Nika Muhl

[TCC Kid]

Mo Jefferson WAS NOT the starting PG as a Freshman- nice try though!

No, she was not, but the team before the NC tourney told Geno play her, she's a good guard (or something like that).

 

[CocoHusky]

No, but the team before the NC tourney told Geno play her, she a good guard (or something like that).

The team told Geno to play Moriah Jefferson before the NC tourney because she was a "good guard".
That must have been a news flash for Geno?

 

[TCC Kid]

Nika Muhl brings the humility, intensity, power, & contagious energy that UConn needs to start games. Paige brings swagger & skill, but not the leadership that jumps from intensity & energy. Auriemma spent time developing all his players without Paige. Auriemma has to focus on the team & not Paige. The road to a championship is through Nika with sharpshooters Fudd & Williams.

I'm not certain Geno is focusing on Paige. I am a huge fan of Nika and Caroline, Nika has a temper. She is intense, determined, and won't take any abuse and my view said everyone on the Uconn team was taking UCF abuse for 39 minutes. Geno will need both Nika and Caroline in the coming games. If Nika got ejected for slugging a UCF player-- it would hurt Uconn later. I may be reading Nika improperly but that's my take on what happened. Caroline, should have been given some 3 qtr minute or minutes.

 

[Blond D.]

During the game, multiple people surmised all the reasons for removing Nika that Geno later expressed in the presser. Both the mistakes she made on defense to bail out UCF, and the fact that she's not an offensive force at a time when it seemed like we needed more offense. They're perfectly valid reasons.

With that said, sometimes I do wonder if what this team needs at times is not more offense, or more defense, or any other strictly basketball-related thing. As a freshman Paige provided all of her basketball vision and skill, and IMO also provided one additional thing: fortitude. Paige as a freshman knew what she had to do to help her team win the game, and did it. And I think the team fed off that, youngsters and veterans alike.

Paige is back from her injury. Her analytical basketball mind is as it ever was, but I think she's still trying to reestablish that confidence that leads to fortitude. Her leg might not be 100% either.

Which brings us back to Nika. Nika is clearly not as effective in offensive production as most of the rest of the backcourt, and she makes silly mistakes. But...I do think she has fortitude. Nika can't do most of the things we need to do to win the game. But maybe her fiery presence helps inspire some of the other players to do those things that they can do and Nika can't.

My bottom line: if Paige is out there, Nika doesn't have to be (though it might not hurt for short stretches). When Paige sits, I think there will be few situations where you wouldn't want Nika out there to take over some of the load. But what do I know - I'm just some guy sitting on a couch. And it's just one game. Maybe we'll have more arguments for or against all of this after the next game...and hopefully the next after that.

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

 

[Littlemin]

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

Let’s face it, some of the fan base makes every excuse in the book for some players failings and grossly exaggerates others shortcomings. One point you make that is inexplicable to me is why Auriemma chose to bench the player he has identified as the team leader and the two fouls nonsense with the same needed an “offensive” team explanation just doesn’t cut it IMO.

 

[CocoHusky]

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

If Nika sees the court as well as Paige it is probably because the sight lines are almost always better from the bench.

 

[jchusky]

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

if Nika is the "leader"as you say then there's a bigger problem. There's 3 srs on this team, one of them has to be the leader if not then that is a huge issue. Again energy can take you so far, this is a production/results business. Other teams have dared her to shoot from 3 and she either is not confident she can make the shot or she shys away from the pressure. You can't put yourself in a 5 on 4 situation on offense.

 

[ballerfan]

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

I love Nika, and I want to see her play more. And I want her to play with Paige. Nika brings certain things to the team that nobody else does. But your argument is diminished when you make outrageous claims. She does not see the court as well as Paige. Compared with other players on the team, she does not go for higher percentage shots. Although she is a better offensive player than some people admit, she is far from the best offensive player on the team. That’s why she was on the bench against UCF. According to Geno, whom I trust.

 

[Littlemin]

I love Nika, and I want to see her play more. And I want her to play with Paige. Nika brings certain things to the team that nobody else does. But your argument is diminished when you make outrageous claims. She does not see the court as well as Paige. Compared with other players on the team, she does not go for higher percentage shots. Although she is a better offensive player than some people admit, she is far from the best offensive player on the team. That’s why she was on the bench against UCF. According to Geno, whom I trust.

