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

[meyers7]

The Icon?

Sorry wrong board. On another board (that can't be named), that's Muhl's nickname.

 

[Bone Dog]

At the end of any tight game, Paige will have the ball in her hands. Depending on matchups, Geno might go BIG or small. Nika might be on the court or not. But anyone who thinks Nika won’t be in the starting lineup is mistaken.

Excellent post. Completely agree, about the Iowa game, the Texas game, and I’d add a few others too, and I especially agree with your closing remark. Who’s on the court at the end is at least as important as who starts. The Stanford game from two seasons ago really shows what Geno thinks. This was from before Nika improved her offense last summer, which meant she was still arguably an offensive liability. Earlier that year, Geno often didn’t have her on the floor at the end of close games. But he saw the need to run an offense/defense platoon in that hectic 4th quarter of a Final Four game so he could have her on the floor as much as possible. That’s how important he thinks her contribution is.

 

[meyers7]

What Geno "normally" does is put the best five on the court.
This isn't about criticism of Muhl,

Ahh, but it is criticism of the Icon. She IS in the top 5 players on the team. At least in Geno's view. (and again, that's what we are talking about) You are saying she isn't. Geno would disagree with you.

Or are you saying that geno believes that 3 guards is always better? Many years there are 3 guards among the five. Last year he had one guard and that was Muhl. Who else was there? Bettencourt. And at one point she was all he had. Senechal was a 6'1 wing. She ended up playing a guard position and that was partly why UConn's to's were so high but she was also a reason for Muhl's assist record.

Ummm, no. Sorry you're off here. Senechal is a guard. As pure a 2 guard as we've had here in awhile. Fudd is a guard (combo but shades to the 2), the Icon is a guard (pure 1). When available last year he played them together. The problem was they weren't available very often.

Start with Bueckers, Fudd & Edwards and then add two more that best completes the five.

Yes, and one of the is going to be the Icon.

When you look at Bueckers and Fudd you see two guards that can do everything that a pg & sg can do, and do them better than anyone else. You now think that the addition to make the team better is a third guard?

Well that's what Geno thinks. Geno likes 3 guards. Hell sometimes, he puts 4 guards out there. So YES, Geno thinks adding a 3rd guard will make the team better.

AND, AND, even more, Geno thinks the Icon, in particular, makes the team better. And I'd have to agree with him on that. When she's out there, the team just runs better.

 

[Bald Husky]

Ahh, but it is criticism of the Icon. She IS in the top 5 players on the team. At least in Geno's view. (and again, that's what we are talking about) You are saying she isn't. Geno would disagree with you.


Ummm, no. Sorry you're off here. Senechal is a guard. As pure a 2 guard as we've had here in awhile. Fudd is a guard (combo but shades to the 2), the Icon is a guard (pure 1). When available last year he played them together. The problem was they weren't available very often.


Yes, and one of the is going to be the Icon.


Well that's what Geno thinks. Geno likes 3 guards. Hell sometimes, he puts 4 guards out there. So YES, Geno thinks adding a 3rd guard will make the team better.

AND, AND, even more, Geno thinks the Icon, in particular, makes the team better. And I'd have to agree with him on that. When she's out there, the team just runs better.

OK, who calls her the Icon, and is that a positive or negative name from the person who called her that?

 

[Bone Dog]

OK, who calls her the Icon, and is that a positive or negative name from the person who called her that?

I was wondering the same thing. I’ll just take it as a positive. Nika is iconic! She stands for courage and resolve, toughness and persistence. These are Husky values!

The name of her homeland appears to come from a word that meant guardian or protector. That’s what she is, a fierce protector.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

IMHO Caroline & Aubrey are better suited to coming off the bench to change the pace of the game!
Nika, Paige, Azzi, and Edwards will definitely start in November and either Jana or Ice will fill the 5th spot!
Which ever of those 2 won't start will join Caroline and Aubrey as early off the bench!
Also I do think that Geno's depth will be deeper than in past years because more players are showing him they're worthy of PT!

 

[Bone Dog]

IMHO Caroline & Aubrey are better suited to coming off the bench to change the pace of the game!

I totally agree! I was following the OP until that line about Aubrey starting. I love what she brings to the lineup. But she is definitely better as a 6th woman.

