Style of play

[asuwish]

With Barker going to UCLA (giving the #1,2,3, & 6 ranked HS players from the class of 2022), and Dauda going to SC (giving them 5 former HS All Americans 6'3 or taller) the rich keep getting richer. What will make the biggest difference? Potentially style of play. The UConn men the past 2 years did not have superior talent, or a superstar that just couldn't be stopped, they play a style that separates them from the rest. Style that used to seperate the women of UConn from the rest. The men's coaching staff has been studying hundred of hours of European basketball. In Europe teams use all kinds of motion, screening action, and ways to make everyone involved in the offensive flow with very little one on one play. Since it is constantly changing it makes it hard to prepare for. Many styles of offense are repetitive and you can be more prepared for them. American teams are just not used to guarding that kind of movement and the result is basketball that is enjoyable to watch and difficult to defend. A kind of hybrid read and react style. For years the men played a boring style of offense, but so does every other men's team (exception Princeton). When you have so many scoring options make teams work hard on defense, space the floor and run various different sets to get someone open. When everyone is a threat you can't focus on a particular player. With some teams possibly using massive front courts like UCLA and SC, or teams possibly running 4 guard sets like Notre Dame, or deep teams with deep rosters using many players to use a full court press to speed you up and force turnovers (I know that is a defensive scheme, but a style of play none the less), what may separate these six or seven "super teams" on the women's side is probably which team can impose it's style most effectively. Defensive schemes will also make a difference. I've always believed that even if you mostly play man to man there are variations on what you can do, and that every team should have some kind of zone and press in their pocket for when the moment calls for it. What does Geno and his staff think this team can run to make the difference in a close game?

 

[Bone Dog]

With Barker going to UCLA (giving the #1,2,3, & 6 ranked HS players from the class of 2022), and Dauda going to SC (giving them 5 former HS All Americans 6'3 or taller) the rich keep getting richer. What will make the biggest difference? Potentially style of play.

I couldn't agree more. And for Geno, that style of play is a motion offense and team defense that generates transition offense. I say "team defense" as though that were a single thing which, of course, it isn't. But it defines a style of camaraderie and culture that has characterized Geno's teams from the beginning. He recruits for it, he teaches it, and he has won with it. And some of the greatest coaches have emulated him in this very thing -- Tara, Muffet and Dawn.

As he has said a few times in interviews, it's easy to find teenagers who can score. It's a lot harder to find the ones who can score AND are willing to play team defense. All the easy glory is in showboating on offense, and there's very little glory to be had in a well-executed team defense... and teenagers love glory. This is why I didn't lament the loss of Saylor, who said after she left that she didn't like how restrictive Geno's style of coaching is. The same goes for the failure to recruit Barker or Dauda. Did Geno make a pitch to them and they turned him down once he explained what being a Husky means, or did he not even bother with them because he already knew they weren't a good fit? Either way, I suspect these kids -- talented as they are -- would not have added much to Geno's team concept.

Sure, it'd be good to have an insurance backup for injuries (and Dauda or Barker might have supplied at least that), but not at the expense of disrupting the team. Remember, last season Geno had the worst run of injury luck in recent memory. I'm tempted to say in recorded history. More depth would have been nice in February and March. And yet, using 4 freshmen and only 3 of the forecasted starters, he coached the team to the final four. It was entirely "style of play" that got them there. Sure, Paige was brilliant, heroic even, and Nika and Aaliyah had her back. But that wouldn't have been nearly enough without a team concept that the freshmen could drink in from the beginning of the season. That team concept is what sustained them and allowed Paige to carry them as far as she did.

You can really see it in the tournament games. At each level the Huskies were simply more of a unit than their opponents were. That's Husky style. It was obvious in the JSU and Syracuse games. But even in the Duke and USC games it was apparent. Iowa was the first team that presented a similar unity, and of course they did it with a lineup that hadn't changed much in 4 years and was almost entirely intact through the entire season. A sign is that it wasn't Caitlin who single-handedly beat us -- that's what would have been required for Syracuse or Duke or USC to win. It was the entire Iowa squad. Kate Martin and Gabby Marshal and Hannah Stuelke also had great games.

 

[CL82]

The UConn men the past 2 years did not have superior talent, or a superstar that just couldn't be stopped, they play a style that separates them from the rest.

