What to make of Gaffney?

[superjohn]

It's still early in his career but it doesn't look like he's made the jump many of us expected. I watched several of his games in high school and thought we were getting a different player. This is a kid who would take his man off the dribble and make acrobatic finishes at the rim, a guy who was in national dunk contests and would put it through his legs...

Last year I understood it because of the ankle injury and easing into his role as a freshman but we are still seeing a player who plays slowly/tentatively and looks like he's in a shell. He deferred earlier in high school when he played with higher ranked kids but in his senior year he didn't. I still think there is so much more in there but he seems like he's holding himself back. Hurley talked him up a bunch in the preseason about his explosiveness and above the rim athleticism but when the lights come on it just isn't happening.

 

[Griffman]

He's vanilla. Just going thru the motions and playing like he's afraid to fail. May have been ok last year but we need him this year to be much more and it showed yesterday.

 

[Kenny11]

He might be athletic but he doesn’t play athletic yet. That was true last year but I thought it would change this year with more confidence.

 

[Chin Diesel]

What to make? He came off the bench as the back up PG and had 4 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

He also shot terribly. He also hit his two FT's at the end of regulation.

This board is going to go insane this year picking apart who needs to be the starting PG.

Gaff and Cole are different players but both have the same weaknesses. Not good shooters and aren't high level athletes. They'll both struggle to defend and neither one can shoot.

Cole is 13-41 on FG's for the season. He is at least shooting .360 from deep. Gaff is even worse. 8-26 from the floor and 3-12 from 3. At least they are both really good FT shooters.

 

[superjohn]

What to make? He came off the bench as the back up PG and had 4 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

He also shot terribly. He also hit his two FT's at the end of regulation.

View attachment 62732

This board is going to go insane this year picking apart who needs to be the starting PG.

Gaff and Cole are different players but both have the same weaknesses. Not good shooters and aren't high level athletes. They'll both struggle to defend and neither one can shoot.

Cole is 13-41 on FG's for the season. He is at least shooting .360 from deep. Gaff is even worse. 8-26 from the floor and 3-12 from 3. At least they are both really good FT shooters.

The point is Gaffney was considered a high level athlete coming out of high school and Hurley considers him an explosive above the rim high level athlete in practice but for whatever reasons it doesn't translate at all to games.

 

[UconnU]

Reminds me of Craig Austrie. Good passer, doesn’t make too many mistakes, not a real offensive threat, tends to make a lot of easy passes on the perimeter. I still believe he’ll turn into something once he gets more confidence in himself. To me he still lacks confidence. Maybe he’ll just be a late college bloomer.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The point is Gaffney was considered a high level athlete coming out of high school and Hurley considers him an explosive above the rim high level athlete in practice but for whatever reasons it doesn't translate at all to games.

I get it. I think a bunch of us fans are having to adjust our expectations for player's on this year's teams from based on what we saw last year and projected for this and what we read in the offseason to what we are seeing in the first four games.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Wow... you guys are absolutely brutal. Pump the brakes and stop bashing our players.

Jalen is legit and has an extremely high basketball IQ. Do you not remember his game against Hartford? The kid just had 17 days off, give him a legitimate chance to prove himself before you consider him a lost cause. He’s one of the future leaders of this program, start treating him like it.

 

[Lefty2one]

He's the kind of talent who will be ho-hum for three years and then be a really nice player as a senior. He's just not that talented. He doesn't make a ton of mistakes (though he was dreadful defensively in the first half yesterday) but he's not gifted enough to be an impact player.

 

[August_West]

Could you imagine alterique on this team? Where he knows he has to defer to bouk, but 5th year experience? ( which he more than showed he could do at end of last year) I mean I understand why he had to go, and I understand why Hurley had to move on, but alterique would’ve been a huge asset to this team THIS year.

It hurts a touch, especially because he was such a good kid.

in this mishegoss of a season experience counts.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Oh, and he was 3-3 at the line yesterday. Two of which were extremely crucial at the end of the game.

 

[superjohn]

Could you imagine alterique on this team? Where he knows he has to defer to bouk, but 5th year experience? ( which he more than showed he could do at end of last year) I mean I understand why he had to go, and I understand why Hurley had to move on, but alterique would’ve been a huge asset to this team THIS year.

It hurts a touch, especially because he was such a good kid.

in this mishegoss of a season experience counts.

Alterique still looks like what he looked like at UConn. He wows you with his ability to break anyone down but still can't finish anything at the rim and not a good shooter.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

It’s odd to say, but RJ being brought into the program carrying the stamp of “grestness” from senior Hurley has disrupted rather than improved the team. At leader for the beginning of the season while he’s finding his way.

ifRJ hadn’t been signed, thus team would’ve had a carryover of Gaffney running the point from last year. The starting five, and sub rotation, would’ve been cemented and the play of everyone improved.

Now they’re a team with a scoring guard playing PG, and shooting like a scorer , but not putting the ball in the basket like a scorer.

