RJ Cole expectations?

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

10 or 12 ppg 2 or 3 apg. Will he or Gaff run point?

 

[navery12]

Would you rather have 13 and 3 or 7 and 5?

13 and 3. That means he's responsible for around 19 points compared to 17 if it's 7 and 5

 

[freescooter]

You guys are unbelievable. We have a starting point guard. He is big and looks to be at worst a solid player. Cole played in the lowest level D1 league in the country. Those guys are rarely stars at higher levels. And he played well against Georgetown. Great. You do understand that guys occasionally have good games against superior opponents. But that there is a huge difference between playing well against Georgetown in November then playing Delaware State and Florida A&M and playing Georgetown then Villanova then Marquette. The difference in size, speed and skill on an every day basis will be staggering. BTW Georgetown had huge leads in both games agaist Howard With Cole. He played the whole game practically. You think maybe his numbers were helped when Georgetown stopped playing tough d up by 20 or so?

My guess is he will be a useful piece off the bench spelling Gaffney. But in any case he isn’t getting 5 assists and 13 points.

 

[Huskybass]

You guys are unbelievable. We have a starting point guard. He is big and looks to be at worst a solid player. Cole played in the lowest level D1 league in the country. Those guys are rarely stars at higher levels. And he played well against Georgetown. Great. You do understand that guys occasionally have good games against superior opponents. But that there is a huge difference between playing well against Georgetown in November then playing Delaware State and Florida A&M and playing Georgetown then Villanova then Marquette. The difference in size, speed and skill on an every day basis will be staggering. BTW Georgetown had huge leads in both games agaist Howard With Cole. He played the whole game practically. You think maybe his numbers were helped when Georgetown stopped playing tough d up by 20 or so?

My guess is he will be a useful piece off the bench spelling Gaffney. But in any case he isn’t getting 5 assists and 13 points.

So Hurley recruited Cole to UConn knowing Cole would have to sit a year and tie up one of 12 scholarships, so that we can have an adequate backup point guard the following season? Makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing that up.

Let's revisit this a year from today.

 

[Brochacho]

Wasn't there a tweet that said last year all grad transfers averaging double figures that transferred up failed to do so on their new team? RJ Cole isn't a grad transfer of course, it just demonstrates the leap he is taking.

I'm still setting my expectations at a slightly more efficient Tarin Smith with a better 3 point shot. So something like 9/3/3.

 

[freescooter]

He is a small low mid major point guard. Hurley likes big guards. I have no idea why he landed the kid. He will be fine in a backup role. There are people here expecting him to be better than Napier, better than AJ Price. Please

 

[JimHurley]

You guys are unbelievable. We have a starting point guard. He is big and looks to be at worst a solid player. Cole played in the lowest level D1 league in the country. Those guys are rarely stars at higher levels. And he played well against Georgetown. Great. You do understand that guys occasionally have good games against superior opponents. But that there is a huge difference between playing well against Georgetown in November then playing Delaware State and Florida A&M and playing Georgetown then Villanova then Marquette. The difference in size, speed and skill on an every day basis will be staggering. BTW Georgetown had huge leads in both games agaist Howard With Cole. He played the whole game practically. You think maybe his numbers were helped when Georgetown stopped playing tough d up by 20 or so?

My guess is he will be a useful piece off the bench spelling Gaffney. But in any case he isn’t getting 5 assists and 13 points.

Goodness gracious, some of you are shocking me. I hate to keep carrying on about this but this argument is just ridiculous. Prepare to be amazed, that’s all I’ll say.

 

[Huskybass]

Goodness gracious, some of you are shocking me. I hate to keep carrying on about this but this argument is just ridiculous. Prepare to be amazed, that’s all I’ll say.

Coach Hurley knew what he was getting with Cole far more than some Boneyard pessimist. I, for one, am greatly looking forward to seeing him in a UConn uniform, especially when he is surrounded by guys like Bouk, Jackson, Gaffney, Polley, and Whaley.

 

[JimHurley]

Coach Hurley knew what he was getting with Cole far more than some Boneyard pessimist. I, for one, am greatly looking forward to seeing him in a UConn uniform, especially when he is surrounded by guys like Bouk, Jackson, Gaffney, Polley, and Whaley.

My point exactly. Hurley knows this program needs to get championship level talent. He wouldn’t have recruited RJ if he didn’t think he was that. He’ll have more space and will be playing with better players here. His usage won’t be the same here as Howard but his efficiency will greatly improve.

 

[husky429]

I do not know if he will average 13 and 5.

I do know Dan Hurley and the staff are not idiots. They wouldn't have held a scholly for a year for a player who isn't talented.

At minimum, I'd expect a decent floor general and leader, with good 3 pt shoting.

9.5/2/3.5 42% from field field. 38% from 3. But improves as the season goes on. Starts over Gaffney all year.

