Aidan Mahaney

[husky429]

In this case it is a fact. Solo (who I think is going to breakout next year) is not PG-capable right now.

Which is why our beloved staff as searching for such a player.

Or such is my opinion.

It's still an opinion. Some opinions are based in more fact than others. My opinion could be that Tarris Reed should be our point guard. That opinion would also be stupid.

The fact is Solo averaged 0.9 assist per 40 minutes. Now... IN MY OPINION that speaks to not being comfortable enough with the ball in his hands, considering our offense creates more open passes than anyone in the country. He needs to get more comfortable taking a few dribbles, pivoting and passing to open shooters/cutters. And I'm sure he will.

He's not our PG of the future and was never intended to be. His job is to cause mayhem on defense, shoot when he's open and punish people at the rim with his strength. Not lead the offense.

 

[Son of Robert]

It's still an opinion. Some opinions are based in more fact than others. My opinion could be that Tarris Reed should be our point guard. That opinion would also be stupid.

The fact is Solo averaged 0.9 assist per 40 minutes. Now... IN MY OPINION that speaks to not being comfortable enough with the ball in his hands, considering our offense creates more open passes than anyone in the country. He needs to get more comfortable taking a few dribbles, pivoting and passing to open shooters/cutters. And I'm sure he will.

He's not our PG of the future and was never intended to be. His job is to cause mayhem on defense, shoot when he's open and punish people at the rim with his strength. Not lead the offense.

He is a scorer who plays the 2/3. I'm hoping for a nice jump from Solo next year, and he should play good minutes. He doesn't have point guard instincts, but I do like his handle in the open court. He flies and has excellent control in transition, and on the perimeter too. Driving he gets himself in trouble at times, but a big part of his game is slashing so he'll need to tighten that up. Working on his D and his shooting, his dribble penetration, will make him a valuable player next year. Plus, just getting more comfortable with the sets Hurley runs.

 

[YearoftheHusky]

We all weren’t sure what we had when Joey Cauliflower committed.

Dude you can’t even spell Husky so I can’t tell if that was a joke.

 

[husky429]

He is a scorer who plays the 2/3. I'm hoping for a nice jump from Solo next year, and he should play good minutes. He doesn't have point guard instincts, but I do like his handle in the open court. He flies and has excellent control in transition, and on the perimeter too. Driving he gets himself in trouble at times, but a big part of his game is slashing so he'll need to tighten that up. Working on his D and his shooting, his dribble penetration, will make him a valuable player next year. Plus, just getting more comfortable with the sets Hurley runs.

Agree. He needs to be a slasher... he's built for it. The volume of 3s he took was too high. Like everyone, he'll earn his minutes in practice.

 

[Improviser]

C’mon guys are there any updates on Austin Mahoney or not?

If he visits Austin, then we will know his intentions.

Hope not.

 

[ec33]

Agree. He needs to be a slasher... he's built for it. The volume of 3s he took was too high. Like everyone, he'll earn his minutes in practice.

I suspect some of his shot selection was due to his role within last year's offense with the veteran players around him and this year's offense will have a little more designed around his strengths.

I only mention that because he was much more aggressive in going to the basket when the freshmen team came in at the end of games. His role as a scorer became more prominent with that set of players. Yes, it was a window of opportunity where his play wouldn't result in being yanked - but still it showed a certain natural tendency.

Or so I think (at this moment).

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

but I want UConn to win and don’t care about the NBA. I’m fine with people who have different interests.

Sure, but you have to admit that the last 2 years (6 early entrants, 2 Titles), and the many years prior (1 early entrant -Bouknight, 0 Titles) kind of mean they work symbiotically, no?

Of course i want everyone to stay 4 years, but it's atypical lately to have only 4 year players winning National Championships. This is just the way it's going.

