Where do we go from here

[EASTFLA]

This team has a lot of moving parts. I love watching them because they all play hard and bust it for whatever time they have on the court. That being said, the team has yet to establish identity. We have so many good players, yet no star players. I won't put Cole in the "star" group just yet, but he starting to become something close to that. His shooting numbers need some work. There is a good chance that the identity of this team changes considerably by March. We have a lot of good partial players, that to a man just can't quite deliver what we need every night. They deliver it on some nights.

What will change all that:

We need a player or perhaps 2 where the light goes on, and they emerge as better than before in a noticeable way. What does that look like?

Several possibilities:

Hawkins's potential reaches him before March and all of a sudden he is scoring a lot better and consistently, 10-14 points a game.

Polley rediscovers his 3 points shooting that he had in his first 2 years at UConn, and suddenly is at or over the 40% mark with consistency. That is a game-changer. He has to be Giffey, Gwynn, Anderson, etc. A guy that can come in more often than not, and be the electricity that ignites the team.

Gaffney is a very solid player. If he plays more, I think we could be a better player than the numbers, just needs more minutes.

Jackson has perhaps the most potential of all, and he is doing some things to show that, but he also tends to disappear in games at times. If he finds another gear, and the game slows down for him he certainly can be an X-factor

Akok is an enigma. In one game he does nothing and looks out of sorts, and in another, he comes in and scores, grabs boards, and is a strong rim protector. If we see the Akok that showed up vs St. Bonaventure on most nights, we are different, in a good way.

There are others too, but I think these are the real places where it has the best chance of happening. Right now we are so close to being an elite team, but we are not there, but I can us getting there. Are we a top 20 team right now? My feeling is there are teams across the country from 15-45 that could occupy any spot between those numbers, including us.

If you look at the 3 games we played in the Bahamas we could have come home reeling 0-3, or on cloud 9 at 3-0. That's how close a team is from the 15-45 level where we currently are. The beauty is, we have more depth and potential than most 15-45 level teams. If one or more of the mentioned situations occur from up above in this post, we are going to be a tough out in the tourney. Of course, a season-ending injury to a key player, kind of like what the women are going through could turn things sideways real fast, let's hope we don't have to deal with that.

 

[fatlucy]

I’d Polly and Hawkins start scoring consistently, we will go far.

 

[bendm]

I think these are the real places where it has the best chance of happening

also Sanogo passing out of triple teams seems like it should have a good chance of happening

 

[husky429]

Our offensive identity right now is pretty much nonexistent outside of our elite offensive rebounding. We aren't shooters, aren't particularly skilled, don't run... we're just sort of middling at everything, which ends up being a pretty good offense.

Defensively, our interior defense, chasing shooters off the line, and hard hedging is pretty obviously our identity. Our aggressive help-side defense sometimes leads to wide-open 3s.

Really great teams always have an identity on both ends. Our 2011 and 2014 teams each had an identity. You know what you're getting with teams like Nova, Houston, Zags, Baylor etc. GREAT teams impose their will on you on either side of the floor. We'll get there in time.

I trust Hurley to develop players defensively. I do not trust him to create a successful Xs and Os offense. For that reason, I'd really like to see us recruit some super-skilled offensive players with shot creation ability. Seems like we're heading that direction with the 2023 class between Castle and some of our recruits like Griffiths, Edwards, Fears, etc.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I’d Polly and Hawkins start scoring consistently, we will go far.

If you notice my post
They were Ofer in the games we lost
1 three apiece which is really minimal for guys with their stroke.
and we’re undefeated and knocking at the top ten. That’s a pretty fine edge.
Three’s when made can be a psychological killers to your opponents and lift your team.

 

[Storrs South]

The last two weeks have shown me that you need to stagger Whaley and Sanogo minutes as much as possible. Ideally both play 25-30 minutes with only 5-10 minutes of overlap.

Whaley is a tremendously better player with Sanogo not on the court and vice versa. Both of them clog the lane for the other, which is why if one of them is in, ideally they are playing alongside Akok at the 4.

I think our best lineups also include Cole and Gaffney in at the same time. The dual ballhandlers relieves a lot of pressure on Cole, but he also needs a breather as well.

