Providence post game thread

[RuffRuff]

Pork Chop was already a good defensive college big before Dan Hurley arrived - I will say he improved offensively under Dan Hurley and staff.
Not at all saying that the staff has not taught them some things on the defensive side but in my experience of coaching, if you stress the importance of defense in order to keep your playing time - kids committed to learn will do so rather quickly through determination and if allowed to work through their mistakes, they display improvement thru actual game experience. Practice performance only tells you a tiny story.
BTW - Solo has improved to the point where he is barely acceptable, and I have yet to see him or Hass in a professional uniform.
Hass came to UConn known to be an above average defender.
Hawk did not become an adequate defender until he got to New Orleans and it's not Sanogo's offense that stops him from playing in the league. Tyrese didn't develop the physical body he needed until he left UConn and hired a trainer.
Newton did improve his defense at UConn - no doubt - when he came to UConn he couldn't guard an empty chair.
Castle was an unbelievably good defender for his age coming to UConn - it was drilled into him by his father and AAU coach.
Gaff, Adams, Akok, Bouk and RJ, to name a few, came to UConn unable to defend correctly and left the same way.
I know some like to feel the staff walks on water....................

A coach can only do so much, they can gives a player the tools to be successful but they can't change a human being. It's the silliest argument in the world thinking you can make something bad into something good every single time. The most challenging part of coaching is the identification of how good talent can be in a future state. To minimize that risk, you then identify players that are proven at a highest level possible. That's called the portal. This is what all top coaches are or will be doing. If you wed yourself to long term development you are taking on risk you don't need to, and will be competing against programs removing that risk. Aka, dumb.

Sure, get 1-2 projects in the hopper for some continuity is a useful strategy but they should be seen as dispensable if they aren't developing a necessary pace. You should never feel the need to stick it out through thick or thin, as neither party is doing themselves any favors.

 

[6Nattys4Us]

A coach can only do so much, they can gives a player the tools to be successful but they can't change a human being. It's the silliest argument in the world thinking you can make something bad into something good every single time. The most challenging part of coaching is the identification of how good talent can be in a future state. To minimize that risk, you then identify players that are proven at a highest level possible. That's called the portal. This is what all top coaches are or will be doing. If you wed yourself to long term development you are taking on risk you don't need to, and will be competing against programs removing that risk. Aka, dumb.

Sure, get 1-2 projects in the hopper for some continuity is a useful strategy but they should be seen as dispensable if they aren't developing a necessary pace. You should never feel the need to stick it out through thick or thin, as neither party is doing themselves any favors.

Yessir take a look at St. John's recruits for 2025 - zero. Doubt Pitino is not hitting the portal hard.

We reload with 3 McDonald's AA guys plus a vegemite sandwich while retaining (likely) Solo Ball, Stewart, Ross, Abraham, Nowell, Reed, Jr. and can hit the portal hard for a PG and maybe a PF!

 

[uconn_jack]

This board should be evidence enough for everyone to realize that most fans are morons.

Especially when their team loses.

 

[uconn_jack]

The most I’ve seen is guys making heavily contested jumpshots over him. But maybe I missed something.

Although I don't think he is a great defender, I will agree that he, through no fault of his own, has been the biggest victim of his man making hard well defended shots.

 

[RuffRuff]

Yessir take a look at St. John's recruits for 2025 - zero. Doubt Pitino is not hitting the portal hard.

We reload with 3 McDonald's AA guys plus a vegemite sandwich while retaining (likely) Solo Ball, Stewart, Ross, Abraham, Nowell, Reed, Jr. and can hit the portal hard for a PG and maybe a PF!

Pitino will be looking to grab the best PG & CG the portal has to offer, which is EXACTLY what we are going to be in market for. He will be a savage around it with a heavily invested juice magnet backing him up. If he gets his trio back next year & a couple portal studs, Slick could easily be right back in the top 10 mix next year.

The days of 3-4 long term HS development classes is over at the high level of college hoops. That "Fab 5" or so we called it ain't gonna happen again in Hurley's Uconn lifetime. It's only coaches with archaic philosophies or with no NIL that will be forced to do it.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Pitino will be looking to grab the best PG & CG the portal has to offer, which is EXACTLY what we are going to be in market for.

Next year is Wilcher’s year

 

[RuffRuff]

Next year is Wilcher’s year

Wilcher, Zubi & Ruis come back they're front running for BE favorites. Was thinking that losing Smith & Kadari they would need two guards, but you're right that Wilcher likely rolls into one of those roles and they backfill Scott at the 3. I guess they can swing Ayo into the 3 too. Creigton, Marquette, Nova, Xavier all losing a ton. Xavier does have Conwell & Swain back.

