Hurley got murked by Turgeon

[djct1999]

.....
This isn't the A10. UConn is a big time program, and the Big East has some of the best players and best coaches in college basketball. A coach can't be this weak on gameday and expect to be successful against this level of competition. He has to figure out a way to be smarter on gameday or he is not going to be successful.

........

This is a really bad take. This is a really weird year in college basketball. To criticize anyone, especially Hurley, who in year 3 of the rebuild essentially met or exceeded any team expectation is self-serving. This year was so weird that many great coaches, some who I would guess you think are a better fit at UConn, are all home with their respective seasons ending. I can easily argue that Hurley had this team over achieve. This idea that UConn has some great roster is simply untrue. We have 1 legit pro. The rest of it is a blend is guys he inherited, guys he was familiar with and brought to UConn as a quick fix, and some guys he recruited. Not surprising the guys with the most upside and ability are in the latter group. That will only continue. Fact is, from where we were to where are now in year 3, is encouraging. Was last night a stinker? It sure was, from top to bottom. Its pretty hard to blame a coach and a game plan when your team outshoots the opponent by 22,outrebounds an opponent by 11 and has 22 offensive boards and only scored 54 points. UConn had open looks, they simply missed. Thats all execution. Thats on the players. This game, even if Maryland did exactly what they did, should have been a breeze if the team played as we expect them to. Statistically, it was really hard to do what UConn did last night. Are you suggesting the Hurley is at fault because we didnt get enough shots or rebounds? I suppose you will say we needed to stop Ayala. Big deal. He scored 23. Maryland as a team scored 63. If our team executed, if Whaley and Martin showed up offensively, if Bouk made free throws, and if Cole and Gaffney did anything, we should have won. Thats not on Hurley. To suggest otherwise is self-serving and inaccurate.

 

[Thirty Three]

O.K. that makes more sense. The full quote wasn't in the Courant, just what I provided above. I can deal with a strategy to dictate the game rather than counteract. They rebounded but just didn't make the bunnies they should have. It was an issue we saw most of the season. Remember @Thirty Three's statistic from some analytics web site? The team was terrible converting from close distance. Came back to bite us in the back side big time.

UConn was ranked 334th or 337th in scoring, point blank, at the basket (That was few weeks ago).

 

[djct1999]

Not sure I've ever seen a team miss more layups but that wasn't the game, neither were missed free throws. Going into it I told my buddies I was watching the game with that we should win but the only thing that worries me is we'll let Maryland dictate play and we won't run. I forget what early part in the first half it was but I said to them we aren't playing our game and this isn't good. UConn is the team with the star player, UConn is the team with more athletes, UConn is the team with more depth and yet we played at a snails pace.

I'm one of Hurley's biggest fans. He's the right guy at the right moment to rebuild this thing. Making the tournament was a nice goal in the second true chance to go dancing but it feels a bit hollow because of that performance. We play halfway decent and we win that game pretty comfortably. Maryland is about as weak as it gets as a tournament team and we showed them nothing. Let them dictate the terms of play from the start and we never adjusted. Love the way Hurley runs the program but it seems like a bad early trait in his coaching. You should never let the inferior talent dictate how your team plays and I've seen it several times this season.

I am not so sure we were more athletic. We certainly were bigger and with good guard play we should have fed the inside. Problem was, our bigs were to slow to play perimter d and our guards were too small to do anything. It was a bad matchup. It still was a game the should have been won. Our box score is crazy. I am still not sure how we can take so many shots and grab so many offensive boards and only score 53 points. Our players didn't show up. Its that simple.

 

[superjohn]

UConn falls to Maryland in first-round NCAA game

The shots simply didn’t fall, and UConn’s first trip to the NCAA tournament in five...

www.nhregister.com

Sounds like Ayala is the lottery pick by Hurley's description, not Bouk.

I mean, I realize that Bouk is a lottery pick talent, but it sounds strange to make excuses that he's playing against juniors and seniors when he is going to be playing against pros next year; and his own college coach says he can't win iso matchups, which is the essence of the NBA.

Those quotes are so depressing.

