Point Guard Situaton

[Marat]

The miss on Mahaney as a PG was big, but I feel like the injuries to Diarra and Nowell have really exasperated the PG issue. Post Maui the team was really finding it's groove, Mahaney was showing some flashes playing off ball a little bit more, Nowell was shaky but showing flashes too. And Diarra was playing unbelievable.

Now Diarra is fighting through his injury and still playing 30+ minutes a night, Nowell hasn't gotten any consistent playing time because of his injuries, and Mahaney has been forced to go back to his pure PG spot because of the above.

That said, I still see a world where Nowell gets enough confidence over the next month to let Diarra move to a 25 minute role and we're rolling come Big East tourney time. There's a March run hiding in this team

Even the 25 min role for Diarra may be too much. I would think 20 min would be better, with some time for Nowell and the remaining time positionless with Liam.

As with many technical, engineering and software jobs, you have to consider failures of systems and hardware and how to effectively minimize down time and improve recovery. Hurley needs to consider himself as the engineer of the UConn team more so going forward. Injuries stink, but his plan has to consider how injuries to players should not put the team into a bad state where they cannot figure out what to do next. Players can be replaceable only if there are adequate backups.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Some mixed news. I'd expect we see a lot of Aiden and even Liam effectively as the facilitator with Stewart/Ross/Ball.

 

[superjohn]

If this team wants to have a real chance at making noise Hurley needs to change things up. Hass is badly limited for the rest of the season. His minutes need to be significantly reduced. Liam and Solo have to be on the ball, Ahmad needs real minutes, and Tarris needs to be the primary center. Minutes between Tarris and Samson shouldn't be an even split. Tarris is clearly a significantly better player (has been from day 1) than Samson with significant untapped upside. He needs more minutes and we need to get him the ball to keep him engaged.

 

[REB1094]

sucks that HD's last season had to go like this

Damn. That’s sad to hear and I feel for Hassan. He’s the heart of the team

So now it’s no longer a choice. One of Mahaney, Nowell, or Solo HAS to step up and play PG effectively. The season depends on it. Wildcards Liam or Ross here?

Liam and Solo HAVE to be able to make something happen 1v1 consistently. Again, not really a choice anymore..

Karaban HAS to get out of this funk. Tarris HAS to be engaged every game. Stewart HAS to be more consistent. Broken record but not really a choice anymore

I’m strangely excited. It’s time to see what these guys are really made of

 

[CL82]

Been having this convo with buddies of mine. I really think Hurley should have went after Kardary Richmond. I know he was a "all about the bag" guy, but dam, he is exactly what this team needs.

I don't know if he is exactly what the team needs, but I think he probably would be under Hurley. I remember thinking we should grab the kid when he was at that Canadian University. I think we ended up with Newton instead. He was pretty good.

 

[CL82]

Maybe there is an out of the box or innovative approach to our lineup that Hurley could come up with?

Triple bigs!

 

[CL82]

I think Solo is a better starting PG then a hobbled, limited Diarra right now. Play Ball, Stew, McNeeley, Karaban, Johnson. Limit Diarra's PT to help manage his injury better, or even sit him down a couple weeks.

I think you're probably right, but I'm worried about it limiting his offense, which is absolutely critical to us right now.

 

[imno1]

This thread is hilarious

 

[Hoophound]

Nowell is a 5-11 point guard. He will be eaten alive by the bigger guys unless he is MUCH better than he has looked. We need to be looking for a bigger guy who can take over as the primary ball handler.

There is a reason that nobody has won 3 in a row in college in 60 years. Teams change year to year. Players come and go. Sometimes the new ones don’t quite work out. Key guys get hurt. This feels like one of those years when the replacements didn’t fit and guys got hurt.

Assuming we don’t fall apart the rest of the way, we will probably make the tournament with a 7-10 ish seed. I originally thought 5-8 but have RE-thought that. We have 7 games left. We will be underdogs in 3 and Villanova already beat us so that’s a concern too. We have little depth and our top guys are playing with injuries. It will be tough to do much.

Nowell has made dumb turnovers. He can stay in front of his man and he’s very, very strong. I still think acclimating him and making him serviceable is critical. He can help us if he comes in and takes care of the ball. Anything else would be gravy.

I am absolutely on board with finding a great pg in the portal, but I’m concerned with this season right now.

 

[Hoophound]

I think you're probably right, but I'm worried about it limiting his offense, which is absolutely critical to us right now.

That and we had like 80 turnovers the other day. We need actual pg play.

 

[mauconnfan]

I’d like to find more minutes for Reed myself.

And more shots, getting the ball in position to score!

 

[Woof 101]

Minutes between Tarris and Samson shouldn't be an even split. Tarris is clearly a significantly better player (has been from day 1) than Samson with significant untapped upside. He needs more minutes and we need to get him the ball to keep him engaged.

Karaban HAS to get out of this funk. Tarris HAS to be engaged every game. Stewart HAS to be more consistent. Broken record but not really a choice anymore

Badda Bing on both thoughts......

 

[jdb50]

The 2 missing men on the team, Karaban and Ross, are going to have to become reliable scorers or this season will flame out. McNeeley had to try and take over on offense vs St Johns in the second half as no one else was interested. 8 games left. Win 5 somehow. We can not have disappearing acts from anyone. That means for a half or whole game. Shame on the rest of the team if Hassan has to play 30-35 minutes. On one leg.

 

[Kowalski]

Some mixed news. I'd expect we see a lot of Aiden and even Liam effectively as the facilitator with Stewart/Ross/Ball.

