UCONN "playing time" for Big East Tournament?

[Zarathustra]

Granted Geno has various "floor teams" for different opponents and situations,
what are your Playing Times for the starting rotation and extended bench for
Saturday's game vs BUTLER (5-13) or St. John's (5 -13), seeded # 9 and # 8.
Let the total add up to 200 minutes... explanations optional.
1. KK 20 and Kaitlyn 20
2. Azzi 25 3. Paige 25 4. Sarah 25
5. Jana 15 with "THE ICE OF MARCH" getting 20!!!
6. Audrey 15
7. Ash 20
8. Carol 10
ALLIE and Q: sharing 5 minutes
THE BIG QUESTIONS FOR ME are minutes for ICE and floor time for our "small lineup"
(Thinking of Sarah as # 5 and understanding this is positionless basketball).
SUNDAY's Second round is either Villanova or Marquette... I'm guessing GOLDEN EAGLES!

 

[Bone Dog]

In round numbers:
Paige Sarah Azzi -- 30 mins each = 90
Kaitlyn KK Ash -- 18 mins each = 54
Jana Ice -- 18 mins each = 36
Aubrey -- 20 mins

If the game isn't at all close, then Jana Ice and Aubrey will see less court time to make room for the end of the bench.

 

[oldhusky]

I think it is significantly different for each game. In the first game the big 3, Paige, Sarah and Azzi should take a seat for the rest of the game as soon as the outcome is decided. Hopefully they wouldn't be needed at all in the 4th quarter.The second game the same thing as a strategy, but expecting the game to be closer and needing to play the stars a little more but still hopefully less than their usual.

Then play your stars as much as needed in the championship game, with the distinct possibility the other team's stars are more tired because their coach needed to play them heavy minutes in the first two of three straight game days. Having one or two blowouts is actually a very big advantage in a conference tournament, and the seeding makes it pretty likely for the top team. It is usually the only time during the season teams play back to back, much less three in a row, so managing minutes is far more important.

In essence, you assume a blowout in the first, an easy win in the second, and as soon as a win in those games is secure you manage minutes to give you the best chance in game three with no rest.

 

[Huskee11]

No one will play more than 24 minutes in the first game except KK, since Geno needs someone to run the offense in the fourth quarter. And she will be under 30. Everyone will play at least 10.

Also style of play - we will full court press in the first half to get the rust off and build up a big lead. We are playing a lesser opponent who will have played the day before, tired legs, and will not have time to get ready for it.

Most recent meetings halftime scores: 45-20 (St. John's), 42-17 (Butler).

Then in the second half, it will be half court defense, probably some zone, walk it up, run the offense, and use the clock.

 

[Zarathustra]

I think it is significantly different for each game. In the first game the big 3, Paige, Sarah and Azzi should take a seat for the rest of the game as soon as the outcome is decided. Hopefully they wouldn't be needed at all in the 4th quarter.The second game the same thing as a strategy, but expecting the game to be closer and needing to play the stars a little more but still hopefully less than their usual.

Then play your stars as much as needed in the championship game, with the distinct possibility the other team's stars are more tired because their coach needed to play them heavy minutes in the first two of three straight game days. Having one or two blowouts is actually a very big advantage in a conference tournament, and the seeding makes it pretty likely for the top team. It is usually the only time during the season teams play back to back, much less three in a row, so managing minutes is far more important.

In essence, you assume a blowout in the first, an easy win in the second, and as soon as a win in those games is secure you manage minutes to give you the best chance in game three with no rest.

I am interested in watching to see how GENO divides his players minutes in
the context of which players develop the final "level of trust" prior to
the second week of the NCAA tournament. The Big East playing time
is thus, for me, a start, of GENO'S determining his "core" rotation(s).

 

[Zarathustra]

No one will play more than 24 minutes in the first game except KK, since Geno needs someone to run the offense in the fourth quarter. And she will be under 30. Everyone will play at least 10.

Also style of play - we will full court press in the first half to get the rust off and build up a big lead. We are playing a lesser opponent who will have played the day before, tired legs, and will not have time to get ready for it.

Most recent meetings halftime scores: 45-20 (St. John's), 42-17 (Butler).

Then in the second half, it will be half court defense, probably some zone, walk it up, run the offense, and use the clock.

I would like to see ICE repeating her BIG EAST success of last year. (And getting
extra playing time). Will Aubrey be getting more Playing time as the games
move forward? or is her "6th player" minutes already baked in? Is Carol to get more playing time for the NCAAs or is this
just providing her with some "active/real" action prior to her summer and
fall scheme of becoming the Carol we saw in the freshman year??

 

[Bone Dog]

I expect UConn will be one of the few teams playing a 9-deep rotation in either tournament. This is where we are now.

 

[Bigboote]

No one will play more than 24 minutes in the first game except KK, since Geno needs someone to run the offense in the fourth quarter. And she will be under 30. Everyone will play at least 10.

Also style of play - we will full court press in the first half to get the rust off and build up a big lead. We are playing a lesser opponent who will have played the day before, tired legs, and will not have time to get ready for it.

Most recent meetings halftime scores: 45-20 (St. John's), 42-17 (Butler).

Then in the second half, it will be half court defense, probably some zone, walk it up, run the offense, and use the clock.

Agree. I’ll add that I’d like to see more than 20 minutes for Jana and as many minutes as Ice is able to play, thinking they may need to play more against some opponents in the Dance.

 

[oldhusky]

I expect UConn will be one of the few teams playing a 9-deep rotation in either tournament. This is where we are now.

