Mahaney Visiting UConn this weekend

[NH Husky]

Bro have you watched ANY UConn games the last two years???

Uh yeah bro. I’ve seen many.
Have you read any UConn articles the last two years???
I was referring to Hurley comments in the NH Register in May, 2022 regarding Johnson playing the 4.

One player Hurley is excited about is promising forward Samson Johnson, who appeared in only 13 games as a freshman.

Johnson will have a chance to make a big impact.

"He was close last year to getting an opportunity to play the four for us off the bench," Hurley said. "The whole offseason, he's staying on campus trying to get his body right and just make sure he has a great summer. Just be the best at getting better. If he does that, he's going to have a big impact.

"I'm excited to play a guy with his talent. I'm well-documented of what I think of his talent. So everyone is going to get a chance to see him next year."

 

[bmayuc]

Uh yeah bro. I’ve seen many.
Have you read any UConn articles the last two years???
I was referring to Hurley comments in the NH Register in May, 2022 regarding Johnson playing the 4.

One player Hurley is excited about is promising forward Samson Johnson, who appeared in only 13 games as a freshman.

Johnson will have a chance to make a big impact.

"He was close last year to getting an opportunity to play the four for us off the bench," Hurley said. "The whole offseason, he's staying on campus trying to get his body right and just make sure he has a great summer. Just be the best at getting better. If he does that, he's going to have a big impact.

"I'm excited to play a guy with his talent. I'm well-documented of what I think of his talent. So everyone is going to get a chance to see him next year."

yeaaaaaaa, and then we settled into the most innovative 4 out 1 big offensive system in the modern era of college basketball. The days of a non-shooting 4 are long, long gone. Hence Why they transitioned samson to the 5.

Early in his career there was talk of Samson being able to stretch teh floor. But, have you looked at that free throw? I think those days might be in the past.

 

[KemBuckets21]

I just wanted Maliq Brown and I'm bitter. And I don't think he competes with Flagg for minutes positionally. Sorry for dragging this thread way the hell off topic.

I do like Mahaney, but I can also see it pissing Diarra off, even though a 4th ball handler from somewhere on the court is needed.

I think they can coexist, diarra would likely have the most secure minutes on the team if he returns. Im more concerned about a guy like ball feeling like he’s getting squeezed for minutes.

 

[speckle]

Hope so. I already have Ball pencilled in for a bunch of minutes, in my mind maybe including the 3 spot, due to his length and athleticism. We are losing so many guard rebounds he might have the best path to cover some of that hole. If I'm being honest, I'd like our 4th on ball guy to be out at the 3, like Dell'Orso or Derkack could've punched that ticket nicely imo.

 

[superjohn]

Flagg is listed at 6'8 and McNeeley at 6'7 in some reports. Liam does not have a huge wingspan listed at 6'7. Flagg seems bigger, longer span.

McNeeley is pretty well put together but he's not a pterodactyl, he's very average in that regard. Flagg has him by 2 inches and he's a pterodactyl.

 

[superjohn]

Samson obviously won't start at the 4 spot but it's not insane to think he couldn't get for or so 5 minutes of him at pf on the floor...

A lot of fans are pretending we were 4 out or always had 4 shooters on the floor the past two seasons. Jackson sucked so much at shooting that good coaches like McDemott were packing the paint daring him to shoot. Our season took off when Hurley moved him to the dunker spot. Castle was pretty much a non three point shooter as well. Obviously they were guards and Samson is a big but there seems to be a misnomer with some fans that we always had 4 shooters on the floor. Jackson and Castle weren't shooters and they were always on the court. We always had three shooters on the floor the past two seasons.

 

[August_West]

If not for NIL money or fear that they'd have to earn a starting spot, why on earth would good players not want to come to UCONN over KY, Creighton and VA? If that is the case, we don't want them!

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Not to get off topic…

But let’s lock up Mahaney. We have roster needs and don’t want to be caught with our pants down while waiting on someone else. Kid is good.

 

[UConnStats]

Samson obviously won't start at the 4 spot but it's not insane to think he couldn't get for or so 5 minutes of him at pf on the floor...

A lot of fans are pretending we were 4 out or always had 4 shooters on the floor the past two seasons. Jackson sucked so much at shooting that good coaches like McDemott were packing the paint daring him to shoot. Our season took off when Hurley moved him to the dunker spot. Castle was pretty much a non three point shooter as well. Obviously they were guards and Samson is a big but there seems to be a misnomer with some fans that we always had 4 shooters on the floor. Jackson and Castle weren't shooters and they were always on the court. We always had three shooters on the floor the past two seasons.

Those guys could dribble and pass whereas Johnson is the least skilled player that has gotten meaningful minutes since Yakwe. The only way I could see him playing the 4 at all is if they had gotten another center that could shoot like Wolf, Essandoko, Pryor. But to your point, maybe Johnson could get up to Whaley’s level of dribbling/passing this summer and then that might change. Based on what he showed this year though I’d doubt it. I think his days of shooting like he did in HS are gone.

Also I would argue that center projects as our weakest position next year, so I see no reason to play both of them simultaneously. I think if Karaban returns, we’re more likely to see him play the small 5 for 5-10 min than Johnson at the 4 given the depth of wings/guards we’d have.

