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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 6:15:32 GMT -5
Dan Connolly's mailbag (have no idea if it's paywalled, so I'll quote some/paraphrase some).
Overall, I think he's been paying too much attention to hockey these days. Of course we just don't know about Sarah and Jana in college competition, but the potential for being monster players is there. And I don't think he's been following Morgan's progress at all.
These are answers to fans' questions:
1. Starting lineup
Paige
As long as Kaitlyn Chen adjusts well to life at UConn, she’ll be there too. Then if Fudd is healthy and looking good, she’s a shoe-in to start.
El Alfy is my [Dan's] pick considering her size and potential, though Brady has the edge on experience. It wouldn’t be surprising if she got the nod over El Alfy.
That last spot will depend on how the Huskies wants to play. Do they want to go guard-heavy and add in another ball-handler with KK Arnold, or do they go with a more versatile player like Ashlynn Shade, Caroline Ducharme or Aubrey Griffin? Do they start big with Brady and El Alfy?
For now, I’ll take Shade to round out a starting five of Bueckers, Chen, Fudd, Shade and El Alfy.
Bulkey's response to Dan: seriously, a discussion of who starts without mentioning Sarah. Seriously, Dan, a four guard starting line-up? Why not KK instead of Jana and we can start 5 guards.
2. Bench rotation:
Major minutes: Bueckers, Fudd
Proven players: Chen, Griffin, Arnold, Shade
These six players represent the Huskies’ core.
Need them: Brady, El Alfy, Strong
....
High-upside depth: Morgan Cheli, Allie Ziebell
The two freshman guards are buried on the depth chart.
Bulkey: Dan: you haven't been paying attention to what Morgan did this year.
Question marks, but could help: Ducharme, Patterson, Qadence Samuels
Ducharme and Patterson...health is a major question mark with the two of them.
As for Samuels, she needs to make a big leap this offseason to avoid getting buried on the depth chart.
3. Post-Player rotation
....
If Brady can make a sophomore leap and play like she did in the Big East Tournament (10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds), she’ll be a force down low. As long as El Alfy has fully recovered from her achilles injury, expect her to be a staple in the rotation. There were whispers that she would’ve started this past season if she never got hurt.
Behind those two, Strong should make an impact from day one as the No. 1 recruit. That’s three capable post players. Then if Patterson can get healthy and be the high-energy, physical presence off the bench that we saw in flashes during her freshman year, she’ll be a great depth option.
Griffin will provide a boost to that group whenever she gets back to game action, too.
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Post by semper on Jun 3, 2024 7:47:26 GMT -5
I was going to do this, but you beat me to it. Great synopsis!
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Post by swash on Jun 3, 2024 8:13:18 GMT -5
Dan Connolly's mailbag (have no idea if it's paywalled, so I'll quote some/paraphrase some). Overall, I think he's been paying too much attention to hockey these days. Of course we just don't know about Sarah and Jana in college competition, but the potential for being monster players is there. And I don't think he's been following Morgan's progress at all. These are answers to fans' questions: 1. Starting lineup Paige As long as Kaitlyn Chen adjusts well to life at UConn, she’ll be there too. Then if Fudd is healthy and looking good, she’s a shoe-in to start. El Alfy is my [Dan's] pick considering her size and potential, though Brady has the edge on experience. It wouldn’t be surprising if she got the nod over El Alfy. That last spot will depend on how the Huskies wants to play. Do they want to go guard-heavy and add in another ball-handler with KK Arnold, or do they go with a more versatile player like Ashlynn Shade, Caroline Ducharme or Aubrey Griffin? Do they start big with Brady and El Alfy? For now, I’ll take Shade to round out a starting five of Bueckers, Chen, Fudd, Shade and El Alfy. Bulkey's response to Dan: seriously, a discussion of who starts without mentioning Sarah. Seriously, Dan, a four guard starting line-up? Why not KK instead of Jana and we can start 5 guards.
2. Bench rotation: Major minutes: Bueckers, Fudd Proven players: Chen, Griffin, Arnold, Shade These six players represent the Huskies’ core. Need them: Brady, El Alfy, Strong .... High-upside depth: Morgan Cheli, Allie Ziebell The two freshman guards are buried on the depth chart. Bulkey: Dan: you haven't been paying attention to what Morgan did this year.
