Strong to UConn [merged thread]

[Bone Dog]

Sarah will not play the 5. But with Jana at 6’5” and Ice at 6’3” and Ayanna Sarah Morgan and Caroline all at 6’2” we may finally be big enough. If Amari could find a way onto the floor at 6’6” we’d be practically the biggest lineup in D1.

 

[ABCDFE]

Amari DeBerry - 6'6"
Jana El Alfy - 6'5"
Ice Brady - 6'3"
Ayanna Patterson - 6'2"/6'3" (?)
Carolyn Ducharme - 6'2"
Sarah Strong - 6'2"
Morgan Chelli - 6'2"
Aubrey Griffin - 6'1"
Paige Bueckers - 6'0
Qadence Samuels - 6'0"
Allie Ziebell - 6'0"
Azzi Fudd - 5'11"
Ashlynn Shade - 5'10"
KK Arnold - 5'9"
Ines Bettencourt - 5'9"

Are you kidding me?

South Carolina's roster is loaded and all but one are coming back AND they have a great recruiting class coming in. The real question is can anyone be close

South Carolina's roster is loaded and all but one are coming back AND they have a great recruiting class coming in. The real question is can anyone be close to them next year.

The loss of cardoso is a very big loss. But yes SC will be formidable and probably the favorite.

 

[bballnut90]

Sarah will not play the 5. But with Jana at 6’5” and Ice at 6’3” and Ayanna Sarah Morgan and Caroline all at 6’2” we may finally be big enough. If Amari could find a way onto the floor at 6’6” we’d be practically the biggest lineup in D1.

Question, who do people think will be the starting 5 next year? I feel like aside from Paige, every other starting spot seems up for grabs.

 

[Kaizen]

1998 has TASSK which had #1 recruit Tamika Williams, Swin Cash and Asjha Jones who were top 5, Keirstan Walters was top 10-15 IIRC, and their lowest ranked recruit was Sue Bird in the 20s.

2002 class had 5 of the top 13 recruits including #1 overall Ann Strother.

2012 class had #1, #2 and #6 in Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck. That class panned out pretty well for Geno.

2017 class landed #1, #13, #16, #29 and the #2 player (Westbrook) transferred in

2021 class landed #1, #5, #15, #30

2012 class lands 4 NCs, from 2013 - 2016 under Stewart/Jefferson/Tuck.

 

[DEpup]

Starting 5 will probably be fluid as injured players come back and newbies get going.

My day 1 starting line up is Jana, Ice, Paige, Shade, and KK.

I don't think this will be the end of season starting line up.

 

[Kaizen]

Question, who do people think will be the starting 5 next year? I feel like aside from Paige, every other starting spot seems up for grabs.

I think,
Paige, Azzi, Aubrey and Caroline are UConn starters but not sure who is #5? Possible KK or Shade.

 

[PJCLaw]

Uhhh seems like you don’t watch this team that much…Amari at the 5 isn’t happening much next season. It’ll probably be Jana (starting) and Ice at the 5 with Ayanna spelling minutes there and at the 4. Sarah (starting) and Aubrey along with Ayanna at the 4. Caroline (starting if healthy), Morgan, and Q at the 3. Azzi (starting if healthy), Allie, and Ashlyn at the 2. Paige (starting) and KK at the 1. Amari and Innes won’t be getting much playing time next season…

So assuming good health…
Paige
Azzi
Caroline
Sarah
Jana

No way Geno gets KK out of the starting lineup! She is the quickest guard we have and isn't afraid to take it to the hoop. Caroline will come off the bench along with Ashlynn.

 

[ABCDFE]

I think Stewart, Jefferson, Tuck and Williams, Cash, Jones, and Bird were his two best, but Sarah, Ziebell, and Chelli aren’t far behind. JMO.

Don’t think you can make that distinction yet until we seem this class play.

 

[JSB60]

When everyone is back from injury, the lineup might be Paige, Azzi, Strong, Aubrey, and Ice. I have no idea whether Jana is good enough to beat out Ice, having never seen her play. Then KK and Shade off the bench for major minutes. If it’s 3 true guards, I’d say KK starts over Shade.

