Did Uconn do enough to this off-season?

[Fan1978]

I don’t agree. Malone is number 3 in all time scoring and brought a physical presence Karaban will never have. We don’t know for sure about our rebounding with this team but I am skeptical we have any physical toughness on the boards. Maybe Reed but we won’t have big guards crashing the glass.

Rebounding is about effort and technique. Rebounding will be more than fine.

 

[FearThePups]

Rebounding is about effort and technique. Rebounding will be more than fine.

Time will tell. My point is who is going rebound? We’re not going to lead the country in offensive rebounding like last year. At some point it's beyond effort and technique.

 

[navery12]

Time will tell. My point is who is going rebound? We’re not going to lead the country in offensive rebounding like last year. At some point it's beyond effort and technique.

Tom Moore led the country in offensive rebounding for years at Quinnipiac and it was routinely with guys 6'6 and 6'7 leading the team in offensive rebounding. Effort and technique will win the rebounding battle in 99% of games

 

[willie99]

I agree that we're looking at the possibility of very strong years in 2025 or 2026 at the very least.

We know that Johnson, Karaban, and Diarra will be gone after 2025 (if not sooner in Karaban's case, but my gut is he runs it back and graduates in 3.5 years), but that's pretty much it.

Our 2026 depth chart is looking like:

Nowell (Soph)
Mahaney (Senior)/Ball (Junior)
McNeeley (Soph)/Ross (Junior)
Stewart (Junior)/Abraham (Sophomore)
Reed (Senior)

plus whatever freshmen or transfers we bring in. That's basically the floor of our roster, unless any of the aforementioned guys have incredible years worthy of leaving early.

And if any of Mahaney, McNeeley, Ball, Stewart, or Reed are balling out to the point that they would consider leaving early, that would mean our 2025 season had to go very well.

Damn, I just bought tickets for 24/25, and I have enough trouble trying to worry about next season

I'm such a novice

 

[FearThePups]

Tom Moore led the country in offensive rebounding for years at Quinnipiac and it was routinely with guys 6'6 and 6'7 leading the team in offensive rebounding. Effort and technique will win the rebounding battle in 99% of games

I’ll end this by saying Quinnipiac didn’t and doesn’t now play teams that are high Division 1. The pool we swim in has a much high caliber of talent and size.

 

[August_West]

I think we need a big 4 if Karaban goes to the NBA. We don't have a big body we need.

Karaban wasn’t a big 4 .

Its like twilight zone around here.

 

[jibsey]

There’s zero sense postulating about 24-25’. We have amazing talent. We have amazing coaching staff. We shouldn’t be expected to win with what we lost but go ahead and bet against us.

 

[FearThePups]

Karaban wasn’t a big 4 .

Its like twilight zone around here.

It’s not twilight zone. We are losing Clingan, Karaban (agree he’s a SF but 6’8”) and 3 outstanding tall guards. Other than possibly Reed, you tell me where the rebounding will come from. McNeeley can help but I don’t see our guards, Samson, and Stewart will fill the void of what we lost.

 

[auror]

I’ll end this by saying Quinnipiac didn’t and doesn’t now play teams that are high Division 1. The pool we swim in has a much high caliber of talent and size.

I'll quote and update something I wrote before last season:

"Here are the national offensive rebound rate ranks of the teams Tom Moore has been assistant or head coach for over the last 20+ years (per KenPom): (UConn asst) #3, 2, 3, 4, (Quinnipiac HC) #75, 6, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 9, 39, (Rhode Island asst) #99, (UConn asst again) #54, 25, 4, 2, 2, 12. So his teams have never finished outside the top 100 and in 16 of the 21 years they’ve been top 12 out of 300+ schools. His median finish is 3rd, or to put it another way, his team’s median finish has been in the 99th percentile for offensive rebounding."

It’s not twilight zone. We are losing Clingan, Karaban (agree he’s a SF but 6’8”) and 3 outstanding tall guards. Other than possibly Reed, you tell me where the rebounding will come from. McNeeley can help but I don’t see our guards, Samson, and Stewart will fill the void of what we lost.

