Miscalculations by DH

[huskyharry]

Coach Hurley’s success the last two seasons was partly due to loyalty that he showed players.
He also has felt very confident in the natural talent and hard work of this year’s sophomore class in projecting how well they play this year.
Because of that loyalty, he avoided recruiting more experienced players the recruitment of which might have been perceived as being disloyal.
He likely felt a similar loyalty to Hass. He had to see that Solo didn’t and doesn’t have the dribbling and passing skills to play point.
I have been a strong supporter of Mahaney. But except for a couple of games, he has clearly struggled. Even when he has contributed well on the offensive end , he still lacks the strength to play defense in the Big East. His lack of strength also makes it problematic for him to be the prime ball handler when defenders are allowed to bump you without fouls being called.
Add in the misfortune of Hass’ chronic knee issue and this leaves us without a true point guard.
His recruiting strategy has also reflected loving the offense that was such a big part of success the last two years, more than the defense that has been the focus of more of his career. This may have been what was so attractive about recruiting Mahaney. Without the way defense is allowed to be played in the Big East, with cutters allowed to move freely, he could have been and maybe could still be a key piece towards some truly beautiful offense.
The recruiting class for next year, although very talented, seems to fit This same mold.
Hopefully, UConn can play better once we are out of the Big East (and perhaps Mahaney will as well)

 

[superjohn]

Coach Hurley’s success the last two seasons was partly due to loyalty that he showed players.
He also has felt very confident in the natural talent and hard work of this year’s sophomore class in projecting how well they play this year.
Because of that loyalty, he avoided recruiting more experienced players the recruitment of which might have been perceived as being disloyal.
He likely felt a similar loyalty to Hass. He had to see that Solo didn’t and doesn’t have the dribbling and passing skills to play point.
I have been a strong supporter of Mahaney. But except for a couple of games, he has clearly struggled. Even when he has contributed well on the offensive end , he still lacks the strength to play defense in the Big East. His lack of strength also makes it problematic for him to be the prime ball handler when defenders are allowed to bump you without fouls being called.
Add in the misfortune of Hass’ chronic knee issue and this leaves us without a true point guard.
His recruiting strategy has also reflected loving the offense that was such a big part of success the last two years, more than the defense that has been the focus of more of his career. This may have been what was so attractive about recruiting Mahaney. Without the way defense is allowed to be played in the Big East, with cutters allowed to move freely, he could have been and maybe could still be a key piece towards some truly beautiful offense.
The recruiting class for next year, although very talented, seems to fit This same mold.
Hopefully, UConn can play better once we are out of the Big East (and perhaps Mahaney will as well)

Hurley has gone finesse with the kids we have and the kids we have signed for next season. Tarris is the only big guy on the team who mixes it up. Liam will get himself dirty but he's more skill over physicality. Diarra is tough but he's a 5th year guy who does it all on heart. He desperately needs to hit the portal hard and reevaluate some things he looks for in his team.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Hurley has gone finesse with the kids we have and the kids we have signed for next season. Tarris is the only big guy on the team who mixes it up. Liam will get himself dirty but he's more skill over physicality. Diarra is tough but he's a 5th year guy who does it all on heart. He desperately needs to hit the portal hard and reevaluate some things he looks for in his team.

He needs ball handlers. The collective ball handling skills of this team are abysmal.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

We can’t blame losses on the guy that isn’t playing.

 

[REB1094]

Each of the last three years has come with major assumptions going into the year

Could Andre/Hawkins/Sanogo make star leaps in development, with the 4 transfers and 2 freshmen making immediate impacts? Took some time but we ended up hitting on those assumptions

Could Newton make the superstar leap, could those freshmen make a sophomore leap, could Diarra/Samson go from benchwarmer to key pieces, could Cam and Castle adjust immediately to the BE? Less unknowns here but obviously hits on them all

This year, could the sophomore class make a jump, could Karaban make the superstar leap, could Samson make a leap, could the transfers fix their issues under a Hurley system, will McNeeley be ready? Tarris, Solo, Liam hit. Karaban, Samson, Stewart, Ross, Mahaney missed

I’m sure those mistakes won’t be repeated again going into next year

 

[dogpause]

Hurley has gone finesse with the kids we have and the kids we have signed for next season. Tarris is the only big guy on the team who mixes it up. Liam will get himself dirty but he's more skill over physicality. Diarra is tough but he's a 5th year guy who does it all on heart. He desperately needs to hit the portal hard and reevaluate some things he looks for in his team.

