Alpha next year | The Boneyard

Alpha next year

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UCFan1513

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Not having much to talk about this season has me thinking a bit about next season. In particular, that the team doesn’t have a clear alpha for next year. Not that it seems there’s been one in our limited games so far this season, but I see Bouk likely stepping into that role by season’s end once he figures out how to keep his foot on the pedal for all 40 minutes and orchestrates more of the offense with the ball in his hands (or maybe sharing the role with Whaley). For clarification, I’m defining alpha as “One of the top players on the team, team leader (or co-leader), and go to guy.”

Assuming Bouk, Whaley, Polley, and Carlton leave next year, who do you think will be the team’s alpha (or the closest thing to it) next year? Know much hinges on the rest of this season, but always fun to speculate.

I think Akok has the best chance to step into the role if he makes solid offensive strides this year. My dark horse candidate is Martin.
 
I don’t know about next year necessarily, but I expect Rahsool Diggins to be the alpha of the future. I am so excited for that kid to be on campus. Championship teams need an alpha PG and that kid has it in him.
 
Greedo said:
I don’t know about next year necessarily, but I expect Rahsool Diggins to be the alpha of the future. I am so excited for that kid to be on campus. Championship teams need an alpha PG and that kid has it in him.
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Isn't Hawkins supposed to be the best and most ready of the recruits? Size and shooting too?

Less responsibility for a shooting guard and wing because he doesn't have to run the team and read the defenses as much as a point guard does.

Maybe it can be Diggins, though a lot to put on a freshman to play the point and be dominant.

A returning Whaley could be prominent with an opportunity to build on his shooting and ball handling, skills still needed for a pro career here or overseas for a forward.

Maybe a pleasant surprise will be the final recruit when Bouk declares.
 
ucawn said:
With the extra year it would be Whaley if he comes back. Other than that I think it would be Akok, Cole, or Gaffney.
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agree on whaley but gaff doesnt yet seem to have the confidence a leader needs to exude. senior cole by default.
 
Cole and Martin as the leaders, Jackson as the go to guy on the court
 
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I think a senior Cole will be the leader of next year’s team for sure (along with Whaley if he’s back). And Rahsool has leadership in his DNA, so a year learning from RJ at the helm will be huge. Diggins is gonna bring a lot of that classic UConn swagger and confidence - and Hawkins will benefit greatly from that.
 
Hawkins won't be around more than 2 years and I think Rahshool will be groomed the team's leader, thats my definition of an Alpha. I agree with Whalley, if he returns
 
UCFan1513 said:
Not having much to talk about this season has me thinking a bit about next season. In particular, that the team doesn’t have a clear alpha for next year. Not that it seems there’s been one in our limited games so far this season, but I see Bouk likely stepping into that role by season’s end once he figures out how to keep his foot on the pedal for all 40 minutes and orchestrates more of the offense with the ball in his hands (or maybe sharing the role with Whaley). For clarification, I’m defining alpha as “One of the top players on the team, team leader (or co-leader), and go to guy.”

Assuming Bouk, Whaley, Polley, and Carlton leave next year, who do you think will be the team’s alpha (or the closest thing to it) next year? Know much hinges on the rest of this season, but always fun to speculate.

I think Akok has the best chance to step into the role if he makes solid offensive strides this year. My dark horse candidate is Martin.
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If necessary, and only If necessary, I will offer my services. Every team needs a mid 50s 5’10 230 (I think out S&C guys can get me to 205) power forward who can‘t really shoot, and is slow. My passing game is solid though and these young kids need a leader. Someone who remembers the days when Gary Besselink would hip check guys into the stands. Despite my intramural C league efforts, I still have eligibility.

Barring that, I look forward to a team that doesn’t have one go to guy, but which has five or six. Cole, Akok, Sanogo, Martin, Gaffney, Jackson plus the new kids and maybe Adams.
 
HuskyHawk said:
Barring that, I look forward to a team that doesn’t have one go to guy, but which has five or six. Cole, Akok, Sanogo, Martin, Gaffney, Jackson plus the new kids and maybe Adams.
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Every good team has a go to guy, we better hope someone makes it clear by seasons end who's next up.
 
Huskyforlife said:
Every good team has a go to guy, we better hope someone makes it clear by seasons end who's next up.
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1999 didn’t. 2004 didn’t. We just need enough guys who can step up when needed.
 
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HuskyHawk said:
If necessary, and only If necessary, I will offer my services. Every team needs a mid 50s 5’10 230 (I think out S&C guys can get me to 205) power forward who can‘t really shoot, and is slow. My passing game is solid though and these young kids need a leader. Someone who remembers the days when Gary Besselink would hip check guys into the stands. Despite my intramural C league efforts, I still have eligibility.

Barring that, I look forward to a team that doesn’t have one go to guy, but which has five or six. Cole, Akok, Sanogo, Martin, Gaffney, Jackson plus the new kids and maybe Adams.
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Dude, love this post. We could be twins - you can pass, I'll rebound hard. Not that I'll get them, but I sure will go at them hard. Think Marky Mark in Basketball Diaries.
 
