So, Another Dud To Start Second Half

[gtcam]

When Hurley gets some talent he wont have to beg his players to play at the beginning of the game and the half. Maybe they shouldn't be allowed to go in at halftime?

Free throw shooting and consistent flat starts at the second half isn't a talent issue

 

[intlzncster]

Free throw shooting and consistent flat starts at the second half isn't a talent issue

A lot of problems are alleviated when you hit shots. If they hit shots coming out of the half, they won't fall behind. Yogi Berra point there. Stop clanking it.

Maybe no locker room at the half and just do a pregame warmup shooting until the whistle blows.

Free throw shooting has a lot to do with the players. JC had tons of talent and we still had marginal free throw shooting teams at times. No amount of practice makes some guys good.

If you think Hurley doesn't practice free throw shooting, idk what to tell you. And you can't exactly will a team to shoot them well mid game.

 

[intlzncster]

Free throw shooting and consistent flat starts at the second half isn't a talent issue

Really, we have only 1.5 decent players on the floor. Gilbert (who's not 100%) is high end. Both are inexperienced, Wilson being raw on top of that.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It wasn’t about the last three. It was about UConn not getting the biggest rebound of the game. When down 1 Carlton and Sid fight each other and it ends up with them giving them a chance to throw up a three.

That's a consequence of being boys among men out there -- nobody capable of outmuscling or outjumping somebody for a rebound. Even a lot of our comeback was Cincy getting called for loose ball fouls off of rebounding action, rather than us actually securing a rebound.

 

[CL82]

How can this be fixed?

Keep the team out on the floor and pretend it is just a long time out?

 

[the Q]

That's a consequence of being boys among men out there -- nobody capable of outmuscling or outjumping somebody for a rebound. Even a lot of our comeback was Cincy getting called for loose ball fouls off of rebounding action, rather than us actually securing a rebound.

Disagree. The rebound was secured and then they got knocked down.

 

[the Q]

That's a consequence of being boys among men out there -- nobody capable of outmuscling or outjumping somebody for a rebound. Even a lot of our comeback was Cincy getting called for loose ball fouls off of rebounding action, rather than us actually securing a rebound.

You are correct about the lack of bulk and strength.

 

[UConnDan97]

It is fixed by quality coaching. When your team is repeatedly out played in the second half, that is on the coaches.

The thing that drove me batty when we started the second half was not seeing Cobb out there to start it. Our hottest player of the first half ends up riding the pine to start the second half. Ugh.

That's the type of dumb roster move that the last two head coaches seem to have made far too often. I'm hoping this one grows out of it quickly...

 

[JimHurley]

We will be good again, it's 100% recruiting. Culture and talent were wrecked, he's building the culture back up but these kids just aren't good enough to execute the plan. Next year will be the start but need to fill the class up with more talent, the year after is where we will make a major jump.

This is what I’ve been trying to tell everyone doubting Hurley already , but you said it better than I could so good job. We WILL be back.

 

[Kenny11]

It's not just the second half. We're also pretty bad starting the first half.

Yes, but the high school crap of not starting your best players to teach them a lesson, or in gilbert’s case, for no other reason than he’s coming off an injury doesn’t help. It could be why we lost.

 

[polycom]

Yes, but the high school crap of not starting your best players to teach them a lesson, or in gilbert’s case, for no other reason than he’s coming off an injury doesn’t help. It could be why we lost.

Based on what your professional basketball opinion?

 

[Kenny11]

The thing that drove me batty when we started the second half was not seeing Cobb out there to start it. Our hottest player of the first half ends up riding the pine to start the second half. Ugh.

That's the type of dumb roster move that the last two head coaches seem to have made far too often. I'm hoping this one grows out of it quickly...

The stupid lineups were the reason we lost. Did vital really need to sit to start the game? No. Why did Gilbert not start? With jalen Adams out especially, Gilbert should always start if he’s healthy enough to play. How could you not start your best player in a game you want to win against a good team? We already have very little Margain for error as Hurley has acknowledged. It makes no sense.

I like Hurley and I believe he is the guy to take us back to having a top program but he does a lot of annoying high school crap that loses games. I bet he did the thing where he made the guys wear their own clothes instead of the practice jerseys after “dishonoring the uniform”. That high school crap just doesn’t work.

 

[Chief00]

Duds to start the second half.

This has been by far the most glaring and consistent area needing improvement for the coaching staff.

Whatever it is Huey and his staff are doing it doesn't work.

I agree and I would add the 1st half closeout.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Its obviously a talent issue, do you think Hurley is twiddling his thumbs at halftime? Players have to excute the game plan, and most importantly, just put the ball in the hoop.

 

[polycom]

Its obviously a talent issue, do you think Hurley is twiddling his thumbs at halftime? Players have to excute the game plan, and most importantly, just put the ball in the hoop.

No actually these slow starts are not talent issues they are coaching issues and the boneyard told me so.

 

[BlueDogs]

Warning Hurley Heresy

I love the guy, but he’s certainly not overwhelming me with half time prep and adjustments.

