Who will be Geno’s starting point guard in the NCAA tournament?

[sun]

I'm not sure why Caroline is a question. She is not a point guard at all!

Because clarifying which others that should be starting on the floor can help folks decide who should be playing PG.
Always having both Paige & Nika on the court together at the same time may be counter-productive.
I doubt very much that Nika would start instead of Paige if neither needs to be on the floor together.
Paige needs to reestablish her groove & the best way may be to give her a longer leash to lead the team with.
She watched for a full year so maybe this year is her time to shine and put it all together as a leader.
The more that Paige needs to share PG the less that she gets to direct & learn how to lead the team to a NC.
She also needs to be able to have fun in order for her to want to stay as long as possible.
She deserves some awards for all of her sacrifices.
Geno will want to surround her with the best players possible, and giving her the most scoring options might also protect her from injury by not letting her handle as much of the scoring pressure if it's not necessary.
Then Nika or KK can sub for Paige, & more effective scorers can develop chemistry with Paige.

 

[DEpup]

I am going to keep typing this and say Nika will be technically the starting PG while Paige will be facilitator in chief.

And I will keep reminding people that UConn has a track record with this.

Sue Bird was the PG but does that mean DT wasn't sharing the duties or somehow less effective because she wasn't the official PG?

Now move on to DT and Maria Conlon and 2 more national championships. Was DT less effective because Maria was technically the PG of record?

Moving on to Chong, Nurse, and Gabby where one could say Gabby was the facilitator in chief but Chong was the PG on paper.

This is nothing new. I will be shocked if the starting guard line up isn't Nika, Azzi, and Paige with Caroline ending up winning 6th man of the year. If healthy, she should average 20+ min a game unless a blow out where Ashlyn, KK, Q and Ines get like a whole 4th quarter to themselves.

 

[sun]

I am going to keep typing this and say Nika will be technically the starting PG while Paige will be facilitator in chief.

And I will keep reminding people that UConn has a track record with this.

You've omitted that in the 2022 NC game against Scar, Paige started the game and Nika didn't.
The box score shows that Paige played 39 minutes and Nika played 16.
It's very clear that Geno favored Paige.
FWIW Carol played 22 minutes scoring 9 points while Nika scored 2.
Nika's PT last year was an anomaly due to so many injuries.

2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

South Carolina 64-49 UConn (Apr 3, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the South Carolina Gamecocks vs. UConn Huskies NCAAW game from April 3, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

 

[Inthepaint]

It's the end of June, 2023 and you want to know who the starting point guard will be in March 2024.

Ridiculous.

Guess now’s the time to be ridiculous

 

[oldhusky]

I'm not sure why Caroline is a question. She is not a point guard at all!

The reason is most of the posters here feel that when Nika and Paige are both in the game at the same time, Nika should be the principle PG, not because she is the better PG but because Paige is the way way better SG. Nika standing in the corner waiting for a wide open three is not a good scenario. She is only effective offensively as a PG.

So once you get past that conclusion that PG Nika and SG or SF Paige is far more effective than the other way around, the decision to start Nika means that Caroline doesn't. If Nika is not going to be the starting PG, then she should not be in the starting lineup. If Caroline is not going to start at SF, she should not be in the starting lineup, although some would consider her at the 4.

The who starts at PG decision is made by who is the third small starter, it is about that simple. Azzi and Paige start in either scenario, Paige starts at the point if Caroline is the third small starter, and Nika starts at the point if she starts instead of Caroline. Paige can play any of the three positions. Where she plays depends on if Nika or Caroline is in the starting lineup.

Who the three starters are at 1-3 is the primary or first decision. The secondary decision if Nika, Paige and Azzi are the three, is who between Nika or Paige plays the point. For that decision there is more of a consensus that because Nika is not a SG, she should be the point, and I believe a confidence that Paige could be very effective at any of the three positions. In prior seasons when together on the court Nika at the point and Paige off the ball has already been demonstrated as the best use of their respective abilities.

 

[Alydar]

In prior seasons when together on the court Nika at the point and Paige off the ball has already been demonstrated as the best use of their respective abilities.

