KK or Kayleigh, who's your guess?

[Bone Dog]

Viewing the season as a whole, not just the first week. One will start, one will come off the bench, and occasionally both of them will be on the floor together. And we're just prognosticating here. No one who matters in Storrs will be influenced by anything we say here.

My guess is by February Kayleigh will be the starting PG, but they'll divide the minutes pretty evenly. And it is possible, in my view, that they'll both start. I wouldn't put it past Geno to start KK Kayleigh Azzi Sarah and Serah.

 

[oldude]

KK will start from day 1. She does everything better than Kayleigh except shooting the basketball, If I was KK, I would be working on my 3-pt shot until the cows come home at Storrs. With all the talent around, she will get a lot of open looks. If she hits a reasonable % (34%+) she will continue to start all season. Kayleigh will certainly get her PT. But I don’t see her as the starter unless KK’s offense suffers or there is an injury.

 

[uconnever]

I love Heckel and have said so from the beginning, but there is no way she EVER starts over KK.

 

[Dogstar]

I love Heckel and have said so from the beginning, but there is no way she EVER starts over KK.

Totally agree

 

[Basingstoke]

KK will start from day 1. She does everything better than Kayleigh except shooting the basketball, If I was KK, I would be working on my 3-pt shot until the cows come home at Storrs. With all the talent around, she will get a lot of open looks. If she hits a reasonable % (34%+) she will continue to start all season. Kayleigh will certainly get her PT. But I don’t see her as the starter unless KK’s offense suffers or there is an injury.

I agree, although I would add that I hope that KK also works on her mid-range, especially a floater in the lane and continuing to increase her awareness of passing options as she penetrates towards the basket.
That said, I am very, very happy that Kayleigh is on board and can't wait to cheer her development.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Seriously?

 

[oldhusky]

I think KK amd Kayleigh may be roughly equal as players, but KK's experience with the program gives her a big edge on starting this year. KK finally gets to spend almost all of her minutes as the point, despite being used off the ball quite a bit her first two years due to Nika, Kaitlin, and Paige. She should be better there.

Kayleigh I view mostly as a point, but also a little bit of a 1/2. that opens up the possibility of her getting KK's backup minutes plus some at the 2. The challenge there for Kayleigh is Azzi should get big minutes at the 2, Ash is already a very proven excellent backup for her, and Allie is a talented threat as well.

Kayleigh getting big minutes, if she does not beat out KK IMO depends on a strong commitment to small ball. I think your ultimate starting lineup is among the possibilities with Kayleigh as the 5th starter, but I would rate Blanca and Ashlynn as a little more likely. I probably view Blanca as more of a 3 than you do, but I see her as the mostly likely 5th starter. I think her talent level is way beyond Ashlynn or Kayleigh, in my book she is a natural 3, and from a rebounding and defensive standpoint, her at the 3 is a better option than any of the guards.

Both Azzi and Kayleigh are mediocre at best at rebounding, even for a guard. At the 3 they would be significantly below average. Ashlynn is better than those two, but would still be over-matched on the boards at the 3. Nobody among this year's guards can even come close to the rebounding, blocked shots and defense provided by Paige last year at the 3. As a result using one of the natural guards at the 3 this year, is not just going small, it is going much smaller than last year.

In the event Kayleigh does beat out KK at the point (possible but not probable IMO), I think KK's chances of being the 5th starter are pretty slim, probably less that Kayleigh's if the starters were reversed. She isn't an off guard or a 3, and if Kayleigh starts at the 1 the decision will be who starts at the 3, Blanca or Ashlynn, with Azzi at the 2.

Others of course could take a big leap or surprise since we have far more very talented players, but Sarah, Azzi and Serah seem like a lock and we know either KK or Kayleigh will get the start at the point, and Blanca, Ashlynn and Kayleigh look like the most likely candidates for the last spot.

 

[ERWUC65]

For Azzi to have her AA year, she needs to play mostly the 2 and like Paige, pick up the ball across half court. Since the Huskies have a wealth of options to go to as well, like Sarah, Serah and perhaps whoever is playing the 3, I expect the PG job will be a real challenge this upcoming year. KK has overall more team experience, but is known mostly for defense and has not as yet played a true PG in a uber competitive contest. Kaitlyn did more of that last year and was reasonably successful, but then again she had Paige. Kayleigh is basically an unknown entity at this time with limited experience in Geno's system and should be taken as a work-in-progress. Kelis is just too new, so my surprise candidate for some time at PG is Ash. She has the experience, can shoot, knows the system, is smart, durable and is usually under control. If she solves that confidence problem, watch out!

 

[MooseJaw]

Geno's MO, we all know by now that he favors UCONN experience, and KK has that. I think KK gets the nod unless Geno wants a defensive machine coming off the bench. As it looks now for the most part, we may not need that defensive machine if our O is as smothering as most here expect. What a problem to have.

 

[rugbymate]

the duo of Sarah and Serah may be the best rebounding duo in the NCAA. That will translate into up tempo and transition opportunities where speed is a huge factor. Hence, KK ( and Azzi) are going to get a bunch of lay ups. The 3 spot is where the logjam is.

