Starting five?
- Thread starter Kaizen
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Tonyc
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The most important thing is to have and maintain team chemistry. Bringing in a player who has not played in a UConn game could in many cases disrupt the chemistry. Paige excluded. Our starting lineup will need to have experience playing together with the non starters getting time and learning to play within Genos system during and actual game. UConn begins the season with a very difficult schedule and team chemistry is very important. Working the new players in will be very important. I feel Nika will start at the point. She knows this team and how to lead this team. Plus I feel she will give everybody else the confidence needed in the tuff games against Texas NC State Duke Princeton Iowa Maryland and ND. That doesnt mean that Azzi doesnt see some time at the point. That has to happen for Azzi and her team mates to be comfortable with Azzi at the point. My starting lineup is Nika Azzi Caroline Aaliyah and Dorka. With that said Texas and NC State lost alot of keys players. I would expect their team chemistry to not be where it may be later in the season.
Could be but are not.
I’ll give you an 80%.
Like most, I’m a big Nika fan but the path to the NC will be blazed by the 4 players who have yet to play a second for this team. And maybe AG. Nika is Nika we have already seen the pluses and the minuses. The same could probably be said for Dorka and AE. The potential for the ultimate prize can be achieved with this roster but not only with the players who were on this team last year.
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Ding, ding, ding
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Are you assuming Azzi can't be a playmaker who can score? Paige is a playmaker who can score the only difference between her and Azzi and Paige is that Azzi came into college with a rep as a shooter because of her shot and she played SG because of it but Azzi is very capable of being a playmaker and can create her own shot it's only because of injuries she was used primarily as a catch and shoot guard last year but now she's healthy and will attack the rim pull up and catch and shoot I predict She'll be Paige 2.0..don't get me wrong Nika will be needed but if Uconn thrives with Nika still playing backup after Paige's injury then they will be ahead of the game IMHO
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I never assumed anything (seems you are), I just feel Nika will be the 5th player in that photo @Kaizen posted above...if I assumed anything it is that the starting five needs 3 guards and not 3 forwards.
EricLA
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Side note on Azzi - she had numerous injuries in high school. When we saw her play for Team USA last summer, she was injured (and BTW she did play a lot of PG for Team USA). She played the entire season at UCONN with injuries, and almost was a scratch for the NC game due to illness.
My point is... Azzi was the #1 player in HS as a sophomore when Paige was a junior. I think (hope) that a 100% healthy Azzi blows everyone's socks off, and is on the very short list for NPOY this season. She has THAT kind of potential IMHO.
I think she could be the biggest surprise on the team this season - because I think she can be that good.
Back to the OP - it IS curious that Ayanna went to NYC and not Nika. But I still think Nika starts.
My point is... Azzi was the #1 player in HS as a sophomore when Paige was a junior. I think (hope) that a 100% healthy Azzi blows everyone's socks off, and is on the very short list for NPOY this season. She has THAT kind of potential IMHO.
I think she could be the biggest surprise on the team this season - because I think she can be that good.
Back to the OP - it IS curious that Ayanna went to NYC and not Nika. But I still think Nika starts.
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No
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I won't mind if Yanna breaks into the starting five.... because I know that she
would have earned it in practice. That said, I'm with the Nika crew. There
will be alot of evidence of our extended "rotation" after those first 5 or 6
OOC battles. Until the dust settles ( mid December for the first settling ),
I suspect that we will be seeing plenty of our veterans on the court..
Stay healthy everyone!
Centerstream
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Didn't Ayanna go to NYC as the Preseason Freshman of the Year?
Was Nika named to any Preseason accolades? (I don't remember seeing anything posted if she was. )
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It seems that Ice is getting ignored around her compared to Ayanna but I just don't think that's the case in reality. Ice can play and will play.
I believe I’d “settle” for being one of the UCONN starting five over any projected preseason accolades.
Not sure if this has been addressed yet but with Nika and Azzi on the court at the same time you would have in essence 2 PG's on the floor. A Defensive minded PG and an Offensive minded one. One of the duties of a PG is to Calm down the team if things on the court get a little out of hand or frantic. This will do a lot toward :calming down" and guiding the inexperience on this team.
I think that this projected starting 5 only show 80% and that Nika will start. The odd women out is CD. She will be the first person off the bench, i.e., 6th man. The team needs the greatest defensive and rebounding energy from the get go. That means Nika and Ayanna.
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That's the way I see it. Geno can bring Lou off the bench for offense and Aubrey for defense. Those are my first seven in the early season. Injuries and players' improvements during the season will inspire Geno to make adjustments. I would like to see Inez work into the rotation with the other freshmen.
I agree with your first seven for the guard position substitutions but that assumes that the first subs in are at the 1-2-3.. Don't be surprised to see Ayanna come in for Liya or Ice in for Dorka in the 4 and 5 position early if there is a reason for it. Aubrey may play some 4 also depending on the size of the other team although Geno has been talking about her as a perimeter shooter.
For Geno to tout the team early as a good or very good offensive team speaks volumes to me. I think the team defense will evolve over time but there are some very good individual defenders such as Nika and Liya just to mention 2. I think CD is underrated on defense which is unfortunate because she is very crafty and Azzi has great court vision. Dorka played Cunane the best in the short time she was in against NC State. The pieces are there. February is Geno Defense month. It's on the calendar for delivery every year.
We are going to score in bunches. That's the very exciting take for me on what he has been saying.
Bama fan
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I am guessing Ayanna P went to NYC because she was nominated as Freshman player of the year.
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Anything is possible. Practice sessions and scrimmaging will give Coach Auriemma and the rest of the coaching staff a better idea of who could start. You want five that work well together on the floor. This could be one option. Or there could be another option out there.
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.If all my superstitions, clovers, stars aligning, crossed fingers, etc are working---ICE, Ayana, Lou, Ines, shall have memorable games this year. Who will be the 5 end of March to the end in April???? Aye, that's the rub!
I agree. In GENO's video he stated that several players have begun to function together cohesively , but didn't name them. I,m assuming that they were from last years team and had already played together well. My thoughts are they will start the game and then GENO will start the bench into the game gradually as he sees fit. That has been his coaching policy for years. I'm not naming names as I don't know what he thinks. I will wait for the games and be surprised or not at who he chooses. GO HUSKIES!!!