Zags: Dan Hurley revving up recruiting at UConn

[gtcam]

KO is gone. How much longer do we have to listen to the incessant constant exaggeration of everything he ever did in his life?

As long as some are searching for likes and laughs while others have nothing better to say or do

 

[gtcam]

That would make a lot of sense. I think Smith starts, he's the only true PG on the team and he ran this system in high school. I also believe having 2 senior guards starting gives us the best chance of winning. If I had to guess the starting lineup would look something like Smith, Adams, Wilson, Polley, Carlton with Gilbert, Vital*, Adams, Yawke, Diarra in the rotation.

AG is also a true PG as well as being a 5*
If he is healthy, he starts, if not J Adams runs point and CV is 2 guard - when CV comes out, Smith runs the point and JA takes the 2. Overall I think CV, Smith and maybe the new Adams all get the same amount of P/T - this could be a nice problem!!
Of the newbies, I see Yawke as a starter depending on how he looks in the preseason - over Polley

 

[UconnU]

AG is also a true PG as well as being a 5*
If he is healthy, he starts, if not J Adams runs point and CV is 2 guard - when CV comes out, Smith runs the point and JA takes the 2. Overall I think CV, Smith and maybe the new Adams all get the same amount of P/T - this could be a nice problem!!
Of the newbies, I see Yawke as a starter depending on how he looks in the preseason - over Polley

You don't view AG as a question mark who probably needs to be eased back into the rotation? That's the feeling I got from Hurley listening to his radio interviews. I don't see him averaging more than 15-20 minutes a game to start the season.

 

[HuskyHawk]

AG is also a true PG as well as being a 5*
If he is healthy, he starts, if not J Adams runs point and CV is 2 guard - when CV comes out, Smith runs the point and JA takes the 2. Overall I think CV, Smith and maybe the new Adams all get the same amount of P/T - this could be a nice problem!!
Of the newbies, I see Yawke as a starter depending on how he looks in the preseason - over Polley

Agree on Gilbert. I think he'll be healthy, but probably a bit rusty and I'm not sure in game shape. So especially early, I think his minutes will be reduced. Jalen will play fewer minutes too.

Yawke might start, the front court is wide open, but I don't get the "over Polley" part. I view Polley as a small forward, one who will probably not start even at that position, over Wilson. I think there is no chance he starts at PF or C, and I don't think he'll even see many minutes at either spot.

If I had to guess
PG. AG [JA, B. Adams]
SG. JA [CV, Smith]
SF. Wilson [Polley, Smith, CV]
PF. Yawke or Diarra [the other one plus Whaley]
C. Carlton [Cobb, Yawke]

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I think Jalen has earned the right to be called our starting PG.

 

[UconnU]

Agree on Gilbert. I think he'll be healthy, but probably a bit rusty and I'm not sure in game shape. So especially early, I think his minutes will be reduced. Jalen will play fewer minutes too.

Yawke might start, the front court is wide open, but I don't get the "over Polley" part. I view Polley as a small forward, one who will probably not start even at that position, over Wilson. I think there is no chance he starts at PF or C, and I don't think he'll even see many minutes at either spot.

If I had to guess
PG. AG [JA, B. Adams]
SG. JA [CV, Smith]
SF. Wilson [Polley, Smith, CV]
PF. Yawke or Diarra [the other one plus Whaley]
C. Carlton [Cobb, Yawke]

Hurley prefers players at the 4 who can spread the floor, shoot, even handle the ball at times. It's a 4 out, 1 in with a stretch 4. He started a 6'4 guard at the 4 last year at URI. Which would lead me to believe Polley, Williams even Wilson make the most sense at the 4 spot. Carlton, Yawke, and Diarra are all 5s. Of course this is all match up dependent.

 

[Chief00]

KO is gone. How much longer do we have to listen to the incessant constant exaggeration of everything he ever did in his life?

As long as some are searching for likes and laughs while others have nothing better to say or do

I get it - the counter argument is that KO’s attorney and the CBA still has him as a MBB Head Coach at UConn - please correct me if I am wrong?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Hurley prefers players at the 4 who can spread the floor, shoot, even handle the ball at times. It's a 4 out, 1 in with a stretch 4. He started a 6'4 guard at the 4 last year at URI. Which would lead me to believe Polley, Williams even Wilson make the most sense at the 4 spot. Carlton, Yawke, and Diarra are all 5s. Of course this is all match up dependent.

I don't believe that's what he "prefers". I think that's all he had to work with. When he has had real bigs, he's played them. I have no doubt that he'd like a stretch 4, like Kevin Love or Al Horford, you know, a 6'10" guy who can board and also shoot. Good luck with that. If he makes the same mistake Ollie did, rotating half his roster through 1 spot and playing 4 small guys huge minutes, we will suck. Wilson is small even at the 3 spot. He's tiny for a 4.

 

[UChusky916]

Oh he's probably the most talented player on the roster but with 4 consecutive years injuring the same shoulder he will be EASED back into the rotation, as he should.

4 years?! Where do people come up with this stuff? He first injured it at the Jordan Brand Classic 2 years ago:

Alterique Gilbert injures shoulder at JBC

Once healthy, he's our starting PG. Period.

 

[superjohn]

Nothing dumber than people speculating on who starts and minutes on players they've never even seen play.

