Villanova 2 Game Chronological Rotations | The Boneyard

Villanova 2 Game Chronological Rotations

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Notes:
  • 1. There is 1 new rotation: Rotation #8.
 
Cumulative Unique Rotations.
IMG_9306.jpeg

IMG_9307.jpeg


Linear Rotations:
Cumulative Unique Rotations Sorted By Plus/Minus.
  • For more analytics, see CBB Analytics free tier for access to UConn’s rotations analytics (including advanced ones normally available only on an entire game basis).
  • Alternatively, see Hoop Explorer.
&1 More and better quality Mix-and-Match at a faster PACE is part of Geno and CD’s solution to the riddle of a deep quality roster.
  • One enables the other (and vice versa) and results in faster and better learning and improvement (akin to machine learning) and flatter minutes to achieve program and individual goals;
  • And the more dominant mix-match play is, the more time can be carved out of games for training the lower bench players.
 
Rotation Stint Index Series.
  • Per Bonedog’s Inquiry.
  • The Index (Per 40 Plus/ Minus) is based on the most recent games as of a certain date: 3 Quad 1 games, 3 Quad 2 games and 4 Quad 3/4 games.
  • Similar to other Indexes (DJIA, CPI) methodology but different; For example, not all Quad 1 games are the same, not all players are available and Geno and CD have different targeted objectives in the “metamorphosis” period.
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1 new rotation indeed. Who’d a thunk it? I’m not sure what to make of it. KK Ash Blanca Sarah Jana. 2 minutes and a -3 +/-. If I recall correctly, Jana looked a bit lost, maybe confused as to her role. Maybe Blanca too, though that’s maybe not surprising given her layoff.

The Player Versatility table is interesting. I assume this is more or less an educated eyeball assessment of what position each one is playing at any given moment. What surprised me is that Sarah is only a 4 or a 5. Lots of folks are busy fitting her for a 3 spot. I’ve never thought such a role suitable for her, though she is a formidable weapon against pressing defenses. Also interesting is Ash as a 3 or a 4. I often picture her as a 2, especially given her role in transition. But the fact is she often a stations herself in the corner, and also crashes the boards at both ends. Both of these sound like a small forward or a wing, not a guard.
 
Bone Dog said:
1 new rotation indeed. Who’d a thunk it? I’m not sure what to make of it. KK Ash Blanca Sarah Jana. 2 minutes and a -3 +/-. If I recall correctly, Jana looked a bit lost, maybe confused as to her role. Maybe Blanca too, though that’s maybe not surprising given her layoff.

The Player Versatility table is interesting. I assume this is more or less an educated eyeball assessment of what position each one is playing at any given moment. What surprised me is that Sarah is only a 4 or a 5. Lots of folks are busy fitting her for a 3 spot. I’ve never thought such a role suitable for her, though she is a formidable weapon against pressing defenses. Also interesting is Ash as a 3 or a 4. I often picture her as a 2, especially given her role in transition. But the fact is she often a stations herself in the corner, and also crashes the boards at both ends. Both of these sound like a small forward or a wing, not a guard.
Expand ...
The versatility table is very revealing, in particular Geno's emphasis on small ball. I also consider Ash a natural 2, but not only is she used mostly as a 3, but her next most common position is the 4 not the 2. Allie is also a 2 IMO, but obviously plays more at the 3. Azzi will consume the vast majority of the 2 minutes, but when she is not there it is more likely her backup minutes will be taken by a 1 playing the 2 in Kayleigh, another small ball choice.

Many would like to see Sarah have more opportunities as a 3 and offensively she frequently plays that way, but she plays mostly the 4, and in keeping with the small ball theme quite a bit at the 5. The lack of confidence Geno has in any big not named Sarah doesn't give him the opportunity to even consider Sarah at the 3. The most likely scenario that would have allowed that, would have been if both Serah and Jana were playing great and Geno played them together with Serah at the 4. Then Sarah could play the 3, or if Ayanna was doing well enough to be in the rotation, it could happen then too.

But there is disappointment in the 5's and we don't use a backup 4 at all, with Ayanna outside the rotation. When Sarah is not at the 4 either on the bench or playing the 5, the choice has been Blanca, another small ball choice as she is a natural 3 not 4, who plays more minutes at a bigger position than her natural one like so many players. When Sarah and Blanca are in together with one of the 5's then clearly Blanca becomes the 3 and Sarah the 4.

The impact of using Sarah at the 5 isn't often just one small ball decision with her, but multiple ones. Not just at 4 at the 5 (Sarah), but frequently a 3 at the 4 (Blanca), a 2 at the 3 (Ash or Allie), and a 1 at the 2 (Kayleigh). When Blanca was injured, she was playing mostly at the 4, which is already small ball, but then the solution to her absence was not to use the next 4 on the roster (Ayanna) or play Serah some at the 4 with Jana, but rather to double down even further on small ball and replace those missing 4 minutes with a 2, Allie or Ash.

Whether that was the best option given the circumstances I don't know, but I think it reveals a potential weakness and vulnerability if anything happened to Sarah, Blanca, Serah or Jana, because it looks like with this roster the solution to any of those missing would be to replace their minutes with a shooting guard, and move others up one position. We already play small ball to a very significant degree if everyone is healthy, and do it well, but there are limits to every strategy and taking it to the extreme shown with Blanca out won't cut it against top teams, so I hope those key players stay healthy.
 
Bone Dog said:
1 new rotation indeed. Who’d a thunk it? I’m not sure what to make of it. KK Ash Blanca Sarah Jana. 2 minutes and a -3 +/-. If I recall correctly, Jana looked a bit lost, maybe confused as to her role. Maybe Blanca too, though that’s maybe not surprising given her layoff.

