Dom Amore: UConn coach Dan Hurley calls it ‘total chaos’ in college basketball as new rules allow flood of players into transfer portal

[huskymedic]

Alternate reading access link here <-

 

[8893]

tl;dr: “I whiffed.”

 

[TRest]

tl;dr: “I whiffed.”

Tough but fair?

 

[8893]

Tough but fair?

I mean, I like the guy and he’s shown steady progress, but my spidey sense gets triggered when he starts selling a narrative that’s a little too convenient.

I’m no DiMauro fan, but the one part of that hit piece he did on Hurley that rang true was Hurley’s constant sales pitch about how devastated the program was when he took over, how he has rebuilt every program he’s taken over, and how he has already done that here, blah, blah, blah. He recites it so often that it sounds defensive and like he’s making excuses.

That’s what this sounded like to me, too. We know that he has tried for players in the portal this year and we know that he has come up short so far. We all get the problems with this change in the rules but it is what it is. Deal with it.

 

[BFieldHusky]

We have 12 guys on the roster with Whaley and Polley. I think he made an effort, and I'm still hoping for Watts, but at some point kids look at your roster and aren't interested. Hurley did his work in the fall with 3 Top 75 recruits.

 

[aburks41]

We have 12 guys on the roster with Whaley and Polley. I think he made an effort, and I'm still hoping for Watts, but at some point kids look at your roster and aren't interested. Hurley did his work in the fall with 3 Top 75 recruits.

Fair enough. Kids enter the portal because they want more PT. We can’t promise that with the amount of depth that we have. Our guys are just gonna have to step up and make big strides in their shooting abilities this summer.

I think Cole, Polley returning to form, and Hawkins is a good start. But man we are really going to need Gaffney, Akok, and maybe Whaley to make that extra leap.

And then whatever Martin and Diggins can contribute from outside would be gravy. I don’t know if it’s even possible to wish for Jackson to get above 30% after watching those airballs last year lol

 

[8893]

We have 12 guys on the roster with Whaley and Polley. I think he made an effort, and I'm still hoping for Watts, but at some point kids look at your roster and aren't interested. Hurley did his work in the fall with 3 Top 75 recruits.

Totally fair. I just wish he said as much.

 

[olehead]

I mean, I like the guy and he’s shown steady progress, but my spidey sense gets triggered when he starts selling a narrative that’s a little too convenient.

I’m no DiMauro fan, but the one part of that hit piece he did on Hurley that rang true was Hurley’s constant sales pitch about how devastated the program was when he took over, how he has rebuilt every program he’s taken over, and how he has already done that here, blah, blah, blah. He recites it so often that it sounds defensive and like he’s making excuses.

That’s what this sounded like to me, too. We know that he has tried for players in the portal this year and we know that he has come up short so far. We all get the problems with this change in the rules but it is what it is. Deal with it.

Agreed. 100%. This is UCONN. All that other "culture" and rebuilding stuff is subterfuge for having come up short. Three unproven guys replace a 20 pts per game scorer? Riight.

He mentioned adaptation, Hurley should do so. The below is beginning to irk me and is growing tired.

but the culture we have in terms of player development and trusting the next group of players to step up and play a big role.”

His losses during this transfer period will come back to hurt our productivity. Without proven scoring being brought in, don't be shocked if watching the offensive side of the ball has a moribund affect.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Agreed. 100%. This is UCONN. All that other "culture" and rebuilding stuff is subterfuge for having come up short. Three unproven guys replace a 20 pts per game scorer? Riight.

He mentioned adaptation, Hurley should do so. The below is beginning to irk me and is growing tired.

but the culture we have in terms of player development and trusting the next group of players to step up and play a big role.”

His losses during this transfer period will come back to hurt our productivity. Without proven scoring being brought in, don't be shocked if watching the offensive side of the ball has a moribund affect.

Would you like 14 guys on the roster next year?

 

[8893]

Would you like 14 guys on the roster next year?

Do you not believe Hurley tried for Richmond and Locke, among others; and that he‘s still trying for Watts—whom you and I both hope he gets—which means 13 at a minimum?

 

[navery12]

Agreed. 100%. This is UCONN. All that other "culture" and rebuilding stuff is subterfuge for having come up short. Three unproven guys replace a 20 pts per game scorer? Riight.

He mentioned adaptation, Hurley should do so. The below is beginning to irk me and is growing tired.

but the culture we have in terms of player development and trusting the next group of players to step up and play a big role.”

His losses during this transfer period will come back to hurt our productivity. Without proven scoring being brought in, don't be shocked if watching the offensive side of the ball has a moribund affect.