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah the myth that Ollie couldn’t recruit is frustrating. He had a top 15 class just two seasons ago. The problem was that none of them stayed. There’s a former McD’s AA and a potential conference POY still on the roster that he brought here. Not to mention Sid Wilson. Hard to square that with an argument that he couldn’t recruit.

Vis a vis recruiting, KO was not very good at identifying talent in the middle of classes. Everybody can identify the top guys, that's easy. You make your meal with the meat of the class.

He wasn't great at identifying which guys personalities to fit his team and UCONN BB in general.

And as someone else said, he focused too much on the top guys without much effort/intent on the 2nd options. Ended up settling for the Plan C too often. This is one of the reasons for the weird roster constructions over the last few years. The best move would have been to focus mainly on a wide net of B level guys. Target the plan As who are really high on you, but recruit as if they won't come.

 

[intlzncster]

4 years?! Where do people come up with this stuff? He first injured it at the Jordan Brand Classic 2 years ago:

Alterique Gilbert injures shoulder at JBC

Once healthy, he's our starting PG. Period.

He injured it as a sophomore in highschool as well. But the first time it became a 'problem' was at the JBC.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I get it - the counter argument is that KO’s attorney and the CBA still has him as a MBB Head Coach at UConn - please correct me if I am wrong?

That’s not a counter-argument.

 

[pj]

You don't view AG as a question mark who probably needs to be eased back into the rotation? That's the feeling I got from Hurley listening to his radio interviews. I don't see him averaging more than 15-20 minutes a game to start the season.

Sure, the first game he may get 15-20 minutes. Then if he feels good he'll rapidly win more time.

 

[UconnU]

4 years?! Where do people come up with this stuff? He first injured it at the Jordan Brand Classic 2 years ago:

Alterique Gilbert injures shoulder at JBC

Once healthy, he's our starting PG. Period.

Sorry 4 out of the last 5 years.

 

[CL82]

When you say "never managed to do much with them" -- with them meaning recruiting classes -- exactly how many recruiting classes did he have for their full four years at UConn? And when you answer that (the answer is all of 2), think about your use of "never."

KO is gone. How much longer do we have to listen to the incessant constant exaggeration of everything he ever did in his life?

I'm going with 3 months after his termination matter is settled.

 

[imno1]

Nothing dumber than people speculating on who starts and minutes on players they've never even seen play.

That’s what fans do especially during the off season. I take it that you’ve never posted an opinion on this board.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Nothing dumber than people speculating on who starts and minutes on players they've never even seen play.

The speculation is dubious, but c'mon, there's lots dumber.

 

[Chief00]

That’s not a counter-argument.

They are saying he can’t be fired for cause without going through some long process - which isn’t completed yet. Therefore, it’s their position, KO is still the head coach.

 

[Confident Carl]

After the national championship in 2014 I expected a line of recruits stretching from KO’s offjice to the highway. He was the hottest property in college basketball. And of course this success led to the disastrous extension that haunts us all today. Yes we were AAC but we were a relevant blue blood where conference mattered not. Aside from Jalen, KO’s recruiting was dismal and reason enough for firing even though some of those classes were well thought of there were no major impact players (not transfers). It was like he swung and missed on everything then picked up what he could. Hurley can be the best coach on earth but he’s just not going to make it happen without getting some big talent, so these recruiting trips are everything. Hopefully he’s a closer.

True Ollie was the hottest property and everyone was concerned about the possibility of him going pro. I remember when the OKC job opened it was between him and Billy Donovan. Everyone was worried that KO would leave. No Question KO loves UCONN and signed the new deal but I've been told by good sources that his ultimate dream job is running an NBA team. If that's true and ultimately he was destined for the NBA then there may have been internal conflict and his heart may not have been 100% there. The rigors of recruiting and coaching up young players would could become laborious on an everyday basis and thus reflected in the final product. I still think losing the entire front line of Enoch, Durham and Jackson for whatever reasons in one season, was the beginning of the end. Something was off. If they remained at UCONN, KO would probably still be here. In Hurley's case, I believe he loves coaching college kids and I can see him retiring at UCONN.

 

[UconnU]

Nothing dumber than people speculating on who starts and minutes on players they've never even seen play.

Isn't this what fans typically do in the off-season? Speculate on next seasons depth chart, style of play, etc?

 

[imno1]

They are saying he can’t be fired for cause without going through some long process - which isn’t completed yet. Therefore, it’s their position, KO is still the head coach.

I may be completely wrong on this but I thought the argument is he can be removed as coach but may still be an employee unless they find just cause

 

[Chief00]

Really interesting connection to Cockburn. Wonder if it makes us the current favorite? Until the other blue bloods come calling I suppose.

Dre, Ben, Facey and Kemba were Jamaicans.

 

[Huskymagic]

CV not being mentioned by Hurley is not accidental. He’s going to lose lots of minutes next year and CV not happy about it.

Hurley is not going to play small with this team.

I’d say Adams, Gilbert Polley, Yakwe, and Carlton is our starting lineup.

If Gilbert not ready don’t be surprised to see Wilson to start at the 2 alongside Polley at the 3.


PS: We are going to play big like the old UCONN days.

 

[navery12]

We never seemed to get good at closing in after casting the wide net and it seems like we always held out for plan A and lost plan B in the process.

And Plans C, D, and E