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

[Alydar]

If its a fastbreak then why is it a 3 on 3 and not a 3 on 2? Isn't a fastbreak done because of an advantage in numbers?

So, assume it's 3 on 3 and UCONN is pushing pace and it's not really though a fastbreak then why would you want your worst scorer to attack the basket and not give the ball to Paige or Azzi instead? You're encouraging taking the ball out of not one but both of our superstars hands when the floor is open if it's a 3 on 3. How is that smart basketball?

To further that, if this is a 3-on-3, and Paige and Azzi are being face-guarded, to the point Nika is coming forward at the top of the key, how pathetic must Paige and Azzi's off-ball movement be that neither one of them can make a backdoor cut? At least 1 shoudl break free. You’re making it sound like the defenders guarding Paige and Azzi on the Wing are elite stoppers. It's understanadable with one -- but BOTH? - Neither one is incapable of breaking free to even receive a pass in a not fastbreak situation but with the floor that wide open? ?

UCONN is not playing WNBA teams. To suggest that on a 3 on 3 in the open court that not one but TWO defenders could shut down Paige and Azzi to receive a pass when the floor is that open is really really stretching reaility.

In a 3 guard setup one of them will have to be a rebounder. Add to that that Griffin, the best transition player on the team IMO, will not be in any transition plays because she will have been under the defensive glass instead of outside where she is most effective.

What is it about the 3 guard offense that Bueckers and Fudd alone can't do? With all due respect to Muhl's ability she's the member of the starting 5 that is needed least. Everything she brings is already a part of both Fudd's and Bueckers' skill sets. I think that 2 of those three will be on the court most of every game, but in rotation where all 3 can be kept fresh. Until another guard shows the coaches they are ready to play at a championship-level, those three are the only guards Geno trusts. There is just too much talent along the front line to keep all three on the court together.

 

[hoophuskee]

In a 3 guard setup one of them will have to be a rebounder. Add to that that Griffin, the best transition player on the team IMO, will not be in any transition plays because she will have been under the defensive glass instead of outside where she is most effective.

What is it about the 3 guard offense that Bueckers and Fudd alone can't do? With all due respect to Muhl's ability she's the member of the starting 5 that is needed least. Everything she brings is already a part of both Fudd's and Bueckers' skill sets. I think that 2 of those three will be on the court most of every game, but in rotation where all 3 can be kept fresh. Until another guard shows the coaches they are ready to play at a championship-level, those three are the only guards Geno trusts. There is just too much talent along the front line to keep all three on the court together.

No – and I don't agree with your entire context. First off no - one of them does not have to be a rebounder. There are 5 rebounders on the team. Not just from the 1-3 positions. Secondly, UCONN is going to be pressing. And I have voted in the past to have Aubry as the PF starting, so, in some cases UCONN will turn the other team over. I favor UCONN to press when they can. IMO most do. And imo the best pressing team includes Nika and Aubrey together from the start. Having Nika and Aubrey in that should be a fine press. Third, I favor UCONN play up tempo all the time. Not trying to, be forced to match a big team, - but rather force them to match to UCONN. Not play to a big team's slugfest style. But have UCONN impose their will on the other team. As a result, even after made baskets, UCONN pushes the ball up the court. UCONN would probably have the more explosive team than the big teams, so why not use the guards to keep pushing and pushing pace? Fifth, it appears I hold Paige Bueckers versatility in a much higher regard than you and others that want to be so focused on rebounding.


And this leads to the 2nd part I disagree with from your post. I don't agree with your point that Aubrey is the best player on the team in transition. IMO without a doubt it's Paige hands down. Aubrey in transition on offense main value is scoring on a layup from passes by others. She needs the guards to set her up. And she doesn’t shoot well nor does she pass well. So, who would we rather have the ball passed to in transition - Paige or Aubrey? And yes, defensively Aubrey is better but again the transition to offense Paige is far more impactful even when the ball isn't in her hands or if she is 50 feet etc. from the basket. Aubrey’s impact on defense can't come close to that. Which is why I have said/implied to you and others that you vastly underrate the greatness of Paige Bueckers. She is so much better at the Wing than you and others give her credit for.

And you're asking the wrong question pertaining to Muhl v Aubrey as the starter if Aubrey is the Wing vs Nika as the pg. The answer is that Nika makes things easier for both Paige and Azzi to score. And UCONN wants them to score and score as the preferred strategy. Adn while we're at it, as you speak about Aubrey being terrific in transition, well of course now that we have her starting at the PF, now she becomes even much more of a threat on the secondary fastbreak vs other big teams. The point is that UCONN can still run a lot with Aubrey at the PF. And as she’s the secondary break there are 3 super passers potentially waiting for her if she is available for a layup, and she can easily outrun the big team’s pf. Vs many top teams.