Broken record time. You mean, of course, the best offensive players that could not score the entire 2nd half and from whom Auriemma decided to never try something different.

 

[UcMiami]

I haven't read all the posts here - figured it was going to be the same argument back and forth about Nika starting not starting. My thoughts:
1. Geno thought any offense was going to be a premium and Nika is generally the last option for shooting in any line-up.
2. In this game ... I think Geno made a mistake. Felt Nika's injury last year was a big loss for the team in the Arizona game - she played but was not 100%
3. Her six minutes were part of the run that turned the game against UCF. Yes she had two fouls, but they give you 5 in college and I think she could have added something to the second half, even if it was only another 6 minutes to give one of the other guards a breather. Westbrook who I really like, did less in 19 minutes than Nika did in her 6 as an example.

Coach is coach and he is very very good, but not infallible and I think he made a mistake. But Uconn won, and I don't think they will see as consistently good defense from any other teams left in the tournament as they did in the first weekend.

 

[PacoSwede]

Let’s face it, some of the fan base makes every excuse in the book for some players failings and grossly exaggerates others shortcomings. One point you make that is inexplicable to me is why Auriemma chose to bench the player he has identified as the team leader and the two fouls nonsense with the same needed an “offensive” team explanation just doesn’t cut it IMO.

the sole legit explanation i can fathom is that nika was hurtin' in some way and he didn't want to divulge such info to future foes.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Name the UCONN starting PG that shot a lower percentage than Nika in her first two years of starting for UCONN.
You did not call Nika shooting "deficient"-I did. Nika had the second lowest FG percentage on the team last year and this year she has the lowest FG percentage of all 9 players in the regular rotation. BTW there is another reason Nika cannot be on the floor at the end of close games. She is shooting 33% from foul line.

I agree with you on this one Coco but she has only shot 6 free throws all year.

 

[jazz]

Name the UCONN starting PG that shot a lower percentage than Nika in her first two years of starting for UCONN.
You did not call Nika shooting "deficient"-I did. Nika had the second lowest FG percentage on the team last year and this year she has the lowest FG percentage of all 9 players in the regular rotation. BTW there is another reason Nika cannot be on the floor at the end of close games. She is shooting 33% from foul line.

you fancy yourself an expert on all topics about uconn womens BB, so I assume you can figure it out all by your lonesome. Now be very careful not to fall into that trap that you always do, by NOT taking ALL the words I said, not just the ones you want...

 

[diggerfoot]

I can see what will happen to this thread soon so I will squeeze my thoughts in now.

1. The OP begged for controversy to occur. Fortunately, most people on here took a middle road, suggesting Muhl deserves more minutes without any reflection on Bueckers.

2. Auriemma presser comments had an effect on the thread. Muhl’s shooting percentages, like last year, improved at the end. Shooting over 40% on threes and making midrange jumpers shows she can shoot, at least late in seasons …. but she doesn’t. Keeping her out in the second half and citing her offense could be sending a message to her. If that is the case then the wisdom of keeping her out in the second halve will not be known until later games.

3. If I were to only play Muhl ten minutes a game, those minutes would come at the start of each half. Whether it makes sense or not according to statistics the team has had its best starts with Muhl in the line-up. Note this does not mean Bueckers should not start. Also, giving Muhl ten minutes at the start of halves means less minutes and fresher legs to whomever finishes the halves, considering every other player is likely a better finisher than Muhl.

 

[iri10]

You are clearly wrong about Nika's ability. Nika is a leader and we needed a leader. Nika can score if she wants but she sees the court as well as ANY of our players including Paige and goes for the higher percentage shots . You grossly underestimate Nika's talents on the court.

My post was an admittedly long-winded way of saying that I wish I had seen her get a few more minutes in the UCF game. But it really isn't because of her demonstrated scoring potential, which is maybe 4th among guards on the team. It's because the UCF game was a knife fight, and I believe Nika is a knife-fighter.

We don't need to oversell her abilities as they exist at this moment in an attempt to rationalize playing her. I just had a feeling that I wanted to see more of her in that game. Geno did not have that feeling. We ended up winning, though it was not the kind of win he will be overjoyed with, with us getting outscored from the field and making it up on free throws.