As far as the one and done pipeline goes, sending a player who was projected as a 1 year player to the pro's successfully is better than him having to stay extra years. How much better is it? I doubt anyone can quantify, but at worst it's neutral. It's certainly not my favorite thing, but if we do it every once in a while (DH has laid out a very specific criteria for his prototype team player, and most 1 and dones don't qualify), then i will just enjoy UConn's success, which is what we all want.

 

[cohenzone]

Sure, but you have to admit that the last 2 years (6 early entrants, 2 Titles), and the many years prior (1 early entrant -Bouknight, 0 Titles) kind of mean they work symbiotically, no?

Of course i want everyone to stay 4 years, but it's atypical lately to have only 4 year players winning National Championships. This is just the way it's going.

As far as the one and done pipeline goes, sending a player who was projected as a 1 year player to the pro's successfully is better than him having to stay extra years. How much better is it? I doubt anyone can quantify, but at worst it's neutral. It's certainly not my favorite thing, but if we do it every once in a while (DH has laid out a very specific criteria for his prototype team player, and most 1 and dones don't qualify), then i will just enjoy UConn's success, which is what we all want.

Of course this is fun, beats the heck out of other alternatives. I do know for the incoming class we had already signed Castle who right off the bat was projected to be one and done and we had just won an NC and missed anyway on most of our top recruiting targets. I see McNeeley as being in a different w
category, probably going to Indiana if the coach hadn’t been fired. The next class should tell us more. I don’t know if luck is the right word, but the result from the portal has been everything a program could ask but even that might just have been good fortune that our main sniper target went to Kansas.

 

[superjohn]

Of course this is fun, beats the heck out of other alternatives. I do know for the incoming class we had already signed Castle who right off the bat was projected to be one and done and we had just won an NC and missed anyway on most of our top recruiting targets. I see McNeeley as being in a different w
category, probably going to Indiana if the coach hadn’t been fired. The next class should tell us more. I don’t know if luck is the right word, but the result from the portal has been everything a program could ask but even that might just have been good fortune that our main sniper target went to Kansas.

The Indiana coach wasn't fired.

 

[Matt1010]

UK fans seem to think this might be referring to Mahaney

 

[cohenzone]

The Indiana coach wasn't fired.

Whatever. We weren’t his first choice or any choice at all during the early period which is more to the point on the Castle experience. The LM commitment now might be more if a hint at how hs seniors or even juniors will react to our offers this time around.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

View attachment 100199

Weird good, or weird bad?

If the latter, I figure you have a built-in 'advantage' in exchanges like these, because I'm for the most part unwilling to write stupidly and then cast a response that I don't like or comprehend as "weird" in order to one up somebody else.

In a closer analysis, you're more the guy with the hat but don't know it, though I wouldn't be surprised if you also represent a majority position. Either way.

Most of all, I don't mind appearing as your fool if the alternative would mean expressing myself like you do.

I'll always try to coach you up. It's the least I can do to honor your strengths here, and the common cause that unites us.

 

[Fan1978]

Gut tells me Brea is UConn bound. Canceled Duke
while being at UConn seems like a vey positive message!

I believe duke canceled the visit

 

[Fan1978]

I suspect some of his shot selection was due to his role within last year's offense with the veteran players around him and this year's offense will have a little more designed around his strengths.

I only mention that because he was much more aggressive in going to the basket when the freshmen team came in at the end of games. His role as a scorer became more prominent with that set of players. Yes, it was a window of opportunity where his play wouldn't result in being yanked - but still it showed a certain natural tendency.

Or so I think (at this moment).

