200 minutes of Playing Time

[Skeets]

By the end of the season, if Ice and Ayanna are half as good as the BY think they are, Dorka and Aaliyah might be surrendering a few minutes each to them. The same with Caroline and Lou. Time will tell. I hope everyone plays up to our expectations. That would be awesome. Geno might need to lobby for a 300 minute game.

 

[Carnac]

I’m wondering which “newbie” will have the most impact on the team this year. It's been noted that Ayanna needs to work on her offense, especially under the basket (putbacks/bunnies). Lopez-Senechal needs to work on her defense.....BIG time. It was said she was not asked to play the type of defense at Fairfield that they do at UConn.

Geno won’t put any player on the court if they are a liability on either end of the court. That's what kept Amari DeBerry, Mir McLean and Piath Gaberial on the bench last year. I know we're 5 months away from that season opening exhibition game against division 2 Kutztown University.

A lot of things can happen between now and then. The incoming players know exactly what the staff wants and expects them to work and improve on. They’ve got plenty of time to improve.

I can not see these 3 players not getting a significant amount of playing time this year. As I commented in other threads, at least 2 of them will have to step up and make significant contributions this year.

With only 11 players on the roster, there’s no room for “cheerleaders.” As Geno has said many times, we need everyone to step up and bring something. Whatever you have, bring it!!

 

[HopJim]

While I understand this is off season conversation, predicting minutes is a difficult process. Throughout the year, UConn faces numerous teams that dictate a 4 guard lineup. When competing with South Carolina and other teams with strong inside games, Geno will likely go with a lineup of 2-3 bigs. Hope everyone enjoys predicting the future without a definition of the competition. All the suggestions are entertaining but not overly useful until we understand the competition and how the Huskies are playing at that point in time.

 

[Bone Dog]

Speculating is always fun. And its not like we don’t already know who the competition will be. We just have to speculate about what their rosters will be like, too. Even more fun.

For example, what do we think NC State’s roster will be like without Cunane and Perez? Or ND without Maya Dodson? Or Texas without Lauren Ebo? Tennessee looks like the wild card in the top 20. Kelly Harper really reloaded in the portal. If she can get them all to play as a team they could be formidable.

 

[JellyBean]

I admire any BY’er that tries to keep a dialogue going about UConn WBB as we head into the dog days of summer, even if it means another trip to PT city…..

Yup. My favorite time of the year, PT talk.

 

[hoophuskee]

I expect that at least one of the of the 4 of Griffin, Amari, Brady, and Patterson can be at least an adequate sub at the 4 position. It's incredibly hard to determine minutes because all 4 are major questions in their own unique way. But the chance that none of the 4 will be able to produce at least adequate backup minutes is a bridge too far to believe considering they have the among the best backcourts in all of hoop and experienced frontcourt players in Dorka and Edwards (Edwards is a 5 as well as a 4). So I'm not that worried, and as a result, was fine that they did not pick up a big in the transfer portal. I think at least one will emerge.

UCONN's top choice ofc would be all 4 are all very good and all 4 play at a very high level. Though, the way UCONN's luck has been going I doubt 4-for-4 will happen. A wild guess is 1 player emerges quite a bit vs the other 3, while one is adequate-enough, while one is nicked up throughout the season, and one is behind.

As a result, I think the top player of the 4 will get quite a few more minutes than the 3rd or 4th player. What I find very interesting with each of these 4 players is how well each plays with the other 4 top UCONN players. In other words, how well "their game/Style" meshes with the other 4. For example, I think it possible Brady's offense will overall be better than Patterson, but Patterson's defense will overall be better. If this were the case, then which of these two players with different styles makes UCONN better- playing with the other 4? Is it "more" "of the offense" or "of the defense." OFC both play a part but which style/player's emerge?

And speaking of the other 2- And to a certain degree in terms of style "Griffin is Patterson defensively" and "Amari is Brady offensively." OFc each brings something different too but overall they have somewhat similarities.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

What's your guess about how it will all average out over the season?

Barring injury, here's my guess:

Paige and Azzi will account for 60 minutes between them
Caroline, Nika, and Lou will share 60
Dorka and Aaliyah will split 40
Amari will spell Dorka for 10
Aubrey will get 15
Ice and Ayanna will share 15

With a deep rotation, we'd be able to return to the pressing D that the great teams of the past could do.

No longer an issue. Transfers and graduations took care of that.

