Who's the Tournament core going to be?

[Bone Dog]

We've all spent a lot of time thinking about how these 10 players will fit into one scheme or another. But if the typical pattern holds, by the end of the season and come tournament time, all the playing time will have coalesced around 5 core players, with a 6th and 7th getting maybe 20 mins between them. Will this pattern hold again this year, and if so, who do you think the 5+2 will be?

My guess is that the pattern won't hold this year and that we'll end up playing 5+4. But if we end up 5+2, I think it comes down to Nika, Azzi, Caroline, Aaliyah and Dorka plus Lou and Aubrey. It would be cool if the team ended up being 5+5 come tournament time, and if Amari, Ice, and Ayanna make themselves indispensable we could see this. Wouldn't that be something?

 

[oldhusky]

We've all spent a lot of time thinking about how these 10 players will fit into one scheme or another. But if the typical pattern holds, by the end of the season and come tournament time, all the playing time will have coalesced around 5 core players, with a 6th and 7th getting maybe 20 mins between them. Will this pattern hold again this year, and if so, who do you think the 5+2 will be?

My guess is that the pattern won't hold this year and that we'll end up playing 5+4. But if we end up 5+2, I think it comes down to Nika, Azzi, Caroline, Aaliyah and Dorka plus Lou and Aubrey. It would be cool if the team ended up being 5+5 come tournament time, and if Amari, Ice, and Ayanna make themselves indispensable we could see this. Wouldn't that be something?

Amen!

 

[Majic Hands]

I'm hoping that 9 players, right from the get-Go are getting lots of minutes. Simply because they are so damn good "Coach" has to have them on the floor. . . Period!

 

[oldude]

I'm hoping that 9 players, right from the get-Go are getting lots of minutes. Simply because they are so damn good "Coach" has to have them on the floor. . . Period!

How about “10 players?”

 

[Carnac]

We've all spent a lot of time thinking about how these 10 players will fit into one scheme or another. But if the typical pattern holds, by the end of the season and come tournament time, all the playing time will have coalesced around 5 core players, with a 6th and 7th getting maybe 20 mins between them. Will this pattern hold again this year, and if so, who do you think the 5+2 will be?

My guess is that the pattern won't hold this year and that we'll end up playing 5+4. But if we end up 5+2, I think it comes down to Nika, Azzi, Caroline, Aaliyah and Dorka plus Lou and Aubrey. It would be cool if the team ended up being 5+5 come tournament time, and if Amari, Ice, and Ayanna make themselves indispensable we could see this. Wouldn't that be something?

Being the unofficial “seer” in the yard, I should be able to answer your query. But this is August, too many personnel questions remain unanswered. We do know how far those injured will return to being 100% healthy/rehabilitated.

Classes won’t resume for another 2 weeks. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I still think Geno will add one more player to the team by then. I have a gut feeling that Brady will earn significant playing time during the course of the season. I can’t count anyone out midway through August.

 

[TCC Kid]

Being the unofficial “seer” in the yard, I should be able to answer your query. But this is August, too many personnel questions remain unanswered. We do know how far those injured will return to being 100% healthy/rehabilitated.

Classes won’t resume for another 2 weeks. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I still think Geno will add one more player to the team by then. I have a gut feeling that Brady will earn significant playing time during the course of the season. I can’t count anyone out midway through August.

Great. At this point, as you say, everyone is in, no one is out, but we shall see.

 

[Majic Hands]

How about “10 players?”

I'm hoping for 9. Especially if another player is added to the incoming class. I would be happy with 8 players getting lots of floor time. Wish for 10? Sure. But if we can have a 10 player rotation, Coach can utilize his Dog House.

I think we could have seen a large rotation last year. Unfortunately, injuries made it impossible.

We expect players to play through aches and pain but when you have walking wounded on the floor they aren't capable of playing their best

Boy-o-boy the kids delivered last year..

 

[Carnac]

I'm hoping for 9. Especially if another player is added to the incoming class. I would be happy with 8 players getting lots of floor time. Wish for 10? Sure. But if we can have a 10 player rotation, Coach can utilize his Dog House.

I think we could have seen a large rotation last year. Unfortunately, injuries made it impossible.

We expect players to play through aches and pain but when you have walking wounded on the floor they aren't capable of playing their best

Boy-o-boy the kids delivered last year..

There will always be injuries, some of which are of a minor nature and we'll never have knowledge of. Painful enough to keep a player out for a game or two, but nothing to report or really be concerned about (a tweak/pull or light sprain).

 

[Bone Dog]

How often do I hear people talking about the fabled 10 player rotation? I indulge this fantasy, too. Everyone except Geno, who seems very much to prefer playing 5+2 or occasionally 5+3. I wonder if he knows something we don’t.

 

[TCC Kid]

I'm hoping for 9. Especially if another player is added to the incoming class. I would be happy with 8 players getting lots of floor time. Wish for 10? Sure. But if we can have a 10 player rotation, Coach can utilize his Dog House.

I think we could have seen a large rotation last year. Unfortunately, injuries made it impossible. Y

We expect players to play through aches and pain but when you have walking wounded on the floor they aren't capable of playing their best

Boy-o-boy the kids delivered last year..

