UConn’s Australian recruit Jacob Furphy on his basketball IQ, chats with Dan Hurley and kangaroos

[Mister P]

https://www.nhregister.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/recruit-australia-jacob-furphy-dan-hurley-20267944.php

Good article. Talks about his international play and the maturity in his game with the understanding that there will be an adjustment period for him. Sounds like the staff is expecting immediate contributions from him. Furphy thinks he’s a Cam Spencer comp.

"I think he's got a really advanced feel for the game," Murray continued. "He can really shoot, he can really pass. He makes the game easy for his teammates, he's got no ego about the way that he plays. He's tough, he's competitive, he's all about winning."
into?
"I think he's just kind of out there," Murray said. "He can play four, three, two, a little bit of one. He just kind of connects the other four guys on the court, and plays with no ego about him”

 

[boog204]

Think he's going to play more than people think. He's got an understanding of the game that's next level. Also, and I know the competition is questionable, his shooting #'s have been ridiculous.

 

[jibsey]

He sounds somewhat like a version of Karaban? Would that be a comparison?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

What our offense sorely lacked last season with a bigger guard/wing secondary distributor. It was Andre Jackson in 2023, and Stephon Castle in 2024.

Furphy has the potential to be that guy in 2025. At times, Adams could be that guy too.

 

[UConnSwag11]

He sounds somewhat like a version of Karaban? Would that be a comparison?

This below

What our offense sorely lacked last season with a bigger guard/wing secondary distributor. It was Andre Jackson in 2023, and Stephon Castle in 2024.

Furphy has the potential to be that guy in 2025. At times, Adams could be that guy too.

 

[boog204]

He sounds somewhat like a version of Karaban? Would that be a comparison?

Murray said Cam... I'll take it.

 

[auror]

This is one of Borges' better articles.

I would describe his position as "Combo Wing".

 

[Jaydumo20]

Think he's going to play more than people think. He's got an understanding of the game that's next level. Also, and I know the competition is questionable, his shooting #'s have been ridiculous.

I already have the feeling that there will be a ton of variance in our predictions from him on here. A Freshman from Australia, playing incomparable competition, with high IQ, a good shot and an acclimation process? The perfect recipe for a BY Gong Show

 

[husky429]

I don't know if he's good enough to play. I do know there's always SOMEONE who is too good not to see the floor no matter what the roster looks like. I wouldn't be surprised if Furphy is that guy for us and every minutes projection we've seen on here is thrown into array.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Well, it's just a matter of time before this becomes my avatar

 

[Chin Diesel]

The "read the game" is what excited me the most.

What frustrated me the most about last year's team was how often players would catch a pass, collect themselves, and then look for the next thing to do. The ball got sticky and didn't move quickly. Defenses had time to adjust and reset.

So, if Furphy is reading the game and anticipating, and is good with the "hockey assist", he's getting a bunch of minutes.

And reading the game applies to defense. Knowing how to hedge or move to cut off potential passing lanes or back cuts matters.

 

[AllHusky]

Yeah Chin,

You could practically see the wheels turning as they deliberated over the better action. pass to who? drive to hoop? take a shot? Those fractions of a second delay were like compound interest on many trips down the floor resulting in a poor choice at the end of the possession. Compound that with inconsistent shooting % when open, and we got what we got. Florida game saw alot of improvement in offensive play(D was great too), but couldn't hit open shots.

 

[boog204]

The "read the game" is what excited me the most.

What frustrated me the most about last year's team was how often players would catch a pass, collect themselves, and then look for the next thing to do. The ball got sticky and didn't move quickly. Defenses had time to adjust and reset.

So, if Furphy is reading the game and anticipating, and is good with the "hockey assist", he's getting a bunch of minutes.

And reading the game applies to defense. Knowing how to hedge or move to cut off potential passing lanes or back cuts matters.

I wonder how much of this was becoming "robotic," as Hurley called it, in adhering to the system. We didn't necessarily have the talent, but we had a bunch of guys who wouldn't even consider putting the ball on the floor to improvise.

 

[NickDanger]

It’s really crazy that he’s able to chat with kangaroos!

 

[HuskyFich]

I have a feeling he is going to be a magician on the court. Ultimate glue guy that can get whatever he wants, but chooses to be a pass first player.

I’m all in for the tall, ball handling international guards. To quote Bruce Lee, they “move like water, my friend.”

 

[auror]

As the article notes, he did look noticeably skinnier in the NBL1 highlights I saw compared to previous year. But he has to add muscle now.

 

[Umami Zen]

The "read the game" is what excited me the most.

What frustrated me the most about last year's team was how often players would catch a pass, collect themselves, and then look for the next thing to do. The ball got sticky and didn't move quickly. Defenses had time to adjust and reset.

So, if Furphy is reading the game and anticipating, and is good with the "hockey assist", he's getting a bunch of minutes.

And reading the game applies to defense. Knowing how to hedge or move to cut off potential passing lanes or back cuts matters.

As Gretzky would say. Be where the puck is gonna be-Not where it has been. Can see Furphy's BBIQ making up for any deficiencies he might have. A taller version of Cam-Just a lefty. Works for me.

 

[boog204]

It’s really crazy that he’s able to chat with kangaroos!

The Oxford comma is important....

 

[CardiacAndre7]

He sounds somewhat like a version of Karaban? Would that be a comparison?

More creative than AK with the ball, as he has played on ball a lot more. AK is mostly a straight line driver, Furphy has some wiggle and is very creative in the lane. Definitely closer to Cam.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I hope his game translates quickly because like Newton, there is a ton of value in letting Demary run off-ball at times. Being able to do that is all predicated on having a secondary playmaker on the court and while we’ve had a few guys show flashes at times, we don’t have any returners that have done that consistently. If Furphy can bring that to the table, he’s going to play.

 

[Lafayette]

He has played a lot of different levels in Australia, U17, U19, their equiv of our NBA G-league, and their national team. 5th cousin with Johnny Furphy.

 

[80shusky]

I've seen some clips of him and I understand they don't really mean anything about projecting his ability against college players. That said, and I'm not remotely an expert on this, he just looks like he'd be a good college player. Anyway, at least he has size and can shoot.

 

[3rdbass]

I hope his game translates quickly because like Newton, there is a ton of value in letting Demary run off-ball at times. Being able to do that is all predicated on having a secondary playmaker on the court and while we’ve had a few guys show flashes at times, we don’t have any returners that have done that consistently. If further can bring that to the table, he’s going to play.

I agree I think he will have a bigger impact on being an almost backup Point guard or an extra ball handler like Castle or Cam we had in 23-24 who could create. That is why if we get a true backup PG I don’t see where Darius Adams will get any minutes.

 

[temery]

He sounds somewhat like a version of Karaban? Would that be a comparison?

Furphy is from Australia, so he likely has better hops.

 

[Slim Marlo]

Anybody got an alt link so I can read the article