Who starts next season?

[Tonyc]

Who will start? Experience starts while eveybody else learns the system. It would be like running a machine and one widget breaks and you dont have the right widget to replace it so you put a widget in that really doesnt fit and let the machine run which wont make it effficent but it will work ok. The freshman coming in have to learn the system, and have to learn how to execute within the system. Most likely they wont start. It wont matter much either because we will be so good with all our number 1 and 2 HS players and ONO. Geno will work everybody else in. I remember seeing an interview with Geno talking about playing 6 and how everybody would like to play more kids and then he said next season do you think I can play only 6. Ive got to play them all. We will be so dominate next season that there will be time to get everybody minutes. I think we will get a good taste of how good UConn is in February. We will be alot better then we are right now.

With the next 2 classes coming in and Im assuming Fudd comes too we are going to be so good at every position and so deep at every position and experienced at every position that this could be the winningest team in UConn history. Our record of 111 in a row could be broken. We have that potential with the players coming in.

Understand the rest of this season. We still need things to happen. What we have is a terrific passing team led by Kyla and Mak. With that said I would like to see both of them take the ball to the hoop a little more. We have great guard play and it will get better. CW is exactly where Meg was last season and she will get better. Geno will unlock the potential of this team and individually and by the time March comes we will be right where we're suppose to be.

 

[huskyd]

Who will start? Experience starts while eveybody else learns the system. It would be like running a machine and one widget breaks and you dont have the right widget to replace it so you put a widget in that really doesnt fit and let the machine run which wont make it effficent but it will work ok. The freshman coming in have to learn the system, and have to learn how to execute within the system. Most likely they wont start. It wont matter much either because we will be so good with all our number 1 and 2 HS players and ONO. Geno will work everybody else in. I remember seeing an interview with Geno talking about playing 6 and how everybody would like to play more kids and then he said next season do you think I can play only 6. Ive got to play them all. We will be so dominate next season that there will be time to get everybody minutes. I think we will get a good taste of how good UConn is in February. We will be alot better then we are right now.

With the next 2 classes coming in and Im assuming Fudd comes too we are going to be so good at every position and so deep at every position and experienced at every position that this could be the winningest team in UConn history. Our record of 111 in a row could be broken. We have that potential with the players coming in.

Understand the rest of this season. We still need things to happen. What we have is a terrific passing team led by Kyla and Mak. With that said I would like to see both of them take the ball to the hoop a little more. We have great guard play and it will get better. CW is exactly where Meg was last season and she will get better. Geno will unlock the potential of this team and individually and by the time March comes we will be right where we're suppose to be.

Ah, Tony, Tony. Always pushing the boundaries for our beloved Huskies. You remind me of Archimedes who said "Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough, and I will move the world." Quite a lever you got there, fella.

 

[Bobcat]

This is a good example of what I don't like about the BY. Enjoy the moment.

 

[Blakeon18]

Loving this season but I'm multi-tasking and looking forward to 20-21 as well.

To answer Tony's question:

I'm guessing

Ono/Walker/Westbrook/Williams and Bueckers

Serious off the bench time in regular rotation:

Griffin/Makurat/Edwards

Others will get time to play in routs and have the opportunity to
move into regular rotation. Looking at the first 8 in my list there would
appear to be height/inside defense/rebounding concern....maybe.
Piath Gabriel a factor?

 

[JSB60]

Bueckers, Williams, Griffin, Walker, ONO.

 

[uconnever]

I haven’t stated it publicly, but I have been thinking we should definitely win it all next year. Stanford could challenge us but unless I’m forgetting someone else, that’s it. Geno said it so I can too. Baylor will be good too.

 

[mustafa]

Loving this season but I'm multi-tasking and looking forward to 20-21 as well.

To answer Tony's question:

I'm guessing

Ono/Walker/Westbrook/Williams and Bueckers

Serious off the bench time in regular rotation:

Griffin/Makurat/Edwards

Others will get time to play in routs and have the opportunity to
move into regular rotation. Looking at the first 8 in my list there would
appear to be height/inside defense/rebounding concern....maybe.
Piath Gabriel a factor?

I think that Nika Muhl is just too good and too tough to not warrant some minutes even as a frosh. I think she will be in the 9-10 player rotation. I also think Piath Gabriel will get some minutes due to her much needed size and the need to spell ONO to keep her out of foul trouble.
We should be very talented and nice and deep in '20-'21.

 

[Huskee11]

Fortunately, I know exactly who will start next season.

Here`s the definitive depth chart:

PG: Bueckers Muhl
SG: Williams Makurat
C: ONO Gabriel
SF: Westbrook Griffin McLean
PF: Walker Edwards

Westbrook is really more of a third guard but she will start. Makurat, Edwards and Griffin will all get significant minutes. I am also excited to see what Muhl will bring to the table, I think she will surprise some people as her passing ability is off the charts. McLean`s defensive abilities could earn her some decent minutes as well. I suspect that it will be a learning year for Gabriel but she could get some minutes in the event of foul trouble, although Geno will probably look to Griffin and Edwards first.

I am very excited about this team. Deeper numbers-wise than any team of recent memory. (2015-2016 team had quality depth, especially with soph Gabby and frosh Napheesa coming off the bench, but not numbers like this.) This will give Geno the freedom to press from the get go and run opponents out of the gym. And starters will not need to be logging huge minutes.

It will be fluid, of course, since most of these players can play multiple positions and UConn`s style is kind of positionless.

 

[Jajhines23]

Starters: Westbrook, Williams, Walker, Griffin, ONO

Bench : Bueckers, Makurat, Edwards, McClean

Mulh and Gabriel given time to develop/adjust to Big Time College Hoops

 

[Blue Ghost]

The next 2 years are going to be awesome!
2020 - Bueckers, Williams, Walker, Westbrook and Ono.

