Hey guys,
The Huskies come out with lotsa energy. CCSU is very hot in first half.
Since we discussed him the other day? Where's Tyler Polley?
Early in the second half, he just hit an uncontested three. But he also needed about 15' of space & time to get it lined up. His feet are rarely lined up before a shot, or they are still moving when he's shooting. Bad fundamentals.
Polley disappeared for most of the first half. We saw him on the floor once in the first half. After he'd lost his dribble on a cross-over.
We also saw Tyler lose CCSU's big's three times on the break, running back for D with his back to the action. They scored all three times in the paint. Fundamentals. Polley simply does not play like a starting senior with promise. Even on the floor-length steal & dribble bucket in the second half, he had to look down at the ball the entire trip down the court. Like a little kid.
There's plenty to be cautiously pleased with in terms of Husky individual & team performances. Team play is rusty & takes awhile to get used to new guys. And the energy & depth are there. Fitness level, Defensive energy & Pressure are very good for this time of year. Effort is consistent.
But I'm still not sure about Hurley's offense. In the first half, guys got in the way of each other far too often - & have for three years now. Talent like Jackson's & Bouk's needs some space to move & create, Hurley! Clear-outs or calling plays or screens for the hot shooter? Not part of Hurley's concept. They should be!
They didn't need them in the second half today, but UConn still REALLY needs reliable outside shooters. They won't always enjoy this kind of size & talent gap in the Big East. I think they play like the pre-season rankings said they would. They're not yet a national power but a very good team with a huge amount of depth & untapped talent.
I like Coles. Really liked Jackson's unique skill set & effort. Still amazed at Bouk's rangey athleticism & energy (outside shooting still needs consistency). Big Man Sanogo is the revelation. He's a walking bucket in the paint. Just gotta get him the ball in rhythm! Whaley's gotta step up more on helping defense & provide some points.
And raw Javonte Brown's emphatic dunk at the end is something that Josh could never give us in the paint. That bodes very well as he develops - that fire. Lots of talent & depth for Hurley to work with. Should be an interesting year to see what he can do with it.
Fatha
