PG for this season: Paige, Azzi, KK, Kaitlyn, Morgan

[Bone Dog]

I believe Geno’s many statements to the effect that he doesn’t focus on who the PG is in a narrow way. The most memorable was two years ago when Paige was injured over the summer and he was asked if Azzi would be the PG. He responded by saying when Azzi brings the ball up the court good things often happen.

Now, admittedly, I tend to over-read things. What I noticed in this is 1) he didn’t want to let this be a defining element of Azzi’s role, and 2) he reduced the question to one feature of a the PG role on offense: bringing the ball up the court. I think we all know there’s a lot more to the traditional PG role than this, and I emphasize traditional. In the Texas game that year, it’s clear that Azzi was specifically tasked with being the ball up for much of the game. But after that, she often went to the wing after the first pass. And on defense, she did not primarily cover the opposing PG, Shaylee Gonzalez. Nika and Azzi seemed to share the defensive responsibilities of the PG, though Nika bore most of them. This same pattern was visible in the NC St game and the Iowa game.

Thinking back on Geno’s remark, I took him to mean something like, “For folks who insist on thinking in terms of rigid positions, but mainly focus on offense, I’ll say Azzi can do it. That ought to reassure everyone. But I’ll plant an ‘Easter egg’ for anyone who thinks less narrowly about the game.” This would be in keeping with his tendency to run a positionless offense and a defense that can switch quite freely, often even 1-5, in terms of the old designations.

When I look at the players who could play PG on this year’s roster, I first distinguish between offense and defense. Someone has to defend against the opposing PG and if the other team depends on a traditional scheme, it will matter who mainly does this. In past years this would be Nika. Some switching would inevitably occur, but Nika would tend to return to that player before too long. Also, on offense but with transition defense in mind, Nika would tend not to stray far from the top of the key for long and especially when she expected a shot to go up. She was an excellent rebounder as guards go, but this was mainly defensive boards,

On offense, we know that Paige is typically quite sensitive to court placement. This is why she can play PG at all, and why she is so good at it. Her great drive-and-dish skills also point to this. But her offense also often comes from the wing. There’s a bit of tension here. Make her play like a traditional PG and you put a crimp in her offense.

On defense, we know Paige can cover the opposing PG, as she did brilliantly against Shyanne Sellers in the MD game last season. But she is also a genius at disrupting passing lanes elsewhere, especially on the wing. And last season she showed us how much her shot blocking skills had expanded, and this included a lot blocks in the paint and on the wing.

If I try to think like Geno ( ), I’d look for players who can handle the defensive side and players who can handle the different aspects of the offense. Like Liv in past years, Sarah is likely to spend some time directing the offense from the top of the key. But she won’t guard the opposing PG and she’s too valuable as a rebounder and post scorer to restrict her to this role. Jana may also play a similar role at times.

The players other than Paige who can cover the opposing PG are Azzi KK Kaitlyn Morgan and, eventually, Aubrey. But only Azzi KK and Kaitlyn seem well suited to every dimension of that role, though Azzi is too valuable as a scorer from the wing, much like Paige. Aubrey isn’t great at passing or running the offense, but she is a tremendous rebounder defender slasher and transition scorer. Morgan has all the PG skills but is also a feisty rebounder and low post scorer, and Geno may want to emphasize these for her as a freshman.

All of this points to KK and Kaitlyn sharing this role mostly. I wouldn’t expect to see both of them on the floor at the same time much, unless Geno is running a press. And I’d also expect there to be stretches in every game when neither of them is on the floor. When Geno wants to go big, and have a scoring punch, Paige or Azzi will take over the role. Add a transition scorer to those two, someone like Q or Morgan or Aubrey (eventually) and you have a big scary quick team. Put Ice Jana and Sarah on the floor with Paige and Azzi and they can pummel opponents down low.

The lineup that might be the most entertaining could be Paige Azzi Caroline Morgan and Jana. This would be one of many lineups that would have a terrific inside-outside punch and a lot of cleverness on defense. The versatility of this roster may be its salient feature. Geno will eventually settle on a shorter rotation. But until he gets there, I think we’ll have a lot of fun watching all the experiments.

 

[Bone Dog]

And just a callback to Olivia Nelson Ododa's final two seasons at Uconn. I'm thinking about one of the setups Geno liked to use her in, stationed at the top of the key. He mainly used her this way when Aaliyah was also on the floor in a high-low scheme. It was a weakness in Liv's game that she wasn't more of a perimeter shooting threat. But she was a brilliant passer from that spot. When Dorka arrived, she brought better perimeter shooting skills, and had better ball handling skills for drives down the lane. But she wasn't the passer Liv was. Aaliyah was a good combination of the two of them, with good midrange shooting by her last season, excellent ball handling and finishing around the rim and pretty good high post passing skills. This combination along with her rebounding is what got her into the W.

Who will play this role for Geno this season? Jana, of course, since she has the perimeter shooting and the ball handling skills. But Sarah is a rather better shooter and a brilliant passer. I expect we'll see a lot of her at the top of the key, and teams will have to bring a big out there to guard her or get burned with 3s. Expect to see a lot of opposing bigs tentatively move out to challenge her shot but worried about what is left open down low when they do. My expectation is that Ice won't get as much time at the top of the key, though I suspect she'd prefer this. Not until her perimeter shot improves. But this may come soon enough.