Yes, I think the rotation of 9 is pretty well set. they are all pretty much in. Morgan was a maybe before her injury, in that category of being in the rotation for most games, but maybe not the big ones. The only player that could change the rotation now is Carol, and I think that is unlikely at the moment unless another injury happens.

One reason Geno is reluctant sometimes to go bigger on a rotation is the familiarity a smaller group has with each other, that gets upset somewhat introducing someone new. As we have played small ball quite a bit this year, but with a regular group, our turnovers have been quite low, and luckily bringing Aubrey back into the rotation mid-season has been a fairly smooth transition due to her experience.

As you say, this is where we are now.

 

[oldude]

Agree with others that UConn’s “prime time” rotation is set at 9. Geno is very comfortable with those 9 players on the court in various combinations. In addition, pretty much every combination of those 9 players is working together beautifully.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

There has been some comment about Aubrey starting, but Geno thinks she's more valuable coming off the bench as a pace changer!

 

[HopJim]

There has been some comment about Aubrey starting, but Geno thinks she's more valuable coming off the bench as a pace changer!

Suspect Jana will get less and less time as the tournament progresses. Once we get into the NCAA's, we need to be full speed from the opening tip and Jana's limitations will be magnified. Aubrey gives Huskies more of everything - rebounding, speed, defense and surprisingly, offense.

 

[oldude]

Suspect Jana will get less and less time as the tournament progresses. Once we get into the NCAA's, we need to be full speed from the opening tip and Jana's limitations will be magnified. Aubrey gives Huskies more of everything - rebounding, speed, defense and surprisingly, offense.

I think that the PT for Jana, Ice & Aubrey during the Big Dance will largely depend on how each game plays out. For instance, if UConn matches up with UCLA or TX, I would anticipate relatively more PT for Jana in order to match up with the opposing Bigs. If we run into a smaller, more athletic team, Aubrey & Ice might see more time.

The really good thing for UConn is that we have 3 healthy, viable options to play the post individually or in combinations. In fact, we actually have 4 options as the Huskies can go small with Sarah in the post.

 

[Rowdy831]

If the rotation stays the same for all games from here until they finish the season then your numbers are most likely going to be really close. To me though if they are going to shrink the bench then they need to start in the BE tournament so all the players are properly condidtioned for longer stints in the games.

With that said I think the teams in the Big East really won't be a challenge in any way shape or form. Geno isn't going to run up the score since that would only hurt the league in the eyes of the selection committee. So I expect him to do the same thing he has been with maybe the only change being Aubrey starting in place of Jana since that group can get the Huskies out to a quick start.

 

[Bone Dog]

I don't expect Geno to shrink the rotation more than it is right now: 9 deep. He seems to like the variations this group makes possible.

 

[Dugway]

I expect that the play time during the upcoming Big East Tournament will pretty much be the same as it was last Sunday. This includes the few minutes that Allie, and Q, and Carolyn played. Perhaps if we get to Creighton, a little less of Q, Allie, and Carolyn. First round of the NCAA Tourney, 'Ditto' as it will be similar to the B.E. Tourney level of competition. Second game in the NCAA, likely similar to Creighton. From Sweet-16 on, things will change to the 9-player rotation.

First Quarter and Third Quarter in particular, Geno seems to like the quick, up-tempo, force turnovers with aggressive defense and run that out in the transition, type of game. That high tempo defense is fatiguing, both for UConn and the opponent. The UConn player who fatigues the quickest is Jana. She is the biggest so, no wonder that she would fatigue first. I believe he is going to continue with what he has been doing and start Jana, but she will be the first sub'd out. Historically it has been Jana and Kaitlyn out, KK and Ashlynn in. That is the first shift change he has made in the past, and it will continue.

Even with tired legs on Sarah, Azzi and Paige, bringing the two sophomores in like that, it immediately brings back the up-tempo, very aggressive defense. I think Geno loves that! Three to four minutes later, he sub's in Aubrey and Ice for the tired legs of Azzi and Sarah. Again, this generates another immediate boost of energy to push the very high-pressured, aggressive defense and the transition plays.

Somewhere along the line, perhaps just the last 90 seconds of the First Quarter, Paige gets a rest. Elsewise she is playing pretty much the entire first half.

Second Quarter and Fourth Quarter's seem to be a little different, where Geno does not want to completely kill the player's legs. In addition to multiple substitutions, constantly in and out for shorter playtime durations, the team as a whole doesn't seem to press as much on defense. Have you noticed that Jana really doesn't seem to get much playtime in the 2nd? I honestly think it is twofold. One, she often has a couple fouls already. And, Two, she doesn't seem have the spring in her legs at that point to run with the rest of the team. Being tired, she also turns the ball over more. I envision seeing more of Ice, and Aubrey during that portion of the game and even less of Jana. Coming out of halftime, he goes back to his game starters and attempts to duplicate the first few minutes of the game with up-tempo, very aggressive defense. Pressure, pressure, pressure, ... then rinse and repeat on the substitutions.

Hopefully by the 4th, we have the option to play the 'prevent' just like in football!

 

[ERWUC65]

The outlier here is the SC game where Jana and Azzi were at their best. Haven't really seen that since so you kind of wonder what was the special sauce there. Since then the team has added Aubrey and a rejuvenized Ice. The latter 2 seem better when the team is playing at speed whereas Jana might be the right choice when we play one of the top teams with a true BIG. I guess it is wishful thinking that we might play one of those type teams early in the dance to give our post type half court offense a true test. Here is where the makeup of the BE falls short in competition.