I largely agree with the notion that Connecticut style of play is something that separates it from the rest of men's basketball, right now. It is really pretty basketball.

That said the 2022–2023 team Three players go to the NBA, though Sanogo got a two-way contract and played the majority of his games in the G league. This year's team had the entire starting team enter the NBA draft. Alex Karaban withdrew even though he was rumored to be a high second round pick.

Donovan Clingan and Steve Castle are expected to be among the first 10 players in the draft. Recently, I've read articles suggesting that either one could actually be the first pick in the draft. Certainly there's pretty good odds that either could be the first US player picked in the draft.

I think your larger point is correct about style of play, which is very reminiscent of the impact Geno's motion offense had on women's college basketball until other teams adjusted, but I felt it was worth noting the fact that there are NBA players on these teams.

 

[JellyBean]

With Barker going to UCLA (giving the #1,2,3, & 6 ranked HS players from the class of 2022), and Dauda going to SC (giving them 5 former HS All Americans 6'3 or taller) the rich keep getting richer. What will make the biggest difference? Potentially style of play. The UConn men the past 2 years did not have superior talent, or a superstar that just couldn't be stopped, they play a style that separates them from the rest. Style that used to seperate the women of UConn from the rest. The men's coaching staff has been studying hundred of hours of European basketball. In Europe teams use all kinds of motion, screening action, and ways to make everyone involved in the offensive flow with very little one on one play. Since it is constantly changing it makes it hard to prepare for. Many styles of offense are repetitive and you can be more prepared for them. American teams are just not used to guarding that kind of movement and the result is basketball that is enjoyable to watch and difficult to defend. A kind of hybrid read and react style. For years the men played a boring style of offense, but so does every other men's team (exception Princeton). When you have so many scoring options make teams work hard on defense, space the floor and run various different sets to get someone open. When everyone is a threat you can't focus on a particular player. With some teams possibly using massive front courts like UCLA and SC, or teams possibly running 4 guard sets like Notre Dame, or deep teams with deep rosters using many players to use a full court press to speed you up and force turnovers (I know that is a defensive scheme, but a style of play none the less), what may separate these six or seven "super teams" on the women's side is probably which team can impose it's style most effectively. Defensive schemes will also make a difference. I've always believed that even if you mostly play man to man there are variations on what you can do, and that every team should have some kind of zone and press in their pocket for when the moment calls for it. What does Geno and his staff think this team can run to make the difference in a close game?

Great topic. Other than, "Give the ball to Paige and get the heck out of the way", a lot will depend on the players and their skill set & basketball IQ. The read and react requires players being able to read what the defense and what the player with the ball is doing and reacting to what those two elements. The UConn men's squad was doing a lot of stuff what other teams are doing and they were able to execute and complete their plays. But what coach G and the coaching staff come up with will depend on the who they have on the floor and how comfortable those players feel with the rock in their hands during those close game situations.

 

[hoophuskee]

With Barker going to UCLA (giving the #1,2,3, & 6 ranked HS players from the class of 2022), and Dauda going to SC (giving them 5 former HS All Americans 6'3 or taller) the rich keep getting richer. What will make the biggest difference? Potentially style of play. The UConn men the past 2 years did not have superior talent, or a superstar that just couldn't be stopped, they play a style that separates them from the rest. Style that used to seperate the women of UConn from the rest. The men's coaching staff has been studying hundred of hours of European basketball. In Europe teams use all kinds of motion, screening action, and ways to make everyone involved in the offensive flow with very little one on one play. Since it is constantly changing it makes it hard to prepare for. Many styles of offense are repetitive and you can be more prepared for them. American teams are just not used to guarding that kind of movement and the result is basketball that is enjoyable to watch and difficult to defend. A kind of hybrid read and react style. For years the men played a boring style of offense, but so does every other men's team (exception Princeton). When you have so many scoring options make teams work hard on defense, space the floor and run various different sets to get someone open. When everyone is a threat you can't focus on a particular player. With some teams possibly using massive front courts like UCLA and SC, or teams possibly running 4 guard sets like Notre Dame, or deep teams with deep rosters using many players to use a full court press to speed you up and force turnovers (I know that is a defensive scheme, but a style of play none the less), what may separate these six or seven "super teams" on the women's side is probably which team can impose it's style most effectively. Defensive schemes will also make a difference. I've always believed that even if you mostly play man to man there are variations on what you can do, and that every team should have some kind of zone and press in their pocket for when the moment calls for it. What does Geno and his staff think this team can run to make the difference in a close game?

