Poll: Pick the OTHER 2 starters for next year

[EricLA]

First, no arguing. At this point, there's almost no answer as the kids coming in next year haven't even suited up for their first practice. So everyone's opinion is valid. And I know Geno would say he has "no idea" who the starters will be next year.

But... I think we can write in pen that 3 of the starters will be Christyn, Megan and Olivia, so for the purposes of this poll, they are already starters. In the poll, you can ONLY choose 2 players. Please note I listed them by class, then alphabetically.

This is not "who will earn the most minutes", or be the "best PG from day 1". Realistically, given skills, experience, needs, class level etc, it's a best guess as to who will start (or should start depending on your feelings).

Lastly, you can't see the results without first casting your vote.

 

[Mike_In_Storrs]

I believe the 3 starters you can write in stone are Megan, Olivia and Anna.... As for the final 2 starters I believe that it will be Evina And Paige... CW and Aubrey will play a ton of minutes though.... Geno basically has 7 starters and all of them will play and contribute a lot.

Either way I can't wait because we are going to be awesome for years to come...

I am not even including the rest of this great class we have coming....

 

[Bigboote]

I assume you’re asking about the first game rather than the 30th.

I voted Anna and Evina. I think it’s quite possible that the starting lineup next year will evolve, and that it might even depend on the opponent (unlikely but possible).

I think it likely that Paige will start some games, and that she’ll be starting in the dance.

I’m a firm believer in the traditional sixth player model. That player doesn’t not start because she’s not good enough, but can play more than one position and provide a spark midway through the first quarter. Aubrey is perfect in that role— can guard 1-5 and absolutely change the game when she comes in.

Of course, I thought Gabby was the perfect sixth player, and Geno disagreed, so Aubrey may be a starter next year.

 

[Zorro]

No way CW doesn't start. I don't think Paige will start the first game, but will, of course, get lots of minutes. If she does start, it will be Evina first off the bench.

 

[JoePgh]

For evidence, I go back to the 2000-2001 season. At the end of that season, Shea and Sveta were out with injuries, so the starting lineup had to change. But at the beginning of the season, the starters were Sue / Shea / Sveta / Swin / Schuey (5 "S's" if you write their names that way!). I believe those were also the starters at the end of the 1999-2000 season, when UConn won its second National Championship. The bench included Tamika Williams, Asjha Jones, and Diana Taurasi, and they all got lots of minutes, but they came off the bench until the late-season injuries.

That tells me that the four starters at the end of this year will also be starting at the beginning of next year, and that the other player with college experience as a starter in a major program (Evina) will get the last spot to replace Crystal.

But I think Geno is absolutely truthful when he says that, as of now, he has no idea who next year's starters will be.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Lastly, you can't see the results without first casting your vote.

I presume you are targeting 1st game in November. Create another poll like this in 1st week of December targeting January 15 starters. However, allow us to select all 5 starters. Do not assume any starters for the sake of the poll.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think it may vary depending on whether we are looking at the beginning of the regular season, the end of the season, or the bulk of the season. I'll assume that there will be a season of some sort, despite Covid-19.

I agree with your assumption. I think Megan stays in college and comes back as one of the best players in the nation--on the short list for NPOY. I think Liv continues to improve, with better moves, better shooting, and more strength. Even if we had a young Tina Charles coming in next year, Olivia would start. Some folks are dissing Christyn. I know her shot has been off and she played poorly a few games, but she's still a dynamic player and the 2nd or 3rd best returning player. She played hard and was effective in the AAC tourney. Squeaks will continue to start.

Now the question becomes sort of the opposite of what we had last summer/fall. We knew who the Core 4 would be and we had 4-5 choices as to who would be the 5th starter. There wasn't an obvious answer, and many of us chose someone based on projection and little hard evidence. We had some difficulty finding one good option. For the upcoming season, the problem is not finding one or two, but rather whittling down a list of 5 or so viable options to only 2.

For much of the season, I thought Anna not starting would make it easier for Geno to also bring her off the bench next year. Based on her performance as a starter, I think she continues in that role. She makes plays and is no longer 0 for America. Her shooting skills finally surfaced. And her passing skills are excellent.

There are 3 strong candidates for the other slot. I think Piath is too much of project, Mir is a bit raw, and Nika still has to adapt, so I rule them out, though some of them could be impact players as soon as next season. Aubrey is still raw, but maybe not so much next year. That leaves Evina, Paige, and Aaliyah. Evina played 2 years of major college hoops at Tennessee and was a very highly ranked recruit. I assume she'll be healthy. However, she did not play at UConn and is not a true PG in my opinion. Azura didn't start, so I think Evina follows in that mold. Paige is only a true freshman, but not a typical freshman. The same is true for Aaliyah. She has played at a high level of competition with Team Canada.

