Flashback - 2020-21 'Loaded' Roster

[Kitaman]

I think we have to look at this roster more closely. It could be the team which will be remembered as the catalyst when our future success happens. This team was loaded with NBA'ers (I'm including summer league),

Check this out:

RJ Cole (Lakers*)
Isaiah Whaley (Hornets*)
James Bouknight (Hornets)
Tyrese Martin (Atlanta Hawks*)

*Summer League

Now here's what opened my eyes:

Adama Sanogo (TBD)
Andre Jackson (TBD)

7 Players who at minimum will sniff the NBA by getting some type of roster spot! This is Calhoun type stuff, but we're just getting started.

Except for Whaley these are all Hurley guys. Its evident now to me, that we have the right coach for recruiting/rebuilding. Our current and future rosters have NBA potential talent.

The recent transfers were eye opening but now I see what he is up to. I feel in-game coaching will improve now that he has rebuilt our team. He's committed to excellence and returning UConn back to the top (his actions are matching his words). Its great to be a Husky fan and player because we're on a mission.

January 20, 2020: “People better get us now. That’s all. You better get us now. Because it’s coming.”

I believe.

 

[bmayuc]

I think we have to look at this roster more closely. It could be the team which will be remembered as the catalyst when our future success happens. This team was loaded with NBA'ers (I'm including summer league),

Check this out:

RJ Cole (Lakers*)
Isaiah Whaley (Hornets*)
James Bouknight (Hornets)
Tyrese Martin (Atlanta Hawks*)

*Summer League

Now here's what opened my eyes:

Adama Sanogo (TBD)
Andre Jackson (TBD)

7 Players who at minimum will sniff the NBA by getting some type of roster spot! This is Calhoun type stuff, but we're just getting started.

Except for Whaley these are all Hurley guys. Its evident now to me, that we have the right coach for recruiting/rebuilding. Our current and future rosters have NBA potential talent.

The recent transfers were eye opening but now I see what he is up to. I feel in-game coaching will improve now that he has rebuilt our team. He's committed to excellence and returning UConn back to the top (his actions are matching his words). Its great to be a Husky fan and player because we're on a mission.

January 20, 2020: “People better get us now. That’s all. You better get us now. Because it’s coming.”

I believe.

The guy can recruit - we know that. The guy can develop players - we know that.

The big questions continues to be - can he manage a roster? Can he game plan and coach in-game? Big TBDs at the moment. I'll make two observations:

1. The talent he chose to bring in via transfer and recruiting has me encouraged he is self-aware and looking to improve at least in the case of roster construction. Bringing in this 3 star recruit for an obvious 10-11-12 roster spot. Bringing in Joey Calcaterra(sp?) a combo guard/shooter who probably is a 10-11-12 roster spot guy. This is roster building not talent stockpiling. I like it. It encourages me.

2. The transfers were well-conceived and seemed to fit actual roles and have thought behind them not just recruiting for pure talent.

3. The re-orientation around 4 out 1 in offense. This shows willingness to evolve with the times that is just critical for a coach to figure out.

I'm encouraged, but he needs to continue to grow as an in-game & in-season coach as well this year.

I trust. But lets see it.

 

[Billy Bob]

I think we have to look at this roster more closely. It could be the team which will be remembered as the catalyst when our future success happens. This team was loaded with NBA'ers (I'm including summer league),

Check this out:

RJ Cole (Lakers*)
Isaiah Whaley (Hornets*)
James Bouknight (Hornets)
Tyrese Martin (Atlanta Hawks*)

*Summer League

Now here's what opened my eyes:

Adama Sanogo (TBD)
Andre Jackson (TBD)

7 Players who at minimum will sniff the NBA by getting some type of roster spot! This is Calhoun type stuff, but we're just getting started.

Except for Whaley these are all Hurley guys. Its evident now to me, that we have the right coach for recruiting/rebuilding. Our current and future rosters have NBA potential talent.

The recent transfers were eye opening but now I see what he is up to. I feel in-game coaching will improve now that he has rebuilt our team. He's committed to excellence and returning UConn back to the top (his actions are matching his words). Its great to be a Husky fan and player because we're on a mission.

January 20, 2020: “People better get us now. That’s all. You better get us now. Because it’s coming.”

I believe.

UConn teams of the past would have players who became starters in the NBA. All of these current and recent players mentioned above except Bouknight have about zero chance of ever starting in the NBA and most will not make the roster. That's the difference. Putting starters in the NBA versus fringe players which is one of the reasons why we couldn't get past the 1st round in March Madness. The talent level wasn't there.

 

[husky429]

Putting starters in the NBA versus fringe players which is one of the reasons why we couldn't get past the 1st round in March Madness. The talent level wasn't there.

