The Battle for Playing Time & a Spot on the Rotation

[Kat]

I'm glad that Kaitlyn is on the team but if we're talking about playing time, I think it would be better if she had less minutes. She went 4-12 FG, 0-6 3s. An experienced player with a reputation for scoring misses shots because they are tired. I think fewer minutes would give more quality scoring. Give Morgan some of that time.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I'm glad that Kaitlyn is on the team but if we're talking about playing time, I think it would be better if she had less minutes. She went 4-12 FG, 0-6 3s. An experienced player with a reputation for scoring misses shots because they are tired. I think fewer minutes would give more quality scoring. Give Morgan some of that time.

Kaitlyn was offered for her last year in college to give Paige and Azzi a rest on the bench, and it’s been a good experience for her.

 

[packwrap]

Morgan isn't good enough yet. She plays okay against Xavier, but did zero positive things in limited time against Creighton. Alli never got off the bench. Kaitlyn would have been 0-10 if she didn't refuse to shoot again after 0-7. So her one good game did not carry over. Without much, much more from her, we can't get beyond elite 8. Jana is easily out classed. She is likely to get better each year-end be terrific in another 2 seasons. ICE is an enigma, but playing better. But she is no post player. She is a decent forward. UCONN has still not solved the "BIG'"problem.

I keep watching the games and seeing a large woman with surprisingly good ballhandling skills playing for UConn at forward/center. I think her name is Strong. She's pretty good in the post.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Morgan isn't good enough yet. She plays okay against Xavier, but did zero positive things in limited time against Creighton. Alli never got off the bench. Kaitlyn would have been 0-10 if she didn't refuse to shoot again after 0-7. So her one good game did not carry over. Without much, much more from her, we can't get beyond elite 8. Jana is easily out classed. She is likely to get better each year-end be terrific in another 2 seasons. ICE is an enigma, but playing better. But she is no post player. She is a decent forward. UCONN has still not solved the "BIG'"problem.

You must also think the Yankees are going nowhere without getting much much more from Oswaldo Cabrera or Clarke Schmidt.

 

[Mandoo]

@oldude - Excellent analysis as always. I believe Morgan will be in the rotation. They only thing she hasn't been doing is scoring. But she has begun to look and take some opportunities she heretofore has passed up. Hopefully, that's a good sign?

Jana is the big question mark in my opinion. I wonder if Geno truly believes he can count of her? She needs a lot of work in order to improve, yet he is playing her less than half a game. Improvement doesn't come from sitting on the bench. I don't care what the score is in these Big East blow-outs. If Jana is to be counted on against the tougher competition we're going to face going forward, she needs as much playing time as is available.

I don't believe Geno has a handle on Jana's relative lack of progress. I've watched Maryland girls play twice and it appears that in a relatively short time, Brenda Frese has gotten Amari Deberry to actually show some signs of life and a little bit of the aggessive spirit. How did Brenda do it and why was Geno unable to penetrate her core to light a little fire under her?

 

[Mandoo]

I keep watching the games and seeing a large woman with surprisingly good ballhandling skills playing for UConn at forward/center. I think her name is Strong. She's pretty good in the post.

Thanks oldude. I wasn't even going to dignify that comment with a response.

Haughty is what haughty does.

 

[huskyd]

During each of the past 3 seasons, UConn suffered a series of devastating injuries to key players which effectively hamstrung their efforts to win Championship #12. Last year was the worst by far as the Huskies finished the season with only 7 healthy players, an effective rotation of 6; and yet UConn came within 1 play of making the national championship game in what was both a heroic and tragic season.

Last season, when it came to decisions about who would play and how long, Geno had it easy. As he said several times about his players, “They don’t have to worry about making mistakes, because I have no one to replace them with.”

Fast forward to the 2024-25 season. What a difference a year makes. UConn fields one of its deepest and most talented rosters ever, with 12 healthy players currently vying for PT and spots in the regular rotation. Geno will earn his pay this year, and while he has indicated that he knows what his rotation will look like once we get to March, he has resisted all requests from the media to tell us what that rotation will be. Personally, I think he knows mostly what that rotation will look like. But I also think he is still puzzling over a couple of decisions on the final rotation spots.