Now back to the thread. The NCAA Tourney is one-and-done. Why would anyone that is a UCONN fan want Paige to be more of a passer than a scorer? The risk of losing and passing the ball to lss efficient scorers than her in which the games are “do-or-die” makes very little sense (unless CD is on a roll or someone else is. To further that, UCONN will not plan to play one player basketball like Iowa.). And if the game is an awful matchup, then Geno isn’t dumb. For the one game, he’ll make the adjustment.

 

[oldhusky]

If its a fastbreak then why is it a 3 on 3 and not a 3 on 2? Isn't a fastbreak done because of an advantage in numbers?

So, assume it's 3 on 3 and UCONN is pushing pace and it's not really though a fastbreak then why would you want your worst scorer to attack the basket and not give the ball to Paige or Azzi instead? You're encouraging taking the ball out of not one but both of our superstars hands when the floor is open if it's a 3 on 3. How is that smart basketball?

To further that, if this is a 3-on-3, and Paige and Azzi are being face-guarded, to the point Nika is coming forward at the top of the key, how pathetic must Paige and Azzi's off-ball movement be that neither one of them can make a backdoor cut? At least 1 shoudl break free. You’re making it sound like the defenders guarding Paige and Azzi on the Wing are elite stoppers. It's understanadable with one -- but BOTH? - Neither one is incapable of breaking free to even receive a pass in a not fastbreak situation but with the floor that wide open? ?

UCONN is not playing WNBA teams. To suggest that on a 3 on 3 in the open court that not one but TWO defenders could shut down Paige and Azzi to receive a pass when the floor is that open is really really stretching reaility.

Expanding on why a fast break is frequently 3 on 2, not just 3 on 3. I think some posters forget that no Uconn player comes remotely close to Nika's ability to turn a 3 on 3 into 3 on 2. By relentlessly pushing the pace, how many times does she pass opposing players before even getting to halfcourt, in essence creating a mismatch at the other end?

Both Paige and Nika advance the ball upcourt via long pass very well, but only Nika pushes the pace hard with the dribble.

 

[Alydar]

Expanding on why a fast break is frequently 3 on 2, not just 3 on 3. I think some posters forget that no Uconn player comes remotely close to Nika's ability to turn a 3 on 3 into 3 on 2. By relentlessly pushing the pace, how many times does she pass opposing players before even getting to halfcourt, in essence creating a mismatch at the other end?

Both Paige and Nika advance the ball upcourt via long pass very well, but only Nika pushes the pace hard with the dribble.

Both Bueckers and Griffin are faster down the court than Muhl. When Griffin was out Geno said that Bueckers won all the races but that Griffin was the fastest. Muhl's name wasn't even mentioned.

It's fine to love Muhl and want her to succeed but your devotion to Muhl is disrespectful to the unworldly talents of Bueckers & Fudd and to other UConn players. Muhl would be the starting pg on about every team in the country, except the team that Bueckers is on. When she did start with Bueckers at the 2 Geno said it was because her passing was being wasted on mediocre shooters. That is not the situation going into 2024. There are multiple scoring targets for Bueckers to pass to. Muhl is an amazing player and proved it when both starting guards were injured and unable to play. Now those starting guards are healthy and both of them are NPOY candidates.
Geno will start the five who give the team the most versatility. Three guards is not only redundant, it forces other players to be placed at positions not best suited to their skills. Griffin is a 3 who is a better 2 than a 4. The only reason you want to start Muhl as a third guard is an emotional one. If either Fudd or Bueckers were unavailable then Muhl is a marvelously talented pg to have but healthy, Bueckers and Fudd can handle everything, especially scoring, which is the hole in Muhl's offensive game.

 

[Alydar]

Now back to the thread. The NCAA Tourney is one-and-done. Why would anyone that is a UCONN fan want Paige to be more of a passer than a scorer? The risk of losing and passing the ball to lss efficient scorers than her in which the games are “do-or-die” makes very little sense (unless CD is on a roll or someone else is. To further that, UCONN will not plan to play one player basketball like Iowa.). And if the game is an awful matchup, then Geno isn’t dumb. For the one game, he’ll make the adjustment.

Muhl beat Bueckers' 14 assist record with 15, beating her by 1. When Bueckers had 14 assists in a game she also scored 20 points and that is why Muhl is redundant. Bueckers can lead the team in both scoring and assists while Muhl can't.

 

[hoophuskee]

Muhl beat Bueckers' 14 assist record with 15, beating her by 1. When Bueckers had 14 assists in a game she also scored 20 points and that is why Muhl is redundant. Bueckers can lead the team in both scoring and assists while Muhl can't.

It's why she is not reduntdant becuase there are more than 1 player on a basketbal team allowed to accumlate assists.

