Reasons to be optimistic for next year

[August_West]

Karaban could very well be what we/Hurley hoped Polley would be: a well-rounded stretch 4 who can not only keep the defense honest on the perimeter, but rebound and defend the position as well.

I think that is true. And a bit of Martin too, but way less mercurial.

 

[JMick]

I was optimistic this year. Next year is much more pessimistic.

So far, the moment has been bigger than Hurley. Sure, he has time to grow, but he's been a head coach plenty long now and has a wealth of information, experience and success from the coaches around him. This wasn't a great coaching year for him. Two straight first round exits in the NCAA's to lower seeded teams.

Hurley has also shown he coaches to the path of a high floor (shoutout to @Tenspro2002 for that reference) rather than going for the highest ceiling. Plenty of others have noted he truncated development of underclassmen this year, escpecially early on in the season. The little we have seen of Diggins says he is no where close to ready to handle 20+ mpg next year. Gaff has significantly regressed in past 18 months. Johnson? Springs? Who knows. And I don't see any reason to believe Floyd , Karaban or Clingan will get significant minutes.

Can Hurley produce an offense that looks normal in the 2020's?? Who knows? This year he went with multiple two big line ups without having 3 shooters on the floor. In today's game not having at least 3 consistent shooters on the floor at all times is borderline coaching incompetence.

I really hope Benedict has a reality check sit down with Hurley and gives Hurley empirical data points Hurley needs to see and use. Start local with the Big East and compare Nova's numbers to UConn's. Go regional and national and show Hurley the types of numbers the top 8-10 teams in the country produce and tell Hurley he is expected to put out a team that looks similar. Companies do this all the time to measure themselves against peers in their sector or industry.

Point guard situation is a mess as of now. A mess as in there is no proven PG on the roster. What is Hurley willing to do to upgrade this position? Shooting guard has one slasher who has been inconsistent with his creativity (Jackson) and one player who has been injury prone (Hawkins). Is Hurley going to start AJ at the point? IDK. I do know Hurley says Jackson is an NBA PG. What can Floyd do? What does a senior year Gaff look like? Can Diggins produce at all?

PF is also a mess. Johnson showed minimal flashes of competency but nothing suggesting he can contribute against decent competition. Is Akok coming back? Consistently injured and takes a long time to recover and then is rusty. Does Akok come back at all? Karaban? Who knows if he can handle those duties.

Sanogo made great improvements but obviously needs to learn how to move the ball. Better awareness before he catches the ball and quicker decisions after he catches the ball. Putting shooters in good spots ready to catch and shoot when Sanogo touches the ball will go a long way.

At this point I can't see how anyone looks around the Big East and sees UConn in the top 3 next year. More likely 5-6 range. Is there some raw talent on the roster? Absolutely. Has Hurley shown any ability to mold a team and integrate raw talent? No.

Just making the NCAA next year will be an adventure.

I definitely see us as a bubble team next year unless Hurley upgrades the roster this spring/summer. Otherwise we will need massive leaps from Jackson, Hawkins and Johnson.

 

[CTBasketball]

I highly doubt we go out and get a transfer PG.

 

[August_West]

I’d be shocked if Hurley looks for a transfer 4. I don’t even think he should.

PG maybe

 

[PAHusky]

Go back and read the comments on this board back in October and November. The same comments you are making are the comments made about Diggins and Johnson for this past season.

Here's a hint. No top 50-75 players goes to a program expecting to sit a majority of their freshman year. No coach tells top players they plan to sit the player the majority of their freshman year. Yet, here we are with two top recruits finishing their freshmen seasons with barely any PT against the better opponents.

You are free to believe that Floyd and Karaban are significantly better and ready to contribute immediately than Diggins or Johnson were but Floyd and Karaban's rankings aren't materially different.

Now, if you want to say there's less upper classmen coming back to compete against for available minutes, that's a legit discussion point.

I agree on this. I think anyone expecting Floyd and Karaban to step in next year and match the production of some of our upperclassmen this year is borderline delusional. Every year we hype up the incoming talent and don't seem to recognize that the adjustment period is huge. Karaban and Floyd will be slightly ahead of the curve as they've been on campus and practicing with the team, but it's like some of the posters on here forget that this time last year we were talking about how Hawkins would be starting by December at the latest and would be the poor man's Bouknight on this team.

If we make the tournament next year that would be huge with the loses we have. The pressure is going to be on DH in the 2023-24 season.

 

[husky429]

I think he may go 9-10 deep this year.

Everyone always says that, and it's never true. He has never had a rotation that deep. Most coaches don't. It isn't pragmatic come tournament time for our style of play.

 

[NotADime89]

If we make the tournament next year that would be huge with the loses we have.

LOL stop it. Our best player is returning (Sanogo). AJax will improve drastically and the offense that Hawk, Karaaban and Floyd will bring to the table will make us a realistic threat in the tourney

 

[tcf15]

He probably will. He is a senior next year.

He does have two years of eligibility remaining and the option to transfer and play immediately without having to sit out. That could be enticing for someone who might be looking for a fresh start. Not saying he is, and would love to have him back, but that's kind of the new reality we're in with the new transfer rules.

