What Caroline’s return does

[Biff]

I notice that you dropped the sarcasm emoji from my post....

There is no emoji in your OP

 

[RedStickHusky]

My bad then for sure, but frankly, I went back and looked and there is no emoji on your post that I can see. Assuming there is one and for some reason it is not appearing to me, my apologies for my reply.

Wow, it's not there.... Posting from my phone maybe? Well it was intended... Mea culpa.

 

[cancontent]

I notice that you dropped the sarcasm emoji from my post....

Your post doesn't have a sarcasm emoji. Maybe it got clipped when posting?

 

[fomalhaut]

I know the box score says 40 minutes for Aliya but I thought I saw her subbed out for more than a minute during the game. Was it for less?

Edwards played 39:38.

 

[fomalhaut]

With that group, UConn has 5'9 Nika,..

Nika would be horrified to be called 5'9". She's listed at 5'10" and claimed in the "icks" video to be 5'11".

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes and the player who should have been subbed out last night was Aaliyah. I think you will see everyone but Nika in the turnstile.

Aaliyah was drawing double teams which opened up one of her teammates

 

[BBallF]

Aaliyah was drawing double teams which opened up one of her teammates

Fair enough. She was exhausted though and when she or anyone else gets that way, there are mental mistakes.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Y’all been waiting.

 

[The deacon]

Y’all been waiting.

Love it, NEforceUConn. Thank you. Sounds like the original release. What I like best is that it doesn't include those annoying 'so good, so good' refrains from the crowds.

Neil Diamond was the best.

 

[Rowdy831]

My only hesitancy about more Caroline is that it seems to mean less Aubrey. figuring out that balance is above my pay grade though.

The challenge is to use this one body to give all the starters 4-5 minutes rest per game. AE right now is getting no break and she needs a breath every now and then.

 

[Longtime fan]

Dorka had the big steal and Aliyah had one bucket in the post and some key rebounds but that 4th qrtr run was driven by Caroline, Nika and Lou (19 pts by my rough count). How long has it been since we had a run that wasn't driven by post play? Having CD on the floor just forces the defense to play us more honestly. It opens up everybody's game.

We also got some much needed " luck." Creighton had a wide open lay-up off an under the basket throw in, and the player mishandled the ball and created a turnover instead of a bucket. We also got a phantom call on the block of Caroline's shot in the waning seconds. A call which allowed her the chance to sink two critical free throws. replays showed the Creighton player got all ball. The refs must close their eyes and blow the whistle on any really good defensive play, imagining it cannot be made without a foul.

Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good.

 

[Bone Dog]

The challenge is to use this one body to give all the starters 4-5 minutes rest per game. AE right now is getting no break and she needs a breath every now and then.

And Caroline is better in the half court offense than Aubrey. There's a trade-off here, but the net gain is greater than what it costs.

 

[Longtime fan]

I must say the BY may be over analyzing the Aubrey vs Caroline situation. Aubrey wasn’t as effective offensively against Creighton’s defense which packed the lane. At the same time, Aubrey was, by far, UConn’s most active defender, providing help defense all over the court against Creighton’s motion offense and bevy of shooters.

With UConn down in the 4th qtr by double digits, and struggling to score, Caroline was a better option to not only score points, but also to spread the floor giving Lou and the rest of her teammates more room to operate.

It was a situational substitution by Geno because he absolutely needed points at that time in the game. If, for instance, UConn is hanging on to a small lead against Villanova on Saturday in the 4th qtr, you can expect Aubrey to be in the game, locking down Maddy Siegrist

We should be fine if we hold Maddy to 40.

 

[Littlemin]

Exactly, which is why I believe if Azzi is 50% or better and available at tournament time, the starting 5 should be Azzi, Lou, Caroline, Edwards, and Dorka. Nika and Aubrey off the bench for “spark”, and defense. I realize how important Nika is, but Azzi, Lou, and Caroline can handle the ball, and put up points, which is what we need more of. Waddauthink?

With all due respect, what I think is that this obsession with some of you posters of getting Muhl to the bench has reached the height of absurdity.

 

[Littlemin]

Wow, it's not there.... Posting from my phone maybe? Well it was intended... Mea culpa.

All good!

 

[BRS24]

My bad then for sure, but frankly, I went back and looked and there is no emoji on your post that I can see. Assuming there is one and for some reason it is not appearing to me, my apologies for my reply.

Wow, it's not there.... Posting from my phone maybe? Well it was intended... Mea culpa.

I've also had this happen. If I try to use emojis from the keyboard, they don't show up, so perhaps it's only the ones "preloaded" in this BB website?

 

[BBallF]

Exactly, which is why I believe if Azzi is 50% or better and available at tournament time, the starting 5 should be Azzi, Lou, Caroline, Edwards, and Dorka. Nika and Aubrey off the bench for “spark”, and defense. I realize how important Nika is, but Azzi, Lou, and Caroline can handle the ball, and put up points, which is what we need more of. Waddauthink?

You don't like the idea of Caroline and Azzi coming off the bench? How do you defend that? If Azzi starts Aubrey will sit, not Nika. Personally, I would project that all things being equal, the starting 5 now is the starting 5 in April.

