Honestly, what happened?

[Scoe]

I think I had something to do with it I started drinking Miller Lites consistently in March of 2023.

 

[Umami Zen]

is it the same offense? No. not close. Based on what he said to Katz the other day, have they seen tape of the offense and found some part of it they may utilize at times? Almost surely. He pretty much said the coaching staff will watch anything they can get their hands on for ideas they can play around with.

Crazy creative stuff for him and Luke to apply what an offensive coordinator who became a Head Coach in the NFL(Shanahan) is doing to confuse the defense with offensive sets to his approach to CBB. Throw a little Euro and NBA styles- You got UConn CBB. Everyone else is playing catch up

 

[auror]

I may be off on this (like entirely) - but it is my casual understanding that in broad terms Geno runs his own version of the Princeton offense and it has evolved even more over the years. Meanwhile, Europeans also evolved their own version of the Princeton offense and the men's side runs their version of the European-based evolved "Princeton offense" complete with analytics.

So they would look similar as they have the same root.

The whole Chin series we run is adapted from the Princeton offense. It's kind of old school in a way. But the actual product really doesn't look like Princeton any more.

Yeah I was trying to learn more about this a couple weeks back when looking into our offense and was watching some videos and there are several videos of Geno Auriemma chin series plays. And many of them are recent with Paige. So there's certainly a small subset of our playbook that is similar to theirs, but who is to say where the origin of that was. More likely than getting it from Geno we implemented it because it's well known and is easy to get into DHO/Zoom from.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Recruiting better shooters and more offensive talent.

Hiring Murray is a huge reason. And Murray, Hurley, Kimani are all improving every year. Hurley is a student of the game and constantly trying to improve.

After winning in 23 we never got the full media attention from winning a chip. And at Uconn, we usually don't get the excessive hype. But after B2B it's a totally new level of respect.

We still didnt get the attention deserved of the accomplishment. BSPN was too busy hyping Catlin Clark and how great the womens game was and people totally bought into it. If the topic was cbb she got at least double the coverage in losing than we did in winning.

 

[Scottobot]

Definitely agree with combo of Murray, Hurley evolving and recruiting shooters to go with the athletes, mentioned in previous posts. However I also think a big part is having skilled big men at 4 and 5 spots who can catch, pass, score, set screens really helps the offense. A lot of teams have a clunky big men who bobble the ball every time they catch it , turn it over when double teamed and can’t pass, so they end up playing 4 on 5 on or 3 on 5 on offense
Bill Walton as an announcer during Nike tournament at start of 22-23 made an insightful observation where he said, “UConn has something I haven’t seen in the front court in years with the combo of Karaban, Clingan and Sanogo. A trio of big man as central cogs in a passing offense.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

With all due respect, not at all.

Would you at least agree that if all players on the Women's team were healthy, they could have beaten the Pistons?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

We are very lucky.

We fans are quite fortunate in benefitting from such a good coaching staff.
It is not luck

Some of our fans are embarrassing.

Who are they embarrassing?

Are you embarrassed by them? Who else can you reliably speak for?

Why not refrain from criticizing others unless you can write properly? At least put some effort into writing with clarity.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Keep throwing those laugh-crying emojis on every mention of Geno, that'll show 'em

The emojis are better because they project powerfully self-certain criticism upon no identified or communicated basis, while masking his poor writing skills.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

What's embarrassing is that you think a Hall of Fame coach has nothing to offer.

Don't copycat his inept use of "embarrassing." Let his writing fail on its own.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Constant motion, cutting, and multiple picks, screens.... creating wide open looks and layups

I'm not sure how anyone can miss the similarities

I'm surprised that some posters can sometime seem so disinclined to consider ways in which certain characteristics are similar and dissimilar, and then offer where the distinctions are meaningful. Such observations could offer great benefit for a larger population of readers by educating those with less sophisticated understanding.

Those who simply laugh at others are arguably harmful to healthy discuss, rather than simply unhelpful.

Later comments that have specifically referenced Princeton offense sources have elevated the conversation, even with candid expression that not all similarities hold up to a closer look. I appreciate the respectful discussion.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The whole Chin series we run is adapted from the Princeton offense. It's kind of old school in a way. But the actual product really doesn't look like Princeton any more.

I appreciate the call out but honestly the credit goes to Hurley, Murray and the staff.

 

[AllHusky]

It's amazing that Luke Murray didn't even play D1 basketball, correct? He was just a high school player, I believe.

Same as Tom Moore, a pair of dues paying basketball junkies. No silver spoons in those BLUE BLOODS

There is a theme there

 

[NJHusky]

Being a UConn is great. It cleanses my palette of being a NY Giants fan and watching their front office ineptitude since the 2nd SB win over the Patriots (really it started before that SB.

Once John Mara started making decisions the downfall began

 

[NJHusky]

In addition to all the offensive changes, I also think DH evolved as an in game coach. In the early days I would be screaming at the Tv for him to take a TO or to make a change on the floor.…to no avail

Now, our in game adjustments and coaching are superb. I think @Palatine said not coaching at this level before was a learning curve for DH.

 

[freescooter]

We forget that at the beginning of his tenure, Hurley had to devote basically his entire coaching to effort and toughness. Forget BBIQ, forget sophisticated plays, he had his hands full getting guys to give max effort all game.

