Dan Hurley on UConn's Jayden Ross: "A Switch Has Been Flipped."

[Deleted at users request]

I don't think Hurley and the staff are punting on the idea of Jayden Ross dribble driving to the basket per se. They will develop it, but there are guys that have that ability now. The play designs and the line ups that necessitate more dribble driving will either leave Ross out of them or have him on the floor with others that can dribble drive.

There are always going to be guys with that ability. If Hurley doesn’t want to take that time for him to invest in Ross doing that now what will change next year?

That mindset is what kept Andre from being developed offensively until his last year when it effected winning. I’d appreciate if Hurley could be more proactive about developing some of the really great talent we have here without waiting for it to affect winning first.

 

[gsmooth]

There are always going to be guys with that ability. If Hurley doesn’t want to take that time for him to invest in Ross doing that now what will change next year?

That mindset is what kept Andre from being developed offensively until his last year when it effected winning. I’d appreciate if Hurley could be more proactive about developing some of the really great talent we have here without waiting for it to affect winning first.

I did not make it clear in my post, but I don't think Hurley is neglecting taking the time to improve Ross' dribble driving now. I am certain there are working on it, but probably not to the same degree and time as with others that are just better at it. Ross probably fills a few deficiencies that other players have. Remember, Ross hardly played last year so he isn't used to the game pressure. Hurley and the staff probably want to spend more time developing Ross on the things he is currently good at and maximize those skills. Then Ross can lean on those particular skills he has maximized when the pressure and stress of the game are there.

 

[IndyLives]

Danny likes his big guards. With our depth, I dont think Nowell will get much PT early on unless its garbage time or to give someone a spot breather.

 

[auror]

Triple bigs?

Might want to re-check that math.

 

[HuskyInfinity]

There are always going to be guys with that ability. If Hurley doesn’t want to take that time for him to invest in Ross doing that now what will change next year?

That mindset is what kept Andre from being developed offensively until his last year when it effected winning. I’d appreciate if Hurley could be more proactive about developing some of the really great talent we have here without waiting for it to affect winning first.

But that approach did affect winning and is the reason why Andre turned into a borderline first round prospect. When teams started ignoring Andre anytime he attempted a three, he was a net negative on the court and we were a worse off team. From that moment Hurley simplified the things for Andre to focus on in a game and it allowed him to really highlight and prove the skills he already had. There was a noticeable difference in both the performance of the team and how Andre gained recognition as the high end talent in addition to his on court results.

As gsmooth said, I am sure they are having these guys practice their deficient skills in practice and more so in the off season to a certain extent but if a guy is allowed to just do anything on the court regardless of the level of that skill that’ll not only negatively affect winning but also the degree to which he can further his development and elongate his career. And obviously the two are correlated but would you rather the program focus just on the overall development of a player or target the things that’ll position them to be a better player (and possible NBA player) and give us the highest chance of winning ?

 

[superjohn]

Does Ross have the handle for the 2?

No

 

[FreeKlaiber]

This is not a great thing as a development coach to me and makes me sigh. Like if a player has a deficiency why is the mindset to coach around it instead of developing it?

Ross will need to learn that eventually at the next level. Punting on doing that for a year is not good development.

huh? It's not like Ross is sitting out dribble penetration drills in practice. It's not a strength of his, ok, but he's a 3 and D guy generally. I don't think Hurley is overly concerned that Ross isn't great yet at a skill that UConn isn't going to need him for this year. It's like Clingan and 3's. Got great form, but Hurley didn't want to hear about it, because it wasn't what DC's job was. I don't see any abdication of developmental coaching.

 

[superjohn]

Hassan Diarra is starting, until either he plays himself out of the starting role, or Mahaney plays that much better than him, consistently, over a number of games.

This is simple. Hurley is a loyalist and always defaults to the guy he knows and feels will get the job done. Furthermore, trust is also very important to him, which is why he does not start freshmen unless he has no other option.

People forget that Karaban was actually NOT the starter at the beginning of the year two years ago. Samson Johnson was and he got hurt. Then Karaban was installed as the starter and by the time Johnson came back Karaban had shown himself to be such a revelation that Johnson barely got on the court. In addition, Castle did not start at first last year either, and then after his knee injury it was a few games after he came back before he actually started. Once Hurley was satisfied that he was the better option, ONLY THEN did Castle start. But Hurley has always been deliberate with these decisions when he has the time and talent at his disposal.

It is that way again with the Diarra / Mahaney starting situation now.

He's going to play the players who have the best chance for UConn to win a third straight championship. He isn't a loyalist who is going to play people just because they have seniority in the program. He would start three freshmen if they were our best players and gave us the best chance to win and fulfill his vision. Also, Karaban was going to start.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Hurley seems to always mention McNeeley anytime he’s asked about this years team. Even as recently as today with McAfee. He’s building him up. As it comes to leaps, it’s always Ball and Ross. The guy we aren’t hearing much about is Stew, for whatever reason.