 

[sun]

There's bound to be injuries over the course of the season, and with players getting into foul trouble, Amari will eventually become a key player that will need to be relied on.
Amari's skill on defense is blocking shots and rebounding.
Sometimes RB'ing is about being in the right place at the right time, and not always about being the strongest and most physical player.
She can be disruptive and also draw fouls from aggressive players.
I think that she'll get as much as 15-20+ minutes some games if Dorka or Edwards has an injury or foul troubles.
Otherwise she may only get 12-15 minutes as part of the regular rotation depending on the opponent.
Geno needs her to develop before the end of the year to prepare for when the team needs her to match up.

 

[Bone Dog]

Otherwise she may only get 12-15 minutes as part of the regular rotation depending on the opponent.
Geno needs her to develop before the end of the year to prepare for when the team needs her to match up.

That's a good point about Amari. A year from now, once Dorka's gone, she's going to have to be ready to fill the main minutes at the 5. This season is her best chance to develop all the skills and discipline she needs for this responsibility. If she doesn't get there this year, she may never have another opportunity.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

There's bound to be injuries over the course of the season, and with players getting into foul trouble, Amari will eventually become a key player that will need to be relied on.
Amari's skill on defense is blocking shots and rebounding.
Sometimes RB'ing is about being in the right place at the right time, and not always about being the strongest and most physical player.
She can be disruptive and also draw fouls from aggressive players.
I think that she'll get as much as 15-20+ minutes some games if Dorka or Edwards has an injury or foul troubles.
Otherwise she may only get 12-15 minutes as part of the regular rotation depending on the opponent.
Geno needs her to develop before the end of the year to prepare for when the team needs her to match up.

I believe ONO got much better because of Dorka's development through outstanding coaching. Hopefully, ICE, Amari, AP, and AE all improve greatly during the summer and Fall, so all are ready for the start of the season and UCONN will be know for their hard work (and high performance) in the paint this year - particularly against the highly ranked OOC opponents.

Nika calling Geno "the smartest man on the planet" (mic'd up) goes a long way for the whole team positive growth as well as the difficult journey they (8 returnees) endured last year. They know they can win the whole thing (undefeated - not required other than the last six games of the year...) in 2023.

Now is the time to put in the work at full speed (once fully cleared for the other "5 1/2" women).

Go Huskies!!!

 

[oldhusky]

That's a good point about Amari. A year from now, once Dorka's gone, she's going to have to be ready to fill the main minutes at the 5. This season is her best chance to develop all the skills and discipline she needs for this responsibility. If she doesn't get there this year, she may never have another opportunity.

Amari's development is the key to having a true 6-5 player at C next year when Dorka is gone. The 2023 class still might have a player or two that could help, but after C and Breya, the pickings are slim, and I'm not aware we have likely inroads on a difference maker in their first year. Plan B next year is using a good PF there instead, like Ice, and some of Aaliyah as well, or of course looking for help in the portal.

Amari could of course have a future at PF, but there she has a ton of competition from Aaliyah, Ice, Ayanna and Aubrey. What we really need is for her to step up as a C and the successor to Dorka.

 

[hoophuskee]

Geno needs her to develop before the end of the year to prepare for when the team needs her to match up.

Geno doesn't "need" to develop her. She "needs" to show in practices that she is better than her teammates.
P

 

[hoophuskee]

That's a good point about Amari. A year from now, once Dorka's gone, she's going to have to be ready to fill the main minutes at the 5. This season is her best chance to develop all the skills and discipline she needs for this responsibility. If she doesn't get there this year, she may never have another opportunity.

No - not necessarily. UCONN still could have potentially a terrific frontline with Edwards, Brady and Patterson. And playing small with Ducharme at the 4.

 

[sun]

Geno doesn't "need" to develop her. She "needs" to show in practices that she is better than her teammates.
P

Geno needs to prepare her in case Dorka or others get injured or in foul trouble.
Dorka may be more prone to injury with more PT this year.
Since she was splitting PT with Liv, she didn't get into much foul trouble but that could change with more minutes and more aggressive play if she feels compelled to prove herself draft worthy.
And if Amari is injured then that could also put more more wear & tear on Dorka which means that another big will need to step up.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno needs to prepare her in case Dorka or others get injured or in foul trouble.

 

[sun]

Getting fatigued doesn't address the issue of which sub's can rebound better because they have more height and can jump higher and have a higher reach.
Becoming fatigued or not doesn't address which players may get into foul trouble that may need to be substituted for.

