Whaley | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Whaley

Young man has certainly put his man pants on and has come up with some really nice performances in last few weeks.
I am particularly impressed with his offense - we have seen his unreal quick hands on D
He has come alive when UConn needs him the most
Keep it up Mr. Pork Chop
 
joober jones said:
Whaley is one of the few guys I've ever been right about. For his height, he's the best natural shot blocker we've had.
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I was on him early also no bragging because I did lose faith in my judgement now and then during the first 2 years. But his feet always made me think there was something there, and now he hedges better than most we've ever had. He continues to get his hands on the ball too not just hedge and retreat. Anyway he is for real there's no doubt about that now.

But don't you have to wonder one thing, what if Polley didn't get hurt? Was the staff missing on him until Polley's knee? Think we have a couple other winds earlier if he had more significant minutes early on.

Tremendous improvement just a great story so happy for him!!
 
mauconnfan said:
I was on him early also no bragging because I did lose faith in my judgement now and then during the first 2 years. But his feet always made me think there was something there, and now he hedges better than most we've ever had. He continues to get his hands on the ball too not just hedge and retreat. Anyway he is for real there's no doubt about that now.

But don't you have to wonder one thing, what if Polley didn't get hurt? Was the staff missing on him until Polley's knee? Think we have a couple other winds earlier if he had more significant minutes early on.

Tremendous improvement just a great story so happy for him!!
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I’m with you on this Mau. I was fairly high on him two years ago and couldn’t understand why after playing well, Ollie would then bury him. Then I realized Ollie had no clue how to run a team or program. By the end of his career he could be one of the 3 most improved players we’ve ever had, along with Hilton and Thabeet. I love everything about this kid.
 
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joober jones said:
Whaley is one of the few guys I've ever been right about. For his height, he's the best natural shot blocker we've had.
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Akok is the same height (at least listed). He’s pretty good too, and Emeka was only listed as an inch taller. We’ve been blessed.
 
uconnfan68 said:
Akok is the same height (at least listed). He’s pretty good too, and Emeka was only listed as an inch taller. We’ve been blessed.
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I thought we had Akok listed at 6'9''. If not, my mistake.
 
mauconnfan said:
I was on him early also no bragging because I did lose faith in my judgement now and then during the first 2 years. But his feet always made me think there was something there, and now he hedges better than most we've ever had. He continues to get his hands on the ball too not just hedge and retreat. Anyway he is for real there's no doubt about that now.

But don't you have to wonder one thing, what if Polley didn't get hurt? Was the staff missing on him until Polley's knee? Think we have a couple other winds earlier if he had more significant minutes early on.

Tremendous improvement just a great story so happy for him!!
Expand ...
He's clearly improved a lot but it's also seems like there was a lot of really positive things that likely would've come out had he gotten more playing time earlier. I'm just happy this is near the end of his junior year and not his senior.year.
 
mauconnfan said:
I was on him early also no bragging because I did lose faith in my judgement now and then during the first 2 years. But his feet always made me think there was something there, and now he hedges better than most we've ever had. He continues to get his hands on the ball too not just hedge and retreat. Anyway he is for real there's no doubt about that now.

But don't you have to wonder one thing, what if Polley didn't get hurt? Was the staff missing on him until Polley's knee? Think we have a couple other winds earlier if he had more significant minutes early on.

Tremendous improvement just a great story so happy for him!!
Expand ...

yes! I talked about his feet too. Guy could guard multiple positions as a freshman and was the best shot blocker on the team. His problems were finding a fit on offense, fouling and getting out muscled. He solved one this summer with great weightroom work, and it helped solve a second one.
 
Calhoun's Court said:
To me Whaley has been our MVP.
Great motor and will.
Plays every play like his minutes depend on it.
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Calhoun's Court said:
To me Whaley has been our MVP.
Great motor and will.
Plays every play like his minutes depend on it.
Expand ...


Well within that very contentious "Who's the best player so far?" thread a couple weeks as go, I lightly buried a side comment because I wanted to make a point, but I didn't want to add to the pig pile of bad energy.

I speculated that it would be a far bigger controversy if someone created a, "Who's our smartest player?" thread, because it would be filled with angry posts about this team having no nominees, let alone a winner. Into that void, I started watch Whaley reveal himself as the surprise correct answer. Now that his mermorable moments and stat lines show him more clearly, this becomes a happy recognition rather than a sad fact.

I am very grateful for my whale emoji when I'm txting w/my sister during the games. She adds a "-y," and I don't. We've both settled on the whale with the spout.

I also like that he's joined "Rashard," "Boatwright," "Samuels," and others in the Boneyard misspelling Hall of Fame, with some giving him the New Haven treatment and calling him "Whalley."
 