 

[HuskyNan]

Has this been posted?

 

[hoophuskee]

Question, who do people think will be the starting 5 next year? I feel like aside from Paige, every other starting spot seems up for grabs.

I don't beleive you can count on Azzi, Caroline, Aubrey early. I highly doubt AUbrey will be back before ealry December. And both Azzi and Caroline have missed over 2 years of basketball. This one season KK and Ashlynn played more with Paige than Azzi or Caroline.
And Brady came on at the end - and will be better than Jana imo playing with Paige early.

So I go with Paige, KK, Ashlynn, Sarah and Ice. Four of the 5 got us to FF.

 

[uconnfan68]

Sarah will not play the 5. But with Jana at 6’5” and Ice at 6’3” and Ayanna Sarah Morgan and Caroline all at 6’2” we may finally be big enough. If Amari could find a way onto the floor at 6’6” we’d be practically the biggest lineup in D1.

It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play. Cash, Jones, and Williams never gave in, even when giving up 3-4 inches.

 

[bayern7]

Question, who do people think will be the starting 5 next year? I feel like aside from Paige, every other starting spot seems up for grabs.

By the time we reach December. IF we have a healthy team. I expect it to be….

Paige
Azzi
Caroline
Sarah
Jana

I don’t think that’s the best starting lineup for every game but I think that’s the best overall combination of players we’ll have next year and based off past performances as well. Maybe you could say Ice should be starting over Jana but i sure think it’d be nice to start the game with a 6’5” type player for the first time since Olivia graduated…

 

[bayern7]

I don't beleive you can count on Azzi, Caroline, Aubrey early. I highly doubt AUbrey will be back before ealry December. And both Azzi and Caroline have missed over 2 years of basketball. This one season KK and Ashlynn played more with Paige than Azzi or Caroline.
And Brady came on at the end - and will be better than Jana imo playing with Paige early.

So I go with Paige, KK, Ashlynn, Sarah and Ice. Four of the 5 got us to FF.

I had a different take in my response but I think this is pretty sound logic. And I think you may very well be right. I just don’t know if that’s the kind of lineup that will beat teams like SC.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I think,
Paige, Azzi, Aubrey and Caroline are UConn starters but not sure who is #5? Possible KK or Shade.

If Jana is as good as Geno is claiming, then she has to be a starter.

 

[ABCDFE]

We have the depth now where we can play all out without worrying too much that refs will get in the way. This ultimately came to bite us in the end because I could tell Shade and Paige didn’t want to be ultra aggressive defensively knowing the fouls from Nika and KK were accumulating.

With depth at each position (hopefully full health mid way through the season), this allows Geno and the team to really press and do what Geno loves which is have a top defense, which has always been a hallmark of the great teams.

My guess is that at some point the solidified staring five will be Jana, Strong, Azzi, Paige, and Kk. Geno loves Aubrey off the bench and I think Shade will do well with a second unit at the 2 where she doesn’t feel she needs to defer, which is when she’s at her best. Caroline will get limited minutes at the 2 or 3, same for Allie. Morgan will play 1-3. Yanna will play the 4. . Ice will fill in at the 4/5. Q will play the 2/3 backup.

Amari and Ines last to come off bench in limited garbage time.

 

[Kaizen]

Has this been posted?

Yes, and 21 is Ines' number.

 

[Bone Dog]

I don’t think starting is as distinctive in November as it will be in January.

I think the November lineup will start Paige KK Ash Ice and Sarah. But Jana Ayanna Morgan Allie and Q will probably come in as a second unit. Then the mix-n-match can begin.

And when Azzi and Aubrey and Caroline return even more fun will commence.

By the end of January, who knows how the first and second units will sort themselves out? I have a feeling we could see something like Paige Azzi Ash Ayanna and Jana starting at that point.