Just hoping “rest of season” for Hass means rest of REGULAR season & the expectation is for him to be full strength for the BE & NCAA tourney. But if that were the case, they would’ve probably said limited for the next 4 weeks.

 

[Hunt for 7]

I'd rather go large: McNeeley, Ball, Stewie, Alex, and Tarris.

This is currently the best lineup we can put out there. Diarra can spell either Ball or McNelley for 5-8 minutes a game. McNeeley and Ball are going to have to play big minutes in every game. Ross plays a few and Samson plays as needed or whatever rotation with Reed, they both have gotten better with fouls, but there will be games. Eight man rotation. Samson most minutes, then Diarra or Ross with 8-10 minutes a game. Mahaney I don’t know I guess you can put him out there and if he does not look scared and gets a few buckets in certain games ok. But 20+ turnovers makes no difference we are just throwing the ball around now anyway.

 

[Spaceman213J]

Not that it does any good, but at work I was thinking if I could bring back any player who didn't go to the NBA or win a championship already, and I was thinking I wish there was a way to go and get Christian Vital and put him on with these guys.

Hate to see it end for Diarra like this. I've been on him some this season, but the kid gives everything to his teams and plays hard all the time. It has to be so hard, but he keeps going out there for his teammates.

 

[rip7774]

Gotta run Nowell out there and let him play through some mistakes. It’s our only hope if Hass is limited rest of way. Have never understood the extreme short leash Hurley‘s had on him in The games he’s been healthy. He’s an unknown, we know what the other guys are. Tremendous HS pedigree and strong, play him!!!

 

[FearThePups]

Everyone (including us) wanted Timberlake last year.

At least we have another year that Aiden can develop into. I think from an athletic standpoint, there isn't much that Cam did that Aiden can’t do. All Cam has on Aiden is a little weight, which Aiden can put on. Again, Cam wasn’t asked to be our lead guard. I think we do need a more pure, big point guard from the portal with high D1 experience. With the sophomores coming back along with Tarris as a senior, with the freshmen coming in… it’s a great situation for a solid point guard to take the lead

I don’t know what Cam Spencer you watched last year, but it wasn’t how you painted it.

 

[FearThePups]

Danny miscalculated badly here in the off-season. Poor perimeter defense and turnovers have been the consistent negatives from Day 1. Could be the main reason we don't 3peat.

No, the reason we won’t 3peat is we lost 4 starters to the NBA. Danny should have never uttered 3peat just 2 days after last year’s title.

 

[jostar1]

No, the reason we won’t 3peat is we lost 4 starters to the NBA. Danny should have never uttered 3peat just 2 days after last year’s title.

He was still talking 3peat 10 days ago.

 

[NJHusky]

Because Ross was so good in the summer, surprising everyone (don't you all remember the reports from Rothstein about Ball in pre-season practices?). So Ball was supposed to be a backup, and Dan desperately tried to find a role for our star transfer. Going farther back I think Hurley probably expected Liam to be SG at times with Stewart at the 3. Ball breaking out really changed a lot.

Bazz as a backup is no different because you'd expect a recruit like Nowell to be better than Bazz as a freshman. I didn't expect Hassan to carry the team. Since when does the PG need to carry the team? I, and I think most of us, expected Karaban and McNeeley to carry the team. I expected Stewart to be our third best player (I still think he probably is).

Listen to DH pre game presser. He said plan was for Hass to be 6th man and AM to be on the ball.

 

[navery12]

Just hoping “rest of season” for Hass means rest of REGULAR season & the expectation is for him to be full strength for the BE & NCAA tourney. But if that were the case, they would’ve probably said limited for the next 4 weeks.

It doesn't. Hurley said today that Diarra would ideally need 6-8 weeks of rest

 

[Hunt for 7]

Seems to me if he is healthy its time to put Nowell out there and see what he can do. I would prefer to watch Nowell making freshman mistakes than a junior picking up his dribble 25’ from the basket after barely getting it over the half court line in time. Watching Mahaney bringing up the ball is just so stressful. Because it always seems to end the same way.

It would be better to let Nowell occasionally blow past the defender and have him chasing by the time they get to half court. That would change so much about how the defense can set up to guard us in the half court.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Because Ross was so good in the summer, surprising everyone (don't you all remember the reports from Rothstein about Ball in pre-season practices?). So Ball was supposed to be a backup, and Dan desperately tried to find a role for our star transfer. Going farther back I think Hurley probably expected Liam to be SG at times with Stewart at the 3. Ball breaking out really changed a lot.

Bazz as a backup is no different because you'd expect a recruit like Nowell to be better than Bazz as a freshman. I didn't expect Hassan to carry the team. Since when does the PG need to carry the team? I, and I think most of us, expected Karaban and McNeeley to carry the team. I expected Stewart to be our third best player (I still think he probably is).

McNeeley, Ball and Reed are our three best players. Maybe Stewart is fourth if you are ready to concede that AK the guy who was coming back to elevate his draft stock is now the worst starter on a middle of the pack BE team during a down year for the league.

Is it realistic that Alex comes back next year and plays out his eligibility?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

middle of the pack BE team during a down year for the league.

Down year for the league? Yes. The absolute bottom may not be the weakest we've seen but the botom three, four, five are clearly well below prior standards.

Middle of the pack? We are clearly one of the top four (and only four with a shot at an at-large bid in the dance), which places us in the top third of the league. Disappointing when compared to what our expectations were four months ago and well below what we've enjoyed the past couple of seasons, but middle of the pack is a few teams below us.