To the credit of the players, they are making it very difficult for Geno and his coaches to finalize the rotation, with both their play in games as well as their efforts in practice. In past years, we have gotten used to seeing the wheels come off once UConn starts to sub in for the starters. Not so this year. UConn’s execution is pretty darn good throughout the game, even during mop-up time.

There is a reason why UConn continues to cut, screen, pass and score effectively, regardless of who is on the court. The Huskies roster includes no less than 7 HS PG’s: Paige, Kaitlyn, KK, Azzi, Ash, Morgan & Allie. In addition, both Aubrey & Sarah were the primary ball handlers for their teams while leading their respective HS’s in both scoring and assists. That’s a hell of a lot of basketball IQ for a single roster.

During the next month or so, Geno has to make some decisions. In past seasons, when he had some depth, Geno has typically capped his tournament rotation at 7-8 players. Whether he goes beyond that total will be dependent somewhat on the opponent and the situation encountered. I will give you my take on the factors that I believe will impact those decisions, with a couple of assumptions: 1) I assume that everyone remains healthy & 2) Neither Ayanna or Caroline will factor into the lineup decisions.

STARTERS

• Paige, Azzi & Sarah – With the possible exception of ND, I don’t believe there is another team in the country that can field 3 G/W’s with the ability to score, pass and defend like UConn’s 3-headed monster. These players will be the core of UConn’s title run this year, and their PT will ramp up once we get into March.
• Jana – Geno has made the clear decision that to win #12, he will need a post player with the size and ability to battle the likes of UCLA, USC, SC, etc. Jana is on a crash course to be ready by March, and she continues to get a little better each and every game.
• Kaitlyn – Up until the Villanova game at Gampel, I felt that the starting pg job was still up for grabs, with both KK & Ash still in the running to be the 5th starter. But after Kaitlyn’s break out performance against the Wildcats, Kaitlyn has locked up the job, imo.

GUARDS – RESERVES

• KK - While Kaitlyn is PG 1, KK is clearly PG 1A and will share the pg duties for the rest of the season. KK brings a change of pace off the bench as a fierce on-ball defender, and she has ramped up her ability to attack the basket and score. In addition, KK has one of the best A/TO ratios in the nation.
• Ash – Ash is not only UConn’s best scorer off the bench, but she has dramatically improved her on-ball defense this season and she is second only to Paige as a rebounding guard, on a team that needs all the help it can get on the boards.
• Allie – Under most circumstances, Allie wouldn’t really figure into this year’s rotation. But you just can’t rule out someone who can shoot the basketball like Allie. It was suggested that Allie releases the ball faster than Azzi and just as accurately. In a tight game, there just might be an opportunity for Geno to slide Allie onto the court to drop a couple of 3-pt bombs.

FORWARDS – RESERVES

• Morgan – More than any other player, Morgan has forced her way into this conversation. She is currently the 1st forward off the bench, typically subbing in for Jana. Morgan plays defense, rebounds, passes like a pg, scores a little and hits the floor more often than a WWE wrestler. With that said, for Morgan to lock up a spot in the rotation, I believe she must become a more consistent scorer. If Morgan can start knocking down 3’s, she gives UConn a 5th scorer on their small lineup, which would create nightmares for opposing teams.
• Ice – Ice has lost PT to both Jana and Morgan. To her enormous credit, she has not sulked or accepted the possibility of getting buried on the bench. In the last few games her play has improved significantly at both ends of the court. In March, when UConn faces opponents with big frontlines, I believe that Ice must be part of the rotation.
• Aubrey – When healthy, Aubrey is UConn’s best defender and rebounder, and no one runs the court in transition like she does. She is the X factor. Geno is bringing Aubrey along slowly. But she is yet another Husky who must figure into a championship run.
• Q – Q is the one player that does not project to be in the rotation, at this time. But you never know. Just last year she came into a key situation during the Elite 8 game vs USC and splashed a BIG 3.

