won't.

 

[cbraarj]

Sure it is wide, as is the general talent gap between his seniors and his freshman, and the players he gives serious minutes to and the rest of the bench. But ... if everyone things next years freshman should all start, then obviously they have the same talent as his seniors, juniors, and sophomres have so he will have at least ten equally talent players and he can play all ten the way he did when he coached USA basketball.

You and I both know it won't be like that.

 

[BostonBay]

Cant think of many reasons why EW would stay. She is guaranteed she will be a high pick, the knee situation, probably less playing time next year. The only situation might be winning a Title (if UConn falls short this year).

 

[ScuderiaDiU]

There is no reason why Azzi has to start. There is also no reason why Nika has to start next year. If I were Geno, I would start Paige, Christyn, Nika, Evina and Olivia. Azzi, Anna, Aubrey and Aaliyah would be our primary players off the bench. I could see minutes getting divided up pretty evenly and varying by opponent due to matchups.

 

[Childhood]

I just report this thread. Really POOR thread as the girls are on their way in competition.
I think you were the fan of enemy team.

 

[huskyblooz]

E can do what ever E wants. She has earned that.

 

[jazz]

In what world are you right? If healthy there are 3 locks next year for certain, Liv, Paige and CW. Geno's coaching career has always been upper class experience with quality over rookies. He has explained it many times His experienced seniors will start next year as will his AA. Bet on it.

You have only taken a small part of my post to respond to without taking it in its totality. I never said CW would not start. Not sure what you mean by 'locks'. Later in my post, I summarise by saying that the 80 minutes would be split between the three players and there is little chance that CW plays 38 minutes a game when, in all probability a better shooter and maybe even a better player as a freshman is on the way. That is the world I live in and we will see if I am correct next year.

 

[jazz]

I'm gonna keep this one, just to shove it in your face next year. This is getting really, really old.

Again, you are taking one sentence out of the entire post. You need to read the entire post. If you did, then you know that I really don't think CW will be 'squeezed out' nor EW for that matter. Instead the minutes will be distributed a bit more evenly than having CW play 38 minutes a game when, from everything I've seen and heard, a better shooter is on the way. So CW will play, but I don't think she will play 38 minutes and I think he minutes will be reduced quite a bit. Less than 30 which as, I said, would be good for all.

You can shove it in my face and I don't really care if you think it is getting old. It seems to me you anger management issues so you better keep hiding behind your keyboard when you say things like that.

 

[jazz]

If Evina returns and is healthy, she starts. She's the senior leader and glue player. Yes, Azzi will get lots of playing time, but why mess with the starting lineup of Paige, Nika, Evina, Christyn, and Olivia?

That was a really unfair post!

I agree. I just think CW gets less minutes in favour of Azzi...good for all players. If CW plays 38 minutes a game and EW 30, then Azzi probably doesn't play too much and I think she will be playing 25 plus minutes a game

There is a chance that GA puts PB back at the point at some time in the season to get Azzi more minutes as well or to even start.

 

[cwaduke]

I have really enjoyed watching Evina play. She has brought so much more than her stats. My only issue with her game is that she doesn't finish on the left side with her left hand and misses layups because of it. If I were her, like Morgan Tuck, I would go into the draft now due to the knees. In any case, she will succeed wherever she goes. Too much of a smart class act to not be a good player or maybe a great coach down the road.

 

[meyers7]

Again, you are taking one sentence out of the entire post.

Only because you wrote it. If you don't want to be corrected, don't post it.

You need to read the entire post. If you did, then you know that I really don't think CW will be 'squeezed out' nor EW for that matter. Instead the minutes will be distributed a bit more evenly than having CW play 38 minutes a game when, from everything I've seen and heard, a better shooter is on the way. So CW will play, but I don't think she will play 38 minutes and I think he minutes will be reduced quite a bit. Less than 30 which as, I said, would be good for all.

Nice way to back track. Won't get you off the hook though. When people post silly things, they need to be called out on them. And for the record, Williams job is NOT a shooter. Geno himself said, she's a scorer. AND, she's NOT averaging 38 mpg. She's averaging 34 mpg. So not only are you disrespecting a UCONN player, you are doing it with inaccurate information.

You can shove it in my face and I don't really care if you think it is getting old. It seems to me you anger management issues so you better keep hiding behind your keyboard when you say things like that.

I will (if I'm still alive next year). And yes you Anti-Williams, so-called UCONN fans, really do piss me off. Always ragging on a AP AA HM, 1st team BE, team captain, 2nd leading scorer. Yea, the incoming FR are going to squeeze her out of minutes, or Griffin/Fudd/Edwards are going to take her starting spot. It's crap like this posted on the BY that makes other team's fans laugh at us. Find some other player on some other team to rag on and disrespect.

 

[jazz]

Only because you wrote it. If you don't want to be corrected, don't post it.


