Report Card vs LIU

[Report Card]

A. Jackson- 9.0: Goated. What a game by the Sophomore. Nice to see him bounce back from last game. And that 3 ball doesn't look too shabby afterall. His defense is becoming just as much "must watch" television as his dunks.
T. Martin- 9.0: Didn't make 1 mistake. Not one. Such a pivotal piece to our team. Does all the dirty work on defense and on the boards, but also seems to have added finesse to his offense. Has the knack of drawing fouls that will prove invaluable to us.
A. Akok- 8.0: ANOTHER great game. He keeps building his empire; I don't see a ceiling. His iso defense has impressed me, especially out on the perimeter. He's as focused of a player as I can remember. The box score have him at 3 blocks, but I'm calling blasphemy. I counted 5-6.
R. Cole- 8.0: Take another bow maestro. 6 assists from our leader. Love the way he fearlessly drives at these bigs. His shot was rather off tonight, he needs to keep shooting and stay aggressive. They'll fall, ask Polley.
T. Polley- 7.5: Another good bounce back story. He stayed confident in his shot and it paid off. Make no mistake about it, we're going to need that 3 ball later on in the season.
J. Gaffney- 7.0: His 3pt shot in transition offense is as deadly as a layup. You just know it's going in, your momma knows it too. Had a couple of great assists, but had a few silly turnovers that he needs to clean up. Got unlucky with some finishes at the rim, good game overall.
A. Sanogo- 6.5: Felt he was trying to avoid fouls at the start of the game, which resulted in soft/poor defense. He's still finding that sweet spot. We still saw some great flashes of himself sprinkled throughout the game, and 5/5 from the free throw line is certainly welcoming.
J. Hawkins- 6.5: The cojones on this kid to launch that three ball upon first touch of a basketball in a UConn uniform; love it. Nice assist to follow it up though. He got his first points the same way Bouknight got his, offensive rebound and got fouled trying to put the shot back up. The way he can create his own shot, a piece of the puzzle we're inviting with open arms. Also, the way he made his AND 1 bucket, very Bouknight'esque. Okay okay, i'll stop comparing those two . . . .but how can I?!?!?!
R. Springs- 6.5: Rather impressive showing in just SIX minutes of play. Maybe don't write him off just yet?
I. Whaley- 6.0: Only played 13 minutes as a result of the damaged ankle, still held his own. I'd like him to keep shooting that 3 ball; looks straight to me
S. Johnson- 6.0: Keep building big man.
R. Diggins- 6.0: Didn't really get a chance tonight unfortunately.

Player of the Match- A. Jackson: What a treat to have this man on our team. Imagine being Syracuse.
Notes- We were up 16 at half, ahead of the spread, and UConn twitter's head was falling off. Predictable.
-No one likes to stare at the bench more after a made play than AJax, and I'm here for it.
-I just love all of our offensive sets. We always have a play drawn up every time we come down the court. And It really becomes apparent when watching some of these other games in College basketball. Like are we the only ones doing this?
-Kudos to the student section, along with altering the outcome of the game by rushing a shot before half.
-Loved the commentators tonight.
-Refs whistles were soft, both ways.

Over and out
RC

 

[Chin Diesel]

T. Martin- I loved that reverse layup where he went under the hoop and layed it up with the right hand while twisting. He had another nice drive where he used the basket to shield the defender too. Those are the plays he'll need to make against higher level teams when he can't just over power his defender driving to the rim. Agree, his best game so far and what he did today translates against higher level opponents going forward.

R. Springs- Is it too much of a stretch to suggest there will be one or two games this year when both Whaley and Sanogo get in foul trouble and we need a wide body down low and Springs give that 6-8 minutes needed until the starters can come back in?

 

[Report Card]

T. Martin- I loved that reverse layup where he went under the hoop and layed it up with the right hand while twisting. He had another nice drive where he used the basket to shield the defender too. Those are the plays he'll need to make against higher level teams when he can't just over power his defender driving to the rim. Agree, his best game so far and what he did today translates against higher level opponents going forward.

