Hurley's First Half Turd

[Chin Diesel]

I like Polley the person, but 20 minutes of play with no stats recorded other than 1 PF and 6 points is unacceptable for playing that many minutes. It's not a one off, it happened multiple games this season. Guy never follows his shot after shooting a 3.

Well, good or bad, neither of us will have to worry about this next season.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Can we talk instead about Martin. He was 2-17 the last two games. Missing open threes and missing tons of layups. Can’t draw a foul to save his life. Bouk and Hurley will take the blame but if Martin has not helped this team at all.

I don't know why Martin never gets foul calls in his favor.

Maybe it's because he's jacked and refs just ignore contact against him assuming it doesn't affect the shot, but this really bothered Hurley in the first half.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I don't know why Martin never gets foul calls in his favor.

Maybe it's because he's jacked and refs just ignore contact against him assuming it doesn't affect the shot, but this really bothered Hurley in the first half.

Part of it is Martin not knowing how to control the ball, stabilize himself and put the ball back up in a controlled fashion. He looks like he flails even when there is little to no contact. Whether in transition, half court offense or offensive rebounding, he just isn't good around the rim.

 

[AdamaNation]

Can we say that Maryland had better players overall tonight? They executed their offense better even as we fought to outrebound them by 11. Ayala should have been double teamed or at least help on him. That is on Hurley.

No. Not being jerky either. I just sped through and watched the game again. We just missed everything. Refs missed like 5 fouls but not much. We just missed. That opening 2 minutes was literally the summary of the game. We were under pressure too for not being here and wanting to win so badly for the school and the seniors and pride and all. Lot of weight out there on our guys. But we win by 16 if we hit 40% of our shots and 70% of our fts. The MD defense was nothing flashy. Even the bodying up was not too special.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Can we talk instead about Martin. He was 2-17 the last two games. Missing open threes and missing tons of layups. Can’t draw a foul to save his life. Bouk and Hurley will take the blame but if Martin has not helped this team at all.

He was absolutely horrible on both ends of the floor tonight and should have come out much sooner. Other than a great offensive rebounder, I have serious concerns about this kid going forward. He played well with Bouk out but mostly against soft competition. Nice rotation piece but if he’s counted on to be one of the best players on next year’s squad, I’m nervous about the kind of year we’ll have.

 

[tentoes4rings]

Part of it is Martin not knowing how to control the ball, stabilize himself and put the ball back up in a controlled fashion. He looks like he flails even when there is little to no contact. Whether in transition, half court offense or offensive rebounding, he just isn't good around the rim.

Most of his drives are garbage playground type drives though, that feature more flash than substance. You get no points for looking stylish on the way to missed layup after missed layup.

 

[jdb50]

Hurley needs to wake up and stop with the we will beat average teams with defense schtick. UConn needs players that can get up and down the court and hit shots. And free throws. Rebounding well and missing 3 footers is a recipe for first round exits.

 

[Johnny Mac]

Including free throws, we missed over 50 shots tonight. I'd have to re-watch (I won't) but I bet we missed 10 layups or put-backs in the first 10 minutes.

Turgeon didn't outcoach anyone. Going forward, I'd rather have Hurley than Turgeon.

 

[navery12]

Hurley needs to wake up and stop with the we will beat average teams with defense schtick. UConn needs players that can get up and down the court and hit shots. And free throws. Rebounding well and missing 3 footers is a recipe for first round exits.

Could just be me, but sure looked like Maryland did a pretty good job beating UConn with defense tonight

 

[UCSouth]

I just wish that when someone had 3 players coming at him defensively that he realized, that at a minimum, there were 2 players open.

 

[npignatjr]

I’ve said it all year and I’ll say it again.. this was the worst shooting Uconn team I can ever remember... going back 40+ years. No one could hit shots when it mattered.... can’t win games if you can’t score.

Can't shoot, terrible passing team, run no discernible offense

 

[BlueDogs]

Another turd laid in the big moments. Last time I checked, the coach’s job is to have the team ready to play both mentally and strategically. He failed at both. While the coach can’t take shots, there is no excuse for shooting 40% from the line and 30% from the floor with the basketball talent he has. Captain Chaos needs a good right hand man with good game planning and management skills desperately.

