ESPN: The best, worst and most shocking moves in the college hoops coaching carousel

[UCDaveD]

The best, worst and most shocking moves in the college hoops coaching carousel

Best hire

UConn replacing Kevin Ollie with Dan Hurley. Ollie could not keep the Huskies relevant the past few years. Hurley turned around programs at Wagner and Rhode Island. Hurley will bring some Jim Calhoun-like tenacity to Storrs, and he displayed both the ability to coach and recruit in his time at URI. He's also hired a quality staff with former UConn assistant Tom Moore, Kimani Young and Kenya Hunter. This may take some time and patience, since there's not much talent in Storrs right now. Hurley, though, should get the Huskies back to where people are talking about them again.

 

[huskyniner]

But wait, this doesn't fit the Boneyard narrative that ESPN hates UConn!

 

[Bryan Lord]

There must be a dig at us in there somewhere. Or maybe this is satire.

 

[Travelman6]

I thought Tom Moore had a questionable history.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

There must be a dig at us in there somewhere. Or maybe this is satire.

The lack of talent st Storrs is a bit of hyperbole.
With Jaylen, Vital ,and Gilbert plus a front line that got a lot of PT as freshman back. I see the glass 3/4 full. Also 4 star Wilson
I expect a recruiting class that’s decent

 

[conorg223]

The lack of talent st Storrs is a bit of hyperbole.
With Jaylen, Vance, and Gilber plus a front line that got a lot of PT as freshman back. I see the glass 3/4 full. Also 4 star Wilson
I expect a recruiting class that’s decent

Vance hasn’t played for UConn in 18 months but yeah, agreed. There’s plenty to work with on this roster. Not to mention the continuity; a lot of turnover in the conference right now.

 

[nomar]

The lack of talent st Storrs is a bit of hyperbole.
With Jaylen, Vance, and Gilber plus a front line that got a lot of PT as freshman back. I see the glass 3/4 full. Also 4 star Wilson
I expect a recruiting class that’s decent

+1 despite the inexplicable Vance reference. Who did you mean?

 

[Balker]

+1 despite the inexplicable Vance reference. Who did you mean?

0 for three on spelling/accuracy, but I’m there with you anyway!

 

[intlzncster]

+1 despite the inexplicable Vance reference. Who did you mean?

Vital.

 

[Robertelamin]

He must have meant Vital. I'm cautiously optimistic but if Jalen leaves it's going to be rough and we don't know what we are going to get out of Gilbert or Sid. I hope people are patient (lol) because right now there are still a lot of unanswered questions. The situation is fluid like the Werth Tower shower stall plumbing.

 

[intlzncster]

He must have meant Vital. I'm cautiously optimistic but if Jalen leaves it's going to be rough and we don't know what we are going to get out of Gilbert or Sid. I hope people are patient (lol) because right now there are still a lot of unanswered questions. The situation is fluid like the Werth Tower shower stall pipes.

If Jalen leaves, we hope for .500. That's just a reality.

 

[Austin316]

 

[nomar]

If Jalen leaves, we hope for .500. That's just a reality.

Jaylen Addams isn't going anywhere. Neither is John Carleton or Taylor Polly.

Vance Vitale is going to go off this year!

 

[CL82]

But wait, this doesn't fit the Boneyard narrative that ESPN hates UConn!

Or does it?

Ollie could not keep the Huskies relevant the past few years. Hurley turned around programs at Wagner and Rhode Island. This may take some time and patience, since there's not much talent in Storrs right now. Hurley, though, should get the Huskies back to where people are talking about them again

Translation: "UConn is a team of untalented bums, no one is talking about them and that's not going to change in the near future... But we kind of like Hurley and staff."

#damnedwithfaintpraise

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Vance hasn’t played for UConn in 18 months but yeah, agreed. There’s plenty to work with on this roster. Not to mention the continuity; a lot of turnover in the conference right now.

+1 despite the inexplicable Vance reference. Who did you mean?

i shouldn’t post on my phone until I get new glasses . My Ipad is a lot easier to edit from.
But I was at the skatepark.
I think most knew that I ment Vital.
I would take Vance back though, the kid was a shooter..

