Starting lineup

[Skeets]

Has anybody in Uconn wcbb history averaged what Nika is averaging this season in assists/game? Rhetorical question, no need to respond. Yeah, I'm sure Nika just gets all her assists because she happens to be the 'extra guy out there', nothing to do with her skillsView attachment 83524

When Azzi comes back this season at some point she will take Aubrey's spot in the starting lineup. Next Season Nika will start with Paige and Azzi. I thought you were coming around The deacon to accept what Nika brings to this team - must have been mistaken.

It certainly looks like he has regressed to his summertime form. I will say one thing, if there were no injuries we might never have seen just how valuable Nika is. But now we know and Nika is a lock to be a starter for the rest of her career.

 

[JellyBean]

When and if our recovering players return, they should come off the bench, not start. Caroline probably wouldn't start anyway, but not even Fudd. Our current starting lineup has jelled wonderfully. Don't mess with it.

I went through a range of emotions when I read your comments. "Loved" it, Got the "Wow" moment, and then I went with "Liked". Caroline will definitely come off the bench, when she is healthy, if she even comes back for the season. But I can see her coming off the bench and nothing is wrong with that. Being a member of the 2nd unit myself. I always loved coming off the bench. You could change the energy of the game. Make a huge impact, good or bad. With Fudd, if she comes back as well, I would have her coming off the bench for a few games. Limit her minutes and see where she is at mentally, physically, and emotionally as the weeks progressed.

 

[oldhusky]

Last year, yes. This year, Nika is a different player.

No way Paige would average 10 assists a game AND score the way she did. Last year Geno needed Paige’s scoring and that’s simply not the case this year Now with Nika, Lou, and Azzi on the court, Nika can average 15 assists a game and both Paige and Azzi can average 20 ppg

Continuing off some of your points, I think we need to look at the effectiveness of the offense right now, with a limited roster. We get tired, but the offense with Nika, Lou and Aubrey is working quite well without the three shooter/scorers that were the likely starters heading into this season.

We looked forward to having a small lineup of Paige, Azzi and Caroline, with all three being both shooters, and players that could create their own shot. Now at the three small positions we have just one shooter and scorer in Lou, and two players that are not in Nika and Aubrey. Yet the offense is working quite well. Aubrey if finding ways to score even if she isn't a shooter.

That is largely due to good team ball movement and a much faster pace which Nika is very much the principal reason for. Nika's volume of scoring is low, which could be a problem if we didn't have other good options, but we do, and Nika makes those other scoring weapons even more effective. In addition to Aubrey feasting on run-outs as Nika pushes the pace, look at how much better we are getting easy baskets inside with Aaliyah and Dorka being far more effective than last year. Lou knows if she gets open, she will get the ball in the right place at the right time, something that would also enhances the game for Azzi, Paige and Caroline if they were in the game with Nika.

Next year if healthy we will have three tremendous scoring options, both volume and efficiency in Paige, Azzi and Aaliyah, and probably another good inside option in Ice or Janna. Only one can shoot at a time, so having a player who concentrates on defense and making all of those players better on offense seems like an obvious choice to me.

Defensively it is obvious, but I think the team will be better offensively with Nika teaming with Paige and Azzi, than if the third small was a shooter like say Caroline. She is making the rest of the team better offensively without even having the best players available. We are finding bigs inside, getting the ball to our one current shooter on the perimeter in Lou, and getting easy baskets on run-outs and fast breaks. The system run by Nika is working without it's biggest potential scorers and can only be greater when they return. Why would we want to mess with a good thing?

I'm not saying keep Azzi on the bench, I think she should start when healthy, but I am saying that Nika at the point is working big time this year, everyone eats, and everyone else on the floor benefits from her leading the offense. We have now a number of other scoring options, and will have more when healthy and next year with Paige, Ice and Janna in particular. We can afford a specialist that makes everyone else better and plays defense. That is not a weakness, but rather a great piece to add to the scorers we have and make them and the overall offense better IMO. Next year Nika should start with Paige and Azzi.

 

[browns]

I guess you feel that Aubrey brings nothing to the table and should be placed way down on the bench? (This team would be in an "Heap of Trouble" if they didn't have Aubrey Griffin playing on this team).