The best use of Bueckers' abilities is at pg. At the 2 she is actually underutilized. She was moved in the past because there was a shortage of scorers. There is no shortage of scorers going into 2023/24 so that reason for moving her no longer exists. Muhl needs to develop her offense. Yes, a non-scoring pg can be very effective as Muhl has shown, but not as effective as Bueckers. And the depth at 2/3 is Fudd, Ducharme, Griffin, Patterson, Shade and Samuels. There is no need to move your best pg elsewhere.

I've already posted this but if Bueckers, Fudd and Muhl rotated at the 1&2 they would each get about 26 min. With all 3 starting, let's see how our front court stands. Edwards, Griffin and Ducharme deserve minutes too and if we give them 26 each there will be zero minutes left at the 4/5 for Brady, El Alfy, Patterson and Deberry. But I guess that isn't as important as having 3 guards in the game.

Most player's skills point them to a position. Sometimes it points them to 2 position or even 3 but there is still one position that best fits their skills. Fudd is likely the best outside shooter on the team and while she has the skills to play pg her best position is shooting guard. Muhl hasn't yet developed her offense to the level needed to play the 2 and she lacks the size for the 3. Her best (and only) position is pg. To start all three Muhl would by necessity be the pg while Bueckers would be moved to the 3 I imagine and then, like dominoes, Griffin would be moved from her best position (3) to the 4 and Edwards would be moved from her best position (4) to the 5. So 3 or even 4 starters would play at their 2nd best position. If UConn plays a 2 guard offense to start games all 5 starters would be at their optimal positions, unless Muhl and Bueckers start.

The reason both Tauasi and Bueckers moved from pg was because there was a shortage of consistent scorers at the 2-5. This coming season it's looking like there will be no shortage of scorers so there is no team need to move Bueckers.

And for the record, Muhl is a fine pg and fully capable to running the show. She just isn't Bueckers.

 

[Bone Dog]

I like having Paige Azzi Caroline as the guards, but if this is the primary setup, the backcourt will lack quickness. This is why I think it makes more sense to start Nika Paige Azzi with Caroline and Aaliyah in the front court. Then Geno can sub to make the basic set up even quicker, or bigger and stronger. This way these are all choices and noting is forced on Geno.

 

[DEpup]

You've omitted that in the 2022 NC game against Scar, Paige started the game and Nika didn't.
The box score shows that Paige played 39 minutes and Nika played 16.
It's very clear that Geno favored Paige.
FWIW Carol played 22 minutes scoring 9 points while Nika scored 2.
Nika's PT last year was an anomaly due to so many injuries.

2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

South Carolina 64-49 UConn (Apr 3, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the South Carolina Gamecocks vs. UConn Huskies NCAAW game from April 3, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

And Nika had a foot injury before that game and that was a while back in her development. 21-22 Nika is not 23-24 Nika.

 

[Alydar]

I like having Paige Azzi Caroline as the guards, but if this is the primary setup, the backcourt will lack quickness. This is why I think it makes more sense to start Nika Paige Azzi with Caroline and Aaliyah in the front court. Then Geno can sub to make the basic set up even quicker, or bigger and stronger. This way these are all choices and noting is forced on Geno.

So a front court of 6'3, 6'2 and 6'? When you have 6'5, 6'4, 6'3 & 6'3 on the team? I know Geno has played small lineups but it's usually been due to necessity. Ducharme and Griffin are both best suited to play the 3 and there are multiple options at both the 4 and 5.

 

[Alydar]

And Nika had a foot injury before that game and that was a while back in her development. 21-22 Nika is not 23-24 Nika.

Nika's foot has bothered her since she arrived. I would expect it will have to be managed this season too and it isn't like past years where players were forced to go 30+ min every game. Taking a game or two off to heal will certain raise the blood pressure on this board the first couple times it happens but that will keep little things from becoming big things. Muhl's foot, Griffin's muscle spasms, Ducharme's head and as we now know, Patterson's knee and Deberry's spine all played a role in last season's NCAA's.

 

[Bone Dog]

So a front court of 6'3, 6'2 and 6'? When you have 6'5, 6'4, 6'3 & 6'3 on the team? I know Geno has played small lineups but it's usually been due to necessity. Ducharme and Griffin are both best suited to play the 3 and there are multiple options at both the 4 and 5.

