Beat Writer Panel Session This Monday, 1/3

[gwhuskyfan]

Back by popular demand! Catch up with the UConn MBB beat writers in another Connecticut Scoreboard panel session. I want to make this as interactive as possible, so feel free to submit any questions you have for the group below. You will be able to watch live at 7 pm on Monday, 1/3 on CT Scoreboard YouTube (link below), Facebook, or Twitter pages. Subscribe to the YouTube channel and you'll get notified when we go live!

 

[Husk04ies]

Love to know what they think is going on with the lack of playing time for Diggins....thanks!

 

[Giddyup5]

Why is our pace of play per Kenpom 210? I thought our goal this year was to play faster and more in transition?

 

[NJHusky]

Why are the writers afraid to ask Hurley the tough questions?

 

[Captbluefin]

Why are the writers afraid to ask Hurley the tough questions?

Yes I would like someone in the press ask about Diggins and press him a little. They do throw him softballs and not follow up.

 

[navery12]

Hurley has answered the question about Diggins. Just because the Boneyard doesn't like the answer doesn't mean it hasn't been asked

 

[rip7774]

1) Echoing Diggins/Johnson…Maybe Phrase it about feeling any pressure to play freshman since they can just leave and play somewhere else w changing landscape when he doesn’t play them.

2) what does it take for a struggling vet to lose minutes or is it like tenure, once in is there no way to lose a spot (love to get an honest answer here)

 

[Kenny11]

Ask which schools are recruiting Diggins and Johnson the hardest lol

 

[CL82]

Hurley has answered the question about Diggins. Just because the Boneyard doesn't like the answer doesn't mean it hasn't been asked

It also doesn’t mean that the horde may have heard more detail or a different story. It’s a good question to ask.

My question would be “what’s the most difficult thing about working with Dan Hurley?”

 

[BigFanCT]

Is there an update on the team?????

 

[Ricker]

"No comment" on UConn side, but have any of the writers communicated with the Alex Karaban family/camp to determine if he has decided to enroll for this next semester?

Have the beat writers seen much practice, and if so, what have they seen from Floyd, Diggins, & Johnson

 

[PaulVentrales]

love Shreyas but any word on why Dom is no longer the Courant beat writer?

 

[gwhuskyfan]

love Shreyas but any word on why Dom is no longer the Courant beat writer?

He's become the general sports columnist there

 

[husky429]

Why is our pace of play per Kenpom 210? I thought our goal this year was to play faster and more in transition?

This is the one I want to hear more about. I'm not worried about Diggins or Johnson... as has been shown ad nauseam on this board, in the last few years, we're been about average in freshman minutes. I trust our staff to know who is good enough to play. Having coached for some time--who gets minutes is often the easiest part of the job.

THIS is the most important though. The refrain ALL of this offseason was running running running... and yet? We're in the bottom half of D1 teams. And it's a familiar story--our coach has talked about running the ball for what feels like years now and we've yet to see it on the court in any meaningful way. He needs to be looking into the mirror and deciding who he wants to be as a coach. We've had multiple players at every position and all but 2 Hurley recruits on the roster now. It's the coach's fault if we don't play fast at this point. He's holding them back.

I'm cool with playing a slow, grind-it-out style OR a fast up and down style. But we need to have a consistent message for our team. We need to recruit guys that fit our style (and Karaban and Clingan are both going to be slower, half-court type players... so maybe we're changing?). We need to practice the way we play to prepare for games.

This along with the poor late-game management of offense are the things that are driving me nuts about our coach right now. But are SO, SO fixable.

 

[UofCT]

can you ask if Mad Dogs kid is a new walk-on or manager?

 

[gwhuskyfan]

10 min warning!

 

[navery12]

can you ask if Mad Dogs kid is a new walk-on or manager?

He's a team manager, sounds like a really smart kid too from the article

Jeff Jacobs: New Canaan’s Tim Russo, from mopping in Tampa to the UConn basketball sideline

Tim Russo went from carrying a mop at Division II Tampa to becoming a graduate manager in...

www.ctpost.com

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Link above works as replay in case anyone missed it. Hope everyone enjoyed!

 

[JonnyRI]

Great listen. Especially during my this awful lull it was nice just to listen / talk UConn basketball for 45 minutes and not read a thread that sinks to cesspool level in five minutes or read about penny stocks.

 

[auror]

Why is our pace of play per Kenpom 210? I thought our goal this year was to play faster and more in transition?

Because overall pace consists of defensive and offensive pace. We're 110th in offensive pace and 278th in defensive pace.

So we ARE pushing it on offense, but we force teams to grind so hard on D that it drags our overall pace down.

 

[Giddyup5]

Because overall pace consists of defensive and offensive pace. We're 110th in offensive pace and 278th in defensive pace.

So we ARE pushing it on offense, but we force teams to grind so hard on D that it drags our overall pace down.

Thank you for that explanation.

IMO we still can be pushing the pace more and in turn accept a few more turn overs.

Playing fast is not just about transition— though we all want more of that. I feel like we are too deliberate in the half court and many times pass up a good look to run our offense.

The other area which relates to pace dictating style of play. I wish we would dictate style of play and tempo rather than adapt to the other team. Marquette we played fast. Providence, way too slow.

 

[Giddyup5]

Because overall pace consists of defensive and offensive pace. We're 110th in offensive pace and 278th in defensive pace.

So we ARE pushing it on offense, but we force teams to grind so hard on D that it drags our overall pace down.

Oh and also…

The Horde is average at best. Many posters here including you would provide much better insight and analysis. I appreciate the moderator and the interviews. But was once again disappointed by their collective analysis.