And they'd be in a heap of trouble if they didn't have Nika or Lou or AE or Dorka..I'm saying she should be 7th player if Azzi and Caroline were healthy..actually thinking about it probably 1st player off the bench because I'm starting to wonder if Caroline will ever be healthy or get back to the player we saw last year before her injury

 

[jabstep]

Wow such problems we have at Huskyville!! Who should start and who should come off the bench now and next year. It all depends on the health of our players now and in the future. Geno seems to like a player who can change the game coming off the bench. Now we really have no one who can due that and Geno only subs out of necessity, unless we are in a non competitive game. If Caroline and Azzi are healthy enough to play Geno will have decisions to make. I am a believer Geno will start Azzi after she proves she can play without affecting her future career.
Aubrey is a game changer with her defense and speed. Against Tenn she had in the 3rd quarter 3 possessions in a row where she either stole or deflected the ball and UConn got possession back. Steals and layup. Layups off of transition. Game Changer for sure.
If Caroline is healthy she can sub for Dorka, Aaliyah or Lou if they are tired or get into foul trouble. She also adds more outside shooting and scoring off of mismatches down low. She is also a good rebounder and long on defense on the perimeter.
Next year is a little to early for me to comment on. I will leave my opinion until next summer when we argue about the starting lineup.

 

[Zarathustra]

Have a feeling if Fudd comes back they are gonna keep her in a plastic bubble and not run her into the ground by playing her a ton of minutes. Replacing Aubrey with Fudd means you lose the transition game and defense and rebounding that Aubrey brings just to have another shooter on the floor.

Will AZZI wear a brace for the remainder of the season? I'll guess "YES"!

 

[Cuango]

Last time I checked Paige was out for the season which, with all due respect, makes your criticism ludicrous.

My comment was about what would happen when “recovering players” returned! As far as I know, Paige & Ice are recovering players. Sure, take Paige out of the equation and of course, Nika will always start.

 

[martyn]

In that case by all means. Paige will have time to jell with the team before next season begins. Addressing this season, I mentioned only Caroline and Fudd.

 

[Happydad745]

If Azzi comes back, I think she will start. Her minutes will be limited but she can start and then rest more. Also, Aubrey’s skill set makes her a perfect sixth player, while Fudd contributes more to a half court set.

I doubt a player with limited minutes would start...

 

[PacoSwede]

OMG... Azzi was one of only a few players in conversation for NPOY before Aaliyah was pushed back into her and injured her knee vs ND. She was pretty much "on fire" and one of the best 3pt shooters in all of NCAA WBB. For the last many games, BYers have been hoping and praying for her return to add another 3pt shooter on the floor to open things up in the lane and take some pressure off Lou. If I recall correctly, Paige recovered from a patella plateau fracture in time for the Big East...Geno brought her back slowly, and before long she was our biggest asset just like she was before the injury.

Azzi has GOT to play if she is healthy enough to do it. In the early games maybe it's off the bench, but by tournament time, she is going to be one of our most dangerous weapons! Shooters have to shoot...and can only do so when in the game.

GO HUSKIES

right .... but that does NOT mean she must start

what's with this fetish about starting. it's a team game. just win.

i'm sure azzi would agree. her ego doesn't demand that she start. ...

i think she'd be fine with 30 minutes and a win.

 

[dtbtbtb]

While our amazing 5 have been performing admirably, we need Azzi and CD to be back and play as at this point the recipe to beat UConn is pretty clear: attach a player to Lou wherever she is on the court, pressure the ball, muscle Dorka and do you best with AE (as she is probably stronger then 99% players in the country), if you need to give up any 3's, let those shots be taken by AG but don't allow her to get to the basket. And in addition, work hard to get fouls on any of the UConn starting 5 as the bench is limited.
In order for the above not to work UConn needs Azzi and/or CD to present another reliable high % shooter from 3. That opens the driving lanes for AE and AG and allows to pass the ball inside where there is single coverage on AE and/or Dorka.
The last few games were amazing to see the growth and choosiness of the starting 5, where each of them knows and executes their role to close to perfection.

 

[Littlemin]

Last time I checked we had/have a Lieberman award winning in point guard on our team. Your statement is, with all due respect, ludicrous! You may think, erroneously, in my view, that Nika is better than Paige, but she’s obviously not the “only real point guard.” What is Ines? You are certainly free to think Nika is simply indispensable at that position, but there’s no need to change Paige’s position in order to justify it.

