UConn stats... Are there enough minutes for everyone to play? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

UConn stats... Are there enough minutes for everyone to play?

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For most non-starters there is never enough minutes...a few coming off the bench get some good minutes, especially like Aubrey, before she was injured. Next year has lots of experience and talent, so if they stay healthy Geno will have lots of fresh players on the floor if he choose to do so.
 

CL82

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Maybe, but I think there are two very different ways of looking at where Paige should be used. One is what is her best position, but regardless of if that is the 1 or the 2, I think the more relevant question is where is she most needed.
I agree agree with your point, but originally a poster said why would someone start Paige at the point? One answer is it gets the most shooters on the floor at the same time. Another is that she's the best point guard on the team.

But if we're not talking about that specific question and instead are talking about roster construction, particularly for this year's team her flexibility allows her to fill multiple roles on the team. Last year's team, and in all probability on next year's team, putting her at her best natural position would have left a gap elsewhere.
Personally if you asked me her best positions I would rank them 2,1,3 and then 4.
Oh, I think her best position is point guard by a wide margin. She sees things that other people don't see and this is the perfect person to be setting the offense. She is an amazing passer and can get the ball places others cannot. Plus, the fact that she is a scoring threat means that people have to cover her out to the arc and respect her ability to dribble drive to the basket. Often, she's going to draw double and that creates an open pass. I would suspect that she will probably end up a point guard in the WNBA.

I would rank her natural positions as 1,3,2. Although she would be a very good shooting guard her size and basketball IQ makes her a very effective small forward stretching opponents defense.

She's not a power forward, at all. The fact that she was able to play that position successfully for us just speaks to her versatility.
 
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So what does the summer look like for the team. I was randomly thinking about this on the train to work today, as I remembered Geno said he can't wait to work with the incoming freshman June 1st


So who will actually be on the court hooping in June. This is a complete guess.

KK
PB
AS
QS
Ice
MC
AZ
SS

Without any inside knowledge I'd think those are definites.

Potentially Back?!
Jana
AP

Definitely out

Aubrey
Azzi

Complete unknown
CD
 
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to the posters point minutes will sort itself out. It’s not CYO basketball. Competition will determine who plays. the others need to accept their roles or move on. Sorry that’s life.
 
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UCONN has won 11 championshiops and been to many more Final Fours. Why emulate South Carolina? WHy should UCONN emualte a program that has not been as successful as UCONN?

In addition, UCONN's strength has been been getting superstar guards/wings South CArolina's top player's the past few years has been posts. Posts - big posts - tend to need more rest. Guards don't.
It’s not about emulating SC or anyone else! Whatever Geno ends up doing, and I think given the incredible roster he has available, no one really has any idea what he‘ll do, it will be whatever he sees as the best path to #12! I think most are assuming that he will continue/revert to his perceived default which is to determine the top 7 players and ride them as far as they can go. However, I think this roster is so full of talent and redundancy (except for Jana) and that Geno himself is such a different man/coach than he was four or five years ago, that it would not surprise me in the least to see him actually live up to his oft stated commitment to play as many players as can force their way onto the court!

That, in any case, is what I am hoping for, anyway! I would love to see him play 10-12 players on a regular basis! Will that happen? I don’t know, but if I were on this roster, I’d be working my *** off this summer so I could hopefully “force” him to give me minutes next season! It gives me goosebumps to think about the potential of this team if everyone can simply have a fully healthy year!
 
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Oh yeah, absolutely. We just don’t know who’s in the OOC yet. I’d assume NC State and Texas. Maybe even USC? The main thing he needs to do is get Jana and Sarah comfortable in the rotation since they’ll be playing a lot most likely.

His pace changer this year was stuck on the bench with an ACL. Aubrey is the ultimate pace changer.
True dat, but I’m hoping we will begin to see Q moving into that role next season and thus giving Geno two game changers to work with!
 

EricLA

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With the lineup for 2024-25 pretty much set, are there enough minutes to play all the talent?
Yes. Without a doubt. I hope Geno continues to play freshmen. This year 2 started and the 2 reserves off the bench were freshmen, but that was because there was no one else.

