Name this year's starters

[husky429]

I'm still surprised how many have polley pegged as a starter from the get go. Sure he was playing like one before he went down but coming back from an acl tear there's going to be some sort of minutes restriction to ease him back in safely. Especially when we have an abundance of cover at the 3 and 4.

If Polle isn't ready for 20 minutes a game or more, we start Cole/Gaff/Bouk/Martin/Whaley IMO.

 

[lange10]

Start of the year I’ll go with Cole, Bouk, Polley, Martin & Whaley.

End of the year: Cole, Bouk, Polley, Akok & Whaley.

I’m high on Polley because he can stretch the floor for us better than anyone else. However, if Martin is shooting at ~35% clip from 3, I think he’ll be starting over Polley @ the end of the season because of his defense & rebounding ability.

 

[M.S.G.]

Man oh man, this place is going to be UNCOMFORTABLE if RJ Cole doesn't match the expectations that the Boneyard has placed upon his shoulders....

 

[CL82]

I'm still surprised how many have polley pegged as a starter from the get go. Sure he was playing like one before he went down but coming back from an acl tear there's going to be some sort of minutes restriction to ease him back in safely. Especially when we have an abundance of cover at the 3 and 4.

Who do you like better at the 4?

 

[CL82]

Man oh man, this place is going to be UNCOMFORTABLE if RJ Cole doesn't match the expectations that the Boneyard has placed upon his shoulders....

He averaged 21 and 6 his last year at Howard. We are just expecting 10% better than that...

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Who do you like better at the 4?

Martin would be my thought early on. Whaley clogs up the paint too much to spend much time there, but could work for short stretches going big with carlton/sanogo. There was a lot of hype from some corners of the BY with springs but that seems to have died down, but he's another dark horse option. Calhoun used to always start the NBA size lineups so could be something that rubs off on hurley...

We also have the ability to start a 4g lineup like some of the nova teams. Pick any 4 of RJ, gaffney, bouk, AJ, adams, martin. Then throw in Whaley/carlton/sanogo at 5.

Don't get me wrong, I think polley is the starting 4 when he's back 100%, but we have a lot of options that don't necessitate us to rush back to that. Throw in akok and you've got even more options but I assume that his recovery timeline will be behind polleys

 

[mauconnfan]

Cole
Bouk
Martin
Whaley
Carlton

 

[UconnU]

I’ve gone back and forth on this but I think Cole, Gaff, Bouk, Whaley, Sanogo.

 

[uconnbill]

3 guards of Cole, Bouknight, Gaffney with Whaley and then I threw out Springs, not sure why, just a gut feeling but will probably be Carlton

 

[YearoftheHusky]

Cole
Bouknight
Martin
Whaley
Carlton

 

[ClifSpliffy]

uh, same as my guess 6 months ago when the question was first offered.
gaffney, cole, bouknight, whaley, carlton. 1,2,3,4,5. to put it another way,
pass/shoot, shoot/pass, shoot/board, board/bunnies, beastin.
no need for a starting yeller. coach has that covered. he's pretty good at that.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I don’t think polley is an option as a stretch 4 because he is not a rebounder. I know people will point to the ONE game he had before injuring himself but it was just one game. I think the combination of Jackson when healthy and Martin will limit polley to a situational player with limited minutes. I also think if only one of Whaley or Carlton is a starter it’s going to be Whaley.

 

[CL82]

I don’t think polley is an option as a stretch 4 because he is not a rebounder. I know people will point to the ONE game he had before injuring himself but it was just one game. I think the combination of Jackson when healthy and Martin will limit polley to a situational player with limited minutes. I also think if only one of Whaley or Carlton is a starter it’s going to be Whaley.

I kind of agree with you about Polley, but if not him who do you put in there? I also say unless Carlton is absolutely the bed in practice, I think he starts at least at the beginning of the season. It may end up being a Tyler Olander start, but that’s still a start.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I kind of agree with you about Polley, but if not him who do you put in there?

