Hawkins

[UConnSwag11]

He has a beautiful shot and is aggressive taking the ball to the rim. He needs to keep shooting but Hurley needs to have Hawkins run through screens and move without the ball like Rip. Hawkins can't dribble right now but he can shoot. To utilize Hawkins efficiently, we can't give him the ball outside the three-point line with under 10 seconds left on the shot clock and force him to make a decision. Have him run through screens and get a clean look for three, mid-range, or layup. That will boost his confidence and help the team out

 

[gtcam]

Couldn't agree with you more
He has the handle, I've seen it in games in past 2 plus years and at occasional practices but I think it is now a confidence thing in a game situation. I've seen this during my coaching career - like stage fright - and nearly all can shake it.
It's the coaching man, its the coaching

 

[kansashusky]

Seems very mechanical with his handle. Almost stiff. If he could get by people, it would open up his shooting drastically.

 

[dogpause]

He didn't get to be MD POY for nothing. Seems mostly mental right now, I'm confident he'll have a big game soon.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

He took 3-4 wide open threes yesterday and one tough shot. He happened to miss all the open ones and make the tough one but I liked the shot selection and they were able to get him open. Those will start falling, but until that handle improves, it feels like he's limited to a spot up shooter.

 

[uconngb]

Don't think I've ever seen a player where his confidence (or lack thereof) is so noticeable. When he makes a bad play he immediately shrinks like a turtle and the whole team and coach have to console him. He seems to be in a real Catch 22......his mentality has to change dramatically, but only seems like it will if he makes good plays. Just seems very weak mentally, not sure why. He seemed like a bad ass, alpha type coming out of a great HS program.

 

[UConnStats]

The worst thing to happen to Hawkins (and arguably the team) this year was him losing that ball against Michigan State. That really stripped him of his confidence. I don’t think his handle is as bad as it has looked, but he’s just so jittery out on the floor since the MSU game. He was looking ready to give us 10 PPG before that.

I think Donny Marshall recognizes this and sees the need for confidence, hence his comment about how he wishes Hurley would let him play rather than punishing him for his mistakes. This is clearly a kid who needs to be built up and is living inside of his own head.

The best cure is a breakout game, but he’s not really getting the chance yet. That chance might fall into his lap with Gaffney playing himself off of the court.

 

[Waquoit]

Just seems very weak mentally, not sure why.

What an uncalled for smear. These are our guys!

 

[Palatine]

He just has to start hitting his wide open shots. He needs to figure out why they are NOT falling.

 

[Peacefrog]

I think it was actually the Auburn game, but yeah, his body language appears different since that incident.

 

[Umami Zen]

With PC game not happening.. The schedule should lend itself for him to regain some confidence with the next few games.. Nothing better for a shooter than to see some shots go down through the bottom of the net and/or at the foul line.

Think he's been humbled a little bit with the speed and strength of BE guards(some of the OOC players)) and didn't expect his transition to CBB to be this challenging. Not the first freshman to come to that realization.

Maybe Dan Hurley can scheme some plays for him early in games so that he can find his swag again. All part of the process.

 

[dennismenace]

College for most people is a very big transition. It means making a lot of adjustments. The demands of being in a high visibility D1 program only magnify this. I'm confident that eventually he will shine. When one door closes (HS sports) another door opens (College D1). It's the hallways that can be rough transition. There are a lot of people to support him to help himself.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Completely agree with the OP. We should feature in him our offense more. He’s our 3rd best perimeter scorer behind Cole and Tyrese. Shouldnt be a catch and shoot guy. Like Donny said on the call too, let him play through his mistakes. That’s what messed up his confidence in the first place.

 

[Umami Zen]

He has a beautiful shot and is aggressive taking the ball to the rim. He needs to keep shooting but Hurley needs to have Hawkins run through screens and move without the ball like Rip. Hawkins can't dribble right now but he can shoot. To utilize Hawkins efficiently, we can't give him the ball outside the three-point line with under 10 seconds left on the shot clock and force him to make a decision. Have him run through screens and get a clean look for three, mid-range, or layup. That will boost his confidence and help the team out

Nailed it. But Hawk has to see the value and commit himself to using the screens efficiently and effectively to get open/get a shot off. He's got a quick trigger once he's got some space and his footwork is set.

Can still be impactful to our success this year if he can figure it out.

 

[NJHusky]

Don't think I've ever seen a player where his confidence (or lack thereof) is so noticeable. When he makes a bad play he immediately shrinks like a turtle and the whole team and coach have to console him. He seems to be in a real Catch 22......his mentality has to change dramatically, but only seems like it will if he makes good plays. Just seems very weak mentally, not sure why. He seemed like a bad ass, alpha type coming out of a great HS program.

