Coach Hurley says this year's team can't take "hard" coaching

[UofCT]

This is an accurate take, and without all the 2nd years fully developing, I don’t even think another point guard in place of AM would have taken us to the promised land. However, entering today’s game, we were only a couple free throws (Villanova 1) and some bad officiating/careless play in the Seton Hall game from being 20-6, 12-3, and probably still ranked.

We downgraded every starting position and almost every backup position from last year to this year. We got worse at the starting PG, SG, SF, PF (Alex got worse) and C. We got worse at the backup PG, SG and SF positions. Mad props to Reed though as we have a clear advantage from last year to this year at the backup C spot.

 

[AntG168]

Nonsense. Nobody on this board has been a bigger Hurley booster over the years than I have. And I think it was a gaffe.

Exposed.

I would love to hear how him saying he had to coach this team differently is a big deal. Lmfaoo.
Some of the fans are softer than they think the team is

 

[Excalibur]

“Mess.” They. Have. Won. The. Last. 2. Championships. I couldn’t imagine being this miserable.

I’ve long accepted that many people are children who can’t handle a shred of adversity. This board is a microcosm of that . . .

 

[superjohn]

Zanetto says Hurley's plan was to use Samson as a point center this season. What????

 

[uconngb]

I wouldn’t call this year a mess. They still have a shot at the tournament. This team could have been a lot better and fell well short of expectations. The coaching staff needs to realize that the same formula might not work every year. Danny needs to remember that his epiphany after New Mexico loss is what lead to changes and a fantastic last 2 years.

I can agree with that

 

[freescooter]

Donovan will be in the HOF, also made 2 other Final fours and a bunch of sweet 16s. Hurley would have to have one horrific horrific fall from grace to not be 1st ballot HOF. The Hurley name and back to back chips he's in and he won tournament games with URI. To be on a scale of K or Calhoun we'll see I mean we're talking a top 5 list here.
[/QUOTE
Donovan made 1 more Final Four after going back to back. His NBA record is pretty lackluster. His post b2b record was too. If Hurley has Donovan like balance of his career he will be considered a good, not great coach who caught listening in a bottle for 2 years but could never get there again.

Look at it like this. The reason Brady is the GOAT is because he won his first title in 2002 and his last one in 2021. Seven in total. If Mahomes plays 10 more years and never wins another Super Bowl he was a really good quarterback who won 2 Super Bowls but the new GOAT talk will quickly die away and his HOF career will be different depending on what happens over the next decade.

 

[Waquoit]

Exposed

Ignored

 

[Huskyforlife]

Zanetto says Hurley's plan was to use Samson as a point center this season. What????

Hurley had a quote during the off season that Samson should watch Oso tape so we could do some point center stuff with him. Zanetto is a fool if he really thought we were relying on that.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Maybe we should consider Ollie to replace Hurley. Those were such fun times.

It’s a down year and we have a Top 3 class coming in next year. The ship will be righted in time. If you didn’t think this would be a rocky season, you were kidding yourself.

 

[Agent0]

Zanetto says Hurley's plan was to use Samson as a point center this season. What????

Zanetto doesn’t have sources lol

 

[Huskyforlife]

Maybe we should consider Ollie to replace Hurley. Those were such fun times.

It’s a down year and we have a Top 3 class coming in next year. The ship will be righted in time. If you didn’t think this would be a rocky season, you were kidding yourself.

I think it’s fair to have blind faith in the staff after the last 2 years. They were saying 3 peat, not a rebuilding year. The roster was littered with former top 100 recruits and top 50 transfers. A lot of guys just didn’t meet the expectations placed on them, which is hard to project.

 

[JMick]

Exposed.

I would love to hear how him saying he had to coach this team differently is a big deal. Lmfaoo.
Some of the fans are softer than they think the team is

I mean listening to a lot of the press conferences and statements he's made recently, if you read between the lines it's pretty clear he knows he didn't put the best roster together. You can afford to miss in a couple spots. They just missed almost everywhere. They'll course correct for next season.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Maybe we should consider Ollie to replace Hurley. Those were such fun times.

It’s a down year and we have a Top 3 class coming in next year. The ship will be righted in time. If you didn’t think this would be a rocky season, you were kidding yourself.

Reminder again, Ball, Stewart, Ross, and Singare were part of a top 5 class.

Wont mean anything if we can’t develop them.

 

[Excalibur]

Reminder again, Ball, Stewart, Ross, and Singare were part of a top 5 class.

Wont mean anything if we can’t develop them.

I get what you are saying, but it would not have been even close to a top five class without Castle.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I get what you are saying, but it would not have been even close to a top five class without Castle.

Well last class had Liam at 10 and Nowell at 33 and it was 11. Castle was 9.

