Yet some on here refer to Caroline as a light out shooter. She was in high school and in part of her FR year, but we haven't seen that lights out shooting CD for quite a while. She seems to be a great kid with a lot of potential and a great team player, but we need to see a healthy, part of her FR year Caroline for her to be in the discussion of our 2023-4 starting lineup. Frankly, I'm very concerned about her well-being after seeing her stagger off the court in the game before the school said she suffered a concussion in the next day's practice
UConn Women basketball Early 2023-2024 Starting Five Prediction
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No, OSU won because they pressed us and because we never solved the turnover problem this year not because they sloughed off Nika. It had nothing to do with her tenacity on defense. That's what Geno attributed the loss to in the post game interview- the unsolved turnover problem. We had 25 turnovers. That's more than some recreation basketball teams. Yes, Nika was a main culprit with 7 of those but they came unglued right after OSU started scoring and could press us off the inbounds and it stayed that way.
Nika's problem at the point was her unwillingness at times to make the safe pass as a first option probably because it usually stopped the offense. I think that will change this year. She doesn't have to be that creative with these weapons. We also went almost a whole season with one ball handler. A lot of things happened because of that, none of them good. We became a team where our bigs had to make plays most of the time. There was no one else to get the ball into them in the right spot after the first pass.
I may be wrong and if I am I will tip my hat to you, but Geno likes Nika and he likes the team with Nika out there. It was a unique and very upsetting season for everyone. She isn't the culprit. She broke Sue's season record and Paige's single game record and would have won the national assist title if she had Azzi all season long to pass to for 3s and spot up 2s. Remember, she did that playing the toughest OOC schedule in the country, with tired and battered players, and only one outside shooter all year long in Lou. I think what she did was remarkable and had to be done for the team to win. Not so this coming year if everyone is healthy. It will not be "Everyone Eats". It will be "Anyone On This Team Can Eat".
Many of us, including Kara Wolters, thought the turnover problem would be mollified with Azzi coming back. We were wrong. We needed Paige. She is the best secondary passer in America, CC from Iowa included. If you know basketball you know that perhaps the greatest secondary passer ever was Larry Legend. Paige has that same future vision on the court.
Game, set, match.
Nika was moved into the starting lineup for only a couple of games late her freshman year only because of issues involving regular starters Anna Makurat and/or Christyn Williams, and because Azzi Fudd was out the entire season. She did play well except she couldn’t fill the scoring void left by CW or AM, and in Makurat’s case also rebounding. IIRC in one game she played 22 min and scored no points, in another she played 33 min and scored 3 points, but Geno liked her defense as opposed to CW and AM’s defense so her minutes continued to go up for several games hoping her scoring ability would come with more PT.
Bald Husky
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LMAO.............
If you watch any of the game broadcasts last year, especially the National games, Nikas play was one of the main focal points of the conversation by the commentators. They raved about her drive, her defense, her ability to motivate the team no matter how many players were available. As far as I know, Beth Mowens, Pam Ward, and the Fox people are not members of the Boneyard, or anything else affiliated with UConn. Their comments were real, and they, along with the coaches of other teams acknowledges her worth. It has been said that Nika is not guarded because of her shooting, but Dawn indicated that one of their strategies was to cover her closely because of how she sets up our real shooters. If we are going to become a pressure team this year, Nika is most valuable in this scenario. We can have these conversations until November, but nothing will change, she is in, a Senior leader to guide the team. I wouldn't be surprised if Paige took a back seat to Nika when they are on the floor together. You can't just shut her off as Geno has already found out. Nika can lead, Paige can score. BTY, I am not diminishing the leadership of Paige, but I want her to score, let Nika run the floor.
If you watch any of the game broadcasts last year, especially the National games, Nikas play was one of the main focal points of the conversation by the commentators. They raved about her drive, her defense, her ability to motivate the team no matter how many players were available. As far as I know, Beth Mowens, Pam Ward, and the Fox people are not members of the Boneyard, or anything else affiliated with UConn. Their comments were real, and they, along with the coaches of other teams acknowledges her worth. It has been said that Nika is not guarded because of her shooting, but Dawn indicated that one of their strategies was to cover her closely because of how she sets up our real shooters. If we are going to become a pressure team this year, Nika is most valuable in this scenario. We can have these conversations until November, but nothing will change, she is in, a Senior leader to guide the team. I wouldn't be surprised if Paige took a back seat to Nika when they are on the floor together. You can't just shut her off as Geno has already found out. Nika can lead, Paige can score. BTY, I am not diminishing the leadership of Paige, but I want her to score, let Nika run the floor.