It’s prob the first time he’s ever struggled on the court.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Couldn't agree with you more
He has the handle, I've seen it in games in past 2 plus years and at occasional practices but I think it is now a confidence thing in a game situation. I've seen this during my coaching career - like stage fright - and nearly all can shake it.
It's the coaching man, its the coaching

I am coming around to change my mind about Hawk and his need for personal coaching. I always have said it was lack of confidence due to immaturity and that he would grow out of it on his own. I now believe that he needs some one on one mentoring. He has the skills but as you said stage fright. I had seen it in the Air Force with our “Jeeps” - rookies straight out of tech school. Some would just about freeze and be so afraid that they were doing something wrong and the fighter plane would crash. Often those guys with the highest grades in tech school were the most chicken schiest.

Hawkins has the skills just like our “jeeps”.

 

[Tenspro2002]

He's a good spot-up shooter (though last night he missed in some big momentum spots), but he's so weak with the ball that he can't take anyone off the dribble without losing it or getting blocked at the rim.

 

[navery12]

Last night was a bit of a fluke in that he missed his wide open looks and hit the one shot he created for himself off the dribble. Not worried though, he just needs to see the ball go through the net a few times and get some confidence

 

[uconngb]

What an uncalled for smear. These are our guys!

Not meant as a smear. But I mean, it's pretty obvious that he is struggling mentally.

 

[WestHartHusk]

One thing Hurley did that I liked was drawing up a play for Hawkins right before the half. Good way to start getting him ready to take game-deciding shots.

 

[bendm]

he's basically another polley at this point. signs of other dimensions developing but not the whole package yet.

 

[Orc]

I was expecting to see more based on preseason hype. I think he’s 3-4 years player for us

 

[ClifSpliffy]

this place, after every freakin game, win or lose.

 

[UConnSwag11]

He took 3-4 wide open threes yesterday and one tough shot. He happened to miss all the open ones and make the tough one but I liked the shot selection and they were able to get him open. Those will start falling, but until that handle improves, it feels like he's limited to a spot up shooter.

I remember Kenny Smith said during I believe our elite 8 against MSU that we weren't making our shots but we were getting our shots and that they'll eventually fall.

 

[UConnSwag11]

he's basically another polley at this point. signs of other dimensions developing but not the whole package yet.

He'll hopefully improve and add more to his game after 5 years

 

[05Alum]

I decided to use my first time post token on this, specifically the people in here suggesting Hawkins needs mentoring, counseling etc. This kid is 15 games into his D-1 career. He is the only freshman receiving any minutes. Experiencing his first semester of campus college life. Has not, I am sure from his own standpoint, played as well as he has liked. Yea he sulks, and the body language is not ideal at times. But to take that and say the kid has a confidence or any other problem is unfair, and not in the spirit of the board or what I at least come here to read. You ever play a bad round of golf and slam your club into the ground? Of course. Does that make it a guarantee you need a life coach? No.

 

[7774]

Completely agree with the OP. We should feature in him our offense more. He’s our 3rd best perimeter scorer behind Cole and Tyrese. Shouldnt be a catch and shoot guy. Like Donny said on the call too, let him play through his mistakes. That’s what messed up his confidence in the first place.

Are you cool with him playing through his mistakes if it means we lose to St. Johns? Because he was making a lot of mistakes, and not making wide open jump shots.

And to me Akok is a better perimeter scorer than Tyrese is.

 

[husky429]

The worst thing to happen to Hawkins (and arguably the team) this year was him losing that ball against Michigan State. That really stripped him of his confidence. I don’t think his handle is as bad as it has looked, but he’s just so jittery out on the floor since the MSU game. He was looking ready to give us 10 PPG before that.

I think Donny Marshall recognizes this and sees the need for confidence, hence his comment about how he wishes Hurley would let him play rather than punishing him for his mistakes. This is clearly a kid who needs to be built up and is living inside of his own head.

The best cure is a breakout game, but he’s not really getting the chance yet. That chance might fall into his lap with Gaffney playing himself off of the court.

Last night when he put his head down after a TO, Rese literally grabbed the back of his hair and pulled his head up. That's the kind of leadership you can't put a recruiting ranking on and it makes a huge difference on the team. Rese and Cole are the first guy to celebrate, pick others up, get into the huddle, etc.

I've seen this Hawkins play probably 25 times now including hs and AAU. He has his weaknesses like everyone, but he's got the skills to be a contributor... there's no way he can't contribute at a Polley-ish level based on skills alone. it's ALL in his head right now.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Have Hawkins and Cole play together for a bit. Would be nice to see that combo

 

[McLovin]

I also noticed that his off-ball movement is not very good. He just stands on the wing and waits to get the ball. We run a lot of off ball screens and sets to get Polley open looks, hopefully we can start running a few for Hawkins too.

I'm sure a lot of his poor positioning on offense is due to the fact that in high school they'd just give him the ball and let him do his thing. Here, he needs to learn to get open without the rock in his hand (although the ability to breakdown a defender 1-on-1 is more than welcome given our lack of individual play makers).