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The Andre Jackson Conundrum
Podcast Episode · Top Dogs: A UConn Basketball Podcast · February 1, 2023 · 31m
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Top Dogs Podcast: The Andre Jackson Conundrum
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Feel similar. Team needs Andre to get back to that killer mentality. I do agree that having teams simply leave you wide open from 3 could do a number on you psychologically, especially if you aren't a great shooter. I get what Hurley is doing, keeping Andre out there despite poor play. Trying to get his confidence back in games against DePaul or Gtown so that he's back to form against Marquette. We need him to be the best form UConn can be.
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I know Andre is a captain, but it's hard to ignore that he came off the bench for one of our most successful stretches of the season. We all know that he has untapped potential, but I think he's just putting himself under too much pressure right now. Hurley seems to be subbing him out a little more quickly, so hopefully he can improve his efficiency again with a few less minutes
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How long does Dan Hurley keep AJ on the court despite his poor play, hope in that he will figure it out? It’s been weeks now. Can’t wait for the entire rest of the season for it to click for him if it’s putting the team in harm’s way.
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He's one of our best players even though he's so limited on offense. He's the type of guy who has a long leash because you trust him to figure it out. It's entirely mental with him, gotta let him play through it now so he's ready in a month
D
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Hopefully Andre figures it out at some point this season, but regardless he needs to use the lessons from this season as fuel to come back a much better all around offensive player for next year.
The talent and work ethic is there.
The talent and work ethic is there.
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You say it’s mental but other than breakaway dunks what has he ever done well offensively? He’s not adept at going to the hoop which is astonishing considering his athletic ability. Nor has he ever been a plus 3 pt shooter. He’s a good passer, defender, effort and rebounder…. That’s glue guy stuff
are we better off with him coming off the bench? Less pressure and more ability to attack the other teams subs? It worked at PK85.
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The problem is he's not even willing or able to attempt a layup. He got 2 feet from the rim and fired a bullet right off of Clingan's hands instead of going up and either making the layup, getting fouled, or giving Clingan an easy putback.
Really hard to win with a guy like that. See: Ben Simmons.
Really hard to win with a guy like that. See: Ben Simmons.
I'm really not sure he is. His lack of shooting means we're always playing 4 v 5 on offense, and his passing and rebounding aren't good enough to make up for that. He has been far from the defensive player he was at the beginning of the season. The bonehead turnovers and technical fouls need to stop too.
I think Dan Hurley needs to put him on the bench for awhile and build him back up. He needs to be able to either shoot the janky threes or go to the rim on offense at least a few times a game to keep the defense honest, and he needs to move his feet better on defense rather than relying on his athleticism to bail him out with shotblocking.
Jackson needs to spend the entire offseason doing nothing but working on his shot. I assume that's what he did last summer as well but it doesn't look like it paid off. Break the whole thing down and rebuild.
He's a good kid, a good leader and seems like a hardworker. I would have him finish the year as the ultimate glue guy off the bench and fix him this offseason.
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I was able to chat with Dan earlier in the season when I spoke to the team in Gainesville.
He couldn’t stop talking about what Andre Jackson means to this team OFF the court.
He’s fearless. Guys respect the heck out of him, he’s changed the culture of the team and he’s an extension of the standards the coaches seek.
He’s beyond the glue guy. He’s the foundation of this team.
Andre will be there for this group when it matters most
He couldn’t stop talking about what Andre Jackson means to this team OFF the court.
He’s fearless. Guys respect the heck out of him, he’s changed the culture of the team and he’s an extension of the standards the coaches seek.
He’s beyond the glue guy. He’s the foundation of this team.
Andre will be there for this group when it matters most
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I think in the pre-season prediction threads I said that andre would average 10ppg. I wasn't delusional that he would become a great shooter but I thought he would be able to get to the rim. I can't figure out why he freezes up when he drives and can't be in control on layups or at least get fouled. It has to be mental. I know he has worked very hard on everything we are mentioning.
Thanks for providing this insight!!
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His value to this team doesn’t and has never come from scoring. When he’s being Andre, he is legitimately the best on-ball defender in college basketball. That’s where his value is. He has the ability to completely blanket a teams best player so we are effectively playing a 4v4 game lol. The problem since the first Xavier game is that his struggles on offense have carried over to the defensive side. It’s mental.
There's a reason why analytical sites like EvanMiya have him rated as one of the top 10 best players in the entire country, even without his scoring ability
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100% agree. His mentality has gotten in the way of him doing the things we applauded him for in the beginning of the year: the non -scoring stuff. It’s got to be mental. You can’t do something for 14 games… and then somehow your body forgets?. It’s head. All the way
McLovin
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For sure, and while it’s true that it’s like 4 on 4 when he takes away the opposing teams best scorer, they don’t afford him the same attention so we are playing offense 4 on 5.
I don’t think he needs to be limited or benched like some on this board have suggested. Hurley just needs to get creative and figure out how to make him an offensive threat. Even if he’s not a scorer, he needs to keep the D honest. Clearly that’s not at the 3 point line…
Wether its driving, playing in the post, at the foul line, whatever. I hope they come up with like 5 different plays they can run for him to get easy buckets (probably at the rim or drawing fouls).
