Now that Serah is on Board. What is the starting 5 for next year? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Now that Serah is on Board. What is the starting 5 for next year?

My view is that four of the starters are a given and that three are in contention for that last starter position. I start with KK, Azzi, Sarah, and Serah. In terms of overall play KK may not be the 4th best player on the team, but as the only experienced PG, she has less competition for her spot.

Of my three contenders for the last spot, I feel that in a way Ashlynn is the floor. We already know that she could be pretty good at the 3 if Geno decided to go that route. On the other hand her best position is the 2, and she cannot be expected to come anywhere close to what Paige gave us there in defense, rebounding, passing, and even a sizable drop off in scoring. Remember Paige was comfortable and could be an All American at 1-3 and maybe even the 4. Ashlynn is best at the 2, not big enough at the 3, and just not a PG.

Blanca appears to have tremendous upside, and looks like a natural 3 to me. She could be a better fit for that position than Ashlynn even in her first year, particularly since she has some valuable professional experience. Personally I hope she looks like a star and takes that 5th starting position.

My third candidate for the 5th starter is Jana. We know Sarah can play the 4 or5, but many including me think she would be great at the 3 as well. In that scenario Jana would be the 5, Serah would be the 4, and Sarah the 3 in a big lineup. For this to happen Jana would need to show some significant improvement, but she appears to have quite a bit of as yet untapped potential.

So I see the three options as going small with a proven player in Ashlynn, using a natural 3 with perhaps more upside in Blanca, or going big with another player with significant upside with Jana. I am rooting for Blanca and also think she might represent the biggest upgrade for the team if she wins this battle. It would mean she beat out a known very good player in Ashlynn, and one who was pretty good and expected to be much better this year in Jana.
 
Starting 5-KK, Azzi, Sarah, Serah, Ash; sometimes 1 person will come in because of foul trouble or an injury, but this past season, Geno has sent in groups of 2 and 3 players at a time. 2nd group in: Jana, Chelli, Ice.
Who is the backup Point Guard?
 
KK, Azzi, Ash, Sarah, Serah to start off the season. Hoping KK improves her shot because this would give tons of space for Serah to play back to the basket.

Later in the year, I could see KK, Azzi, Blanca, Sarah, Serah depending on Blanca’s transitions defensively and the effectiveness of her shooting. Also dependent on how Shade performs offensively, defensively she’s all hustle and heart.
 
oldhusky said:
My view is that four of the starters are a given and that three are in contention for that last starter position. I start with KK, Azzi, Sarah, and Serah. In terms of overall play KK may not be the 4th best player on the team, but as the only experienced PG, she has less competition for her spot.

Of my three contenders for the last spot, I feel that in a way Ashlynn is the floor. We already know that she could be pretty good at the 3 if Geno decided to go that route. On the other hand her best position is the 2, and she cannot be expected to come anywhere close to what Paige gave us there in defense, rebounding, passing, and even a sizable drop off in scoring. Remember Paige was comfortable and could be an All American at 1-3 and maybe even the 4. Ashlynn is best at the 2, not big enough at the 3, and just not a PG.

Blanca appears to have tremendous upside, and looks like a natural 3 to me. She could be a better fit for that position than Ashlynn even in her first year, particularly since she has some valuable professional experience. Personally I hope she looks like a star and takes that 5th starting position.

My third candidate for the 5th starter is Jana. We know Sarah can play the 4 or5, but many including me think she would be great at the 3 as well. In that scenario Jana would be the 5, Serah would be the 4, and Sarah the 3 in a big lineup. For this to happen Jana would need to show some significant improvement, but she appears to have quite a bit of as yet untapped potential.

So I see the three options as going small with a proven player in Ashlynn, using a natural 3 with perhaps more upside in Blanca, or going big with another player with significant upside with Jana. I am rooting for Blanca and also think she might represent the biggest upgrade for the team if she wins this battle. It would mean she beat out a known very good player in Ashlynn, and one who was pretty good and expected to be much better this year in Jana.
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Your view is quite accurate and highlights the elephant in the room, namely the loss of 20-25 ppg and leadership from Paige. One has to hope that out of a cadre of 5'9" point guards (KK, Kelis and perhaps Kaleigh) one of them will stand out and take up some of the slack and that more will come from the addition of Serah up front. This still is not enough and highlights the importance of that 5th starter which I see as an open competition between Ash and Blanca - two totally different type of players. The choice here may be decided by the type of offense Geno chooses to run, perhaps less guard dominant and more post/wing leaning.
 
Rb335 said:
KK, Azzi, Ash, Sarah, Serah to start off the season. Hoping KK improves her shot because this would give tons of space for Serah to play back to the basket.

