Natalie Butler will be the 5th starter...don't doubt me on this..!

[chrissaran]

What's the difference between Stef in her sophomore year and Natalie, other than Natalie is a much better rebounder and Stef was a much better passer. Some of you act as though she's unqualified to play for UConn. Playing a zone defense? You have to be kidding. Not athletic? Moriah, Kia, Breanna and Morgan. What's not athletic about those players? Throw in Gabby and Napheesa and you have more than enough athletes. Katie Lou's very mobile for a 6'3" small forward. I can't wait until all of you doubters have to remove your foot from your mouth!

 

[cbraarj]

If you watch those games though she wasn't really playing guard like what one would normally consider a guard role. It was still the same role in the Princeton offense, scanning for open spots, passing and moving. It was almost as if UConn went with a one-guard offense.

With Tuck,Stewie,Stokes and either Mo or Kia in the game that would make KML the 2 guard!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

With Tuck,Stewie,Stokes and either Mo or Kia in the game that would make KML the 2 guard!

Technically, if you go by position labels. I'm just saying she doesn't get used like a guard. She pretty much plays the same parts of the floor and in the same manner she always does. Now, defensively she'd likely have a different responsibility, but I don't think this situation is going to be used all that much anyway. UConn has too many other options and there are few teams like Texas that have two huge, quality bigs.

 

[hoophuskee]

KML was a "wing" when Stokes came in 2013-2014 and UCONN went big. IMO it is irrelevant whether she was a sg or sf.

IMO Geno is going to use KLS all over / experimenting to see what she can play best and how she can make her teammates better and vice-versa -practices included. It will be so hard to discern sometimes.

For example when she plays with Stewie, Tuck, Gabby (or Collier) and MoJeff -- what is she if Gabby guards the quick sg while then Gabby goes to the post on offense. Is KLS a sg or sf? Does the lineup have a sg or just two wings? Or do they have 4 wings? What is Gabby in this instance? A sg (defense) or a pf (offense)? If Tuck and Stewie interchange a few plays back and forth between post and wing what are each considered in this lineup?

My head hurts.

 

[NVUConnFan]

Interesting thread. What does Geno do with a plethora of talent? Well, first we're talking 4NCs for Stewie, MoJet and Tuck and 11NCs for Geno. Other than that, how do you keep all the talent happy? Future NCs would be it IMO, even if they don't get much PT in 2015-2016.

I believe LouConn will get plenty of PT as well as Gabby. The others, I dunno.

 

[meyers7]

Interestingly, he did go the 'other way' for long stretches when Stokes was on the floor - Kiah (1) was in tight around the rim essentially playing that zone while the other (4) played in a match-up zone that looked more like a man-to-man, since UCONN defenders were playing people tight and following them around. Hard to describe that part of the defense as 4-on-5 because Stokes always had a bead on somebody in the lane. Sort of the anti- box-and-1. Not a classic zone by any stretch, though Geno did use that defense at times as well.

I'm not saying this was the defense whenever Stokes was in the game, but it was employed quite a bit (only with Stokes)

It was a zone. A 2-3 zone. Could call it a match up zone, I suppose, but still a 2-3 zone. (but then they've always played the man as opposed to the area) And yes he did play it quite a bit when Stokes was in. Allowed her to be around the basket for blocking purposes. I think it was the year before when he played some 3-2 (or 1-2-2) zone.

 

[tjhusky]

Defense and rebounding will be the key to who will be on the floor to start, in the middle and at the end.

Stew and Mo will be on the floor Morgan, NB and KN to start. Everyone should be able to play all out full court man2man and get breather from our deep bench.

Scoring won't be a problem, but I agree we need to develop the fr & soph players so we have a great 8 player rotation by March that can do everything Geno asks.

 

[Rixxx]

Defense and rebounding will be the key to who will be on the floor to start, in the middle and at the end.

Stew and Mo will be on the floor Morgan, NB and KN to start. Everyone should be able to play all out full court man2man and get breather from our deep bench.

Scoring won't be a problem, but I agree we need to develop the fr & soph players so we have a great 8 player rotation by March that can do everything Geno asks.

I agree Tj. Can you imagine Geno playing full court man to man and substituting a new five every five minutes and continuing full court man to man? We have the bench to develop a strong ten player rotation.

 

[chrissaran]

Napheesa will get the most playing time of the freshman at the beginning of the season. Katie Lou will be right behind her. After that it's all about how much they progress.