Post Rotation possibilities

[Bone Dog]

I remember last summer wondering if we'd ever see Olivia and Dorka playing "twin towers," and reminiscing about Rebecca Lobo and Kara Wolters. Alas, things didn't unfold that way, but we often saw Aaliyah playing next to Olivia or Dorka. Could we have occasionally played all three of them together? It might have been a slow team, but it could have been effective in some situations.

How about next season -- what might our "big" team look like? Could we see these three, Dorka, Aaliyah and Ayanna or Ice on the court together? I've said elsewhere that I think Ayanna could be a slow 3, but she's still pretty quick and really strong. Ice would also be a slow 3. I can imagine Amari subbing in for Dorka and playing the high post, passing to Aaliyah and Ayanna/Ice in the low post. If Aubrey played the 3 next to any two of these others, we'd have a formidable presence on the boards and we wouldn't give up nearly as much speed.

What post rotations are the rest of you imagining? It seems like there's a lot of possibilities.

 

[hoophuskee]

The "big team" should be used sparingly ( for example under extreme threat vs South Carolina or another huge team if Ducharme and Lou prove they can't rebound) or in blowouts just to give players some playing time.

Griffin and Patterson (possibly Edwards) at Small Forward are the "Big" lineup if you put them there.

Then any combo of Dorka, Edwards, Brady, Amari, or Patterson at the 4/5 spots.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Whoever is playing the 3 would probably have to be able to knock down an outside shot and defend. I'm not sure any of these options truly fits that profile. I think it's more likely we just have more depth at the 4 and 5. I'd like to see Ayanna play some 3 though defensively and work the offensive rebounding aggressively. There is no requirement that she be a traditional 3. Adding Ayanna as a 3 could really help dominate the boards. She's probably quick enough to defend.

 

[CocoHusky]

My vision of the post rotation is a rather deep one- probably the deepest in 4 years. I envision two strong rebounding post players on the floor for UCONN at all times . I have 5 players in that rotation with Dorka and AE starting. Beyond those two I can see Ice rotating into for either Dorka's or AE spot, Ayanna rotating in for AE and Amari rotating in combination with Dorka, & AE. The only combinations I don't envision are the two freshman playing extended minutes together or Amari and one of the two freshman. I'm also going to go out on a limb here and predict a BY thread prior to Christmas that either Ice or Patterson (perhaps both) should be starting. Patterson's athleticism is undeniable, it is going to be hard to keep her on the bench. Brady's offensive efficiency is equally undeniable because she can make shots from all over the floor and she is a dynamic facilitator that going to make it easier for everyone to get buckets.

 

[PvP]

From watching Yanna on several occasions, I'd say that she will need a lot of work on her shooting before she gets a consistent role in the rotation. She has had issues even with putbacks very close to the bucket. Maybe she and Paige can work on Alley-Oop plays specifically to play to Yanna's strengths.

 

[CocoHusky]

From watching Yanna on several occasions, I'd say that she will need a lot of work on her shooting before she gets a consistent role in the rotation. She has had issues even with putbacks very close to the bucket. Maybe she and Paige can work on Alley-Oop plays specifically to play to Yanna's strengths.

That is definitely an issue that will need to be addressed and has the potential to bring Geno to a Freshman Tina Charles levels of frustration. Her shot mechanics are however solid and I would expect that to improve with repetition. Forget the alley-Oop- too high a degree of difficulty. I want to see Paige develop an pick and roll game with Patterson that is similar to the one Paige had in HS with Maya Nnaji.

 

[oldude]

UConn has the best collection of guards in WBB. I think it’s more likely we will see a 4 guard lineup than a 3 forward lineup. As for how UConn would match up with a big, physical lineup like SC, rather than responding to size with size, Geno’s teams have frequently responded to size by making the other team try to cover their shooters all over the court.

That was kind of the plan vs SC in the championship game. But with Azzi under the weather, Evina turning her ankle and Christyn with an off day, the Huskies didn’t have enough weapons to force the Gamecocks to respond to their ability to spread the floor and knock down shots.

 

[oldhusky]

I agree with what many have said so far, but on the big vs. small lineup probabilities, I just want to add I don't really want to see either one, I want normal, two bigs and three guards. We have plenty of talent to man the 3 and 4 positions. Players who fit at those positions better than say Caroline or Lou at the 4, or Aubrey or Ayanna at the 3 for example. All four of those players in my opinion will be better at their more natural position.

Injuries can create a need to look at moving people from their best spot, and clearly there are some situational scenarios, maybe a defensive unit for an end of a period stop with Aubrey or Ayanna at the 3, or if you need a three, Caroline or Lou at the 4, but except for those scenarios, use players where they are the best.

