Gaffney took a big step forward tonight

[HuskylnSC]

10 points 5 assists 4 TO in 20 minutes. An important first step.

Whatever good anyone saw about anything that happened must be tempered by understanding the competition is expected to finish 9th in the MAC.

Not one UConn player was able to dominate. Somebody should have been unstoppable.

 

[Hankster]

Gaffney clearly isn't ready, neither is Gilbert...it's a problem.

Gilbert played really well the few games leading up to Indiana but the last two are unacceptable from a senior. He came out totally unfocused. He is our best perimeter defender he just has to figure it out on O for us to have a good season.

Gaffney looks good. You are right. He isn't 100%. But he is giving a nice preview of things to come. I wouldn't mind he take minutes away from.......well lets leave it at that.

 

[yungdowork]

26 turnovers is obviously disappointing but I think that’s what happens when you’re trying to give freshmen and role players a chance to assert themselves at this level. Gaffney showed good and bad, Bouk could have got a little more involved, but letting these guys work through it vs St. Pete’s as opposed to during conference play will be good for us. No doubt we need to do a better job protecting the ball though.

 

[Huskybass]

A senior in years but only second year of college play.

Stop the BS already. The kid will be 23 before the start of next season and he did play in 9 games those first two years.

 

[imno1]

Though he had 4 turnovers I thought Gaff showed a lot of improvement and more confidence. He needs to recognize the trap and not just pick up his dribble. Jalen and Bouk have a nice chemistry and I expect some exciting plays from them as he season progresses. St Peter’s played a pretty physical in your face game that exposed our ball handling deficiencies. I expect opponents to pressure our guards until they prove they won’t turn it over.

 

[UConnStats]

Of our PG recruits last year he had the best assist numbets in AAU. Not sure the exact numbers just that @UConnStats wrote about it, I believe

He was among the leaders in assists on the UAA circuit, but what I had noted was that he led top 100 camp in AST.

 

[60'sfan]

Gilbert seems to lack basketball sense. He continually dribbles into crowds and loses the ball. He does not seem to be a very good shooter and he should be hittng a higher percentage of his free throws. I do like his defense though. Maybe he's our next Taliek Brown and will break out soon.
I thought Gaffney was pretty solid and is learning. These two are the keys to our success this year. We have lots of other pieces.

 

[bendm]

UConn gets a strong game from Jalen Gaffney in win over Saint Peter’s

The Huskies are struggling with turnovers, giving it up 26 times, but they still came away with a 10-point win.

theathletic.com

 

[Palatine]

With Gaffney you can't just evaluate his play. Almost everything he does is dependent on his chemistry with his teammates. The only player he seems to have a connection to is Bouk. A PG has to learn the strengths and weakness of everyone on the squad. He needs to learn where (and when) they want the ball. And how he can play off those tendencies. As that happens we will see improvement.

Of course he still has to improve his handle, know when to go slow or fast and read what the coach wants. He has a long way to go, so does the entire team.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Don't agree with that.

You are expecting, or think it's probable to expect, better decision making from Gilbert over next 9 weeks?

 

[intlzncster]

Gaffney didn’t play point in AAU really. Kinda was just allowed to go score. Not sure about high school. He’s learning but he needs time.

Gotta get that handle up. But yeah, people need to chill on him. Most freshman PGs aren't that great to begin with. When you add to that his transition from scoring guard to regular PG, it's gonna take a while. I'll be interested to see what we have the second half of next season.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Jalen is a playa. you'll see.

 

[Psolo12]

With Gaffney you can't just evaluate his play. Almost everything he does is dependent on his chemistry with his teammates. The only player he seems to have a connection to is Bouk. A PG has to learn the strengths and weakness of everyone on the squad. He needs to learn where (and when) they want the ball. And how he can play off those tendencies. As that happens we will see improvement.

Of course he still has to improve his handle, know when to go slow or fast and read what the coach wants. He has a long way to go, so does the entire team.

He has some chemistry with Akok too.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

He has some chemistry with Akok too.

if you watch closely, you'll see a 'buds on a road trip' dynamic building when 5 from carlton, akok, wilson, gaffney, bouknight, and adams are together. lotsa smiles from that posse. not to harsh on anyone not mentioned, it just is.

 

[ctchamps]

Stop the BS already. The kid will be 23 before the start of next season and he did play in 9 games those first two years.

