Friendly reminder for coaches

[Edward Sargent]

not true hawkins is good enough to play and he too should be playing as well

end of the game and we need points, get his ass in there

Ah we won the game without him in there so your point?

 

[Edward Sargent]

The games are an entirely different deal than practice. You won't know how kids will play until you throw them in the fire. We know how Gaffney plays point guard, we've seen it for three years and he's clearly not a point guard. Hurley and staff are some of the best recruiters in the country, coach is going to have to play those recruits.

If DAnny through Diggins “into the fire” and he turned the ball over 5 times you would be crucifying him

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

You missed my point. You don't know how they will perform if you don't play them in games. You don't know how they'll develop if you don't play them in games. Playing only one point guard every game isn't going to work, Diggins needs to play.

Yes, he needs to play and he needs to earn it - especially against top level competition, which Hurley said he REALLY wanted to win two games against. This team needed to get its butt kicked a bit against top competition, which is what happened a decent bit in these three games. The new guys will get some more time against MD-ES and Grambling, etc. and then get into some BE games when needed/when their mistakes while learning are not quite as important. Look, I would love for Diggins to be ready but he looked lost in a couple of the cupcake games and I am pretty convinced he would have been in over his head this week. Time will tell.

 

[superjohn]

If DAnny through Diggins “into the fire” and he turned the ball over 5 times you would be crucifying him

If he left him in the game with 5 turnovers we all would be crucifying him. Do you have a point?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

If he left him in the game with 5 turnovers we all would be crucifying him. Do you have a point?

Wrong - not all of us would be crucifying him because many of us realize it takes a lot for a freshman point guard in his first month of competition to go up against excellent defenders and perform at an above average level. Now, some guys can do it but Diggins is not at that level (this is the difference in a 5-star versus 4-star recruit). Not to say that the star system is great but it's an indicator and while I think Diggins has a good chance to reach the heights we all want he has some improvement/seasoning ahead of him to reach that point. We have had a lot of 4-star freshman guards start to contribute by the end of the first year and hopefully he is the next one to do so.

 

[uconnfan68]

Hmmm, I wonder if coaches that see the players in practice for several hours every day might have a better idea than the rest of us as to which guys are more game-ready?!

Not fair bringing logic here.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Not fair bringing logic here.

Lol - then fair I'm not ~

 

[Jimdish255]

Practices are highly managed by the coaches with certain "lanes" of expectation for the newer guys. Games are not practices and it doesn't matter if Gaff looks like Kemba in practice he's hurting the team in games. It's not working.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Practices are highly managed by the coaches with certain "lanes" of expectation for the newer guys. Games are not practices and it doesn't matter if Gaff looks like Kemba in practice he's hurting the team in games. It's not working.

So, you are saying that at the moment we are not getting enough out of our best back-up guard. So, looking forward we either get better guard play out of our second string point guard, the freshman guard begins to come into his own and pushes for more minutes, or some of or none of the above. Only time will tell.

 

[Kolumbo]

Had to edit my post and update the stats

Diggins stats: 4 points on 2-8 shooting in 26 minutes in 4 out of 7 games. 1 assist, 1 steal. He's supposed to be a pretty decent guard. Given the easy early schedule and the blowouts, I don't understand why he hasn't played more, and what other recruits might think.

 

[Husky1972]

I think hurley is loyal to his upperclass men. Gaffney plays like he belongs in a community college league but hurley is going to stick by him. Diggings will have to wait until next year to get major minutes.

Bingo. We have a winner.
Loyalty. That is what this is about. The rational (what is seen in practice) is not always going to override the emotional (loyalty).
See Gilbert, A. It was an injury that that promoted an understudy and changed the season.

 

[HuskyFich]

Hurley’s rules: if you can’t play defense at a high level, you’re not playing…

diggins would have been torched.

I’m all for him getting burn, but if our offense is bad, then we can’t be taking risks on players who bring the defense way down too. It’ll come. We’re still in November folks.

 

[8893]

Hurley’s rules: if you can’t play defense at a high level, you’re not playing…

diggins would have been torched.

I’m all for him getting burn, but if our offense is bad, then we can’t be taking risks on players who bring the defense way down too. It’ll come. We’re still in November folks.

How does that explain Gaffney getting so many minutes and Hawkins so few?

 

[Husky1972]

diggins would have been torched.