Question marks, but could help: Ducharme, Patterson, Qadence Samuels Ducharme and Patterson...health is a major question mark with the two of them. As for Samuels, she needs to make a big leap this offseason to avoid getting buried on the depth chart. 3. Post-Player rotation .... If Brady can make a sophomore leap and play like she did in the Big East Tournament (10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds), she’ll be a force down low. As long as El Alfy has fully recovered from her achilles injury, expect her to be a staple in the rotation. There were whispers that she would’ve started this past season if she never got hurt. Behind those two, Strong should make an impact from day one as the No. 1 recruit. That’s three capable post players. Then if Patterson can get healthy and be the high-energy, physical presence off the bench that we saw in flashes during her freshman year, she’ll be a great depth option. Griffin will provide a boost to that group whenever she gets back to game action, too. So, Dan thinks we start the season with Paige at the PF spot again? I seriously doubt that. To me that would indicate that Sarah will play about as much as Qadence did last season. Which I highly doubt. Even if Sarah weren't in the picture, I think we'd be more likely to see the Ice/Jana pairing up front ... or someone working back in like Ayanna or Caroline at the four beside a big. I think if Sarah isn't a starter for most of the season, it will be a disappointment. She is going to have to be good right away in games, not sit back and ease into the flow. _________ I think KK and KC will be a big battle for the start at PG. They'll likely get similar minutes. In KK's favor: She has the higher upside, a year under her belt in Storrs, and the keys to the dragster will be in her hands a year from now. KK is the better defender, too. But Kaitlyn has more maturity, is a better scorer, and may profit from Arnold being very effective coming off the bench. Also, Chen pairs better offensively with Paige if you want to have them toggle roles between Wing and PG. __________ I think Ice starts the season at Center, but Jana finishes there. I suspect similar minutes overall, but game to game they may be quite unbalanced .. either because of matchups, foul troubles, gameday productivity. __________ I agree with Dan that the SG spot belongs to Azzi if she is ready and that Ash is ready to fill whatever minutes are needed, including the start if Fudd takes a few weeks to get up to speed. I am skeptical about Allie starting strong ... Needs defensive work, shooters often take a while to settle in - especially when coming off the bench for the first time in your career and playing against better defenders. __________ I agree with you Bulkey, Dan is under-valuing Morgan. She seems to work hard ALL of the time. We know how much Geno loves that. She seems to have better court vision than most and can fill in anywhere except center. She also fits at any pace. Last season, Q suffered from being a fast pace player and as the injuries piled up the team slowed down ... and that made it tougher for Q to show her best side. With greater numbers and speed available, I hope Q can re-establish herself as a quality player ... while still improving in her "slow" game. __________ Aubrey ... don't want to rush that recovery, but this team is going to be harder and harder to make a draft-worthy impact the longer the season goes along. She can add value to nearly any lineup. As a senior, she will get minutes and help this team out ... but dreams of the W will require "Wow!" moments in nationally televised games. Most of those opportunities will happen in the OOC schedule. If she doesn't get up to speed until BE play, then it would take a spectacular tournament effort to get her into the first round, and it's going to be tough to get noticed with all of the stars this team has. Go Huskies! |
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Post by semper on Jun 3, 2024 8:32:14 GMT -5
I agree, Paige will play the three, or share the two with Azzi. Neither of them will play PG, at least not consistently.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 11:24:37 GMT -5
So, Dan thinks we start the season with Paige at the PF spot again? I seriously doubt that. To me that would indicate that Sarah will play about as much as Qadence did last season. Which I highly doubt. Even if Sarah weren't in the picture, I think we'd be more likely to see the Ice/Jana pairing up front ... or someone working back in like Ayanna or Caroline at the four beside a big. I think if Sarah isn't a starter for most of the season, it will be a disappointment. She is going to have to be good right away in games, not sit back and ease into the flow. _________ I think KK and KC will be a big battle for the start at PG. They'll likely get similar minutes. In KK's favor: She has the higher upside, a year under her belt in Storrs, and the keys to the dragster will be in her hands a year from now. KK is the better defender, too. But Kaitlyn has more maturity, is a better scorer, and may profit from Arnold being very effective coming off the bench. Also, Chen pairs better offensively with Paige if you want to have them toggle roles between Wing and PG. __________ I think Ice starts the season at Center, but Jana finishes there. I suspect similar minutes overall, but game to game they may be quite unbalanced .. either because of matchups, foul troubles, gameday productivity. __________ I agree with Dan that the SG spot belongs to Azzi if she is ready