Next year hopefully it will be much different with many more talented bodies. But still, I hope he gives less minutes to the starters and more to the reserves than he usually does.
 
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So what does the summer look like for the team. I was randomly thinking about this on the train to work today, as I remembered Geno said he can't wait to work with the incoming freshman June 1st


So who will actually be on the court hooping in June. This is a complete guess.

KK
PB
AS
QS
Ice
MC
AZ
SS

Without any inside knowledge I'd think those are definites.

Potentially Back?!
Jana
AP

Definitely out

Aubrey
Azzi

Complete unknown
CD
My guess is all 8 of yours in the first category with a few additions to the "definites". I would add Jana because she was seen practicing with the team in warmups before games, and it's been about a year since her injury by June. Azzi is also a maybe as I believe she must have been cleared for basketball activity if she was at Kelsey's DAWG class, and I think she was participating in warmups at one point? I'm also adding Chen since I think you forgot her, lol.

Aubrey is definite no, she's not fully clear until roughly 4-6 months after the surgery according to the web, so possibly July-August if she got the surgery in early February.

Ducharme should just become a permanent cheerleader. She shouldn't risk her head anymore. One more hit and she could cause some serious brain damage. It's not worth it IMO, as good of a player as she is.
 
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My guess is all 8 of yours in the first category with a few additions to the "definites". I would add Jana because she was seen practicing with the team in warmups before games, and it's been about a year since her injury by June. Azzi is also a maybe as I believe she must have been cleared for basketball activity if she was at Kelsey's DAWG class, and I think she was participating in warmups at one point? I'm also adding Chen since I think you forgot her, lol.
Yup, plus I sure hope there's a full 10 available for practices. Also totally agree about Q -- she needs to move into Aubrey's role this season. She's got the speed and the long arms, and the perimeter shooting is a huge plus. She just needs to ratchet up her defensive intensity and it will all come together for her. She's the sophomore I most want to see on the floor next season, and Jana is the freshman. So much curiosity about how they'll do.
 

MSGRET

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why does this post remind me of a complicated algebra problem which was the worst subject...thx for the flashback and painful reminder...lol...Since Paige has a 3.64 GPA I'm sure she'll figure it out for Geno as a condition for her returning another year..lol
I thought it was a 3.94 GPA or was that just for this year?
 
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It’s not about emulating SC or anyone else! Whatever Geno ends up doing, and I think given the incredible roster he has available, no one really has any idea what he‘ll do, it will be whatever he sees as the best path to #12! I think most are assuming that he will continue/revert to his perceived default which is to determine the top 7 players and ride them as far as they can go. However, I think this roster is so full of talent and redundancy (except for Jana) and that Geno himself is such a different man/coach than he was four or five years ago, that it would not surprise me in the least to see him actually live up to his oft stated commitment to play as many players as can force their way onto the court!

That, in any case, is what I am hoping for, anyway! I would love to see him play 10-12 players on a regular basis! Will that happen? I don’t know, but if I were on this roster, I’d be working my *** off this summer so I could hopefully “force” him to give me minutes next season! It gives me goosebumps to think about the potential of this team if everyone can simply have a fully healthy year!
IMO Geno is a slave to circumstance. Which I believe is that the players determine how separated they are between starter and the bench player. For example, any big game that is tight - Paige should automatically receive at least 35+ minutes. Her separation between her sub and her level warrants at least 35 minutes. She is too explosive / too great to be pulled for 5 minutes or more.

Potentially I can see 3 other players that can possibly fall into this bucket if they are at a projected/or hyped peak. Azzi, Sarah and Jana.

In her soph year Azzi matched Clark and just earlier she smoked Vic Schaefer's Defense when he claimed no player torched his team's in such a long time in the manner Azzi did. If she is at that prime level and fully healthy, I see no reason to not give her 35 minutes. When you match Clark and you torch Vic at a level he has rarely ever been torched at, you don't have that player sit on the bench for more than 5 minutes (once health and stamina reached.).