 

[CocoHusky]

Starters
C: Graduate Transfer
F:ONO
F: Walker
SG: Williams
PG: Westbrook

 

[Zorro]

Muhl has ben playing in pretty big time competition, no?

 

[Centerstream]

There is going to be a White team and a Blue team that very well may alternate starting games.
That's my Keyboard Coaching opinion on this waaaaay too early thread.

 

[meyers7]

I'll wait. Give us something to do in the off-season.

 

[victor64]

It is going to look like UConn is running it up next year against overmatched opponents in the fourth quarter. Griffin and Edwards potentially against the opponents non-starters? How fair is that?

 

[EricLA]

Way too early to know. IF Geno continues to start Kyla the rest of the year, I could see Paige starting next year. But I think that's unlikely. My starting 5:

Westbrook, Williams, Makurat, Walker, ONO

HUGE minutes off the bench - Griffin, Bueckers, Edwards, Muhl

6-8 MPG - McLean

Mop up time or possible redshirt (like Jess Moore - non medical), Gabriel.

People have asked "how do you keep everyone happy". My solution - not a single starter averages over 25 MPG. If the starters take up about 110 MPG, that leaves 90 for the remaining 7. With a group that large, I can almost guarantee there will be someone in the doghouse, injured, sick, etc. So that leaves 6.

20 MPG for Bueckers and Griffin, 16 for Muhl and Edwards. That leaves 14 minutes for McLean and Gabriel. Again, if someone is injured, sick, dog house, it will be easier. But Geno's first step is to get all the starters to buy into less minutes per game.

Lastly, how do you keep players happy if they are playing 12-18 minutes off he bench? IMHO, run up the score. Sorry opponents, but it's not our job to keep the score down. Geno will have a huge roster and that means letting the subs and reserves go out and play intense defense, full court press, fast breaks, etc. I seriously could see us averaging close to, or over 100, PPG next season and the season after.

 

[rvwsleep]

Way too early to know. IF Geno continues to start Kyla the rest of the year, I could see Paige starting next year. But I think that's unlikely. My starting 5:

Westbrook, Williams, Makurat, Walker, ONO

HUGE minutes off the bench - Griffin, Bueckers, Edwards, Muhl

6-8 MPG - McLean

Mop up time or possible redshirt (like Jess Moore - non medical), Gabriel.

People have asked "how do you keep everyone happy". My solution - not a single starter averages over 25 MPG. If the starters take up about 110 MPG, that leaves 90 for the remaining 7. With a group that large, I can almost guarantee there will be someone in the doghouse, injured, sick, etc. So that leaves 6.

20 MPG for Bueckers and Griffin, 16 for Muhl and Edwards. That leaves 14 minutes for McLean and Gabriel. Again, if someone is injured, sick, dog house, it will be easier. But Geno's first step is to get all the starters to buy into less minutes per game.

Lastly, how do you keep players happy if they are playing 12-18 minutes off he bench? IMHO, run up the score. Sorry opponents, but it's not our job to keep the score down. Geno will have a huge roster and that means letting the subs and reserves go out and play intense defense, full court press, fast breaks, etc. I seriously could see us averaging close to, or over 100, PPG next season and the season after.

Even Stewie's best teams didn't get close to averaging 100 points a game. I would be shocked if they averaged even 90 points a game.

 

[Carnac]

I've got the answer right here in this envelope, but I'm not revealing the contents until November.

 

[Majic Hands]

I'm finding this conjecture kind of interesting. Apparently, most everyone posting has a very high openion of Westbrook. Perhaps I would as well if I had been watching Tenn women's basketball. However they played so lousy I never bothered. Somehow a player is coming from there to UConn and is annoited as a starter next year in the BY.

I'm thinking that the next 4-6 years who starts my be a meaningless word/concept as to the role and value of the players to the program and winning.

 

[bantamlaker]

This is a good example of what I don't like about the BY. Enjoy the moment.

Bobcat, you may have missed it but Tonyc and plenty of others are posting extensively about this year’s team and very much enjoying the delevopment of this group of players. Speculating about what appears to be a very bright future is just another way of enjoying what Geno is doing. If you don’t like this thread just ignore it or you could start your own thread “Top 10 Reasons I Don’t Like the BY.”

 

[EricLA]

Even Stewie's best teams didn't get close to averaging 100 points a game. I would be shocked if they averaged even 90 points a game.

Stewie's best teams were sandwiched between 1 player classes - Faris in 2009 and Chong in 2013. UCONN's biggest team size-wise during Stewie's reign was her senior year - Stewie, Tuck, Jefferson, Chong, Nurse, Williams, SAmuelson, Collier, Stevens, Butler.

You may be right - I don't think it's realistic to think we'd average over 100 PPG but... He's never had a roster of 13 top 20 kids... so it will be interesting to see how it all works out...

 

[JordyG]

Starters
C: Graduate Transfer
F:ONO
F: Walker
SG: Williams
PG: Westbrook

Lol, Coco stirring the pot. Now, if Charli has had enough this year and gets up off her Aston....

 

[soxfan23]

Bueckers, Williams, Griffin, Walker, ONO.

Griffin is a good player, but there is zero chance that she starts over a RS Jr. that averaged 15 and 5 as a sophomore.

 

[JoePgh]

Lol, Coco stirring the pot. Now, if Charli has had enough this year and gets up off her Aston....

With Amari Deberry coming in the 2021 class, I don't think Geno would take Charli Collier even if she were available in the transfer portal. It would just interfere with Amari's and Piath's development.

 

[Monte]

Who starts THIS season? (when it really counts)