This is one of the main reasons I think the question of the PG in Geno's offense is such a complicated topic. Very few teams have the flexibility in their roster to post a big on the perimeter as a real perimeter shooting threat. Not SC. Not UCLA. Not USC, though Kiki has an excellent midrange shot. Not LSU. Stanford used to be able to do this, and Tara specifically recruited and coached for this, as Geno does. Kevin McGuff at tOSU recruited Dorka, probably thinking of this, and followed her with Rebekah Mikulasikova whom he used in the same way. And just to be clear, it's not just the shooting. It's also the passing and the ball handling. The full offensive package -- shooting, passing, driving -- is what Geno has now assembled with Jana Sarah Ice Caroline Morgan. These kids are too big to leave a small guard to defend at the perimeter, whose offensive skills are too well-developed. They create unique problems that have to be game-planned for specifically.

This is also why I think there will be times when Paige and/or Azzi are the PG -- not KK or Kaitlyn -- but on offense they will mainly be on the wing. Because Sarah or Jana will be stationed at the top of the key. They won't be PGs, but they'll have taken over part of the PGs traditional roles for parts of games. And, of course, on defense they will revert to positions in the paint.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

And just a callback to Olivia Nelson Ododa's final two seasons at Uconn. I'm thinking about one of the setups Geno liked to use her in, stationed at the top of the key. He mainly used her this way when Aaliyah was also on the floor in a high-low scheme. It was a weakness in Liv's game that she wasn't more of a perimeter shooting threat. But she was a brilliant passer from that spot. When Dorka arrived, she brought better perimeter shooting skills, and had better ball handling skills for drives down the lane. But she wasn't the passer Liv was. Aaliyah was a good combination of the two of them, with good midrange shooting by her last season, excellent ball handling and finishing around the rim and pretty good high post passing skills. This combination along with her rebounding is what got her into the W.

Who will play this role for Geno this season? Jana, of course, since she has the perimeter shooting and the ball handling skills. But Sarah is a rather better shooter and a brilliant passer. I expect we'll see a lot of her at the top of the key, and teams will have to bring a big out there to guard her or get burned with 3s. Expect to see a lot of opposing bigs tentatively move out to challenge her shot but worried about what is left open down low when they do. My expectation is that Ice won't get as much time at the top of the key, though I suspect she'd prefer this. Not until her perimeter shot improves. But this may come soon enough.

This is one of the main reasons I think the question of the PG in Geno's offense is such a complicated topic. Very few teams have the flexibility in their roster to post a big on the perimeter as a real perimeter shooting threat. Not SC. Not UCLA. Not USC, though Kiki has an excellent midrange shot. Not LSU. Stanford used to be able to do this, and Tara specifically recruited and coached for this, as Geno does. Kevin McGuff at tOSU recruited Dorka, probably thinking of this, and followed her with Rebekah Mikulasikova whom he used in the same way. And just to be clear, it's not just the shooting. It's also the passing and the ball handling. The full offensive package -- shooting, passing, driving -- is what Geno has now assembled with Jana Sarah Ice Caroline Morgan. These kids are too big to leave a small guard to defend at the perimeter, whose offensive skills are too well-developed. They create unique problems that have to be game-planned for specifically.

This is also why I think there will be times when Paige and/or Azzi are the PG -- not KK or Kaitlyn -- but on offense they will mainly be on the wing. Because Sarah or Jana will be stationed at the top of the key. They won't be PGs, but they'll have taken over part of the PGs traditional roles for parts of games. And, of course, on defense they will revert to positions in the paint.

I agree with your levity-inducing posts. Just some tiny nits:

• part of the reason the offense got stuck in Paige’s freshman year was the ponderous nature of Christine’s and Olivia’s go-to offensive moves; Gabby and Napheesa were smooth and the motion offense flowed much more freely with them than with Christine and Olivia;
• when Coach Reeve (Lynx) remarked that Crystal surprisingly didn’t specialize on the pick-and-roll/pop that is the staple for the NBA/WNBA, it is because point-forwards like the more fluid Gabby and the less-fluid Olivia were the ones making the pass (point) in the read-and-react motion offense that was the traditional purview of point guards in not-positionless offense;
• as you pointed out, Geno has deconstructed traditional roles and has placed players on offense and defense where they can be most effective without costing the team (e.g. Paige can craftily cover Hannah Hidalgo with help from Sarah and Jana, but why?) — which is the way modern basketball is played;
• your previous post on exceptional players like Stewie, Paige, Maya and DT being basketball players not tied to traditional roles is reflected in numerous Geno interviews;
• Geno is not hung-up on traditional notions of basketball.

 

[Bone Dog]

part of the reason the offense got stuck in Paige’s freshman year was the ponderous nature of Christine’s and Olivia’s go-to offensive moves;

I didn’t want to get into criticizing former players. But what you say here is clearly true. I hinted at this in not praising Olivia’s ball handling while praising Dorka’s. I don’t think I ever saw Olivia drive from the high post to the rim though Dorka and Aaliyah had this as a staple move.

