We need a point guard

[Peacefrog]

No his jumpshot was. He’s probably the best jumpshot shooter from anywhere in our history.

I don’t think the athleticism of our current guards are the issue. It’s the mental. Gaffney being the prime example and now Newton. We never used to have mental problems. Hell, Craig Austrie and Donell Beverly were very useable PGs for us.

Holy S$&t, you know our school produced Ray Allen, right?

Probably time for you guys to agree to disagree. This is getting silly.

 

[AntG168]

No his jumpshot was. He’s probably the best jumpshot shooter from anywhere in our history.

I don’t think the athleticism of our current guards are the issue. It’s the mental. Gaffney being the prime example and now Newton. We never used to have mental problems. Hell, Craig Austrie and Donell Beverly were very useable PGs for us.

Newton is leaps and bounds better than Austrie and Beverly. And lack of physical ability is Newtons biggest set back imo. Cole was really good, just small and not that quick

 

[3rdbass]

Newton is leaps and bounds better than Austrie and Beverly. And lack of physical ability is Newtons biggest set back imo. Cole was really good, just small and not that quick

Actually Cole was quick. Definitely quicker than Newton. His first step normally got him some space. Not saying he was a super athlete but he was decent. Problem with him was his height and wasn't a great shooter or elite athlete to distinguish himself. If he was he might of carved a space on an NBA roster. Newton to me has no NBA future. He is super show and can't shoot. All he has is height and physicality but if he doesn't use it is worthless.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Holy S$&t, you know our school produced Ray Allen, right?

Probably time for you guys to agree to disagree. This is getting silly.

You’re right. Let me just narrow it down to PGs. Lol

Newton is leaps and bounds better than Austrie and Beverly. And lack of physical ability is Newtons biggest set back imo. Cole was really good, just small and not that quick

Absolutely, I’m just saying how effective that coaching was to make everyone useful. Those guys were useful but we gave up on Gaffney. When Newton is in attack mode he looks fine, but like Gaffney, he goes on cruise control way too much. That is a mental thing to take as many games off as he does.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Me - “We need a point guard”
Pundits - “UConn needs a point guard”
Everyone else on earth - “They need a point guard”
Aliens from outer space - “Those earthlings need a point guard”

You kids -

Depends on who you mean by "we" and what you mean by "need".

UConn basketball has all the talent it NEEDS to make a deep run in March. The only question is coaching.

On the other hand, Danny Hurley probably needs a lineup that looks like Kemba Walker, Rip Hamilton, Ray Allen, Donyell Marshall and Emeka Okafor, with Shabazz Napier, Marcus Williams, Rudy Gay, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Khalid El-Amin coming off the bench to have a good shot at making the Final Four.

 

[AntG168]

So you're changing the goalposts, cool.

No not at all. Physical abilities =quickness. Can you read?

A top 4 UConn pg of all time is an all time great college pg

 

[UCfor3]

no excuses if they don’t win a tourney game this year. But that doesn’t mean I’ll want to fire him. I trust Hurley’s ability to bring in big time players and build a program. The tourney wins need to come and I’m confident they will.

And whether we flame out in the tourney or make a run is not what the conversation should be today. There are miserable people on here who literally can’t enjoy a single win because they have one or multiple things to complain about no matter what.
This isn’t the Gtown game….Seton Hall is a tough team who almost picked off Xavier on the road. Nothing to apologize about

Thanks for being more nuanced in your thinking than most. Everybody wants to put people in 2 boxes, dug in at opposite extreme ends of the argument. In this case it's the "whiners" and "excuse makers." Problem is, most of us are in the middle of these two extreme views. People would never know that though because the loudest most vocal are the extreme, minority views. Kind sounds like something else similar going on in society in this country.

 

[superjohn]

No not at all. Physical abilities =quickness. Can you read?

A top 4 UConn pg of all time is an all time great college pg

You said something incredibly stupid and multiple people called you out on it. You changed the goalposts which was smart, now you're choosing to say something incredibly stupid again.

