Returners, newcomers fighting for minutes on deep, talented team

[Carnac]

FINALLY- someone mentions Saylor’s name.
Thought she may have been banished by the BY.
Why such sleeper status??

I'm purely guessing here, but the "sleeper status" as you call it may be due partly to her still having challenges with her back. She's had 6 full months to rehab and recover since the end of last season. I believe her name was mentioned by someone here that she was on list of their walking wounded. If that is true, and she's still having the same back problems and discomfort form last season, that's not good. You can't count on any player that's hurt or suffering from recurring injuries. If you remember, she played very sparingly after she joined the team because of those physical challenges. She (or any player) can only do what her their body allows then to. If she can't 100% in practice, don't expect to she her play. I'm certainly wishing her all the best this coming season. We can certainly use her.

 

[jchusky]

Yeah, Geno said 8-9. I count 10:

Paige
Nika
Liv
Christyn
Evina
Aaliyah
Aubrey
Dorka
Caroline
Azzi

Is there someone on that list who doesn't belong?

Muhl not a chance she plays the minutes she got last year. Too many inconsistencies in my part to view her as a reliable option. She might be a player that comes off the bench to bring in some "energy", but I don't see her playing in big tournament games meaningful minutes

 

[hoopsfan22]

Muhl not a chance she plays the minutes she got last year. Too many inconsistencies in my part to view her as a reliable option. She might be a player that comes off the bench to bring in some "energy", but I don't see her playing in big tournament games meaningful minutes

She was the best 3-point shooter not named Paige last year. How much more reliable does she need to be?

 

[Carnac]

I think he’s going to go deeper.
He’s got the talent.
Gotta run ‘em and see what they got in game situations.

I hope you're right. But he doesn't think like we do. We won't have long to wait to see what he's going to do. He should have a pretty good idea who can do what after the Notre Dame game on December 5. Two exhibition games, a home game vs Arkansas, 3 games in the Bahamas, a BE conference game against Seton Hall on the road and another home game versus Notre Dame should tell him who his "prime time go-to" players are, at least for the first half of the season. That's 8 games.

No doubt he'll find out about things the newbies during that first exhibition game that he can't disclose or talk about just yet. I believe they will have referees and a clock, but they don't keep score, they just run. My granddaughter was a team manager for the UNLV Lady Rebels for 4 years (2016-2019). Her first road trip that first year was to Eugene Oregon for an exhibition game of this type with the University of Oregon. Closed door, no fans, spectators or media.

I'm not suggesting UConn's game will be the same or similar, because I don't know how they do it now. She said they did have referees, and had a clock, but not keep score on the wall. Of course each team kept score in their own scorebook. She also said they played 2 extra 10 minute quarters, for a total of 60 minutes. Like UConn's "secret" exhibition, this Oregon exhibition was NOT publicized. She said EVERYBODY got plenty of run.

 

[jchusky]

She was the best 3-point shooter not named Paige last year. How much more reliable does she need to be?

there's more to a game than shooting 3's, she was a healthy scratch vs Tenn, she needs to be a consistent player in both ends off the court to get playing time. Also not a fan of her sore loser mentality saying I won't watch tape vs arz. How do you expect to correct your mistakes if you don't want to watch the game that was your worst all season?

 

[Carnac]

Muhl not a chance she plays the minutes she got last year. Too many inconsistencies in my part to view her as a reliable option. She might be a player that comes off the bench to bring in some "energy", but I don't see her playing in big tournament games meaningful minutes

No argument, but don't you expect her to make some sort of sophomore leap or improvement this year? The Nika Muhl you'll see THIS year won't be the same Nika Muhl you saw last year. She's a year older, a little more mature, she knows the system much better, and I'm sure she's adjusted to our (USA) style of women's basketball which is different than the type of basketball they play in her country.

We should not see the same freshman mistakes we saw last year. I agree she won't play as many minutes but that's because Geno has more options now than he did last year. She knows all of the returning players, and she should know what she's doing now. I think for a young lady that came to a different country and adapt to a new lifestyle and culture, to go to school, play for new coaches, play with new teammates most of whom she had never met (and obviously never played with), had to adapt to going to class, learn time management, learn Geno's system, and was expected to perform to program expectations, I'd say she did quite well. Even though she speaks English well, it's not her first language. So there's that too. In spite of all of the challenges I mentioned, she still managed to crack the starting lineup.
Walk a mile in my shoes. A tip o' the turban to Miss Nika Muhl.

 

[Stymie]

She was the best 3-point shooter not named Paige last year. How much more reliable does she need to be?

