UConnHuskies.com: Hurley Era begins with summer practices

[tcf15]

Men's Basketball Summer Practice Arrives With A Rush
The NCAA did UConn a favor when it changed the summer practice rules to raise the allowable hours of practice to four per week, along with four of conditioning, for eight weeks. With a new coaching staff, the Huskies can use all the hours on the court they can get.

Hurley makes sure they don’t waste a minute of it.

His practices are perpetual motion. Everyone is constantly on the run – coaches, players, managers, staff. Everyone is engaged. One drill leads directly to the next drill, explained on the move, adjustments made on the move, corrections made on the move. Two balls moving at once, three, maybe four. Bigs on one end of the court, littles on the other, then the whole group together. There’s no stopping. The players have no choice but to be focused in and paying attention. Things are moving so fast that it comes down to paying attention or be left behind. And everything is a competition.

 

[Son of Robert]

Awesome!

 

[UofCT]

Isn't that how practices are ran? What in the world was going on the past few years?

 

[gampelcrazies]

I don't think I have ever seen an article like this from UConnHuskies.com. Hope we get more

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

So much better than throwing a bag of balls in the middle of the court and tindering Glastonbury 25-35 females.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So much better than throwing a bag of balls in the middle of the court and tindering Glastonbury 25-35 females.

Fresh. Original. Begging for likes.

 

[Stainmaster]

Fresh. Original. Begging for likes.

He could’ve at least gotten the age range right.

 

[champs99and04]

Motion is important. The fact that the staff has emphasized it is encouraging because stagnancy was the primary undoing of our design in recent years (even in 2014 when it worked, there was a lot of dribbling) on both sides of the floor.

I never doubted Ollie's basketball acument. I did doubt his ability to implement a culture of spontaneous, contagious player movement. Our players lacked fundamental improvisational skills in comparison to teams that had their way with us, SMU perhaps being the best example.

While I liked the sets Ollie did draw up, this is the sort of instructional - move ball, move self - that prepares players to sustain high level play.

 

[WrenchFan69]

So much better than throwing a bag of balls in the middle of the court and tindering Glastonbury 25-35 females.

25? Little high lol

 

[Guapo]

I saw @tcf15 and saw the link and originally thought UConn Husky games was starting to publish articles.

Nonetheless, good stuff!

 

[UConnFranklin]

Isn't that how practices are ran? What in the world was going on the past few years?

I attended a number of practices in the last few years and I was not impressed. There was a lot of standing around by most of the team while a few of the players went through some offensive or defensive schemes. It just seemed like in the past there was no urgency to improve.

I am certainly glad to hear of the positive change to the practices.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Fresh. Original. Begging for likes.

And they just keep coming!

 

[Chief00]

Men's Basketball Summer Practice Arrives With A Rush
The NCAA did UConn a favor when it changed the summer practice rules to raise the allowable hours of practice to four per week, along with four of conditioning, for eight weeks. With a new coaching staff, the Huskies can use all the hours on the court they can get.

Hurley makes sure they don’t waste a minute of it.

His practices are perpetual motion. Everyone is constantly on the run – coaches, players, managers, staff. Everyone is engaged. One drill leads directly to the next drill, explained on the move, adjustments made on the move, corrections made on the move. Two balls moving at once, three, maybe four. Bigs on one end of the court, littles on the other, then the whole group together. There’s no stopping. The players have no choice but to be focused in and paying attention. Things are moving so fast that it comes down to paying attention or be left behind. And everything is a competition.

Everything is NYC speed

 

[Chief00]

Motion is important. The fact that the staff has emphasized it is encouraging because stagnancy was the primary undoing of our design in recent years (even in 2014 when it worked, there was a lot of dribbling) on both sides of the floor.

I never doubted Ollie's basketball acument. I did doubt his ability to implement a culture of spontaneous, contagious player movement. Our players lacked fundamental improvisational skills in comparison to teams that had their way with us, SMU perhaps being the best example.

While I liked the sets Ollie did draw up, this is the sort of instructional - move ball, move self - that prepares players to sustain high level play.

I hope we have out of bounds plays this season rather than just throwing the ball to half court.

 

[Chief00]

So much better than throwing a bag of balls in the middle of the court and tindering Glastonbury 25-35 females.

Maybe Chief is not the only one who needs a gag order? LOL

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

“Man, it’s intense, but it’s a good intensity,” guard Christian Vital said. “When practice ends, you feel like you accomplished something.”

Novel concept; accomplishing something in practice?

 

[ScottBonz]

And they just keep coming!

I didn’t want to like it...but I did.

 

[CL82]

I attended a number of practices in the last few years and I was not impressed. There was a lot of standing around by most of the team while a few of the players went through some offensive or defensive schemes. It just seemed like in the past there was no urgency to improve.

I am certainly glad to hear of the positive change to the practices.

My kid's HS coach held an open practice at the start of the season and that is exactly what it was like. I asked my kid whether it was always like that and the answer was 'yep.' The team did pretty well on talent but eventually even that couldn't support it. The coach got out Dodge before the hammer fell.

Tough believe that happens at high major college level but if that was the case, and I believe you, then my expectations for this season just moved up a few notches.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

I hope we have out of bounds plays this season rather than just throwing the ball to half court.

Our ATOs were truly remarkable this past season.

 

[Huskyforlife]

“Man, it’s intense, but it’s a good intensity,” guard Christian Vital said. “When practice ends, you feel like you accomplished something.”

Novel concept; accomplishing something in practice?

That quote says a lot to me...

 

[MadDogRevival]

Would love to find out what the primary reason was for the transfers and de-commits, given the obvious perception of difference being voiced by our young men.

Was it as simple as several guys concluded that KO didn't have the chops to develop a program or players? If so, how much of that was due to KO having a buddy approach to the kids, rather than loving but demanding?

Remember our practices in HS. Coach had no idea what he was doing and it was obvious to everybody. Practices were 30 minutes of non-arduous drills followed by scrimmaging with half the guys watching. Didn't win until he had the best talent in the state by a good margin.

 

[B1GEast]

I just want to see the small forward take it to the hole.

That's been missing from our game.

Letting guys create their own shot.

 

[Buffett10]

So much better than throwing a bag of balls in the middle of the court and tindering Glastonbury 25-35 females.

More like 43 and she's a smokeshow lol