Guess of an average time:

Ball, Ross and McNeeley at the 2 - 25/10/5

McNeeley, Ross and Stew at the 3 - 20/10/10

Karaban and Stew at the 4 30-10

Ball - 25
Ross - 20
McNeeley - 25
Stew - 20
AK - 30

And the fun part for us fans is we know everything he says and everything he omits has a motivational purpose to it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

People forget that Karaban was the starter until he got hurt and then Samson Johnson became the starter until Johnson got hurt and then a healthy Karaban reclaimed his previous spot in the starting line up two years ago.

I fixed it for you. The only reason Johnson was ever getting starting reps was Karaban was dinged up. Then, when Johnson got hurt and Karaban was healed, Karaban was the starter and we haven't looked back since then.

This myth that there was ever a time when both Johnson and Karaban were healthy, and Johnson was ahead of Karaban is one of the BY's great ones.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Might want to re-check that math.

I assumed we were only going to play with 4 to make it fair to other teams…

 

[Deleted at users request]

I did not make it clear in my post, but I don't think Hurley is neglecting taking the time to improve Ross' dribble driving now. I am certain there are working on it, but probably not to the same degree and time as with others that are just better at it. Ross probably fills a few deficiencies that other players have. Remember, Ross hardly played last year so he isn't used to the game pressure. Hurley and the staff probably want to spend more time developing Ross on the things he is currently good at and maximize those skills. Then Ross can lean on those particular skills he has maximized when the pressure and stress of the game are there.

I hope you’re right about this development plan for Ross. I’m of the opinion that it’s best to add to player skills to help them be more well rounded rather than maximizing skills they already have.

 

[Deleted at users request]

But that approach did affect winning and is the reason why Andre turned into a borderline first round prospect. When teams started ignoring Andre anytime he attempted a three, he was a net negative on the court and we were a worse off team. From that moment Hurley simplified the things for Andre to focus on in a game and it allowed him to really highlight and prove the skills he already had. There was a noticeable difference in both the performance of the team and how Andre gained recognition as the high end talent in addition to his on court results.

As gsmooth said, I am sure they are having these guys practice their deficient skills in practice and more so in the off season to a certain extent but if a guy is allowed to just do anything on the court regardless of the level of that skill that’ll not only negatively affect winning but also the degree to which he can further his development and elongate his career. And obviously the two are correlated but would you rather the program focus just on the overall development of a player or target the things that’ll position them to be a better player (and possible NBA player) and give us the highest chance of winning ?

The thing with Andre was that Hurley told him to focus on 3 point shooting throughout his time here. He adjusted when it was accepted that wouldn’t be a thing and it hurt the team and then asked him to attack more and play closer to the rim. He should’ve asked him to do that from day 1 but didn’t for similar reasons we’re hearing about Ross dribble penetration, it wasn’t needed at the time. It was a very reactive instead of proactive way of developing him.

I don’t think focusing on overall player development and winning have to be mutually exclusive.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I hope you’re right about this development plan for Ross. I’m of the opinion that it’s best to add to player skills to help them be more well rounded rather than maximizing skills they already have.

Here we go again…


If Hurley & Co. didn’t have detailed and effective development plans for every player, this thread about Ross wouldn’t even be a thing.

It’s clear that Ross has taken a developmental LEAP.

Just because Hurley mentioned he doesn’t need to do dribble penetration in-game, doesn’t mean it’s not being worked on and worked on hard during practice.

As already mentioned before on this thread, Donovan was working hard on 3s all last year. If you showed up early for games, he was taking a ton as part of his routine pre-game warmups.

I don’t know how much more obvious proof you need for you to stop your weird/wrong obsession about all of the developmental crimes you think Hurley & Co. have committed.

It’s weird and bizarre

 

[NJHusky]

There are always going to be guys with that ability. If Hurley doesn’t want to take that time for him to invest in Ross doing that now what will change next year?

That mindset is what kept Andre from being developed offensively until his last year when it effected winning. I’d appreciate if Hurley could be more proactive about developing some of the really great talent we have here without waiting for it to affect winning first.

Really....so EVERYONE is going to EXCELLENT at EVERYTHING....that's basically the logical conclusion of your mindset. It's ridiculous. It doesn't work that way...no matter how much time staff put in, Ajax was NEVER going to be the best 3 pt shooter on the team. But according to your logic they failed him because they didn't turn him into a good 3 pt shooter.

Ross can work on his handle, but in the meantime they put him in the best position to succeed by doing what he does best....that is quality coaching...figuring out what your guys do best and put them in a position to succeed. Wanting them to focus on doing something they arent great at, or in the alternative not playing because of that limitation rather than putting them in a position to play/succeed is nuts

 

[Hunt for 7]

Maybe the reason Hurley said he is not going to be asked to do that, is because he knew the comment was going to be recorded and he used it to pass on some misinformation.

I think he mixed in a little truth, the comment about being a long lean quick defensive machine, because we need that from him, but from what I have seen Ross can go to the basket. He is not great but he is long with very good hops, he has nba size and athleticism he can get his shot off and that is the most important thing he will learn how to finish.

