Admit it, Hurley coached well

[uconngb]

For all the "Hurley is a poor game-time coach," and I myself have had my doubts, but I thought he coached well today.

• Called timeouts in the first half to keep Iona from going on any extended runs
• Fouled late in the 1st half to keep Iona from getting an open look at 3 (ish)
• Played a defensive-oriented team to keep their guards in check when offense wasn't producing
• Ran a great set play for Hawkins that led to the 4-point play which changed the entire game
• Whatever he said at halftime, it certainly worked

He's not Calhoun yet, but I thought he coached well today and deserved to win.

As one of his harshest critics on here, I agree. Very well coached game. Especially substitution patterns.

 

[jibsey]

40 pts, 22 rebounds, and 3 blocks from the 5 spot. That’s great coaching. ;^)

And Donovan’s over his “slump”.

 

[uconnfan68]

If Adama and DC missed the layups and chances they had and we lost you would be the first person (well maybe 2nd or 3rd) pointing the finger at Hurley.

Did you miss the ;^) ?

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Hurley subbed well today. At the end of the first half Sanogo and Hawkins needed to be benched and at halftime he sent them both a message and it worked. His overall subbing pattern was wise and efficient. The bench guys played extremely well.

 

[HobokenHusky]

I haven’t been a Hurley critic, but I have been a critic of the team being tight in big spots, and it was more of the same in the first half, although Iona shot out of their minds to compound the issue.

As others have said, whatever happened at half time, it worked. Sanogo and Hawkins were able to lift the anxiety monsters off their backs, and Tristen, while not being a real factor, was able to not be a net negative.

For the past few games, Alleyne coming off the bench and being able to handle the ball and make some shots has been HUGE. I feel like he could be an X-factor if we were to make a run.

One thing today that stood out was Diarra’s on ball defense - I think it really helped in spots. Kid can’t hit the broad side of a barn right now but if he can play D off the bench it will be useful going forward.

 

[LIuconn]

He called a great game

 

[giddyup]

For all the "Hurley is a poor game-time coach," and I myself have had my doubts, but I thought he coached well today.

• Called timeouts in the first half to keep Iona from going on any extended runs
• Fouled late in the 1st half to keep Iona from getting an open look at 3 (ish)
• Played a defensive-oriented team to keep their guards in check when offense wasn't producing
• Ran a great set play for Hawkins that led to the 4-point play which changed the entire game
• Whatever he said at halftime, it certainly worked

He's not Calhoun yet, but I thought he coached well today and deserved to win.

Definitely laid down the gauntlet and demanded more of Hawkins and Adama today. The second half they had fires lit. The D tightened up considerably after a dismal effort for most of the 1st half. I’m glad he got past the game one hurdle. I hope he has the team ready for Sunday with short prep time and they keep their momentum.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It is amazing that Hurley was able to coach UConn to a win over the might Iona Gaels.

 

[willie99]

We're lucky to have him, the program is in good hands

 

[Mike Honcho]

And Jackson needs to be glued to the bench when he's hoisting. I imagine he read Jackson the riot act at halftime. It simply can't happen again.

One of the things that makes Hurley so good also hurts him badly at times. He's a players coach but he hasn't exactly held the guys accountable for going off script and not doing the right things. He seems to be getting better at balancing the whole being their friends while also being the ultimate authority.

Absolutely this. There is no reason, this late in the season, that AJ should be shooting 5 threes in a game, nevermind a half.

 

[ValleyGuy]

Hurleys best quality is that he doesn’t listen to all these dumb boneyard coaches. What a bunch of garbage fans you are who gave up at halftime.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It is amazing that Hurley was able to coach UConn to a win over the might Iona Gaels.

As a troll you’re second to none. I’ll give you that.

 

[ValleyGuy]

25 point win. Probably most dominant win in the tournament so far and we have UConn fans posting negative Hurley topics. This thread is mind boggling - as if you were hoping he wouldn’t coach well. We have some of the stupidest fans who post on here. I’m starting to think you idiots root against UConn. Yea he coached well. He knows how to coach. He’s turned every program around. They’re 26-8. You don’t have that record by not coaching well. You know who didn’t coach well? The previous guy who lost to Stony Brook and Yale and Tulane. My god some of you are just absolute fools.

