Starting point guard
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Paige was just a freshman. According to reports, she was playing her best basketball just before her ACL injury.
I want Nika to start as point guard and Paige to be the shooting guard, but the difference you are bringing up is not related to skill. If Geno wants Paige to push the ball up like Nika, Paige can do it. In the end it’s Geno’s decision. Paige is the better point guard in almost every way or maybe in every way.
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In fact for anyone in interested watching that game again they can get the direct quote Holly reported I belevei it was at end of 3rd quarter/ to start the 4th or maybe just after that during a huddle Clark was telling her teammates that Muhl was all over her and she needed her teammates help to get Muhl out of her face.
It's a direct quote during the game. Vs a super elite player in which the super player made the comment.
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What???
She ":alowed" it her freshman year. Did you miss the whole 2nd half of her freshman year and miss the South Carolina game in her freshman year when she played near the whole game off the ball while Nika was the pg?
To start the game and for 20+ minutes there will be 3 guards on the floor, Nika, Paige, and Azzi. Any of the 3 can bring the ball up the court, but more often than not it will be Nika throwing dimes to whoever is on the break or cutting. Why is this so outlandish and controversial?
Is Paige a great PG? Yes. She also a great SG. I don't think her productivity drops off at all at the SG position. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's better if Paige gets the first pass rather than makes the first pass. The same with Azzi.
At the other end of the court, how many of these 3 guards have been BE DPOY and done it twice? All the more reason to believe there will be 3 guards on the court.
Is Paige a great PG? Yes. She also a great SG. I don't think her productivity drops off at all at the SG position. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's better if Paige gets the first pass rather than makes the first pass. The same with Azzi.
At the other end of the court, how many of these 3 guards have been BE DPOY and done it twice? All the more reason to believe there will be 3 guards on the court.
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Tonyc
Optimus Prime
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I dont think that Geno will start a freshman to start the season. We have players with experience that have paid their dues. They have earned their playtime. They most likely will start while our freshman and underclassman gain experience and earn their minutes without the undue pressure of having to be depended on which only adds undue pressure to their development. Nika or Paige will start at the point. Ines and KK are next in line. They are point guards. Azzi can play the point but is more effective as a shooter so she will play at her strength which is a position where she can shoot. Nika has earned her minutes. She is a hard nosed defender and can do alot of things however she is was not a scorer in past years which has allowed defenses to play off her and double down on other players. Nika will get her minutes however Paige imo will get more minutes. Both are leaders however Paige was the NPOY and NFOY.
Geno will start the season with an experienced lineup. Underclassman will be worked in based on their ability to learn the system and play with confidence. Paige Azzi and Aaliyah are going to start. Nika Griff and Caroline have experience and understand the system. They will see alot of playtime.
There is no reason to start underclassman who have little experience at the college level and put undue pressure on them to perform. Unless you are a DT Stewie or Maya type player you will have to earn your minutes. As the season progresses each player will be worked into the lineup as Geno sees fit. I dont know if any of you have looked at the roster but I noticed Amari is listed at 6'6. Once her herniated disk is healed we may finally see her get minutes. At 6'6 she could be a force underneath on defense.
I feel that UConns health problems have been healed for the most part. We havent heard anything that would make us think otherwise so I will go with that. We are healthy enough to play without fear.
UConn has two generational players. UConn also has Aaliyah and Caroline who are very good scorers. There is no reason to expect anything less then a number 1 ranking and NC this season . No other team has a Paige and Azzi. Not even close. Depending on how healthy we stay and our underclassman develop we could go undefeated this season and completely dominate WCBB. I say that because we are not over rated. If anything we are under rated. We have the talent to be really really good, and depending on how our newbies develop we could be one of the best UConn teams we've seen in a while.
Geno will start the season with an experienced lineup. Underclassman will be worked in based on their ability to learn the system and play with confidence. Paige Azzi and Aaliyah are going to start. Nika Griff and Caroline have experience and understand the system. They will see alot of playtime.
There is no reason to start underclassman who have little experience at the college level and put undue pressure on them to perform. Unless you are a DT Stewie or Maya type player you will have to earn your minutes. As the season progresses each player will be worked into the lineup as Geno sees fit. I dont know if any of you have looked at the roster but I noticed Amari is listed at 6'6. Once her herniated disk is healed we may finally see her get minutes. At 6'6 she could be a force underneath on defense.
