It's time again - let's see who you think will start!

[Bone Dog]

Why can't Azzi shoots 3's while playing the PG position?
Some of the best PG's do shoot a lot of 3's.
You're scenario describes an artificial built-in limitation by having Nika play PG, but not from Azzi playing PG.
Azzi will also need to come out at times, they will all get their chance to shine.
If Nika starts then the chances are that Lou won't and vice versa.
Lou is a 5th year offensive minded player while Nika primarily isn't.
The main questions are who will be the PG's and which will start as the PG.
Also how will that impact Lou's PT or chances to start.
I doubt that anyone's PT is going to rest on their laurels, they all need to prove themselves every game to maintain their position & PT.
I'm convinced that Geno expects players to push each other to make the team the best that it can be,
If a freshman pushes harder than the vet then the freshman gets the nod.
If Lou pushes harder then Lou gets the nod.
It's plain & simple, and PT will always average out over time until the big games & tourneys.

I’m not sure I follow your thinking here. Do point guards usually shoot a lot of 3s? That hasn’t been my experience. I hope to see Azzi take 8-10 3 pt shots. I don’t think she’ll be a good point guard if she’s doing that.

Will Azzi come out much, as I think you’re suggesting? Sure, if she gets tired. But healthy Azzi played 30+ mins most of the time when she came back last year. I don’t see that changing. I’m more worried she’ll have to play too many minutes.

Is playing time dependent on performance? Of course it is — I never said otherwise. That’s why Azzi played so much last year.

 

[sun]

Some PG's certainly do shoot a lot of 3's.
We lost to Arizona because of their PG shooting 3's, the PG on the CT Sun shoots a lot of 3's, and Caitlin Clark won PG awards and she's famous for her 3 point shooting,
Also, Azzi averaged 27.9 minutes per game last year, while Nika averaged 21.7.
This is a new year, new players and new chemistry due to 3 graduating seniors.
That calls for a new strategy and not the same old, same old.
Paige can't play and Scar is still basically the same #1 team that beat us.
I think that Geno needs to get creative, experiment and be proactive.

Caitlin Clark Claims 2 Point Guard Awards

Iowa Sophomore Wins Lieberman, Staley Awards

www.si.com

 

[sun]

What I like about Lou is that she has springs built into her legs.
She springs up like a frog when she shoots and can elevate over anyone (pun intended but no slight).
She's quick & agile, her shots go in and she has a lot of potent weapons.
I'd like to see her on the court preferably as a starter and to be a clutch player.
If not then someone else will need to step up.

 

[Bone Dog]

Some PG's certainly do shoot a lot of 3's.
We lost to Arizona because of their PG shooting 3's, the PG on the CT Sun shoots a lot of 3's, and Caitlin Clark won PG awards and she's famous for her 3 point shooting,
Also, Azzi averaged 27.9 minutes per game last year, while Nika averaged 21.7.
This is a new year, new players and new chemistry due to 3 graduating seniors.
That calls for a new strategy and not the same old, same old.
Paige can't play and Scar is still basically the same #1 team that beat us.
I think that Geno needs to get creative, experiment and be proactive.

Caitlin Clark Claims 2 Point Guard Awards

Iowa Sophomore Wins Lieberman, Staley Awards

www.si.com

Again, you puzzle me. Aari McDonald averaged 2/6 on 3 pt shots in 20-21. She shot nearly twice as many as a freshman when she wasn’t point guard. In the final four game two years ago she shot 4/9, which is a bit on the high side for a pg.

Clark obviously shoots a lot more 3s. But I’m not sure she counts as a point guard even though she won the Lieberman award.

I don’t know what you think Azzi’s average mins means since it includes games when she was not 100%. This seems to be arguing for the sake of arguing.

I have no idea what you mean by the need for a new strategy. I hope Geno does what he’s always done, namely win lots of games. I have a lot of confidence in him.

That said, I share your hopes for Lou, and I think she’ll impress us all. I’ve been making the case for her outperforming expectations for the last month or so. But I’m also pretty sure the extra minutes she earns will not come from Azzi’s playing time.

