Cole's three was a game changer.

[ucp990411]

An equally big play for us was that Martin wide open layup off the inbound with around 2 minutes left. That put us up 2 possessions at a critical time. Must have been some kind of defensive breakdown by DePaul to allow that.

An equally big play for us was that Martin wide open layup off the inbound with around 2 minutes left. That put us up 2 possessions at a critical time. Must have been some kind of defensive breakdown by DePaul to allow that.

Off a timeout. Great call by DH

 

[HuskyBoi]

I wish this forum would stop doubting the players Hurley brings in

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I am hopeful that Gaffney's problem is his confidence. I have seen him physically make plays that were of the "why can't he do more of that" variety. I believe that the lack of practices and games has hurt him mentally.

I second your sentiment, including couching it as a hope rather than a prediction.

This thread has so much of what I saw and thought and felt last night.

Without solid point guard play - and we really do not have it right now- last night was a very uneasy game to watch.

But we do have a roster filled with options and alternatives, and as noted in the opening post here, except for the dunk right after we took the lead, we pitched a shutout to end the game. We didn't even hit the free throws that will be necessary in upcoming games against better competition. That is hugely hopeful.

Coaching and chemistry will be essential for this season. Not really a surprise, but it will be the difference between disappointment, Top 25, Top 10, or dreams of anything higher. And all are imaginable.

Last year, when we could not yet capture and keep the lead, there were the panicked complaints about lack of leadership and smarts that lasted up until Whaley started to flower, and Bouk grew, which led to a more properly proportioned Vital.

What I'm most hopeful to see developing is a collective, "Team IQ" that will result in adjustments to hot hands, foul trouble, injuries, schedule disruptions, COVID stuff, etc. Confidence in alternatives, and essential resilience that combines experienced seniors (whoda thunk that two - or even one -year ago), well-chosen transfers, and a significant upgrade in recruited talent. In sum, it's "Year three of a rebuild," mid-January with only 8 games played

The coaching staff has point guard experience, but until that bears greater fruit, savor the fact that DePaul did not score in the final 4:27.

 

[87Xfer]

I wish this forum would stop doubting the players Hurley brings in

And I thought the BY decided Hurley's a lousy in-game coach, too.

 

[Waquoit]

And I thought the BY decided Hurley's a lousy in-game coach, too.

"Worst coaching performance of all time" was one assertion, iirc.

 

[ucp990411]

And I thought the BY decided Hurley's a lousy in-game coach, too.

How about the in bounds play resulting in a Martin layup. The man can coach

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Off a timeout. Great call by DH

also due to the rj pass. his last three minutes were, umm, let's just say, the complete opposite of the ag experience. noice. it's a winning backcourt with jalen, rj, james, and badams. good nickname.

 

[3rdbass]

That was a huge shot the timing was a must as a miss and another DePaul score could’ve made it a half dozen. Big shot.

But he can’t be dribbling off his foot without hardly being guarded and can’t have 3-4 throws hoping to get foul calls. Having said all of this he’s our best option at PG as Gaff is lost. Anyone else notice this sudden underhand pass he has which somehow he believes is “pretty” but instead he delivered to Polleys knees once so he couldn’t get a shot off? A guy who is struggling so much shouldn’t be trying to look anything but steady when he gets in no mustard required. Listen based on the early reviews it’s not going to be pretty at guard all that often. Neither PG can take their guy off the dribble and create they’re both slow. Brendan can’t play the point unless the other team doesn’t have a great defender who can break him down so it’s up to those 2 for the most part. Scary but real. Keep working and defending the best they can, keep the turnovers down and with Bouk back at some point we’ll be ok. Just wish we had a dynamic point this team could be special.

I disagree about Cole not breaking his man down. He did that quite often in the Depaul game. The problem is he can't finish among the trees and normally throws up crazy shots hoping to get a foul. He needs to learn to pass to the open guy in that situation.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I disagree about Cole not breaking his man down. He did that quite often in the Depaul game. The problem is he can't finish among the trees and normally throws up crazy shots hoping to get a foul. He needs to learn to pass to the open guy in that situation.

The scouting report must be to stay on your man and let Cole take his chances making a layup because the bigs don’t really leave their guy once Cole gets to the rim

 

[mauconnfan]

The scouting report must be to stay on your man and let Cole take his chances making a layup because the bigs don’t really leave their guy once Cole gets to the rim

Guessing along those lines the scouting report is something close to "don't let him get open for the 3, guard the 3 if he gets by we have help and it will be tough for him to finish." He's not breaking them down he may get a step on occasion but there is no acceleration to get to the rim faster than anyone, it's the same with both the PGs.

