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It's preview season
- Thread starter the Blades
- Start date
Sports illustrated - AAC basketball preview: Team rankings and scouting reports
Dark Horse Team to Win the Conference: UConn
Hurley’s Rhode Island teams have won big, and there’s a deep, talented and experienced roster already waiting for him in Storrs. UConn hasn’t performed to its rosters capabilities over the last few seasons under Kevin Ollie. Should Hurley be able to flip the script, Adams and Co. could very feasibly claim this conference championship.
Dark Horse Team to Win the Conference: UConn
Hurley’s Rhode Island teams have won big, and there’s a deep, talented and experienced roster already waiting for him in Storrs. UConn hasn’t performed to its rosters capabilities over the last few seasons under Kevin Ollie. Should Hurley be able to flip the script, Adams and Co. could very feasibly claim this conference championship.
AAC basketball: Andy Katz's predictions and power rankings
5. UConn: O.K., this is where it gets interesting. Teams at 5-8 could end up finishing higher or in a muddled middle. The Huskies are one of those squads. Dan Hurley doesn’t accept mediocrity — and he doesn’t have to with this group. He’s got plenty to work with in Jalen Adams, Christian Vital and a healthy Alterique Gilbert. If the Huskies buy in defensively the way Hurley coaches, then they could be one of the most surprising teams — not just in the American. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall told me that UConn has a strong roster, and he’s right. The Huskies will be a player in Hurley’s first season.
5. UConn: O.K., this is where it gets interesting. Teams at 5-8 could end up finishing higher or in a muddled middle. The Huskies are one of those squads. Dan Hurley doesn’t accept mediocrity — and he doesn’t have to with this group. He’s got plenty to work with in Jalen Adams, Christian Vital and a healthy Alterique Gilbert. If the Huskies buy in defensively the way Hurley coaches, then they could be one of the most surprising teams — not just in the American. Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall told me that UConn has a strong roster, and he’s right. The Huskies will be a player in Hurley’s first season.
NY Daily News (via the Courant) - Dan Hurley's UConn Team Expected To Have Renewed Toughness, AAC Coaches Say...
Good in depth breakdown and possible starting line-ups of all AAC teams ( Uconn starting 4 guards ???) and much more:
on Uconn:
" We got a chance to see UConn play up close twice last year at the PK80 and it was astonishing how the entire offense was more or less predicated on Jalen Adams, Terry Larrier, Christian Vital and Altreique Gilbert creating their own offense...... Under the Ollie regime, forwards were essentially invisible on offense and reduced to glorified mannikins with seemingly two jobs and two jobs only – set screens and crash the glass........Hurley’s ‘X and O’ brilliance last season gives me confidence he’ll maximize the production and efficiency of both Adams and the collection of high-upside bigs at his disposal – something his predecessor on the sidelines failed miserably at. "
FULL READ---AAC 2018-19 Preview — Three-Man-Weave
Doesn't sound like it:
on Uconn:
" We got a chance to see UConn play up close twice last year at the PK80 and it was astonishing how the entire offense was more or less predicated on Jalen Adams, Terry Larrier, Christian Vital and Altreique Gilbert creating their own offense...... Under the Ollie regime, forwards were essentially invisible on offense and reduced to glorified mannikins with seemingly two jobs and two jobs only – set screens and crash the glass........Hurley’s ‘X and O’ brilliance last season gives me confidence he’ll maximize the production and efficiency of both Adams and the collection of high-upside bigs at his disposal – something his predecessor on the sidelines failed miserably at. "
FULL READ---AAC 2018-19 Preview — Three-Man-Weave
Doesn't sound like it:
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Regarding the two jobs of the “glorified mannequins” that were the UConn big men, last year they did neither one very well.
As far as Hurley’s “X and O brilliance”, I am withholding judgment until I actually observe such brilliance.
This is otherwise a fair analysis. I think the main reason Enoch transferred is that he felt like he was a mannequin on offense. I wonder, now that Pitino and Ollie are both fired, if he wouldn’t want to transfer back to UConn?
Also from article below:
"Hurley noted that Tyler Polley is probably the best shooter on the team right now, and would start at the four if the season began tomorrow. He indicated Adams and Alterique Gilbert would also likely start, and noted the Huskies would probably start four men on the perimeter to start the season and go with three guards “90-percent of the time” this season."
"Hurley noted that Tyler Polley is probably the best shooter on the team right now, and would start at the four if the season began tomorrow. He indicated Adams and Alterique Gilbert would also likely start, and noted the Huskies would probably start four men on the perimeter to start the season and go with three guards “90-percent of the time” this season."