 

[oldude]

IMHO Caroline & Aubrey are better suited to coming off the bench to change the pace of the game!
Nika, Paige, Azzi, and Edwards will definitely start in November and either Jana or Ice will fill the 5th spot!
Which ever of those 2 won't start will join Caroline and Aubrey as early off the bench!
Also I do think that Geno's depth will be deeper than in past years because more players are showing him they're worthy of PT!

On Day One I think Aubrey starts. Her experience, defense, rebounding and ability to run the court and attack the basket are attributes Geno can depend on. I do agree that Ice & Jana may fill that starting spot, but I think it will take a few games for either to establish themselves in the starting lineup.

 

[meyers7]

OK, who calls her the Icon, and is that a positive or negative name from the person who called her that?

He who cannot be named. I think it originally was a negative. But "he who cannot be named" grabbed it, ran with it and is making it a positive. (I'm just trying to help)

 

[Tonyc]

Alot of players need playtime. How much time will they get? That depends on alot of things which only Geno will make that decision. So recruits take longer to get up to speed then others. Inexperience is a huge factor too. In big games and in close games inexperienced players will not see much time. Those girls that blossom early will see time early. We dont know who they will be. I believe Geno thinks team chemistry is very important and will play the veterans because they know how to jell. The new players will be worked in as Geno sees fit. UConn has seniors who need time because they are looking to turn pro. Those seniors have paid their dues and have earned it. The underclassman need time to be ready for next season when our seniors graduate assuming they dont take their covid/redshirt year.

I dont think UConn has much to worry about this season. We are loaded and loaded with talent. When it blossoms its gonna be unbelievable. Im hoping Amari gets healthy and becomes a force. At 6'6 that will make it almost unfair how good UConn will be. We have all the pieces to the puzzle. This is gonna be fun season.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’m with you almost entirely, @Tonyc. But this one line doesn’t quite ring true for me:

Those seniors have paid their dues and have earned it.

I’ve heard Geno talk about seniors a lot over the years and I’ve never heard him express such a sentiment. More often, he says the sophomores and juniors have a priority for the future of the program and the seniors might have to take a back seat. Sometimes he exaggerates this sentiment and seems to be teasing a particular senior. I expect Paige to get a bit of this from him. But the idea that seniors may have paid dues in a previous season and earned something is not anything I’ve heard come out of his mouth.

 

[sun]

One important factor is the overall condition of Paige's knee in the recovery process.
If Geno plans on giving her more frequent rests to put less stress on it then it would make more sense to not start Nika so that she can come in as Paige's sub.
If Nika starts along with Paige & doesn't come in to sub for her then another PG will soon need to come in to sub for Nika.
Especially because there will be so many other PG's & guards that Geno will also want to be able to sub into games.
It doesn't make sense to me to start both until all of the issues with Paige's knee are resolved.
It would make more sense that they be platooned more often than not rather then playing as a tandem.

In addition, Azzi can also handle the ball well enough to push it up court with Just Go by committee.
When Paige's knee needs a rest then in comes Nika.

 

[hoophuskee]

When it comes NCAA Tourney time, if team is healthy, with Muhl starting at the pg (while Paige is also the pg and the SF), the trio of Nika/Paige/Azzi in terms of passing may be among the greatest combo of passers that play at the same time in wcbb histrory at the 1-3 spots.

Then you have in Paige and Azzi , potentially two of the greatest efficient scorers in wcbb this year in which it is impossible to double-team them if they are off-the-ball , it just potentially can't get any better watching this trio on full display during a National TV audience for the NCAA Tourney. Paige and Azzi are senstaional scorers in a motion offense and in fastbreaks too.

And the object of the game is to score the most ponts. It is not who gets the most rebounds.

 

[Alydar]

You repeatedly stated Muhl will not start, due to her not being one of the five best. I repeatedly claim and am convinced that Muhl will start, based on historical evidence of starting the five Auriemma trusts most to start the game with fewest mistakes/best decisions.

If you are similarly convinced of your claim Muhl does not start based on your rationale, then the the make up of the rest of the starting line up does not matter.

Admittedly, I was originally betting that Muhl would be the starting PG, but in the course of this thread I see where this runs into a problem of interpretation and measurement. I interpret PG to mean the one who starts the Point of attack, not Assists leader (that Jokic fella certainly was not a PG). Bringing the ball up from an uncontested entry pass to start the offense would be a measure of this, but I see in this thread (and private communication), where others would not accept this interpretation or measurement.