 

[aburks41]

Not to get off topic…

But let’s lock up Mahaney. We have roster needs and don’t want to be caught with our pants down while waiting on someone else. Kid is good.

Get Mahaney. Get McNeeley. Run it back for the three-peat.

And if Karaban comes back then we have the best roster in the country and it wouldn't even be close

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Yep
Mahaney will be Cam Jr

This is so unfair. Cam cannot be duplicated. The kid can be good and still be miles away from Cam. Let’s not set him up for failure before he even commits.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Get Mahaney. Get McNeeley. Run it back for the three-peat.

And if Karaban comes back then we have the best roster in the country and it wouldn't even be close

Don’t love McNeely potentially taking other visits but I certainly would take advantage of playing the field if I was him.

Wish it was the done deal some said it likely was.

 

[bjc42]

Get Mahaney. Get McNeeley. Run it back for the three-peat.

And if Karaban comes back then we have the best roster in the country and it wouldn't even be close

This would be ideal. I am a bit nervous about Liam at the moment, with the possibility of him going on other visits, but I think we still have a great shot at him. For Mahaney, I think our main competition Is Creighton. I think that would be a pretty easy pitch. Just say Creighton has choked and hasn‘t made the final 4 recently, never mind won 2 national championships. Karaban is a wild card though. I could see him coming back and going for the tree-peat, but it is just so hard to say since the draft people are probably super excited about him.

 

[DaMuttzNutt]

Get Mahaney. Get McNeeley. Run it back for the three-peat.

And if Karaban comes back then we have the best roster in the country and it wouldn't even be close

I would say this roster would be the top in the league adding these two plus the return of Alex. With health and a little luck, a 3-peat would be on the table.

Diarra
Mahaney
McNeeley
Karaban
Reed

Stewart
Norwell
Ball
Johnson
Abraham

 

[aburks41]

I would say this roster would be the top in the league adding these two plus the return of Alex. With health and a little luck, a 3-peat would be on the table.

Diarra
Mahaney
McNeeley
Karaban
Reed

Stewart
Norwell
Ball
Johnson
Abraham

That roster would almost be unfair. The bench itself would be a top 25 team

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

It's nice knowing that even if this years team ends up being 13 points worse than last year we still win every single tourney game.

 

[Smp7598]

That roster would almost be unfair. The bench itself would be a top 25 team

Why is is it a problem with Duke making everybody happy? You think Ball or Stewart are going to be happy riding the pine? Not gonna happen!

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

I just wanted Maliq Brown and I'm bitter. And I don't think he competes with Flagg for minutes positionally. Sorry for dragging this thread way the hell off topic.

I do like Mahaney, but I can also see it pissing Diarra off, even though a 4th ball handler from somewhere on the court is needed.

I did not want Maliq Brown one bit. He had a few attention grabbing highlights and on the surface gave a bunch of effort. But in the few (boring) games I watched of Syracuse, he was standing around on offense not hunting the ball at all. And on defense was even worse, most notably he didn’t give a lick about boxing out, like at all.

Sure Hurley could’ve (and would’ve) changed a lot of that, but apparently there was some attitude issues there as well. Maybe it was just the games I watched, but I’m really happy he didn’t come here.

 

[ec33]

I would say this roster would be the top in the league adding these two plus the return of Alex. With health and a little luck, a 3-peat would be on the table.

Diarra
Mahaney
McNeeley
Karaban
Reed

Stewart
Norwell
Ball
Johnson
Abraham

And Ross still can't get any playing time.

 

[jibsey]

Get Mahaney. Get McNeeley. Run it back for the three-peat.

And if Karaban comes back then we have the best roster in the country and it wouldn't even be close

What did we have on the roster that brought us championships? Experience. Newton and Cam had tons of it. AK was wise beyond his years. Add in a 5 star Castle.
McNeeley would be great but we need experience at the guard and forward. We will have it at center with Reed, but AK staying would be a very big deal. And of course Hass.

 

[Scrutiner]

My gut says it's one of Brea or Mahaney, not both. That would be A LOT of wings on the roster.

This will probably be the only time I ever say I'd prefer someone over a 49% 3pt shooter, but I see a lot of Cam in Mahaney and I want that on the roster. Brea feels a bit redundant if the McNeeley rumors are true, and he's likely asking for a BAG of NIL considering his list.

If I had to bet it seems like it'll be Brea to Duke. They're trying to rescue Scheyer and he needs shooters and experience so the large safe door is probably swinging open as we speak..........

Interesting how the whole college basketball world is focused on the Hurley method. Get some 5 star(s), get some 3's and 4's and develop them, and get some portal guys to fill in.

The problem for the rest of them is we have DH, KY, TM and LM and they don't..............

 

[David 76]

Hope so. I already have Ball pencilled in for a bunch of minutes, in my mind maybe including the 3 spot, due to his length and athleticism. We are losing so many guard rebounds he might have the best path to cover some of that hole. If I'm being honest, I'd like our 4th on ball guy to be out at the 3, like Dell'Orso or Derkack could've punched that ticket nicely imo.

 

[Husk04ies]

Storrs Central posted about good news soon and then this emerged.... so maybe?