 

[huskyfever34]

Can we talk instead about Martin. He was 2-17 the last two games. Missing open threes and missing tons of layups. Can’t draw a foul to save his life. Bouk and Hurley will take the blame but if Martin has not helped this team at all.

Agreed completely. And you didn't even mention that the primary reason he played was to defend Ayala, who repeatedly got to the rim against him. Took Danny until the last 12 minutes to pull him most of the rest of the way

 

[Hurleyman216]

post. handle. clown.

Great post

 

[UCfor3]

Part of it is Martin not knowing how to control the ball, stabilize himself and put the ball back up in a controlled fashion. He looks like he flails even when there is little to no contact. Whether in transition, half court offense or offensive rebounding, he just isn't good around the rim.

Neither is Whaley. They both have zero touch down low. Play volleyball with bricks too hard off the backboard. Its almost as infuriating as our end of game foul shooting.

 

[jdb50]

Could just be me, but sure looked like Maryland did a pretty good job beating UConn with defense tonight

If Hurley does not figure out how to how to put his team into position to score more as well as recruit more pure shooters he can play all the defense he wants and he will lose the big games. We had plenty of open looks today.

 

[Lefty2one]

I'm still exercising patience because rebuilds don't happen overnight but roster construction is a huge issue. This team had one shooter, who was wildly inconsistent as a contributor, and no playmakers/true point guards. It had six guys who are considered mid-major players (Adams, Cole, Martin, Whaley, Polley, Carlton) and Akok is out. It was a flawed team. We're still rebuilding.

I'm a little miffed by the lack of shooters and the lack of wings. I believe Martin is the only wing on the roster next year. We have all small/slight guards and big men. That's going to cause matchup issues some nights. Maybe we add a transfer.

Still, Hurley has to show us more. He had no counter for a basic switching scheme that he knew was coming. He didn't get the ball inside when we had a size advantage and had no success generating dribble penetration. I don't know if we had even five good looks all night. Our offense generates nothing and we don't have a playmaker to create on his own. Like pulling teeth.

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm still exercising patience because rebuilds don't happen overnight but roster construction is a huge issue. This team had one shooter, who was wildly inconsistent as a contributor, and no playmakers/true point guards. It had six guys who are considered mid-major players (Adams, Cole, Martin, Whaley, Polley, Carlton) and Akok is out. It was a flawed team. We're still rebuilding.

I'm a little miffed by the lack of shooters and the lack of wings. I believe Martin is the only wing on the roster next year. We have all small/slight guards and big men. That's going to cause matchup issues some nights. Maybe we add a transfer.

Still, Hurley has to show us more. He had no counter for a basic switching scheme that he knew was coming. He didn't get the ball inside when we had a size advantage and had no success generating dribble penetration. I don't know if we had even five good looks all night. Our offense generates nothing and we don't have a playmaker to create on his own. Like pulling teeth.

When we were clawing back (cut it to single digits in second half), we had multiple wide opens looks on multiple possessions.

When this team panics, the big problem is they turn to Bouknight to play hero ball. That happened again tonight and of course it backfired.

 

[Gurleyman]

Tyrese Martin was brought to URI by Hurley and than brought to UConn by Hurley. He appears to be very high on him to do that.

He is incredibly flawed and as stated was unhelpful out there.

Just wish he was more accepting of his role. He played hard, attacked the glass hard - his effort was there on D even if he got beat a time or two. But there were a couple high degree of difficulty shots that he shouldn’t be taking (the 15 foot runner into the rafters comes to mind). The putback tries around the rim are fine decisions, even if they don’t drop, but there was a couple where he got an offensive rebound and said “my rebound, my shot” and put up wild fadeaways.

But I hope he has the same role next year - or similar, maybe a stopper/energy off the bench - and just polishes up some of the rough edges. He shows some athletic plays going after rebounds or slashing to the basket with purpose that I feel like he can have an important part of a successful team.

 

[Vuce]

We were down 7 I think it was and Cole had a WIDE open three. No one around within ten feet. Missed it. Has to hit that shot. Bouk missed the front end of a 1-1 and then made 1 of 2 on the next trip. 6 pts right there too have to have in crunch time and from people you want taking the shots. Simply didn’t come thru in the clutch and that sux and is what it is. Game changing misses

 

[Chin Diesel]

Neither is Whaley. They both have zero touch down low. Play volleyball with bricks too hard off the backboard. Its almost as infuriating as our end of game foul shooting.

