Who's Next

[Tonyc]

Wow Just when we thought the season was over. We get Dorka and Shea goes to Vandy and Anna goes to Europe. Well so now what do we do? We need to get this years class and our incoming class time and experience for the following season because we're loosing Liv Christyn and Evina. Im sure Geno spoke to Dorka and asked if she was coming for one or two years. I dont think Geno would have taken her for one season. JMO With Liv and Dorka playing down low what about Amari. Dont worry she needs to see time to be ready for the following year when Liv graduates. Paith needs to get up to speed too and could be a big factor before the season is over. Caroline who won the 3 pt contest and has range from Mars to Storrs has got to be ready for the following season so she has to get her minutes too. Saylor is another shooter who has the fundamentals down and needs to get her minutes.

That brings us to Azzi. We've heard shes a generational player. We've heard shes better then Paige who was NFOY and NPOY. Ive heard shes a Maya Moore player. Ive said this before Azzi didnt come here to sit. If shes that good she will start. For those of you who think she wont let me say this. If Paige was coming in this season would you sit her????? I dont think so. Now we have a problem. Who starts??? Well Edwards has to start and I think she will be an AA. By January she will be one of the most talked about players in WCBB along with Paige and Azzi. Do you realize we could have 5 AA's. We have height Liv 6'5 Amari 6'5 Paith 6'5 Dorka 6'4 Edwards 6'3 Caroline 6'2 Saylor 6'2. Hey those of you who were concerned about height have to be happy. We are loaded beyond belief. We have Christyn Paige and Azzi number 1 out of HS. I think Paige and Azzi will be fighting for NPOY. This is silly good. You cant make this up. By Christmas Paige Azzi Christyn and Edwards have to start. Evina and Nika will get good minutes. Liv and Dorka will share time in the middle with Amari brought in to gain experience because we will need her the following season. Caroline Amari and Saylor need alot of minutes to be ready for the following season and Piath once developed could be the biggest surprise by late next season. With all of that said...everybody should see alot of minutes because we are that good. I mentioned a few months ago UConn could go 175-0 I bet some of you are thinkin that way now and some of your arent. I learned along time ago reach for the moon and if you miss you end up with the stars.

This is a funny season because you have 3 seniors who want to go pro and will need minutes then you have a loaded freshman and sophomore class that need minutes to be ready for the following season. They all gotta get their minutes. I will say right now UConn should go undefeated. They can only beat themselves. There are some really good teams like SC and Stanford but then there is UConn good. Next season UConn is Crazy Good. You know where we're goin?....To the TOP the Very Top

 

[hoopsfan22]

I think we have to wait until May 29th to see who actually shows up before we can figure out where all the puzzle pieces fit.

 

[Zorro]

So you think our chances are pretty good, huh Tony?

 

[HuskylnSC]

Well done @Tonyc , but I'd like to throw a couple of wrinkles into your plan. I feel the twitterverse comments regarding a reduction in roster may come to pass.

Looking at Geno's recent comments that if Liv doesn't change in a couple areas it's going to be a long senior year for her and his rave over Aaliyah saying she will get most of the touches in the post in the coming year, plus the transfer in of Dorka, it appears that Liv is the #3 option in the low post. That is before Amari has a chance to demonstrate he abilities, which are formidable. Liv may be pushing Autumn for the 3 point high five tradition.

Evina's playing time will be dictated by the condition of her knee. Geno has stated his desire to return to the full court game and that E's knee (and Anna's leg) prevented him from doing so. If Evina's knee can hold up she is probably a lock for 25 minutes a game.

A full court game fits best with Christyn and Nika in the game. Paige has to become a better on ball defender. A rotation of those 3, Azzi and Aubrey will handle the point and wings with liberal substation (depending on Azzi's ability to run the floor. I am skeptical because of the recent lower leg issues).

I have more thoughts but I'm starting to ramble. Just say I am excited for the coming year and anticipating some news worthy events in the coming days.

 

[Shaffer0011]

What is “a lot” of minutes? There are only 200 in a game. If Page plays 35 a game, that leaves 165 for the other 10 players. If our guards average 20 minutes that is Azzi, Nika, CW, Evina. If our forwards average 20 that is Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka. That is 140. That leaves 25 minutes for Amari, Caroline, Saylor, Aubrey, Mir, Piath, or less than 5 minutes a player. If you do the math something has to give. Even if Geno goes to a 10 player rotation some players get left out.