How do you expect to have guys prove themselves if you never give them the chance?

 

[BFieldHusky]

Do you not believe Hurley tried for Richmond and Locke, among others; and that he‘s still trying for Watts—whom you and I both hope he gets—which means 13 at a minimum?

He didn't expect Whaley back, and Polley was a crapshoot. Richmond was going to Seton Hall before he hit the portal. Locke would be nice, but I think staff is just as comfortable with Polley. How many guys you want on the roster next year?

 

[ucp990411]

Players are leaving programs for a reason. Mostly they were not good enough to get the time they thought they deserved. Guess what? Maybe they were not good enough. What makes you guys think any of these players would be a step up for us?

 

[olehead]

Would you like 14 guys on the roster next year?

I don't care. Just players. Players who can play. Let Hurley decide who should play. I mean he should get that. He makes 3 mil. Let him do something suggestive of getting us back. Bring in talent.

We can talk strategy until blue in the face. Calhoun won because he figured out how to bring in elite talent. As a player. Figure out how to contribute, that's the beauty of competition.

I have played a lot of ball at high levels and I can tell you it's generally comes down to the players. If he's worth his salt, he'll bring in talent and coach them up. If he can't, you better believe our opponents will, and then beat us down. We, hand hold our coach worried about too many players.

I did not like how we shrunk to end the season. Creighton was a bad rebuilding program loss, Maryland was a bad program loss. No one, including Dan Hurley, should be running around doing the parade wave because we made the tournament. On the contrary, Dan Hurley and Co. should be viewing the way the season ended, with those last two losses, as big misses and should be humping to get better. With talent. Development is an assumption when you decide to coach, in the wrong business if you can't teach and develop. Talent is the difference-maker.

 

[8893]

He didn't expect Whaley back, and Polley was a crapshoot. Richmond was going to Seton Hall before he hit the portal. Locke would be nice, but I think staff is just as comfortable with Polley. How many guys you want on the roster next year?

I’m deferring to our coach, who seems like he wanted something different than what he has. Do you disagree with that?

 

[UconnU]

We have 12 guys on the roster with Whaley and Polley. I think he made an effort, and I'm still hoping for Watts, but at some point kids look at your roster and aren't interested. Hurley did his work in the fall with 3 Top 75 recruits.

In pro-baseball the teams who build through their farms systems and keep talented young players around generally do better than teams who make a lot of moves. This isn’t always the case but some stability when no one else has stability, team cohesion, could end up being our edge next year. I hope the team stays together the entire off-season this year.

 

[olehead]

I mean, I like the guy and he’s shown steady progress, but my spidey sense gets triggered when he starts selling a narrative that’s a little too convenient.

I’m no DiMauro fan, but the one part of that hit piece he did on Hurley that rang true was Hurley’s constant sales pitch about how devastated the program was when he took over, how he has rebuilt every program he’s taken over, and how he has already done that here, blah, blah, blah. He recites it so often that it sounds defensive and like he’s making excuses.

That’s what this sounded like to me, too. We know that he has tried for players in the portal this year and we know that he has come up short so far. We all get the problems with this change in the rules but it is what it is. Deal with it.

By the way, preach on.

 

[TRest]

I will give him this, if Whaley was in the portal he would have been a top guy to get. Honestly, there is a lot of average talent in the portal and very few gems.

 

[8893]

I will give him this, if Whaley was in the portal he would have been a top guy to get. Honestly, there is a lot of average talent in the portal and very few gems.

Totally agree. I mean we are bringing back the reigning Big East Defensive POY and the reigning Big East Sixth Man of the Year. That. Is. Huge.

Typically, experience wins championships and I love going to war with these guys. And I hope that another year post injury makes Polley more consistent.

But it’s silly to deny that we were buyers in the portal and we haven’t closed a deal yet.

 

[olehead]

We have 12 guys on the roster with Whaley and Polley. I think he made an effort, and I'm still hoping for Watts, but at some point kids look at your roster and aren't interested. Hurley did his work in the fall with 3 Top 75 recruits.

Agreed BField, but we never stop working, right? Just think of other schools who also gained ground through the traditional recruiting avenue last fall and who are also making gains through the portal.

I get it if we tried and failed. But, let's not give a whole PR thing with rebuilding, ncaa progress, building culture. I'm with @8893, feeling like I being sold a line. Just say we came up short.

Also, I will say as a matter of org dev, he should examine those fails to see what, if anything could be done to make improvements.

 

[navery12]

I’m deferring to our coach, who seems like he wanted something different than what he has. Do you disagree with that?

