Hurley’s Deepest UConn Team

[RuffRuff]

Stewart played very well in the August 8th scrimmage.
Reed and Mullins are the stars. Reed is a man amongst boys in the paint and Mullins can catch and shoot in the same fluid and textbook motion.

Reed has amazing patience on offense and a soft touch, and is a double/double machine. His key is avoiding foul trouble in the high hedge minefield.

Besides his beautiful shooting stroke Mullins is athletic, can beat you off the dribble with either hand, and is a pleasure to watch fundamentally. He does the small things, like appropriately angling his shoulder when going around a screen on offense so there is no separation for the defender to go through.

Karaban is our leader, who sets a good example with work ethic and respect for the game.

Ball can put points on the board quickly when he gets hot.

The transfer from Georgia will be key. He will set the tempo and develop team scoring opportunities.

Ross has the opportunity to be a lockdown defender and that and rebounding can get him minutes along with being good in a running game.

The German Big has the skills and can help this year but also needs time in the weight room.

I could go on, but those will likely be our most key guys.

Please go on - great insights. Anything on Furphy?

It’s good to hear about Mulllins, Reed and Silas as they do strike me as the keys to this year. Alex comfortable taking more of a backseat leadership role would be important too.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Stewart played very well in the August 8th scrimmage.
Reed and Mullins are the stars. Reed is a man amongst boys in the paint and Mullins can catch and shoot in the same fluid and textbook motion.

Reed has amazing patience on offense and a soft touch, and is a double/double machine. His key is avoiding foul trouble in the high hedge minefield.

Besides his beautiful shooting stroke Mullins is athletic, can beat you off the dribble with either hand, and is a pleasure to watch fundamentally. He does the small things, like appropriately angling his shoulder when going around a screen on offense so there is no separation for the defender to go through.

Karaban is our leader, who sets a good example with work ethic and respect for the game.

Ball can put points on the board quickly when he gets hot.

The transfer from Georgia will be key. He will set the tempo and develop team scoring opportunities.

Ross has the opportunity to be a lockdown defender and that and rebounding can get him minutes along with being good in a running game.

The German Big has the skills and can help this year but also needs time in the weight room.

I could go on, but those will likely be our most key guys.

Thank you for the insight. Good to hear that what I have seen on tape with Mullins is also what some people with greater access to the team are seeing. I think Mullins is going to be an offensive force like we have not had in a while maybe going back to Shabazz. Can’t wait to see this kid play and hopefully Taris plays with high energy at all times when he is on the court. If you have watched any basketball it was clear to see how talented he is and what he could accomplish with more focus. I think Danny and staff are going to get it out of him this year.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Please go on - great insights. Anything on Furphy?

It’s good to hear about Mulllins, Reed and Silas as they do strike me as the keys to this year. Alex comfortable taking more of a backseat leadership role would be important too.

I agree on the keys to our success from an earlier post in this thread.

I don’t agree and really hope you are not correct because I am in the camp that thinks for us to be cutting down nets is April we will need Mullins to be a star. Reed to perform closer to his talent level, a confident dagger hitting Alex and Demary being a version of Tristen.

 

[gtcam]

From what I have seen, I think Mullins will experience some growing pains but he is going to blow peoples minds at times. He is soooooooooo basketball savvy He does the little things that make the whole package complete yet he does them in a manner that won't be overt at times.
Reed needs to stay smart on the floor - if he does he is 1st team all BE and has a good chance to be playing at the next level.
Furphy is a blacktop hooper - solid - both he and Mullins play the game with smiles on their faces, its going to be hard for Dan Hurley to keep either on the bench for extended periods.
Given the chance, I think the younger Ross will prove to be a more complete player than his older brother.

 

[Chief00]

For us who don’t have access to scrimmage or practices it’s a tough wait.

One just never knows for sure until you see them jell on the court together.