Nika has a lot of work to do this summer. She needs to set her feet as she is receiving the ball, not after she gets it, for her 3s. She needs a bona fide pull up J from 15 feet, and a finish move right and left on her drives. She has a tendency to hit the glass with the ball too high or hard sometimes on breakaways or fast breaks because she doesn't twist her hand to cut the ball speed coming off her fingertips in those circumstances. These are all doable. She also needs to watch a lot of film with someone who can show her the forced passes that led to turnovers. She will not have to force them this year with a healthy Azzi, Paige and Caroline.
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Where to begin! If you actually go back snd see who the starters were Nika’s freshman year you will see that she started the second half of the season, not ‘a couple games late in the season’. Azzi Fudd, was not ‘ out the whole season’, she was still in highschool at the time! If you listened to Geno, on numerous occasions, he has said once they inserted Nika in the starting lineup her freshman year it changed the way the entire team played - for the better! That is why she took over the starting PG spot for the second half of the season and would have held it through their finsl game if not for the ankle injury against High Point. Geno said, I believe a game after that injury, in which Aubrey stepped up and had a great game- that not having Nika was a problem giung forward because she brings something neither Aubrey or Anna could (paraphrase).
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While I expect Nika to start at pg next year for most games, if not all, it may make team chemistry a little more complicated. She was the floor general this season and was very vocal in huddles and in game action. I wonder if she will be comfortable leading so vocally in huddles next to Paige and what it means if she isn’t.
Last season, Paige was the leader in the tournament. But her style is not as loud as Nika’s, and when they were both on the floor, Nika was more subdued. And Paige has always seemed more of a “hype” player than a floor general. She got her teammates to succeed by involving them in her passing vision and celebrating what they do with her passes.
There’s a risk here I hadn’t considered earlier. Freshman year, everyone deferred to Paige even though she wasn’t nearly as assertive as Nika ever was this year. She could direct team movement on the floor and her passing was dynamic and efficient. But because she seemed to lead more by example than with her voice, the team also sometimes succumbed to Paige-watching, much to their detriment.
In the read-and-react game, Paige seems to be better. It helps that her mid range jumper forces defenses to overplay her. Nika’s mistakes this season often came from passing into the post without considering how well defended they may have been. I expect she’ll improve in this area next season, especially if she develops a better midrange jump shot. But when it comes to running the set offense or pushing the ball in transition, Nika is as good as anyone.
I guess all this means when Nika Paige and Azzi are on the floor together, it will still be pg by committee at times.
Last season, Paige was the leader in the tournament. But her style is not as loud as Nika’s, and when they were both on the floor, Nika was more subdued. And Paige has always seemed more of a “hype” player than a floor general. She got her teammates to succeed by involving them in her passing vision and celebrating what they do with her passes.
There’s a risk here I hadn’t considered earlier. Freshman year, everyone deferred to Paige even though she wasn’t nearly as assertive as Nika ever was this year. She could direct team movement on the floor and her passing was dynamic and efficient. But because she seemed to lead more by example than with her voice, the team also sometimes succumbed to Paige-watching, much to their detriment.
In the read-and-react game, Paige seems to be better. It helps that her mid range jumper forces defenses to overplay her. Nika’s mistakes this season often came from passing into the post without considering how well defended they may have been. I expect she’ll improve in this area next season, especially if she develops a better midrange jump shot. But when it comes to running the set offense or pushing the ball in transition, Nika is as good as anyone.
I guess all this means when Nika Paige and Azzi are on the floor together, it will still be pg by committee at times.
Tonyc
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If healthy Paige Azzi Aaliyah are starting. The other 2 positions will depend on what the team needs. They are rebounding, height, defense etc. Alot of "ifs". If ICE and Jana can rebound and score in the middle like they did in AAU ball they just may start. Griff and Caroline will see alot of action. Lets face it. Paige and Azzi will put on a show and with both of them on the court Aaliyah will be defended one on one. As good as Nika is and shes earned the starting PG position if she doesnt shoot opponents will be able to double down on our 3 AAs.