I think of the front court as the 4 & 5. With Caroline and Aaliyah, that's 6'3" and 6"2. Play the 6'5, 6'4, 6'3 & 6'3 lineup you seem to be indicating and we'll be slow. I think Geno prefers a quick team if he has one. I've mentioned it already elsewhere: although the lineup I'm imagining is likely to be small with respect to some teams, I think it will pose more problems for them than their size does for us. And we can bring in plenty of size as needed. You may prefer starting with the big lineup -- that can make sense too. But I prefer starting the game with our fiercest lineup at both ends of the court. And if Ice or Jana really develop by January, then one of them can start before Caroline.

But until that happens my guess for starting tournament PG is Nika, and the rest of the starting 5 is Paige Azzi Caroline Aaliyah. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of freaking out opponents with a starting 5 driven by Nika on offense and defense... then bringing in the big girls to wear them out in the paint and from the perimeter.

One last thought: others have mentioned Dawn's plan to isolate Nika in order to contain our offense. She understood what made UConn go. Isolating Nika will be a whole lot harder with a healthy Paige and Azzi playing next to her.

 

[sun]

And Nika had a foot injury before that game and that was a while back in her development. 21-22 Nika is not 23-24 Nika.

That's quite an excuse since Paige was not 100% either due to the tibia fracture surgery, yet she played 39 minutes.
Paige was the starting PG because Geno trusts her & wanted her to lead the offense because of her talent, & not due to Nika having a foot injury.

 

[diggerfoot]

Here are the reasons why I would like to bet a large pizza* with the first take in the Connecticut area, that Muhl will be the starting PG come tournament time, with the usual proviso of excepting injuries.

1. Two point guards can start, most famously Bird and Taurasi.
2. The de facto point does not have to be the better of the two, such as Conlon and Taurasi.
3. While who ends the game matters, so does who starts, and Auriemma has shown a preference for starting players who will make few mistakes or surprises, he knows instead what he is getting. An example is starting Doty when injuries prevented her from being what she could have been.
4. For a similar reason Auriemma has started seniors over better players, such as Webber over Sales, or one might argue Chong over Dangerfield.
5. None of these other examples involved a player who was two times Big East DPOY and has set single game and season assist records, with an efficiency that at midseason that was similar to Caitlin Clark’s.

In regards to points 3 and 4, I find that Muhl‘s greatest asset offensively is her decision making. One could argue that Fudd, Ducharme and maybe Arnold can pass just as well, and shoot better, but their A/T hints at making mistakes.

In the same year that Muhl had an A/T ratio near 1.5, Fudd’s was under one. In the game that led others to say “look, Fudd should be the PG,” the Texas game when Muhl was lead guard first half and Fudd lead guard second half, Muhl ended up with 9 assists, 3 turnovers, Fudd with 4 assists, 7 turnovers. In the OSU game when Muhl had that same 4/7 line, Fudd’s was 1/4. And Ducharme’s A/T has been consistently worse than Fudd’s.

So Fudd and Ducharme (or Arnold) may be finishing games instead of Muhl, but a large pizza says that Muhl will start the games both at the beginning and end of the seasons, to start the games with fewer mistakes and surprises for Auriemma.

*Loser pays for the pizza that we share together in BY fellowship.

 

[ballerfan]

I think of the front court as the 4 & 5. With Caroline and Aaliyah, that's 6'3" and 6"2. Play the 6'5, 6'4, 6'3 & 6'3 lineup you seem to be indicating and we'll be slow. I think Geno prefers a quick team if he has one. I've mentioned it already elsewhere: although the lineup I'm imagining is likely to be small with respect to some teams, I think it will pose more problems for them than their size does for us. And we can bring in plenty of size as needed. You may prefer starting with the big lineup -- that can make sense too. But I prefer starting the game with our fiercest lineup at both ends of the court. And if Ice or Jana really develop by January, then one of them can start before Caroline.

