Air Whaley

[smoothcriminal]

We don’t win this game without Air Whaley playing phenomenal basketball. Precious is a man child unrefined kawhi and Whaley did as good of a job disrupting him as we could have asked. Air Whaley is key moving forward and kudos to him for becoming a good player.

 

[CL82]

Anyone know what the backstory is the "Porkchop" nickname?

 

[smoothcriminal]

Air Whaley, poppers, pork chop, they are all golden nicknames for our boy. He is everywhere on the court lately. Looks like a high major recruit

 

[RJScootin]

I've been overly tough on Whaley not thinking hes D1 talent. He shut me up yesterday. He really stepped up in Akok absences. To your point that game isn't won without Whaleys play. I still cringe when he takes that 15 foot jump shot.

 

[bazz&boujee]

whaley have flashed this ability throughout the year and his career. he’s had good games and bad games. yesterday was kind of like sid’s game against WSU. these guys didn’t suddenly show up one game and are better. they will have ups and downs but you have to play them through all of it to see the good. well.. now we HAVE to play them but that’s besides the point.

 

[tcf15]

Anyone know what the backstory is the "Porkchop" nickname?

 

[joober jones]

whaley have flashed this ability throughout the year and his career. he’s had good games and bad games. yesterday was kind of like sid’s game against WSU. these guys didn’t suddenly show up one game and are better. they will have ups and downs but you have to play them through all of it to see the good. well.. now we HAVE to play them but that’s besides the point.

He's been playing at a pretty consistent level throughout conference play. He's had a couple of games where foul trouble yanked him out of the equation, but there's been a lot more good than bad. He does need to drop those moving screens though.

 

[JonnyRI]

He's been playing at a pretty consistent level throughout conference play. He's had a couple of games where foul trouble yanked him out of the equation, but there's been a lot more good than bad. He does need to drop those moving screens though.

That’s his Purvis (that’s what my family came up with for a players signature awful move - of course made famous by Rodneys at least twice a game stepping on the baseline or catching a pass with a foot out of bounds - the Purv was sooo reliable in that!).

Hopefully Porkchop can outgrow it, as he has really shown a ton this year and has the skills and heart to be a big part of our run for the next two plus years.

 

[wheelerdog]

I've said it in numerous other posts. I love Whaley. Always around the ball, rarely tries to make a play he can't make

 

[Chin Diesel]

My favorite Whaley play from yesterday was in second half Memphis tried a long pass straight down the court and a bustling Whaley tipped it once, kept running and tipped it second time. Ball went out of bounds over the baseline to Memphis but Whaley showed hustle and skill tipping the ball twice and putting a bug in Memphis' head there will be no easy breakaways.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

Active hands. Love his active hands, poking balls away when he plays help D on the screens, steals, blocked shots, rebounds. Always getting his hands on the ball. Love it

 

[CL82]

I love Whaley. Always around the ball, rarely tries to make a play he can't make

... but always is trying to make a play.

Seems like a great kid. I'm so happy he's found a way to meaningful contributor (and then some) on this team.

 

[JonnyRI]

Active hands. Love his active hands, poking balls away when he plays help D on the screens, steals, blocked shots, rebounds. Always getting his hands on the ball. Love it

Dude just has a motor. Reminds me a little of KFace and that’s meant to be a compliment. Just keeps on moving at a high speed with high levels of motivation. You never see him in low gear.

 

[tzznandrew]

Whaley was always the sort of player who would be a contributor end of junior year and more of senior year. He was raw, and he still isn't great at knowing where to be schematically (i.e. last year Hurley frequently had to yell at him because he didn't know where to be in offensive or defensive sets). But he works hard, has always played good 1-on-1 defense, and has a nose for how to get a rebound.

Once the more schematic stuff really sunk in, he would be a solid A10 starter or, as he is now, a kid who we root for, won't be the reason you lose, and ideally would be putting in great minutes off the bench. If he's our starter next year, we're in trouble. But if he's giving us 16-20 minutes of his energy, that's awesome.

He's easy to root for and I'm glad the staff didn't run him off the team as a number of posters thought they would--and openly clamored for.

 

[elmcityboy]

i somehow missed this clip. so good. thanks for posting!

super likeable kid -- i love watching him terrorize opposing guards with that pick and roll hedge.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

That’s his Purvis (that’s what my family came up with for a players signature awful move - of course made famous by Rodneys at least twice a game stepping on the baseline or catching a pass with a foot out of bounds - the Purv was sooo reliable in that!).

Hopefully Porkchop can outgrow it, as he has really shown a ton this year and has the skills and heart to be a big part of our run for the next two plus years.

I like the term "Purvis."
Except for the moving screens, and an ill-advised interior bounce pass, he keeps showing up as a smart player on a team that a month ago I didn't think notably had one.

Very happy he made his second free throw, and I actually think his mid-range shot is going to go in when he takes it.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Anyone know what the backstory is the "Porkchop" nickname?

Yes he likes pork chops

 

[Edward Sargent]

At around 3:44 Precious scored his first points of the second half enoughsaid!

 

[Edward Sargent]

At1:10 he blocke Precious- nice

 

[Get a Job]

Air Whaley, poppers, pork chop, they are all golden nicknames for our boy. He is everywhere on the court lately. Looks like a high major recruit

Don't forget Squirrel!

 

[Towney007]

He's probably my favorite player on the team.

Just in the sense that he doesn't have the raw ability other guys do - but he's always kept his head down, put in the work and then some and gets every single drop of ability he possibly can out of himself. He's got a high motor to boot. There's always a place for a guy like that on a roster. Always.

 

[LStudfellow]

He's probably my favorite player on the team.

Just in the sense that he doesn't have the raw ability other guys do - but he's always kept his head down, put in the work and then some and gets every single drop of ability he possibly can out of himself. He's got a high motor to boot. There's always a place for a guy like that on a roster. Always.

100% agree with you Towney... He has absolutely become my favorite player on this team. I tweeted at him during that time last off-season when that one tweeter in particular (was part of a thread on here at the time) was trying to run him off the team, which I thought was despicable. I told Isaiah that us real fans wanted him to stay and that he had already proven himself to be an excellent ambassador for this team and our school.

Even with that, his improvement this year has been nothing short of amazing. I am so proud of this young man and what he has already accomplished - and am excited to watch his continued growth both on and off the court through the rest of his career here, and well beyond.

Isaiah Whaley embodies everything that we all love about UConn basketball - an underrated, underappreciated player and person who proves that through tireless hard work and a positive mental attitude you can transform yourself into something far above any ceiling that everybody else sets for you.

On his current path Isaiah will be remembered as one of the key players in helping to resurrect UConn men's basketball back to the elite status we all crave by the time his 4 years are up - revered at the level of guys like John Gwynn, Lyman DePriest, Kevin Freeman and Jeff Adrien. There is no higher praise from us long time fans than that.