If a player such as Dorka is injured, and Edwards gets into foul trouble, then who on the team can best rebound or otherwise fill in?
Some players are able perform some roles better than others.
We'll see what happens as the season progresses and who is called upon when there's match ups that need to be made.

A taller player doesn't need to jump as high or as many times to reach up and elevate up to the rim for rebounding or put backs.
Sometimes in traffic a taller player with a longer reach will have some advantages.

 

[hoophuskee]

Geno needs to prepare her in case Dorka or others get injured or in foul trouble.
Dorka may be more prone to injury with more PT this year.
Since she was splitting PT with Liv, she didn't get into much foul trouble but that could change with more minutes and more aggressive play if she feels compelled to prove herself draft worthy.
And if Amari is injured then that could also put more more wear & tear on Dorka which means that another big will need to step up.

No Geno isn't the one that "needs" to prepare, The players "need" to show him they can perform. UCONN went to FF in 2020-2021 with Evina Westbrook as primary player at the 4. They beat SC that year too. They beat NC State and Stanford this year basically without Dorka and having Evina as the backup at the 4. Ducharme can also be at the 4 along with other candidates of Griffin, Patterson, and Dorka beside Amari.

Geno doesn't "need" to do a thing with Amari looking at it right now except see if in practices she can perform. To suggest that same injuries might happen as last year is managing out of fear. You don’t manage out of fear. You do what the greatest coach in WCBB does, and that is; play your best players.

 

[HuskyNan]

Geno needs her to develop before the end of the year to prepare for when the team needs her to match up.

Getting fatigued doesn't address the issue of which sub's can rebound better because they have more height and can jump higher and have a higher reach.
Becoming fatigued or not doesn't address which players may get into foul trouble that may need to be substituted for.

If a player such as Dorka is injured, and Edwards gets into foul trouble, then who on the team can best rebound or otherwise fill in?
Some players are able perform some roles better than others.
We'll see what happens as the season progresses and who is called upon when there's match ups that need to be made.

A taller player doesn't need to jump as high or as many times to reach up and elevate up to the rim for rebounding or put backs.
Sometimes in traffic a taller player with a longer reach will have some advantages.

The video wasn’t about getting tired. It was about Geno saying he doesn’t teach effort. If they don’t have it, they don’t play

 

[sun]

The video wasn’t about getting tired. It was about Geno saying he doesn’t teach effort. If they don’t have it, they don’t play

IMHO Amari's problem is not with her effort, but rather her ability and level of talent.
If she needs to develop more of her talent, then that's for the staff to help her with.
But some players can expend all of the effort in the world and if their not ability is up to UConn standards, then it shouldn't be blamed on effort.

Effort alone cannot turn someone in a gold medalist.
A person can reach their personal best, but that doesn't mean that they will ever be fast or quick enough to satisfy Geno or to win a NC.
Yet some folks seem to want to blame Amari's shortcomings on her effort.
That's not fair to her and I don't think that even Geno can rightfully blame everything on her effort.
Even though Geno may not blame everything on her effort, it seems that some people here routinely do or insinuate as if they know how much effort she actually expends.
That would seem to make such a claim to be an unfair & hasty generalization.

Just like UConn in the NC game, just because they didn't win & score enough points didn't mean that they didn't put in enough effort.
It means that came up short on talent that day for whatever the reasons were.

 

[hoophuskee]

If she needs to develop more of her talent, then that's for the staff to help her with.

The staff's job is to win the next basketball game. A byproduct of winning the next game is developing talent.

With that said, it's not fair to Paige Bueckers and all the other starters for example for the coaching staff to not play the best players that will ultimately give the team the best chance of winning "that next game." It's not fair to all the other players.

 

[HuskyNan]

IMHO Amari's problem is not with her effort, but rather her ability and level of talent.
If she needs to develop more of her talent, then that's for the staff to help her with.
But some players can expend all of the effort in the world and if their not ability is up to UConn standards, then it shouldn't be blamed on effort.

Effort alone cannot turn someone in a gold medalist.
A person can reach their personal best, but that doesn't mean that they will ever be fast or quick enough to satisfy Geno or to win a NC.
Yet some folks seem to want to blame Amari's shortcomings on her effort.
That's not fair to her and I don't think that even Geno can rightfully blame everything on her effort.
Even though Geno may not blame everything on her effort, it seems that some people here routinely do or insinuate as if they know how much effort she actually expends.
That would seem to make such a claim to be an unfair & hasty generalization.

