Need to get so much better

[superjohn]

Cole is gassed, we have no backup. Cole is the only guy who can take his man off the dribble but he's 5'11 so has to rely on a step back or wild layups...

We're streaky/bad from three and don't do any of the basic little things adequately like pick up/squeeze a loose ball or make a layup. Our only offense is to try to get it into Sanogo and score or hope RJ can create something. One of the easiest teams to scout I've seen....

Two seasons in a row where our high water mark best win was at the very beginning of the season. Other teams are getting a lot better as the season progresses, we're getting a lot worse. Hurley better step up recruiting even more and hit the transfer portal hard for guys who can drive and score and we've gotta hope the young current top recruit players we already have develop. This is embarrassing and should not be happening in year 4 of Hurley.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

And yet, we didn’t recruit a shot making guard. Next season, as it stands, is gonna be worse.

 

[navery12]

I think Hurley has to realize his mistake not bringing in more guards from the transfer portal, I don't expect the same mistake to be made next year. Needs to happen whether Cole is here or not

 

[CardiacAndre7]

A guy who averages 9 and 6 put up 24 and 11 on our supposed great interior defense. Sanogo is so easily maneuvered down there.

 

[HooperScooper]

A guy who averages 9 and 6 put up 24 and 11 on our supposed great interior defense. Sanogo is so easily maneuvered down there.

Yeah very disappointing defense today. Better offensive execution in the 2nd half but the defense was horrendous. Career high game from Dixon. What else is new?

 

[methodology]

Maybe Hurley realizes that more playing time for Hawkins = confidence and better play from him. He had his miscues but he needs to be playing 20 minutes from here on out

Definitely need to explore the transfer market this year. I know Hurley stays away but there’s areas of need that have to be addressed

 

[Ts5034]

Failed to play a complete game. One trend since Hurley took over is that it seems like we are always a 2nd half team. That was the case with the Creighton game and with PC back in December. It just seems very rare that we come out and make a statement right out of the gate.

 

[AntG168]

Transfers please?

 

[uc1990]

A guy who averages 9 and 6 put up 24 and 11 on our supposed great interior defense. Sanogo is so easily maneuvered down there.

I’ll stick with Sanogo I think he is better but he got out played today. Refs hurt him on several occasions but Can’t take away from what Dixon did. It killed us.

 

[gsmooth]

A guy who averages 9 and 6 put up 24 and 11 on our supposed great interior defense. Sanogo is so easily maneuvered down there.

I don't know if the scouting report missed it or the players (Whaley and Sanogo) didn't execute it, but Dixon cannot go right at all. Simply overplaying his left would've done the trick. With his back to the basket, he he fakes with the left shoulder and turns over the right shoulder to finish with his left hand.

 

[aburks41]

I think Hurley has to realize his mistake not bringing in more guards from the transfer portal, I don't expect the same mistake to be made next year. Needs to happen whether Cole is here or not

Guard minutes should be wide open next year for a transfer. We cannot be putting our faith in Gaffney who is not good, and then CFjr and Diggins. We need 2 transfers, badly

 

[Rico444]

To me, there are three pillars that make a great coach: 1) be a great recruiter, 2) build a complementary roster, and 3) be a great in-game coach. Hurley is OK at all three, but we're a limited program if he's not great at any one of those pillars.

 

[CheshireCat]

Anything good come out of this game / positive things to build on? No Justin Moore, and we were never really in this game. Nice heave by Cole before the half I guess. Looks like we’ve been practicing that and nothing else.

 

[Ts5034]

To me, there are three pillars that make a great coach: 1) be a great recruiter, 2) build a complementary roster, and 3) be a great in-game coach. Hurley is OK at all three, but we're a limited program if he's not great at any one of those pillars.

I think Hurley is better than an OK recruiter. I think he is a good recruiter. UConn has not recruited at this level in probably 10 years.

 

[SwingDog]

Yeah very disappointing defense today. Better offensive execution in the 2nd half but the defense was horrendous. Career high game from Dixon. What else is new?

That's the storyline right there.

