Big East Media Day

[NJHusky]

How is Adama the preseason POY but not on the preseason first team?

Weirdly, preseason BE POY is ineligible for all-BE teams

 

[auror]

• Adama, Nunge, Posh, Kalk, Bynum are slam dunks.
• I think Slater should be on a team. He's going to be a beast. I'd put him instead of Moore. I know there's been a couple Achilles miracles lately (James Robinson in NFL), but that seems pretty unlikely to work out for Moore.
• I don't see Colby Jones on first team. I know he had a nice NIT, but not a star in my opinion. Can't shoot. He's a nice starter. Swap him with Kaluma.
• Scheierman should be on 2nd team and Nembhard off. Nembhard incredibly overrated. Give the Honorable mention slot to Hawkins.
• Swap Chuck Harris with Whitmore, David Jones or Amir Dawes.

 

[Son of Robert]

Such great depth to the BIG EAST Conference. Legit 6 or 7 teams competing for spots at the top. Almost always a surprise riser too. Gonna be a great year in the conference, and a tough schedule to play. I'm so happy we're back!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Such great depth to the BIG EAST Conference. Legit 6 or 7 teams competing for spots at the top. Almost always a surprise riser too. Gonna be a great year in the conference, and a tough schedule to play. I'm so happy we're back!

That is really what the conference needs. One or two top 10 teams, a couple more in the top 25 and 5-6 NCAA bids each year.

 

[REB1094]

Cam Whitmore would be the best player on our team. If he was a UConn player there'd already be 3 threads about him being snubbed from the 1st team and using it as motivation

I'm surprised Moore, Dixon, and Daniels are all second teamers and Cam Whitmore only gets honorable mention. Whitmore is better than all of them and I don't believe in Moore returning and being effective coming off a torn Achilles.

Maybe I’m out of touch but it just feels weird putting incoming freshmen on preseason all conference teams (and HMs)

And yes, I will keep this same energy with Castle and Stewart next season haha

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[auror]

Hurley talking to Field of 68 says...

• Sanogo a true perfectionist. High work ethic, but beats himself up when he underperforms. Lineup surrounding him more suitable to his game
• Raving about Clingan also. Lost 40 lbs down to 250s. Hands, passing, feel, facilitating, big benefit as a PnR roller. Main worry is ball screen defense. Seems like he will make a big impact on a per minute basis backing up Sanogo.
• Also, should get a lot more scoring 4-10 compared to last year. Night and day.
• Hawkins different player than Cole, but will be main perimeter scorer. 15 lbs of muscle. Could play his way into 1st round pick.
• Alleyne (pronounced Ah-LEAN-yay apparently?). 2 way player. 3 and D with some ball skills. Expected double figure scorer.
• Smiling about Karaban. Seems to have the edge to start at the 4 (Hurley's words: "Real chance to start at the 4"). Lights out shooter and can really pass.
• Diarra fits Big East better than SEC. Played better late in the year, hoping that continues into this year.
  • Hoping that combination of Newton and Diarra gives us the same as Cole + backup did, neither likely 1:1 replacement of Cole.
    • Both guys can play on or off ball and with Jackson.
• Wants 3 shooter/scorers around Andre and Sanogo/Clingan.
• Team bad at practice yesterday. Andre likely back by PKI, maybe a game before.

 

[husky429]

I was worried about this. Glad to see we're adding some defensive flexibility to meet our needs.

 

[husky429]

Hurley talking to Field of 68 says...

• Sanogo a true perfectionist. High work ethic, but beats himself up when he underperforms. Lineup surrounding him more suitable to his game
• Raving about Clingan also. Lost 40 lbs down to 250s. Hands, passing, feel, facilitating, big benefit as a PnR roller. Main worry is ball screen defense. Seems like he will make a big impact on a per minute basis backing up Sanogo.
• Also, should get a lot more scoring 4-10 compared to last year. Night and day.
• Hawkins different player than Cole, but will be main perimeter scorer. 15 lbs of muscle. Could play his way into 1st round pick.
• Alleyne (pronounced Ah-LEAN-yay apparently?). 2 way player. 3 and D with some ball skills. Expected double figure scorer.
• Smiling about Karaban. Seems to have the edge to start at the 4 (Hurley's words: "Real chance to start at the 4"). Lights out shooter and can really pass.
• Diarra fits Big East better than SEC. Played better late in the year, hoping that continues into this year.
  • Hoping that combination of Newton and Diarra gives us the same as Cole + backup did, neither likely 1:1 replacement of Cole.
    • Both guys can play on or off ball and with Jackson.
• Wants 3 shooter/scorers around Andre and Sanogo/Clingan.
• Team bad at practice yesterday. Andre likely back by PKI, maybe a game before.

Starting 5 of

Newton/Diarra
Hawkins
Jackson
Karaban
Sanogo

Alleyne and the other PG first off the bench? Clingan backing up Sanogo That's a solid 8.

Not sure there's room for many more by Feb or March

 

[Hungryhusky99]

Starting 5 of

Newton/Diarra
Hawkins
Jackson
Karaban
Sanogo

Alleyne and the other PG first off the bench? Clingan backing up Sanogo That's a solid 8.

