UConn stats...Is Caroline Ducharme the answer to 2 big BY questions..? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

UConn stats...Is Caroline Ducharme the answer to 2 big BY questions..?

jazz said:
I'm rooting for Caroline and if she hits the three at a high percentage she very well could see some significant minutes. With that said, I think there are others who can do the same and are quick, faster and better defenders than Caroline. Hence, I think she will not play very much, especially against top ranked teams. I would be very happy to admit I was wrong by season's end however.

Let the fireworks begin....
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I hope you are wrong.
 
Getting back to who will be the "alpha dog" after Paige, I for one chimed in at some earlier posts that it was Azzi's to take in her last year at UConn. But while I am a huge Azzi fan, I can also see that Caroline could very well fill that role. She has more than demonstrated her leadership through motivation, will and desire that other team members definitely have to admire. She has already filled the role that Evina played as the team "mother" and going another step to being the team leader is not far removed. We are fortunate to have two outstanding players and personalities in Azzi and Caroline. Whoever takes on the role, the team will have no better leaders - and fabulous people - to follow.
 
I, for one, when considering who would be the starters, Caroline was not factored into the equation since any knock on the head would make her unavailable as an option for the 3 position. She would be considered the number 1 choice if healthy and playing like she did as a freshman. I was a big fan of her. JJ listed her skills of getting out quickly and her long reach for defending 3pt shooting, rebounding being in the right place at the right time, and spreading the floor with her 3 point shooting. Time will tell if she is OK to play starters minutes.
I would be as others Dazed and confused!!! Go Caroline
 
There is no bigger Caroline fan than me, but with the women's game, particularly in the playoffs becoming very physical, I cringe when I picture her going in for a layup or rebounding. I am not factoring her into the critical success factors UConn needs to win another championship, but as with last year's NCAA win, would be thrilled if the unexpected (to me) happens.
 
Another overriding thought on CD, is that GA really really likes her. So even if I or others see deficiencies in her game, the big man still likes her a lot. Hence, she may get more playing time than I and others think she should.

Similar situation with Morgan, who I like a lot, but think other players (BQ and Yanna) may be better. But, GA really really likes her, hence she may get more time that I think she should.

The common denominator with the above is they both are very good passers and GA places a premium on that and it does make the offense work better and more efficiently. Of course they are both good 3 pt shooters as well.

I think that every player on this team could start for many (not all and maybe not most) other teams.
 
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The word from summer workouts is that competition for PT is intense, and that’s before Morgan gets healthy or Blanca arrives on campus, two players who will compete for the same minutes that Caroline is competing for. Caroline could start. But I see it as an uphill battle.

I absolutely expect her to be one of the leaders of this team and hope she remains healthy and earns regular rotation PT. If that happens, I will be ecstatic.
 
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HopJim said:
There is no bigger Caroline fan than me, but with the women's game, particularly in the playoffs becoming very physical, I cringe when I picture her going in for a layup or rebounding. I am not factoring her into the critical success factors UConn needs to win another championship, but as with last year's NCAA win, would be thrilled if the unexpected (to me) happens.
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Agreed.........if she's the "old" Caroline any minutes she plays will be a big bonus for UConn but knowing that she's one blow to the head away from a season/career-ending injury is concerning....
 
Charliebball said:
... but knowing that she's one blow to the head away from a season/career-ending injury is concerning....
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You don't know that to be the case! It is an assumption on your part, and that does NOT make it a fact. None of us in reality have any real knowledge of Caroline's condition. However, it makes little to no sense to believe she would be allowed to play at all (and that includes practices & scrimmages) if what you claim is true.

Perhaps we are being somewhat deceived? Maybe Caroline isn't actually out there competing for a starting position. Maybe she's just out there staying out of harms way. That her role on the team will be perhaps little more than it was last season. Time will tell.
 
Geno trusts CD and that trust may eclipse a little bit of talent. I don't know if CD starts but she will be in the rotation because Geno trusts her not to do something stupid. Plus, there's plenty of talent in the other 4 positions. Does Geno need CD to score 25 points? No, others can do that.
 
oldude said:
There is another option for the 5th starter and that would be Jana. A frontline of Jana, Serah & Sarah would give UConn the most dominant frontcourt in the nation. Play that group for 5-10 mpg and then bring in next years version of UConn’s small lineup: Sarah at 5 with Azzi, KK, Ash and pick one (Caroline, Morgan or Blanca). :)
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And with that group in the front line you put Azzi at the 2 and Kayleigh at the point. Kayleigh, at least as of that year's end, was a better shooter than KK from the arc. With Azzi, Sarah and Kayleigh the defense can't slough off from the 3 line and double below. Both Serah and Jana (who will be much improved) will have one on one situations under the hoop. Pretty difficult to stop that power and size. Then, after that power line, you got small and press. Very exciting potential configurations. Only 3001 left.
 
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BBallF said:
And with that group in the front line you put Azzi at the 2 and Kayleigh at the point. Kayleigh, at least as of that year's end, was a better shooter than KK from the arc. With Azzi, Sarah and Kayleigh the defense can't slough off from the 3 line and double below. Both Serah and Jana (who will be much improved) will have one on one situations under the hoop. Pretty difficult to stop that power and size. Then, after that power line, you got small and press. Very exciting potential configurations. Only 3001 left.
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One of the themes that will hang over all decisions on starters and PT is, “What team will UConn need to roll out in March to win another championship?” This past season, Geno gave Ice every opportunity to start at the 5. But after the holidays he inserted Jana in the starting lineup, even though her performance was uneven at best.

Geno knew that despite the tremendous effectiveness of his small lineup, he was going to need a true Big to match up with SC, UCLA and other teams with size. His faith in Jana was rewarded with her outstanding play at SC and in the national semifinal vs UCLA.

Geno sees things that other coaches don’t. With the BE championship a foregone conclusion, he will experiment with a multitude of potential lineups and rotations until he figures out the right formula to secure championship #13.
 
I would describe her as upside to the plan.

Plan as if she will contribute nothing; reap rewards if she does contribute.
 
I'm not sure of this is the right thread for this - feel free to point me in the right direction if you think it belongs elsewhere.

Let me start by saying I'm a big Caroline fan. To me she's one of those players who puts on her game face and gets on with the job. You may recall she was given the "silent assassin" tag in her first year.

Anywho, with all the chat about leaders and voices on the court there has been something nagging in the recesses of my memory (and, trust me, you don't want to know some of the stuff lurking in the dark corners! :eek:). I found what I was looking for: Geno brought her up during his chat at the recent "For the Kids" golf tournament:

At about 12:39 he praised her play in her first year then said:

"...and it's great having her on the team too because her voice is the loudest voice on the team..."

https://youtu.be/Kelis Fisher-9Xa1EDP0?t=759

It's worth watching the whole thing if you haven't already.

PS: I'm still searching for an avatar - a kiwi (the bird, not the Chinese gooseberry) with a basketball. I know I've seen one somewhere...
 
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