Confidence in Danny Going Forward

[DB24MTN]

8-9. Guy is in year two and still doesn't have all of his own guys in yet. We’ve already showed a ton of improvement and I think those posting below that are reacting to the eye burning performance we saw tonight. There are going to be ups and downs, and this is one of the downs. I believe there will be many more ups in the future than performances like this.

 

[Towney007]

He's supposed to coach them, Hurley said Alterique and Josh would be all-league and Alterique would have a chance at AAC player of the year. Why do we make the coaching change and why does Hurley bring back all the same players if we aren't expecting him to coach them out of bad habits and make them better players? We're just supposed to sit here and say they suck while Hurley keeps playing them and expect to get our doors blown off every 4 or 5 games by teams that aren't really any good? If that's what you 100% expect then he obviously shouldn't be playing them more than some spot minutes to spell the young guys when they need a rest.

If you don't expect him to run a half court offense and instead of seeing these veterans to get better were supposed to see them stay the exact same of regress then what is he getting paid to do? Just keep running the same lineup out there and have three cr@p seasons in a row because he couldn't stomach running any players off.

You say you're not making excuses but you are. The talent thing excuse doesn't really work when you get your s***t pushed in by Cincy and St. Joes.

LOL OF COURSE he's going to say that stuff about those guys. He's going to talk up and pump up his players - ESPECIALLY ptsd players like that. No matter how much he believes it - he's not going to get in front of a TV camera and say 'yeah, so these guys aren't good enough." Ever. He's going to defend them when he shouldn't. He's going to talk them up. All of it. And he's not here to coach 'bad habits.' They're flawed players. He's not coaching blazing gaps in skillsets out of these kids. That's not how it works lol. He's here to recruit better players and win with those guys. Because you can't with these ones.

He's here to build a program. And as bad as some of these guys have been - they're still further down the line than the younger players we have now sans Akok who is starting. So they're going to be who we're going to play for now and until they play themselves out of their spots (which they're already doing). We've been 15 rounds about pushing kids out of the program. I'm not for it. Sucks for now - but it'll pay off in the end. Roasting players is what Boeheim does. And we're beating his pants off recruits he's been after. Recruits and coaches talk about these things.

Bottom line is, we're not even halfway into the guy's second season, he's brought in a top 20 recruiting class one year and might have a second one coming - we actually play defense again and all our young players are soaking up more and more playing time. Some games i'd rather forget, but there's been plenty that have surprised me pleasantly, too. I feel like we're right where we should be - even if these games still happen now and then.

 

[zls44]

I just want to ask the folks who are concerned if they honestly think any coach is drawing up whatever it is Vital and Alterique are doing out there. Do you think he's telling them to not move off the ball, to never run the baseline or make a hard cut, to take 18-foot twos and fadeaways?

 

[superjohn]

I just want to ask the folks who are concerned if they honestly think any coach is drawing up whatever it is Vital and Alterique are doing out there. Do you think he's telling them to not move off the ball, to never run the baseline or make a hard cut, to take 18-foot twos and fadeaways?

No but he's coaching the triple weave and coaching Carlton to come out to the three point line constantly.

We've been turning it over like madmen lately as well, that isn't a talent issue it's a focus issue. It wasn't there in the earlier games.

Just call it straight, you can believe he's a great program builder who will turn it around while also pointing out all the bad stuff too.

 

[husky429]

No but he's coaching the triple weave and coaching Carlton to come out to the three point line constantly.

We've been turning it over like madmen lately as well, that isn't a talent issue it's a focus issue. It wasn't there in the earlier games.

Just call it straight, you can believe he's a great program builder who will turn it around while also pointing out all the bad stuff too.

I agree. Not sure why it's so black and white with people.

Great mentor. Great defensive coach generally. He has the potential to be an elite college coach.

But hes also absolutely not maximizing our offense throwing Carlton on the perimeter. Even Akok isn't facing up on the 3 pt line when he gets in the handoff situations. Sooo easy to defend.