 

[mauconnfan]

I disagree about Cole not breaking his man down. He did that quite often in the Depaul game. The problem is he can't finish among the trees and normally throws up crazy shots hoping to get a foul. He needs to learn to pass to the open guy in that situation.

He's an east west guy just like the other he's not quick enough to break anyone down unless they are cheating on his 3 or helping off the ball. That's the reality with both PGs we have to live with for now.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Cole is actually shooting a little better from 3 than Bouknight is. He leads the team in attempts (wouldn't if Bouknight didn't miss time). He's a decent shooter out there when he's getting open looks. Shooting .342.

He has disappointed with the floater. That should be going in at a higher percentage. I can only guess that when he's in that intermediate area he's facing more length than he usually did a level down. His 2 pt. percentage is under 32%. That is awful. Too many missed layups as well.

My take as well. I think he's trying to get the shot off quicker to account for the length and hasn't completed the adjustment yet. That's a good thing. He will adjust and it will come. When he finds his mid range game we'll be able to score at all three levels in a way we haven't seen from a UConn team in a long time.

 

[3rdbass]

He's an east west guy just like the other he's not quick enough to break anyone down unless they are cheating on his 3 or helping off the ball. That's the reality with both PGs we have to live with for now.

I disagree with this as he uses a change of pace dribble to get past people and is quicker than he looks. The problem again is he has no ups to rise among the trees. He definitely can create off the dribble better than Gaffney who always looks like he is going half-speed.

 

[mauconnfan]

I disagree with this as he uses a change of pace dribble to get past people and is quicker than he looks. The problem again is he has no ups to rise among the trees. He definitely can create off the dribble better than Gaffney who always looks like he is going half-speed.

Better than Gaff yes but both are short on the ability to get past their guy, he’s a little more creative I agree with that.

 

[Ts5034]

Remember, he took 18 FGA per game at Howard. I agree with the floater, that was his bread and butter in his highlights (from a casual on-looker). It seems, based on FGA that Hurley wants him shooting 3’s and is letting Bouk and Martin slash to the hoop. IMO that’s good coaching.

Last season at Howard, Cole averaged 21 PPG. Through eight games this season, he is averaging just under 10, so his PPG is cut a little bit more than half. Thats to be expected because of the step up in competition, and the fact he's not the #1 option. Cole doesn't have to be Kemba or Shabazz for this team to get to that next level. I view Cole as a 2009 AJ Price. A good experienced PG on a loaded team that can score the basketball when he wants, but at the same time has plenty of options to pass the ball too.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

I view Cole as a 2009 AJ Price.

Cole is a good level below AJ. Cole does not appear to have that extra gear to get by people and agree on the scouting reports above. Other teams see it as well. He will still have his nights once Bouknight comes back and Martin carves out his place.

I can only hope to see Cole break down his defender like AJ. Just ask Jerel McNeal.

 

[Kemba Time]

A.J. Price was a two-time all-Big East first-team pick, second-team All-American and Wooden Award finalist. If you spend the next couple years hoping RJ Cole can be an AJ Price for us, you are going to spend them being really disappointed.

 

[TheChamps990411]

DePaul had the momentum had just gone up by four. No one on our offense seemed to be stepping up. RJ hit the the three. Martin stole the ball and scored. Ad we were ahead. DePaul responded with a dunk --- then never scored again. Big shot by RJ stemmed the tide. Stopped the roll. Whatever. Big shot.

I think Cole had his best game. His shot is still off and he needs new sneakers to keep from slipping but i saw this game as a possibly sign hes turning things around. I want to see him distribute more consistantly and id like to see him go hard and fast off that screen at the top and drive to the basket. Not try a floater or throw up a prayer as hes falling.

 

[TheChamps990411]

A.J. Price was a two-time all-Big East first-team pick, second-team All-American and Wooden Award finalist. If you spend the next couple years hoping RJ Cole can be an AJ Price for us, you are going to spend them being really disappointed.

Yeah i agree. I like RJ and think hes going to be really good but AJ he is not.

 

[Hoophound]

RJ needs to learn to make shots in the lane despite his lack of leaping ability. He’s deceptively quick and can get by his man. He needs an effective floater and a “stop on a dime” pull up jumper. KEA could score in the lane but he used touch and arc to get it done. RJ doesn’t seem to have that in his game, which is surprising, because he would have needed it often, even at Howard. Most guys his size that play D1 basketball have those shots down.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Yeah i agree. I like RJ and think hes going to be really good but AJ he is not.

we don't need him to be aj. we just need him to be rj, this rj, and not what imaginations think he was somewhere else. superior to the ag who once was here, and who seems to live on in some posters imagination. as the starting floor general, the team is 7-1, 4-1 in conference, and nationally ranked, all firsts in a long, long time. nice back of baseball card.