 

[Alydar]

It's why she is not redundant because there are more than 1 player on a basketbal team allowed to accumlate assists.

The problem is that there are other roles on the team that need attention. Like a post and a wing. This is where you say "Bueckers can play the wing" and I say why? Bueckers may be the best wing (or else Fudd is) but she is also the best pg. Pg is where she can most fully use her skills and the candidates at wing are also proven starters.

 

[hoophuskee]

The problem is that there are other roles on the team that need attention. Like a post and a wing. This is where you say "Bueckers can play the wing" and I say why? Bueckers may be the best wing (or else Fudd is) but she is also the best pg. Pg is where she can most fully use her skills and the candidates at wing are also proven starters.

You continually disrespect Paige Bueckers. Calling her "a problem" at the Wing when she is undoubtedly the best Wing in all of college basketball when healthy is wrong. Maybe you didn’t; mean she is a problem but then why say my suggestion of having Paige at the Wing is a problem? Let’s face it; It is not a problem. Paige is so much better than you give her credit for.

And to suggest that she can't fully utilize her talents when her best talent is her versatility is so wrong too. How you can think her passing the ball as an option to for example Aubrey when Aubrey at the Wing when she is 25 feet from the basket in a halfcourt set vs Nika passing the ball to Paige 25 feet from the basket is as you put it not utilizing her talents imo is wrong.

And just fyi - Nika is a proven starter too. So why you think it relevant another proven starter is more important at Wing when Paige is the best player at Wing is insulting to Nika and again so so disrespectful to Paige’s greatness.

Take a step back and realize that if healthy Paige is the best Wing in all of hoop and you're trying to say that her talents aren't best utilized at the Wing???? Didn’t you see her frosh year vs South Carolina (btw Nika was the pg)? Let’s stop massivley underrating Paige’s versatility. .

Thanks for the discussion. You can have last word for this for this thread. I appreciate our back-and-forths as being civil with you and others. Thanks to all.

 

[#12in21]

Muhl beat Bueckers' 14 assist record with 15, beating her by 1. When Bueckers had 14 assists in a game she also scored 20 points and that is why Muhl is redundant. Bueckers can lead the team in both scoring and assists while Muhl can't.

Just curious is there a better player on the team to assist on Paige's baskets? Wouldn't it be beneficial to have another elite passer on the floor who is able to feed Paige as well as Azzi ( not to mention Aaliyah and whom ever else is on the court) rather than just having Paige feeding Azzi and someone else on the wing who is an inferior shooter and can't create their own space to get off their shot (in comparison to Paige's ability to do so)? Freshman year in an interview Paige credited Nika for screening for her and giving her great lead passes to set up many of her buckets. That was freshman Nika she was talking about, Nika is at an entirely different level now and I can only imagine that she can't wait to set up her slime for some many shots.

Whose constantly pushing pace and harrassing the ball handler when the opponents come down court in your scenario? Does Paige need to do those as well as lead the team in scoring and assists? Nika has shown she is a great complimentary player to Paige, Azzi, Aaliyah, Aubrey and Caroline and beyond that has all of their respect as a voice they listen to and someone they have all at one point or another credited as the energy feeder. Geno has said several times in different season that the team is better with Nika on the floor. So my question to you is which one player has shown they are going to do all that Nika does better than Nika?

edit: I was typing as Hoophuskee was so some of my points clearly reflect his expressed viewpoint

 

[ballerfan]

It still comes down to which guard best complements Paige and Azzi, the definite starters along with Aaliyah. Is it Nika Paige Azzi, Paige Azzi Caroline, Paige Azzi Aubrey, Paige Azzi Freshman surprise? My bet is initially Nika and later Caroline, but I don’t know. Geno will decide.

 

[diggerfoot]

My rationale for Muhl starting draws from different factors utilized by @Alydar and @hoophuskee in his latest rebuttal, yet I think the latter hit the nail on the head if that is to be the rationale one uses. Bueckers can be the best PG, SG or SF in the country, so the comparison rationale is between whether Muhl makes a better PG or Griffin, et al, makes a better SF (assuming that Fudd makes a better SG and excluding that from debate).

I actually think that rationale will not be the main driver of who starts, but my rationale combining historical precedents and current chemistry does have Muhl starting. Bet a pizza anyone? @Alydar ?

 

[Alydar]

Just curious is there a better player on the team to assist on Paige's baskets? Wouldn't it be beneficial to have another elite passer on the floor who is able to feed Paige as well as Azzi ( not to mention Aaliyah and whom ever else is on the court) rather than just having Paige feeding Azzi and someone else on the wing who is an inferior shooter and can't create their own space to get off their shot (in comparison to Paige's ability to do so)? Freshman year in an interview Paige credited Nika for screening for her and giving her great lead passes to set up many of her buckets. That was freshman Nika she was talking about, Nika is at an entirely different level now and I can only imagine that she can't wait to set up her slime for some many shots.