and that Ash is ready to fill whatever minutes are needed, including the start if Fudd takes a few weeks to get up to speed. I am skeptical about Allie starting strong ... Needs defensive work, shooters often take a while to settle in - especially when coming off the bench for the first time in your career and playing against better defenders. __________ I agree with you Bulkey, Dan is under-valuing Morgan. She seems to work hard ALL of the time. We know how much Geno loves that. She seems to have better court vision than most and can fill in anywhere except center. She also fits at any pace. Last season, Q suffered from being a fast pace player and as the injuries piled up the team slowed down ... and that made it tougher for Q to show her best side. With greater numbers and speed available, I hope Q can re-establish herself as a quality player ... while still improving in her "slow" game. __________ Aubrey ... don't want to rush that recovery, but this team is going to be harder and harder to make a draft-worthy impact the longer the season goes along. She can add value to nearly any lineup. As a senior, she will get minutes and help this team out ... but dreams of the W will require "Wow!" moments in nationally televised games. Most of those opportunities will happen in the OOC schedule. If she doesn't get up to speed until BE play, then it would take a spectacular tournament effort to get her into the first round, and it's going to be tough to get noticed with all of the stars this team has. Go Huskies! Agree with everything here. KK has the speed, energy, and her drives--sometimes out of control--will bias the defense giving the guards more room to shoot. Most of all, KK is a terrific defender. KC has the maturity to run an offense quite similar to what she had at Princeton. That's what she brings most. I don't know who starts. I can assume that KC will finish close games, since we need her maturity more than KK's offense in those situations. Sarah gets major minutes. Morgan gets some minutes--but they are competitive minutes. Geno won't start Ice and Jana together, but having Ice at the 5, Jana at 4, and Sarah at 3 will be tempting situationally on offense. On defense, at least early on, it's suspect. A key is Ayanna: hard to put Ice and Jana out there together without having someone who can back them up. That's why getting a big in the portal who would be willing to play 10-15 minutes would have been nice. But all the skilled bigs got too expensive (meaning, they expected to start or get major minutes). |
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Post by meyers7 on Jun 3, 2024 12:19:58 GMT -5
I agree, Paige will play the three, or share the two with Azzi. Neither of them will play PG, at least not consistently. Although like this year with Bueckers, Arnold and Muhl on the floor at the same time, they would take turns bringing the ball up and starting the offense. But I would think that Geno would prefer Arnold or Chen running the offense and Bueckers concentrating on scoring. Not that she can't run the offense, but she's such a good/versatile scorer, I'd imagine Geno would prefer her coming off screens, spotting up, driving (pullup or dish), etc. than running the offense. |
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BJ42
Purebred Husky
Posts: 458
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Post by BJ42 on Jun 3, 2024 12:48:15 GMT -5
So, Dan thinks we start the season with Paige at the PF spot again? I seriously doubt that. To me that would indicate that Sarah will play about as much as Qadence did last season. Which I highly doubt. Even if Sarah weren't in the picture, I think we'd be more likely to see the Ice/Jana pairing up front ... or someone working back in like Ayanna or Caroline at the four beside a big. I think if Sarah isn't a starter for most of the season, it will be a disappointment. She is going to have to be good right away in games, not sit back and ease into the flow. _________ I think KK and KC will be a big battle for the start at PG. They'll likely get similar minutes. In KK's favor: She has the higher upside, a year under her belt in Storrs, and the keys to the dragster will be in her hands a year from now. KK is the better defender, too. But Kaitlyn has more maturity, is a better scorer, and may profit from Arnold being very effective coming off the bench. Also, Chen pairs better offensively with Paige if you want to have them toggle roles between Wing and PG. __________ I think Ice starts the season at Center, but Jana finishes there. I suspect similar minutes overall, but game to game they may be quite unbalanced .. either because of matchups, foul troubles, gameday productivity. __________ I agree with Dan that the SG spot belongs to Azzi if she is ready and that Ash is ready to fill whatever minutes are needed, including the start if Fudd takes a few weeks to get up to speed. I am skeptical about Allie starting strong ... Needs defensive work, shooters often take a while to settle in - especially when coming off the bench for the first time in your career and playing against better defenders. __________ I agree with you Bulkey, Dan is under-valuing Morgan. She seems to work hard ALL of the time. We know how much Geno loves that. She seems to have better court vision than most and can fill in anywhere except center. She also fits at any pace. Last season, Q suffered from being a fast pace player and as the injuries piled up the team slowed down ... and that made it tougher for Q to show her best side. With greater numbers and