Adams and Gaffney

[Matrim55]

Well technically we did have 5 guards/SF but now 2 are injured.

He didn't. Martin & Jackson are 3/4s in the modern game, not 2/3s.

Next year's roster will be more balanced with RJ, Jalen and 'Shool as 1s, Brenden as a combo and Hawkins as a pure SG. Martin & Jackson will just be full-time forwards, as they should be.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I like this.

The Drew Hurley Countdown to playing time watch has commenced.

Lots of strong hot takes in this thread. Someone or Someones is going to be eating some crow.

I was on record at beginning of season of saying I thought Drew was going to get more minutes this year than Brown. Right now Brown is up 4 minutes to 3 minutes. I think Brown is done with minutes though. Also, I probably wussed out and said "might" or "wouldn't surprise me" but it's still a simmering take which isn't over yet.

 

[3rdbass]

He didn't. Martin & Jackson are 3/4s in the modern game, not 2/3s.

Next year's roster will be more balanced with RJ, Jalen and 'Shool as 1s, Brenden as a combo and Hawkins as a pure SG. Martin & Jackson will just be full-time forwards, as they should be.

Martin has the 2 tools too. He is just a big guard. Don't get stuck in positions. He really shouldn't be playing the 4. He is really a 2/3 who can play the 4 since we didn't have anyone who could play the 4 until Polley stepped up. Either way he can definitely guard 2-4 and possibly 1 at time. Good thing AJ Cole has been a great defender on 1's.

 

[UconnFanDC]

Once again, with Bouk out, we're back to where we kept getting stuck in the down years after '16 -- not enough healthy guards. We're down to 3 -- Cole, Gaffney and Adams. Yes, we got some minutes with Martin playing the 2 against DePaul, and he can presumably provide some minutes there, but is he really be going to able to handle a Villanova 2 defensively?

The bottom line is we need more out of Adams and Gaffney, who are each going to have to play 25 minutes a game. In Gaffney's case, he only needs to score when opportunities are there, but he has to be less "deer in the headlights" as he was the first half of last season and so far this year, and far more comfortable running the show and taking something if it's given to him.

Adams has to score more. You can deal with your off guard scoring the 7 points (IIRC) he had against Butler, but not the 3 he had against DePaul. He has to be able to contribute on some level to our offense every game now. I have no clue if he's going to be able to do it.

You have 13 scholarships. You need to carry a 5th scholarship guard, even if it's a grad transfer not quite up to your level but there if you need to break the glass, or a freshman who was recruited to sit and learn for a year before they are ready to start competing for minutes. I don't understand why we constantly end up starting with 4 guards and hoping none of them get hurt.

We just need everyone to step up period. Whaley has been the only other consistent player to complement Bouk. Even if guards can't handle Nova, let's dominate in other areas and get consistency from all

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You only really NEED 2 or 3 guards if the other team is pressing. I honestly didn't understand why Hurley has been playing so much small ball this year because we are better with bigger lineups. Gaff and Adams are decent backups, but they should not be playing 20+ minutes.

I would play Cole, Gaff and Adams about 70 minutes a game, play Martin the other 10 at 2, and rotate Martin, Polley, Carlton, Whalley and Sanogo at the other 3 spots.

Sanogo looks like he has dropped about 10 pounds since November, so he can cover slower 4's, which means we can play him in short stretches with Carlton.

 

[Husky68]

Let me see, who do I want to shoot more in the next few games?

FG Shooting %

Cole 32%
Gaffney 32%
Adams 34%

Martin 44%
Polley 46%

Whaley 55%
Sanogo 53%
Carltin 52%

 

[Huskyforlife]

Bouk was cable of being the third "point." Jackson should be listed as a guard, which would've given us 5. Martin can also spend time at the 2 when necessary.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Let me see, who do I want to shoot more in the next few games?

FG Shooting %

Cole 32%
Gaffney 32%
Adams 34%

Martin 44%
Polley 46%

Whaley 55%
Sanogo 53%
Carltin 52%

This is disingenuous considering the bigs almost never create their own shots. Playing through them consistently would disappoint you.

 

[Wordbomar]

Andrew Hurley didn't even start in high school lol

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Wouldn't Dre qualify as a guard/small forward player ala RIP? Not comparing them as players just as position fillers. Andre Jackson, Connecticut Huskies, Shooting Guard

This is his big opportunity for him
If he is healthy. Unless is was a compound fracture.

This is disingenuous considering the bigs almost never create their own shots. Playing through them consistently would disappoint you.

actually the Bigs FG % with the possible exception of Wha

Wouldn't Dre qualify as a guard/small forward player ala RIP? Not comparing them as players just as position fillers. Andre Jackson, Connecticut Huskies, Shooting Guard

Right now Dre has zero confidence in his shot. I like him with the ball in his hand. He see the court real well for a guy his size.
He will be a big PG at the next level.
His skill set is similar ( please I’m not equating the two) to a young Magic.
obviously even as a college kid Magic had developed those skills to a special level. But if I were him he is the guy I would be studying.
I’m afraid the wrist hurt that progress which would have been special to see.