 

[Chief00]

From what I have seen, I think Mullins will experience some growing pains but he is going to blow peoples minds at times. He is soooooooooo basketball savvy He does the little things that make the whole package complete yet he does them in a manner that won't be overt at times.
Reed needs to stay smart on the floor - if he does he is 1st team all BE and has a good chance to be playing at the next level.
Furphy is a blacktop hooper - solid - both he and Mullins play the game with smiles on their faces, its going to be hard for Dan Hurley to keep either on the bench for extended periods.
Given the chance, I think the younger Ross will prove to be a more complete player than his older brother.

I agree there will be the very good boxscore Mullins and then the non overt, basketball savvy and nuance Mullins, that all together put his game on a Championship level.
Hurley says Reed is 6’10.5 with no sneakers on. He has both very strong vaccum like hands and soft hands touch. A wide body for post defense, if we don’t waste his fouls covering guards in the Euro high post hedge.
What’s amazing about Reed is his patience on offense in the post - he gets the defender off balance then calmly makes his finishing move.
I view him as a lottery pick.

 

[CL82]

Presuming Jaylin doesn't start at the 3, I'd expect him to get 10 minutes at the 4 and 15 or so at the 3.

I feel like Stewart lacks the range and consistency to play the three. I feel like the opposing team's scout would single him out as a man that they could sag off of.

 

[Lafayette]

I feel like Stewart lacks the range and consistency to play the three. I feel like the opposing team's scout would single him out as a man that they could sag off of.

Depends on the opponent.

Big East: let's say Hopkins is the best wing for now (if healthy), Lewis is TBD at Nova and most other teams have transfers in at the wing so a lot of unknowns really.

I think Stewart can hold his own against the field, but Hopkins is a tall order.

 

[HW611]

I feel like Stewart lacks the range and consistency to play the three. I feel like the opposing team's scout would single him out as a man that they could sag off of.

Stewart’s 3 ball is pretty solid. If he spends time at the 3 he can also be a mismatch in the post for teams who have smaller wings/guards.

He hasn’t shown it much here so far because his usage just hasn’t been that high, but I remember him being able to operate pretty well in the post and mid in his HS tape.

 

[Inyatkin]

I agree there will be the very good boxscore Mullins and then the non overt, basketball savvy and nuance Mullins, that all together put his game on a Championship level.
Hurley says Reed is 6’10.5 with no sneakers on. He has both very strong vaccum like hands and soft hands touch. A wide body for post defense, if we don’t waste his fouls covering guards in the Euro high post hedge.
What’s amazing about Reed is his patience on offense in the post - he gets the defender off balance then calmly makes his finishing move.
I view him as a lottery pick.

How many people with his experience at his position are a lottery pick? You pretty much have to be Zach Edey

Let's just hope he has a good season

 

[RuffRuff]

How many people with his experience at his position are a lottery pick? You pretty much have to be Zach Edey

Let's just hope he has a good season

Unlikely a lottery pick, but not the craziest possibility. You have to look at the position and circumstances. The position takes some time to figure out, more nuanced and a lot more body to tailor. He grew up in a dumpster fire of a program his first two years under JH, then walked into a highly structured and complex program here. The kid was a top 35 HS recruit and his build/balance is unique. Not saying he's going lottery, but I don't think it's out of question he can squeeze into the first round. This is a tough draft to sneak into as it's loaded early.

Wolf went one last year, Kalk & Broome early second.

When you watched Mullins in the McD AA game, he was operating differently. In a sea of look-at-me iso ball, he was looking for cutters and trying to play more of a team game.

Issue with Stew at the 3 is defense. He got lost on so many picks chasing guys, just not his game.

 

[Chief00]

Unlikely a lottery pick, but not the craziest possibility. You have to look at the position and circumstances. The position takes some time to figure out, more nuanced and a lot more body to tailor. He grew up in a dumpster fire of a program his first two years under JH, then walked into a highly structured and complex program here. The kid was a top 35 HS recruit and his build/balance is unique. Not saying he's going lottery, but I don't think it's out of question he can squeeze into the first round. This is a tough draft to sneak into as it's loaded early.