But until that happens my guess for starting tournament PG is Nika, and the rest of the starting 5 is Paige Azzi Caroline Aaliyah. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of freaking out opponents with a starting 5 driven by Nika on offense and defense... then bringing in the big girls to wear them out in the paint and from the perimeter.

One last thought: others have mentioned Dawn's plan to isolate Nika in order to contain our offense. She understood what made UConn go. Isolating Nika will be a whole lot harder with a healthy Paige and Azzi playing next to her.

I would be surprised if Caroline were the 4. I understand your reasoning, and it would be a way to have both Nika and Caroline in the starting lineup, but I think it’s unlikely. As several people have said, Nika will be in the starting lineup if she is a better complement than Caroline or any other player to Paige and Azzi.

 

[Alydar]

I would be surprised if Caroline were the 4. I understand your reasoning, and it would be a way to have both Nika and Caroline in the starting lineup, but I think it’s unlikely. As several people have said, Nika will be in the starting lineup if she is a better complement than Caroline or any other player to Paige and Azzi.

Right. You start with Bueckers, Fudd and I would add Edwards. Then you fill the other 2 spots with whomever makes you best. Geno likes is starters to also be the most versitile group, able to execute the entire offense and that usually is why upperclassmen play, but exceptional freshmen have started so it's not chiseled in granite.
I just think that starting all three of your best and really the only experienced guards on the team -

1. leaves Geno with no experienced guards to sub in
2. severely squeezes a bunch of talented front court players into a handful of minutes
3. forces the starting wing, power forward and post to play out of their best position. That's OK during a game but to start you should have all five starters at their most effective position.

 

[BBallF]

Nika. You go with your senior.

 

[sun]

Right. You start with Bueckers, Fudd and I would add Edwards. Then you fill the other 2 spots with whomever makes you best. Geno likes is starters to also be the most versitile group, able to execute the entire offense and that usually is why upperclassmen play, but exceptional freshmen have started so it's not chiseled in granite.
I just think that starting all three of your best and really the only experienced guards on the team -

1. leaves Geno with no experienced guards to sub in
2. severely squeezes a bunch of talented front court players into a handful of minutes
3. forces the starting wing, power forward and post to play out of their best position. That's OK during a game but to start you should have all five starters at their most effective position.

I think that you're on the right track because there needs to be logical subs and perhaps based on the match ups, their aliments & the recent performances of each player.
I can see Ice starting along with either Carol or Aubrey.
Aubrey is a superior athlete & can provide both offense & defense while Carol can sub for Azzi or Aubrey & Nika can sub for Paige,
All of the others will need to earn Geno's trust & PT with their performances over the course of the season.

 

[oldhusky]

There are a couple of ways the substitution pattern could be accomplished. One would maximize the minutes of whoever doesn't start between Nika and Caroline, giving that player around 20 minutes a game. That involves a tight 4 player rotation for positions 1-3, where substitutions have to be timed very precisely. The ability to substitute for specific needs and game situations is largely sacrificed to get that 4th guard plenty of minutes.

If Caroline is that bench star she could come in for Nika, Azzi or Paige. Regardless of who comes out she goes in as the 3, and Paige moves around to make it work. The same is true if Nika is the first off the bench, she could come in for any of the three, but she would then play the 1 and Paige would move. The benefits are the 4th best player at those positions gets lots of minutes and Nika, Azzi and Caroline can be used almost exclusively at their best position. Paige would play some at all three and her versatility would make it possible.

Another scenario might be group subs, where you could take out all three starters at 1-3 at the same time and maybe deploy a full court press with the fresh players. KK, Ashlynn and Aubrey could be an exciting unit for that purpose and of course either Nika or Caroline would be available for that first substitution as well. If we press a great deal and evolve into a deep rotation that could be attractive.

Regardless as long as you have some multi position players, there is nothing wrong with bringing in a 1 for a 3 or visa versa etc.. Paige being great at 1-3, and Aubrey a good 3/4 option gives us many options, Caroline to a certain degree as a 3/4and apparently our big newcomers Ice and Jana could be versatile between the 5 and 4 as well.

I prefer Nika to start, but beyond the starters we have great options due to our depth and some players versatility. If we want to maximize the minutes of our first couple of bench stars, we can do that, or we could broaden the rotation particularly if we press more, but doing so will reduce the minutes of our 6th and 7th players to give more time to a potential 8th 9th or 10th.

