UConn will be fine

[TCC Kid]

We have a team of studs who will step up. We showed everyone last season that our team that was full of injuries, with a very tuff bracket in the NCAAs, found the resilience to beat some very tuff teams and make it to the finals. We're a year older and healthier and once again Paigeless. Geno has a few months to get his team up to speed without Paige. After reading the threads there was a question and comments about another point guard. I do remember someone mentioning Azzi can play the point. However she is UConns shooting guard so that most likely wont be an option. With Nika foul prone we will need somebody else who can play the point. We can not imo go into the season without another point guard. Nika plays aggressive defense and we need that however playing aggressive leads to fouls and that could spell trouble for UConn at the point if shes on the bench. With that said we need someone with experience. Our early season schedule is really tuff so experience at the point is essential. Im sure Geno and his coaching staff are looking at their options and Azzi Caroline and Lou will be mentored and if thats not an option then UConn will be looking for someone who is formattable.

We will miss Paige's leadership on the court. Her positive attitude, her ability to make plays, and take over games may not be replaceable. We do have the studs to pick up the scoring and we do have the height and depth underneath to dominate. It will take time for Ice and Yanna to get up to speed in their new environment. They have the skills to be great. It wont be throw them in a microwave and they come out ready to compete at the college level right away. It will take time and it will happen as the season progresses.

I expect Amari to surprise alot of people this season. She has the skills and she has a good shot. Her height will be a plus this season along with her ability to pass the ball inside. Azzi Caroline and Lou are great scorers. We've heard all about Lou and we saw what Azzi and Caroline can due when they were asked to step up. There are gonna be some bumps in the road as we set out for our quest to win another NC and those bumps will become learning experiences and make us better as we move forward.

The things that need to happen to make up for Paige not in the lineup will happen over the next few months which means we have time to get ready. I am very confident that this team even without Paige is a great team. I just read that ESPN has now UConn ranked 6th in their poll. They are in for a big surprise.

@Tonyc you ARE the Uconn Women's Cheerleader--SO, how can you say they shall be FINE! They shall be GREAT.
Your Second Paragraph. I agree that is your best paragraph. I do to believe Paige is not replaceable. However, others may be as good or better. Your question about the 2 new guys is a good question. I personally believe Good basketball players, with experience in many games, can play at nearly every level--plays are different, your role is different, but the game is only putting the ball in a basket. The problem is getting there and stopping the other team---SIMPLE.

The Freshmen from last season and the new freshmen are in a word--exceptional, outstanding (ok, 2 words).

I'm a glutton, even acknowledging it is a sin, sinful me wants another Championship. Not for Me but for the Kids that work their tails off to give ME a championship. For me, if God grants me one more season to see them play--I'll drop my sinful ways and accept anything they give me.

 

[TCC Kid]

I agree with most of what you say, but would add that if someone is pressed into action, she most definitely needs to practice at PG before she's pressed into action. And I think the odds are low that Nika and Azzi will both be available all game every game in the upcoming season. So someone, probably Caroline, will need to spend some time practicing at point absent a late addition.

I'll also add that I'm encouraged by what I've read in a couple of other threads about possible European options for additional point guards. Of course, Geno (a native European himself) will probably be pulling his hair out if he has ANOTHER European on his team. : )

The odds if we use the past 2 or 3 years as our model shall be for the odd to be in the negative direction. Caroline, I'm her greatest champion/cheerleader has shown in times of stress, when pulled into an established line up, she is capable in ALL aspects of the game. She has ice in her veins. Some say she shoots too much--wrong she doesn't shoot too much--anything Too Much will come from Geno and he likes what he sees. The odds become greater for UConn when the Freshmen get up to speed. Like Caroline, they come with experience and know how to play basketball for anyone--even Geno.

 

[TCC Kid]

Losing Paige also means losing a great defender. Paige is very quick & moved easily to stay in good defensive position.

I wonder how UConn will be defensively, especially getting rebounds against tall and aggressive teams. South Carolina killed us on the boards, but Liv was limited, Dorka couldn’t play, no Aubrey, etc. also, playing Aaliyah up at high post was a frequently occurring mistake throughout the year in my opinion.

