What is our best lineup?

[DarkCock]

Auriemma played 5 players almost exclusively. Those 5 girls form a cohesive unit who play like a well-oiled machine.

Perhaps Coach Staley needs to consider shortening the rotation a bit. I really can't say for sure what she considers her best lineup.

Mitchell is a no-brainer. Who are the other 4? Playing Welch, Coates, and Wilson at the same time will severely limits the spacing on the floor. Who sits of those 3?

And who plays point? Sessions or Cuevas?

 

[ReadR00ster]

Sessions, Mitchell, Welch, Wilson, Coates. Cuevas should take that over but she is still too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed right now.

 

[Garnet chicken]

Cuevas is best suited for a fast tempo to utilize her talents. Sessions played well tonight actually making some threes.

 

[ReadR00ster]

Originally posted by Garnet chicken:
Cuevas is best suited for a fast tempo to utilize her talents. Sessions played well tonight actually making some threes.

Cuevas might actually be too fast for the rest of our team right now.

 

[cock1971]

Remember our best men's BB team played only 5 guys under McGuire.....Basketball is a game of mistakes(turnovers,fouls,missed shots)...Subs, more often than not, make mistakes. That's why they are subs....In football lots of mistakes are made but are hidden in the chaos of the play...McGuire played his best 5 and went 14-0 vs the ACC...

 

[nikolas22]

To continue to get the best players...I think Staley has got to give most of them playing time.

 

[sandlapper59]

Originally posted by cock1971:

Remember our best men's BB team played only 5 guys under McGuire.....Basketball is a game of mistakes(turnovers,fouls,missed shots)...Subs, more often than not, make mistakes. That's why they are subs....In football lots of mistakes are made but are hidden in the chaos of the play...McGuire played his best 5 and went 14-0 vs the ACC...

Don't think that was McGuire's Choice. He had only 5 NYC sidewalk players that were good enough for first string. There was also no time clock then and slowing down the game was a much used technique to get some rest. Of course, he also had John Roache who could hold the ball against anyone. At this time of teh year, I really like how Staley is running the team. No one gets worn out and they all get experience. A'ja certainly needs playing time as UConn was able to exploit her youth last night. Losing a game right now is no big deal in the grand scheme and Staley's strategy may be an eventual benefit.

I doubt we could have won that game no matter who we put on the court. UConn is just better right now and the environment only added to their advantage. Toward the end of the game we just threw the ball away in frustration too many times. Staley will use this game as a very effective teaching moment for the team as well as herself. If we get back together later in a neutral court with neutral refs, we will be much better.

This post was edited on 2/10 8:39 AM by sandlapper59

 

[AgnosticTrollCock]

Sadly, our best line-up will be next season with Cuevas, Mitchell, Wilson, Coates, and White.

 

[cock1971]

My point was that you can win and win big playing only 5...McGuire's choice, or not, doesn't matter.. McGuire coached to play great defense without fouling the year we went 14-0...Thus, he could keep his best 5 on the court.. Same as UCONN philosophy...Play great defense, just don't foul and provide "gift points" from the foul line...Case in point, in football you always keep your best QB in the game, without substitution for rest etc...The backup will typically make mistakes...

 

[DarkCock]

Originally posted by cock1971:

Remember our best men's BB team played only 5 guys under McGuire.....Basketball is a game of mistakes(turnovers,fouls,missed shots)...Subs, more often than not, make mistakes. That's why they are subs....In football lots of mistakes are made but are hidden in the chaos of the play...McGuire played his best 5 and went 14-0 vs the ACC...

Good point. One of the ways to combat a team who plays 5 with little substitution is to press them full court. That was the strategy employed by John Thompson and Nolan Richardson when they had teams with superior depth and athleticism. Eventually, fatigue would set in and the opposing teams' solid 5 will start to make mistakes and commit fouls.