The core of the team is Azzi Caroline Aaliyah Dorka and Nika. This is who will start in November, and they’ll get the bulk of the playing time until someone shows they can contribute more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that someone turns out to be Lou. I even hope she does, because if she gets more mins it means she’s scoring well and playing decent D. The same would go for Ice, Aubrey Ines Amari and Ayanna

 

[SoCalCanine]

Great minds think alike—Dorka, Aaliyah, Azzi, Nika, and Caroline. We had the TASSK force, now we’ll have the DAANC team

I prefer the acronym Team CANAD(A), with the first two A's obviously Azzi and Aaliyah and the final one the likely first off the bench in Aubrey, with Amari or Ayanna having an outside chance. Of course, if Lou earns that first off the bench, my acronym will be shot!

 

[Skeets]

I prefer the acronym Team CANAD(A), with the first two A's obviously Azzi and Aaliyah and the final one the likely first off the bench in Aubrey, with Amari or Ayanna having an outside chance. Of course, if Lou earns that first off the bench, my acronym will be shot!

AE would probably like that team acronym.

 

[Skeets]

Why can't Azzi shoots 3's while playing the PG position?
Some of the best PG's do shoot a lot of 3's.
You're scenario describes an artificial built-in limitation by having Nika play PG, but not from Azzi playing PG.
Azzi will also need to come out at times, they will all get their chance to shine.
If Nika starts then the chances are that Lou won't and vice versa.
Lou is a 5th year offensive minded player while Nika primarily isn't.
The main questions are who will be the PG's and which will start as the PG.
Also how will that impact Lou's PT or chances to start.
I doubt that anyone's PT is going to rest on their laurels, they all need to prove themselves every game to maintain their position & PT.
I'm convinced that Geno expects players to push each other to make the team the best that it can be,
If a freshman pushes harder than the vet then the freshman gets the nod.
If Lou pushes harder then Lou gets the nod.
It's plain & simple, and PT will always average out over time until the big games & tourneys.

Very few players push harder than Nika.

 

[Stymie]

They'll be playing Kutztown and will have 2 games before playing Texas to get the starting & back up PG's some experience with the new players.
And they may need to iron out some PG bugs from the get go.
That's why I think that Lou will start because she has 4 years of experience, which will provide Azzi with her initial try out at PG.
If Nika starts at PG then that's okay too, because there will be a lot of subbing going on for the 1st 2 games, especially against Kutztown.
The best way to learn how to play PG is to get baptized by fire, and let Azzi show off her positional skills to the fans.
Then Geno won't waste any time to start coaching the necessary corrections.
Maybe Lou or Carol will surprise us as a PG candidate too, perhaps in tandem with either Nika or Azzi when one or the other are out.
Someone who will help beat attempts to traps and press.

Further down the road, who knows if Lou will start? I am doubting this.
IF/when she does, it will be due to either a series of injuries or other players failure to produce.
Plus, no way she has mastered the nuances of the offense in such a short period of time.
JMHO

 

[npignatjr]

Some PG's certainly do shoot a lot of 3's.
We lost to Arizona because of their PG shooting 3's, the PG on the CT Sun shoots a lot of 3's, and Caitlin Clark won PG awards and she's famous for her 3 point shooting,
Also, Azzi averaged 27.9 minutes per game last year, while Nika averaged 21.7.
This is a new year, new players and new chemistry due to 3 graduating seniors.
That calls for a new strategy and not the same old, same old.
Paige can't play and Scar is still basically the same #1 team that beat us.
I think that Geno needs to get creative, experiment and be proactive.

Caitlin Clark Claims 2 Point Guard Awards

Iowa Sophomore Wins Lieberman, Staley Awards

www.si.com

Arizona loss was lack of offense.

 

[npignatjr]

Further down the road, who knows if Lou will start? I am doubting this.
IF/when she does, it will be due to either a series of injuries or other players failure to produce.
Plus, no way she has mastered the nuances of the offense in such a short period of time.
JMHO

Aubrey didn't get it in her first 2 years, hopefully she has picked it up.

 

[Bald Husky]

This actually could be interesting, as the popular choice for starters may not be who we think. If Ines can contribute, even for 5 minutes, Geno may look at all the options at his disposal and surprise us for starters. He may want to ensure that we have Quality players coming off the bench to keep the level of talent comparable to those already on the court. I believe we have more than 5 players who are good enough to start, so practice will mean more than ever to impress the coach.

 

[oldhusky]

This actually could be interesting, as the popular choice for starters may not be who we think. If Ines can contribute, even for 5 minutes, Geno may look at all the options at his disposal and surprise us for starters. He may want to ensure that we have Quality players coming off the bench to keep the level of talent comparable to those already on the court. I believe we have more than 5 players who are good enough to start, so practice will mean more than ever to impress the coach.

