Hurley Presser

[superjohn]

Inexact science in short window with NIL complications trying to figure out who is motivated, who will fit the system. The one guy getting it right is Barnes, and the common theme has been plucking a mid major on the rise. Those kids probably see it as an opportunity. Hurley's selection this year with two rising juniors was also interesting, where he could have went out and gotten guys that were already men with maturity in that last Covid/redshirt year, guys like Sion James. When you look at this team now, that feels exactly what it needs. Brawn, maturity, doggedness.

Did you go to Duke? You make an inordinate amount of Duke posts.

 

[boog204]

Watching this now the only thing I take "issue" with is him legit saying we are a bad defensive team and that he's considered changes to the schemes but that previous years were very successful with it so we'll stay the course. It's a stubborn viewpoint imo and not really playing to the team's strengths/weaknesses, etc. I remember thinking JC was maddening at times because he ran the same stuff offensively pretty much regardless of personnel. DH is following the same blueprint defensively. We have bad individual defenders, our help defense is non-existent (how many straight line layups/dunks do we give up?), our hedging is ridiculously aggressive and forces bad defenders to rotate. It's been the same thing since the Memphis game (with some improvement obviously) and the rationale is, "well, we've been successful with this scheme before so we'll stick with it."

I think we are very soft and flawed and even if we had McNeeley throughout and were now 15-3 the same issues are still there. I feel like, for the first time in years, we've becoming fairly easily to gameplan/prepare for.

 

[c29328]

Let’s see what February brings. I thought that all along. The injuries are making it harder to find a flow but I still think this team has a run in them. Bad news is I think our best comp will be an Illinois or an Alabama. Look dangerous until we get a really balanced defensive/offensive team.

 

[PAHusky]

I love DH but he should have been pumping the brakes on the threepeat chatter this off season rather than leaning into it. Not sure if he genuinely mis-evaluated the talent of this team or he decided that was the correct motivational tact but not great.

This is a top 15 or so team with McNeeley and borderline top 25 team without. Offensively, they're running the same sets but no one is a scoring option at all so it's all just empty motions. Last year you had every single kid on the floor who could get a bucket. This year Karaban can't handle being the alpha on offense, Ball is just exploring how to do anything other than shoot 3's really well and everyone else is up and down. Defensively, they're just not good and I'm not sure it's something fixable during the season. The sophomores are terrible (Ross is the best of the bunch and for a supposed defensive stopper hasn't shown much) and even the vets like Karaban or Diarra are getting a bit exposed (Karaban isolated one on one with no center behind him is ugly and Hass made his bones gambling for steals etc. and can't now).

DH infamously decided after New Mexico that he needed offense and could teach good offensive players to player defense, but I think even he underestimated how much work this group needed.

 

[dennismenace]

Its just so not fair to say these defensive problems are will, hunger, and softness issues that other teams didn’t have when the other team had the best rim protector this decade.

Guys from last year’s team did not look like great defenders when Clingan was out. Cam Spencer especially got abused on drives (and it wasn’t a “want to thing” because the effort was there)

This is a very good point. And while Clingan corrected a lot of perimeter failures both Tristan and Cam were great rebounders (a Uconn tradition for some reason).

That said. With AK either slowed or out it gives DH the opportunity to bring in IA for some help on the boards and see what he can do overall. Could be a golden opportunity for him if he gets run time. We need a 6-6 or 6-7 who could give us energy on D. We greatly miss Steph and Andre before him. I just want to see him really get a chance to be on the floor and get some minutes. I've been like a broken record (sorry) on this and I know Danny has reasons for who he plays so I'm not complaining.

 

[ctbro1999]

It's never a good thing when your freshman is your best player, especially having a veteran Championship roster.

Sure Liam is that good but the principal remains.

Our vets need to step it up or we're not going to 3 peat.

Yeah, sure, we might have several guys on this year's team that were part of previous title teams, but only 2 of them (Diarra, Johnson) averaged more than 10 minutes a game outside of Ball for a 5-6 game stretch last year. And McNeeley just is that good too.

Is this year's team as good as the previous 2 title teams? No, not even close. But that doesn't mean this year's team is hopeless. Outside of the Dayton game (where it was a close game till the last 8 minutes or so of the 2nd half), we've been in every game we've lost. And like others have said, if McNeeley doesn't get hurt, we are likely 15-3, undefeated in the BE, and solidly in the top 5 nationally right now.