It simply isn't working.

I'd love to see some dribble at back cuts, guard to guard handoffs with Bouk to switch him onto Riques (usually smaller) defender. Have polley set screens and open up for shots. Pin down screens for our shooters. Horns sets again. Anything.

A lot of options have the potential to work. We have yet to adjust at all.

 

[Mike Honcho]

9 for me. I love Hurley's eye for talent and he can develop players.

This place sometimes seems to forget its own history. I was at a December home game vs Villanova during the "1990 Dream Season" and we had 17 points at the half, the crowd booed the team off the court at halftime and Calhoun was waving his arms gesturing too the fans to keep booing. I'm sure he really wanted to flip the crowd the bird. I think that game is part of the youtube archive so you can watch for yourself.

Great memory. I just went back to watch this. It was 16 points at the half:

 

[Chief00]

Springs sitting out this year will be great long term, but really is going to hurt us this year. We have no depth in the front court. Josh and Whaley are going to play because we have no choice.

I think Cole is going to be a huge upgrade over Gilbert.

That spring scholarship we have is going to be very important. Staff is swinging for a major recruit.

Confirmed. Furthermore, if last night’s trend continues - there could be two sets of shoes to fill in spring.

 

[Chief00]

I agree. Not sure why it's so black and white with people.

Great mentor. Great defensive coach generally. He has the potential to be an elite college coach.

But hes also absolutely not maximizing our offense throwing Carlton on the perimeter. Even Akok isn't facing up on the 3 pt line when he gets in the handoff situations. Sooo easy to defend.

It simply isn't working.

I'd love to see some dribble at back cuts, guard to guard handoffs with Bouk to switch him onto Riques (usually smaller) defender. Have polley set screens and open up for shots. Pin down screens for our shooters. Horns sets again. Anything.

A lot of options have the potential to work. We have yet to adjust at all.

Chief agrees up to a point. But, you still need guys, who can knock down the shot off a well designed and executed play. Additionally, there were two torture chambers going inside on both ends of the court, and our guys just got totally physically abused.
Akok was the only guy who competed in the paint. He is still a relative skinny dude, but he is also a serious dude, who did The Grind ALL summer.
Watching Akok play and practice, one thing is clear, he sets high standards for himself. When he messes up, he’s very unhappy with himself. He doesn’t keep repeating a mistake like some of his teammates.

 

[UConn2SF]

9.
I have a lot of confidence in him because of his ability to recruit. He's put together a coaching staff of great recruiters, he works his ass off on the recruiting trail, he's an elite talent evaluator, and he is a very good closer. His recruiting will, for the most part, overcome his in-game deficiencies.

 

[HuskylnSC]

It took Calhoun half-a-decade to build the culture he wanted and needed, by the way. There's a reason he demanded a 7-year contract when he took the job.

Hurley's a 9, dude.

The most salient point made and strongest reason not to abandon ship. The sky is not falling and the chicken little in us needs to calm down.

Look ahead. The 3 best basketball players on the team are freshmen. Imagine them in their junior year; Bigger, faster, stronger, and most important, experienced. Cole and springs will bring increased athleticism to their positions. The two committed recruits; Andre is a player like we don't have and Javonte Brown Ferguson may have the highest upside of anyone on the team. I feel certain more and better players are on the way.

Hurley's in game coaching doesn't look like much right now. But his hands are tied by the limitations of the current personnel. Don't jump ship or you will look wet and foolish when you climb back on in TWO years

 

[UConnSwag11]

He just got a bunch of stud freshmen and one of them is the only one on the team who can get his own shot. This is a process

 

[HuskylnSC]

7. But I think about JC always saying that his team has to impose its will on the opponent. I don’t think Dan has succeeded in imposing his will on his own team.

If he had imposed his will as I assume you mean, the team would be playing worse and the culture of losing would be more firmly ingrained. If he had imposed his will and taken minutes from the hold overs who aren't grasping what he is doing, the season would have been a string of losses. And 70% of the boneyard would be screaming for DH's head on a platter.

