Rothstein on Campus Today

[businesslawyer]

At the college level, rim protection is king, especially in Hurley's defense.

I think Whaley is a very, very good defender and his hedging of screens is truly elite. He's strong, he walls up on the block, he rebounds his position well, is decent defending the rim, and he has incredible timing on ball swipes.

But Akok's defensive talent is very much on another level. He could be game wrecking this season. I think (if he is as healthy as they say) Akok is going to be one of the best defenders in the country.

You are entitled to die on this sword. Was Akok an elite shot blocker? Damn right. Do I see an upside in Akok that I don't see in IW? Yes. But very few will agree with your conclusion that Akok pre-injury was a "better" defender. What IW did on the perimeter last year was in fact elite, and maybe as good as I've ever seen anyone hedge of screens in college ever. And, he's a good shot blocker. That makes one a better defender than just being an outstanding shot blocker.

 

[McLovin]

The lineup Rothstein tweeted would win a lot 60-54 games

And lose a lot of 59-56 games.

 

[McLovin]

Hawkins is going to have to start and it's going to have to happen fairly early in the season. You can't have Martin and Jackson starting together at the 2 and 3.

Wrong. Defense still wins championships but we need some scoring threats on the floor. It’s asking way too much of Cole to put him out there at 5’11” as the only shot creator with 4 other dudes who can’t shoot (although I’d absolutely love for Akok/Jackson/Martin to prove me wrong and be able to bang 3s at a 40% clip.)

 

[husky429]

If we're relying on Martin as one of our "shooters" we are in trouble. And, again, the idea that Akok is a better shooter than Whaley is, at this point, nothing more than wishful thinking. I honestly don't get why people keep repeating it. His form looks good in the instagram clips maybe.

Whaley has way better form. He's a better shooter, period. He just has no confidence in his shot. If he can continue to shoot mid-30% and up his attempts to 3 a game or so, he's our starting 4. Should be either way imo.

We're also forgetting Akok will not have played more than a handful of minutes in competitive games for close to 2 years by the time our season starts. And even in the 20 games he did play, he was a guy who looked unpolished but with a high ceoling...Super high ceiling. but experience matters. My money is on Whaley.

I'd guess whaley plays 10-15 mins at the 4 and 5 each game. He's a more effective 5 than 4, but Sanogo is a beast. Gotta find a way to get those 2 on the floor together

 

[Brochacho]

The obvious answer is Jackson/Polley/Akok/Whaley/Sanogo and laugh at the short teams /s

 

[auror]

You are entitled to die on this sword. Was Akok an elite shot blocker? Damn right. Do I see an upside in Akok that I don't see in IW? Yes. But very few will agree with your conclusion that Akok pre-injury was a "better" defender.

This is definitely not my position.

Strictly that junior year Akok will be a better defender than 5th year Whaley.

 

[businesslawyer]

This is definitely not my position.

Strictly that junior year Akok will be a better defender than 5th year Whaley.

Well, if you're making a prediction we'll see. I'd be surprised, but obviously a prediction can't be wrong until it plays out.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

With so much "unproven," I lack the courage or hubris to make any predictions as to starting lineups or playing time, but I do wonder how many games in a series of 10 would be won by the 2nd team below, if Polley were added.

And don't sleep on Springs.

Cole
Hawkins
Jackson
Akok
Sanogo

Diggins
Gaffney
Martin
Johnson
Whaley

 

[bballgrda]

The harder prediction might be trying to guess go many lineup changes there are throughout the year.

 

[Hoops01]

Couple things
if u think John R.came all the way to UCONN and didn’t get a private sit down and input from Dan Hurley your crazy.
you obviously have no idea about his relationship with the hurley family. Johns constant positive pub for the program is immeasurable
martin can and will play at the 2, he is one of the 5 best players on the team so he will start
akok is both a better shooter and shot blocker then Whaley if healthy. I think straight up Whaley should start and is a better all around defensive player BUT bottom line akok’s UPSIDE long term is way higher then Whaley’s ever will be.
akok if healthy must and will play more minutes and valuable minutes then Whaley this year, his upside will dictate that.

team has so much depth it’s going to allow Dan Hurley to have unlimited opps for substitutions, match ups and player combinations.

this flexibility will allow Dan Hurley to be at his best as a coach

 

[Kenny11]

Lineups will be interesting. Having such a stacked frontcourt is very unique. Many coaches would use Polley or Martin as a small ball 4 though it makes no sense for us to do that with our guys that are actually real 4’s and 5’s being so good.