We should get a pretty good sense of where Geno is going with his rotation in the upcoming games with TN & SC, although that may not be the final determination. IMO, UConn’s postseason rotation will be 8-9 players deep and will include: Paige, Azzi, Sarah, Jana, Kaitlyn, KK, Ash, Ice (+Aubrey if we go 9 deep). Leaving Morgan out of my rotation was really hard, and I have no doubt that I will receive a lot of grief for that decision. What do you think? Tell me how deep the rotation will be and who will be part of it?

Geno likes Morgan a lot and has shown this by getting her into games early on. Cheli is the only big guard who can bump inside, rebound, pass. She is a ball of energy, never slowing down when she's out there. Coach says she's a "change-maker," so I doubt she won't see plenty of action come crunch time. Her scoring is less important because someone has to do the scut work.

 

[oldude]

Geno likes Morgan a lot and has shown this by getting her into games early on. Cheli is the only big guard who can bump inside, rebound, pass. She is a ball of energy, never slowing down when she's out there. Coach says she's a "change-maker," so I doubt she won't see plenty of action come crunch time. Her scoring is less important because someone has to do the scut work.

I would have agreed until the Creighton game when Morgan broke down a couple times on defense during the 1st half, earning her a spot on the bench for the rest of the game. During the 2nd half, Morgan’s minutes were taken over by Ice who played solidly.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

During each of the past 3 seasons, UConn suffered a series of devastating injuries to key players which effectively hamstrung their efforts to win Championship #12. Last year was the worst by far as the Huskies finished the season with only 7 healthy players, an effective rotation of 6; and yet UConn came within 1 play of making the national championship game in what was both a heroic and tragic season.

Last season, when it came to decisions about who would play and how long, Geno had it easy. As he said several times about his players, “They don’t have to worry about making mistakes, because I have no one to replace them with.”

Fast forward to the 2024-25 season. What a difference a year makes. UConn fields one of its deepest and most talented rosters ever, with 12 healthy players currently vying for PT and spots in the regular rotation. Geno will earn his pay this year, and while he has indicated that he knows what his rotation will look like once we get to March, he has resisted all requests from the media to tell us what that rotation will be. Personally, I think he knows mostly what that rotation will look like. But I also think he is still puzzling over a couple of decisions on the final rotation spots.

To the credit of the players, they are making it very difficult for Geno and his coaches to finalize the rotation, with both their play in games as well as their efforts in practice. In past years, we have gotten used to seeing the wheels come off once UConn starts to sub in for the starters. Not so this year. UConn’s execution is pretty darn good throughout the game, even during mop-up time.

There is a reason why UConn continues to cut, screen, pass and score effectively, regardless of who is on the court. The Huskies roster includes no less than 7 HS PG’s: Paige, Kaitlyn, KK, Azzi, Ash, Morgan & Allie. In addition, both Aubrey & Sarah were the primary ball handlers for their teams while leading their respective HS’s in both scoring and assists. That’s a hell of a lot of basketball IQ for a single roster.

During the next month or so, Geno has to make some decisions. In past seasons, when he had some depth, Geno has typically capped his tournament rotation at 7-8 players. Whether he goes beyond that total will be dependent somewhat on the opponent and the situation encountered. I will give you my take on the factors that I believe will impact those decisions, with a couple of assumptions: 1) I assume that everyone remains healthy & 2) Neither Ayanna or Caroline will factor into the lineup decisions.

STARTERS

• Paige, Azzi & Sarah – With the possible exception of ND, I don’t believe there is another team in the country that can field 3 G/W’s with the ability to score, pass and defend like UConn’s 3-headed monster. These players will be the core of UConn’s title run this year, and their PT will ramp up once we get into March.
• Jana – Geno has made the clear decision that to win #12, he will need a post player with the size and ability to battle the likes of UCLA, USC, SC, etc. Jana is on a crash course to be ready by March, and she continues to get a little better each and every game.
• Kaitlyn – Up until the Villanova game at Gampel, I felt that the starting pg job was still up for grabs, with both KK & Ash still in the running to be the 5th starter. But after Kaitlyn’s break out performance against the Wildcats, Kaitlyn has locked up the job, imo.