I would think Geno will go with experience to start the season and we will learn alot from the trip to Europe. If ICE can perform at a high level she may be the piece we need down low allowing Edwards to move outside where she has shown she is very good. I dont see Geno using a short bench this season. He has to many top recruits that need experience which constitutes playtime. BTW I still havent given up on Amari and at 6'5 she could make a huge difference.
I would think Geno will go with experience to start the season and we will learn alot from the trip to Europe. If ICE can perform at a high level she may be the piece we need down low allowing Edwards to move outside where she has shown she is very good. I dont see Geno using a short bench this season. He has to many top recruits that need experience which constitutes playtime. BTW I still havent given up on Amari and at 6'5 she could make a huge difference.
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The Nika nay sayers miss one crucial, important point, Geno and his staff believe Nika makes his team better with her at the Point Guard position, so Nika will start at PG her senior season!
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paige azzi jana/ice edwards kk
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Pretty sure Azzi wasn’t on the team Nika’s freshman year
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Wait a minute!!!
The underlined wasn't your initial comment. Your comment was "You do know in Paige’s PG freshman year Nika didn’t start and came off the bench?" You said the above in bold. It was wrong. Now you've compounded it by saying Nika just started 1 or 2 games. She started 15 straight games. (actually 16 but she got hurt early vs Cuse in NCAA's).
I understand you and sun and alyadar and others are concerned with lack of scoring. If she can't score a lick she'll probably eventually be replaced. But she did shoot 34.9% from 3. She was craftier this year than in the past getting to the basket with some scoring.
And by the way, Paige Bueckers did average 21 ppg in the 14 consecutive games that Nika started with her from 2/3 to 3/21 not counting the Cuse game she got hurt. So, we can throw away the comments that Nika doesn't help regardless how much she scores or spreads the floor.
Do you really think 29.1% 3pt shooter Aubrey Griffin spreads the floor? You are going to rely on the 2 freshman guards that you saw play against other h/s kids? These h/s kids in their frosh year in NCAA tourney will be going against mostly experienced juniors and 4th and 5th year seniors. It's possible but you can't say this in May with an iota of certainty they should play.
So, it comes down to Ice or Caroline vs Nika unless Aubrey can show a perimeter game. If Caroline is healthy - sure. It’s one thing if you think KK or Ashley can be that but to argue it that they certainly will for players you never saw 1 minute play college ball and with no reference of how they are performing in practices (for example we heard Ice was doing terrific in practices) would be completely absurd. It's not like KK and Ashley were thought to be Paige or Azzi coming out of H/S.
The fight you and others are showing here against Nika is ridiculous when you make comments that she was always on the bench, or others make mention that there must be a scoring pg, or others mentioning if you start Paige and Azzi and Nika, you have no pg to come off the bench completely disregarding once you take out Nika then you slide Paige to pg.
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But the Defense can't "double-down" on perimeter players. Paige and Azzi are in a motion offense and quite a bit of the time moving 15-25 feet away from the basket. In addition they also are extremely efficient catch-and-shoot players. It's extremely hard to double - TWO elite perimeter players in a particular offensive set.
There you go... well said!!Wait a minute!!!
You said the above in bold. It was wrong. Now you've compounded it by saying Nika just started 1 or 2 games. She started 15 straight games. (actually 16 but she got hurt early vs Cuse in NCAA's).
I understand you and sun and alyadar and others are concerned with lack of scoring. If she can't score a lick she'll probably eventually be replaced. But she did shoot 34.9% from 3. She was craftier this year than in the past getting to the basket with some scoring.
And by the way, Paige Bueckers did average 21 ppg in the 14 consecutive games that Nika started with her from 2/3 to 3/21 not counting the Cuse game she got hurt. So, we can throw away the comments that Nika doesn't help regardless how much she scores or spreads the floor.
Do you really think 29.1% 3pt shooter Aubrey Griffin spreads the floor? You are going to rely on the 2 freshman guards that you saw play against other h/s kids? These h/s kids in their frosh year in NCAA tourney will be going against mostly experienced juniors and 4th and 5th year seniors. It's possible but you can't say this in May with an iota of certainty they should play.