speed available, I hope Q can re-establish herself as a quality player ... while still improving in her "slow" game. __________ Aubrey ... don't want to rush that recovery, but this team is going to be harder and harder to make a draft-worthy impact the longer the season goes along. She can add value to nearly any lineup. As a senior, she will get minutes and help this team out ... but dreams of the W will require "Wow!" moments in nationally televised games. Most of those opportunities will happen in the OOC schedule. If she doesn't get up to speed until BE play, then it would take a spectacular tournament effort to get her into the first round, and it's going to be tough to get noticed with all of the stars this team has. Go Huskies! Agree with everything here. KK has the speed, energy, and her drives--sometimes out of control--will bias the defense giving the guards more room to shoot. Most of all, KK is a terrific defender. KC has the maturity to run an offense quite similar to what she had at Princeton. That's what she brings most. I don't know who starts. I can assume that KC will finish close games, since we need her maturity more than KK's offense in those situations. Sarah gets major minutes. Morgan gets some minutes--but they are competitive minutes. Geno won't start Ice and Jana together, but having Ice at the 5, Jana at 4, and Sarah at 3 will be tempting situationally on offense. On defense, at least early on, it's suspect. A key is Ayanna: hard to put Ice and Jana out there together without having someone who can back them up. That's why getting a big in the portal who would be willing to play 10-15 minutes would have been nice. But all the skilled bigs got too expensive (meaning, they expected to start or get major minutes). I'm curious as to why so many BB fans on message boards are so concerned about/fixated upon who is in the starting lineup. Is it a status thing or a way to rate players based on who they perceive to be the most talented? Since it's discussed so much, do they think it's the most important aspect of a game? Do they believe that most games are won or lost in the first 5 minutes? I've always wondered about this fascination. |
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Post by doggydaddy on Jun 3, 2024 13:18:20 GMT -5
I'm curious as to why so many BB fans on message boards are so concerned about/fixated upon who is in the starting lineup. Is it a status thing or a way to rate players based on who they perceive to be the most talented? Since it's discussed so much, do they think it's the most important aspect of a game? Do they believe that most games are won or lost in the first 5 minutes? I've always wondered about this fascination. Personally, I only guess what I think Geno might do. I can't speak for others but everyone here has an opinion and like to share it. It's a fun thing to do. It's certainly not a concern who starts. Well, maybe for some. Kinda silly to worry about it. Now, who will Geno start? I have no f)cking idea. But that won't stop me from guessing. Chen, Fudd, Buecker, Strong, Brady. or......yeah, way too many players and combinations....lol. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 13:31:13 GMT -5
Since we are playing the game, I'm thinking Geno rewards his last year's freshmen: KK over Chen at least initially in the season, and Ashlynn over Azzi, certainly only initially in the season. I'd be delighted to see Sarah and Ice out there from the very start. Paige, of course.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 13:45:25 GMT -5
We've already posted this a long time ago, but just came across it on the web again. It looks available, so posting a chunk of it. Dan Connolly from last November www.uconnwbbweekly.com/p/why-uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-recruiting-allie-ziebell-morgan-cheli-two-2024-signees-geno-auriI think Geno would be even more enthusiastic about Morgan now, after her senior season. She's a serious baller. “The most rewarding thing about recruiting both Morgan and Allie was how incredible the fit is — that this is where they wanted to come and we knew that as we were recruiting them,” he said. “There was no extraneous bullshit to the recruiting process. It was very straightforward, very upfront, very transparent with the parents, the kids. There was complete buy-in almost right from the beginning so you knew you're getting a kid — both of them — that are tremendously committed to UConn women's basketball and what it means.”
It helps that neither are lacking in their on-court talents, though. Ziebell, a 5-foot-10 guard, has a knack for putting the ball in the basket by whatever means necessary.
“I've seen a lot of basketball players in the past — and I'm not putting any pressure on her whatsoever — but I don't know that during the summer season I've seen a lot of kids just take over games single-handedly and win games. And I don't mean against the bad players. I’m talking about the best players,” Auriemma said. “She's one of those kids that knows who she is and she's not afraid. She's got some of that Azzi (Fudd) and Paige (Bueckers) in her that ‘Every time the ball leaves my hand, I think it's going in.’ So she's a scorer… She scores points.”
Meanwhile, Cheli is a classic UConn recruit. While she made her decision in February, she didn’t announce it publicly until April so she didn’t take attention away from the end of her high school season or the NCAA Tournament. On top of that, she fits into one of the Huskies’ archetypes: At 6-foot-2, she’s a big, versatile guard.
