Top Dogs: Andre Jackson, UConn PG?

[WhereistheDove?]

It just scares me when I hear the coaches are playing players where they think they'll have to play in the pros. In my time being a UConn fan I haven't seen that type of strategy work out for the team or the player. It's just Ricker speculating off of what Hurley has said and stuff from Dauster and others who follow the team I think.

I want Adama feasting down low, it's nice if he can hit the three now but I don't think designing any of our offense for him to do so will be good for anyone. Jackson can play some point but I have trouble believing he'll be able to run things in the half court at a high level for the majority of the game.

I also love the versatility but I don't want to see any square pegs being fit into round holes based off of NBA dreams, it rarely works.

It's a fine line that needs to be walked. Putting your current players in the best position to be drafted and successful in the NBA has an important knock-on effect in recruiting. That being said, I'm sure Hurley isn't going to be running constant set plays for Adama to jack up threes. My guess is we see some pick and pops mixed in to try to keep teams honest but it's not like he's going to camp out on the perimeter like Whaley did at times. If he doesn't hit his threes, I think that experiment ends real quick.

 

[auror]

His analysis isn't super promising. Amongst other things he appears to be predicting we will be weak at guard with no dominant pg. But he's also predicting better shooting. Which is hopeful.

I think the implication was more that one position is always going to be weaker, but that doesn't make it necessarily a true weakness. More lack of strength than weakness.

 

[8893]

When AJax had the ball in his hands last year.. His vision and the resulting passes were a challenge for some of his teammates who weren't as able to "see" the floor and anticipate those passes. Thus not completing the plays. This year-- He and Newton are now surrounded by better athletes with higher BBIQs who can get to their spots and anticipate (and catch) their passes.

I agree that it looks like Andre should have a better group of players around him this season, but I don't necessarily buy the premise that the reason for so many incomplete passes was the lack of vision, skill, anticipation or BBIQ by the guys he played with last season. Many times it looked to me like Andre was reacting more than thinking, and always acting on his first reaction whether or not his teammates were in sync with him.

There is no question that his athleticism and reaction times are elite, but I thought he needed to modulate his speed and be a bit more circumspect instead of always going with his first reaction simply for the sake of acting faster than anyone else. That can work well on a fast break or in transition, when speed rules, but it works considerably less well in the half court set.

I understand that the plan this season is for Andre to look for the fast path first, and then hand off to Newton or Diarra if we need to go to a half court set, but I'd like to see how that works in league play before getting my hopes up about it.

 

[superjohn]

Love these Dauster Field of 68 videos, that was a great listen

Did Adam Finkelstein go to UConn?

 

[NJHoops]

Have we had that conversation?! Rob’s rolling in with jokes, I see.

Every coaching decision is a balance- winning versus developing players with an eye toward both, making changes that might benefit a team (and shut some people up) in the short term but make the team worse in the long run. Everyone has the answers when they’re not the ones actually held accountable (the pay’s not as good, though).

 

[navery12]

Love these Dauster Field of 68 videos, that was a great listen

Did Adam Finkelstein go to UConn?

Yeah he's a UConn grad and was a team manager while he was there

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

His analysis isn't super promising. Amongst other things he appears to be predicting we will be weak at guard with no dominant pg. But he's also predicting better shooting. Which is hopeful.

Just one man's opinion; for what that is worth.

 

[superjohn]

Yeah he's a UConn grad and was a team manager while he was there

He's my favorite guy in recruiting, it's cool he's a UConn guy and runs 247.

 

[MDeL04]

I don't think anyone is down on Newton. I think the team will largely function like last year where we have two guys that divy up the majority of minutes at that role, which was hugely important last year in keeping Cole reasonably fresh with his minutes load. I just think any suggestion that Jackson plays PG gets some people really riled up and overshadows any discussion of Newton.

Hugely...is that the same as Bigly?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Hugely...is that the same as Bigly?