Nice way to back track. Won't get you off the hook though. When people post silly things, they need to be called out on them. And for the record, Williams job is NOT a shooter. Geno himself said, she's a scorer. AND, she's NOT averaging 38 mpg. She's averaging 34 mpg. So not only are you disrespecting a UCONN player, you are doing it with inaccurate information.


I will (if I'm still alive next year). And yes you Anti-Williams, so-called UCONN fans, really do piss me off. Always ragging on a AP AA HM, 1st team BE, team captain, 2nd leading scorer. Yea, the incoming FR are going to squeeze her out of minutes, or Griffin/Fudd/Edwards are going to take her starting spot. It's crap like this posted on the BY that makes other team's fans laugh at us. Find some other player on some other team to rag on and disrespect.

boy it is easy to wind little meyers up isnt it?!!?

Im not ragging on anybody nor disrespecting anybody. I simply responded the original poster. By the way, how is splitting 80 minutes three ways and playing 30 minutes a game, which I suggested, being disrespectful?

Some of you love to take one sentence out of context and blow it up into something it isn't.

I am not backtracking on anything meyers, When you 'shove this in my face' next year, make sure you take the entire post and not just one sentence out of context and blow it up into something it isn't.

You are the one who posts silly things...Do you really think CW will play 38 minutes a game next year when we have some apparently great shooters coming in? If so, then you are the silly one. For the record, I could not care any less who laughs and who doesn't laugh at my posts. I don't view this board as a popularity contest. I'm already popular enough in my community and not looking for any people to be popular with here...

your interpretation of my post as 'ragging' is incredibly ignorant.

 

[MooseJaw]

You have only taken a small part of my post to respond to without taking it in its totality. I never said CW would not start. Not sure what you mean by 'locks'. Later in my post, I summarise by saying that the 80 minutes would be split between the three players and there is little chance that CW plays 38 minutes a game when, in all probability a better shooter and maybe even a better player as a freshman is on the way. That is the world I live in and we will see if I am correct next year.

Yep, I did, however your post left me little room for a different interpretation, as well as others as witnessed by various replies. It is not my intention to put words in others mouths , I accept your rebuttal however I stand by my reply as to how I understood the direction of your post. In regards to the 38 minute a game for CW, if the incoming group is even close to our expectations there will be no player who should push close to the 38 minute mark. It will be interesting to see how our current freshmen and next years crop fit in and the playing time distribution.

 

[jazz]

Only because you wrote it. If you don't want to be corrected, don't post it.


Nice way to back track. Won't get you off the hook though. When people post silly things, they need to be called out on them. And for the record, Williams job is NOT a shooter. Geno himself said, she's a scorer. AND, she's NOT averaging 38 mpg. She's averaging 34 mpg. So not only are you disrespecting a UCONN player, you are doing it with inaccurate information.


I will (if I'm still alive next year). And yes you Anti-Williams, so-called UCONN fans, really do piss me off. Always ragging on a AP AA HM, 1st team BE, team captain, 2nd leading scorer. Yea, the incoming FR are going to squeeze her out of minutes, or Griffin/Fudd/Edwards are going to take her starting spot. It's crap like this posted on the BY that makes other team's fans laugh at us. Find some other player on some other team to rag on and disrespect.

Yep, I did, however your post left me little room for a different interpretation, as well as others as witnessed by various replies. It is not my intention to put words in others mouths , I accept your rebuttal however I stand by my reply as to how I understood the direction of your post. In regards to the 38 minute a game for CW, if the incoming group is even close to our expectations there will be no player who should push close to the 38 minute mark. It will be interesting to see how our current freshmen and next years crop fit in and the playing time distribution.

ok but where are these various replies? you mean meyers? Does he/she really count as various?

As a reminder, my post as follows:

If anybody gets 'squeezed out' out it will be CW. From everything I have heard Azzi will be a far superior shooter than CW. CW's primary function is to shoot and play defense. Evina brings a lot to the game that CW does not. It may be that GA splits 80 minutes between those 3 players so you don't have one player playing 38 minutes a game next year.

Anyway it is a good problem to have and I think all will be better because of it.


So you have no room for a different interpretation? Really? Read my bolded items above. Now you don't think that gives a more rounded view of my opinion?

For the record, I am not anti-williams either. I've posted numerous posts praising her game. Just because I don't think she is as great as many think doesn't mean I'm anti-williams does it?

Also, in any close game, PB will play 38 minutes. Similar to meyers, you can save that and 'shove it in my face' next year if you like....

 

[MooseJaw]

ok but where are these various replies? you mean meyers? Does he/she really count as various?

For the record, I am not anti-williams either. I've posted numerous posts praising her game. Just because I don't think she is as great as many think doesn't mean I'm anti-williams does it?

No it doesn't. I didn't get the impression you were, just that she wasn't secure in in her position next year as she is this year. Great is subjective and in my opinion very few players are really great. Williams is not one in my mind, she can be good, has been mediocre part of this season. Let's hope she is maturing into the player we have seen most of this month.