Later in the year, I could see KK, Azzi, Blanca, Sarah, Serah depending on Blanca’s transitions defensively and the effectiveness of her shooting. Also dependent on how Shade performs offensively, defensively she’s all hustle and heart.
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"How Shade performs offensively"? I do recall her crushing IOWA STATE
with 20 points IN THE FIRST QUARTER. That's the same game in which
the Huskies set the team record for three pointers... with Allie and Morgan
putting in # 19 and #20.
 
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Interest tread. A few thoughts:
-Morgan, once 100%, can play a number of positions so may surprise in earning minutes. If she can replicate her early season production for the past year, few players have the ability to move outside to shot 3's while also being an able rebounder.
-Projecting Blanca, a frosh who will have to acclimate to big time college games and the US in general, is so "Boneyard." Rarely does a "best case" happen this quickly for an unproven player but it does sometimes happen.
-The player with the most unknowns for gaining minutes next year is Jana. Given more experience and confidence, her offense and rebounding should go up. With so much talent on next year's team, status quo could mean she is squeezed for minutes.
 
hookshot said:
You got that right !, except that (if Kayleigh) came aboard, Geno may want to use her in the Chen role as a starter, just because he likes to bring the terror twins (KK and Ash) in together to finish off teams that are already wobbly on the ropes from dealing with the speed of the starting lineup. One nice trait of Kayleigh is that she really pushes the pace on offense, with long passes, in much the same way as Nika Muhl used to.
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While many are projecting improved play for the returning players, some seem to forget that KK's offense flourished during pressure filled time of the championship. A KK that can average 10+ points per game, combined with her exceptional defense, is someone you will want on the floor most of the game.
 
Zarathustra said:
"How Shade performs offensively"? I do recall her crushing IOWA STATE
with 20 points IN THE FIRST QUARTER. That's the same game in which
the Huskies set the team record for three pointers... with Allie and Morgan
putting in # 19 and #20.
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I think what people are referring to is consistency. You just never know with Ash. She is cerainly capable. Look at her stat lines the next 3-5 games after the Iow State game. I don't think she scored 8 points combined....
 
I think Geno will mix and match depending on the opponent but, I think KK, Azzi, Sarah, Serah and Jana will be starting with Blanca, Ash and Kayleigh coming off the bench first. I think Morgan, CAroline and Allie will be special use players for different purposes. Ayanna and Ice will be second team and interchangeable with Sarah and Serah.. The freshman Kelis and Gandy will be last this year.
 
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oldude said:
I’m sorry. There are just too many talented players on UConn’s roster next season. I’m going with a starting 12…….
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So who is your starting 12? The way things have been going lately here, there will probably be 100 posts with other 12 player lineups.:)
 
Does anyone...besides me...wish for college basketball as it was, probably a mere 7-8 years ago? And do you wish that 3rd & 4th year players...legitimately recruited, not as #1's, but recruited as being solid, smart players who fit the Geno mold...could work their way into significant minutes and contribute? 11 championships were won with a continuous mix of freshmen thru seniors, working their way into the lineup. There were many roll players who worked into the starting lineup for their dedication and hard work. Now, juniors, for example, solid players, are pushed down down a rung because of grad transfers and portals.

I really think that watching the progress and progression of all Geno's players for all 4 years was a testament to his coaching excellence, his player development excellence, and his coach-player relationship excellence, and that was a treat to watch.

I embraced #12, after 100 off years, but enjoyed the first 11 better.

BUT, you gotta do what you gotta do!
 
Here is the starting 5:
PG KK
SG Azzi
SF Blanca
PF Sarah
C Serah

5 additional members in the rotation:
Jana
Shade
Kelis
Morgan
Ice

Ash starting over Blanca is a possibility. Especially to start the season.
 
Zarathustra said:
"How Shade performs offensively"? I do recall her crushing IOWA STATE
with 20 points IN THE FIRST QUARTER. That's the same game in which
the Huskies set the team record for three pointers... with Allie and Morgan
putting in # 19 and #20.
Expand ...
While that was a fantastic game and she was electric offensively, she averaged 4.7 points in 22.5 minutes per game this year against ranked opponents (13 games). I think it’s fair to assume the team will be looking for additional perimeter scoring out of her position next year, with leading scorer Paige Bueckers gone.

Shade brings experience, intangibles, hustle, defense, efficient long range shooting, and sneaky offensive rebounding. She’s a huge asset to the team. My post was intended to illustrate that she’ll need to become more consistent offensively to be the final starter in my opinion.
 