As for Sarah and Jana-- we saw how well Juju, Hidalgo, and Booker did as a frosh. And we heard Geno speak of Jana say she would have been the #1 recruit if she was in USA. So, it is possible that either of the 2 or both have a huge impact. If both are healthy (and stamina is reached), and we're getting super elite recruits, none can produce at a high level their frosh year at UCONN but other teams can? OFC there is a good possibility one or both can. And if that were the case- player's with this type if explosion . though they are "bigs, will probably play between halfway between 30-35 minutes. (Not saying both will but one should be at least very, very, very good.).

UCONN gets #1 recruits. You're not getting potential super potential recruits just so you can have them share time. You want them to dominate. The more explosive they show to be, the more minutes you want to award them in big games due to this "any moment potential explosion" they have the ability to produce. If UCONN has just 3 of teh 4 just mentioned as "terrific" then in big games, then there won’t be a 10 player bench in tight games.
 
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We can only hope that Coach Auriemma spreads the minutes around this season. But a lot will depend on the health of players, trust being players and coaching staff, confidence between players and coaching staff, and teams that we face.
 
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I hope for a deep rotation too, but mainly because I’m greedy. I want to see Azzi play two more years, Caroline too. If it’s the Paige and Azzi show this year, and Paige turns pro, what happens the following season? I want the Azzi and Caroline show and that may mean not wearing them out this season. Let it be their team to carry for one season.

And the two seasons after that? Will we have the Jana and Sarah show? That would be something. I suspect all this only happens if Geno runs a deep rotation. He has enough talent for another dynasty, an efflorescence of awesomeness at the end of his career. As Dawn has seen too, in this era a superteam has to play its youngsters alongside its veterans, just to hang on to them. What’s more, you can’t play 9 deep in April if you weren’t playing 12 or more in January.
 
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I hope for a deep rotation too, but mainly because I’m greedy. I want to see Azzi play two more years, Caroline too. If it’s the Paige and Azzi show this year, and Paige turns pro, what happens the following season? I want the Azzi and Caroline show and that may mean not wearing them out this season. Let it be their team to carry for one season.

And the two seasons after that? Will we have the Jana and Sarah show? That would be something. I suspect all this only happens if Geno runs a deep rotation. He has enough talent for another dynasty, an efflorescence of awesomeness at the end of his career. As Dawn has seen too, in this era a superteam has to play its youngsters alongside its veterans, just to hang on to them. What’s more, you can’t play 9 deep in April if you weren’t playing 12 or more in January.
Well said.
 
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As Dawn has seen too, in this era a superteam has to play its youngsters alongside its veterans, just to hang on to them. What’s more, you can’t play 9 deep in April if you weren’t playing 12 or more in January.
UCONN should not try to emulate SOuth Carolina. UCONN has won 14 championships and been to a ridiculous number of final fours.

Secondly, UCONN should not be concerned about who stays and who goes. UCONN should be concerned about winning as much as you can. ALL the players came to UCONN to compete for championships. They understood minutes won't be granted just so Gneo can hold on to them for a future date. For example, UCONN "owes Paige (and all the team)" their best lineup to win a title now. Not play other players because of concern they might leave.
 
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UCONN should not try to emulate SOuth Carolina. UCONN has won 14 championships and been to a ridiculous number of final fours.
It's not about emulating anyone -- this meme is overdone. It's about building a dynasty and keeping it. Last season, Geno would have done the same thing as Dawn. Maybe she's imitating what she knows he would have done.

Also, the fans may "owe" Paige lots of joy for what she's brought, but the team and the school do not owe her, nor would she ever talk that way.
 
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It's not about emulating anyone -- this meme is overdone. It's about building a dynasty and keeping it. Last season, Geno would have done the same thing as Dawn. Maybe she's imitating what she knows he would have done.

Also, the fans may "owe" Paige lots of joy for what she's brought, but the team and the school do not owe her, nor would she ever talk that way.
No way Geno with his team would have played a deep bench if his stars were healthy in tight games. She did her style because many of her players are about the same other that Cardoso. If Geno had a healthy lineup he would have had 3 all-Americans (Azzi included.). And as we saw he had no problem not giving Ice and even Amari many minutes (i.e. not working his low post bench) because he values "play your best."