That is just not true. Whaley gave 100%. So did Cole. So did others. The problem was a talent gap, not an attitude gap. Replace Cole with Newton and Whaley with Clinton and those teams are completely different. You can have the most complex offense in the country. If you don’t have the guys who can run it, and you don’t use them correctly, it ain’t getting you anything.

I actually like the Villanova example. That I do think influenced Hurley’s thinking. They won with a big and 4 guys out. But I also think figuring out how to use guys in any system is important. Jackson is Exhibit A. Teams didn’t even bother covering him at the 3-point line. It took a while before Hurley figured out he could be effective inside rebounding and scoring rather than trying to play as a 3rd guard. He became sort of Samson Johnson type scorer rather than a Deep threat.

 

[CL82]

Yeah I was trying to learn more about this a couple weeks back when looking into our offense and was watching some videos and there are several videos of Geno Auriemma chin series plays. And many of them are recent with Paige. So there's certainly a small subset of our playbook that is similar to theirs, but who is to say where the origin of that was. More likely than getting it from Geno we implemented it because it's well known and is easy to get into DHO/Zoom from.

I love how this board reduces everything to the absurd. Either Hurley isn't even aware that Geno Auriemma exists, or he has copied his entire playbook. It wouldn't surprise me in the least, among the myriad of things that Hurley consumes in order to improve his coaching, he has looked at and talked to GA. Coaches routinely steal from each other and no one is particularly shy about admitting that. It's part of the process. But, absolutely, they're working off of common principles.

In any event, Hurley has said that he has talked to Geno and that Auriemma is one of his resources. Now, how much of that is actual and how much is just him paying a Hall of Fame coach or courtesy subject to debate.

The sets that Hurley is running are definitely "next level" stuff well ahead of what anyone else is running. Hurley and staff are innovators right now and the rest of college basketball is struggling to catch up. It is beautiful basketball to watch.

 

[El Obrero]

I think the most fascinating thing about the upcoming season will be finding out what other coaches have come up with defensively in order to slow the Husky Train down. And then, of course, how we adjust to their adjustments.

 

[CL82]

I think the most fascinating thing about the upcoming season will be finding out what other coaches have come up with defensively in order to slow the Husky Train down. And then, of course, how we adjust to their adjustments.

Our turnover in personnel makes that a little more difficult. Sure, we will be using the same principles, but, we will have new pieces and be using existing pieces in different different ways.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Hurley

I’m not an X and O guy like many of you, but I remember in the early Hurley days, a lot of complaints about our offense and how we just ran a weave and high hedge endlessly. Now, anlmost overnight, we run the best offense in CBB.

Is it the players, is Hurley evolving, is Murray a mad offensive scientist, is it the cultural buy-in? Am I answering my own question by saying it’s all of the above?

Hurley stated he used to focus on only defense, but the back2back early exits from the tourney forced him to change his philosophy, to focus more on offense.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

I think the most fascinating thing about the upcoming season will be finding out what other coaches have come up with defensively in order to slow the Husky Train down. And then, of course, how we adjust to their adjustments.

I don’t know how they would adjust. UConn forces teams to make decisions when playing defense, and when they make the wrong decision, we get alley oops or wide open 3’s.
I think a zone is the only way to slow us down but the zone would have to guard the 3 point line to be effective. I’m surprised Alabama or Purdue didn’t at least try to play zone. Alabama did a little while not guarding Castle but that was a bad strategy.

 

[boba]

To be honest, it’s all been a fever dream

Please don't say that to a COVID sufferer...
It took 4 years, including the frau getting it in the first wave, before I got it. it's as brutal as they say. Thank you, Pfizer for Paxlovid.

 

[Tenspro2002]

That is just not true. Whaley gave 100%. So did Cole. So did others. The problem was a talent gap, not an attitude gap. Replace Cole with Newton and Whaley with Clinton and those teams are completely different. You can have the most complex offense in the country. If you don’t have the guys who can run it, and you don’t use them correctly, it ain’t getting you anything.

I actually like the Villanova example. That I do think influenced Hurley’s thinking. They won with a big and 4 guys out. But I also think figuring out how to use guys in any system is important. Jackson is Exhibit A. Teams didn’t even bother covering him at the 3-point line. It took a while before Hurley figured out he could be effective inside rebounding and scoring rather than trying to play as a 3rd guard. He became sort of Samson Johnson type scorer rather than a Deep threat.

Cole didn't arrive until his 3rd year. Whaley gave 100%...because Hurley cranked the intensity up to 11 and demanded the team follow suit.

At the beginning, Hurley absolutely had to coach the holdovers out of KO's hangdog attitude. This was pretty much all he did his first year.

Yes, there was a talent gap. He kept the KO guys in a (successful) attempt to build culture. He brought in Cole and Martin, who were an upgrade, but not quite at the level we needed. But Hurley was also limited in what he could implement because he didn't even have a base of guys who played hard and with confidence.

 

[ec33]

Once John Mara started making decisions the downfall began

Once a Mara started making football decisions the return to the Wilderness Years (brought on by Mara's making football decisions) began.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

After the loss to New Mexico in the NCAAT Hurley decided we needed to focus and ramp up our offense. So he hired Luke Murray and recruited offensive talent.

Hmmm? A good blueprint for UConn football. The defensive approach ain't doing squat.