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Message: [QUOTE="hoophuskee, post: 3740588, member: 3535"] (5) -- I want to start with this one because as I've said - 5 starters get 140 minutes which should be fine - that great 15-16 team you refer to had 3 starters get about 88 minutes. and Tuck and KLS got about 50. That just in the range I said. It's the perfect range imo. So are you and others say he made a bad move that year? No team came under 10 points vs them. IMO this is exactly as I've said - you don't need big benches. **Two of their big games vs Md and SC they had a 7/8 player rotation with 4 of the starters getting 32 and above minutes. (1) - What you call "running up the score - for me running up the score is more what you want to do is to keep pressing. Unless you pull the press early. And fats breaking as much as you can is running up the score. Halfcourt sets with some of your your stars -in-and-out- imo not as much. I'm a firm believer in offensive execution. I love the move Geno does keeping his starters in because the bench players need to learn how to play with the starters- but you can't have all 10- otherwise the starters and bench if treated like separate entities- won't mesh as well when competing against the elite. When they go against the elite teams the elite player(s) for UCONN need as many minutes as possible (2) - I don't believe vs the elite teams you can assume that you are going to "wear down" a bunch of 20 year olds that are also working the tails off with practices etc. Maybe some but it isn't worth the risk of "hoping the press will work with your 2nd team" - if you have an offense - with great / superior starters- that can't be stopped very well. I can't speak for this year- too many unknowns but (3) I don't think you can assume you'll get many minutes from the opposing team's bench as you suggest. One thing is - when the opposing teams starters are in - and they denned UCONN's 2nd team - they can rest more. Assume Paige and Azzi are superstars at some point. The pressure they put on each offensive set - that is more likely to wear the other team down- having to worry about them - while having to try to keep up scoring with them at the other end. A sense of frustration inevitably happens and then you see UCONN " make the run." If there is a big separation between 1st team and 2nd team - or have a few super players- you keep them in as long as they can perform. . The 2015-2016 shows the results-- play your big 4 in those big games 32+ minutes you won't lose. Too risky using the bench too much vs playing your stars. (4)- I have acknowledged that I can't make an assessment on this year's team this early in terms of style. IMO no one can on here. I had an earlier trying to project "minutes" as "whistling in the wind." I'm specifically talking general here- and that is if you have superstars - you play them big minutes. While you lose some kids - by winning you'll gain more the next year. And as I have indicated- when UCONN gets that super-superstar-- nine times they have won titles. Continuing to get the superstar is more important than worrying about the 9th player on the bench. More interested in seeing what Paige and Azzi can do for 40 minutes rather than 25 in big games. Though too young now for that when they become frosh players. (6) - Yes last year's team could have used a better bench. But last year's team number 1 1st team A/A - where would you rank Walker vs any other UCONN 1st team a/a? Think of this- I would put her 4th best player on the 15-16 team you referred to before. And what about the 2ndbets player Dangerfield? A fine player but in terms of a pg-- where would we rank her vs the pats pg's? And overall where would we rank her for example as best player vs the 16-17 and 17-18 teams? Yet this team she was 2nd bets player. Walker and Dangerfeild were fine players- they are limited in what they can carry vs the big superstars. That's not a slam. I love walker and Danger for what they did. I firmly believe we were right there to be 4th best team last year- kept us "relevant" in a manner of speak. For the talent they had-- that's pretty good. It's okay to lose bench players vs getting superstars in return. You can win with halfcourt offensive execution vs playing a press. Many teams have shown that. [/QUOTE]

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