 

[superjohn]

Couple things
if u think John R.came all the way to UCONN and didn’t get a private sit down and input from Dan Hurley your crazy.
you obviously have no idea about his relationship with the hurley family. Johns constant positive pub for the program is immeasurable
martin can and will play at the 2, he is one of the 5 best players on the team so he will start
akok is both a better shooter and shot blocker then Whaley if healthy. I think straight up Whaley should start and is a better all around defensive player BUT bottom line akok’s UPSIDE long term is way higher then Whaley’s ever will be.
akok if healthy must and will play more minutes and valuable minutes then Whaley this year, his upside will dictate that.

team has so much depth it’s going to allow Dan Hurley to have unlimited opps for substitutions, match ups and player combinations.

this flexibility will allow Dan Hurley to be at his best as a coach

Why should Whaley straight up start if Akok is better than him and Akok must and will play more minutes and valuable minutes than Whaley?

 

[husky429]

Couple things
if u think John R.came all the way to UCONN and didn’t get a private sit down and input from Dan Hurley your crazy.
you obviously have no idea about his relationship with the hurley family. Johns constant positive pub for the program is immeasurable

I mean I've seen Goodman at a practice come and go without speaking to the HC (not UConn, different big east school). Maybe Rothstein did speak to hurlet but I wouldn't guarantee it.

 

[SeattleHoop]

We are gonna struggle shooting the rock next season. But our rebounding is going to be insane. We are going to get a lot of second and third chances which will make up for the shooting woes a bit. We will run into issues when we face teams that can keep us off the glass.

I like this team though. We are gonna be a rugged, in your face type team that opponents will dread playing

 

[ToolzieFan]

As for the Akok-Whaley debate:

In 19-20, Akok had a 9.8% block rate, good for 28th in the country. It was 6.7% against Tier A and B competition, per KenPom.

In 20-21, Whaley had a 10.6% block rate, which was 20th in the country. It was 10.0% against Tier A and B competition. As a junior, it was 8.5% overall (43rd), and 6.9% against Tier A and Tier B.

I can’t assume that Akok will be a better shot blocker or overall defender than Whaley this year. If he is, then I don’t if many teams will have better rim protection or interior defense than us.

 

[Husky Alien]

With so much "unproven," I lack the courage or hubris to make any predictions as to starting lineups or playing time, but I do wonder how many games in a series of 10 would be won by the 2nd team below, if Polley were added.

And don't sleep on Springs.

Let me help. I would like to see this starting line up. Again as @Hans Sprungfeld said with so much "unproven":

Cole
Gaffney
Akok
Martin
Sanogo

Hoping for Springs this year to break out. He has all the attributes and this will be his 3rd year. This is a quote from him from The Courant on July 22, 2021:

“The greatest lesson I learned is if you’re challenged by something, don’t run away from it, embrace it,” Springs said. “Hurley always said this to me. Like if you’re going through hell, just keep going through it and you’re gonna get out eventually.”

 

[M.S.G.]

The Springs "breakout" talk is silly, I think he's been a good soldier but I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to transfer next spring because he wants to play. There is not road to playing time with this group and what's coming.

 

[Husky Alien]

The Springs "breakout" talk is silly, I think he's been a good soldier but I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to transfer next spring because he wants to play. There is not road to playing time with this group and what's coming.

So the "breakout" does not necessarily mean big #'s. He is what 6'9" about 220lbs, been there playing against Sonogo, Akok, Tyrese, Whaley. Who knows right? And he just might transfer next spring but I don't think so.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why should Whaley straight up start if Akok is better than him and Akok must and will play more minutes and valuable minutes than Whaley?

