At UConn, Kenya Hunter Sees Himself As A Fit For Dan Hurley's Culture

[8893]

Ok, we started with one season, and then two; we now have a bid to allow three seasons before a Hurley-coached Husky team makes the NCAAs. Do I hear four? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[intlzncster]

Well, those exact sentiments last season would have had the poster labeled as an Ollie apologista. I guess I'm just curious why the standards have changed on that end.

So I guess I'm wondering why some of you guys are so hesitant to hold Hurley to at least the same standards. Or why it is so offensive to you that I and many others do so.

Because it's not in a vacuum. The context is everything. KO was in year 6. This is what he built. Hurley is in year 1. He hasn't had a chance to build anything yet. Who gets more leeway in this scenario? That's rhetorical cause it's bloody obvious. It's basic common sense.

And while Gilbert may be healthy (idk), he's going to be rusty as hell--two years off, no training for 3 offseasons now, still hasn't had a year of MCBB experience--and I don't expect a ton this season.

 

[Huskybass]

Well, those exact sentiments last season would have had the poster labeled as an Ollie apologista. I guess I'm just curious why the standards have changed on that end.

No one has seriously said deep tourney run or bust. Most people have said they expect to make the tournament, period.

IIRC I predicted 18 wins for us in the AAC at the beginning of last season in one of the polls someone posted here. Barring injury, I thought that was a reasonable expectation, which, combined with our OOC record, likely would have translated to an NCAA appearance. When Gilbert went down, that expectation ended. And when the team dropped those turds vs. Arkansas and Auburn and Ollie had no answers, my support for Ollie ended.

But now we reasonably expect a fully healthy Gilbert (or at least I do), at least by December. And Sid Wilson in place of TL, which I hope to at least be an upgrade in terms of energy and motor. And we have some front court players with a season under their belts and coach who is motivated and has a plan for their use and improvement; and I don't believe we lost anyone who hasn't been replaced by at least an equal player, if not better.

So I guess I'm wondering why some of you guys are so hesitant to hold Hurley to at least the same standards. Or why it is so offensive to you that I and many others do so.

To be clear: I love the hire and I believed it was time for Ollie to go. I just don't think anyone is doing any favors for the program to set the bar so low when it would not have been acceptable to them if Ollie had merely returned with the same players.

The standards have changed because UConn is coming off back to back losing seasons with a combined 30 wins and no postseason at all since 2016. That can't be hard for you to see.
I don't expect Hurley to work miracles in year one. I expect the team to be significantly better, and something like 20-22 wins would meet that reasonable standard. That's 50% more wins than this season. To me that represents significant improvement.

 

[8893]

Because it's not in a vacuum. The context is everything. KO was in year 6. This is what he built. Hurley is in year 1. He hasn't had a chance to build anything yet. Who gets more leeway in this scenario? That's rhetorical cause it's bloody obvious. It's basic common sense.

Sorry it’s neither obvious nor common sense to me to treat this like it’s going to be Hurley’s first year as a head coach or that this is a total rebuilding project from the ground up. There are so many ways in which that doesn’t make sense that I’m going to just agree to disagree and move on. Leeway? Yes. Be treated like a rookie coach with an empty cupboard? No.

I’m not going to freak out if we suck but I certainly don’t expect us to.

 

[superjohn]

UConn won 14 games this past season. 14. I think winning 20 or more games next season would represent significant improvement and signal that UConn is well on its way to becoming relevant again on a national level. The team was basically dysfunctional the past two seasons. Expectations should be tempered a bit for the first 2 years.

My bad, I predicted 15 wins last season and they had 14. So Fleud expects them to have 10-14 more wins than last season. Seems really fair and reasonable.

 

[superjohn]

Sorry it’s neither obvious nor common sense to me to treat this like it’s going to be Hurley’s first year as a head coach or that this is a total rebuilding project from the ground up. There are so many ways in which that doesn’t make sense that I’m going to just agree to disagree and move on. Leeway? Yes. Be treated like a rookie coach with an empty cupboard? No.

I’m not going to freak out if we suck but I certainly don’t expect us to.

Fleud thinks 24-28 wins should be the expectation, do you agree?

 

[8893]

My bad, I predicted 15 wins last season and they had 14. So Fleud expects them to have 10-14 more wins than last season. Seems really fair and reasonable.

But you, like me, expect them to make the NCAAs, correct? How many wins do you expect that to require and how far off is that from Fleud?

 

[8893]

Fleud thinks 24-28 wins should be the expectation, do you agree?

But you, like me, expect them to make the NCAAs, correct? How many wins do you expect that to require and how far off is that from Fleud?

Ha.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I am not too concerned about a "label". Hurley inherited a dysfunctional team. I think its only fair to give him 2 to 3 years to have things back at a level where NCAA tourney appearances are the norm. UConn only played in 3 postseason games over the past 4 seasons and that includes the NIT. That's a bigger hole to dig out of than many here would care to admit.