I think you may be isolating the most likely role for Inez. Namely around 5 minutes a game as the fifth "guard" option, counting the 3 as a guard. Clearly regardless of who starts, we have four guards who will consume almost all of the minutes from 1-3. But a four player rotation for three positions is extremely hard to pull off. You wind up taking some players out before they need a rest, and the last starter to come out might be gassed before they get a blow. You can't take out the second starter until the first one sitting has had enough rest to return, and then the third starter to come out has to wait for the second one to be rested enough to return.

So even when the 5th option is not particularly good, most teams use a 5th player at least on a limited basis, because the logistics for 4 covering 3 positions is very difficult and a significant disadvantage. Right now our options for that 5th player are Inez if we want a true guard, or Aubrey or Ayanna if we want to use a more natural 4 at the 3.

Those 3 players are competing for those limited minutes at positions 1-3. But remember if any of the main 4 (Azzi, Caroline, Nika or Lou) miss a game, that 5th small option becomes the 4th option getting quite a few minutes, and we go to the second best small option from Inez, Aubrey and Ayanna as the limited minutes 5th choice.

I know it seems strange saying a PG Inez is competing for playing time on the perimeter with two PF's Aubrey and Ayanna, but that is the reality. It depends on what Geno thinks is most important, and it does not rely simply on who is the best player of the three candidates. By that standard I suspect most, including me, would consider Aubrey and Ayanna to be far more talented players overall than Ines.

But however good Aubrey and Ayanna are as 4's, they are probably significantly less valuable as 3's. If you use them at the 3 you move the others down one position, so Caroline or Lou would play more at the 2 (which I do not think would be a problem), and Azzi would need to play more PG. While I think she could be a good PG, I think she is significantly better as the SG. So using Aubrey or Ayanna as the 5th small is using them somewhat out of position and also .

Inez on paper is the lesser of the three candidates, but if she does get playing time it will probably be at her natural position and the others can stay in their's, That is her potential advantage. She doesn't have to be quite as good as even Aubrey or Ayanna are as 3's because Azzi can stick to her natural and best position.

Given the reality of injuries, I think the odds are high that for at least a few games this year, that 5th player will get 15-20 minutes and we will have to use a 6th for limited minutes. Ines may or may not emerge as that 5th option, but I am glad we got her, and now have a true guard option for that role, in addition to our converted bigs. Time will tell.

 

[Conndog]

You can't take out the second starter until the first one sitting has had enough rest to return, and then the third starter to come out has to wait for the second one to be rested enough to return.

I’m not sure this is true. Subs might come in not just one at a time but several at once. Geno is conservative but situations may result in need to substitute differently.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think Lou will be either a starter or the 6th woman--providing offensive punch. In the poll, I had Caroline as a starter and Lou 6th, but that could go either way in my opinion.

 

[mbr33ct]

This poll is too easy. I would bet the poll would be much harder if Paige was healthy, then who you got starting...which of the current poll favorite would have to sit? I would love to see another (hypothetical) poll on this.

 

[The deacon]

Again, you puzzle me. Aari McDonald averaged 2/6 on 3 pt shots in 20-21. She shot nearly twice as many as a freshman when she wasn’t point guard. In the final four game two years ago she shot 4/9, which is a bit on the high side for a pg.

Clark obviously shoots a lot more 3s. But I’m not sure she counts as a point guard even though she won the Lieberman award.

I don’t know what you think Azzi’s average mins means since it includes games when she was not 100%. This seems to be arguing for the sake of arguing.

I have no idea what you mean by the need for a new strategy. I hope Geno does what he’s always done, namely win lots of games. I have a lot of confidence in him.

That said, I share your hopes for Lou, and I think she’ll impress us all. I’ve been making the case for her outperforming expectations for the last month or so. But I’m also pretty sure the extra minutes she earns will not come from Azzi’s playing time.

The core of the team is Azzi Caroline Aaliyah Dorka and Nika. This is who will start in November, and they’ll get the bulk of the playing time until someone shows they can contribute more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that someone turns out to be Lou. I even hope she does, because if she gets more mins it means she’s scoring well and playing decent D. The same would go for Ice, Aubrey Ines Amari and Ayanna

I'm with you on most of your posts, Bone Dog, but I agree with Sun here, especially regarding Caitlan Clark. I think Lisa Bluder, Caitlin's teammates and Caitlan herself would be surprised to learn she's not really a point guard. She's certainly not a typical point guard, but that she's led the country in assists the past two seasons might lead one to believe she's pretty handy at the PG role.