If RJ ever plays like advertised then the plan will work. But right now, his taking a starting position has been disruptive to what should’ve been great chemistry on the floor.

 

[August_West]

Alterique still looks like what he looked like at UConn. He wows you with his ability to break anyone down but still can't finish anything at the rim and not a good shooter.

he’d be the best on ball defender on team , is steady with ball, and sees the court.

 

[Caronimo]

He's the kind of talent who will be ho-hum for three years and then be a really nice player as a senior. He's just not that talented. He doesn't make a ton of mistakes (though he was dreadful defensively in the first half yesterday) but he's not gifted enough to be an impact player.

I disagree. We shall see what happens. I think he is plenty gifted and just needs to gain confidence.

 

[superjohn]

he’d be the best on ball defender on team , is steady with ball, and sees the court.

He isn't the answer, best for both parties he moved on.

 

[Lefty2one]

I disagree. We shall see what happens. I think he is plenty gifted and just needs to gain confidence.

Maybe, I certainly hope so. What does he do exceptionally well? He can defend, which is largely smarts and effort, but doesn't have anything else to hang his hat on right now. He's an average Big East athlete, he doesn't have great size. He isn't a plus shooter, facilitator, rebounder, etc. He's a glue guy right now but he needs to start producing.

 

[August_West]

He isn't the answer, best for both parties he moved on.

I said in my initial post I understand why both sides had to move on. But on the floor he would be our best PG option right now. This season. And it’s not close.

 

[ucp990411]

I think he is more of a combo guard than a true point. I also think his athleticism will be taken advantage against higher competition

 

[Hurleyman216]

It's still early in his career but it doesn't look like he's made the jump many of us expected. I watched several of his games in high school and thought we were getting a different player. This is a kid who would take his man off the dribble and make acrobatic finishes at the rim, a guy who was in national dunk contests and would put it through his legs...

Last year I understood it because of the ankle injury and easing into his role as a freshman but we are still seeing a player who plays slowly/tentatively and looks like he's in a shell. He deferred earlier in high school when he played with higher ranked kids but in his senior year he didn't. I still think there is so much more in there but he seems like he's holding himself back. Hurley talked him up a bunch in the preseason about his explosiveness and above the rim athleticism but when the lights come on it just isn't happening.

I think you'll see him get better and better as the season goes on and I expect he'll be scoring 10 ppg consistently by the end of the year. He has a great jump shot and he is actually very athletic (not on Bouknight's level). I think he needs a big confidence boost from coach to let him know he has the ability to be one of our best 2-3 scorers on this team. I'd like to see Polley and Gaffney getting the majority of the open looks for kick out threes when Bouknight is getting doubled. Cole can clearly shoot as well, but he seems like he rushes his shot and it just comes out very flat. If Cole can get a bit more arc on his shot then we'll have a very solid perimeter scoring attack. These guys just need confidence and winning will help that.

 

[LIuconn]

There was one play in the 2nd half where Gaff poked the ball away from the opposing PG, then moved laterally to keep up with him and Gaff just looked slow moving side to side. Just a moment in time but it stuck out to me.

I don't think RJ Cole is the answer at PG either, so we're in a bind. If/when Andre can stay on the floor I think his passing ability will help create easier looks for the bigs and Bouk. Net net, shot creation isn't coming from our PG this yr

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It’s odd to say, but RJ being brought into the program carrying the stamp of “grestness” from senior Hurley has disrupted rather than improved the team. At leader for the beginning of the season while he’s finding his way.

ifRJ hadn’t been signed, thus team would’ve had a carryover of Gaffney running the point from last year. The starting five, and sub rotation, would’ve been cemented and the play of everyone improved.

Now they’re a team with a scoring guard playing PG, and shooting like a scorer , but not putting the ball in the basket like a scorer.

If RJ ever plays like advertised then the plan will work. But right now, his taking a starting position has been disruptive to what should’ve been great chemistry on the floor.

If Jalen Gaffney was dominating RJ Cole in practice he would probably be starting.

 

[businesslawyer]

What to make? He came off the bench as the back up PG and had 4 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

He also shot terribly. He also hit his two FT's at the end of regulation.

View attachment 62732

This board is going to go insane this year picking apart who needs to be the starting PG.

Gaff and Cole are different players but both have the same weaknesses. Not good shooters and aren't high level athletes. They'll both struggle to defend and neither one can shoot.

Cole is 13-41 on FG's for the season. He is at least shooting .360 from deep. Gaff is even worse. 8-26 from the floor and 3-12 from 3. At least they are both really good FT shooters.

Was Vital's shooting percentage any better after 4 games last year? He's not shooting well enough. But making just a few more shots would be fine.

 

[superjohn]

I said in my initial post I understand why both sides had to move on. But on the floor he would be our best PG option right now. This season. And it’s not close.

I disagree with you.

 

[August_West]

I disagree with you.

Thats's OK.

I have to ask though. Who would be better than Alterique? Cole or Gaffney?