Nowell in the transfer portal

[3rdbass]

UConn is apparently the only program that brings in players that haven't done enough to earn playing time and have to sit. There isn't a team in the country that is giving every scholarship player 1-12(13) minutes, some guys are gonna get squeezed out, it happens.

The thing that hurts is Danny pretty much struck out at both Mahaney and Nowell as PG options in our system in the same year.

 

[Deleted at users request]

UConn is apparently the only program that brings in players that haven't done enough to earn playing time and have to sit. There isn't a team in the country that is giving every scholarship player 1-12(13) minutes, some guys are gonna get squeezed out, it happens.

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Every game matters when your goal is a title.

lol no they don’t. The only thing that matters is how well you’re playing come March.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

The thing that hurts is Danny pretty much struck out at both Mahaney and Nowell as PG options in our system in the same year.

Exactly. This stuff happens every year to lots of programs.

We were absolutely spoiled and blessed that we hit on portal players/recruits for the last 2 years. And had no significant injuries.

This year, we hit a worst-case scenario that Mahaney didn't work out, Nowell didn't work out (combo of abilities and injuries), Our main PG Diarra hobbled most of the latter part of the season, Ross didn't progress as much as needed, JSTew progressed but not as much as we thought, Liam was progressing on both offense and defense until the high-ankle sprain derailed things.

In retrospect, to end up finishing 3rd in the BE, winning a game in the NCAAT and nearly taking down a 1-seed in round two, and finishing 24-11 was actually pretty darn impressive.

 

[Gurleyman]

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

You know what else isn’t normal? Winning two titles in a row. Only three people have done it in the 64-team era. Who gives a flying fig how the roster was constructed?

Having RJ Cole in wait meant we didn’t try for a freshman point guard his first few years. We recruited Diggins in the COVID era when we didn’t get to see him play much. He wasn’t good enough and we got Newton and made him a better point guard … and now Nowell didn’t work out.

Small sample size.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

Half the final four, the last two champions, and teams up and down the top 25 this year are starting PGs that were transfers. It’s not ideal but with the portal it’s also not the issue it once was.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

This is one of my main issues is that there doesn’t seem like there’s a plan for these players half the time.

It’s more come in and sit, then see what you can do and then develop you from there based on how you can help the team win.

Instead of just having a plan of how to develop the best player possible.

611, keep forwarding the coaching staff tennis-ball dribbling skills youtube videos and other suggested development plans. Maybe one day, they'll use them and formally start a player development program at UConn.

Because I'm sure that for the entire time Hurley has been here, they give our players nothing at all for guidance for how to improve skills over the summer into the fall. And during the season.

I bet they just tell each player to post at least 1-2 IG reels/TikTok videos doing dunks. Maybe one or two doing bicep curls or squats.

Sheesh.

 

[Deleted at users request]

611, keep forwarding the coaching staff tennis-ball dribbling skills youtube videos and other suggested development plans. Maybe one day, they'll use them and formally start a player development program at UConn.

Because I'm sure that for the entire time Hurley has been here, they give our players nothing at all for guidance for how to improve skills over the summer into the fall. And during the season.

I bet they just tell each player to post at least 1-2 IG reels/TikTok videos doing dunks. Maybe one or two doing bicep curls or squats.

Sheesh.

I think more accurately is they just shoot 1000 threes a day.

 

[boog204]

Considering the tradeoff was 1 very specific sophomore for Brea who was one of our best players last year and will be again next year, no I would not have

I was under the impression that it was a different very specific sophomore so I'm with you on that...

 

[7774]

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

It's always comical how you try to frame things. In that 8 years it's like 3-4 guys right? And multiple guys outside the top 100, where you are just going to have more misses.

 

[Dibbie]

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

What PG have they even tried to hit? It’s probably the most important position requiring experience, which is why we’ve been going the transfer route since RJ.

 

[Inyatkin]

lol no they don’t. The only thing that matters is how well you’re playing come March.

Looking forward to hearing next year which games you're ok with losing

 

[HuskyHawk]

Zubey and who?

My mistake, TCU didn't make the tournament with Udeh. Still, no continuity doesn't seem to be helpful.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Looking forward to hearing next year which games you're ok with losing

Does a loss in November or December matter when your team is at its best in March and make a run?

It’s not that deep

 

[djct1999]

Has anyone seen a list of potential Nowell suitors?

 

[RuffRuff]

Has anyone seen a list of potential Nowell suitors?

No

 

[FfldCntyFan]

It's a damned shame that our coaching staff knows so much less about basketball than a message board poster.

Hell, the poster was able to figure things out while watching a few minutes here and there that the staff couldn't figure out watching him in practice daily.

It may be time to clean house and find a new coaching staff.

 

[Excalibur]

Danny hasn’t had a single hit as far as HS PGs go in about 8 years. Thats not normal.

I know I know it doesn’t matter because we can buy a player someone else developed to play.

This is a legitimate criticism. He either struggles to identify talent or struggles to develop them. I think it's more the former than the latter, given that none of the points who have left have proven to be great elsewhere (Gaffney was the same player he was here, and Diggins is a high volume chucker on a bad team).

 

[RuffRuff]

This is a legitimate criticism. He either struggles to identify talent or struggles to develop them. I think it's more the former than the latter, given that none of the points who have left have proven to be great elsewhere (Gaffney was the same player he was here, and Diggins is a high volume chucker on a bad team).