 

[Stinger92860]

Our players are taught to take plays from the bench, this slows down the on court response.

definitely true with Gaffney. He is always looking over.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

The offense is bad. Period. I don’t know how that Kenpom adjusted offense stat works, maybe it significantly weighs offensive rebounds, but our half court offense is really bad, and has been for some time. Just watching Loyola and Baylor for instance. I know these teams are better than us, but they are in part because of their offensive gameplan. There is always someone open, someone cutting, someone setting a screen and rolling, just fluid movement. We have/had NO fluid movement on offense. It was Bouk/Cole/Gaff dribbling up top for 18 seconds then realizing we have to go. That’s on the staff, if you can’t run set plays you can’t win in March. And this has been going on for years. Is it illegal to run a play on offense in Storrs? It’s ridiculous.

 

[Vuce]

The offense is bad. Period. I don’t know how that Kenpom adjusted offense stat works, maybe it significantly weighs offensive rebounds, but our half court offense is really bad, and has been for some time. Just watching Loyola and Baylor for instance. I know these teams are better than us, but they are in part because of their offensive gameplan. There is always someone open, someone cutting, someone setting a screen and rolling, just fluid movement. We have/had NO fluid movement on offense. It was Bouk/Cole/Gaff dribbling up top for 18 seconds then realizing we have to go. That’s on the staff, if you can’t run set plays you can’t win in March. And this has been going on for years. Is it illegal to run a play on offense in Storrs? It’s ridiculous.

We averaged more points per game than Loyola did this year. And according to KenPom stats we were 29th in offensive efficiency and Loyola was 35th. And Loyola had the 112th rated schedule versus 53rd. Opponents defensive rating was 29th for UConn vs 123rd for Loyola so they were playing against significantly worse defense over the whole season. Loyola’s guys made shots today and last game with a roster full of juniors and seniors. Our guys have literally never been here before and Bouknight just pressed and tried to do way too much and didn’t produce in our biggest postseason games the way a first round lottery pick should. Bouk is being drafted for his offensive ability. He has a normal game in both Maryland and Creighton and we win both. None of the others really stepped up to make open shots and especially shots inside the paint

 

[Kathy]

Sanogo was in foul trouble the entire game, unfortunately. Something to clean up for next year, but all season long we were better when he was on the court. To think he should have been a senior in high school this year is incredible. All of the tools are there, but I digress.

Wrong - he had 2 fouls in the first half and ended the game with 2 fouls because of how few minutes he played in the 2nd half. Not sure what you were watching, but he was not in foul trouble the whole game.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

We averaged more points per game than Loyola did this year. And according to KenPom stats we were 29th in offensive efficiency and Loyola was 35th. And Loyola had the 112th rated schedule versus 53rd. Opponents defensive rating was 29th for UConn vs 123rd for Loyola so they were playing against significantly worse defense over the whole season. Loyola’s guys made shots today and last game with a roster full of juniors and seniors. Our guys have literally never been here before and Bouknight just pressed and tried to do way too much and didn’t produce in our biggest postseason games the way a first round lottery pick should. Bouk is being drafted for his offensive ability. He has a normal game in both Maryland and Creighton and we win both. None of the others really stepped up to make open shots and especially shots inside the paint

Our efficiency was boosted up by second chance points and offensive rebounds. I’d love to see what our half court offense efficiency was, don’t know if they have a stat. But the eye test suggests Loyola, for instance, running circles around the #2 team in the nation on the offensive end, while I can count on one hand the number of shots we got that we wanted.

 

[Vuce]

Our efficiency was boosted up by second chance points and offensive rebounds. I’d love to see what our half court offense efficiency was, don’t know if they have a stat. But the eye test suggests Loyola, for instance, running circles around the #2 team in the nation on the offensive end, while I can count on one hand the number of shots we got that we wanted.

How many Loyola games did you watch this year?

 

[Kathy]

You all can throw all the stats you want - offensive efficiency, Kenpom yadda, yadda. I rely on watching the games and noticing we have no offensive strategy. Don't need stats to tell me that.

 

[BigFanCT]

So I think most on the board can agree that Hurley:
A. Is no offensive guru.
B. Is stubborn and does not change ways easily.
C. Needs assistants that will help him in game time situations.
So let me ask.....what do our assistants.....do, then? Kimani is supposed to be some up and comer, and Moore is a vet- but are they really not helping Hurley coach an offense? What they getting paid to do? Clap?

 

[Apollo]

I still want to punch Andrew DeClerq

 

[CardiacAndre7]

How many Loyola games did you watch this year?