Thx for the info…but I don’t follow the stats so no idea how they do their calculations. Just going by what I see.
How do they decide what is a good defender? But I would guess that if u did that calculation for the past 5 games he’s not on it.
So u are saying you’re a top 10 player as long as u play good d but are a liability on O? Even if u can’t hit a 3 ft shot? That doesn’t make sense to me, but again I don’t do analytics
As an example, on Jax’s pass to DC under the hoop I’m guessing those sites give DC a turnover, but Jax’s fear of the hoop was the cause. He should have Never Made that pass but should have tried to score
Or the opposing coaches have changed how they play him since they KNOW he isn’t an offensive threat. They see the games too. I don’t recall them playing off him like this in his early games.
He's thinking too much. He's thinking pass first and when the pass isn't there as he gets into the lane he options to shooting it but at that point he's in an awkward position, his timing is off or he's at a weird distance/angle from the basket. He's like the inverse of a lot of score first guys when they get in the lane, go up, think they're getting their shot blocked and do the little side dump off pass that is inevitably a turnover.
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Who of the people who have written posts 2-13 has LISTENED to this podcast?The Andre Jackson Conundrum
Podcast Episode · Top Dogs: A UConn Basketball Podcast · February 1, 2023 · 31m
If you haven't please do. And allow it to be helpful.
It's informed and impassioned and a very good framing of yet another (and essential) "growing edge" for Dan Hurley, Andre Jackson, and the Boneyard MBB community.
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@Hans Sprungfeld good point. I am guilty of just yapping out of context here as well.
I need to listen to a podcast to tell me that he can't shoot? To explain what I'm seeing with my own eyes? There's no one attacking AJax personally in any of these posts, everyone is calling him a good kid and hard worker, and some of us just want to post about him as a player without listening to the whole thing.
August_West
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Whelp because he shot a point blank layup off the backboard and off the other side of the basket in the first half. Not even close to touching iron.
I really feel bad for the kid right now. He gives it his all and he is such a competitor. He is in a real rough spot right now. He's shook. You can see him "thinking" on the court right now when he is in scoring positions with the ball. Thinking is never a good thing. So many people have been in his ear about the ways that he can attack ("keep em honest with the three, andre" , "wait. no, you need to take it to the rack with your athleticism" "no scratch that, you need a pull up game") the kid doesnt know which end is up. It has affected his Defense greatly in turn.
He is our swagger, and he looks defeated at times now. It hurts to see on a personal level.
He really needs to get back to what he does well, keep it "small" and take care of the things he can, like limiting turnovers, hitting the glass, D'ing up without fouling, and being solid with his passing choices, and get some swag back. We need him.
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Yup, needs to move more towards the rim without the ball. In the Seton Hall game they got so many baskets by guys just cutting to the rim when their defender left them. Whether they got a pass, offensive rebound, or anything. This needs to be the main part of his game. Especially if a guy is straight up not paying attention to him on defense.
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I did, that's why I said I agreed with Rob's take and that he needs to be Andre efen Jackson
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It has to wear on him that they’re leaving him open for threes, still take the 3-point shot if the situation calls for it. Love Action Jackson, just wish he would drive to the hoop more and dunk the ball or lay it in off the backboard. Needs to score a bit more while still being a facilitator.
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Both Sanogo and Clingan do well with finishing while cutting to the hoop.
I agree that having Andre hang around the perimeter is not effective, but wherever he goes it should be transitory and he should be ready to make more than one play from each location.
For example, flash to the foul line, receive a pass but then be ready to shoot the jumper, make a pass down low or make a pass back out. If the defender gives him the shot at the foul line, he has a good chance of making the shot but even if he does not, the big player down low has a good shot at the rebound.
If Andre flashes to the dunking position on the baseline and the defender ignores him then he is in position to get an alley-oop. If the defender stays somewhat close to him, then he could still receive a pass and then pass to the cutting big going to the hoop.
The worst manifestation of Andre's angst last night was when the wheels were falling off, DePaul was draining every shot, we were ice cold, the lead went down to single digits and then Andre drives right into the defender and rightfully gets called for the charge. If he took one dribble to take up a bit of space and shoots a 12-foot bank shot there, he very well could have made the shot, but Clingan was also right there for the rebound or tip.
He doesn't need to look smooth on offense, just be a bit more effective (facilitate for others without attempting highlight reel passes and make simple plays for himself).
I agree that having Andre hang around the perimeter is not effective, but wherever he goes it should be transitory and he should be ready to make more than one play from each location.
For example, flash to the foul line, receive a pass but then be ready to shoot the jumper, make a pass down low or make a pass back out. If the defender gives him the shot at the foul line, he has a good chance of making the shot but even if he does not, the big player down low has a good shot at the rebound.
If Andre flashes to the dunking position on the baseline and the defender ignores him then he is in position to get an alley-oop. If the defender stays somewhat close to him, then he could still receive a pass and then pass to the cutting big going to the hoop.
