Why Did We Run Off Guards?

[Kenny11]

Jackson can play the point. If he could become a better finisher or at least attack the rim and draw fouls while trying to dunk on everyone, that would be preferable to him running the point full time. For such an explosive athlete, he doesn’t dunk much. But I think that will change as a junior who learns how to stop being so unselfish.
He certainly has the best passing vision on the team but I would rather him be the finisher.

 

[bendm]

assuming we bring in another immediate impact transfer G, floyd prob just didn't wanna be a third string W. get used to it b/c this wont be the last time we lose an underclassmen who thinks they can get a lot more PT elsewhere (like at PC).

SG: Hawk / transfer? / Floyd
SF: Jackson / Karaban / Floyd

 

[dogpause]

The players who left were not going to get us to where we want to go. I respect their decisions and respect DH's honesty with them.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Here is the problem I see with Jackson...

If Hurley wants to play him at the 4, then it means a tough path to PT for Johnson.

If Hurley wants to play him at the 3, then it means a tough path to PT for Floyd.

Even though he will handle the ball, he's not taking away minutes from a lead guard (or Hawkins at the 2).

My assumption has to be that Hurley intends to play "4 out" with a 2 big line-up that has Johnson at the 4 and Jackson at the 3. Knowing this, as a 2/3 with no clear path to big minutes behind Hawkins and Jackson, CFJ left.

I was hoping to see Jackson at the 4, opening up more minutes at the 2/3 for CFJ. Guess that isn't the plan anymore...

Why is that a problem for Jackson? Shouldn't that be a problem for Johnson and Floyd?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Obviously no one knows yet, but if a guy leaves because he is afraid of competition and thinks he "earned" a starting spot without stepping foot on the court yet, then they do not have a very long future in basketball. Some of these kids are getting terrible advice from their circle

Given that his dad played at PC, I seriously doubt that he's getting bad advice. I don't think we know if competition is why he left. He's a prototype guard for Hurley's system, like Martin. He was going to play. I don't think anybody expected him to start, because Hawkins is ahead of him and he's not getting the PG job. I doubt he expected to start as a freshman.

 

[uconngb]

not to mention how many times he grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball up without it being given to him.

people seem to be clamoring for a PG who can slow the tempo, dribble the ball up the floor, and start the princeton offense that we don't even run anyway.

Jackson is most definitely NOT a point guard

 

[huskyfan224]

No. Everyone gets 1 free transfer without sitting out a year. Very surprised anyone on this board doesn't know that.

I’m aware of that and thought that was the case, that’s why I was asking to confirm since I saw someone post the opposite. Thx pal

 

[BlueMAB]

Jackson is most definitely NOT a point guard

His coach disagrees.
“UConn coach Dan Hurley thinks Andre Jackson, the Huskies' 6-foot-6, high-flying wing, could, and perhaps should, become a point guard.”

This quote/article are from last July. He said it then, and we watched AJ play a lot of point this year, but I’m sure you know better.

 

[UofCT]

So this last season the point guards sitting on the pine watched Andre Jackson who is one of my favorite players on the the floor act as a point guard. Tremendous rebounder and passer but not a shooter or a breakdown threat off the dribble. Gaffney in particular must have been pretty annoyed with this even with his own flaws and limitations because he felt that was his position alongside Cole. Jackson who is valuable and has to play is a 3, not a bring up the ball point guard. Floyd and Diggins I couldn’t tell you but seeing that maybe told them that Hurley is running a strange system here and to look elsewhere.

We don't. We run off athletes who aren't good enough to help UConn win a championship. Lock the thread

 

[Penfield]

The guys that left are role players that didn’t want to accept their role here. They might be able to find a situation they are happier with. I don’t think just it’s any more complicated than that

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

 

[ctchamps]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

Jackson, Hawkins and Sanogo. Sanogo drove off a senior who was concerned about playing time.

 

[bendm]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

the truth king is fair, ask bouknight, he averaged over 25 mpg as a frosh. whether a frosh plays is dependent on the player and who's ahead of him on the depth chart, there are no guarantees.

 

[HooperScooper]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

Why yes, they have. Didn't Jackson play a lot as a freshman? So did Bouknight. Hawkins played a good amount. Sanogo started as a freshman, didn't he? And remember UConn was an older team the past couple years. There weren't a lot of minutes available for freshmen. Didn't Akok start as a freshman?

Bottom line is if you're good enough on the team you are on you will play. As Hurley said, he'd have a mutiny on his hands if he didn't play the best players. This narrative that freshmen don't play here is bogus.

 

[BlueMAB]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

Yes.

 

[businesslawyer]

I keep seeing the whole guys are afraid to compete for minutes thing but let’s be honest… have freshman really had a fair shot at minutes here?

In Hurley's tenure, freshman who've been in the rotation for real minutes included B. Adams, Akok, Bouknight, Gaffney, Sanogo and Hawkins. Freshman who were totally out of the rotation as freshman and have played at an all conference level here or elsewhere after transferring would be ....

So the answer to your question would appear to be a pretty clear yes. But I'm sorry facts don't match what you have in your mind.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I’m just going to reply to everyone at once here.

Bouknight didn’t start and get 25+ minutes a game consistently until injuries occurred in January. Hurley was forced to play him big minutes. He didn’t give it to him. He had Alterique and Tyler Polley playing over him. Even though from day 1 he was clearly the most talented player.

Akok started out of necessity because that was pre Whaley blow up.

Sanogo (17 mpg) and Andre Jackson (16 mpg) got less minutes than everyone who played except for Josh Carlton. That’s including Brendan Adams.

Hawkins played 15 mpg this past year on a team in desperate need of his skill set.

For comparison here’s the mpg of past freshmen on experienced squads.

Jalen Adam (23 mpg)
Kemba Walker (25 mpg)
Ryan Boatright (30+ mpg even though I’ll accept that that team might not have been as experienced)

 

[driveway]

Jackson is in such a weird spot on this team because he does everything quite well except the most important thing in basketball...scoring. But yet he is going to play 30 MPG next year. He can be a special player if he can just learn how to use his athleticism to attack the hoop and develop a reliable shot where he doesn't need to be wide open and set his feet for 3 seconds before he launches the ball. He just complicates things because no one is sure what position he plays at lol

He can't shoot a normal layup. He gets wide open and float one up every time.

 

[MDHuskFan]

I’m just going to reply to everyone at once here.

Bouknight didn’t start and get 25+ minutes a game consistently until injuries occurred in January. Hurley was forced to play him big minutes. He didn’t give it to him. He had Alterique and Tyler Polley playing over him. Even though from day 1 he was clearly the most talented player.

Akok started out of necessity because that was pre Whaley blow up.

Sanogo (17 mpg) and Andre Jackson (16 mpg) got less minutes than everyone who played except for Josh Carlton. That’s including Brendan Adams.

Hawkins played 15 mpg this past year on a team in desperate need of his skill set.

For comparison here’s the mpg of past freshmen on experienced squads.

Jalen Adam (23 mpg)
Kemba Walker (25 mpg)
Ryan Boatright (30+ mpg even though I’ll accept that that team might not have been as experienced)

If we’re throwing qualifiers out there then Hawkins & Samson play more if we don’t have super seniors this last year

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

If we’re throwing qualifiers out there then Hawkins & Samson play more if we don’t have super seniors this last year

Wait how is that relevant? Adams and Kemba both got huge minutes on way better teams loaded with experience.

But Hawkins struggled to play the same minutes as Polley.