I hope we get to see Azzi get a fair look at PG. Nika brings a lot to the Huskies but it would be really cool to see Azzi either taking the shot herself, dishing off to Caroline cutting to the hoop, hitting Lou for her shot, or slashing into the lane to take (and make) a layup, draw a foul or dropping it off to any of other bigs. She's not Paige, but she is a closer facsimile than Nika...

 

[oldhusky]

I’m not sure this is true. Subs might come in not just one at a time but several at once. Geno is conservative but situations may result in need to substitute differently.

If you are trying to maximize the minutes for 4 players to cover 3 positions, so you don't have to use a 5th much, you only have one sub available for 3 positions. After the first substitution it is still one sub for 3 positions, but the available substitute is the first taken out who is catching her breath.

Substituting more than one at a time is impossible without increasing the minutes of the 5th or 6th option. It is very restricting and can even minimize the ability of a coach to do strategic substitutions, because the bigger issue is managing the minutes. Now if Ines does well enough that you don't mind her taking minutes from Azzi, Caroline, Nika or Lou that is not an issue. Or the same thing with Aubrey or Ayanna playing the 3 well enough that it's ok for their time there to eat into the main four's minutes.

If you want to minimize minutes from the 5th or 6th small options, and get as many as possible from your best 4 your hands are pretty much tied. We have very good talent in our top 4 for positions 1-3, but limited flexibility unless Ines, Aubrey, or Ayanna are good enough to take minutes from the top 4. If that happens the flexibility managing minutes returns. I hope it does, but while potential seems to be there, I think the jury is still out on who the 5th and 6th options will be and how good they will be. I think Aubrey has already proved herself to be a very good 4, and I fully expect Ayanna at the 4 to be excellent as well. For the sake of this discussion the question is how good either will be at the 3.

 

[Stymie]

Again, you puzzle me. Aari McDonald averaged 2/6 on 3 pt shots in 20-21. She shot nearly twice as many as a freshman when she wasn’t point guard. In the final four game two years ago she shot 4/9, which is a bit on the high side for a pg.

Clark obviously shoots a lot more 3s. But I’m not sure she counts as a point guard even though she won the Lieberman award.

I don’t know what you think Azzi’s average mins means since it includes games when she was not 100%. This seems to be arguing for the sake of arguing.

I have no idea what you mean by the need for a new strategy. I hope Geno does what he’s always done, namely win lots of games. I have a lot of confidence in him.

That said, I share your hopes for Lou, and I think she’ll impress us all. I’ve been making the case for her outperforming expectations for the last month or so. But I’m also pretty sure the extra minutes she earns will not come from Azzi’s playing time.

The core of the team is Azzi Caroline Aaliyah Dorka and Nika. This is who will start in November, and they’ll get the bulk of the playing time until someone shows they can contribute more. I wouldn’t be surprised if that someone turns out to be Lou. I even hope she does, because if she gets more mins it means she’s scoring well and playing decent D. The same would go for Ice, Aubrey Ines Amari and Ayanna

“Winning a lot of games” is not a strategy.
It is a result of strategy.
Paige going down two years ago against ND in the last minutes of a game when up by 20 and last year’s difficulty (extenuating circumstances) to field capable combinations to cover the 200 minutes necessary to play a game -TO ME- mandates an adjustment.
UCONN needs to have as many players as possible READY to contribute meaningful minutes against top flight competition.
This team has the talent- top to bottom to have everyone eat.
Very tough out of conference schedule.
I’d say there should be tons of “ development opportunities” against 2nd tier Big East teams.
Beating BE teams by 40-50 points has no value.
It will not (IMHO) enhance UCONN’s tourney seeding.
So what is the value?

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm with you on most of your posts, Bone Dog, but I agree with Sun here, especially regarding Caitlan Clark. I think Lisa Bluder, Caitlin's teammates and Caitlan herself would be surprised to learn she's not really a point guard. She's certainly not a typical point guard, but that she's led the country in assists the past two seasons might lead one to believe she's pretty handy at the PG role.

I hope we get to see Azzi get a fair look at PG. Nika brings a lot to the Huskies but it would be really cool to see Azzi either taking the shot herself, dishing off to Caroline cutting to the hoop, hitting Lou for her shot, or slashing into the lane to take (and make) a layup, draw a foul or dropping it off to any of other bigs. She's not Paige, but she is a closer facsimile than Nika...