Some years the guards are much better than the bigs or visa versa, and there are more unknowns about our bigs this year, but we also have 6 very promising candidates to be good at the 4/5 positions. Last year we pretty much had a three big rotation which is a stretch if they all are healthy, and a problem if one isn't as when Dorka or Liv were out.

This year I am almost certain that one from Ayanna, Ice, Aubrey or Amari will be very productive, and consider it a very high probability that at least two will, when added to Aaliyah and Dorka would give a very good 4 big rotation. I also consider it more likely that we will have trouble finding minutes for #5 and #6 among the bigs even if they are playing great.

In essence no probable reason to look to go small unless several bigs disappoint. On the other side no reason to look to go big either, but at the 3 we don't really have extra depth, and if either Caroline or Lou goes down, Nika could cover most of the backup guard minutes, but with only 4 for 3 positions, using Aubrey or Ayanna on a limited basis there probably would be necessary.

Until a real weakness or need develops, I vote for a normal lineup with most players at their natural positions.

 

[Zarathustra]

Most of the listed " big " rotations do not include Amari as a first option which
is my original consideration. So this would look like: Amari coming in for Dorka,
ICE coming in for Aaliyah or Yanna coming in for Aaliyah ( it is rather fluid!).
I also like considering the UCONN Big Guard option that piggybacks on any combination
of Big lineup. This would include 6'2" Carolina with 6'1" Aubrey or 6'1'
Lou Lopez. Most team would use up their " big" matchups on ours which
leaves the potential of muliple guard mismatches like in the Creighton game where
6' 2" Caroline had 3 blocks againt Tatum Rembo ( #2) and the other shorter
Bluejay guard. Go Huskies.

 

[Bone Dog]

Most of the listed " big " rotations do not include Amari as a first option which
is my original consideration. So this would look like: Amari coming in for Dorka,
ICE coming in for Aaliyah or Yanna coming in for Aaliyah ( it is rather fluid!).
I also like considering the UCONN Big Guard option that piggybacks on any combination
of Big lineup. This would include 6'2" Carolina with 6'1" Aubrey or 6'1'
Lou Lopez. Most team would use up their " big" matchups on ours which
leaves the potential of muliple guard mismatches like in the Creighton game where
6' 2" Caroline had 3 blocks againt Tatum Rembo ( #2) and the other shorter
Bluejay guard. Go Huskies.

I am right there with you in this vision of the rotation. If Amari can spell Dorka for 10-15 mins per game, we'll have gotten a lot. And having Ice and Ayanna spelling Aaliyah (and occasionally stepping into the 3) would make for a powerful rotation. One thing this would mean is that foul troubles would be minimized.

We've got 80 mins of post playing time and another 40 mins at the 3. I assume Dorka and Aaliyah would get more than 20 mins each, probably closer to 30. Since the 3 is also part of the guard rotation, that means 120 mins to divide up among Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Nika and Lou. I assume Paige and Azzi will play 30mins each, leaving another 60 mins to be divided among the others, and also occasionally Aubrey and Ayanna.

And there will definitely be some 4 guard sets from time to time, and we are really well stocked for that format too.

 

[oldude]

Most of the listed " big " rotations do not include Amari as a first option which
is my original consideration. So this would look like: Amari coming in for Dorka,
ICE coming in for Aaliyah or Yanna coming in for Aaliyah ( it is rather fluid!).
I also like considering the UCONN Big Guard option that piggybacks on any combination
of Big lineup. This would include 6'2" Carolina with 6'1" Aubrey or 6'1'
Lou Lopez. Most team would use up their " big" matchups on ours which
leaves the potential of muliple guard mismatches like in the Creighton game where
6' 2" Caroline had 3 blocks againt Tatum Rembo ( #2) and the other shorter
Bluejay guard. Go Huskies.

Assuming Aubrey is healthy and ready to go this coming season, she is most definitely a forward, and potentially the first player off the bench to spell either Dorka or Aaliyah. While her offense is limited, Aubrey is an exceptional rebounder and defender, capable of matching up with opposing posts, as she did vs SC two years ago, a game which included Aubrey blocking 3 shots by Boston & Amihere.

 

[Notyetready]

There are actually three bigs to spread the floor with 3 pt shooting: Dorka, Amari (who just needs confidence and game experience) and Ice. By mid-season or late season, Geno should have the option of putting 5 3pt shooters on the floor at the same time and still have big rebounders.

 

[huskeynut]

Outside of assuming both Dorka and Aaliyah will start in the front court, every other option is pure speculation.
Aubry is coming off back surgery. No back surgery is minor. We really will not know what she will be capable of until probably October.
Amari showed some spark of promise last season. Will she make the "sophomore" jump? If she does, she's the high post player with the outside shot and the passing skills.
Ayanna and Ice are highly regarded. Do I think they will contribute. Absolutely. How much? To be determined. I don't see either playing the 3 spot.