GUARDS – RESERVES

• KK - While Kaitlyn is PG 1, KK is clearly PG 1A and will share the pg duties for the rest of the season. KK brings a change of pace off the bench as a fierce on-ball defender, and she has ramped up her ability to attack the basket and score. In addition, KK has one of the best A/TO ratios in the nation.
• Ash – Ash is not only UConn’s best scorer off the bench, but she has dramatically improved her on-ball defense this season and she is second only to Paige as a rebounding guard, on a team that needs all the help it can get on the boards.
• Allie – Under most circumstances, Allie wouldn’t really figure into this year’s rotation. But you just can’t rule out someone who can shoot the basketball like Allie. It was suggested that Allie releases the ball faster than Azzi and just as accurately. In a tight game, there just might be an opportunity for Geno to slide Allie onto the court to drop a couple of 3-pt bombs.

FORWARDS – RESERVES

• Morgan – More than any other player, Morgan has forced her way into this conversation. She is currently the 1st forward off the bench, typically subbing in for Jana. Morgan plays defense, rebounds, passes like a pg, scores a little and hits the floor more often than a WWE wrestler. With that said, for Morgan to lock up a spot in the rotation, I believe she must become a more consistent scorer. If Morgan can start knocking down 3’s, she gives UConn a 5th scorer on their small lineup, which would create nightmares for opposing teams.
• Ice – Ice has lost PT to both Jana and Morgan. To her enormous credit, she has not sulked or accepted the possibility of getting buried on the bench. In the last few games her play has improved significantly at both ends of the court. In March, when UConn faces opponents with big frontlines, I believe that Ice must be part of the rotation.
• Aubrey – When healthy, Aubrey is UConn’s best defender and rebounder, and no one runs the court in transition like she does. She is the X factor. Geno is bringing Aubrey along slowly. But she is yet another Husky who must figure into a championship run.
• Q – Q is the one player that does not project to be in the rotation, at this time. But you never know. Just last year she came into a key situation during the Elite 8 game vs USC and splashed a BIG 3.

We should get a pretty good sense of where Geno is going with his rotation in the upcoming games with TN & SC, although that may not be the final determination. IMO, UConn’s postseason rotation will be 8-9 players deep and will include: Paige, Azzi, Sarah, Jana, Kaitlyn, KK, Ash, Ice (+Aubrey if we go 9 deep). Leaving Morgan out of my rotation was really hard, and I have no doubt that I will receive a lot of grief for that decision. What do you think? Tell me how deep the rotation will be and who will be part of it?

Ash is not only UConn’s best scorer off the bench but she is UConn’s 4th best scorer on the team period, and by a good margin. She also has 36 steals and 56 rebounds on the season.

 

[Stagnant]

I can see why Morgan has fallen out of the rotation. She hasn’t done enough offensively the last couple of games to overcome some of her deficiencies on defense. Back doors are a weakness for her. And both Creighton and DePaul got easy layups on her a couple of times. Meanwhile, ice has responded really well to being benched. And ice is a much bigger threat as a scorer/shooter.

 

[HuskyNan]

I can see why Morgan has fallen out of the rotation. She hasn’t done enough offensively the last couple of games to overcome some of her deficiencies on defense. Back doors are a weakness for her. And both Creighton and DePaul got easy layups on her a couple of times. Meanwhile, ice has responded really well to being benched. And ice is a much bigger threat as a scorer/shooter.

Just a reminder the team had 3 games in one week, the last 2 on the road. High school kids are not used to that.

 

[Husky fanatic]

I would have agreed until the Creighton game when Morgan broke down a couple times on defense during the 1st half, earning her a spot on the bench for the rest of the game. During the 2nd half, Morgan’s minutes were taken over by Ice who played solidly.

With Morgan’s continued reluctance to shoot when open, her minutes will continue to diminish.

 

[Longtime fan]

You must also think the Yankees are going nowhere without getting much much more from Oswaldo Cabrera or Clarke Schmidt.

How did you know?

 

[Longtime fan]

With Morgan’s continued reluctance to shoot when open, her minutes will continue to diminish.