But whatever we think about this, today’s roster has some very capable ball handling bigs. And it’s sure to open up the offense.

 

[hoophuskee]

I believe Geno’s many statements to the effect that he doesn’t focus on who the PG is in a narrow way. The most memorable was two years ago when Paige was injured over the summer and he was asked if Azzi would be the PG. He responded by saying when Azzi brings the ball up the court good things often happen.

Now, admittedly, I tend to over-read things. What I noticed in this is 1) he didn’t want to let this be a defining element of Azzi’s role, and 2) he reduced the question to one feature of a the PG role on offense: bringing the ball up the court. I think we all know there’s a lot more to the traditional PG role than this, and I emphasize traditional. In the Texas game that year, it’s clear that Azzi was specifically tasked with being the ball up for much of the game. But after that, she often went to the wing after the first pass. And on defense, she did not primarily cover the opposing PG, Shaylee Gonzalez. Nika and Azzi seemed to share the defensive responsibilities of the PG, though Nika bore most of them. This same pattern was visible in the NC St game and the Iowa game.

Thinking back on Geno’s remark, I took him to mean something like, “For folks who insist on thinking in terms of rigid positions, but mainly focus on offense, I’ll say Azzi can do it. That ought to reassure everyone. But I’ll plant an ‘Easter egg’ for anyone who thinks less narrowly about the game.” This would be in keeping with his tendency to run a positionless offense and a defense that can switch quite freely, often even 1-5, in terms of the old designations.

When I look at the players who could play PG on this year’s roster, I first distinguish between offense and defense. Someone has to defend against the opposing PG and if the other team depends on a traditional scheme, it will matter who mainly does this. In past years this would be Nika. Some switching would inevitably occur, but Nika would tend to return to that player before too long. Also, on offense but with transition defense in mind, Nika would tend not to stray far from the top of the key for long and especially when she expected a shot to go up. She was an excellent rebounder as guards go, but this was mainly defensive boards,

On offense, we know that Paige is typically quite sensitive to court placement. This is why she can play PG at all, and why she is so good at it. Her great drive-and-dish skills also point to this. But her offense also often comes from the wing. There’s a bit of tension here. Make her play like a traditional PG and you put a crimp in her offense.

On defense, we know Paige can cover the opposing PG, as she did brilliantly against Shyanne Sellers in the MD game last season. But she is also a genius at disrupting passing lanes elsewhere, especially on the wing. And last season she showed us how much her shot blocking skills had expanded, and this included a lot blocks in the paint and on the wing.

If I try to think like Geno ( ), I’d look for players who can handle the defensive side and players who can handle the different aspects of the offense. Like Liv in past years, Sarah is likely to spend some time directing the offense from the top of the key. But she won’t guard the opposing PG and she’s too valuable as a rebounder and post scorer to restrict her to this role. Jana may also play a similar role at times.

The players other than Paige who can cover the opposing PG are Azzi KK Kaitlyn Morgan and, eventually, Aubrey. But only Azzi KK and Kaitlyn seem well suited to every dimension of that role, though Azzi is too valuable as a scorer from the wing, much like Paige. Aubrey isn’t great at passing or running the offense, but she is a tremendous rebounder defender slasher and transition scorer. Morgan has all the PG skills but is also a feisty rebounder and low post scorer, and Geno may want to emphasize these for her as a freshman.

All of this points to KK and Kaitlyn sharing this role mostly. I wouldn’t expect to see both of them on the floor at the same time much, unless Geno is running a press. And I’d also expect there to be stretches in every game when neither of them is on the floor. When Geno wants to go big, and have a scoring punch, Paige or Azzi will take over the role. Add a transition scorer to those two, someone like Q or Morgan or Aubrey (eventually) and you have a big scary quick team. Put Ice Jana and Sarah on the floor with Paige and Azzi and they can pummel opponents down low.

The lineup that might be the most entertaining could be Paige Azzi Caroline Morgan and Jana. This would be one of many lineups that would have a terrific inside-outside punch and a lot of cleverness on defense. The versatility of this roster may be its salient feature. Geno will eventually settle on a shorter rotation. But until he gets there, I think we’ll have a lot of fun watching all the experiments.

For me I look at it - there is a pg, sg, sf, pf, and center. Within these categories there is simplicity in calling a sg/sf a possible Wing. Or calling a PF a possible “Stretch 4." I can't imagine it any other way. And every position can be accounted for by UCONN players within this structure in which multiple players can play multiple positions. . The term used to account for a player playing across multiple positions is called being "versatile;" all within the structure of pg, sg, sf, pf, and center. For me identifying Paige as an example a Point-Forward this past year makes logic sense within this simple structure for me.

Possibly some can view this as "positionless" but I refer to it as being "versatile." In my context/ I don't believe in "positionless' when imo it's clear there are easy identifiable positions that fit within a simple structure. Thus when someone says for example that Paige did not play pg, I will always have a problem with that, She was versatile and played different positions and one was pg imo. And the fact she can do both pg and play other positions such as Stretch 4 pretty seamlessly just further highlights her greatness in that you can put her in multiple positions and the team can still remain elite. As a result, allowing others with not as much versatility to more of a defined role/positions that they can succeed at which can give the best opportunity for overall team success.