This year, even without Paige, we can and need to be stronger defensively. Nika will play more minutes, which helps defensively, Caroline will be healthy again with her length, Azzi is an excellent defender, Aubrey is fantastic defender. I like Aaliyah’s defense too, and when Brady and Patterson are in the game, I think they will grab rebounds without problems. How will Deberry fare on defense, and is Lou going to be a good defender? Dorka needs to hold her position and hopefully her wrist won’t affect her rebounding.

We will sorely miss Paige’s offense and her defense too, but playing minutes this season may depend on being able to play good defense and getting rebounds, more than ever.

Agree! Paige is near great at everything basketball because of her psychological make up, that usually come from Moms. She knows how good she is and rarely thinks too deeply, reacts to situation properly, confidence or ego, is a quality Geno looks for. Don't over think, do what you instinctively know is right. I think Caroline and even Nika have that natural ability. That's not to say the entire team isn't so endowed

 

[Bigboote]

Who knows what Ice and Ayanna will be but I really do think Ayanna can be potentially a great rebounder if she gets PT. The problem is she probably will not get more than 15 minutes PT unless we have major injuries in the front court. We are going to have to be patient with Ayanna but the payoff could be well worth it. This team has a much better chance in the PO if Ice and Ayanna are fully integrated and performing.

I absolutely agree with you that Ayanna will be a great rebounder, and Ice too. Ice is SO strong and Ayanna, as Paige said, "jumps out of the gym."

I think the only potential thing that can keep either one from being a significant contributor this year is not buying into Geno's method 100%. My gut says they'll both have good seasons.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Paige is not replaceable but Lou does fit her role pretty well at least on offense. I'm not projecting a championship but it is still possible that we get to the FF again. If that happens and we have great 3 point shooters anything can happen. The hot team often wins.

 

[Carnac]

Paige is not replaceable but Lou does fit her role pretty well at least on offense. I'm not projecting a championship but it is still possible that we get to the FF again. If that happens and we have great 3 point shooters anything can happen. The hot team often wins.

Come March, everyone should have found have found their "niche", and settled in their comfort zone. You don't have to be great all year, just the last 6 games. Any of the top 15 teams is capable of doing it. That's one of the things that make following the tournament so much fun. Watching the elite teams in WCBB fight for survival and advance to the next round. Watching a wild card dark horse team emerge and muck things up the the real contenders. Remember Oregon and Washington with Chantel Osahor several years ago? I love it.

 

[Bone Dog]

Paige is totally replaceable. The team will not be the same. But someone can fill her spot. We’ll miss out on her scoring, her passing, her D and above all her heart. But we know the rest of the team can step up. They proved it last year.

 

[TCC Kid]

Come March, everyone should have found have found their "niche", and settled in their comfort zone. You don't have to be great all year, just the last 6 games. Any of the top 15 teams is capable of doing it. That's one of the things that make following the tournament so much fun. Watching the elite teams in WCBB fight for survival and advance to the next round. Watching a wild card dark horse team emerge and muck things up the the real contenders. Remember Oregon and Washington with Chantel Osahor several years ago? I love it.

Who was it that said: In March there are no Freshmen! ??

 

[TCC Kid]

Paige is totally replaceable. The team will not be the same. But someone can fill her spot. We’ll miss out on her scoring, her passing, her D and above all her heart. But we know the rest of the team can step up. They proved it last year.

Logically, I once thought, everyone is replaceable. However, the truth is not everyone--some very very special ones are NOT replaceable. I suggest to you that Paige is in that category.
Who on this team has displayed the unique characteristic of---being able to score, time after time, in MUST DO circumstance as Paige has shown? To whom has Geno, said--go get them--Score? Paige, DT, Sue, Maya, Stewie--the best of the best. All except Paige are gone--none, in my opinion, have been replaced.

Normally, I'm the naysayer, the critic, the curmudgeon. I like to think: I'm not a Cynic but a truth see-er. Honestly, I know I am none. Two players, among many I hold dear, stand out in my brain---Paige and Caroline. My emotions tell me they can do ANYTHING--and both have proven me correct, in basketball. Both have proven, with injuries, they are human.

 

[Carnac]

I absolutely agree with you that Ayanna will be a great rebounder, and Ice too. Ice is SO strong and Ayanna, as Paige said, "jumps out of the gym."