Whose constantly pushing pace and harrassing the ball handler when the opponents come down court in your scenario? Does Paige need to do those as well as lead the team in scoring and assists? Nika has shown she is a great complimentary player to Paige, Azzi, Aaliyah, Aubrey and Caroline and beyond that has all of their respect as a voice they listen to and someone they have all at one point or another credited as the energy feeder. Geno has said several times in different season that the team is better with Nika on the floor. So my question to you is which one player has shown they are going to do all that Nika does better than Nika?

edit: I was typing as Hoophuskee was so some of my points clearly reflect his expressed viewpoint

Muhl does a lot of things extremely well, however the team is filled with players that do a lot of things very well so using that to justify Muhl starting is not good enough. It's just a rationalization and ignores the rest of the talent. The truth is that Bueckers is better than Muhl at any phase of the game. Some simply say "move Bueckers somewhere else". I say why? There are highly skilled players, just as valuable as Muhl at every position, and several of the players can play multiple positions which allows both the offense and the defense to rotate assignments. Bueckers & Fudd are highly skilled at the 1-3. Griffin can play 2-4. Edwards can play 3-5. One player who is not versatile is Muhl. She has one position. And that alone is enough to bring her off the bench.
Some seem to think this is some kind of insult but they have no problem telling 4 posts that they have to share 40 minutes/game in order to keep 2 pg's on the court. That makes no sense.

 

[Bone Dog]

In her first two seasons, Nika was a role player and a defensive specialist. Just another cog on the team. Last season, Nika became the indispensable player. The personality of the team, the shape of its attack on O and D, was determined by her. When she went down with an injury, the team looked lost. When she returned, the team regained its composure.

This is the quality Geno will want from her. Perhaps it’ll be enough to have this quality coming off the bench. But I suspect Geno will want Nika to set the tone at the beginning of every game.

 

[#12in21]

Muhl does a lot of things extremely well, however the team is filled with players that do a lot of things very well so using that to justify Muhl starting is not good enough. It's just a rationalization and ignores the rest of the talent. The truth is that Bueckers is better than Muhl at any phase of the game. Some simply say "move Bueckers somewhere else". I say why? There are highly skilled players, just as valuable as Muhl at every position, and several of the players can play multiple positions which allows both the offense and the defense to rotate assignments. Bueckers & Fudd are highly skilled at the 1-3. Griffin can play 2-4. Edwards can play 3-5. One player who is not versatile is Muhl. She has one position. And that alone is enough to bring her off the bench.
Some seem to think this is some kind of insult but they have no problem telling 4 posts that they have to share 40 minutes/game in order to keep 2 pg's on the court. That makes no sense.

To you it clearly makes no sense, to others it does. There is no other player on this team that holds any Uconn single season records, Nika has atleast three. There is no other player that has been the BE DPOY once, Nika has been back to back. No other player on this team has started more games than Nika. It's a given that a healthy Paige is an overall better player than any one on the team and arguably the best option at the 1, 2 or 3 if the measure is pure talent. Paige is significantly better than either Caroline or Aubrey at the three than she is Nika at the one in the context of this team. Paige has outperformed both Caroline and Aubrey in terms of scoring. It is arguably true that she may be better than Nika at racking up assists, defense, pushing pace and in her constant motor but that hasn't been demonstrated as of yet.

This team has several great scoring options but has only two great passing options. To have Paige as the only great passer thus effectively reducing her scoring potential rather than have two great passers on the floor and effectively increasing Paige's scoring potential in a fast paced motion offense, makes little sense. You want to maximize your best potential and Nika demonstrated this past season that she does what she does best better than either Caroline or Aubrey performed at a level of what they do best. She was clearly more valuable to the teams success than either of them and until they prove otherwise she is the best option among them to start.

Nika's talents lend themselves to how we want to play this season. On the offensive end we want to to have a fast moving motion offense, on the defensive end we want to apply constant pressure on the opponent not allowing them to quickly get into or run their sets while hopefully turning them over at a significant rate allowing us to get transition baskets. With the roster we have it appears we have the talent to play this kind of game. If all works as hoped, we should be able to control the tempo of the game on both ends while using significantly more effective substituting to allow us to do that. Nika is literally tailor-made to serve our needs to push pace in a fast paced motion offense and to be the head of the snake on a pressure defense. Establishing how the game will be played needs to happen from the opening tip. Nika is clearly the better person among the three of Caroline, Aubrey and herself to do this and that is why she should start.