AJ Price was a really good college point guard, saying he's an all-time great college point guard is one of the dumbest things said on this board and a lot of dumb stuff gets said here.

Watch more than UConn games, learn about the history of the sport.

 

[upstater]

The only guards we’ve ever had that were superior athletes were Kemba with his speed, Boatright, and Jalen Adams. Everyone else was just simply coached to be an extension of their coach on the floor. Be great leaders, control pace, make the right plays etc. Watching guys like Price, Kemba, Bazz, and to an extent Boatright was a masterclass in knowing how to run offense and get your teammates involved while also knowing when to get yours. All of them had complete control over games.

Yes, and I would say that non great athletes like Taliek, Khalid and Marcus Williams had that too. Of course, they had much more to work with (supporting cast) than Napier.

Jalen Adams remains the biggest enigma in UConn history.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

242 posts (and counting) in a thread that is pretty much dedicated to a rather self-evident proposition that was offered 3 years ago, and continues to produce neither useful light nor heat, but instead serves as a tug-o-war prop to keep solidified contrary opinion in perpetual agitation.

Even without polishing per se, we have a turd serving as a bright shiny object. That's impressive, just not in a good way.

4 games remain to determine whether this team will be seeded 4th, 5th, or 6th for the Big East Tournament.
They will be played one at a time.
They will be prepared for one game at a time.
"We need a point guard" better not be the focusing thought for the coaches & players.
Not on February 19th, 4 weeks before the tart of the NCAA Tournament.
The roster is fixed for the season; the coaching staff is fixed too.
Stop feeding the distraction.

Stop leaping at the head fakes.
Stop reaching in with soft fouls that provide the 'and 1' after the opposition has gotten by you.
Stop taking poorly-chosen shots too early in a clock that needs to and can be managed judiciously.
Stop running down the clock until there's no time to find a good shot.
Force or allow opposition to make mistakes; they are imperfect and feeling pressure.
Don't bail them out because you've forgotten who you are and what's important in the moment.

Apply these concepts to your posting to clear the psychic space for the coaches and players to do the same. If you want to battle monsters, take care not to behave like them.

Stop trying to convince people that your negative perception and analysis is the most insightful. It's not helpful. It keeps the energy stuck where you are claiming you don't want it to be. It's not the time for this. It makes you look like an unhappy child writhing around on its back, claiming that the people who do not submit to your takes on how & why things suck are like unhappy children writhing around on their backs.

Here's the bone you want: yeah, most of the best complaints here are more true than not. Got it?

Now, so what, and shut up: at this very present point, you are making things worse if you continue.

Don't talk to yourself or your spouse or children or partner(s) or friends or other family or work associates or neighbors or anyone else you care about this way, if your preference is improvement and fulfillment. And don't be surprised if the so-called bad energy continues if you spend too much time in a state of upset about the unchangeable past or dread about the uncertain future.

"I hope to heck I'm wrong about how I feel about this team" is not an effective rallying cry. And it is not the only option. Your power is limited. Make the most of what you can with what you've got.

Start now, if you haven't already.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

The only guards we’ve ever had that were superior athletes were Kemba with his speed, Boatright, and Jalen Adams. Everyone else was just simply coached to be an extension of their coach on the floor. Be great leaders, control pace, make the right plays etc. Watching guys like Price, Kemba, Bazz, and to an extent Boatright was a masterclass in knowing how to run offense and get your teammates involved while also knowing when to get yours. All of them had complete control over games.

Ben Gordon...

 

[Rico444]

You think losing to Butler would be the same as losing to Purdue??? My god this place gets crazier every day!

Whoops, I meant DePaul not Purdue. Not sure why I typed that.

 

[AntG168]

You said something incredibly stupid and multiple people called you out on it. You changed the goalposts which was smart, now you're choosing to say something incredibly stupid again.