Geno has many options to work with both offensively and defensively. I think the standard set will be 3 guards and 2 fowards/ post. Will he use a 4 guard set? Yes when situations warrant it. Could he go with 3 bigs? Yes.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

 

[Skeets]

My vision of the post rotation is a rather deep one- probably the deepest in 4 years. I envision two strong rebounding post players on the floor for UCONN at all times . I have 5 players in that rotation with Dorka and AE starting. Beyond those two I can see Ice rotating into for either Dorka's or AE spot, Ayanna rotating in for AE and Amari rotating in combination with Dorka, & AE. The only combinations I don't envision are the two freshman playing extended minutes together or Amari and one of the two freshman. I'm also going to go out on a limb here and predict a BY thread prior to Christmas that either Ice or Patterson (perhaps both) should be starting. Patterson's athleticism is undeniable, it is going to be hard to keep her on the bench. Brady's offensive efficiency is equally undeniable because she can make shots from all over the floor and she is a dynamic facilitator that going to make it easier for everyone to get buckets.

Coco, I agree, but I have to keep pinching myself to remind me that 2 of those guys are high school kids that will be stepping up to the biggest of big time D1 basketball. It could happen, see Paige...

 

[Bone Dog]

... and see Katie Lou... and Napheesa... and Gabby... and Moriah... and Morgan... and Kaleena ... and Kiah Stokes.... I hesitate to add Stewie to this list. It's unfair to compare Ice and Ayanna to perhaps the greatest player of all time. But if they just have a freshman year comparable to what Morgan Tuck did, play 15 mins/game and play solid D, we'll be really pleased with them both.

 

[TeamFirst!]

I think it is highly likely that we go with 2 bigs almost all the time. If we use Ayanna at the 3 it will probably be infrequent and to maybe counter SC some. From watching her in the all star games the girl can get after the boards. I think we may see Ayanna as our strongest rebounder per minute played by a significant margin, mainly from the 4 slot. Who knows but I'm impressed by her rebounding focus. Someone told her to get after it and she listened. So many players take that part of the game off but watch Ayanna and she is hunting rebounds consistently. How many great teams simply had a clean up rebounding forward with almost no outside shot who was of tremendous value just from put backs and layups. For example, yesterday's Celtics / SF game. Looney was 6 for 6 with 7 rebounds in 21 minutes PT. He had the best +/- on the team in yesterday's game. We see it over and over again on great teams, for example on South Carolina with Saxton putting up solid supplementary numbers per minute played. Saxton also does a lot of subtle things for them like solid D and setting low post picks for Boston. Ayanna could be that sort of player on day one and be a huge help for this team as she develops her overall game.

I could see Ice filling ONO's spot with significant PT. She's just fits that role better in Geno's offense. Solid passer and capable of hitting a jump shot. Geno really likes passing post players I would think as in the limited time I've seen Uconn teams they seem to be a very important part of the offense. Can Ice pick and roll well though? Is she quick enough? Can she defend the pick and roll? She appears to be getting quicker but she's going to need to continue to work on that. I see major progress though in that regard. Both Ayanna and Ice may be real contributors next year.

I keep hearing Amari has potential but I'm not seeing the defense or the rebounding and I'm not a fan of 3 point shooting post players in general. I do see significant progress though. She needs to hit the weight room and get stronger. She needs a hook shot and more conventional post moves. We will see.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Ayanna shot over 60% from the field last year and 25 points a game? Over 11 rebounds a game. Those are great numbers even with a small school. I remember one player saying in an interview once that "If she gets the ball under the basket, it's over". Something like that.

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[Alydar]

That is definitely an issue that will need to be addressed and has the potential to bring Geno to a Freshman Tina Charles levels of frustration. Her shot mechanics are however solid and I would expect that to improve with repetition. Forget the alley-Oop- too high a degree of difficulty. I want to see Paige develop an pick and roll game with Patterson that is similar to the one Paige had in HS with Maya Nnaji.

I watched those two run the P&R a hundred times. Patterson has a very quick 1st step that should play well. That quickness will also help block shots. If she can clean the glass and be a defensive disruptor she will have had a good freshman season but she could be more than that. Opponents won't be helping on her so she should get some easy hoops inside with the passers UConn has on the outside.
Brady could be our version of Boston, a slightly smaller oak but still an oak and with better range.

 

[HopJim]

Assuming Aubrey is healthy and ready to go this coming season, she is most definitely a forward, and potentially the first player off the bench to spell either Dorka or Aaliyah. While her offense is limited, Aubrey is an exceptional rebounder and defender, capable of matching up with opposing posts, as she did vs SC two years ago, a game which included Aubrey blocking 3 shots by Boston & Amihere.

