2024 Recruiting: Ahmad Nowell OV 6/8

[Mike Honcho]

I think it's a legitimate concern. JCs teams would will their way through tough close games. There are always going to be some/many in a season. Learning how to get your team to pull through is important.

It's great that he got the team to just dominate through the tournament. But you still want to find a way to win the +/- 5 point games. It helps with everything - seeding, winning the league, getting through a tough tourney game, etc.

That said, the final game got to within 5 points with 5 minutes to go, so he did figure out how to make that not a close game. Or Hawkins did with a dagger three.

It's just another growth thing like not pissing off the refs. I'm pretty sure it's something that will get better.

Agree. Players feed off their coach's energy, especially in end game situations. There are coaches who are much more at ease than Danny in late game scenarios, and this calm is reflected within their team's performance over the course of many games.

His record in close games has been abysmal over the course of his career and I don't think we should be burned at the stake for pointing this out.

I'm pretty confident he'll continue to grow in this regard, and having a dynamic playmaker like Stephen Castle certainly won't hurt.

 

[aburks41]

@husky99 @Zionn Will July 23rd be a good day for us?

 

[Khal Drogo]

I can’t believe people are still hung up on the close games thing after how last season ended. He can keep losing close games if we continue making E8s or better.

I viewed it as even whet the team wasn’t playing great they kept all their games close.

 

[TheHorde]

We really need to learn to handle prosperity better, gang.

 

[Hoophound]

The close game issue had a lot to do with the makeup of the team. Certain guys are built for crunch time. Our guys were built for blowing people out.

 

[navery12]

I’m just dreading the first 2 point loss of next season. It’ll be much worse than this.

I'm sure they already have their posts all typed up and ready to go, it's the last string of hope they have to hang on to. They already can't help themselves in this thread

 

[NJHoops]

When I am president of the world (I think it’s coming soon, tbh), everyone will be required to take entry level classes on statistics (starting off strong with a lesson on sample size) and basic psychology (lesson number one: confirmation bias).

 

[Storrs South]

The close game shtick is overblown. They beat everyone in a route when it mattered most. This is fun. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Umami Zen]

Dan and his staff were exceptional last year in preparing the team for the ups and downs of the season.. Game prep.. Skill Development.. Belief and trust in each other.. Sharing the ball.. Energy on D/Boards.. Its hard for me to imagine an area where they were deficient as a staff or as a team last year. Close games don't happen when you've got your act together.

Dan continues to grow and mature as a coach/mentor/teacher.. Its all part of the arc of being a champion and staying on top of the game. Let's enjoy what we have/who we have in Storrs and act like we've been there before..

 

[TheHorde]

Sometimes I wonder how much of this issue is being driven by some folks salty because of online gambling losses and failure to cover lol. Not saying that is the case with posters on this thread but obsessing over close losses can’t help me wonder if that’s a factor for some now that it’s so easy to wager on one’s phone.

 

[Umami Zen]

Sometimes I wonder how much of this issue is being driven by some folks salty because of online gambling losses and failure to cover lol. Not saying that is the case with posters on this thread but obsessing over close losses can’t help me wonder if that’s a factor for some now that it’s so easy to wager on one’s phone.

I bet you're right

 

[Fatroony5]

The close game shtick is overblown. They beat everyone in a route when it mattered most. This is fun. Enjoy the ride.

Danny is an incredible scouting report coach, he’s always been known to play to tendencies of teams. Honestly thought the Arkansas game was one of (if not the best) coaching performances he’s ever had. The way they changed their defensive philosophy to play to Arkansas weakness was no small task. Packing the paint, limiting free throw attempts, making them a 3 point shooting team, all things that were much different from his defensive philosophy. They weren’t losing after that performance.

Hoping for a commit next from Nowell and continuing this train moving forward, big things ahead.

 

[ctchamps]

We really need to learn to handle prosperity better, gang.

This is a (the) way to identify those individuals whose toilet training was difficult. Forever trying to micromanage life so as not to have to relive that experience again!

 

[Deleted at users request]

Calhoun was three championships in with countless other accomplishments and still had his coaching critiqued.

I’m not sure why people have to get up in arms about making valid constructive criticism about what they would like to see Hurley improve in while also recognizing what he’s absolutely great at and appreciating what he accomplished this year. That wasn’t a perfect year, it just finished amazingly after making major adjustments.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Also, not for nothing, but our teams under Hurley rarely ever get blown out, which unless your expectations are that we go undefeated, is going to lead to more close losses.

It's almost as if some of you would rather his record in close games be better, while not changing the total amount of losses.

The man just blew out the entire field in the NCAAs.. I think it's safe to say he knows what he's doing and the close game stuff is just noise and variance.

 

[TheHorde]

Also, not for nothing, but our teams under Hurley rarely ever get blown out, which unless your expectations are that we go undefeated, is going to lead to more close losses.

It's almost as if some of you would rather his record in close games be better, while not changing the total amount of losses.

The man just blew out the entire field in the NCAAs.. I think it's safe to say he knows what he's doing and the close game stuff is just noise and variance.

March and April are how teams are remembered. Let the Xavier and Providence fan bases take solace in regular season accomplishments and our struggles last January. People remember teams that hoist banners not ones that do great in December, January, and February.

