This is not the team Hurley envisioned..

[Chelo]

Cut Coach Hurley some slack. This was not the team he envisioned in year 3. This team was supposed to have a healthy Akok, Polley and Bouk. Now imagine if this team was at full strength. Shi.. happens and injuries happen. You have to play with what you have and coach up. Can't fault Hurley,,,I can just imagine what this team would have looked like healthy.

 

[Ts5034]

When it comes to this season, there are a ton of what If's? What if we had a full non Covid off season? What if we never had so many Covid pauses? What if Bouknight never got hurt? What if Jackson never got hurt? As far as the injuries, we have had really bad luck with that lately. Im hoping we can go through the off season and regular season with zero injuries. As far as the Covid situation and lack of off season for development of players. Every division 1 team faced the same thing, but it still makes you wonder if all those things didn't happen, would this team have been clicking on all cylinders come March?

 

[AdamaNation]

When it comes to this season, there are a ton of what If's? What if we had a full non Covid off season? What if we never had so many Covid pauses? What if Bouknight never got hurt? What if Jackson never got hurt? As far as the injuries, we have had really bad luck with that lately. Im hoping we can go through the off season and regular season with zero injuries. As far as the Covid situation and lack of off season for development of players. Every division 1 team faced the same thing, but it still makes you wonder if all those things didn't happen, would this team have been clicking on all cylinders come March?

Yeah. Let’s not start the we didn’t get what we planned for foster or season. We never do. What if rip stayed or lamb or Kemba with a freshman Andre? Or Daniels staying. Or oriakhi not transferring or or or what if??????

 

[bendm]

and if dyson didnt get hurt we woulda won another chip in 2009

 

[metsfan2323]

and if dyson didnt get hurt we woulda won another chip in 2009

We have definitely had years when injuries have cost us (1996 Ricky Moore, 2000 Khalid sprains his ankle). 2021 will go down as one of those seasons. Our two best talents either not playing or a shell of themselves because of injuries.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I hear the "every team went through it (COVID)" argument but have to say that some teams and some players did okay with pauses and no fans others did not. Take Porkchop for example. Wasn't there concern early on that he had trouble with his motor at times without the fans and didn't Danny have to find a way to prop him up? I am 70 and I know I am more than tired of the way things are and I cannot imagine how a young person takes this all in and makes it work.

 

[Jholla2183]

I hear the "every team went through it (COVID)" argument but have to say that some teams and some players did okay with pauses and no fans others did not. Take Porkchop for example. Wasn't there concern early on that he had trouble with his motor at times without the fans and didn't Danny have to find a way to prop him up? I am 70 and I know I am more than tired of the way things are and I cannot imagine how a young person takes this all in and makes it work.

2008 AJ Price, 2009 Jerome Dyson

 

[jibsey]

No coach usually has a full slate. Look at what Nova just lost.

 

[weo777]

Hurleys claim to fame with defensive prowess needs some adjutments so I dont have to keep watching Sanogo chasing someone out in the perimeter while the other teams guard is backing down Cole. We need a solid zone to protect guys in foul trouble and this has to be the worst trapping UCONN team ever. We rebound great defensively but give up baseline way to easily

 

[MexicoHusky]

Cut Coach Hurley some slack. This was not the team he envisioned in year 3. This team was supposed to have a healthy Akok, Polley and Bouk. Now imagine if this team was at full strength. Shi.. happens and injuries happen. You have to play with what you have and coach up. Can't fault Hurley,,,I can just imagine what this team would have looked like healthy.

I think most on this forum are DH advocates. I know I am. But that doesn't mean the year shouldn't be examined. I'm sure DH is doing it himself.

I want to understand why our pace was so slow. I think I know the answer. I don't think DH was comfortable with Cole and Gaff running a fast paced team. But I want to hear DH address the question. Frankly, I want to know if the pace we played this year is part of his coaching philosophy or just something he felt forced into for personnel reasons.

 

[ZackB05]

I somewhat agree with the original poster but a coach has to work with what he has. Hurley is great but still has a lot to learn. Im sure he would even admit that. It was a bit puzzling that we didn't have a better game plan for Ayala who absolutely destroyed us the first 10-15 minutes. Hurley even admitted after the game that was a matchup problem they were worried about going in. He should have been the number one focus and for him to get off like that was a failure. Clearly didn't get the job done there.

 

[Hurleyman216]

and if dyson didnt get hurt we woulda won another chip in 2009

Not likely. That UNC team was stacked and would have most likely beaten us even with Dyson

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I want to understand why our pace was so slow. I think I know the answer. I don't think DH was comfortable with Cole and Gaff running a fast paced team.

I've heard this a bunch of times now and it just doesn't make sense to me on any level. Why do you think, specifically, that Hurley wasn't comfortable with Cole and Gaffney running a fast paced team?

For the record, I don't think this is the reason at all, but I'd love for someone to try to make sense of it for me.

