Nika now most important player

[BobbyJ]

I can't tell if you're agreeing or disagreeing with my point. I have no idea what Geno "needs" -- I'll leave that to others to offer learned opinions on. When asked, Geno usually mentions a bottle in a cabinet in his office. If you think we're not permitted to speculate on what might be good for the team (i.e. "we need..."), then the BY must be a dull place indeed, since there's little else such a forum can be used for besides sharing news and speculating on the likely significance of it.

As for what Geno did tournament time, we both agree -- and I've mentioned this several times in other threads -- he cut Nika's minutes, especially in the 4th quarter. Now, I haven't had a chance yet to have Geno over for dinner to discuss his reasons for doing so. But my guess is that he considered her offense a liability at such moments. I suspect you agree with me about this. I take it this is why you mention what we've all pointed to over and over and over again, namely that Nika needs (uh oh, forbidden word) to improve her offense.

If we assume Nika succeeds in improving her offense -- and I'm an inveterate optimist -- she'll be able to stay on the court longer. Why should we (or Geno) care about this? Because otherwise we only have 3 guards to share 3 positions, and they may need some rest -- yes, Aubrey and Ayanna may get a few minutes at the 3, but will it be enough to spell Azzi or Caroline? I doubt it. And do we (by "we" here I mean you) think Lou will be able to play 30 mins at the 3? This will depend on her D, I suspect, and as Geno has suggested. So, doing the math -- if Azzi and Caroline play 35 mins each (optimistic, I think) and Lou only gives us 20 at the 3, and Aubrey and Ayanna can only give us 5-10, we're still short 20 mins/game. That's what "we" (i.e. the team we all root for) needs from Nika. And if you think as I do that those assumptions above are optimistic, then we may need even more mins from her. Of course, beyond this, we may discover that one or another lineup is preferable, and entails a lot more (or less) mins from Nika. Here's where I get to say, "only time will tell."

Certainly everyone can speculate as much as they want. But I speculate as an individual, independent observer since I have no ties to UConn and not as part of a group. I've followed Auriemma's teams for almost 30 years for their discipline and up tempo system. While I enjoy seeing their work pay off with a lot of success, I don't refer to the team as "we" since I'm not a member of it. To each his own. I have no needs from Muhl, Auriemma and the team do. I mostly agree with your points on this particular subject but I'm just not that concerned with all the mpg variables. I'm more interested in what Auriemma does when it's time to win games against teams he has a realistic chance of losing to. That's when we'll see if Muhl is indeed the most important player as the thread title implies and has the most impact on winning or losing.

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm more interested in what Auriemma does when it's time to win games against teams he has a realistic chance of losing to. That's when we'll see if Muhl is indeed the most important player as the thread title implies and has the most impact on winning or losing.

Which is as much as to say, "only time will tell." It turns out we do agree (see above post).

 

[jchusky]

Certainly everyone can speculate as much as they want. But I speculate as an individual, independent observer since I have no ties to UConn and not as part of a group. I've followed Auriemma's teams for almost 30 years for their discipline and up tempo system. While I enjoy seeing their work pay off with a lot of success, I don't refer to the team as "we" since I'm not a member of it. To each his own. I have no needs from Muhl, Auriemma and the team do. I mostly agree with your points on this particular subject but I'm just not that concerned with all the mpg variables. I'm more interested in what Auriemma does when it's time to win games against teams he has a realistic chance of losing to. That's when we'll see if Muhl is indeed the most important player as the thread title implies and has the most impact on winning or losing.

strongly agree, esp when a game is close imo comes down to has her scoring after 3 seasons improved? If not you are basically playing a 5 on 4 game on offense cause opposing teams are not fearing her shot.

 

[BobbyJ]

I believe Fudd’s A/T ratio was close to 1, perhaps below that. Muhl’s was about half a point higher, about the same as Westbrook’s. When was the last time Auriemma put his trust in a PG with a sub A/T ratio?

You can believe Fudd can be the PG based faith in her abilities, but the empirical evidence does not support her being a starting PG for a UConn quality team.

on Edit: I’ll reiterate this. It could be that Muhl plays a lesser role this year and we start a PG with a historical A/T below 1. But if that happens it is not a good sign for UConn.

