Hurley is not a good in-game coach

[deedougie]

Gaffney, Vital, Bouknight, Gilbert, (EDIT: Akok, not Whaley)

We actually looked good in the first half with Gilbert and Gaffney on the floor together. When Gilbert doesn't have to be "the guy" he can be good. Hurley turned him into "the guy" in the 2nd half and there was a predictable result.

Good point. I think there best team down the stretch would've been AG, CV, Bouk, Gaffney and Akok

 

[UConnSwag11]

Gilbert had 10 points off the bench. Just chill man. Gaffney had nothing. This team is head over heels better than the past few years. People's impatience is ridiculous.

Seriously. This team is going to keep getting better. I think Gilbert off the bench works well

 

[mrl2016]

So nothing is the coaches fault? If it's all on the players, why even have a coach?

Choosing defenses, calling plays out of timeouts, and substitutions are all on the coach. And all were performed at a very high level this game

 

[uchusky32]

I asked you a question, who did you want in that spot?

Bazz

 

[Mike1984]

Hurley is fine. His use of timeouts and playing certain players together is frustrating but calling plays he's good. With better players coming in he'll be fine

Agreed! We need scorers and shooters. Our best shooter got hurt. Everything will be fine

 

[Rico444]

Seriously. This team is going to keep getting better. I think Gilbert off the bench works well

Off the bench is fine. Turning him into "the guy" is a bad decision. Gilbert off the bench as the 2nd ball handler in the first half had a ton of success.

 

[superjohn]

I guess you didn’t watch gaffney over penetrate and get blocked everytime

I've watched Gilbert do it for 20 games this season.

 

[mrl2016]

Good point. I think there best team down the stretch would've been AG, CV, Bouk, Gaffney and Akok

Choosing defenses, calling plays out of timeouts, and substitutions are all on the coach. And all were performed at a very high level this game

Although I do take that back on the substitutions. Even though Whaley was playing decent today once he fouled out I would have liked to see akok at the 5 and gaff in the game at the end. Not in place of al though

 

[BNich]

I don't have faith in his decision making during games. His blind faith in Alterique Gilbert is astounding.

He had a hot hand in the first half. A hostile environment on the road against a solid team you need your veteran guys in there that have been in those situations before. Just look at the goose egg Gaffney laid today. Give me a break. Al came out ready to play.

 

[YoungFree]

Seriously. This team is going to keep getting better. I think Gilbert off the bench works well

Yessir. He had a couple Gilbertesque drives...but just a couple instead of two dozen. Gaffney is a good point guard...who was playing high school ball last year. Hurley knows what he is doing.

 

[mauconnfan]

Gaffney because we actually run offense when he's playing.

There was nothing from him today nothing. He was starting the offense from 35 feet out he couldn’t get by his guy and when he did he threw up shots like AG did at the end of the game. And he couldn’t guard his guy watch the game people.

 

[BNich]

You guys looking for Gaffney this game didnt see what a lot of us saw. A guy who was overmatched and struggling with ball pressure. Gilbert came in in the first half and they went on an 11-0 run. This was not Gaffneys game. He will continue as starter but didnt have it today.

The 0 fgs in final 5 mins of the game is pathetic. No one can make a shot. It's not even close....inexcusable

Thank you. You said this perfectly. And this is not on Hurley either.

 

[BlueDogs]

When you repeat the same outcome the same way, it’s on the coach. They are never prepared for the last 2 minutes and revert to standing still and chaos. Have a 2 minute series of player movement where everybody knows what they are expected to do. This is insane. 3 basic movement patterns with jobs and expected shot opportunities called on each possession. You ever see our PG put up fingers for a set? Nope. Total bullsnot.

 

[mauconnfan]

Gilbert played awesome in the first Half. Was under control, played within the offense and took smart shots.

Then he got confident, and reverted back to the same ball stopping, over penetrating, bad decision making in the second half and the offense crumbled.

He played good in the 2nd half too on both ends ..., until the usual. So maybe Hurley takes him out then because of the history but he was playing a ton better than the options.

 

[UConn_Top_Dog]

Anyone blaming Al for the loss and personally attacking him should be banned from the BY. You know nothing about the game. It was an accumulation of bad decisions by all players throughout the whole game and not making shots that led to the loss.

 

[Mike1984]

I've watched Gilbert do it for 20 games this season.

But yet it’s bad for Gilbert to do it and ok for gaffney to put up zero points?

 

[Rico444]

He played good in the 2nd half too on both ends ..., until the usual. So maybe Hurley takes him out then because of the history but he was playing a ton better than the options.

I thought the offense looked great in the first half. The last 3 games our offense has looked so much better with Gaffney running the point, no matter what his stats are. Then in the 2nd half, Hurley decided to bench him and we struggle yet again. Can't say I'm surprised.

 

[Kathy]

But had zero points!

And 0 assists

 

[mauconnfan]

I thought the offense looked great in the first half. The last 3 games our offense has looked so much better with Gaffney running the point, no matter what his stats are. Then in the 2nd half, Hurley decided to bench him and we struggle yet again. Can't say I'm surprised.

Gaffney was awful today he did nothing against these defenders broke down no one. He had trouble passing the ball from closer than 25-30 feet the run and best offense cane with AG ball in hand. I know many hate to hear that but it wasn’t close today. And defensively same thing.

