Hurley/Gilbert

[tjc1888]

I think Hurley has managed this as best he could in terms of player and team relationships. My belief is that AG has had difficulty adjusting to his post-injury body and the possibility of being on the bench at key times. He may adjust and be back. I think the future core (Akok, Bouk, Gaffney) were thrilled at the change on the court even while caring about and missing their teammate. This is going to be a difficult year, but better times are coming.

This. Imagine dominating something for your entire life. Getting all the accolades. All American, full ride to a top division 1 school. Seemingly on an upward trajectory, and then to maybe have injuries take that away. Or just coming to the realization that you can’t do it at the level you always could and thought you would be able to. It has to be really hard, especially on a young kid.

 

[Huskybass]

Have you two lost it?

So critiquing a 22yr old who has shown nothing but devotion to the program and is struggling mentally with coming to grips with his dream ending and asking that guy to transfer is NOT out of bounds.

But saying a 48yr old coach who gets paid $3/M a year, shouldn’t have adjusted his role earlier, limited his shots, removed him after turnovers, given the ball to someone else in the final minute, holding Hurley accountable for that is not allowed??

This isn't complicated. The team wasn't performing well. Point guard is a very important part of the team. A change was needed. The change was made. All the rest is drama from you and a small handful of others. Period.

 

[nyhuskies13]

This isn't complicated. The team wasn't performing well. Point guard is a very important part of the team. A change was needed. The change was made. All the rest is drama from you and a small handful of others. Period.

It's really not complicated. The team hasnt been performing well all season. Read the Mike Anthony article.

"Hurley came to Gilbert's defense, loudly, and I dont know that a UConn coach and player have hugged more than these two... But all the way, Hurley has also been in the difficult spot of wondering whether, or when, to move Gilbert down in the rotation and risk losing him altogether. Hurley stuck with him for so long, not quite ready to turn the key on a youth movement for a number of reasons."

And all some of us are saying is Hurley should have adjusted his minutes sooner and in a more gradual way. He waited until we were 10-9 and in last place in the league. And Al went from starter/leader and 30+ minutes a game, to the bench and having a freshman start over it. That's drastic.

 

[Waquoit]

And all some of us are saying is Hurley should have adjusted his minutes sooner and in a more gradual way.

Sooner and in a more gradual way?

 

[Excalibur]

You are absolutely right Kathy. I have been battling with my heart and my head on this and my heart took over on this. Unfortunately most of the people here don’t see what’s going on.

Hurley made a comment after one of the recent close losses about people not knowing the whole story. I've been searching for the quote but can't find it.

 

[Excalibur]

This isn't complicated. The team wasn't performing well. Point guard is a very important part of the team. A change was needed. The change was made. All the rest is drama from you and a small handful of others. Period.

I don't think the situation was anywhere near that simple, and there was certainly a bunch of over the top criticism going on. However it appears that a small group of people are getting some satisfaction by pretending that a defense of the coach's performance by pointing out that the talent on the roster is lacking somehow drove Gilbert away. Pretty sad IMO

 

[HuskyHawk]

Hard to believe anyone is criticizing Hurley here. We had one chance, one, to be an NCAA team. That's with Gilbert playing to the best of his abilities. Hurley understandably gave him every chance. Alterique, whether still impacted by injuries or not in the right place mentally, wasn't the player he could be. He's still got talent. Can't think of anybody who persevered through more crap in four years of college ball. If he needs a mental reset, he has earned it.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I would hate to see AG's career end like this, but if his heart is not into it, then he should go. If he wants to come back and contribute, Hurley should take him.

The part I struggle with is, Temple sucking aside, that the ball movement was much better without AG. Which raises two questions:

1) Was Hurley encouraging AG to play the way he did? And if so, why?

or

2) Was AG playing this way against Hurley's wishes? And if so, why did Hurley let this go on so long?

It's almost certainly #2, and the reason why is most likely:
- he was afraid of being too hard on the KO-era upperclassmen and alienating them, "loyalty", etc.
- he held out hope that Gilbert could turn things around on his own, that offering the highest ceiling for the team
- Gaffney not being ready to handle the load physically and adjusting to the college game

 

[Towney007]

It's almost certainly #2, and the reason why is most likely:
- he was afraid of being too hard on the KO-era upperclassmen and alienating them, "loyalty", etc.
- he held out hope that Gilbert could turn things around on his own, that offering the highest ceiling for the team
- Gaffney not being ready to handle the load physically and adjusting to the college game

To me it's more complicated than that, really.