Playing PG is a role and responsibility that Fudd was not told to focus on and make her own during her chaotic, in and out freshman season last year. So I don't think stats compiled playing a different position really apply here. Auriemma doesn't have a lot of options with this roster as it is so I'm sure he'll use the preseason practices and maybe even the first couple games to test, experiment, and look at it from several angles for what's his best fit. Ball security and movement, transition quickness, finishing breaks, and even FT shooting in close games will likely be factors. And when he makes his decisions on his best option for certain games, matchups, and situations, I doubt he'll be looking at historical A/T ratios.

 

[#12in21]

“I feel like, when you hear scoring, that’s what I was always thinking about: go big or go home,” Muhl said this week at Auriemma’s charity golf event. “That’s not always the way it should work, and I’ve talked to him a lot about that. He gave me a different picture on it, a different perspective on it. So I’ve definitely been thinking about it a little different since then.”

“I’ve definitely been working on my pull-up,” Muhl said. “Overall, my scoring game, I’ve been working on it a lot. I think that’s what I’m lacking. My role is still going to be my role. Nothing is going to change. If I can get those additional things in, that would be great. But if I still want get my teammates the ball, I think that’s the best thing to do here, with all these great scorers.”

“It’s a process, obviously,” she said. “I’m just trying to get my confidence in my shot and trying to understand I can expand my role a little bit. Obviously, I have such great scorers around me. They’re all such good scorers, I just want to get them the ball. But I understand what (Auriemma) is talking about and I hope I can affect the game that way, too.”


mike.anthony@hearstmediact.com; @ManthonyHearst

As I have cited in previous posts. Nika has heard what Geno is asking her to do. She has come to understand and accept that to be on the floor and more importantly to help her team to be as successful as possible this season, she needs to add offensively to her game. The quotes above are before heading home this summer, prior to Paige's injury. Nika is a team first player and I have no doubt that knowing that Paige will not be available all season has further cemented within her the commitment to expand her game in the ways that Geno has challenged her to do so.

Simply put, something clicked in her early this summer, prior to that she may not have seen/accepted that her scoring was needed and even more than that necessary for the betterment of the team. She felt that her teammates were far superior scorers and that her only job on the offensive end of the court was to screen for them and get them the ball. As many have pointed out, and I agree, Geno hasn't seen it that way. He and her team don't need her to be focused on scoring on the offensive end, her primary role remains as a facilitator but she does need to be effective enough to force her defender to not play off her.

She gets that now. Nobody is asking her to become a 'scorer' but simply to add enough in that area to not cause her more skilled offensive teammates to face double teaming on her account. I believe she will rise to that challenge and will be the primary point guard this season. Unlike some posters, I believe that over her first two years, Geno has wanted Nika on the floor in that role and has not been able to use her at times because of the 'liability' of opponents being able to play off her - rather than being forced to have her on the court because he had no other options. Prior to her freshman season Geno expressed high praise for her and I believe had high expectations as well. If she comes back with enough scoring ability to simply keep the opponents honest I believe Geno will put the ball in her hands.

 

[Bone Dog]

Nobody is asking her to become a 'scorer' but simply to add enough in that area to not cause her more skilled offensive teammates to face double teaming on her account. I believe she will rise to that challenge and will be the primary point guard this season.

Exactly. We’ve had this before our eyes all summer. She can hit the occasional 3, but those are standing set shots. But if she’s not a credible threat to score off the dribble, her ability to facilitate suffers.

One of the odd things over the past two seasons has been watching her shake a defender and drive into the lane and rarely take a shot. She’s got the handles and the moves to be a threat. She just needs to finish those drives occasionally.

 

[jchusky]

“I feel like, when you hear scoring, that’s what I was always thinking about: go big or go home,” Muhl said this week at Auriemma’s charity golf event. “That’s not always the way it should work, and I’ve talked to him a lot about that. He gave me a different picture on it, a different perspective on it. So I’ve definitely been thinking about it a little different since then.”

