CV Returning

[August_West]

@August_West bat signal?

I can throw a rock and hit a killer Arby’s ( so much better than NE Arby’s! ) from my hotel window. It’s taking every bit of will power I have not to hit it tonight. So don’t tag me like that.

 

[intlzncster]

Does he have to apply before this year or if he's fully healthy in say 2 years can he apply for an extra year?

Usually apply once your eligibility has been exhausted. So if AG plays 3 and then decides he wants one more, he could apply for the hardship waver. It's usually granted, but...NCAA.

 

[ctchamps]

Every single one of our players is singing that tune. If they fully invest in what Hurley is teaching them and Alterique is healthy and back to being Alterique you can pretty much pencil us in to the field.

24-29 wins baby! Who else is all in besides @8893 and myself.

 

[CL82]

I think CV will look much better with more structured ball movement and game plans. Both he and Jalen will benefit from not being stuck creating as the clock ticks down. I have no idea what that translates to in wins though.

 

[UconnU]

I think CV will look much better with more structured ball movement and game plans. Both he and Jalen will benefit from not being stuck creating as the clock ticks down. I have no idea what that translates to in wins though.

One of the things he can do well is dribble penetrate, and that skill is of the most importance in this offense. He needs to put on weight to be able to finish through contact though.

 

[mauconnfan]

This can be nothing but good for this team. Kudos to Danny for this buy in which I assume would be ALL IN. I mean he has to know he won't be getting the 35-38 minutes a game he was last year and the open slate to fire when ready. Fishy put it best, that type of time and allowance brought out the weaknesses. A structured system for the 5 guards will allow him to make smarter decisions while not forcing things. Of course it all depends on a healthy Alterique or things can change a bit. Nonetheless it can never hurt to have a kid with the heart and drive he has to be the very best he can be, and with some disciplined coaching he will only get better for himself and the team.

 

[8893]

Every single one of our players is singing that tune. If they fully invest in what Hurley is teaching them and Alterique is healthy and back to being Alterique you can pretty much pencil us in to the field.

@JMick says this is an intellectually dishonest expectation.

 

[August_West]

@JMick says this is an intellectually dishonest expectation.

Jmick molests collies

 

[Doctor Hoop]

As others have noted, Vital's limitations were an awkward shot with which he could at times get hot, an inability to find the open guy on the break and too many minutes to demonstrate the limitations. He'll have a short leash chucking the ball, fewer minutes, and even fewer minutes if he doesn't find the open guy occasionally rather than trying to be Lebron on the break.

But I like his intensity on defense, and with a little coaching could be the guy who is a defensive stopper for us on the perimeter.

 

[JMick]

@JMick says this is an intellectually dishonest expectation.

Only when coupled by the idea that if we don't meet that expectation in year 1 then we shouldn't have hired a new coach.

Id be ecstatic if we made the tournament. I still think 20 wins and the NIT would be a good season

 

[August_West]

Only when coupled by the idea that if we don't meet that expectation in year 1 then we shouldn't have hired a new coach.

Id be ecstatic if we made the tournament. I still think 20 wins and the NIT would be a good season

stop apologizing for medicocrity.

 

[Excalibur]

Every single one of our players is singing that tune. If they fully invest in what Hurley is teaching them and Alterique is healthy and back to being Alterique you can pretty much pencil us in to the field.

It's easy to sing that tune in the offseason. I'll be more encouraged if they're still singing it in November.

 

[8893]

Only when coupled by the idea that if we don't meet that expectation in year 1 then we shouldn't have hired a new coach.

Which I haven't done.

 

[Fishy]

It's easy to sing that tune in the offseason. I'll be more encouraged if they're still singing it in November.

I don't even care about what they're singing in November.

This is still the worst roster I've ever seen at UConn and none of these kids, save the transfers, has received anything near competent coaching.

An awful lot would have to go right for this team to make it to the NCAAs.

 

[8893]

This is still the worst roster I've ever seen at UConn

IF--and I understand it's a big IF--Gilbert is and remains healthy, do you think it's a worse roster than last season?

Personally, I was never sold on Larrier and believe we will be upgraded at that position. Jalen will be Jalen and, if Gilbert is healthy, that's a back court upgrade, too.

Front court remains a mystery but I wouldn't expect it to be any worse than last season; my hope is that a new coach and a renewed focus on toughness will help it improve.

 

[TRest]

I don't even care about what they're singing in November.

This is still the worst roster I've ever seen at UConn and none of these kids, save the transfers, has received anything near competent coaching.

An awful lot would have to go right for this team to make it to the NCAAs.

The end of the Perno years were worse than this, outside of Cliff and Gamble. If UConn essentially begins with JC, then our bigs are even worse than I thought.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If he's the same player he was as a sophomore, then yeah, he will see his minutes reduced. But I don't see any reason to believe that will be the case given the upgrade in coaching and the fact that he's a rising junior. That's when a lot of players make a jump.

You have 120 minutes to spend 1-3. Provided Gilbert is healthy, that's probably about 30 for him and 35 for Adams. That leaves 55 minutes for Vital, Smith, and Wilson - assuming Wilson spends some of his time at the four, you could still be in the neighborhood of 25 minutes for Vital.

A lot of the improvement Vital makes won't show up in the box score. That's one of the luxuries of depth - you don't do the dirty work coach wants you to do defensively and you find yourself on the bench. Once you account for the massive difference in circumstance, Vital's trajectory starts to look a lot like Albert Mouring's. If he can average double figures, shoot around 40% from three, defend, and mix in just enough complementary play-making, professional scouts will take him more seriously at this time next year or the year after.