Your last sentence, EXACTLY. In previous year, not recent years, Geno ran 8 players up to the NC. Then came a time those 8 (not the same players) were down to 6. 6 or 5 isn't anywhere near desirable. We saw last year with 12 on the roster, that 10 wasn't too many, it wasn't nearly enough. The improbable, impossible, became probably and reality.
It is a hardship on the coaching staff to have over 10 but I'd prefer 15, I have 2 safety valves on my hot water heaters. I believe in Murphy, his law has proven valid at the most improbably times.

 

[TCC Kid]

I'm hoping for 9. Especially if another player is added to the incoming class. I would be happy with 8 players getting lots of floor time. Wish for 10? Sure. But if we can have a 10 player rotation, Coach can utilize his Dog House.

I think we could have seen a large rotation last year. Unfortunately, injuries made it impossible. Y

We expect players to play through aches and pain but when you have walking wounded on the floor they aren't capable of playing their best

Boy-o-boy the kids delivered last year..

Your last sentence, EXACTLY. In previous year, not recent years, Geno ran 8 players up to the NC. Then came a time those 8 (not the same players) were down to 6. 6 or 5 isn't anywhere near desirable. We saw last year with 12 on the roster, that 10 wasn't too many, it wasn't nearly enough. The improbable, impossible, became probably and reality.
It is a hardship on the coaching staff to have over 10 but I'd prefer 15, I have 2 safety valves on my hot water heaters. I believe in Murphy, his law has proven valid at the most improbably times.

 

[TCC Kid]

I'm hoping that 9 players, right from the get-Go are getting lots of minutes. Simply because they are so damn good "Coach" has to have them on the floor. . . Period!

While it is true, and worked extremely well, the Frosh got loads of time and earned their pay. It proved that Freshman, something we knew from Maya, Stewie, DT, can play at the highest of levels. It is great to see players get minutes "from the get-go". Over the past 15 years too many minutes for some players proved --we'll, not so good. If they are truly good Coach shall have them on the floor--Question mark?

 

[Skeets]

Geno will want his 5 best players on the floor as much as possible (in tight games). The +2 will go into the game to provide breathers as necessary. That's 7. I don't see the other 3 players (whoever they might be) getting more that 2 or 3 minutes unless the game is beyond doubt. Who the 5+2 are, I have no clue. If I knew I would tell you who the other 3 are

 

[Carnac]

Great. At this point, as you say, everyone is in, no one is out, but we shall see.

A typo in my post. It should read we DON’T know close to 100% those injured and rehabbing will get.

 

[Bone Dog]

We don’t know, it’s true. But about one player, I think we can make a good guess. Azzi was dynamite over the last weeks of the season, playing with the injury she’s rehabbing right now. It that was Azzi at 80% or even 70%, I can hardly wait to see her at 87.639824%.

 

[The deacon]

We don’t know, it’s true. But about one player, I think we can make a good guess. Azzi was dynamite over the last weeks of the season, playing with the injury she’s rehabbing right now. It that was Azzi at 80% or even 70%, I can hardly wait to see her at 87.639824%.

I hope your guess about Azzi is accurate, Bone Dog, and, given close to 100 percent health, there's a good chance it will be.

However, to call Azzi's performance 'dynamite' down the season's closing weeks is a stretch, I'd say. She shot just 35 percent and averaged just 10.1 over the nine tournament games. During the Final Four, admittedly against two superb defensive teams, Azzi shot a cumulative 3 of 11 for 11 points, with zero assists, in nearly 44 minutes of PT.

I'd expect we all are hopeful, in Paige's absence, that Azzi will rise to the occasion and both post numbers and demonstrate leadership commensurate with her talent and potential. I'm also confident the Huskies will be a national power, and that Azzi will be among the chief reasons why, but she really has yet to prove that to me. I look forward to seeing her carve her niche among UConn's best players of this era.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’ll grant you that against Stanford and SC, she struggled. But against NC St, she scored 19 and shot 40% from 3. Against Indiana, she only shot 30% from 3 and only scored 13. Against UCF she scored 16 to lead the team and shot 40% from 3. I won’t trifle with her stats against Mercer, though she did shoot 100% from 3.

I’m more thinking of her season long stats, which mainly reflects her second half return to the lineup. Her stat-line looks like this:

28 mins, 12 pts, 3 reb, 46% fg, 43% 3 pt, and 91% ft. That last number is interesting because it means she missed 3 free throws all season long. That’s why Geno wanted her to be the one other teams had to foul at the end of games.

 

[Bald Husky]

There is no core top 5. Starting line-up, sure, but that can change game to game. I know barring injury that probably won't happen, but it all depends on chemistry. As of now, Azzi, Dorka, and AE are ahead of the pack, but the other two positions can be a combination of about 4 others. The others may or may not start, but significant minutes can be given to any other player, dependent on matchups. With Paige out, Azzi is the only sure thing to be in the starting line-up. I know the other 2 I have mentioned will probably start, but until pre-season is completed, and Geno has seen what the others can do will we know for sure what his decision will be. This is a good thing which means that very competent players will come off the bench. I think we will be very good with the team that we have, and I can't wait to see it unfold in November.

 

[Bone Dog]

This site is an awesome reference (thanks, @HuskyNan ), and if you look through the years, you can see all the box scores, including minutes played, for at least the last 20 years. The pattern you see play out is that in November more players get significant minutes, and by February a core of 5+1 or 5+2 has emerged. Hence the question about our best guesses for who will be that core.

Personally, I suspect this year will not so neatly fit this pattern, and we'll get a 5+4 pattern. But don't be afraid to speculate. That's what August is for.