 

[Alydar]

To you it clearly makes no sense, to others it does. There is no other player on this team that holds any Uconn single season records, Nika has atleast three. There is no other player that has been the BE DPOY once, Nika has been back to back. No other player on this team has started more games than Nika. It's a given that a healthy Paige is an overall better player than any one on the team and arguably the best option at the 1, 2 or 3 if the measure is pure talent. Paige is significantly better than either Caroline or Aubrey at the three than she is Nika at the one in the context of this team. Paige has outperformed both Caroline and Aubrey in terms of scoring. It is arguably true that she may be better than Nika at racking up assists, defense, pushing pace and in her constant motor but that hasn't been demonstrated as of yet.

This team has several great scoring options but has only two great passing options. To have Paige as the only great passer thus effectively reducing her scoring potential rather than have two great passers on the floor and effectively increasing Paige's scoring potential in a fast paced motion offense, makes little sense. You want to maximize your best potential and Nika demonstrated this past season that she does what she does best better than either Caroline or Aubrey performed at a level of what they do best. She was clearly more valuable to the teams success than either of them and until they prove otherwise she is the best option among them to start.

Nika's talents lend themselves to how we want to play this season. On the offensive end we want to to have a fast moving motion offense, on the defensive end we want to apply constant pressure on the opponent not allowing them to quickly get into or run their sets while hopefully turning them over at a significant rate allowing us to get transition baskets. With the roster we have it appears we have the talent to play this kind of game. If all works as hoped, we should be able to control the tempo of the game on both ends while using significantly more effective substituting to allow us to do that. Nika is literally tailor-made to serve our needs to push pace in a fast paced motion offense and to be the head of the snake on a pressure defense. Establishing how the game will be played needs to happen from the opening tip. Nika is clearly the better person among the three of Caroline, Aubrey and herself to do this and that is why she should start.

There are many things in that post that are far from being proven facts but I have already posted all those things elsewhere so I'll make my response short and sweet:

If Bueckers is the starting pg everyone else who starts can play their best positions. If Muhl starts the other 4 players have to move to another position.

Me: pg-Bueckers; sg-Fudd; sf-Griffin pf-Edwards post-Brady/El Alfy/Patterson/Deberry.

You: pg-Muhl; sg-Bueckers; sf-Fudd; pf-Griffin; post- Edwards.

And these are just my starters. I expect that Muhl will play more pg than Bueckers and there will be situations where Geno will have all three on the court together. But not starting a game.

 

[Skeets]

There are many things in that post that are far from being proven facts but I have already posted all those things elsewhere so I'll make my response short and sweet:

If Bueckers is the starting pg everyone else who starts can play their best positions. If Muhl starts the other 4 players have to move to another position.

Me: pg-Bueckers; sg-Fudd; sf-Griffin pf-Edwards post-Brady/El Alfy/Patterson/Deberry.

You: pg-Muhl; sg-Bueckers; sf-Fudd; pf-Griffin; post- Edwards.

And these are just my starters. I expect that Muhl will play more pg than Bueckers and there will be situations where Geno will have all three on the court together. But not starting a game.

In bold is pure nonsense. Are you saying the other 4 would be playing PG but if Nika starts they all have to play elsewhere??? I don't get it.

 

[Bone Dog]

There are many things in that post that are far from being proven facts but I have already posted all those things elsewhere so I'll make my response short and sweet:

If Bueckers is the starting pg everyone else who starts can play their best positions. If Muhl starts the other 4 players have to move to another position.

Me: pg-Bueckers; sg-Fudd; sf-Griffin pf-Edwards post-Brady/El Alfy/Patterson/Deberry.

You: pg-Muhl; sg-Bueckers; sf-Fudd; pf-Griffin; post- Edwards.

And these are just my starters. I expect that Muhl will play more pg than Bueckers and there will be situations where Geno will have all three on the court together. But not starting a game.

It’s a nice argument. However — that’s a sort of but, and you knew there had to be a but — the “best position” theory is not all that persuasive for all the players.

For example, Aubrey doesn’t really have a best position. She clearly has positions she shouldn’t be stuck in for long on offense, like pg or sg or w or c. Where does she have the most to contribute on offense? Well, running the break (of course) or crashing for o-boards and putbacks. But you don’t want her on the perimeter as a shooter for long because she is so reluctant to… shoot for there. And she just isn’t confident enough as a ball handler to consistently drive the lane from there. But if she cuts and someone finds her (and she doesn’t need more than one dribble) she’s awesome.

On defense, however, she can be very effective on the perimeter, disrupting the opposing pg at the top of the key, or stepping into passing lanes at the elbows. And, of course, crashing the d-boards.

I don’t think either of these profiles make her an sf or a pf. And yet, we want to have her on the floor for 15-25 mins in some mix of capacities. I suspect a similar complexity would be characteristic of Caroline and probably Ayanna as well.

