No surprise. No counterpunch from coaching staff.

[Nicklo28]

Enough with The Hurley bashing. The last play in OT was set up for Sanogo but he was fronted and not open. At that point Martin should have drove strong to the hoop but he froze. That’s not in Hurley. Poor execution.

 

[Mots010]

Enough with The Hurley bashing. The last play in OT was set up for Sanogo but he was fronted and not open. At that point Martin should have drove strong to the hoop but he froze. That’s not in Hurley. Poor execution.

It’s the coaches job to have his players prepared to execute end of game situations. Our players consistently are deer in headlights in the final minutes.

 

[Watchdog]

Tough ending against a good team. For us, it's a lot more than end of game possessions.
If we had any offensive explosion or defensive quickness in the backcourt, different story. I could go on.
We are not really built for end of game possessions. It's not the coach.

The coach constructs the roster.

Dan Hurley did not recruit a guard he trusts this year, nor did he get a guard from the portal (like Richmond) while others reloaded via the portal (like Seton Hall).

My mantra this year has been how Dan Hurley has spent too much time recruiting forwards and too little time (or success?) recruiting guards with moxie, especially point guards. There's no Shabazz or Boatrigh, let alone Kemba. Let's hope RD and CF show some leadership and toughness next year.

All our championships have been won with guards that controlled the game, handled the ball, played defense and (except for TB) could take and make a tough shot in crunch time (except the near half court shot against Pitt at MSG).

Exhibit #1 is how we beat Kentucky with their 6'5" highly rated twin guards with 6 foot and 5'10" guards who could do it all.

 

[uconngb]

And why aren't we built for end of game possessions?

Bingo

 

[mauconnfan]

Gillespie will back Cole down 20 times

Everyone on Nova will kill us backing our men down. Everyone jumps to block shots, no one stays on their feet like they should. It will be a rout for that reason alone, ball fakes and step bys or at the foul line all night for Nova.

 

[mauconnfan]

Enough with The Hurley bashing. The last play in OT was set up for Sanogo but he was fronted and not open. At that point Martin should have drove strong to the hoop but he froze. That’s not in Hurley. Poor execution.

Hence why you don’t do the obvious right? Every time same thing, same plan.

 

[dennismenace]

UConn allowed Richmond and Aiken to their right hand over and over. Defense is about taking away what the offense wants to do. Make them go left until they prove us wrong.

Thanks for pointing this out. This is the ultimate and most basic rule in defense. The more one handed a player is, the weaker and easier to exploit. Overplay and take away the strength. If he can't drive he will have to pass. This was stressed over and over in grammar school leagues. It started with the basic (left and right handed) layup drills. It's fundamental.

 

[dennismenace]

Everyone on Nova will kill us backing our men down. Everyone jumps to block shots, no one stays on their feet like they should. It will be a rout for that reason alone, ball fakes and step bys or at the foul line all night for Nova.

It also appears that the refs are going to permit offensive players to push, shove and shoulder block their way to the basket without calling a charge. Remember when they introduced the hand contact rule? You couldn't even touch a player. Now it almost looks like football. Lambier would love this. The only "rule" is to consistently do this. Gillespie always does this so it's ok (consistency). Different rules based on "style"?

 

[freshler40]

Tough ending against a good team. For us, it's a lot more than end of game possessions.
If we had any offensive explosion or defensive quickness in the backcourt, different story. I could go on.
We are not really built for end of game possessions. It's not the coach.

The coach put the team together and coaches them????? Why isn't it on him or some of him????

 

[mauconnfan]

It also appears that the refs are going to permit offensive players to push, shove and shoulder block their way to the basket without calling a charge. Remember when they introduced the hand contact rule? You couldn't even touch a player. Now it almost looks like football. Lambier would love this. The only "rule" is to consistently do this. Gillespie always does this so it's ok (consistency). Different rules based on "style"?

No doubt agree with this. Even Richmond a couple of times used a hook to get to where he wanted but he was owning us so the refs let him stay on a roll. Give him credit he killed us had a career game, and we let him. Didn’t even double down until he already had 17 in a row.

But Gillespie, Moore get away with a lot of moving their defenders back no doubt. Defenders can take advantage of the timing of a backwards bang and fall back taking the charge if their good at it ( unlike the horrendous flop by Polley) but the key no matter will be STAY ON THE GROUND USE YOUR LENGTH TO ALTER. Teams have had success doing that and controlling their scoring by keeping that focus, and going to get the rebound.