If I were to guess, BE preseason top 3 next year pre-portal:

St John's
Uconn
Xavier

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Wilcher, Zubi & Ruis come back they're front running for BE favorites. Was thinking that losing Smith & Kadari they would need two guards, but you're right that Wilcher likely rolls into one of those roles and they backfill Scott at the 3. I guess they can swing Ayo into the 3 too. Creigton, Marquette, Nova, Xavier all losing a ton. Xavier does have Conwell & Swain back.

If I were to guess, BE preseason top 3 next year pre-portal:

St John's
Uconn
Xavier

Marquette will do what they do every year and have new guys stepping up.

The core looks like Gold and Ross then whoever makes a leap for them. They do have a freshman 7’1 center marinating for the future too from what I see.

 

[navery12]

Wilcher, Zubi & Ruis come back they're front running for BE favorites. Was thinking that losing Smith & Kadari they would need two guards, but you're right that Wilcher likely rolls into one of those roles and they backfill Scott at the 3. I guess they can swing Ayo into the 3 too. Creigton, Marquette, Nova, Xavier all losing a ton. Xavier does have Conwell & Swain back.

If I were to guess, BE preseason top 3 next year pre-portal:

St John's
Uconn
Xavier

Aaron Scott is a senior so he'll be gone next year

 

[Umami Zen]

Wilcher, Zubi & Ruis come back they're front running for BE favorites. Was thinking that losing Smith & Kadari they would need two guards, but you're right that Wilcher likely rolls into one of those roles and they backfill Scott at the 3. I guess they can swing Ayo into the 3 too. Creigton, Marquette, Nova, Xavier all losing a ton. Xavier does have Conwell & Swain back.

If I were to guess, BE preseason top 3 next year pre-portal:

St John's
Uconn
Xavier

Pitino is expecting Luis to test the NBA waters this offseason.

 

[RuffRuff]

Pitino is expecting Luis to test the NBA waters this offseason.

Not seeing him in any mocks, so I might expect his to test and come back to work on his 3 game. Shooting it at 30%, 22% last year, so not sure what market is for him at the NBA level right now.

 

[superjohn]

Wilcher, Zubi & Ruis come back they're front running for BE favorites. Was thinking that losing Smith & Kadari they would need two guards, but you're right that Wilcher likely rolls into one of those roles and they backfill Scott at the 3. I guess they can swing Ayo into the 3 too. Creigton, Marquette, Nova, Xavier all losing a ton. Xavier does have Conwell & Swain back.

If I were to guess, BE preseason top 3 next year pre-portal:

St John's
Uconn
Xavier

Why do you call him Ruis in every post?

Way too early to be talking about next season. UConn will look much different, all the teams will look much different.

One thing you can kind of take to the bank though is that UConn, Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, and Xavier will all be good.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Especially when their team loses.

Two wins in a row haven't uncovered much wisdom

 

[RuffRuff]

Why do you call him Ruis in every post?

Way too early to be talking about next season. UConn will look much different, all the teams will look much different.

One thing you can kind of take to the bank though is that UConn, Creighton, St. John's, Marquette, and Xavier will all be good.

Because it combines RJ & Luis and I'm being cute.

True on too early, but you can anticipate between what they are rolling back and what they can do in the portal between attraction & NIL. Creighton is losing Kalk, Ash & Neal. They could be in for a pitfall that McDermott can't coach out of - that is a lot to lose at key positions, Kalk being a super unique piece that makes everything better. Marquette is losing Jones, Mitchell & Joplin. With Shaka never using the portal, not sure what their upside is with just Ross. I'd expect those two to have drop offs.

 

[gsmooth]

In terms of development The worst thing to happen to UConn basketball was Hilton Armstrong. Everyone assumes a jump like he made is the norm rather than the exception. Most players make modest year over year improvement often driven by strength and conditioning improvements, sometimes adjusting to the speed and intensity of the college game vis-a-vis high school and aau. Sometimes it is just understanding the game better. If you saw Memphis game you know Reed had potential. I think his play of late has been partly more focus on his part but also partly a change in approach by Hurley when his Euro-offense wasn’t working.

I was at the Memphis game in person and I can tell you Reed was an imposing beast in that game. As for Hilton Armstrong, I am glad he improved so much that he got drafted. What people seem to forget here, or it just isn't mentioned with Hilton, is that he was lucky Andrew Bynum decided to go straight to the NBA instead of honoring is letter of intent to go to UConn. If Bynum goes to UConn, I am not sure Hilton gets that much playing time in 2006 to prove he should be drafted.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I was at the Memphis game in person and I can tell you Reed was an imposing beast in that game. As for Hilton Armstrong, I am glad he improved so much that he got drafted. What people seem to forget here, or it just isn't mentioned with Hilton, is that he was lucky Andrew Bynum decided to go straight to the NBA instead of honoring is letter of intent to go to UConn. If Bynum goes to UConn, I am not sure Hilton gets that much playing time in 2006 to prove he should be drafted.

It’s just crazy to think that 2006 team was suppose to have Andrew Bynum and AJ Price on it too. As if the team wasn’t loaded enough.