Honest question- Do we have enough rebounding to be bulletproof

[superjohn]

There are 4 scholarship slots open.

As for your list:

2 of them are on the team as of today. A Junior transfer and a Senior.

1 is never coming back from the draft and 1 is unlikely to sign up for another year of 6th man role and is waiting out the commitments (until April 30 when he puts his name in the portal to extend his decision time).

The other 2 can get to the NBA from their other target schools and NIL is a factor.

If Hurley and co. can get 2 of the 4 then he only has to fill in the last 2 slots with “1 and out of eligibility” players.

Today, this looks like a young roster that can win it all in 2026 - not 2025.

You're completely talking out of your arse but that's your role here.

 

[bendm]

He’s replacing a lot minutes though which is essentially the same thing. And in Hurleys offense/defense all these guys are going to rebound regardless of what they did at their last school. Point is, size and athleticism certainly will not be an issue. It’s literally what Hurley had been putting recruiting emphasis on.

C'mon. The ample tapes of Liam show and prove he is VERY athletic, fast, quick, heady, and functional. He's got great foot movement. Remember Larry Legend? Was he athletic or not? Naw, he was only the GOAT......

K. So it’s not enough to say Next years team could be #1 in the country, and just as good offensively as this years team. We have to argue it will be just as good on the boards and defensively as well. I guess we should all prepare for another tourney record breaking performance that none thought we’d ever see again.

 

[Mookson]

K. So it’s not enough to say Next years team could be #1 in the country, and just as good offensively as this years team. We have to argue it will be just as good on the boards and defensively as well. I guess we should all prepare for another tourney record breaking performance that none thought we’d ever see again.

Alll I’m saying is that you said that we are not as big or athletic with this upcoming team which is just objectively false. We were literally considered a relatively unathletic team this past season, especially for how much we dominated.

 

[MrSec224]

Were still going to have plenty of size. And this staff maximizes the rebounding prowess of every player. Ahmad and Has will be our two smallest players but complete bulldogs. Will be fine I think

 

[JungleLobo]

You're completely talking out of your arse but that's your role here.

OK, Homer

 

[Rocktheworld]

I've seen him do well for his size getting rebounds.

In high school.

We can’t expect that to happen in high level D1.

 

[auror]

Historically speaking, when Tom Moore is on a team's coaching staff, that team is really good at rebounding.

Bingo. End thread.

 

[DogMania]

Newton and Cam both had a knack for hunting rebounds. With that said I think a lot of credit goes to the coaching staff for teaching team rebounding. I think we'll see similar results if the team buys into what they'll be taught.

I seem to remember in the past seeing opponents get offensive rebounds, often by the perimeter players, and thinking how are you not boxing out?!?! Not so much the past two seasons.

Size and strength helps, but execution and effort can be the difference between losing because you gave up too many second chances and/or didn't generate some for your own and losing.

I think we'll be fine. We'll find out if that's the case once they start playing against the other high major teams.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

OK, Homer

Ok this makes sense now. You didn’t realize this was a board comprised of UConn fans. I always wondered what the ufck you were doing here because all you do is post dickish nonsense from time to time.

“Homer” is about the stupidest insult I can imagine throwing at a fan on his own team’s message board.

 

[ABCDFE]

100% agree. We’re possibly replacing Newton, Cam, Castle, Clingan with Mahaney, Brea, McNeeley, Reed. In other words replacing 4 NBA players with 1 projected NBA player. Our offense could be as good as last year but our defense and rebounding won’t be. We just wont have the same size or athleticism. So no We wouldn’t be bulletproof but we’d still be the best team in the country.

Losing a force like clingan is huge both on the defensive and offensive end. Will need to see how these guys develop and come back with the new additions but lots of “ifs” right now for me on defense particularly.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Good question. Another important one: who guards the opponents best perimeter player? Having castle was a cheat code.

Castle and Clingan helped us hold every team except one to 60 and under in the tournament.

The only team that scored above had to shoot 50% from 3 just to score 72 (and it was still under the Vegas spread )

We were a generationally great defensive team.

For reference:

09’ held one team to under 60
04’ had 3 teams score 70
99’ had 4 teams score above 60

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Also, where is all this Diarra talk coming from?

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Love what Hurley is doing this off-season. Our team is based now on high iq selfless offense, tight lockdown man defense and pushing in transition after misses. We had Clingan, and 3 big guards who were eager to rebound, plus AK who always was dependable with boxing out and getting some big boards. Our transition game was deadly, but thats predicated on stops and rebounding

As the roster is being constructed, do we have enough team rebounding? We've got our Johnson/Reed tandem, but if Alex doesn't come back, our 3rd biggest guy to get minutes is Jaylin or Abraham/Ross (assuming they get into rotation). Hass is a dog and Solo's got ups, but our guards are undersized. Both top portal targets are slight of build as well. Makes me think maybe Shulga would be nice alternative to Mahaney

Could this be our biggest potential weakness from being bulletproof? I know Hurley will coach them up to run through walls & show the effort on D and the boards, but I wonder how we would fair on the boards against an old school Huggins Cincy team for instance