I completely agree with this take, and the OP's comments. What I wonder about is if these personnel choices are a result of his inflated ego, or simply misjudgements. Granted, you never know for sure how a player will perform, or how a team will blend together, but I get the impression that Hurley thinks he can coach anyone into a champion. Yes, it's good to be loyal to your players, but we would be a better team if Diarra and AK were coming off the bench because we recruited over them.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Coach Hurley’s success the last two seasons was partly due to loyalty that he showed players.
He also has felt very confident in the natural talent and hard work of this year’s sophomore class in projecting how well they play this year.
Because of that loyalty, he avoided recruiting more experienced players the recruitment of which might have been perceived as being disloyal.
He likely felt a similar loyalty to Hass. He had to see that Solo didn’t and doesn’t have the dribbling and passing skills to play point.
I have been a strong supporter of Mahaney. But except for a couple of games, he has clearly struggled. Even when he has contributed well on the offensive end , he still lacks the strength to play defense in the Big East. His lack of strength also makes it problematic for him to be the prime ball handler when defenders are allowed to bump you without fouls being called.
Add in the misfortune of Hass’ chronic knee issue and this leaves us without a true point guard.
His recruiting strategy has also reflected loving the offense that was such a big part of success the last two years, more than the defense that has been the focus of more of his career. This may have been what was so attractive about recruiting Mahaney. Without the way defense is allowed to be played in the Big East, with cutters allowed to move freely, he could have been and maybe could still be a key piece towards some truly beautiful offense.
The recruiting class for next year, although very talented, seems to fit This same mold.
Hopefully, UConn can play better once we are out of the Big East (and perhaps Mahaney will as well)

Maybe he overestimated the offensive skills of some players because they were practicing against our defense not Seton Halls or St Johns?

 

[Jaydumo20]

We can’t blame losses on the guy that isn’t playing.

Yep.
I'm also confused about the "Hurley got out coached" comment. This would assume that each team had the same exact factors entering the game: the same roster, neutral court, same whistle etc.
Did DH outcoach everyone, including pitino, last year? Is that the only reason we won? Cuz it seems to be the only reason we lose

 

[Chin Diesel]

Amongst everything else already discussed, this is also a relatively speaking "low BBIQ" team.
The past few seasonsn every analyst noted how the ball movement was crisp, the passes were on point- hitting the recipient in stride, the off ball movement was constant.....
This season the ball is sticky. Much more dribbling, and it's often side to side or with back to the offense. Players wide open on cuts go unrewarded. Players off the ball are standing still or stutter stepping trying to figure out their place on the floor.
In 2022-2023 Hurley and staff figured out how to re-utilize Sanogo when teans were slacking off him at the top of the key. He figured out how to use Jackson when teams slacked off him. This year, not so much.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

I think he simply over corrected post the maryland tourney loss. At time he spoke about not having enough offensive players, and changing philosophy to bring in offensive players and try to teach them how to play his D. Problem was, and is, we lost the mix. Also that the offensive players we have, have major flaws (too slow, cant penetrate, no ballhandling)- that was Hurley and staffs miss. We lost defensive identity he yearns for. If you want dogs, dont get a cat. Its fine though, after 2 nattys you can have a just ok season.

However I am genuinely concerned next yrs recruits fit this same mode. I think DH is eventually reflective but his knee jerk is always to defend himself, which is natural. When he gets his cringe lip read comment at ref, he initially says I wish the tv would show other coaches in big east bc they are just as bad. Ummm ok. But since then he has calmed down on sideline, so he GOT the point. I think he gets the flaws of this team construction, & while I think he is deflecting in the moment, he sees and will address issue with better mix in future. But it needs to goto portal to bring in qualities our 4 recruits just dont have

 

[djct1999]

Yep.
I'm also confused about the "Hurley got out coached" comment. This would assume that each team had the same exact factors entering the game: the same roster, neutral court, same whistle etc.
Did DH outcoach everyone, including pitino, last year? Is that the only reason we won? Cuz it seems to be the only reason we lose

Yep. Many in basketball have said the last two years was the most impressive and dominant run in the history of college basketball. We had the exact same the staff.

It’s like the same people who have been calling the Chiefs demise for years and after this Super Bowl they start pounding thier chest. Give it up. Hurley deserves some criticism but what is often said from his own fanbase is typically entitled, misguided, and/or misinformed.

 

[temery]

Fairweather fan posts are just the worst. The man was a genius just a week and a half ago.

(not a dig at OP. The board is filled with more nonsense today than usual)

 

[husky429]

Fairweather fan posts are just the worst. The man was a genius just a week and a half ago.

It's fair to say the off-season recruiting (portal) was botched this year. Even the best pitcher doesn't throw a strike every time.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Fairweather fan posts are just the worst. The man was a genius just a week and a half ago.

