Poll: Who will step up on offense?

[Rb335]

I’d expect to see our overall output and efficiency decrease as Paige is so efficient and is efficient at creating space for others.

I’d expect Caroline and Dorka to have more production, say 5-7ppg. Additionally, Edwards becomes the most efficient player on the floor so there may be an effort to increase her touches. Beyond that, I’d expect Evina to take things into her own hands, since she’ll have the ball in her hands a lot. I think it’s really going to be by committee. Paige is superb, but we also have a lot of capable players still available.

The only player I could see jumping significantly in ppg is Azzi. But unfortunately she’s out at the moment.

It’s a tricky injury, and I don’t know what to expect. There’s a possibility it is season ending, although I hope not. So I’d like to see everyone grow together because they could very well be the roster we bring to the postseason.

 

[Zarathustra]

I chose MOMA " E" because I consider "step up offensively" to
be (what others have also mentioned) some point guard ( or a lot )
passing, leadership, poise, etc = all that is essential to make
the offensive machine GEL! MOMA will {" be the spoon that stirs
the coffee") and resultant family of of all the UCONN players will rise to the top ( mixing my
metaphors!!) GO HUSKIES!

 

[Drew8]

Nika starting at the point will change the team. I expect more intensity. Defensive to be disruptive. Transition points to increase. Hoping it will bring out Aaliyah's relentless energy and motor so she can step up.

P.S. Shouldn't Aubrey and Olivia make the list?

 

[ballerfan]

We can't count on Caroline yet but we can't count on anyone not named Paige either. The bottom line is we live and die with Caroline over the next 2 months. i think she will produce well if given the mintes. Like most players, some games she will be cold and others she will be hot. We just became a Notre Dame type team for the next 2 months. I love CW but she's a drive first player and when up against a zone, as we will start seeing even more, her game suffers. It's not like she stops trying. She's just more of a get to the basket player. I don't see anyone else who can create their own shot. I'd probably set screens for Caroline and Evina in the half court offense. Do more conventional pick and roll playmaking. We do a lot of picks but do we roll all that well currently? I don't think so. Our team wasn't configured for it but Caroline might be a different option in that regard.

I agree that Caroline is important, and I hope her fourth quarter is not an aberration.

The team is full of talented players, and we’ll see who steps up. But I think CW and E are the most important now. The team needs leadership, assurance, and confidence. They need direction. CW and E are seniors. They are experienced and smart. It’s hard to imagine anyone else — Nika, Azzi, Caroline, etc. — who could be an effective leader.

 

[LCConnFan]

Nothing would make me happier than to see Olivia put this team on her back and carry them.
And she has the physical ability.
Does she have the fortitude?

I know what you're saying. We've been rooting for 4 years now, but maybe she just doesn't have it in her. Only averaging 8 points a game - For a 'big' we need more from her.

 

[Happydad745]

More than 1 player needs to step up....the good side of this injury, if there is one, is the team will have to learn how to work together without Paige being there to save them. When and AG get back in the game, I'm thinking good things will happen.

 

[Stymie]

I know what you're saying. We've been rooting for 4 years now, but maybe she just doesn't have it in her. Only averaging 8 points a game - For a 'big' we need more from her.

I know what you’re saying.
But wouldn’t be a great story if she could get psyched, channel some of that aggression that Aaliyah flashes on occasion and put it all together in her last year.
Hell of a legacy.

 

[eebmg]

It will be weird watching our team when the first action a non - paige player does is not look to see where Paige is. Brave new world.

 

[LCConnFan]

It will be weird watching our team when the first action a non - paige player does is not look to see where Paige is. Brave new world.

True, but its long overdue and may actually help this teams 'Paige dependence'. This just may be the motivation this team needs to be great again!

 

[Charliebball]

Nika starting at the point will change the team. I expect more intensity. Defensive to be disruptive. Transition points to increase. Hoping it will bring out Aaliyah's relentless energy and motor so she can step up.

P.S. Shouldn't Aubrey and Olivia make the list?

that's all well and good if Nika can stay out of foul trouble..........she basically starts the game with two fouls on her automatically.........her antics can be amusing when Paige is around but getting in foul trouble with few replacements at her position is going to be no laughing matter.....

 

[jfan]

Based on the sample size we’ve seen from this team (freshmen excluded), I’m not overly confident that anyone will step up. We shall see. The games will be interesting. We will learn a lot. The defense will need to be stellar for UConn to have a chance to win. Let’s roll in the ball out onto the court and see what happens.

I agree with you. I don't believe anyone will step up. That should have been offered in the poll question. That record of UCONN not having consecutive losses will unfortunately end this weekend.

 

[Stymie]

I agree with you. I don't believe anyone will step up. That should have been offered in the poll question. That record of UCONN not having consecutive losses will unfortunately end this weekend.

Gonna drup both, UCLA and Louisville?
Don’t think so.

 

[hard2please]

if evina is healthy, i think she has all american potential.

 

[NEforceUConn]

It's Nika hands down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[browns]

I know what you’re saying.
But wouldn’t be a great story if she could get psyched, channel some of that aggression that Aaliyah flashes on occasion and put it all together in her last year.
Hell of a legacy.

