Something Special is brewing

[Dominicfrank]

This team.......I know that there are threads here talking about pieces of it but as a whole.....this team is stacked. THE only question is can DH put it all together.

Any ONE of these guys could have a year that, on a team with fewer stars, would get them POY attention:

Bouk: Easy pick but the kid is special and I think he gets POY consideration
Cole: This pickup last year went under the radar a little which is crazy given his stats
Martin: I know we have all seen his highlights but do we really understand how explosive he is? Am I the only one who forgot he is a wing and not a guard?
Jackson: FREAK SHOW Freshman. On Duke or NC he is getting talked about 20x more.

Then you throw in AKok, Polley, etc....

WOW

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

Hurley has dramatically upgraded the talent level on this team. But the problem when you have a team this stacked with 13 rotation guys is that only 8-10 of them can play a lot of minutes. A redshirt of JBF has been discussed but is risky. Polley and Akok are coming off injuries and DH can slowly ease them back into the rotation. This could release some pressure on the minutes crunch. The guy I am looking forward to seeing is Sanogo who looks stronger than the other bigs. I want to see if he and Richie Springs can add muscle underneath. I want to see UConn kick some *** on the boarfs like back in the 1990s-2011 or so.

 

[Hooper_Scooper]

A redshirt of JBF has been discussed but is risky.

I don't understand that part of what you wrote. I don't think you have to apply for a redshirt before the season and then that's locked in. JB (no F any more, his name is now Javonte Brown) can practice with the team and they can take off the redshirt at any time if Hurley thinks they don't have enough depth.

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

Yeah but at some point you can't take the redshirt off and once you are past that point and leave it on and 6 guys go on the Covid IL when it surges again, then you have a problema. If they changed the rule on that I wasn't aware of it. That is the risk. Not to mention a second half rash of injuries after everyone is healthy the first half.

But if they can rip off the redshirt at any time it makes all the sense in the world to do it. I had specifically asked this question weeks ago and nobody had any answer for it.

 

[Hooper_Scooper]

Yeah but at some point you can't take the redshirt off and once you are past that point and leave it on and 6 guys go on the Covid IL when it surges again, then you have a problema. If they changed the rule on that I wasn't aware of it. That is the risk. Not to mention a second half rash of injuries after everyone is healthy the first half.

But if they can rip off the redshirt at any time it makes all the sense in the world to do it. I had specifically asked this question weeks ago and nobody had any answer for it.

I'm pretty sure you can rip off the redshirt at any time. But if you step on the court for a game, exhibitions also, for even a second there goes the redshirt. The redshirted player is allowed to practice and travel with the team. I think you can even dress for games and sit on the bench.

 

[the Blades]

But if they can rip off the redshirt at any time it makes all the sense in the world to do it.

We discussed a JB redshirt in another thread but, Hooper's right. There is no issue if you want to burn a RS at anytime. I remember Diaco got alot of grief ( as he should have) when he burned FR QB Donovan Williams redshirt with only 3 games to go in the season , a few years ago to try and shake up the offense to save his job.

But I do know in FB at least ( IIRC, as of last year) you can now play in 4 games, 33% or under of your teams games and still get a RS for the year.

 

[the Blades]

I had specifically asked this question weeks ago and nobody had any answer for it.

Google search is a great tool....
College Basketball Redshirting Rules - SportsRec

College basketball needs redshirt rule similar to football

but, in this crazy year I'd assume the NCAA would have to figure Covid issues into the equation, but if not there still is the early season medical redshirt that allows for:

"An athlete can qualify for this exemption if she has a documented, incapacitating injury or illness that occurred in the first half of the basketball season and the student-athlete has not participated in more than two contests or dates of competition or 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests, whichever number is greater "

 

[the Blades]

This team.......I know that there are threads here talking about pieces of it but as a whole.....this team is stacked. THE only question is can DH put it all together.