This point of context "positionless" vs "versatile" is porbably just a question of semantics for me. I'm just more in tune with calling it "versatile."

 

[Bone Dog]

Possibly some can view this as "positionless" but I refer to it as being "versatile."

This is fine by me.

 

[Alydar]

My opinion is that pg, sg, w/sf, pf, c are not positions, they are roles. Players are assigned roles, not positions. And UConn has a number of players that appear at this point to be able to fill multiple roles. We don't have to be told who is filling the roles, for the most part that becomes clear by their play and since roles require different skill sets, size is a factor. Having a pg who can play multiple roles adds many dimensions to the offense. Having a pg who is a +++ shooter/scorer expands that offense and likely improves efficiency because the other 4 players get open looks.

In 2021 Bueckers started the season while Muhl sat. Why? Everyone on the team and the coaches knew for certain that Bueckers was the best player and Geno decided that her best position was at the point. At some point Geno moved Bueckers to an off-guard position. Some say that it was because he wanted Muhl on the floor. Bueckers was a much better ball-handler, a much better passer and was faster than Muhl. My recollection was that Geno said in effect that Williams and Westbrook weren't producing from behind the arc and Bueckers was the only consistently effective outside shooter. So Geno moved Bueckers into a sg role, not because Muhl was a better pg but due to the need for other roles.

In the last few seasons injuries have put both Ducharme(2-3) and Fudd,(1/2/3) two elite-level 3pt shooters (IMO) to the bench and once again Bueckers was needed to fill that role. Last season UConn played 4 guards by necessity and Bueckers guarded the opponents' pf on defense. On offense she played a 2/3 role. I remember seeing her defend the opposing 4 on the low block but I have no recollection of her posting up the opposing 4 on the low block. Why? Because her role as a 4 was only on the defensive end. On offense she was guarded by opposing guards, not by opposing 4's. Anyone claiming that her role on offense was at pf needs to provide evidence of that other than who she guarded on defense.

As good a scorer as Bueckers is, she is better as a floor general, and it's difficult run a team while running off screens or setting screens for others. Geno said that he can sit and watch when Bueckers is at the point because her decisions are impeccable, while he had to stand and yell instructions when Muhl was at the point. I can count on a finger or two the players he has had over 40 years that he trusted as much. Bird? Moore?

This year is fundamentally different from the last 4 in that UConn has a host of scorers at all three levels. The NEED for having Bueckers play away from the point does not exist. Someone here said that if Bueckers was at the point she would "eclipse" the other effective pg players who would lose minutes. My response to that is so what? She would eclipse others at another position too. That's what unicorns do. Having a pg who is a ++scorer is an incredible advantage for any offense since the pg will draw defenders to them and free up other teammates. I expect that Chen will have some of that ability and that Arnold will have improved over the passed summer but not to Bueckers' level. The fact that fans have favorites that they want to see play is the antithesis of "team play" and they are asking Geno to play favorites, the opposite of everything he preaches. Some other fans want Bueckers to surpass what Clark did last season. I'd love to see that but UConn isn't Iowa and in any case I don't think Clark matched Bueckers' POY season as a freshman. Clark scored more but she also shot a lot more



Thanks to those who have responded with a number of thoughtful and persuasive posts on this topic. I believe that practice may have started yesterday (40 days before 1st game) and the players themselves finally get a say.

 

[hoophuskee]

My opinion is that pg, sg, w/sf, pf, c are not positions, they are roles. Players are assigned roles, not positions. And UConn has a number of players that appear at this point to b

1--- Per the link below (underarmour) I disagree (if not disagree then instead I’ll say “follow”) the link below about point about positions vs roles. Note the link will says ‘Position” and then says “and their roles.” For me this is defining. The roles are within the positions of pg, sg, sf, pf and center. If you have a different way of viewing it fine. But I have a way that I believe is very easy to follow and would recommend to anyone to follow. The link below speaks of positions and their roles. And all the players fit the 5 positions easily within this structure. For me it’s easy to follow this simple structure. Every [player on UCNN fits in to this simple structure. If you aren’t comfortable with it – Alydar if you aren’t- fine it’s how you view things. I don’t but okay. . As stated on prior post maybe to some degree we are speaking semantics.

2--- Per the bold above when you say “Having a pg who can play multiple roles, . . . ” but in your very 1st sentence you say the pg isn’t a position,-- but if the pg is a role as you stated then why are you referencing it as if it’s position? Is it that you are implying that there is no positions? Otherwise by your initial statement the pg is already a role (not a position.). I’ve said a position is a pg and there are roles within that structure – isn’t that what you are also saying?

3--- I never heard Geno give a direct reason for Nika or if I did, I don’t remember it. Don’t know if anyone has his direct comments? But just like when he went small this past year and why he went small when he started Dangerfield instead of Stevens years ago, and why he went Nika over Griffin, you also get better ball movement with an additional passer. Its not all just about shooting. In addition what I don’t agree with is that you are comparing Nika vs Paige that frosh year. IMO that is the wrong comparison. Nika replaced Aubrey. As a result better team passing came about, not just looking at Paige, this move allowed UCONN to get the ball to Paige within the motion offense in which UCONN plays team basketball and not focused on one-player-Paige-basketball.