I figure the first two off the bench will be from Nika, Caroline and Aubrey, with one of those starting and the other two being 6th and 7th in minutes. The other 7 are fighting to earn playing time. One of the new bigs is likely to start at the 5, with another big backup making the minimum rotation likely to be at least 8, and the max perhaps being 11.

 

[Bone Dog]

and Nika, Azzi and Caroline can be used almost exclusively at their best position.

Nice post, @oldhusky. You raise an interesting question. What exactly is Caroline’s best position? We often call her a guard, but I think that’s using the term loosely. I tend to think of her as a small forward, though that term is not a perfect fit either. She’s slow for a 1 or a 2 and though she’s tall enough to play the 4 she’s not as strong as many power forwards. She can be a clutch perimeter shooter but is not as reliable as Azzi or Paige.

In a positionless offense Caroline may be, ironically, the positionless player. You really want her on the court in some capacity because she’s long and really canny, she blocks shots and has crafty post moves. She’s a ball hawk who knows how to turn a steal or a rebound into a transition outlet pass as quickly as anyone.

You can’t put her at pg but you may need her to break the press occasionally. At the end of games, if the defense takes away Paige and Azzi you want to be able to inbound the ball to her and let her work some magic. Her perimeter shooting accuracy isn’t a perfect fit for a wing, but she has dropped a lot of clutch daggers from there.

Aubrey presents a similar sort of puzzle. At 6’0” she’s not as tall as Caroline but she’s much quicker. She’s a leaper who can get to more rebounds and is really crafty at positioning for boards. You don’t want her handling the ball too much, but she’s the consummate slasher to the rim. And she can break a press in a pinch. She can shoot the 3 but this is clearly not her strength. And she’s quick enough to defend and disrupt opposing point guards. So she’s not exactly a guard or a forward but you really want her on the floor whenever possible. Her energy is really disruptive to opponents at both ends of the floor. And she runs the floor like a gazelle, which means when she’s in the game a transition layup is always a threat. But if you start her, or ask her to play 30+ mins, she’s not as effective at any of these things.

Caroline and Aubrey are players you absolutely want on the floor. The only question is where and when. They are both great “6th women” because they can change the direction of a game. Of the two, I think it makes more sense to start Caroline and bring Aubrey in off the bench. In part this is because I see Caroline as a better offensive player. I also think a smaller lineup is a good format for us. But I can also see the value of starting with a bigger lineup, especially once Ice or Jana has proven themselves. And even though she’s not taller than Caroline, Ayanna can play bigger. So she could start instead as well.

 

[hoophuskee]

Here are the reasons why I would like to bet a large pizza* with the first take in the Connecticut area, that Muhl will be the starting PG come tournament time, with the usual proviso of excepting injuries.

1. Two point guards can start, most famously Bird and Taurasi.
2. The de facto point does not have to be the better of the two, such as Conlon and Taurasi.
3. While who ends the game matters, so does who starts, and Auriemma has shown a preference for starting players who will make few mistakes or surprises, he knows instead what he is getting. An example is starting Doty when injuries prevented her from being what she could have been.
4. For a similar reason Auriemma has started seniors over better players, such as Webber over Sales, or one might argue Chong over Dangerfield.
5. None of these other examples involved a player who was two times Big East DPOY and has set single game and season assist records, with an efficiency that at midseason that was similar to Caitlin Clark’s.

In regards to points 3 and 4, I find that Muhl‘s greatest asset offensively is her decision making. One could argue that Fudd, Ducharme and maybe Arnold can pass just as well, and shoot better, but their A/T hints at making mistakes.

In the same year that Muhl had an A/T ratio near 1.5, Fudd’s was under one. In the game that led others to say “look, Fudd should be the PG,” the Texas game when Muhl was lead guard first half and Fudd lead guard second half, Muhl ended up with 9 assists, 3 turnovers, Fudd with 4 assists, 7 turnovers. In the OSU game when Muhl had that same 4/7 line, Fudd’s was 1/4. And Ducharme’s A/T has been consistently worse than Fudd’s.