 

[pvdoggy]

What is “a lot” of minutes? There are only 200 in a game. If Page plays 35 a game, that leaves 165 for the other 10 players. If our guards average 20 minutes that is Azzi, Nika, CW, Evina. If our forwards average 20 that is Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka. That is 140. That leaves 25 minutes for Amari, Caroline, Saylor, Aubrey, Mir, Piath, or less than 5 minutes a player. If you do the math something has to give. Even if Geno goes to a 10 player rotation some players get left out.

Why would Paige play 35 min when everybody else plays less than 20 min per game?

 

[huskiemaniac]

Paige avg.'d 36 MPG. My guess is she'll avg. ~32 mins/game for the remainder of her UConn career. She understandably tired this past season, having to be everybody's everything, poor kid. So, between playing less minutes and packing some muscle on that frame, we'll see even more greatness.

 

[CL82]

What is “a lot” of minutes? There are only 200 in a game. If Page plays 35 a game, that leaves 165 for the other 10 players. If our guards average 20 minutes that is Azzi, Nika, CW, Evina. If our forwards average 20 that is Liv, Aaliyah, and Dorka. That is 140. That leaves 25 minutes for Amari, Caroline, Saylor, Aubrey, Mir, Piath, or less than 5 minutes a player. If you do the math something has to give. Even if Geno goes to a 10 player rotation some players get left out.

Remember the days when UConn starters played like 25 minutes? I think we are returning to that era.

 

[bluedevil]

There is no reason to think Dorka stays two years. She might have told GA that but I bet Azura said the same. I like your posts TonyC but sometimes you might want to pump the breaks a little..

 

[Argonaut]

There is no reason to think Dorka stays two years. She might have told GA that but I bet Azura said the same. I like your posts TonyC but sometimes you might want to pump the breaks a little..

Very few of us thought Evina would stay a second year, especially with how weak this draft class is, but here we are.

Dorka might stay...
Dorka might go...

 

[bluedevil]

Very few of us thought Evina would stay a second year, especially with how weak this draft class is, but here we are.

Dorka might stay...
Dorka might go...

Exactly..the point is none of us know what she told Geno and if it really matters anyway so why speculate?

 

[Argonaut]

Exactly..the point is none of us know what she told Geno and if it really matters anyway so why speculate?

But it's worthwhile to talk about it both ways. Here is what it looks like if DJ stays. Here is what it looks like if DJ goes.

Because players surprise us all the time... good, bad, and ugly.

 

[Carnac]

I agree with hoopsfan22. We need to wait until the player roster is set for next season. It’s hard to imagine that anyone else would be added, but you never know. With a “full” roster, something will have to give. We can already guess the players that will get the “lion’s share“ of the minutes.

I was listening to the Colin Cowherd Show yesterday (as I do everyday). He said something that I thought was profound and true. He was relating to players in general, but basketball players in particular. He was speaking from a coach’s perspective in deciding who to acquire, and how they decide who to play. He said: “can you be great when I need you to be?”

The players on this team that can answer yes to that question are the ones that will play. The players decide who plays, not Geno. Paige and Aaliyah make it real easy for Geno to play them.

There will be the usual discussions about the starting lineup for the coming season. Because of the number of options Geno now has, the answer will not be as cut and dried as in recent years.

We know Paige starts, and I agree with the poster that said Azzi didn’t come here to sit, or come off the bench. The consensus is she’s as good as Paige if not better. How do you not start her? Aaliyah has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’s ready to start. She has demonstrated a toughness and consistency unmatched by any of her teammates. We expect to see a significant improvement (sophomore leap) in her performance next season.