Gilbert has been more or less the team leader. Clearly he has a close relationship with Hurley. The big issue becomes when you start playing badly and you put so much on yourself as the leader, that sometimes guys start going too hard on themselves and then everything falls apart. Your play gets worse the harder you try to fix it. Your peers get frustrated and stuck between supporting you where you're at and needing you to play better so you don't impact the team. Then on top of that you've got all the off-the-court issues you've got to deal with, the pressures being the guy who has to pull your family up - all of it.

That's a lot, man.

And then you're the coach - and it's not like just benching another guy on the team. Although it gets to a point where you have to. But you know when you do, it might be the nudge off the cliff for the kid and you lose him entirely and who knows what the ripple effect is that it has on the team. Some guys might be ok with it but then other guys might start thinking 'well if coach can sour on AG, he can sour on me, too.'

But whatever went on this weekend - I think it was just a point where the coaches felt pulling the plug was in everyone's best interest, for now. And you could see the relief on the team all over the court. That's NOT Gilbert's fault clearly - no one's at fault. But him taking a break and getting right is the right call for everyone involved and all we can do is support him.

 

[8893]

And it's the exact same handful of people who blindly supported our former Coach when it was clear to everyone else that he was failing miserably. The concept of accountability isn't something they comprehend apparently.

Who do you believe isn't being held accountable?

I'm not blaming Hurley for the situation, nor am I blind to Gilbert's struggles. If Hurley has a fault, it's the same fault Calhoun had, i.e., loyalty to fault. It's the same fault that brought us KO, and the same fault that made many of us stick by him longer than we probably should have. And it's the same fault that caused Hurley and some of us to stick by Gilbert longer than others would have. Rooting for someone to succeed is not inconsistent with holding them accountable.

This isn't complicated. The team wasn't performing well. Point guard is a very important part of the team. A change was needed. The change was made. All the rest is drama from you and a small handful of others. Period.

Raising good young men can be complicated. Maybe it sounds hokey or old fashioned to many here, but I remember well when Calhoun used to go on and on about how he viewed raising good young men to be his most important job, and I remember KO echoing those comments and seeming to live by that example in his first couple seasons coaching here. I believe Hurley has that same view, and it's something I value. Watching his presser last night I could see that, although he was proud of--and relieved by--what the team was able to accomplish by compartmentalizing and playing with focus, he was still personally hurting for whatever is going on with AG. I think that drama is real and I am glad for Anthony's article today, which really puts it in the proper perspective imo.

 

[tower1]

Have been critical of AG this year from his play on the court, but respect him more than anyone on the team for his loyalty and devotion to the program. Really, really hope he returns and gets an opportunity to shine.

Watching tonight, you can’t help but wonder if Hurley set Al up for disappointment through his season-long, blind loyalty and the long leash he gave him. Instead of sitting him early this season after mistakes and slowly reducing his minutes while developing Gaffney and letting JG play through mistakes, Hurley continued to make Al the focal point of the team.

And the criticism grew not just because Al struggled, but because Hurley’s stubbornness allowed Al to make a multitude of mistakes over 30+ minutes per game instead of few in 20-24 minutes. It’s hard for kids to comprehend when your coach, who continued to tell you to keep doing what you’re doing, sits you at the end of Game 19 of the season and tells you a freshman would start in Game 20. This just feels horrible mismanaged on Hurley’s part.

Great article !

 

[Hi-Low]

And all some of us are saying is Hurley should have adjusted his minutes sooner and in a more gradual way. He waited until we were 10-9 and in last place in the league. And Al went from starter/leader and 30+ minutes a game, to the bench and having a freshman start over it. That's drastic.

It may be drastic but it had to happen, at 10-9 and last place in the league after 4 brutal losses in a row a drastic change was needed. At that point the "at-large" season was officially over and next season had really begun.

The rest of this season is about setting the tone for next season & beyond and maybe making a run in AAC tourney or sneaking in to NIT...that's really it.

AG can still go out on a positive note if he chooses to and maybe even have some memorable moments down the stretch. I hope he chooses to accept his new role but if he thinks it's in his best interest not to play that's fine too.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

in other words, hurley was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. surprise surprise.

How many more wins do you think UConn would have if it had played the entire month of January like it played last night?