Before choosing my 5th starter, I'll note several things: Playing major minutes is more important than starting. Maya, Kaleena, and Stewie, for example, played lots of minutes and often finished games before they became starters. I don't think anyone, including Geno, really knows the answer to this yet. So, we can make statements with total bravado and confidence that could well be wrong. I admit that I don't know about the 5th starter. I'm moderately confident about Anna and very confident about Meg, Liv, and Christyn. My guess on the 5th starter is Paige.

 

[hoophuskee]

1--- I have concern over Evina's knee.

2-- Stevens was a better player than Danger but Geno still started Danger. He chose "the natural pg" rather than go with Nurse as pg and Stevens as center. So it came down to fit and natural pg. From what I hear Evina is not a natural pg. In contrast, Paige is a natural pg and she also fits.

3--- Who would've thought CW would have so many issues shooting this year. So following that theme - never mind Paige and Evina-- I know even less about the other freshmen. But would love if Aubrey could stick ft jump shots. I expect she'll get stronger. Exciting top think of her development. It would be great for her to force her way into the starting lineup. With her added strength - I'm guessing she will add quite a bit of it-- if she could only hit a jump shot . . . Some games Walker could guard the 4 and Griffin guard the opposing best team's best 1/2/3. Overall though, I went another direction.

So I went with Paige and Anna.

 

[Carnac]

First, no arguing. At this point, there's almost no answer as the kids coming in next year haven't even suited up for their first practice. So everyone's opinion is valid. And I know Geno would say he has "no idea" who the starters will be next year.

But... I think we can write in pen that 3 of the starters will be Christyn, Megan and Olivia, so for the purposes of this poll, they are already starters. In the poll, you can ONLY choose 2 players. Please note I listed them by class, then alphabetically.

This is not "who will earn the most minutes", or be the "best PG from day 1". Realistically, given skills, experience, needs, class level etc, it's a best guess as to who will start (or should start depending on your feelings).

Lastly, you can't see the results without first casting your vote.

I think we can begin to comment and debate about our players next season, because this season is done.
I'm assuming that you are referring to who the starters will be either that first exhibition game, or the first regular season game. In either case, Anna finished the season as a starter, she's returning, so I'm assuming she will start along with the other 3 (Megan, Olivia & Crystal) returning starters.

That leaves one opening at pg. Evina Westbrook fills that vacancy. If Anna does not start, that means either Aubrey or one of the freshmen had a hell of a summer and really impressed Geno during the first 3 weeks of official practice. Which would be great for the team, and give Geno a deeper bench. If that happens, sophomores Aubrey/Anna are the first two off the bench in no certain order. Now they both know what they are doing, and either has made or is about to make that soph leap.

 

[Jingo]

First, no arguing. At this point, there's almost no answer as the kids coming in next year haven't even suited up for their first practice. So everyone's opinion is valid. And I know Geno would say he has "no idea" who the starters will be next year.

But... I think we can write in pen that 3 of the starters will be Christyn, Megan and Olivia, so for the purposes of this poll, they are already starters. In the poll, you can ONLY choose 2 players. Please note I listed them by class, then alphabetically.

This is not "who will earn the most minutes", or be the "best PG from day 1". Realistically, given skills, experience, needs, class level etc, it's a best guess as to who will start (or should start depending on your feelings).

Lastly, you can't see the results without first casting your vote.

Liv has the best chance of starting next year .. the rest is a crap-shoot .. stop pre-picking, let everyone fight for a spot in October .. let the chips fall where they may ... it's only fair...

 

[JordyG]

I think it may vary depending on whether we are looking at the beginning of the regular season, the end of the season, or the bulk of the season. I'll assume that there will be a season of some sort, despite Covid-19.

I agree with your assumption. I think Megan stays in college and comes back as one of the best players in the nation--on the short list for NPOY. I think Liv continues to improve, with better moves, better shooting, and more strength. Even if we had a young Tina Charles coming in next year, Olivia would start. Some folks are dissing Christyn. I know her shot has been off and she played poorly a few games, but she's still a dynamic player and the 2nd or 3rd best returning player. She played hard and was effective in the AAC tourney. Squeaks will continue to start.

Now the question becomes sort of the opposite of what we had last summer/fall. We knew who the Core 4 would be and we had 4-5 choices as to who would be the 5th starter. There wasn't an obvious answer, and many of us chose someone based on projection and little hard evidence. We had some difficulty finding one good option. For the upcoming season, the problem is not finding one or two, but rather whittling down a list of 5 or so viable options to only 2.

For much of the season, I thought Anna not starting would make it easier for Geno to also bring her off the bench next year. Based on her performance as a starter, I think she continues in that role. She makes plays and is no longer 0 for America. Her shooting skills finally surfaced. And her passing skills are excellent.