Well, the Whaley part of the equation has played itself out.

 

[wheelerdog]

For everyone bashing Martin, where would they have been without him?

 

[wheelerdog]

I like Polley the person, but 20 minutes of play with no stats recorded other than 1 PF and 6 points is unacceptable for playing that many minutes. It's not a one off, it happened multiple games this season. Guy never follows his shot after shooting a 3.

That's why the BE coaches named him sixth player of the year. But what do they know.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Recruiting in terms of learning how to build a roster? Yes.

I get this was the final year of Dan Hurley transitioning from KO's roster to Dan Hurley's roster.

But, you need shooters, you need rebounders, you need players who can break down a defender 1-1, etc.

This isn't directed at you, but so many of the "need guys who can shoot" posts make no mention of the number of ill-advised and needlessly difficult shots taken that regularly made moves toward the basket look like unforced errors.

 

[Chin Diesel]

This isn't directed at you, but so many of the "need guys who can shoot" posts make no mention of the number of ill-advised and needlessly difficult shots taken that regularly made moves toward the basket look like unforced errors.

Trying to pick through your comment. Are you suggesting that players sometimes needlessly tried to get to inadvisably get to the rim and ended up taking low percentage shots in the lane regardless of shooters on the court?

 

[August_West]

It's on everyone but Hurley is the coach. I would be okay with a loss if we had a clear offensive game plan. We did not. We did not make any adjustment on that end either.

We clearly have a defensive identity. No one with hald a cell of BBQ is saying the same about our offense. What is our goal on offense? What type of team are we?

These are questions that Hurley and Co. Need to answer this summer. He's proven he can make changes as a coach so I have no doubt hell come back a better version of himself.

^^^ this.

Because you can complain about 100 missed rim bunnies on offense, and it stinks, but they are only offensive rebounds because of the putridness of the teams initial shot. So no, Hurley can make players who offensive rebound 10 inches from hoop put it in, but he’s got to get the team better looks by the right guys on the FIRST shot, and if you say “ well it’s not his fault a player can’t make a shot” You’re wrong, people makin the first shot in an an idiot defensive set are due to 3 things, 1) coaching 2) recruiting 3) game plan.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I don't know if we had even five good looks all night.

A few more than that, but not many. That's what I marveled at; and not in a good way.

Two of the three (!) first half assists were successful kickouts. Whaley had two completely open baseline jumper opportunities, and I think another elsewhere. He passed one up, missed one, and made one. Cole had a similar trio, and made two, including that first basket after the handful of offensive rebounds that started the game

What's weird is that I'm kind of doing this from memory, and though likely undercounting, I don't think I'm too far off. Key thing is that I spent much of the game txting with two sisters "And another badly chosen shot," "Too difficult," "Why that shot?" "Almost never easy," "How do other teams have or make space?" etc.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Trying to pick through your comment. Are you suggesting that players sometimes needlessly tried to get to inadvisably get to the rim and ended up taking low percentage shots in the lane regardless of shooters on the court?

In some ways even worse: Sometimes not looking. Sometimes inflexibly committed with no chance for change. Sometimes nobody in position, or with enough space. Sometimes moving in the direction of rim but not actually To the rim strong because of a seeming greater focus on avoiding contact than putting the ball into the hope and/or drawing a foul.

(EDIT FROM ORIGINAL):

The game sometimes looked like a variety show of increased degree-of-difficulty shots. And this wasn't the first time I'd seen such a spectacle. For example, the Big East semi-final against Creighton displayed zero good shots, starting from the point that RJ crashed to the floor, suffered a concussion, and bloodied himself, until the game ended with the 5-point lead surrendered and transformed into a disappointing 3-point loss.

 

[uconnfan68]

watch other games in the tourney. Everybody, including Patriot League and Grand Canyon, whatever that is, have guys who can make open shots.

Buddy looked like Steph Curry.

 

[Candyman]

Whaley was a 5 playing the 4 and Martin is a 4 playing the 3. It sucks because we needed Whaley’s Defense and Adamas scoring but they just didn’t gel together on offense. Every team doubles Adama or Bouk and let Whaley shoot. They knew Martin is no threat either and laid off him. Jackson as well. So when Whaley sets the high screen his guy always doubles Bouk and they just didn’t care about Whaley.