Starting lineup for first game in November

[The Frog]

I’m happy to be wrong about Jackson. There is a solid chance that he will be a good to very good player. Maybe even outstanding. but you really need to take coaches’ comments on recruits with a grain of salt. And as for recruiting services, they are what they are. And they tend to over value athleticism. Great athletes can dominate at lower levels. As the levels increase more skills are required. As I said the kid had 44 fouls and 43 points. He has a way to go.

Agreed. And Hopeful. But still feeling burned by the Sid Wilson expectations...

 

[UconnU]

Cole, Gaffney, Martin, Whaley, Sanogo. Subject to change.

 

[Tiamat7]

It would really surprise me if Adama got dropped from the starting 5 as he was one of our best/most consistent players last year and looks to continue to improve. Akok will have a lot to prove this year, and hopefully comes in with a chip on his shoulder. Can’t realistically see a freshman starting for us game 1 as they transition to the size and speed of D1 basketball. With that said:
Cole
Jackson
Martin
Whaley
Sanogo
This would be if I had to put money on it.

Jackson as the shooting guard? Love his other abilities, but this lineup lacks shooting. Say Hello to zone defenses daring us to shoot.

 

[SteelCT]

Jackson as the shooting guard? Love his other abilities, but this lineup lacks shooting. Say Hello to zone defenses daring us to shoot.

While you are right that he can’t shoot he is perfect for the middle of a zone. Martin and Jackson can be switch, 2/3, doesnt matter. Put Andre at the free throw line and let him distribute with Martin and Cole up high who can shoot, big guys down low for the dump off.

 

[willie99]

Cole & Sanogo are two that I believe are absolute certainties, and the next closest person is Whalley

When we had a run of great point guards, they all benefited from having a tutor to learn from

 

[Kitaman]

Cole & Sanogo are two that I believe are absolute certainties, and the next closest person is Whalley

When we had a run of great point guards, they all benefited from having a tutor to learn from

Whaley is starting. We need his experience, leadership and skills. Right now, he is our best (and most important) big going in to next season. Sanogo may pass him as season progresses, but Whaley is too important not to start. Plus he started all games this past season, and did nothing to warrant benching at the start of the games next season.

I really think Whaley will be the glue to hold this team together, especially as Hurley tweaks the lineup through the 1st half of the season.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Wow why no Sanogo? He is pretty much our only hope of domination in the paint and go-to scorer from what I see or we will be coming up empty on offense quite often. He's also our hope to open up the perimeter as they double down from all over to help. He has to be in the line up i think. Curious as to why he isn't in yours?

He's the best player on the team and it isn't really close. He and Cole are locks. Everything else is open, including the 4 spot. While we all love what Whaley brings, he's limited. A truly healthy Akok started over him as a freshman two years ago. Akok is stronger now, and if he gets his game legs back it wouldn't take much for him to take the majority of minutes at the 4. I think Whaley flexes between 4-5 all year.

The 3 is mostly Martin vs Jackson I think, with a little bit of Polley. The SG spot is wide open. It's there for the taking. Definitely the biggest hole on the team. I expect that Hurley's dream scenario would be Jax becoming a good shooter, so he can plug him in there and mix Martin/Polley at the 3.

 

[upstater]

My preferred starting lineup:

Sanogo
Akok
Polley
Gaffney/Diggins/Hawkins
Cole

At that 2 spot I need another ballhandler and penetrator given the other 3 guys are going to be playing pick and roll with Polley spotting up.

Let the 3 tall guys set picks and dive to the hoop or have the guards drive and kick out to Polley and maybe Akok goes out there too (even if he shoots 30% from 3 he'll create problems).

Whaley, Martin and AJax are the first 3 off the bench, with the backups at the 2 spot being the next 2 to come in. Cole plays 25 minutes, and Gaffney/Diggins take the other 15 at PG.

Hard to see how we can carve out minutes for Springs and Samson next year unless Sanogo is consistently getting into foul trouble. Still, Samson will have to learn the defense because if he doesn't, Akok will slide over to center.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

fun thought experiment as we contemplate starters. if jmoney decided to bail and went portal, he'd get offers from programs equal to, or above, us in a new york minute.

 

[upstater]

fun thought experiment as we contemplate starters. if jmoney decided to bail and went portal, he'd get offers from programs equal to, or above, us in a new york minute.

What if Eddie Money went postal?

 

[husky429]

I think we’ll be better for a few reasons. But mainly this will be a more team-oriented squad. Everyone expected Bouknight to play hero ball and it hurt us as a team last year - this year I think we can get legitimate contributions from 7-8 players.

So true. Hurley has never had a player so talented before... uncharted territory for him. I would imagine last year was a huge learning experience for the whole staff.

Well maybe except Tom. He's forgotten more basketball than the rest of the staff has ever learned.

 

[Hoops01]

Lol I can't even figure out what's going on here. Akok at the 3??????????? This may be the worst shooting lineup in the history of basketball.

We don't know our full roster yet obviously, but if I had to guess right now based off who we have it would be...