By who? A team that had one player in double figures (in an OT game), shot 35%, 5 of 21 on 3pters, and 58% from the line?
Our problem wasn't defense, it was breaking the press, handling the ball, not turning it over. Gafney did none of that, and if Diggins can't either, we're in trouble. I want us to have a good season, but we can't do it with one guard.

 

[navery12]

How does that explain Gaffney getting so many minutes and Hawkins so few?

Because it's not a choice between Gaffney and Hawkins for a 2nd ball handler, it's Gaffney and Diggins. Hawkins handle is not good enough to be breaking the press right now, his minutes would have been at the 3 in place of Jackson or Martin these past 2 games

 

[8893]

Because it's not a choice between Gaffney and Hawkins for a 2nd ball handler, it's Gaffney and Diggins. Hawkins handle is not good enough to be breaking the press right now, his minutes would have been at the 3 in place of Jackson or Martin these past 2 games

Jackson played the two, not the three, for most of the past two games. Which I also hate. But that is Jackson’s position in our starting lineup, and I get the sense that that is never going to change. Hurley is wed to this.

 

[CL82]

It even got a like.

Sock puppet account

 

[navery12]

Jackson played the two, not the three, for most of the past two games. Which I also hate. But that is Jackson’s position in our starting lineup, and I get the sense that that is never going to change. Hurley is wed to this.

Strong disagree there, Hawkins will be the starting 2 by the end of December and I'd bet it happens sooner

 

[CL82]

I think hurley is loyal to his upperclass men. Gaffney plays like he belongs in a community college league but hurley is going to stick by him. Diggings will have to wait until next year to get major minutes.

Doubtful.

 

[8893]

Strong disagree there, Hawkins will be the starting 2 by the end of December and I'd bet it happens sooner

I want to believe this very badly; it’s what I’ve been preaching.

But Hurley’s reluctance to use him today was stunning. Uncomfortably so. Ever since his turnover towards the end of regulation in the Auburn game Hurley has been really reluctant with him, and a quick hook, too.

And Hurley absolutely loves Jackson. That much is clear. The opposite of the quick hook with him; he seems blind to his shortcomings, and apparently really impressed by what he can do to other players in practice. I love Jackson’s rebounds, but I am mystified by the rest of his game.

In any event, I, too, thought Hawkins would be starting by the end of the year. Now I don’t think Hurley is going to do that; I think’s he’s going to stick with his worst offensive lineup to open and close the game come hell or high water, unless foul trouble changes that plan.

 

[navery12]

I want to believe this very badly; it’s what I’ve been preaching.

But Hurley’s reluctance to use him today was stunning. Uncomfortably so. Ever since his turnover towards the end of regulation in the Auburn game Hurley has been really reluctant with him, and a quick hook, too.

And Hurley absolutely loves Jackson. That much is clear. The opposite of the quick hook with him; he seems blind to his shortcomings, and apparently really impressed by what he can do to other players in practice. I love Jackson’s rebounds, but I am mystified by the rest of his game.

In any event, I, too, thought Hawkins would be starting by the end of the year. Now I don’t think Hurley is going to do that; I think’s he’s going to stick with his worst offensive lineup to open and close the game come hell or high water, unless foul trouble changes that plan.

If he's still doing this in a month I might agree but the last 2 games we needed ball handlers on the court. He put Hawkins in and he immediately turned it over. I'd love to let him play through his mistakes but that needs to come against the cupcakes and weaker BE competition

At this point we have a pretty long history of Hurley and freshman, and yet the complaints still come up every fall like clockwork. First Bouknight wasn't getting enough minutes and by February he was playing 30+. Then last year he wasn't playing Jackson and Sanogo enough and by the end of the year they were huge rotation pieces playing big minutes. Now it's Hawkins not getting enough minutes and is gonna be the cause of recruits not coming anymore

 

[CL82]

How does that explain Gaffney getting so many minutes and Hawkins so few?

Necessity and not wanting a kid psyche to get blown up in his first big outings?

 

[NJHusky]

Would be curious if Hurley misses a game to see who would be playing. Was always interesting to see how the rotation changed when Blaney was in for JC

 

[superjohn]

Next 2 games need to be all about getting Hawkins and Diggins major minutes. Samson should also get non garbage time minutes. We know what Cole, Sanogo, Whaley, Tyrese, and Gaffney give the team.