That leaves 2 spots to fill. Christyn, ONO, Evina I think are the front runners because of maturity and experience if nothing else. I would imagine that it will be hard to keep a “proven” first team all Big 10 player on the bench as well. 😳 Hopefully UConn can return to their normal preseason schedule consisting mostly of top 10 teams. We’ll fi

Regardless of who you like, any proposed starting lineup starts with Paige and Azzi. We’ve 7 months to figure it out. Let the debates begin. 😀

 

[huskyd]

Wow Just when we thought the season was over. We get Dorka and Shea goes to Vandy and Anna goes to Europe. Well so now what do we do? We need to get this years class and our incoming class time and experience for the following season because we're loosing Liv Christyn and Evina. Im sure Geno spoke to Dorka and asked if she was coming for one or two years. I dont think Geno would have taken her for one season. JMO With Liv and Dorka playing down low what about Amari. Dont worry she needs to see time to be ready for the following year when Liv graduates. Paith needs to get up to speed too and could be a big factor before the season is over. Caroline who won the 3 pt contest and has range from Mars to Storrs has got to be ready for the following season so she has to get her minutes too. Saylor is another shooter who has the fundamentals down and needs to get her minutes.

That brings us to Azzi. We've heard shes a generational player. We've heard shes better then Paige who was NFOY and NPOY. Ive heard shes a Maya Moore player. Ive said this before Azzi didnt come here to sit. If shes that good she will start. For those of you who think she wont let me say this. If Paige was coming in this season would you sit her????? I dont think so. Now we have a problem. Who starts??? Well Edwards has to start and I think she will be an AA. By January she will be one of the most talked about players in WCBB along with Paige and Azzi. Do you realize we could have 5 AA's. We have height Liv 6'5 Amari 6'5 Paith 6'5 Dorka 6'4 Edwards 6'3 Caroline 6'2 Saylor 6'2. Hey those of you who were concerned about height have to be happy. We are loaded beyond belief. We have Christyn Paige and Azzi number 1 out of HS. I think Paige and Azzi will be fighting for NPOY. This is silly good. You cant make this up. By Christmas Paige Azzi Christyn and Edwards have to start. Evina and Nika will get good minutes. Liv and Dorka will share time in the middle with Amari brought in to gain experience because we will need her the following season. Caroline Amari and Saylor need alot of minutes to be ready for the following season and Piath once developed could be the biggest surprise by late next season. With all of that said...everybody should see alot of minutes because we are that good. I mentioned a few months ago UConn could go 175-0 I bet some of you are thinkin that way now and some of your arent. I learned along time ago reach for the moon and if you miss you end up with the stars.

This is a funny season because you have 3 seniors who want to go pro and will need minutes then you have a loaded freshman and sophomore class that need minutes to be ready for the following season. They all gotta get their minutes. I will say right now UConn should go undefeated. They can only beat themselves. There are some really good teams like SC and Stanford but then there is UConn good. Next season UConn is Crazy Good. You know where we're goin?....To the TOP the Very Top

UConn could go 175-0

Now I have to figure out if I'll live long enough to see that. Tony's optimism has reached its apex, and he's got it completely right. Next season may be the start of something never before seen in wcbb. I'm changing my diet and beginning to exercise . . .

 

[bluedevil]

Now I have to figure out if I'll live long enough to see that. Tony's optimism has reached its apex, and he's got it completely right. Next season may be the start of something never before seen in wcbb. I'm changing my diet and beginning to exercise . . .

To paraphrase the great Fox Mulder: The future is out there..

 

[Geew1992]

Technically, couldn't ONO, CW and E come back after next year?

 

[Heytherego]

There is no reason to think Dorka stays two years. She might have told GA that but I bet Azura said the same. I like your posts TonyC but sometimes you might want to pump the breaks a little..

I think I’ve seen other sources too state Dorka would like to use her two years of eligibility

 

[MooseJaw]

Well done @Tonyc , but I'd like to throw a couple of wrinkles into your plan. I feel the twitterverse comments regarding a reduction in roster may come to pass.

Looking at Geno's recent comments that if Liv doesn't change in a couple areas it's going to be a long senior year for her and his rave over Aaliyah saying she will get most of the touches in the post in the coming year, plus the transfer in of Dorka, it appears that Liv is the #3 option in the low post. That is before Amari has a chance to demonstrate he abilities, which are formidable. Liv may be pushing Autumn for the 3 point high five tradition.

Evina's playing time will be dictated by the condition of her knee. Geno has stated his desire to return to the full court game and that E's knee (and Anna's leg) prevented him from doing so. If Evina's knee can hold up she is probably a lock for 25 minutes a game.

A full court game fits best with Christyn and Nika in the game. Paige has to become a better on ball defender. A rotation of those 3, Azzi and Aubrey will handle the point and wings with liberal substation (depending on Azzi's ability to run the floor. I am skeptical because of the recent lower leg issues).