 

[gsmooth]

Cole is gassed, we have no backup. Cole is the only guy who can take his man off the dribble but he's 5'11 so has to rely on a step back or wild layups...

We're streaky/bad from three and don't do any of the basic little things adequately like pick up/squeeze a loose ball or make a layup. Our only offense is to try to get it into Sanogo and score or hope RJ can create something. One of the easiest teams to scout I've seen....

Two seasons in a row where our high water mark best win was at the very beginning of the season. Other teams are getting a lot better as the season progresses, we're getting a lot worse. Hurley better step up recruiting even more and hit the transfer portal hard for guys who can drive and score and we've gotta hope the young current top recruit players we already have develop. This is embarrassing and should not be happening in year 4 of Hurley.

I am a broken record, but this is what I was concerned about after the Bahamas tournament-it was how poor Gaffney was. I was hoping it was just a 3 game slump, but I said on this board, if he can't provide anything, Cole is going to get burned out. Cole wasn't good today, but every shot and every pass and every defensive play he makes has that more pressure on it because no other guard can step in and do it nor can they spell him for 5-10 minutes.

I by no means am scapegoating Gaff for today's loss or other losses for that matter as there are plenty of other factors and players that contributed to those losses, but Gaff's non-productive play is taking it's toll, but now we are seeing the tangible effects.

 

[Rico444]

I think Hurley is better than an OK recruiter. I think he is a good recruiter. UConn has not recruited at this level in probably 10 years.

Fair enough, I would say he's a good recruiter too. That's the best thing he does though.

 

[navery12]

To me, there are three pillars that make a great coach: 1) be a great recruiter, 2) build a complementary roster, and 3) be a great in-game coach. Hurley is OK at all three, but we're a limited program if he's not great at any one of those pillars.

I'll give you 2 and 3 but saying Hurley is an OK recruiter is just flat out untrue

 

[XLCenterFan]

To me, there are three pillars that make a great coach: 1) be a great recruiter, 2) build a complementary roster, and 3) be a great in-game coach. Hurley is OK at all three, but we're a limited program if he's not great at any one of those pillars.

I disagree with him being and OK in-game coach. He's not that good at all.

He can do the other pillars though.

 

[Kenny11]

Our roster balance is a weakness that we all acknowledge but Hurley is definitely a very good recruiter. But because he’s not very good as an in-game coach and because for some reason his teams play extremely tight and nervous, he’s going to have to be a top 5 recruiter in the country to get us where we want to be.

 

[gsmooth]

Fair enough, I would say he's a good recruiter too. That's the best thing he does though.

just like players develop and get better, coaches do as well. I think, or at least I hope Hurley's in game coaching and strategy gets better. But I also think the player development needs to get better. Jax is a very good passer with great court vision, it is clear as day he would rather do anything else on the court but shoot-he is a poor man's Ben Simmons. The screen setting is not good and players off the ball isn't good either as they don't know how to misdirect their man which is why it seems so many players are belly up on UConn's players in ball denial.

 

[Rico444]

I'll give you 2 and 3 but saying Hurley is an OK recruiter is just flat out untrue

Good recruiter, OK roster builder, OK in game.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Our roster balance is a weakness that we all acknowledge but Hurley is definitely a very good recruiter. But because he’s not very good as an in-game coach and because for some reason his teams play extremely tight and nervous, he’s going to have to be a top 5 recruiter in the country to get us where we want to be.

It would be OK if we had an assistant on the bench that was better at in-game situations/ X's and O's who could insert their opinion in those spots...but none of these guys are currently doing that.

 

[scotty0330]

I think Hurley is better than an OK recruiter. I think he is a good recruiter. UConn has not recruited at this level in probably 10 years.

Agreed. Recruiting he is good at. No question. The other two are fair criticisms. He is gonna need to learn really fast the need for complimentary players to win at an elite level. This roster is ok to dominate the A10 this ain’t gonna cut it in a conference like big east.

 

[Valleyfan]

That's the storyline right there.

Someone always seems to have a career day against us. So much for our vaunted D