Off season priorities for our guys.

[Palatine]

One of the criticisms of KO was he didn't give his players specific off season programs. So what do our guys need to work on? These would be my suggestions. Feel free to rip this apart or create an alternative. It's a long way to tip off.

Gilbert - Just get healthy.
Jalen - Needs to improve his handle especially his left hand, and his three point shot.
Vital - Lateral movement as a defender.
Polley - Get stronger to be more productive inside and work on handle.
Whaley - Get stronger, work on mid-range game, screening.
Diarra - Same plus free throws
Williams - Free throws
Cobb - Moving his feet on defense, screening, free throws.
Carlton - Short jumper, explosion.

 

[Phoenixhusky]

One of the criticisms of KO was he didn't give his players specific off season programs. So what do our guys need to work on? These would be my suggestions. Feel free to rip this apart or create an alternative. It's a long way to tip off.

Gilbert - Just get healthy.
Jalen - Needs to improve his handle especially his left hand, and his three point shot.
Vital - Lateral movement as a defender.
Polley - Get stronger to be more productive inside and work on handle.
Whaley - Get stronger, work on mid-range game, screening.
Diarra - Same plus free throws
Williams - Free throws
Cobb - Moving his feet on defense, screening, free throws.
Carlton - Short jumper, explosion.

All of them: Get stronger

 

[4UConn]

Learn how to play Team Defense consistently.

 

[Drumguy]

Our training program has been piss poor. These guys all need strengthening and flexibility training. Footwork, position (boxing out) - offensive sets. Pretty much everything.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

MAKE SHOTS. Shoot until your arms fall off.

 

[mauconnfan]

They all need to get stronger, Jalen included. Get in top cardio shape, especially the likes of Cobb and Carlton. Take tons of shots everyone from the areas they expect to shoot from.

They all need to work on their lateral movements, footwork, explosion. Boxing out need groups I am sure they are available. Defense, watch basketball learn the game if you don't have the grasp. Diarra, Whaley (he's close) and Carlton need to understand help D, hedging and body up positioning - feeling where the offensive guys is leaning. The kid Krutwig the other night, big slowish white kid had a couple great D stops all because he moved his feet kept himself between his guy and the basket then just got his hands up on the shot didn't have to block it - these guys can do this also or they should. All of our guys for years now (more than likely on KO and the staff) jump too often to block everything. There's a time and place for the block shot and quite honestly most of the time is when you're off the ball. When on ball bodied up just stay on your feet and make him shoot over you. If the learn that and then turn and box out they will be very good defenders.

 

[Kenny11]

For the guys who played this season:
Adams: Shooting, ball handling, strength, nutrition/clean living - his body fat percentage seems higher than it should. If he tests at nba combine, we may get to see that number.
Vital: Shooting, ball handling, strength, watch tape of all of your bad/out of control decisions
Carlton: Strength, Strength, Speed, explosiveness, conditioning, shooting, develop a counter post move to the drive middle jump hook which got blocked too often
Whaley: Strength, Strength, eating, Shooting, conditioning, develop one post move
Polley: Strength, Strength, eating, shooting, ball handling, watch tape of all of the times you played scared
Williams: Jumping and dunking - be who you are...just a better version
Gilbert: rehab, shooting and ball handling...just get feel of the game back
Diarra: free throws, all basketball skills...learn to become a threat
Cobb: Conditioning, nutrition, strength,explosiveness, shooting

 

[jibsey]

Our training program has been piss poor. These guys all need strengthening and flexibility training. Footwork, position (boxing out) - offensive sets. Pretty much everything.

How can this be true? The team had a weight lifting schedule, and strength and conditioning coaches. They didn't lift and train? I don't buy this. In fact, they have a complete basketball facility and training center that they basically live at day and night.

 

[polycom]

How can this be true? The team had a weight lifting schedule, and strength and conditioning coaches. They didn't lift and train? I don't buy this. In fact, they have a complete basketball facility and training center that they basically live at day and night.

Are we sure they didn't just play pick up all time instead of work out?

 

[tjhusky]

Acquire a taste for Meditation and Mushroom Coffee?

 

[AdamaNation]

Put on 40lb vest. Ankle and wrist weights. Play all all day!!! Cobb. Play 2 hours longer. Jalen, tie right hand behind back.( with weight on it). Polley. Eat. ALOT! In fact. You and Cobb should be on the exact opposite diets and attached at the hip all summer. Whaley. Dunk under rim. Repeat. 12 foot jumper. Josh. Think like a cheetah. Be a cheetah. In fact. Everyone should watch the end of Little Giants, mighty ducks, etc.

 

[TopDogs]

In fact. Everyone should watch the end of Little Giants, mighty ducks, etc.

If we see them quacking in the huddle next season, we'll know what happened.

 

[Drumguy]

How can this be true? The team had a weight lifting schedule, and strength and conditioning coaches. They didn't lift and train? I don't buy this. In fact, they have a complete basketball facility and training center that they basically live at day and night.

Given the number of injuries, the lack of skills/development, basic inability to box out/being pushed aside, lack of offensive sets, what wasn't bad? ... whatever they have been doing, its not been effective. One year is an anomaly, two a concern, 4 years - well, a fired coach. We looked like a high school team against many of our opponents these past two years.

I'm not saying the team hasn't been trying, that's dumb. It's obvious that the type of coaching and training has failed, which is the op's question, what would you change.

 

[Fishy]

Gilbert - Show up with two shoulders with arms attached.
Jalen - Really his ball-handling. Too many times he's simply drops the ball.
Vital - Handle, recognizing what's a good shot and what's not. Needs to be more athletic.
Polley - Everything.
Whaley - Everything.
Diarra - He's strong enough, but everything else.
Williams - Everything. I mean everything.
Cobb - Everything.
Carlton - Strength. He and Vital would do well if they worked on their ability to get off the ground.

 

[Jaybird65]

A good place to start would be full commitment to the new world.....

 

[tjhusky]

Gilbert - Show up with two shoulders with arms attached.
Jalen - Really his ball-handling. Too many times he's simply drops the ball.
Vital - Handle, recognizing what's a good shot and what's not. Needs to be more athletic.
Polley - Everything.
Whaley - Everything.
Diarra - He's strong enough, but everything else.
Williams - Everything. I mean everything.
Cobb - Everything.
Carlton - Strength. He and Vital would do well if they worked on their ability to get off the ground.

Even if that is DH’s plan, I hope he presents it differently

 

[Tex-Lager93]

Change their mindset from losing to winning - buy into the new system.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Gilbert - Show up with two shoulders with arms attached.
Jalen - Really his ball-handling. Too many times he's simply drops the ball.
Vital - Handle, recognizing what's a good shot and what's not. Needs to be more athletic.
Polley - Everything.
Whaley - Everything.
Diarra - He's strong enough, but everything else.
Williams - Everything. I mean everything.
Cobb - Everything.
Carlton - Strength. He and Vital would do well if they worked on their ability to get off the ground.

For Carlton, I think lateral quickness and agility is just as important as strength for him. He's got the touch, but his feet look like they are stuck in mud in the post.
He needs to wear ankle weights from now until November.

 

[Phoenixhusky]

For Carlton, I think lateral quickness and agility is just as important as strength for him. He's got the touch, but his feet look like they are stuck in mud in the post.
He needs to wear ankle weights from now until November.

Carlton showed flashes and with a good coach I’m optimistic about his development.

 

[gtcam]

Gilbert - Just get healthy.
Jalen - Needs to improve his handle especially his left hand, and his three point shot.
Vital - Lateral movement as a defender.
Polley - Get stronger to be more productive inside and work on handle.
Whaley - Get stronger, work on mid-range game, screening.
Diarra - Same plus free throws
Williams - Free throws
Cobb - Moving his feet on defense, screening, free throws.
Carlton - Short jumper, explosion.

Nice list but I am quite sure that all this has been spoken to in the past - I'd be willing guarantee it
It's the strength of each one of these guys that needs to addressed from the start BUT it starts with recruiting prospects that have some meat on their bones and a chip on their shoulder. Do that and half the battle is won. UConn can't continue with this men vs boys dilemma against every team, be it P5, Quadrant 1, Lower and mid D1s, D2s, D3s, Community Colleges and weekend pick-up games. There isn't a team out there that doesn't out weight, out muscle and out mean UConn. That's all on KO and his recruitment results.
I am sure the other stuff has been addressed but being out muscled and getting pushed around won't allow to do what you need to do and causes lots of fouls. You have to have a physical presence (not just length) and UConn hasn't had one in 3 years.

 

[intlzncster]

• Wilson, get above 140lbs.
• Gilbert, assuming he still has a functional shoulder, needs to put up 1000 shots a day.
• Jalen needs to work on all kinds of outside shots. Strength and conditioning. And ballhandling, that's a must.
• All the bigs need, basic finishing and shooting, strength, explosion, and footwork.
• Vital needs to focus on his drive and dish game. ie looking for that first. And coming off a screen outside and shooting.

 

[Hugo]

• Wilson, get above 140lbs.
• Gilbert, assuming he still has a functional shoulder, needs to put up 1000 shots a day.
• Jalen needs to work on all kinds of outside shots. Strength and conditioning. And ballhandling, that's a must.
• All the bigs need, basic finishing and shooting, strength, explosion, and footwork.
• Vital needs to focus on his drive and dish game. ie looking for that first. And coming off a screen outside and shooting.

Speaking of screens, everyone needs to learn how to set a screen and hold it. I watched Polley this year trying to set a screen and he had no clue. He'd stand there after the initial screen was set and then just wander off not knowing what to do next. And more often than not, the initial screen was never effective. Basic BB skills which the bigs should know and the staff should address.

 

[Austin316]

 

[Sonofabeach]

Crystal Dangerfield has bigger guns then some of these guys.

 

[TopDogs]

With all the basic things that we think the guys need to work on in the off season (setting screens, boxing out, basic finishing, etc.) you sort of have to wonder wtf was actually going on in practices. It seems (to me anyway, and what do I know?), that these sort of fundamentals would be hammered out early.