Wolf went one last year, Kalk & Broome early second.

When you watched Mullins in the McD AA game, he was operating differently. In a sea of look-at-me iso ball, he was looking for cutters and trying to play more of a team game.

Issue with Stew at the 3 is defense. He got lost on so many picks chasing guys, just not his game.

I agree Stewart is a 4 and Ross is a 3 on defense.

 

[Chief00]

How many people with his experience at his position are a lottery pick? You pretty much have to be Zach Edey

Let's just hope he has a good season

Some people thought I was nuts on Stephon Castle being a top 10 pick in December of 2023. True, I don’t have a good handle on what Euro guys will go early but Reed is a 7 footer in sneakers (if Hurley is correct) who brings a lot to the table.

 

[Chief00]

Please go on - great insights. Anything on Furphy?

It’s good to hear about Mulllins, Reed and Silas as they do strike me as the keys to this year. Alex comfortable taking more of a backseat leadership role would be important too.

I don’t really have an assessment on Furphy either way. Need to focus on watching him more.

 

[husky429]

I don’t really have an assessment on Furphy either way. Need to focus on watching him more.

You can see all of his NBL1 games on their website, as well as the FIFA games from this summer.

 

[Inyatkin]

Some people thought I was nuts on Stephon Castle being a top 10 pick in December of 2023. True, I don’t have a good handle on what Euro guys will go early but Reed is a 7 footer in sneakers (if Hurley is correct) who brings a lot to the table.

It has nothing to do with how good a season someone has, which you know. Castle was a freshman. Reed is a senior. That alone makes the comparison meaningless

 

[Lafayette]

Tarris Reed, Jr. could be a top 10 pick if:
1. He can go 28-33 min without fouling out
2. He uses his insane agility to dominate on offense
3. He rebounds on D and rebounds and put backs on O

His ceiling is likely 23-15 and his floor is probably 9-8.

That puts the +/- at 16-11.5

Anything else in blocks, steals is gravy

 

[RuffRuff]

Tarris Reed, Jr. could be a top 10 pick if:
1. He can go 28-33 min without fouling out
2. He uses his insane agility to dominate on offense
3. He rebounds on D and rebounds and put backs on O

His ceiling is likely 23-15 and his floor is probably 9-8.

That puts the +/- at 16-11.5

Anything else in blocks, steals is gravy

Throw in hit an occasional jumper consistently. Enough about the Adama comparison's, if he's measuring at close to 6'11" and 270, that feels more like an Andre Drummond.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

I would encourage folks who talk sports for a living to watch more of the subject teams they seek to cover. Solo was in the 99th percentile of shooters last year. He made a huge jump in production from his first year. An incredible jump, to say the least. Therefore, to say out lout that Solo will stay the same is contrary to any objective and fair analysis. I get the criticism on Bear. He has to prove them wrong this year for 40 minutes a game. But the rest of the analysis is weak as heck. Wanna know how sick this team will be offensively? Solo is no longer the best shooter on the team!!!! Even the '23 team only had one Hawk. This team has 2 Hawks. And Alex suddenly becomes an afterthought. The guy that you do not guard because you are paying attention to a Bear in the pain, and two sharpshooters on the outside. OMG, just bracing to see the kind of year Alex has shooting wide open 3's. And the same logic applies to the boys coming from the bench. We saw Furphy shoot the ball very well in Europe this Summer. And he can create his own too. Notice I did not say one word about Demary, Malachi or Reibe, a 7 footer who can shoot the 3. I would be shocked if this team does not average at least 90 a game.

On paper, this team is better offensively than the '23 team.

 

[Chief00]

You can see all of his NBL1 games on their website, as well as the FIFA games from this summer.