While Paige would never say anything publicly-- but this is the player that said to Geno once "You owe me minutes." And she is just as competitive as Geno. No way she would be happy knowing that her coach pulled her when he didn't have to other than very few minutes. No way the top recruits that come to UCONN don't recognize that Geno is going to play them rather than share minutes.

As stated before - South Carolina was very fortunate these past three years without their number 1 rival being healthy. All the while we saw UCONN go to FF and seconds away from finals with a core of 6/7 players with 4 freshmen. The bench points of view are overdone. That's whiy the 14 titles matter. It’s why all the Final Fours matter. In part its why number 1 recruits continue to come to UCONN as well. They know Geno is gonna give them “minutes.”
 
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While Paige would never say anything publicly-- but this is the player that said to Geno once "You owe me minutes."
I share most of your sentiments. But not this one. That quote is not a public statement of Paige’s, nor does it express any serious sentiment of hers. It’s a humorous attribution to her. I don’t know where you got this one from, but Geno has jokingly said she’s said stuff like this, for example after her first game back after her sophomore knee injury. Around the same time he also laughingly said in a presser “Of course Paige will have to compete for playing time when she comes back.” None of that was meant seriously.

In the second point, yes Geno has tended to play a shorter rotation in March. But a few of us have speculated that Geno’s style maybe ready to evolve. It’s just idle speculation, and doesn’t require to be refuted. Similarly, every year half the BY dreams of deep rotations and constant full court pressing defenses. None of this is realistic and none of it requires refuting.

But if you’re in the mood for refuting something, here’s my serious prediction for next season’s rotations
  • November 10
  • December 12
  • January 12
  • February 11
  • March 10
  • April 9
This would be a departure from the past few years, but not an extreme change.
 
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I share most of your sentiments. But not this one. That quote is not a public statement of Paige’s, nor does it express any serious sentiment of hers. It’s a humorous attribution to her. I don’t know where you got this one from, but Geno has jokingly said she’s said stuff like this, for example after her first game back after her sophomore knee injury. Around the same time he also laughingly said in a presser “Of course Paige will have to compete for playing time when she comes back.” None of that was meant seriously.

In the second point, yes Geno has tended to play a shorter rotation in March. But a few of us have speculated that Geno’s style maybe ready to evolve. It’s just idle speculation, and doesn’t require to be refuted. Similarly, every year half the BY dreams of deep rotations and constant full court pressing defenses. None of this is realistic and none of it requires refuting.

But if you’re in the mood for refuting something, here’s my serious prediction for next season’s rotations
  • November 10
  • December 12
  • January 12
  • February 11
  • March 10
  • April 9
This would be a departure from the past few years, but not an extreme change.
1-- Don’t agree with your interpretation of what Paige said l. In a way it's a joke what Paige said but in another way it highlights that the stars track their minutes and want to play. She is jokingly reminding her coach. And Paige said this in her frosh year March 17th. There are reasons why players transfer and a lot has to do with minutes. There is no way a healthy guard that is fit and the #1 recruit is not going to be happy for not playing big minutes in a big game in her upper class year when she is among the league’s best. The link to google that shows the CT Post article - anyone can click on it if they want. While Geno’s job isn’t to make everyone happy, he will coach the manner he sees fit and the short bench with superstars has been his success. Maybe if he got a team with no CBB A/A’s he would do different.

2-- I’m not too sure the speculation doesn’t require "refuting." Because Geno gets blamed on here for losses or potential losses for not playing his bench or there are frustrations with him that even spill over to recruiting too. The point is though it's not "evolving" when you sit your superstars for more than a few minutes (if you are fit guard/wing) in a tight game. Superstars control the game. They're teh big dog that you ride.
 
