Starting five for 2025-26
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UKemba15
Some flies are too awesome for the wall.
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Four of those feel pretty locked in and it’s a Jaylin-Braylon battle for that 5th spot.
I feel like if Mullins is starting at the beginning of the season then he is filthy and we’re gonna win a LOT. Think he’ll be starting by mid-season though (and still think we’re gonna win a LOT.)
I feel like if Mullins is starting at the beginning of the season then he is filthy and we’re gonna win a LOT. Think he’ll be starting by mid-season though (and still think we’re gonna win a LOT.)
Hunt for 7
Built Hurley Strong
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Mullins is the wild card. A kid that highly rated more than likely will earn a starting role so the three is going to be interesting.
I really think Mullins is a special talent. His release is so quick and he just looks like he is going to become way better of the dribble because he squares up and releases the ball so quickly.
Karaban, Reed Jr, Ball and Demary have to be locks to start. I see Mullins and Stewart in a competition for the last spot in the starting five.
If we get a 4/5 player in the portal like most think we will plus Stewart, Smith, Reibe, and Ross….here we go again.
Another team that will look really deep on paper.
I really think Mullins is a special talent. His release is so quick and he just looks like he is going to become way better of the dribble because he squares up and releases the ball so quickly.
Karaban, Reed Jr, Ball and Demary have to be locks to start. I see Mullins and Stewart in a competition for the last spot in the starting five.
If we get a 4/5 player in the portal like most think we will plus Stewart, Smith, Reibe, and Ross….here we go again.
Another team that will look really deep on paper.
Especially a Jr over Fr when Stew was getting offers ‘in the parking lot’
I'd be shocked if he didn't backup the 2 and 3 to start the season. If Stew is also seeing time at the four there is plenty of time to be had between the two.
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Solo/Stew/AK handicap our lineup together as 3 poor dribble drive guys. Stew feels far more a 4 in the making than a 3. It will be the same stuff we saw last year as none are going to become penetrators, I’m sorry. We need two on the floor at all times. Maybe Stew starts the season there but my guess is large minute assortments will have 2 of Mullins/Malachi/Silas/new portal guy on floor. Can’t go back to what didn’t work last year.
Hurley definitely will be heavily rotating 6 or 7 or even 8 players, the only question is who will start and who will be interviewed the most by ESPN.
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I would like to think that Stewart will be putting the ball on the floor much more next year, looking to score. His defense as a junior will get him minutes, but he really will need to look to put points up and rebound as well.
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Have we seen any demonstrations at all of Stew being a kid that scored off the dribble? I feel like we can count them on one hand.
Most of his buckets were spot up threes, put backs or dump ins deep/lobs.
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True that. McNeeley made it look so easy, just drive the lane man, make it happen. It's what Jalen needs to do to bring his game to the next level. He has a lot more shake and bake than he has shown and a very good handle. There are spots in these offensive sets to look for your shot; Jalen needs to be aggressive and take advantage.
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I suspect that Dan Hurley has no more intention of starting Stewart at the 3 than he had of starting Diarra at the 1 this past season. Loyalty did not stop him from bringing in Mahaney to play the 1, intending Diarra as backup. This year he is bringing in Mullins to play the 3, intending Stewart as backup (at the 3 and 4 and maybe even the 5 in an emergency.) It is last year's team reconstituted in the way Dan Hurley originally intended it. We are going to try it again with Mullins cloning the Liam role, Demary taking on the Mahaney role and Smith filling the back-up PG role that Diarra was intended to play.
To be honest, I feel like McNeeley was never the same after the injury and felt that he hurt the team down the stretch and tournament. I would have rather seen Stewart play more.
He may be loyal but if you recall, he started Mahaney over Diarra until he realized it was a disaster.
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I have to agree with you. I still think Jaylin has a deeper bag than he's shown but he's likely to be a bit redundant with Karaban. Solo should improve off the bounce and finishing but he's still going to be kind of mechanical in his movements and live off of threes and mid range jumpers primarily. I think Mullins is going to be too good to keep out of the starting lineup even if he doesn't start first game of the season. He's going to give us that other quick perimeter defender and make us more dynamic. It doesn't mean Jaylin won't have a much bigger role than he's had previously. AK's minutes should go down a little, there will be a lot of minutes for him at the 4 and 3. I also think we'll see some Malachi and Silas together on the court in certain matchups.
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That is my starting 5.with Mullins first off the bench.
He didn‘t make anything look easy. Shot 38% from 2 and 30% from 3. High usage low efficiency player. And couldn’t defend.
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Time will tell, but I get the sense Stew will prove to be a highly capable dribble drive threat. I know I always lean optimistic regarding our players’ potentials, but I also think we’ve watched him display this in flashes - the missing piece to be added this year is simply plenty of playing time to prove it.
Also, while I think I get what you’re saying with AK (i.e., not an all-american caliber multi-level scoring threat, perhaps?), but he is certainly not “poor” in that area. I watched him get himself a decent look at a 6-8 foot floater pretty much whenever he wanted all season.
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100%
I think Hurley’s best starting lineup is AK, Ball, Mullins, Reed, and Silas…..but Stewart, Malachi, and Riebe, get major minutes. Furphy could be a surprise but that remains to be seen.
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This is the kind of stuff that always sets up for disappointment. Stew hasn’t once in his UConn career been a kid to put the ball on the floor. Can you think of one instance in his entire UConn career where he took the ball on the perimeter and beat his man on the floor to the rim? So now he’s going to become that? He isn’t that. Wishful thinking. It’s not his profile.
So what, now we want 4 guys on the floor that can’t create their own shot and Silas? AK was a disaster putting it on floor last year, it was cringe worthy. It was the same shoulder pump at the 3pt line, head down charge forward thing every time, telegraphed. Solo looks about as natural as the tin man going to the rim. Solo could get better but I’d say will still have a ceiling.
Key next year will be exactly how good is Mullins? I think we know what we are getting in Silas, but who is going to that other guy that can create their shot and put pressure on the defense not to extend?
McNeeley shot 39.5/34.5% btw. Nothing to write home about but not nearly as bad as what was suggested above.
Edward Sargent
Sargelak
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You are assuming no improvement next year and I am hoping there is, especially for Solo and Stew. For Mullins his time on the court will be predicated on defense