If he benched CV for playing hero ball the cry from here would be that we need CV because he can score.
If he benched AL for over dribble and not running the offense the cry from here would be that we need Al because he is are only ball handler
If he benched Polly for lack of effort the cry from here is he is our best 3 point shooter.

He has a double barrel challenge - Destroy the losing mentality and Develop players. He is trying to do both at the same time. Which, IMO, is the right move for now.

Wait until after 3 years to judge this guy. Wait until Bok and Gaff are juniors or seniors. Then judge DH's performance

 

[HuskylnSC]

I feel like you’re giving him a nine because of what you think he will do. Not where we are right now.

I’m just curious what are your expectations this year? And if it’s improvement and players getting better, where have we seen that? Brendan Adams is the only player that has made strides.

when do you start to judge him on record and win quality? Many of these players have been coached more by him then Ollie now.

Gaffney has made tremendous strides for a guy who missed 20 practices. Did you see his 7 assist 0 TO game. He is under control with his head up. He penetrates with a purpose. His passes are very catchable. These are thing that I don't see with Al.

Bouk also has started to play with more control. He is learning that he can't get away with some of those high school moves here. As his repertoire of moves improves, he can become a real go to player.

Akok makes his presence felt more in each game. He seems by nature to be very team integrated and looks to score in the flow. But because the primary guards do not create the flow, he is not getting the ball when and where he needs it.

Can you compare Whalley this year to last year and say he has not improved. last year he just took up minutes. This year he is active on defense and working the boards as best he can as an undersized post.

The most these guys have had with DH's coaching is 1 year and 12 games. KO had 2 plus years with these guys and it is harder to coach bad habits out than good habits in. Under stress players fall back to what is comfortable, the bad habits.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Can we please stop comparing Hurley's situation to Calhoun's? Calhoun took over the worst program in a conference where 6 of the 9 schools would make a Final Four in the 80's, and the conference had five Hall of Fame coaches when Calhoun took the UConn job. Does anyone even know the name of Cincinnati's coach without looking it up?

UConn didn't just lose to Mark Jackson or Alonzo Mourning or Derrick Coleman. That Cincinnati team had whatever players it had, and a first year coach that is pretty unpopular with his own fan base, and they thumped the Huskies.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Right so he’s 27th. Which would roughly mean the team should be contending for a top 25 ranking if he’s being paid at that level. I have a lot of confidence in him and really like the players he is bringing in, but staring down the barrel of another tough conference play season is brutal. It’s fair to question some of the decision making that’s happening is all. I’m okay with some tough losses, but showings like tonight are not acceptable.

Hey, I've got an idea. Based on your logic, why don't we make him the highest paid coach and go straight to the national championship this year. Problem solved!

 

[freescooter]

NIT.



2021-22.

Wow. Just Wow.

 

[Tenspro2002]

At this point all we know is he can't win at a high level with KO's recruits. That just means he's not a miracle-worker.

If the results improve as he brings in his own guys, that's a good sign. If the results get worse as he brings in his own guys, then we have a KO situation all over again.

By all accounts, the bright spots on this team are the Hurley guys. It's not time to lose confidence yet.

That said, we should be seeing better on the offensive side, and Hurley needs to put his money where his mouth is in terms of tightening the leash and punishing guys for idiotic or soft play.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

No one is expecting Hurley to win a National Championship with this team. Showing up at a game against a mediocre team ready to play doesn't seem like too much to ask.

 

[freescooter]

7. But I’m starting to get a feel it Mark Gottfried at N.C. State. Not awful but over his head at a major program.

 

[freescooter]

The most salient point made and strongest reason not to abandon ship. The sky is not falling and the chicken little in us needs to calm down.

