Jana's early arrival has a number of benefits that incoming freshmen don't get. First, she's slowly getting acclimated to the team's process and rhythm. Yes, she missed the summer bonding, which is probably more relaxed than jumping in at 2nd semester, however I'll bet that this team is doing a phenomenal job of making sure she feels like she's been with the team all year. As she's practicing, the coaching staff can work on fundamentals with her now, break down parts, improve on others, and give her a head start on what would be the normal freshmen crash course of the UConn way in the summer/preseason. There are no guarantees on where she will be skill wise this fall, but I'll take that chance, as there's probably a pretty good reason why Geno and staff (and yes, I'm betting that it was a group decision) let Jana come to UConn early.
The debate over who will be ready among our C prospects, the possible need for a grad transfer big, and the potential use of Aubrey and Caroline at the 4 is a good one, but I tend to look at it from the standpoint of what I think would be best for the team, and then the other options in descending order, but the worst option is still pretty good.
We will have 4 exceptional starters if healthy, and a super team is quite likely, but the main question mark is how that fifth starter plays out. At the 5 position there is plenty of potential talent in Ice and Jana, and maybe Amari. I know they could also be considered as 4's, but the team need is far more at the 5.
For me the best case scenario is both Ice and Janna are ready to be good 5's in their first season. Would it be better if they were more advanced players as juniors or seniors? Sure but I think they could be pretty good as freshmen, and if so, between them they could handle almost all the minutes at the 5, Aaliyah can spend the whole year at her natural position, and Aubrey and Caroline could help at the 4 some, but could spend most of their time being super subs for the backcourt.
If you assume that neither Ice nor Janna is ready for primetime minutes, then gameplan B can still be pretty good. Aaliyah play a great deal at the 5, which I think is worse for her and the team, but we still have the 4 covered with some combination of Ayanna, Aubrey and Caroline. Ayanna is a 4 but her development has been slower than anticipated. She might be ready for big minutes, but if not we could go small ball with Aubrey or Caroline. Aubrey as more of a 3/4 is a better fit in my opinion than Caroline, who is more of a natural 3, but since their skills are so different there is a great deal of flexibility there, depending on what the matchup calls for.
That is a plan B that is pretty darn good even if Ice, Janna, and Ayanna are not coming along fast enough. If they all do, however, and if we are healthy, both Aubrey and Caroline can consume just about all the backup small minutes. That could be a 5 small rotation where Paige and Azzi get the largest minutes, and the worst Uconn guard the opponent will get to face, is either Nika, Aubrey or Caroline, or in other words no weak links. Between passing, defense, rebounding, slashing, and perimeter shooting the two probable All Americans can be complimented by whatever traits Geno think are most needed at that time in a very good player.
That potential rotation is spectacular in every way if healthy. If not healthy there are two top guard recruits in KK and Ashlynn that can be much better emergency use players than Ines has been this year, but of course she should be better too.
So if someone comes thru at the 5, great talent and depth is everywhere else, so I hope to see Ice or Jana in the starting lineup next year because that is like the final piece in a great puzzle. But if that doesn't happen plan B or C is one most every other team in the country would love to have.