“I’ve definitely been working on my pull-up,” Muhl said. “Overall, my scoring game, I’ve been working on it a lot. I think that’s what I’m lacking. My role is still going to be my role. Nothing is going to change. If I can get those additional things in, that would be great. But if I still want get my teammates the ball, I think that’s the best thing to do here, with all these great scorers.”

“It’s a process, obviously,” she said. “I’m just trying to get my confidence in my shot and trying to understand I can expand my role a little bit. Obviously, I have such great scorers around me. They’re all such good scorers, I just want to get them the ball. But I understand what (Auriemma) is talking about and I hope I can affect the game that way, too.”


mike.anthony@hearstmediact.com; @ManthonyHearst

As I have cited in previous posts. Nika has heard what Geno is asking her to do. She has come to understand and accept that to be on the floor and more importantly to help her team to be as successful as possible this season, she needs to add offensively to her game. The quotes above are before heading home this summer, prior to Paige's injury. Nika is a team first player and I have no doubt that knowing that Paige will not be available all season has further cemented within her the commitment to expand her game in the ways that Geno has challenged her to do so.

Simply put, something clicked in her early this summer, prior to that she may not have seen/accepted that her scoring was needed and even more than that necessary for the betterment of the team. She felt that her teammates were far superior scorers and that her only job on the offensive end of the court was to screen for them and get them the ball. As many have pointed out, and I agree, Geno hasn't seen it that way. He and her team don't need her to be focused on scoring on the offensive end, her primary role remains as a facilitator but she does need to be effective enough to force her defender to not play off her.

She gets that now. Nobody is asking her to become a 'scorer' but simply to add enough in that area to not cause her more skilled offensive teammates to face double teaming on her account. I believe she will rise to that challenge and will be the primary point guard this season. Unlike some posters, I believe that over her first two years, Geno has wanted Nika on the floor in that role and has not been able to use her at times because of the 'liability' of opponents being able to play off her - rather than being forced to have her on the court because he had no other options. Prior to her freshman season Geno expressed high praise for her and I believe had high expectations as well. If she comes back with enough scoring ability to simply keep the opponents honest I believe Geno will put the ball in her hands.

she doesn't need to be a scorer, the other team is going to make her beat them. In the Oregon she had clear looks from 3 hesitated and passed.

 

[CocoHusky]

As I have cited in previous posts. Nika has heard what Geno is asking her to do. She has come to understand and accept that to be on the floor and more importantly to help her team to be as successful as possible this season, she needs to add offensively to her game. The quotes above are before heading home this summer, prior to Paige's injury. Nika is a team first player and I have no doubt that knowing that Paige will not be available all season has further cemented within her the commitment to expand her game in the ways that Geno has challenged her to do so.

Simply put, something clicked in her early this summer, prior to that she may not have seen/accepted that her scoring was needed and even more than that necessary for the betterment of the team. She felt that her teammates were far superior scorers and that her only job on the offensive end of the court was to screen for them and get them the ball. As many have pointed out, and I agree, Geno hasn't seen it that way. He and her team don't need her to be focused on scoring on the offensive end, her primary role remains as a facilitator but she does need to be effective enough to force her defender to not play off her.

She gets that now. Nobody is asking her to become a 'scorer' but simply to add enough in that area to not cause her more skilled offensive teammates to face double teaming on her account. I believe she will rise to that challenge and will be the primary point guard this season. Unlike some posters, I believe that over her first two years, Geno has wanted Nika on the floor in that role and has not been able to use her at times because of the 'liability' of opponents being able to play off her - rather than being forced to have her on the court because he had no other options. Prior to her freshman season Geno expressed high praise for her and I believe had high expectations as well. If she comes back with enough scoring ability to simply keep the opponents honest I believe Geno will put the ball in her hands.

The need for Nika's offensive improvement, better ball security and better control defensively (less fouling) was very apparent within the first 10 games of her Freshman year. It should not take until her Junior year and a second major injury to Paige for Nika to come to the realization that those needs for improvement are critical to UCONN team success. This is also not the UCONN WBB way. Being surrounded by superior scorers should not have been used as an excuse because that has always been the case for any Non-starter at UCONN. That reality (being with superior scorers) should have been used by Nika as a challenge to elevate her individual game to be on par with her teammates. This would have eliminated much of the severe disrespect that UCONN opponents are showing to Nika defensively by allowing her to shoot wide open uncontested shots, not defending essential spots on the floor such as the rim and playing Nika strictly to pass all while doubling down on other players on the floor.