PG = KK
SG = Azzi
SG = Ash
PF = Sarah
C/PF = Serah

First off the bench in order:
Guards = Blanca, Morgan, Kellis, Allie
Forwards = Jana, Ice Yannah
 
Rb335 said:
While that was a fantastic game and she was electric offensively, she averaged 4.7 points in 22.5 minutes per game this year against ranked opponents (13 games). I think it’s fair to assume the team will be looking for additional perimeter scoring out of her position next year, with leading scorer Paige Bueckers gone.
Expand ...
I think she gave Geno exactly what he wanted from her. If he'd wanted more scoring from her, she'd have been more offensive minded. What he seems to have wanted was a disruptive force on defense and the occasional buckets. This is exactly what she gave him. The fact is she played against all the top-ranked teams. He didn't keep her on the bench in any of those games, which is what I'd expect if he were disappointed in her production.

I think you're right that Geno will be asking more of her, mainly on the scoring side. I think she's already shown she can score. She can hit a clutch three and sink midrange jumpers with ease. But she may need to expand her arsenal of offensive moves, and especially how she gets open for that midrange shot. I imagine this is exactly what she'll be working on this summer.
 
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jabstep said:
Point Guard- KK
Shooting guard- Azzi
Small forward- Bianca
Power Forward- Sarah
Center- Serah
first off the bench- Ash
2nd off the bench- Jana
3rd off the bench- Allie
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The Big Three (SS/SW/Azzi) plus two more guards (TBD).
There's no need add another forward to the Big Three unless there is some unique situation.
Three point shooting proficiency supplemented by an inside game seems to be the prevailing strategy (or, maybe I've watched too many Celtics games)?
 
I would assume that Sarah, Azzi, and Serah are almost assured of starting roles. (Jana could possibly beat out Serah for the starting center position if she has a "redshirt sophomore" leap, but most likely Serah's experience and post moves will win her the job.)

I would say that KK has the inside track to be the starting PG, given her high assist numbers and defensive disruptiveness. But there are other contenders, and I would name Ashlynn and Morgan as possibilities (leaving Heckel out of the picture for now).

The 3 position is the one with the greatest uncertainty, since there is no obvious "shoo-in" candidate. The contenders are Caroline, Blanca, Morgan, and Allie. I don't think Ashlynn will (or should be asked to) play the 3. She is the obvious choice as Azzi's primary backup at the 2, and she will get plenty of minutes there.

If Caroline really is the "old Caroline", then she will be a near shoo-in for the 3 spot -- unless Blanca proves to be fantastic. Caroline knows the offensive and defensive systems better than anyone except the coaches, and that alone gives her an edge on Blanca, even if Blanca is really talented and motivated. But if Caroline is physically limited, then the position is a battle among Blanca, Morgan, and Allie, and I don't think any of them can be considered "pre-season favorite". The summer and fall practices will determine the outcome of that battle.

The depth chart behind Serah at the 5 is Jana / Gandy -- no mystery there. Jana will get plenty of minutes.

The depth chart behind Sarah at the 4 is Ice / Ayanna -- not much mystery there either. If Caroline is limited in minutes, she could back up this position also.

The depth chart behind Azzi at the 2 is Ashlynn / Allie. But Azzi and Ashlynn will get 90% to 100% of the minutes before garbage time.

The depth chart at PG is KK (probable starter) / Kelis / Ashlynn. If Kelis is "really really" good,she might get significant minutes as KK's backup.

I think the above statements can be made with a reasonable level of certainty. What is noted as uncertain above cannot be made certain until Geno and the coaches see how the summer and fall practices go.
 
100% Ash is starting. She has shown us in the last two years how good she is.
She is Geno's version of an ideal player. When her shooting is off, she makes hustle plays all over the court.
When her shooting is on, she can score like crazy.
She has shown Geno that she can do it in big games too.
Nobody is replacing her in the starting line up.
 
my2cents said:
100% Ash is starting. She has shown us in the last two years how good she is.
She is Geno's version of an ideal player. When her shooting is off, she makes hustle plays all over the court.
When her shooting is on, she can score like crazy.
She has shown Geno that she can do it in big games too.
Nobody is replacing her in the starting line up.
Expand ...
You didn't offer your full starting lineup, so we are left to guess what position Ashlynn will play when she starts, and who sits as a result.

Would you make Ashlynn the starting point guard, and send KK to the bench? I don't think that will happen, since KK is a better passer and defender than Ashlynn, and has more speed.

I assume that you wouldn't start Ashlynn ahead of Azzi at the 2.

That leaves the 3 as the only possible position for Ashlynn in the starting lineup. I will grant that MIGHT happen, since Ashlynn is an excellent rebounder for her size, and has more experience than any other contender for that position. But she is quite small for that position, and other contenders such as Caroline / Blanca / Morgan and even Allie have more suitable size for the 3. So I would expect one of them to win the position battle on the wing.

Ashlynn will get plenty of minutes as Azzi's backup, just as she did this year.
 
JoePgh said:
You didn't offer your full starting lineup, so we are left to guess what position Ashlynn will play when she starts, and who sits as a result.