R. Springs- Is it too much of a stretch to suggest there will be one or two games this year when both Whaley and Sanogo get in foul trouble and we need a wide body down low and Springs give that 6-8 minutes needed until the starters can come back in?

Probably comes down to a Springs vs Johnson type of thing. I'd give the nod to Johnson, but not by much, could be persuaded

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

I'm curious as to how it's going with the girlfriend

 

[TheChamps990411]

Probably comes down to a Springs vs Johnson type of thing. I'd give the nod to Johnson, but not by much, could be persuaded

First someone needs to tell Samson hes 6`10 with a 7 foot wingspan and not a 6`4 guard. This kid gets in the game and immediately runs out to the three line and floats around there. He needs to get in that paint and use his strengths. The talent is easy to see its going to be interesting to see what he turns into.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Probably comes down to a Springs vs Johnson type of thing. I'd give the nod to Johnson, but not by much, could be persuaded

Considering I gave the scenario of needing a wide body, I don't think Johnson is in the mix for that situation. I think there's more a chance this season where foul trouble and injuries create a scenario for Springs to rise to the occasion than there is for Johnson. Right now Sanogo and Whaley are the only two who can lay a body on a big 4 or a true 5.

 

[Jre2000]

First someone needs to tell Samson hes 6`10 with a 7 foot wingspan and not a 6`4 guard. This kid gets in the game and immediately runs out to the three line and floats around there. He needs to get in that paint and use his strengths. The talent is easy to see its going to be interesting to see what he turns into.

I’d imagine we’ll the same progression from him that we saw from Akok…. Will go from hanging out behind the arc to developing a more complete inside-out game as his strength and confidence grows. I’m not nervous

 

[TheChamps990411]

I’d imagine we’ll the same progression from him that we saw from Akok…. Will go from hanging out behind the arc to developing a more complete inside-out game as his strength and confidence grows. I’m not nervous

Im not nervous either i just think getting the kid around the rim serves him and this team best esecially if hes starting at the 5 next season if Sanogo leaves early.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Im not nervous either i just think getting the kid around the rim serves him and this team best esecially if hes starting at the 5 next season if Sanogo leaves early.

Hurley has said he's not a 5. But he's gonna need to get bigger, no doubt.

 

[GHSWolverines]

By the end of Battle at Atlantis Hawkins will be logging around 20 minutes per game. For a freshman in his debut he looked confident with his shot.
SWEET BABY RAY!

 

[husky429]

Can we get a grade for the coaches? I'll give them an 8.5/9.0 so far. If the same level of coaching happens when we get to Atlantis with better competition, that will definitely be a 9.5.

I love that we're running and everyone is talking about running. Coaches have to let go of reigns and trust their players, recognizing that mistakes will happen. Hurley has not demonstrated he's capable of that in big games yet... or any games outside of cupcakes... but it seems like we're on the right track so far. Great to see.

We're relying on the 3 more than last year as well. Good stuff. We still don't have the # and proficiency of shooters we need, but it's obvious the staff knows we need to shoot well, and so we're getting a bunch of reps in now. Letting Polley shoot through his slump NOW will pay dividends by the end of the season. Same with Jackson. Getting Gaffney's confidence up is key too.

We are running more variety of offensive sets. The big at the top of the key handoff/backcut thing was our staple last year and super scoutable because the ball always went to Bouk. Seems like we're trying a lot more sets and doing a better job of clearing the big out for drives this time around. I'm wondering if Coach Murray's influence is popping up here.

As always, Coach Moore is the offensive rebounding guru. He's the first guy the players mention every time they're asked about it. That separates us from a lot of college teams who are choosing to defend in transition more like the NBA. There's definitely a place in CBB for an emphasis on the offensive glass still, and I like to see us doing something different.

A clear 9-man rotation is shaping up. The lineup with Jackson/Whaley/Sanogo is not one I love. No complaints with the rotation otherwise. And that one might end up being a great lineup if Jackson can be semi-consistent shooting the rock.

