Rough night for Hurley

[superjohn]

We've gone over how he's allowing Vital and Gilbert to get away with bad IQ bball over and over and how it's cost us in all three losses. The sitting on his timeouts as things are unravelling is another bugaboo that's happened in all three losses, and the hockey line subs has happened in every game. I also don't like keeping both Gilbert and Akok out at the same time with 2 fouls, I would have to review the tape to see if that's the case but some other posters have pointed it out. That one I can undertand more but it's also when the wheels came off.

My biggest gripe is with the gameplan. I watched Indiana's previous two games and it was apparent ballhandling and passing were far from a strength, at times they could barely get the ball inbounded and pressure had them turning it over left and right. I said before the game we had to show them pressure looks because of it and as we know our offense is a slog in the halfcourt. I'm really surprised we didn't try and force them out of their comfort zone. Our defense was fine in the halfcourt and we lost this game because of turnovers and lack of offense but some trapping would have boosted our offense and limited our turnovers, IMO. We have to start playing to our strengths more.

 

[Kenny11]

He blamed it on “losing habits” again. The only player on our team that’s played a lot of games in the “losing habits” regime is Vital. Everyone else has played more games in Hurley’s system. All of these guys have bought into Hurley, otherwise they would have left. Hurley definitely had a bad game, and that will happen from time to time. Just admit it and keep moving forward.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

He blamed it on “losing habits” again. The only player on our team that’s played a lot of games in the “losing habits” regime is Vital. Everyone else has played more games in Hurley’s system. All of these guys have bought into Hurley, otherwise they would have left. Hurley definitely had a bad game, and that will happen from time to time. Just admit it and keep moving forward.

I’ll be honest, i’m tired of him saying that. Change the habits of your team then. If he’s talking about CV, then yank him after he makes bad plays, but he doesn’t, it seems almost like a cop out.

 

[Caronimo]

He blamed it on “losing habits” again. The only player on our team that’s played a lot of games in the “losing habits” regime is Vital. Everyone else has played more games in Hurley’s system. All of these guys have bought into Hurley, otherwise they would have left. Hurley definitely had a bad game, and that will happen from time to time. Just admit it and keep moving forward.

He gets this year to keep blaming losing habits in my opinion. Next year he will need to wear it.

 

[businesslawyer]

Whether or not you blame Hurley for it, it's an accurate account of what is happening. We have three times come down the stretch in winnable games and made losing plays instead of winning plays. Bad decisions. Failures to hustle. Failures to make plays that are there.

I don't care what Hurley attributes it to in press conferences. I just want the coach and his players to figure out how to make winning plays in these games that could go either way.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Whether or not you blame Hurley for it, it's an accurate account of what is happening. We have three times come down the stretch in winnable games and made losing plays instead of winning plays. Bad decisions. Failures to hustle. Failures to make plays that are there.

I don't care what Hurley attributes it to in press conferences. I just want the coach and his players to figure out how to make winning plays in these games that could go either way.

That’s what i’m saying, don’t complain about it every time there’s a mic in front of you, fix it behind the scenes. It’s been 2 offseasons and 1+ seasons, implement it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Shot selection is not losing habits. It is coaching.

 

[TRUCONN76]

You have a player on the team Vital, who should be a backup guard on a high level division one team,believing that he is the man and not a supporting cast member. Unfortunately for us there has not been anyone else capable of playing that position for four years. As a result the coaches have not been able to glue him to the bench at times when he deserves it. He obviously is incapable of processing his consistent failures when trying to be the hero by himself instead of working to be a release valve for someone capable of making their own shot.

I believe Hurley made a huge mistake leaving him in the first half. He should have put Gaffney back in. Gaffney may not have been productive but most likely would not have made the turnovers. More important it would have acknowledged the incompetency of Vital running the point.

 

[kemba]

Its pretty simple, every guard on the roster was awful, so we went through long stretches where we couldn't score. Thats why we lost. They all had a chance, they were all bad.

 

[uchusky32]

The problem.we're having with losing plays down the stretch are the same problems we have when CV and AG have played hero ball during the beginning or middle of the game. If he doesn't address it real time it will play out the same way at the end of games.

 

[superjohn]

We're more talented than some people are giving us credit for and we're losing these games in the same fashion each time (play up your strengths, play down your weaknesses.) At some point the coach needs to own it more and change things up.

We speed the game up in these games and we tend to blow these teams off the court in stretches and then it's a wholesale line change substitution, it's letting the opponent dictate the pace, it's letting the four year guards bad decision us out of scoring possessions and out of the game. At some point it's on the coaches when the same things keep happening. I love the direction of the program and 100% believe in Hurley as a program builder but as far as saying we aren't making winning plays/we have losing habits it doesn't cut it. Change things up.

 

[ASweet3781]

The problem.we're having with losing plays down the stretch are the same problems we have when CV and AG have played hero ball during the beginning or middle of the game. If he doesn't address it real time it will play out the same way at the end of games.

Exactly.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

oh, ok. so,fire hurley, hire you, and send a gift basket to young James in honor of his first start tomorrow for the knicks. do I have that right?

 

[Husky1972]

Its pretty simple, every guard on the roster was awful, so we went through long stretches where we couldn't score. Thats why we lost. They all had a chance, they were all bad.

And it's a shame that a very nice performance by Akok was lost in the mess our guards provided. Carlton was pretty good, too.