Would you make Ashlynn the starting point guard, and send KK to the bench? I don't think that will happen, since KK is a better passer and defender than Ashlynn, and has more speed.

I assume that you wouldn't start Ashlynn ahead of Azzi at the 2.

That leaves the 3 as the only possible position for Ashlynn in the starting lineup. I will grant that MIGHT happen, since Ashlynn is an excellent rebounder for her size, and has more experience than any other contender for that position. But she is quite small for that position, and other contenders such as Caroline / Blanca / Morgan and even Allie have more suitable size for the 3. So I would expect one of them to win the position battle on the wing.

Ashlynn will get plenty of minutes as Azzi's backup, just as she did this year.
Expand ...
First off, enumerating the positions on the basketball court is done, over , fini.
When Geno had a line up of Sarah, Paige, Chen, Ash and Azzi on the floor at the same time, who was the three?
Who was the PG, when Paige had the ball up top, Chen in the corner and doing pick and rolls with Sara.
My starting line-up:
Sarah, Serah, Azzi, KK and Ash. You can put the meaningless numbers where you want.
 
I can see the starting 5 to start the season being Serah, Sarah, Azzi, Ash and KK. However, one of the strengths of last season's team was the amazing energy boost and defensive pressure when Ash and KK came off the bench. If both start you lose it as i don't know if there are others that can play this role as effective. Hence, i see the starting line up later in the season becoming Serah, Sarah, Bianca, Azzi and KK with Ash being the first of the bench. Others in the rotation IMO will be Jana, Ice, Morgan, CD, Yana and Allie. This is a 12 players rotation with Gandy and Kellis as end of the bench players. Now, if you add Kayleigh Heckel it becomes totally crazy. Geno will earn his pay the hard way, trying to figure out how to give playing time to so many deserving players.
 
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I’ve gotta say I’m shocked at how many people are putting Blanca up as a starter. It’s difficult for me to imagine that she will be better than Ash, Morgan, Caroline (if healthy) or possibly even Allie. All of those are not only talented players but they have anywhere from 1-3 years of experience in Geno’s system! I hope she is a great player who can force herself into a starting position but I think it’s pretty unlikely. She may well be a great player for us but I’m guessing she will need some time before she starts.

Serah
Sarah
Ash/Morgan/Caroline
Azzi
KK

Alternate

Jana
Serah
Sarah
Azzi
KK
 
Last edited:
PacoSwede said:
wow. already?

no BYer has all the data to make predictions. geno's speculations might be fun ... but he couldn't honestly give his perspective until november, soonest ... as for BYers? only good for feuding ... totally worthless!
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The coach of the team "couldn't" give his perspective until the season is already underway ??
 
Interesting thread. There are no wrong posts. Here's my opinion: if someone kicks Ash out of the starting lineup, they have to be better than pretty darn good because Ash is pretty darn good. Plus, Geno likes the kid. He appreciates her tough old-school approach to the game. If someone is better than Ash, wow, I'd be OK with that because it would be great for UConn.
 
Skeets said:
Interesting thread. There are no wrong posts. Here's my opinion: if someone kicks Ash out of the starting lineup, they have to be better than pretty darn good because Ash is pretty darn good. Plus, Geno likes the kid. He appreciates her tough old-school approach to the game. If someone is better than Ash, wow, I'd be OK with that because it would be great for UConn.
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You make a relevant point. Assuming that UConn has 14-15 healthy, talented players available next season, the competition for PT In practice will be fierce. After that, games against ND, SC, etc. should be a walk in the park. ;)
 
Geno has the luxury of a very talented team. Some kids coming back from injury will need playtime to get up to speed. The freshman will need time to learn and adapt to Genos system. These are the players imo the most likely will not start until they meet Genos expectations.

WIth that said Blanca may be the exception only because she has experience playing up and has played up since she was younger, However she too will have to learn the system first. I feel it is very important to maintain our team chemistry on both sides of the ball.

A key will be not to screw up the team chemistry that brought us a NC. Therefore it is my opinion and thought that Geno will play the kids coming back who know the system and who can execute the system. Serah may be an exception and start because she has the experience. She may start however Jana will see starter minutes because she knows the system and how to execute it. Serah appears to be a more experienced offensive and defensive player.

Azzi Sarah and Serah will start. I would expect KK and Ash to start too based on experience. Again based on experience they will not have to learn and adapt to the system making UConns chemistry flow. As everybody else progresses they will see playtime.

I believe Allie and Ice will come off the bench. Allie is a great shooter/scorer and needs to continue to be developed. We need her shooting and ability to score. Ice I feel will be playing a little bit more outside and not down low.

If we end up with another guard (ex. Heckel) this would give us another guard who is a reliable shooter/ scorer. This would put UConn over the top in talent and almost unbeatable.
 
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