True, but I like to see him in a physical type, intense game/practice /scrimmage environment - that’s the barrier of entry getting playing time with Hurley.

 

[Chief00]

I would encourage folks who talk sports for a living to watch more of the subject teams they seek to cover. Solo was in the 99th percentile of shooters last year. He made a huge jump in production from his first year. An incredible jump, to say the least. Therefore, to say out lout that Solo will stay the same is contrary to any objective and fair analysis. I get the criticism on Bear. He has to prove them wrong this year for 40 minutes a game. But the rest of the analysis is weak as heck. Wanna know how sick this team will be offensively? Solo is no longer the best shooter on the team!!!! Even the '23 team only had one Hawk. This team has 2 Hawks. And Alex suddenly becomes an afterthought. The guy that you do not guard because you are paying attention to a Bear in the pain, and two sharpshooters on the outside. OMG, just bracing to see the kind of year Alex has shooting wide open 3's. And the same logic applies to the boys coming from the bench. We saw Furphy shoot the ball very well in Europe this Summer. And he can create his own too. Notice I did not say one word about Demary, Malachi or Reibe, a 7 footer who can shoot the 3. I would be shocked if this team does not average at least 90 a game.

On paper, this team is better offensively than the '23 team.

With Alex it is all stable body balance. When he has that he gets backspin and arch on his shot. Without it (momentum forward or leaning back) he tends to line drive knuckle ball on backspin and hit back or front rim. At the August 8th scrimmage he was amazing pre game with a textbook shot that always went in but then during game regressed with his body balance.
Overlooked is he’s so much stronger than 2-3 years ago. I hope the point guard looks for Alex in the right moments/spots.

 

[Chief00]

It has nothing to do with how good a season someone has, which you know. Castle was a freshman. Reed is a senior. That alone makes the comparison meaningless

Stephon was a freshmen out with an early season injury at the time. Reed fits the NBA profile, I know a former NBA scout, who’s very high on Reed.

 

[jibsey]

Stephon was a freshmen out with an early season injury at the time. Reed fits the NBA profile, I know a former NBA scout, who’s very high on Reed.

He has an NBA body.

 

[Hunt for 7]

When I look at Reed I see a player who is big enough…..I thought he played and looked bigger than 6’10” last year…..who moves well enough to cover a player like KAT or even Jokic. Now does he have a lot of work to put in and improve defensively yes of course but he has the athleticism to become a real good defensive player.

His offense is what separates him from being a player like Drummond. He has such soft hands for his size and I know he can shoot the ball. You can see that by watching him shoot.

Nothing against Adama but you could see his was more of a mechanical shot while Taris shot is fluid and more natural looking.

I posted earlier this summer that I thought Taris could play his way into first round pick that he has that type of talent and skills. If he emerges and Mullins is the star I think he is the other pieces will have less pressure to have to fit right away.

Man I am looking forward to watch this team play.

 

[RuffRuff]

When I look at Reed I see a player who is big enough…..I thought he played and looked bigger than 6’10” last year…..who moves well enough to cover a player like KAT or even Jokic. Now does he have a lot of work to put in and improve defensively yes of course but he has the athleticism to become a real good defensive player.

His offense is what separates him from being a player like Drummond. He has such soft hands for his size and I know he can shoot the ball. You can see that by watching him shoot.

Nothing against Adama but you could see his was more of a mechanical shot while Taris shot is fluid and more natural looking.

I posted earlier this summer that I thought Taris could play his way into first round pick that he has that type of talent and skills. If he emerges and Mullins is the star I think he is the other pieces will have less pressure to have to fit right away.

Man I am looking forward to watch this team play.

I went into 2024 feeling really good about the blend in the roster, really good. It played out. Not quite at that level this year, but not that far off. Much of it’s going to hinge on how good Mullins & Demary/Smith are, particularly on defense. I think this team is going to be laser focused after last year. Between the continuity, the depth, the talent, I really like this teams chances to make another run.