 

[Mike1984]

And 0 assists

But he did get 4 steals! He is god!

 

[selles]

There was nothing from him today nothing. He was starting the offense from 35 feet out he couldn’t get by his guy and when he did he threw up shots like AG did at the end of the game. And he couldn’t guard his guy watch the game people.

I did watch the game, and I watched the ball move when he was in. His defense was mostly fine with the exception of allowing 1 or two drives, plus he was very active getting in lanes and getting steals. His drives weren't great but he's young and at least with him there's hope that they will improve. He had trouble getting the ball up and setting the offense 1 time that I noticed and after that he basically sat for the rest of the day, which was frustrating. Did you notice that Akok was extremely active in the first half and basically invisible in the second? Do you think that might have had something to do with the different guard rotation in the second half?

More importantly, when Al and Christian are in in the last 5 minutes it becomes the Al and Christian show and we lose. Every time. Over and over again. I have not even the remotest feeling of optimism that we'll win. I don't even place as much of the blame on those 2 guys as most others do - it's as much a function of everyone deferring as anything else. But the fact that it's not all Al and Christian's fault doesn't mean that we shouldn't try something different. If you know you're going to lose with option A (and we do at this point), then you have to go with option B or C or D because it can't be a worse result.

 

[Rico444]

Gaffney was awful today he did nothing against these defenders broke down no one. He had trouble passing the ball from closer than 25-30 feet the run and best offense cane with AG ball in hand. I know many hate to hear that but it wasn’t close today. And defensively same thing.

So it's a coincidence our offense looked better with him running things? They ran better offense in spite of Gaffney?

Come on. We've seen this story over and over again. 1-7 in close games against good teams, and there's been one constant in every one of those games.

 

[mauconnfan]

I did watch the game, and I watched the ball move when he was in. His defense was mostly fine with the exception of allowing 1 or two drives, plus he was very active getting in lanes and getting steals. His drives weren't great but he's young and at least with him there's hope that they will improve. He had trouble getting the ball up and setting the offense 1 time that I noticed and after that he basically sat for the rest of the day, which was frustrating. Did you notice that Akok was extremely active in the first half and basically invisible in the second? Do you think that might have had something to do with the different guard rotation in the second half?

More importantly, when Al and Christian are in in the last 5 minutes it becomes the Al and Christian show and we lose. Every time. Over and over again. I have not even the remotest feeling of optimism that we'll win. I don't even place as much of the blame on those 2 guys as most others do - it's as much a function of everyone deferring as anything else. But the fact that it's not all Al and Christian's fault doesn't mean that we shouldn't try something different. If you know you're going to lose with option A (and we do at this point), then you have to go with option B or C or D because it can't be a worse result.

Who made the 11-0 run? Oh wait who had goose freakin eggs on their stat sheet?

Please people want AG to fail and their wishes to be right. Be careful what you wish for he looked good against a horrid Temple team even though he was 2-10. He wasn’t getting by his defender with any ease at all today and the offense didn’t look good when he was running the point. I hope he figures out how to play despite not having the quickness most of his opponents will have. He’s got some game but we weren’t in this one because of him. I know thats tough on some haters.

 

[Palatine]

This was NOT on the coach. The game plan was solid and good enough to win.

 

[McLovin]

You guys looking for Gaffney this game didnt see what a lot of us saw. A guy who was overmatched and struggling with ball pressure. Gilbert came in in the first half and they went on an 11-0 run. This was not Gaffneys game. He will continue as starter but didnt have it today.

The 0 fgs in final 5 mins of the game is pathetic. No one can make a shot. It's not even close....inexcusable

so.... who was on the floor the last 5 minutes? Gilbert or Gaffney? No saying what would have happened if 4 steal / 0 turnover Gaffney was out there, but the offense quite literally could have not been worse.

a majority of our transition offense (and total game points) came with Gaffney out on the floor. Our transition offense was virtually non-existent in the second half with Gaffney riding the pine.

 

[mauconnfan]

So it's a coincidence our offense looked better with him running things? They ran better offense in spite of Gaffney?

Come on. We've seen this story over and over again. 1-7 in close games against good teams, and there's been one constant in every one of those games.

It never looked good with him running it today what were you watching? I Agree in the same story at the end but you do realize if AG sat this game out we wouldn’t have cared the last 2 minutes based on your guys 0-0?

 

[McLovin]

Yeah the offense looked spectacular in his end of half shot. Or his drive late when precious stuffed him.

the end of half offense has not looked good regardless who has been out there all season long.

 

[Rico444]

It never looked good with him running it today what were you watching? I Agree in the same story at the end but you do realize if AG sat this game out we wouldn’t have cared the last 2 minutes based on your guys 0-0?

I watched the game, and I watched the previous two games where the offense looked light years better with Gaffney on the court.

 

[McLovin]

But had zero points!

the job of the point guard is to be a facilitator first and scorer second. Yes he also had 0 assists but just watching the game, the team plays much more cohesively (on both ends of the floor) with Gaffney out there.

 

[Scoe]

AG was fine with Gaffney in the game. Hurley has failed AG not putting him in the right situation.