So many options this coming year. Aubrey getting quality minutes would be a great step forward for her but mean Patterson, seemingly just as athletic and better on offense, was lagging. Suspect both might start out slow - Aubrey after missing significan time and Patterson as a frosh. I am rooting for everyone to perform at the highest level this coming year so hoping Geno has some difficult decisions.

 

[tchalla1]

My vision of the post rotation is a rather deep one- probably the deepest in 4 years. I envision two strong rebounding post players on the floor for UCONN at all times . I have 5 players in that rotation with Dorka and AE starting. Beyond those two I can see Ice rotating into for either Dorka's or AE spot, Ayanna rotating in for AE and Amari rotating in combination with Dorka, & AE. The only combinations I don't envision are the two freshman playing extended minutes together or Amari and one of the two freshman. I'm also going to go out on a limb here and predict a BY thread prior to Christmas that either Ice or Patterson (perhaps both) should be starting. Patterson's athleticism is undeniable, it is going to be hard to keep her on the bench. Brady's offensive efficiency is equally undeniable because she can make shots from all over the floor and she is a dynamic facilitator that going to make it easier for everyone to get buckets.

I agree with both your assessment of lineup possibilities and your expectation of the two incoming freshmen--I also hold high expectation for Ice and Ayanna and despite them being freshmen, I also do expect them to make significant contribution for the Huskies this season. As you pointed out, Coco, these ladies have exceptional skillsets and yes, it is going to be hard to keep them out of the lineup, or as you predicted, keep them from starting eventually... I don't see the SC dominance on the boards happening again with those two, and the wonderful and intriguing combination of talented 4s and 5s that we can now field.

 

[Alydar]

I thought Griffin had a lot of quality minutes as a sophomore. She needed to expand her offense and was working on that when the injuries set in but was a defensive menace. Best offensive rebounder on the team. I expect she will need months to get her strength back and many hours on the court. The unknown is will she still be the swooping hawk on defense and Bueckers main competition in the conditioning drills. I'm one of those people who lived when back surgery usually left a person in a corset sitting in a chair. Forty years ago my sister was told by a back Dr to "come back when the pain was too bad to take". That isn't the case any more.

 

[Cuango]

I have now heard several references to Amari having “shown promise” or some other statement along those lines and, while I am desperately hoping she is able to step up and contribute meaningfully this season, I must say, I cannot remember any of these “promising” moments. I can only remember garbage time where she basically threw up threes every chance she got. I do remember she had a few games with multiple assists. Perhaps this is what they are referring to? This is not meant as a put down or attack on her, merely questioning when these moments occurred? Again, I have high hopes for her going forward but I must have either missed something or there’s a bit of revisionist history going on.

 

[hoophuskee]

I have now heard several references to Amari having “shown promise” or some other statement along those lines and, while I am desperately hoping she is able to step up and contribute meaningfully this season, I must say, I cannot remember any of these “promising” moments. I can only remember garbage time where she basically threw up threes every chance she got. I do remember she had a few games with multiple assists. Perhaps this is what they are referring to? This is not meant as a put down or attack on her, merely questioning when these moments occurred? Again, I have high hopes for her going forward but I must have either missed something or there’s a bit of revisionist history going on.

GTOWN and Xavier in Feb she had nice games showing off passing and shooting.

 

[PvP]

I have now heard several references to Amari having “shown promise” or some other statement along those lines and, while I am desperately hoping she is able to step up and contribute meaningfully this season, I must say, I cannot remember any of these “promising” moments. I can only remember garbage time where she basically threw up threes every chance she got. I do remember she had a few games with multiple assists. Perhaps this is what they are referring to? This is not meant as a put down or attack on her, merely questioning when these moments occurred? Again, I have high hopes for her going forward but I must have either missed something or there’s a bit of revisionist history going on.

Geno may just have been using his patented "motivation" style yesterday when he was generally positive about all of the players actually participating in Summer workouts EXCEPT Amari but he certainly didn't extend any praise in her direction saying essentially that half the time she was missing in action.

Again, he may just be using psychological means but I, for one, am on high alert that she may not have what it takes to meet her expectations at Storrs.

 

[oldude]

Geno may just have been using his patented "motivation" style yesterday when he was generally positive about all of the players actually participating in Summer workouts EXCEPT Amari but he certainly didn't extend any praise in her direction saying essentially that half the time she was missing in action.

Again, he may just be using psychological means but I, for one, am on high alert that she may not have what it takes to meet her expectations at Storrs.

I recall a couple of other Bigs that Geno rode hard for several years before they finally got the message. Tina & Steph both caught a lot of grief from Geno, and both ultimately became national champions and AA’s.