 

[Bricklayer]

hello everyone. coming into the season, i had thought that our guard play was going to be uconn's greatest strength, especially considering the lack of depth up front. an improving gilbert and vitale - even tho he can be a bit of a loose cannon now and again - a second year from adams - who showed signs - plus two highly regarded freshman, made this a pretty safe assumption. and it is obvious how important guard play, especially the point guard, is in collegiate hoops, and we seemed to have plenty.

yet, somehow, gilbert has regressed as the season went on, for probably a variety of reasons, while everyone else at least maintained their ability levels, while the freshmen got their feet wet. i must admit that i was surprised, after several end of game mishaps, just how long hurley allowed him to finish games. altho i agree that this was probably a show of support for a personal favorite and an upperclassman, it can also be construed as the definition of crazy - doing - or watching - the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

what started out as a strength has become a liability, so clearly, for the good of the team, something had to be done and now we are seeing the repercussions of that decision. i am sure that this is not easy for anyone involved, but this is big time college sports and the team has to come first. and so far, so good.

 

[Waquoit]

How many more wins do you think UConn would have if it had played the entire month of January like it played last night?

The question is moot.

 

[Excalibur]

How many more wins do you think UConn would have if it had played the entire month of January like it played last night?

One. USF. That's the one game that was really perplexing. Everyone just laid an enormous egg. Maybe add the Tulsa game as well.

 

[BGesus4]

Hard to believe anyone is criticizing Hurley here. We had one chance, one, to be an NCAA team. That's with Gilbert playing to the best of his abilities. Hurley understandably gave him every chance. Alterique, whether still impacted by injuries or not in the right place mentally, wasn't the player he could be. He's still got talent. Can't think of anybody who persevered through more crap in four years of college ball. If he needs a mental reset, he has earned it.

Would like this twice if I could

 

[UconnFanDC]

What does this have to do with anything?

Figure it out. We beat Temple shooting horribly. Let's have this conversation after Tulsa and a descending Memphis.

 

[Huskybass]

It's really not complicated. The team hasnt been performing well all season. Read the Mike Anthony article.

"Hurley came to Gilbert's defense, loudly, and I dont know that a UConn coach and player have hugged more than these two... But all the way, Hurley has also been in the difficult spot of wondering whether, or when, to move Gilbert down in the rotation and risk losing him altogether. Hurley stuck with him for so long, not quite ready to turn the key on a youth movement for a number of reasons."

And all some of us are saying is Hurley should have adjusted his minutes sooner and in a more gradual way. He waited until we were 10-9 and in last place in the league. And Al went from starter/leader and 30+ minutes a game, to the bench and having a freshman start over it. That's drastic.

Hurley gave Gilbert countless opportunities to succeed. Once Gaffney became fully healthy and a bit more seasoned it was apparent that in the long-term interests of the program he should be playing far more. There is nothing more nefarious than that, it is simply time to turn the page and look toward the future.

Who do you believe isn't being held accountable?

I'm not blaming Hurley for the situation, nor am I blind to Gilbert's struggles. If Hurley has a fault, it's the same fault Calhoun had, i.e., loyalty to fault. It's the same fault that brought us KO, and the same fault that made many of us stick by him longer than we probably should have. And it's the same fault that caused Hurley and some of us to stick by Gilbert longer than others would have. Rooting for someone to succeed is not inconsistent with holding them accountable.



Raising good young men can be complicated. Maybe it sounds hokey or old fashioned to many here, but I remember well when Calhoun used to go on and on about how he viewed raising good young men to be his most important job, and I remember KO echoing those comments and seeming to live by that example in his first couple seasons coaching here. I believe Hurley has that same view, and it's something I value. Watching his presser last night I could see that, although he was proud of--and relieved by--what the team was able to accomplish by compartmentalizing and playing with focus, he was still personally hurting for whatever is going on with AG. I think that drama is real and I am glad for Anthony's article today, which really puts it in the proper perspective imo.

It is basketball. There shouldn't be drama. You practice. You compete. If you are the Coach, you do your best to manage the roster to the best of your ability. In that role, a Coach sometimes has to make tough decisions like benching a player who makes the same or similar mistakes over and over. That is reality. Yet some here refuse to see that. That is the drama I am referring to.

Who do you believe isn't being held accountable?

I'm not blaming Hurley for the situation, nor am I blind to Gilbert's struggles. If Hurley has a fault, it's the same fault Calhoun had, i.e., loyalty to fault. It's the same fault that brought us KO, and the same fault that made many of us stick by him longer than we probably should have. And it's the same fault that caused Hurley and some of us to stick by Gilbert longer than others would have. Rooting for someone to succeed is not inconsistent with holding them accountable.