So, it comes down to Ice or Caroline vs Nika unless Aubrey can show a perimeter game. If Caroline is healthy - sure. It’s one thing if you think KK or Ashley can be that but to argue it that they certainly will for players you never saw 1 minute play college ball and with no reference of how they are performing in practices (for example we heard Ice was doing terrific in practices) would be completely absurd. It's not like KK and Ashley were thought to be Paige or Azzi coming out of H/S.
The fight you and others are showing here against Nika is ridiculous when you make comments that she was always on the bench, or others make mention that there must be a scoring pg, or others mentioning if you start Paige and Azzi and Nika, you have no pg to come off the bench completely disregarding once you take out Nika then you slide Paige to pg.
And who's better at hitting those shooters on ur the cuts? Aubrey, Caroline, or Nika...I'll wait.
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Paige is our PG so stop the nonsense of having Nika start at point. She will come in as possibly our 6th player depending on how the freshman adapt. And i hope they are ready to go for this team to be real good.
Thanks for the response to my post.
Paige is one of the best passers, if not the best passer, in college basketball. Per DT. I agree that a pg is less important in a motion offense, but a pg is still important, and Paige does run things out there. Paige might get fewer assists than she would otherwise because she shoots the ball a lot.
I want Paige and Nika to start together, meaning Nika would be the pg. But I think Geno will eventually put Paige at the point, as he did during Paige and Nika’s sophomore year.
One way to look at it is this. Barring something unexpected, Paige, Azzi, and Aaliyah will start. Geno likes to play two bigs, so that leaves a spot for one more guard. Is Nika the third best guard on the team? Maybe. Would Geno prefer to have the third guard be a taller player, such as Caroline, or a taller and more athletic player, such as Aubrey? What about the freshmen?
Whatever happens, I expect Nika to be an important part of UConn’s success, and she could still be drafted without being a starter. It happens.
You were right, and I was wrong. I just don’t remember things well like I used to. Sorry about that. Sucks getting old. That being said, as things stand now, I still think the best team Geno can put on the floor next Fall, providing everyone is healthy, is Paige, Azzi, Caroline, Ayliah Edwards, and Griffin. Nika and Brady are first off the bench. Plus don’t count out KK Arnold as a starter if she’s as good a PG and scorer as advertised. Also, if Nika all of sudden starts stroking it in practice, then all bets are off.Wait a minute!!!
You said the above in bold. It was wrong. Now you've compounded it by saying Nika just started 1 or 2 games. She started 15 straight games. (actually 16 but she got hurt early vs Cuse in NCAA's).
I understand you and sun and alyadar and others are concerned with lack of scoring. If she can't score a lick she'll probably eventually be replaced. But she did shoot 34.9% from 3. She was craftier this year than in the past getting to the basket with some scoring.
And by the way, Paige Bueckers did average 21 ppg in the 14 consecutive games that Nika started with her from 2/3 to 3/21 not counting the Cuse game she got hurt. So, we can throw away the comments that Nika doesn't help regardless how much she scores or spreads the floor.
Do you really think 29.1% 3pt shooter Aubrey Griffin spreads the floor? You are going to rely on the 2 freshman guards that you saw play against other h/s kids? These h/s kids in their frosh year in NCAA tourney will be going against mostly experienced juniors and 4th and 5th year seniors. It's possible but you can't say this in May with an iota of certainty they should play.
So, it comes down to Ice or Caroline vs Nika unless Aubrey can show a perimeter game. If Caroline is healthy - sure. It’s one thing if you think KK or Ashley can be that but to argue it that they certainly will for players you never saw 1 minute play college ball and with no reference of how they are performing in practices (for example we heard Ice was doing terrific in practices) would be completely absurd. It's not like KK and Ashley were thought to be Paige or Azzi coming out of H/S.
The fight you and others are showing here against Nika is ridiculous when you make comments that she was always on the bench, or others make mention that there must be a scoring pg, or others mentioning if you start Paige and Azzi and Nika, you have no pg to come off the bench completely disregarding once you take out Nika then you slide Paige to pg.
