Cam Spencer’s contribution to an elite UConn offense

[WeAreUCONN]

Video breaks down Cam’s importance to our offense in great detail.

 

[alphasigko]

Without him we do not get to where we wound up.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This video should be required viewing for Solo Ball.

 

[Umami Zen]

This video should be required viewing for Solo Ball.

And for Aidan as he gets introduced to our offensive schemes

 

[AzHusky]

Just a question, with the way the NBA is played today how does he not get drafted in the first round? The BBIQ is out of this world.

 

[husky429]

I worked for PGC for 3 or 4 summers all over the northeast. They do some great work. IMO the best summer camp I've seen for ballers, and I'm not sure it's close.

Thousands of young kids are going to see this video--I'm sure they're going to play it during their intro classroom session.

 

[husky429]

Just a question, with the way the NBA is played today how does he not get drafted in the first round? The BBIQ is out of this world.

Defense.

 

[AzHusky]

Maybe I don't know what I'm watching but I haven't seen much D played in the NBA. I watch a lot of the Suns games so that maybe the problem.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I continue to be amazed by how effective the offense was.... it didnt matter what the other team did. It didnt matter how poorly we shot. Nothing seemed to matter. They just got great shot after great shot after great shot. The opposition was irrelevant. Purdue was almost as helpless as Stetson.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Maybe I don't know what I'm watching but I haven't seen much D played in the NBA. I watch a lot of the Suns games so that maybe the problem.

Yeah, Phoenix isn't a great example. There about a half dozen teams that play real individual defense, then a half dozen others that have a good enough defensive team to play ok defense and get away with it, then the rest don't really bother.

Phoenix seems to think that they're so offensively talented that they don't need to use energy on the other side of the ball, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[MexicoHusky]

On the negative side and i apologize for being a downer, but im not sure the 2024 offense can be created again. Like many of you ive been watching this team for the bulk of my life. At 47 thats about 35 years of being a die hard fan.... and ive never seen the offense work like it did in 2024. It seems possible the beauty of 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hope not. I hope DH has actually figured out the formula. But my history as a Connecticut basketball fan has me skeptical. Regardless, im grateful i got to see it all. Ill cherish it like i cherish so many of my Connecticut basketball memories.

Sorry for being a bit sappy and potentially a downer.

 

[MexicoHusky]

The narrator/analyst sounds like Jay Wright

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

On the negative side and i apologize for being a downer, but im not sure the 2024 offense can be created again. Like many of you ive been watching this team for the bulk of my life. At 47 thats about 35 years of being a die hard fan.... and ive never seen the offense work like it did in 2024. It seems possible the beauty of 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hope not. I hope DH has actually figured out the formula. But my history as a Connecticut basketball fan has me skeptical. Regardless, im grateful i got to see it all. Ill cherish it like i cherish so many of my Connecticut basketball memories.

Sorry for being a bit sappy and potentially a downer.

This is true, but it isn't a sad thought. The 2025 offense will be beautiful in its own way, but different and tailored to the personnel.
The biggest difference will be in Samson and Donovan's role. Samson does different things well. The offense will feature those things, and deemphasize the things that he doesn't do well.
Liam and Cam aren't the same, so it will be very different there too.
But a lot of the principles will be similar. I expect some new wrinkles that we haven't seen before coming off of set ups that we have.
I'm excited for what's coming, not lamenting what's gone !!!

 

[aceboon]

Maybe I don't know what I'm watching but I haven't seen much D played in the NBA. I watch a lot of the Suns games so that maybe the problem.

So did you skip the TWolves games the past couple of weeks, because they played plenty of defense. Anthony Edwards highlight dunk to cap the series came off of a possession where they played textbook defense rotating to force a turnover.

 

[Luna]

I can’t get enough of our championship run..I’ve watched every game at least twice…one of the greatest teams in the history of men’s college basketball.. having 5 players at the combine… the nba agrees

 

[uconn_jack]

On the negative side and i apologize for being a downer, but im not sure the 2024 offense can be created again. Like many of you ive been watching this team for the bulk of my life. At 47 thats about 35 years of being a die hard fan.... and ive never seen the offense work like it did in 2024. It seems possible the beauty of 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hope not. I hope DH has actually figured out the formula. But my history as a Connecticut basketball fan has me skeptical. Regardless, im grateful i got to see it all. Ill cherish it like i cherish so many of my Connecticut basketball memories.

Sorry for being a bit sappy and potentially a downer.

The 2023-24 offense was different than the 2022-2023 offense, and yet both won the natty pretty handily. As long as the players buy into what ever Luke and Hurley come up with for this team, I am optimistic it will be successful.

 

[Buzzyboy]

The narrator/analyst sounds like Jay Wright

I thought the narrator sounded much more like Hurley himself

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Maybe I don't know what I'm watching but I haven't seen much D played in the NBA. I watch a lot of the Suns games so that maybe the problem.

Yeah you watching the Suns is for sure the problem. Lol

Turn on the Wolves, Knicks, Mavs, even the Celtics.