Reed will get a bunch, he had outstanding rebounding numbers. McNeeley is the same height and more athletic than Karaban. Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart, and Jayden Ross are NBA-caliber athletes that will do just fine on the boards. Diarra and Mahaney will track down a few each. Samson will put on more weight this offseason just like he has the last few and he's always been a very good offensive rebounder.

 

[FearThePups]

I'll quote and update something I wrote before last season:

"Here are the national offensive rebound rate ranks of the teams Tom Moore has been assistant or head coach for over the last 20+ years (per KenPom): (UConn asst) #3, 2, 3, 4, (Quinnipiac HC) #75, 6, 3, 3, 1, 3, 1, 2, 9, 39, (Rhode Island asst) #99, (UConn asst again) #54, 25, 4, 2, 2, 12. So his teams have never finished outside the top 100 and in 16 of the 21 years they’ve been top 12 out of 300+ schools. His median finish is 3rd, or to put it another way, his team’s median finish has been in the 99th percentile for offensive rebounding."

Reed will get a bunch, he had outstanding rebounding numbers. McNeeley is the same height and more athletic than Karaban. Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart, and Jayden Ross are NBA-caliber athletes that will do just fine on the boards. Diarra and Mahaney will track down a few each. Samson will put on more weight this offseason just like he has the last few and he's always been a very good offensive rebounder.

I hope you’re right.

 

[3rdbass]

It’s not twilight zone. We are losing Clingan, Karaban (agree he’s a SF but 6’8”) and 3 outstanding tall guards. Other than possibly Reed, you tell me where the rebounding will come from. McNeeley can help but I don’t see our guards, Samson, and Stewart will fill the void of what we lost.

I think Stewart can be a better rebounder than Karaban. He definitely is stronger and more athletic and only an inch shorter. I agree though whether our Guards can rebound and will Samson come back stronger are big question marks.

 

[HooperScooper]

It's been fun to watch Calipari and Scheyer chasing veterans to bring some experience to their teams. Scheyer has lost 9 guys from this year's team and picked up two vets from Purdue and Syracuse to add to the five 5 stars and one 4 star recruit. Maybe K told him he's embarrassing himself if he doesn't start to show results from all the high powered recruits.

Calipari says he's not just going to have 5 star freshmen on his rosters at Arkansas.

"The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen," he said. "You just can't. You're going to hit a team that's 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you, and so now we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it, and they're a year older, and some freshmen."

Calipari to apply new 'formula' to Arkansas roster

New Arkansas coach John Calipari acknowledged Wednesday that it will take a new "formula" to win in the NCAA tournament after a string of recent postseason failures at Kentucky, explaining, "The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen."

www.espn.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

Calipari says he's not just going to have 5 star freshmen on his rosters at Arkansas.

"The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen," he said. "You just can't. You're going to hit a team that's 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you, and so now we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it, and they're a year older, and some freshmen."

Calipari to apply new 'formula' to Arkansas roster

New Arkansas coach John Calipari acknowledged Wednesday that it will take a new "formula" to win in the NCAA tournament after a string of recent postseason failures at Kentucky, explaining, "The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen."

www.espn.com

I said before that Cal knew this for the last few years. Kentucky boosters really wouldn't let him change his approach there. They drive the bus. He's a very good coach and will likely win at Arkansas. Meanwhile the fans have lower expectations of Pope's recruiting so he may be able to build better teams as well.

 

[awy]

maybe cal can learn an offense other than dribble and drive by 5 stars who can't shoot.

 

[gtcam]

maybe cal can learn an offense other than dribble and drive by 5 stars who can't shoot.

Until they get to the NBA and discover their shot?

 

[aceboon]

Calipari says he's not just going to have 5 star freshmen on his rosters at Arkansas.

"The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen," he said. "You just can't. You're going to hit a team that's 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you, and so now we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it, and they're a year older, and some freshmen."

Calipari to apply new 'formula' to Arkansas roster

New Arkansas coach John Calipari acknowledged Wednesday that it will take a new "formula" to win in the NCAA tournament after a string of recent postseason failures at Kentucky, explaining, "The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen."

www.espn.com

9 scholarship players is wild

 

[OceanDoggie]

9 scholarship players is wild

That's probably the only way for him to keep the babies from crying. You can't burp them all. More efficient to just let them have more time in the playpen.

