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Maybe I'm trespassing on @Tonyc's turf here, but I've been thinking about KK and Kayleigh lately. The lesson I think I learned last season was that ensuring we have enough PGs is more important than making sure we have enough post players. Both are important, of course. But the howling that summer when so many folks were hoping to land Beers only to have Geno announce Kaitlyn's arrival really stuck with me. And this season, with the arrival of Kayleigh, who has been criticized more than necessary, also has me thinking about this same thing.
Kayleigh is really important and will only become more important as the season progresses. She may not have perfected her play within the system Geno wants. But she's making the same sort of progress Kaitlyn did on her way to becoming instrumental to last season's NC. I don't mean Kayleigh will knock KK from the starting lineup this year, or even next year. I mean that she will allow wall-to-wall defensive energy from the PG position, just as Kaitlyn and KK did last season.
The telling moment for me was the Providence game right after KK's injury. Geno didn't move Kayleigh into the starting lineup (as I had expected) but started Allie instead. This was not because he thinks Allie is a better PG, though she is surprisingly competent, if perhaps not as quick-footed as one might like to see in a PG. I think it was because he didn't want to disturb his rotation patterns. Others have suggested this too. He likes the rotation pattern he has got in place now and wants to give it as much time as possible to gel into perfection. He also must have known KK wouldn't be out for long. If that were to happen, and KK had to miss several games, we might see Kayleigh start. But as things are, Kayleigh seems locked in as the second PG, the one who comes in midway through the 1st and 3rd quarters to spell KK, plays next to her in stretches, and who mainly runs the offense in the 4th quarter when the game isn't close. In close games, KK comes back in the 4th.
Looking ahead to next season, I expect we will see a similar pattern, assuming Ash continues in the starting lineup, something I suspect is likely. When Azzi moves on to the W along with Serah, I think the starting lineup will be something like
This seems to reflect a natural roster progression: 2 proven seniors, two proven juniors and an electrifying sophomore in the starting lineup, and two proven juniors and a promising freshman off the bench. Though it will leave Geno with a larger lineup (6'5" 6'2" 6'2") than he's used in the past few years. Is he still comfortable with such a tall lineup? In Aaliyah's first 3 seasons, he regularly went with Olivia or Dorka next to Aaliyah and there was rarely a game in which he didn't have 6'5" 6'3" on the floor most of the time. This season, we rarely see lineups that tall on the floor.
I only mention this because the availability of tall post players may have an impact on his game-planning. The small lineups he favored last season and seems to be leaning on this season would give Kayleigh more opportunities. But if he goes with larger lineups, I suspect he'd lean toward a more straightforward platoon of KK and Kayleigh at PG. And if Morgan can return to form next fall, that means he can put several versions of a tall lineup on the floor with plenty of ball handlers.
Looking now to the following season, I'd expect Kayleigh to be the starting PG next to Allie, with Kelis and Jovana coming off the bench. This means Kayleigh has this season and next to get ready to take over the show in her senior season. Her post players that season would be Sarah Blanca Morgan Olivia and Gandy. That could be an exciting roster even without any other surprise additions.
Kayleigh is really important and will only become more important as the season progresses. She may not have perfected her play within the system Geno wants. But she's making the same sort of progress Kaitlyn did on her way to becoming instrumental to last season's NC. I don't mean Kayleigh will knock KK from the starting lineup this year, or even next year. I mean that she will allow wall-to-wall defensive energy from the PG position, just as Kaitlyn and KK did last season.
The telling moment for me was the Providence game right after KK's injury. Geno didn't move Kayleigh into the starting lineup (as I had expected) but started Allie instead. This was not because he thinks Allie is a better PG, though she is surprisingly competent, if perhaps not as quick-footed as one might like to see in a PG. I think it was because he didn't want to disturb his rotation patterns. Others have suggested this too. He likes the rotation pattern he has got in place now and wants to give it as much time as possible to gel into perfection. He also must have known KK wouldn't be out for long. If that were to happen, and KK had to miss several games, we might see Kayleigh start. But as things are, Kayleigh seems locked in as the second PG, the one who comes in midway through the 1st and 3rd quarters to spell KK, plays next to her in stretches, and who mainly runs the offense in the 4th quarter when the game isn't close. In close games, KK comes back in the 4th.
Looking ahead to next season, I expect we will see a similar pattern, assuming Ash continues in the starting lineup, something I suspect is likely. When Azzi moves on to the W along with Serah, I think the starting lineup will be something like
- KK Ash Blanca Sarah and Jana, with Kayleigh Olivia and Allie first off the bench.
I only mention this because the availability of tall post players may have an impact on his game-planning. The small lineups he favored last season and seems to be leaning on this season would give Kayleigh more opportunities. But if he goes with larger lineups, I suspect he'd lean toward a more straightforward platoon of KK and Kayleigh at PG. And if Morgan can return to form next fall, that means he can put several versions of a tall lineup on the floor with plenty of ball handlers.
Looking now to the following season, I'd expect Kayleigh to be the starting PG next to Allie, with Kelis and Jovana coming off the bench. This means Kayleigh has this season and next to get ready to take over the show in her senior season. Her post players that season would be Sarah Blanca Morgan Olivia and Gandy. That could be an exciting roster even without any other surprise additions.
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