Jordan Hawkins vs Braylon Mullins

[Lafayette]

I see, I was supposed to read your mind in that first post I replied to.

I'll check back in the morning to see if you felt like backing up the highest rated thing or not.

as noted before this is since ~2002 so you won't see Ray or Rip etc.

 

[Sonova]

Then you answered the question. Why go pro then?

Because the NBA would rather him be in their system as he develops. Full time basketball not encumbered by a college coach, league officials, etc. Just full time strength training and skill development. They’d rather have a guy practicing every day against NBA and G-League players. The NBA has changed significantly over the last 5 years.

 

[Leebo]

Love the sarcasm and condescension you wear it well for knowing nothing about recruiting. I mentioned 247 in my first reply to you, no mind reading required just reading comprehension.

I'll aspire to the level where I don't check the claims I'm making about our recruits before trashing them 🫡

 

[RuffRuff]

Let’s be honest — McNeeley last year was more impactful for us than Braylon has been, despite not being the same after his injury. But that has very very little to do with what kind of NBA prospect they are. Mullens came here to play one year. He will do what is best for him, but it’s likely he will perceive that as going to the NBA. And, frankly, I’m not sure he would be worth the money it would take to keep him here for another year.

If you asked me who's game I'd rather have on this team, I'd 100% take McNeeley. McNeeley also plays with some fire in the belly, which this team sorely lacks. When I look at AK sometimes with that kinda glazed over look, along with Solo looking confused, it's somewhat uninspiring. They aren't a team who's general body language offers a lot of confidence. The one guy that does is Ross. Overall this is a brutal body language team.

Hurley hasn't been all that sharp in comprehensively building a roster, from a skill symmetry perspective and from a personality perspective. It's this mystifying need for shooters with good families.

 

[bendm]

It's this mystifying need for shooters with good families.

I thought we could all agree on not wanting to bring in divas eg DNP or diva parents eg Toure.

 

[TRest]

NBA scouts focus on Mullins potential ceiling. It is very high. They don't care about his college production or if he had a good or bad game.

Here is a indisputable factoid from the first round of last year's draft. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft was heavily dominated by teenagers, with 19-year-olds making up the largest single group. Out of the 30 first-round selections, 24 players (80%) were aged 19 or younger.

The NBA did NOT -and does not- draft the best or most productive college players. They draft based on their perceived potential ceiling as future NBA players.

What you’re not considering is that there is a long line of 19 year olds ahead of Mullins after this season.

 

[KingAG]

Are we going Freshman Braylon to Sophmore Hawkins? If so, why?

 

[UC0NN]

If your calling card is 3 point shooting but you cant shoot 3s well, what am I missing?

 

[UC0NN]

Are we going Freshman Braylon to Sophmore Hawkins? If so, why?

Bc Freshman Hawkins had zero chance of getting drafted. Nor did he have a high school rep to carry him on the draft boards.

 

[RuffRuff]

I thought we could all agree on not wanting to bring in divas eg DNP or diva parents eg Toure.

IDK - is sacrificing talent to avoid dealing with tough families what a coach gets paid for? The job is to put the best team on the floor.

Hurley developed a massive ego after the B2B, blew out all these philosophies that he was selling and now seems to thinks collecting angelical shooters in his system is the template. This is a pro sport, focus is on winning.

 

[KingAG]

IDK - is sacrificing talent to avoid dealing with tough families what a coach gets paid for? The job is to put the best team on the floor.

Hurley developed a massive ego after the B2B, blew out all these philosophies that he was selling and now seems to thinks collecting angelical shooters in his system is the template. This is a pro sport, focus is on winning.

Yes. Tough families and helicopter parents can and will poison a locker room.

Hurleys massive ego has his team as a 2 seed and 29-5 a year after going back to back. You are greatly exaggerating his demise. Give it a rest

 

[bendm]

IDK - is sacrificing talent to avoid dealing with tough families what a coach gets paid for? The job is to put the best team on the floor.

I’d say making those judgement calls is exactly what he gets paid for. For being a body language doctor you are underselling the mental aspect and importance of team chemistry

 

[KingAG]

I’d say making those judgement calls is exactly what he gets paid for. For being a body language doctor you are underselling the importance of team chemistry

Hurleys poor coaching and roster construction has him as the most successful coach of the last 5 years. Who would we exactly want him to emulate? A coach who hasn’t won? Who?

 

[navery12]

IDK - is sacrificing talent to avoid dealing with tough families what a coach gets paid for? The job is to put the best team on the floor.

Hurley developed a massive ego after the B2B, blew out all these philosophies that he was selling and now seems to thinks collecting angelical shooters in his system is the template. This is a pro sport, focus is on winning.

It is when it's not sacrificing talent. We're in the middle of the most successful 4 year run in UConn's entire history, it's very clearly working and the team is clearly filled with talent

 

[KingAG]

It is when it's not sacrificing talent. We're in the middle of the most successful 4 year run in UConn's entire history, it's very clearly working and the team is clearly filled with talent

Some on this board always go over the top. You can be disappointed we didn’t win the reg title and BE tournament title without saying absolutely nonsensical things.

