New Hampshire post game thread

[dogpause]

Toward the end of the game, we started looking UConn-ish -- finding the open man, shots limited to dunks and open threes, and an assist on almost every basket. It's so much fun to watch this team learning to fit into the shoes.

Ross has quickness that I didn't know he posessed.

Johnson is much better defensively this year, but he's going through the same learning curve as Sanogo and Donovan with respect to fouls. He's got great reach, he just needs to work his magic from a distance to avoid fouls.

Hurley and staff's reputation for developing talent is going to be legendary. Play for UConn and your next stop is the NBA. He makes most other coaches seem as if they're only working part-time.

 

[tennmike]

Beyond the stuff already mentioned, I noticed how few easy points the team is getting. I'm not sure if teams are keying on back cuts or have adapted to UConn offensive schemes...or this new team don't have the cuts mastered yet, or both. Just not seeing anything easy. Last year's team demoralized opponents with the precision.

It could also be the Hurley does not want to break out those plays against these overmatched teams.

Ross looks like he may become amazing. McNeeley is Karaban 2.0. Tarris is strong and getting better. No worries about Aiden. Solo is good but still not optimized. I have a feeling that Nowell might have really gotten into NH's strong point guard. He would give up some height, but he is strong on his feet.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

No. He has proved it. Hurley loves him playing with urgency but he has to stop "mauling" people. The team look different when he plays at a high level. His athleticism and talent are NC level.

Unfortunately it’s not just “mauling people” that leads to the fouls. A lot of it is positioning, which just puts him in an impossible situation, where he can’t help but foul.

There is no doubt about it that SJ is more dangerous in the pick and roll because the defense has to respect the lob threat, but he for sure hasn’t earned a starting role with his play so far. Reed has been better and more consistent when on the floor and has actually been able to stay on the floor. Something has to click for SJ with the fouling and soon, or he is going to play the same role as last year. That’s not the worst thing in the world, he brings a lot of value out of that role, but I feel like there is a contingent on this board that is just pretending the fouls aren’t a big issue for him.

 

[DRBackup]

Just got home, ugly first half. The center competition is over. Reed is a mountain in person. Ross has size and skill, got comfortable in the second half. Maheney looks small and not strong but he has great talent and has shown it at this level so no worries on him. McNeeley had an off shooting night but is big and tough getting boards.
Love Solo and he is very tough driving and sacrificing himself.
End of game Abraham had a beautiful move, he can play. Nowell could start on many teams I think.

Yup. He's, what like 10th in the rotation ? That move was sick. Getting there was impressive, but most guys at the end of the bench throw up a wild WTF shot in that situation. Ridiculous

 

[uconnfan68]

One observation: there is not one player in constant motion inside and out like Cam in this offense...he seemed to be everywhere....without that, the offense seems to be pretty stagnant when compared to last year.

Noticed it seemed different, but didn’t put a finger on it. I figured it was new guys figuring out the schemes.

 

[UCan3]

It won't matter, he can't stay on the court. He'll end up in the energizer backup role like Diarra before long. He doesn't have many more cupcake games to prove he deserves it over Reed. We all see where this is going.

When he left his feet last night to pick up that 3rd foul that was a cringeworthy moment. He still plays at time like he wants to be a back-up center 10-12 minutes a game.

Starters don’t make these kind of silly mistakes to pick up 3rd foul in the first half.

Not saying it never happens but they way he picked it up, looked like a foul you might see in a pickup game from someone that plays the game a few days a year, where no one is calling fouls

 

[CT2SC]

IMO, Aiden is going to be fine. The kid is a gamer, he's smart, a good passer, and very good shooter. He's going from A-Ball to the Big Leagues. Before long, we'll be calling him Aiden-California.

I remember people on here last year after the first game saying they expected more from Cam (while Hurley was praising him in the post game) so I am not concerned after two games. And I’m not expecting him to be Cam or Tristen either. He doesn’t have to be. I don’t think he did anything particularly bad yesterday. What did he end up with 9 points and 3 assists? That’s not too bad for someone splitting reps at PG.

 

[Sibeerian]

This year's superpower will be waves of fresh talented players coming at you all game long. Might take 35 minutes but we'll exhaust you and put you away. If you aren't deep... good luck.