Yes, I realize that now. Thanks
What Tony is saying is if Nika is not a major threat to score from the perimeter, the defense can concentrate on Azzi, Paige and Edwards. So, oh yes the defense can double down, and minus Paige, that’s exactly what Ohio State did to us in the NCAA tournament, when your point guard makes 7 turnovers things get ugly, and they did. Nika needs an offensive mindset, something she didn’t have in that game.
Geno's opinion of course is far more important than yours or mine, but it is my impression that a majority of the posters here believe that both Nika and Paige will start, and that a majority of those that think both will start think it makes more sense to have Nika on the ball and Paige off it, vs. the other way around.
The decision doesn't rest solely with what is Paige's best position (probably PG, but she can also be great at SG and SF), and it also isn't simply a question of who is the best PG overall (which is clearly Paige). Rather it is what combination of three players for 1-3 is most effective, and what positions works the best for that trio.
It didn't start that way, but around midway thru their second season Geno started letting Nika run the point more and Paige play off the ball when they were both in the game, and that was more effective than the other way around, largely because Nika was not nearly as good off the ball, and Paige was great at both positions. They haven't been able to play together sense, but I have no reason to believe Geno would reverse those roles when they are playing together this year.
The most likely reason Nika might not start at PG is that she won't start period, not that if Nika and Paige both start, Paige will play the point. The argument for Caroline or Aubrey being the third small with Paige and Azzi obviously is one many on the Boneyard support. I don't think it is the best option, but it is clearly a good and viable one and in that case the position assignments are obvious, Caroline or Aubrey at the 3, Azzi at the 2, and Paige at the 1.
So to me who starts at the point is not a Nika vs. Paige debate, but rather who the third small starter is. If Caroline or Aubrey starts, then Paige is the PG. If Nika starts she is the point guard. Before last season started I expected Caroline to start at the 3 and Nika to come off the bench. But Nika stepped up after Paige's injury, and Caroline had a terrible injury plagued season. The burden of proof is now on Caroline to show she has returned to form, and it is Nika who has incumbent starter status until someone else clearly outplays her.
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Thanks, bballer I liked your post.
If Caroline is healthy, a lineup of Paige/Azzi/Caroline is extremely incredible. But if not Caroline, assuming she is not 100 healthy, who would be the other guard ahead of Nika?
And secondly, UCONN doesn't run the Iowa one-player offense. What they have when they start Nika is three extremely superior IQ guards. That combination makes Paige and Azzi off-the-planet scary. And while Paige has a great b-ball IQ, Geno's is superior. And what I've heard a lot from Geno is that he wants them to shoot. Paige shot 46.4% her frosh year from 3pt range. We've heard both Geno and Chris say that when Azzi misses, they are surprised. OFC an exaggeration but the point is these two players efficiency as overall scorers is far superior to any other player on the team. And as efficient scorers arguably in the tops of all of wcbb and yet they are teammates. So UCONN has two freaks.
IMo their ability to score efficiently overrides anything else. It doesn't mean they take all the shots. It’s just that in a motion offense they should be able to get a lot of them and in other cases work the ball to try to get easy inside baskets for others because their threat to score is so super. And in blowouts the core players some add'l minutes which will result in more shots leading to hopeful eventual improved team efficiency come tourney time.
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Everything you said here I agree with. 100%. I can see Paige/Azzi/Ducharme but as you point out Caroline has a lot to prove. Though I wouldn't argue it.
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I don't think you can double down on a healthy Paige and a healthy Azzi. A hurt Lou and a hurt Azzi and an Edwards in foul trouble the whole game and an ineffective Caroline, then yes you can double down.
But this point I don't think each of us care to address doubling-down in May. I'll just add UCONN was ranked top 5 this year with a shell of a team. Add in a heathy Paige?Azzi?Caroline and another year expereice with Edwards/Nika,Griffin with their experience it would have to be one helluva double-down and the react.
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I also don't think people realize there we 351 division 1 basketball teams last year and Nika, the woman with the second highest total of assists, ranked 31 in assist to turnover ratio. My math may be fuzzy but that's top 10 percent!!! The narrative that she is reckless with the ball is an oversimplification of her game. Can she cut down on some TOs, sure, but that is the pace Geno wants and it is high risk, high reward. The easiest way to score is to push the tempo before the defense can set up. That is the quintessential UCONN pg's job and she is prolific at getting the ball to the right people!!!
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