There are 3 strong candidates for the other slot. I think Piath is too much of project, Mir is a bit raw, and Nika still has to adapt, so I rule them out, though some of them could be impact players as soon as next season. Aubrey is still raw, but maybe not so much next year. That leaves Evina, Paige, and Aaliyah. Evina played 2 years of major college hoops at Tennessee and was a very highly ranked recruit. I assume she'll be healthy. However, she did not play at UConn and is not a true PG in my opinion. Azura didn't start, so I think Evina follows in that mold. Paige is only a true freshman, but not a typical freshman. The same is true for Aaliyah. She has played at a high level of competition with Team Canada.

Before choosing my 5th starter, I'll note several things: Playing major minutes is more important than starting. Maya, Kaleena, and Stewie, for example, played lots of minutes and often finished games before they became starters. I don't think anyone, including Geno, really knows the answer to this yet. So, we can make statements with total bravado and confidence that could well be wrong. I admit that I don't know about the 5th starter. I'm moderately confident about Anna and very confident about Meg, Liv, and Christyn. My guess on the 5th starter is Paige.

I agree with everything you've said. Except the last line, which, or course, we've spoke about before. Day one it'll be Evina. Geno will harp about Paige's conditioning, strength, and defense. All of which Evina has over Paige in November. By January or February we'll see. That doesn't mean there won't be big minutes for Paige since she can come in at the 1 or the 2. But looking at even a great talent like Zion struggle up and down the floor trying to keep up with the NBA pace, how can Paige not struggle at first? I think the more interesting battle will be at the 3 between Ania, AG and AE. No matter. I really want to be a fly on the wall for all the practices before Christmas. Who would have thought that we'd have 7 months of off season instead of 6? It's going to be a long off season, even if a few new recruits commit.

 

[Bigboote]

Liv has the best chance of starting next year .. the rest is a crap-shoot .. stop pre-picking, let everyone fight for a spot in October .. let the chips fall where they may ... it's only fair...

Two-Year starter, AAC player of the year, likely all-American Megan Walker is a crap shoot? Really?

 

[Jingo]

Two-Year starter, AAC player of the year, likely all-American Megan Walker is a crap shoot? Really?

Let's see how she does in the Tourney .. yes, she's an AA in the AAC .. eh?

 

[Wbbfan1]

I'm not sure that Anna will be a starter next year. The first priority for Geno is to find a PG to run the team. IMO that's not Anna. She's not a good ball handler and gets into trouble. Sure at times she makes a great pass to get out of trouble, but many times she doesn't. Her Role on the team should be as a spot three point shooter which is her strength. Paige will be the starting PG.

Would I start Anna or Christyn, maybe but Christyn will be a Junior and I don't see Geno taking her out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. Especially if she continues to play like she has in the last week or two (Presuming there are more games played)

Megan will have to make a decision if she's going to turn Pro. I believe she is eligible for the draft. There have been no rumors that she's considering going Pro and probably would improve her draft status if she came back for another year. Its been a tough year for Megan and there has been a lot of pressure on her. Next Year with a better roster, things would be easier, but is Megan ready to move on. Is Megan a first round draft pick? Possibly, but it will be late in the first round or in the 2nd round.

I like a Starting Lineup of:

Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Megan Walker
Evina Westbrook
Paige Bueckers
Anna Makurat or Christyn Williams.

How does Geno work in Aubrey Griffin. I imagine Aubrey will improve her game during the Off Season and will be clamoring for a Starting Position.

 

[veryolddog]

What a dilemma? So many choices so few spots. Sounds like a very good problem that leads to a win - win situation. Seems like these young people are all starters, seasoned and very new. I do not think that there is a bad decision out there. Maybe only better ones as Geno gets to see each one and how they contribute. Must be difficult when they are all starter quality players.

 

[Zanzman]

I'm not sure that Anna will be a starter next year. The first priority for Geno is to find a PG to run the team. IMO that's not Anna. She's not a good ball handler and gets into trouble. Sure at times she makes a great pass to get out of trouble, but many times she doesn't. Her Role on the team should be as a spot three point shooter which is her strength. Paige will be the starting PG.

Would I start Anna or Christyn, maybe but Christyn will be a Senior and I don't see Geno taking her out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. Especially if she continues to play like she has in the last week or two (Presuming there are more games played)

Megan will have to make a decision if she's going to turn Pro. I believe she is eligible for the draft. There have been no rumors that she's considering going Pro and probably would improve her draft status if she came back for another year. Its been a tough year for Megan and there has been a lot of pressure on her. Next Year with a better roster, things would be easier, but is Megan ready to move on. Is Megan a first round draft pick? Possibly, but it will be late in the first round or in the 2nd round.