Raising good young men can be complicated. Maybe it sounds hokey or old fashioned to many here, but I remember well when Calhoun used to go on and on about how he viewed raising good young men to be his most important job, and I remember KO echoing those comments and seeming to live by that example in his first couple seasons coaching here. I believe Hurley has that same view, and it's something I value. Watching his presser last night I could see that, although he was proud of--and relieved by--what the team was able to accomplish by compartmentalizing and playing with focus, he was still personally hurting for whatever is going on with AG. I think that drama is real and I am glad for Anthony's article today, which really puts it in the proper perspective imo.

Fortunately, there is accountability in Hurley's world. He gave Gilbert plenty of chances to succeed, but eventually HAD to make a change.
It is eerily similar to the coaching situation we saw a couple of years ago. Something HAD to be done in each case.

Let's hope the change was made early enough that the remainder of the season can still serve as a stepping stone for next season.

My comment on accountability was related to a handful of posters who seem to believe that you should value loyalty above all else and that the status quo is ok as long as nobody's feelings are hurt. Sorry, but major D1 sports are a bit more competitive and intense than that.

This season has been disappointing, but I was proud to see our 7 guys compete like they did last night. Especially Whaley. He has transformed himself and become much more impactful. I will be thrilled to have him back as a senior, it would be nice to see him taste some success after all the hard work he put in.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

coach dan is a nice guy. maybe too nice. lately, it seems like he's channeling ol' jc - 'sit down, you knucklehead!' carrots and whips. someone once said here that I should be appointed 'secretary of not throwing things out.' so too here with ag. the season is far from over, j2s obvious leadership and skill talents are becoming more obvious to the gang here, yet no reason to dump anyone on the team yet. heck, I once made a pretty righteous motorbike out of a bicycle and a mower engine. and for those easily offended, young james' dunks are prettier than Stanley's. let's see more of 'em.

 

[bendm]

1) Was Hurley encouraging AG to play the way he did? And if so, why?
or
2) Was AG playing this way against Hurley's wishes? And if so, why did Hurley let this go on so long?

How many more wins do you think UConn would have if it had played the entire month of January like it played last night?

i have some serious questions- once college athletes are getting paid, will you start criticizing them as blindly and unfairly as you do hurley? will you dole out criticism in proportion to the paycheck? is one's level of culpability directly tied to their income? are you a communist?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

One. USF. That's the one game that was really perplexing. Everyone just laid an enormous egg. Maybe add the Tulsa game as well.

The answer is 4 or 5. The team that played last night would have beaten Cincinnati and USF, and won 2 or 3 from WSU, Tulsa, Villanova and Houston.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

i have some serious questions- once college athletes are getting paid, will you start criticizing them as blindly and unfairly as you do hurley? will you dole out criticism in proportion to the paycheck? is one's level of culpability directly tied to their income? are you a communist?

I would criticize whoever is responsible for game plan and in game adjustments. Typically that is the coach. Is Hurley the coach, or is someone else coaching the team?

 

[tower1]

hello everyone. coming into the season, i had thought that our guard play was going to be uconn's greatest strength, especially considering the lack of depth up front. an improving gilbert and vitale - even tho he can be a bit of a loose cannon now and again - a second year from adams - who showed signs - plus two highly regarded freshman, made this a pretty safe assumption. and it is obvious how important guard play, especially the point guard, is in collegiate hoops, and we seemed to have plenty.

yet, somehow, gilbert has regressed as the season went on, for probably a variety of reasons, while everyone else at least maintained their ability levels, while the freshmen got their feet wet. i must admit that i was surprised, after several end of game mishaps, just how long hurley allowed him to finish games. altho i agree that this was probably a show of support for a personal favorite and an upperclassman, it can also be construed as the definition of crazy - doing - or watching - the same thing and expecting a different outcome.

what started out as a strength has become a liability, so clearly, for the good of the team, something had to be done and now we are seeing the repercussions of that decision. i am sure that this is not easy for anyone involved, but this is big time college sports and the team has to come first. and so far, so good.

Yes and that's why the coach makes the big bucks to make these decisions. The only problem is he waited too long and put the whole season in jeopardy. At this level of play a coach should not do that. The team should come first!

 

[coachn]

I get the frustration that Gilbert made the same mistakes over and over again. But Hurley clearly felt Gaffney wasn't ready to take over or take big minutes for a good chunk of the season. Especially coming off the injury in the pre-season. Hurley was in a tough spot with that.

Dam it let Gafney play. He shows he's ready