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It’s a great read all around, interesting bits about everyone.
This is of particular interest:
Figuring out how to use Jackson: It was an impressive trick when Big East opponents implemented the Don’t Guard Andre Jackson strategy. It was mostly effective, clearly got in his head, and it took Jackson and Hurley a few games to adjust. Now that they have, UConn’s offense is somehow better than ever. It turns out that Jackson’s speed, strength and warlockery (see above) make him extraordinarily dangerous in the paint. He catches whatever Sanogo fires at him. He’s always in position to steal an offensive rebound from some oaf. As Field of 68’s Terrence Oglesby said, Jackson has figured out how to take all that space defenders are giving him and use it as a runway. This was the most acute in-season adjustment that UConn had to make this year and, although it took a while to implement, the staff knocked it into outer space.
Allowing his assistants to do their jobs well: I say this with the absolute confidence of a dude with a twitter account: UConn has the best coaching staff in the country. While that independently rules, what’s particularly noteworthy is the openness with which Hurley acknowledges his reliance on assistants Tom Moore and Luke Murray and Associate Head Coach Kimani Young. In recent days, Hurley has basically been issuing letters of recommendation for Young and Murray in media interviews. This staff has, at most, two more games together. That’s a bummer but also a sign of success. While it will be sad to see one or both of them leave, the relationship Hurley has built with his staff inspires a lot of confidence that their replacements will also be cool. Who wouldn’t want to come be a part of this?
A totally new offense: This is where I start hooting and hollering. Some people, with the absolute confidence of a dude with a twitter account, previously accused Hurley of not running effective offensive schemes. Hurley now legally can hit those people with a folding chair. Using the aforementioned roster building, Hurley built the offense he wanted that features open threes by good shooters, a billion offensive rebounds and an endless diet of looks for his (also aforementioned) unguardable center. It’s worked so well that I’ve hit myself with a folding chair. Hurley’s recruiting classes are getting better, and after experiencing high-level success with transfers this season, he can probably count on picking from a pile of available talent each spring going forward. This accomplishment should be sustainable and supply UConn with the level of talent Hurley will need to field perennial contenders.
Overcoming college basketball officiating: I will say the hard truth that everyone’s too scared to: Boooooo! Ref, you suck! The officiating in college basketball is terrible, as it is every year and will continue to be forever because no one wants to spend money to fix it and the world is out to get me personally. UConn started the season 14-0 in large part because they were allowed to play defense. Somewhere around the time Big East refs decided to punish Dan Hurley, that changed. Why? Can’t be sure, but I have a hunch Big East refs decided to punish Dan Hurley. The officiating in league play fundamentally changed the way UConn had to play on both ends of the ball.
Fortunately, UConn made a savvy late season adjustment in the form of GETTING AWAY FROM THE BIG EAST REFS PUNISHING DAN HURLEY. It’s amazing to watch basketball again. May it never leave us.
This is of particular interest:
A list of things Dan Hurley gets credit for:
Roster building: What a masterpiece. It might be a happy accident of timing and gigantism that Hurley ended up with two of the ten best centers in the sport simultaneously, but the roster he’s built through recruiting, development and transfers is fairly close to perfect. He’s found the depth, shooting, size and sauce that last year’s squad lacked — a self-leveling collection that can adapt to any variety of game but has bought-in completely to Hurley’s maniacal style of rebounding and defense.Figuring out how to use Jackson: It was an impressive trick when Big East opponents implemented the Don’t Guard Andre Jackson strategy. It was mostly effective, clearly got in his head, and it took Jackson and Hurley a few games to adjust. Now that they have, UConn’s offense is somehow better than ever. It turns out that Jackson’s speed, strength and warlockery (see above) make him extraordinarily dangerous in the paint. He catches whatever Sanogo fires at him. He’s always in position to steal an offensive rebound from some oaf. As Field of 68’s Terrence Oglesby said, Jackson has figured out how to take all that space defenders are giving him and use it as a runway. This was the most acute in-season adjustment that UConn had to make this year and, although it took a while to implement, the staff knocked it into outer space.
Allowing his assistants to do their jobs well: I say this with the absolute confidence of a dude with a twitter account: UConn has the best coaching staff in the country. While that independently rules, what’s particularly noteworthy is the openness with which Hurley acknowledges his reliance on assistants Tom Moore and Luke Murray and Associate Head Coach Kimani Young. In recent days, Hurley has basically been issuing letters of recommendation for Young and Murray in media interviews. This staff has, at most, two more games together. That’s a bummer but also a sign of success. While it will be sad to see one or both of them leave, the relationship Hurley has built with his staff inspires a lot of confidence that their replacements will also be cool. Who wouldn’t want to come be a part of this?
A totally new offense: This is where I start hooting and hollering. Some people, with the absolute confidence of a dude with a twitter account, previously accused Hurley of not running effective offensive schemes. Hurley now legally can hit those people with a folding chair. Using the aforementioned roster building, Hurley built the offense he wanted that features open threes by good shooters, a billion offensive rebounds and an endless diet of looks for his (also aforementioned) unguardable center. It’s worked so well that I’ve hit myself with a folding chair. Hurley’s recruiting classes are getting better, and after experiencing high-level success with transfers this season, he can probably count on picking from a pile of available talent each spring going forward. This accomplishment should be sustainable and supply UConn with the level of talent Hurley will need to field perennial contenders.
Overcoming college basketball officiating: I will say the hard truth that everyone’s too scared to: Boooooo! Ref, you suck! The officiating in college basketball is terrible, as it is every year and will continue to be forever because no one wants to spend money to fix it and the world is out to get me personally. UConn started the season 14-0 in large part because they were allowed to play defense. Somewhere around the time Big East refs decided to punish Dan Hurley, that changed. Why? Can’t be sure, but I have a hunch Big East refs decided to punish Dan Hurley. The officiating in league play fundamentally changed the way UConn had to play on both ends of the ball.
Fortunately, UConn made a savvy late season adjustment in the form of GETTING AWAY FROM THE BIG EAST REFS PUNISHING DAN HURLEY. It’s amazing to watch basketball again. May it never leave us.