 

[diggerfoot]

Playing PG is a role and responsibility that Fudd was not told to focus on and make her own during her chaotic, in and out freshman season last year. So I don't think stats compiled playing a different position really apply here. Auriemma doesn't have a lot of options with this roster as it is so I'm sure he'll use the preseason practices and maybe even the first couple games to test, experiment, and look at it from several angles for what's his best fit. Ball security and movement, transition quickness, finishing breaks, and even FT shooting in close games will likely be factors. And when he makes his decisions on his best option for certain games, matchups, and situations, I doubt he'll be looking at historical A/T ratios.

Lol. And Muhl’s own chaos, also with injury and adjusting to our style of basketball, is not a factor in her performance?

I get it. If UConn played truly positionless basketball across all five positions, Muhl would not be one of the five starters, and would not even be one of the five most important players, let alone most important player.

But PG is a specialized role even within the UConn system, which involves directing the offense with a minimum of mistakes. Muhl has been and will continue to be trained specifically for that role. No one else besides Bueckers was being trained for that, and if Bueckers was here this year, or with Arnold next year, you can bet Fudd would not be groomed for it.

I included your quote because in your objection to Muhl not being one of the most important you supported that with saying Muhl is not a better passer than Fudd. If true, the proof lies in your faith in Fudd’s abilities and not on what has been actually demonstrated. Making excuses for her ”chaos” does not suffice as real evidence in support of what you believe.

So once again, it may be that Muhl plays a lesser role this year while Fudd handles a significant part of the PG duties, but if that happens that is not good news for UConn. Any program would want to first and foremost to groom and keep giving experience to Fudd as a SG or playing “positionless,” with some amount of confidence she will be the best in the country in that role, allowed to blossom that way by continuing to use a person specifically groomed for PG in that position. If they can’t do that and have to use Fudd or anyone else in the PG role, destined to only be a temporary fix, that has both short term and long term consequences for the program.

 

[BobbyJ]

The need for Nika's offensive improvement, better ball security and better control defensively (less fouling) was very apparent within the first 10 games of her Freshman year. It should not take until her Junior year and a second major injury to Paige for Nika to come to the realization that those needs for improvement are critical to UCONN team success. This is also not the UCONN WBB way. Being surrounded by superior scorers should not have been used as an excuse because that has always been the case for any Non-starter at UCONN. That reality (being with superior scorers) should have been used by Nika as a challenge to elevate her individual game to be on par with her teammates. This would have eliminated much of the severe disrespect that UCONN opponents are showing to Nika defensively by allowing her to shoot wide open uncontested shots, not defending essential spots on the floor such as the rim and playing Nika strictly to pass all while doubling down on other players on the floor.

Exactly. Auriemma would've been all over this at that point and that's why I can't believe this recent challenge to her was his first. Maybe that's why he made it public. Like Ono with her offense, I don't understand how some players at this level of BB can be so unaware of the need to constantly upgrade their games. Even just watching all the pro and college games that they do and seeing what the best players are able to do should cause a light to come on for them.

 

[eebmg]

The need for Nika's offensive improvement, better ball security and better control defensively (less fouling) was very apparent within the first 10 games of her Freshman year. It should not take until her Junior year and a second major injury to Paige for Nika to come to the realization that those needs for improvement are critical to UCONN team success. This is also not the UCONN WBB way. Being surrounded by superior scorers should not have been used as an excuse because that has always been the case for any Non-starter at UCONN. That reality (being with superior scorers) should have been used by Nika as a challenge to elevate her individual game to be on par with her teammates. This would have eliminated much of the severe disrespect that UCONN opponents are showing to Nika defensively by allowing her to shoot wide open uncontested shots, not defending essential spots on the floor such as the rim and playing Nika strictly to pass all while doubling down on other players on the floor.

A bit harsh imo. It is clear that Nika's mindset coming to UConn was as a facilitator and to provide an energy spark on the defensive end and Geno was fine with that. To even want to be a part of UConn, you need to be pretty unselfish but I think Nika stands out in that category and may not have some of the same motivations others like Paige and Azzi have to be WNBA and Olympic stars. I think her goal was to be the best version of herself and then play international ball.