Starters
Cole
Gaffney
Martin
Akok (assuming fully healthy)
Sanogo

Bench
Jackson
Hawkins
Diggins
Springs
Johnson

Kinda wild, that second team could/would beat the first day in practice scrimmages pretty regulatly. They have GREAT TEAM DEPTH

 

[CL82]

Or even one. Every year it's the same story and people exaggerate how effective most freshmen can be, especially early on.

And disregard the potential for off-season development for existing players. It's like the swallows returning to Capistrano; it's a rite of Spring.

 

[rip7774]

Cole, Gaffney, Martin, Whaley, Sanogo. Subject to change.

Hello 55-65 pts and rock fights! #nocreators

 

[rip7774]

Cole & Sanogo are two that I believe are absolute certainties, and the next closest person is Whalley

When we had a run of great point guards, they all benefited from having a tutor to learn from

Great point. Lots of examples in our history.

Did Taliek get a season with KEA - I can't remember? But it was definitely something we've done well that year where the PG plays a lot of minutes but behind a tutor!

 

[August_West]

Great point. Lots of examples in our history.

Did Taliek get a season with KEA - I can't remember? But it was definitely something we've done well that year where the PG plays a lot of minutes but behind a tutor!

No.

taliek didnt play with KEA.

 

[UconnU]

Cole
Jackson
Martin
Whaley
Sanogo
This would be if I had to put money on it.

I don’t think the spacing would work with this lineup. Teams would just pack the middle and dare Jackson and Martin to shoot elbow/corner jump shots right? It would be incredible defensively and on the glass but we wouldn’t have a half court offense.

 

[freescooter]

Was this message not you agreeing with Freescooter's analysis? "I'm just as curious" meaning you, like Freescooter, don't understand the love of Jackson, think all he does is foul out and can't shoot, and thinks he's worse than Sid Wilson. Therefore, you would think that assessment of Jackson is more astute than Dan Hurley's and other coaches who rave about his BBQ, his athleticism, and his massive potential.

LOL pulled pork or brisket? If I had a buck for every guy who had “potential” I’d be hanging with Bill Gates. I kinda judge on actual performance. I’ve seem better performances out of guys who don’t have “potential”. Teams left him absolutely open because not only couldn’t he shoot but looked afraid to shoot. He had more fouls than points. He might improve but he might not. I’ll believe it when I see it not when a coach gives a coach speak interview to a kid‘s hometown paper.

 

[zachbquick]

Here is what I came up for the starting lineup for game one of the 2021-22 season in November

Guards
Rashool Diggins
Tyrese Martin

Forwards
Akok Akok

Center
Adama Sanogo
Samson Johnson

For the subs
Guard: Jordan Hawkins, Jalen Gaffney and RJ Cole
Forwards: Andre Jackson

Now that Polley is coming back I think the starting lineup will look like this:

R.J.
Martin
Polley
Whaley
Sanogo

with a bench of Diggins/Gaffney/Hawkins/Jackson/(Akok or Samson)

Hawkins would be one I would predict to crack the starting lineup tho for Polley or Martin.

 

[Slick]

He's the best player on the team and it isn't really close. He and Cole are locks. Everything else is open, including the 4 spot. While we all love what Whaley brings, he's limited. A truly healthy Akok started over him as a freshman two years ago. Akok is stronger now, and if he gets his game legs back it wouldn't take much for him to take the majority of minutes at the 4. I think Whaley flexes between 4-5 all year.

The 3 is mostly Martin vs Jackson I think, with a little bit of Polley. The SG spot is wide open. It's there for the taking. Definitely the biggest hole on the team. I expect that Hurley's dream scenario would be Jax becoming a good shooter, so he can plug him in there and mix Martin/Polley at the 3.

I have not read one sentence on Akok in months. Absolutely nothing! Is he still working out with our staff? Are all of his injuries calf, quad etc healed? Is he definately coming back next season? It is possible that I missed information on him so if anyone has seen anything please let me know.

 

[EASTFLA]

I would look at it as who has earned minutes:

Whaley
Sanogo
Martin
Cole
Gaffney

This is how we start, I doubt it is how we finish. Polley in most cases not foul-related will be the first off the bench. Everyone else will earn their way into minutes/perhaps a starters role, but initially, I believe this is it, pending if we add someone via the portal.

 

[WrenchFan69]

From the Rothstein early top 45:

21. UConn
Projected Starting 5:
G R.J. Cole
G Tyrese Martin
F Andre Jackson
F Akok Akok
C Adama Sanogo

Projected Bench: Isaiah Whaley, Jalen Gaffney, Richie Springs, Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Hawkins, Samson Johnson, Tyler Polley
Key Newcomers: Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Hawkins, Samson Johnson
Expected Losses: James Bouknight, Josh Carlton, Brendan Adams
Seniors: Isaiah Whaley, Tyler Polley, Josh Carlton
NBA Draft Process With Remaining Eligibility: TBD

 

[Dabutlerdidit]

If I didn’t have to worry about feelings… I would have this team ready to go as the starting 5

1 AJax
2 Cole
3 Hawkins
4 Martin
5 Sanogo