The worst manifestation of Andre's angst last night was when the wheels were falling off, DePaul was draining every shot, we were ice cold, the lead went down to single digits and then Andre drives right into the defender and rightfully gets called for the charge. If he took one dribble to take up a bit of space and shoots a 12-foot bank shot there, he very well could have made the shot, but Clingan was also right there for the rebound or tip.
He doesn't need to look smooth on offense, just be a bit more effective (facilitate for others without attempting highlight reel passes and make simple plays for himself).
Wow, what a great podcast episode. I just listened to 30 minutes about where UConn is that I totally 100% agree with. That is not easy. I really suggest people give it a listen. He touched on two topics that I agree are the main keys for this team to be successful.
To me, even more than the Jackson part, the first part was about Newton. I believe the single most important thing that will determine how far this team goes is the play of Newton. This team needs a PG that is a THREAT to get to the rim. If he can make some threes that's a great bonus, but we need a PG that defenses have to worry about stopping. A great point he made was that lately Newton has gotten to line a LOT. In our first four losses, he was 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-2 from the line. In the last 4 games, he's 28-31 from the line. Diarra and Alleyne CAN'T do what Newton can do. They are not options in large doses for a top team. When Newton is playing well, he makes the game easier for everyone on the team. He doesn't need to score 20, but he needs to be the guy that's going to burn teams in the lane if they don't stop him.
His second main point was Jackson. His main point was that Jackson's struggles on the offensive end and having teams not guard him is messing with him mentally, and affecting the rest of his game. I completely agree. Andre Jackson does not need to score much for this team to be successful. We just need him to be "Andre Jackson" His confidence is shot right now. Hurley has two choices, 1) Try to work with him and fix him, and 2) bench him a lot more. These two things are necessarily mutually exclusive. Just benching him however can't be an option. The team needs his defense that he can play and all the other intangibles he brings. Imagine the pressure the poor kid must be feeling. He's supposed to be an NBA player and teams are not guarding him. Hurley needs to figure out a way to use him offensively that includes less of him having the ball on the perimeter. I think they will figure it out, and he'll be back.
One last great point he made was that it was nice to see them try the two bigs at once. It will be nice for the team to have that in it's arsenal. I don't think it will work in long stretches and in many matchups, but it's good for it to be a threat in the right condition.
Great job Rob!
To me, even more than the Jackson part, the first part was about Newton. I believe the single most important thing that will determine how far this team goes is the play of Newton. This team needs a PG that is a THREAT to get to the rim. If he can make some threes that's a great bonus, but we need a PG that defenses have to worry about stopping. A great point he made was that lately Newton has gotten to line a LOT. In our first four losses, he was 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 0-2 from the line. In the last 4 games, he's 28-31 from the line. Diarra and Alleyne CAN'T do what Newton can do. They are not options in large doses for a top team. When Newton is playing well, he makes the game easier for everyone on the team. He doesn't need to score 20, but he needs to be the guy that's going to burn teams in the lane if they don't stop him.
His second main point was Jackson. His main point was that Jackson's struggles on the offensive end and having teams not guard him is messing with him mentally, and affecting the rest of his game. I completely agree. Andre Jackson does not need to score much for this team to be successful. We just need him to be "Andre Jackson" His confidence is shot right now. Hurley has two choices, 1) Try to work with him and fix him, and 2) bench him a lot more. These two things are necessarily mutually exclusive. Just benching him however can't be an option. The team needs his defense that he can play and all the other intangibles he brings. Imagine the pressure the poor kid must be feeling. He's supposed to be an NBA player and teams are not guarding him. Hurley needs to figure out a way to use him offensively that includes less of him having the ball on the perimeter. I think they will figure it out, and he'll be back.
One last great point he made was that it was nice to see them try the two bigs at once. It will be nice for the team to have that in it's arsenal. I don't think it will work in long stretches and in many matchups, but it's good for it to be a threat in the right condition.
Great job Rob!
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He had 8 rebounds and 4 assists last night, he still provides a lot of value despite being a poor offensive player. At the event last week he said he was going to start going to the hole more. The problem is he charges often when he does that. I still think the staff needs to get him more easy baskets down low with alley oops and post ups.
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In the undefeated stretch we were all applauding him for doing all the other non-scoring things that were helping us win. We didn’t care that he wasn’t scoring because we were winning with him being the ultimate role player. We’ve lost that guy, partly due to criticism like the above, coming from every which way. I do suggest you listen to the podcast. Also drop the expectation that he was or is supposed to be a big time shooting threat.
I'll take a listen.
That said, I don't think anyone realistically had an expectation that he was going to be a big time shooting threat, but it's undeniable that he's a liability on offense now. When the team was firing on all cylinders it's true that he had a huge part in that with his passing and his defense, but now that teams know exactly what his offensive game is he's too predictable on offense and his defense has declined considerably. I'm sure, as you allude to the podcast suggesting, that his and the team's recent struggles have affected his game negatively, and I hope he can turn it around and return to being the ultimate role player that he was earlier in the year.
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