Unless one of these guys is on an NBA draft board coming into the year, I’ll believe it when I see it.

 

[CTBasketball]

Well last class had Liam at 10 and Nowell at 33 and it was 11. Castle was 9.

Unless one of these guys is on an NBA draft board coming into the year, I’ll believe it when I see it.

You miss a lot more than you hit with high school recruiting.

 

[uconngb]

You miss a lot more than you hit with high school recruiting.

That’s why hitting on the portal is so critical. Which we obviously did in spades w Tristan and Cam. This year not so much, although I agree w SuperJohn that Reed has been inexplicably misused all year.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

You miss a lot more than you hit with high school recruiting.

Nowell is one of the very few (like one of two) HS PGs and CGs in the top 50 not contributing this year. At some point it’s just excuses.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Here’s a way too early 2026 mock draft for next year updated February 14th

Solo Ball, Darius Adams, and…. Jayden Ross are on the list. All second rounders.

NBA Mock Draft - NBADraft.net

Specializing in drafts with top players on the NBA horizon, player profiles, scouting reports, rankings and prospective international recruits.

www.nbadraft.net

 

[uconngb]

Here’s a way too early 2026 mock draft for next year updated February 14th

Solo Ball, Darius Adams, and…. Jayden Ross are on the list. All second rounders.

NBA Mock Draft - NBADraft.net

Specializing in drafts with top players on the NBA horizon, player profiles, scouting reports, rankings and prospective international recruits.

www.nbadraft.net

How the hell is a guy that can’t get on the court a projected NBA pick?? I just don’t get it.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

How the hell is a guy that can’t get on the court a projected NBA pick?? I just don’t get it.

Because scouts clearly see an NBA talent. If only someone knew how to coach and get the most out of him.

But why do all that when you can go to the portal and get someone you don’t have to do all that with?

 

[CTBasketball]

That’s why hitting on the portal is so critical. Which we obviously did in spades w Tristan and Cam. This year not so much, although I agree w SuperJohn that Reed has been inexplicably misused all year.

Nowell is one of the very few (like one of two) HS PGs and SGs in the top 50 not contributing this year. At some point it’s just excuses.

Everyone went after Mahaney, so I really can’t blame Hurley for missing the scout there. He was a hot commodity and we won the sweepstakes - similar to the Timberlake outcome for KU in 23/24.

It’s hard to judge Nowell, he’s had a ton of injuries and Hurley panicked after Maui and rode Hassan more stunting his development. Now when he’s out there he looks overwhelmed. Him, Mahaney, Abraham, Ross, Stewart and even Ball are all overwhelmed and keep making the same mistakes - that leaves us with an unplayable bench and no backcourt depth.

It’s gotten so bad in practice Abraham and Ross can’t sniff the floor, Mahaney has his minutes severely cut, and we’re limiting Stewart and Nowell’s exposure because extended court time results in losing. Ball plays half the game and can only jack 3’s.

The staff knows what’s going on, Alex does too which is why he spoke out last week. They’re not happy. Kind of a perfect storm of misses, lack of development, and roster/chemistry issues which I won’t go into.

 

[superjohn]

How the hell is a guy that can’t get on the court a projected NBA pick?? I just don’t get it.

He's not, mock drafts are beyond useless.

 

[uconngb]

Because scouts clearly see an NBA talent. If only someone knew how to coach and get the most out of him.

But why do all that when you can go to the portal and get someone you don’t have to do all that with?

If he had talent he’d be playing

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Everyone went after Mahaney, so I really can’t blame Hurley for missing the scout there. He was a hot commodity and we won the sweepstakes - similar to the Timberlake outcome for KU in 23/24.

It’s hard to judge Nowell, he’s had a ton of injuries and Hurley panicked after Maui and rode Hassan more stunting his development. Now when he’s out there he looks overwhelmed. Him, Mahaney, Abraham, Ross, Stewart and even Ball are all overwhelmed and keep making the same mistakes - that leaves us with an unplayable bench and no backcourt depth.

It’s gotten so bad in practice Abraham and Ross can’t sniff the floor, Mahaney has his minutes severely cut, and we’re limiting Stewart and Nowell’s exposure because extended court time results in losing. Ball plays half the game and can only jack 3’s.

The staff knows what’s going on, Alex does too which is why he spoke out last week. They’re not happy. Kind of a perfect storm of misses, lack of development, and roster/chemistry issues which I won’t go into.

The staff severely mismanaged this roster and season because they had the wrong plan for it. That’s all there is to it.

I’m so sick and tired of hearing about practice too. I do not care what happens there. See if the guys can go out there and make plays.

I almost hope we get out of contention so guys can go out there and play free and see what we have instead of Hurley having everyone’s rope so tight because every game is life or death.