The Athletic - How can UConn adjust? Turn to its freshmen

[BRS24]

Yes, apologies in advance that this article is behind a paywall, and once again, as we are now at the beginning of the conference season, I have 5 30-day guest passes that I would love to share (PM if you want). That being said, The Athletic is suggesting what many of us have over the last week, during yesterday's game chat, and in the TX post game thread. This is in no way an opening to bash the effort of upperclassmen or banish them to a lesser or non-starting role, just a way to have some dialogue after seeing KK (9 pts in 24 min), Q (4 pts in 8), and Ash (7 pts in 11) on the court.

Women's college basketball power rankings: How can UConn adjust? Turn to its freshmen

Is UCLA a threat to South Carolina? Sabreena Merchant discusses this week's top 25.

theathletic.com

Some highlights - Should UConn lean on its freshmen?

After their first loss to Texas in program history and their earliest third loss in nearly 40 years, the Huskies have a lot of questions. My hope is that Geno Auriemma turns to his youngest players to answer them. Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards will certainly be the foundation, but beyond them, the production from the veterans hasn’t been noteworthy enough to earn legacy minutes ahead of this year’s rookies.

First-years KK Arnold, Qadence Samuels and Ashlynn Shade were the only players to have non-negative plus-minuses against Texas, a continuation of a season-long trend for Arnold and Shade. That duo is shooting lights-out from the field, which the Huskies require around their two tent poles, Bueckers and Edwards. Arnold has made 53 percent of her 2-pointers and 60 percent of her triples while Shade has made a spectacular 77 percent of her 2s, a trend that continued even in a high-profile game against the Longhorns. Shade’s perimeter scoring almost helped UConn spring the upset in the fourth quarter. Samuels hasn’t had the same consistency of production but provides athleticism on the glass and as a wing defender, which the Huskies haven’t really been getting from Aubrey Griffin.

It’s too early to write off this year’s UConn team altogether, but combined with last season, it’s fair to say that the core group needs some shaking up. The Huskies actually have some depth if they use their bench. It would be fun, and probably fruitful, to see them play with more pace and space, and the young ones can help make that happen.

 

[Centerstream]

Please note that these 3 freshmen also had 4, 3 and 3 fouls respectively. This has to change too for them to get more minutes.
Caveat: not sure if their fouls were due to them being intentional unintentional end of game fouls. But I don't remember seeing any of that because I was still in shock.

 

[GoUconn7961]

My unpopular opinion? Start all the freshmen and send a message. It worked w/Stewie.

 

[gandydancer]

I don't worry about them fouling. The only time they won't foul is if they are sitting on the bench. You play them so they learn how to not foul.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I don't see any scenario where you don't have to use them. It's not rocket science at this point.

 

[hoophuskee]

Yes, apologies in advance that this article is behind a paywall, and once again, as we are now at the beginning of the conference season, I have 5 30-day guest passes that I would love to share (PM if you want). That being said, The Athletic is suggesting what many of us have over the last week, during yesterday's game chat, and in the TX post game thread. This is in no way an opening to bash the effort of upperclassmen or banish them to a lesser or non-starting role, just a way to have some dialogue after seeing KK (9 pts in 24 min), Q (4 pts in 8), and Ash (7 pts in 11) on the court.

Women's college basketball power rankings: How can UConn adjust? Turn to its freshmen

Is UCLA a threat to South Carolina? Sabreena Merchant discusses this week's top 25.

theathletic.com

Some highlights - Should UConn lean on its freshmen?

After their first loss to Texas in program history and their earliest third loss in nearly 40 years, the Huskies have a lot of questions. My hope is that Geno Auriemma turns to his youngest players to answer them. Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards will certainly be the foundation, but beyond them, the production from the veterans hasn’t been noteworthy enough to earn legacy minutes ahead of this year’s rookies.

First-years KK Arnold, Qadence Samuels and Ashlynn Shade were the only players to have non-negative plus-minuses against Texas, a continuation of a season-long trend for Arnold and Shade. That duo is shooting lights-out from the field, which the Huskies require around their two tent poles, Bueckers and Edwards. Arnold has made 53 percent of her 2-pointers and 60 percent of her triples while Shade has made a spectacular 77 percent of her 2s, a trend that continued even in a high-profile game against the Longhorns. Shade’s perimeter scoring almost helped UConn spring the upset in the fourth quarter. Samuels hasn’t had the same consistency of production but provides athleticism on the glass and as a wing defender, which the Huskies haven’t really been getting from Aubrey Griffin.

It’s too early to write off this year’s UConn team altogether, but combined with last season, it’s fair to say that the core group needs some shaking up. The Huskies actually have some depth if they use their bench. It would be fun, and probably fruitful, to see them play with more pace and space, and the young ones can help make that happen.

Just wondering what the writer thought about Griffin and the Kansas game? Or do we ignore that game now?

Or will next week another article be written that Geno has to rely on experience more?

 

[UConnCat]

Sabrina Merchant, sportswriter and basketball savant.

 

[UConnCat]

Just wondering what the writer thought about Griffin and the Kansas game? Or do we ignore that game now?

Or will next week another article be written that Geno has to rely on experience more?

Just wondering what the writer thinks should happen when the freshmen are given bigger roles and, understandably, are less productive in the bigger roles. Should Geno then turn back to the demoted upperclassmen and say I was kidding so get back out there?

 

[Waquoit]

Just wondering what the writer thinks should happen when the freshmen are given bigger roles and, understandably, are less productive in the bigger roles. Should Geno then turn back to the demoted upperclassmen and say I was kidding so get back out there?

Depends if the demoted upperclassmen are working hard to get their spots or just pouting about it.

 

[hjoerring]

I thought the piece was well written. And am in agreement w/ LwrcasefaN. No competitive team today are playing five against as many players as the other team carries. The days when Geno can use 5 players to beat every other team are gone/over. And so are the days when freshmen sit and wait. Play them or lose them might be the appropriate motto. There are too many freshmen out there who are playing key roles for winning teams. However, this is not an argument for benching/discing Upperclassmen, especially seniors. Most of the latter will accept that to play in the post-season they may have to sit longer than they had to date. Its about game development of younger players so that they get better, and have goods reasons to return next year. If GA and others around him are a-missed then I'm nervous. I got 3-things from his interview: 1) accepting that he needed to find playing time for the youngsters, 2) telling Paige that she cannot be frustrated w/ herself and teammates (I thought for the first time in watching her that it slipped out for a minute that she had it with Ice's turnovers. (AE was the calming effect) And 3), he might want to get rid of the apologies about the Freshmen not coming here to play big roles-- see #1 above (all freshmen today cherished such opportunities. And having watched a number of games I do not, any longer, buy into Uconn's offense and defense are too complicated. Most of the top teams are running some versions of the so-called Princeton style.
All good and successful programs have myths and tell stories about themselves. These myths and story-tellings have to be re-motivated from-time-to-time. We are in such a motion. I think this current Freshmen are the class that will keep the wind at our back, or it will be hard sailing ahead.
And threads about Mary Poppins-- which of 3 Freshmen are the pretties (should get more time over the others, is just silly. And too the idea of putting players on the bench to teach them a lesson. I never thought it was the Benching that worked for Stewart and Co. They were so talented, period.