I truly want to know the coach and program @RuffRuff would like Hurley to emulate. If he’s doing it wrong, whose doing it right?

 

[RuffRuff]

It is when it's not sacrificing talent. We're in the middle of the most successful 4 year run in UConn's entire history, it's very clearly working and the team is clearly filled with talent

It worked.....

I'm as hopeful as anyone on this tourney in wait and see fashion, seeing what Hurley can do with non BE refs. If they bow out early, I think we can definitely call it best two year run in Uconn history, past tense. Sport is evolving too fast to hang onto the past in evaluating your model.

 

[SportsFan88]

Freshman year Hawkins and Mullins freshman year isn’t even CLOSE

 

[RuffRuff]

Some on this board always go over the top. You can be disappointed we didn’t win the reg title and BE tournament title without saying absolutely nonsensical things.

I truly want to know the coach and program @RuffRuff would like Hurley to emulate. If he’s doing it wrong, whose doing it right?

It's a good question - but you don't want to disadvantage yourself annually with a stale template as the field is building successful rosters.

This and last year, the teams that are doing it right are teams building big, fast, dynamic teams with strong front courts. Last year and this year's POY were PF's. We have AK. What Dan does at the 4 will really be a big.

 

[REB1094]

We're clearly missing a physical defensive wing. But look at our roster:

PG - We got a scoring PG with size from the SEC. He's the best PG in the BE now
SG - We brought back our 14 PPG All BE 2nd team player, who was best shooter in the conference
SF - 5* freshman, best shooter in the class
PF - Was always going to be Alex Karaban
C - Promoted our big bruiser C. Aside from Zuby (BE POY), he's the best center in the conference

Our issues on defense are magnified when our offense breaks down. The best shooter in the conference is shooting 30% from three and the best shooter in the class is shooting 34.5% from three. They've taken about half our threes this year. If that was predictable, roster would look different. But talent wise, this is one of the best in the country

Lessons learned. Get a physical defensive wing, have multiple strong ballhandlers. Offensive gameplan needs to be adjusted accordingly. What we do at SF/PF next year will be VERY important in re-establishing a strong defensive identity

 

[KingAG]

It's a good question - but you don't want to disadvantage yourself annually with a stale template as the field is building successful rosters.

This and last year, the teams that are doing it right are teams building big, fast, dynamic teams with strong front courts. Last year and this year's POY were PF's. We have AK. What Dan does at the 4 will really be a big.

How are you drawing the conclusion “we didn’t do it right” this year?

29-5(2 seed) suggests otherwise. At least let the tourney play out. Roster construction and talent isn’t this teams issue. Inconsistency is. That’s an above the shoulders issue.

 

[RuffRuff]

How are you drawing the conclusion “we didn’t do it right” this year?

29-5(2 seed) suggests otherwise. At least let the tourney play out. Roster construction and talent isn’t this teams issue. Inconsistency is. That’s an above the shoulders issue.

100% letting the tourney play out - hopeful that'll they'll make a run. Elite 8 the goal.

I'd disagree on the roster construction. Inconsistency is an effect of roster construction, not something that happens on it's own.

 

[KingAG]

100% letting the tourney play out - hopeful that'll they'll make a run. Elite 8 the goal.

I'd disagree on the roster construction. Inconsistency is an effect of roster construction, not something that happens on it's own.

I disagree. Roster construction wasn’t an issue when we beat SJ by 30. Or ran through the OOC schedule. There isn’t one way to build a winner. There never has been. Teams that win championships are usually really good defensively and able to get efficient looks when needed. I’d argue this team has that when they play with the focus and discipline necessary.

If Taris starts the first half how he started the 2nd half that’s a completely different game. If solo, Braylon and Alex hit WIDE OPEN 3’s generated by our offense it’s a different game. The talent and ability is there for us to be successful. Champions? That remains to be seen. But even then there can only be one. And that doesn’t mean every other team did it wrong.

The prototype you’re lauding will be the trendy way until someone else shows another way to do it. All of these roster trends come and go.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

Year 2 Mullins would be very interesting to see. Think he could make a Hawkins-like leap or better. He can definitely play his way into the lottery next season in a weaker class plus he'll make good NIL money next season to help bridge the gap financially.

I didn't realize he is 19, turning 20 in April. So he would be 21 already in a 2027 draft, which would hurt his stock considerably.

 

[businesslawyer]

It's a good question - but you don't want to disadvantage yourself annually with a stale template as the field is building successful rosters.

This and last year, the teams that are doing it right are teams building big, fast, dynamic teams with strong front courts. Last year and this year's POY were PF's. We have AK. What Dan does at the 4 will really be a big.

It’s not like we didn’t win 2 of the last 3 championships with AK starting at the 4. Sometimes chemistry just doesn’t work out. It happened to Calhoun in both ‘10 and ‘12. A great coach has it happen less than a good coach. You’re not even letting this season play out before deciding it is a failure. We have won 2 national championships in the last 12 years where we didn’t win our conference tourney.

You really need to not race to conclusions well ahead of evidence,