She has mostly shown an ability to make great passes under the basket, setting up easy scores for others. But this only happened once or twice per her time on the court. She doesn't wish to shoot and doesn't make them when she does. She is going to fade off the charts as we get into march. There must be something there, but we are seeing little of it so far.

 

[The deacon]

She has mostly shown an ability to make great passes under the basket, setting up easy scores for others. But this only happened once or twice per her time on the court. She doesn't wish to shoot and doesn't make them when she does. She is going to fade off the charts as we get into march. There must be something there, but we are seeing little of it so far.

Agreed, Longtime, but she is shooting 40 percent from three (admittedly with fewer attempts than her teammates), so I can't quite go along with your 'Doesn't make them when she does.' It might be overreaction to some of the good things Morgan has done, but I think she'll be one of the Huskies' best players in the near future. Like you, I just wish she'd go for it with the ball in her hands.

 

[oldhusky]

I think Morgan has slumped a bit, but dropping a notch in the rotation was completely and totally expected on Aubrey's return. Aubrey is a very high level proven performer at the 3 or 4 and has not yet come back to her usual form, but in time will. When Azzi, Paige or Aubrey were out the need for Morgan in the rotation was greater.

That doesn't mean Morgan is out of the big game rotation, but does mean the rotation needs to be bigger by one on Aubrey;s return for Morgan to be in it. Geno could use only 8 until Aubrey regains her form, but ultimately the minimum will likely be 9 with her, and Morgan if she is used would be #10.

Although I consider Aubrey way ahead of Morgan at the 3 or 4 overall, because they are so different as players, there could still be situations where Morgan's skill set and versatility is needed. Perhaps a rotation of 9 or 10 depending on game and opponent. Regardless I think Geno will use Morgan on a regular basis against BE competition to keep her used to playing with the rotation players, because it appears that if any other rotation player is not available, Morgan is the likely solution due to her versatility and others that could switch positions.

 

[HuskyNan]

4-Out-1-In Motion Offense

 

[oldude]

While all of us would like to see Morgan pull the trigger more often when it comes to shooting the basketball, the reason her PT has dropped is primarily the result of her lapses on defense….and yes, Aubrey is back and that’s another player who needs PT. But during the last game, Morgan’s PT was not lost to Aubrey. It was lost to Ice, who came off the bench 1st for Jana, altering the prior substitution pattern which had Morgan 1st off the bench for Jana.

 

[HuskyNan]

While all of us would like to see Morgan pull the trigger more often when it comes to shooting the basketball, the reason her PT has dropped is primarily the result of her lapses on defense….and yes, Aubrey is back and that’s another player who needs PT. But during the last game, Morgan’s PT was not lost to Aubrey. It was lost to Ice, who came off the bench 1st for Jana, altering the prior substitution pattern which had Morgan 1st off the bench for Jana.

I thought Ice had a good game vs DePaul. She was much more aggressive and looking to score when she got the ball under the basket

 

[oldude]

I thought Ice had a good game vs DePaul. She was much more aggressive and looking to score when she got the ball under the basket

Yes, and as much as I like Morgan, I think UConn is a better team with Ice in the lineup.

 

[Zarathustra]

I thought Ice had a good game vs DePaul. She was much more aggressive and looking to score when she got the ball under the basket

As a reminder (to some): Ice had 6 points on 2/2 shooting and 2/2 from
the foul line in 10 minutes of play (DePaul Game stats). She had one
OFFENSIVE rebound (just one rebound) and two personal fouls. All of
Ice's points were in the second half AND in the first half she had the
task of defending JORIE ALLEN (a significant contribution on Ice's part).
IMHO a nice game for the "ICE" girl. She 'Cometh'!

 

[ConnMotors]

Morgan, will be a part of the rotation more than likely until the Sweet Sixteen. Then you will see Paige, Kaitlyn, Sarah, Azzi on the court for 28+ minutes. KK, Ashlynn with get the second most minutes. Followed by Aubrey, Jana and Ice.

 

[oldude]

Morgan, will be a part of the rotation more than likely until the Sweet Sixteen. Then you will see Paige, Kaitlyn, Sarah, Azzi on the court for 28+ minutes. KK, Ashlynn with get the second most minutes. Followed by Aubrey, Jana and Ice.