 

[mauconnfan]

You guys are unbelievable. We have a starting point guard. He is big and looks to be at worst a solid player. Cole played in the lowest level D1 league in the country. Those guys are rarely stars at higher levels. And he played well against Georgetown. Great. You do understand that guys occasionally have good games against superior opponents. But that there is a huge difference between playing well against Georgetown in November then playing Delaware State and Florida A&M and playing Georgetown then Villanova then Marquette. The difference in size, speed and skill on an every day basis will be staggering. BTW Georgetown had huge leads in both games agaist Howard With Cole. He played the whole game practically. You think maybe his numbers were helped when Georgetown stopped playing tough d up by 20 or so?

My guess is he will be a useful piece off the bench spelling Gaffney. But in any case he isn’t getting 5 assists and 13 points.

Well if Gaffney isn’t a lot better Next year and Cole can’t start ahead of him or at least with him we will be closer to the cellar than the top in our first year. Unless we get a special transfer of sorts we won’t have a backcourt to hold their own consistently.

Different views from many but hope everyone is right!

 

[ucp990411]

Goodness gracious, some of you are shocking me. I hate to keep carrying on about this but this argument is just ridiculous. Prepare to be amazed, that’s all I’ll say.

Have you seen him play?

 

[fatlucy]

Those thinking Cole will average 5-6 assists...what's that going to mean for Gaffney?

5 APG isn't that common in college hoops. Based on our history, if Cole averages that many assists it means he's going to be by far the most ball-dominant player on the team.

Since Marcus Williams--the best passer we've ever had--left 15 years ago, these are the only seasons where someone has averaged 5+ APG.

6.1 Jalen 2017
5.8 Bazz 2012
5.8 AJ 2008
5.1 Kemba 2010

everyone one of them was the primary scoring guard. Cole should be #2 which should free him up for facilitating.

 

[fatlucy]

I don’t think it will be nearly as big an adjustment as many want to believe. Yes he will be playing better players on offense and defense. But again, at Howard he was constantly double teamed and opposing defenses put all their focus on him. He STILL put up those points and 3pt%. When he’s on the court with players like Bouk, Gaff, Jackson, Polley and Whaley all of the attention won’t be on him. If it is, he’ll drop 8 dimes finding the open man. If it’s not, he’ll take advantage of the increase in space to work with.

And he was a freshman..... now he’ll be two more years developed and coached.

 

[glastonbury50]

Not looking for him to "put up" certain numbers. Looking for him to be a good fit on our team and someone who can be depended upon in a multitude of situations. If he ends up playing in front of Gaffney (which it seems like he might) I hope he is a good role model for the younger kid and that Gaff can learn a thing or two from him.

 

[JB75]

Wasn't there a tweet that said last year all grad transfers averaging double figures that transferred up failed to do so on their new team? RJ Cole isn't a grad transfer of course, it just demonstrates the leap he is taking.

I'm still setting my expectations at a slightly more efficient Tarin Smith with a better 3 point shot. So something like 9/3/3.

“Slightly better Tarin smith?” Jesus I hope not. If that’s the case get AG back now - at least he ll be a ball hawk on D

 

[Fatroony5]

He is a small low mid major point guard. Hurley likes big guards. I have no idea why he landed the kid. He will be fine in a backup role. There are people here expecting him to be better than Napier, better than AJ Price. Please

Wasn't there a tweet that said last year all grad transfers averaging double figures that transferred up failed to do so on their new team? RJ Cole isn't a grad transfer of course, it just demonstrates the leap he is taking.

I'm still setting my expectations at a slightly more efficient Tarin Smith with a better 3 point shot. So something like 9/3/3.

I’ve posted these stats a few time but they seem useful again.

He played 11 games against P5/G5 competition (I included A-10 teams and Ivy League). His output is as followed in those games
20.3 PPG
6.3 assists/game
3 TOs/game
32% on 3s
35% on 2s
Nearly 8 free throws/game at 81%

Shooting percentages aren’t great but his usage rates in these games are really high. Pretty much due to lack of talent on his team and teams keying in on him all game. It’s hard to draw exact conclusions from these but I found the numbers interesting. It’s clear Cole can score the rock when needed, his free throw attempts are really high as well which is a great sign. It seems to me that Hurley targeted him and recruited him to play a big role on this team for the next two seasons,
Not to spell players off bench in a limited role. Hard to project exact stats but he’s gonna be a productive player here.

 

[JimHurley]

Wasn't there a tweet that said last year all grad transfers averaging double figures that transferred up failed to do so on their new team? RJ Cole isn't a grad transfer of course, it just demonstrates the leap he is taking.

I'm still setting my expectations at a slightly more efficient Tarin Smith with a better 3 point shot. So something like 9/3/3.