I feel that UConns health problems have been healed for the most part. We havent heard anything that would make us think otherwise so I will go with that. We are healthy enough to play without fear.
UConn has two generational players. UConn also has Aaliyah and Caroline who are very good scorers. There is no reason to expect anything less then a number 1 ranking and NC this season . No other team has a Paige and Azzi. Not even close. Depending on how healthy we stay and our underclassman develop we could go undefeated this season and completely dominate WCBB. I say that because we are not over rated. If anything we are under rated. We have the talent to be really really good, and depending on how our newbies develop we could be one of the best UConn teams we've seen in a while.
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I like the 3 point guard lineup: Nika Paige Azzi, along side Caroline and Aaliyah.
Not big enough, you say? I suspect opposing teams will have to go small to deal with it.
Need more D in a pinch? Bring in Aubrey.
Need more muscle? Bring in Ice or Jana or Ayanna or Amari.
Need more speed? Inês and KK are ready.
Need to give one of our shooters a breather? Ashlynn and Qadence are ready.
It’s like a law firm:” Bueckers Fudd & Muhl LLC, We got you covered.”
Not big enough, you say? I suspect opposing teams will have to go small to deal with it.
Need more D in a pinch? Bring in Aubrey.
Need more muscle? Bring in Ice or Jana or Ayanna or Amari.
Need more speed? Inês and KK are ready.
Need to give one of our shooters a breather? Ashlynn and Qadence are ready.
It’s like a law firm:” Bueckers Fudd & Muhl LLC, We got you covered.”
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Love it!! LOL
Tonyc, as usual, a good analysis and I agree with your predictions about how good this team can/will be. I usually give your posts a Like but didn't today for one reason, only . You list 3 starters and 3 'will get a lot of minutes' vets. I concur with your thoughts on Paige, Azzi and Aaliyah as sure starters, BUT I feel strongly that Nika should be included as a sure starter leaving Aubrey and Caroline as 'getting lots of minutes' , maybe even as a starter. Obviously, all of this discussion about AG, NM and CD are a function of how Geno wants to set up his team, position wise, and if either Jana or Ice is ready and needed.
I find it hard to believe that Geno will not start a Senior who was top 2 or 3 in the country last year and the all-time UCONN assist leader, who doubles as the Conference Defensive POY and was the leader and motivator of the team. Let's remember that her crazy good assist numbers came when she had a depleted list of scorers available to set up (no Paige and very little season minutes from two other expected big time scorers, Azzi and Caroline).
I guess none of this discussion really matters and is nothing more than a group of fans stating personal opinions. Who is right and who is wrong will only be known on the date of our opening game in November.
GO HUSKIES
I find it hard to believe that Geno will not start a Senior who was top 2 or 3 in the country last year and the all-time UCONN assist leader, who doubles as the Conference Defensive POY and was the leader and motivator of the team. Let's remember that her crazy good assist numbers came when she had a depleted list of scorers available to set up (no Paige and very little season minutes from two other expected big time scorers, Azzi and Caroline).
I guess none of this discussion really matters and is nothing more than a group of fans stating personal opinions. Who is right and who is wrong will only be known on the date of our opening game in November.
GO HUSKIES
The last sentence was true only because all the shooters were down. This year I would expect more driving to the basket and dishing to the outside and Nika can go to the basket against anyone. Also I didn't think the OSU press was as much a problem in the back court as the TOs once they broke the press. They also missed a ton of open shots I don't see them missing with all the stars healthy.
Paige is also not Caitlin Clark. Her game is totally different and people watch CC because she shoots from half court on a regular basis and can actually make some of them. Paige is a great player but in more a traditional sense. She can hit big shots, she is a great passer but most importantly she is a great leader.
Nika is the two time defensive player of the year in the conference so I don't see her on the bench. She isn't a great shooter but can drive to the basket with anyone so I see her at the point on the break and Paige and Azzi filling the wings for the three. Once they are in the half court they run a motion offense so I don't know that the point is a truly defined position.
The real mystery will be the 5th spot. Will they go with the quickness of Aubrey or more size on the inside? When healthy this team has a lot of really good options regardless of how they decide to approach the opponent.
