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Message: [QUOTE="Big Mick, post: 4825948, member: 7201"] There are several ways to go about building a team given that you have 10 or 12 or 15 players for 5 months, beginning in November. Lets look at two: A. Give every player on the roster a somewhat equal number of minutes per game; then minimize having your 5 least skilled players on the floor at the same time. B. Establish the teams baseline performance level with your 5 best players. Then add players to the mix based on how the baseline performance is affected. Using method A - we can speculate as to what the teams performance level might be, come March. Possible a good team; but, probably not an optimum performance team. Using method B - build your teams baseline performance with your 5 best players. Then add a 6th without the team baseline being adversely affected. Then, add a 7th and an 8th. When the level of play falls apart on the floor, replace that 6th, 7th or 8th so that the team can get back to baseline. The task is to build a cohesive team from the 10 players on the roster. At UConn, we can see this play out right now and in this way: In Phase 1 - the baseline 5 were: Bueckers, Edwards, Mühl, Arnold and Griffin. Few would disagree with this five. In Phase 2 - Shade was added to the mix to great effect and so there are now 6 in that baseline group. Starting Shade over Griffin is for balance and an expected energy lift from the bench. In Phase 3 (which is where we are now) Brady is the current focus and she is progressing rather nicely, with the baseline group heading toward 7. In Phase 4 - Samuels is up next and she is going to be number 8 in the group. Phase 5 - Bettencourt, followed by DeBerry, will continue to get mop-up minutes at the end of games. Their minutes will increase once the group of 8 are fully bedded in. It's been a joy to watch the evolution of Geno's teams over the years. In prior years there was a returning nucleus where the starting phase would be somewhere between Phase 2 and 3 from above. This year the starting Phase has been totally affected by injuries to 4 players that were expected to be in the initial baseline group. Now with 4 Frosh, Geno has had to step way back and begin to build a team somewhat along the lines as described above. It's going to be a fun team to watch. Sooo, buckle up and enjoy the ride. [/QUOTE]

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