I think the only potential thing that can keep either one from being a significant contributor this year is not buying into Geno's method 100%. My gut says they'll both have good seasons.

We need BOTH of them to find their "sea legs" within the first 5-6 games. They need to forget they are freshmen, and play like experienced sophomores. It CAN be done. Both of them have greatness within them. I just hope they can bring that greatness to the surface sooner rather than later........like in the first quarter of the Kutztown State game.......and keep it going. I still think Geno is going to add a player prior to classes resuming on a little more than 2 weeks. #NODAYSOFF.

 

[Bone Dog]

Logically, I once thought, everyone is replaceable. However, the truth is not everyone--some very very special ones are NOT replaceable. I suggest to you that Paige is in that category.
Who on this team has displayed the unique characteristic of---being able to score, time after time, in MUST DO circumstance as Paige has shown? To whom has Geno, said--go get them--Score? Paige, DT, Sue, Maya, Stewie--the best of the best. All except Paige are gone--none, in my opinion, have been replaced.

Normally, I'm the naysayer, the critic, the curmudgeon. I like to think: I'm not a Cynic but a truth see-er. Honestly, I know I am none. Two players, among many I hold dear, stand out in my brain---Paige and Caroline. My emotions tell me they can do ANYTHING--and both have proven me correct, in basketball. Both have proven, with injuries, they are human.

That’s fair. By replaceable I meant someone would take her place. And this will happen soon. We definitely lose something. But we still have a lot. Azzi can do a lot of what Paige can do, and some of it even better, like 3 pt shooting. She hasn’t shown quite the heart Paige has. But she can be bold when she has to be, like in the first Villanova game, or the first Marquette game.

Caroline can do things Paige can’t, like block shots with aplomb. She also knows how to carry a team that has lost its way. She showed us that last year.

So, Paige will be replaced by Azzi and Caroline. It comes at a cost. But they will be fierce and the team will rally around them.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Paige made everyone better. She was our most efficient player. Most steals per minute. Highest shooting percentage. The offense revolved around her. You don't replace Paige this year. You just don't. The probability of that happening is less than 1%. Does that mean it's hopeless? No. It does cut our possibility of winning it all by at least 50% though. She's the straw that stirs the drink.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Don't get me wrong. I think we can still win it. I'm thinking Lou is under rated as heck and going to really help us. I'm thinking Ayanna and Ice are starters on most college teams right now, even major teams. Azzi and Caroline can score with anyone in WCBB. Our defense will still be solid. We are going to be an exciting team to watch. I'm just hopeful we can keep the rest of the team healthy because we can't lose another guard.

 

[oldhusky]

Paige is totally replaceable. The team will not be the same. But someone can fill her spot. We’ll miss out on her scoring, her passing, her D and above all her heart. But we know the rest of the team can step up. They proved it last year.

I think a better way to look at it is we have certain players who can approach some of Paige's skills, but nowhere close to all of them. Looking at Nika and Lou is interesting from that standpoint. Lou appears to be a shooter comparable to Paige and she has some of Paige's ability to create her own shot and be scorer not just shooter. That's the good news, but she is nowhere close as a passer, defender, rebounder etc.

Nika can cover some of those traits because she is a great passer, defender and pretty good rebounder. That is the good news from her standpoint, but of course she is miles away from Paige as a shooter or scorer. So you can get passing and defense from Nika, or shooting and scoring from Lou, but you can't get all of those traits in one player like you can with Paige.

We can be pretty darn good at most statistical categories, and fill her spot with a good player, but nowhere close to Paige. That is "if" we don't get more bad news at the wrong position. Last year we had six guards and yet for several games had no backup guards with three of them out. We were terrible by Uconn standards during those games and clearly did not have a good answer as to how to compensate for that rash of injuries.

This offseason it looked like we would head into this season with five guards, hardly excessive, but at least it meant if one was injured we could use a carefully structured substitution pattern and milk the minutes at the 1-3 between mostly the four remaining players, with maybe just a few spot minutes by someone who was not a guard. We had a cushion for one injury, but that is gone with Paige's injury. If Nika, Azzi, Caroline or Lou miss "any" games we will be without a true guard backup for the three guard positions. Having Aubrey back could solve the issue on the defensive end, but we will be an entirely different team on the offensive end, and the guards that are available will often be out of position (anybody other than Nika at the point) and overworked and tired.