Look ahead. The 3 best basketball players on the team are freshmen. Imagine them in their junior year; Bigger, faster, stronger, and most important, experienced. Cole and springs will bring increased athleticism to their positions. The two committed recruits; Andre is a player like we don't have and Javonte Brown Ferguson may have the highest upside of anyone on the team. I feel certain more and better players are on the way.

Hurley's in game coaching doesn't look like much right now. But his hands are tied by the limitations of the current personnel. Don't jump ship or you will look wet and foolish when you climb back on in TWO years

 

[freescooter]

Anyone who says it took Calhoun a decade to impose his will was clearly not around in the early 1980s. He took over a team that had never made the the NCAA tournament as a Big East member in a league where 3 teams made the final four one year, and every other team had made at least the sweet 16. With Thompson, Rollie Masamino, Lou Carnasecca, Jim Boehiem As opposing coaches and won the friggin’ league and went to the Elite 8 in his 4th year. Oh and won the NIT in his second st a time when UConn fans would have licked the yellow line down the middle of Route 195 just for an NIT bid.

 

[Griggs]

Tonight was sickening, and there are some things that I have wanted to discuss, and now seems like a great time.

What is your confidence in Danny Hurley leading this team on a scale of 1-10. 1 being bring back KO tomorrow and 10 being the next JC.

I am currently at a five.

I think the biggest mistake he has made as UConn's head coach is not cleaning house when he got here. I understand why he didn't, but it's clear that he needs players that fit his scheme and personality or else it just doesn't work. Danny's best trait as a coach is his ability to recruit (which if we suck the rest of this year, we could be in big trouble). Keeping everyone on the roster limits that ability. He made the politically correct move, but it set the program back another 2 years because it is going to take a while to get new players into the program and developed. There are several players on this roster that do not have the talent to play here. I will leave it at that.

The scary thought to me is what happens next year? What changes? RJ Cole is a player, and is a PG we desperately need, but what immediate help do we have? Andre Jackson is a great prospect, but I am not sure he will be a game changer as a freshman. Richie Springs might be a role player and Javonte Brown Ferguson is two years away from really helping. I think we need to recruit a nasty 6-8 grad transfer that can score, and we need another impact big.

What is the ceiling for the current roster? Will Sid ever be a player? Can Josh ever develop a mean streak? Can Polley ever rebound a mfing basketball?

We should be competitive in the league year two. No excuses. But for some reason, I have the same feeling watching this team as I did watching the mess that Ollie produced. It blows my mind Danny keeps getting absolutely out coached and out classed by other teams. He says the right things in interviews and press conferences, but this is now the same thing in year two and year one. I thought there would be so much progress in the off-season, and there hasn't been. Maybe the players have reached their ceilings, but I would rather develop our core for the future than watch Josh Carlton get his feeling hurt by any player with a pulse.

Something has to change. If Hurley can't wait 19-20 games with this roster, that will be a huge reg flag, and it will be harder and harder to recruit and retain our current talent if we don't start to produce.

I believe that the "nasty 6-8 grad transfer " is Jordan Bruner of Yale. A senior who sat out a year with injury. He can score and rebound.

 

[Tex-Lager93]

We’re literally the second year in. We have experienced players without enough talent combined with talented players without enough experience. It’s going take some time to figure it out. We’ll get there.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Bernie Carbo and Aaron Boone hit big game HR's once, too. Guess they should be gifted lifetime contracts and hit cleanup forever.

Go make a list of all the coaches wo won a title over the previous 30 years. You will find it is a rather short list. Hitting game winning home runs happens daily during a baseball season. It is hard as hell to win a national title in Basketball. That analogy is terrible.

A lot of coaches would trade an organ to win just one chip. Let's not diminish that accomplishment.

 

[CL82]

I just want to ask the folks who are concerned if they honestly think any coach is drawing up whatever it is Vital and Alterique are doing out there. Do you think he's telling them to not move off the ball, to never run the baseline or make a hard cut, to take 18-foot twos and fadeaways?

So you are saying he’s lost control of the team?