“How many 6-2 guards do we have? Zero. So Morgan fits a tremendous need that we have. And how many great rebounding guards did you see on Sunday (in the loss to NC State)? Zero. Morgan, more than anything else, I think she's a fearless rebounder — for whatever reason, because she don't look like one, but she is. She doesn't necessarily need to score any points to impact the game,” Auriemma said. |
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Post by ucchamp on Jun 3, 2024 17:35:55 GMT -5
I'm curious as to why so many BB fans on message boards are so concerned about/fixated upon who is in the starting lineup. Is it a status thing or a way to rate players based on who they perceive to be the most talented? Since it's discussed so much, do they think it's the most important aspect of a game? Do they believe that most games are won or lost in the first 5 minutes? I've always wondered about this fascination. I love participating in them and reading them for a few different reasons. I'll give examples which may help. 1--- Usually, but not all the time, the starters get more of the minutes. This year granted its different - but there frequently is a debate as to who is better. Or who we feel is better for the team at that position which make the team better etc along with Geno tends to go with short benches therefore some might think the 4th player should be more like the 9th. And usally the 9th isn't palying in big games. As an example, didn’t we have many posts in regard to if/why Nika Muhl was starting and who would be better than her such as why not start the better pro prospect in Aubrey? Or start the younger KK? These issues bring out further discussions which is the entire intent of sites like these. For example I used to defend Nika because in part I felt she could spread the floor better than Aubrey even though I agreed with many suggesting at the time that Aubrey was the better pro prospect. But then discussions broke out in regard to Aubrey and her mid-range game vs Nika outside game etc. This invited conversation. And further discussions broke out on whether it would be best to put Paige as the #1 pg or have her play more of a Wing. And there were further discussions in regard to KK vs Nika that she is a better scorer and better penetrator vs what Nika brings. I can recall a poster wanting to see more pick-and-rolls (even though it is within the Offense but feature it more etc) So, as to who starts also leads to style of play. 2--- I know on another site some suggested to see Sarah/Jana and Ice start. That either tells us someone is focused on height physicality rebounding and probably in the back of their mind(s) - South Carolina. That's a certain style of play -- and they aren't wrong - no one is as long as they aren't slamming a player (the team got to FF. there is no logic to slam anyone.). I think it's cool to read other' opinions in a civil manner. You get a feel for the posters as to who likes what styles etc. For me I'm guessing Chen, Shade, Paige, Strong, and Brady. From this you can tell I value experience to a degree, not as concerned about height vs maybe others, and I value shooting and scoring. I want UCONN to influence games for this team from the perimeter with a heavy dose of 3pt shooting. Let our strength defeat theirs. And eventually Azzi will be the sg when healthy-- maybe even day 1- she's gonna start. And maybe Jana will be the center. But all of this invites conversation - not just who starts but the style the team will play. Having Paige start at PF vs having Ice or Jana start at PF is a much different style and could lead to fun discussions. |
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Post by linkster on Jun 3, 2024 18:34:25 GMT -5
Since we are playing the game, I'm thinking Geno rewards his last year's freshmen: KK over Chen at least initially in the season, and Ashlynn over Azzi, certainly only initially in the season. I'd be delighted to see Sarah and Ice out there from the very start. Paige, of course. How can you believe Geno will "reward" Arnold and Shade? Has Geno been lying when he has said many times over the years that minutes are earned in practice? Arnold and Shade may well start but it will be because they earned it between now and November. Next, when they don't start will you accuse Geno of hating them? That was what I heard when I suggested that Muhl not start, that I had hatred for her. For months I've been reading experts' predictions of the Triple Crown winners. They got to see every practice of every horse and 98% of them have been wrong about the 1st 2 races. We see absolutely nothing from practice except for a couple of short (<1 min.) videos. If Ducharme, Fudd and/or Griffin are recovered any or all of them could start but I doubt any of them will be ready on November 1st. I also think it's plausible that the 4 1st year players would start. They are all talented enough. Geno started 3 1st year players for most of last season. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 3, 2024 19:06:17 GMT -5
Since we are playing the game, I'm thinking Geno rewards his last year's freshmen: KK over Chen at least initially in the season, and Ashlynn over Azzi, certainly only initially in the season. I'd be delighted to see Sarah and Ice out there from the very start. Paige, of course. How can you believe Geno will "reward" Arnold and Shade? Has Geno been lying when he has said many times over the years that minutes are earned in practice? Arnold and Shade may well start but it will be because they earned it between now and November. Next, when they don't start will you accuse Geno of hating them? That was what I heard when I suggested that Muhl not start, that I had hatred for her. For months I've been reading experts' predictions of the Triple Crown winners. They got to see every practice of every horse and 98% of them have been wrong about the 1st 2 races. We see absolutely nothing from practice except for a couple of short (<1 min.) videos. If Ducharme, Fudd and/or Griffin are recovered any or all of them could start but I doubt any of them will be ready on November 1st. I also think it's plausible that the 4 1st year players would start. They are all talented enough. Geno started 3 1st year players for most of last season. I'm only talking about the beginning of the year for Ashlynn. I still believe he'll work Azzi in more slowly, taking pressure off her. Ashlynn knows the system and never, ever makes mistakes. She starts ahead of Allie, for sure, in my book. As to KK vs. KC, KK has skills that KC doesn't have and vice-versa. KK plays a lot more uptempo and is a better defender. So, it's a close call in both situations. I think Geno tilts to the players who made last season possible and played incredible number of minutes. They've earned it historically and I think Geno rewards them for it. But if KC clearly outplays KK in practice and Azzi is in mid-season form from the get go, then sure, they start. |
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Post by ursusminor on Jun 3, 2024 21:24:14 GMT -5
We have at least eight players who could start on this team, if everyone's healthy.
