Villanova= New Uconn

[Buffett10]

So many people on here bitching about no front court depth. A little college south of us that was used to wipe the floor with Villanova, has almost ALWAYS played 4 guards at same time. Even the years they won the tourney they had 1 or 2 bigs. You guys are putting way to much into having bigs. Yes I WANT bigs. But there is also ways you can change playing based on your roster. Being a smaller team we WILL get outrebounded. But in my eyes being a smaller team has advantages. Fast breaks, Getting to loose balls faster, Full court pressure, better ball handling, better 3pt shooting with more guys able to make them, Foul shooting should be much better with smaller guys, better passing. There is more pro's then cons with a smaller team in my opinion. Teams like Memphis ill gurantee you foul and put them at the line they wont shoot a good percentage. Lets get back to the early Calhoun days and full court press and run fast breaks all day long. Yes they can post us up and grab offensive and defensive rebounds. But being a smaller team just tip the ball out like UCF did very well against Duke. Let your speed go and grab the loose balls. Look at the NBA its becoming 4 guards/small forwards and 1 center. We will be ok this year. Team just needs to show heart and hustle. Carlton and Akok are more then enough to win upfront with a loaded back court. GO HUSKIES!

 

[Hoophound]

The press is over with except against select opponents in select situations. Ball handling is too good these days. That’s why nobody does it anymore.

Yes, there are benefits to a smaller lineup but you need the players to make it work. You need athletic, in your face defenders that can shoot the lights out. They can be a little on the short side, but they need to make up for it with speed, strength and skill.

Regardless, you still need bigs. Nova has had skilled big men. They might not be 7 footers, but they are strong, “tall enough” and very skilled.

So, to sum it all up, you need talent all over the floor. Nova has had that. We are working on it. We can’t just say “We are small, so let’s just play like Nova”. You need to have the talent to do it. No one is rejecting any solid big. I am sure I speak for everyone her when I say that a 6’8”-6’9” guy with skills and some serious beef is every bit or more as welcome as a 6’11” project.

 

[upstater]

Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall were/are big dudes. And don't forget that Spellman was really into UConn when he was recruited. Spellman is exactly the kind of big UConn needed but lost in those years. I'm not saying he was a great player, but he was a big guy who took up space and could rebound.

 

[mauconnfan]

Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall were/are big dudes. And don't forget that Spellman was really into UConn when he was recruited. Spellman is exactly the kind of big UConn needed but lost in those years. I'm not saying he was a great player, but he was a big guy who took up space and could rebound.

Agree up and to top it off you had to guard both of them on the perimeter as they can make the 3. Very impactful 4s in the college game.

 

[UconnU]

There was really only one year that Nova played that 4 guard lineup significant amount of time 2006. But I agree you can win with a small lineup. Helps if the are gritty, bulky, strong, tough like Houston’s starting 5 this year. That’s not how our team is made up, unfortunately. We’re a finesse team.

 

[superjohn]

Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall were/are big dudes. And don't forget that Spellman was really into UConn when he was recruited. Spellman is exactly the kind of big UConn needed but lost in those years. I'm not saying he was a great player, but he was a big guy who took up space and could rebound.

Spellman gets 18 mpg in the NBA, he's pretty great. I would give my left nut for Spellman, Paschal, Ochefu right now. Nova is a strange example for the poster to bring up, their last title team they had an NBA center and 3 other NBA draft picks.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Another strange example is to mention to get back to the Calhoun structure. Calhoun always played a more traditional lineup with bigs that could bang down low to compliment the in your face on ball D from the guards.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

With that said I would love UConn to get back to their old success or the level of success Jay Wright is enjoying at Nova.

 

[UconnU]

Another strange example is to mention to get back to the Calhoun structure. Calhoun always played a more traditional lineup with bigs that could bang down low to compliment the in your face on ball D from the guards.

His last few years he evolved and started playing smaller lineups more often with 3 guards and/or a combo/stretch at the 4.

 

[ncteacher]

The old basketball adage: "Big fast guys will beat little fast guys."

 

[olehead]

Well, you would hope most coaches establish an offensive and defensive framework bent towards team talent. This is the ideal scenario for maximizing the ability of the individual and team. And players tend to get this as well, and are more likely to buy in.

 

[gtcam]

Nova's bigs are/have not been your typical big
Plus their guards either had size and could be 3s or were just plain feisty and built like a bulldog
Jay Wright recruits different than 99.5% of coaches and it works
Just don't get it why others don't look in that direction
There was always a feeling that Nova was built for the college game and very few of their players were NBA material but what the have produced in last 10 years has been outstanding

 

[UconnFanDC]

With the right type of experienced athletes, that can defend and run the right plays, we would not be having this conversation. We just haven't had things working on all cylinders over the last few years. I'm trying to be optimistic for our future

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

With that said I would love UConn to get back to their old success or the level of success Jay Wright is enjoying at Nova.

Have you even watched a Jay Wright practice? More specifically one over the last few years. Not the open practice in Hartford. Although even that was perfection. He is the best coach in the country right now. Not that close. Coaching really matters. Not a knock on Hurley. He will hopefully get there.

 

[husky429]

Have you even watched a Jay Wright practice? More specifically one over the last few years. Not the open practice in Hartford. Although even that was perfection. He is the best coach in the country right now. Not that close. Coaching really matters. Not a knock on Hurley. He will hopefully get there.

I've watched 3 or 4 and will echo this. His practices are unbelievably tight. Such a smart guy. The way he teaches skill is brilliant

 

[Robertelamin]

Have you even watched a Jay Wright practice? More specifically one over the last few years. Not the open practice in Hartford. Although even that was perfection. He is the best coach in the country right now. Not that close. Coaching really matters. Not a knock on Hurley. He will hopefully get there.