 

[Mano]

A. Jackson- 9.0: Goated. What a game by the Sophomore. Nice to see him bounce back from last game. And that 3 ball doesn't look too shabby afterall. His defense is becoming just as much "must watch" television as his dunks.
T. Martin- 9.0: Didn't make 1 mistake. Not one. Such a pivotal piece to our team. Does all the dirty work on defense and on the boards, but also seems to have added finesse to his offense. Has the knack of drawing fouls that will prove invaluable to us.
A. Akok- 8.0: ANOTHER great game. He keeps building his empire; I don't see a ceiling. His iso defense has impressed me, especially out on the perimeter. He's as focused of a player as I can remember. The box score have him at 3 blocks, but I'm calling blasphemy. I counted 5-6.
R. Cole- 8.0: Take another bow maestro. 6 assists from our leader. Love the way he fearlessly drives at these bigs. His shot was rather off tonight, he needs to keep shooting and stay aggressive. They'll fall, ask Polley.
T. Polley- 7.5: Another good bounce back story. He stayed confident in his shot and it paid off. Make no mistake about it, we're going to need that 3 ball later on in the season.
J. Gaffney- 7.0: His 3pt shot in transition offense is as deadly as a layup. You just know it's going in, your momma knows it too. Had a couple of great assists, but had a few silly turnovers that he needs to clean up. Got unlucky with some finishes at the rim, good game overall.
A. Sanogo- 6.5: Felt he was trying to avoid fouls at the start of the game, which resulted in soft/poor defense. He's still finding that sweet spot. We still saw some great flashes of himself sprinkled throughout the game, and 5/5 from the free throw line is certainly welcoming.
J. Hawkins- 6.5: The cojones on this kid to launch that three ball upon first touch of a basketball in a UConn uniform; love it. Nice assist to follow it up though. He got his first points the same way Bouknight got his, offensive rebound and got fouled trying to put the shot back up. The way he can create his own shot, a piece of the puzzle we're inviting with open arms. Also, the way he made his AND 1 bucket, very Bouknight'esque. Okay okay, i'll stop comparing those two . . . .but how can I?!?!?!
R. Springs- 6.5: Rather impressive showing in just SIX minutes of play. Maybe don't write him off just yet?
I. Whaley- 6.0: Only played 13 minutes as a result of the damaged ankle, still held his own. I'd like him to keep shooting that 3 ball; looks straight to me
S. Johnson- 6.0: Keep building big man.
R. Diggins- 6.0: Didn't really get a chance tonight unfortunately.

Player of the Match- A. Jackson: What a treat to have this man on our team. Imagine being Syracuse.
Notes- We were up 16 at half, ahead of the spread, and UConn twitter's head was falling off. Predictable.
-No one likes to stare at the bench more after a made play than AJax, and I'm here for it.
-I just love all of our offensive sets. We always have a play drawn up every time we come down the court. And It really becomes apparent when watching some of these other games in College basketball. Like are we the only ones doing this?
-Kudos to the student section, along with altering the outcome of the game by rushing a shot before half.
-Loved the commentators tonight.
-Refs whistles were soft, both ways.

Over and out
RC

Well done, as always

 

[HuskyHawk]

Can we get a grade for the coaches? I'll give them an 8.5/9.0 so far. If the same level of coaching happens when we get to Atlantis with better competition, that will definitely be a 9.5.

I love that we're running and everyone is talking about running. Coaches have to let go of reigns and trust their players, recognizing that mistakes will happen. Hurley has not demonstrated he's capable of that in big games yet... or any games outside of cupcakes... but it seems like we're on the right track so far. Great to see.

We're relying on the 3 more than last year as well. Good stuff. We still don't have the # and proficiency of shooters we need, but it's obvious the staff knows we need to shoot well, and so we're getting a bunch of reps in now. Letting Polley shoot through his slump NOW will pay dividends by the end of the season. Same with Jackson. Getting Gaffney's confidence up is key too.