Our chances of getting a 1 (or even 2 seed) are probably toast, but still think we have a team that, when 100% healthy, has a shot to make another run this March. Will I be shocked if we don't even make it to the sweet 16? No, but also won't be shocked if we also make another Final 4.

 

[RuffRuff]

Did you go to Duke? You make an inordinate amount of Duke posts.

I talk hoops, what's interesting, relevant and worth discussion. I don't bury my head myopically in only things Uconn as I'm a fan of the whole sport, and I'm am not a candidate for the lead singer from the Blue Glasses Band. I could see you on the fiddle.

I'm by no means a Duke fan, I just find their current model and transition from this past year really interesting given the circumstances.

 

[Get a Job]

Inexact science in short window with NIL complications trying to figure out who is motivated, who will fit the system. The one guy getting it right is Barnes, and the common theme has been plucking a mid major on the rise. Those kids probably see it as an opportunity. Hurley's selection this year with two rising juniors was also interesting, where he could have went out and gotten guys that were already men with maturity in that last Covid/redshirt year, guys like Sion James. When you look at this team now, that feels exactly what it needs. Brawn, maturity, doggedness.

I would have thought if only one guy is getting the NIL/portal situation right, it must be the guy who won the last two championships, no?

 

[ctbro1999]

I talk hoops, what's interesting, relevant and worth discussion. I don't bury my head myopically in only things Uconn as I'm a fan of the whole sport, and I'm am not a candidate for the lead singer from the Blue Glasses Band. I could see you on the fiddle.

I'm by no means a Duke fan, I just find their current model and transition from this past year really interesting given the circumstances.

*UConn

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

This is a very good point. And while Clingan corrected a lot of perimeter failures both Tristan and Cam were great rebounders (a Uconn tradition for some reason).

That said. With AK either slowed or out it gives DH the opportunity to bring in IA for some help on the boards and see what he can do overall. Could be a golden opportunity for him if he gets run time. We need a 6-6 or 6-7 who could give us energy on D. We greatly miss Steph and Andre before him. I just want to see him really get a chance to be on the floor and get some minutes. I've been like a broken record (sorry) on this and I know Danny has reasons for who he plays so I'm not complaining.

Same. Think he and Ross are the two guys on this team that has that Jackson/Castle physical makeup to be really good defenders and energy.

In general I’m kind of eager to see how lineups of Diarra, Solo, Ross, Stewart, and Johnson followed by a bench of Nowell, Mahaney, Abraham, and Reed would do.

A lot of athleticism and talent there. Hopefully the necessary minutes would force guys to rise to the occasion. Maybe that sophomore group can show off some chemistry being on the floor together over long stretches.

 

[superjohn]

I talk hoops, what's interesting, relevant and worth discussion. I don't bury my head myopically in only things Uconn as I'm a fan of the whole sport, and I'm am not a candidate for the lead singer from the Blue Glasses Band. I could see you on the fiddle.

I'm by no means a Duke fan, I just find their current model and transition from this past year really interesting given the circumstances.

You didn't go there, you just have a crush on them. Gotchu

 

[Inyatkin]

I love DH but he should have been pumping the brakes on the threepeat chatter this off season rather than leaning into it.

Honestly, why? Would the season be playing out differently if he'd been all "geez, I just hope we can sneak in with an at-large bid" all summer?
Talking about a threepeat was great. It kept us in the spotlight. How often do you get a chance for something like that? Basically never.
People want us to be both the biggest name in the sport and fly under the radar. It doesn't work that way.

 

[RuffRuff]

I would have thought if only one guy is getting the NIL/portal situation right, it must be the guy who won the last two championships, no?

He's done great, little luck in there (Spencer over Timberlake). Every year is a new year. You could argue this year was that much more delicate a portal selection given the talent drop off, along with the clout to have just about anyone they wanted.

Believe me no one enjoys watching Duke lose more than yours truly. They have a generational freshman and lead by 3 freshman as the likely overall one seed. If you don't

 

[Inyatkin]

I talk hoops, what's interesting, relevant and worth discussion. I don't bury my head myopically in only things Uconn as I'm a fan of the whole sport, and I'm am not a candidate for the lead singer from the Blue Glasses Band. I could see you on the fiddle.