 

[BGesus4]

Am I the only one who thinks that Samson looks like he could round into a force? The fouling is a big problem but he also helps our team defense in a way Reed doesn’t with the rim protection.

 

[BGesus4]

It took Newton until late January to figure it out in his first year here. And he had games where he was BAD. Like really bad. Mahaney has 2 years of a very very solid track record. His role on this team is completely different than his role at Saint Mary’s. It may take him a couple months before it clicks but that’s probably why Hurley is starting him. He needs to accelerate the process and give him as much game time reps as possible. He won’t get more comfortable quite as fast if he’s sitting on the bench behind Diarra

This was my thought last night exactly. He just needs to be more aggressive offensively, similar to Newton.

 

[RuffRuff]

Am I the only one who thinks that Samson looks like he could round into a force? The fouling is a big problem but he also helps our team defense in a way Reed doesn’t with the rim protection.

Funny, if the kid could get his head out of his @ss with the dumb fouls, I kind of like what I see. He needs to kill the reach ins, specifically. A 5 should not have reach in fouls at all, and especially away from the rim.

His offensive game has improved, showed some nice moves down low game one and a beautiful pass last night. He’s a rocket ship off the floor and he appears stronger.

The problem right now is he can’t stay on the floor long enough to get any rhythm or play free because of the foul issues, which is one of the crazier I’ve ever seen.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Beyond the stuff already mentioned, I noticed how few easy points the team is getting. I'm not sure if teams are keying on back cuts or have adapted to UConn offensive schemes...or this new team don't have the cuts mastered yet, or both. Just not seeing anything easy. Last year's team demoralized opponents with the precision.

It could also be the Hurley does not want to break out those plays against these overmatched teams.

Ross looks like he may become amazing. McNeeley is Karaban 2.0. Tarris is strong and getting better. No worries about Aiden. Solo is good but still not optimized. I have a feeling that Nowell might have really gotten into NH's strong point guard. He would give up some height, but he is strong on his feet.

I agree on Nowell his body gives him an edge and I would imagine his wingspan is more like a 6’3” player. A few times at the end he stopped penetration in a way that Mahaney or even Diarra could not. But that was clean up time so tough to tell.

I am very high on Nowell, small guards can play but they have to be special and a must is a big body without sacrificing too much quickness. I think of the Kyle Lowry comp and even Brunson both played for Jay when Villanova was dominant. He is built like them. Also reminds me a bit of Taliek Brown but more offense and have not seen enough to know how good a passer he is but he has had a few penetrate and kick out passes that looked legit.

I have such loyalty to Diarra and his contributions so it’s tough. But as far as the ability to break down a defender on the dribble and become a passer or take it to the rim he is our best guard. Diarra can penetrate but he tends to finish more than dish when he gets going downhill.

Ross may be our second best at breaking a defender down on the dribble and becoming a double threat pass or shoot on our team.

It is funny but I kind of agree on the AK/McNeeley comp. Actually to me McNeeley might be the same size as Karaban. Ok it’s two games against low mid majors so some of these takes can obviously be discredited by lack of sample size on the new players, but I also think as a freshman McNeeley is a much better rebounder than AK was.

I was worried about rebounding but not so much anymore. Our front court of Reed, AK and Liam will be just fine.

I also wonder if we will see some post ups for McNeeley when we play teams with three guards or a smaller wing. Because McNeeley has a nba ready body and I don’t see a lot of 6’4”-6’5” college players who would be able to cover him close to the basket.

 

[Waquoit]

Nowell is going to be nasty. We brought in a small guard to a system that is normally positionless. Shows you how highly the staff thought of him

That last game take here saying Nowell doesn't know the offense is already stale.

 

[Waquoit]

Reed picked up 2 fouls from these refs as fast as Samson did.

