Cole, Gaff, Martin, Akok, Sanogo

[bendm]

Thanks. Contribute to the debate or zip it.

arguing about akok being the starting SF is not a debate it's an embarrassment for all involved

 

[XLCenterFan]

arguing about akok being the starting SF is not a debate it's an embarrassment for all involved

That one comment was an aside to the debate. Scroll back more. We were talking bout Ajax. And I misspoke about Akok replacing Ajax. Apologies. It'll be Gaffney.

 

[Husky Alien]

Jackson has to start shooting the three or at least drive midrange otherwise teams will sag deep into the paint

Agreed, these are the games that he should take more 3's. AJax is one of those players that offers way more in other parts of the game. He is a difference maker.

Agree. I would almost say after two games, Hawkins, Polley and Jackson are three bodies fighting for two players' minutes.

Nope, Jackson is going to get his minutes. Polley is so far the same Polly. Hawkins, though he has not played yet, he will be very a very special player. Not sure if you have watched videos of his HS games or tournament play and compare Ray Allen's games at that point in his life and you might see the light.

Seriously this thread makes me laugh. There is a post prior to the season RJ to slow, low level D1, ugh! Now he's hmm ok and should be off point. RJ has bb IQ and is tough he belongs right were he is at UC bb level and where ever Dan Hurley seems fit to put him depending on who is on the court with him.
Sanogo is a Beast you say. Yes he has dominated CCSU and Coppin St and he should for LIU. Let's just temper down the enthusiasm you have right now. Sanogo no doubt has greatly improved but until he matches up with players of his size and caliber you should see a slight lesser beast.

@XLCenterFan, wow, you must be in the casual fan section of the game regarding AJax. I guess, coaches, analysts and scouts don't know what they talking about regarding him or can't see what other things he offers on the court. Yes, his shot is a work in progress. It has gotten (form) better since last year.

 

[coachn]

We have 8 starters and that a positive

 

[Rocktheworld]

This lineup was on point today.

It's a natural lineup.

Cole can score and pass as necessary. No pressure to run the team and look for his shot.

Gaff can be the point guard and just add scoring as needed. His 3 point shot has looked sharp both games.

Martin is a better 3 than he is a 2 or 4. Can slash, rebound and will get good open looks where he is a decent shooter.

Akok is the stretch four. A pair of 3's, a heckuva catch and dunk and just gets to be the energy guy.

Sanogo is a beast.

Would love to see this lineup for about 20 mpg.

Whaley is still lost as the 4 with Sanogo. And he is noticeably less skilled as a back to basket post player than Sanogo and noticeably worse than Akok as the face up stretch 4. He can still get 20 minutes.

Jackson. Anyone who thought he was going to be a decent or semi respectable shooter can pocket those comments until Sep 2022. He has zero confidence and seemingly zero desire to shoot a J. He is still a beast on defense in passing lanes and defensive rebounding but his man to man D was less than stellar.

Polley. We know this yo yo ride with him. If his shot isn't falling, he's not going to contribute elsewhere.

Diggins and Johnson looked more comfortable today than they did game one. Springs looked more relaxed too.

If Gaff, Cole and Martin continue to play like this Hawkins is going to max out around 15 minutes.

Great post. I’m a little late to the thread but I think this lineup is a manifestation of Hurley pre-season alluding to a pretty short rotation; the lineup does appear fairly complete and well-rounded for winning in college. You sub and keep in Polley if he’s hot; Jackson if we want to go a little bigger and athletic; Whaley for more defense. Then you sprinkle in the younger guys

 

[Purple Stein]

That one comment was an aside to the debate. Scroll back more. We were talking bout Ajax. And I misspoke about Akok replacing Ajax. Apologies. It'll be Gaffney.

Who was our leading rebounder today? I forget.

 

[8893]

Agreed, these are the games that he should take more 3's. AJax is one of those players that offers way more in other parts of the game. He is a difference maker.

Nope, Jackson is going to get his minutes. Polley is so far the same Polly. Hawkins, though he has not played yet, he will be very a very special player. Not sure if you have watched videos of his HS games or tournament play and compare Ray Allen's games at that point in his life and you might see the light.

Seriously this thread makes me laugh. There is a post prior to the season RJ to slow, low level D1, ugh! Now he's hmm ok and should be off point. RJ has bb IQ and is tough he belongs right were he is at UC bb level and where ever Dan Hurley seems fit to put him depending on who is on the court with him.
Sanogo is a Beast you say. Yes he has dominated CCSU and Coppin St and he should for LIU. Let's just temper down the enthusiasm you have right now. Sanogo no doubt has greatly improved but until he matches up with players of his size and caliber you should see a slight lesser beast.

@XLCenterFan, wow, you must be in the casual fan section of the game regarding AJax. I guess, coaches, analysts and scouts don't know what they talking about regarding him or can't see what other things he offers on the court. Yes, his shot is a work in progress. It has gotten (form) better since last year.