The Player Versatility table is interesting. I assume this is more or less an educated eyeball assessment of what position each one is playing at any given moment. What surprised me is that Sarah is only a 4 or a 5. Lots of folks are busy fitting her for a 3 spot. I’ve never thought such a role suitable for her, though she is a formidable weapon against pressing defenses. Also interesting is Ash as a 3 or a 4. I often picture her as a 2, especially given her role in transition. But the fact is she often a stations herself in the corner, and also crashes the boards at both ends. Both of these sound like a small forward or a wing, not a guard.
Expand ...
The positions in the Player Versatility Metrics are as listed in the rotation stints.
  • it’s a paper allocation (players can assume different roles in different possessions);
  • there is some arbitrariness in dealing with certain combos, such as KK+Kayleigh or Blanca+Sarah;
  • for this first cut, I did not allocate the time in the (1)/(2) positions between KK and Kayleigh and the (3)/(4) positions or the (4)/(5) positions between Blanca and Sarah.
  • it’s not that difficult to do so, but these adjustments are seasonal roster-dependent adjustments;
  • next year will be particularly interesting with KK, Kayleigh, Jovanna and sophomore leap Kelis and with Blanca, Sarah Morgan and Ice (and maybe Nell Angloma (?)).
As to the “accidental” new rotation with Jana, it’s a hopeful sign that Geno and CD trust Jana enough that she appears in the first half when Geno goes through his sequential pocket breather substitutions to maintain intensity and pace;
  • For example, from rotations 7-11, Geno and CD gave pocket breathers sequentially to Blanca, Azzi, Sarah, KK.
  • This rotation would have happened earlier if Jana hadn’t been out.
 
oldhusky said:
The versatility table is very revealing, in particular Geno's emphasis on small ball. I also consider Ash a natural 2, but not only is she used mostly as a 3, but her next most common position is the 4 not the 2. Allie is also a 2 IMO, but obviously plays more at the 3. Azzi will consume the vast majority of the 2 minutes, but when she is not there it is more likely her backup minutes will be taken by a 1 playing the 2 in Kayleigh, another small ball choice.

Many would like to see Sarah have more opportunities as a 3 and offensively she frequently plays that way, but she plays mostly the 4, and in keeping with the small ball theme quite a bit at the 5. The lack of confidence Geno has in any big not named Sarah doesn't give him the opportunity to even consider Sarah at the 3. The most likely scenario that would have allowed that, would have been if both Serah and Jana were playing great and Geno played them together with Serah at the 4. Then Sarah could play the 3, or if Ayanna was doing well enough to be in the rotation, it could happen then too.

But there is disappointment in the 5's and we don't use a backup 4 at all, with Ayanna outside the rotation. When Sarah is not at the 4 either on the bench or playing the 5, the choice has been Blanca, another small ball choice as she is a natural 3 not 4, who plays more minutes at a bigger position than her natural one like so many players. When Sarah and Blanca are in together with one of the 5's then clearly Blanca becomes the 3 and Sarah the 4.

The impact of using Sarah at the 5 isn't often just one small ball decision with her, but multiple ones. Not just at 4 at the 5 (Sarah), but frequently a 3 at the 4 (Blanca), a 2 at the 3 (Ash or Allie), and a 1 at the 2 (Kayleigh). When Blanca was injured, she was playing mostly at the 4, which is already small ball, but then the solution to her absence was not to use the next 4 on the roster (Ayanna) or play Serah some at the 4 with Jana, but rather to double down even further on small ball and replace those missing 4 minutes with a 2, Allie or Ash.

Whether that was the best option given the circumstances I don't know, but I think it reveals a potential weakness and vulnerability if anything happened to Sarah, Blanca, Serah or Jana, because it looks like with this roster the solution to any of those missing would be to replace their minutes with a shooting guard, and move others up one position. We already play small ball to a very significant degree if everyone is healthy, and do it well, but there are limits to every strategy and taking it to the extreme shown with Blanca out won't cut it against top teams, so I hope those key players stay healthy.
Expand ...
Traditional lineups are used quite a bit (Pic 1), even in Winning Time Rotations.
  • This is in line with the 30.2 combined minutes for Serah and Jana;
  • Their rotations are a combined 12 hours 50 minutes out of 18 hours 40 minutes (Pic 2) or 27.50 minutes per game;
  • Their Per 40 +/- is 33.50; the Team’s is 37.89 (HerHoopStats’s NetPts is 37.9).
  • Some of Serah and Jana’s rotations (Pic 2) are hybrid small ball (4 guards and a center), though they are classified here as traditional.
  • As mentioned in another thread, traditional lineups are Geno and CD’s opening gambit to preserve Sarah’s efficacy.
Geno and CD has played some formidable tall trios rotations:
  • Blanca-Sarah-Serah at 45 minutes with a Per 40 +/- of 56.60;
  • Blanca-Sarah-Jana at 15:46 minutes with a Per 40 +/- of 58.35;
  • The jury is still mixed on the twin towers (“Big Lineup” in Pic 1).
I realize I did not go through your post point by point, but the foregoing gives some context.
  • Morgan/Ice would have been helpful for the “backup 4” problem; but if all that’s needed is some Aubrey pinch-hitter minutes in last year’s NCAAT run, Geno and CD do have Ayanna and possibly Caroline;
  • hybrid small ball with Serah or Jana is a good option too;
  • Also, see Geno’s “cat and mouse” comments in LY’s UCLA game; And TY’s post rotation is better than LY’s.
Pic 1 (Excerpt from this Table):

IMG_9315.jpeg


Pic 2: Serah or Jana’s rotations.

IMG_9316.jpeg
 
Man Nyc... has mad skills! Appreciate the analysis, although my senior brain has a bit of bother trying to understand. I will discuss with my 32 year old daughter to sort this out.

Please keep it coming.
 
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