So Fudd and Ducharme (or Arnold) may be finishing games instead of Muhl, but a large pizza says that Muhl will start the games both at the beginning and end of the seasons, to start the games with fewer mistakes and surprises for Auriemma.

*Loser pays for the pizza that we share together in BY fellowship.

I love this post!! Pertaining specifically to the NCAA Tourney, is if Arnold is going to start in NCAA's then something has gone terribly wrong but as you say Muhl will start by playoff time and you never said KK would start at playoffs. I think it would be a disaster and yet 3.2% voted for her/ so they think so. And as bballf implies similarly, Nika has the experience of a senior. In other words, an implication of "less mistakes." Unless someone thinks she is a mistake driven player and looks to use one basketball game as a case in point or disregard the minutes she had to play with a depleted lineup then imo it's a shallow argument. Anyhow, this team has "home run hitters."

My expectation is that UCONN is going to be undefeated IF they are healthy going into the Tourney. I'd bet a large pizza on that but there are too many caveats to make that a viable bet., But if this were to happen, and we have a strong idea that Nika will start as pg to begin the season, if they go undefeated, are they really going to pull Nika from the starting lineup? OFC its possible and she could be tanking at end of season too, but highly doubtful. But with that said, Geno has had guards start a game only to be replaced quickly if needed early on such as Caroline Doty in 2012-2013 season. He still started her. He even pulled her after 3 minutes in the FF, and two games before that in the S16. And only played 13 minutes in the E8 and Finals.

And anyone suggesting Paige isn't being utilized at her fullest if you play her only as a pg is flat out wrong. Paige's strength is her versatility. She can play the pg and Wing seamlessly. If she is a Wing it's only in "name only." She is also "THE PG." It doesn’t mean others can't contribute being a PG or a Wing and only Paige is IT.

Adn as for Nika - she is so disrespected here. Anyone suggesting KK Arnold is going to beat her out of the starting spot must believe Nika is going to totally collapse. Let’s remind anyone what Caitlyn Clark said during the game about Nika this year in which Nika was defending- regading Clark's comments to start the 4th quarter; To paraphrase: Let's let the below coment but especially the capitalized bold words sink in from last' year's best player in wcbb. After all it’s so easy when you are so athletic to defend that even South Carolina can do it? – ummm Ohhhh that’s right. umm that's not true . . .


"Someone get this kid out of my face. . . I NEED HELP!!!!"

 

[sun]

"Someone get this kid out of my face. . . I NEED HELP!!!!"

What's interesting is that UConn played Iowa twice in the past 2 years.
Last year when Nika played 40 minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 7 points with Clark scoring 25.
In 2021 when Nika did not play any minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 20 points with Clark scoring 21.
Clark actually scored more points when Nika played & guarded her.
UConn scored more points when Nika didn't play at all & Paige was the PG & played 37 minutes.

2022 box score:

UConn 86-79 Iowa (Nov 27, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from November 27, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

2021 box score:

UConn 92-72 Iowa (Mar 27, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from March 27, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

 

[Bone Dog]

What's interesting is that UConn played Iowa twice in the past 2 years.
Last year when Nika played 40 minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 7 points with Clark scoring 25.
In 2021 when Nika did not play any minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 20 points with Clark scoring 21.
Clark actually scored more points when Nika played & guarded her.
UConn scored more points when Nika didn't play at all & Paige was the PG & played 37 minutes.

2022 box score:

UConn 86-79 Iowa (Nov 27, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from November 27, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

2021 box score:

UConn 92-72 Iowa (Mar 27, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from March 27, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Interesting indeed, though probably not in the way you mean. Notice any other differences between those two games? Oh heck, I'll just tell you. No Dorka in the last game. It was another one of those shorthanded games, and in this one Aaliyah had no backup. Now let's think about the meaning of that fact.

The common thread in both games is that someone played shutdown defense on Caitlin. In the earlier game, Christyn and Evina held Caitlin to 7-21 shooting while Christyn scored 27 herself on 12-23 shooting. In the next game, it was Nika who held Caitlin to 9-24 shooting. It's also worth observing that Evina shared PG duties with Paige and especially in the transition game, because Nika was out with an ankle injury. And Evina also had a great offensive game, 7-9 shooting, and 3-5 from beyond the arc... and Evina was just one rebound short of a triple double.

