Love this quote by Dan Hurley

[Samoo]

Next years team, if Karaban comes back, could definitely be our best offensive team under Hurley. Easily.

But on the defensive side we will be missing a lockdown wing defender (Jackson and then Castle) and 8’ rim protector (Clingan).

Maybe Hurley goes full Loyola Marymount and just tries to score 120 points each game and sees who can keep up (joking, kind of)

8' rim protectors are a dime a dozen; it is the 10' rim protectors that are rarer. That said, I'm sure that DC not let a ball near an 8' rim.

 

[Marat]

That whole media availability session (watched it on YT) was just fantastic. You can see how Hurley is feeling pretty good about where things stand with the roster, his players and his coaching staff.

He did explicitly say that they intentionally did not try to overrecruit his returning freshman and his rationale for that made sense to me.

So many great quotes in that session. Highly recommend.

Pretty much many of our questions were answered in that 26 min video. Goof stuff.

 

[Hunt for 7]

listened to the media availability and Hurley said NBA scouts were asking about Ross after practices

Yup, they were probably wondering as much as we were as to why he was not playing at all. He could be quick enough to play the two or three at the next level. He is 6’7” looks to have a decent offensive game. Every time he got on the court on the offensive end his talent was very evident.

As a coach you could see in this interview that the only way you are going to get playing time is directly related to how good the players in the game are playing. It just shortens the rotation.

He said that Cam and Tristen were just very efficient and that impacted Ball’s playing time and to para phrase what he said, it’s hard to take players like Tristen, Cam and Alex out of the game because it’s hard to lose when your guys are that efficient.

It is amazing that we kept all four of the freshman. What a culture he has created. Just the fact that there was no portal noise about them to me indicates high character, buy in and therefore leaves me expecting a big jump in their game next year.

 

[Woodson]

He's our most slept on player.

He made a move and scored in midrange during garbage time vs Illinois, forget which announcer could have been SVG and he was like oh damn, like who was that lol. Looked real smooth with it pro move

 

[Umami Zen]

Love the fact that Danny is relying on our young talent to make a jump and or our freshmen will be contributors year1.. Add that to our returning champions. Gonna be a fun year.

 

[The Yakk]

Next years team, if Karaban comes back, could definitely be our best offensive team under Hurley. Easily.

But on the defensive side we will be missing a lockdown wing defender (Jackson and then Castle) and 8’ rim protector (Clingan).

Maybe Hurley goes full Loyola Marymount and just tries to score 120 points each game and sees who can keep up (joking, kind of)

I'm not worried about the defense.

Ball and Stewart are going to Mess. People. Up.

 

[aceboon]

Yup, they were probably wondering as much as we were as to why he was not playing at all. He could be quick enough to play the two or three at the next level. He is 6’7” looks to have a decent offensive game. Every time he got on the court on the offensive end his talent was very evident.

As a coach you could see in this interview that the only way you are going to get playing time is directly related to how good the players in the game are playing. It just shortens the rotation.

He said that Cam and Tristen were just very efficient and that impacted Ball’s playing time and to para phrase what he said, it’s hard to take players like Tristen, Cam and Alex out of the game because it’s hard to lose when your guys are that efficient.

It is amazing that we kept all four of the freshman. What a culture he has created. Just the fact that there was no portal noise about them to me indicates high character, buy in and therefore leaves me expecting a big jump in their game next year.

You thought Ross should have been playing once we started real teams? And I don't say that as a knock on Ross's talent but we had too much ahead of him at both the G/SF spots for him to be playing.

 

[Hunt for 7]

You thought Ross should have been playing once we started real teams? And I don't say that as a knock on Ross's talent but we had too much ahead of him at both the G/SF spots for him to be playing.

Not what I said. I said I understood why he did not but that it was less a reflection on him and more how good the players in front of him were playing and that created no opportunity. But you can see he has next level talent and that still was not enough to get him playing time.

So I was assuming from what the scouts were seeing in practice the questions were related to their interest and perhaps if they were going to see him in games at all.

I guess I should have known better sometimes I forget how the yard works.

 

[Ricker]

So we could threepeat with:

1) 1 Five Star (Clingan)
2) 2 Five Stars (Clingan and Castle)
3) 1 Five Star (McNeeley)

Please Duke keep doing what you're doing, LOL, 5 Stars Uber Alles. Pay no attention to Hurley he clearly hasn't the first clue on roster construction.

When did Clingan get his 5 stars?

 

[aceboon]

Not what I said. I said I understood why he did not but that it was less a reflection on him and more how good the players in front of him were playing and that created no opportunity. But you can see he has next level talent and that still was not enough to get him playing time.