So let me flip the question: who would make a great "sixth man"? Who would provide a great spark off the bench? Aubrey was great at that in the beginning of last year, and she seemed to be very comfortable in that role. KK wouldn't be so much a spark as a bonfire off the bench, hitting the floor with both feet on the gas. That could be fun. Fun for us, not so much for other teams.
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Post by linkster on Jun 3, 2024 23:25:10 GMT -5
How can you believe Geno will "reward" Arnold and Shade? Has Geno been lying when he has said many times over the years that minutes are earned in practice? Arnold and Shade may well start but it will be because they earned it between now and November. Next, when they don't start will you accuse Geno of hating them? That was what I heard when I suggested that Muhl not start, that I had hatred for her. For months I've been reading experts' predictions of the Triple Crown winners. They got to see every practice of every horse and 98% of them have been wrong about the 1st 2 races. We see absolutely nothing from practice except for a couple of short (<1 min.) videos. If Ducharme, Fudd and/or Griffin are recovered any or all of them could start but I doubt any of them will be ready on November 1st. I also think it's plausible that the 4 1st year players would start. They are all talented enough. Geno started 3 1st year players for most of last season. I'm only talking about the beginning of the year for Ashlynn. I still believe he'll work Azzi in more slowly, taking pressure off her. Ashlynn knows the system and never, ever makes mistakes. She starts ahead of Allie, for sure, in my book. As to KK vs. KC, KK has skills that KC doesn't have and vice-versa. KK plays a lot more uptempo and is a better defender. So, it's a close call in both situations. I think Geno tilts to the players who made last season possible and played incredible number of minutes. They've earned it historically and I think Geno rewards them for it. But if KC clearly outplays KK in practice and Azzi is in mid-season form from the get go, then sure, they start. Shade is more likely to start than Ziebell but not "for sure". Ziebell is much like Shade in temperament and she is a lights out 3 pt shooter able to make them off the dribble or coming off a screen. Shade is a decent spot up shooter (36%) from 3 but did most of her scoring inside the arc. Shade was an adequate defender. Maybe neither starts or maybe both start. I never brought up Chen. I think Cheli is going to see 10-15 minutes from game 1. She is the closest thing to Ducharme I've seen. I doubt that she is a D1 pg like some claim but she could play 1-4. I am pretty sure Strong will start from game 5 if not 1. She isn't just a 3 pt shooter, she's a great 3 pt shooter. Folks forget that Stewart wasn't much of a 3pt shooter until her senior year. She took about 30 in HS and most of those were as a senior. Strong has been a dangerous 3pt shooter for at least her last 2 years. And for all her tools her coaches and parents say that it's her passing where she shines brightest. If Strong starts Geno might play 2 guards, Cheli, Strong and either Brady or El Alfy. Yes, I know freshmen are unknowns but I have a feeling about this class. I do expect that lots of 5 man combinations will be used during games. Geno and Bueckers will need to identify who is hot and that person(s) will change from game to game and within a game. The beauty is in all the scoring options Geno will have on his bench. There are plausible arguments for starting most of the roster. And real good arguments for about nine of them. |
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Post by bulkey on Jun 4, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -5
Shade is more likely to start than Ziebell but not "for sure". Ziebell is much like Shade in temperament and she is a lights out 3 pt shooter able to make them off the dribble or coming off a screen. Shade is a decent spot up shooter (36%) from 3 but did most of her scoring inside the arc. Shade was an adequate defender. Maybe neither starts or maybe both start. I never brought up Chen. I think Cheli is going to see 10-15 minutes from game 1. She is the closest thing to Ducharme I've seen. I doubt that she is a D1 pg like some claim but she could play 1-4. I am pretty sure Strong will start from game 5 if not 1. She isn't just a 3 pt shooter, she's a great 3 pt shooter. Folks forget that Stewart wasn't much of a 3pt shooter until her senior year. She took about 30 in HS and most of those were as a senior. Strong has been a dangerous 3pt shooter for at least her last 2 years. And for all her tools her coaches and parents say that it's her passing where she shines brightest. If Strong starts Geno might play 2 guards, Cheli, Strong and either Brady or El Alfy. Yes, I know freshmen are unknowns but I have a feeling about this class. I do expect that lots of 5 man combinations will be used during games. Geno and