Ideally the minutes break out as follows upon return of Martin and Sanogo:

PG: Cole (32), Gaffney (8)
CG: Jackson (15), Gaffney (10), Martin (10), Hawkins (5)
Wing: Martin (15), Jackson (10), Hawkins (15)
PF: Akok (15), Polley (15), Whaley (10)
C: Sanogo (25), Whaley (15)

Cole (32)
Whaley (25)
Sanogo (25)
Jackson (25)
Martin (25)
Hawkins (20)
Gaffney (18)
Polley (15)
Akok (15)

You don't hold fast to this every game, rather playing the hot hand (Hawkins v. Polley, Akok v. Whaley, Gaffney v. Martin, etc.), but over the course of the season these are the 9 guys that need to see the court every game.

It will be hard to limit Cole games to less than 32 but ideally he only needs to go more than that in tight contests (SHU, Nova, Xavier).

9 guys should keep everyone pretty fresh to ensure that guys can maintain high level defense and get after the glass.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Adama is a star.

 

[bendm]

PG: Cole (32), Gaffney (8)
CG: Jackson (15), Gaffney (10), Martin (10), Hawkins (5)
Wing: Martin (15), Jackson (10), Hawkins (15)
PF: Akok (15), Polley (15), Whaley (10)
C: Sanogo (25), Whaley (15)

i agree sanogo and whaley shouldnt overlap more than 10 mins/game but i don't think whaley is losing his spot in the starting lineup to akok. some of that overlap can come at the beginning of the game when theyre both starting.

some nitpicking here but martin and hawk are both Ws not CGs they dont play any point. i also think you can put all of martin's minutes at SF. AJ and Hawk aren't the SFs if martin is on the floor w/ them.

 

[Storrs South]

i agree sanogo and whaley shouldnt overlap more than 10 mins/game but i don't think whaley is losing his spot in the starting lineup to akok either. most of that overlap can come at the beginning of the game when theyre both starting.

The lineups in Martin's and Sanogo's absence have been better starting games. It's fine if they do stick with the original starting lineup with Whaley and Sanogo, but Hurley should be ready at the 16 under to make a change if they can't score more than a two or three baskets in the first frame.

 

[8893]

Chicago?

David Essex?

Alan Parsons?

To which is the OP referring?

 

[bendm]

It's fine if they do stick with the original starting lineup with Whaley and Sanogo, but Hurley should be ready at the 16 under to make a change if they can't score more than a two or three baskets in the first frame.

100

 

[Scoe]

I see it.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

For those who will say TLDR for this and your Sanogo post/threads, I've summarized:

SANOGO THREAD
-he's really good but he's not a 1st rd draft pick this year...or any year in modern NBA (not sure this was ever a real contention of anyone's...but I digress)

WHERE DO WE GO THREAD
-we need better/more consistent second and third options

you're welcome

 

[gtcam]

UConn goes to Hartford next and has to take care of PeeCee at home - has to

 

[Kolumbo]

Chicago?

David Essex?

Alan Parsons?

To which is the OP referring?

All I hear is:

Where do we go from here, now that all other children are growin' up?
And how do we spend our lives, if there's no one to lend us a hand?
I don't wanna live here no more, I don't wanna stay
Ain't gonna spend the rest of my life quietly fading away
Games people play, you take it or you leave it
Things that they say are not right
If I promise you the moon and the stars, would you believe it?
Games people play in the middle of the night

That David Essex beat is classic but that video, maybe the whole room was stoned.

 

[RichZ]

We aren't shooters, aren't particularly skilled, don't run...

AJ and to a lesser extent Martin are the key to us running opportunistically. AJ loves to run off a defensive board, and Martin looks to pass to a breaking player -- often Gafney.

Defensively, our interior defense, chasing shooters off the line, and hard hedging is pretty obviously our identity.

The hard hedge is infinitely more productive with Whaley at the 5 than Sanogo. Whaley gets back to the hole so much faster than Sanogo, who is not only slower of foot, but seems to try to extend the pressure on the guard beyond its value point.

need to stagger Whaley and Sanogo minutes as much as possible. Ideally both play 25-30 minutes with only 5-10 minutes of overlap.

Whaley is a tremendously better player with Sanogo not on the court and vice versa.

These are the truest words written in the yard this week.

martin and hawk are both Ws not CGs

Martin is a pure 3 and emergency 4 if and when we find a matchup advantage in going small. But Hawkins is more a 3/2.

 

[August_West]

Polley was 3/8 last game. I’d take that every game . Polleys issue is that he will go off like 6-9 one night and then be 0-10 over next 2 games.

Just give me 3-8 every night. That’s 38% that’s what his season average will end around ( although I’m hoping he bumps to 40) But give me that 38 percent on a night in and night out basis. Not in clusters. it would greatly help the team.

 

[RJScootin]

I’d Polly and Hawkins start scoring consistently, we will go far.