 

[mauconnfan]

As far as the counter punch from the staff they are part of it. Let’s not throw it all on them as during the game our guys make inexcusable turnovers that are lost in the dynamic of the end of the game. Some of the passes and shots are just plain out of control and weak. We don’t have playmakers like they have. Love RJ but the majority of his drives to the hole are altered/blocked and he’s kind of the only guy that can threaten the defense by doing that. While we look deep on the board guys like Gaff and Hawk were pure negative when on the court yesterday.

Our offense is tough to watch as we depend on RJ and Adama a high percentage of the time. Good teams will take away our strengths and have been successful in doing so. I mean we shot 60% from 3 and killed them in the boards but lost. Yeah they’re good but they’re not that good. Need stops and need to stop penetration which our defense had an awful time doing. Having said that there’s no doubt if we played some zone and we got off the hard headed view of man only, we could have created some issues when they were having success. Make Aiken shoot it deep don’t go guard him at the 25 foot mark give him space, double down on Richmond or play a zone. Those are the places we need the staff to lose their stubbornness. I won’t even go into RJ holding the ball for 15 seconds or whatever coming out of the timeout, yikes.

All in all players need to be better, make better decisions as well as the coaches.

 

[willie99]

I'm in Hurley's corner, but I can't believe he let them play one on one the entire game. Obviously a strength of theirs. When watching the game early on, I was thinking they can't make those contested one on one shots the entire game, but they did. They obviously spaced everything enough so the blockers couldn't help much.

We were watching that game and joking that everyone on the Hall is a black hole, NONE of them passed. I do believe it's painfully obvious we should have played some zone, even though I hate zone defenses. Even the GOAT used a zone occasionally

We dominated the boards, doubled them on assists, shot great from three, AND LOST.

This one is on coach on the defensive end.

 

[coachn]

Ah for Baz and Boatright days when someone could make plays at the end of the game.
Play better so we don't have end of game situations.

Andre please mature fast.

 

[microfich]

And why aren't we built for end of game possessions?

So now Hurley can't recruit, is it? Do you already forget the 3 star program we'd become? Pick your poison. A little patience is all it will take.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Nothing surprising here. Never a counterpunch from Hurley.

Constantly out-coached and puts team in a position to lose any close games with a competent opposing coach. If you don’t realize you have to go zone or do something different in the second half then you are insane.

Building a good program but watching in-game coaching is insanely infuriating.

I'm curious what all the Dan Hurley haters actually want? Do you want him fired?

 

[Kathy]

So now Hurley can't recruit, is it? Do you already forget the 3 star program we'd become? Pick your poison. A little patience is all it will take.

Never said he can't recruit - but he needs to recognize weaknesses and fill those spots. I am certainly not the 1st poster to suggest that this team is in need of a PG.

 

[giddyup]

idiotic response… didn’t have our main point guard at end of game and some bad turnovers for no reason during game. That’s no on Coaches. That was the difference. Plenty of counter punches. Sucks we lost but great game after nothing for past two weeks.

Great games are the ones we win. Got to be able to win in suboptimal conditions or you’re a paper tiger. Hurley is his own problem. He needs real help on in-game adjustments, counter strategy and seeing what is happening. He’s conducting players in real time like a puppeteer, and thinking possession to possession. Great recruiter, great motivator but a pretty poor game day coach.

 

[geordi]

Let's just cut to the chase. It's very simple. Every time we win, it's the players who made great plays. Every time we lose, it's Hurley's fault.

 

[mauconnfan]

Let's just cut to the chase. It's very simple. Every time we win, it's the players who made great plays. Every time we lose, it's Hurley's fault.

Lol that’s it. The “haters” (another ridiculous label) just want to see adjustments on D and some creativity in play calling down the stretch in games. He makes 3M there are expectations. There were many here who gave him tons of credit for his handling of the end of the Marquette game and he deserved it. Most just want to see consistency and some confidence to pull out the close ones. For now we lose way too many of those including last year. It’s not all on him not even close but he’s a big part of finding ways to win.

 

[microfich]

Never said he can't recruit - but he needs to recognize weaknesses and fill those spots. I am certainly not the 1st poster to suggest that this team is in need of a PG.