I like a Starting Lineup of:

Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Megan Walker
Evina Westbrook
Paige Bueckers
Anna Makurat or Christyn Williams.

How does Geno work in Aubrey Griffin. I imagine Aubrey will improve her game during the Off Season and will be clamoring for a Starting Position.

Christyn will be a junior

 

[JonathanXIV]

Liv has the best chance of starting next year .. the rest is a crap-shoot .. stop pre-picking, let everyone fight for a spot in October .. let the chips fall where they may ... it's only fair...

Walker is starting next year. Absent injury she’s a sure thing.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Thanks Corrected.

Christyn will be a junior

 

[BBallF]

If Evina is healthy it's her, Anna, CW,MW, and ONO. If not, it's Paige.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

The problem we will continue to have is lack of size and talent in the front court. I don't see ONO becoming a superstar, and no matter how many guards we put out there, we're still undersized, and relying on the three.

So I wouldn't be at all surprised of Edwards ends up playing 30 minutes a game. Given ONO's chronic could problems, Edwards could spell her for a lot of minutes. And Coach Geno might use her in place of Chrysten as well.

Need the mix of front and back court. I don't see us prospering with the same front court as this year.

 

[ucbart]

I believe the 3 starters you can write in stone are Megan, Olivia and Anna.... As for the final 2 starters I believe that it will be Evina And Paige... CW and Aubrey will play a ton of minutes though.... Geno basically has 7 starters and all of them will play and contribute a lot.

Either way I can't wait because we are going to be awesome for years to come...

I am not even including the rest of this great class we have coming....

Can we please stop this madness with Christyn....please?

 

[HuskylnSC]

I think some of us don't remember how good Evina is. All year long we lamented the lack of swagger and confidence from the team. Evina will out bring skill, experience, swagger. She can play either point or wing with equal acumen.

At the end of the day the most important starters are those that start in the tournaments. Those starters will be selected more for their defensive capabilities than offensive. Perhaps by then Liv and Aaliyah have formed a dynamic shutdown combo in the paint. Perhaps Mir and Aubrey will combine to bring chaos to the opposition's offense and defense.

First game Evina, Chrysten, Anna, Meg, and Liv start. In March, I'm expecting Paige, Evina, Meg, Aaliyah and Liv.
Geno will gave quick rotations of Chrysten, Anna, Aubrey. He will have a defined lock down quick press team, a defensive rebounding group and a half court offense that runs like a clock. He will be the puzzle master crafting the pieces as we go along. Who becomes what piece will be determined in the most fun season we have had in quite a while.

(My last prediction next year most improved player will be Piath Gabriel. She will become an important piece of the bench to give Liv a break with no loss of defensive prowess and she will sometimes play the 5 with Liv at 4 and Aaliyah at 3. The result there is the most devastating high-low offense we have seen since Stewie and Tuck)

 

[southofnorth]

Every freshman not named Maya Moore has struggled immensely at some point in their freshman year. However, with Dangerfield graduating, UConn needs a pg. That likely gives Paige an advantage since she primarily plays the pg role now, so it’ll be an easy transition for her role-wise. Evina would probably be ahead of Paige in both knowledge (of the UConn system) and defense. Evina played some pg and she and Anna might share pg duties until Paige gets comfortable or until Paige or Nika comes off of the bench. My hope is that Nika and Piath especially surprise all of us and turn out to be either a starter and in the regular rotation (respectively) or two major bench contributors (8-10 mpg even in bigger games).

 

[heavyhusky]

Just a few comments:
1) Early in the season Paige will not start, as her defense is atrocious. Watch tape of her games this year. In one, they were playing man-to-man defense and Paige's girl smoked her for 40 pts.
2) Aaliyah is not getting enough love here. Watch tape of USA vs Canada last summer where she outplays ONO. She has the mindset of a warrior.
3) I suspect that early in the season Geno will go with the five who know the system -- Megan, ONO, Christyn, Anna, and Aubrey -- though Evina's experience and presence this year may get her in the door. The others will have to earn their PT by showing improvement in practice.

 

[Mike_In_Storrs]

Can we please stop this madness with Christyn....please?

Which "madness" are you referring? Am I entitled to an opinion on who I think the 5 starters will be? Apparently according to you I am not allowed to say Evina, Walker, Olivia, Anna and Paige are all better than Christyn.

Personally I am of the opinion that Evina would have started this year if she were allowed to play.... I am sure you will have an issue with that too...

Btw,

I am not the one who has been bashing CW on here...I just think the other players we have are better.. Including Griffin. It's called an opinion.

P.S.

The question was "who do you think the 5 starters will be next year"