 

[EricLA]

I love me some K-9, but I really have a hard time seeing KK NOT starting. If Kayleigh turns out to be as good as Paige or Sue, then I could see them swapping, but barring that, KK should start, and IMHO will start the entire season (barring an injury).

 

[Monte]

Time will tell!

 

[Dogstar]

Being the curious cat (or dude) tht I am I'm wondering why this is even a question abt who starts between the 2 of them. Looking at stats from both of their freshman years and last year it's clear tht some posters are throwing...stuff against the wall just to see what sticks. Now if ur talking 3 pt shooting percentage KK shot 33% her freshman year compared to Kayleigh who shot 28%, last year KK took a serious dive and only shot 21% (I don't thk either one is considered good). Last year Kayleigh Heckel had better numbers in...
Ppg 6.1 vs 5.5. ( KK averaged 8.9 freshman year) KK had better numbers in these categories last year.
Pts 218 vs 207
Assists 112 vs 63
Rebounds 95 vs 48
Steals 61 vs 45
Fg% 47.4 vs 45.9 and
T.Os 48 vs 49
S.OS. Uconn-.638. and USC .626

I maybe wrong I'm only human but I trust my statistician, a BIG KK fan
(Youngest daughter)

KK's definitely getting the Nika treatment.
It appears to be our yearly case of SNTS
(Shiny New Toy Syndrome). The only sure fire cure is to cover themselves in confetti, cut down some nets and win another championship!

 

[Bone Dog]

Both Azzi and Kayleigh are mediocre at best at rebounding, even for a guard. At the 3 they would be significantly below average. Ashlynn is better than those two, but would still be over-matched on the boards at the 3.

You may be right about Kayleigh as a rebounder -- I haven't watched enough of her games to really know. But I wouldn't be so quick to judge Azzi's rebounding. Her numbers are about half of Paige's (2 to 4), but are not so different from Ash's (2 to 2.7), though playing time might contribute here. But what I mainly see is that Geno doesn't appear to want Azzi to focus on rebounding. But Ash is totally focused on scrapping for rebounds, even after opposing players appear to have secured the ball. This is a key to her game. But Azzi may have other responsibilities for Geno.

 

[Cuango]

Imo, the only way Kayleigh starts over KK is if she were head and shoulders better. She is not that, so I think KK will get the start and likely stay there throughout the year. Kayleigh looks to be yet another perfect choice by Geno to shore up the PG position and give Kelis some non pressure development time. I gotta find me some new shades!😎

 

[Geew1992]

Viewing the season as a whole, not just the first week. One will start, one will come off the bench, and occasionally both of them will be on the floor together. And we're just prognosticating here. No one who matters in Storrs will be influenced by anything we say here.

My guess is by February Kayleigh will be the starting PG, but they'll divide the minutes pretty evenly. And it is possible, in my view, that they'll both start. I wouldn't put it past Geno to start KK Kayleigh Azzi Sarah and Serah.

Can you explain why by February he’d have K9 start over KK?? I just really don’t see it.

 

[Bone Dog]

Can you explain why by February he’d have K9 start over KK?? I just really don’t see it.

It's just a guess, so I don't really have a scientific explanation.

If Kayleigh is going to get the starting spot over a seasoned veteran, it will not happen right away.

And I really like the trajectory of KK's growth over the last two seasons. By last March, KK was playing with a ton of confidence and by the end of the tournament she was essentially filleting top ranked teams like UCLA and SC with slashing drives through the lane.

But what little I've seen of Kayleigh has impressed me. She plays with a lot of confidence, though her numbers aren't yet at KK's level. And like KK, she has an indomitable personality. Give her a challenge and she is likely to rise to it. I suspect KK would agree with this description of Kayleigh.

And maybe it's a case of the old logic problem, given that they'll probably be playing against each other in practice all season long. If you show up in a small town and need a haircut, do you go to the barber with the good haircut or the one with a bad one?

 

[Veteran]

There's only one circumstance where Heckel starts and that's if K.K. is injured and can't play. And Ashlyn Shade will start as the off guard next to her. There's a reason why K.K. was the ESPN #6 recruit in America in 2023. Her skills are unique. Coach has a formula for success in his head and it's his formula that had Nika Muhl starting, despite the vocal doubters. And K.K. fits perfectly with his thinking. Heckel will get plenty of playing time if she earns it. But she will not start this coming season.

 

[Bigboote]

There's only one circumstance where Heckel starts and that's if K.K. is injured and can't play. And Ashlyn Shade will start as the off guard next to her. There's a reason why K.K. was the ESPN #6 recruit in America in 2023. Her skills are unique. Coach has a formula for success in his head and it's his formula that had Nika Muhl starting, despite the vocal doubters. And K.K. fits perfectly with his thinking. Heckel will get plenty of playing time if she earns it. But she will not start this coming season.

I agree with your first sentence, but not your second, if we’re talking about the usual 1-5 positions, which are of limited use in Geno’s system. Azzi is the shooting guard, no two ways about it. Shade will either start as a wing/small forward or will come off the bench, likely to spell Azzi or Caroline or later in the season Blanca.

Agree with the majority view that KK starts unless she gets hurt or goes into a funk.