Of course we needs to be better at guard. Yes, this is all very clear except I am fairly certain coach recognizes the weaknesses and will look to fill those spots. I get as physically ill as anyone watching us play out our weaknesses but believe me we have a great coach here in Dan Hurley. He keeps bringing in the bodies. Better every year. We'll be fine and finer and a good chance at finest.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Rewatch the last play. It’s completely on Tyrese. If he passes to Adama on time he has Aiken on him. Hurley drew up a play and got exactly what he wanted.

 

[tower1]

Maybe you can jump on some other team's bandwagon. I wouldn't be offended.

Why would you say that he is right on !

 

[mauconnfan]

Rewatch the last play. It’s completely on Tyrese. If he passes to Adama on time he has Aiken on him. Hurley drew up a play and got exactly what he wanted.

You can’t be talking about the last play when Martin ended up turning it over right? I mean there was never an avenue to pass to Adama at all on that one, plus it was always Obiagu bodying up on AS, he actually did a nice job. You can see it on Kitamans thread on the “last play” real well.

 

[Husky68]

I'm curious what all the Dan Hurley haters actually want? Do you want him fired?

Make in game scheme and personnel adjustments to counter opponent's actions that are being successful.

Design and drill out of bounds and end of clock/game offensive plays that team can execute. Expect the other team to get aggressive and take away some of your best stuff so scheme must have quick options that players understand.

Too often let clock run down too late (end of half Cole dribbles too much and gives Polley ball too late) and guy who ends up with ball has the "who me?" look.

 

[cohenzone]

Yes, and this leads to a lot of the scoring droughts and end of game problems. Without players that can initiate and create, you rely on perfect execution from players that quite frankly are easy to defend and don't really threaten the defense. Poor roster construction with the lack of effective guards is on Hurley. I suspect his end of coaching will improve as the backcourt talent improves. My beef is he has had ample time to do it already and hasn't addressed it nearly enough. Not sure if his loyalty is hurting him here or what but it's an issue. Seton Hall just had more weapons and more ways to beat you on offense. Not ignoring the coaching but having multiple versatile options matter. At the end of the day it's a guards game.

How many people on this board salivate about a kid who can go NBA after a year or two and think it’s great for the program. So Bouknight leaves and that’s on Hurley that the replacement isn’t Bouknight reincarnated. Hawkins was supposedly that guy but if he’s going to be, it is, as they say, a work in progress. Was Diggins a mistake? People on the board liked that we got him. Did Hurley make a blunder in recruiting Jackson who was touted as crazy athletic, good with the ball and a potential dominator. He’s a few of those things but not the scoring threat that would make Cole‘s life much easier. Gaffney had a pretty good resume coming out of his. Bouknight left and that certainly impacted the construction of the team in a bunch of ways, including viable options to go to in close games. Not that many one on one guys with range that need to be accounted for. I’m not convinced the absence of a well constructed team is a recruiting failure unless we think everyone else who recruited these kids was wrong.

 

[the Q]

You can’t be talking about the last play when Martin ended up turning it over right? I mean there was never an avenue to pass to Adama at all on that one, plus it was always Obiagu bodying up on AS, he actually did a nice job. You can see it on Kitamans thread on the “last play” real well.

Rewatch the last play. It’s completely on Tyrese. If he passes to Adama on time he has Aiken on him. Hurley drew up a play and got exactly what he wanted.

The only time I see an opening it s brief one right after the screen. But they would’ve gotten sanogo the ball further from the basket than they wanted

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

You can’t be talking about the last play when Martin ended up turning it over right? I mean there was never an avenue to pass to Adama at all on that one, plus it was always Obiagu bodying up on AS, he actually did a nice job. You can see it on Kitamans thread on the “last play” real well.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Make in game scheme and personnel adjustments to counter opponent's actions that are being successful.

Design and drill out of bounds and end of clock/game offensive plays that team can execute. Expect the other team to get aggressive and take away some of your best stuff so scheme must have quick options that players understand.

Too often let clock run down too late (end of half Cole dribbles too much and gives Polley ball too late) and guy who ends up with ball has the "who me?" look.

Ok. That's a solid answer. Do you think Hurley is reading this?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Tyrese had probably half a second to make a pass but he couldn’t get it off. If he does, Hurley is a genius.

 

[imno1]

So do you guys think Oates sucks also because Bama was rated above us but has 4 losses all against unranked teams? Hurley has some growing to do just like Jay Wright when he first took over Nova. I will let the season play out a little before I throw Danny overboard