So many of us look at the loss of Paige and figure we have plenty of good players on the roster, and while we won't be the same, we can still see us being a very good team. I see that too as long as nothing else happens at the guard position, but isn't it pretty unrealistic to assume our four guards don't miss any games. If there was an over and under on the number of games those four would miss in total, I would guess it would be at least a half dozen or so (1.5 each).

Lord knows we are due for some good luck on the injury front, but I feel many of our fans are looking at the difference between Paige and our other available options, and forgetting that reducing our available guards from 5 to 4 leaves no insurance. In some ways an injury to any of our four healthy guards could be more devastating than the injury to Paige. We had one spare quality backup for Paige (with 5 guards), our backup plan for another guard injury is our best choice among players best suited for PF. For that reason I still hope Geno comes up with something from the Foreign Under 18 Tournament prospects that at least could provide some insurance at the guard position.

 

[Stymie]

Wherever this team is ranked ( before any games are played) will just give these athletes more, drive, focus and motivation.
None of these players come to UCONN to be anything less than National Champions.
Will be very interesting to watch them climb rung by rung to the top, knocking off those above them.

 

[Carnac]

Cam Young is killing it Tony.

This was a Final Four team with Paige. Maybe they still are but many of the posts on this board are asking players to step up……be better than they ever have been before. The jury is out. This is still a very good team. For me, the chance of going to the Championship game doesn’t depend on current players playing better than they have before ( that’s a hope). It depends on the two incoming freshman making major contributions to the teams success. The team without those players will struggle to make the FF.

I too agree, and have been suggesting as much since Paige went down. I would add Lou Lopez-Senechal to this group. A graduate player with 4 years of D-1 experience has to be able to contribute something meaningful on a nightly basis, even if it's only 10-15 "quality" minutes. There will be nights when she will be called on to play 2-25 minutes. I think she'll be ready.

Three players out, three players in. Everybody eats, everybody contributes. No cheerleaders this term. EVERY PLAYER brings something to the table. What ever it is, they must bring it every night be it rebounding, shooting, playing defense, etc. Every game will require something different at various times during the game. Geno know who to plug in at the proper time.

 

[msf22b]

Prior to Paige's injury, we had a very strong sense of what this season would be like (not that that means anything or is true) and now the the BY is scrambling as is the staff to create a coherent team.

With Paige, top-5 or better is likely, without her?

We know that last season Caroline stepped up, that after a difficult start, Aaliyah was herself in the stretch...
That Nika is a baller, that Dorka can dominate and that Ezzi is Ezzi....other than that...we don't know much...

Like: who's going to distribute? Nika and Ezzi...could be ok...do the kids really help the bigs this season? Do Amari and Aubrey contribute.

For the answers to these and other questions you may have, I suggest that you watch this space and the up-coming season...

I expect it to be fascinating, expect good things...But will not be broken up if other excellent teams prevail

 

[Notyetready]

It is not only that UConn has to fill Paige's shoes at the 1 and 2 spots. Realistically, Geno will need to shunt one or two of his six forwards to the 3 spot, leaving four guards for the 1 and 2 spots-- at least some of the time. He did use a three-big line-up a few times last year and I'm guessing that is what he plans on for this year. I remember one time when the third big was Amari who spent all her offensive time on the 3 pt arc of the left wing. Who can effectively play the three from the list of forwards? Ice and Amari are probably the best 3 pt. shooters but Ayanna is the best perimeter defender (she was effective against Ashlynn Shade when their teams met). Lots of pre season training camp to work on perimeter skills. Will be fun to watch.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Geno has got to be thinking about a 3 big lineup for sure. Is the 3rd big Ayanna, Aubrey, Amari or Ice?

I think Aubrey gets a lot of that 3rd big PT but Ayanna might be our best option there. Ayanna is going to have to keep her turnovers low and that 3rd big can probably set picks down low to open up each other. We don't see it much but SC did it very well.

