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

[Cedar]

Okay we agree to disagree. I believe a player’s efficiency counts apparently a lot more than you do. I view your pov near extreme on this subject with so focused on points scored and little to do with efficiency. I can be okay with poor efg% if the player scores with a lot free throws. But anyway, that's why I always use efg% and always will. And as far Azzi's 5 steals - it doesn’t balance her poor shooting and passing. Only, playing 50% effectively on the floor is a bad game if your title aspirations and you're a supposed big star. A palyer liek Patterson is okay if they play well onyl on Defense. Not yoru superstar. So, its not "even" if Azzi was onyl good at 1 side. You have to be better than 50% between offense and defense if you are the one of the team's top player/s. . And shooting lousy efficiency at 41% is not good - its bad. IMO you're excusing poor effcicency. You''re so worng imo.

And you're right Ohio State played good defense because in part a player UCONN relied on for good offense had both a crummy shooting and passing day. The stars are supposed to be better than the other team. Azzi was supposed to be better than Ohio Stet's defenders guarding her. She wasn't. So, yes they forced Azzi Fudd into a poor offensive game. That's also a reflection on Azzi.

And as far as Paige -- you're right my mistake. Not sure though why you brought up anything about Paige bumping Azzi because I didn't see the poster saying that but anyway not important because I don’t believe that was the intent of the poster. If you did, fine. I missed it. We agree though that Paige will not bump Azzi. Never even a thought.

I didn’t give her a pass on her eFG%; I said her shooting was subpar, which means it was below her usual or normal level or standard.

I believe eFG% is important. But at the end of the day, basketball is about scoring points, and keeping your opponent from scoring points. I give Azzi credit for finding ways to score against Ohio State on a day when her shooting was off. As I said earlier, in that game she was only about 1 point below her season scoring average.

 

[Cedar]

" the voters weren’t fully in touch with the data."

The voters are the best basketball minds in the Big East. But that pales in comparison to your opinions.

Nice sarcasm. The voters may be the best basketball minds in the Big East, but I’d like to know why they selected Nika, who had a defensive rating of 87.2, rather than some other players with significantly better defensive ratings, such as Dorka, Aaliyah, or Aubrey. Dorka had a defensive rating that was 9.9 points better than Nika’s.

 

[hoophuskee]

I didn’t give her a pass on her eFG%; I said her shooting was subpar, which means it was below her usual or normal level or standard.

I believe eFG% is important. But at the end of the day, basketball is about scoring points, and keeping your opponent from scoring points. I give Azzi credit for finding ways to score against Ohio State on a day when her shooting was off. As I said earlier, in that game she was only about 1 point below her season scoring average.

No - at the end of the day basketball is about who scores the most points. If your % is very low it probably means you are going to lose at the end of the day. So in this regard you have given her pass.

 

[SJF]

Fast break scenario: Nika has the ball driving up the floor with PB and on the wings but the defense stays out face guarding Paige and Azzi now the next scoring option is Nika attacking the bucket taking her defender one on one for a layup. But how many times last year did she actually attack the bucket? Go back watch games it very rarely happened. The opponents coaches are smart too. Until Nika proves she will attack the bucket then this will be the D we will see. Just like when Edwards catches the ball away from the paint the D sinks in this shutting Edwards down. You know the other team is trying to win games also. There were weaknesses last year that have to be addressed. More options this year. Competition in practice will be more important than senior loyalty.

 

[Bone Dog]

Fast break scenario: Nika has the ball driving up the floor with PB and on the wings but the defense stays out face guarding Paige and Azzi now the next scoring option is Nika attacking the bucket taking her defender one on one for a layup. But how many times last year did she actually attack the bucket? Go back watch games it very rarely happened. The opponents coaches are smart too. Until Nika proves she will attack the bucket then this will be the D we will see. Just like when Edwards catches the ball away from the paint the D sinks in this shutting Edwards down. You know the other team is trying to win games also. There were weaknesses last year that have to be addressed. More options this year. Competition in practice will be more important than senior loyalty.

Fair point about not attacking the bucket often enough. But the part about face guarding streakers on a fast break seems implausible.

 

[SJF]

Fair point about not attacking the bucket often enough. But the part about face guarding streakers on a fast break seems implausible.

Good point on the streakers of course if that’s there the pass ahead will result in a layup. But every team’s defensive game plan will be to face guard Paige and Azzi. There will be numerous drive opportunities to whoever is running point. Can and will Nika take advantage of that just review last years games and it’s easy to see she passed up most of the ones she had. Also when she did attack she missed several layups. I hope she is working on that obvious weakness in her game.