But I think you're missing his point. We were in on Yetna and Mitchell, until we got Whaley back and we backed off. And then after we missed on Richmond and Locke, the rumors of Rocket Watts started trickling out. To me that reads like a guy who had a specific number of roster spots he wanted to fill

 

[olehead]

Players are leaving programs for a reason. Mostly they were not good enough to get the time they thought they deserved. Guess what? Maybe they were not good enough. What makes you guys think any of these players would be a step up for us?

Players leave due to a host of reasons. Lack of playing time us chief. The true reasons are myriad. Look no further than Juzang, who gave us all his best imitation of Kemba, taking Gonzaga deep in the water before coming up just short.

 

[TRest]

Totally agree. I mean we are bringing back the reigning Big East Defensive POY and the reigning Big East Sixth Man of the Year. That. Is. Huge.

Typically, experience wins championships and I love going to war with these guys. And I hope that another year post injury makes Polley more consistent.

But it’s silly to deny that we were buyers in the portal and we haven’t closed a deal yet.

My fear with Dan Hurley is that his loyalty to the guys we have leads to some blind spots when evaluating just how good they are. The front court would be hard to add a guy that’s better than what we have. The back court, could use an upgrade, he probably was trying, but doesn’t want to really admit that we have some weaknesses there.

 

[8893]

But I think you're missing his point. We were in on Yetna and Mitchell, until we got Whaley back and we backed off. And then after we missed on Richmond and Locke, the rumors of Rocket Watts started trickling out. To me that reads like a guy who had a specific number of roster spots he wanted to fill

No I get the point. I don‘t get the sense that Whaley and Polley were analogous. And in any event we are still trying to add one more at least.

 

[gtcam]

Do you not believe Hurley tried for Richmond and Locke, among others; and that he‘s still trying for Watts—whom you and I both hope he gets—which means 13 at a minimum?

he needs to win some of these attempts
talk is cheap
He needs a 3 pt threat and while I deeply respect TPs conviction to the program, he has not shown the consistency with his shot and has not built the aspects of his game that you would expect a 6'9" player to have. Maybe he will in the off season but time is short. Even the most loyal Dan Hurley person has to be concerned as to why he hasn't landed a pure sharp shooter
As you have seen in this year's NCAA tournament - all the successful teams have at least two.

 

[olehead]

he needs to win some of these attempts
talk is cheap
He needs a 3 pt threat and while I deeply respect TPs conviction to the program, he has not shown the consistency with his shot and has not built the aspects of his game that you would expect a 6'9" player to have. Maybe he will in the off season but time is short. Even the most loyal Dan Hurley person has to be concerned as to why he hasn't landed a pure sharp shooter
As you have seen in this year's NCAA tournament - all the successful teams have at least two.

Yessir.

 

[olehead]

he needs to win some of these attempts
talk is cheap
He needs a 3 pt threat and while I deeply respect TPs conviction to the program, he has not shown the consistency with his shot and has not built the aspects of his game that you would expect a 6'9" player to have. Maybe he will in the off season but time is short. Even the most loyal Dan Hurley person has to be concerned as to why he hasn't landed a pure sharp shooter
As you have seen in this year's NCAA tournament - all the successful teams have at least two.

After all, this is UCONN, not URI. He's moved up. Big boy expectations now.

 

[AdamaNation]

Totally agree. I mean we are bringing back the reigning Big East Defensive POY and the reigning Big East Sixth Man of the Year. That. Is. Huge.

Typically, experience wins championships and I love going to war with these guys. And I hope that another year post injury makes Polley more consistent.

But it’s silly to deny that we were buyers in the portal and we haven’t closed a deal yet.

You know that’s a huge point. You might say we and seton hall easily had the best “additions” in conference thus far. If polley and Whaley hit the portal they would have been fairly sought after with those accolades especially in this years group

 

[djct1999]

He didn't expect Whaley back, and Polley was a crapshoot. Richmond was going to Seton Hall before he hit the portal. Locke would be nice, but I think staff is just as comfortable with Polley. How many guys you want on the roster next year?

With Polley back, isn’t Locke redundant. With Polley back, why would Locke come here? Even if he committed to Louisville before Polley announced, that mere uncertainty was enough to push him away. I am with you. It’s not the best roster, particularly our back court, but it’s certainly full.

 

[olehead]

With Polley back, isn’t Locke redundant. With Polley back, why would Locke come here? Even if he committed to Louisville before Polley announced, that mere uncertainty was enough to push him away. I am with you. It’s not the best roster, particularly our back court, but it’s certainly full.

If I'm Locke, I have no fear of Polley.