Another way to put it might be to use other categories. For stretches our lineup might be 1-1-1-2-4 at times, or maybe even 2-2-2-2-5 — and everyone would be playing to their strengths. This is what folks mean when they describe certain lineups as 4-out or even 5-out. When should we use such a lineup, which would be good for pressing and playing transition? I suspect Geno may well want to open games this way.

 

[diggerfoot]

Muhl does a lot of things extremely well, however the team is filled with players that do a lot of things very well so using that to justify Muhl starting is not good enough. It's just a rationalization and ignores the rest of the talent. The truth is that Bueckers is better than Muhl at any phase of the game. Some simply say "move Bueckers somewhere else". I say why? There are highly skilled players, just as valuable as Muhl at every position, and several of the players can play multiple positions which allows both the offense and the defense to rotate assignments. Bueckers & Fudd are highly skilled at the 1-3. Griffin can play 2-4. Edwards can play 3-5. One player who is not versatile is Muhl. She has one position. And that alone is enough to bring her off the bench.
Some seem to think this is some kind of insult but they have no problem telling 4 posts that they have to share 40 minutes/game in order to keep 2 pg's on the court. That makes no sense.

? This does not contribute to my rationale as to why Muhl starts, I’ve stated that elsewhere, but this new factor of who you rather bring off the bench seems to be grasping at straws.

Because of course it is better to have a versatile player come in off the bench than one who can only play one position. How a game starts off is unpredictable. Maybe the PG gets in early foul trouble, or the Wing, or any other position. Other things besides fouls might also determine that one out of any of the five positions needs to be substituted for first. Having a great player who is versatile provides a welcomed luxury in this case.

I doubt there are many hallowed sixth men, a la Havlicek, that are/were only suited for point guard. This is not my reason for why Muhl should start, it’s just an absolutely irrelevant one for why she should not.

 

[#12in21]

There are many things in that post that are far from being proven facts but I have already posted all those things elsewhere so I'll make my response short and sweet:

If Bueckers is the starting pg everyone else who starts can play their best positions. If Muhl starts the other 4 players have to move to another position.

Me: pg-Bueckers; sg-Fudd; sf-Griffin pf-Edwards post-Brady/El Alfy/Patterson/Deberry.

You: pg-Muhl; sg-Bueckers; sf-Fudd; pf-Griffin; post- Edwards.

And these are just my starters. I expect that Muhl will play more pg than Bueckers and there will be situations where Geno will have all three on the court together. But not starting a game.

Just for the record I have never indicated who I see as the fifth starter. I have said repeatedly Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah and whomever is the fifth starter.

My preference would be Jana or Ice if one of them earns that spot. I certainly wouldn’t favor, and never indicated that I would, want to see Aaliyah move regularly from the four to the five. I see Carolina primarily rotating in at the three and Aubrey doing do at the the three, four.

Perhaps you are mixing me up with another posters assumed stated starting lineup. So actually Paige at the three would be the only one not at their natural position ( although I don’t actually believe that that is necessarily true as I, as have others hsve indicated, she is would be equally great at the one-three) if Nika starts.

 

[Alydar]

In bold is pure nonsense. Are you saying the other 4 would be playing PG but if Nika starts they all have to play elsewhere??? I don't get it.

Simple. If Muhl is the starting pg then Bueckers moves to the 2, Fudd to the 3, Griffin to the 4 and Edwards to the five. Muhl is the only one of the five at her best position. I have serious reservations about Griffin & Edwards guarding the starting posts of SCar or UCLA, to name just two schools.

UConn needs a post a lot more than they need a second pg.

 

[ballerfan]

To you it clearly makes no sense, to others it does. There is no other player on this team that holds any Uconn single season records, Nika has atleast three. There is no other player that has been the BE DPOY once, Nika has been back to back. No other player on this team has started more games than Nika. It's a given that a healthy Paige is an overall better player than any one on the team and arguably the best option at the 1, 2 or 3 if the measure is pure talent. Paige is significantly better than either Caroline or Aubrey at the three than she is Nika at the one in the context of this team. Paige has outperformed both Caroline and Aubrey in terms of scoring. It is arguably true that she may be better than Nika at racking up assists, defense, pushing pace and in her constant motor but that hasn't been demonstrated as of yet.

This team has several great scoring options but has only two great passing options. To have Paige as the only great passer thus effectively reducing her scoring potential rather than have two great passers on the floor and effectively increasing Paige's scoring potential in a fast paced motion offense, makes little sense. You want to maximize your best potential and Nika demonstrated this past season that she does what she does best better than either Caroline or Aubrey performed at a level of what they do best. She was clearly more valuable to the teams success than either of them and until they prove otherwise she is the best option among them to start.

