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

[my2cents]

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.

 

[JoePgh]

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.

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.

 

[my2cents]

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.

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.

 

[dtbtbtb]

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.

 

[Cuango]

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

 

[DRBackup]

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!

The coach of the team "couldn't" give his perspective until the season is already underway ??

 

[DRBackup]

It would be prudent to wait until Heckel announces.

I tend to doubt that Heckel is going to unseat KK in the starting lineup, regardless.

 

[Skeets]

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.

 

[oldude]

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.

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.

 

[Tonyc]

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.

 

[Bald Husky]

I think KK-- who just won Kelsey Plum's "Big Dawg" award for MVP at Plum's point guard academy-- has earned her spot. The idea that a transfer just comes in and is the heir apparent to the starting position makes me uncomfortable and seems really disrespectful to KK.

Additionally, team chemistry is so important, I'm not convinced that two transfers plus three first years (five new players to the team) is necessarily a good thing. Perhaps as important as Paige's basketball skill and acumen was the intangible value she brought to the entire team as support and team glue. She supported Caroline by flying to Florida to be with her during treatment; she was always Azzi's support during her injuries. Her team spirit absolutely found its way to the box score.

And finally, y'all are tempting the injury gods. Being happy with what we have seems to me to be the best way to placate those gods. (Just look at my avatar.)

As far as KK, she will be the starting PG over Kaleigh if she comes here, just because of the commitment KK has shown last year when she came off the bench. I acknowledge how she changed the game when she came in, but we will have enough talent so that would not be a big issue. KK has paid her dues, and I don't think Geno would disrespect her by not starting her. I have the same feeling about Ash, but just not as strong. KK is our new PG, and Kaleigh will get just as many minutes coming off the bench. Loyalty to the players that are defending national champions.

 

[towerman]

KK
Strong
Azzi
Williams
Jana

 

[my2cents]

I know these 'Who will be our starters threads? " are a fun off-season topic, but in no way reflect Geno's mindset coaching games.
Jana was a starter last year but avg. 16 minutes a game which was ranked 7th on the team.
Ashlyn Shade did not start and was ranked 4th in minutes per game.
Why? Because Geno's mentality is that who is playing well and contributing, making baskets, gets the minutes. If you are not contributing, you sit.
Even more important than minutes per game, is who is playing the last 4 minutes of a close game.
That's how Geno tell us how he ranks his players.

 

[HuskyNan]

Guys, you can have a difference of opinion without attacking one another. Be civil

 

[MHD789]

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.

Very surprised when I see any suggestions that Jana is better player than Serah (all-Big 10; Defensive Player of Year; 20 pts/10 rebounds). Simply no comparison in skill level and athleticism..........maybe closer in a couple of years?

 

[Vowelguy]

Very surprised when I see any suggestions that Jana is better player than Serah

The question wasn’t who’s better; it was who starts.

.

For my part I haven’t seen Serah and didn’t know/had forgotten her stats so I propbsbly have underestimated her.

 

[oldude]

Very surprised when I see any suggestions that Jana is better player than Serah (all-Big 10; Defensive Player of Year; 20 pts/10 rebounds). Simply no comparison in skill level and athleticism..........maybe closer in a couple of years?

3 years of college basketball vs 1 year. Give it time.

 

[jdote33]

I think Serah has to be in the starting lineup.

Same. Especially based on Geno's comments. I do feel bad for Ice and Jana.

 

[jeff30189]

Same. Especially based on Geno's comments. I do feel bad for Ice and Jana.

Ice has had 2 years to seize a starting role or at least to prove that she's an indispensable part of a 3 person rotation to cover the C/PF positions. It simply hasn't happened. There are sporadic bursts in which you can see the potential might be there, but how long do you wait for "potential" to turn into "demonstrated"? Maybe this will be the wake up call she's needed.

Jana had a respectable freshman season, and a sophomore season being mentored by Serah is ONLY going to make her better for her junior and senior seasons. It's a huge win for Jana, not a loss. I bet she gets the same minutes, just off the bench and in blowout time, rather than as a starter - so in theory her stats should look much better as she'll no longer be matched against the other team's first unit.