100% the former. He developed Newton just fine. It's a hard position to recruit given the transition from HS to college is steep in how it impacts the role. You can't just dribble by guys anymore. Meanwhile we have some here that feel he should try to develop any one we recruit into All American's at all costs, when the portal offers the opportunity to fix mistakes.

Speaking of which, there is a certain ex PG on the roster who's status is still out there.

 

[NJHoops]

Not even going to lie, but I take a lot of enjoyment from the fact that a handful of people here dislike Hurley so much that it has to have taken away some of the happiness they feel about the recent success. It truly gives me life.

 

[alphasigko]

Not even going to lie, but I take a lot of enjoyment from the fact that a handful of people here dislike Hurley so much that it has to have taken away some of the happiness they feel about the recent success. It truly gives me life.

It is not dislike, but rather offering opinions on his obvious shortcomings. Just because he won 2 natties in spite of these, there is no reason to get your panties in a knot, as it is just postseason Boneyard chatter.

 

[Excalibur]

It is not dislike, but rather offering opinions on his obvious shortcomings. Just because he won 2 natties in spite of these, there is no reason to get your panties in a knot, as is is just postseason Boneyard chatter.

All it took was one mere 24-win season for people to start airing long-held grievances.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

This is a legitimate criticism. He either struggles to identify talent or struggles to develop them. I think it's more the former than the latter, given that none of the points who have left have proven to be great elsewhere (Gaffney was the same player he was here, and Diggins is a high volume chucker on a bad team).

The other legitimate wild card in the current NIL era is whether we can afford the player. I think the staff does at least a decent job of identifying talent. They have to balance talent ID with realistic ability to the the player here...

We were a very strong contender for Pettiford but ultimately he went to Auburn. My guess is $$$ was a part.

If Pettiford came to UConn, the "talent identification" argument would be put to bed.

 

[Inyatkin]

The other legitimate wild card in the current NIL era is whether we can afford the player. I think the staff does at least a decent job of identifying talent. They have to balance talent ID with realistic ability to the the player here...

We were a very strong contender for Pettiford but ultimately he went to Auburn. My guess is $$$ was a part.

If Pettiford came to UConn, the "talent identification" argument would be put to bed.

Even take the money out of it. It's still a two-way street. You identify great talent, they still have to want to come here and not somewhere else

 

[Gurleyman]

This is a legitimate criticism. He either struggles to identify talent or struggles to develop them. I think it's more the former than the latter, given that none of the points who have left have proven to be great elsewhere (Gaffney was the same player he was here, and Diggins is a high volume chucker on a bad team).

Gaffney and Cole came in during the same year. One was considered our future point guard, and the other was a depth piece, at a time when we were a .500 team and not a destination place for top tier talent.

Diggins was recruited during the COVID shutdown without really seeing him play .. and realistically, we still weren't re-established yet.

Nowell, I don't know. Might just be a talent evaluation miss, or maybe the lost practice time for injuries was a killer for him and he'll be better with a fresh start. But I do know I didn't feel comfortable with him penciled in as a starting point guard next year. At all. If he wanted to stay and try to carve out the role that bench Hassan had, sure, and maybe he'd make the starter leap as a junior. By contrast, I saw enough flashes in Solo last year where I was happy to pencil him in at the 2, even though his stat line at the end of the year didn't look great. But it takes some moxie to take on UNC at the Garden and get us some big buckets. And he had a couple 4-5 games where you could see what he could do.

 

[TroyHall98]

This is a legitimate criticism. He either struggles to identify talent or struggles to develop them. I think it's more the former than the latter, given that none of the points who have left have proven to be great elsewhere (Gaffney was the same player he was here, and Diggins is a high volume chucker on a bad team).

The offense may be too complex for a freshman to run.

 

[444JR]

There was one game he came in and immediately threw the ball straight to the other team for a turnover. Was bizarre. Don’t remember Nowell playing much after that for the rest of the season.

 

[pj]

100% the former. He developed Newton just fine. It's a hard position to recruit given the transition from HS to college is steep in how it impacts the role. You can't just dribble by guys anymore. Meanwhile we have some here that feel he should try to develop any one we recruit into All American's at all costs, when the portal offers the opportunity to fix mistakes.

Speaking of which, there is a certain ex PG on the roster who's status is still out there.

I disagree, I think he's a very good judge of talent. I think he's overconfident in his ability to develop PG skills - he thinks he can turn anybody with guard skills into a point guard, and often that doesn't work. There's a native talent which if you don't have, can't be taught.

 

[UCan3]

I disagree, I think he's a very good judge of talent. I think he's overconfident in his ability to develop PG skills - he thinks he can turn anybody with guard skills into a point guard, and often that doesn't work. There's a native talent which if you don't have, can't be taught.

I remember Shabazz coming in… Yes some things you can’t teach.

I think the big thing is how much do you need that point guard to do.

The best ones - Newton is great example - are the ones that can drive/penetrate/distribute when they need to and then drop 20 on any given night because the team in struggling offensively.

There was a lot of pressure on PG position because we were lacking in other areas this year. We were a little bit slow footed, had trouble getting open / creating when not much was there… Pretty much worst case for a FROSH PG in my opinion…

But with this latest pick up in the portal, Nowell was likely right out skidaddle out of Storrs. I hope he does great .

 

[3rdbass]

There was one game he came in and immediately threw the ball straight to the other team for a turnover. Was bizarre. Don’t remember Nowell playing much after that for the rest of the season.

Yeah, that was the road game against Xavier. He really only had one alright game againist Georgetown.