Nika's talents lend themselves to how we want to play this season. On the offensive end we want to to have a fast moving motion offense, on the defensive end we want to apply constant pressure on the opponent not allowing them to quickly get into or run their sets while hopefully turning them over at a significant rate allowing us to get transition baskets. With the roster we have it appears we have the talent to play this kind of game. If all works as hoped, we should be able to control the tempo of the game on both ends while using significantly more effective substituting to allow us to do that. Nika is literally tailor-made to serve our needs to push pace in a fast paced motion offense and to be the head of the snake on a pressure defense. Establishing how the game will be played needs to happen from the opening tip. Nika is clearly the better person among the three of Caroline, Aubrey and herself to do this and that is why she should start.

I want Nika to start at pg, but I also want to be honest. The only reason why Nika had more assists than Paige is that Paige shot and scored a lot and Nika didn’t. It’s debatable whether Nika is a better defender even though Nika did win an award. Geno said Paige is faster than Nika. Do you doubt that Paige, with her talent, could push the ball up the court more quickly? Should we have a discussion about whether pushing the ball up the court quickly is always a good strategy or the only good strategy? This, I think, is the best part of your post: « You want to maximize your best potential and Nika demonstrated this past season that she does what she does best better than either Caroline or Aubrey performed at a level of what they do best. »

 

[oldhusky]

Both Bueckers and Griffin are faster down the court than Muhl. When Griffin was out Geno said that Bueckers won all the races but that Griffin was the fastest. Muhl's name wasn't even mentioned.

It's fine to love Muhl and want her to succeed but your devotion to Muhl is disrespectful to the unworldly talents of Bueckers & Fudd and to other UConn players. Muhl would be the starting pg on about every team in the country, except the team that Bueckers is on. When she did start with Bueckers at the 2 Geno said it was because her passing was being wasted on mediocre shooters. That is not the situation going into 2024. There are multiple scoring targets for Bueckers to pass to. Muhl is an amazing player and proved it when both starting guards were injured and unable to play. Now those starting guards are healthy and both of them are NPOY candidates.
Geno will start the five who give the team the most versatility. Three guards is not only redundant, it forces other players to be placed at positions not best suited to their skills. Griffin is a 3 who is a better 2 than a 4. The only reason you want to start Muhl as a third guard is an emotional one. If either Fudd or Bueckers were unavailable then Muhl is a marvelously talented pg to have but healthy, Bueckers and Fudd can handle everything, especially scoring, which is the hole in Muhl's offensive game.

Both Bueckers and Griffin are faster down the court than Muhl. When Griffin was out Geno said that Bueckers won all the races but that Griffin was the fastest. Muhl's name wasn't even mentioned.

It's fine to love Muhl and want her to succeed but your devotion to Muhl is disrespectful to the unworldly talents of Bueckers & Fudd and to other UConn players. Muhl would be the starting pg on about every team in the country, except the team that Bueckers is on. When she did start with Bueckers at the 2 Geno said it was because her passing was being wasted on mediocre shooters. That is not the situation going into 2024. There are multiple scoring targets for Bueckers to pass to. Muhl is an amazing player and proved it when both starting guards were injured and unable to play. Now those starting guards are healthy and both of them are NPOY candidates.
Geno will start the five who give the team the most versatility. Three guards is not only redundant, it forces other players to be placed at positions not best suited to their skills. Griffin is a 3 who is a better 2 than a 4. The only reason you want to start Muhl as a third guard is an emotional one. If either Fudd or Bueckers were unavailable then Muhl is a marvelously talented pg to have but healthy, Bueckers and Fudd can handle everything, especially scoring, which is the hole in Muhl's offensive game.

This is not a foot race, I will give you that if you think that is the main point which I don't. I am pointing out that Nika is the only one that pushes the ball up the floor "with the dribble". Could Paige do it? Probably but that is not the way she has played in the past. The pace of the team statistically measured was considerably faster last year with Nika running the point, and in fact Uconn was not a fast paced team in Paige's first two years.

As for disrespectful to the talents of Paige and Azzi, I don't know where you get that from. I am not comparing Nika as an overall player to Paige or Azzi. She is not in their league, I know that, so what. To me rightly or wrongly this whole issue is a two part question. The very first question is who should be the three players at 1-3. Two of those are completely obvious, Paige and Azzi, there is no debate there. But the third is likely to come from Nika, Caroline or Aubrey.

If the best choice there is Caroline then Paige should be the PG, and the same if Aubrey is the best third choice. But if Nika is the best compliment to Paige and Azzi then I think she should be the PG. I believe Geno has already determined that if Nika and Paige are on the court together Nika should be the PG. He didn't start that way with both of them but ultimately reached that conclusion, and it probably had nothing to do with who was the best PG. It was because Paige could be equally as good as a SG, and probably as a SF as well, and Nika off the ball is a far less valuable player.

