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[HooperScooper]

I think they'd want Mahaney to win the job(something Dan mentioned to reporters before, wanting certain players to win the job), but if Solo is dogging him in practice, the players know, and you can't cheat the players because you allocated more NIL to Mahaney.

“In your mind you have people that you want to win it,” Hurley said. “But they’ve got to earn it. Because if you don’t start the people that have been the best, you lose the respect of the team and everyone in that circle. So you can’t gift it, it’s got to be earned. Again, this is Day 117 so we’ve been – it’s this giant collection of plays that are running through your mind from June.”

Competition for minutes in full swing as UConn men’s basketball holds first official day of practice

The UConn men’s basketball team held its first official practice of the 2024-25 season on Friday, and intense competition for minutes is heating up.

www.courant.com

 

[Huskyforlife]

“In your mind you have people that you want to win it,” Hurley said. “But they’ve got to earn it. Because if you don’t start the people that have been the best, you lose the respect of the team and everyone in that circle. So you can’t gift it, it’s got to be earned. Again, this is Day 117 so we’ve been – it’s this giant collection of plays that are running through your mind from June.”

Competition for minutes in full swing as UConn men’s basketball holds first official day of practice

The UConn men’s basketball team held its first official practice of the 2024-25 season on Friday, and intense competition for minutes is heating up.

www.courant.com

Yeah, that entire quote was my thought. Don't think Dan is the type to start players because of NIL allocation.

 

[auror]

IMO Mahaney starting is a given. He might have not played that well when Givony was in Storrs, but he is going to be a featured player regardless. When analysts watched practices at this time last year, I remember people commenting on the lack of talk about Spencer too, and we all know how that turned out.

Mahaney is experienced in every type of situation including tournament games against the best team in the country (UConn), he’s a shooter, and they allocated a lot of resources to bring him in.

It's clear to me they're trying to push Mahaney. Praising Ball publicly is likely specifically to motivate Mahaney. I don't necessarily think it's a given he starts, though. Ball has an edge on the system, is extremely high pedigree, and even started a bunch of games last season. He was a top 50 recruit, is only 1 year behind Mahaney in experience, and has a big physical/athleticism advantage that could be important if we're also starting McNeely and Karaban. If Hurley says he's been the best soph, then he's likely above Stewart in the pecking order which would seem to make him starter caliber.

I also believe Mahaney could thrive in a 6th man role. Less emphasis on defense and more on just coming in and being a dude.