Hurley comments on Koroma, Millender and Jacob Ross

[HooperScooper]

All 3 have signed their aid agreements.

"Dwayne is a physical, talented big who can play a variety of roles for us," Hurley said. "His game experience is extremely valuable and he is coming off his best season. Dwayne is an efficient scorer and gets on the glass, which is crucial to our success."

"Alec is a guard that has played in a ton of games and has consistently leveled up. He can score, distribute and has turned into an excellent outside shooter," Hurley said. "His toughness and game experience will fit in well with our program and we're excited about what he can bring."

"Jacob Ross obviously comes from a great family we know well and will fit in seamlessly with our culture," Hurley said. "He is a gifted athlete who has played on winning teams. We're excited about his development and can't wait to get him to campus."

Huskies Add Trio to 2025-26 Roster - University of Connecticut Athletics

STORRS – Head coach Dan Hurley and the UConn men's basketball team have signed a trio of newcomers to aid agreements to bolster the 2025-26 roster. Dwayne Ko...

uconnhuskies.com

 

[DW1361]

Gee, I wasn’t the only one to be excited to get Millender. I like the end of our bench. We need these guys !

 

[alexd]

Okay. I'm excited about our #11-13 guys.

 

[B1GEast]

Okay. I'm excited about our #11-13 guys.

One of those guys might get more minutes than the 6 - 10 guys

 

[jibsey]

Okay. I'm excited about our #11-13 guys.

Me too. I know this is tough to predict but realistically how many minutes per game against good teams will these players likely get and who in our second rotation is losing minutes to them?

 

[RuffRuff]

These guys will have to earn playing time, but with Hurley running a meritocracy, you never know who steps up. Let the games begin! It’s fun having a few kids coming in just to be part of the program to see if being part of it can elevate their game.

 

[imno1]

One of those guys might get more minutes than the 6 - 10 guys

Doubt it unless Furphy isn't ready.

 

[gtcam]

These guys will have to earn playing time, but with Hurley running a meritocracy, you never know who steps up. Let the games begin! It’s fun having a few kids coming in just to be part of the program to see if being part of it can elevate their game.

I like the idea that these kids are not just vying for P/T but also (due to the Portal) seeing if they have "it" to make some type of impact at this level. If not, they will improve their skills practicing against superior talent and the Portal is the tool that will help find a place for them.

 

[Ricker]

It must be relieving to know that there is no chance of injury or illness that will affect our top guys next year.
Having experienced Murphy's Law in the past, I like having playable guys at the end of the bench.
Count me in the group that welcomes these kids with open arms.

 

[GlastonTim]

Will being here help them to get a gig in Europe or elsewhere just because of Hurley and the UConn brand? Even if they don’t see any minutes.

 

[AllHusky]

His emphasis when discussing Koroma and Millender is on toughness, game experience as well as t
what skill set they bring. They (hopefully) shouldn't be deer in the headlights when and if we need then. Ross is, I assume, a developmental program kid.

 

[Palatine]

It's nice to hear. But if these guys are getting meaningful minutes, it means that the guys who need to produce aren't getting it done.

 

[CL82]

Gee, I wasn’t the only one to be excited to get Millender. I like the end of our bench. We need these guys !

Exactly. Snark aside, it would've been a problem for us if we hadn't had filled these slots. Huge bonus for us that we filled them with (relatively) quality pieces. We are worlds away from recruiting guys off of their YouTube dunk videos, as we should be.

 

[Kenny11]

Me too. I know this is tough to predict but realistically how many minutes per game against good teams will these players likely get and who in our second rotation is losing minutes to them?

0 if we are healthy.

 

[mauconnfan]

0 if we are healthy.

Koroma will get some especially in foul trouble situations.

 

[HooperScooper]

Me too. I know this is tough to predict but realistically how many minutes per game against good teams will these players likely get and who in our second rotation is losing minutes to them?

I'd bet on none and none.

 

[DW1361]

None of these three are coming in expecting minutes and let’s hope we don’t need them. However, they do bring value to the team and glad to have them. When they do get some minutes, I will enjoy watching them play.

 

[Mooch82]

Koroma will get some especially in foul trouble situations.

Agreed he’s the most likely as he’s probably our 3rd string center as of right now. But we may end up bringing in another true big.

 

[woodchuck68]

How do these three compare in overall ability to roumoglou?

 

[dennismenace]

Koroma will get some especially in foul trouble situations.

Agree and I think Millender will see some minutes due to speed and shooting as well as experience and "toughness."

 

[Mooch82]

Agree and I think Millender will see some minutes due to speed and shooting as well as experience and "toughness”.

He’s gotta be able to defend though. I’ve read that’s a knock on him.

 

[uconn_jack]

Hopefully what having some older experienced bench guys will allow us to do is pull our starters earlier and rest them if we have a decent lead without worrying about losing it.

 

[dennismenace]

He’s gotta be able to defend though. I’ve read that’s a knock on him.

Agree. Hoping our superior coaching staff and the chance to complete his game is motivation. Our whole team needs work on defense.

 

[UCLJ0211]

It's nice to hear. But if these guys are getting meaningful minutes, it means that the guys who need to produce aren't getting it done.

Or it means we are beating every team by 30+ points and there’s lots of garbage time to be played!

 

[dennismenace]

Or it means we are beating every team by 30+ points and there’s lots of garbage time to be played!

Playing a bench need not necessarily mean some guys are failing as you have pointed out but a good bench or a real good bench means that they can take advantage of an opponents weaker bench. The bench becomes a critical component of wearing down the opponent and taking advantage to increase leads from say 10-15 to 20-30 points. While opponents are playing guys over 30-35 minutes they are opposed by guys playing say 25-30 minutes. I think the guys Dan Hurley has recently added are perfect for this (we shall see) and not glorified walk ons. I think they'll catch the fever this summer and staff will mold them with starters into a unified fighting unit. I like the way our staff thinks.