And hard nosed ball player.
Geno could play Nika and Aaliyah together to give the team a little clamp down physically ‘inclined’ tendency when called for.
Would be nice to see the opposition hit the hardwood once in a while instead of our players.
Now THAT would be a new wrinkle.
I really believe the the opposition will be playing Paige a lot rougher this season.
And UCONN has fouls to give.

 

[hoopsfan22]

And hard nosed ball player.
Geno could play Nika and Aaliyah together to give the team a little clamp down physically ‘inclined’ tendency when called for.
Would be nice to see the opposition hit the hardwood once in a while instead of our players.
Now THAT would be a new wrinkle.
I really believe the the opposition will be playing Paige a lot rougher this season.
And UCONN has fouls to give.

I think she deservees a little slack. How many people could move to the other side of the planet, go to school taught in a language that wasn't their native one where you don't know anyone or have any family, acclimate to differences in the game, and contribute as the starting point guard for one of the most demanding basketball programs on the planet? I couldn't do it. Nika had a lot on her plate and I think she did fine even if she didn't average 20 points a night.

 

[Alydar]

there's more to a game than shooting 3's, she was a healthy scratch vs Tenn, she needs to be a consistent player in both ends off the court to get playing time. Also not a fan of her sore loser mentality saying I won't watch tape vs arz. How do you expect to correct your mistakes if you don't want to watch the game that was your worst all season?

She tried to pull a Willis Read in the Az game, but those high ankle sprains don't heal quickly. It was clear she wasn't 100% and the fact that the coaches tried her knowing she was still recovering says a lot about their opinion of her place on the team.
Mühl is an excellent passer and the best on-ball pressure defender on the team.

I'd rather a sore loser than a "we lost, so what" loser . If nothing else Mühl is an emotional spark. And I think she is much more than that.

 

[CocoHusky]

I think she deservees a little slack. How many people could move to the other side of the planet, go to school taught in a language that wasn't their native one where you don't know anyone or have any family, acclimate to differences in the game, and contribute as the starting point guard for one of the most demanding basketball programs on the planet? I couldn't do it. Nika had a lot on her plate and I think she did fine even if she didn't average 20 points a night.

Oh please, Nika speaks English as well as anyone on the team born in the US. The demands are the same for UCONN players even if they were coming from Mars. The differences in the game are really minor.

 

[jchusky]

She tried to pull a Willis Read in the Az game, but those high ankle sprains don't heal quickly. It was clear she wasn't 100% and the fact that the coaches tried her knowing she was still recovering says a lot about their opinion of her place on the team.
Mühl is an excellent passer and the best on-ball pressure defender on the team.

I'd rather a sore loser than a "we lost, so what" loser . If nothing else Mühl is an emotional spark. And I think she is much more than that.

how about she admits she got beat by a better team that night? Why is it so hard for a Uconn player to ever admit that. That is the entitlement that other fans hate about the players. Oh no they didn't win, we lost cause we "didn't care" or "we didn't take them seriously". No you got beat by a better team that night, the world doesn't end because of it. That sore loser mentality will never sit well with me. A player can admit that they played bad and they can learn from that experience, but I guess Nika gets the exception.

 

[Stymie]

there's more to a game than shooting 3's, she was a healthy scratch vs Tenn, she needs to be a consistent player in both ends off the court to get playing time. Also not a fan of her sore loser mentality saying I won't watch tape vs arz. How do you expect to correct your mistakes if you don't want to watch the game that was your worst all season?

“ I won’t watch that tape!”
HaHaHa
If you don’t think Geno has shoved that game tape down the players throats over, and over, and over again, I’ll have what you’re drinking.
Yeah, sure, she hasn’t watched that game tape.
And I guess she doesn’t run sprints if she doesn’t feel like it ...

 

[oldhusky]

No argument, but don't you expect her to make some sort of sophomore leap or improvement this year? The Nika Muhl you'll see THIS year won't be the same Nika Muhl you saw last year. She's a year older, a little more mature, she knows the system much better, and I'm sure she's adjusted to our (USA) style of women's basketball which is different than the type of basketball they play in her country.

We should not see the same freshman mistakes we saw last year. I agree she won't play as many minutes but that's because Geno has more options now than he did last year. She knows all of the returning players, and she should know what she's doing now. I think for a young lady that came to a different country and adapt to a new lifestyle and culture, to go to school, play for new coaches, play with new teammates most of whom she had never met (and obviously never played with), had to adapt to going to class, learn time management, learn Geno's system, and was expected to perform to program expectations, I'd say she did quite well. Even though she speaks English well, it's not her first language. So there's that too. In spite of all of the challenges I mentioned, she still managed to crack the starting lineup.
Walk a mile in my shoes. A tip o' the turban to Miss Nika Muhl.