From what I recall, Geno sits players down and asks them what they want to accomplish at Storrs and I can visualize Nika saying she wants to be the energy spark and help in any way to facilitate the team to NC's while Paige may have said I want 4 NC's and be the best player ever

I am sure once Nika saw what Paige can do freshman year, that just reinforced her desire to be more of a background / glue player and with Paige and Azzi ready to become this generations Sue and Diana, she (and Geno) probably felt quite comfortable in her role.

And even then, Nika did improve her offensive game. She became a good 3pt shooter (and perhaps more under control on both ends) and even then, teams would give her room because others were still better. No shame

Only now with injuries and depth issues so apparent does Nika see how important it is for her to be a major offensive threat and I am sure she is digging hard this summer to do what she can in spite of an extremely deferential mindset that has to be reprogrammed and it takes alot of time and effort.

 

[BobbyJ]

Lol. And Muhl’s own chaos, also with injury and adjusting to our style of basketball, is not a factor in her performance?

I get it. If UConn played truly positionless basketball across all five positions, Muhl would not be one of the five starters, and would not even be one of the five most important players, let alone most important player.

But PG is a specialized role even within the UConn system, which involves directing the offense with a minimum of mistakes. Muhl has been and will continue to be trained specifically for that role. No one else besides Bueckers was being trained for that, and if Bueckers was here this year, or with Arnold next year, you can bet Fudd would not be groomed for it.

supI included your quote because in your objection to Muhl not being one of the most important you ported that with saying Muhl is not a better passer than Fudd. If true, the proof lies in your faith in Fudd’s abilities and not on what has been actually demonstrated. Making excuses for her ”chaos” does not suffice as real evidence in support of what you believe.

So once again, it may be that Muhl plays a lesser role this year while Fudd handles a significant part of the PG duties, but if that happens that is not good news for UConn. Any program would want to first and foremost to groom and keep giving experience to Fudd as a SG or playing “positionless,” with some amount of confidence she will be the best in the country in that role, allowed to blossom that way by continuing to use a person specifically groomed for PG in that position. If they can’t do that and have to use Fudd or anyone else in the PG role, destined to only be a temporary fix, that has both short term and long term consequences for the program.

1st bolded: I agree with you here.
2nd bolded: I don't have any objection to Muhl being one of the most important, I hope they all improve and compete to be the most important. All I'm saying is that up to this point I have not seen that potential. As my last sentence in post #51 implies, she'll be tested and have her opportunity to show if she can be that and we'll see what she does with that.

 

[MooseJaw]

Exactly. Auriemma would've been all over this at that point and that's why I can't believe this recent challenge to her was his first. Maybe that's why he made it public. Like Ono with her offense, I don't understand how some players at this level of BB can be so unaware of the need to constantly upgrade their games. Even just watching all the pro and college games that they do and seeing what the best players are able to do should cause a light to come on for them.

To become that player, able to add more offensive firepower Nika needs to shed her hesitancy to shoot the rock. My guess is that she will make a number of clunkers and that's OK. When more shots find the mark her confidence in her shot will grow. She has the tools to be a well-rounded point guard. We will go through the growing process with her, some games may not be pretty, however as the season progresses, I believe Nika will be able to make us smile more and more.

 

[#12in21]

The need for Nika's offensive improvement, better ball security and better control defensively (less fouling) was very apparent within the first 10 games of her Freshman year. It should not take until her Junior year and a second major injury to Paige for Nika to come to the realization that those needs for improvement are critical to UCONN team success. This is also not the UCONN WBB way. Being surrounded by superior scorers should not have been used as an excuse because that has always been the case for any Non-starter at UCONN. That reality (being with superior scorers) should have been used by Nika as a challenge to elevate her individual game to be on par with her teammates. This would have eliminated much of the severe disrespect that UCONN opponents are showing to Nika defensively by allowing her to shoot wide open uncontested shots, not defending essential spots on the floor such as the rim and playing Nika strictly to pass all while doubling down on other players on the floor. Nika's past mindset is really

I agree with eebmg assessment that this is a bit harsh, but Nika's past mindset really doesn't address what we can expect this season. Do you believe that she, as she has said, see's the need to adjust her game as Geno has asked her to ? Do you believe she has been working on that this summer and will do so come fall ? What role do you see her playing on the team this season?