Can't tell if you're serious or not.... that is a real word.

 

[Get a Job]

Hugely...is that the same as Bigly?

It's the same, only biglier!

 

[superjohn]

I think we'll really get to see his coaching this season. It's the most talented group of players (all his) he's had here and with the most positional versatility. The ceiling is the highest it's been but there's also maybe more questions than there's been in the past couple of seasons.

 

[CL82]

It just scares me when I hear the coaches are playing players where they think they'll have to play in the pros

Keep in mind that you aren’t hearing that from the coaches. That was Boneyard‘s speculation. Like you do, I’m sure, I remember the Kevin Freeman at the three experiment. Calhoun pulled the plug on that pretty quickly, and I expect that Hurley would as well.

I can’t speak for the coaching staff, but I can’t see Dan Hurley sacrificing games in order to “tryout“ players in their supposed NBA positions. If Hurley is playing someone at a certain position, it’s because he thinks that gives us the best opportunity to win. Just my opinion.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What happens if that recipe leads to losing?

It won't. He's going to let Sanogo handle the ball and attack off the dribble, and take 3's. Because Adama has to show that. But it won't be most of what he does. He has to let Andre show his PG skills. Not full time, but scouts need to see enough to project him. Hawk has to show what he needs to show, but we aren't worried about it because it's what we need. Newton was talked about for the NBA too, so yeah, he's got to show his skills as well. What Andre really needs is to show his ball handling and passing is more controlled, better game and situational awareness, so we can expect he will focus on that.

It's not new. Calhoun did it and let Freeman go outside as a senior when it wasn't really what the team needed from him.

 

[superjohn]

It won't. He's going to let Sanogo handle the ball and attack off the dribble, and take 3's. Because Adama has to show that. But it won't be most of what he does. He has to let Andre show his PG skills. Not full time, but scouts need to see enough to project him. Hawk has to show what he needs to show, but we aren't worried about it because it's what we need. Newton was talked about for the NBA too, so yeah, he's got to show his skills as well. What Andre really needs is to show his ball handling and passing is more controlled, better game and situational awareness, so we can expect he will focus on that.

It's not new. Calhoun did it and let Freeman go outside as a senior when it wasn't really what the team needed from him.

I'm aware, it was terrible for the team and for Freeman. The NBA auditioning/having players do what they're not best at has rarely ever worked out for the team or the player here.

We have no idea if it will lead to losses or wins until we play the games. We also have no idea if Hurley is really going to let them play this way. I'm highly skeptical we'll see a lot of Sanogo handling the ball, taking guys off the dribble, and shooting threes.

 

[REB1094]

It's a fine line that needs to be walked. Putting your current players in the best position to be drafted and successful in the NBA has an important knock-on effect in recruiting. That being said, I'm sure Hurley isn't going to be running constant set plays for Adama to jack up threes. My guess is we see some pick and pops mixed in to try to keep teams honest but it's not like he's going to camp out on the perimeter like Whaley did at times. If he doesn't hit his threes, I think that experiment ends real quick.

I like this point. I even think it’ll be less pick and pop, and more starting the offense by swinging it to the big at the perimeter while the Gs and Fs run off ball to get open. Kind of like what Whaley did a lot last year.

And if the defense plays Sanogo in the paint in that situation (like they did Whaley), let it fly. Even if he shoots like 33%, that’s enough for defenses to have to respect it. That opens up the paint for everyone else, or even gives him a chance to put it on the floor which he seemed somewhat comfortable at within 15 feet.

So like you said, very few set plays. I imagine most of his offense will come through the flow of the offense

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm aware, it was terrible for the team and for Freeman. The NBA auditioning/having players do what they're not best at has rarely ever worked out for the team or the player here.

We have no idea if it will lead to losses or wins until we play the games. We also have no idea if Hurley is really going to let them play this way. I'm highly skeptical we'll see a lot of Sanogo handling the ball, taking guys off the dribble, and shooting threes.

