Florida coach Amanda Butler knows cracking the starting lineup may seem like a big deal to some.
But for her, it's all about the end of the game rather than the opening introductions.
With the start of the UF women's basketball season inching closer, Butler still isn't sure who will be in her starting five.
And she wouldn't have it any other way.
"We can change our lineup to try and exploit the weaknesses of whoever our next opponent is," Butler said. "We're not bound to a starting lineup."
While not having a cemented staring lineup may sacrifice a bit of consistency once the season starts, Butler believes the myriad of combinations she can throw out onto the floor on any given night is well worth the possible lack of stability.
"There's a lot of versatility in what we have," center Azania Stewart said . "Whatever looks we want to go: big, small, fast."
If the lineup is shuffled routinely, it should help players stay on their toes because anyone's number could be called on any given night.
"If I'm not starting, when I get in the game, my mentality is definitely to do what I need to do to either get to that starting position or play more minutes," guard Trumae Lucas said. "It's definitely a competition thing."
Butler also hopes the day-to-day staring lineup will prevent the team from flatlining in January or February, when players become accustomed to who is in what role.
She has used different examples to prove the benefits of competition to her team. Butler has pointed to Michael Phelps' record-breaking swims with opponents nipping at his heels as well as a Bible verse, Proverbs 27:17 ("So iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another").
In Butler's mind, competition breeds success, and her team is beginning to embrace that concept.
Jordan Jones is one of eight guards listed on the team's roster. Each will be competing for playing time, and some may get time at swingman or point. Jones started at South Carolina her freshman year before transfering to UF and being forced to sit out the 2008-09 season.
"No matter what minutes I get, starting, not starting - being able to play again, it's just a huge gift in its own," Jones said.
Butler may start the game with more of a true point guard, like senior Lonnika Thompson or freshman Tessah Holt. Lucas and Jones are likely to see time at point guard as well.
Lucas poses more of a threat to drive to the basket, while Jones is a bonafide shooter who used last year to improve other aspects of her game, including ball handling and driving to the basket.
While point guard may be the best example of depth on this year's squad, it's emblematic of the whole team.
"We can have plan A, B, C and D and on any given night, any one of those plans is going to work," Butler said.