 

[jazz]

No it doesn't. I didn't get the impression you were, just that she wasn't secure in in her position next year as she is this year. Great is subjective and in my opinion very few players are really great. Williams is not one in my mind, she can be good, has been mediocre part of this season. Let's hope she is maturing into the player we have seen most of this month.

ill say that she has been less than good most of the year. but just like most here and GA, I keep waiting and hoping she plays consistently well and shoots consistently well against top teams. She did play 5 quarters of terrific BB in the tournament which is great but then she played 7 quarters of mediocre or less than mediocre BB.

Even GA, says she has not had the year 'she had hoped to have'.

Anyway, I truly hope she plays and shoots well once we get to the sweet 16.

 

[hoophuskee]

ill say that she has been less than good most of the year.

Even GA, says she has not had the year 'she had hoped to have'.

Do you have the quote that says she hasn't had the year he had hoped? You've even gone as far as saying she has been less than good. I don't think he has close referenced to that. He might have had expectations that she'd be 1stteam a/a - as an example. You are making it sound like he is more along your thinking.

For example your thinking in the past has been to take away minutes form CWil and give to Aubrey. You've been even fighting the notion that she's a good defender.

I think that's where meyers and moose are coming from. "Less than good?"

As stated many times you and I look at game way different.

 

[jazz]

Do you have the quote that says she hasn't had the year he had hoped? You've even gone as far as saying she has been less than good. I don't think he has close referenced to that. He might have had expectations that she'd be 1stteam a/a - as an example. You are making it sound like he is more along your thinking.

For example your thinking in the past has been to take away minutes form CWil and give to Aubrey. You've been even fighting the notion that she's a good defender.

I think that's where meyers and moose are coming from. "Less than good?"

As stated many times you and I look at game way different.

GA said it in a postgame session after the BE championship. I know you don't believe me, but his exact words at 5:29 are as follows so go fact-check me:

'Christyn hasn't had the kind of year she wanted to have, she hasn't been in any kind of a flow whatsoever.'

Those are really strong words, especially the emphasis on the later and the word 'whatsoever'.

Now if I said that, I'd get 100 people going crazy. You and many others might need to hear this from GA to acknowledge that CW was not very good this year, but I and some others did not. It was obvious she didn't have a particularly good year. Certainly not when you consider she was the number 1 recruit in the nation and can only scrap by with HM AA.

Now I do realise that GA praised CW's tournament after this statement as well but I am only really responding to you questioning what I said GA said. I am never going to quote somebody incorrectly just to impress people or to validate my own opinion. With that said, it is clear that GA has not been overjoyed with the year that CW has had and that would make 2 in a row now. I also think he is being very kind, but that is my humble opinion(as all of my opinions are) and it is not my aim to come down on CW. I only mention this because you forced my hand.

And no, there is nothing about my post that says that GA agrees with me and nothing I have said intimates that he is more along my thinking. It is clear and obvious that GA does not agree with me on CW's playing time or AG's playing time or anything of that nature.

I originally tried to quote GA by memory on his thoughts of CW. THAT IS IT. Please do not read more into it than I said. Your interpretation of my response is just not accurate or fair and causes me to respond in kind.

As far as your comment on defense, I once again will respond: It has been painfully obvious game in and game out that CW has been bad defensively most of the year, except for most of the BE tournament when she was very good on the defensive end. I think it is obvious also because this is the first time I can remember GA praising CW's defensive effort. To me, that says a lot right there.

It is my opinion that CW has been mediocre or less than good (please don't just quote the 'less than good' part in your response because that would be cherry picking words to fit an agenda) throughout the year and for 7 quarters of the tournament.

Please note and acknowledge that I praised the hell out of CW for her effort in the semi-final game in 'my two cents' post after that game and I have acknowledged in this thread that she played terrific for 5 quarters in the tournament.

It's ok we disagree. I don't mind.

Bold words only to remind you and others of ALL the points I make and not just the ones that may fit an agenda...

 

[meyers7]

boy it is easy to wind little meyers up isnt it?!!?

Yes, when people post really stupid stuff, it does have that effect on me. Absolutely.

And I am in nobodies imagination...."little" (unfortunately).

Im not ragging on anybody nor disrespecting anybody.

ill say that she has been less than good most of the year.

Yes you are, and you just did it again.
Less than good??? Are you insane??? Do you have no concept of basketball at all? BE 1st Team, 2nd leading scorer on the #1 team in the country, AP AA HM? Not good? In what world? Not in any world were people watch basketball. You are just intentionally degrading her. I get it, you don't like her.

Now, she may not have been as good as she wanted. Or as good as Geno thought she could be. But she has definitely NOT been "less than good most of the year".

You are the one who posts silly things...Do you really think CW will play 38 minutes a game next year when we have some apparently great shooters coming in? If so, then you are the silly one.

your interpretation of my post as 'ragging' is incredibly ignorant.

NO, I don't think she'll play 38 minutes a game next year. And you want to know why?....because she doesn't play 38 minutes a game THIS year. You are the one saying she does. [ ]