 

[Chin Diesel]

LOL stop it. Our best player is returning (Sanogo). AJax will improve drastically and the offense that Hawk, Karaaban and Floyd will bring to the table will make us a realistic threat in the tourney

The first part is true. Sanogo is the best returning player.

The rest is pure speculation which cannot be proven or disproven until games are played.

 

[aburks41]

He does have two years of eligibility remaining and the option to transfer and play immediately without having to sit out. That could be enticing for someone who might be looking for a fresh start. Not saying he is, and would love to have him back, but that's kind of the new reality we're in with the new transfer rules.

No offense to the kid, but if I'm Hurley there is absolutely zero way I'm giving him the keys to the program next season. Just can't do it. He's an A10 level guard at this point. He probably should have been recruited over last season but Hurley stuck with him and gave him a shot, it's clear that it didn't work out

 

[August_West]

No offense to the kid, but if I'm Hurley there is absolutely zero way I'm giving him the keys to the program next season. Just can't do it. He's an A10 level guard at this point. He probably should have been recruited over last season but Hurley stuck with him and gave him a shot, it's clear that it didn't work out

I’m not ready to give up on gaff yet. I think he has a role to play still. He had a real, real tough year that no one could have forseen just how tough it was for him based on his play the first 2 years.

That being said, we need another PG. If Diggins and Gaff stay (and I hope they both do, and I see no indications of movement elsewhere), and AJ takes on more ball handling duties we STILL need another ball handler option. Heck we needed one this year, badly, and that was having Cole along with the aforementioned 3.

This roster this year (and the upcoming season) was/is way too heavy on 3-5 slot position players and way too light on guards who can handle.

With Castle coming in the following year we probably won't want to look at late recruits. And any late recruits that are high ranked will have a tough time looking at us. In this instance the Portal makes complete sense. That kid from Princeton who is a Jr. would be a tremendous addition.

 

[AntG168]

I highly doubt we go out and get a transfer PG.

Then we’re in trouble

 

[Tenspro2002]

I agree on this. I think anyone expecting Floyd and Karaban to step in next year and match the production of some of our upperclassmen this year is borderline delusional. Every year we hype up the incoming talent and don't seem to recognize that the adjustment period is huge. Karaban and Floyd will be slightly ahead of the curve as they've been on campus and practicing with the team, but it's like some of the posters on here forget that this time last year we were talking about how Hawkins would be starting by December at the latest and would be the poor man's Bouknight on this team.

If we make the tournament next year that would be huge with the loses we have. The pressure is going to be on DH in the 2023-24 season.

Polley was really, ridiculously one-dimensional.

He was a catch-and-shoot guy. That's it. Couldn't create his own shot or set up anyone else off the dribble.

Got bullied on defense by bigger 4's or faster 3's. Pretty soft on the boards.

It's not a stretch to expect Karaban to be an upgrade. Maybe not right away, but certainly later in the year.

 

[Hi-Low]

Go back and read the comments on this board back in October and November. The same comments you are making are the comments made about Diggins and Johnson for this past season.

The difference is that Diggins & Johnson didn't redshirt for a year like Karaban & Floyd will have come November. So Karaban & Floyd should be in a much different stage of development as RS Freshman than Diggins & Johnson were this year coming in cold straight from high school.

It's possible all 4 of them could have an impact come November....let's hope the case.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I always say that hope is quite possibly the most dangerous feeling/emotion. Hope is about waiting for something good to happen. When hope is recognized as futile, actions are finally taken. That or I took one too many philosophy classes in college.

 

[sirjames]

I feel next year will be better than most expect simply because Jordan Hawkins/Sanogo/Karaban are going to be unreal, however other factors need to happen to pull the whole puzzle together:
1) DH employs a mentor to help him with the issues that have become apparent and will not improve on it's own.
2) All the young guys get appreciable playing time beyond end of game minutes vs the early season cupcakes. Why worry about the rankings early in the season when injuries and fatigue come to haunt you later in the season. I would rather be unranked through December than fizzle in February and March - especially in March.
3) Sanogo has to become a basketball player. He needs to work on a midrange game, he needs to hone his on floor recognition/passing skills and needs to learn when to dunk and that he needs to see the rim with every shot and that the backboard is his friend.
4) Clingan has to see the floor immediately and everyone has to overlook any early season hiccups. You cannot coach 7'2" and he can only improve. Sanogo is not a 5 and will never play 5 in the NBA if he gets that far.
5) AJ cannot be the PG, neither can Gaffney. Sool is the only true PG on the roster and he was damn good coming in to UConn but all he did was hold Andrew Hurley's hand on the bench. I've seen him in practice and see what he can do, Hurley has spoken to his abilities yet he doesn't play - yeah he has had a few rough minutes in actual game - I will bet my house that if this kid was at Houston he would be playing and giving productive minutes. I don't think, from what I have seen, Floyd is really a PG. He is a very solid player and he loves to mix it up. I see him in the mold of a Ben Gordon - a solid scorer and would spell Hawk at the 2 and slip Hawk to the 3 when UConn goes small.
6) Alex Karaban is a talent that UConn hasn't seen in quite a while if ever - he has size 6'8" (needs a bit of muscle) yet can play nearly any position on the floor - he came this winter with a great midrange shooting game and has over the time improved his 3 pt shooting greatly. His biggest weakness is that he is not the quickest and needs to hit the boards with better positioning. He is too good not to play. He should be the 4 or 3 depending who else is on the court.
7) No way do you go xfer portal for a PG - why recruit and do this? As far as I am concerned, the portal is to overcome issues not addressed in recruitment. DH can recruit and has done so, he needs to develop players.