4--- Per your request below an easy link to review that she was the PF; inside that link near the bottom called “Hybrid Positions” identifies that A Stretch 4 is a PF. And Paige fits that definition of a Stretch 4 easily. Therefore Paige deserves the recognition as to how extremely versatile she is. And why she was a PF. That's hwy as I've said many times the pg, sg, sf, pf, c easily works. It's why I've alos said she is underrated by theose that don't giver her credit for this PF/ Point-forward that she was. How can thsi be ignored yet anyone say they fully appreiacte her play if they aren't givign her credit for her PF/Point Forward that she performed?

5--- Yes Paige is great floor general, but basketball is a team game. Other players can also ,also make passes not just Paige. There are 5 players and because of major questions with Azzi and Caroline and Ayanna, this is just a guess/opinion which could be wrong, but the sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts which is why for me I feel KK or Chen is best alternative this early . As stated above that there is more than just 3pt shooting. So having another pg that is a terrific passer only gets the ball easier to Paige. The point is, because of the early injuries, a player such as Chen is probably the best combo of scorer/passer than whoever will be the SF until some combo of Azzi (Azzi at 2 then someone like Shade at 3), Caroline, Ayanna (Maybe Sarah can play the 3 if Ayanna is fine otherwise Sarah has to be the 4 because of not much frontcourt depth until Aubrey comes back.).

6--- And in regard to your comment “and it's difficult run a team while running off screens or setting screens for others,” – imo no it’s not. IMO we saw last year despite all the youth that we got the bell easy enough to Paige. And now as we’re even stronger, there should be no problem. This year will come down to execution from 20 year olds.

7—IMO you are doing the opposite by rejecting team play and all you seem to believe is Paige at Pg. You’re not focusing on “team” imo, you’re focusing on 1 player – 1 position. IMO that is not what Geno preaches. Other players can pass the ball too. Other players can set decent picks other than AE. Other players can assist making Paige better too. It doesn’t have to be a one-way street. That imo is what Geno preaches.

Under Armour The 5 Basketball Positions and Their Roles

 

[sun]

Position vs. role is like theory vs. reality.
Theory is based on an idea whereas roles are more based on concrete actions.
There's an ideal & then there's reality.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

3--- I never heard Geno give a direct reason for Nika or if I did, I don’t remember it. Don’t know if anyone has his direct comments? But just like when he went small this past year and why he went small when he started Dangerfield instead of Stevens years ago, and why he went Nika over Griffin, you also get better ball movement with an additional passer. Its not all just about shooting. In addition what I don’t agree with is that you are comparing Nika vs Paige that frosh year. IMO that is the wrong comparison. Nika replaced Aubrey. As a result better team passing came about, not just looking at Paige, this move allowed UCONN to get the ball to Paige within the motion offense in which UCONN plays team basketball and not focused on one-player-Paige-basketball.

I guess it was inevitable that some in this thread will dredge up Nika again — substituting their preference to how Geno actually feels (below #2) to somehow prove their premise — while not being open to other premises. For example: premises underlying Geno’s decisions these past few years, including in point guard recruits and transfers.

Quick Google searches #3 for Geno and Nika before 4/1/2021 yielded the following:

• 8/19/2020: Nika, like Paige, is a basketball player
• 1/31/2021: Nika gives what the team is lacking in most players: energy level, toughness, grit
• 2/5/2021 #1: @10:54: Nika is a big reason why defensive communication vastly improved | before South Carolina game (which UConn won 63-59); Paige posted scoring of 27, 22, 32, 30, 31 from 1/28/2021 - 2/8/2021; in this interview, Geno expressly says what he means for Paige to be more aggressive as an off-ball scorer — shoot more because she was making almost all of them in practice.

#1 The UConn vs Marquette game was the first game that featured the 4-guard line-up spurred by the Geno’s experimentation after an earlier 1/28/2021 loss to Arkansas.

#2 Nika was injured in the first game of the tourney. “No, I’m not happy [with the rotation]. I’m not as happy as if we had Nika 100 percent,” he said. “If we had Nika 100 percent, we’re a different basketball team. Much different basketball team.” Hartford Courant

UConn lost to Arizona in the Final Four.

===

#3 I have no appetite to sift through post-game Geno interviews. I know there was/were interview(s) of Geno talking about Nika setting pace and about Geno saying players were Paige-watching. Geno’s statement above #2 is a good enough proxy.

 

[yhun89]

• Paige posted scoring of 27, 22, 32, 30, 31 from 1/28/2021 - 2/8/2021; in this interview, Geno expressly says what he means for Paige to be more aggressive as an off-ball scorer — shoot more because she was making almost all of them in practice.

As Staley said, she don't take bad shots. Being an over 50% shooter form the field as a guard is no small feat.

 

[Rowdy831]

At UConn I don't think a PG is really a defined postion as much as it is on other teams. They do a lot of guard rotation which means you have to have several players who can handle the ball like a PG. More importantly than who is PG to me, is who can shoot the ball at the highest percentage from 15-18 feet?

