Liam’s Return Is the Only Thing that Matters | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Liam’s Return Is the Only Thing that Matters

It’s obvious that we need an elite starting PG from the portal. Starting PF would be the next biggest need. Can junior stew be fifth best starter on a chip team like AK in 23? Where do you see the other weaknesses? Looks like good depth on paper with everyone (hopefully) a year better. But we thought that this year too.

Transfer / Nowell / Adams
Ball / Mahaney
Mullins / Ross / Furphy
Stew / Abe
Reed / Reibe / Singare
Bud, I agree with what you say. I am only wondering aloud if AK will return. He has not looked like a first rounder. I think it is worth contemplating that our starting 4 next year may, could, might be be AK. I am hoping that he has a crazy February and March and he puts this to bed. But if this funk continues, I dont think its crazy that he returns. I think we definitely need a transfer PG. No doubt.
 
Liam needs to be as close to 100 when he returns as possible. He will be rusty no matter so it doesn’t need to be Marquette, don’t like our chances in this one anyway. You think Xavier and Creighton gets away with stuff on defense watch in Saturday night. But they’re also very passionate defenders, Mitchell probably on Solo and will give him fits.

Someone said 6 losses would be amazing in the BE, I’m still thinking 8 would be very good!
 
Bud, I agree with what you say. I am only wondering aloud if AK will return. He has not looked like a first rounder. I think it is worth contemplating that our starting 4 next year may, could, might be be AK. I am hoping that he has a crazy February and March and he puts this to bed. But if this funk continues, I dont think its crazy that he returns. I think we definitely need a transfer PG. No doubt.
Yeah preferably one who can penetrate who is athletic and plays great D. Bigger would be a plus.
 
I almost posted this clip as well. You gotta love seeing a freshman with that level of attention to detail on defense, especially vs the last ranked team in the conference in a game he pretty much wasn't ever going to play in. His level of compete is just crazy.
Too bad he is not playing and just coaching. All this shows is how much we miss him because he has next level talent but he supplements average athleticism into great player by having such a high BBIQ. He is a bigger version of Cam Spencer. Imagine how good Liam would be as a fifth year senior. He would be unstoppable and make everyone around him better.

I know we are not going to see him in our uniform next year but daydreaming is ok……isn’t it?
 
Bud, I agree with what you say. I am only wondering aloud if AK will return. He has not looked like a first rounder. I think it is worth contemplating that our starting 4 next year may, could, might be be AK. I am hoping that he has a crazy February and March and he puts this to bed. But if this funk continues, I dont think its crazy that he returns. I think we definitely need a transfer PG. No doubt.
Alex wasnt a first rounder last year, this year or next year I suspect. He came back this year to expand his game which I actually think he has but the injury to Liam and his own /slump have pushed him back into the second round at best. Nothing wrong with that.
 
Alex wasnt a first rounder last year, this year or next year I suspect. He came back this year to expand his game which I actually think he has but the injury to Liam and his own /slump have pushed him back into the second round at best. Nothing wrong with that.
Last year was considered one of the weakest drafts in a long time. Couple that with his stock being at an all time high coming off B2B, if he had any chance of going round 1 he would have gone. Yes NIL and a 3peat are motivating, but not if you’re going round 1. I know there are still mocks out there flagging him as first round, in an epically strong draft class, but logic tells me it ain’t happening. Unless there is one team out there late who happens to like him and is ok taking a kid with limited upside, he’s round 2.
 
One of the underappreciated parts of not having Liam on the floor is how our freedom of movement on offense has been impacted. His ability to also be a point forward facilitator-secondary ball handler to initiate the offense was really starting to come together pre-injury. Without his presence on the floor-Opponents could then game-plan vs our shooters (Solo/AK) by disrupting our sets/face-guarding our shooters/putting the body on them so that they couldn't get the open looks they were used to.They also picked up on Hass in the backcourt-taking more time off the clock before we began running our sets. Until or if the refs were going to blow the whistle on the physicality these guys were dealing with-these coaches were telling their guys to keep doing what you're doing(re: Solo and AK). To my eye-Our screeners are less inclined to truly screen the defenders(for the benefit of our shooters) vs slip screening and immediately rolling to the hoop. Probably more by design BTW. So-Can AK and Solo create space and separation moving off the ball for open shots without any help? Not their strength. Gotta work hard through the contact and not expect help from the whistle.

Alex is going to be fine. Think he's not quite 100% yet. As Dan has said-He's now at the top of the scout for opposing teams- Negate Karaban's impact on the game and they have a chance at beating us. I expect the next three games to be wars-single possession games. This is why Alex came back. I believe he'll show up and be a difference-maker in all three. Lead your guys.
 
One of the underappreciated parts of not having Liam on the floor is how our freedom of movement on offense has been impacted. His ability to also be a point forward facilitator-secondary ball handler to initiate the offense was really starting to come together pre-injury. Without his presence on the floor-Opponents could then game-plan vs our shooters (Solo/AK) by disrupting our sets/face-guarding our shooters/putting the body on them so that they couldn't get the open looks they were used to.They also picked up on Hass in the backcourt-taking more time off the clock before we began running our sets. Until or if the refs were going to blow the whistle on the physicality these guys were dealing with-these coaches were telling their guys to keep doing what you're doing(re: Solo and AK). To my eye-Our screeners are less inclined to truly screen the defenders(for the benefit of our shooters) vs slip screening and immediately rolling to the hoop. Probably more by design BTW. So-Can AK and Solo create space and separation moving off the ball for open shots without any help? Not their strength. Gotta work hard through the contact and not expect help from the whistle.