3 games. And in those 3 games they ran more plays than we did all season. It’s easy to see.

 

[rollskies]

Wrong - he had 2 fouls in the first half and ended the game with 2 fouls because of how few minutes he played in the 2nd half. Not sure what you were watching, but he was not in foul trouble the whole game.

Yup. I already posted in a separate post that i was wrong about that. Thought he had more than that.

 

[Kathy]

Yup. I already posted in a separate post that i was wrong about that. Thought he had more than that.

Sorry, saw that after I posted, was posting as I read the thread.

 

[sammydabiz]

Great take

 

[Vuce]

You all can throw sllthe stats you want - offensive efficiency, Kenyon yadda, yadda. I rely on watching the games and noticing we have no offensive strategy. Don't need stats to tell me that.

How did UConn average over 76 pts per game over their last 10 regular season games? That’s a good stat. Seems like that would be hard to do with no strategy ?

 

[CardiacAndre7]

How did UConn average over 76 pts per game over their last 10 regular season games? That’s a good stat. Seems like that would be hard to do with no strategy ?

How many points did we average in the 3 games over that span against actual good teams? It’s one thing to score 90 against Depaul and G’Town.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I just can't blame the coaches for the inability to make a layup or shoot from distance. If we still have these issues in a year or two, it'll be their fault for not recruiting better offensive talent. But last night we had the more talented roster, which is a credit to what the coaches have built in such short time.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So I think most on the board can agree that Hurley:
A. Is no offensive guru.
B. Is stubborn and does not change ways easily.
C. Needs assistants that will help him in game time situations.
So let me ask.....what do our assistants.....do, then? Kimani is supposed to be some up and comer, and Moore is a vet- but are they really not helping Hurley coach an offense? What they getting paid to do? Clap?

ugh. This place stinks. Maybe we should have strung out the end of the Ollie era a little longer - maybe a 6-25 season would help people appreciate the trajectory we’re currently on.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I just can't blame the coaches for the inability to make a layup or shoot from distance. If we still have these issues in a year or two, it'll be their fault for not recruiting better offensive talent. But last night we had the more talented roster, which is a credit to what the coaches have built in such short time.

But we had it all season, and it may have even gotten progressively worse. Lack of improvement or taking steps back in any area is inherently a Coaching issue.

 

[husky429]

We averaged more points per game than Loyola did this year. And according to KenPom stats we were 29th in offensive efficiency and Loyola was 35th. And Loyola had the 112th rated schedule versus 53rd. Opponents defensive rating was 29th for UConn vs 123rd for Loyola so they were playing against significantly worse defense over the whole season. Loyola’s guys made shots today and last game with a roster full of juniors and seniors. Our guys have literally never been here before and Bouknight just pressed and tried to do way too much and didn’t produce in our biggest postseason games the way a first round lottery pick should. Bouk is being drafted for his offensive ability. He has a normal game in both Maryland and Creighton and we win both. None of the others really stepped up to make open shots and especially shots inside the paint

They were able to be the 35th rated offense with MUCH less talented players. We got to 29th DESPITE our offensive game planning. What that shows is that our coach is a hell of a recruiter--we already knew that. Imagine how we could be if we put these guys in a position to succeed on both ends of the floor instead of just defense?

Don't be satisfied with pretty good--Hurley and our players are better than that.

 

[Huskyforlife]

But we had it all season, and it may have even gotten progressively worse. Lack of improvement or taking steps back in any area is inherently a Coaching issue.

I think that says more about our talent and luck than coaching. Martin was shooting 45% earlier in the season, stuff like that was very fluky.

 

[Vuce]

They were able to be the 35th rated offense with MUCH less talented players. We got to 29th DESPITE our offensive game planning. What that shows is that our coach is a hell of a recruiter--we already knew that. Imagine how we could be if we put these guys in a position to succeed on both ends of the floor instead of just defense?

Don't be satisfied with pretty good--Hurley and our players are better than that.

You need to finish the analysis. Loyola got to the 35th rated offense by playing against MUCH worse defenses than we were. So basically what you are saying is that our offensive efficiency was achieved by mistake. I’m not satisfied with where we currently are. I am satisfied with the progress we’ve made and where we are headed. Some people think it’s going to be awful for the next few seasons. I don’t.