 

[navery12]

It took Newton until late January to figure it out in his first year here. And he had games where he was BAD. Like really bad. Mahaney has 2 years of a very very solid track record. His role on this team is completely different than his role at Saint Mary’s. It may take him a couple months before it clicks but that’s probably why Hurley is starting him. He needs to accelerate the process and give him as much game time reps as possible. He won’t get more comfortable quite as fast if he’s sitting on the bench behind Diarra

Agreed, he'll be fine, he's still learning what shots he needs to take in the offense. The biggest takeaway for me is that he has 6 assists and 1 turnover in his first 2 games as starting PG (and Ball at 7:1). If that sticks then it becomes easier to get our best players on the floor all at once with the wing depth

 

[Son of Robert]

Ignoring the box score, here are a few of my thoughts. McNeeley impressed. The kid is so active, it’s really hard to believe this is only his second college game. Taris is a presence on the block. Solo, Stewart, Jayden….::two things are clear, the ceiling for all three is extremely high, but there will be many inconsistent nights, especially vs better competition. Mahaney will be fine, give him a month. This is all about adjustments, new expectations/role, and culture. It’s why he came here but it will take time. Diarra is good enough to start and probably deserves to but his role off the bench is too valuable. He goes from a good starter to an exceptional first guard off the bench. It may be worth it to keep him in that role. Johnson really hasn’t shown much development from last year. Amazing athleticism and bounce, great in spurts, but not a dependable starter as a big. Finally Alex. I love this kid. I wasn’t sure if he would be comfortable as the alpha of this team. Somehow, he has exceeeded my expectations yet again. He still is Alex, plays within the game and is a second coach on the floor. That said, he is playing with a purpose, his leadership is off the charts, and if this continues, he will help his draft stock immensely.

This is a good take although I think SJ needs time too. Could be that how he plays in practice, and how Hurley wants him to play in his expanded role, is not translating to games yet. He's gotta chill on the fouling that's for sure.

 

[Icehawk]

And it's easy to have faith in a player who keeps posting double/doubles while he's getting on program.

I meant Mahaney, I keep getting them mixed up! Aidan's #s weren't terrible either, just not where I think we all hope/expect him to be. McNeeley is doing great already, sorry Liam

 

[Deepster]

We need to stop comparing this year's team to last year. By mid-season last year's team was a machine. We're just going to get frustrated if we keep trying to compare this year to last year.

We still compare teams to the Dream Season and the 99 team. LOL

 

[Deepster]

Am I the only one who thinks that Samson looks like he could round into a force? The fouling is a big problem but he also helps our team defense in a way Reed doesn’t with the rim protection.

Completely agree. He flashes out really well on hedges and is a disrupter with his length. He's fouled like crazy so far, but the good thing is when he's been on the floor, in a short window he's showing a lot more expanded skillset on offense.

Hurley is standing in the kitchen with all these ingredients. Just let him cook. He'll figure out the recipe. The Boneyard, 2 games into a couple of creampuff exhibitions aren't the source for the solution.

 

[REB1094]

Just watched a replay. Slow start but have to assume that will get smoother as time goes on. We got good shots early, they just didn't fall which is why it was close. Missing them all yesterday feels like it will be an outlier. I can't complain about a 40 point win as 35 point favorites

Best parts for me -

• Lockdown defender Alex Karaban? It was fun to watch him go from stretch big, to point forward, to small ball C all within 10 minutes
• Tarris is probably being forced into more minutes than Hurley wants right now, but I love this experience for him. Once he puts it all together, he's going to be a PROBLEM
• Diarra made a million great plays in a row in the second half that put the game away. Great spark plug
• I didn't think Ross was looking great, and then he rattled off 3 buckets in like 5 minutes. Welcome to the party!
• I really like Ahmad Nowell and Isaiah Abraham. REALLY like them.
• SINGARE! Only had a couple clean up minutes but played very well. A pretty bucket, block, forced a travel, and a bunch of rebounds

Let's go Huskies!

 

[UCLJ0211]

That was the most uncomfortable 40 -point win in a while.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Agreed, he'll be fine, he's still learning what shots he needs to take in the offense. The biggest takeaway for me is that he has 6 assists and 1 turnover in his first 2 games as starting PG (and Ball at 7:1). If that sticks then it becomes easier to get our best players on the floor all at once with the wing depth

He’s also taken quite a few good shots and just missed. We know he’s a good shooter, those shots will fall eventually.

 

[UCTitleTown]

AK is already on. His threes didn't even touch net. Dead on. Impressive to watch.

 

[dennismenace]

Liam’s 2nd straight double double is very impressive! His defense seems better on a game by game basis.

“Flipped a switch” Ross is a joy to watch.

AK is playing at AA level now! Is it me or he is looking more athletic and stronger out there?

AK looked like he put on weight and muscle especially in the shoulders and upper body. I'd say at least 10 lbs. Playing a lot more physically as well.

 

[superjohn]

Why no highlights for the game?