 

[wingsfan055]

CD & eventually Azzi will provide exponential benefits, and not just linear benefits based on their own talents. The reason is they make the players around them better. Teams can no longer "cheat" by double teaming Lou or clogging the paint and inside passing lanes. This is critical in the type of systems and schemes that Geno runs. The odds of a Final Four and another Title have gone up, although SC will remain the obvious favorite barring injuries.

 

[The deacon]

You don't like the idea of Caroline and Azzi coming off the bench? How do you defend that? If Azzi starts Aubrey will sit, not Nika. Personally, I would project that all things being equal, the starting 5 now is the starting 5 in April.

If Azzi is back, that would not be our best starting five.
I assume Geno has received your instructions?

You, browns, plus Littlemin and others call it absurd to try to field the best possible team the Huskies can muster. Why is it absurd to consider that a team with a healthy Azzi, a healthy Caroline, plus Aubrey, Dorka and Aaliyah might be the best team possible? Sounds pretty darned good to me.

It is not about sending Nika to the bench. It's about making the Huskies the best they can be... we have a difference of opinion. I know, I know, Geno said this, Geno said that.... Geno says a lot of things, and will do what's best for the team at any given time.

Sadly, it's possibly a moot point if Azzi isn't close to 100 percent come tournament time.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Seeing Caroline on the court last night was a welcome sight. More than being a positive that this admirable young woman is recovered from her concussion, Caroline brings some tangible benefits:

• An extra body to give the starters a breather, yes, but more than that, a proven scorer and confident shot of energy off the bench. Before Caroline’s return, Geno was reluctant to sub in when he needed a scoring punch off the bench, now he’s got someone he trusts to maintain - or improve- the level of play set by the starters.
• Another ball-handler. It’s true Caroline is a wing/forward but I’d rather have her dribbling in the paint than Dorka or Aaliyah
• Someone besides Lou that can create a shot. Caroline and Lou were moving, moving, moving when they were on the court together in the 4th quarter and the defense was working really hard to keep track of them. That opened up the lane a bit and moved defenders away from the perimeter. Give Caroline or Lou a peek of daylight and they can find a way to create a shot. Invaluable.
• Speaking of Lou and Caroline and what they do for each other, watch the clip below. Both are on the perimeter and Lou gets the ball. Two defenders collapse on the team’s best three point shooter, leaving Caroline wide open in the corner. I’ve been waiting weeks to see this again. Just imagine when Azzi gets back

Teams can’t afford anymore to double up Lopez Senechal with Caroline on the floor and vice versa. Parties over!!!!

I also think Caroline see the floor and understands the flow of a game better that anyone on the team.

 

[Wheeling]

Starting 5 right now have earned it. Fudd will come off the bench which she should if she comes back at all this season. Great having Caroline back. She will come off bench the rest of the season and will start next season.

 

[RedStickHusky]

We also got some much needed " luck." Creighton had a wide open lay-up off an under the basket throw in, and the player mishandled the ball and created a turnover instead of a bucket. We also got a phantom call on the block of Caroline's shot in the waning seconds. A call which allowed her the chance to sink two critical free throws. replays showed the Creighton player got all ball. The refs must close their eyes and blow the whistle on any really good defensive play, imagining it cannot be made without a foul.

Sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good.

That fumbled inbounds was critical.

 

[topogigio]

If Azzi is back, that would not be our best starting five.

I assume Geno has received your instructions?

You, browns, plus Littlemin and others call it absurd to try to field the best possible team the Huskies can muster. Why is it absurd to consider that a team with a healthy Azzi, a healthy Caroline, plus Aubrey, Dorka and Aaliyah might be the best team possible? Sounds pretty darned good to me.

It is not about sending Nika to the bench. It's about making the Huskies the best they can be... we have a difference of opinion. I know, I know, Geno said this, Geno said that.... Geno says a lot of things, and will do what's best for the team at any given time.

Sadly, it's possibly a moot point if Azzi isn't close to 100 percent come tournament time.

I believe what you are saying is exactly what my point was with the starting five at tournament time. If all are healthy, and ready to go, you put your 5 best player to play the most minutes. Of course, match-ups dictate a lot, and who is hot and who is not, but find me five better overall available players than Azzi, Lou, Caroline, Dorka, and Aliyah for the respective positions. Sure, some players may do one or two things better, but I believe you will be hard pressed to find a better 5 unit anywhere in the nation. No disrespect to any other player, or "wanting" them on the bench. Rather, the object of the game is putting the ball in the basket, and they are them!

 

[RedStickHusky]

I believe what you are saying is exactly what my point was with the starting five at tournament time. If all are healthy, and ready to go, you put your 5 best player to play the most minutes. Of course, match-ups dictate a lot, and who is hot and who is not, but find me five better overall available players than Azzi, Lou, Caroline, Dorka, and Aliyah for the respective positions. Sure, some players may do one or two things better, but I believe you will be hard pressed to find a better 5 unit anywhere in the nation. No disrespect to any other player, or "wanting" them on the bench. Rather, the object of the game is putting the ball in the basket, and they are them!

If you have six that you're comfortable giving 30 minutes to, that leaves 20 to either play the hot hand or, given the chance, go deeper on the bench. Even if you assume Aubrey is #6, she'll still get her minutes.