Especially given that Freshman Akok started over Junior Whaley at the 4. I love what Whaley brings, but I do think we overrate his overall game. He’s great at hedging, which I consider something we need to mostly stop doing. Once he is no longer at UConn, I’d be glad to see it removed from the defense almost entirely. We have to protect the rim better and rebound better on the defensive end.

I stand by what I said before, if Akok can’t beat out Whaley at the 4, this team won’t be as good as it can be. We definitely need big minutes from Whaley at 5 and 4, he remains a key player.

 

[Hoophound]

Tyrese can play the 2 in an Anthony Mason, point forward sort of way. It would be nice if he could improve his shooting. He’s hot and cold and never in between. He was often our best player. I think we will see a lot of him no matter who else breaks out.

Is there any recent footage of Jackson shooting jumpers? I’d love to see if they overhauled his shot.

 

[Jorgensen]

 

[olehead]

My current thought is if we need a deuce, its a play for Sanogo. If we need a three it’s going to be RJ, Akok, or one of the new guys.

Hopefully there's an offensive jump from Martin that results in a consistent 32-33% from three this year.

 

[Sphinx]

<snip>
martin can and will play at the 2, he is one of the 5 best players on the team so he will start
akok is both a better shooter and shot blocker then Whaley if healthy. I think straight up Whaley should start and is a better all around defensive player BUT bottom line akok’s UPSIDE long term is way higher then Whaley’s ever will be.
akok if healthy must and will play more minutes and valuable minutes then Whaley this year, his upside will dictate that.
<snip>

Absolutely right on! Martin must start, and if that means he must play the 2, he will play the 2. And a healthy Akok will sit Whaley down in an instant, as much for his shooting as his shot-blocking.. Rothstein's comment about Akok's 3-point form only confirms what Akok demonstrated at Putnam Academy and what all scouting reports indicated when he signed, namely that he can "spread the floor." Look for Akok to be an agile, athletic, shot-blocking Polley. One should not be fooled by 10 or 12 games of freshman hesitancy, where, as the starting 4, he had far from a green light to toss up threes.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

I genuinely believe we have the deepest overall team in the country this year. We are absolutely loaded with talent.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Would love to chime in on Akok vs Whaley…

The numbers may not support Akok being a better shooter than Whaley but he has way more confidence in shooting it from distance. Akok has a reputation for shooting while that is something Whaley is improving on. To me, that makes Akok a better shooter even if the numbers don’t support it.

EDIT: I just looked it up and Akok made 12 3s his freshman year in just half a season compared to Whaley’s 8 in a full season.

Whaley is a better overall defender without a doubt. What he does on ball, hedging wise, and on the block might be the best we’ve seen overall at his position. Think Akok has a chance to be a better rim protector because of his length and timing though. I’m happy to be able to rotate them both in the game to go along with one of the best low post scorers in the conference. Then we have the super talented freshman behind them learning and competing. So much to like about this squad

 

[upstater]

Think Polley will have to compete for minutes on defense in order to be out there hoisting up 3's. But he is an upperclassman and it's time for him to step up defensively or his time will go down. Too much talent around now to be one dimensional. Truly wish him the best and hope he catches fire like Whaley did.

I get what you're saying but many of our guys can't shoot from outside. So, someone has to shoot.

 

[upstater]

The Springs "breakout" talk is silly, I think he's been a good soldier but I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to transfer next spring because he wants to play. There is not road to playing time with this group and what's coming.

We've had several players before who sat on the bench for 2 or 3 years and ended up earning their way onto the court, and they did well. Hilton Armstrong is an example, Gavin Edwards is another.

People forget that Springs is going into his Sophomore year. When he goes into his Junior year, Sanogo will be gone, as will Polley and Whaley. Johnson and Clingan will share the center spot with Johnson getting some run at PF.

In other words, Springs has a chance to have 2 full seasons as a key player.

 

[formerlurker]

Hopefully there's an offensive jump from Martin that results in a consistent 32-33% from three this year.

Or >60% on layups/putbacks

 

[CL82]

I get what you're saying but many of our guys can't shoot from outside. So, someone has to shoot.

All of our guys can shoot from outside. How many of those shots will go in in the question.

 

[FlakeyFoont]

No way 5-year man Whaley doesn't start.