 

[#1florida]

Geno has said that UConn cannot win a NC without Paige. You might disagree with Geno, but expect Paige to start for the rest of the tournament. He also said that UConn won’t win if Paige is playing at 50 percent. In my opinion Paige was playing at 50 percent yesterday. The missed free throws were painful to watch.

There is at least one person on this board who thinks that Geno doesn’t believe Paige is essential. That person also said that Geno didn’t mean it when he said Paige would start. She’s starting.

For some reason I’ve wanted to defend Paige on the BY, as some people have become so negative toward her. One post attacked her character, complaining about her « ego. »

I am a big, big fan of Nika (actually a big fan of everyone on the team). She makes the team better, even if she doesn’t score. Nika is the backup PG, but I would also like to see her and Paige on the court together more often.

As for Azzi and CW being sharpshooters, that’s true, for Azzi especially from the three, but Paige is not bad either. Azzi and CW are shooting 48% and 47%, respectively, from the field. Paige, 56%. In her limited capacity since her return, Paige is shooting 54% from the field and 60% from the three, although she has not taken a lot of shots.

Anyway, Go Huskies.

A lot of fair weather fans on here that know more than Geno. But, that is the way life is. Grin and bare it. You are right, Paige will start, and if they are to continue to win, she will need to score.

 

[TeamFirst!]

With all Nika's shooting percentages the sample size is generally small. We can't go on her numbers when they are so small. She may be a better shooter than the numbers or a worse shooter than the numbers. The standard deviation is quite large. A lot of you say "Well, the team just looks better with her out there". When I see her in there I see her pestering the other team's point guard very well but her steals are about the same per minute as Paiges if even that. I see her push the offense some but relatively few fast break conversions and I don't see her running the offense as well as others. I don't see her handling the press any better than other guards. Most importantly, I see the other team slacking off of her defensively, almost daring her to shoot. They can put their weakest defender on her and even then they slack off of her, doubling up the middle. She can help wear down the other team and keep others fresh. I'm all for her playing 10 minutes but there is NWIH I want to give her more than 10 minutes PT from Azzi, Paige, CW, Caroline or Evina. If I'm completely honest, in close games being played at a slow pace, I wouldn't even give her 10 minutes. There is nothing wrong with that. We have 3 # 1 recruits as guards folks. Nika could be the #2 recruit in the country and still be on the bench. Our strength is at guard. We need to play to our strength.

 

[Huskee11]

Two or three posters have mentioned that Geno kept her out due to injury. I don`t think so. Certainly hope not.

We know that does have an issue with one of her feet/ankles, has all season. Geno has mentioned somewhat recently that she was under a minutes limit during practice. I don`t know whether that limit is still in effect.

I did see her tweak it on Senior Day trying to take a charge, and again during the Big East final driving to the basket. But she either stayed in those games or came back in later.

I was at the Monday game (and those games as well) - she was moving fine in warmups on Monday and I did not see her tweak anything. She was moving well in her brief stint on the court. She did not get any medical attention when she came to the bench. Maybe I missed something, I did not see the television coverage.

Geno is also not one to shy away from or obfuscate the truth when asked a direct question, as he was about her playing time in the post game presser. One of the many things I like about him is that he always listens to the question posed, and tries to give an honest response and not a stock coachspeak answer. To give a dishonest answer, in fact a lie, would be out of character.

He said it was about the unnecessary fouls, which must have really aggravated him, and also suggested that she will be needed more on Saturday. It does fit the facts, and I take him at his word. You may disagree about whether he should have kept her out for that, and it appears that we have seven thread pages of disagreement and counting, but I think that was indeed the issue from his perspective.

Looking forward to seeing eleven healthy and hungry Huskies on Saturday!

 

[Bald Husky]

I think some people think shooting numbers are all that we need to win a game. When Nika is out there she is playing the point, which means she is running the offense looking for the best opportunity to score for her teammates. 5 on 4 huh? Is Paige, Azzi, CW, and EW not enough firepower out there? If we have 4 players that can score, and score well, it would be nice to have a player that actually works her butt off playing defense, because it was apparent that nobody else was. The people who say it is 5 on 4 when Nika is out there clearly don't see that it is not just about shooting, its about "fundamentals and defense" to quote the state champion coach, Norman Dale. Sure, you can just put shooters out there if you want to look like DePaul. She started 17 games last year along side Paige, so what is the problem? We had a tough time out there, and you know why? Its because it was like we were playing against 3 or 4 Nikas. We didn't like that, did we?