Not sure there's room for many more by Feb or March

It will be crazy if after 2 years of hyping up Samson's talent he is still buried on the bench but wouldn't shock me honestly.

 

[Psolo12]

Hurley talking to Field of 68 says...

• Sanogo a true perfectionist. High work ethic, but beats himself up when he underperforms. Lineup surrounding him more suitable to his game
• Raving about Clingan also. Lost 40 lbs down to 250s. Hands, passing, feel, facilitating, big benefit as a PnR roller. Main worry is ball screen defense. Seems like he will make a big impact on a per minute basis backing up Sanogo.
• Also, should get a lot more scoring 4-10 compared to last year. Night and day.
• Hawkins different player than Cole, but will be main perimeter scorer. 15 lbs of muscle. Could play his way into 1st round pick.
• Alleyne (pronounced Ah-LEAN-yay apparently?). 2 way player. 3 and D with some ball skills. Expected double figure scorer.
• Smiling about Karaban. Seems to have the edge to start at the 4 (Hurley's words: "Real chance to start at the 4"). Lights out shooter and can really pass.
• Diarra fits Big East better than SEC. Played better late in the year, hoping that continues into this year.
  • Hoping that combination of Newton and Diarra gives us the same as Cole + backup did, neither likely 1:1 replacement of Cole.
    • Both guys can play on or off ball and with Jackson.
• Wants 3 shooter/scorers around Andre and Sanogo/Clingan.
• Team bad at practice yesterday. Andre likely back by PKI, maybe a game before.

No mention of Samson makes me sad

 

[auror]

No mention of Samson makes me sad

He was led by the questions a bit

 

[husky429]

It will be crazy if after 2 years of hyping up Samson's talent he is still buried on the bench but wouldn't shock me honestly.

Kids that don't play AT ALL as freshman rarely end up being rotation players. Hoping for the best though... more weapons we have the better

 

[tcf15]

 

[SouleMan]

Hurley talking to Field of 68 says...

• Sanogo a true perfectionist. High work ethic, but beats himself up when he underperforms. Lineup surrounding him more suitable to his game
• Raving about Clingan also. Lost 40 lbs down to 250s. Hands, passing, feel, facilitating, big benefit as a PnR roller. Main worry is ball screen defense. Seems like he will make a big impact on a per minute basis backing up Sanogo.
• Also, should get a lot more scoring 4-10 compared to last year. Night and day.
• Hawkins different player than Cole, but will be main perimeter scorer. 15 lbs of muscle. Could play his way into 1st round pick.
• Alleyne (pronounced Ah-LEAN-yay apparently?). 2 way player. 3 and D with some ball skills. Expected double figure scorer.
• Smiling about Karaban. Seems to have the edge to start at the 4 (Hurley's words: "Real chance to start at the 4"). Lights out shooter and can really pass.
• Diarra fits Big East better than SEC. Played better late in the year, hoping that continues into this year.
  • Hoping that combination of Newton and Diarra gives us the same as Cole + backup did, neither likely 1:1 replacement of Cole.
    • Both guys can play on or off ball and with Jackson.
• Wants 3 shooter/scorers around Andre and Sanogo/Clingan.
• Team bad at practice yesterday. Andre likely back by PKI, maybe a game before.

Thanks for this.

Anyone with a theory why Diarra could fit the Big East over the SEC?

I'd guess toughness and physicality over finesse/skill if talking ACC (thinking Duke) but don't know anything about the SEC style of play.

 

[REB1094]

Akok/Wahab starting frontcourt is scary. Sanogo should eat both of them alive though

 

[Bobol]

Thrilled that college basketball will be starting in a few weeks.

nothing better than watching college basketball every night of the week.

 

[navery12]

Akok/Wahab starting frontcourt is scary. Sanogo should eat both of them alive though

Wahab and Sanogo will be a fun matchup in the paint and I think Karaban has the foot speed to keep up with Akok standing in the corner for 20 minutes. I like our chances

 

[REB1094]

Wahab and Sanogo will be a fun matchup in the paint and I think Karaban has the foot speed to keep up with Akok standing in the corner for 20 minutes. I like our chances

Yeah Akok was such a mystery last year. At times it looked like he was back in pre-injury form. Other times he was unplayable.

I’d like to think he can still give solid production. It’s hard not to root for him, although I do hope Andre dunks on him and Karaban splashes 5 threes in his face

 

[shizzle787]

Apparently Val Ackerman was asked about expansion and mentioned informal talks over the summer with “several” schools.

 

[Jbirdp5]

A lotta people are going to have to find a new pet peeve around here!

 

[auror]

A lotta people are going to have to find a new pet peeve around here!

Good coaches get the right players to run their systems. Great coaches get great players and adjust the system to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

 

[superjohn]

A lotta people are going to have to find a new pet peeve around here!

Maybe but everything right now is just talk. We need to play the games to see if we have multiple draft picks at the end of the year, if we play zone, if we go deeper with playing time, if Jackson is a good starting point guard, if we run a lot, if he keeps Donovan in the paint on defense...