Late in the game

[Sonny44]

Explain

Feeling nauseous that someone might start yet another discussion on whether Morgan will play a fifth year.

 

[Aluminny69]

Some people also forget that Ketia Swanier started as a freshman. Was she a true point guard? I couldn't honestly tell you. All I remember is that she was really fast. Faster than Mo? Well, that's another good discussion.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

So if she played PG on her Canadian national team, led them to gold, and torched the USA team with Stewie and Moriah, why are some people worried about who will play PG next year?

Still don't think Nurse is a pure point guard. She may have been labeled one on the Canadian team but they played more of a share-the-ball style like UConn. Nurse seems much more comfortable as a slasher and mover. Either way there are going to be growing pains without Jefferson but I wouldn't rule out Dangerfield getting the gig, freshmen or not.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

It's a myth you need a true point guard to be effective and/or win a title. All you need is someone competent to take care of the ball. UCONN's won a number of titles without a true point. The 2013 title was won with Hartley/Faris/Doty (Mojet was a bit player), none of which were true PGs. In 2004 and 2003, Maria Conlon was not one; she was competent and careful with the ball and a lights out 3pt shooter. A DT, while often running the show, certainly wasn't.

It's the same at all levels. UCONN won two titles with effectively combo/shooting guards: Kemba/Shabazz and Shabazz/Boatright. In the NBA, you have guys like Stephen Curry, Westbrook etc.

All you need are good guards, not a 'true PG'. Especially in college. In my opinion, in the women's game especially, I'd rather have two combo guards. Unless of course Sue Bird was an option.

Don't forget about the Maria Conlon years. A pure 2, she did her best to fake being a 1, and managed to pull it off. Twice.

 

[Bgillon]

Still don't think Nurse is a pure point guard. She may have been labeled one on the Canadian team but they played more of a share-the-ball style like UConn. Nurse seems much more comfortable as a slasher and mover. Either way there are going to be growing pains without Jefferson but I wouldn't rule out Dangerfield getting the gig, freshmen or not.

So Nurse played PG for Canada who played "a share-the-ball style like UCONN" but that doesn't mean she should play PG for UCONN! Duh!

 

[HuskyNan]

Historically, Geno has liked to have two guards that can bring the ball up the court, switch on defenses, and shoot the three. He rarely calls someone a "point guard" or "shooting guard"; he just calls them "guards". How many times have we seen the point become the shooting guard, in game, on an Auriemma team? This whole "who's going to play point guard next year?" is something I will spend zero time worrying about because the Huskies will still have some great guards - period.

 

[Waquoit]

Feeling nauseous that someone might start yet another discussion on whether Morgan will play a fifth year.

I'm glad I asked, I read it differently.

 

[UcMiami]

So Nurse played PG for Canada who played "a share-the-ball style like UCONN" but that doesn't mean she should play PG for UCONN! Duh!

Nurse was touted as a PG for Canada into last summer, but if you watched the team play during the two competitions, she really was more consistently playing with another PG and she was playing a similar role as she does at Uconn - primarily a 2ish guard with a secondary PG role. As the games went along and she became the primary scoring option for the team and did less and less PG duties.

That said, Uconn thrives on scoring guards with great passing skills, and Geno has in the past said his preference is to have two of those in the back-court - and if you look at teams going back to 2001 at least, that has been true of most of them. Moriah and Kia, Moriah and Bria, Tiffany and Bria (and Caroline), back to Diana and Maria, and Diana and Sue.
NB - Tiffany Hayes is never referred to as a PG but averaged 121 assist a year for her 4 years and ranks 11th all time (8th when she graduated.)

 

[UcMiami]

Historically, Geno has like to have two guards that can bring the ball up the court, switch on defenses, and shoot the three. He rarely calls someone a "point guard" or "shooting guard"; he just calls them "guards". How many times have we seen the point become the shooting guard, in game, on an Auriemma team? This whole "who's going to play point guard next year?" is something I will spend zero time worrying about because the Huskies will still have some great guards - period.

Couldn't have said it better, though I tried!

 

[cferraro04]

Louisville coach said that Molly Bent could play for him right now...

 

[UConnCat]

Kia Nurse played mostly SG for Canada last summer. Miah-Marie Langlois handled the point guard responsibilities for Team Canada and allowed Nurse to play her stronger position. Kia did play point when she first joined Team Canada but the team became much better when Langlois stepped in to that role and Nurse moved over to SG.

 

[HuskyNan]

Couldn't have said it better, though I tried!

Great minds....

 

[Kibitzer]

I liked the way the NBA writer for the Boston Globe categorized players by positions (eschewing the 1-2-3-4-5 designations):

ball-handlers;
wings;
swings; and,
bigs.​

Seems sensible to me -- certainly better than starting with a "pure" point guard.

 

[EricLA]

I liked the way the NBA writer for the Boston Globe categorized players by positions (eschewing the 1-2-3-4-5 designations):

ball-handlers;
wings;
swings; and,
bigs.​

Seems sensible to me -- certainly better than starting with a "pure" point guard.

Similar to

1. Guards
2. Wings
3. Forwards
4. Posts

All basically mean the same thing and probably more accurately describes how Geno looks at his players. As a side note, the worrying about a pure PG is basically something fans of other teams need to do, not UCONN. If you watch MOST other teams play, they have one primary ball handler who runs around the perimeter (instead of passing around the perimeter), looks for weaknesses in the defenses, tries driving in at times, and ends up either making 1 pass to a player who shoots, or who shoots the ball herself. Teams who run that kind of offense, IMHO, are the ones who NEED a pure PG. And they don't win NC's...

 

[Bestiarius]

After reading this thread, I have come to the opinion that next year UConn will have too many point guards.

 

[j66kicker]

Don't forget about the Maria Conlon years. A pure 2, she did her best to fake being a 1, and managed to pull it off. Twice.

And during those years DT did her best to fake being the team's 2, but still won the Lieberman award. Twice

 

[intlzncster]

And during those years DT did her best to fake being the team's 2, but still won the Lieberman award. Twice

Pretty much just had to give D all the awards.

 

[chrissaran]

Renee Montgomery wound up playing point due to injuries. How did that work out her senior year? National Championship.