Wilson is not going to get most of his minutes at the 4. Hopefully few to none. You've also got Polley to share those 1-3 minutes.

The first change I hope we see is knocking down those minutes for J. Adams. Maybe 30. Gilbert 25. That gives you another 10. Let's assume Freshman B. Adams plays sparingly, because he's in the mix as well. Smith is going to play, CV, Polley and Wilson, all need to split 65 minutes. CV is going to have to fight for his.

The front court has 80 minutes to share across Carlton, Yawke, Diarra, Whaley, Williams, Cobb and if he plays the 4, Polley. Minutes are scarce everywhere. So what does that mean?

If I had a roster like this, with few stars and a number of interchangeable parts, I'd press and run all game long. Turn it into a style of play that nobody can play for more than 25 minutes anyway. Arkansas' old 40 minutes of hell style basketball. Rotate guys in constantly, putting fresh defenders on the opposition and scoring in transition.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't even care about what they're singing in November.

This is still the worst roster I've ever seen at UConn and none of these kids, save the transfers, has received anything near competent coaching.

An awful lot would have to go right for this team to make it to the NCAAs.

Disagree on the roster. I think it has more talent than Hurley's URI team last year. Completely agree on the competent coaching. This is our theme for the year. Let's see what happens. Guys like Diarra are not talentless scrubs if used properly.

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/67120022.jpg

 

[Excalibur]

I don't even care about what they're singing in November.

This is still the worst roster I've ever seen at UConn and none of these kids, save the transfers, has received anything near competent coaching.

An awful lot would have to go right for this team to make it to the NCAAs.

I was approaching it from a "do they look like they care?" standpoint than a "can they be competitive?" one . . .

At its best, and if everything goes right, the ceiling for this team is the NCAA bubble.

 

[UConnStats]

A guard who can rebound is going to be huge this year as we will likely use a stretch 4 pretty often.

Hopefully our new offense will give Vital more open spot up 3 looks, as only 20.6% of his 3s came unassisted last year. He's much better when he doesn't have to dribble into his shot.

Another added bonus is Vital's ability to draw fouls and get to the line. His FTA/FGA was 43.3% last year, which was (sadly) more than Adams and Larrier combined.

 

[ctchamps]

stop apologizing for medicocrity.

A mediocrity apologista.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I was approaching it from a "do they look like they care?" standpoint than a "can they be competitive?" one . . .

At its best, and if everything goes right, the ceiling for this team is the NCAA bubble.

That undersells them I think. If they commit to defense, this team can be better than that. It's going to have to score off of its defense and in transition. If we find ourselves in a lot of half court sets, we will struggle on the offensive end.

 

[JMick]

A mediocrity apologista.

This will never stop being ironic coming from you and august

 

[pj]

This will never stop being ironic coming from you and august

Failing to make the tourney was disappointing under KO and it will be disappointing if it happens under Hurley.

I'm sure August and freud were disappointed under KO, but there's no shame in supporting the coach as long as he remains the coach. That's a principled stand. It's rather less principled, I would think, to set a low bar for the new coach, particularly after you were a big advocate of his hiring.

 

[Excalibur]

Failing to make the tourney was disappointing under KO and it will be disappointing if it happens under Hurley.

I'm sure August and freud were disappointed under KO, but there's no shame in supporting the coach as long as he remains the coach. That's a principled stand. It's rather less principled, I would think, to set a low bar for the new coach, particularly after you were a big advocate of his hiring.

Not if you think (rightly) that the low bar is a result of the failings of the previous coach. It's disingenuous to compare a new coach to one who oversaw the decline.

 

[JMick]

Failing to make the tourney was disappointing under KO and it will be disappointing if it happens under Hurley.

I'm sure August and freud were disappointed under KO, but there's no shame in supporting the coach as long as he remains the coach. That's a principled stand. It's rather less principled, I would think, to set a low bar for the new coach, particularly after you were a big advocate of his hiring.

The situations aren't even remotely comparable. One person burned the program to the ground and now the other one has to start from scratch. I was joking with someone when I said that there are people here who can't even define the word "expectation" but people like you have proven it's more reality than fiction.

 

[8893]

Not if you think (rightly) that the low bar is a result of the failings of the previous coach. It's disingenuous to compare a new coach to one who oversaw the decline.

Whether you compare the two or not the question of expectations for the season inevitably arises. If you assume—which I do—that the roster will be as good as or better than last season, and that the new guy is a better coach, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have the same expectations as last season, which, for me, was making the tourney (before Gilbert went down, and before I realized that Larrier had chronic lethargy).

 

[jibsey]

I predict CV is about to have a talk with Hurley on shot selection and if he continues to jack up shots 5 feet beyond the line I see his minutes going down. The good news is that he’s probably smarter and a good competitor so he can learn from the new coach. No 2 ways about it that he is a quality body to have on this team.

 

[Excalibur]

Whether you compare the two or not the question of expectations for the season inevitably arises. If you assume—which I do—that the roster will be as good as or better than last season, and that the new guy is a better coach, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have the same expectations as last season, which, for me, was making the tourney (before Gilbert went down, and before I realized that Larrier had chronic lethargy).

I adjusted my expectations pretty quickly after the first few games last year.

 

[8893]

I adjusted my expectations pretty quickly after the first few games last year.

As will I this season if Gilbert is not healthy enough to be our starting point guard by December.