Hmmm. That sounds very similar to the OP for this thread……

 

[HuskyNan]

All of
Ice's points were in the second half AND in the first half she had the
task of defending JORIE ALLEN (a significant contribution on Ice's part).
IMHO a nice game for the "ICE" girl. She 'Cometh'!

There was one play where Allen turned towards the basket on the baseline and Ice was standing, immobile, with her arms straight up. Allen lowered her shoulder and tried pushing Ice but Ice never budged. Allen airballed her shot. Defense - shades of Asjha Jones!

 

[Cornell Lt]

I can see why Morgan has fallen out of the rotation. She hasn’t done enough offensively the last couple of games to overcome some of her deficiencies on defense. Back doors are a weakness for her. And both Creighton and DePaul got easy layups on her a couple of times. Meanwhile, ice has responded really well to being benched. And ice is a much bigger threat as a scorer/shooter.

Fallen out of the rotation ? That's just not true. Yes she sat the second half of the Creighton game, but every other game she has come off the bench in both halves, just like she has all season.

 

[Longtime fan]

Agreed, Longtime, but she is shooting 40 percent from three (admittedly with fewer attempts than her teammates), so I can't quite go along with your 'Doesn't make them when she does.' It might be overreaction to some of the good things Morgan has done, but I think she'll be one of the Huskies' best players in the near future. Like you, I just wish she'd go for it with the ball in her hands.

I am glad to hear that her stats are better than my impressions.
Last game, when she put up her one shot from the outside, I immediately said, ( out loud ) " no way." And she missed. So I generalized a bit. I tend to agree that she will be a good one. Geno obviously sees something there. I hope for the same from ALLI , although she seems much further away from being a real contributor ( ie in big moments of big games. ). She did score 17 in her " homecoming game," but it was against a weak team in garbage time when no one guarded her. Mostly, she gets off one shot per game, maybe. Not really much for such a highly rated guard, coming out of HS.

 

[packwrap]

I'm not sure who, exactly, ICE is competing with for minutes. She seems not a candidate for replacing Jana in the post, but more giving a breather to Sarah at power forward.

It takes some careful tracking to follow this, but in current 'big' line up Jana and Ice have been at center with Sarah at power forward.

In the small line up, Sarah moves to center, and Morgan and Aubrey (and newly even Azzi) have been at forward.

And yes that means Ice has been playing center rather than her favored forward spot to help team. I'm surprised we have yet to see the 'biggest' line up with Ice at 4 and Sarah at 5 yet in a Big East game; perhaps next year.

I don't think anyone except Allie and Q are out of the Ncaa rotation yet. Tenn and SC will show how Geno feels now about big vs small options. He may still keep tinkering with both all the way into first weekend of ncaa. Geno seems to really be hoping that Jana or Ice makes a big breakthrough at 5. Still 2 months til elite 8.

 

[Stagnant]

For Morgan, I just think it is hard to shoot the ball when Sarah, Azzi, and Paige are on the floor.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I'm not sure who, exactly, ICE is competing with for minutes. She seems not a candidate for replacing Jana in the post, but more giving a breather to Sarah at power forward. And Morgan is an anomaly as well. Sort of a wing in stature, but with guard ball handing skills. Not big enough to play power forward. Ans ( so far ) not the deadly shooter that lies dormant within ALLI.

If you think Jana has more immediate potential than Ice does in the post then with all due respect I have to say you’re out of your mind. She is a much better passer either kicking it back out or from the top of the key to Sarah or to a cutter, she is much tougher to move out of the way, she is a much better shooter, and never goes 0-6 missing chippies. Jana will learn more as the season goes on but not at the expense of the whole team. Ice, Sarah, Paige, Azzi, and Ash or KK, is Geno’s best option right now, with Kaitlyn and Jana being first off the bench. There is not a defense out there that can match up with that offense.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

For Morgan, I just think it is hard to shoot the ball when Sarah, Azzi, and Paige are on the floor.

Actually, it might in fact be easier for Morgan to shoot with those three on the floor, the second one of Paige, Azzi or Sarah gets the ball near the basket, Morgan should be wide open.