I certainly don't think we will see "a lot" of it. Just some. But we saw quite a bit of Andre as a "facilitator" last season, and I expect that will be similar. Newton can be a more effective scoring guard than Andre, so it makes sense, but I expect it to be pretty fluid.

In any event, it's all exciting stuff that makes the upcoming season so very interesting. There's intrigue, high hopes, expected surprises, excitement, unanswered questions. It'll be better than GoT.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The goal is Jason Kidd.

Yes, the goal is a top-10 recruit, McD's AA, first team AA in college, top5 NBA draft pick and a top five all-time NBA assist leader, top five all-time NBA steals, top fifteen all-time NBA 3 pointers made.

WTF?? Seriously. Every college program every year would give their' #1 assistants left nut to have Jason Kidd be their PG.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I think people have concerns because we had a first team Big East full time point guard/floor general last year and people expected Newton to take over that role when he transferred here. It's become pretty clear he won't be taking over that role and instead will be a piece with Jackson taking over point guard duties. I think most of us aren't sold on Jackson being the point guard/game manager until we actually see it.

I wouldn't say down so much on Newton but the tea leaves are pointing to him not being what many may have expected.

This will piss off the snowflakes and you can tell by the reactions to this...Newton can't have a worse NCAA winning percentage than Cole. A team led by Cole and Martin was destined to die on a vine and they did. Both of them played to the best of their ability and drew out the best qualities of their teammates. And all of that led to two consecutive first round defeats to worse seeded teams.

 

[Palatine]

Yes, the goal is a top-10 recruit, McD's AA, first team AA in college, top5 NBA draft pick and a top five all-time NBA assist leader, top five all-time NBA steals, top fifteen all-time NBA 3 pointers made.

WTF?? Seriously. Every college program every year would give their' #1 assistants left nut to have Jason Kidd be their PG.

That's what makes it the goal.

Just as the team goal is the national championship just like every other coach and team.

 

[runner11]

I don’t see a path towards being a high level PG without any ability to penetrate. Can he run pick and roll at all? This was a staple for RJ. I don’t even know if he has a bad handle or an inability to drive or if this hasn’t been his role. I think he will be excellent regardless. He could bring the ball up and set things up, sure, but our offense is more open ended and it’s not like we are going to regularly scheming open looks.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I'm aware, it was terrible for the team and for Freeman. The NBA auditioning/having players do what they're not best at has rarely ever worked out for the team or the player here.

We have no idea if it will lead to losses or wins until we play the games. We also have no idea if Hurley is really going to let them play this way. I'm highly skeptical we'll see a lot of Sanogo handling the ball, taking guys off the dribble, and shooting threes.

I’m with you on Andre Jackson at PG. I don’t think there’s ever been a successful “make this guy a PG” experiment in college or the pros. Maybe Russell Westbrook? But even then he just was a 2G and his actual PG skills get called into question often.

Trying to make Andre Jackson a PG would be doing a huge disservice to his pro prospects imo. My comp for him has always been Andre Iguodala and he needs to work on being aggressive and a scorer more than anything else. Just because you can make good passes doesn’t make you a PG. Ask the Bucks and Giannas how that worked out.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The poster you're responding to must be blocked by a mod for me. Really curious how Jason Kidd was brought up in this thread?

Here you go. No context or nuance needed. Just a mindless comparison.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That's what makes it the goal.

Just as the team goal is the national championship just like every other coach and team.

Out of morbid curiosity, I'd love to know how Jason Kidd performed in the NCAA tournament? My spider senses are telling me his record of leading a team to deep NCAAT success is thinner than a beautifully sliced piece of prosciutto.

 

[superjohn]

Here you go. No context or nuance needed. Just a mindless comparison.

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The goal is to be one of the greatest point guards to ever pick up a basketball, haha. Jordan Hawkins goal is to lose the Hawkins and just be Jordan I guess.