It's hard to specify/define what UCONN will be right now but the UCONN men and UCONN women can't be compared. WCBB players play 4 years. As a result super players have much more of an impact as they mature. and therefore the style of play can be greatly altered because the super players are so great. In the current WNBA Stewie and Wilson. In the NBA it's been Lebron and Curry with a few others but as they've aged new players step up = look at Dall’s right now with their two big time players. Before that The Joker would get huge minutes.

UCONN women have had 3 #1 recruits the past 5 years. I agree with a comment Geno made a couple of years ago his team would have most like won a title (without the injuries). I believe so - within these last 4 at least one (including the year Walker left early after only playing 3. If healthy has a junior ever left UCONN without winning a title for the wnba?).

So imo what he is going to do is lean on Paige in a motion Offense and then see who else emerges. I expect per the below link her is going to think similar this year that he needs 3 scorers to beat the elite teams. Though he might feel he needs more because the team Defense probably takes a hit unless Aubrey comes back full-throttle but even then . . .

Anyway at about 24.5 mark on Geno talks about needing a 3rd scorer. So I think he’ll have team run so he won’t want to go too “big” with Ice/Jana/Sarah much (but definitely Aubrey if healthy) and run the same Offense with hopes he can get more explosive yet assured scoring while all-the while understand that his Defense inside is going to be crucial toward team success as well. Maybe when Sarah is out to revert to also playing small—I don’t know. Unless Jana is also a natural PF – I don’t know.

Geno Auriemma & Players Postgame vs. Iowa | Final Four (youtube.com)

 

[Alydar]

A lot of what UConn does is dependent to who Geno has to execute it. I've heard or read him saying over the years that he had to "simplify" things because he was forced to use players who weren't ready for the full package. Another thing he has said is that whatever the team was going to run had to be in place before the 1st game because there was no time during the season. So last season, when Fudd and Griffin went down he was forced to start 2 and play 4 1st year players, and it showed for a while.
Like the last 2 seasons Geno has to be excited by the level of talent through this entire roster. If the 1st year players catch on as quickly as I think they will he will turn this team into a monster. They start behind the others, especially on defense. The competition in practice should be incredible.

 

[oldhusky]

We have had many interesting discussions and debates over style of play. Hopefully with a deep and healthy roster almost all those options will be available this year. I think one impact of injuries over the last few years that has been overlooked, is how they took away many if not most of Geno's strategic options during a game.

Game management became managing the minutes and substitution pattern. When you only play 6 or 7, some players need to come out before they are tired, and others way too late, because the player you took out needs to be rested enough to go back in before you can give the next one their blow. You frequently can't take two out at the same time, and can't even think about strategic substitutions for offense, defense, rebounding, outside shooting etc.

Further you have to use a timeout every once in a while to rest key players. In essence the in game tools and options a coach normally has are largely gone. Regardless of which styles are used most often, this year Geno can make changes. If an individual match up isn't working, he has rested and talented players on the bench he can use. If he wants to pick up the pace, he can do it, and he can stack the lineup with scorers, shooters, passers, rebounders and defenders as the situation calls for it.

I expect the efficiency of returning players to be a little better this year than last, not just because of more experience, but because they will be put in situations that favor their talents more, and bad match ups will largely be avoided, and players will not need to play many minutes tired.

As for what style or styles are featured, I think much of that will sort out as Geno experiments with the talent and options he has, and sees what works best. That is something he hasn't really been able to do for most of the last three years. This year he can!

 

[GoUconn7961]

A lot of teams look good on paper, and as we know having a lot of trees down low helps, but isn't a guarantee. Only two coaches had proved over and over that they can take that talent and win and that's Geno and Dawn. Geno seemed to load this team w/3 point shooters and that can spread the floor. If an opposing team's big have to come out and guard we'll be seeing a lot of cuts. I'd love to see Geno and And Hurley put their heads together for another dual natty.