Bueckers will need to identify who is hot and that person(s) will change from game to game and within a game. The beauty is in all the scoring options Geno will have on his bench. There are plausible arguments for starting most of the roster. And real good arguments for about nine of them. I agree that everything you said above is very plausible and therefore possible. I just want to point out something foundational. Ignoring your inclusion of Paige as a "decider," you (rightly to my mind) point that minutes are effectively determined by game performance. Earlier, however, you wrote: "Has Geno been lying when he has said many times over the years that minutes are earned in practice?" Which is it? I think Geno believes, whatever actual words he spouts to reporters at the time, that opportunities to play in the game might be earned in practice, but game minutes are earned by actual game performance. Pretty much any coach with a talented bench would agree it's self-defeating to think: well, she's playing pretty badly in the game, but she played so well in practice yesterday that I have to keep her in. This doesn't even address how absurd the equation actually is, because: what happens if everyone plays well in practice?  Sometimes ideas sound more convincing than they actually are. In the end, I believe this is how Geno operates: he creates an extremely structured and rigorous foundation (Princeton Chin or 4 out motion or whatever you want to call the offense and full-switching man-to-man defense) for the players to run, while in the coaching box he himself works mainly on feel for the game. Similarly, in practice there may be extreme outliers (lazy or giving one's all), but Geno judges most players in practice by what he already knows about them. Very, very rarely (and therefore famously: like Stewie) does he bench a star or start someone at the bottom of the roster because of some objective practice standard. |
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Post by semper on Jun 4, 2024 7:59:45 GMT -5
Who starts and who's off the bench first is the ideal off season conversation. Once the season starts, we can't do it anymore. It's such fun!
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Post by grrrrr on Jun 4, 2024 9:00:05 GMT -5
If a UCONN WBB recruiting class could be ranked #2 in the nation and be underrated it's this one. Sarah deserves the accolades but the tougher the competition the better Allie and Morgan play, I expect major minutes for all three.
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Post by linkster on Jun 4, 2024 19:40:25 GMT -5
Shade is more likely to start than Ziebell but not "for sure". Ziebell is much like Shade in temperament and she is a lights out 3 pt shooter able to make them off the dribble or coming off a screen. Shade is a decent spot up shooter (36%) from 3 but did most of her scoring inside the arc. Shade was an adequate defender. Maybe neither starts or maybe both start. I never brought up Chen. I think Cheli is going to see 10-15 minutes from game 1. She is the closest thing to Ducharme I've seen. I doubt that she is a D1 pg like some claim but she could play 1-4. I am pretty sure Strong will start from game 5 if not 1. She isn't just a 3 pt shooter, she's a great 3 pt shooter. Folks forget that Stewart wasn't much of a 3pt shooter until her senior year. She took about 30 in HS and most of those were as a senior. Strong has been a dangerous 3pt shooter for at least her last 2 years. And for all her tools her coaches and parents say that it's her passing where she shines brightest. If Strong starts Geno might play 2 guards, Cheli, Strong and either Brady or El Alfy. Yes, I know freshmen are unknowns but I have a feeling about this class. I do expect that lots of 5 man combinations will be used during games. Geno and Bueckers will need to identify who is hot and that person(s) will change from game to game and within a game. The beauty is in all the scoring options Geno will have on his bench. There are plausible arguments for starting most of the roster. And real good arguments for about nine of them. I agree that everything you said above is very plausible and therefore possible. I just want to point out something foundational. Ignoring your inclusion of Paige as a "decider," you (rightly to my mind) point that minutes are effectively determined by game performance. Earlier, however, you wrote: "Has Geno been lying when he has said many times over the years that minutes are earned in practice?" Which is it? I think Geno believes, whatever actual words he spouts to reporters at the time, that opportunities to play in the game might be earned in practice, but game minutes are earned by actual game performance. Pretty much any coach with a talented bench would agree it's self-defeating to think: well, she's playing pretty badly in the game, but she played so well in practice yesterday that I have to keep her in. This doesn't even address how absurd the equation actually