That’s a fair point about Clark. And she does bring the ball up the court a lot. And she gets a lot of assists. That is often the profile of a pg. My only reasons for thinking otherwise are that Iowa plays a positionless offense except for Czinano and Clark (like Paige freshman year) often plays off the ball after bringing it up the court. Was Paige a pg two years ago? Yes, sort of, rather like Clark. So, you and @sun definitely have a point.

But let me make this observation about a difference between Azzi and Clark, and a reason to want to keep Azzi off the ball. So far, Azzi has mainly looked to get her 3pt shot off a pass. She is deadly at setting her feet in anticipation of the pass and has a lightning quick release. Clark can do this too. But in addition Clark seems a little better at shooting the 3 off the dribble. Some of her 3s like this are practically circus shots, definitely highlight reel stuff. I’m sure Azzi can make 3s off the dribble. But this isn’t how we’ve used her so far and I worry her accuracy will suffer if we put her in this position. It seems to me that at pg she’ll have to shoot more off the dribble.

This isn’t a disaster, obviously, since Paige off the dribble is the deadliest player in the land even if she’s just shooting 2s. I’d love to see Azzi fill that role, and I’m absolutely confident she can. I’d guess Azzi as pg will do exactly this, shoot lots of 2s, drive the lane, and hit Caroline and Lou on the perimeter or hit the bigs in the paint. I’ve said before that I think she’d be an elite pg if we decide to play her there, maybe the best in the land without Paige playing. But she’s already arguably the best sg in the land and I hate to lose that.

This is part of my frustration with Nika’s role on the team. She only needs to be a so-so pg to unleash Azzi Caroline Lou on the perimeter. But she’s not that yet because of the limitations on her offense. And this only matters because of my, perhaps irrational, desire to protect Azzi from injury by not putting the added burden of playing pg on her. She’s likely to average 35 mins/g this year and it worries me, just as many of us worried about Paige’s minutes both years.

But I agree, @sun has a point about Clark and you’re right for drawing my attention to it.

 

[Bone Dog]

“Winning a lot of games” is not a strategy.
It is a result of strategy.
Paige going down two years ago against ND in the last minutes of a game when up by 20 and last year’s difficulty (extenuating circumstances) to field capable combinations to cover the 200 minutes necessary to play a game -TO ME- mandates an adjustment.
UCONN needs to have as many players as possible READY to contribute meaningful minutes against top flight competition.
This team has the talent- top to bottom to have everyone eat.
Very tough out of conference schedule.
I’d say there should be tons of “ development opportunities” against 2nd tier Big East teams.
Beating BE teams by 40-50 points has no value.
It will not (IMHO) enhance UCONN’s tourney seeding.
So what is the value?

I think I agree with what you’re saying here. But just one clarification: I was engaging in a rhetorical flourish about Geno. Of course winning is not a strategy. This was just my way of warning against trying to micromanage game tactics from a social media armchair. But heck, this is what the BY is for, so why should I fuss about it? I do it too.

I really agree about BE blowouts. They’re mainly preparation for the tournament. Villanova beat us last year, and Creighton and Marquette gave us a run for our money in two other games. But even those were mainly preparation for the NC run we made. In effect we have 20 games for Ice Ayanna and Amari to claim their minutes on a top tier team about to make a NC run.

One last fussy remark: we have all picked up on the “everyone eats” idea and I like to fantasize about a deep rotation as much as anyone else. But for many years, Geno has taken deep rotations from the regular season and gradually contracted them until he’s effectively playing only 6 or 7 come tournament time.

 

[Stymie]

I think I agree with what you’re saying here. But just one clarification: I was engaging in a rhetorical flourish about Geno. Of course winning is not a strategy. This was just my way of warning against trying to micromanage game tactics from a social media armchair. But heck, this is what the BY is for, so why should I fuss about it? I do it too.

I really agree about BE blowouts. They’re mainly preparation for the tournament. Villanova beat us last year, and Creighton and Marquette gave us a run for our money in two other games. But even those were mainly preparation for the NC run we made. In effect we have 20 games for Ice Ayanna and Amari to claim their minutes on a top tier team about to make a NC run.

One last fussy remark: we have all picked up on the “everyone eats” idea and I like to fantasize about a deep rotation as much as anyone else. But for many years, Geno has taken deep rotations from the regular season and gradually contracted them until he’s effectively playing only 6 or 7 come tournament time.