I'm not going to run Hurley out of town if the team has a bad year. KO's stink is all over this roster in terms of talent identification, player development, basketball IQ, and toughness.

But I think Hurley himself expects more, and we should uphold high standards for the program.

 

[superjohn]

But you, like me, expect them to make the NCAAs, correct? How many wins do you expect that to require and how far off is that from Fleud?

My expectation is a bubble team that just sneaks in, 20-21 wins.

 

[JMick]

But you, like me, expect them to make the NCAAs, correct? How many wins do you expect that to require and how far off is that from Fleud?

Are you talking about what you actually expect to happen or what your general expectations are? Because if you're talking about standards I expect us to make the tournament 90% of the time. I just think it's kind of ridiculous to expect it right off the bat. Once we are in the swing of things it's a different story

 

[ASweet3781]

20+ wins and an NCAA spot.

Same boat as last year. Need Gilbert's shoulder to last 6 months and Adams to make the jump to elite UConn guard. I'm optimistic Adams happens. Gotta figure luck breaks Gilbert's way eventually. There are at least 12-14 wins available to any competently coached minimally talented AAC team. How else do u think Mick Cronin can coach a team to a 2 seed. They take advantage and beat teams like Tulsa 2 times. We lost our 3 worst players off the roster. Addition by subtraction. The 2 transfers should be contributors as should Wilson.

 

[intlzncster]

Sorry it’s neither obvious nor common sense to me to treat this like it’s going to be Hurley’s first year as a head coach or that this is a total rebuilding project from the ground up. There are so many ways in which that doesn’t make sense that I’m going to just agree to disagree and move on. Leeway? Yes. Be treated like a rookie coach with an empty cupboard? No.

Who said rookie coach? Not me. It's his first year at a new program. That's just reality. When a new coach comes in, he gets time to figure it out, especially given the fact that the program was a hot mess when he arrived. Hurley's moving up a level, which bears watching. All new players, all new facilities, league, assistants, athletic department, for the team a new culture and system etc.

Most new coaches at any program or pro team in general are given leeway. That's the common sense part.

 

[intlzncster]

My expectation is a bubble team that just sneaks in, 20-21 wins.

How the hell are they getting in with 20-21 wins? I just don't see that. Unless they win the AACT

 

[8893]

What does what Ollie would have done have to do with the point I was making in that post? Huskybass doesn’t expect us to make the NCAAs for at least three more seasons. Do you think that’s reasonable? I don’t.

 

[8893]

Who said rookie coach? Not me. It's his first year at a new program. That's just reality. When a new coach comes in, he gets time to figure it out, especially given the fact that the program was a hot mess when he arrived. Hurley's moving up a level, which bears watching. All new players, all new facilities, league, assistants, athletic department, for the team a new culture and system etc.

Most new coaches at any program or pro team in general are given leeway. That's the common sense part.

So you expect less of Hurley with a better roster than you would have expected from Ollie? Got it.

 

[intlzncster]

So you expect less of Hurley with a better roster than you would have expected from Ollie? Got it.

If we had Ollie, I'd be surprised if we made it to the NIT. I have higher expectations for Hurley than that in year 1.

 

[jleves]

Are you talking about what you actually expect to happen or what your general expectations are? Because if you're talking about standards I expect us to make the tournament 90% of the time. I just think it's kind of ridiculous to expect it right off the bat. Once we are in the swing of things it's a different story

That's probably not realistic. From 1990, JCs first with UConn, through 2012, JCs last with UConn, they made it 18 of 23 times for an average of 78%. Only once in that time did he go more than three years before a miss (2002-2006) and followed that up with 2 and a miss. So basically, 3 tourneys, one miss every four years as the norm. 90% would be amazing with 9 out of every 10 years making the dance.

Now if you said A tournament, I could be on board with 90%.

 

[Huskybass]

What does what Ollie would have done have to do with the point I was making in that post? Huskybass doesn’t expect us to make the NCAAs for at least three more seasons. Do you think that’s reasonable? I don’t.

That's not what I said. I said 2-3 years to get to the point where making the tourney routinely is again the expectation. For this year, I would be ok with significant improvement, and I think 20 wins meets that standard.

 

[superjohn]

So you expect less of Hurley with a better roster than you would have expected from Ollie? Got it.

Why are you trolling like this?

 

[6xChamps]

How the hell are they getting in with 20-21 wins? I just don't see that. Unless they win the AACT

There was a year where Tulsa and Temple got in with 20 and 21 wins.

 

[superjohn]

If we're not in the tournament in 3 years he's definitely failing. If we see improvement this year and miss out that's okay but he will be expected to make it going forward. It shouldn't be a long rebuild. We're still by far the biggest name in the conference, he is a very good coach, and he's hired a really good staff.