Can We Please Stop The Mahaney Bashing?

[CTBasketball]

When he debuted at St. Mary's he was a big deal -- really smooth mid-range game, a real difference maker.

I would love to see him playing like Rip on offense, coming off screens in the mid-range. I really think the kid will shine there.

He needs to be moved to the 2-guard and play primarily off ball.

 

[gtcam]

Lock him in a room and make him watch Cam and Tristen film until it clicks.

A lot more to it than that but if it was tongue in cheek I can appreciate that take!!!

 

[That Guy]

Yeah, but be honest. Collectively, we didn't appreciate T-Newt until 85% of the way through his Husky career. We were all over that dude for a year and a half

???
All of the Newton criticism completely disappeared by the time they won #5 and the guy dropped 19 with 10 rbs in the national championship. I'll give you 50%, but 85? The guy was basically guaranteed to be named a first team All-American by that point lol.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Someone told me the Zantetto podcast said there's something going on with him, anyone have the tea? (DM)

 

[RuffRuff]

Someone told me the Zantetto podcast said there's something going on with him, anyone have the tea? (DM)

Listened to a few minutes on a run today and whoever the guest was said they had inside scoop on him and baited, then said he couldn’t share and they’d keep it internal. Tease.

We didn’t grab AM for his mid range game (bad analytics).

 

[Trudy Gay]

A lot more to it than that but if it was tongue in cheek I can appreciate that take!!!

I was mostly joking hahah

 

[KemBuckets21]

Im maintaining my stance that 2/3 games were lost due to poor officiating.

 

[jostar1]

Here is the 2023 UConn-St. Mary's game. Mahaney was a freshman. He was playing quicker than he is now. Drove to the basket once. Shots weren't falling. The announcers praised his game.

Stats: UConn 70-55 Saint Mary's (Mar 19, 2023) Box Score - ESPN

 

[CL82]

Yeah, but be honest. Collectively, we didn't appreciate T-Newt until 85% of the way through his Husky career. We were all over that dude for a year and a half

Or Ricky Moore, or Taliek Brown...

 

[bazz&boujee]

Yo seriously who the heck cares about the spelling

 

[Lefty2one]

Unfortunately, we've discovered we don't have a quality starting PG and have been MASSIVELY spoiled with T-New for the past couple of years.

Oh, the irony of this post!

In January 2023 most of the fanbase wanted him gone. The sentiment was that we didn't have a true point guard and that the PG position was our ultimate undoing.

 

[Mr. French]

Oh, the irony of this post!

In January 2023 most of the fanbase wanted him gone. The sentiment was that we didn't have a true point guard and that the PG position was our ultimate undoing.

These dudes are saying it, but somehow missing the point still.

 

[boog204]

Lock him in a room and make him watch Cam and Tristen film until it clicks.

People bashed Newton for most of his first year here and the general weakness of our team going into the 23 tourney was thought to be our lack of a “true PG.” Newton was criticized as nauseum here Just like Bazz, Taliek, and Ricky before…

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Here is the 2023 UConn-St. Mary's game. Mahaney was a freshman. He was playing quicker than he is now. Drove to the basket once. Shots weren't falling. The announcers praised his game.

Stats: UConn 70-55 Saint Mary's (Mar 19, 2023) Box Score - ESPN

One very important piece of Information that needs to be added: at the time that game was played, he was a full season into the offensive system that his team was running.

Maybe it would be fair to expect him to be a bit further along the learning curve of our system than he currently is, but we need to accept that there is a learning curve involved in our system.

We are nowhere near being a finished product. The finished product may end up being below what was expected but we need to watch things unfold before deciding If it was or was not what it should have been.

 

[Jimdish255]

We got exposed in a number of areas. Mainly the four spots other than Karaban where we lost NBA level talent. If we learn from it and can progress as a team and a Coaching staff, implementing the adjustments necessary it's all good to digest it now. Recalibrate. We don't have the talent or experience necessary to be ranked in the top 5 or 10. That was a gift from the last two seasons. We're building with mostly young guys and none of them are filling the shoes of their predecessors this early in their careers. But clearly we miss a distributor/shot-maker like Spencer and a stopper like Clingan very much. The other two were great but they didn't open things up quite like those two for the rest of the team. Newton and Castle had other fantastic skills (defense, shooting, slashing, one on one) but for this group the other factors are what seem to be missing the most. Let's give it some time. Enjoy the good stuff. The guys off the bench are going to have to step in and step up and maybe that's good in the long run. Reed is starting to develop and McNeeley has substantial upside. Mahaney will find his groove. No reason to put anyone in the doghouse.

 

[ec33]

Whether people get off his back or not doesn't matter. Mahaney is very likely the key to the season (the alternative is Nowell suddenly grasping the entire structure of the offense and grabs the starting spot).

The goal under Mahaney is to run through the full offense and use the entire shot clock if necessary -- with Mahaney kind of being an equally sharing possession.

Diara works as a change of pace, because he is more ball dominant and more direct leading to quicker strikes and the defense is caught off guard by the change. By the time the defense fully adjust, Diarra is heading back to the bench.

If Diarra is the main PG, UConn is playing in a limited offense -- and the defense isn't caught by the change. The team isn't able to get the most out of the interplay between the offensive strengths of the team (Karaban, McNeeley, and Ball). Instead Diara and Johnson become much more prominent in the offense.

I don't think there is a different gear for Diarra.

 

[Mike Honcho]

It’s not Mahaney’s fault that he’s playing out of position. It’s Hurley’s for not getting a point guard.

What do you think Ahmad Nowell is?