I have more thoughts but I'm starting to ramble. Just say I am excited for the coming year and anticipating some news worthy events in the coming days.

Nice try, I think I am more inclined to get behind Tony's pitch. The one area in contention is with Liv, while we all know she has holes in her game, as we all know there areas were she shines. I believe Geno will find ways to maximize what Liv has to offer. We may see a backcourt rotation at the 4-5 with 3 players while sliding in our new big Freshman when appropriate. Whatever we see it will include Liv in a big way.

 

[dcheng021]

Think people have pointed this out already but it isn't that important who starts versus who gets minutes and who is on the floor during a close/competitive game. On offense I'd imagine you want Aaliyah, Paige, Christyn, and Azzi to be taking the most shots as those are Uconn's most efficient scoring options. If you start all four, the amount of shots each gets is diluted and you might be better off replacing one of them with someone like Evina or Nika who don't need shots to feel involved in the game and can impact the game in other ways. This lets you bring one of those options off the bench to keep 3 of your top 4 options on the floor together at any given time.

As deep and talented as this roster is, it feels like it has a lot of players who specialize in offense or defense but lacks truly dominant two way players like an Aari McDonald, Haley Jones, or Aliyah Boston that dominate both ends of the court. Christyn Williams is probably the closest and I can see Aaliyah Edwards becoming a really good two way player. Paige, we all know, is great on offense but has room for improvement on the defensive end. When it comes down to playing time and lineups, I can see a major factor being which players are able to develop into two way players and have the ability to impact both ends of the court. Whoever is able to do that will set themselves apart within the roster. Nika, Aubrey, and ONO--no questions on how they contribute on defense, but what you give up is scoring, and with Aubrey and ONO, consistent outside shooting. On the flip side, you have Ducharme, Azzi, Poffenberger, and Dorka who are great shooters. If Azzi shows she is capable defender I can see the being the difference between her playing 25 minutes versus 35 minutes. Ducharme and Poffenberger sound like they can both shoot, but if they can't demonstrate they are able to be reliable defenders, I can't see them getting consistent playing time.

Just my two cents but very much looking forward to seeing how this all shakes out.

 

[CocoHusky]

Paige avg.'d 36 MPG. My guess is she'll avg. ~32 mins/game for the remainder of her UConn career. She understandably tired this past season, having to be everybody's everything, poor kid. So, between playing less minutes and packing some muscle on that frame, we'll see even more greatness.

This is the third consecutive year now that UCONN has finished the season with at least 3 players averaging more than 30 minutes per game. For the 2018-19 season it was all five starters. That many minutes adds up over the course of a season. Additionally it greatly impacts the UCONN style of play. It has been three years now that UCONN because of lack of depth has been conceding 1/2 of the court when the other team has the ball. You can't ask players like Paige to press for even a few minutes because she going to need her legs for the 4th quarter. While many are focused on who will start I more looking forward to how far the regular rotation will be expanded. An expanded rotation might enable the return of the UCONN transition game which has been sorely missing.

 

[HuskylnSC]

We may see a backcourt rotation at the 4-5 with 3 players while sliding in our new big Freshman when appropriate. Whatever we see it will include Liv in a big way.

Not if you listen to Geno's comments. His words were that if she did not improve in two areas it would be a long senior season for her.

Geno was quite clear that he is very happy with Aaliyah and she will receive most of the touches in the post next year. That was before bringing in All B1G 10 forward who averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds in a tougher conference than the BE. It is not much of a jump to opine that Liv, who I like personally, is #3 on the depth chart before Amari arrives.

(Also 4's and 5's play in the front court)

 

[TWG236]

As dchend021stated earlier, who starts is really not an issue. Who is playing when the game is on the line. Who was playing at the end of the Arizona game, when we needed to make plays. We know Williams would have been in the game if she was available. So I believe Geno is looking for a more physical player to play alongside Edwards. I enjoy watching ONO play, but there are things she really needs to work on over the summer, especially playing near the hoop.

 

[bluedevil]

As dchend021stated earlier, who starts is really not an issue. Who is playing when the game is on the line. Who was playing at the end of the Arizona game, when we needed to make plays. We know Williams would have been in the game if she was available. So I believe Geno is looking for a more physical player to play alongside Edwards. I enjoy watching ONO play, but there are things she really needs to work on over the summer, especially playing near the hoop.