Will Geno play 10 deep or more? He’s played deep lineups in the past, but in some seasons it’s also coalesced around 5+2. I have a feeling this bench is too strong to go with less than 5+4.

This looks like a super competitive group, which makes me think Geno may need to play a deep bench just to keep everyone happy. And this could also mean we’ll see a high energy defense for much longer in the season than has been usual recently. How else to keep Morgan Ash KK Sarah Allie Ayanna Aubrey and Azzi busy?

Also, for those wondering, I think we’ll all be really pleasantly surprised by what Jana can do. She’s a player!

 

[hoophuskee]

Congratulations on landing Strong. The Huskies and Gamecocks are going to have some epic battles in the coming years.

Looking forward to if UCONN could "penetrate" (not by guard play) what has been an inside wall scoring against them from the post with UCONN. I want to see if at times Sarah can impact the South Carolina Defense in the paint and also if she can negate to a degree what has been a serveral year big time Offensive rebounding advantages SC would get. (Not saying "win" the Boards battle.).

If there are random times Sarah can get the ball on the inside and score vs one-on-one or vs quick blindside help. That would be step 1. Then able to make good passes from it-- not saying "dominate" - but just be a good threat-- as a UCONN fan that might be fun to see.

 

[mrmojack]

The pick up games will be worth the trip to Gampel.

 

[hoophuskee]

I don’t think starting is as distinctive in November as it will be in January.

I think the November lineup will start Paige KK Ash Ice and Sarah. But Jana Ayanna Morgan Allie and Q will probably come in as a second unit. Then the mix-n-match can begin.

And when Azzi and Aubrey and Caroline return even more fun will commence.

By the end of January, who knows how the first and second units will sort themselves out? I have a feeling we could see something like Paige Azzi Ash Ayanna and Jana starting at that point.

Will Geno play 10 deep or more? He’s played deep lineups in the past, but in some seasons it’s also coalesced around 5+2. I have a feeling this bench is too strong to go with less than 5+4.

This looks like a super competitive group, which makes me think Geno may need to play a deep bench just to keep everyone happy. And this could also mean we’ll see a high energy defense for much longer in the season than has been usual recently. How else to keep Morgan Ash KK Sarah Allie Ayanna Aubrey and Azzi busy?

Also, for those wondering, I think we’ll all be really pleasantly surprised by what Jana can do. She’s a player!

I don't know how the bench will turn out nor starting lineups. Fun to guess. . But just making a point-- Geno's job is not to keep everyone happy.

In an off-topic way-- I see they refer to him this year as their "grandpa." If they are healthy -- that word might not be being used next year.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Don’t think you can make that distinction yet until we seem this class play.

Are you saying Geno has lost his touch with finding great recruits? Sounds to me like you’re 2nd guessing the greatest basketball coach in history. Are you a basketball referee?

 

[Kaizen]

If Jana is as good as Geno is claiming, then she has to be a starter.

I forgot Jana and yes at 6'5" she should be a good starter.

 

[BobbyJ]

Has this been posted?

Why is this Sarah Strong stuff interrupting another next year’s lineup thread?

 

[Ralph]

I was thinking like others, I did not like the time of Sarah's announcement. But as I thought further, maybe she was expecting UConn to beat Iowa, like Lobo, and she thought her announcement could give the team a good feeling before the game against NC State. Just did not work out.

As for next we have a large lineup for next year (at the end, assuming no ton of injuries). Early on I don't expect the injured to be in top form, with it all depending on the type of injury and when it occurred. Jana probably the most advanced in recovery, Fudd in the middle, Aubrey still early. Ducharme, I don't know is she is/should come back, don't risk bad health for a lifetime. But hopefully she does make it. Amari and Ines I don't expect to get much time, much as I love them as persons. Now I fear Q has moved to that same doghouse. Seems so weird, Geno says is sorry for not putting her in, she says all is fine, next game he puts her in, then against Iowa, back to not one minute. Wasn't he saying how great she was in practice last Fall? So early we may not be as deep as we hope. But by March next year...... I am smiling. S Car will be really good too.