 

[jchusky]

I think some people think shooting numbers are all that we need to win a game. When Nika is out there she is playing the point, which means she is running the offense looking for the best opportunity to score for her teammates. 5 on 4 huh? Is Paige, Azzi, CW, and EW not enough firepower out there? If we have 4 players that can score, and score well, it would be nice to have a player that actually works her butt off playing defense, because it was apparent that nobody else was. The people who say it is 5 on 4 when Nika is out there clearly don't see that it is not just about shooting, its about "fundamentals and defense" to quote the state champion coach, Norman Dale. Sure, you can just put shooters out there if you want to look like DePaul. She started 17 games last year along side Paige, so what is the problem? We had a tough time out there, and you know why? Its because it was like we were playing against 3 or 4 Nikas. We didn't like that, did we?

you're changing the narrative completely. I said that teams are DARING Nika to shoot, this idea that she is a scorer or not is irrelevant, the other teams are forcing her to be a scorer and she doesn't shoot open shots because she lacks confidence or doesn't trust she can make those shots. So if you are a player who gets open looks, looks that other players who are scorers aren't getting you're minimizing the potential on offense. There have been Uconn players in the past that were not labeled "scorers" but when they had the open shot they would take it and make it most of the time and not hesitate.

 

[Eagle4]

With all Nika's shooting percentages the sample size is generally small. We can't go on her numbers when they are so small. She may be a better shooter than the numbers or a worse shooter than the numbers. The standard deviation is quite large. A lot of you say "Well, the team just looks better with her out there". When I see her in there I see her pestering the other team's point guard very well but her steals are about the same per minute as Paiges if even that. I see her push the offense some but relatively few fast break conversions and I don't see her running the offense as well as others. I don't see her handling the press any better than other guards. Most importantly, I see the other team slacking off of her defensively, almost daring her to shoot. They can put their weakest defender on her and even then they slack off of her, doubling up the middle. She can help wear down the other team and keep others fresh. I'm all for her playing 10 minutes but there is NWIH I want to give her more than 10 minutes PT from Azzi, Paige, CW, Caroline or Evina. If I'm completely honest, in close games being played at a slow pace, I wouldn't even give her 10 minutes. There is nothing wrong with that. We have 3 # 1 recruits as guards folks. Nika could be the #2 recruit in the country and still be on the bench. Our strength is at guard. We need to play to our strength.

Agree100%with team first. Nika is a good role player and a specialist. I think given the Depth we have at the guard position playing her between 10 and 15 minutes a game maximum is about the right answer. As Geno said in his presser when you put someone in you have to take someone else out so you have to weigh the relative contributions of each player when allocating playing time. Her skills are somewhat limited and therefore in certain situations they’re not gonna fit. Remember the people ahead of her in the rotation were all number one recruits in the country in the year they came out. They were number one for a reason. That is not to denigrate Nika as a person or a player but it is just where she fits in the rotation. If Paige and Azzi Had been healthy all year Nika would’ve been a role player off the bench and would not have started or got the minutes that she did yet. Again nothing against Nika Just a realistic appraisal of where she is right now as a player.

 

[The deacon]

I think some people think shooting numbers are all that we need to win a game. When Nika is out there she is playing the point, which means she is running the offense looking for the best opportunity to score for her teammates. 5 on 4 huh? Is Paige, Azzi, CW, and EW not enough firepower out there? If we have 4 players that can score, and score well, it would be nice to have a player that actually works her butt off playing defense, because it was apparent that nobody else was. The people who say it is 5 on 4 when Nika is out there clearly don't see that it is not just about shooting, its about "fundamentals and defense" to quote the state champion coach, Norman Dale. Sure, you can just put shooters out there if you want to look like DePaul. She started 17 games last year along side Paige, so what is the problem? We had a tough time out there, and you know why? Its because it was like we were playing against 3 or 4 Nikas. We didn't like that, did we?

Bald Huskie, nobody else other than Nika was working her butt off on defense? Really?

{Sorry about your name... auto-correct wouldn't let me type Huskie with an ie).

 

[HuskyNan]

Anybody got stats on fouls per minute played? also year to year.

My Downloads Page. Courtesy of @JRRRJ You need to ask him about the year to year but it may be in the linked spreadsheet; there are a lot of tabs