 

[JB75]

Like I said in previous posts - so bittersweet we only got to enjoy him and castle for 6 months

 

[superjohn]

On the negative side and i apologize for being a downer, but im not sure the 2024 offense can be created again. Like many of you ive been watching this team for the bulk of my life. At 47 thats about 35 years of being a die hard fan.... and ive never seen the offense work like it did in 2024. It seems possible the beauty of 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hope not. I hope DH has actually figured out the formula. But my history as a Connecticut basketball fan has me skeptical. Regardless, im grateful i got to see it all. Ill cherish it like i cherish so many of my Connecticut basketball memories.

Sorry for being a bit sappy and potentially a downer.

It's the best college basketball team of my life and I'm 44. We can't expect that again any time soon. We can win it all again without being as good.

 

[dennismenace]

On the negative side and i apologize for being a downer, but im not sure the 2024 offense can be created again. Like many of you ive been watching this team for the bulk of my life. At 47 thats about 35 years of being a die hard fan.... and ive never seen the offense work like it did in 2024. It seems possible the beauty of 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I hope not. I hope DH has actually figured out the formula. But my history as a Connecticut basketball fan has me skeptical. Regardless, im grateful i got to see it all. Ill cherish it like i cherish so many of my Connecticut basketball memories.

Sorry for being a bit sappy and potentially a downer.

On the plus side I keep in mind the idea that DH is "the carpenter." Maybe more like "the architect"
because what has been built and will continue to be is a group effort of some very talented assistant coaches who DH has started to rely on more and more. But to me the beauty of 2024 was the recruiting and training of players who fit into the "culture." This might best be described as "integrated" like a system. Although it was systematized it (plays especially) there were always options based on assessing opponents' responses, our player talents and performances etc. Because it is so well planned with so many options our opponents become confused (and exhausted) running around like in the dark. This has to be demoralizing to opponents because they can't read it and respond to it. "We are going to do this and you can't stop us."

In an odd way this reminds me of the Chicago Bears 1985. They were just completely devastating
(on defense) because everything was based on stopping opponents from doing what they wanted to do. Mainly they overwhelmed opponents both physically and emotionally (fear) on defense and it was so intimidating that forced mental/emotional problems before the game even began.

They gambled with all out blitzes because they had the talent and the plans which were different from everyone else. The normal response against that team would have been to make them pay by
going deep against them. Much easier said than done. No one was used to playing against a team with that kind of talent/play options/physicality. It was just awesome and that is what we have become. Closest thing resembling our recent past to me was Villanova under Jay Wright. Highly organized from top to bottom and well communicated to every member of that team and staff. Our model appears to have a lot more flexibility which makes it more responsive than theirs. Our offense is so much more sophisticated that no one can call all the defensive "automatics" (on the floor defensive changes) that effectively adapt to it. LOL ask Perdue.

 

[SubbaBub]

In addition to being a top 3-pt shooter, he was also the guy who often drew the opponent's weakest perimeter defender. He was able to be that option of last resort when the offensive wasn't running smoothly and bail out numerous possessions by getting into the paint and either hitting a little floater from 8 feet or freezing the shot blocker with his patience and scooping a soft lay in. That wrinkle to his game made him more than just a Joey C type shooter.

His defense was also underrated in that he was clearly the guy to attack on the perimeter due to his lack of speed, yet no team was able to exploit him in any meaningful way. I credit it to his IQ/craftiness, our commitment to team defense and having DC in the back as a backstop. Opponents should have been able to get to the line by getting past him and creating fouls on the interior, but they couldn't do that either.

Even with all the post title hosannas, this team was seriously underrated all season. Still don't know if they are the best UConn team of all-time but they definitely executed at both ends better than any team we've had. Each of the other title teams relied on one or two stars dominating when necessary. This team just ground other teams up. Even if they had equal or better talent, they would eventually make mistakes, this team rarely did.

 

[REB1094]

14 points, 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists (to 1 turnover) shooting 48/44/91 splits over 40 games. Fifth year senior, maturity of a 23 year old, was always reliable to make the right decision every time he touched the ball

It may not be an exaggeration to say we’ll never see a guy like him in Storrs again

 

[AllHusky]

Until we do. When the Coaching Staff finally turns over, don't know if you'll get such a set of eyes for talent that fits.

To those who'll "never see another offense like this" Yes, and no. As mentioned before, this looks like a 2 year team that should be fully integrated in 26(coming off a national championship???). Obviously you might lose a Liam after this, but who knows?

 

[alphasigko]

In addition to being a top 3-pt shooter, he was also the guy who often drew the opponent's weakest perimeter defender. He was able to be that option of last resort when the offensive wasn't running smoothly and bail out numerous possessions by getting into the paint and either hitting a little floater from 8 feet or freezing the shot blocker with his patience and scooping a soft lay in. That wrinkle to his game made him more than just a Joey C type shooter.

His defense was also underrated in that he was clearly the guy to attack on the perimeter due to his lack of speed, yet no team was able to exploit him in any meaningful way. I credit it to his IQ/craftiness, our commitment to team defense and having DC in the back as a backstop. Opponents should have been able to get to the line by getting past him and creating fouls on the interior, but they couldn't do that either.

Even with all the post title hosannas, this team was seriously underrated all season. Still don't know if they are the best UConn team of all-time but they definitely executed at both ends better than any team we've had. Each of the other title teams relied on one or two stars dominating when necessary. This team just ground other teams up. Even if they had equal or better talent, they would eventually make mistakes, this team rarely did.

Really good analysis!