Alex is going to be fine. Think he's not quite 100% yet. As Dan has said-He's now at the top of the scout for opposing teams- Negate Karaban's impact on the game and they have a chance at beating us. I expect the next three games to be wars-single possession games. This is why Alex came back. I believe he'll show up and be a difference-maker in all three. Lead your guys.
There is a massive negative trickle down effect on how teams defend you when your best player is not out there. Listen to Dauster's pod, he goes through it in detail. Liam coming back will be a significant boost in that it will soften defenses for other players and allow others to play roles more aligned with their strengths. Issue remains that he's not fixing the defense all that much. For any kind of potential run, the offense needs to start humming and for it to get hot at the right time. It's no different than a team like UK, even an Alabama to a lesser extent. These are teams who use analytics, space, put points up in bushels so much as to negate defensive issues. They focus on outscoring. It's hard to rely on for 6 straight games, but yeah never know. Bama made it to the F4 that way last year.

My guess right now is that this team lands a seed 7-9, so we'll be playing a good team in round 1 and a great team in round 2. Approach this year should be looking forward to being the underdog and faith in Hurley/staff to pull some tricks out of the bag when it matters.
 
None of you want to hear this. But our season is not worth Liam tanking his draft stock over. If he isnt at least 90% he shouldn't return. And I don't think Hurley will rush it. He's a lottery pick. He has to prioritize his long-term prospects.
Consistent with how Dan has handled previous NBA prospects at UConn. Some lottery some not. Liam has a strong support system around him who are looking out for his long-term future goals-best interests. Dan sees the big picture for Liam.
 
None of you want to hear this. But our season is not worth Liam tanking his draft stock over. If he isnt at least 90% he shouldn't return. And I don't think Hurley will rush it. He's a lottery pick. He has to prioritize his long-term prospects.
Agreed which is why the injury was catastrophic for the team. I knew this at the time. He is either not coming back or is coming back when it’s all but too late.
 
None of you want to hear this. But our season is not worth Liam tanking his draft stock over. If he isnt at least 90% he shouldn't return. And I don't think Hurley will rush it. He's a lottery pick. He has to prioritize his long-term prospects.
I think this is the correct thing, too. It sucks for this season, though. If Liam doesn't get hurt, I think UConn would be undefeated in the Big East right now with their first loss coming at Marquette. Before Liam got hurt, UConn really hit their stride and was humming like a well oiled machine. This is why I felt so down after the win at DePaul because I knew, I think we all knew, Liam was going to miss at least month of the season.
 
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Agreed which is why the injury was catastrophic for the team. I knew this at the time. He is either not coming back or is coming back when it’s all but too late.
I remember when you stated that Liam's injury could derail the season and a few posters here got offended and got all over you and on your case about it as if what you stated was so outrageous.

Will it "derail" the season? We will see, time will tell, but it certainly threw the season off track. What you said about it derailing the season was not far fetched or outrageous.
Liam and Hassan are the most indispensable players on the team this year.
 
Feel terribly for Liam it’s gotta be killing him to be out, hes gotta be itching to get back my guess would be 2 more weeks. I’m sure Hurley is having to fight like hell to tell him we need to give you more time, while Liam as you would expect is telling Hurley I’m ready.
 
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Feel terribly for Liam it’s gotta killing him to be out, hes gotta be itching to get back my guess would be 2 more weeks. I’m sure Hurley is having to fight like hell to tell him we need to give you more time, while Liam as you would expect is telling Hurley I’m ready.
Has there been any indication of his return? Seems like everyone is speculating without any definitive information. Although I wish he was returning for the Marquette game, he'll return when he returns. If they want any chance of going deep in the tournament they need him back and healthy. So better that he returns when his ankle is stable enough for him where he won't reinjure it.
 
Has there been any indication of his return? Seems like everyone is speculating without any definitive information. Although I wish he was returning for the Marquette game, he'll return when he returns. If they want any chance of going deep in the tournament they need him back and healthy. So better that he returns when his ankle is stable enough for him where he won't reinjure it.
It's all we can do is speculate it's why I said my guess is 2 more weeks. Hurley will get the final call on his return, no one wants Liam to be back on court more then Liam as you would expect, it's why I said Hurley will have fight like hell to hold him out as long as possible as he should.
 
The kid is desperate to play. He will beg Hurley to play and if the doc OK’s it what is the problem?
Whose decision is it when he plays? Liam's? Hurley's? Dr. Joyce's? Liam's agent? The doctor Liam's agent hired as a 2nd opinion? Who makes this final call?
 
"Liam empowered the whole group, but he's been gone now coming up on five weeks, if he doesn't play this weekend," Hurley said. "Removing one person's personality, like Liam, I don't want to put too much on the kid because he's still a freshman player. But his absence has been catastrophic from a basketball standpoint, and in turn, the morale. So it would be nice to get him back."

Hurley said he and others will talk to McNeeley Friday night, see how he feels after Saturday's shootaround, and a decision will then be made about his status for the 8 p.m. game. An update is expected from UConn spokesman Bobby Mullen during the day Saturday.


Hurley said McNeeley looked "pretty healthy" in practice Friday. Based on some stuff I heard and the way this has gone, if he doesn't play tomorrow I get the sense this isn't UConn's decision to make.

Nowell is a no go tomorrow. He's not getting much game rep for next season.


Alternate access:

UConn men's basketball freshman Liam McNeeley a 'game-day decision' for Saturday at Marquette

 

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