He is a small low mid major point guard. Hurley likes big guards. I have no idea why he landed the kid. He will be fine in a backup role. There are people here expecting him to be better than Napier, better than AJ Price. Please

Is this turning into a "How bad can RJ Cole be" contest? I keep telling myself to stop posting on this subject but this is just ridiculous. Some of you are so clueless as to what we have in this kid.

 

[Chin Diesel]

26 minutes
8.5 points
3.5 assists
2 boards
1 steal
40% FG
41% 3pt FG
80% FT

 

[ucp990411]

Is this turning into a "How bad can RJ Cole be" contest? I keep telling myself to stop posting on this subject but this is just ridiculous. Some of you are so clueless as to what we have in this kid.

Again I ask. Have you seen him play?

 

[JimHurley]

Again I ask. Have you seen him play?

Do you think I'm guessing? All of his games are available to watch if you're interested. I also know 2 guys who are in practice every day and say nobody quite understands what we have in store.

On the other hand, now I guess why I see some people aren't convinced we'll be a good team next year. If I thought we'd get <10ppg and <4apg from Cole, I don't think we'd be that good either. However I think he'll be the second best PG in the Big East after Ty-Shon Alexander.

 

[Stainmaster]

Do you think I'm guessing? All of his games are available to watch if you're interested. I also know 2 guys who are in practice every day and say nobody quite understands what we have in store.

On the other hand, now I guess why I see some people aren't convinced we'll be a good team next year. If I thought we'd get <10ppg and <4apg from Cole, I don't think we'd be that good either. However I think he'll be the second best PG in the Big East after Ty-Shon Alexander.

Ty-Shon Alexander isn't a point guard.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I’ve posted these stats a few time but they seem useful again.

He played 11 games against P5/G5 competition (I included A-10 teams and Ivy League). His output is as followed in those games
20.3 PPG
6.3 assists/game
3 TOs/game
32% on 3s
35% on 2s
Nearly 8 free throws/game

This right here, is why we need to have realistic expectations.

 

[glastonbury50]

Do you think I'm guessing? All of his games are available to watch if you're interested. I also know 2 guys who are in practice every day and say nobody quite understands what we have in store.

On the other hand, now I guess why I see some people aren't convinced we'll be a good team next year. If I thought we'd get <10ppg and <4apg from Cole, I don't think we'd be that good either. However I think he'll be the second best PG in the Big East after Ty-Shon Alexander.

Have you watched any of the Howard games in full?? If so, God Bless.

 

[Fatroony5]

This right here, is why we need to have realistic expectations.

Yeah I’m not expecting 20 PPG, that’d be crazy talk. I get the shooting percentages aren’t great, but his team was awful, especially in comparison to those teams. I just wanted to share these to highlight that the kid can play. No clue what it means in terms of his averages next season, but Hurley has shown he has an eye for talent. He wouldn’t recruit this kid to ride the bench.

 

[JimHurley]

This right here, is why we need to have realistic expectations.

You are a good poster. But please acknowledge those percentages will go way up when he’s surrounded by actual good players.

 

[ucp990411]

Do you think I'm guessing? All of his games are available to watch if you're interested. I also know 2 guys who are in practice every day and say nobody quite understands what we have in store.

On the other hand, now I guess why I see some people aren't convinced we'll be a good team next year. If I thought we'd get <10ppg and <4apg from Cole, I don't think we'd be that good either. However I think he'll be the second best PG in the Big East after Ty-Shon Alexander.

I don't know you so I don't know if you are guessing. I have seen several over hyped players over the years so I am a bit skeptical of boneyard opinion.

 

[Huskyforlife]

You are a good poster. But please acknowledge those percentages will go way up when he’s surrounded by actual good players.

Thanks. I'm sure his numbers won't be that bad, but I'm not expecting a monumental jump to great efficiency either. Guess we'll see.

 

[UconnFanDC]

You guys are unbelievable. We have a starting point guard. He is big and looks to be at worst a solid player. Cole played in the lowest level D1 league in the country. Those guys are rarely stars at higher levels. And he played well against Georgetown. Great. You do understand that guys occasionally have good games against superior opponents. But that there is a huge difference between playing well against Georgetown in November then playing Delaware State and Florida A&M and playing Georgetown then Villanova then Marquette. The difference in size, speed and skill on an every day basis will be staggering. BTW Georgetown had huge leads in both games agaist Howard With Cole. He played the whole game practically. You think maybe his numbers were helped when Georgetown stopped playing tough d up by 20 or so?

My guess is he will be a useful piece off the bench spelling Gaffney. But in any case he isn’t getting 5 assists and 13 points.

Sheeees You may need to get out and get some fresh air.

 

[Huskybass]

Thanks. I'm sure his numbers won't be that bad, but I'm not expecting a monumental jump to great efficiency either. Guess we'll see.

I hope we uptempo things next season. Watching Cole and Gaffney lead the break and hit Bouk or Jackson to finish will be a treat.