Uconn's top 10 recruiting

[TheChamps990411]

I'd like to see what a line-up of Diggins, Hawkins, Jackson, Johnson, and Akok/Springs would look like, even if for a short 5 minute run. It might be pure chaos but the chicks have to learn to fly. Sink or swim. We have 3 grad students and a senior who we thought would be dominating other teams, but they aren't. Maybe they are hampering progress of others.

Lots of turnovers and 3 attempts with the shot clock running down. Id prefer to see Diggins, Cole, Hawk, Tmart and Johnson and run a motion offense with constant cuts to the basket with the kick out to the open guy on the wings. I personally think its the offense we should be running regardless. Not sure what DH is running but its not good.

 

[BGesus4]

A lot of people were crowing about Johnson and Diggins needing more minutes, then they got to see what more minutes for Johnson looked like during West Virginia, and focused their attention on Diggins.

I’d like to see them get more minutes for development purposes, but they arent going to change the trajectory of this season.

 

[fatlucy]

I think most people want to just see something different. And if it’s worse then go back, but might as well try it. Because any time we play good teams we struggle to get 60 points.

Different as in no more Polly and a lot left of Gaff

 

[UConn990411]

Same here, but that's not the feeling I get from most of these posts. People talk about Diggjns and Johnson as if they're the saviors for our season

Not really - most of the time, people are talking about them as players who can help the team.

They’re currently sitting behind seniors who very clearly shouldn’t be getting the minutes they’re getting. It’s really hard to justify Hurley’s rotations right now, and I’m not sure why so many posters are trying to.

 

[auror]

In practice, the same way the other players developed

Sanogo, Akok, Gaffney, Whaley, and Polley started for long stretches of their freshmen UConn seasons. Martin and Cole also got starter minutes on their pre-transfer teams as freshmen..

So of the 8 veterans in our rotation, 7 started for much of their freshmen years. Leaves just Jackson, who got 2 starts as a freshmen and averaged 18 minutes per after coming back from injury.

Diggins has more DNPs than games he's played in and has only cracked 10 minutes 1 time.

 

[JB75]

A lot of people were crowing about Johnson and Diggins needing more minutes, then they got to see what more minutes for Johnson looked like during West Virginia, and focused their attention on Diggins.

I’d like to see them get more minutes for development purposes, but they arent going to change the trajectory of this season.

Well we know what gaff brings and it can’t be worse. It really can’t.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I'm more worried about Sool deciding he would play somewhere else. He can't feel justified sitting for Gaffney anymore.

 

[mrl2016]

Hawkins has been getting a ton of minutes as a freshman. Hurley sees these guys in practice. If they were ready to play they’d be playing

Now, yes Hurley might stick with underperforming seniors on off nights. However the alternative is watching the other teams lead grow because you put in freshman who aren’t ready.

He’s not going to make a decision that hurts the team to appease an impatient fan base

 

[superjohn]

Hawkins has been getting a ton of minutes as a freshman. Hurley sees these guys in practice. If they were ready to play they’d be playing

Now, yes Hurley might stick with underperforming seniors on off nights. However the alternative is watching the other teams lead grow because you put in freshman who aren’t ready.

He’s not going to make a decision that hurts the team to appease an impatient fan base

Playing Polley and Gaffney the amount they're playing is hurting the team like crazy. The Hurley sees them in practice and if they were ready to play they'd be playing is ridiculous at this point with what we've seen on the court in these games.

It's also inviting the chance for unintended consequences.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

This is why getting Diggins and Johnson more minutes during early season tune up games was important. Now they are far less likely to get quality minutes in conference play in what are surely to be close games.

 

[Ts5034]

This is why getting Diggins and Johnson more minutes during early season tune up games was important. Now they are far less likely to get quality minutes in conference play in what are surely to be close games.

It's like a chicken and egg scenario. They aren't playing because they are not ready, but at the same time they are not ready because they have not really played...

 

[ASweet3781]

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe Diggins like Gaffney might not be that good which explains the lack of time. Maybe he is genuinely not ready.

Than I remember injuries basically forced him to start playing Whaley the first year and he hasn't stopped playing him since. So it might be entirely possible he is misjudging his roster.

 

[imno1]

Different as in no more Polly and a lot left of Gaff

Difference is Polley can win you a game like he did against Auburn. But Polley shouldn't play 20+ unless he's on fire. I really don't think Diggins could be any more of a liability than Gaffney has been

 

[UConnSwag11]

Difference is Polley can win you a game like he did against Auburn. But Polley shouldn't play 20+ unless he's on fire. I really don't think Diggins could be any more of a liability than Gaffney has been

Yes, but those Auburn type games are one a year. That being said he should get more minutes than Gaff

 

[TheChamps990411]

Well we know what gaff brings and it can’t be worse. It really can’t.

Remember that Gaff bandwagon that started to fill up after a couple games against cupcakes? lol I tried warning people and that bandwagons wheels came off and is somewhere in a ditch on the side of the road way in the distance.

 

[Burnsbros23]

Gaffney has played too much for three years. Odd. Like everyone said, Diggins can’t be worse.