With all due respect, IMO, what you and so many others on this board miss is that your best team very often is not your best five players, it is how do you use your roster to put the BEST TEAM possible on the court. It makes absolutely no difference whether Bueckers is a better point guard than Muhl if the team is better with Bueckers off the ball as a primary shooter. And playing with a point guard that will make sure she gets the ball when she is open. Ever notice how many times when Muhl is pushing the ball she searched out Fudd when she was playing and Senechal all season long as they fan out to the 3 point line?
I am pretty sure that had Muhl been playing Bueckers would have gotten more than 13 shots in the games against SC and Arizona, games in which, oh by the way, she not only averaged only a hair over 3 shots a qtr but had a grand total of 6 assists and 4 TOs. Bueckers is a terrific player, there is no question, but she doesn’t walk on water and I have always asserted that Uconn would be a much stronger, tougher team with Bueckers off the ball and Muhl on it. And it has nothing to do with who is a “better point guard”.

 

[Carnac]

Good grief. Here we go again.

Hey Doggie, it's a slow day in the yard. Gotta have something to think/talk about.

 

[Carnac]

I was thinking this morning, first what if we had Lou for four years, and also what kind of damage a line up of Nika, Paige, Azzi, Lou, and Aaliyah with Dorka, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ice, and Amari coming off the bench would do.

If all of these players were COMPLETELY healthy, I think you would have a team that would be very hard to keep up with, let alone beat.
You saw the 33 points UConn put up in the first quarter Thursday night. They made it look easy, and that was with them missing several bunnies.

For me, the word/thought that comes to mind with THAT lineup is "lethal." Two of those four shooters will be "on" on any given night. Lou hasn't had a bad game yet. She's steady and reliable as a morning sunrise. Two players that can't miss will kill you. Three shooters that are "on" will quickly demoralize you.

How much panic and concern do you think was on that Tennessee bench during the end of the period time out Thursday? It's probably been a l-o-n-g time (if ever) since any team came into UT's home arena and put up 33 in the first quarter. One more quarter like that and the game is over.

 

[PvP]

I was thinking this morning, first what if we had Lou for four years, and also what kind of damage a line up of Nika, Paige, Azzi, Lou, and Aaliyah with Dorka, Aubrey, Caroline, Ayanna, Ice, and Amari coming off the bench would do.

You jest of course. Yes Paige, Azzi and Lou in the backcourt, Paige at 1, Azzi and Lou at 2 and 3. I definitely agree with Aaliyah at 4 which leaves Nika at 5 right? Certainly Nika could handle Boston and any other bigs, right?
Why would we need Dorka at the post when Nika would be good for a double double every night grabbing those rebounds and making the putbacks in the middle of the scrum under the boards, right?

Look, we all love Nika, but she only has one position and that is point and in the roster you postulate, point would be in the hands of one of the great Huskies of all time, leaving no other position for Nika than cheering from the bench.

 

[Happydad745]

Again, NO. If Azzi is cleared to play by the medical staff and shows well in practive, Geno is going to start her. See Paige last year after her injury. Once Paige could prove she was physically and mentally ready, Geno started her. Same will happen with Azzi.

Last year we did not have Lou or Aubrey....You have look at it from Geno's point of view, which I cannot do, but I'd guess he will not jeopardize next years' team by forcing Azzi into a fluid lineup.

 

[Biff]

what's with this fetish about starting. it's a team game. just win.

Exactly.

 

[PvP]

You jest of course. Yes Paige, Azzi and Lou in the backcourt, Paige at 1, Azzi and Lou at 2 and 3. I definitely agree with Aaliyah at 4 which leaves Nika at 5 right? Certainly Nika could handle Boston and any other bigs, right?
Why would we need Dorka at the post when Nika would be good for a double double every night grabbing those rebounds and making the putbacks in the middle of the scrum under the boards, right?

Look, we all love Nika, but she only has one position and that is point and in the roster you postulate, point would be in the hands of one of the great Huskies of all time, leaving no other position for Nika than cheering from the bench.

I just love people who leave a dislike but don't express any reasons.

I guess they believe Nika is better than Paige at the point. They can't believe that she is a better shooting guard than Azzi or Lou. But they somehow believe that a fourth guard, Nika, will be more valuable than a 6'5" forward averaging a double double!

On what basis? They don't say so I guess we'll never know...

 

[MSGRET]

I just love people who leave a dislike but don't express any reasons.

I guess they believe Nika is better than Paige at the point. They can't believe that she is a better shooting guard than Azzi or Lou. But they somehow believe that a fourth guard, Nika, will be more valuable than a 6'5" forward averaging a double double!

On what basis? They don't say so I guess we'll never know...