AJ Price was a really good college point guard, saying he's an all-time great college point guard is one of the dumbest things said on this board and a lot of dumb stuff gets said here.

Watch more than UConn games, learn about the history of the sport.

You said something incredibly stupid and multiple people called you out on it. You changed the goalposts which was smart, now you're choosing to say something incredibly stupid again.

AJ Price was a really good college point guard, saying he's an all-time great college point guard is one of the dumbest things said on this board and a lot of dumb stuff gets said here.

Watch more than UConn games, learn about the history of the sport.

Oh shut up. The goal post was never moved. Your lack of comprehension is your barrier. Physical abilities =\= athleticism. I stand by my statement. And you and one other person is “multiple ppl” lmaoo. That sense of self importance you have is incredible. A lot of the dumb stuff gets said by you. But I’m watching the Purdue/OSU game as we speak, I’ll continue to try my best

 

[UConnSwag11]

Yes, I do. My post was mocking the ridiculous notion that teams simply learned to gameplan us and DH cant adjust. There are a multitude of factors contributing to how the season has gone, but a handful of posters are too dense to understand that and simply think UConn lose = bad coaching.

Hmm... Interesting... Thank you for admitting that our play in the Big East hasn't been good, leading to a bad record. What are the multitude of factors that are contributing to how our Big East season has gone?

 

[UConnSwag11]

Oh shut up. The goal post was never moved. I stand by my statement. And you and one other person is “multiple ppl” lmaoo. That sense of self importance you have is incredible. A lot of the dumb stuff gets said by you. But I’m watching the Purdue/OSU game as we speak, but I’ll try my best

No idea what this argument is about but being quick/twitchy is a very low bar for having great physical ability

 

[CL82]

Idiocy of the Boneyard: coach is great if we win, sucks if we lose. Unreal.

Are there many great coaches with losing records in your opinion?

 

[navery12]

Oh shut up. The goal post was never moved. I stand by my statement. And you and one other person is “everybody” lmaoo. That sense of self importance you have is incredible

And one of those posters is the single dumbest poster on this site

 

[AntG168]

No idea what this argument is about but being quick/twitchy is a very low bar for having great physical ability

Who said “great physical ability”?. Again y’all are inferring what you want about what I said. My statement was boat, Kemba, and price’s greatness was just as much about their physical abilities as it was coaching. Price’s being quick and twitchy allowed him to be a great creator. Kemba’s quickness, speed, and body control allowed him to make plays “coaching” can’t teach. Boat doesn’t need to be explained. This shouldn’t be at all controversial. Yet here we are. The entire point was Newton posses none of the physical abilities it takes to be a great pg. It doesn’t mean every great pg is Russell Westbrook or Derrick rose.

 

[CTBasketball]

242 posts (and counting) in a thread that is pretty much dedicated to a rather self-evident proposition that was offered 3 years ago, and continues to produce neither useful light nor heat, but instead serves as a tug-o-war prop to keep solidified contrary opinion in perpetual agitation.

Even without polishing per se, we have a turd serving as a bright shiny object. That's impressive, just not in a good way.

4 games remain to determine whether this team will be seeded 4th, 5th, or 6th for the Big East Tournament.
They will be played one at a time.
They will be prepared for one game at a time.
"We need a point guard" better not be the focusing thought for the coaches & players.
Not on February 19th, 4 weeks before the tart of the NCAA Tournament.
The roster is fixed for the season; the coaching staff is fixed too.
Stop feeding the distraction.

Stop leaping at the head fakes.
Stop reaching in with soft fouls that provide the 'and 1' after the opposition has gotten by you.
Stop taking poorly-chosen shots too early in a clock that needs to and can be managed judiciously.
Stop running down the clock until there's no time to find a good shot.
Force or allow opposition to make mistakes; they are imperfect and feeling pressure.
Don't bail them out because you've forgotten who you are and what's important in the moment.