 

[Castlevania]

Last year was a product of a pandemic and gave 2 graduating seniors an extra year, which wouldn't have happened under normal circumstances. A lot of Polley and Whaley's minutes would probably be distributed equally somehow between the 3 freshman if they weren't here.

 

[mrl2016]

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe Diggins like Gaffney might not be that good which explains the lack of time. Maybe he is genuinely not ready.

Than I remember injuries basically forced him to start playing Whaley the first year and he hasn't stopped playing him since. So it might be entirely possible he is misjudging his roster.

It’s possible that he is misjudging the roster, and the assistant coaches are either afraid to speak up or are also misjudging the roster.

Personally, I still trust Hurley’s judgment based on everything I’ve seen so far, so I assume there is a good reason for not playing Diggins. When Johnson did play he looked very raw to my eye, so I feel fairly confident those guys just aren’t ready

If you want to say they should have gotten more minutes against the cupcakes, sure. But not against BE opponents when we are in a dog fight

 

[uconngb]

I haven't seen anyone post like that. People are saying Diggins should get spot minutes to give Cole a rest and because Gaffney can't play point and is so bad this season. People want to see Samson get some minutes to develop because he has so much talent which Hurley has talked up.

When the veterans can't get it done and coach is trying the whole square peg in a round hole thing I think most would like to see the talented freshman at least get a chance.

This. I think we all know what the definition of insanity is: it’s Coach Hurley trotting out the same guys running the same lousy offense and expecting different results.

I may have paraphrased.

 

[Watchdog]

Calhoun played Freshman in his later years...2011 was Kemba and mostly Freshman (Napier, Roscoe, Giff, Lamb) that played tons and made some bonehead plays but they fueled that team with Kemba.

2012 Boat, Daniels and Drummond of course played tons as Freshman as well

I well remember all the hype in 2010-2011 about Kentucky's freshmen and yet, when the season was over and we'd beaten Kentucky for the second time that year, our freshmen (as I recall) played a percentage point or two more of our team's total minutes played for the year than Kentucky's highly lauded freshman class.

 

[pj]

Lots of turnovers and 3 attempts with the shot clock running down. Id prefer to see Diggins, Cole, Hawk, Tmart and Johnson and run a motion offense with constant cuts to the basket with the kick out to the open guy on the wings. I personally think its the offense we should be running regardless. Not sure what DH is running but its not good.

If you had that lineup playing against Gaffney, AJackson, Polley, Akok, Sanogo/Whaley, which team would you bet on?

Cole and Martin are very good, but so are AJackson and Sanogo. If Gaffney could step up, your team could struggle. Would be a fun game to watch.

 

[lange10]

The concerning thing regarding Diggins’ path to minutes is that it potentially doesn’t change whatsoever next year, as others have alluded to Cole returning.

I thought all summer long he could be a piece to help Cole out immensely by resting/playing the 2 by Diggins’ side. I didn’t have crazy expectations, but expected him to play 10-15 minutes given his strengths as a true lead guard.

While Hurley & Co. have been an incredible recruiting force, I worry about the ramifications down the line if we don’t give the young guns a shot. Hurley has been saying “9 starters” since September. If I’m Diggins, Johnson, or heck, even Springs, I’d be livid knowing I was written off so soon.

 

[navery12]

The concerning thing regarding Diggins’ path to minutes is that it potentially doesn’t change whatsoever next year, as others have alluded to Cole returning.

I thought all summer long he could be a piece to help Cole out immensely by resting/playing the 2 by Diggins’ side. I didn’t have crazy expectations, but expected him to play 10-15 minutes given his strengths as a true lead guard.

While Hurley & Co. have been an incredible recruiting force, I worry about the ramifications down the line if we don’t give the young guns a shot. Hurley has been saying “9 starters” since September. If I’m Diggins, Johnson, or heck, even Springs, I’d be livid knowing I was written off so soon.

I don't think this is really accurate at all. There's around 50 minutes opening up at the 2/3 position from Martin and Polley leaving. If Gaffney is playing at all, that's where it needs to be, so there's plenty of minutes available for Diggins

 

[TheChamps990411]

If you had that lineup playing against Gaffney, AJackson, Polley, Akok, Sanogo/Whaley, which team would you bet on?

Cole and Martin are very good, but so are AJackson and Sanogo. If Gaffney could step up, your team could struggle. Would be a fun game to watch.

i wouldnt expect my team at all to win. That wasnt the question. I was just putting out a combo that could do well and get the freshmen more playing time.

 

[uconngb]

The concerning thing regarding Diggins’ path to minutes is that it potentially doesn’t change whatsoever next year, as others have alluded to Cole returning.

I thought all summer long he could be a piece to help Cole out immensely by resting/playing the 2 by Diggins’ side. I didn’t have crazy expectations, but expected him to play 10-15 minutes given his strengths as a true lead guard.

While Hurley & Co. have been an incredible recruiting force, I worry about the ramifications down the line if we don’t give the young guns a shot. Hurley has been saying “9 starters” since September. If I’m Diggins, Johnson, or heck, even Springs, I’d be livid knowing I was written off so soon.

You sir move on to the bonus round