Things change.
There once were 2 way players in the NFL.
In MLBB, pitchers pitched complete games- now maybe 5-6 innings max.
Relief pitchers 2-3 innings.
Now 2-3 batters.
Woman’s hoops is no different.
Great players populate the top tier teams.
Many rosters loaded with quality athletes.
Coaches scour the globe for talent.
You had better be ready with fresh legs at crunch time in a game.
That requires giving breaks throughout the game, or having a team deep enough in talent to sub with minimal drop off in ability.
I’m unaware of any other options.
I truly believe that the days of grinding it out with 6-7 players is a relic.
And overtime games?
Another kettle of fish.

 

[Bone Dog]

Is the game different? I wonder about this a lot. I think the coaching is better than 30 years ago because of the W and because more ex-players are coaching in WCBB. And the higher profile of the game has given HS girls better coaching and summer program opportunities than in the past.

But do these changes mean Geno has to change his approach? I don’t think so. As an analogy, the NE Patriots in their glory years were great because of great players, but also because of team culture. In particular, their culture led to a more intense practice regimen — many former players have reported this — which meant sharper execution of plays, but also better conditioning. It was a common pattern in the Brady years that they could close out games in the 4th quarter because opposing defenses were simply exhausted.

We win lots of games because we’re in better shape than our opponents. This wasn’t true in the last NC game for the obvious reasons — no need to rehearse that again. But consider the Indiana game - a fine team that played us close in the first half but got blown out in the 3rd quarter and just couldn’t recover. That was part conditioning and part just team culture. The games against NC St and Stanford were against more seasoned teams with cultures comparable to ours. What I’m getting at is Geno’s success is not merely because of game strategy and skills, but also because he knows how to build team culture, and that happens in those grueling practices. But to get players who will grind it out in practice, you have to recruit for character as much as for skills. Lots of skilled players impress scouts but would never have the patience for a UConn season of practices, much less games.

I don’t think this will ever change, and the game is not so different today as to render Geno’s methods obsolete.

 

[Carnac]

I can't argue that to date, Amari has not shown the desire, hustle or intensity that is necessary to play and achieve success in this program. I also agree those traits can't be taught. You either have them or you don't. Paige Bueckers, Aneesah Morrow, NaLyssa Smith, Rhyne Howard and Skylar Diggins-Smith are but a few examples of players that have a high motor and play with the insatiable desire to win.

Geno has said many times that "if a player doesn't get "IT" by their sophomore year, they never will." (Tina Charles was an exception to this theory). This is the beginning of Amari's sophomore year. She's at the fork in the road so to speak. No doubt Geno, Jamelle Elliott (her position coach) and her teammates have been in her ear in an attempt to trigger the internal switch inside of her allowing her to play up to her potential this year. I'm hoping she has matured enough over the last year to realize the dynamics that kept her on the bench last year when her presence on the court was needed, especially during the times when player depth was at its lowest.

Amari can be as good as SHE wants to be, but SHE has to want to and begin to practice and play like it. She must realize that the road (at UConn) to potential greatness and being in the top 7-8 player rotation begins in practice. How you practice is how you play. Geno said many times last year that Amari was not a good practice player and displayed indifference in becoming one. That indifference kept her on the bench. If you want to play, you must first gain Geno's trust. You do that in practice.

My narrative expressed my hope and optimism that after being in the program for 16 months and languishing on the bench last year, Amari begins the year with a new attitude and resolve and is now ready to assume her place on the team as a every game rotation player and contributor. When you associate, you assimilate. I'm hoping that being around other teammates that DO have high motors and a desire to play and be a meaningful contributor to this team will motivate Amari to realize the posture she had in high school will not fly here. Amari is on the team. We'll see if she wants to be "part of the team" or not this year. The choice is hers. In the mean time, I'm rooting and cheering for her like crazy. I have nothing to lose by doing so. I see Amari's glass as half-full, not half empty. You see it differently and that's OK. I'm sitting on the front row of her cheering section with over-sized pom-poms and a box of popcorn. So................Go Amari.

 

[nastynatty]

This poll is too easy. I would bet the poll would be much harder if Paige was healthy, then who you got starting...which of the current poll favorite would have to sit? I would love to see another (hypothetical) poll on this.

Obvious answer would be Nika. Other than that, the rest stays the same. Nothing against Nika but a healthy Paige is the best guard (arguably the best player) in college basketball. And Nika has proven she’s capable of providing a spark off the bench.