No but I saw them get absolutely curb stomped by Purdue in person at XL.

I’m not saying you’re wrong. It’s just funny you mentioned Hartford when they got humiliated there.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Have you even watched a Jay Wright practice? More specifically one over the last few years. Not the open practice in Hartford. Although even that was perfection. He is the best coach in the country right now. Not that close. Coaching really matters. Not a knock on Hurley. He will hopefully get there.

I have and I do agree. He definitely prepares his guys very well. Even his pregame shoot arounds are extremely well structured. Rather than watching a three point shooting or dunk contest his shoot arounds focus on plays that will run and shots that will be taken. Hurley has definitely done a good job changing how we prepare from the last regime, but there is still work to do and I think Hurley will continue to get the team to buy in and put the work in.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

There was really only one year that Nova played that 4 guard lineup significant amount of time 2006. But I agree you can win with a small lineup. Helps if the are gritty, bulky, strong, tough like Houston’s starting 5 this year. That’s not how our team is made up, unfortunately. We’re a finesse team.

Agreed. If it’s 4 guards they need to be in the 6’3”-6’5” 215 range not 6’0” 170

 

[Chief00]

The press is over with except against select opponents in select situations. Ball handling is too good these days. That’s why nobody does it anymore.

Yes, there are benefits to a smaller lineup but you need the players to make it work. You need athletic, in your face defenders that can shoot the lights out. They can be a little on the short side, but they need to make up for it with speed, strength and skill.

Regardless, you still need bigs. Nova has had skilled big men. They might not be 7 footers, but they are strong, “tall enough” and very skilled.

So, to sum it all up, you need talent all over the floor. Nova has had that. We are working on it. We can’t just say “We are small, so let’s just play like Nova”. You need to have the talent to do it. No one is rejecting any solid big. I am sure I speak for everyone her when I say that a 6’8”-6’9” guy with skills and some serious beef is every bit or more as welcome as a 6’11” project.

Agreed, you still need Bigs.

 

[Scrutiner]

I've watched 3 or 4 and will echo this. His practices are unbelievably tight. Such a smart guy. The way he teaches skill is brilliant

Would Geno also be someone Hurley might emulate?

 

[husky429]

Would Geno also be someone Hurley might emulate?

Elements of it, I suppose. Women's game is so different though. Physically and mentally

 

[Buffett10]

I never ONCE said not to recruit bigs. Im saying as our current lineup stands we lack bigs. So you need to adjust to having zero bigs depth. Obviously we need to recruit our asses off to get bigs. But its not looking like many more options for this year. So we need to adjust to not having many. Spellman/Paschal like I said they had 2 bigs. Sid is 6ft 7. Polley 6ft 8. That is some length then you add in Carlton and Akok. I like our team a lot this year. And whatever poster said that "pressing" is a dead issue becaue ball handling is much better. Uh watch some college games and tell me that ball handling is much better. Yeah there is some amazing handlers but most teams average 15 turnovers a game. I think we were probably close to 15 a game. Pressing speeds teams up and makes them think faster creating more turnovers. Heres the best example of a team we can be exactly like with our current roster. Auburn. Zero good player size outside of Wiley (who hasn't lived up to recruiting hype. Whos not that good.). Okeke, purifoy and Mclemore. 1 6ft 8 and the other 2 6ft 7. They played shut down turn over defense Recruiting wise have I think 2 players in top 100. 1 I think around 30th another around 50th. Then the rest are 3 or 4*s. Theres zero reason our team cant be like Auburn.

 

[Buffett10]

Nova's bigs are/have not been your typical big
Plus their guards either had size and could be 3s or were just plain feisty and built like a bulldog
Jay Wright recruits different than 99.5% of coaches and it works
Just don't get it why others don't look in that direction
There was always a feeling that Nova was built for the college game and very few of their players were NBA material but what the have produced in last 10 years has been outstanding

Ive got respect for Jay Wright but lets not go and say hes better then Calhoun. Even Ollie put it on Mr. Wright in the tourney . Now lets get back in the Big East so we can pound that little pretty boy Jay Wright. Like we always have.

 

[NJHoops]

Jay Wright, to be honored by Franciscan Life Center, works to keep Villanova on top and sees UConn men on the rise

When Dan Hurley was coaching at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey, he kept close tabs on the players he sent on to college. That made for the occasional call to Villanova’s Jay Wight. &…

www.courant.com

“One of the reasons we liked recruiting Danny’s kids,” Wright said, “was that they had a good relationship with their coach, and they stayed in contact with him after they left. We wanted kids who wanted to be a part of a program like that. All of Danny’s players that came to Villanova had success and graduated and stayed in contact with us, because that’s what Danny taught them.”

 

[HuskyHawk]

There are lots of ways to win basketball games. The best programs will take the Bill Belichick approach to that. Calhoun often did. That means if you have a small or slight opponent you go big, pound it inside without mercy. If they lack ball handlers (like UConn 2016-17 due to injury) you press them into oblivion. If they feature big shot blockers, you rain 3s on them.

Hurley is building what Wright had with his two recent NC teams, a very flexible roster. He's not all the way there, but you can see it with the guys he targets. He wants a team that can press, block shots in the half court, run, drive the lane, dump it inside and score or bury you from outside. We've been way to one dimensional the last several years, and it made us easy to defend, and made it hard for us to defend some teams.

It goes without saying that a team that can't play big when it needs to is at a disadvantage. Just as a team with only 2-3 functional guards is at a disadvantage (which we saw for two years). Guys who are 6'7-6'10", can handle the ball, shoot and bang inside are the most valuable of all in building that kind of team. Hence the focus on Akok (and also Precious). Big, powerful guards also help.