 

[Bone Dog]

I disagree with last few posts. I suspect Geno will try to play 4-out for at least part of the time. This is a significant strength given our personnel. But it depends on having an active big, and as it turns out we have a few of those. Picture a group like this: Nika, Azzi, Caroline, Lou and Aaliyah. That’s some serious firepower, on the perimeter, which means Aaliyah will be playing one-on-one with no double teams in the paint. Very few teams can match up with that. And I’m pretty sure Ice and Ayanna can sub in for her in this group.

Yes, we’ll also probably play a 3-2 with Aubrey and Ayanna occasionally playing the 3. That will also be a formidable lineup.

 

[hoophuskee]

This offseason it looked like we would head into this season with five guards, hardly excessive, but at least it meant if one was injured we could use a carefully structured substitution pattern and milk the minutes at the 1-3 between mostly the four remaining players, with maybe just a few spot minutes by someone who was not a guard. We had a cushion for one injury, but that is gone with Paige's injury.

The big problem is the super-quality of the player that's been lost. Because of losing the super-superstar, the thought that this team could have a deep bench at the pg/sg positions is pretty laughable. Unless the intent would be to start not going after pg/sg type of number 1 ranked recruits- especially considering they are talked about as being "generational."

Why would other top pg/sg recruits do it? Answer is they don't. They will sit 2 years max and at the 2 year mark they had better see an opportunity to play otherwise they are gone. Guards are generally in better shape than posts, so they want to play. A healthy Paige and Azzi are "preventers" for getting big minutes by others. As well as the past 2 years you had CWill and Evina. So, overall, the number 1 ranked recruits are going to get minutes, and if they don't, the next generation number 1 recruit at guard will most likely pass on coming to play in Non-P5 Storrs, Ct unless they bleed 100% Husky Blue.

 

[TCC Kid]

That’s fair. By replaceable I meant someone would take her place. And this will happen soon. We definitely lose something. But we still have a lot. Azzi can do a lot of what Paige can do, and some of it even better, like 3 pt shooting. She hasn’t shown quite the heart Paige has. But she can be bold when she has to be, like in the first Villanova game, or the first Marquette game.

Caroline can do things Paige can’t, like block shots with aplomb. She also knows how to carry a team that has lost its way. She showed us that last year.

So, Paige will be replaced by Azzi and Caroline. It comes at a cost. But they will be fierce and the team will rally around them.

Bone Dog. I understand the --no one is irreplaceable. I typically believe that fully. When I was a new engineer, and old timer took to a bucket of water and turned the water with his hand--he said: The time it takes that bucket to calm again, is how long you'll be missed when you are gone. The world will miss us all that long. Sad but true.

 

[TCC Kid]

Come March, everyone should have found have found their "niche", and settled in their comfort zone. You don't have to be great all year, just the last 6 games. Any of the top 15 teams is capable of doing it. That's one of the things that make following the tournament so much fun. Watching the elite teams in WCBB fight for survival and advance to the next round. Watching a wild card dark horse team emerge and muck things up the the real contenders. Remember Oregon and Washington with Chantel Osahor several years ago? I love it.

Geno's mantra repeated it many years. 6 games. However, teams don't get to play 6 games (only 2 out of hundreds of team) without being better or luckier than those other hundreds. At that moment ---6 games to win is the goal. Other coaches break the season in sections--win this, then this, then this then 6 game.
In your comment or Geno's approach I'd be a fool to take another view. Have you notices the number of years out of nearly 40 years Geno has been one of your 15?
One odd thing, Geno won so many NC-s I, and others, believed he could not lose an NC--amazing.

 

[TCC Kid]

We need BOTH of them to find their "sea legs" within the first 5-6 games. They need to forget they are freshmen, and play like experienced sophomores. It CAN be done. Both of them have greatness within them. I just hope they can bring that greatness to the surface sooner rather than later........like in the first quarter of the Kutztown State game.......and keep it going. I still think Geno is going to add a player prior to classes resuming on a little more than 2 weeks. #NODAYSOFF.

I played the game, I coached a tiny bit, I believe players that have decent competition for 4 or more years --can play at the college level, some at the Pro level, because they understand those little things that become big in tight games. I.e. Basketball players can play. All that leads up to --your comment above on the Newbies not playing like Freshman. The other half of the coin is the confidence the coach shows in them. CAROLINE, DT, MAYA, RENE all had that confidencek