Liv is playing great defense.. outside of Boston probably better than any other big in WCBB.. she's never going to be Tina but if she continues to be the backbone of the defense the team will be fine

 

[Littlemin]

One thing that was apparent against ND was Ono placed for much of the game in a more traditional low post position and she responded very well, yielding some points and offensive boards; a couple of which she kept up high, scoring or getting fouled. I expect that positioning to continue going forward, potentially changing the main focus of the offense to her and Edwards down low.

 

[Inthepaint]

I would think that Evina would assume some of the leadership role on the court in Paige's absence.
Not sure that any one player will take on the whole mantle of running the offense and hitting the buckets at critical times.
It's going to be offense by committee, with a different "star" making the biggest impact in each game.
All the players have different strengths and weaknesses which will determine who really shows up against the different teams we will be facing in the next couple of months.
Let's see who reaches for the brass ring on Thursday against GA Tech. Hope Liv has a big game.

 

[jabstep]

I don't know if anyone will be throwing CW those long touchdowns. Caroline will have to step up and get at least 10 a game if not more. The bigs are better than anybody else besides South Carolina, so I expect more out of them.

 

[Stymie]

I would think that Evina would assume some of the leadership role on the court in Paige's absence.
Not sure that any one player will take on the whole mantle of running the offense and hitting the buckets at critical times.
It's going to be offense by committee, with a different "star" making the biggest impact in each game.
All the players have different strengths and weaknesses which will determine who really shows up against the different teams we will be facing in the next couple of months.
Let's see who reaches for the brass ring on Thursday against GA Tech. Hope Liv has a big game.

If UCONN plays ‘lockdown’ defense, the need for big scoring evaporates.
During the coming months, I would greatly enjoy a succession of 59-51 type wins.
Would show me the team can tighten up and do what it needs to do to win.
“Just Win Baby”—Al Davis

 

[eebmg]

It's Nika hands down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hands Up.

 

[Tonyc]

What we need is plain and simple. We need to show patience and we need to knock down shots. GATech is big inside and a low scoring team. In many of their games they score in the 50's. This indicates to me a slow down. With GT's bigs underneath it will be difficult for guards to penetrate which will eliminate CW from driving. We saw ND play zone and we made to many turnovers trying to force it inside. We will need patience.

 

[Sam.the.Man]

I am astonished to see that a plurality of the BY thinks that Caroline (based on one good game) is going to be Paige The Second.

I don't see that. We are devastated by the loss of Paige and hoping someone can rise up and spark this team to victories. Caroline has now shown that she is very capable of doing just that, but no one has indicated they expect her to be the second coming of Paige. Will Caroline rise up? If given the minutes and not yanked when she makes a mistake or two, I think she can. However, I believe Williams will most likely be the key to our success. If she can play (offensively and defensively) as she did the last half of last season we should be okay.

 

[oldhusky]

We can't count on Caroline yet but we can't count on anyone not named Paige either. The bottom line is we live and die with Caroline over the next 2 months. i think she will produce well if given the mintes. Like most players, some games she will be cold and others she will be hot. We just became a Notre Dame type team for the next 2 months. I love CW but she's a drive first player and when up against a zone, as we will start seeing even more, her game suffers. It's not like she stops trying. She's just more of a get to the basket player. I don't see anyone else who can create their own shot. I'd probably set screens for Caroline and Evina in the half court offense. Do more conventional pick and roll playmaking. We do a lot of picks but do we roll all that well currently? I don't think so. Our team wasn't configured for it but Caroline might be a different option in that regard.

Well said and I agree we will live and die with Caroline for about two months. Geno will have to let the 7 in the anticipated rotation play thru their mistakes. He doesn't have the luxury of yanking a player after a stupid foul, bad pass, or low probability shot. For a player like Caroline she may develop faster as a result of being given a little more rope, so to speak.

 

[#12in21]

that's all well and good if Nika can stay out of foul trouble..........she basically starts the game with two fouls on her automatically.........her antics can be amusing when Paige is around but getting in foul trouble with few replacements at her position is going to be no laughing matter.....

We'll see but in the 15 games she started last season she had 27 fouls (2.59/40 min.) and 40 fouls in all 23 games that she appeared in (2.85/40 min.). She had 4 fouls in a game once (South Carolina, played 35 minutes). In 8 of the games she appeared in she had 0 or 1 fouls. So hopefully your concern about 'her antics' are overly concerning. I expect her to step up and give everything she has to an all around improved performance by all those not named Paige over this upcoming period.

 

[Charliebball]

We'll see but in the 15 games she started last season she had 27 fouls (2.59/40 min.) and 40 fouls in all 23 games that she appeared in (2.85/40 min.). She had 4 fouls in a game once (South Carolina, played 35 minutes). In 8 of the games she appeared in she had 0 or 1 fouls. So hopefully your concern about 'her antics' are overly concerning. I expect her to step up and give everything she has to an all around improved performance by all those not named Paige over this upcoming period.

I hope I'm wrong but she plays such an aggressive style of defense it will be hard for her to reign that in......BTW so far this season she has committed ten fouls in 63 minutes of play compared to EW who has committed ten fouls in 182 minutes or CW who has committed 13 fouls in 210 minutes of play............