Any ONE of these guys could have a year that, on a team with fewer stars, would get them POY attention:

Bouk: Easy pick but the kid is special and I think he gets POY consideration
Cole: This pickup last year went under the radar a little which is crazy given his stats
Martin: I know we have all seen his highlights but do we really understand how explosive he is? Am I the only one who forgot he is a wing and not a guard?
Jackson: FREAK SHOW Freshman. On Duke or NC he is getting talked about 20x more.

Then you throw in AKok, Polley, etc....

WOW

True (below for one) , but going along with that theme is Dan has options and can play it anyway he wants now. Small ball line-ups if needed vs. mid majors, big man match-ups for bigger teams up front and P-6 line-ups with NBA size at the guard and wing slots . No more pathetically trying to use 6-2 guards vs. 6-8 SF's like in year one , when he was stuck with KO's roster.

Who's starting is not the issue or important .... it's every man be ready because DH can play" next man up". As I mentioned to Corey Evans post #57 in another thread when he mentioned Uconn's depth this year after the Sanogo signing...... this might be the deepest 13 man Uconn team in my lifetime.

Official Uconn MBB roster- 2020-21 (Martin update)

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

I don't remember a deeper team going to the 13th man. I remember a few that had really good to excellent 10 man depth, but never all the way to 13 with guys who are legitimate rotation players.

 

[the Blades]

Akok moving well:

 

[the Blades]

Some stuff on the newcomers w/ Host of the @BIGEAST Shootaround

 

[the Blades]

 

[the Blades]

Very true, KO left Hurley with no size.... 2 years ago DH had just 2 guys at 6-9 +, now he has an NBA size team with 7 players 6-9 or better...even bigger than JC's old Husky teams.

click image to enlarge:

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

UConn went through a lot of years since 2014 in which they were just not a good rebounding team. They were either average or below average and things went downhill the last few years of the Ollie regime when they had a combination of very little size and very little bulk. The one guy who had both, Enoch, wasn't played much and later transferred to Louisville, saying he felt like a "mannequin" in UConn's offense. I can vividly remember one low point which was a game at Tulane which UConn almost lost, in which Brimah got into his usual early foul trouble because he couldn't hold position on Tulane's big and aggressive, although completely talentless bigs. Facey, the best UConn could do as a backup center, came in and fouled out in 8 minutes of action. There was a lot of whining on this board about the officiating in that game, but the Tulane bigs did what they were coached to do; which was throw their bodies around with aggressiveness and attack the boards. When you have bigger and stronger players that can hold their position, teams don't do that to you. The talentless pure bangers get called for offensive fouls when you have strong bigs who can hold their position.

So now we go back to the 1999-2012 days when UConn kicked *** on the boards and clogged up the middle and blocked shots and didn't get pushed around. And when you have the dirty work bigs cleaning the glass and talented wings and guards the recipe is there for winning a lot.

 

[the Blades]

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

The news on Polley raises an interesting question that has not been discussed in this thread, which is the potential to finally have a decent 3 point shooting team for the first time since 2014 when Shabazz, Daniels and Giffey all shot over 40% for the season, and Giffey shot over 50% and was leading the nation for much of the season.

Polley seems like a 40% plus 3 point shooter, but I also expect Bouknight to hit high 30s and maybe over 40 and ditto with Gaffney, who has a really, really nice stroke even though he did not shoot well from 3 (26.4%). Cole shot just under 39% his second year at Howard, although Calhoun commented a few months ago that shooting is not his forte, yet 39% does speak for itself and that was based on 217 shots hoisted, not exactly a small sample size. Then there is the curious case of Brendan Adams who only improved from 23% to 27% as a sophomore, yet looks a lot better than those stats and actually made some big 3s last year. Tyrese Martin shot 32% but it does not seem like 3 ball is really his game, yet some see him as a possible and D guy.