I'm by no means a Duke fan, I just find their current model and transition from this past year really interesting given the circumstances.

Duke has a generational player and a generationally weak conference. Maybe they get a title out of that, who knows. But to look at that situation and praise their "current model" is weird.

 

[superjohn]

Duke has a generational player and a generationally weak conference. Maybe they get a title out of that, who knows. But to look at that situation and praise their "current model" is weird.

That's what I find so strange, he keeps talking about this current model Duke has figured out and how Hurley should be looking at what they do for pointers.

What's the model? Get the best recruiting class which has maybe the best American prospect since Lebron in it?

 

[husky429]

That's what I find so strange, he keeps talking about this current model Duke has figured out and how Hurley should be looking at what they do for pointers.

What's the model? Get the best recruiting class which has maybe the best American prospect since Lebron in it?

I'll take the model that won consecutive natties, personally. Maybe I'm just a fool.

 

[Inyatkin]

That's what I find so strange, he keeps talking about this current model Duke has figured out and how Hurley should be looking at what they do for pointers.

What's the model? Get the best recruiting class which has maybe the best American prospect since Lebron in it?

Bring in Sion James, obviously.

 

[Captbluefin]

This year is the price you pay for the last two.

Lessons will be learned by both players and coaches.

Very few teams have sailed these waters. We will be a stronger program from it. Hurley will gain invaluable experience from it.

 

[superjohn]

This year is the price you pay for the last two.

Lessons will be learned by both players and coaches.

Very few teams have sailed these waters. We will be a stronger program from it. Hurley will gain invaluable experience from it.

It's really not that high a price. We were #11 nationally and on a roll when McNeeley got hurt. Let's let the season play out.

 

[HailUConn]

This year is the price you pay for the last two.

Lessons will be learned by both players and coaches.

Very few teams have sailed these waters. We will be a stronger program from it. Hurley will gain invaluable experience from it.

Well said, they will learn and grow from this year's struggle.

Danny and Co. mantra:

"Tough times create strong men,
strong men create good times,
good times create weak men,
and weak men create tough times."

 

[Hurleyman216]

Yeah, we all forget that we have overcome some adversity this year. We got punched in the mouth in Maui (and the officials simultaneously kicked us in the nuts in the process) and we overcame that major disappointment. We then went out and beat a top 25 team without Karaban and rolled a decent Texas team on their home court. We've still only lost 3 games with our full roster and one of them we probably should have won 8 out of 10 times with Karaban shooting free throws to win. We're not in a bad spot, we're throwing mostly freshman and sophomores out there in key roles and we are taking our lumps just like many of us thought we would. When we're healthy we are still a top 3-5 offensive team and that's with our offense not really clicking yet. The defense is kind of infuriating because we don't "look" twice as aggressive or egregious when guarding as our opponents, but we get called for twice as many fouls and give up twice as many free throws as we take. Again, if you use your eyes you can tell that it's coming and if a few things ever went in our favor we'd be sitting in a much better position. I can honestly say I don't really care what our seed is in the NCAA tournament, just get in and then start winning one game at a time.

 

[gsmooth]

It's really not that high a price. We were #11 nationally and on a roll when McNeeley got hurt. Let's let the season play out.

That's why I, along with some other UConn fans here, had a facepalm reaction to McNeeley's injury. Before he got hurt it looked like they were just hitting their stride. He does so much and makes everyone around him better. They probably would be 15-3 right now if he does not get hurt, but it was the Creighton game where I thought he would be most missed because he excels on the PnR situations by pinning his defender on his back and creating the 2-on-1 situations in the paint area-the shots Creighton concedes with their deep drop coverage.

 

[AllHusky]

Let’s see what February brings. I thought that all along. The injuries are making it harder to find a flow but I still think this team has a run in them. Bad news is I think our best comp will be an Illinois or an Alabama. Look dangerous until we get a really balanced defensive/offensive team.

Curious, who fits the bill as that team? Not being snide, just don't follow the game outside of UConn that closely.

 

[gsmooth]

Curious, who fits the bill as that team? Not being snide, just don't follow the game outside of UConn that closely.

This year probably Duke and Auburn. Auburn is snatching opponents' souls with their margin of victories like UConn did the past 2 years in the NCAAT.