is, because: what happens if everyone plays well in practice? Sometimes ideas sound more convincing than they actually are. In the end, I believe this is how Geno operates: he creates an extremely structured and rigorous foundation (Princeton Chin or 4 out motion or whatever you want to call the offense and full-switching man-to-man defense) for the players to run, while in the coaching box he himself works mainly on feel for the game. Similarly, in practice there may be extreme outliers (lazy or giving one's all), but Geno judges most players in practice by what he already knows about them. Very, very rarely (and therefore famously: like Stewie) does he bench a star or start someone at the bottom of the roster because of some objective practice standard. I expect that the list of players that show out in practices will be long, maybe longer than the minutes allow. When I talked about "who's hot" I was thinking about scoring. Even if a player is doing everything else well, if the shot isn't falling Geno will have options on the bench. And a 10-15 min player could play 25 if their shots are falling that game and the rest of their game isn't hurting the team. Griffin didn't play long minutes but she could squeeze a lot of stats into a 3-4 min stretch. The bottom line is that the most important goal to Geno is winning the game and concerns about hurt feelings is way down the list in importance. |
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Post by semper on Jun 5, 2024 3:17:23 GMT -5
And the players also want to win the game...
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Post by ucchamp on Jun 5, 2024 11:13:50 GMT -5
Just a FYI- I read on that other site that Geno was quoted as saying that Sarah is even better than they thought.
She's gonna play - and she's gonna be really really really really "good."
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Post by bulkey on Jun 5, 2024 11:19:09 GMT -5
Just a FYI- I read on that other site that Geno was quoted as saying that Sarah is even better than they thought. She's gonna play - and she's gonna be really really really really "good." +1 It was really amazing that Dan Connolly sort of overlooked her in his mailbag answers. She will make a major immediate impact and Morgan will make a somewhat less, though still impressive, immediate impact. |
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Post by linkster on Jun 5, 2024 12:58:36 GMT -5
Just a FYI- I read on that other site that Geno was quoted as saying that Sarah is even better than they thought. She's gonna play - and she's gonna be really really really really "good." +1 It was really amazing that Dan Connolly sort of overlooked her in his mailbag answers. She will make a major immediate impact and Morgan will make a somewhat less, though still impressive, immediate impact. +1 Ziebell could fit KLS's freshman role of designated 3pt shooter. KLS had her best 3pt season as a freshman in large part because defenses had other problems to double, like the 3 seniors. It's been a while but with Brady, El Alfy, Brady and Patterson inside some defenses will sag inside like 2016. I still remember KLS sitting in the corner and stroking 3's like they were ft's. Ziebell is reported to be much more than a 3pt shooter but that may be her role this season, especially if Fudd's recovery is a bit longer than anticipated. |
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Post by linkster on Jun 5, 2024 13:38:26 GMT -5
Geno said he may have had his mind changed about something last November. The only thing I can think of was when he went 4 guard and started his 2 freshman guards. Strong is going to get starter minutes and she is going to dominate. I'm not surprised that Ziebell is fitting into the team concept easily. Her father is/was a well-respected HS boys coach and her HS coach said she had a very high BBIQ.
When we add El Alfy to the list this could be an historic class of 2028.
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Post by bulkey on Jun 7, 2024 10:23:26 GMT -5
At around 5:00 he discusses the starting line-up. He's no better than anyone else, but maybe no worse--certainly no worse than Dan's 4-guard starting line-up that I posted at the top of this thread.
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Sometimes ideas sound more convincing than they actually are. In the end, I believe this is how Geno operates: he creates an extremely structured and rigorous foundation (Princeton Chin or 4 out motion or whatever you want to call the offense and full-switching man-to-man defense) for the players to run, while in the coaching box he himself works mainly on feel for the game. Similarly, in practice there may be extreme outliers (lazy or giving one's all), but Geno judges most players in practice by what he already knows about them. Very, very rarely (and therefore famously: like Stewie) does he bench a star or start someone at the bottom of the roster because of some objective practice standard.