The real mystery will be the 5th spot. Will they go with the quickness of Aubrey or more size on the inside? When healthy this team has a lot of really good options regardless of how they decide to approach the opponent.
If everyone stays healthy this team is gonna be good. But unless Nika is learning to attack the bucket in the offseason her minutes will go down. PG’s have to be scoring threats in todays game. You can count on one hand how many times Nika took someone off dribble to the bucket in the half court last season. KK already has that ability.
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She doesn't have to attack it that much. The others can becuase the lane should be very open.
The college game is not pros in which one-on-one hoop rules the day.
She attacked a little this year and will pobbaly attack a little more but not much. But if the lane is open for others ot atack in whch they are the primary scorers, then why does Nika need to atack much?
Paige could push the ball up the court but clearly she doesn't if it isn't a coaching mandate. I realize some of that is because Paige plays heavy minutes. She probably could push the ball all the time if her minutes were reduced. Nika played heavy minutes last year, pushed the pace all the time and maintained all out defensive intensity at the same time.
One difference is we didn't press much due to injuries and a limited bench. I hope that all changes this year, not just push the pace on offense, but press on defense as well. That might limit our best players to more like 30 minutes a game which is fine as long as the substitutes are very high quality too and we are at the same time exhausting the other team's starters, and forcing them to rely on far inferior benches more.
If our bench is much better than our opponents, by an even bigger margin than comparing starters, then a fast paced game on both ends making more of the game a battle between the benches is to our advantage.
Also the question is not, nor has it ever been, who is the best PG overall. Even the start Nika crowd believes Paige is a better overall PG than Nika. The relevant comparison for the starting Nika debate is Caroline or Aubrey, not Paige. Paige and Azzi are going to start, that is a universal opinion. The question is Nika, Caroline or Aubrey for the third guard.
Because of Aubrey's lack of a perimeter shot and the fact we may need her to play upfront more this year, most view her best role as a great 3/4 backup. That leaves Nika vs. Caroline, and regardless of who that is, that player will be at their natural position, either PG for Nika or SF for Caroline. Nika's value off the point goes down a great deal, Paige's does not.
Because she is so good and so versatile Paige could be an All American at three positions. If Nika starts with Paige, Nika should be the principle PG, that has already been demonstrated in their first two years when they played together. Further when it comes to who plays the 3, Paige is a better choice than Azzi, although most reverse that pairing for reasons I don't understand. Even though they are both listed at 5-11, clearly Paige is taller, longer, and a much better rebounder and shot blocker.
Finally I prefer Nika as the PG not Paige, because of how great and versatile Paige is., and the focus of this discussion should really be on Nika vs. other alternatives, mostly Caroline who has ongoing injury concerns, is coming off a disappointing season, and clearly has more question marks at least at this point than Nika. Nika is also a senior, and clearly the leader on offense and defense for the team last year.
Paige can have a great great season whether she starts at PG or not. She will play some at all three guard positions and be excellent at all of them. In fact Paige's versatility can enable the other smalls to all play the vast majority of their minutes at their best position, Nika at the 1, Azzi the 2, Caroline at the 3, KK at the 1, Ashlynn the 2, Q the 3, and Aubrey when she isn't used upfront at the 3.
Of course Nika's minutes are going to go down. She was almost forced to go 38+ minutes a game last year due to the size of the bench. I see her as a starter this year but even then only playing 28-30 minutes/game since there is so much PG/SG talent.
It still amazes me how so many Boneyarders focus in on Nika's scoring ability. Hey folks, that is not her game nor what she contributes to the team's success. She is a leader, a defender and a passer and one of the best in the country at those things. Grading her down because of a function that she is not needed for is no different than rating Azzi down since she isn't a great rebounder or Aaliyah down because she isn't great a breaking a press. In all three cases, they excell at certain parts of the games, which happens to be what Geno needs them to do. Would all of them be even better if they could perform every basketball skill at the highest level? Of course, but why do some posters feel compelled to dwell on one player's (Nika) lowest skill item while never mentioned the others? They are a team and that blending of all the individual's skills is what makes them so good.
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I'm looking forward to seeing KK get plenty of opportunities to play.