He has a super high ceiling and I think we should not underestimate what this kid provides this year.

 

[Skiblets]

To me and what I’ve read about other teams (ncaa and pro) developmental philosophies is, if a kid is good but not great at one thing and poor at another and you spend more time trying to bring that poor skill to even average, then in the game they won’t be able to even do the thing they originally did well bc they will be focused on testing out new skills that they haven’t proven are game worthy yet. If you have a kid focus on perfecting the thing they are good at and nothing else, the game is much simpler for them and when the time comes to add in a less proficient skill of there’s in the future they will at least have another skill to fall back on and provide useful in games and continue to warrant PT.

There's a business philsophy called Strength Finders which espouses this very thing. Do more of the stuff you're really good at and find ways to minimize the things you aren't rather than focusing your time and energy on the getting better at what you're really bad at, and won't ever be good...

 

[BlueMAB]

I’d appreciate if Hurley could be more proactive about developing some of the really great talent we have here without waiting for it to affect winning first.

This is a very odd take. At what point is the player responsible for their development? The staff has been clear about meeting players half way between developing them and winning games. They’ve done it better than anyone the last two years.

 

[aceboon]

 

[Spaceman213J]

If he is a Swiss Army knife that can cover three positions that will be invaluable. He would become a key to our success this year.

Not really comparing their roles, but I could see him put up some Andre Jackson numbers in more than a few games with 8-10 points, 5-6 rebounds, 5-6 assists and a few steals here and there.

 

[RuffRuff]

Not really comparing their roles, but I could see him put up some Andre Jackson numbers in more than a few games with 8-10 points, 5-6 rebounds, 5-6 assists and a few steals here and there.

Very different players - Ross doesn’t have near the twitchiness Ajax had. That guy looked like he was running on a different type of fuel.

The scoring spread is going to be really interesting this year. Right now I feel like it could land 15 different ways with the only confident assumption is AK leads in points scored.

 

[Kitaman]

He's hyping Ross up before tipoff.

 

[navery12]

Hurley seems to always mention McNeeley anytime he’s asked about this years team. Even as recently as today with McAfee. He’s building him up. As it comes to leaps, it’s always Ball and Ross. The guy we aren’t hearing much about is Stew, for whatever reason.

Guess of an average time:

Ball, Ross and McNeeley at the 2 - 25/10/5

McNeeley, Ross and Stew at the 3 - 20/10/10

Karaban and Stew at the 4 30-10

Ball - 25
Ross - 20
McNeeley - 25
Stew - 20
AK - 30

He's hyping up all 3 sophomores

 

[navery12]

I assume Ross starts at the 3 tomorrow night, and he may be awfully hard to dislodge

Based on the comments from Hurley today McNeeley is playing tomorrow and Ross is out

 

[HooperScooper]

He's hyping up all 3 sophomores

Isn't "a couple" 2 and not 3?

 

[Deleted at users request]

Really....so EVERYONE is going to EXCELLENT at EVERYTHING....that's basically the logical conclusion of your mindset. It's ridiculous. It doesn't work that way...no matter how much time staff put in, Ajax was NEVER going to be the best 3 pt shooter on the team. But according to your logic they failed him because they didn't turn him into a good 3 pt shooter.

No that’s not what I said at all. They failed him because they pushed all their chips into him becoming a 3 pt shooter and nothing else until it was too late.

Which makes my skin crawl when I see him dismissing a need for Ross to develop other offensive skills outside of just shooting. There’s more to offense than just telling guys to become better 3 point shooters but it’s all we seem to teach.

 

[navery12]

No that’s not what I said at all. They failed him because they pushed all their chips into him becoming a 3 pt shooter and nothing else until it was too late.

Which makes my skin crawl when I see him dismissing a need for Ross to develop other offensive skills outside of just shooting. There’s more to offense than just telling guys to become better 3 point shooters but it’s all we seem to teach.

It's amazing Dan Hurley has won back to back national championships and has a reputation as one of the best developers of talent when all he does is try and teach guys to shoot 3's. You must think he's running the biggest grift in college basketball history

 

[NJHusky]

No that’s not what I said at all. They failed him because they pushed all their chips into him becoming a 3 pt shooter and nothing else until it was too late.

Which makes my skin crawl when I see him dismissing a need for Ross to develop other offensive skills outside of just shooting. There’s more to offense than just telling guys to become better 3 point shooters but it’s all we seem to teach.

Too late???? They won then chip with him in the dunker spot. Sounds like they utilized him perfectly

 

[Son of Robert]

I remember reading once a couple of years ago when Ross first came into the program, an early recruiting story if you will, that Ross was playing the point as a fifteen-year-old, a sophomore in high school, before he suddenly shot up in height from like 5'11 to 6'4 or so, and his coaches moved him into the frontcourt. Just sayin.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Too late???? They won then chip with him in the dunker spot. Sounds like they utilized him perfectly

Different conversations we’re having.