Early Optimism

[Mooch82]

Joey C’s usage is going to be interesting this season. Great looking shot but he looked athletically outmatched on D against Stonehill.

He’ll have his moments but when Jackson and Hawkins are back I can’t imagine him being more than a 10-15 mpg guy.

 

[Austin316]

All I’m going to say is some guys need to fix little mistakes, other guys need to shake off rust, some were surprisingly GREAT, and I can’t wait to get Hawkins + Jackson back (not a knock on anyone just excited to see how they do).

You can see there is depth and the game plan changed a bit. Lots of great looks from deep we’re in/out.

Sonogo did what he does.

Happy to see young guys stepping up and talking/communicating.

Got the W. The glass is half full not half empty. 30+ win should feel good.

 

[Huskyforlife]

It’s hard to say much with 2/3 stars out, but the rest played well enough to comfortably beat a team they should’ve. Don was fun.

 

[Mister P]

I like how Hurley had Karaban running the elbows when Stonehill was in a zone. Puts him in the triple threat. This should also get him to the line more when he takes it strong to the rim.
I see him being the X factor all season.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm loving Diarra right now

Yeah he is one of our players who can really break down his defender on offense. I haven't see this from a PG since the days of Boatright/Napier days.

 

[Mooch82]

I like how Hurley had Karaban running the elbows when Stonehill was in a zone. Puts him in the triple threat. This should also get him to the line more when he takes it strong to the rim.
I see him being the X factor all season.

Agreed, but I actually wish he just popped that J from the foul line a couple times. Was wide open and it will be harder and harder for him to take it to the hoop when the competition gets tougher.

 

[alphasigko]

20% from 3, and 69% from the Line

Not a good showing against a very inferior team

 

[alphasigko]

I like the weapons we possess and the depth. Just need to find some shooting. Go Huskies

Same problem, different year.... I hope they find a go-to 3-point shooter soon, or could be in big trouble

 

[Incursio007]

Samson looks like a monster out there. Added some serious muscle & was playing with attitude. He can shoot & make plays on offense - excited to see where the season takes him.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I like how Hurley had Karaban running the elbows when Stonehill was in a zone. Puts him in the triple threat. This should also get him to the line more when he takes it strong to the rim.
I see him being the X factor all season.

One game is too early for me to have confidence in this as a prediction, but it's also what I'm on the lookout and wishing for. As such, it was a hopeful debut that fit well with his play in the Blue & White scrimmage.

 

[M.S.G.]

I think Diarra impressed me the most, what a dogggggggggggg! Diving on the floor, attacking the rim, stuck a nice 3, exactly what I'd hoped for. Sanogo obviously was great, but we were literally playing against little boys out there. Clingan looked fantastic as well, looked the part and that's all you can hope for as a freshman. Karaban moving without the ball was excellent to see. Just hope that Hawk is okay.

 

[Cagey_Tee]

Yeah he is one of our players who can really break down his defender on offense. I haven't see this from a PG since the days of Boatright/Napier days.

How quickly we forget RJ!

 

[Umami Zen]

Let's just keep getting Ws until we have our full roster (and starters) back. Style points are overrated this time of year

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

The offense/shooting was awful but, given Dan’s comments about it being a strength all offseason, I don’t think we need to get too carried away with concern.

For me, Clingan was the biggest development tonight. Of course his size overwhelmed these guys, but that’s going to be the case against legit teams as well. Even as his offensive game develops, his size and mobility is going to be a complete pain in the ass for teams who previously looked to exploit us when Adama is off the floor. Very, very bright start.

I thought Newton and Diarra calmed some of the fears about PG play as well. It’s obviously going to be a combined effort between those two and Andre rather than one of them being “the guy” but I thought they both were encouraging. Newton is smooth and played with a lot of poise, even if his shot wasn’t falling (he certainly had company there last night). He was as advertised in his ability to get to the rim, draw contact, and get to the line which is going to help us immensely to close out games. Diarra is just a tailor made Dan Hurley player. The offense is going to be erratic at times, but he looked great facilitating and is an absolute terror on defense.

Karaban was another guy who played beyond his age. Like everyone else he lacked offensive efficiency, but that stroke is effortless and, for a guy playing his first collegiate game, he really impressed me with his willingness to keep shooting when other young guys may start to defer to others. Another guy who did nothing to dissuade our hopes last night.

The only guy I came away wanting more from was Samson, but I think that’s largely due to foul trouble. I want to see him get more of an extended run on Friday and get into the flow a bit more early on. I’m still not sure what we should be expecting from him (I keep thinking something around what we hoped Akok would look like pre-Achilles) but, fouls aside, he did look less lost last night so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do moving forward.

I’m choosing to be optimistic about Hawk since he was not immediately in the protocol process, but I know there’s hardly a linear timeline with concussions. I imagine he gets held out Friday regardless of where his health is and we’re looking at next week to get both him and Andre back. We should be beyond our quota on injuries for a while, but it really speaks to the incredible depth on this team that we’re likely without two guys who will be in the NBA draft this spring for Friday and I’m not really seeing any cause for concern basketball-wise. That kind of depth is a weapon we haven’t had for quite some time

 

[YearoftheHusky]

The guys missing those shots are proven college players even if they didn't play at UConn last year, so yes we do have a "like normal" shooting game to reference for them

Hurley said himself the shooting on this team is a problem, and that we are in trouble without Jax and Hawk. I guess it doesn’t mean much coming from me, but that didn’t look like a cohesive team last night.

 

[WallyPuds]

Was happy to see the little shot fake and drive from Sanogo, adding a couple moves like that would be huge for him

 

[husky429]

Joey C’s usage is going to be interesting this season. Great looking shot but he looked athletically outmatched on D against Stonehill.

I doubt he plays very much. His build isn't big east ready.

 

[husky429]

Samson looks like a monster out there. Added some serious muscle & was playing with attitude. He can shoot & make plays on offense - excited to see where the season takes him.

I don't think we watched the same game man. He was bleh on defense, did nothing on offense except make wide open dunks that won't be available versus better teams.

The kid started for a reason. I expect a better showing on Friday.

 

[Incursio007]

I don't think we watched the same game man. He was bleh on defense, did nothing on offense except make wide open dunks that won't be available versus better teams.

The kid started for a reason. I expect a better showing on Friday.

Don't disagree from a production standpoint - he was awful in the first half. Second half he was more active, especially around the rim. I was speaking more so on his physical stature --- dude looks to have filled out his frame considerably, while retaining his athleticism.

We know he has a good offensive skillset for his size & can hit free throws. Was hoping we would run some sets for him on the block or in the mid/long range [a la Deandre Daniels]. Potential is certainly there for big things down the line.