So I was assuming from what the scouts were seeing in practice the questions were related to their interest and perhaps if they were going to see him in games at all.

I guess I should have known better sometimes I forget how the yard works.

You are far too sensitive, nobody was even getting after you

 

[Huskyforlife]

listened to the media availability and Hurley said NBA scouts were asking about Ross after practices

Now that is noteworthy.

 

[nomar]

Athleticism is a lot more than running and jumping. Good point on Tristen, he has a great ability to play through contact and finish in all sorts of athletic ways. I always hear people say Luka and Jokic aren't athletic. They're incredibly athletic, they just don't jump high.

They said Larry Bird wasn't athletic. Counterpoint:

 

[bjc42]

Is it reasonable to infer that he thinks AK will be back? I don’t see how he could say that without that being the case honestly.

not a bad point. Or he knows that someone else is coming? It’s Hurley, we could never figure out his brain.

 

[Huskybass]

No Romoglue is in the portal

What an awful thing to say about a kid who looked good every time he saw the floor, despite being in during garbage time.

 

[JungleLobo]

What an awful thing to say about a kid who looked good every time he saw the floor, despite being in during garbage time.

Yet you called his allotted playing time ‘garbage time’.

 

[ctchamps]

He's our most slept on player.

Sorry that was Springs.

Big fan of Ross. Have been since watching his and Solo’s high school games. Was beginning to think I incorrectly evaluated his talent potential. Loved hearing Hurley’s comment.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Athleticism is a lot more than running and jumping. Good point on Tristen, he has a great ability to play through contact and finish in all sorts of athletic ways. I always hear people say Luka and Jokic aren't athletic. They're incredibly athletic, they just don't jump high.

There’s above the rim and below the rim players; I think that’s a more helpful distinction to make.

As you said, there are many ways someone can be athletic

Regarding the OP, I’m gonna have to wait a while to say that next year’s team is better in any way than last year’s. Sure, on paper we look deeper, but we have multiple unknown pieces, and we have to see how Solo progresses from over the summer. I think Newton’s experience as a leader and his calm throughout big moments will be missed. I don’t doubt that Hass can lead, as he’s been in all our big games, but he was always a 6th man.

 

[UConniki]

When did Clingan get his 5 stars?

He didn’t, he was a4*

 

[nomar]

Yet you called his allotted playing time ‘garbage time’.

It doesn't mean he was garbage.

 

[david]

Sorry that was Springs.

Big fan of Ross. Have been since watching his and Solo’s high school games. Was beginning to think I incorrectly evaluated his talent potential. Loved hearing Hurley’s comment.

I’m ashamed that dad joke made me chuckle

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

not a bad point. Or he knows that someone else is coming? It’s Hurley, we could never figure out his brain.

It was made pretty clear in that interview that no one else is coming unless Karaban decides to stay in the draft and even if that happens Hurley made it sound like the most likely addition would be a development guy at the 4 spot.

 

[Eweconn]

Easily better than the #1 Offensive team this year in effiency(see Kenpom below) and top 21 scoring teams with 81.6 pts a game? With scorers like Cam, Newton, Karaban, Castle and Clingan this upcoming team will be hard pressed to match that kind of offense. No way will this team be better offensively with so many unknowns but what they will have that this team didn't have is quality depth all the way up to player 9. This year was maybe 6-7 as Stewart and Ball were too inconsistent to count on at times.

https://kenpom.com/index.php?s=RankAdjOE

If there are so many unknowns, how can you say "No way will this team be better offensively"? Until it's known, it's a possibility, no?

 

[JungleLobo]

It doesn't mean he was garbage.

Agreed. It does mean that he was a practice player at his former school.

Maybe he will be more somewhere else.

 

[3rdbass]

If there are so many unknowns, how can you say "No way will this team be better offensively"? Until it's known, it's a possibility, no?

Better than #1 team in the nation and losing all those established scorers? On paper they have too many unknows aand not enough proven scorers. Right now it is my opinion and that is all anyone can state that they won't be as good as this past years team. This past year's team might have been the best UConn and one of the best College Basketball teams ever based on what they accomplished.

 

[3rdbass]

There’s above the rim and below the rim players; I think that’s a more helpful distinction to make.

As you said, there are many ways someone can be athletic

Regarding the OP, I’m gonna have to wait a while to say that next year’s team is better in any way than last year’s. Sure, on paper we look deeper, but we have multiple unknown pieces, and we have to see how Solo progresses from over the summer. I think Newton’s experience as a leader and his calm throughout big moments will be missed. I don’t doubt that Hass can lead, as he’s been in all our big games, but he was always a 6th man.

I love your Profile pic. It really shows how close last year's team was.