 

[evmore]

It may seems like it but this isn't the pros. You shouldn't treat the players like they are and Hurley doesn't. He didn't start chucking guys overboard when he got here, much to the chagrin of those who called it "a sign of weakness". The Hurley way builds trust and gets buy-in, that's how you go back-to-back.

Excellent points. While Pitino sent 90% of the team packing, Hurley allowed every kid who was here to stay here & finish as Huskies as long as they met the standard. That took guts. That took integrity. Might have cost us wins but he gained credibility & respect. Can't build a champion without that..

 

[evmore]

The only thing the staff can do in the offseason that's visible to fans is to bring in new players. Unfortunately, the bar is set so high for a team that has the unique opportunity to compete for a third straight NC that it's hard to be fair and objective. Also, there's a fine line between bringing in what you need without being perceived as being disloyal and unfair to those on the roster who bought into the idea that their turn would come. This will impact future recruiting in either a positive, or negative way.

As recently as last year, the haul we achieved this offseason would have been condered a homerun. Instead, we're debating whether the staff did enough.

exactly..... there is no debate really. if it were only the 3 freshmen i'd still feel good about it ,with questions about Singare beng SJ's backup but McNeeley is that good so i'd still like our chances to win the BE.. But add to that Mahaney, who will be exceptional in our offense, and Reed, who now anchors our defense, & we are in a better place as a program than we have ever been,

 

[RichCTBB]

Excellent points. While Pitino sent 90% of the team packing, Hurley allowed every kid who was here to stay here & finish as Huskies as long as they met the standard. That took guts. That took integrity. Might have cost us wins but he gained credibility & respect. Can't build a champion without that..

dook pretty much ran half of their roster out as well. can't see how that bodes well for scheyer.

 

[Cuse Socks]

Wouldn't hate to add another Center from the portal, but I understand that last scholarship probably won't be used for anyone playing meaningful minutes. Lower on Singare, and the Samson-Reed frontcourt keeps me up at night. Splitting hairs though.

 

[Waquoit]

Calipari says he's not just going to have 5 star freshmen on his rosters at Arkansas.

"The lesson was you can't do this now with seven freshmen," he said. "You just can't. You're going to hit a team that's 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you, and so now we have a couple transfers that are older, some kids that transferred from Kentucky that went through it, and they're a year older, and some freshmen."

Were there really teams that average 25 and 26 years old? We know that won't be true in the future without the extra year. The Squid is such a BSer.

 

[HooperScooper]

Were there really teams that average 25 and 26 years old? We know that won't be true in the future without the extra year. The Squid is such a BSer.

In the article:

While Calipari's age estimates contain some of his penchant for exaggeration, the point of him addressing his postseason failures and making a concise pivot in his team building is significant.

 

[Ricker]

Got to give us high off season marks
1. Held the coaching staff together
2. Got ALL our returning core players to return (Diarra, Ball, Stewart, Johnson, Ross, Singare)
3. Got a bruising Center to fill a need with a 2 yr window
4. Got an impact 5* shooter with size & winning pedigree
5. Got a seasoned ncaa experienced lead guard with a 2 yr window
6. Handled the Karaban NBA with such class that it has Alex back with love for the program & fire to run it back
7. Lost Roumoglou who I think had potential but handled that with equal class (poor kid was buried behind talent)
8. Kept freshman Nowell & Abraham committed in spite of quality additions to compete with for time
9. Reportedly had meeting with Diarra about his upcoming roll (which may have been prep to expect to still come off the bench)
10. Doing great prep work to have us involved with multiple 2025 5* & 4* players to keep the ball rolling
11. Being everyplace to capitalize on the publicity of repeat & three peat to build buzz about UConn in CBB
12. Evidently keeping us very competitive with NIL to have a deep squad that didn't seek competitive 'bids'
13. Supported all our NBA prospects to achieve their dreams

Pretty hard to do better. A+ in my book

 

[Mister P]

Jersey #’s for the incoming guys.