I think we can answer this question a lot better come February or March. I would like to see Cole and Gaffney become that experienced backcourt like we are so used to having.
 
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I was just thinking about this earlier tonight. Bouk is going to leave a giant hole in the lineup. It's going to have to be filled by committee. Not really how you what to operate to be successful in college hoops. Maybe Dan Hurley will try to run an offense that pounds the ball inside. It will be interesting.
 
superjohn said:
'99 had two of them, one of which was probably the best player in the country. '04 had two of them who were probably the two best players in the country.
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Agreed. My point is. Not one. It doesn’t need to be just one.
 
Do not forget 2011...if Olander does not get the first points of the key games in the tourney to jump start the offense who knows maybe we only score 40 in that championship.

In all seriousness while it is nice to have that one guy to rely on and carry the team I do not think it is really needed. A balanced team that has multiple options is much more dangerous and much tougher to prepare for. It looks like the guys Hurley is bringing in have the potential to be those types of players. Maybe a couple do not pan out in that sense but it is nice to have a pool to look to.
 
HuskyHawk said:
If necessary, and only If necessary, I will offer my services. Every team needs a mid 50s 5’10 230 (I think out S&C guys can get me to 205) power forward who can‘t really shoot, and is slow. My passing game is solid though and these young kids need a leader. Someone who remembers the days when Gary Besselink would hip check guys into the stands. Despite my intramural C league efforts, I still have eligibility.

Barring that, I look forward to a team that doesn’t have one go to guy, but which has five or six. Cole, Akok, Sanogo, Martin, Gaffney, Jackson plus the new kids and maybe Adams.
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HuskyHawk said:
1999 didn’t. 2004 didn’t. We just need enough guys who can step up when needed.
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What? If RIP in 1999 and Ben in 2004 weren't considered go to guys I don't know how you define go to to guys. Plus they had Khalid and Emeka. I suggest you go to UConn games.com and watch games from those seasons.
 
ucp990411 said:
What? If RIP in 1999 and Ben in 2004 weren't considered go to guys I don't know how you define go to to guys. Plus they had Khalid and Emeka. I suggest you go to UConn games.com and watch games from those seasons.
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Please. :rolleyes: Of course they are. They aren't "one" alpha go to guy. As you mention there was more than one.

We need guys to emerge. We don't need a single "go to guy". I can consider the argument that Rip was clearly our best offensive player in 1999. But the 2003-04 team had six future first round draft picks (and Denham was 2nd round) on the roster, and Ben and Emeka averaged similar points.

I am merely saying we don't need one guy to become "the guy", we need several people to become reliable scorers. Fortunately, there are several candidates.
 
HuskyHawk said:
Please. :rolleyes: Of course they are. They aren't "one" alpha go to guy. As you mention there was more than one.

We need guys to emerge. We don't need a single "go to guy". I can consider the argument that Rip was clearly our best offensive player in 1999. But the 2003-04 team had six future first round draft picks (and Denham was 2nd round) on the roster, and Ben and Emeka averaged similar points.

I am merely saying we don't need one guy to become "the guy", we need several people to become reliable scorers. Fortunately, there are several candidates.
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Of course it's better to have two but you want/need at least one. You also should've thrown in 2011 and 2014 as well if you were going for the two go to guys thing.
 
Could see Cole/Martin as leaders early in the season (per Dan Hurley).. Akok and Jackson evolving as go-to-guys.. Diggins and Hawkins as leaders Yr2 on campus.. IW staying would make it a simpler discussion.. Don't see an obvious singular alpha at this stage of the discussion for next year..
 
Improviser said:
Isn't Hawkins supposed to be the best and most ready of the recruits? Size and shooting too?

Less responsibility for a shooting guard and wing because he doesn't have to run the team and read the defenses as much as a point guard does.

Maybe it can be Diggins, though a lot to put on a freshman to play the point and be dominant.

A returning Whaley could be prominent with an opportunity to build on his shooting and ball handling, skills still needed for a pro career here or overseas for a forward.

Maybe a pleasant surprise will be the final recruit when Bouk declares.
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Right, but I'm hoping for a Diggins is the Shabbazz to Hawkins' Lamb kind of situation (not comparing the players, more just their situation - 4 year alpha point guard coming in at the same time as a 2 year immediate NBA prospect). And I agree, it's unlikely that Diggins will be the true alpha next year, just with everything we know about this kid I expect him to be the leader of the future.
 
superjohn said:
Of course it's better to have two but you want/need at least one. You also should've thrown in 2011 and 2014 as well if you were going for the two go to guys thing.
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I think those two teams were more reliant on one guy than the others. 2011 was the Kemba show and 2014 the Bazz show. Sure they had Lamb and Boat, but in crunch time it was a one man show.

Anyway, I agree with you, somebody has to emerge. Cole shows some signs he can do that when needed. Sanogo can score. No idea what Akok can bring. Jackson doesn't look like it now, but who knows?
 
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