(not a dig at OP. The board is filled with more nonsense today than usual)

It's fair to say the off-season recruiting (portal) was botched this year. Even the best pitcher doesn't throw a strike every time.

There is a difference between being a fan of a program and a fan of a particular team/year/game.

 

[Conndog]

When does the portal open? When the regular season ends?

 

[UCfor3]

Yep.
I'm also confused about the "Hurley got out coached" comment. This would assume that each team had the same exact factors entering the game: the same roster, neutral court, same whistle etc.
Did DH outcoach everyone, including pitino, last year? Is that the only reason we won? Cuz it seems to be the only reason we lose

Bingo. Some of our deficiencies are borderline impossible to coach around. I mean we have half a ball handler against a pressure defense. Not a mystery how that's going to go. The real mistake the staff made was in roster construction. Lack of defense, ball handlers(PG), athleticism, and shot creators. It's on them but it happens. I will take their track record over the last couple years. I'm betting we adjust and make the necessary changes. This staff deserves the benefit of the doubt after the previous two years.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Bingo. Some of our deficiencies are borderline impossible to coach around. I mean we have half a ball handler against a pressure defense. Not a mystery how that's going to go. The real mistake the staff made was in roster construction. Lack of defense, ball handlers(PG), athleticism, and shot creators. It's on them but it happens. I will take their track record over the last couple years. I'm betting we adjust and make the necessary changes. This staff deserves the benefit of the doubt after the previous two years.

A bit more nuanced, some of our deficiencis are borderline to coach around in-season. I think most of the "criticism" of the coaching has fairly pointed out the roster construction in the off-season was the big miss. And there isn't a mid-season rudder correction the coaches can make other than to mitigate player and team deficiencies and lean on its strengths.
A 3-peat was always going to require perfect transfer portal, high level advancement by all the players and good breaks which go a long way during the season. Any of those go awry and no 3-peat. All of them come up short and it's an 8-10 seed type of season.

 

[auror]

When does the portal open? When the regular season ends?

After the 2nd round of the NCAAs, so the Monday 8 days after Selection Sunday.

But guys are already "in the portal". Trilly Donovan has a list of 70 guys already.

 

[DMIL]

Yep. Many in basketball have said the last two years was the most impressive and dominant run in the history of college basketball. We had the exact same the staff.

It’s like the same people who have been calling the Chiefs demise for years and after this Super Bowl they start pounding thier chest. Give it up. Hurley deserves some criticism but what is often said from his own fanbase is typically entitled, misguided, and/or misinformed.

There has been a standard set and reestablished by Hurley himself. When it's not met after 26 games the critique from UCONN Nation is more than warranted.

It has nothing to do with doom and gloom or fair weather fans. The current team has underperformed in the aggregate based on their actual talent level.

As the highest paid State employee in the State of Connecticut critique and criticism starts at the top. You can't have it both ways. There is something off about this team and for some reason they haven't taken on the personality of their coach. Hurley has acknowledged this along with Karaban.

As Hurley said himself....sometimes you have to eat ish. That is what we are doing as UCONN Nation right now. There are lessons to be learned by these mistakes and strategic errors. I'm sure Hurley and staff will be looking for some Pit Bulls, real Alpha Dogs this off season. Hurley has the formula and for some reason he deviated from it and they made some bad bets.

 

[NJHusky]

Unfortunately, DH will have more time to work on portal this year.

 

[PNolanFan]

I think its pretty simple honestly, in college basketball these days we are dealing with unknowns season to season and thats just part of it. This year I would say Stewart has performed lower than we hoped, Nowell has underperformed (still love the guy but you generally would expect a top 30 recruit to at least be a solid backup), karaban is not only not an all american but in a slump that basically makes him unplayable, samson has not improved, diarra has not improved. Basically up and down the roster every single player besides Ball has underperformed what we expected of them coming into the season

 

[temery]

After the 2nd round of the NCAAs, so the Monday 8 days after Selection Sunday.

But guys are already "in the portal". Trilly Donovan has a list of 70 guys already.

That portal should be locked into a black hole until the last game of the tournament is over.

 

[J187Money]

This is chess, not checkers. And we all know - sometimes you make a move and you are boxed in and there isn't anything you can do about it. He missed on roster construction - let's fight like hell the rest of the way and see what happens. I trust they will get it right going forward.

 

[gtcam]

We can’t blame losses on the guy that isn’t playing.

What guy?
AM or DH?
If it's AM, I agree
If it's DH - you are so wrong

 

[upstater]

Mostly worried about the fact that when it comes to ballhandling, Mahaney seems to be the second best handler on the team!