Starting five? | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Starting five?

Now that we are down to 10, I’ve been thinking even more about Nika’s role. We need her at pg, I realize, and not just for token minutes. Yes, I know we have several players initiate plays, so we’re not quite as position-focused as many teams. But even the basic task of bringing the ball up the court may be more demanding than in the past. More teams will try to challenge us there, and Nika &co will have to be ready to handle it, and even burn teams that overplay the pressure with long passes and quick scores. Last year, we had several players who could manage this really well, and now more of this will fall on Nika. I think she’ll handle it well.
 
I was also thinking about being down to 10 and how deep Geno's rotation will be. Even at the beginning of last year when we were excited about our depth, it wasn't like he trusted that many players. I vividly remember the Seton Hall game where he said we have no depth. I was thinking NM, , CD,AG,DJ,AE,LLS will all for sure play. I think AP will play as well. I like Amari and think she should play as well. I wonder with all the injuries if it makes Geno be more conscious of playing more bodies or if he just rides with those 7 experienced players.
 
When Paige got hurt I posted that the starting five would be: Muhl (point); Fudd (two); Ducharme (wing); Edwards (power) and Juhasz (center). With Brady getting hurt and out for the season our post presence has taken a major hit. Would it be wiser to start Patterson at the Wing? Taking nothing away from Caroline but I think that Ayanna may be a tougher option in regards to rebounding and scoring around the basket. Am still hoping that Amari has a stellar season and proves critics wrong. She is our one true center on the team. If possible I would love to see her starting and see how that pans out.
 
ConnMotors said:
With Brady getting hurt and out for the season our post presence has taken a major hit. Would it be wiser to start Patterson at the Wing? Taking nothing away from Caroline but I think that Ayanna may be a tougher option in regards to rebounding and scoring around the basket.
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I don't think such a move would be helpful in November, because Caroline is a proven quantity in all areas of the game. I don't think we go away from the players who've already proven themselves. It would be bad for morale, I think, and the new kids need to prove themselves, first in practice, then in rotation minutes that can expand as they show their excellence.

If Ayanna is a starting wing by March, it will likely mean that something has gone very wrong for Caroline or Lou. I'd think Ayanna is third or fourth behind those two for PT at the 3. Ayanna is probably third in line at the 4, behind Aaliyah and Aubrey. If she gets major minutes at the 4 in March, again it means something has gone wrong for the two in front of her.

My rather boring prediction for lineups and minutes is as follows:

In November, Nika (20-25) Azzi (30-35) Caroline (30-35) Dorka (20-25) Aaliyah (30-35);
and behind them Lou (15-20) Aubrey (10-15) Amari (10-15) Ayanna (10-15) Ines (5)

In January: For Lou to get more mins, Nika will get fewer. Given the firepower we have at the three shooting positions, it's a bit of a logjam for minutes. Similarly at the 4 & 5, for Amari Ayanna Aubrey to get more mins, Dorka and Aaliyah will get fewer.

Frankly, barring injury or persistent foul trouble, I don't see Aaliyah getting less than 30 or Dorka less than 20. The picture looks the same at the guard position. Barring Injury, I don't see any room for the rotation players to get more unless Nika gets less. This is why I've said I suspect the November lineup to more or less reflect the March lineup, barring injury.
 
jdote33 said:
I was also thinking about being down to 10 and how deep Geno's rotation will be. Even at the beginning of last year when we were excited about our depth, it wasn't like he trusted that many players. I vividly remember the Seton Hall game where he said we have no depth. I was thinking NM, Azzi Fudd, CD,AG,DJ,AE,LLS will all for sure play. I think AP will play as well. I like Amari and think she should play as well. I wonder with all the injuries if it makes Geno be more conscious of playing more bodies or if he just rides with those 7 experienced players.
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Just riding those 7 experienced players ==suicide.
Hopefully, last year was a learning experience for the players a well as the coach.
 
Aaliyah, Dorka, Amari and Ayanna should be our bigs- Aaliyah and Dorka starting, the others spelling relief. To the poster who wondered if rebounding and scoring around the basket would be better if Amari started in place of Caroline- I don't like this idea. If Aaliyah and Dorka can't successfully rebound or score around the basket, then take out one of them and put in either Amari or Ayanna in their place. Caroline is too versatile and can score in too many ways to deny her playing time. Especially with her size as a guard, she is a nightmare to defend for the opposing guard trying to defend her, she can bomb away from 3 or drive to the basket, and she is deadly at the free throw line.
 
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Rblack335 said:
Well, from an offensive perspective, we graduated 41% of last years points, lose 9% to injury, and 1.5% to transfer.

Returning just 48% of our offensive output to me signals that we aren’t the most experienced team, and will rely on those most experienced to start the season.

Muhl, Fudd, Ducharme, Edwards, Dorka. My view of experience is experience within the Uconn system. Of course, may change as the year progresses.
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There is nothing that needs to be replaced. There were better players last season that are still on the team. The reason they scored 41% of the season points was that they played almost all of the games. It gives a false appearance. The fact is that if both Bueckers and Fudd had been healthy all season they would have both started and led the team in scoring.
 
