This is probably true if Caroline is healthy. If she isn't then passing the ball to Aubrey on the perimeter is not a better option than Muhl.
I was looking at LSU stats the other day and noticed that of their top 8 players they only had 2 missed games total. Some of the other top teams were similarly fortunate, and some had devastating injuries like Notre Dame, but none of the top ranked teams in preseason had as much to overcome as we did.
It’s possible that the team was emotionally exhausted, but I’d be cautious about concluding that based on one game. Prior to the Ohio State game, many people were talking about the renewed energy of UConn due to the rest periods before the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
I thought I read/heard the OS Coach said his team's press was much less effective in E8 vs S16 because he had a week off for the S16 vs 1 day E8.
This continues to make no sense to me. Why would Paige be moved from the point guard position because Muhl was starting? Have Nike play the point in transition, and the wing in the half court and Paige play the point guard in the half court. Especially with Paige and Azzi coming back from injuries it makes sense to have another strong ball handler and perimeter defender in to start the game with them.
Sadly it was far worse. Playing 5 players out of necessity takes an unusual toll on a cumulative basis. We played our hearts out against SC and then had nothing in the tank for our next BE game. Don't forget that LSU on purpose played no one in their OOC schedule for several reasons. One was for the record and the other was to preserve the players while you were trying to formulate and coalesce the team. We are the opposite. We don't have an AAC schedule anymore and the BE is improving very year. Our OOC schedule is frightening.
IMO this is all wrong.
I’m thinking there won’t be a whole lot of close games.
It’s not complicated. Other’s ask the same question about their lineup. For example, why not start Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Aaliyah and then a center? More size, more scoring vs less size, less scoring and better defense? Obviously, the above lineup would be less capable on defense. How much less? Who knows, and that leads to other questions. Would that lineup be improved more (assuming it would be) with Nika or Aubrey? These decisions will have to be made after Geno sees who is fully healthy and who is most productive during preseason practices. One thing is certain, if all are fully healthy, Geno is going to have a lot of choices to make.
So Geno is going to sit his most experienced player, a senior, the one who runs the offense, and is a 2x Big East defensive player of the year to start Caroline? Nika is the better shooter (41/34/73 vs. 40/34/65) and the better ball handler (2.2 A/TO vs. 0.6). On a per 40 basis Caroline scores at nearly twice the rate as Nika, but they average the same points per game because Nika can play more minutes.
Yea that line ups fine but I’m not doing fake calculus to say that line ups other than the one I predict move every player out of position and under utilizes out best players. Some of these don’t start Nika arguments really stretch to make a convincing case.
Healthy!!!
I can guarantee you that if Bueckers, Fudd, and Edwards are all healthy, Nika and Griffin will not be the other two players, although one of them might be. We need Edwards down low, no argument there, but we don’t need to help opposing defenses by putting 3,of 5 players on the floor who have questionable outside shots or need to be down low. If Ducharme is healthy she definitely starts, she tall, and is a lights out shooter, can drive to the basket, cut to the basket, and she handles the ball on a fast break with speed, just as well as anyone. My starting five (if all are healthy) would be Bueckers at the point, Fudd, Ducharme, Edwards and Griffin or Brady. With Muhl first off the bench to give Paige a rest, or Brady first off the bench for Griffin or Edwards. If Geno wants to stretch the opposing defense, Bueckers, Ducharme, and Fudd would be a nightmare around the perimeter.
If Paige is pg then Nika sits, no if’s, and’s or but’s, but she is probably first off the bench to give Paige, Azzi or Caroline a rest. Geno doesn’t need two point guards on the floor, especially when one of them has a questionable outside shot and has a tendency to pass up outside shots on occasion when she’s open which oresults in a TO or shot clock violation. Geno needs to stretch a defense by having at least 3 or 4 players on the court who can hit outside shots consistently.
Geno has started them together in the past and said the team is better when Paige is starting. Nika is better in transition than Paige, seems silly to sit her just because they both play point guard when Geno had no problem playing Diana and Sue Bird together.
When Paige played the point her freshman year she not only could shoot from deep, but her shorter jumpers were almost automatic. That being said, what made her such a scoring machine and at the same time made the players around her better was her ability to penetrate to the basket, draw fouls, put a rebound back up, dish off to Olivia for an easy score. She could do it all. Putting her at the 2 would be a huge mistake, except if Geno wanted her to take things easy on that knee, and he will know whether or not he can her loose depending on what he sees in practice.