I would like to see a lineup in December of:

1) Sool/Floyd/Gaff
2) Hawkins/Floyd/Gaff
3) Karaban/AJ 50/50 PT
4)Sanogo/Karaban/Johnson
5)Clingan/Johnson/Sanogo

I agree - we need to give the guys we recruited a chance or we aren’t going to keep getting them to come.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I agree - we need to give the guys we recruited a chance or we aren’t going to keep getting them to come.

Seriously, the only guys who’s had a chance to lead that are Hurley recruits is Bouknight and kinda Sanogo.

I am looking forward to seeing the much more talented Hawkins and Jackson step into that leadership role. Will be interesting to see how Jackson plays when he can’t fall back on Cole and Martin anymore and it’ll be on him.

 

[Jre2000]

I understand that kids deserve to be rewarded for performing in practice, but I think it's important Hurley changes his ways a bit to match next season's young roster. Hawkins, Jackson, Sanogo should get 30+ minutes a game. After that, I think virtually everyone should split time... at least leading up to conference play. Everyone deserves a shot to prove themselves in-game and should have the time to play through mistakes and growing pains. After the big 3 getting 30+ minutes. I think minutes should look like this: Diggins, Gaffney, and Floyd at 12-18 mpg each. Akok, Johnson, and Karaban all between 14-18 mpg. And then Clingan gets 6-8 mpg, or simply whenever Sanogo isn't on the floor. Everyone after the big 3 should be getting substantial minutes and in-game opportunities leading up to conference play. Then once we get into BE play, we can actually form more of a set rotation based on who earned it from their play. This will be a very young team that needs to get legit minutes, especially against that preseason competition so they won't have those growing pains in january.

 

[Fatroony5]

Can we stop projecting minutes for players in this thread? We have no idea what the roster will even look like lol. Reasons to be optimistic: Hurley will likely add more talent to the roster.

 

[HooperScooper]

I agree - we need to give the guys we recruited a chance or we aren’t going to keep getting them to come.

Wasn't UConn 1 of only 3 D1 schools not to take a transfer this past year (I thought I read that on here)? So all these other schools aren't worried about that?

I don't think Hurley should take multiple transfers but taking 1 once in a while to fill in a hole in the roster isn't a bad idea. If Cole leaves it seems pretty risky to rely on Gaffney and Diggins next season. They may be good but it is a risk. Adding another guard into the mix isn't going to kill Diggins' development. There's still lots of playing time available and if Gaffney and/or Diggins are worthy then they will play.

 

[Icehawk]

I'm optimistic - it'll be a tough 8mos otherwise.

This year we had a somewhat similar situation as last year - one main player and too much focus on them doing their thing. Sanogo cannot be the sole scoring funnel with nothing else around, we saw what happens - he gets stifled and we lose. He's not going to touch the NBA as a 5 he's way too short - and we saw 7'ers dominating him several times. He's still new to the game and I think there is unrealized upside but I hope they have him try working the 4 during the offseason, if he could shift there that could really help bring a new face to the Huskies gameplay.

I do think we should look at the portal along with developing our existing young guns. Hurley needs to a win BE, BET, or at least a weekend if he doesn't want to see torches and pitchforks outside - bearing in mind of course that fiscally he's probably locked in Ewings-style for at least 2 more years if not more.

 

[August_West]

He's not going to touch the NBA as a 5 he's way too short - and we saw 7'ers dominating him several times. He's still new to the game and I think there is unrealized upside but I hope they have him try working the 4 during the offseason, if he could shift there that could really help bring a new face to the Huskies gameplay.

It doesn't matter that hes not a 5 in the NBA. He's not a 4 in college. Never will be. Can't be. Would be disastrous to even try. He's a pure 5. I'm sure we will see bits of Clingan and Sanogo on the floor together by happenstance, but not often and not long.

 

[August_West]

Can we stop projecting minutes for players in this thread? We have no idea what the roster will even look like lol. Reasons to be optimistic: Hurley will likely add more talent to the roster.

Actually we have a better idea than about 330 schools in regards to what our roster will look like.

 

[bigknight3]

We were 9-3 with 3 OT losses once Gaffney took the reigns as PG fyi... He wasn't a great scorer throughout that time either. He just did an amazing job facilitating. Something Cole wasn't the best at and another reason I personally look forward to next year fit wise.

How was Gaffney at facilitating 2 years later..?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

How was Gaffney at facilitating 2 years later..?

We haven’t asked him to be a lead guard since.