Dan Hurley says bench depth will make or break season

[drayenob]

Dan Hurley says bench depth will make or break season as UConn men’s basketball practices begin for 2023-24

Backdoor

Hurley feels his group is ahead of where it was last year, before it opened the season with 14 straight wins and went onto its dominant NCAA Tournament run.


He sees returners Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan and Tristen Newton, along with Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer, as players who could average about 14-16 points per game. “It’s gonna have to be sacrifice with that group and a willingness to let it be someone else’s night,” he said.

“This whole season for us is going to come down to the bench. My best teams always have that depth, you saw how fresh we were in March last year because of the depth. I just think that our starting five is going to be as good as anyone’s, it’s ‘can we get the bench?'”

“The way Solo (Ball played) today, Hass (Diarra) was great and has been really good. Samson looks great, Jayden Ross has just been an incredible surprise, he’s so far ahead of where we thought he’d be. J Stu (Jaylin Stewart) is catching up,” he said. “We’ve got the pieces there to potentially put a bench together if those are the guys coming off the bench, but there’s competition for, you know, I think we played nine guys easily last year and even got 10 in at some points, so there’s roles and opportunity there to be won.”

The Huskies, of course, also have McDonald’s All-American Stephon Castle to work into the fold. Castle is likely competing for the fifth starting spot.

“All our freshmen, they’re gonna play for the most part,” Hurley said. “If they’re not a starter they’re gonna have an opportunity to play impact minutes. The freshmen that are playing impact minutes for us, if they’re not starting this year we’re gonna expect them to start as sophomores. … We have a couple freshmen I imagine are going to be in a similar situation like Jordan (Hawkins) and Andre Jackson (when) they were key players as freshmen and then things opened up.”

 

[TheChamps990411]

"Jayden Ross has just been an incredible surprise, he’s so far ahead of where we thought he’d be."
I said it when i saw tape of this kid playing. Hes going ot be far better than people think and it seems to be going that way. Samson is the big key to this season. If he can come off the bench and give 15 minutes every night of productive basketball itll keep DC fresh for march.

 

[aburks41]

Super excited to see what Ross can bring after reading that

 

[HooperScooper]

"Jayden Ross has just been an incredible surprise, he’s so far ahead of where we thought he’d be."
I said it when i saw tape of this kid playing. Hes going ot be far better than people think and it seems to be going that way. Samson is the big key to this season. If he can come off the bench and give 15 minutes every night of productive basketball itll keep DC fresh for march.

Hurley just told @superjohn's friend last week that Ross was going to struggle the most out of all the freshmen. Did Ross put in that much work in the last 10 days?

The Almanac 2023

FIeld of 68+3MW+Heat Check + whomever else is involved's The Almanac is out today. Now in website form. https://cbbalmanac.com/ The highlights for UConn fans. Ranking - #8 (2 seed) Big East - 3rd (13-7) Clingan 1st Team BE, #5 player in the country (2nd team All American, 4 players ahead of...

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[superjohn]

Hurley just told @superjohn's friend last week that Ross was going to struggle the most out of all the freshmen. Did Ross put in that much work in the last 10 days?

The Almanac 2023

FIeld of 68+3MW+Heat Check + whomever else is involved's The Almanac is out today. Now in website form. https://cbbalmanac.com/ The highlights for UConn fans. Ranking - #8 (2 seed) Big East - 3rd (13-7) Clingan 1st Team BE, #5 player in the country (2nd team All American, 4 players ahead of...

the-boneyard.com

He also told him he's put in the work and to watch out for him.

Bodes well for our freshman class if what he's says actually translates to games.

 

[REB1094]

Our starting 5 is probably one of the best in the country. We have two returning national champions, a 5 star one-and-done level talent, a 5th year who led a B10 team in scoring, and a C who is expected to break out into a star

If Samson can provide quality minutes and we get solid contributions from 2-3 of the freshmen off the bench, we'll run back a very dangerous team.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I actually have more questions about the freshmen than Johnson. I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be average at worst, but who knows how inconsistent our freshmen might be?

 

[superjohn]

I actually have more questions about the freshmen than Johnson. I think it’s safe to assume he’ll be average at worst, but who knows how inconsistent our freshmen might be?

Or how consistent and good they'll be.

Clingan and Karaban were certainly really good and consistent.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Hurley just told @superjohn's friend last week that Ross was going to struggle the most out of all the freshmen. Did Ross put in that much work in the last 10 days?

The Almanac 2023

FIeld of 68+3MW+Heat Check + whomever else is involved's The Almanac is out today. Now in website form. https://cbbalmanac.com/ The highlights for UConn fans. Ranking - #8 (2 seed) Big East - 3rd (13-7) Clingan 1st Team BE, #5 player in the country (2nd team All American, 4 players ahead of...

the-boneyard.com

Hurley is a master at deception. lol!

 

[HooperScooper]

He also told him he's put in the work and to watch out for him.

Bodes well for our freshman class if what he's says actually translates to games.

I didn't really understand that original post. Hurley said he was going to struggle the most out of the freshmen. Then he said he's put in the work and to watch out for him. So was Hurley talking about later in the season he would be better? Seems to be contradictory unless he meant later in the season. That's why I asked the question of when Hurley said that.

Well anyway glad to hear Hurley say now that Ross is way ahead of where they thought he'd be.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Our bench should bring a lot of athleticism and energy. Should actually be a nice change of pace from the starters.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Our bench should bring a lot of athleticism and energy. Should actually be a nice change of pace from the starters.