Even Paige has stated that the team is better with Nika at Point, just like Geno has stated. The team is more intense with her in and she contributes on both offense by hitting the players that are open and is a lock down defensive player.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Sometimes I wonder if someday there will be a Boneyard Thread Topic Hall of Fame. We could nominate "The Nature and Nuances of Nika" as one under the section "Threads with Legs Covering Multiple Seasons."

As for the present, should we add to the discussion, "What would happen if Nika took a COVID year?"

 

[martyn]

I just love people who leave a dislike but don't express any reasons.

I guess they believe Nika is better than Paige at the point. They can't believe that she is a better shooting guard than Azzi or Lou. But they somehow believe that a fourth guard, Nika, will be more valuable than a 6'5" forward averaging a double double!

On what basis? They don't say so I guess we'll never know...

No one said Nika is better than Paige. As between a healthy both, Paige is the clear choice but Paige is out till next year and we are talking about the here and now.

 

[#12in21]

I just love people who leave a dislike but don't express any reasons.

I guess they believe Nika is better than Paige at the point. They can't believe that she is a better shooting guard than Azzi or Lou. But they somehow believe that a fourth guard, Nika, will be more valuable than a 6'5" forward averaging a double double!

On what basis? They don't say so I guess we'll never know...

Since you asked.... The OP asked for a scenario when everyone returns this season who starts. Paige is not returning this season. If you are talking about next season, Lou won't be here next season. So you only have two guards....maybe Nika can sneak in there rather than be demoted to cheerleader. Just a thought, since she leads the country in assists this season she might be able to dish a couple to those guys.

As long you're going to pose possible fantasy scenarios maybe you could throw in - if Horston or Boston had come to Uconn who would start? Or maybe if Catlyn transferred here for her senior campaign.......

 

[Bills Fan]

I think that Nika is a fixture now at PG, because she sets a high pace on O and slows the pace of the opposing PG on D. This should hold true even with a fully healthy Uconn going into next year, i.e. Bueckers and Fudd will be the wings, and Carolyn and Aubry will be swing (at the 3 or 4) as core rotation players, or starters even on go-small lineups. KK may be ready to back-up Muhl at PG, when/if ready but, if not, Paige slides over to PG to when Muhl out. Edwards is a fixture at the 4/5, and Jana, Brady, Patterson, Debarri can figure out who else fills at the 5/4. Shade may be ready sooner than later to grab a few minutes and the other freshman will be more of a development project

Having seen 2 of the 4 you list as potential 4/5s, I will take my chances betting on the two I haven't seen (Jana and Ice) as part of that rotation with Aaliyah. They amount of playing time our 2 incoming guards get, I'm afraid might be a function of injuries in the backcourt. Our 4th incoming recruit, Q, I am hoping eventually has similar skills to Aubrey.

I hope that Yanna's lack of impact this year is solely a function of so little playing time. I just finished watching the Iowa/Neb game and Iowa has a FR, #45, who is about the same size as Yanna but is light years ahead of her with knowing what to do on the court and how to play the game. However, I still think some good coaching by CD and JE might get Patterson over the hump. It certainly seems like JE was able to make a big difference with Aaliyah from last year to now.

In any case we will be loaded next year even without Lou, but I will miss listening to her French accent in interviews.

 

[Bills Fan]

I don't bet on games, DefenseBB, and I'm not about to bet on the starting lineup, especially since the odds are extremely high against Geno having all these options available. I thought this was just about having a friendly discussion. But thanks for the offer the chat.

As for Nika being the NCAA assist leader, that's very impressive. Conjecturing, Paige might not have as many assists if she were the Huskies point guard this season, but she'd be darned close to it, and she'd also be scoring 12-15 points per game more than Nika. Paige averaged nearly 6 assists per game as a freshman when she had lesser offensive weapons to feed than Nika has this season.


It isn't a matter of 'coming around, #12in21. I have always admired the positives Nika brings to the Huskies and am so thankful she's on the team. However, believing the team could be even better with some other combination of players starting is not a knock on Nika. It's more a recognition of the superb skills of those players who'd start before her.

If some of you insist on calling that 'hating on Nika,' that's your cross to bear. I am most appreciative Nika's on the team and understand that, with all the injuries, the Huskies are darned lucky to have her.

Actually, your last sentence would be more correct if you left out the "without all the injuries" clause!

 

[Bills Fan]

oldhuskie, your analysis of the team, both this year and next, in post #53. is the best I have read on this topic in the last 6 months. Great job. You hit the nail on the head.