Make no mistake: Sanogo is a beast. He will be neutralized only by doubling him; by the end of the season I suspect you’ll need a big-to-big double like we did on Elton Brand in the ’99 NC game.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Who was our leading rebounder today? I forget.

Yes. Doesn't mean his game isn't a work in progress and that he's not super over-rated around these parts.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Make no mistake: Sanogo is a beast. He will be neutralized only by doubling him; by the end of the season I suspect you’ll need a big-to-big double like we did on Elton Brand in the ’99 NC game.

Agree. Beast is a good title for him. He's going to be a problem for teams all year, now 'til March.

 

[Purple Stein]

Yes. Doesn't mean his game isn't a work in progress and that he's not super over-rated around these parts.

This is miles from your initial position of “he does suck.”

 

[8893]

This is miles from your initial position of “he does suck.”

He’s still no Andre Dyson.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Enjoy your night my friend. You will be hearing from me after every game. I hope my critiques of Ajax become incorrect. I will gladly admit if I'm wrong...I don't think you will though.

Here’s hoping the 5th year senior can show he improved

 

[BGesus4]

We have 8 starters and that a positive

Yeah we can play the old box and box on defense

 

[Husky Alien]

Make no mistake: Sanogo is a beast. He will be neutralized only by doubling him; by the end of the season I suspect you’ll need a big-to-big double like we did on Elton Brand in the ’99 NC game.

What I meant by lesser of a beast. He is definitely dominating in the paint right now against smaller and lesser physical players. Example when at B4A when we play Auburn it should not be as easy for him down low he will have tougher time with teams like that. Yes, he is a beast regardless.

 

[dennismenace]

Cole and Gaffney definitely seem to have taken the boneyard’s “no one on this team can shoot” BS to heart.

For the record:

Cole Gaffney
Minutes 24 23
FG 6-16 4-7
3 PT 2-7 3-5
FT 2-2 0-1
PTS 16 11
REB 4 5
ASSISTS 6 8
STEALS 3 2
TO 1 0

Gaffney very quietly put up some nice stats. Two other things. Cole has put on some real muscle and Gaff is considerably taller (6-3 vs 5-10 maybe). Overall very good outings for both and that bears well for us. Really hope Gaf can keep it up. We really need him to step up.

 

[8893]

What I meant by lesser of a beast. He is definitely dominating in the paint right now against smaller and lesser physical players. Example when at B4A when we play Auburn it should not be as easy for him down low he will have tougher time with teams like that. Yes, he is a beast regardless.

I agree with you, but based on Hurley’s comments in his presser—and considering that Hurley is not wont to overdo praise—he doesn’t think anyone will be able to handle him without a double team. He said that’s why he stopped feeding him today, because they need to get other players involved so they are prepared for when the double teams come. He essentially agreed that Sanogo could have scored at will all game for these first two games.

 

[Husky Alien]

His whole game is a work in progress. But I get it. This is a superfan message board. Any critique of any player is going to get slammed.

I guess all the experts are wrong on him. I'm a big fan of the college game not of the players per say. But when you see things that most players don't exude and can change a game in a different manor other than scoring. I appreciate it.

 

[BGesus4]

For the record:

Cole Gaffney
Minutes 24 23
FG 6-16 4-7
3 PT 2-7 3-5
FT 2-2 0-1
PTS 16 11
REB 4 5
ASSISTS 6 8
STEALS 3 2
TO 1 0

Gaffney very quietly put up some nice stats. Two other things. Cole has put on some real muscle and Gaff is considerably taller (6-3 vs 5-10 maybe). Overall very good outings for both and that bears well for us. Really hope Gaf can keep it up. We really need him to step up.

RJ looks to me like he’s leaned out quite a bit (still quite strong) which seems to be helping his overall stamina and athleticism

It’s doubly impressive how good he was last year considering 1) he sat out a year 2) he came back to a crazy Covid year 3) he was transitioning from the MEAC to running a team and being heavily relied upon in the Big East

 

[Scrappy3]

Complete agreement with post
First off Akok Akok looks incredible. Nba 1 st rd pick good
He Shouod start 4 Abd play 28-30
No way can we start Both Whaley and Jackson. I’d go Jackson in first line up

C Sanogo
F Akok
F Jackson
G martin
G cole
6 man gaffney
Whaley
Polley
Hawkins

 

[Dean Wormer]

Complete agreement with post
First off Akok Akok looks incredible. Nba 1 st rd pick good
He Shouod start 4 Abd play 28-30
No way can we start Both Whaley and Jackson. I’d go Jackson in first line up

C Sanogo
F Akok
F Jackson
G martin
G cole
6 man gaffney
Whaley
Polley
Hawkins

Agree about Akok. He totally changed the tone of the game and was the difference today. Good luck trying to score around him.