Wait…so are you actually saying our starters (3of which just won that national championship) are slow, unathletic, and lethargic?

You come out with some doozies, that’s for sure!

 

[PlayItLeo]

The praise for Ross doesn't surprise me. I watched him with LuHi on the same day as Castle at Hoophall in January and he is an electric player that is 100% pure motor up and down the floor. He didn't seem like a natural scorer but he has boundless energy and athleticism that prohibits him from sitting on the bench too long. I wouldn't be surprised if he can chip in 6-8ppg this year and a few rebounds purely from hustle plays.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Wait…so are you actually saying our starters (3of which just won that national championship) are slow, unathletic, and lethargic?

You come out with some doozies, that’s for sure!

If you think Newton, Spencer, and Karaban are more athletic than Ball, Ross, and Samson then go for it.

 

[Tampahusky]

I think we will be better than last year but the competition also has stepped up. No true great team last year in the country. Final Four or bust for this team !

 

[FlexOnEm]

Great to hear on Ross. Definitely seems like he had the least hype of the incoming class. Hope he can fill that void of an off the bench 3 point shooter.

 

[superjohn]

Great to hear on Ross. Definitely seems like he had the least hype of the incoming class. Hope he can fill that void of an off the bench 3 point shooter.

It's such an important role. If he can come in and be a knock down shooter while providing energy he'll get a lot of minutes.

 

[alphasigko]

Our starting 5 is probably one of the best in the country. We have two returning national champions, a 5 star one-and-done level talent, a 5th year who led a B10 team in scoring, and a C who is expected to break out into a star

If Samson can provide quality minutes and we get solid contributions from 2-3 of the freshmen off the bench, we'll run back a very dangerous team.

We actually have 3 "returning National Champions" : Karaban, Clingan and Newton

 

[YearoftheHusky]

I think we will be better than last year but the competition also has stepped up. No true great team last year in the country. Final Four or bust for this team !

There was a true great team last year.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

"Jayden Ross has just been an incredible surprise, he’s so far ahead of where we thought he’d be."
I said it when i saw tape of this kid playing. Hes going ot be far better than people think and it seems to be going that way. Samson is the big key to this season. If he can come off the bench and give 15 minutes every night of productive basketball itll keep DC fresh for march.

Agree on Ross - I still maintain he has the highest upside/NBA potential of the whole class; and that's saying a lot considering Mr Castle.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We actually have 3 "returning National Champions" : Karaban, Clingan and Newton

Samson and Diarra qualify as well.

 

[uconngb]

We actually have 3 "returning National Champions" : Karaban, Clingan and Newton

I think he meant starters. There’s Diarra too if you wanna get pedantic……plus the Greek and of course Andrew.

 

[HooperScooper]

Samson and Diarra qualify as well.

He was talking about out of the 5 projected starters.

Our starting 5 is probably one of the best in the country. We have two returning national champions, a 5 star one-and-done level talent, a 5th year who led a B10 team in scoring, and a C who is expected to break out into a star.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He was talking about out of the 5 projected starters.

Our starting 5 is probably one of the best in the country. We have two returning national champions, a 5 star one-and-done level talent, a 5th year who led a B10 team in scoring, and a C who is expected to break out into a star.

I don’t care. Those guys are National Champions.

 

[alphasigko]

Samson and Diarra qualify as well.

True Dat!

 

[RichCTBB]

as long as our bench can play great team defense, we will be in a great position for a deep run. Our 2nd team defense was so disruptive they couldn’t help but to get so many great shots . The body blows came from so many angles. We have so much scoring potential in our starting five this year that the bench won’t have to be relied on to score as much as last year. Just play lock down, disruptive defense and get points off turnovers.

 

[Chief00]

I didn't really understand that original post. Hurley said he was going to struggle the most out of the freshmen. Then he said he's put in the work and to watch out for him. So was Hurley talking about later in the season he would be better? Seems to be contradictory unless he meant later in the season. That's why I asked the question of when Hurley said that.

Well anyway glad to hear Hurley say now that Ross is way ahead of where they thought he'd be.

Hurley is not telling some guy a freshman is going to struggle regardless of what he actually thinks, I have never heard Hurley talk that way to the public.

 

[Chief00]

He was talking about out of the 5 projected starters.

Our starting 5 is probably one of the best in the country. We have two returning national champions, a 5 star one-and-done level talent, a 5th year who led a B10 team in scoring, and a C who is expected to break out into a star.

I still have some questions:
1) Who is going to be the muscle guy to fill that role which Adama thrived in?
2). Who is going to be the defensive stopper, to do what Andre did?

 

[Deleted at users request]

I still have some questions:
1) Who is going to be the muscle guy to fill that role which Adama thrived in?
2). Who is going to be the defensive stopper, to do what Andre did?

The hope:

1. Clingan can be a physical force inside.

2. I don’t think anyone is replacing Andre there. But Steph looked pretty good on defense in Europe. He seemed to have Jeremy Lamb like anticipation skills when it came to getting in passing lanes.

 

[caw]

Agree on Ross - I still maintain he has the highest upside/NBA potential of the whole class; and that's saying a lot considering Mr Castle.

Ross might, he probably has more wing upside of the two because he is a better shooter and might have more bounce. If Castle can show he can play PG in the pros that changes things drastically.