Apply these concepts to your posting to clear the psychic space for the coaches and players to do the same. If you want to battle monsters, take care not to behave like them.

Stop trying to convince people that your negative perception and analysis is the most insightful. It's not helpful. It keeps the energy stuck where you are claiming you don't want it to be. It's not the time for this. It makes you look like an unhappy child writhing around on its back, claiming that the people who do not submit to your takes on how & why things suck are like unhappy children writhing around on their backs.

Here's the bone you want: yeah, most of the best complaints here are more true than not. Got it?

Now, so what, and shut up: at this very present point, you are making things worse if you continue.

Don't talk to yourself or your spouse or children or partner(s) or friends or other family or work associates or neighbors or anyone else you care about this way, if your preference is improvement and fulfillment. And don't be surprised if the so-called bad energy continues if you spend too much time in a state of upset about the unchangeable past or dread about the uncertain future.

"I hope to heck I'm wrong about how I feel about this team" is not an effective rallying cry. And it is not the only option. Your power is limited. Make the most of what you can with what you've got.

Start now, if you haven't already.

A little wisdom from Hans and Freidrich Nietzche on this cloudy afternoon:

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster . . . when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Yes, and I would say that non great athletes like Taliek, Khalid and Marcus Williams had that too. Of course, they had much more to work with (supporting cast) than Napier.

Jalen Adams remains the biggest enigma in UConn history.

I agree and that’s kind of the point. We always had a great PG because they were coached to be great. We don’t have a good PG now or ever in the Hurley era because they aren’t receiving the coaching to be it. They’re an extension of the coach on the floor so if they’re bad, maybe we should like at who they’re extending from.

I’m sad for Jalen. He just came at the worst time. Put him on this team and we’re legit the #1 team in the country. He’d be our best player.

 

[AntG168]

I agree and that’s kind of the point. We always had a great PG because they were coached to be great. We don’t have a good PG now or ever in the Hurley era because they aren’t receiving the coaching to receive it. They’re an extension of the coach on the floor so if they’re bad, maybe we should like at who they’re extending from.

I’m sad for Jalen. He just came at the worst time. Put him on this team and we’re legit the #1 team in the country. He’d be our best player.

So let me get this straight. Jalen Adams under Hurley on this team would be good? Because if that’s your point it completely contradicts the point that we haven’t had a good pg because of Hurleys coaching….

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Who said “great physical ability”?. Again y’all are inferring what you want about what I said. My statement was boat, Kemba, and price’s greatness was just as much about their physical abilities as it was coaching. Price’s being quick and twitchy allowed him to be a great creator. Kemba’s quickness, speed, and body control allowed him to make plays “coaching” can’t teach. Boat doesn’t need to be explained. This shouldn’t be at all controversial. Yet here we are. The entire point was Newton posses none of the physical abilities it takes to be a great pg. It doesn’t mean every great pg is Russell Westbrook or Derrick rose.

Did you watch Kemba from his freshman year to senior year? Lol

I feel like there’s no way you did and don’t think that was one of the most brilliant player development due to coaching seen.

 

[AntG168]

Did you watch Kemba from his freshman year to senior year? Lol

I feel like there’s no way you did and don’t think that was one of the most brilliant player development due to coaching seen.

Dude you’re arguing a point I’m not making. Calhoun is a top 3 coach of all time. Ofc he played a role. I don’t get what you don’t get. Calhoun would not make Tristan Newton a great big east pg. the tools aren’t there

 

[upstater]

So let me get this straight. Jalen Adams under Hurley on this team would be good? Because if that’s your point it completely contradicts the point that we haven’t had a good pg because of Hurleys coaching….

There are a variety of ways to look at it. It's not that Hurley is incapable. It's that he hasn't made it a priority or put emphasis on it. How do we know that? We recruit a ton of shooting guards and combo guards. But we rarely recruit pure points.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Of course if we make a final 4 the Hurley criticisms will go away. My guess is you'll continue making excuses if we flame out again.