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1-- Don’t agree with your interpretation of what Paige said l. In a way it's a joke what Paige said but in another way it highlights that the stars track their minutes and want to play. She is jokingly reminding her coach. And Paige said this in her frosh year March 17th. There are reasons why players transfer and a lot has to do with minutes. There is no way a healthy guard that is fit and the #1 recruit is not going to be happy for not playing big minutes in a big game in her upper class year when she is among the league’s best. The link to google that shows the CT Post article - anyone can click on it if they want. While Geno’s job isn’t to make everyone happy, he will coach the manner he sees fit and the short bench with superstars has been his success. Maybe if he got a team with no CBB A/A’s he would do different.

2-- I’m not too sure the speculation doesn’t require "refuting." Because Geno gets blamed on here for losses or potential losses for not playing his bench or there are frustrations with him that even spill over to recruiting too. The point is though it's not "evolving" when you sit your superstars for more than a few minutes (if you are fit guard/wing) in a tight game. Superstars control the game. They're teh big dog that you ride.
As Pepe le Pew would say, "Le sigh."
 
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When all are healthy, which may be the middle of the season, IMHO the starting players will be:
PG Kaitlyn Chen
SG Azzi Fudd
W Paige Bueckers
PF Sarah Strong
C Jana El Alfy
Subs off the bench:
PG KK Arnold
SG Ashlyn Shade
SF/PF Aubrey Griffin
C Ice Brady
PF Ayanna Patterson
W Quadence Samuels
W/SG Morgan Chili
SG/W Allie Ziebel
And depending on her physical condition will be Caroline Ducharme at W/SF. She is the wild-card! If she is truly healthy she'll move up the list for more PT!
I gave them positions but once they're moving it becomes a positionless lineup! Taking what our opponents give them!
Geno will also rotate his lineups as they match up with their opponents!
 
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When all are healthy, which may be the middle of the season, IMHO the starting players will be:
PG Kaitlyn Chen
SG Azzi Fudd
W Paige Bueckers
PF Sarah Strong
C Jana El Alfy
Subs off the bench:
PG KK Arnold
SG Ashlyn Shade
SF/PF Aubrey Griffin
C Ice Brady
PF Ayanna Patterson
W Quadence Samuels
W/SG Morgan Chili
SG/W Allie Ziebel
And depending on her physical condition will be Caroline Ducharme at W/SF. She is the wild-card! If she is truly healthy she'll move up the list for more PT!
I gave them positions but once they're moving it becomes a positionless lineup! Taking what our opponents give them!
Geno will also rotate his lineups as they match up with their opponents!
PG Kaitlyn Chen
SG Azzi Fudd
W Paige Bueckers
PF Sarah Strong
C Jana El Alfy
I really don't see Geno starting the season with this lineup of two untested bigs. I think Ice will have one of those spots because she has a full season in actual playing time in "the system." I could see one of those two freshmen starting and the other coming off the bench. You could be correct by mid-season.

Kaitlyn Chen starting? That will be interesting. I know she comes from a similar system and she's a solid shooter. However. I like KK's speed and she may be needed against teams with very quick pgs. KK also has "a full season in actual playing time in 'the system.'" Does one season at UConn equal three seasons at an Ivy?

But PT under Geno is earned in practice. It would be fun to watch those practices and the competition between those 5 (and others)
 
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PG Kaitlyn Chen
SG Azzi Fudd
W Paige Bueckers
PF Sarah Strong
C Jana El Alfy
I really don't see Geno starting the season with this lineup of two untested bigs. I think Ice will have one of those spots because she has a full season in actual playing time in "the system." I could see one of those two freshmen starting and the other coming off the bench. You could be correct by mid-season.

Kaitlyn Chen starting? That will be interesting. I know she comes from a similar system and she's a solid shooter. However. I like KK's speed and she may be needed against teams with very quick pgs. KK also has "a full season in actual playing time in 'the system.'" Does one season at UConn equal three seasons at an Ivy?

But PT under Geno is earned in practice. It would be fun to watch those practices and the competition between those 5 (and others)
visitingcock- - In my first sentence I said,
"When all are healthy, which may be the middle of the season, IMHO the starting players will be:"
I don't think this will be the STARTING LINEUP in November!
I agree that Geno will start the girls with the most experience in his system! But by the end of January, for example, my prediction could be the starting lineup!
 

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