Not so fast my friend..If the right people start then maybe The game will not have to be on the line...a 20 point half time lead cou.ld be be the norm..

 

[Shaffer0011]

Why would Paige play 35 min when everybody else plays less than 20 min per game?

Because she is an All American and the star of this team. Azzi may play 30-35 as well. Paige may play less during the Big East schedule. But in big games she will be on the floor as much as possible.

 

[MooseJaw]

Not if you listen to Geno's comments. His words were that if she did not improve in two areas it would be a long senior season for her.

Geno was quite clear that he is very happy with Aaliyah and she will receive most of the touches in the post next year. That was before bringing in All B1G 10 forward who averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds in a tougher conference than the BE. It is not much of a jump to opine that Liv, who I like personally, is #3 on the depth chart before Amari arrives.

(Also 4's and 5's play in the front court)

Excuse me, my eye teeth got in the way of my brain. Geno did say what you posted, however as you know Geno has a way of goading, nudging players or whatever you call it when talking to the media. Yes Liv needs to improve, she knows it and Geno did not say Liv will be on the bench, he indicated that she had to improve to be secure in her position. If you remember after the loss to Az. he had words for Paige, he had words for CW, also messages for AG during the season. All that aside, I stand by my opinion even though I may not know what side of the court I am be looing at. In any event I enjoy considering the different possibilities of players pt, positions, and contributions. Please keep questioning my posts, it keeps me on my toes. 👍

 

[Zinethar]

All I really know is I now have my 2 shots and am looking forward to finding games next year where I can watch UConn in person and get caught up in the excitement. This should be a fun ride.

 

[BBallF]

Very few of us thought Evina would stay a second year, especially with how weak this draft class is, but here we are.

Dorka might stay...
Dorka might go...

Evina is staying because she wants a ring and has a sense of responsibility to this team and program. She is acutely aware of what UCONN is all about. When she said she had "unfinished business" she was throwing the gauntlet down. I look for a great season from her. I think she will condition and practice very hard this off season and her leg will be improved and she will get on anyone's case who doesn't give 110% next year..

 

[Rb335]

From reading Kelly Grave's comments about his two outbound transfers, its easy to see that a lot of players want more playing time as opposed to playing backup on a successful team. We have a very deep and crowded roster this upcoming season, but I believe that most players can see that CW, ONO, and Evina all leave after next year, opening up a lot of minutes. I think it's great that our freshman won't feel the pressure to carry the team from day one, but can learn and grow and be ready for when our seniors graduate.

Each position has a very good player who wasn't in our final four starting lineup. Muhl, Fudd, Ducharme, Griffin, and Dorka. 3 of these players have proven to be effective D1 players & Azzi is supposedly the chosen one, so there is no reason to think our rotation won't be at minimum 9. I'm more intrigued to see which freshman of Ducharme, Deberry & Poffenbarger are able to carve out a consistent role.

 

[and one]

Here is how I think minute distribution will look next year:

Season average

30+
Paige and CW.

25+
EW, AE, Nika

20+
ONO, DJ, Fudd

15+
AG

10+
Ducharme, DeBerry, Saylor

5+
Mir, Piath

In competitive/close games

35+ Paige

30+ CW, EW, Nika, DJ

25+ Fudd, ONO

15+ AG

3+ Ducharme, DeBerry, Saylor

The core 7 are Paige, CW, EW, Nika, DJ, Azzi and ONO

My most obvious assumption is that Azzi will prove to be so good from the start that keeping her out of the line-up won't be possible. A second is that DJ will play as well for Uconn as she did for Ohio State. I see no reason why not and think that Geno accepted her into the program expecting her to be in the short rotation.

AG is a wild card. If she develops a shooting touch over the off season her minutes go up. She has so many good things about her game that relegating her to 15 minutes a game is tough, but competition for minutes will be fierce and she'll have to add scoring to her game to turn the core player number from 7 to 8.

I have no idea how Ducharme, DeBerry and Saylor will look this coming season - all three hold great promise. I doubt any of them will be so good they average major minutes. The time for them will come in 22-23.

 

[FairView]

Amazing album.