In addition to all of your good points, I just want to add that she had more nagging injuries than most, and a significant number of her minutes were when she was not quite a 100%. Some of that is expected of course, but I think the odds of better health this year are pretty good.

 

[Oracle9]

She tried to pull a Willis Read in the Az game, but those high ankle sprains don't heal quickly. It was clear she wasn't 100% and the fact that the coaches tried her knowing she was still recovering says a lot about their opinion of her place on the team.
Mühl is an excellent passer and the best on-ball pressure defender on the team.

I'd rather a sore loser than a "we lost, so what" loser . If nothing else Mühl is an emotional spark. And I think she is much more than that.

Good points. I like Nika and the hard nose defense mindset she brings. She changes the complexion of the game. Geno loves that- trust, she's going to play. When she gets more polished, works on the unnecessary fouls(Genos hates that a lot) she'll be a great defender (in the mold of faris or rizzoti possibly better). We need that attitude. Teams have a view that UCONN is all nice girl finesse playing, and most times that's what is, with their precision cuts and ball movement. That's all good but there's times when some teams are going to bang ( e.g. SC, Marq,SH, Baylor) notice when they played them it took at least a half to adjust and they score lower- teams figured this out awhile back and I think that is one of the main reasons they have not been making it past the final four. Nika will be playing, given that schedule- we hope she stays healthy- they all get and stay healthy.

 

[BBallF]

I think Evina is a bet the farm starter too...

Me too. A 5th year senior and returning starter. With more healing time for her knee. I'm a big fan.

 

[donalddoowop]

Muhl not a chance she plays the minutes she got last year. Too many inconsistencies in my part to view her as a reliable option. She might be a player that comes off the bench to bring in some "energy", but I don't see her playing in big tournament games meaningful minutes

I don't know what Muhl you were watching but Nika Muhl was a very valuable player for UConn last season and unless she is injured she will play meaningful minutes in big tournament games this season. She plays good defense, is a decent outside shooter, knows the system and brings lots of energy when she is in. She is certainly better than what you make her out to be.

 

[Stymie]

Muhl not a chance she plays the minutes she got last year. Too many inconsistencies in my part to view her as a reliable option. She might be a player that comes off the bench to bring in some "energy", but I don't see her playing in big tournament games meaningful minutes

Not a chance anyone plays the minutes they played, including Paige.
Coach has off the charts talent to develop and integrate into game plan AND to keep healthy and fresh during a close to 40 game season.

 

[Bald Husky]

One of the biggest assets Uconn has is team chemistry. Besides talent, team chemistry is a hallmark of UConns continued success throughout the years. By inserting new players in the starting lineup to begin the season would disrupt the chemistry that already exists. The lineup from last season made it to the final 4, a team we thought was good enough to win the NC, so why would you change that to start the season until the newer players are acclimated to the Uconn system. Any newcomer that shines in practice shows potential to be really good, but until they do it in an actual game, its just that, potential. The newbies will get their chance to show their worth, and things may change as the season progresses, but it would be not smart to disrupt the chemistry of a final 4 team with so many key games coming near the start of the season.

Paige, ONO, Christyn, Evina, and Nika play great together, so they will start at first. Geno will tinker to find additional combinations to throw at our opponents, but like I already said, the new people will get their chance to show what they can do soon enough. Just because they didn't win the NC doesn't mean they aren't a great team as is.

 

[#12in21]

there's more to a game than shooting 3's, she was a healthy scratch vs Tenn, she needs to be a consistent player in both ends off the court to get playing time. Also not a fan of her sore loser mentality saying I won't watch tape vs arz. How do you expect to correct your mistakes if you don't want to watch the game that was your worst all season?

In all fairness at the end of that interview she did say she knew she would at some point watch the tape of that game, she just wasn't ready yet.( “Honestly, I didn’t watch it,” she said. “I know Coach is gonna hear this and he’s not gonna like it but I refuse to watch that game, I just didn’t watch it. I’m gonna watch it eventually but I’m not ready for it yet. I’m not ready.”). She also indicated, I believe when she first got back in July after choosing to not join her national team but rather work with her UCONN teammates, that she was driven too work her butt off and she believed her teammates were as well to never repeat how they felt after that loss.