So no other complicated conditions attached. Either Muhl starts in the NCAA tournament, if uninjured, or she does not, regardless of other metrics/conditions. Bet?

Btw, I generally enjoy your posts, have a similarly high opinion of Bueckers (perhaps higher, if one considers the type of adulation Jokic gets for not being a PG), and would enjoy meeting you. But even reasonable people can disagree. ;-)

I'm not trying to change the bet but to make it clear and according to my prediction. (I worked in gaming and experienced too many arguments after the fact).

Clarification:
Are we talking 1st game of the year or 1st game of the NCAA's? Both questions have had threads. I'm good with either option. And obviously this does not include senior day.

I will not accept "regardless of other metrics" because of the last two seasons. Muhl started last season because of "other team metrics" I say that Bueckers Fudd and Muhl will not all be on the starting team as long as the roster remains as it is.




Last summer at this point very few posters were putting Muhl into the starting lineup. Most had her as a fill in at pg when Bueckers took a rest. (Too many fouls, too many to's, not enough scoring).
When Bueckers went down there was panic over the thought of UConn having to rely on Muhl. I wasn't among those posters. While Muhl was a huge step down from Bueckers, I felt that was because Bueckers was, by far, the best pg in the country and that Muhl had the talent and attitude to get the job done.
Now, because she over-achieved (in the eyes of many), she has become a favorite and I have been accused of being a "Nika hater". What I am is a Bueckers admirer. She is a much better pg than Muhl (and anyone else), primarily because in addition to being the best passer and ball handler in college she is also one of the best shooters/scorers in wcbb and that makes her superlative ball handing and passing even more effective. Geno has admitted that she and he are almost always on the same page with what needs to be done on the court in a game. Not as much with Muhl. Now if both Fudd and Ducharme are unavailable at the 2/3 then starting Muhl becomes more likely, but with those two shooters available there is no need for more shooters at the 2/3.

 

[Alydar]

When it comes NCAA Tourney time, if team is healthy, with Muhl starting at the pg (while Paige is also the pg and the SF), the trio of Nika/Paige/Azzi in terms of passing may be among the greatest combo of passers that play at the same time in wcbb histrory at the 1-3 spots.

Then you have in Paige and Azzi , potentially two of the greatest efficient scorers in wcbb this year in which it is impossible to double-team them if they are off-the-ball , it just potentially can't get any better watching this trio on full display during a National TV audience for the NCAA Tourney. Paige and Azzi are senstaional scorers in a motion offense and in fastbreaks too.

And the object of the game is to score the most ponts. It is not who gets the most rebounds.

It is not who gets the most rebounds. Or the most assists either. Play Bueckers and Fudd alone and you have two great passers, two great dribblers and two great scorers in any offense. Add Muhl and you get another passer and another dribbler. That's not enough when you look at the other talent available on the UConn roster.

 

[hoophuskee]

It is not who gets the most rebounds. Or the most assists either. Play Bueckers and Fudd alone and you have two great passers, two great dribblers and two great scorers in any offense. Add Muhl and you get another passer and another dribbler. That's not enough when you look at the other talent available on the UConn roster.

Nika broke Sue Bird's assist record. You dodn't break that by accident. You do that becuase you are a great passer. -- So,no you can't get another passer that's in Nika's class for this team other than Paige and Azzi. . That's why you put all 3 together and they become a Titan - so much more than "we have enough. . . " .

It' is ideal to "pas the ball" ot these supreme efficient scoring stars vs having Paige as a general rule pass the ball to lesser efficient scoring players. That's why a great passer like Nika is ideal for Paige and Azzi. And that's why when Nika is in, it's imprtant to remmeber that scorign is more important than rebounds. Assists lead directly to baskets. Many rebounds do not.

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm not trying to change the bet but to make it clear and according to my prediction. (I worked in gaming and experienced too many arguments after the fact).

Clarification:
Are we talking 1st game of the year or 1st game of the NCAA's? Both questions have had threads. I'm good with either option. And obviously this does not include senior day.

I will not accept "regardless of other metrics" because of the last two seasons. Muhl started last season because of "other team metrics" I say that Bueckers Fudd and Muhl will not all be on the starting team as long as the roster remains as it is.




What I am is a Bueckers admirer.

IMO you are not. You minimzie Bueckers awesome abilities as a versatile player. Post 121 on thsi thread you say Azzi woudl be the SF over Paige. A slap in the face to Paige.

Later you called Aubrey the best transition player on UCONN at the Wing - again if Paige was at the Wing a slap in the face to Paige.

That's not an admirer. Paige is so much more of a complete player that you give her credit for.

 

[Bone Dog]

When Bueckers went down there was panic over the thought of UConn having to rely on Muhl.

I don’t think this is quite accurate. At least it’s not how I remember it. There was indeed panic over the thought of not having Paige. It wasn’t specifically focused on Nika or anyone else.

Last summer at this point very few posters were putting Muhl into the starting lineup.

I think this is right. Very few of us had even considered Nika as a possible starter. I know I didn’t and I was a cautious Nika supporter at that time. I was focused on the need for her to improve her offense in order to open up passing lanes.

What we had before our eyes was the prospect of a healthy Paige Azzi Caroline, some concern about which Aaliyah would show up in November, and would Aubrey be her old self, and how well Dorka would play after her scary injury. Nika was barely on the radar for most of us, though Geno kept talking about how important she would be even in that lineup. We quibbled a lot about Nika’s stats and the changes we hoped she’d make in her offense.

And then destiny knocked on the door. Paige went down, Caroline had trouble getting healthy, Ice went down, Dorka broke her thumb, and we learned that Ayanna was legally blind in one eye. This was a lot to digest.

Geno had helped us out by singing the praises of healthy Azzi and how she was ready to be “the best player in the country every game.” And the Texas NC St and Iowa games hammered that point home: she really could be the NPOY. And Aubrey was playing even better than she ever had.

And even more stunning (and bewildering) than all of this was Nika. She really hit the ground running. Under her leadership, we practically ran Texas and NC St off the floor at the beginning of those games. Azzi torched both of them for 32 pts. But there was no denying that Nika was the tutelary demon of the huskies. No one saw that coming. And then we got used to it. She did it with defense (of course) and with assists, and she also started scoring. She took more shots, she finished at the rim, and she found her way to the foul line where she made her free throws. This was all new… and wonderful.

So, yes, no one expected Nika to start last summer because we had no idea what sort of offensive player she’d be. Now we’re all arguing about whether she’ll start. But I’m pretty sure everyone on the BY agrees that she’ll pick up more or less where she left off last season, whether she starts or not. She’ll be a decent, keep-the-defense-honest scorer who pushes the offense hard, who gets a lot of assists, finishes at the rim, shoots 35% from 3, makes her free throws, gets steals and rebounds and doesn’t foul out. She is a known quantity.

The other thing I remember from last season, before all the injuries happened, was our tentative confidence that we could run the table against all the old rivals. With Paige Azzi and Caroline playing as expected we all felt that our backcourt would overmatch any other team. There was some handwringing about how our frontcourt would matchup against SC and Stanford. Aaliyah and Dorka were unknown quantities. So was Aubrey. We were hopeful Ice would play as advertised and tantalized by the prospect of Ayanna outmuscling opponents and dunking with two hands. And Lou (an unknown quantity if ever there was one) might get a few minutes a game, though many of us doubted she’d even be able to get a shot off. The name Inês hadn’t even been uttered in our presence yet.

In this context, we barely had any attention left to worry about how much Nika would play. And in the event, we played like champions against the top teams, even with a depleted lineup. Other coaches schemed to neutralize Nika. We were exhausted at times and floundered against weaker teams. But there was one constant: Nika, who never let us down.

 

[sun]

For the most part Nika is a superb passer.
But Paige's presence on the court at the same time means that Nika wouldn't be making as many assist passes as when Paige isn't playing.
A larger percentage of Nika's passes made would be routine enough to where other qualified guards/PG's could probably make the exact same pass.
Nika's superb passes can probably be more beneficial when Paige isn't on the court to contribute her superb passes.
Only a percentage of any passes for assists are superb because many are routine passes.
Since many routine passes can be performed by other players besides Nika, that's more reason for Nika's PT to not compete with Paige's ability to run the team.
They'll each run the point & team differently.
Other players need to learn how to contribute too, because Nika can't always be on the court as much as she was last year.
That means that when Paige is off the court then Nika will become that much more important of a leader.
Their PT is bound to overlap sometimes, but I doubt that it will be as much as it has in the past.

Paige needs to practice more at PG than Nika does because of her long lay off.
Everyone will have limited PT, so it simply becomes a matter of who will run the team when Paige is on the court.
When Paige is off the court then it will be someone else running the show such as Nika.
But when Paige is on the court then she's expected to run the show.
The world of WCBB will be watching to see Paige work including Geno who has a vested interest.
Paige will come off the court soon enough to yield PT to others so that her knee doesn't get stressed out.
The same probably holds true for Azzi with her injury history.
Geno expressed playing shorter spurts to achieve higher efficiency..

 

[Alydar]

Nika broke Sue Bird's assist record. You dodn't break that by accident. You do that becuase you are a great passer. -- So,no you can't get another passer that's in Nika's class for this team other than Paige and Azzi. . That's why you put all 3 together and they become a Titan - so much more than "we have enough. . . " .

It' is ideal to "pas the ball" ot these supreme efficient scoring stars vs having Paige as a general rule pass the ball to lesser efficient scoring players. That's why a great passer like Nika is ideal for Paige and Azzi. And that's why when Nika is in, it's imprtant to remmeber that scorign is more important than rebounds. Assists lead directly to baskets. Many rebounds do not.

I admit that Muhl is a great passer. But with Bueckers and Fudd UConn already has two great passers in the starting lineup while there is only one front court player and the candidates for starting include several front court players who will diversify UConn's starting team more than a third excellent passer. I expect that Bueckers, Fudd and Muhl will share the guard minutes. But only two at a time under normal circumstances.

 

[Alydar]

You repeatedly stated Muhl will not start, due to her not being one of the five best. I repeatedly claim and am convinced that Muhl will start, based on historical evidence of starting the five Auriemma trusts most to start the game with fewest mistakes/best decisions.

If you are similarly convinced of your claim Muhl does not start based on your rationale, then the the make up of the rest of the starting line up does not matter.

Admittedly, I was originally betting that Muhl would be the starting PG, but in the course of this thread I see where this runs into a problem of interpretation and measurement. I interpret PG to mean the one who starts the Point of attack, not Assists leader (that Jokic fella certainly was not a PG). Bringing the ball up from an uncontested entry pass to start the offense would be a measure of this, but I see in this thread (and private communication), where others would not accept this interpretation or measurement.

So no other complicated conditions attached. Either Muhl starts in the NCAA tournament, if uninjured, or she does not, regardless of other metrics/conditions. Bet?

Btw, I generally enjoy your posts, have a similarly high opinion of Bueckers (perhaps higher, if one considers the type of adulation Jokic gets for not being a PG), and would enjoy meeting you. But even reasonable people can disagree. ;-)

Who is Jokic? If it's NBA I don't watch so your analogy is wasted on me.

I agree that there are grey areas in the wager. My point was never that Muhl wouldn't start. I got into this by saying that Geno would not start three guards in 2024 despite having done so in the past. My reasons are spelled out on several posts and I'm not going to restate them here. The bottom line is that if Geno starts 2 guards then they are Bueckers and Fudd. Plus, I always prefaced my predictions based on everyone being healthy and at 100%. The reality is likely to be different from that. You therefore have a huge built-in advantage in that injuries only increase the odds of Muhl starting. So what I will bet on is that those three players will not all start in either UConn's first regular season or in the first NCAA game. There are just too many other factors that can change things.

 

[Alydar]

I think everybody knows that I am a Nika fan, and have been since before she set foot on campus. Watching some of her videos intrigued me, but one interview she was asked about Paige also being recruited. I believe Nika said that she never saw her play but heard that she was very good. Her take was that she could play with her, and they could make each other better. Well, this is the year when that comment comes to fruition, because they will start together, and they will complement each other and help each other achieve greatness for the team and each other. Nika has never claimed to be what she is not, but she has displayed greatness in the attributes that she has brought to the team. (Tough defense, enthusiasm, and of course, setting up her teammates for success). She is a warrior that won't quit, and she is the one who will keep everybody focused to finish the job that her and Paige started. A National Championship. Paige and Nika will run the team together, and they know each other well enough now to ensure that they will win big together.

Has UConn never had a great senior who came off the bench? I agree with everything you say about her but the fact remains that Bueckers and Fudd alone will out-produce any three guards Geno has started in recent history, including the Williams Westbrook era. These two can both arguably be No 1 draft picks.
Without talking positions there are certain skills that a team needs and a lot of them are best performed by bigger and stronger players. Another skill is scoring and it applies to all positions.
Given those things I strongly feel that Geno will fill the 2 open starting positions with front court players. The two guards who will start will give him that freedom. And he has some great candidates. I think he will pick two from Griffin, Ducharme & Brady. Those three all give the guards great targets for their deft passes. And UConn can dominate the paint from the opening tip. Early in games shots don't fall and that's when rebounding becomes extra important. The 2022 championship game was lost in the 1st 10 minutes due to a lack of paint presence.

Nothing in this post is disrespectful to Muhl but rather is what I think is the best starting five. In big games it allows Geno to have two of his best guards on the floor for the entire game. When you start all three then you have to sub in for them and in a big game that may mean an inexperienced freshman. In fact if you design your offense for three guards then you better have 5 of them because the three are sharing 120 min and unless youy want all three playing 30/game all season then you will have sub in freshmen while players like Brady, Ducharme and Griffin share 50 minutes between them, the 40 of the 5th position and 10 from Edwards' minutes. Is that really what Geno will want?

 

[Skeets]

Who is Jokic? If it's NBA I don't watch so your analogy is wasted on me.

I agree that there are grey areas in the wager. My point was never that Muhl wouldn't start. I got into this by saying that Geno would not start three guards in 2024 despite having done so in the past. My reasons are spelled out on several posts and I'm not going to restate them here. The bottom line is that if Geno starts 2 guards then they are Bueckers and Fudd. Plus, I always prefaced my predictions based on everyone being healthy and at 100%. The reality is likely to be different from that. You therefore have a huge built-in advantage in that injuries only increase the odds of Muhl starting. So what I will bet on is that those three players will not all start in either UConn's first regular season or in the first NCAA game. There are just too many other factors that can change things.

Wow, sounds like you are willing to put your money pizza where you mouth is. LOL, I like it.

 

[Bone Dog]

In fact if you design your offense for three guards then you better have 5 of them because the three are sharing 120 min and unless youy want all three playing 30/game all season then you will have sub in freshmen while players like Brady, Ducharme and Griffin share 50 minutes between them, the 40 of the 5th position and 10 from Edwards' minutes. Is that really what Geno will want?

We have arrived where we all feared: a minutes thread.

 

[Alydar]

We have arrived where we all feared: a minutes thread.

Well, it becomes a problem when you start 3 guards.

 

[hoophuskee]

I admit that Muhl is a great passer. But with Bueckers and Fudd UConn already has two great passers in the starting lineup while there is only one front court player and the candidates for starting include several front court players who will diversify UConn's starting team more than a third excellent passer. I expect that Bueckers, Fudd and Muhl will share the guard minutes. But only two at a time under normal circumstances.

No. You (UCONN) are trying to press another a team. So we as posters have to stop thinking in trying to match up with the other team if we are calling ourseves a pressing team. .
Secondly, you play to your strongest advantages if you can - not to try to match up with another team's advantages. Not when you have the extremeadvantages UCONN has with Nika/Paige/Azzi .

So you start Nika/Paige/Azzi and stop worrying about how to match up with the other team instead force them to match up to you. In part that is why you press. You look to take advantage of teams that can't match up with your pace. That's why in part "diversify" is irrelevant.

Why would you want to play slower when you can domainte at the 1-3 spots? With 3 terrific passing guards you pace will be at its fastest regardless for example how fast Aubrey is. In terms offensive pace Aubrey is only a fast runner. So with that said. the starting lineup in the beginning I expect to be Nika/Azzi/Paige if healthy. The 3rd extra passer will force the bigger teams to try to play smaller or suffer the onslaught of Paige and Azzi receiving passes from a terrfic passer. Again the main object is to score the most points. Not worry as much about rebounding and diversify when you have a tremendous trio combo.

 

[Alydar]

No. You (UCONN) are trying to press another a team. So we as posters have to stop thinking in trying to match up with the other team if we are calling ourseves a pressing team. .
Secondly, you play to your strongest advantages if you can - not to try to match up with another team's advantages. Not when you have the extremeadvantages UCONN has with Nika/Paige/Azzi .

So you start Nika/Paige/Azzi and stop worrying about how to match up with the other team instead force them to match up to you. In part that is why you press. You look to take advantage of teams that can't match up with your pace. That's why in part "diversify" is irrelevant.

Why would you want to play slower when you can domainte at the 1-3 spots. With 3 terrific passing guards you pace will be at its fastest regardless for example how fast Aubrey is. In terms offensive pace Aubrey is only a fast runner. So with that said. the starting lineup in the beginning I expect to be Nika/Azzi/Paige if healthy. The 3rd extra passer will force the bigger teams to try to play smaller or suffer the onslaught of Paige and Azzi receiving passes from a terrfic passer. Again the main object is to score the most points. Not worry as much about rebounding and diversify when you have a tremendous trio combo.

Somehow I have a hard time imagining Geno starting a game with a pressing lineup. I agree that UConn will be trying to play more uptempo to take advantage of their depth, but that is a specialty team, not what you start against Stanford or SCar.

Griffin is the fastest player on the team according to Geno, and Bueckers is second fastest. Geno can put a very fast team on the floor with only two guards.

 

[Bone Dog]

Somehow I have a hard time imagining Geno starting a game with a pressing lineup. I agree that UConn will be trying to play more uptempo to take advantage of their depth, but that is a specialty team, not what you start against Stanford or SCar.

Griffin is the fastest player on the team according to Geno, and Bueckers is second fastest. Geno can put a very fast team on the floor with only two guards.

You don’t have to imagine. Just watch a replay of the Texas game.

 

[hoophuskee]

This thread is about the NCAA Tourney as to who starts at pg. Overall looking at NCAA's from this point, if healthy all we know is that UCONN has 6 reliable players. every other position/player than the core 6 is speculation. And overall this team is small. Their strength is in their perimeter.

In all of sports there times we see teams or individuals lose their way in trying to be something they are not. Classic case was in boxing when Sugar Ray fought Roberto Duran the 1st time, he tried to be like Duran instead of playing to his strengths. The next time he played to his strengths and won.

UCONN's strength is in their perimeter. Until/unless another big other than Edwards (and Edwards is a small post too) establishes themselves, this early imo the most obvious choice is that you start your known productive players that will best make the team better. What makes the team better is a combo of pressure and pace and having the potential 2 best players in WCBB get potentially as many shots as possible. The best solution to this is to start Muhl with Paige and Azzi. Looking so far in adnavce this early go with what you know. when it's this elite.

 

[hoophuskee]

Somehow I have a hard time imagining Geno starting a game with a pressing lineup. I agree that UConn will be trying to play more uptempo to take advantage of their depth, but that is a specialty team, not what you start against Stanford or SCar.

Griffin is the fastest player on the team according to Geno, and Bueckers is second fastest. Geno can put a very fast team on the floor with only two guards.

I believe I read on here that there was a quote from Geno that he will look to press more this year. We'll have to see about health as well. All my comments have bene "assuming helath." SO yes if healthy, no reason why UCONN won't press early..

Secondly, I don’t know what Stanford or SC has - other than a couple of players. But if the offense is run heavily through their posts then they absolutely are a candidate to press.

Third, you aren't just looking to press vs top teams. You also don't want the historic non-top teams to beat you. Meaning their are many other teams that have capabilities. SO you aren’t going to avoid starting every game without pressure because their might be a couple of super teams in the future that can handle your pressure. (in which you maybe never play especially talking NCAA's which this thread is>). UCONN can develop a unversla style and then teh super teams are the exception.

And when you speak of "fastest" that’s all fine and good. . But there is much much much more to basketball than track meets. To further that point, a pas by Nika Muhl goes much faster at greater distances than Aubrey's track speed. Adn Nika Muhl throws many more passes than Aubrey thus more repsonsible for pace. That's why you go with Nika//Paige and not Aubrey at the 3 - but I agree with you if Aubrey is at the 4 in terms of starting that is fine. The 4's generally aren't much passers overall in terms of setting pace. whiel Nika along with Paige ande Azzi at the 1-3 would be.