Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="NycUcWbbFan, post: 5115427, member: 13453"] Geno and Paige agree with you. Developing the team to play UConn basketball without Paige is a point of emphasis by Geno (per Paige @ 0:44 in attached [URL='https://youtu.be/qdeUsmIbzh4?si=m8rmdkL1YVlOYHY8']SNY YouTube video[/URL]) this season. [LIST] [*]Geno knows what he has and the delayed return of the walking wounded is a blessing in disguise; [*]When the walking wounded return, I am optimistic that, in most games, the regular rotation ((5)+9 or (5)+10) will have game-wide, from-the-start dominance (see next post as well as #1) that the youngest players get the fourth quarter to themselves to supplement practices with game experience; [*]It helps to have 10 really talented players now and that most of them are freshmen and sophomores; otherwise, Geno would revert to his usual MO of prioritizing upperclassmen. [/LIST] This year’s team is markedly a return to vintage UConn basketball — a pick-your-poison beautiful basketball team. Last year’s team was also a beautiful basketball team but that team had to play a certain way to do so. Note: I am as impressed as you with this team at the start of the season. [LIST] [*]I guardedly think this start is better than the start of the TASSK freshman year, which if memory serves, involved an inordinate amount of pressing; [*]You can see in the BU game, the team was already trying to play half-court in the first game but was just a little off-sync; [*]There was drastic improvement in the USF game; [*]The press is already potent and can be unleashed at any time. [/LIST] #1 Dominance also means hiding weaknesses from the expected rotation opponent. (part #2 of the reason Ice currently starts over Jana). #2: Another part is to reserve Jana’s offensive firepower against lesser rotations. I have implied this same reason in my [URL='https://the-boneyard.com/threads/where-uconns-starting-lineup-is-heading.203365/post-5112563']post[/URL] favoring a starting lineup where Paige is not the point guard (i.e. Ash is not in the starting lineup) vs one where Ash is. [LIST] [*]with Geno’s point of emphasis above, if the starting lineup doesn’t overwhelm the opponent, then consistent rotations thereafter (including when the starting lineup is used again) [B]will[/B], with no let-up; [*]visually, this is the near 40 minutes of UConn basketball we love; statistically visually, this is akin to a [URL='https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/401713516/south-florida-uconn']game flow[/URL] similar to the USF game. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach