2024 Recruiting: One more potential add?

[UCfor3]

So far we have Alex not starting and Singare and Ross as options at the 4 spot. These opinions are twilight zone material. It's great that we have fans of all kinds, but there is certainly a lack of understanding of players abilities and where they fit in our system.

 

[ec33]

@Tenspro2002 was obviously joking but I can’t tell if you are

He was joking about getting Samson some time at the 3? Nevermind.

And yes, there are some hot takes in this thread.

 

[AllHusky]

In the championship game against Monteverde he did more than a respectable job against Flagg. There were moments he played the five became Ngombo(?) was struggling. Abraham should be able to provide help against fours on the defensive end .

Really excited to see Abraham. Next years roster, to quote Mr Gump, will be " ....like a box of chocolates...."

 

[AllHusky]

So far we have Alex not starting and Singare and Ross as options at the 4 spot. These opinions are twilight zone material. It's great that we have fans of all kinds, but there is certainly a lack of understanding of players abilities and where they fit in our system.

Day drinking(actually morning)

 

[FlexOnEm]

Ball and Stewart will come off the bench.

I’m gonna go polar opposite and say Mahaney, Ball, and Stewart start with Diarra and McNeeley coming off the bench.

 

[bendm]

He was joking about getting Samson some time at the 3? Nevermind.

 

[GlastonTim]

If forced to start either McNeeley OR AK, sorry, I'd pick McNeeley. AK had too many lousy shooting days this year, I don't think high BB IQ totally overcomes lousy shooting.

Pretty sure Dan said Alex was the critical piece for this offense and you think a 3rd year Alex wouldn’t start. Get off the crack Jack.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

For those over-zealous fans that think that our offense will be as good as the last two years - please calm yourselves. The Huskies five starters all averaged double figures this season, and I personally don’t expect that again for the 24-25 season. Nowell, Mahaney, McNeeley and Hoss all need to learn the offense - and if they do there’s no guarantee that they’ll run it as smoothly as this past season. Ball and Stewart have a leg up here, and don’t think that they won’t take advantage of that edge over the newcomers to carve out minutes for themselves. They’ll start, but do you expect them to fill it up like Tristen and Cam? McNeeley can score, but even Jordan Hawkins didn’t average double figures his freshman year coming off the bench. Do you think that McNeeley is better than Hawkins at this stage? Do you think that he’ll bump Ball or Stewart?

The guards will unlikely rebound as well as Newton, Spencer and Castle did this past year. The Huskies enjoyed a tremendous edge in rebounding all year, and that wasn’t solely due to Clingan.

I expect UConn to be one of the best teams in the nation in 2024-25. I also expect that their average margin of victory will be single digits. That doesn’t mean that they won’t 3-peat, but if they do I expect a closer score in the final. 77-74 sounds about right

Your point is well taken. The flip side is that we may be more potent this year. I think the offensive ceiling of Liam is greater than anyone’s last year. Alex should be better. Aidan shots at almost 40% from 3. And for all of DC’s defensive dominance, he was never a finished product offensively. Thus, I can make a credible argument that we will get more offensively from our centers this year. And that’s before we begin to talk about Solo and Stewart’s improvement, or Nowell’s contributions. The key I think is Alex coming back. But listen, a bunch of you are really high on Stewart. If he improves from last year, holy crap we are gonna be insane.

 

[UCSouth]

Day drinking(actually morning)

Comprehension issues?

 

[JustbrewitMan]

So far we have Alex not starting and Singare and Ross as options at the 4 spot. These opinions are twilight zone material. It's great that we have fans of all kinds, but there is certainly a lack of understanding of players abilities and where they fit in our system.

I'm actually disappointed at our progress so far.

Assuming a roster size of 11 players, there could be 462 possible starting lineups. If we get to 12, it balloons to 792 possible starting lineups.

We can do better, Boneyarders!!!

 

[HuskyFich]

If forced to start either McNeeley OR AK, sorry, I'd pick McNeeley. AK had too many lousy shooting days this year, I don't think high BB IQ totally overcomes lousy shooting.

Okay Calipari, we found your burner account.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Huh? Are you talking about Stewart? Then my initial point is proven that we don't need a tall huge physical bruiser playing that position. I think you needed to respond to Bendm as he was the one saying we needed the huge more physical big than Karaban playing the 4.

You initial point was:

“We aren't going back to a traditional 4 especially with the Centers we have on the roster who can't score more than 5 feet from the basket. You could see a kid as someone mentioned from South Florida or just a developmental piece to replace Roumoglou. Just give up this traditional PF dream it isn't going to happen with UConn anymore unless we have a 5 who can space the floor. Hurley likes to keep the middle open for drives and stuff and a traditional 4 would just clog the lane up more.”

Stewart can play forward or center, he’s 6’7” or 6’8” depending on who you talk to, can out jump most people taller than he is and has put on some muscle since last summer. Best of all he’s great in transition, and has an excellent 3pt shot. He’s a threat to score inside 5 feet or outside 18 feet.