Just like UConn in the NC game, just because they didn't win & score enough points didn't mean that they didn't put in enough effort.
It means that came up short on talent that day for whatever the reasons were.

"The thing abut Amari is she's so bad in practice some days, but she's never that bad in games," Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. "So I think she's trying to tell me something. 'Coach, if I don't come to practice, I'll play really, really well. Stop bugging me at practice.' I'm not ready to go that route yet."

At UConn, WNY native Amari DeBerry eyes national championship

The Williamsville South graduate's freshman season for the No. 5-ranked Huskies hasn't featured much playing time, but more of a college education.

www.wgrz.com

 

[cferraro04]

Paige Bueckers - 18 points; 55 Three pointers (1.52/g); 4.0 RBs; 28 minutes
Azzi Fudd - 19.5 points; 96 Three pointers (2.67/g); 3.5 RBs; 27 minutes
Caroline Ducharme - 12 points; 43 Three pointers (1.2/g); 3.5 RBs; 22 minutes
Aliyah Edwards - 9.0 points; 3 Three pointers; 5.5 RBs; 23 minutes
Juhasz Dorka - 10.0 points; 24 Three pointers (.65/g); 6.0 RBs; 21 minutes
Nika Muhl - 5.0 points; 29 Three pointers (.8/g); 3.0 RBs; 19 minutes
Amari DeBerry - 4.0 points; 10 Three pointers; 3 RBs; 11 minutes
Aubrey Griffin - 6.0 points; 2 Three pointers; 5.0 RBs; 15 minutes
Lou Lopez Senechal - 8.0 points; 28 Three Pointers (.75/g); 2.5 RBs; 14 minutes
Ice Brady - 4.0 points; 4.0 RBs; 11 minutes
Ayanna Patterson - 3.0 points; 3.0 RBs; 9 minutes

I think this team will average about 91 points per game and about 40 Rebounds per game.

 

[jdote33]

Paige Bueckers - 18 points; 55 Three pointers (1.52/g); 4.0 RBs; 28 minutes
Azzi Fudd - 19.5 points; 96 Three pointers (2.67/g); 3.5 RBs; 27 minutes
Caroline Ducharme - 12 points; 43 Three pointers (1.2/g); 3.5 RBs; 22 minutes
Aliyah Edwards - 9.0 points; 3 Three pointers; 5.5 RBs; 23 minutes
Juhasz Dorka - 10.0 points; 24 Three pointers (.65/g); 6.0 RBs; 21 minutes
Nika Muhl - 5.0 points; 29 Three pointers (.8/g); 3.0 RBs; 19 minutes
Amari DeBerry - 4.0 points; 10 Three pointers; 3 RBs; 11 minutes
Aubrey Griffin - 6.0 points; 2 Three pointers; 5.0 RBs; 15 minutes
Lou Lopez Senechal - 8.0 points; 28 Three Pointers (.75/g); 2.5 RBs; 14 minutes
Ice Brady - 4.0 points; 4.0 RBs; 11 minutes
Ayanna Patterson - 3.0 points; 3.0 RBs; 9 minutes

I think this team will average about 91 points per game and about 40 Rebounds per game.

I like it. Does anyone know the last UConn team to average 90 or above?

 

[Alydar]

I can see 6 players leading the team in scoring in at least once this season. Thats a very good thing. Bueckers points will be in inverse proportion to the scoring of the front court players. She really would rather qb the offense and let the rest do the scoring and as long as the rest execute their end both Bueckers and Geno will be happy. The only reason she moved to the 2 as a freshman was because there weren't enough scorers. I see a world of difference between then and now.
Bueckers may win POY but despite leading the team in scoring in the post season she will be about third in the regular season. Fudd is first and I'm not sure is second. Several candidates. Bueckers may set a UConn record for assists.

 

[bantamlaker]

I can see 6 players leading the team in scoring in at least once this season. Thats a very good thing. Bueckers points will be in inverse proportion to the scoring of the front court players. She really would rather qb the offense and let the rest do the scoring and as long as the rest execute their end both Bueckers and Geno will be happy. The only reason she moved to the 2 as a freshman was because there weren't enough scorers. I see a world of difference between then and now.
Bueckers may win POY but despite leading the team in scoring in the post season she will be about third in the regular season. Fudd is first and I'm not sure is second. Several candidates. Bueckers may set a UConn record for assists.