I agree with you observations. I think he took more 3’s because that was expected and avoided penetration to limit turnovers. Basically he played scared because he had an undefined role once castle returned. He has plenty of talent and should be an excellent driver once he gets his confidence. While he is not a point guard, he should be solid as second or third ball handler.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

For the kids out of the portal who have really made us a winner, none of them lit up big time recruiting boards out of hs. Not the one and done types and their pre-UConn experience that gave both floor time and exposure undoubtedly helped them. If the portal keeps getting filled with enough of that type player, filling holes with game ready talent might make filling a lot of holes easier. And if we are becoming a program that continues to have a lot of talented early departures, the portal is bound to be important. Question is how reliable will it be. Between last year and this we will have had 5 and maybe 6 early departures, some graduates and several end of bench transfers who fill out a roster. That’s over a dozen slots in 2 years. Without any early departures next year’s team would include Hawkins, Clingan and Castle. That is a crapload
of talent to fill no matter how astute DH is. The portal is a downright necessity with that kind of turnover that sees potential mature top shelf players gone likely before it ever plays its best college ball. Filling that void with only even very talented freshmen gets you pretty close to the Calipari experience. The great and horrible thing about the future is we have to wait and see.

I'm not arguing with anything you're saying here.
Are you saying that you'd rather have 1 year players from the portal than 1 year players from HS ? If so, then in most cases, i certainly agree. It would take an incredibly special, and talented High school kid to accomplish what a Senior could (like Castle), and i think DH agrees.
You get no argument from me on any of this. I'm only saying that every so often a 1 and done HS kid will come along and be a perfect fit (ala Castle), and in that very specific case we should take him if he's the prospect that the coaches think is best for the spot we have available.

 

[cohenzone]

I'm not arguing with anything you're saying here.
Are you saying that you'd rather have 1 year players from the portal than 1 year players from HS ? If so, then in most cases, i certainly agree. It would take an incredibly special, and talented High school kid to accomplish what a Senior could (like Castle), and i think DH agrees.
You get no argument from me on any of this. I'm only saying that every so often a 1 and done HS kid will come along and be a perfect fit (ala Castle), and in that very specific case we should take him if he's the prospect that the coaches think is best for the spot we have available.

Yup on the 1 and done.

I have in mind a few posters who said pre-season that getting Castle would lead to a string of one and done hs kids to think UConn was the place for them to get to the NBA fast and they virtually salivated at the thought. To each their own.

As for whether or not a one year player coming out of the portal is generally preferable to a 1 year freshman, I really don’t know and think it depends on what the team needs and how the player fills the needs. Joey C had his moments, and Cam was totally indispensable. No doubt Castle was very important. Talent is great. Talent with experience even better.

 

[hooskies]

UK fans seem to think this might be referring to Mahaney

Andrew Carr just announced to UK

 

[Umami Zen]

Family and fit.. If it's not there. Next.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

I have in mind a few posters who said pre-season that getting Castle would lead to a string of one and done hs kids to think UConn was the place for them to get to the NBA fast and they virtually salivated at the thought. To each their own.

But i think the point of this is that they would help us win along the way. DH has said (in the JJ Redick interview) that he wants everyone to get where they want to go, but he won't sacrifice UConn success to get them there. Any poster who said what you're saying (and yes i remember this conversation vaguely) is expecting that the player would win first, then whatever happens, happens.
And again, no one is suggesting that we go all one and done. It will happen once in a while when the player is the exact right person/player for us. Up until now we really haven't had the option to get the very top tier guys because they all went to the same few schools out of high school. This working the way some suggest is just another recruiting avenue we can use in the future if we so choose.

As for whether or not a one year player coming out of the portal is generally preferable to a 1 year freshman, I really don’t know and think it depends on what the team needs and how the player fills the needs. Joey C had his moments, and Cam was totally indispensable. No doubt Castle was very important. Talent is great. Talent with experience even better.

I think in most cases the veteran player is preferable, but again, i want whatever the coaches think is better for each individual team. In the particular case of 23-24, Castle couldn't have been more perfect. A great teammate, one of the best defenders in all of CBB, and a playmaker at all 3 levels. And during his, presumably, long NBA career, it will be mentioned a few times that he went to UConn and won a Championship, which is always good for us. We might still win without him, i'm not sure...but we definitely won with him. Then again...would i take 2(or more) Cam Spencers??? Yup. Give me all the Cam Spencers.

 

[cohenzone]

Weird good, or weird bad?