 

[#12in21]

Fast break scenario: Nika has the ball driving up the floor with PB and on the wings but the defense stays out face guarding Paige and Azzi now the next scoring option is Nika attacking the bucket taking her defender one on one for a layup. But how many times last year did she actually attack the bucket? Go back watch games it very rarely happened. The opponents coaches are smart too. Until Nika proves she will attack the bucket then this will be the D we will see. Just like when Edwards catches the ball away from the paint the D sinks in this shutting Edwards down. You know the other team is trying to win games also. There were weaknesses last year that have to be addressed. More options this year. Competition in practice will be more important than senior loyalty.

The only scoring threats will not be Paige and Azzi, Aaliyah will certainly be a target as well and most likely the fifth starter will also be.
None of Paige, Azzi and Aaliyah will be motionless, they all move constantly to get in position. With that group IMO through their motion without the ball atleast one will pull a second defender to them leaving someone else open for the pass. Plus with all the scoring options and two great passers in a motion offense the ball is not going to sit in anyones hands too long. So Nika is unlikely to be the third option as you suggest in your scenario. In the event everyone is covered and there is no open pass, as she showed last season with a significant increase in her willingness to drive into the lane, she would do the same or take the open shot.

If you look at the twelve games Nika had double digit assists last season, seven had Azzi and Lou on the floor with her and all had our leading scorer Aaliyah on the floor. With Azzi out five of those games, Caroline and or Aubrey had big minutes and scoring nights. Dorka when on the floor was also a huge contributor. Of those twelve games we had multiple players in double figure scoring (3 in 3 games, 4 in five games, 5 in three games and 6 in one game).

In a fast paced motion offense, which we assume will be the case next season, the ball is not going to be sitting in Nika's hands for long stretches, it is going to be moving as are our players. Except in transition runouts I believe there will be multiple passes made and screens set to get the shot. There are no two players better when healthy than Paige and Azzi to move to create angles, create their own space and to release shots quickly with virtually no room. Add to that two exceptional passers in Paige and Nika and Aaliyah coming off a tremendous season when she scored at will over much of the competition and lots of great options for a fifth starter and depth off the bench at all positions, and we have a formula for a season that has no ceiling.

Despite any concerns you or others have expressed regarding Nika, there is no question that she had an incredible jump in many areas of her game this past season. There is no reason to believe that she has come close to her ceiling and I am sure she is dedicating herself to address areas she can still improve in. If she has accepted Geno's advice to finish layups at the basket with both hands, that alone will boost her scoring numbers. She certainly can improve on finishing those layups, but I disagree with your premise that she remains unwilling to take those shots. IMO she will never force those opportunities as many other PG's may whose focus is on scoring over passing. She will always look first for the best pass for a scoring option for a teammate or to get the ball into position for a second pass to an open player - with nothing there she'll take the shot. Nika's game is to set up her teammates and she will have no better group of talent to do so than we'll have this season.

Accept it or not Nika Mühl is a key piece of a championship caliber roster whose best use will be as the starting PG alongside Paige, Azzi, Aaliyah and whomever fills that fifth spot. She isn't simply the energy kid that can disrupt on defense that arrived at Storrs four summers ago, she is a mature leader that impacts the game on both ends of the court for her team.

 

[Bone Dog]

Good point on the streakers of course if that’s there the pass ahead will result in a layup. But every team’s defensive game plan will be to face guard Paige and Azzi. There will be numerous drive opportunities to whoever is running point. Can and will Nika take advantage of that just review last years games and it’s easy to see she passed up most of the ones she had. Also when she did attack she missed several layups. I hope she is working on that obvious weakness in her game.

You make a good point. Nika’s virtues are most prominent in the transition game, not so much in the half court offense. For that component of the game, they’ll have to rely on the screening motion offense, as ever. And you’re right that Nika would be better in the half court to the extent she improves her midrange game and her finishing at the rim. In my view she already made huge progress in the latter this past season, and it showed in several important games. But there’s always room to improve.

 

[meyers7]

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

2 different teams. Also Clark as a Soph vs Clark as a Jr.

Apples, meet oranges.

The important thing is with or without The Kid, and with or without the Icon, UCONN beat Clark and the Hawkeyes. Clark has never won a NC, Clark has never beaten UCONN.

 

[hoophuskee]

Fast break scenario: Nika has the ball driving up the floor with PB and on the wings but the defense stays out face guarding Paige and Azzi now the next scoring option is Nika attacking the bucket taking her defender one on one for a layup. But how many times last year did she actually attack the bucket? Go back watch games it very rarely happened. The opponents coaches are smart too. Until Nika proves she will attack the bucket then this will be the D we will see. Just like when Edwards catches the ball away from the paint the D sinks in this shutting Edwards down. You know the other team is trying to win games also. There were weaknesses last year that have to be addressed. More options this year. Competition in practice will be more important than senior loyalty.

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.

 

[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.

 

[SJF]

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.

How many of those were jump shots coming off a screen?

 

[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.