To me Paige will be a 1 in the WNBA and Azzi a clear 2 and Geno should develop them for those roles if the offense changes. Both will be very high draft picks and both will have great futures. After them I expect the team to be developing players who will take over for those two when they are gone.

 

[Bone Dog]

Nika replaced Aubrey.

I know you're arguing in a more complex context here, and you may be right overall. But this statement, and the claim you're making in paragraph 3 of this post doesn't seem factually accurate here.

why he went Nika over Griffin, you also get better ball movement with an additional passer.

Here, too, I think your point makes a certain amount of sense, but the underlying facts may not be accurate.

Here's the problem: Geno did not replace Aubrey with Nika -- at least if we're talking about the 20-21 season. Anna Makurat was the fifth starter who was replaced first by Aaliyah, then Aubrey and then Nika. There was some experimentation going on for a while. But by the SC game, Nika's position in the lineup was pretty much settled. I think the experiment began because Anna was working through a leg injury, and I don't think she ever made it back into the starting lineup. In the early part of the season, when Anna was a starter, the PG was either Paige or Evina. It would be bizarre to say that Nika replaced either of them. But perhaps it's fair to say that she clarified the lineup. And in the tournament, when Nika turned her ankle against High Point, she wasn't replaced by Aubrey or Anna. Instead Geno went with Aaliyah and a bigger lineup, which became the default for the rest of the way. Nika only made it back for the Arizona game, but not as a starter and she seemed noticeably impaired by her ankle.

And just by the way, it would be instructive to consider why Christyn was never a PG for Geno. She certainly had the sort of skillset for the role. And she could be tenacious on defense, as in the Iowa game of that season. But she may not have had the temperament for it.

It was right around the SC game, I think, that Geno said the team's energy is just better with Nika on the floor. And it's striking that against their main rival, SC, who was significantly at least as large and athletic as any lineup he could put out, he chose to start 4 guards. Did Nika give him better passing than Aubrey or Anna? Yes, that seems right. But she also gave him a fiery leader on the floor, which neither one of those two were. It's interesting that he didn't think of Paige as that sort of court presence. Don't get me wrong -- I'm sure he saw her as a leader. But at any UConn game of the past 4 years, if Nika's on the floor you hear her voice all over the arena. And if you look at the really big games of that season (Tennessee Arkansas and SC) Paige carried the team in those games. But she wasn't always enough, as in the Arkansas game. Against SC, she scored almost every point from the middle of the 4th quarter through the overtime period. This is why, in several games from that stretch, Geno complained to Meg Culmo and Kara that the team was prone to "Paige-watching." I'm not sure which of them coined that phrase, but it was right on the mark. I'd say more than anything else, what Nika brought was a solution to that problem. At least, that's what Geno was looking for from her.

This is where the Nika discussions seem to go awry. It's not about the specific skillset she brought as a freshman, but about the chemistry she created on the court. Her skills expanded quite a bit over the years, but her ferocity was a constant. This is also why comparing Nika to Paige is a mistake. Paige has more skills than anyone in all of D1 WBB. Thus if Geno wanted Nika on the floor, it wasn't because she brings something Paige doesn't have in her arsenal. It's because he liked her temper. I think you could say something similar about Angel Reese. As an athlete she's not all that remarkable among bigs. She's a mediocre shooter even near the rim and her foot speed isn't spectacular. But she is utterly ferocious under the rim. Her heart and her persistence is what makes her so formidable. A coach can't teach heart. All you can do is teach a player how to channel it.

Now, back to Paige. She also has as much heart and tenacity and fearsomeness as any player. And I suspect the disappointments of the last few years may have taught her how better to unleash it at strategic moments. It will help her to have a fiery PG on the court with her, someone like KK or Kaitlyn, because she can pick her spots. If she's the lone PG on the floor, she won't necessarily have that luxury. She doesn't want to be the one with the loud voice all the time. That's going to have to come also from Kaitlyn, and this is the most important thing KK can learn this season: how to be the fierce leader with the commanding voice. Next season, she may be the only one who can fill that role.

 

[hoophuskee]

I know you're arguing in a more complex context here, and you may be right overall. But this statement,

I am running so I can't read all but just on this point - I don't agree with your point. Aubrey was starting. Nika replaced Aubrey which moved Paige to the Wing. Which Moved Evina to a more PF position. UCONN went small. Thus Nika did replace Aubrey. This allowed in part for better passing.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Here's the problem: Geno did not replace Aubrey with Nika -- at least if we're talking about the 20-21 season.

Agree on all your points except for the one above.

The starting lineups for every game in 2020-21 is here.

• 1/28 L to Ark #: Paige, Aubrey, Olivia, Christine, Evina
• 1/31 W DePaul: Paige, Aubrey, Olivia, Christine, Evina
• 2/3 W St John’s: Paige, Aaliyah, Nika, Olivia, Evina
• 2/5 W Marquette: Paige, Nika, Olivia, Evina, Christine

Geno used the same Marquette starting lineup until Nika was injured with a high-right ankle sprain in the first game of the tourney, rendering her unavailable for the rest of the tourney.

Per Geno, he would have used the same lineup for the rest of the tourney.

Everything considered, @hoophuskee is right in substance.