It is because of Paige's greatness and versatility, and that Nika is much better at one position, that if both are in, Nika should be the point. I understand that many disagree, but I believe Geno picking Nika as the point when both are in is already an answered question. Whether Nika is the third guard starter, however, is much more debatable. A strong case could be made for Caroline or Aubrey, and let me be clear of course Paige should be the starting PG if that is the case.

The important question for Geno is Nika, Caroline or Aubrey. That is the main determining decision as to who starts at PG, not the Paige vs. Nika debate IMO.

 

[Alydar]

Just for the record I have never indicated who I see as the fifth starter. I have said repeatedly Paige, Azzi, Nika, Aaliyah and whomever is the fifth starter.

My preference would be Jana or Ice if one of them earns that spot. I certainly wouldn’t favor, and never indicated that I would, want to see Aaliyah move regularly from the four to the five. I see Carolina primarily rotating in at the three and Aubrey doing do at the the three, four.

Perhaps you are mixing me up with another posters assumed stated starting lineup. So actually Paige at the three would be the only one not at their natural position ( although I don’t actually believe that that is necessarily true as I, as have others hsve indicated, she is would be equally great at the one-three) if Nika starts.

You make a good case for a post over Griffin. I made a good case for Bueckers over Muhl.

We both agree about Bueckers Fudd and Edwards. If the 4th is a post then we have to decide who the 5th player will be. Muhl and Griffin are two to be considered. A healthy Ducharme is another. Which of those three? How do we decide? Of the three Ducharme offers a combination of size along with inside and outside shooting. Griffin offers unique athleticism which she turns into outstanding defense and rebounding. She's also the fastest player on the team (per Geno). Muhl also is a great defender and is a great pg.
Which adds the most? Unfortunately for Muhl, Bueckers is better at every pg skill and adds height and consistent scoring. I say Griffin adds more.

And no one so far has refuted my claim that rotating 3 guards in 2 positions not only keeps all 3 fresh but it avoids having to bring in untested freshmen as subs, especially in big games. To me, this is all about Muhl not starting being seen as an insult to what she did last year. It isn't.

I'll wager (with the right odds) that Muhl will go to Geno and tell him that the team will be better if she comes off the bench. And some fans will still say "poor Nika, no respect".

 

[Alydar]

This is not a foot race, I will give you that if you think that is the main point which I don't. I am pointing out that Nika is the only one that pushes the ball up the floor "with the dribble". Could Paige do it? Probably but that is not the way she has played in the past. The pace of the team statistically measured was considerably faster last year with Nika running the point, and in fact Uconn was not a fast paced team in Paige's first two years.

As for disrespectful to the talents of Paige and Azzi, I don't know where you get that from. I am not comparing Nika as an overall player to Paige or Azzi. She is not in their league, I know that, so what. To me rightly or wrongly this whole issue is a two part question. The very first question is who should be the three players at 1-3. Two of those are completely obvious, Paige and Azzi, there is no debate there. But the third is likely to come from Nika, Caroline or Aubrey.

If the best choice there is Caroline then Paige should be the PG, and the same if Aubrey is the best third choice. But if Nika is the best compliment to Paige and Azzi then I think she should be the PG. I believe Geno has already determined that if Nika and Paige are on the court together Nika should be the PG. He didn't start that way with both of them but ultimately reached that conclusion, and it probably had nothing to do with who was the best PG. It was because Paige could be equally as good as a SG, and probably as a SF as well, and Nika off the ball is a far less valuable player.

It is because of Paige's greatness and versatility, and that Nika is much better at one position, that if both are in, Nika should be the point. I understand that many disagree, but I believe Geno picking Nika as the point when both are in is already an answered question. Whether Nika is the third guard starter, however, is much more debatable. A strong case could be made for Caroline or Aubrey, and let me be clear of course Paige should be the starting PG if that is the case.

The important question for Geno is Nika, Caroline or Aubrey. That is the main determining decision as to who starts at PG, not the Paige vs. Nika debate IMO.

if Nika and Paige are on the court together Nika should be the PG.

Should? If Muhl and any other team member are on the court together she HAS to be the pg. If she can become a 40% catch and shoot 3pt shooter then everything changes but so far she is a spot up, square up, no one within 8 feet type of 3pt shooter, like Griffin, except Griffin adds inside skills that Bueckers will exploit.

The very first question is who should be the three players at 1-3.

You don't start with 1-3. You start with Fudd, Bueckers and Edwards. If we disagree on those three there's no reason to continue. Using traditional positions that gives you a pg, a sg, and a pf. They are the rocks this team will anchor itself to and they SHOULD be at their best positions. Under normal conditions the missing position players are a post and a sf. Both of those positions call for size.

If you are drafting a pro BB team and you have the first 2 picks you don't pick 2 pg's because one of them is going to be a backup. That's just the way it is.