Weaknesses

[jibsey]

Defending inside and also stopping the 3.

 

[Dean Wormer]

I don't know if it is a weakness because it is to be revealed. It is consistent winning. Hurley has said he had to teach them how to win again. They had a nice run at the end of the year when no one expected anything from them. But does it translate to consistently winning. In a nutshell will they NOT play up to the level of their opponent. Will they dominate the weak teams and will they grit out tough wins against good teams. They seem like great kids. they are athletically gifted. They look like they have put in the work in the weight room. But will they be the winners we expect of UConn. I believe in the promise, but i need to see it to be satisfied.

(1)Learning to win with a bullseye on their back. We're not gonna sneak up on anybody this year.
(2)Pace. If teams slow us down, we're losing alot of those games. If we control pace with defense getting out and running, we'll win most of those.
(3)Coaching. Hurley is also learning to handle the spotlight at this level. I wanna see more control on the bench from him. Keep his composure and not be such a wildman at times.

To be honest next year is the breakout year, especially if Bouk comes back. Top 10 team.

 

[dennismenace]

Defense will be tested. Loss of Vital and Gilbert skills and leadership especially on guard defense is going to be missed. Hoping the numbers of athletes can offset some of this by wearing out opponents. This team rotations are still to be figured out and that will cause growing pains. There is an abundance of talent and length but this is a brand new league for Uconn and the better opponents will cause them problems. Teams need time to gel and figure out they best work together as well as figuring out their opponents. That said, a lot to look forward to with many exciting talented players. Just not expecting too much too soon. I do expect a lot of hustle with the competition and bench depth.

 

[bfs3]

After Polly I'm expecting Cole to be our best 3 point shooter by volume. I hope this is the case when both Gaffney and Cole are in together. If Cole can make 35% a game without bringing the ball up himself in those spots I'll be happy. I'm expecting Bouk to shoot 32%-35% and with those three we should be able to keep the defense honest. I'd like to see Akok hit 30% this year. I think hes going to be a better shooter than we saw last year.