 

[Zarathustra]

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.

I enjoyed reading BONE DOG's " larger picture" of Ash. Rb335 is correct
statistically. However, I agree with BONE DOG (see above) that Geno
gets everything that he expects out of Ash's multi-talents... and MORE.
Ash chews on a Husky bone.... every minute of every game. GO TEAM!

 

[Zarathustra]

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.

GOOD POINTS! I don't generally think of next year's "starting" lineup as
being that meaningful in the context of the team's "success". The best
example of this was KK and Ash coming in off the bench last year. I
do respect " height" and what that brings to the table. But with Ash, and
many of the Huskies, I measure their hearts. Go Team, play your minutes
with DILIGENCE! (in the Zen sense of the term, ref: Christmas Humpherys)

 

[REB1094]

Too many good players to decide

 

[JoePgh]

Ice has had 2 years to seize a starting role or at least to prove that she's an indispensable part of a 3 person rotation to cover the C/PF positions. It simply hasn't happened. There are sporadic bursts in which you can see the potential might be there, but how long do you wait for "potential" to turn into "demonstrated"? Maybe this will be the wake up call she's needed.

Jana had a respectable freshman season, and a sophomore season being mentored by Serah is ONLY going to make her better for her junior and senior seasons. It's a huge win for Jana, not a loss. I bet she gets the same minutes, just off the bench and in blowout time, rather than as a starter - so in theory her stats should look much better as she'll no longer be matched against the other team's first unit.

Late in the regular season, Geno made a comment about how Ice really preferred to take 15-foot jump shots than to mix it up in the paint to get in position for a layup. I agree that this has been a consistent trend over her two years of playing time. Maybe Geno will conclude that it's more realistic to accommodate this player preference than to try to change it. That means Ice will play the 4 rather than the 5, and back up Sarah rather than Serah next year.

Since Sarah gets a ton of minutes and is surprisingly immune from frequent foul trouble, this may limit Ice's minutes. But still, it's a depth option that Geno never had before, at least not recently. Moreover, Ice will be contending with Ayanna for the limited minutes available as Sarah's backup.

I think Jana will get plenty of minutes as Serah's backup, and she may have the inside track to be the starting center in 2026-27 when she will be a junior.

 

[Stagnant]

I saw someone mentioned Ash as a starting point guard. I am going to be stubborn with my opinion here. I remember watching Ash play point guard during the McDonald’s all American game. And it just didn’t work very well. The defender put a lot of pressure on her and her team lost a lot of time every possession before they finally got into their offense. That was two years ago. And it was an exhibition game. But my takeaway at the time was, “okay, so she is a shooting guard”. And I am going to stick with that judgment since there is no real evidence to the contrary.

 

[victor64]

Late in the regular season, Geno made a comment about how Ice really preferred to take 15-foot jump shots than to mix it up in the paint to get in position for a layup. I agree that this has been a consistent trend over her two years of playing time. Maybe Geno will conclude that it's more realistic to accommodate this player preference than to try to change it. That means Ice will play the 4 rather than the 5, and back up Sarah rather than Serah next year.

Since Sarah gets a ton of minutes and is surprisingly immune from frequent foul trouble, this may limit Ice's minutes. But still, it's a depth option that Geno never had before, at least not recently. Moreover, Ice will be contending with Ayanna for the limited minutes available as Sarah's backup.

I think Jana will get plenty of minutes as Serah's backup, and she may have the inside track to be the starting center in 2026-27 when she will be a junior.

Totally agree with your thoughts on Ice.

The stats don't show it (about 26% from 3 albeit a pretty small sample size) but Ice has a nice stroke from 15 feet on out to the three line.

I feel like playing Ice at the 5 was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It was done out of necessity. She was OK defensively but does not have great hands and has not yet mastered the required post moves needed.

I believe there are minutes for her at the 4. There is one caveat. She has averaged around 3 rebounds a game her first two seasons. If she can bump those numbers and be a consistent threat facing the basket, she can get minutes at the 4.