You’re reaction proves my point in two ways.

Age does not account for optimum performance.

Why does stating something that is a fact and not meant as a defense elicit a negative reaction in you?

Occasionally I’m surprised by a poster’s response or who responds. For example I wasn’t expecting @Doctor Hoop’s reaction. I wasn’t shocked. But he doesn’t frequently post his upset in that manner.

On the other hand I would have been disappointed had you not responded in the manner you did. In a universe of uncertainty I derive comfort in the consistency of people not being able to overcome their bad habits. For CV it’s a turnover or taking a shot he shouldn’t. For you it’s getting upset about things you can’t control and being angry if you perceive someone is defending someone or something you dislike. Just for clarity this paragraph is sarcasm.

Impress me. Be the change you insist from others. Control your emotions. See if you can avoid being upset by bad play. Disassociate emotional reaction from an event. Most importantly recognize that expression of anger and wanting payback is different than setting standards. Challenge yourself the way you challenge Alterique or CV.

Not many of us can make this type of adjustment. And yet we insist that players in stressful conditions react differently.

Believe it or not I have to challenge myself everyday to avoid the pitfalls I’m recommending you avoid. I’m not above it. Very few people who have not shut down their emotions can avoid this struggle. However the situation is hopeless if we don’t perceive what we do is negative. As I’m fond of saying in this forum we can see the faults in others but are unable to see them in ourselves.

 

[Chin Diesel]

if you watch closely, you'll see a 'buds on a road trip' dynamic building when 5 from carlton, akok, wilson, gaffney, bouknight, and adams are together. lotsa smiles from that posse. not to harsh on anyone not mentioned, it just is.

I noticed that as well. Instead of wholesale substitution, Carlton and Akok stayed in and chemistry seemed good.

 

[polycom]

There are no positives to take away from playing scrubs like st.p, only negatives. Anything that looked bad against this team will look worse versus a better team. Let's put things in context.

 

[buddy]

I wasn’t making an excuse. A fact is a fact. The kid had only one full year of college ball under his belt entering this season. The senior statement by John is an oversimplification. It does not consider experience.

I would love to know how many minutes Al ran point last season. It seems Hurley had Jalen run point more than Al.

I believe Al is more talented than what he’s shown. I can’t be sure what the reason is behind a performance that doesn’t meet my expectation. By all accounts Al is a great kid who works hard. I don’t believe he’s set low standards.

I’ve watched enough sports to know players are human and don’t follow scripts. Since I can’t control them I’ll have to work on how I react to disappointment.

Meditation is very helpful. "Serenity now, insanity later"!

 

[ClifSpliffy]

chemistry? science! 'it's poetry in motion...'

 

[ctchamps]

Meditation is very helpful. "Serenity now, insanity later"!

Marriage for 45 years is a better strategy. Marriage doesn't survive if you can't figure out ways to exist with someone over that length of time barring total control over someone. I give my wife credit for still trying to fix me after all these years. One one thousand, two one thousand dot dot dot.

 

[sirjames]

There are no positives to take away from playing scrubs like st.p, only negatives. Anything that looked bad against this team will look worse versus a better team. Let's put things in context.

I disagree - getting this playing experience is exactly what the young guys need now. I’m sure the coaches aren’t just saying do better next time - they are showing them film and hopefully re- creating situations in practice where they can teach. These are very skilled players _ UConn’s strength has always been teaching , making players better, and teaching them how to play as a team. We don’t recruit 5 star one and dones. We build teams - Dan is doing just that - we are going to get better - it is going to happen .

 

[ctchamps]

I think we’ll see him break out by the end of this season. His goofs are fixable. Seems like a smart kid who knows basketball well, with a high motor and real desire to get better. He has a hard time keeping his composure when there’s pressure, and he might dwell on a recent bad play for too long which affects his decision making on subsequent sets. Those are things that a coach (and good senior leadership from Al) can resolve; he has a lot going for him - IQ, athleticism, vision - he just needs to settle into his role on the team and stop second guessing himself. I was really high on Gaffney before the season (his HS and AAU highlights occupied more of my time than I care to admit), and I still see him being an extremely important part of our offensive strategy this year as well as in the future. His defense and anticipation are certainly things to work on but plenty of freshmen deal with these growing pains, and with even more talent coming into the program soon I think we’ll view him as the most improved player on this team by March.