 

[TheChamps990411]

For all the "Hurley is a poor game-time coach," and I myself have had my doubts, but I thought he coached well today.

• Called timeouts in the first half to keep Iona from going on any extended runs
• Fouled late in the 1st half to keep Iona from getting an open look at 3 (ish)
• Played a defensive-oriented team to keep their guards in check when offense wasn't producing
• Ran a great set play for Hawkins that led to the 4-point play which changed the entire game
• Whatever he said at halftime, it certainly worked

He's not Calhoun yet, but I thought he coached well today and deserved to win.

Against Iona. Relax. Yeah i know it was against the fossil formally known as Rick Pitino but the talent level disparity is not a fair fight. Even when the game was tight im sure im not hte only one that knew we were going to throttle them in the 2nd half. How about we hold off on the lollipopping until we see what he can do if he gets in against Bill Self, Mark Few or Mick Cronin and the game comes down to the final 5 minutes.

 

[Umami Zen]

Gorilla is off his back.. Showing composure that his guys need to see on sidelines and in huddles.. Lets build on this and keep playin'

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

If we can get wins over Pitino, then possibly Self /Cronin/Few it will be a hell of a year for our Coach. Win tomorrow and the staff will be playing with house money .

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Our help defense was donkey balls, Hawkins and Sanogo were walking in wet sand, and Alleyne needed to be in the game 5 minutes more than he was. I can't call that pretty good. It was fine, just nothing to write home about.

Lookit John Wooden over here gatekeeping the coaching moves like he himself is a hall of famer.

 

[slepers]

Absolutely this. There is no reason, this late in the season, that AJ should be shooting 5 threes in a game, nevermind a half.

I thought 40 % from 3 was pretty good, no?

 

[Bonamassa]

I'm totally confused. So Hurley is not a horrible coach and we don't want him fired? We are UCONN! Shouldn't we expect better?! I'm so confused

 

[Tenspro2002]

And Jackson needs to be glued to the bench when he's hoisting. I imagine he read Jackson the riot act at halftime. It simply can't happen again.

One of the things that makes Hurley so good also hurts him badly at times. He's a players coach but he hasn't exactly held the guys accountable for going off script and not doing the right things. He seems to be getting better at balancing the whole being their friends while also being the ultimate authority.

I think it's less "being their friends" and more that, for most of his tenure, he's had to build these guys up and be the head cheerleader. I mean, when he first got there, he was pretty much exclusively coaching effort to a bunch of guys who spent years looking at KO face on the bench. It's not easy to pivot from that to coaching high-IQ basketball.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Tenspro2002]

Late in the game, he started making that gimmie a technical face after a bad call. I was a little worried, even though we were up by double digits.

Yeah, he rotated the bench very well. Congrats to him with his first W in the tourney. Got the monkey off his back. No more pressure. Lol

This would have been the game to take a T in a comfortable win. The officiating from 10 to 5 minutes left was a joke, that one guy who obviously has it out for us and frankly shouldn't be reffing any of our games.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It is amazing that Hurley was able to coach UConn to a win over the might Iona Gaels.

We won by 20 in a round when a #4, #2, and #1 seed lost, and a #3 seed got taken to the wire. Nothing for granted here.

 

[businesslawyer]

As someone who thinks Hurley gets much too much heat at times, I laugh at this as well. Hurley didn’t make Sanogo play like Bill Walton against Memphis in the NCAA Championship game and Hurley didn’t make Hawkins invisible against Marquette or in the first half yesterday. Yes, coaching matters. But not nearly as much as how players play.

 

[martyn]

For all the "Hurley is a poor game-time coach," and I myself have had my doubts, but I thought he coached well today.

• Called timeouts in the first half to keep Iona from going on any extended runs
• Fouled late in the 1st half to keep Iona from getting an open look at 3 (ish)
• Played a defensive-oriented team to keep their guards in check when offense wasn't producing
• Ran a great set play for Hawkins that led to the 4-point play which changed the entire game
• Whatever he said at halftime, it certainly worked

He's not Calhoun yet, but I thought he coached well today and deserved to win.

That set play for Hawkins to start the half was key, key for the game and key for Hawkins to show his faith in him after the kid's clunker of a first half. It was also risky for Hurley if he was worried about his critics as a "game coach". Imagine the hair pulling here if that shot had clanged off the backboard and the game continued to unravel.