.-.
Whaley has been a revelation.

He's not just filling up the stat sheet with points, rebounds, and blocks, but also doing so many of the little things well that really enables the team to execute better as a whole:
  • Hard defensive hedges on perimeter helps our guards recover, trap, and get steals.
  • High motor - quickly recovers to his position on defensive rotations and for rebounds.
  • Great screens on offense frees guards, he opens up the lane for drives.
  • Hitting those short bunnies in the paint that Carlton can't seem to make.
  • Offensive rebounding high and having the IQ to know when to go back up for a bucket or kick it out.
  • Defensive rebounding well and getting the ball to guards quick on outlet passes.
Really impressed by his improvement. Good stuff PorkChop
 
Some people last year pointed out that he had great DTRG/win shares in limited minutes, and I didn't buy it. We needed a 4 and Hurley kept him buried. I figured there were good reasons.

And maybe there were. He seems so much more comfortable in the offense now. And he certainly filled out his frame. He's a great role playing big.
 
Whaley gets more rebounds one handed with his arm outstretched than just about anyone I can remember. He also sends an inordinate number of his blocks almost straight down. And his 2nd jump is very quick. I hope Sal doesn't try to add too much muscle to him like he did with Josh. So much of his game is related to him being so springy and (I hate to use this word on a 6-8 guy) nimble.
 
navery12 said:
It seems we're recruiting for 2 spots for next year, and for the life of me I can't figure out where the 2nd is coming from
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From an article in yesterday's Courant:
What the Huskies need, with home games against South Florida, Central Florida and Houston and road games at East Carolina and Tulane, is a contribution at the wing from Sid Wilson, who is coming back from a knee injury and is continually challenged by Hurley to give more.

“Sid’s got to do things to get himself on the court," Hurley said. "If you’re not playing on this team, with eight scholarship players, there’s something you’re obviously not doing.”

In contrast, Whaley, who barely played as a sophomore last season, has become the Huskies indispensable man, with career highs of 18 points and 14 rebounds in the double-OT loss at Temple on Thursday.

“Isaiah has battled and worked to play in a manner that we needed him to play,” Hurley said, “that brings the most value to the court. Now, all of a sudden, we can't take him off the court. Sid’s got to find a way to do that."
 
gtcam said:
Young man has certainly put his man pants on and has come up with some really nice performances in last few weeks.
I am particularly impressed with his offense - we have seen his unreal quick hands on D
He has come alive when UConn needs him the most
Keep it up Mr. Pork Chop
Expand ...
Those quick hands and his reach are causing problems for our opponents. Plus he’s just a battler.
 
.-.
So would this be in good taste on a T-Shirt?
isaiah223.jpg
 
I'll eat a lot of crap on Whaley - and do so enthusiastically.

I didn't see anything that made me nuts about him in any way, shape or form and I was definitely one of those 'I wonder if things would be better off for him at another program' people. Heading into the season - he was the one guy who I thought would leave and maybe should. 100%. I wasn't wrong - I was wrong about him in every way I could possibly have been wrong about him. The only comfort I get in that is that I wasn't alone- and I think he's even caught the staff by surprise.

I really didn't move off it either - although I'll admit during the Saint Michael's game - I started to wonder if something was there. But being buried on the bench and so drunk on my own bias towards him - I kinda casually discarded the thought.

What's unusual about him is how fast his hands are - and his anticipation on defense is pro-level. He's an incredibly smart player and while he's not the most gifted athlete -he's just so smart that he's able to overcome it. This whole thing now where he hits baby jumpers has made him an actual offensive asset. But it's the defense, disrupting passes, his timing... his motor... that's what makes him so good. It's legitimately insane how many passes and plays he breaks up in the paint. And it's not even debatable that when he's in the game - the entire pace, intensity and energy of how we play on both ends of the court it just waaay different than when he's not out there.

I'd say he's cleanly the most improved guy on the team - but during this resurgence, he might actually be our MVP outside of Bouknight. I love him - he's impossible to not like.
 
Towney007 said:
I'll eat a lot of crap on Whaley - and do so enthusiastically.

I didn't see anything that made me nuts about him in any way, shape or form and I was definitely one of those 'I wonder if things would be better off for him at another program' people. Heading into the season - he was the one guy who I thought would leave and maybe should. 100%. I wasn't wrong - I was wrong about him in every way I could possibly have been wrong about him. The only comfort I get in that is that I wasn't alone- and I think he's even caught the staff by surprise.

I really didn't move off it either - although I'll admit during the Saint Michael's game - I started to wonder if something was there. But being buried on the bench and so drunk on my own bias towards him - I kinda casually discarded the thought.