We are running more variety of offensive sets. The big at the top of the key handoff/backcut thing was our staple last year and super scoutable because the ball always went to Bouk. Seems like we're trying a lot more sets and doing a better job of clearing the big out for drives this time around. I'm wondering if Coach Murray's influence is popping up here.

As always, Coach Moore is the offensive rebounding guru. He's the first guy the players mention every time they're asked about it. That separates us from a lot of college teams who are choosing to defend in transition more like the NBA. There's definitely a place in CBB for an emphasis on the offensive glass still, and I like to see us doing something different.

A clear 9-man rotation is shaping up. The lineup with Jackson/Whaley/Sanogo is not one I love. No complaints with the rotation otherwise. And that one might end up being a great lineup if Jackson can be semi-consistent shooting the rock.

So far, and it may be because we are dominating and not getting into a grinding half-court game, but we have seen very little of the top of the key big handoff. I hope that means that Hurley recognizes it isn't effective, but it could return if we get in a slow grind type of game.

As for the rotation, I had hoped that Akok would push Whaley to the bench as the backup 5, and I think we are inching closer to that. Akok has been better than Whaley, and the team plays better with Akok next to Sanogo, even on defense.

 

[husky429]

So far, and it may be because we are dominating and not getting into a grinding half-court game, but we have seen very little of the top of the key big handoff. I hope that means that Hurley recognizes it isn't effective, but it could return if we get in a slow grind type of game.

As for the rotation, I had hoped that Akok would push Whaley to the bench as the backup 5, and I think we are inching closer to that. Akok has been better than Whaley, and the team plays better with Akok next to Sanogo, even on defense.

I suspect by January Akok will be supplanting Whaley as a starter. They'll both get big minutes regardless, but if we're gonna do a hard line of no subs until the under 16, we really should have our best players in there to start strong.

And yeah, that set isn't BAD. Especially when going small. We just ran it way too much. Our base motion offense needs to have a few more scoring options and flexibility than that provided.

 

[awfuldan]

Glad you pointed out that Bouknight and Hawkins scored their first points in the same way, I noticed that too.

Bouknight broke out in his second game in Charleston against strong competition. Hoping Hawkins will show us something in Atlantis, but obviously that's a lot to ask for. Bouknight was a special player, even as a freshman. If Hawkins is the same way, watch out!

 

[ucp990411]

Our last 3 players appear to be Diggins, Johnson and Springs. If there was a 3 on 3 tournament with the last 3 players on each team playing we would romp to the title. These guys are all very good players, just a matter of time before they are all major contributers.

 

[Vancat]

Hawkins, as many have mentioned already, was just different. Super smooth, confident, just really special. Looking forward to seeing him more.

Ajax- THANK YOU!! I was beginning to wonder. He was exciting to watch.

Clingan behind the bench. If that's his girlfriend with him, she's literally half his height. LOL

Great game, lots of fun! Dunk city!!

One complaint: geez, can you spare the T-shirts? For the last couple years they throw out like...10. Big whoop!

 

[Madmannsucks]

I cannot get excited about beating teams by wide margins that several dozen teams in the country could do as well. This is what happens. Let's see how the team does against a team that competes.

 

[Jre2000]

Hawkins, as many have mentioned already, was just different. Super smooth, confident, just really special. Looking forward to seeing him more.

Ajax- THANK YOU!! I was beginning to wonder. He was exciting to watch.

Clingan behind the bench. If that's his girlfriend with him, she's literally half his height. LOL

Great game, lots of fun! Dunk city!!

One complaint: geez, can you spare the T-shirts? For the last couple years they throw out like...10. Big whoop!

I'm 99% sure that's his sister. And she's quite young, which explains the height difference

 

[husky429]

Hawkins, as many have mentioned already, was just different. Super smooth, confident, just really special. Looking forward to seeing him more.

Ajax- THANK YOU!! I was beginning to wonder. He was exciting to watch.