You need 3 stellar 3 ballers and I see the 3 as Polley, Bouknight and Gaffney. Do you guys agree? Will those 3 lead the team in 3 point%, or will Cole or Adams sneak into the top 3 in %?

My predictions:

Polley- 42%
Bouknight- 39%
Gaffney- 38%
Cole- 37%
Adams- 36%

 

[the Blades]

Good breakdown, my hope is they get used to making the extra pass which can usually lead to better looks and less forces. Which in turn can help %'s....Overall it looks like all but 5 of the 13 on the roster will be taking 3's, let's hope the guys who take the most are trending up.

also here's the new Big East look:

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

Jackson and Cole are guys who are known for passing the rock, and ball movement was better last year when Gaffney came in for Gilbert. I think the assist totals will go up because of Cole, Jackson and Gaffney and as you mentioned that will create better looks and better shooting percentages. Another problem in recent years has been low assist totals, but UConn now has point guards who can start an offense. In AJ you may have a point forward mini Pete Maravich. Remember that although Pistol Pete is best remembered as the only guy in college basketball history who averaged 44 points per game for his career, he is also the only guy who averaged 5 assists per game while averaging 44 points per game.

 

[Dominicfrank]

My goodness.......recent video's of Martin dunking shows CRAZY ups! My word. Martin, Bouk, and Jackson are high flyers

 

[the Blades]

My goodness.......recent video's of Martin dunking shows CRAZY ups! My word. Martin, Bouk, and Jackson are high flyers

Speaking of.... quote from today:

 

[the Blades]

Full read:

 

[the Blades]

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

Hurley discusses the roster:

https://www.theday.com/article/20201014/SPORT07/201019667

On depth:

"We've got a deep team," he said. "I think the strength of the team, we could go 10, potentially 11 deep when we're fully healthy. That's the way I like it, because I want to play a pressure system at both ends of the court. And we've lacked the depth the last two years to really implement the way I want to play. We can do that this year."

On who will start:

Whenever Hurley is asked about the starting lineup, only two players come to mind — rising sophomore star James Bouknight and Isaiah Whaley, a senior forward coming off his best season. "Everything else is a little bit up in the air competitively," Hurley said.

On the point guard position:

Hurley added that transfer R.J. Cole and sophomore Jalen Gaffney are battling for the starting point guard spot. "That's a heck of a point guard competition right there to see who is going to start the opener. I'm very comfortable playing multiple guards or even starting two point guards at the same time. Those guys will play together a lot."

On the work of strength and conditioning coach Rehfeldt:

Gaffney has gone from 170 to 188 pounds, and is more explosive offensively while Bouknight is nearly 200 pounds after playing at 175 last season. "Physically, he looks impressive," Hurley said of Bouknight. Freshman Andre Jackson has made great strides, upping his weight about 25 pounds. He has a chance to be one of the top freshmen guards in the country, according to Hurley. "He looks like a junior in terms of his physical stature," Hurley said. "Obviously if you've seen any of his clips, he's a freak athlete in every way." Freshman forward Adama Sanogo has worked hard on his physical condition, according to Hurley. After arriving in Storrs over the summer at 268, he now checks in around 240. "He's done a tremendous job working on his body, becoming leaner," said Hurley, who added that Sanogo also has improved his mobility. Senior Josh Carlton is moving better than he's ever moved athletically in his UConn career due to weight loss, according to Hurley. He's listed on the roster at 245.

On the player most likely to surprise fans:

Hurley picked Gaffney. "Because Gaffney's numbers weren't great (last season)," Hurley said. "He was a top 100 player and the guy was recruited by some pretty good schools. He's very, very talented. People should not underrate his talent."

 

[the Blades]

Hurley discusses the roster:

https://www.theday.com/article/20201014/SPORT07/201019667

Nice find, Borges (a few posts above), Dom from the Courant and most of beat guys had their own version of DH's roster breakdown, this one from Keefe seems to have a little more.