# The Arkansas starting lineup was Geno’s effective starting lineup for the prior four games (Paige DNP in one of those games).

 

[Bigboote]

Position vs. role is like theory vs. reality.
Theory is based on an idea whereas roles are more based on concrete actions.
There's an ideal & then there's reality.

A favorite remark that a professor of mine used to make: All theories are wrong, some are useful. (I don't agree with the "all".)

 

[Bone Dog]

Just to be clear, @NycUcWbbFan and @hoophuskee, I said Geno didn't replace Aubrey with Nika because the default starters at the beginning of the season did not include Aubrey. He was trying out replacements for Anna. You can see it in the boxscores from the season if you like: WBB: 2020-2021 Game Replays. It was Olivia Evina Christyn Anna and Paige from the the first game. When Anna had to work through an injury, he tried Aaliyah and Aubrey in the position before settling on Nika. In other words, Geno had not approached the season with the assumption that Aubrey would be his fifth starter. She was just one of the stopgaps he tried before settling on Nika. And just generally, Geno has tended to use Aubrey as a 6th woman, and in that role she's one of the best in D1. Naturally, I'm not including the first half of last season, because injuries forced Aubrey into a starting role, and Geno had some humorous comments about this.

I realize this is a fine distinction, but I think it's worth attending to because people often misrepresent the way Nika came into the lineup and also the way Aubrey tended to function on Geno's teams.

 

[hoophuskee]

Just to be clear, @NycUcWbbFan and @hoophuskee, I said Geno didn't replace Aubrey with Nika because the default starters at the beginning of the season did not include Aubrey. He was trying out replacements for Anna. You can see it in the boxscores from the season if you like: WBB: 2020-2021 Game Replays. It was Olivia Evina Christyn Anna and Paige from the the first game. When Anna had to work through an injury, he tried Aaliyah and Aubrey in the position before settling on Nika. In other words, Geno had not approached the season with the assumption that Aubrey would be his fifth starter. She was just one of the stopgaps he tried before settling on Nika. And just generally, Geno has tended to use Aubrey as a 6th woman, and in that role she's one of the best in D1. Naturally, I'm not including the first half of last season, because injuries forced Aubrey into a starting role, and Geno had some humorous comments about this.

I realize this is a fine distinction, but I think it's worth attending to because people often misrepresent the way Nika came into the lineup and also the way Aubrey tended to function on Geno's teams.

Okay - but I was replying to the specific paragraph below of a comparison of Paige vs Nika and why Nika jumped in eventually. My main point was for better passing as well. So, when the bold comment went from the beginning referencing the start of the season to during the season which Nika did come in as the starter, (underlined below), there shouldn't have been a comparison as to the pg's but putting Nika as he did results in better movement / better passing to get the ball to Paige vs the other alternatives.

In 2021 Bueckers started the season while Muhl sat. Why? Everyone on the team and the coaches knew for certain that Bueckers was the best player and Geno decided that her best position was at the point. At some point Geno moved Bueckers to an off-guard position. Some say that it was because he wanted Muhl on the floor. Bueckers was a much better ball-handler, a much better passer and was faster than Muhl. My recollection was that Geno said in effect that Williams and Westbrook weren't producing from behind the arc and Bueckers was the only consistently effective outside shooter. So Geno moved Bueckers into a sg role, not because Muhl was a better pg but due to the need for other roles.

 

[Bone Dog]

Okay - but I was replying to the specific paragraph below of a comparison of Paige vs Nika and why Nika jumped in eventually. My main point was for better passing as well.

As I said, I wasn’t disagreeing with your main post, which I acknowledged had a larger more complex context. I was just hoping to ground your interpretation in the facts better with regard to this one detail.

 

[sun]

A favorite remark that a professor of mine used to make: All theories are wrong, some are useful. (I don't agree with the "all".)

It often boils down to the integration of the players, their chemistry and how well they function together as a unit.
Then it's up to the coach to make adjustments.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link

 

[Steelerone]

Unfortunately, Paige is multi talented and, while probably being the most talented for the point guard position, Geno realizes her rebounding and shooting ability. She will be a "tweener", serving as a guard and small forward, even when designated otherwise.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Just to be clear, @NycUcWbbFan and @hoophuskee, I said Geno didn't replace Aubrey with Nika because the default starters at the beginning of the season did not include Aubrey. He was trying out replacements for Anna. You can see it in the boxscores from the season if you like: WBB: 2020-2021 Game Replays. It was Olivia Evina Christyn Anna and Paige from the the first game. When Anna had to work through an injury, he tried Aaliyah and Aubrey in the position before settling on Nika. In other words, Geno had not approached the season with the assumption that Aubrey would be his fifth starter. She was just one of the stopgaps he tried before settling on Nika. And just generally, Geno has tended to use Aubrey as a 6th woman, and in that role she's one of the best in D1. Naturally, I'm not including the first half of last season, because injuries forced Aubrey into a starting role, and Geno had some humorous comments about this.

I realize this is a fine distinction, but I think it's worth attending to because people often misrepresent the way Nika came into the lineup and also the way Aubrey tended to function on Geno's teams.