I would answer, yes I believe she heard Geno and will show those adjustments in her game come fall and that she will be the starting point guard and log the most minutes at that position of any members of the team.

 

[Bone Dog]

I don’t think @CocoHusky was too harsh. That was the simple truth, that Nika has taken too long to develop her offense. I doubt it’s that she lacks the ability or the drive. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t just her stubbornness. This is what makes her awesome on D, and it may also be what makes her a difficult student.

Remember that video where she was mic’d up in practice? She muttered about how Geno was “the smartest man in the world.” I’m sure she was not being sarcastic, that she respects him as a coach. But a fiery personality like hers is also going to have an edge on comments like that.

If she turns her fire onto this new challenge, I think she can do it. She’ll need to do basic things better. For example, can she finish a layup with either hand? Can she do it equally well from either side? The summer may have been spent just working on little skills like this.

 

[Bone Dog]

Also, in case there’s still some doubt about this, Azzi is absolutely a better, more intuitive passer than Nika. She hasn’t been called on to play the point much, so we haven’t see a whole lot of this side of her game. She is also a model of the primary fact we’ve all been wrestling with this summer, namely that a guard who is a scoring threat off the dribble simply gets better opportunities to pass. If we end up playing Azzi at the point for 20min/g it will be obvious to everyone. I just hope we don’t have to do that, since she is probably more valuable to us off the ball.

 

[CocoHusky]

I agree with eebmg assessment that this is a bit harsh, but Nika's past mindset really doesn't address what we can expect this season. Do you believe that she, as she has said, see's the need to adjust her game as Geno has asked her to ? Do you believe she has been working on that this summer and will do so come fall ? What role do you see her playing on the team this season?

I would answer, yes I believe she heard Geno and will show those adjustments in her game come fall and that she will be the starting point guard and log the most minutes at that position of any members of the team.

Let's just make sure you and @eebmg are not thinking my assessment was harsh because this is Nika we are talking about. As @BobbyJ pointed I/we made very similar assessments of ONO regarding the need for offensive improvement, her propensity to disappear in big games and get in foul trouble beginning when ONO was a freshman. On the current roster we have also made the same exact assessment of Aubrey Griffin's need to gain a better understanding of the UCONN offense and her inability to develop a a deep ball. In the aftermath of the Arizona we also accessed that Paige need to get stronger so as to be able to better handle contact.
Geno's method is not to go public as a first resort with criticism of his players. I'm fairly certain he's had the discussion with Nika privately before the article you quoted.

 

[diggerfoot]

1st bolded: I agree with you here.
2nd bolded: I don't have any objection to Muhl being one of the most important, I hope they all improve and compete to be the most important. All I'm saying is that up to this point I have not seen that potential. As my last sentence in post #51 implies, she'll be tested and have her opportunity to show if she can be that and we'll see what she does with that.

If you are saying you do not see the potential for Muhl to be one of the five best overall players, then we are in agreement. But considering the system she does not need to be, she only needs to be the best at playing PG and do a capable job of it. If you don’t see potential for that, then we disagree.

If the basis for your disagreement is because of ballhandling, then the stats do not support you, Fudd actually had more turnovers than assists, and Duscharme was worse than Fudd. So unless you think Edwards will be tagged for the point, or that Muhl can’t improve even further on her 1.41 A/T ratio, there is not much in tangible evidence that others show more potential for playing PG than Muhl.

If the basis is because of Muhl’s shooting, then I agree she will never shoot as well as Fudd, but still could be good enough. Muhl has been one of our better three point shooters in the second half of both her seasons. It’s not farfetched to think she has potential to sustain near 40% three point shooting for a whole season. If you deny that as even a potential, then I think you are being overly pessimistic about Muhl.