A couple quotes from Geno, when speaking about the upcoming Arizona game when asked about not having Nika 100%; “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.” and “I think Anna and Aubrey have helped tremendously,” Auriemma said. “Those two charges that Aubrey took in the Baylor game were huge during that stretch. So we’re going to get contributions from those two, for sure. But they won’t be the same kind of contributions that Nika would make.”

To your mention of Nika being 'a healthy scratch vs. Tenn.' Geno indicated that she basically needed an attitude adjustment. She made it and became his starting point guard to finish out the season. As to being a consistent player both ends of the court, maybe you are talking about the first half of last season and expect to see that Nika coming back as a sophomore. I don't, I think we'll see a Nika coming back who has built on what she did the second half of last season who is driven to do whatever she needs to do to help her team bring home the championship this season. I see a lot of Kelly Faris' attitude and toughness in her game and I think Geno does too.

 

[Carnac]

Not a chance anyone plays the minutes they played, including Paige.
Coach has off the charts talent to develop and integrate into game plan AND to keep healthy and fresh during a close to 40 game season.

Not a chance the starters play as many minutes this year as last. Most of the BE teams won’t demand that they do. Yes, there will be some conference games that will demand Geno keep his starters in deep into the 4th quarter, but not many. They simply don’t have the talent to do so. Geno knows how to prepare his team for the tournament. It starts with the first game against Arkansas. He’s not going to burn out his starters with excessive minutes over the course of the season.

You want your starters to go into the tournament healthy with fresh legs. Geno knows this and how to get them there.

 

[JellyBean]

As a coach, this is what you want to have on your hands; a healthy dose of competition among the players for minutes on the floor & competitive practice sessions. This is going push players to get better. Which is only going to make the program even better. Anson Dorrance (UNC Tar Heels Women's Soccer Coach-21 National Championships) said it best "Competition is key to developing players. The only practice environment in which you truly develop a player is a competitive arena." This competitive arena is going to make ( or break) some players.

 

[PacoSwede]

Me too. A 5th year senior and returning starter. With more healing time for her knee. I'm a big fan.

this is a about evina /// much speculation, but her health is really the factor that is unknown. .... only she knows

if she is near 100% -- which would be fantastic but my guess is a dream -- then she's a lock (and likely MVP #2), but nobody here should be locking her in to anything unless you're thinking geno's gonna honor her with the caroline doty treatment -- unlikely because there's far more guard talent available this year than there was in doty's day. that being said, IF evina actually is anywhere near full throttle, pencil her it. ... the thing is, i don't think anyone here really knows her physical status.

 

[Waquoit]

She was the best 3-point shooter not named Paige last year. How much more reliable does she need to be?

More reliable than that. And more reliable than the new shooters that joined the team.

 

[Stymie]

Another point regarding playing time.
If this talented class of rookies are categorically relegated to mop up duties in 98-49 BE games in the 4th quarter, the the top talent of classes of 2023, 24 and 25 will be taking notice.
I’m hoping that the days of 34/35+ minutes are over, at least with the roster as it stands now and probably for the foreseeable future.
The options for talented players are broadening.
Put them out there in stressful situations.
Let them earn court time in practice.
Let them make their mistakes in a game.
And COACH THEM UP.
For me, I’d rather drop a game or two during the regular season (Heaven Forbid) in return for being able to go 8-11 players deep in March.
A 34-1 record doesn’t mean Jack if we lose the last game of the year.
OK.
Lemme have it...

 

[CocoHusky]

Another point regarding playing time.
If this talented class of rookies are categorically relegated to mop up duties in 98-49 BE games in the 4th quarter, the the top talent of classes of 2023, 24 and 25 will be taking notice.
I’m hoping that the days of 34/35+ minutes are over, at least with the roster as it stands now and probably for the foreseeable future.
The options for talented players are broadening.
Put them out there in stressful situations.
Let them earn court time in practice.
Let them make their mistakes in a game.
And COACH THEM UP.
For me, I’d rather drop a game or two during the regular season (Heaven Forbid) in return for being able to go 8-11 players deep in March.
A 34-1 record doesn’t mean Jack if we lose the last game of the year.
OK.
Lemme have it...

I like the plan that this program has been built on much better than this. I hate the thought of future recruits coming to UCONN because they think there is playing time available vs. knowing that they are going to have to bust their behinds to earn playing time. I hate the thought (and I'm sure Geno does as well) that he would put a player on the floor and that player thinks it is OK to fail or even lose a game. What are we talking about here! I can't! I just can't! This post was like stabbing me in the heart with a spoon. You might as well have asked me to wish TN well.