I think it depends on what hurley wants to do, if he goes with the 3 guard lineup that squeezes polley to the bench to start the year. I also think if he decided to start 2 more traditional bigs that also squeezes his minutes as a potential stretch 4

 

[HuskyFich]

RJ
Bouk
Badams
Polley
Whaley

(Game 1)

 

[Chin Diesel]

Martin would be my thought early on. Whaley clogs up the paint too much to spend much time there, but could work for short stretches going big with carlton/sanogo. There was a lot of hype from some corners of the BY with springs but that seems to have died down, but he's another dark horse option. Calhoun used to always start the NBA size lineups so could be something that rubs off on hurley...

We also have the ability to start a 4g lineup like some of the nova teams. Pick any 4 of RJ, gaffney, bouk, AJ, adams, martin. Then throw in Whaley/carlton/sanogo at 5.

Don't get me wrong, I think polley is the starting 4 when he's back 100%, but we have a lot of options that don't necessitate us to rush back to that. Throw in akok and you've got even more options but I assume that his recovery timeline will be behind polleys

I don’t think polley is an option as a stretch 4 because he is not a rebounder. I know people will point to the ONE game he had before injuring himself but it was just one game. I think the combination of Jackson when healthy and Martin will limit polley to a situational player with limited minutes. I also think if only one of Whaley or Carlton is a starter it’s going to be Whaley.

I kind of agree with you about Polley, but if not him who do you put in there? I also say unless Carlton is absolutely the bed in practice, I think he starts at least at the beginning of the season. It may end up being a Tyler Olander start, but that’s still a start.

Polley will start and most likely be the second tallest started on the floor.

Doesn't make him a PF. It would be a 4 out, one in lineup.

We have had several reports from posters on this board, from news reports and from videos that Polley practices and plays with the guards and wings.

Call him what you will, but he will be a starter.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I don’t think polley is an option as a stretch 4 because he is not a rebounder. I know people will point to the ONE game he had before injuring himself but it was just one game. I think the combination of Jackson when healthy and Martin will limit polley to a situational player with limited minutes. I also think if only one of Whaley or Carlton is a starter it’s going to be Whaley.

Stretch is not the same a power
DD got 5-6 a game and shot lights out or we don’t win a NC. Polley is maturing and not the frail kid of a couple of years ago. If he still has his three at 40% he is your man. I’m more concerned with his shot than rebounding.

 

[Huskyforlife]

If Martin and Polley start, they're basically interchangeable. I'm sure Hurley would like both of them to rebound, in his perfect world.

 

[QuickDraw]

I’ve gone back and forth on this but I think Cole, Gaff, Bouk, Whaley, Sanogo.

Swap out Sanogo for Carlton and you would have my guess for the start of the season. I think Hurley will start out with the guys that he knows what he will get in actual games and sub from there with the new comers until he gets a better feel & trust for them in real game play, then we'll start to see changes by who rises in ways that matter to the overall teams success.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Polley will start and most likely be the second tallest started on the floor.

Doesn't make him a PF. It would be a 4 out, one in lineup.

We have had several reports from posters on this board, from news reports and from videos that Polley practices and plays with the guards and wings.

Call him what you will, but he will be a starter.

I think he was in jeopardy of losing his spot at times last year and the talent has only been upgraded since then. Hurley likes tough minded physical players and polley hasn’t fit that mold in his career.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Stretch is not the same a power
DD got 5-6 a game and shot lights out or we don’t win a NC. Polley is maturing and not the frail kid of a couple of years ago. If he still has his three at 40% he is your man. I’m more concerned with his shot than rebounding.

To compare a supremely talented 5 star kid to a 3 star one dimensional kid is not an apples to apples comparison. Polley has competed on the boards for all of one game in his career which is a role he would need as a stretch 4.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I know a few who won’t be starting

Starting is situational and at this point Hurley hasn’t a clue as some kids might be banged up or haven’t progressed yet. Bouk didn’t start until late last year.
my only prediction is
Senior night
The seniors will start.

 

[jibsey]

It’s like no one has watched UCONN basketball or Calhoun, Ollie and Hurley for the last 20 years. Carlton is a 4 year senior who’s 6’ 11”. Maybe he’s only on the court for only 2 1/2 minutes but no way he doesn’t start.

 

[imno1]

To clarify, this who I think starts the season as starters. Cole, Bouk, Martin, Polley, Whaley.

 

[jibsey]

Martin a 6’6’ shooting guard. Hurley has a lot of guys and only so many minutes.