Watched a lot of his games as well and have the same perspective as you. I just hope this kid can overcome getting down on himself when he makes mistakes.

 

[polycom]

I disagree - getting this playing experience is exactly what the young guys need now. I’m sure the coaches aren’t just saying do better next time - they are showing them film and hopefully re- creating situations in practice where they can teach. These are very skilled players _ UConn’s strength has always been teaching , making players better, and teaching them how to play as a team. We don’t recruit 5 star one and dones. We build teams - Dan is doing just that - we are going to get better - it is going to happen .

I mean, I'm not sure what this post has to do with my post but the thread title is gaffney took a big step forward. To say he took a step forward v. St.P with 4 or 5 tos in 20 mins is a disappointing standard we've accepted. Sure the coaches will use the film for teaching but there aren't positives to really take away from playing teams like this as things that will work v. ST.P will not work against more skilled/athletic teams. Example, everyone is saying gaffney can't dribble, St.p can't really do anything about that but a good team will destroy a pg that can't dribble.

 

[coachn]

Watched a lot of his games as well and have the same perspective as you. I just hope this kid can overcome getting down on himself when he makes mistakes.

I told you JG would hold his own and rise to the level we expect. JA & JB have a chemistry from when they were first recruited to UConn. They are the building blocks. Just hope they can make it happen fast so our season will not be lost. We can't have another Indiana at Cincinnati.

 

[Kitaman]

Gafney did not look good. Can't sugar coat it. Against St. Peter's! I'm as optimistic as anyone but I saw him play.

Context: I will always give freshman a pass. He was in HS less than a year ago, all this D1 talent, scheduling (traveling), large arenas, new Coach/teammates, Television, and crazy arse fans is a lot to adjust to. He was not coming in as our Savior or a major contributor, just a recruit we can re-build our future with. A piece to our future puzzle so to speak.

He's playing like a normal freshman who has potential. With experience (i.e playing time) comes small improvements, with confidence better production. Now Akok is a freshman+, meaning he's an advanced freshman. Perhaps him practicing with the team last season attributed to that.

All of our freshman (to me) will always get a pass, even with bonehead mistakes (e.g. JB foul). Its their sophomore years where they need to prove they belong at UConn or forever on the bench leading to the 'T' word.

The context is that he is playing good as a freshman and he is not failing or overwhelmed. Just saying we have to take the positives, and let the Coaches deal with the negatives. So yeah he may not have looked good, but for a freshman, to me, he looked pretty good (mistakes and all).

 

[pj]

I mean, I'm not sure what this post has to do with my post but the thread title is gaffney took a big step forward. To say he took a step forward v. St.P with 4 or 5 tos in 20 mins is a disappointing standard we've accepted. Sure the coaches will use the film for teaching but there aren't positives to really take away from playing teams like this as things that will work v. ST.P will not work against more skilled/athletic teams. Example, everyone is saying gaffney can't dribble, St.p can't really do anything about that but a good team will destroy a pg that can't dribble.

He took the step forward from being timid and afraid to do anything, to doing things and making mistakes. That's a big step forward because you can learn from your mistakes. You can't learn from passivity.

 

[CL82]

Gotta get that handle up. But yeah, people need to chill on him. Most freshman PGs aren't that great to begin with. When you add to that his transition from scoring guard to regular PG, it's gonna take a while. I'll be interested to see what we have the second half of next season.

Opposing defenders have no respect for his handle. They go after him hard. Not sure if he’s not pounding it enough or if his dribble is a little high, but it’s probably one or the other.

 

[intlzncster]

He took the step forward from being timid and afraid to do anything, to doing things and making mistakes. That's a big step forward because you can learn from your mistakes. You can't learn from passivity.

Yeah, but that's easy to do against bums.

 

[pj]

Yeah, but that's easy to do against bums.

Steps in player development:

Fail against bums -> succeed against bums, fail against higher level competition (e.g. Josh Carlton 2018) -> Succeed against everyone (e.g. Josh Carlton 2020).

Gaffney will climb the ladder.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Whatever good anyone saw about anything that happened must be tempered by understanding the competition is expected to finish 9th in the MAC.

Not one UConn player was able to dominate. Somebody should have been unstoppable.

I think we're both looking at Josh.