 

[bendm]

If forced to start either McNeeley OR AK, sorry, I'd pick McNeeley. AK had too many lousy shooting days this year, I don't think high BB IQ totally overcomes lousy shooting.

 

[uconn_jack]

Ball and Stewart will come off the bench.

If Karaban stays, then probably, but both will be significant minutes. Like 2023, I think we will run an 8-9 deep rotation with little drop-off and few playing more than 20-25 minutes, exhausting the opposing team.

If Karaban leaves, then I think it Stewart who starts with McNeeley, Mahaney, Hass, and Johnson. Arguing who is playing the 3 or 4 is a moot point, I think the two forward positions (or even the forward and off-guard positions) will be interchangeable and in name only.

 

[ucp990411]

Is there a chance Singare could play the backup 4 in spot minutes? I see him more as a 5 though.

No

 

[ucp990411]

Mike Haynes 2.0!!!

Mike Hayes

 

[ucp990411]

Stewart is already stronger than Karaban. I forgot which game but at the end of the season Karaban got posted up 3 times in a row and the guy made all the shots. Hurley put Stewart in to replace Alex and they didn’t try to post up Stewart.

Marquette with Joplin. That was on Sharka. Could believe he stopped posting Joplin

 

[ucp990411]

You know, Samson Johnson showed some perimeter skills a few years ago. I think we could pencil him in for a few minutes at the 3 to really throw off the opponent.

Plus I once saw him dribble so he can probably play point guard

 

[ucp990411]

This thread has me very concerned about those that post. Thankfully our teams basketball IQ is much, much higher than those who contribute here. This thread should go down in boneyard history.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Last year Cam Spenser did not commit to UConn until June 6. I guess I need to brace myself for at least another month of this starting lineup guessing game before the roster is even finalized.

Maybe we should have movies released a week after they just started shooting to follow this thought process.

 

[3rdbass]

Last year Cam Spenser did not commit to UConn until June 6. I guess I need to brace myself for at least another month of this starting lineup guessing game before the roster is even finalized.

Maybe we should have movies released a week after they just started shooting to follow this thought process.

Yeah but grad students declared late too. He declared on May 19th for the Portal. This year they have to declare by May 1st. I'm sure most of the guys will be gone by June 6th.

 

[NJHusky]

The next date we need to worry about is the withdrawal deadline from the NBA draft to know what AK is doing. If we add anyone else, it won't be until after AK decides to leave

 

[Improviser]

Yes, he would have started over Cam.

Jk

Well, the letter of his first name, precedes the letter of Spencer's first name, so on that basis he is ahead of Spencer.

On the basketball court, a different story. I only saw Mahaney against us last year, and liked his game, but Cam's swagger, BBIQ, overall skill set of rebounding, creating loose balls, passing and even blocking a shot here and there , seems to be a more comprehensive package.

 

[DemonDeac22]

Yeah but grad students declared late too. He declared on May 19th for the Portal. This year they have to declare by May 1st. I'm sure most of the guys will be gone by June 6th.

I hope so…

It would mean that we will have time to get the starting lineup agreed to on the BY as well as everyone’s minutes per game. Hurley & staff are waiting on us!

 

[Scrutineer]

Would love a more traditional big bodied PF that could take some tough defensive assignments. Our potential frontcourt of AK and Samson could get out muscled by some bigger frontcourts.

I keep wondering why Malik Reneau from Indiana didn't enter the portal and come to the Huskies........

 

[CONN78SEJ]

If Karaban stays, then probably, but both will be significant minutes. Like 2023, I think we will run an 8-9 deep rotation with little drop-off and few playing more than 20-25 minutes, exhausting the opposing team.

If Karaban leaves, then I think it Stewart who starts with McNeeley, Mahaney, Hass, and Johnson. Arguing who is playing the 3 or 4 is a moot point, I think the two forward positions (or even the forward and off-guard positions) will be interchangeable and in name only.

Stewart reminds me of Andre his first year in Storrs, but his outside shot is better at this stage.

 

[KembaRunner]

Well, the letter of his first name, precedes the letter of Spencer's first name, so on that basis he is ahead of Spencer.

On the basketball court, a different story. I only saw Mahaney against us last year, and liked his game, but Cam's swagger, BBIQ, overall skill set of rebounding, creating loose balls, passing and even blocking a shot here and there , seems to be a more comprehensive package.

I think you missed the “jk” under my GIF.

 

[bjc42]

The next date we need to worry about is the withdrawal deadline from the NBA draft to know what AK is doing. If we add anyone else, it won't be until after AK decides to leave

Which kind of sucks because it’ll be so late into the process.

 

[bendm]

The next date we need to worry about is the withdrawal deadline from the NBA draft to know what AK is doing. If we add anyone else, it won't be until after AK decides to leave

Which kind of sucks because it’ll be so late into the process.

hopefully he gets the feedback he needs from nba teams and doesnt wait until 5/31 to make his decision.

 

[bjc42]

hopefully he gets the feedback he needs from nba teams and doesnt wait until 5/31 to make his decision.

That’s the hope. is it pretty likely we would add in the portal if he stays in the draft? or would hurley be okay with what we’ve got?