 

[DMIL]

Adams should not have the green light to shoot more. He's prone to ridiculous hero ball as it is.

Gaffney needs to shoot more--He leaves open shots on the floor constantly.

Both of them need to get to the rim more aggressively.

Gaffney really doesn't play that confident however you can see the talent he has. It appears all mental with him but we need him to be a conductor out there. He may not evolve to that level until his Junior year.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This is disingenuous considering the bigs almost never create their own shots. Playing through them consistently would disappoint you.

You want players dribble driving from the perimeter? The 1990's called and want their style of basketball back.

Self-created shot = lower percentage shot. Shots off pass = higher percentage shot. Do you realize that there isn't a defense in college basketball that can't stop perimeter dribble penetration for 90% of the players? How do you think our backcourt got to 30% shooting?

 

[CallMeBruce]

What makes you think he would be the smartest player on the floor?

You know white he means

 

[Huskyforlife]

You want players dribble driving from the perimeter? The 1990's called and want their style of basketball back.

Self-created shot = lower percentage shot. Shots off pass = higher percentage shot. Do you realize that there isn't a defense in college basketball that can't stop perimeter dribble penetration for 90% of the players? How do you think our backcourt got to 30% shooting?

Dribbe driving creates kick out and drop down passes in the half court. It's not like you can swing the ball around for 25 seconds and expect the defense to just stop following the ball. I must be misunderstanding what you're saying? And good backcourt players don't shoot 30%, we just happen to only have 1 (extraordinarily) good guard, who creates almost all of his offense off driving to the rim.

 

[Husky68]

This is disingenuous considering the bigs almost never create their own shots. Playing through them consistently would disappoint you.

Playing through is not the same as shooting. When was the last time Adams created his own shot vs. creating his own turnover? Gaffney is afraid to shoot and Cole can't dribble. Polley and Martin need to take more shots than these 3 combined as do Carlton, Whaley and Sanogo.
If these 3 guards are able to create shots, create them for your teammates who can actually make shots.

 

[ucp990411]

Please stop

Josh would get minutes in the backcourt before Hurley

I'm not talking about regularly -- I'm talking about for a few games when needed.

There was an undersized power forward out of Southington I believe in the late aughts, who gave us some decent minutes when shorthanded. An off guard from I think Windsor, who early in a conference game blew by someone off the dribble for a lay in a few years later. And the UConn grad student French walk on Sami something, who ended up being our back up point the year we lost to N.C State in Worcester in the tourney. Just off the top of my head.

You have to do better than that. Names?

 

[MuchoDogYears]

You know white he means

Or maybe because he’s a coaches son? You think?

 

[Get a Job]

Or maybe because he’s a coaches son? You think?

Why would a coach's son be any smarter than anyone else's son?

 

[HooperScooper]

Wasn't sure where to put this but where does this idea about Gaffney come from? Was in Zagoria's article about Corey Floyd Jr. committing. I mean it could happen but there's no way you could say that right now.

UConn expects to lose James Bouknight and potentially Jalen Gaffney to the pros in the next year or two, so Floyd will be able to slide in and help take over after them.

Class of 2022 Roselle Catholic guard Corey Floyd Jr. commits to UConn on his 17th birthday | Zagsblog

By ADAM ZAGORIA On his 17th birthday, […]

www.zagsblog.com

 

[casual-yardin]

Every time, due to pure boredom, I finally click on a thread I've avoided because I knew it would be bad my expectations are exceeded. Good job guys.

 

[HooperScooper]

Josh would get minutes in the backcourt before Hurley

Hey, did you see that steal and break away dunk the other day? Josh should be able to hold down the SG spot for 5 minutes a game.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Why would a coach's son be any smarter than anyone else's son?

The inferencev is that he learned a little bit about basketball from his dad DH. Is that a stretch for you or do you feel more comfortable attributing race to people’s abilities?

 

[Get a Job]

The inferencev is that he learned a little bit about basketball from his dad DH. Is that a stretch for you or do you feel more comfortable attributing race to people’s abilities?

I hope and assume that was the intended inference. I was basically just trolling. However, even in my trolling, I was not attributing anyone's abilities to anything. Quite the opposite: I was questioning whether the OP was doing exactly that of which you accuse me.

 

[Husky25]

You have 13 scholarships. You need to carry a 5th scholarship guard, even if it's a grad transfer not quite up to your level but there if you need to break the glass, or a freshman who was recruited to sit and learn for a year before they are ready to start competing for minutes. I don't understand why we constantly end up starting with 4 guards and hoping none of them get hurt.

Correct me if I'm wrong but they have five scholarship guards. Two are hurt.

Martin is listed at guard and would make six, but he plays like a wing.

 

[businesslawyer]

Correct me if I'm wrong but they have five scholarship guards. Two are hurt.

Martin is listed at guard and would make six, but he plays like a wing.

The only guards on the roster are RJ, Bouk, Adams and Gaffney. They can list Martin and Andre however they want on the roster, but Martin is a 3 versatile enough to give you minutes at the 2 or 4 and Jackson, however they list him, is not capable of playing the 2 at this stage of his career. Nor was he playing that in his cameos before the injury.