Polley 5th year know what he is, score some nights and other won’t. Hawkins real wild card. I think we know what rest of team is (outside maybe akok who can have upside) Hawkins can be frosh Napier of this team that provides that extra aspect we need to make a run. I really believe he’ll be special.

 

[Storrs South]

These are the truest words written in the yard this week.

But I do want to back track a bit that we did see Whaley act as a very effective perimeter player in spots v. the Bonnies. He was amazing swinging it around the 3-point line to find Polley and Akok for open 3s. If they can push him to get out of the paint more on offense and have him act more as a 3 than a 5, I think he and Sanogo can work better together on offense.

The only drawback to Whaley's game when Sanogo is on the floor is he is also a great rim runner off the pick and roll (we this off a great pick and roll set between Gaff and Whaley in Newark) and with Sanogo in the paint that gets taken away.

Suffice to say, there are ways these issues can be alleviated, but the easiest is just to have only one of them and at least one of them on the floor at all times. There should not be a single minute neither Whaley or Sanogo is on the floor. One is so vital on defense, the other on offense.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

The last two weeks have shown me that you need to stagger Whaley and Sanogo minutes as much as possible. Ideally both play 25-30 minutes with only 5-10 minutes of overlap.

What evidence is there to support this theory? Our best offensive performance all year was against Auburn when they both played around 40 minutes. Without Adama we scored 53 points against WVU and 74 points against a below average Bonnies defense. The idea that Whaley at the 5 has improved the offense is one of the more confusing things I've seen on here.

 

[August_West]

What evidence is there to support this theory? Our best offensive performance all year was against Auburn when they both played around 40 minutes. Without Adama we scored 53 points against WVU and 74 points against a below average Bonnies defense. The idea that Whaley at the 5 has improved the offense is one of the more confusing things I've seen on here.

Results aside, our offense runs much better from a ball movement , sharing, running stuff standpoint with Whaley at the 5 . We run some decent stuff for shooter and PnR . This is not to say Sanogo isn’t the guy. He is. But it’s an interesting dilemma, that’s why I wasn’t so panicked with him out.

 

[navery12]

What evidence is there to support this theory? Our best offensive performance all year was against Auburn when they both played around 40 minutes. Without Adama we scored 53 points against WVU and 74 points against a below average Bonnies defense. The idea that Whaley at the 5 has improved the offense is one of the more confusing things I've seen on here.

What you're missing is just looking at points scored and not taking into context the number of minutes played and possessions. Auburn was still our best offensive game (not counting the cupcake games) with an ORTG of 117.3. But St Bonaventure was still well above average at 107.2

In reality it's a really small sample this year, but against major competition with both there's been 1 good (see above) and 1 bad (VCU and WVU) offensive game. But I think it's obvious to anyone watching the offense has flowed significantly better with only 1 on the floor. You can look at the team/player specific stats here, unsurprisingly you see a bigger jump for Whaley since he's moving from the 4 to his more natural position at the 5

Sanogo w/o Whaley

Whaley w/o Sanogo

 

[Huskyforlife]

I'd like us to experiment with a Hawkins-Jackson-Martin lineup. So much versatility without sacrificing rebounding or too much defense.

 

[August_West]

I'd like us to experiment with a Hawkins-Jackson-Martin lineup. So much versatility without sacrificing rebounding or too much defense.

Could be real interesting as they can be interchangeable 2-4. That will mess up teams on both ends of floor. However both Jackson and Hawkins needed to tighten up ( Jackson closer to that than Hawkins is, but Hawkins is brand new) before that experiment can confidently be run.

 

[superjohn]

What you're missing is just looking at points scored and not taking into context the number of minutes played and possessions. Auburn was still our best offensive game (not counting the cupcake games) with an ORTG of 117.3. But St Bonaventure was still well above average at 107.2

In reality it's a really small sample this year, but against major competition with both there's been 1 good (see above) and 1 bad (VCU and WVU) offensive game. But I think it's obvious to anyone watching the offense has flowed significantly better with only 1 on the floor. You can look at the team/player specific stats here, unsurprisingly you see a bigger jump for Whaley since he's moving from the 4 to his more natural position at the 5

Sanogo w/o Whaley

Whaley w/o Sanogo

I wonder if Hurley will platoon them more, not a full platoon but less minutes with them both on the floor together and Whaley getting more/most of his minutes at the 5. Hurley seems pretty set on his lineup but it also seems pretty clear they're both most effective as college 5's and Akok needs more minutes when we are fully healthy.