Simple answer no, but a lack of rebounding didn’t stop Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer, and Marvin Delph from reaching a Final Four.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Love what Hurley is doing this off-season. Our team is based now on high iq selfless offense, tight lockdown man defense and pushing in transition after misses. We had Clingan, and 3 big guards who were eager to rebound, plus AK who always was dependable with boxing out and getting some big boards. Our transition game was deadly, but thats predicated on stops and rebounding

As the roster is being constructed, do we have enough team rebounding? We've got our Johnson/Reed tandem, but if Alex doesn't come back, our 3rd biggest guy to get minutes is Jaylin or Abraham/Ross (assuming they get into rotation). Hass is a dog and Solo's got ups, but our guards are undersized. Both top portal targets are slight of build as well. Makes me think maybe Shulga would be nice alternative to Mahaney

Could this be our biggest potential weakness from being bulletproof? I know Hurley will coach them up to run through walls & show the effort on D and the boards, but I wonder how we would fair on the boards against an old school Huggins Cincy team for instance

No idea until we know the team we have. Also Reeds rebounding is really being underestimated. Samson needs to get a little stronger and look to box out better. One thing i notice although very raw and not all that strong Singare looks like he could be a really good rebounder. I noticed whenever he`d come into a game he`d grab a board or two. I started paying closer attention to him and hes pretty good boxing out. Depending on how much stronger he gets he could contribute some rebounding.

 

[RichCTBB]

Seems like our whole system is predicated in rebounding. If these guys have the fortitude to be a part of the program, Hurley and co will have them cleaning glass like they’ve never done before.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Castle and Clingan helped us hold every team except one to 60 and under in the tournament.

The only team that scored above had to shoot 50% from 3 just to score 72 (and it was still under the Vegas spread )

We were a generationally great defensive team.

For reference:

09’ held one team to under 60
04’ had 3 teams score 70
99’ had 4 teams score above 60

I think in the 12 games in our back to back national title runs we`ve only given up more than 60 points twice?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I think in the 12 games in our back to back national title runs we`ve only given up more than 60 points twice?

3 times altogether.

Twice in 23’ (Iona 63 and Arkansas 65)

Once in 24’ (Alabama 72)

So in two years combined we’ve had a better defensive run than any of our past great teams.

 

[HooperScooper]

OK, Homer

This one?

Or this one?

 

[storrsroars]

I think Stewart will step up in this department.

Agree. Based on even his limited minutes, I think he has the mindset to stay in the play, go to where he thinks the ball will be, and has the motor to do it. I'm going to predict he'll be the #2 rebounder next year.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Agree. Based on even his limited minutes, I think he has the mindset to stay in the play, go to where he thinks the ball will be, and has the motor to do it. I'm going to predict he'll be the #2 rebounder next year.

Stewart will be a key player this fall, and not just for rebounding. He has a very good 3 pt shot.

 

[Scot-e]

Ok this makes sense now. You didn’t realize this was a board comprised of UConn fans. I always wondered what the ufck you were doing here because all you do is post dickish nonsense from time to time.

“Homer” is about the stupidest insult I can imagine throwing at a fan on his own team’s message board.

Don’t feed the trolls.

 

[willie99]

We're not bulletproof, we'll never be bulletproof, and we'll always be able to rebound. It's really more about technique and effort than it is about size.

Bazz and Boat were great rebounders, can't get smaller than that

 

[AllHusky]

Assuming Brea, hoping Mahaney(I am still dreaming of Traore)

Forget all the BS speculation about not rebounding, bullets penetrating and so on. This is going to be an extremely exciting and entertaining episode of the Hurley UConn project. It's like one of those Chef challenges where each one is provided a bunch of random ingredients and tries to come up with a meal/dish that makes sense and tastes good. The only difference between Chef Hurley and the rest of the wannabes is that his ingredients already make sense, not like some of the random portal grabbers. His dish might take a little longer to stir and simmer, but at the end it is going to taste SOOOOO GOOD!!

When does practice start? First game? Lets GO!!

 

[Mandoo]

Rebounding is position plus desire and toughness. Who wants to bet against Hurley instilling that?

Ex-NBA great Wesley Unseld was a monster rebounder at 6'7". Throughout high school and college he was absolutely one of the best. He weighed around 270 but moved like a puma.

 

[martyn]

Love what Hurley is doing this off-season. Our team is based now on high iq selfless offense, tight lockdown man defense and pushing in transition after misses. We had Clingan, and 3 big guards who were eager to rebound, plus AK who always was dependable with boxing out and getting some big boards. Our transition game was deadly, but thats predicated on stops and rebounding

As the roster is being constructed, do we have enough team rebounding? We've got our Johnson/Reed tandem, but if Alex doesn't come back, our 3rd biggest guy to get minutes is Jaylin or Abraham/Ross (assuming they get into rotation). Hass is a dog and Solo's got ups, but our guards are undersized. Both top portal targets are slight of build as well. Makes me think maybe Shulga would be nice alternative to Mahaney

Could this be our biggest potential weakness from being bulletproof? I know Hurley will coach them up to run through walls & show the effort on D and the boards, but I wonder how we would fair on the boards against an old school Huggins Cincy team for instance

You're never bullet proof in sports,