The Season after a Title | Page 2 | The Boneyard

The Season after a Title

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When you consider the players we lost, and most teams lose after a championship it's not all that surprising. Wasn't the portal back tgen either to help mitigate losses this late in the cycle.
This just gave me a whole new outlook on transfers. I hated it at first: probably because of its newness. But you're right. It's huge for us in this spot.
Successful teams have a bit of a curse in that the players all are more attractive to pro leagues. But now we have a chance to leverage that success immediately by attracting the better transfers out there to plug those vacancies
 
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This just gave me a whole new outlook on transfers. I hated it at first: probably because of its newness. But you're right. It's huge for us in this spot.
Successful teams have a bit of a curse in that the players all are more attractive to pro leagues. But now we have a chance to leverage that success immediately by attracting the better transfers out there to plug those vacancies
There will be winners and losers. So far, Hurley has shown he's on the winning end of the portal. For coaches that can keep it up, it will be a huge tool to maintain consistency.
 

dennismenace

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You make an excellent point about no significant injury.. Its been awhile.. Gotta believe our SnC coach needs some credit for navigating the season along with our training staff.. They're part of the success of this season..
Great point. Another behind the scenes story is that until Bob Diaco took over as football coach in 2014, Uconn had the legendary team of Jerry Martin as S&C coach who was fired after 24 years and Dr Kramer as Head of the the Kinesiology Dept. who also then departed with his staff to take over at Ohio State U.


That problem seems to have been "fixed" as well a couple of years ago.





 

dennismenace

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When I saw extensive footage of some of the preseason practices, it seemed like they were emphasizing speed of play. I was very impressed and I can only imagine that the players were really grinding in practice all year. Seth Greenberg mentioned that the practices this year were over and above what most other schools were doing.

You can't expect that level of intensity year after year.
Calhoun frequently talked about the post championship let-down.

That being said, Hurley is not Calhoun and I would imagine that Hurley doesn't wear as much on the players as Jim did.
I think Hurley and coaches will definitely expect that level and recruits will not have this sugar coated. Our recruiting has been phenomenal and I am pretty sure that they have all been told what they can expect. I am starting to understand why we have had transfers out or why some players weren't getting playing time. Some of the evidence is demonstrated by captains Sanogo and Jackson and their commitment to leading by example and attitude translated by their "in gym" time. How can you expect to get time if they don't follow leadership example. Hurley can point to them and say why don't you ask them about commitment? He can point to highly regarded recruit Hawkins going to summer training with Rip Hamilton for intense off screen shooting and God knows what else. DH and Co are looking for kids who not only want to win but are willing to suit up and show up for it in practice.

I think this is beginning of a new era. A lot of things got "fixed" and going forward lack of effort will not be accepted in this culture as it was not in this or recent years.
 
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I don't really remember that run at all. I feel like this is the first i'm hearing about that injury. What a bummer!
Giving you said “I feel like” means you‘re too young to remember..
 
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when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
 

JonnyRI

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when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
Could someone benefit from training help from Rip or Ray????
 
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when Hawkins went to work with Rip last summer did the UConn budget pay for said training or was that up to Hawkins? Reason I ask is there any chance one of this years incoming freshmen could benefit from the same training.
I sure hope not because this was one of the NCAA violations Ollie committed
 
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Jeff Borzello just predicted us as number 1 next year with 2 sophomores and 3 freshman starting. Sounds crazy because a portal player should be starting, one who we don't have yet.
 
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On the injury thing. Don’t you feel we’ve been dealt a rough hand for years? I always go back to boat getting injured in the aac finals vs smu. We win we’re in and probably win a game for a young team. Then it was purvis. Brimah. Facey. Jalen. Jalen. Jalen. Purvis. Bouk in the bet. Hawkins twice. Alterique forever. I think our change in s&c has had done play in the improvement. But we were due a period of full roster play. Look at the women. They have gone years with a full team but the last 3 have been genos worst. Paige 2x. Azzi 2-3x. The entire team this year!!!!!
'and you didn't even mention Akok who pre-injury looked like he could eventually be an elite player. The Maryland game would have looked very different with a healthy Bouk and Akok, Akok's injury also cost us a potential tournament team in 2020 if there had been a tournament.
 
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HuskyWarrior611

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'and you didn't even mention Akok who pre-injury looked like he could eventually be an elite player. The Maryland game would have looked very different with a healthy Bouk and Akok, Akok's injury also cost us a potential tournament team in 2020 if there had been a tournament.
We were actually looking REALLY good at the end of 2020. I was hoping there was a tournament because we were playing like a dangerous team.

Vital and Bouknight was a great scoring combo that year and Whaley owned everything in the paint. It was really fun basketball to watch.
 

Hunt for 7

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Doooooomed?
Let’s just enjoy we are part of the conversation again. Hurley has a core to work with maybe it includes more of this years team than not. We have a top 20 5 star recruit coming him. He probably is not a diva as it seems Hurley won’t just take talent, rather system fitters. I think we will be good…not going to say we get another chip but I feel confident that we will be in the top two regular season be teams. Maybe get to a be tourney final and make a little run maybe sweet sixteen elite eight. But I think we are at the beginning of the Hurley era.
 
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We were actually looking REALLY good at the end of 2020. I was hoping there was a tournament because we were playing like a dangerous team.

Vital and Bouknight was a great scoring combo that year and Whaley owned everything in the paint. It was really fun basketball to watch.
It's a travesty that Vital never got to play in the NCAAT.
 
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How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal
 
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How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal

If you’re a college basketball coach and not trying to build a team like uconn just did with 4 out then you are an idiot.
 
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How many coaches are going to use our blueprint and build a clone - much easier with the portal

Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
 

HuskyWarrior611

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Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
Plus having a flame thrower like Hawkins.

The transfer portal gave us some great role players on the team, but at the end of the day you have to recruit elite talent. This was Hurley’s first year where his guys ran the show and we saw how great it was when his recruits were the key to our success.

For all the credit that the transfer portal has been given, I don’t think we’re paying attention enough to how the 5 most important players on the team were Hurley recruits for the first time and it paid off.
 
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Not gonna find the things that made this team special in the portal. Having a combo like adama and clingan at center isn’t happening. There’s no player who does all the things that Jackson does.
I want a second team center like Clingan!
 
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OTOH, 3 first round losses in a row might have kept this year from happening.
Also possible some early NCAA tournament exposure helps them overcome any anxiety in advance and perhaps they get a win one of those years.

The only way that 2019-2020 team was making it to the NCAAT was by winning the American, and that Houston team was good. They would have at least beaten Tulane to set up a match against Wichita State, who they had already lost to in 2OT.

Oh well. Vital turned into such a good player by the end that I'd loved to have seen him have a moment in the NCAA, but obviously not at the expense of this year's success.
 
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Maybe CV could put in the good word with his old coach(Jere Quinn) about the benefits of playing at UConn for Tyler B
 

hardcorehusky

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Motivation won't be an issue. We haven't won the Big East regular or tournament titles yet. That will be a goal! Then the NCAA tournament is its own beast, something Hurley now knows how to tame.
 
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I thought the list would be a lot longer but it is so rare to go back-to-back.

Florida 06-07
Duke 91-92
UCLA 64-65 & 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73
Cincy 61-62
San Fran 55-56
Kentucky 48-49
Ok State 45-46
 

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