 

[diggerfoot]

Also, in case there’s still some doubt about this, Azzi is absolutely a better, more intuitive passer than Nika. She hasn’t been called on to play the point much, so we haven’t see a whole lot of this side of her game. She is also a model of the primary fact we’ve all been wrestling with this summer, namely that a guard who is a scoring threat off the dribble simply gets better opportunities to pass. If we end up playing Azzi at the point for 20min/g it will be obvious to everyone. I just hope we don’t have to do that, since she is probably more valuable to us off the ball.

Um, what is the tangible evidence that Fudd is a more intuitive passer, can you provide any data to support that? Because I can provide data to refute that.

 

[BobbyJ]

If you are saying you do not see the potential for Muhl to be one of the five best overall players, then we are in agreement. But considering the system she does not need to be, she only needs to be the best at playing PG and do a capable job of it. If you don’t see potential for that, then we disagree.

If the basis for your disagreement is because of ballhandling, then the stats do not support you, Fudd actually had more turnovers than assists, and Duscharme was worse than Fudd. So unless you think Edwards will be tagged for the point, or that Muhl can’t improve even further on her 1.41 A/T ratio, there is not much in tangible evidence that others show more potential for playing PG than Muhl.

If the basis is because of Muhl’s shooting, then I agree she will never shoot as well as Fudd, but still could be good enough. Muhl has been one of our better three point shooters in the second half of both her seasons. It’s not farfetched to think she has potential to sustain near 40% three point shooting for a whole season. If you deny that as even a potential, then I think you are being overly pessimistic about Muhl.

I agree, I don’t see the potential for Muhl to be one of the 5 best players nor, as the thread title says, the most important player. As for PG, I agree that having to use Fudd there wouldn’t be the best use of her talents. For Muhl, everything hinges on her improvement. It would have to be considerable to help this team make up the 20+ ppg they lose from Bueckers. If she comes back basically the same player and Auriemma chooses to use her 30 mpg, I think they’ll struggle to get through the E8 if they get there. I think they need a more than capable PG to go further and they may just not have one on the roster. That’s why we have to wait and see what she’s got.

 

[oldhusky]

I know the focus in this discussion has largely centered on who would be better at PG, Azzi or Nika. But don't most of us assume Azzi and Caroline will start and get major minutes? I consider that pretty much of a given, so the real decision is between Nika and Lou for that last starting position. The winner probably winds up third in guard minutes behind Azzi and Caroline and the loser winds up fourth in minutes.

The other difference is if Lou starts, Azzi as the starting point guard gets most of her minutes at that position, but if Nika starts Azzi plays most of the time at her more natural SG position.

 

[#12in21]

Let's just make sure you a......

I felt it was a bit harsh because there was no suggestion in your post that Nika's game has adapted in any positive way since what she showed in her first ten games. I think she has made progress in several areas over her two years at Uconn. and would argue that her coaches and teammates would agree. The scoring piece in preparing for next season seems to be where she has indicated a more recent change in her own mindset.

So, no my comment was not because it was Nika. I have shown no attempt disguising the fact that I am a fan of hers but I have also pointed out areas where I think she needs improvement. So, hopefully that being addressed, I am curious as to your responses to my questions to you. Do you believe that she, as she has said, see's the need to adjust her game as Geno has asked her to ? Do you believe she has been working on that this summer and will do so come fall ? What role do you see her playing on the team this season?

 

[Bone Dog]

@12in21, I’m totally a fan of Nika’s. I love her particular brand of mayhem. As an example, consider the second half of the Tennessee game. She’s an awesome situational player.

The problem arises when injuries require her to be more than that. I think she can change her game enough to be the primary point guard, even in the tournament. This is something she has yet to achieve, as @CocoHusky has eloquently shown. I have a lot of confidence in her, perhaps more than most. But as always, per my mantra, “only time will tell.”

 

[Bone Dog]

Um, what is the tangible evidence that Fudd is a more intuitive passer, can you provide any data to support that? Because I can provide data to refute that.

The tangible evidence is our eyes. Data sets are not tangible, they are abstract, especially when the data set is small as in this case. But us BYers are astute observers of the game and know how to trust what we see. Trying to win, or even start a debate with data is like the guy who says of the kid who never takes 3 pt shots, “She hasn’t missed a single one.”