So, the front court play which is supposed to be the weakness, was ruined by the play of our "strength", the backcourt.

Appears that while one is improving and stepping up, the other is disintegrating.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Guards win in college basketball. Witness Kemba, Boatright, Napier, etc. Ours aren't strong enough. We need a couple of very strong guards to be added to next year's team. Hopefully Cole is one of them.

 

[Milo65]

Guards win in college basketball. Witness Kemba, Boatright, Napier, etc. Ours aren't strong enough. We need a couple of very strong guards to be added to next year's team. Hopefully Cole is one of them.

I couldn't agree more. Our guards are undersized, inconsistent long-range shooters, not great finishers, low basketball IQ and have a questionable handle.

-How many times have you seen an ill-advised shot?
-How many times have they gone to the hoop and get swallowed up by the trees?
-How many times have they had the inability to get past their defender with end game being a turnover?

Where Bazz, Boat and Kemba would cross up a defender, I often see our guards trying to go low between defenders trying to force a lane.

I LOVE the intensity that CV and AG bring. I respect the work that both have put in and by no means do I believe that they are terrible players but at times their lack of patience hurts us. Carlton was eating down low and we stopped going to him. Our best shooter Polley, gets limited touches on the perimeter.

Also, the bright lights of the big city star-struck our younger guards. Can't argue that, these pups will grow in time.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I felt like he needed Gilbert’s ball handling during that first half run, it was worth the risk, I don’t think he fouled again I. The game until the very end

 

[intlzncster]

He blamed it on “losing habits” again. The only player on our team that’s played a lot of games in the “losing habits” regime is Vital. Everyone else has played more games in Hurley’s system. All of these guys have bought into Hurley, otherwise they would have left. Hurley definitely had a bad game, and that will happen from time to time. Just admit it and keep moving forward.

While not wrong, bad habits are much harder to break than instilling good habits from day 1; that's true for all of life. You can see guys still trying to do so. Add to that the relatively limited ceiling of the veterans, in comparison to guys like Bouk and Akok, and I agree with him.

Not letting him off the hook mind you. Just accepting it for what it is.

That said, I also agree with you. Say you had a bad game and move on.

 

[superjohn]

oh, ok. so,fire hurley, hire you, and send a gift basket to young James in honor of his first start tomorrow for the knicks. do I have that right?

Carl, your cliffsliffy character is lame. Go back to the secret super spy character or actually comment on the games.

 

[uconnever]

I said this last season, there are no consequences like the Calhoun era. I love Hurley being a players coach, but there needs to be a limit. I think it’s something that comes with having adult kids. Time, because I’m gong through it with my son. I want to be cool with him, but as he gets older I’m realizing I have to do what’s best for his future. Hurley needs to be ok with not being liked all the time.

 

[Kenny11]

I felt like he needed Gilbert’s ball handling during that first half run, it was worth the risk, I don’t think he fouled again I. The game until the very end

We have some talent but we don't have enough talent to sit key guys with 2 fouls and still win. Need to take the risk, especially if the alternative is have Vital play point guard and turn it over 4 times in a few minutes.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We're more talented than some people are giving us credit for and we're losing these games in the same fashion each time (play up your strengths, play down your weaknesses.) At some point the coach needs to own it more and change things up.

We speed the game up in these games and we tend to blow these teams off the court in stretches and then it's a wholesale line change substitution, it's letting the opponent dictate the pace, it's letting the four year guards bad decision us out of scoring possessions and out of the game. At some point it's on the coaches when the same things keep happening. I love the direction of the program and 100% believe in Hurley as a program builder but as far as saying we aren't making winning plays/we have losing habits it doesn't cut it. Change things up.

I think he needs to try to play faster whenever we can. IU is deep, so maybe he wanted to avoid it yesterday. But we are a bad half court team. I'm not sure I recall a UConn team since about 2006 that was a good half court offensive team.

The other thing is to take some risks. He came off a game where CV and AG had their best games, Carlton was a beast and Polley was very good. The bench did nothing. Fine, roll with that until it doesn't work. Yesterday, it was clear within moments of AG going out and CV playing PG, that that was not going work. And he left it that way, with no time outs or subs, until our lead was erased and had built a lead. Unacceptable. Play Gaffney. Play Adams. You cannot leave CV in at the point in that situation. I don't care if you don't trust young guards, you have to. You have no choice. On a similar note, Bouk needs to play with the better guys, not the subs all the time.

 

[McLovin]

I believe in Hurley and can't wait for him to raise banners number 5, 6 and 7, but it sounds weak that he keeps calling blaming this on "losing habits" especially in light of the AG stuff in Charleston. As fans, we can all see that CV and AG play keep costing us in close games, I'm sure Hurley can too. And we may not have better options at this time so he has to go with what he's got.

But good grief, please don't defend these guys from the fans one week and the next throw them under the bus the next. Look in the mirror, man.

 

[pj]

I think he needs to try to play faster whenever we can. IU is deep, so maybe he wanted to avoid it yesterday.

I think that's it. IU is also best in the nation at getting fouled. Then when we got in early foul trouble, and the bench was playing poorly, he wanted to keep the pace slow to protect the starters.

 

[coachn]

Poor consistency in officiating. A coach just wants the officials to be consistent. When the officials wernt consistent JC let them know it.