If the latter, I figure you have a built-in 'advantage' in exchanges like these, because I'm for the most part unwilling to write stupidly and then cast a response that I don't like or comprehend as "weird" in order to one up somebody else.

In a closer analysis, you're more the guy with the hat but don't know it, though I wouldn't be surprised if you also represent a majority position. Either way.

Most of all, I don't mind appearing as your fool if the alternative would mean expressing myself like you do.

I'll always try to coach you up. It's the least I can do to honor your strengths here, and the common cause that unites us.

Couldn’t have said it better. Ok, maybe a little better. There are about 3-4 posters who typically agree with each other and tend to be dismissive of other takes and write as if making an incontestable statement of fact that in reality is only a matter of opinion or taste. Or at least that is how it comes across if not intended that way.

 

[david]

Andrew Carr just announced to UK

That's good the BOOM wasn't about Mahaney.

Rough for Nova fans that Carr committed to UK on the day of his Nova visit.

 

[FlexOnEm]

Just imagine this roster for a minute. I believe Diarra and AK return. Now assume we lock up Brea and Mahaney (I know, big if). This is my guess at a depth chart for the OOC. I hate using 1-5 positions, but here it goes:

PG: Diarra, Nowell
SG: Mahaney, Solo
SF: McNeeley, Brea, Ross
PF: Karaban, Stewart
C: Reed, Samson, Singare

That's a brilliant amount of depth. Room for injuries and ability to change matchup when needed. Tons of IQ. 4+ solid shooters and a few more who can hit it. A ton of low TO passers. Some beef inside or a high-flyer depending on the look we want to throw out.

The BENCH would probably win 10 games in the Big East and make the tournament on their own.

Think Mahaney starts at PG if he commits. Mahaney, Ball, Stewart, Karaban, and Johnson starting with Diarra, Nowell, McNeeley and Reed off the bench.

 

[cohenzone]

But i think the point of this is that they would help us win along the way. DH has said (in the JJ Redick interview) that he wants everyone to get where they want to go, but he won't sacrifice UConn success to get them there. Any poster who said what you're saying (and yes i remember this conversation vaguely) is expecting that the player would win first, then whatever happens, happens.
And again, no one is suggesting that we go all one and done. It will happen once in a while when the player is the exact right person/player for us. Up until now we really haven't had the option to get the very top tier guys because they all went to the same few schools out of high school. This working the way some suggest is just another recruiting avenue we can use in the future if we so choose.


I think in most cases the veteran player is preferable, but again, i want whatever the coaches think is better for each individual team. In the particular case of 23-24, Castle couldn't have been more perfect. A great teammate, one of the best defenders in all of CBB, and a playmaker at all 3 levels. And during his, presumably, long NBA career, it will be mentioned a few times that he went to UConn and won a Championship, which is always good for us. We might still win without him, i'm not sure...but we definitely won with him. Then again...would i take 2(or more) Cam Spencers??? Yup. Give me all the Cam Spencers.

As maybe a final note, I think we basically agree. Nobody said we should go all 1and done, the implication was more that getting a string of one and dones would be enticed by Castle’s example. That remains to be seen, as well as whether any can be such a successful contributor in one season. As you said, DH would likely not take just anyone.

BTW, your musing about whether or not we could have won without Castle I share, but we will never know and it turned out pretty well. OTOH, I think Spencer was critical. Short answer, Castle was pretty darn important.

 

[superjohn]

Weird good, or weird bad?

If the latter, I figure you have a built-in 'advantage' in exchanges like these, because I'm for the most part unwilling to write stupidly and then cast a response that I don't like or comprehend as "weird" in order to one up somebody else.

In a closer analysis, you're more the guy with the hat but don't know it, though I wouldn't be surprised if you also represent a majority position. Either way.

Most of all, I don't mind appearing as your fool if the alternative would mean expressing myself like you do.

I'll always try to coach you up. It's the least I can do to honor your strengths here, and the common cause that unites us.

 

[Huskyforlife]

trilly says still 50/50 on mahaney.