Alydar said:
There is nothing that needs to be replaced. There were better players last season that are still on the team. The reason they scored 41% of the season points was that they played almost all of the games. It gives a false appearance. The fact is that if both Bueckers and Fudd had been healthy all season they would have both started and led the team in scoring.
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This is more or less how I see it too. If Paige Azzi Caroline had been healthy enough all season, they'd have cracked the basic rotation -- Paige and Azzi starting, Caroline coming off the bench as 6th woman -- and they'd have done much of the scoring. Before her decline from the hip and head injuries, Caroline looked like she could average 20pts/g just by herself, and the 3 of them together might have averaged 50, which is what I expect with Lou in the rotation. That's a net gain in my book just from two players getting healthy. I suspect we'll get at least 10/10 per game each from Dorka and Aaliyah, and another 15 from the rest of the rotation. As Geno has suggested a couple times already, we're a great shooting team. Missing points won't be our problem, but playing D might be. And I wonder what kind of rebounding team we'll be.
 
ConnMotors said:
When Paige got hurt I posted that the starting five would be: Muhl (point); Fudd (two); Ducharme (wing); Edwards (power) and Juhasz (center). With Brady getting hurt and out for the season our post presence has taken a major hit. Would it be wiser to start Patterson at the Wing? Taking nothing away from Caroline but I think that Ayanna may be a tougher option in regards to rebounding and scoring around the basket. Am still hoping that Amari has a stellar season and proves critics wrong. She is our one true center on the team. If possible I would love to see her starting and see how that pans out.
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With the exception of one point I don't like it.
If the start of the game the post presence was fine with Dorka and Edwards then why is it not good enough now? Nothing has changed to start the game. Secondly, for me I don't like the idea of Patterson committing two quick cheap fouls on the perimeter when I feel she is superior at power forward and we could use the fouls from her inside. Third, Geno likes free-flowing offense. Many teams would defend UCONN with a zone with 3 bigs,. Having Dorka, Edwards and Patterson in offensively would just slow the game down. Only having two perimeter players would slow down the offense.

The exception is that with Patterson in with Edwards, we could press. you'd have Griffin if healthy swapping with them too at the 3/4 spots. Though Geno doesn't do much of that either. But this year- who knows?
 
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I'm convinced that Aubrey is going to become a starter.
She's indispensable as the 5th player that can disrupt any defense, and she can provide an athletic offensive component much like Gabby Williams at times.
Now that's she's recovered, her role & minutes will increase, especially against the elite out of conference teams.
She can do some things that no other UConn player has been proven to be able to duplicate.
As long as she stays healthy, Geno will need to rely on her athletic ability to disrupt opposing defenses to help engage the UConn offense, especially rebounding, put backs and slashing moves to the basket.
She knows how to attack the basket in traffic, draw fouls and make foul shots.
IMO there's no doubt that she will be a key & vital player to any UConn run this year, especially in the NCAAT's.
She's simply too athletic and experienced to not be a starter and play a majority of minutes. per game,.
She's fierce & she's fearless.
Her arrow is pointing straight up.

UConn Highlights: Aubrey Griffin - Sophomore Season (2020-2021)​


 
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Stymie said:
I have no worries regarding scoring.
I WANT BOARDS!
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I’m surprised no one has liked this comment yet. I want boards too. Every board we get is one more possession for us, and one less for our opponent. Rebounds add up. If you win the battle of the boards, you usually win the game. :cool:
 
IMO Azzi, Lou, Aubrey, Edwards, Dorka will be the starters unless Geno wants Carol to start instead of Lou.

Otherwise Carol will be the 1st off the bench.
 
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sun said:
I'm convinced that Aubrey is going to become a starter.
She's indispensable as the 5th player that can disrupt any defense, and she can provide an athletic offensive component much like Gabby Williams at times.
Now that's she's recovered, her role & minutes will increase, especially against the elite out of conference teams.
She can do some things that no other UConn player has been proven to be able to duplicate.
As long as she stays healthy, Geno will need to rely on her athletic ability to disrupt opposing defenses to help engage the UConn offense, especially rebounding, put backs and slashing moves to the basket.
She knows how to attack the basket in traffic, draw fouls and make foul shots.
IMO there's no doubt that she will be a key & vital player to any UConn run this year, especially in the NCAAT's.
She's simply too athletic and experienced to not be a starter and play a majority of minutes. per game,.
She's fierce & she's fearless.
Her arrow is pointing straight up.

UConn Highlights: Aubrey Griffin - Sophomore Season (2020-2021)​


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I hope you are correct, not merely for Aubrey’s sake but because it would be a concrete sign of a fairly large jump in the overall quality of this team! For that to happen, she would need to beat out Caroline, AE, or Lou thus substantially improving the bench an the overall depth of the team!
 
Cuango said:
I hope you are correct, not merely for Aubrey’s sake but because it would be a concrete sign of a fairly large jump in the overall quality of this team! For that to happen, she would need to beat out Caroline, AE, or Lou thus substantially improving the bench an the overall depth of the team!
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Using a lot of subs can help keep their legs fresh, control the boards & the tempo of the game.
We may be able to get back to instituting a higher scoring running game.
The team just needs to mesh.
Maybe they can rally around Aubrey since she brings a lot of energy & passion.
It can become infectious if she can set a good example for others - i.e. how to be disruptive, she follows up shots.
 
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