Clingan behind the bench. If that's his girlfriend with him, she's literally half his height. LOL

Great game, lots of fun! Dunk city!!

One complaint: geez, can you spare the T-shirts? For the last couple years they throw out like...10. Big whoop!

Also get some girls from the softball team on the squad. Half of them can barely get shirts to the 3rd row.

 

[hansonel-amin]

A. Jackson- 9.0: Goated. What a game by the Sophomore. Nice to see him bounce back from last game. And that 3 ball doesn't look too shabby afterall. His defense is becoming just as much "must watch" television as his dunks.
T. Martin- 9.0: Didn't make 1 mistake. Not one. Such a pivotal piece to our team. Does all the dirty work on defense and on the boards, but also seems to have added finesse to his offense. Has the knack of drawing fouls that will prove invaluable to us.
A. Akok- 8.0: ANOTHER great game. He keeps building his empire; I don't see a ceiling. His iso defense has impressed me, especially out on the perimeter. He's as focused of a player as I can remember. The box score have him at 3 blocks, but I'm calling blasphemy. I counted 5-6.
R. Cole- 8.0: Take another bow maestro. 6 assists from our leader. Love the way he fearlessly drives at these bigs. His shot was rather off tonight, he needs to keep shooting and stay aggressive. They'll fall, ask Polley.
T. Polley- 7.5: Another good bounce back story. He stayed confident in his shot and it paid off. Make no mistake about it, we're going to need that 3 ball later on in the season.
J. Gaffney- 7.0: His 3pt shot in transition offense is as deadly as a layup. You just know it's going in, your momma knows it too. Had a couple of great assists, but had a few silly turnovers that he needs to clean up. Got unlucky with some finishes at the rim, good game overall.
A. Sanogo- 6.5: Felt he was trying to avoid fouls at the start of the game, which resulted in soft/poor defense. He's still finding that sweet spot. We still saw some great flashes of himself sprinkled throughout the game, and 5/5 from the free throw line is certainly welcoming.
J. Hawkins- 6.5: The cojones on this kid to launch that three ball upon first touch of a basketball in a UConn uniform; love it. Nice assist to follow it up though. He got his first points the same way Bouknight got his, offensive rebound and got fouled trying to put the shot back up. The way he can create his own shot, a piece of the puzzle we're inviting with open arms. Also, the way he made his AND 1 bucket, very Bouknight'esque. Okay okay, i'll stop comparing those two . . . .but how can I?!?!?!
R. Springs- 6.5: Rather impressive showing in just SIX minutes of play. Maybe don't write him off just yet?
I. Whaley- 6.0: Only played 13 minutes as a result of the damaged ankle, still held his own. I'd like him to keep shooting that 3 ball; looks straight to me
S. Johnson- 6.0: Keep building big man.
R. Diggins- 6.0: Didn't really get a chance tonight unfortunately.

Player of the Match- A. Jackson: What a treat to have this man on our team. Imagine being Syracuse.
Notes- We were up 16 at half, ahead of the spread, and UConn twitter's head was falling off. Predictable.
-No one likes to stare at the bench more after a made play than AJax, and I'm here for it.
-I just love all of our offensive sets. We always have a play drawn up every time we come down the court. And It really becomes apparent when watching some of these other games in College basketball. Like are we the only ones doing this?
-Kudos to the student section, along with altering the outcome of the game by rushing a shot before half.
-Loved the commentators tonight.
-Refs whistles were soft, both ways.

Over and out
RC

M. Garry - 9.0 for defense, and taking a lick, and keep on ticking. Second two foul shots were clean.
A. Hurley - 9.0 for boxing out LIU player after his flagrant foul of Matt; teammate personified.

 

[Peacefrog]

"Can we get a grade for the coaches? I'll give them an 8.5/9.0 so far. If the same level of coaching happens when we get to Atlantis with better competition, that will definitely be a 9.5."