Simplistically, this question for me boils down to:

• (a) Is the break (Aubrey due to Anna’s injury) in a pattern (Anna) just a break in a pattern?
• (b) Or is the break in the pattern, now a new pattern — a pattern that Nika broke (as a result of UConn’s loss to AK)?

A way to decide between (a) and (b) is number of games:

• (1) Anna in starting lineup: 6 games;
• (2) Aubrey in starting lineup: 4-5 games (I am counting the 1/23 game when Paige DNP);
• (3) Nika in starting lineup: 13 games
• (4) Aaliyah in starting lineup (due to Nika’s injury): 5 games;

I am firmly in (b).

 

[Bone Dog]

Simplistically, this question for me boils down to:

• (a) Is the break (Aubrey due to Anna’s injury) in a pattern (Anna) just a break in a pattern?
• (b) Or is the break in the pattern, now a new pattern — a pattern that Nika broke (as a result of UConn’s loss to AK)?

A way to decide between (a) and (b) is number of games:

• (1) Anna in starting lineup: 6 games;
• (2) Aubrey in starting lineup: 4-5 games (I am counting the 1/23 game when Paige DNP);
• (3) Nika in starting lineup: 13 games
• (4) Aaliyah in starting lineup (due to Nika’s injury): 5 games;

I am firmly in (b).

Okay, but a few caveats.

1. Anna only came out of the starting lineup because of injury, while Aubrey came out because of something Geno saw in gameplay he didn't like. It was conceivable that Anna could have kept the starting spot but for the injury, but I don't think Geno had any notion of returning Aubrey to the starting lineup.
2. and neither Anna or Aubrey was playing PG. It wasn't until Nika came in that the PG duties were shifted partially away from Paige and Evina. I think this changes the meaning of your proposed decider. It's a simple replacement if the role is the same.
3. Also, don't forget, Aaliyah also started against Providence on 1/9.
4. Finally, the Arkansas and Tennessee games were perhaps what decided Geno because, though Aubrey played well enough in them, Paige did not. Of the Arkansas game, Paige said she started looking for her shot too late, despite Geno's urging, and in the Tennessee game Paige shot quite poorly until the very end, even before she turned her ankle. What I mean is, he saw how thin the team was if Paige had an off night. Neither Aubrey nor Anna was enough to take up the slack, even when they played relatively well. This called for a shakeup.

Maybe the upshot of this is that you're right. But I still think it doesn't quite feel right to say simply that Nika replaced Aubrey. Something more complicated was going on there.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Okay, but a few caveats.

1. Anna only came out of the starting lineup because of injury, while Aubrey came out because of something Geno saw in gameplay he didn't like. It was conceivable that Anna could have kept the starting spot but for the injury, but I don't think Geno had any notion of returning Aubrey to the starting lineup.
2. and neither Anna or Aubrey was playing PG. It wasn't until Nika came in that the PG duties were shifted partially away from Paige and Evina. I think this changes the meaning of your proposed decider. It's a simple replacement if the role is the same.
3. Also, don't forget, Aaliyah also started against Providence on 1/9.
4. Finally, the Arkansas and Tennessee games were perhaps what decided Geno because, though Aubrey played well enough in them, Paige did not. Of the Arkansas game, Paige said she started looking for her shot too late, despite Geno's urging, and in the Tennessee game Paige shot quite poorly until the very end, even before she turned her ankle. What I mean is, he saw how thin the team was if Paige had an off night. Neither Aubrey nor Anna was enough to take up the slack, even when they played relatively well. This called for a shakeup.

Maybe the upshot of this is that you're right. But I still think it doesn't quite feel right to say simply that Nika replaced Aubrey. Something more complicated was going on there.

While I agree with all your points #, I don’t see how they are germaine to the simplistic lens I described above.

A starting lineup is the coach’s best guess of the optimal five given the available roster:

• a starting lineup changes when there is an injury to a starter (e.g. Anna, Nika), or the coach determines the lineup as suboptimal (e.g. Ark loss);
• starting lineups with Anna, Aubrey, Nika and Aaliyah were for several games, so it is a little weird to think that Aubrey’s starting lineup (4-5 games) was just a bridge starting lineup — it could have gone for longer if UConn didn’t lose to Arkansas — and Anna’s starting lineup (6 games) was not substantially longer;
• maybe it helps to think of the transition as a change from the Aubrey starting lineup to the Nika starting lineup — not simply Nika just directly replacing Aubrey — since the two starting lineups distinctly differed in how they operated as a team.

# Yes, the tally of number of games for Aaliyah in the starting lineup includes the 1/9 Providence game.

 

[hoophuskee]

What am I missing? Why does it matter who Nika replaced? The point is she replaced someone which gave UCONN in one area better passing among other things. And this discussion relates to the creation subject of this thread that UCONN could possibly have sharing of pg duties rather than just Paige. So, it's not like this is off-topic.

And I'm not saying this will happen. I believe in my opinion it will but Geno may very well decide other such as Paige then non-pg's. But the fact is - it is not without precedent to have Paige share pg. Which I believe will do in part because players like Caroline won't be healthy enough to trust.

And it is possible that Nika would have started earlier. In her frosh year she missed 3 games in December. Also mised the Tenn game.