So who is (are) the key player(s) to go deep inn the tournament?

[AvidFan]

Well I've been reading the boneyard for awhile but finally signed up, and this is my first post. We'll see if I executed it correctly or not.

Although I agree with what has been mentioned thus far, I think one person has been overlooked in this thread to ensure success. That is Nika. The reason I say so is defense is so critical to 6 wins, especially wins 4, 5 and 6. Thinking back to last year's FF game against Arizona, we could not shut down Arizona and the combination of them pressuring us / us not shooting well (or not getting the shots we wanted), we could not simply outscore them. If we could have shut them down defensively, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Even though we currently have exceptional offensive firepower, relying only on outscoring our opponent doesn't 100% guarantee success. Releasing the husky dogs on defense greatly increases the odds of success. Nika is the head of the defense that starts the disruption so far away from the basket, our opponent has much less time to execute their offensive game plan. When we sub her out, no matter how good the defense was behind her, we can see a defensive difference for the team. Now I'm not saying she is the most important player, but her defensive contributions matter greatly and cannot be overlooked. I think we saw what happened last year when she went down with the ankle injury during tournament time.

 

[sun]

Right now everyone needs to get used to shooting with the Wilson tournament basketballs after playing with the Nike basketballs for most all of the season.
Not only UConn but many of the teams all across the country need to make the same switch.
You never know if the change will affect some players more than others.
The Wilson basketballs are said to be lighter, have a different cover and texture, and are better for long range shooting.

I expect to see some fireworks from the players who really like the Wilson basketball, especially Paige.
She lives for the drama and must have some ideas in mind about making big plays when given the chance.
It's not so much about how many points she scores, but also about providing momentum at key times.
Even if she only acts as a decoy, she needs to show that she can be enough of a real threat to draw the attention of the defense away from her teammates.

 

[gold2323]

Stop talking down Paige….she will rise to the occasion….practically she has at least 15 more days till crunch time comes. She should be fit enough to be a factor.
I guarantee you other teams and coaches are not underestimating her status.

 

[ctfjr]

Stop talking down Paige….she will rise to the occasion….practically she has at least 15 more days till crunch time comes. She should be fit enough to be a factor.
I guarantee you other teams and coaches are not underestimating her status.

I don't think anyone is 'talking down' Paige. She is a AAA athlete that had a severe injury. She was out for 2 months. It would be great if she came in and popped 8 3's. Hopes and prayers aren't a good plan.
Realistically how many minutes do you think she will get per game? That other teams will have to respect her on the perimeter is a great thing.

 

[Kat]

I wasn't expecting Paige to even be back this year, so I consider anything she can contribute as a bonus. The silver lining around the injury cloud that hung over the team this year is that more players got time on the floor. This is a very confidant group right now. This will be a very competitive tournament and nothing is guaranteed but I like UConn's chances because we got Geno and they don't.

 

[Mdoggie]

We need the point guard, the 2 forwards the shooting guard and the center to play well and we should be fine for a run to the FF.

 

[JellyBean]

Great comments by all. To me, the key players are going to be our post players and the members of the 2nd unit. Rebounding is going to be huge. If the post players can limit 2nd and 3rd chance shots, that is going to be huge. With the 2nd unit, whoever they are, if they can keep or boost a lead that has been generated by the 1st unit, this is going to be the key to going deep in the tournament, rebounding and 2nd unit keeping or taking that intensity up a notch or two.

 

[topogigio]

I've said it before and will say it again -Paige at 50% is still better than almost every other player on UConn or the opposition. I expect her to have an unbelievable tourney and lead them to the final four. The fact that I have had final four tickets since the first day they went on sale, and have all flight and hotel reservations set, play no role in my thinking - well maybe a little!

 

[Eagle4]

To win it all or even just get to the final 4 we need Three of Paige, Azzi, CW, and CD to play well- I mean scoring the ball.
We also need 2 of the three bigs (ONO, Edwards, Dorka to play well (rebounding, out of foul trouble, and SCORING inside against good teams). Continuing to play elite defense will also be necessary. Limit turnovers. The path once they get to the regionals will be very challenging. They could win it all or they could lose any game from sweet 16 forward. No hiccups this year or they will be going home.
By the way, I am expecting Paige to be close to the Paige we know and love by the regionals.

 

[Bigboote]

The key is for everyone on the floor to be on the same page. One or two players won't be key for the whole tournament, although each game may come down to one or two players. It would be great if one or two go off for 15-20 each game. They're unlikely to give up more than 70 points in a game, but if they give up 50 they have to score 51.

 

[Mdoggie]

I wasn't expecting Paige to even be back this year, so I consider anything she can contribute as a bonus. The silver lining around the injury cloud that hung over the team this year is that more players got time on the floor. This is a very confidant group right now. This will be a very competitive tournament and nothing is guaranteed but I like UConn's chances because we got Geno and they don't.

Welcome to the yard Kat!