 

[Ricker]

How silly of me to keep accessing this thread for news re Nowell

 

[TheHorde]

How silly of me to keep accessing this thread for news re Nowell

No news coming until 7/23 anyway so we might as well have fun while hoping and praying he chooses the good guys.

 

[Deleted at users request]

No news coming until 7/23 anyway so we might as well have fun while hoping and praying he chooses the good guys.

I don’t think there much to hope about tbh. Guys usually don’t put crystal balls or forecasts in unless they hear pretty concrete stuff.

Unless someone swoops in and drops a major mind changing bag, I think we can get some good night sleeps until the 23rd. (No inside info just speaking on how Crystal balls leading to a decision usually go).

 

[aburks41]

How silly of me to keep accessing this thread for news re Nowell

I keep checking the Vol Nation forum to see what the Tennessee fans are saying about Nowell. There has been zero mention of him in over a week. No news is good news for us there, I suppose.

 

[UCfor3]

No news coming until 7/23 anyway so we might as well have fun while hoping and praying he chooses the good guys.

This thread is about Nowell. Every other thread during the season was derailed by this stuff. Has to be another thread(or a new one can be started) where a discussion about close games can be had without turning a thread about Nowell way off topic.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

I keep checking the Vol Nation forum to see what the Tennessee fans are saying about Nowell. There has been zero mention of him in over a week. No news is good news for us there, I suppose.

We are the only staff that watched him last live period.

 

[Umami Zen]

Ahmad and Danny would be a great match re: managing the game.. flow of ball movement.. getting into offensive sets.. Just plays smart ball and makes winning plays.. Young man is a leader Day 1.. Kinda reminds me of KEA from that perspective..

 

[runner11]

I think the close game hypothesis at least seemed possible at one point. “We play tight in high pressure situations because the coach is tight.” But idk, tip off of the national championship seems like a high pressure situation.

 

[krinklecut]

Actually, his next big challenge is to start winning close games more often than he loses them. That needs to start happening during this coming basketball season even before we find out who will be the first to leave this amazing coaching staff to go on to be a head coach.

As of right now his record in his 5 years as head coach in games decided by 6 points or less is an unsightly 13-29. And before you go to blame it all on the first couple of years, we went 1-5 last year. Sorry, but that is downright ugly.

Now that he has demonstrated the ability to make critical adjustments that led directly to our winning our 5th National Title in dominating fashion, his next big hurdle is to start consistently winning close games.

And before anyone jumps to his defense... even with this current weakness/opportunity, I still believe there is no one I would rather have as our head coach right now, heading into the next 5, 10 years and beyond... and yes, I also believe this is the best coaching staff in the country (I stated this in a thread a month ago) and he is the right man to be the leader at the helm of this staff.

Just like the rest of us, he is a work in progress too.

13-29 in close games with an overall winning record just tells me that the games they lose aren’t blowouts. 13-29 looks bad in a vacuum but in context it’s not a bad or particularly meaningful stat

 

[Mr. French]

I can’t believe people are that up in arms about fans of a program saying “Hurley is great and I absolutely love the direction of program but I hope he keeps getting better.”

 

[BGesus4]

I think the close games thing is people being worried about Big Foot. That’s not to say Hurley can’t improve as a coach. He definitely can and has already during his time at UConn. As he always brings up, he was coaching high school not that long ago, so he’s still relatively new to college compared to some of the other top coaches.

I think you could argue Hurley is the best runner of a program of any coach - recruiting, culture, game strategy, player development etc - but I don’t think anyone would put him as the top in-game coach alone…yet.

 

[businesslawyer]

We really need to learn to handle prosperity better, gang.

I wish there was a "really like" button.

 

[husky429]

I think the close games thing is people being worried about Big Foot. That’s not to say Hurley can’t improve as a coach. He definitely can and has already during his time at UConn. As he always brings up, he was coaching high school not that long ago, so he’s still relatively new to college compared to some of the other top coaches.

I think you could argue Hurley is the best runner of a program of any coach - recruiting, culture, game strategy, player development etc - but I don’t think anyone would put him as the top in-game coach alone…yet.

I think this is a fair take. Every coach has ways to improve, Hurley's is often in-game adjustments. Every year he's getting better, so there's no reason for concern. We're at the point where we're top-25 all year long and can expect sweet-16s more often than not. We're good.

Will be interesting to see how things change when Kimani leaves. He has a lot of important reaponsibilities for the team and has really stepped up.

 

[Palatine]

Actually, his next big challenge is to start winning close games more often than he loses them. That needs to start happening during this coming basketball season even before we find out who will be the first to leave this amazing coaching staff to go on to be a head coach.

As of right now his record in his 5 years as head coach in games decided by 6 points or less is an unsightly 13-29. And before you go to blame it all on the first couple of years, we went 1-5 last year. Sorry, but that is downright ugly.

It's a fair point. It didn't cost him much in 2023. But there will be times in the coming seasons where it will make a difference.

UConn did not have a create and make your own shot option last year. Cole (or perhaps) Martin filled that role prior. Before that Adams was a darn fine finisher at wining time. But last year there wasn't really an alpha dog that demanded the ball at winning time. I don't think this is as much a coaching issue as it is a roster issue. Hopefully, he can find "the guy" in the current bunch.