 

[KingAG]

I just don’t like Ajax and Sanogo out there together. Sanogo is going to have to be surrounded by offensive threats. When he’s doubled in the post we need slashers and shooters around him(Reese, Cole, Gaffney, Hawk, Akok, even Polley) those are the guys I want on the court during the game with Sanogo. An AJax, Hawk/gaffney, Polley, Whaley, Akok second unit is who I want to see with Ajax. That second unit will be a track meet, while the first unit will be more post heavy. I think that’s how this will shake out over the coming weeks

 

[BigEastCT]

No. You get blasted here for suggesting he sucks, most people here agree he's a flawed player who has plenty of room to improve

I said he is a bench role player and I get crucified as well. People on this board think he is nba level....does not have the shooting mechanics, don't care what freak athlete he is

 

[XLCenterFan]

I said he is a bench role player and I get crucified as well. People on this board think he is nba level....does not have the shooting mechanics, don't care what freak athlete he is

Thankfully I’m not the only blind bat around here.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Complete agreement with post
First off Akok Akok looks incredible. Nba 1 st rd pick good
He Shouod start 4 Abd play 28-30
No way can we start Both Whaley and Jackson. I’d go Jackson in first line up

C Sanogo
F Akok
F Jackson
G martin
G cole
6 man gaffney
Whaley
Polley
Hawkins

Agree about Akok. He totally changed the tone of the game and was the difference today. Good luck trying to score around him.

I just don’t like Ajax and Sanogo out there together. Sanogo is going to have to be surrounded by offensive threats. When he’s doubled in the post we need slashers and shooters around him(Reese, Cole, Gaffney, Hawk, Akok, even Polley) those are the guys I want on the court during the game with Sanogo. An AJax, Hawk/gaffney, Polley, Whaley, Akok second unit is who I want to see with Ajax. That second unit will be a track meet, while the first unit will be more post heavy. I think that’s how this will shake out over the coming weeks

Listen to today's post game presser. Hurley was very specific that he likes the starting line up he puts out there due to its size and physicality (I think he called it strength and toughness, but semantics).

He said he puts Akok and Gaffney on the second team in practice to keep them aggressive and tough because Akok and Gaffney are the two players who can compete against the starters. Gaff referenced it today too.

I prefer Akok out there to start but Hurley has a plan and has communicated it to the team. He still has the 80 minutes to divvy up between Sanogo, Akok and Whaley. Although Hurley also mentioned needing to build certain players up to 30 mpg of game conditioning. I would think that is in reference to Sanogo. Still 50 minutes for Akok and Whaley. We won't be seeing much of Johnson or Springs going forward at the four or five. Might not seem like much now, but they are 11.5 minutes between the two of them. Figure 5.5 of those minutes goes to Sanogo to get him to 30. Whaley is at 24.5 mpg right now. Bump him up .5 to 25 mpg. Akok is at 17.5. Give him the other 5.5 minutes and he's at 23. So, going forward you could have Sanogo at 30, Whaley at 25 and Akok at 23. Move a minute e or two here or there and you have your 80 minutes each game.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

Two biggest keys for our season:

• Emergence of a true shooting guard
• Stretch 4 to spread the offense and give Sanogo room to operate

Gaffney and Akok filled those roles admirably today. This was clearly our best lineup.

Question remains whether they can consistently bring this level of performance against high major opponents.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

Whaley and Ajax have no clear offensive role/identity and it shows.

I think they need to be phased out of the starting/most used lineup to reach our true ceiling, but I am sure situation is delicate.

Whaley will obviously remain in the picture with his defense and as the main backup for Sanogo.

Jackson can be a contibutor off the bench for now until he puts it together. Just not clear to me how he fits with this team…

 

[KingAG]

Whaley and Ajax have no clear offensive role/identity and it shows.

I think they need to be phased out of the starting/most used lineup to reach our true ceiling, but I am sure situation is delicate.

Whaley will obviously remain in the picture with his defense and as the main backup for Sanogo.

Jackson can be a contibutor off the bench for now until he puts it together. Just not clear to me how he fits with this team…

He fits with the team as the 2nd teams primary playmaker. Also as a change of pace guy. I just don’t think he fits well with Sanogo. I think Sanogo has to be surrounded by multiple threats the put the ball in the basket. Jackson hasn’t shown to be that yet. Let him play the Ben Simmons role with the second unit

 

[kobebeanbryant]

He fits with the team as the 2nd teams primary playmaker. Also as a change of pace guy. I just don’t think he fits well with Sanogo. I think Sanogo has to be surrounded by multiple threats the put the ball in the basket. Jackson hasn’t shown to be that yet. Let him play the Ben Simmons role with the second unit

I agree, I think that makes the most sense at this point. Needs to tighten up his handle though…

Ideally he can build some confidence in that role and start pulling it all together.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Jax has the Ben Simmons disease

And what's your excuse?

 

[BlueMAB]

This leads me to conclude that Gaffney was the third option for the 2 spot

couldn’t he also be the second option for the 1 spot?