 

[Monte]

After reading all the posts on this topic, it is pretty obvious who the key players will be: ANY and ALL of the players. That's where this team is at now. It is a great time to be a fan of this team. The most fun will be watching to see WHO are the players that will step up. I can't wait!!!

 

[AzzisBraids]

Azzi Fudd is the key to this particular NCAA run. I think Geno has been running sets for her since the Tennessee game to see how many ways he can use/get her open. He has ran:

Mid-range pull up and pops recently (Nova Game)
Back door for easy lay ups (she's finished most of them too)
Elevator and double screens for 3's all season
Deceptive drives to the rim when they run her off the 3 point line

Paige is getting more comfortable which is good because she's this team's best player. But until she returns to form, this team doesn't look as good on defense or offense when Azzi isn't on the floor. Evina and Christyn have stepped up HUGE but Azzi draws a crowd and opens up the lane more than anyone other than Bueckers. I'd like to see more Steph/Klay screens with those two once Paige is back back.

 

[Brewski]

The 3 point shot will determine how far we go. if Caroline can resurrect her 3 point shot, then defenses are much less likely to smother Azzi. If both of these freshmen are shooting the 3 and driving to the basket while in the game together, it's game over for the other team. Couple that with E and CW making their threes, and with a dash of Dorka draining her threes, and it's gonna be easy peezy!

 

[CTrefugee]

Edwards. We can beat anyone if we can rebound and defend the teams with tough, strong, bigs.

 

[ctfjr]

Edwards. We can beat anyone if we can rebound and defend the teams with tough, strong, bigs.

as long as she doesn't return to her fowling days . . . We absolutely need her in the game.

 

[cohenzone]

Fun to debate and I think it’s a combination of ONO, AE and DJ. I think only teams with effective bigs are a problem for us. I’m not saying Williams ior any of the others are unimportant. But if we can at least neutralize bigs, we are a tough out.

 

[baggerbob]

Fun to debate and I think it’s a combination of ONO, AE and DJ. I think only teams with effective bigs are a problem for us. I’m not saying Williams ior any of the others are unimportant. But if we can at least neutralize bigs, we are a tough out.

Defense wins championships, Olivia anchors the team. She must rebound effectively, and keep opponent's from easy baskets.
Have to not have the breakdowns they have had every year since Stewie left.
Stewie's teams sometime during the game created separation, not letting the game come down to a fluke play.

 

[Conndog]

Caroline and Aaliyah and Azzi. They have crucial roles: Caroline is the tall guard that creates mismatches inside, Azzi is the deadly shooter with killer pop-up J, and Aaliyah is the inside strong forward that gives muscle and scoring down low. I think the others are steady and we'll get good performances from Liv, Dorka, Christyn, Nika and Paige (as much as she can give). But if we can get good points from the first three, we will win going away against any opponent.

 

[Blond D.]

If you look at the last 4 Final Four losses (Miss St, ND, ND and Arizona). It's always has been a small quick or athletic guard that has given us the most problems. Our bigs usually neutralize the other bigs. If Liv, Dorka and AE can do that then it will come down to a healthy Nika guarding the other teams best guard (Destiny, SC) or CW guarding (Jones, Stanford). If Nika and CW win those battles then we should be fine with Paige, CW, Azzi and CD scoring. SC may have Boston and Stanford has Brink, but if we can shut down Destiny and the same with Jones from Stanford we have a great chance to win it all. It comes down to the guards in tournament play.

You are 100% right. Its the smaller quicker guards we have to look out for.

 

[Geesworld]

I'm saying, "TEAM" is the most important for us getting to the Final Four and winning the Final Four.

1. ONO is always the important piece. But now the depth has expanded in the post so it's now the committee.
2. Everybody loves Paige, but we are new team and we have plenty of scoring options, so again it's by committee.
3. The balance that this TEAM is showing will be the key to winning.

 

[Skeets]

One thing I am certain of, if Paige is 80%, she will give 100% of whatever she got. I don't believe she capable of playing any other way.

Nika is the pointy end of the defensive spear. Go gnat go!

 

[Jmsdawg]

If you look at the last 4 Final Four losses (Miss St, ND, ND and Arizona). It's always has been a small quick or athletic guard that has given us the most problems. Our bigs usually neutralize the other bigs. If Liv, Dorka and AE can do that then it will come down to a healthy Nika guarding the other teams best guard (Destiny, SC) or CW guarding (Jones, Stanford). If Nika and CW win those battles then we should be fine with Paige, CW, Azzi and CD scoring. SC may have Boston and Stanford has Brink, but if we can shut down Destiny and the same with Jones from Stanford we have a great chance to win it all. It comes down to the guards in tournament play.

I believe Nika should guard Zia Cooke, Zia is the volume shooter on the SC team and if Nika can get in Zia’s head it can really frustrate the SC offense, Destiny seems to play within herself and IMO is harder to rattle. Dawn appears to me reluctant to pull Zia from the game even when Zia is obviously off. I think SC will be a tough match for any team but UConn has the team to beat SC!