Paige will need a player like KK to pass to & so will Nika.
KK's a dynamo & if Paige or Nika ever miss time then KK will be UConn's best hope for success.
IMO by the end of this season KK will become one of UConn's top 3 guards behind only Paige & Azzi.
She dazzles with her ball handling, speed & slashing ability.
And she does it with a smile on her face.
She may come off the bench, but she'll get more PT if she's productive. & as game circumstances dictate.
Also:
KK Arnold Senior Highlights #basketball #uconn #womensbasketball
Paige will need a player like KK to pass to & so will Nika.
KK's a dynamo & if Paige or Nika ever miss time then KK will be UConn's best hope for success.
IMO by the end of this season KK will become one of UConn's top 3 guards behind only Paige & Azzi.
She dazzles with her ball handling, speed & slashing ability.
And she does it with a smile on her face.
She may come off the bench, but she'll get more PT if she's productive. & as game circumstances dictate.
Also:
KK Arnold Senior Highlights #basketball #uconn #womensbasketball
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It wouldn't be such a debate if only we could find one player who could excel at defending, setting up scorers with excellent passes and being a leader on the court . Oh waitWell, if nothing else the great Point Guard debate has generated a lot of Boneyard posts for the last three seasons and I suspect it will continue for at least another two. Such it the offseason.
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Exactly, and the past few years Nika has been at the center of the maelstrom. Has any other player ever generated this much debate on the BY? It’d be interesting to compare stats, if we kept any.Well, if nothing else the great Point Guard debate has generated a lot of Boneyard posts for the last three seasons and I suspect it will continue for at least another two. Such it the offseason.
Think how bored we’d all be if we didn’t have Nika to argue about!
And when we get tired of this topic, someone will have to start a Paige vs Caitlin thread. I think we got this summer covered.
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Let’s just play three! That way Paige can be the backcourt by herself! Starting lineup; Paige, Aaliyah, Ice, everyone else can be backups.
You lost me here! I’m not sure what your point is. I believe I and most others acknowledge Paige as likely the best player we have at three different positions. The question (since she can only play one at a time) is where is she best suited to play that maximizes both her play, her effect on the rest of the team and, allows for the best overall complementary players around her? In other words, if you put Paige at each of the starting Pg, Sg, Sf/W/third guard positions, what four players around her in each of those scenarios would constitute our best team. I happen to believe it would be with her (Paige) at the point guard position.Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Aaliyah, Ice would be my starters. Could this change according to opponent’s strengths and weaknesses? Of course!
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Good points. But like a few people have stated, Nika's minutes will go down because we will have a full roster, if everyone is fully healthy. Also, Nika doesn't have to do a lot of scoring with as much offensive scoring power we have, depending on who is on the floor. Having a point guard that is a scoring threat helps but a lot depends on the roster around that point guard.
One of my all-time favorite point guards in college or pro (Women's Basketball) Ticha Penicheiro wasn't a scoring threat. She knew the game and the personel around her. She could hit a bucket or two, much like Nika, when the team needed a bucket. Otherwise, Ticha was cool getting that assist. In college she scored more only because Old Dominion needed her to score. At UConn, we don't need Nika to be scoring point guard.
Dawn Staley had to be a scoring point guard because of what Virginia had around her and the coach wanted Dawn to be a scoring point guard.
A more current list of point guards.
Caitlin Clark- Scoring point guard. Because that is what her coach wants and you would be a hot mess if you tried to change that about Caitlin. I pray for the coach at the next level who tries to change that about Caitlin.
Deja Kelly- Scoring point guard. Like Caitlin, this is what her coach wants out of Deja.
Olivia Miles- Same as the other players.
Nika does not have to score a lot. She is going to get buckets because of whatever personnel is on the floor, it is going to open up the basket for Nika to get buckets. A lot just depends on the players on the floor and what those players bring to the court.
PG’s in fast break situations and in most half court sets are taught to attack the middle of the floor. Wings self explanatory and trailer post trails the PG with big post usually opposite side of PG. If Nika starts wings are Paige Azzi and Caroline if Nika attacks the D has to collapse this leaving open shooters if not the lane stays clogged and screens have to free up shooters. It’s BBall 101. She does not have to score 20 a game but the D has to respect her being a threat.
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