You don't think we had enough talent to get out of the first round? Teddy Allen would like a word

 

[PNolanFan]

I think we have to look at this roster more closely. It could be the team which will be remembered as the catalyst when our future success happens. This team was loaded with NBA'ers (I'm including summer league),

Check this out:

RJ Cole (Lakers*)
Isaiah Whaley (Hornets*)
James Bouknight (Hornets)
Tyrese Martin (Atlanta Hawks*)

*Summer League

Now here's what opened my eyes:

Adama Sanogo (TBD)
Andre Jackson (TBD)

7 Players who at minimum will sniff the NBA by getting some type of roster spot! This is Calhoun type stuff, but we're just getting started.

Except for Whaley these are all Hurley guys. Its evident now to me, that we have the right coach for recruiting/rebuilding. Our current and future rosters have NBA potential talent.

The recent transfers were eye opening but now I see what he is up to. I feel in-game coaching will improve now that he has rebuilt our team. He's committed to excellence and returning UConn back to the top (his actions are matching his words). Its great to be a Husky fan and player because we're on a mission.

January 20, 2020: “People better get us now. That’s all. You better get us now. Because it’s coming.”

I believe.

I love RJ Cole but I am pretty skeptical of him ever making an NBA roster

 

[superjohn]

You don't think we had enough talent to get out of the first round? Teddy Allen would like a word

We've had enough talent where Hurley easily could have 3 tournament wins at UConn by now, he has zero. That desperately needs to change.

 

[navery12]

You don't think we had enough talent to get out of the first round? Teddy Allen would like a word

Could have just stopped after 3 words and it would be a perfect description of that poster

 

[bendm]

there’s going to be so much pressure on the team this year. Pressure to finally beat Creighton, pressure to win the BE, pressure to finally win a tourney game, pressure Hurley and the team put on themselves, and external pressure from the university and fans. Every game is going to feel like it’s live or die starting in November or whenever we get past the cupcakes. I wish it didn’t have to be that way.

 

[8893]

UConn teams of the past would have players who became starters in the NBA. All of these current and recent players mentioned above except Bouknight have about zero chance of ever starting in the NBA and most will not make the roster. That's the difference. Putting starters in the NBA versus fringe players which is one of the reasons why we couldn't get past the 1st round in March Madness. The talent level wasn't there.

Frank Ivy?

 

[McLovin]

UConn teams of the past would have players who became starters in the NBA. All of these current and recent players mentioned above except Bouknight have about zero chance of ever starting in the NBA and most will not make the roster. That's the difference. Putting starters in the NBA versus fringe players which is one of the reasons why we couldn't get past the 1st round in March Madness. The talent level wasn't there.

Martin will start games in the NBA. He may not be a regular starter, but he will start games at some point in his career.

 

[bigknight3]

Martin will start games in the NBA. He may not be a regular starter, but he will start games at some point in his career.

Agreed

 

[Jay-Bone]

This sentiment portrays our underachieving as that much worse. Teddy Allen should've gone lottery then!

 

[ctchamps]

This sentiment portrays our underachieving as that much worse. Teddy Allen should've gone lottery then!

UConn had much bigger tournament losses with much better teams because of either a bad team matchup such as the loss to George Mason or a game in which an opposing player had a career game against us such as Tyus Edney in UConn’s loss to UCLA in 1995. That’s not even taking into account his end of game winning basket against Missouri in the second round which necessitated our having to play UCLA in essentially a home game for them.

I still feel that was our best team ever and consider that loss an upset. Unfortunately because of that loss we had to wait four more years before our first NC.

These upset situations (or difficult losses if you don’t consider that UCLA loss an upset because you don’t believe they were over seeded like I do) are what make sports so exciting. That is why the NCAA Basketball Tournament is so great.

Fans want to see their lower ranked teams outplay a higher ranked opponent and the Boneyard fans are no different. We loved when our Bazz led team (7 seating) won but have trouble accepting things when the opposite situation occurs. In other words we can only accept the unexpected when it favors us.

There are two major factors that have led to this moment in the current situation of college sports imo. The obvious is the desire for increased monetary accumulation. But the catalyst for this situation is the need for large numbers of fans to win at all costs. This leads to putting pressure on schools and coaches to succeed. That leads to an escalation of cheating, salary increases and facility upgrades.

Whenever I observe one of our posters blaming the SEC or BIG 10 or threatening to stop watching college sports because of these events I feel strongly if we were in one of those power conferences those very same fans would be justifying the situation and extolling the benefits the situation brings to college sports. That is until we became perennial bottom feeders like the majority of teams in those conferences.

 

[runner11]

Frank Ivy?

Improviser I believe

 

[runner11]

I really don’t think this was a special team in terms of talent. Summer league doesn’t really move the needle. Perhaps more impressive, and more related to Hurley’s eye for talent is the fact that two 3 star kids he recruited to Rhode Island have gotten NBA contracts in Tyrese and Jeff Dowtin. Jacob Toppin looks poised for a breakout season so that could make 3. His first year was Cox’s first year so I imagine Hurley recruited him

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Frank Ivy?

Improviser I believe

I'm too 'cautious' to venture into such guessing, but @Billy Bob's posts have a definite vibe.