 

[bendm]

Not likely. That UNC team was stacked and would have most likely beaten us even with Dyson

good grief. the point of my post was we shouldnt dwell on what ifs. moving on

 

[Hurleyman216]

Hurleys claim to fame with defensive prowess needs some adjutments so I dont have to keep watching Sanogo chasing someone out in the perimeter while the other teams guard is backing down Cole. We need a solid zone to protect guys in foul trouble and this has to be the worst trapping UCONN team ever. We rebound great defensively but give up baseline way to easily

When you have long athletic guys like we did this year the zone can cause a lot of turnovers. Whaley and Jackson in a Cuse type zone would be killer. It doesn’t need to be our defense 100% of the time, but you need to mix in zone to keep the other team uncomfortable.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I've heard this a bunch of times now and it just doesn't make sense to me on any level. Why do you think, specifically, that Hurley wasn't comfortable with Cole and Gaffney running a fast paced team?

For the record, I don't think this is the reason at all, but I'd love for someone to try to make sense of it for me.

It seemed like we tried to run a bit early on. Without much success. More specifically, it seemed like Cole and Gaff were bad at it. So I feel like we eventually pulled the reins a bit.

But it's just theory. My next theory is DH simply doesn't like to push the ball or does a poor job coaching/teaching a faster pace. I like that theory even less. It actually concerns me a bit.

Edit: I'm all ears on this topic. It's my biggest question/concern of the year. I don't know the answer.

 

[metsfan2323]

No coach usually has a full slate. Look at what Nova just lost.

I seem to remember full slates in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014.

If Nova loses by a couple in the next round they remember this as the year their PG got hurt.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It seemed like we tried to run a bit early on. Without much success. More specifically, it seemed like Cole and Gaff were bad at it. So I feel like we eventually pulled the reins a bit.

But it's just theory. My next theory is DH simply doesn't like to push the ball or does a poor job coaching/teaching a faster pace. I like that theory even less. It actually concerns me a bit.

Edit: I'm all ears on this topic. It's my biggest question/concern of the year. I don't know the answer.

I always figured he wanted to limit possessions because there's a lid on the basket for this team so often. When our complimentary guys are making shots I'd love to see an up and down game against a team like Alabama but when we're struggling to make shots that sort of game gets ugly with the quickness. Your best bet is to limit the number of possessions. I don't think there's anything about Cole and Gaffney specifically that prevents this team from running.

I didn't watch enough of Hurley's Rhode Island teams to know the answer, but I never got the sense he was fundamentally averse to running. I certainly hope that's not the case. And I would be concerned about certain guys if it was.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think as Hurley gets more of his kind of player in here (and healthy) you'll see the kind of style he wants to run.

You don't bring in guys like Akok and Jackson if you want to run a plodding halfcourt offense. But neither of those guys were available much of the year.

 

[superjohn]

I think as Hurley gets more of his kind of player in here (and healthy) you'll see the kind of style he wants to run.

You don't bring in guys like Akok and Jackson if you want to run a plodding halfcourt offense. But neither of those guys were available much of the year.

We'll find out next season.

 

[BlueDogs]

We'll find out next season.

Yup. Hurley has his guys and there are some real holes you needs to fill in. He also needs to get some semblance of an offensive scheme and identify unless we plan on holding teams to 40 points a game.

 

[boog204]

I've heard this a bunch of times now and it just doesn't make sense to me on any level. Why do you think, specifically, that Hurley wasn't comfortable with Cole and Gaffney running a fast paced team?

For the record, I don't think this is the reason at all, but I'd love for someone to try to make sense of it for me.

Handle, decision-making, finishers? It's problematic that for many years it seems like our best rebounders have been our guards and three man. Those are the guy we want finishing. But instead, we have to rely on them to board. We won a championship with Bazz as our best defensive rebounder which inherently means we were sending everyone to the boards b/c we were weak at the 4 and 5. This year, our best rebounders were Bouk and Martin. They should be the guys filling the lanes or flaring out for shots. But let's be honest, we really haven't been a true running team in many, many years and the claim that we are is almost as ridiculous as saying we need to be pressing again to get easy baskets; something we haven't done since Burrell was here. It's maddening though because our style of play is incredibly boring. Watching the first half of Iowa/Oregon had me yearning for a time when our games were actually not chuck up contested jumpers and play D. The irony, though, is as boring as it is, we've won two championships by playing ridiculous defense and relying on guards to make tough shots.

 

[Huskybass]

Jackson has great court vision and passing ability, and he rebounds very well. But his handle is shaky at best, which seriously limited his ability to slash. With an improved handle next season, I'm willing to bet he will be taking it to the rim far more often.

I'd love to see a running team with at least 10-12 points a game in transition.

 

[jibsey]

That was not the team that Hurley envisioned. Conceded. And that was not the season's end that I envisioned vs Creighton and Maryland. How much does Hurley make per year? 3 million, 4 million? UCONN is giving him and his family a generational lifetime of family financial security. Get the pieces you need Danny, push the right buttons, and win.

 

[UofCT]

2008 AJ Price, 2009 Jerome Dyson

It goes both ways.

Enes Kantar was ineligible in 2011
Willy Cauley Stein hurt in 2014