As the founder of the thread, I should clarify again that by benching I meant he shouldn’t be our starting PG - He should come off the bench as a rotation player playing 10-15mins a game.
He is our best ball handler, but otherwise is below average at just about everything else. He is an absolutely horrific shooter, turnover prone, and doesn’t distribute the ball well as a PG despite his ability to break defenders down off the dribble. What he needs to be is exactly the opposite of what he has been - a pass first distributor who limits turnovers and a knockdown shooter when left open, and a guy who makes the other players around him better. As it stands, he is the worst possible backcourt player on the roster to pair with Vital in the backcourt. I believe Hurley is or should be running a meritocracy when it comes to playing time, which means Adams/Bouknight/Gaffney should be seeing large increases in minutes. The size difference is also a significant factor - Bouk and Adams are listed at 6’4”, Gaffney at 6’2”, while AG is 5’10” maybe (he’s listed at 6’0” on ESPN LOL). It allows us more flexibility on defense and we all saw what Bouk could do crashing the boards.
The second half last night was the first time in forever that we saw UConn basketball on offense. The stagnant Ollie offense of the past few years was absent, our young guards were creating quality chances with passes and off the dribble instead of running around the 3 point arc making hand off passes until the shot clock expires and heaving a contested terrible shot. There was intensity, energy, and hope. Buffalo isn’t Duke but they are a high quality mid-major team who should finish 1st or 2nd in the MAC. I think it’s best for AG and the team if he becomes a rotational player instead of the default starter. Maybe we still use him in crunch time when we’re trying to hold a lead given his ball handling skills, and maybe he earns back more minutes when he stops being a brick layer, but we need more minutes for the young talent.
Is this harsh? I like to think it’s a fair assessment and would love for him to succeed. However, we’re not winning a title this year, and I’m more concerned with our return to glory next year in the Big East. Let Bouk, Gaffney, Adams, and especially Akok get the minutes and touches to develop to prepare us for next year when we all should expect to be a clear tourney team.