What's unusual about him is how fast his hands are - and his anticipation on defense is pro-level. He's an incredibly smart player and while he's not the most gifted athlete -he's just so smart that he's able to overcome it. This whole thing now where he hits baby jumpers has made him an actual offensive asset. But it's the defense, disrupting passes, his timing... his motor... that's what makes him so good. It's legitimately insane how many passes and plays he breaks up in the paint. And it's not even debatable that when he's in the game - the entire pace, intensity and energy of how we play on both ends of the court it just waaay different than when he's not out there.

I'd say he's cleanly the most improved guy on the team - but during this resurgence, he might actually be our MVP outside of Bouknight. I love him - he's impossible to not like.
Expand ...
I like Whaley and Bouk but come on. CV is 100% our MVP
 
UChusky916 said:
Whaley has been a revelation.

He's not just filling up the stat sheet with points, rebounds, and blocks, but also doing so many of the little things well that really enables the team to execute better as a whole:
  • Hard defensive hedges on perimeter helps our guards recover, trap, and get steals.
  • High motor - quickly recovers to his position on defensive rotations and for rebounds.
  • Great screens on offense frees guards, he opens up the lane for drives.
  • Hitting those short bunnies in the paint that Carlton can't seem to make.
  • Offensive rebounding high and having the IQ to know when to go back up for a bucket or kick it out.
  • Defensive rebounding well and getting the ball to guards quick on outlet passes.
Really impressed by his improvement. Good stuff PorkChop
Expand ...

the thing is, he was already doing a lot of that as a frosh in limited minutes. That’s why the 3-4 of us wanted him to get more run, especially as some of the other bigs struggled the last few years. The fact that he’s gained the mass to guard 5s is the incredible feat that gives him a more clear spot on the squad (4 guard sets, 3 plus Jackson next year, etc).

my biggest concern was how would he and Carlton play together because there’s zero spacing there...the answer has been just pound the boards.
 
.-.
One thing I'll add to my want wish for Whaley- and he's my favorite player, I think, given how he has emerged this year seemingly out of nowhere and has become hugely important for UConn- is that he dunks the ball more in games. I don't know if just doesn't have the offensive footwork skills necessary to dunk more often, or if when he gets rebounds he usually is swarmed by other defenders also trying to get the rebound and doesn't have enough room. Love this guy though!
 
Towney007 said:
I'll eat a lot of crap on Whaley - and do so enthusiastically.

I didn't see anything that made me nuts about him in any way, shape or form and I was definitely one of those 'I wonder if things would be better off for him at another program' people. Heading into the season - he was the one guy who I thought would leave and maybe should. 100%. I wasn't wrong - I was wrong about him in every way I could possibly have been wrong about him. The only comfort I get in that is that I wasn't alone- and I think he's even caught the staff by surprise.

I really didn't move off it either - although I'll admit during the Saint Michael's game - I started to wonder if something was there. But being buried on the bench and so drunk on my own bias towards him - I kinda casually discarded the thought.

What's unusual about him is how fast his hands are - and his anticipation on defense is pro-level. He's an incredibly smart player and while he's not the most gifted athlete -he's just so smart that he's able to overcome it. This whole thing now where he hits baby jumpers has made him an actual offensive asset. But it's the defense, disrupting passes, his timing... his motor... that's what makes him so good. It's legitimately insane how many passes and plays he breaks up in the paint. And it's not even debatable that when he's in the game - the entire pace, intensity and energy of how we play on both ends of the court it just waaay different than when he's not out there.

I'd say he's cleanly the most improved guy on the team - but during this resurgence, he might actually be our MVP outside of Bouknight. I love him - he's impossible to not like.
Expand ...
 
I was on the Whaley band wagon all along also. Playing Cobb last year was a big mistake.
The coaches owe it to Pork Chop to coach him up like they are and let him play.
Also a big factor in all of this present hipe is Gaffney. He was a great poised floor leader yesterday.Stopped Collins and their other guard on D made all the right passes and went to the rim when we needed him.
From where I sat in 117 Gaff. had his stamp all over that game. Love his play. He's the best point guard in the country now.
This team has the MO right now just like 1999, 204, 2011 and 2013. Keep it up don't stop.
 
RichZ said:
I hope Sal doesn't try to add too much muscle to him like he did with Josh. So much of his game is related to him being so springy and (I hate to use this word on a 6-8 guy) nimble.
Expand ...
As a corollary to that, I hope Sal rethinks Josh's conditioning plan. Continue to build upper body and core strength but don't emphasize 'bulk.'
 
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