Every second half opening is a let down and we go into a hole. So, why Hurley didn’t put the samw lineup that had huge momentum closing out the half to start the second is just coaching malpractice. He iced Cobb when the kid was feeling it and started taking a visible leadership role on the flood pimping up his teammates, making plays and projecting presence. Sometimes coaches are a little to smart for they own good.

 

[jorge34]

Warning Hurley Heresy

I love the guy, but he’s certainly not overwhelming me with half time prep and adjustments.

Every second half opening is a let down and we go into a hole. So, why Hurley didn’t put the samw lineup that had huge momentum closing out the half to start the second is just coaching malpractice. He iced Cobb when the kid was feeling it and started taking a visible leadership role on the flood pimping up his teammates, making plays and projecting presence. Sometimes coaches are a little to smart for they own good.

Absolutely.

Hurley needs to improve. His coaching has been ok at best this year. Yeah, the talent issue but......which player has actually made a big leap forward this year? Expecting them to turn it around in one season was a little much, but I would have liked to see more improvement from a couple of these players.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Its obviously a talent issue, do you think Hurley is twiddling his thumbs at halftime? Players have to excute the game plan, and most importantly, just put the ball in the hoop.

Absolutely.

Hurley needs to improve. His coaching has been ok at best this year. Yeah, the talent issue but.which player has actually made a big leap forward this year? Expecting them to turn it around in one season was a little much, but I would have liked to see more improvement from a couple of these players.

It's on the coaches to give the players a game plan they can execute.

We're way beyond coincidence at this point. Coaches aren't prepping the team for adjustments made by opponent.

I was always a big fan of the JC (and other coaches) who did the quick hook or the quick TO and rip in to players. Very first instance of someone not doing their job on offense or defense- missed assignment, turnover, giving up offensive rebound, needs to be glaringly emphasized to the rest of the team that it won't be accepted.

 

[Rico444]

Absolutely.

Hurley needs to improve. His coaching has been ok at best this year. Yeah, the talent issue but.which player has actually made a big leap forward this year? Expecting them to turn it around in one season was a little much, but I would have liked to see more improvement from a couple of these players.

It's his coaching style; he needs his kind of guys on the roster in order to be good. Some coaches can take any pieces around them and make them better; it doesn't seem like Hurley is that type. And that's fine, because 95% of coaches are like that. Starting next year we'll have a decent chunk of 'Hurley guys' on the team and that's when I think you'll see this program make a jump. I don't know if we'll be NCAA tournament good, but we'll definitely be better than this.

 

[the Q]

Hurley’s coaching would look at lot better with better shooters.

Gilbert’s shot selection was pretty bad for stretches.

He took a couple of heat check shots without the prerequisite heat. It was old vital bad at times.

 

[superjohn]

Yes, but the high school crap of not starting your best players to teach them a lesson, or in gilbert’s case, for no other reason than he’s coming off an injury doesn’t help. It could be why we lost.

The high school cr@p???? It's called coaching, not tolerating the cr@p that went on here with the previous coach, holding people accountable, and creating winning habits and a winning culture.

 

[Chief00]

Danny called a timeout 2 minutes into the 2nd half rather than waiting for 4 minutes. An improvement but agree he should have called a timeout less than a minute into the half.

 

[auror]

Hurley’s coaching would look at lot better with better shooters.

Gilbert’s shot selection was pretty bad for stretches.

He took a couple of heat check shots without the prerequisite heat. It was old vital bad at times.

Specifically he took a couple long 2s (and had a turnover or two where he just dropped the ball on drives as well) when we had that tough stretch to open the 2nd half where we scored like 4 points in 9 minutes. He also hesitated on a couple semi-open 3s and pump faked only to wait until the defender reset and try the same but lacking rhythm 3.

As others have hinted, it's not a coincidence we struggle at the beginning of the halves and the end of the game. That's when opposing teams play their best players, the players that best execute their coaches gameplans. Our best players aren't as good and are still working on a new system.

 

[intlzncster]

The stupid lineups were the reason we lost. Did vital really need to sit to start the game? No. Why did Gilbert not start? With jalen Adams out especially, Gilbert should always start if he’s healthy enough to play. How could you not start your best player in a game you want to win against a good team? We already have very little Margain for error as Hurley has acknowledged. It makes no sense.

I like Hurley and I believe he is the guy to take us back to having a top program but he does a lot of annoying high school crap that loses games. I bet he did the thing where he made the guys wear their own clothes instead of the practice jerseys after “dishonoring the uniform”. That high school crap just doesn’t work.

Or it was the reason we played hard as opposed to our craptastic effort the game before.

I don't mind that move in a season like this, where there's such a focus on changing culture.

And for the record, love him or hate him, Belichick does this sort of thing regularly with the Pats, even in the biggest of games.

 

[Giants2021]

Everyone on this board wants to talk about their offense at the start of halves. The offense is inconsistent and extremely inconsistent without JA. So they don’t have a guy that can break them out of a funk. What they can’t do is be lazy on defense they play terrible defensively to start halves. Especially transition d they need to play d like they did during last nine minutes of half for the whole game. This team to win needs to play defense and muck up the game and credit to Coach for playing man to man and no more 2-3 zone. It helped we stayed out of foul trouble.