 

[Mokum]

i shouldn’t post on my phone until I get new glasses . My Ipad is a lot easier to edit from.
But I was at the skatepark.
I think most knew that I ment Vital.
I would take Vance back though, the kid was a shooter..

I don't know about Vance. He ended up at New Mexico. Maybe there is something we don't know about. Top tier schools were not scrambling to sign him.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't know about Vance. He ended up at New Mexico. Maybe there is something we don't know about. Top tier schools were not scrambling to sign him.

He was slow, not overly athletic and bailed on a team that played him more as a freshman than his talent warranted. Not saying he wasn't a decent player, but I think the situation may have raised questions.

 

[jibsey]

We thought we were going to have enough talent (At least I did for the players that stayed) the last couple years and it never panned out. The list of underperformance is long and wasn’t predicted by anyone that I’ve read here.
KO- D
Jalen- B
Larrier- D
Vital- C
Carlton- C+
Diarra- C-
Anderson- D
Cobb- D
When I got grades like this in HS I lost use of the car.

 

[CL82]

We thought we were going to have enough talent (At least I did for the players that stayed) the last couple years and it never panned out. The list of underperformance is long and wasn’t predicted by anyone that I’ve read here.
KO- D
Jalen- B
TL- D
Vital- C
Carlton- C+
Diarra- C-
Anderson- D
Cobb- D
When I got grades like this in HS I lost use of the car.

Think you have to bump up CV. He has his shortcomings but he generated a ton of points for us when they were hard to come by. B- ?

 

[djct1999]

We thought we were going to have enough talent (At least I did for the players that stayed) the last couple years and it never panned out. The list of underperformance is long and wasn’t predicted by anyone that I’ve read here.
KO- D
Jalen- B
TL- D
Vital- C
Carlton- C+
Diarra- C-
Anderson- D
Cobb- D
When I got grades like this in HS I lost use of the car.

Does the B for Jalen include the "Boneyard" curve? He earned a C, C- in my class.

 

[Waquoit]

He was slow, not overly athletic and bailed on a team that played him more as a freshman than his talent warranted. Not saying he wasn't a decent player, but I think the situation may have raised questions.

Nah, I'm not buying this at all. He should have gotten more PT. He was a good shooter on a team of lousy shooters.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Nah, I'm not buying this at all. He should have gotten more PT. He was a good shooter on a team of lousy shooters.

Eventually. Doesn't anyone recall that he missed almost every 3 pointer he took in the fall? We were all stunned, saying..."I thought he could shoot". Then he started hitting, and driving to the basket, which was a nice surprise. He played a lot, because we had seven scholarship guys. But Vance, as a freshman on a talented UConn team of the past? Less than 5 mins a game.

 

[jibsey]

Does the B for Jalen include the "Boneyard" curve? He earned a C, C- in my class.

Jalen’s grade is really difficult because of the vacuum around him which is why I had him as high as a B. I was disappointed with his 3 point shooting and disappearing for entire half’s of games. With a couple quality players around him and better shooting he quickly goes to an A. Christian based on year before should have been a B rising so there was disappointment with his regression. Going into this season both of these guys have the talent to be terrific and I’m hoping Hurley has the formula to make that happen. And with Gilbert back I have optimism. Until I see different, as I did last year. I’m actually psyched.

 

[Dogdeacon]

i shouldn’t post on my phone until I get new glasses . My Ipad is a lot easier to edit from.
But I was at the skatepark.
I think most knew that I ment Vital.
I would take Vance back though, the kid was a shooter..

Need to know more about the skatepark please...
I'd think that without the glasses would be riskier than the boneyard.

 

[PAHusky]

Eventually. Doesn't anyone recall that he missed almost every 3 pointer he took in the fall? We were all stunned, saying..."I thought he could shoot". Then he started hitting, and driving to the basket, which was a nice surprise. He played a lot, because we had seven scholarship guys. But Vance, as a freshman on a talented UConn team of the past? Less than 5 mins a game.

Vance wasn't a world beater but I'm pretty sure his 3pt % as a freshman was higher than everyone on last year's team. I don't think he's going to make or break a program but I think he would have contributed to last year's team that desperate for a second scoring option.