My point is the difference between these two games isn't Nika. In the first game, Paige had a flat first half and came on in the second half, while Evina and Christyn both had one of the best games of their careers. In the second game, Azzi came out flat in the first half and then shot the lights out in the second half, and Caroline added 15 pts on 5-11 shooting and 3-6 from 3. If you ask me, Nika kept Caitlin in check until our big guns could put the second game away. And her 13 assists played a big role in the win just as Evina's 10 assists had in the previous game.

My conclusion: Nika was the indispensable player in the second game, as I expect she'll be in many games this coming season.

 

[hoophuskee]

What's interesting is that UConn played Iowa twice in the past 2 years.
Last year when Nika played 40 minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 7 points with Clark scoring 25.
In 2021 when Nika did not play any minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 20 points with Clark scoring 21.
Clark actually scored more points when Nika played & guarded her.
UConn scored more points when Nika didn't play at all & Paige was the PG & played 37 minutes.

2022 box score:

UConn 86-79 Iowa (Nov 27, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from November 27, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

2021 box score:

UConn 92-72 Iowa (Mar 27, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from March 27, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Wow. -- just wow.

 

[#12in21]

What's interesting is that UConn played Iowa twice in the past 2 years.
Last year when Nika played 40 minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 7 points with Clark scoring 25.
In 2021 when Nika did not play any minutes, UConn beat Iowa by 20 points with Clark scoring 21.
Clark actually scored more points when Nika played & guarded her.
UConn scored more points when Nika didn't play at all & Paige was the PG & played 37 minutes.

2022 box score:

UConn 86-79 Iowa (Nov 27, 2022) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from November 27, 2022 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

2021 box score:

UConn 92-72 Iowa (Mar 27, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the UConn Huskies vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAW game from March 27, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Believe what you want to believe but I'm going to take Caitlin's frustration at Nika's defense at face value (possibly pun intended). Couple that with the collective opinion of the the BE coaches who chose Nika back to back years as BE DPOY and what I've seen with my own eyes and I will have to respectfully disagree.

 

[#12in21]

Believe what you want to believe but I'm going to take Caitlin's frustration at Nika's defense at face value (possibly pun intended). Couple that with the collective opinion of the the BE coaches who chose Nika back to back years as BE DPOY and what I've seen with my own eyes and I will have to respectfully disagree.

A continuation of my thoughts. One aspect of Nika's game I would have thought that we could have general consensus on is her ability to play defense (but perhaps not.....). Most of the discussion in this chain (and the earlier one that was locked) in regards to what Nika brings as a starter centers on her scoring (or lack there of) as compared to other player options. But little or no weight seems to be given to what she brings on the defensive end. The game is played on both ends - this isn't football where the offensive unit runs off and the defensive unit comes in.

Some comments on the offensive end. Prior to this season a chief concern (which some posters continue to bring up), in regards to Nika being on the court, was that the defense would play off of her and double team others. I think this past season has shown that that is not the case. She upped her scoring numbers, drives to the hoop and drawn fouls while leading the nation for almost the entire season in assists and the defense covered her at all times and in the occasional instances that they left a little space she took the shot or drove to the basket. Look at the numbers and see what you find between combined scoring and assists as to where Nika fell in the teams offensive production. You may also want to ponder why in the 24th game of the season Dawn Staley made it the teams focus to take the ball out of Nika's hands. It doesn't seem that in her analysis of our first 23 games she concluded that they could just lay off Nika and double the scorers.

How many shots do you really want her (or whomever would start in her place) taking when she is on the floor with Paige, Azzi and Aaliyah and who ever the fifth starter is? With her main focuses being on shared leadership, defense, ball handling and feeding her teammates she will likely be the fourth or fifth scoring option, which she has shown she will be more than capable of delivering on. We aren't looking to field an all star team, we want to put on the floor the most effective combination of players, so it isn't all just about scoring as to who gets the nod.