I was bellyaching a little in the chat room about how their big guy was abusing us inside and sending both Sanogo and Whaley to the bench with two fouls while getting two on Akok as well. He dominated us inside to the tune of 16 points in the first half and I wanted to see Hurley change from what wasn't working. I was too busy watching the track meet and in-situ dunk contest in the second half to notice what change was made but Kante only got 1 point in the second half. They did something different and it worked.

 

[NJHoops]

"Can we get a grade for the coaches? I'll give them an 8.5/9.0 so far. If the same level of coaching happens when we get to Atlantis with better competition, that will definitely be a 9.5."

I was bellyaching a little in the chat room about how their big guy was abusing us inside and sending both Sanogo and Whaley to the bench with two fouls while getting two on Akok as well. He dominated us inside to the tune of 16 points in the first half and I wanted to see Hurley change from what wasn't working. I was too busy watching the track meet and in-situ dunk contest in the second half to notice what change was made but Kante only got 1 point in the second half. They did something different and it worked.

You weren’t the only one. In games like this, you can see if the players can work it out and fix it themselves. They’re not quite there yet.

Andre Jackson, Tyler Polley propel unbeaten UConn men to 93-40 win over LIU

In a night where not much went right at the start for the UConn men’s basketball team, it was Andre Jackson and Tyler Polley who answered the call. Their presence was felt all over the floor …

www.courant.com

Hurley wasn’t as pleased with UConn’s defense as whole, particularly on LIU’s Isaac Kante, who finished with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting. “I tried to warn my guys about Kante,” Hurley said. “We tried to prepare our guys, but I don’t think that they showed him the respect in terms of pre-catch and post defense.”

ETA: I like the new guy writing for the Courant. Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to most of the rest of the crew.

 

[gtcam]

You weren’t the only one. In games like this, you can see if the players can work it out and fix it themselves. They’re not quite there yet.

Andre Jackson, Tyler Polley propel unbeaten UConn men to 93-40 win over LIU

In a night where not much went right at the start for the UConn men’s basketball team, it was Andre Jackson and Tyler Polley who answered the call. Their presence was felt all over the floor …

www.courant.com

Hurley wasn’t as pleased with UConn’s defense as whole, particularly on LIU’s Isaac Kante, who finished with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting. “I tried to warn my guys about Kante,” Hurley said. “We tried to prepare our guys, but I don’t think that they showed him the respect in terms of pre-catch and post defense.”

ETA: I like the new guy writing for the Courant. Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to most of the rest of the crew.

It felt like Kante wasn't playing as much in the 2nd half as compared to the 1st. I was looking for him on the LIU bench but couldnt see him, however, I sit behind the UConn bench and my point of view down there is restricted - maybe someone else can verify
The Kante kid is a beast and his foot work in getting into position under the hoop was nice. What bothered me about the D that both Akok and Sanogo were applying is that they knew when a pass was coming to Kante but rarely put a hand between the ball and his face.
A few of the fouls that they called on Akok and Sanogo were ridiculous - Kante is the proverbial space eater
"I tried to warn my guys about Kante" ????? - Enough said, hopefully a poor choice of words from DH

 

[husky429]

You weren’t the only one. In games like this, you can see if the players can work it out and fix it themselves. They’re not quite there yet.

Andre Jackson, Tyler Polley propel unbeaten UConn men to 93-40 win over LIU

In a night where not much went right at the start for the UConn men’s basketball team, it was Andre Jackson and Tyler Polley who answered the call. Their presence was felt all over the floor …

www.courant.com

Hurley wasn’t as pleased with UConn’s defense as whole, particularly on LIU’s Isaac Kante, who finished with 17 points on 6-for-12 shooting. “I tried to warn my guys about Kante,” Hurley said. “We tried to prepare our guys, but I don’t think that they showed him the respect in terms of pre-catch and post defense.”

ETA: I like the new guy writing for the Courant. Definitely a breath of fresh air compared to most of the rest of the crew.

Do you think Hurley will have a better relationship with him than our other beat writers? He is pretty bland on all of them, and the 1 he has a BAD relationship with, clearly. He seems to have a really great relationship with the national writers though.