Aaliyah rightly so was selected as the BE most improved player but the kid wearing #10 made huge strides in what she brought to the table for her team during an outstanding junior campaign. She was challenged by Geno preseason and delivered in spades and along the way put her name in the record book in a few places. She may have come to Uconn as a perceived backup or role player but has matured into a very unique piece of what should be a championship roster.

 

[Alydar]

Believe what you want to believe but I'm going to take Caitlin's frustration at Nika's defense at face value (possibly pun intended). Couple that with the collective opinion of the the BE coaches who chose Nika back to back years as BE DPOY and what I've seen with my own eyes and I will have to respectfully disagree.

There are those who think the DPOY award should have gone to Griffin this past season. That's perhaps why I like having both of them coming off the bench to cool off any hot opposing players.

 

[sun]

Take a look at 5' 10" LSU freshman Flau Jae Johnson.
She started every game for LSU, & Reese credited her for playing tremendous defense all season long including in the NC game.
She also scored 10 points in the NC game, and was named 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year.
A lot of players can play good defense including freshman.
Flau Jae proves that a freshman can make a huge difference towards winning a NC.
She played 36 minutes in the NC game & now she's a big star all because Kim trusted her enough to let her play.

Flau’jae Johnson

lsusports.net

 

[hoophuskee]

Take a look at 5' 10" LSU freshman Flau Jae Johnson.
She started every game for LSU, & Reese credited her for playing tremendous defense all season long including in the NC game.
She also scored 10 points in the NC game, and was named 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year.
A lot of players can play good defense including freshman.
Flau Jae proves that a freshman can make a huge difference towards winning a NC.
She played 36 minutes in the NC game & now she's a big star all because Kim trusted her enough to let her play.

Flau’jae Johnson

lsusports.net

Just wow - yet again.

 

[hoophuskee]

A continuation of my thoughts. One aspect of Nika's game I would have thought that we could have general consensus on is her ability to play defense (but perhaps not.....). Most of the discussion in this chain (and the earlier one that was locked) in regards to what Nika brings as a starter centers on her scoring (or lack there of) as compared to other player options. But little or no weight seems to be given to what she brings on the defensive end. The game is played on both ends - this isn't football where the offensive unit runs off and the defensive unit comes in.

Some comments on the offensive end. Prior to this season a chief concern (which some posters continue to bring up), in regards to Nika being on the court, was that the defense would play off of her and double team others. I think this past season has shown that that is not the case. She upped her scoring numbers, drives to the hoop and drawn fouls while leading the nation for almost the entire season in assists and the defense covered her at all times and in the occasional instances that they left a little space she took the shot or drove to the basket. Look at the numbers and see what you find between combined scoring and assists as to where Nika fell in the teams offensive production. You may also want to ponder why in the 24th game of the season Dawn Staley made it the teams focus to take the ball out of Nika's hands. It doesn't seem that in her analysis of our first 23 games she concluded that they could just lay off Nika and double the scorers.

How many shots do you really want her (or whomever would start in her place) taking when she is on the floor with Paige, Azzi and Aaliyah and who ever the fifth starter is? With her main focuses being on shared leadership, defense, ball handling and feeding her teammates she will likely be the fourth or fifth scoring option, which she has shown she will be more than capable of delivering on. We aren't looking to field an all star team, we want to put on the floor the most effective combination of players, so it isn't all just about scoring as to who gets the nod.

Aaliyah rightly so was selected as the BE most improved player but the kid wearing #10 made huge strides in what she brought to the table for her team during an outstanding junior campaign. She was challenged by Geno preseason and delivered in spades and along the way put her name in the record book in a few places. She may have come to Uconn as a perceived backup or role player but has matured into a very unique piece of what should be a championship roster.

She'll be the starting pg for the NCAA as long as UCONN continues to win along with as long as she can hit her shot to about the same numbers, or unless someone else such as Caroline is playing so great that Geno has to make a change.

I really love senior leadership.

I'm also looking forward to how Gneo expects to press between during the season and then for the NCAA's. As you say, it's not all about Offense.

 

[From France]

Who knows who will be available when march comes ??????

My current Prediction would be 1. Nika 2.Paige