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So the line-up/rotation would probably look like this until Diarra and Yakwe get completely healthy. I guess the last spot would be who's the 6th man, Smith or Vital. My guess is Smith since that was his role last year @ Duquense and he was 6th man of the year in the A-10:
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“Hurley remembered turning St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark into a national program, recalled turning Wagner from a five-win program to a 25-win program, and bringing Rhode Island from 7-24 to the NCAA tournament.........How many games did we win last year, 14?” asked Hurley, as he described his new rebuilding challenge at UConn. “For me, with the jobs I’ve had, I feel like I’m taking over the Golden State Warriors.”......Here are Hurley’s takes on each of his scholarship players:
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I am starting to wonder if the small ball style is becoming dominant. The other night I watched the Boston Celtics v. Philadelphia 76ers game and I noticed that the Celtics play 4 skilled perimeter players and have one skilled big man, usually Horford or Morris. They are really playing with 2 small forwards in Hayward and Tatum and Jalen Adams is essentially used as a undersized power forward. The 76ers have a traditional low post big man in Joel Embiid but at various times he was beaten by Horford and Morris with dribble drives to the hole, and Horford blocked Embiid’s shots. Embiid got his stats but the 76ers were badly outplayed by the Celtics who got terrible shooting games from Kyrie Irving and Hayward and still won by 20.
Although some do not like this trend it seems like it’s de rigeur in the NBA and college. UConn has a team that has some very good perimeter players and they just need the bigs to defend, rebound and screen a little better and provide minimally competent inside scoring. You can win with inside guys who are a little more than glorified mannequins as long as they take care of the dirty work. Check the resumes of Jake Voskuhl, Kevin Freeman, Alex Oriakhi and Chuck Okwandu.
Although some do not like this trend it seems like it’s de rigeur in the NBA and college. UConn has a team that has some very good perimeter players and they just need the bigs to defend, rebound and screen a little better and provide minimally competent inside scoring. You can win with inside guys who are a little more than glorified mannequins as long as they take care of the dirty work. Check the resumes of Jake Voskuhl, Kevin Freeman, Alex Oriakhi and Chuck Okwandu.
True...I think that is the concept and it's good to have perimeter guys who can spread it out, but the small ball concept needs to have a size element too. In the Celtics case it's really not small ball, more just skilled wing players. They start Kyrie (6-3/195), Jaylen Brown (6-7, 220) at guards, Hayward (6-8/225), Jayson Tatum (6-8/210) and Horford (6-10/245) up front. Meaning guys who can play outside but are also big and strong enough to defend and rebound. What scares me about Uconn going small ( with 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 and the underdeveloped Polley at the 4) as we saw last year, is who is gonna defend down low vs. other legit bigs and fight for some rebounds. The small ball line-up might work against low and mid majors, but when you play top 50/ power 7 schools .....the mismatches vs. the upper level bigs become a problem.....in the 2 areas I mentioned.
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This is where Sal Alosi comes in. It’s his job to make these boys strong men. Polley and Sid Wilson need to gain some weight and strength. Whaley needs to play stronger. I think Cobb and Carlton will be okay and not get pushed around. Polley at the 4 will work against some teams and not others. Against other teams Cobb, and Yakwe and Carlton and Whaley will have to play like men.
" About 90 minutes into a two-hour practice that was all movement and thinking on the fly, UConn coach Dan Hurley called for an abrupt stop and essentially told coaches and players to shut up and listen.........“Stop trying to take the shortcut,” he yelled.............Christian Vital had gambled, going for a steal when he should have stuck with basic pressure defense. Hurley yelled to assistants Tom Moore and Kimani Young, mentioning that other players had been guilty of the same during Saturday’s workout, which was open to the public.............“Our ball pressure sucks,” Hurley said after the drill restarted.
Mike Anthony: Under Dan Hurley, UConn Must Never Be Outworked Or Say Opponent Wanted It More
Mike Anthony: Under Dan Hurley, UConn Must Never Be Outworked Or Say Opponent Wanted It More
More on this in Jacob's new article:
" On this day, he talked about the problems Tyler Polley and his shot will cause as a starting stretch 4. How it will force a bigger 4 from the basket, leaving Polley, a somewhat limited ballhandler, a much better chance at beating that opponent than a 3. Polley can create one-on-one for the post player and open the court for the three guards. Hurley conceded Polley lacks quickness to guard a 3 and needs to work on work on physicality and rebounding at the 4. Later when I asked him in conversation about the wisdom of a lanky Polley along with three guards on the defensive end, he went on a nuanced explanation how it worked at Rhode Island. He also alternated plans against more traditional big-tough opponents. (Think Cincinnati)."
It was a good question by Jacobs and as far as how Hurley answered it, those things work against some oppponents and not against others. I seem to recall Hurley’s Rhode Island team getting seriously ass-whipped by Duke and their interior defense looked like an utter sieve in that game and some others against big, physical teams. Hopefully Hurley is smart enough to realize he has other bodies and matchups he can use at the 4 against such opponents. Polley at the 4 will work against inferior teams and not against others. It might also be properly tested against Syracuse because of how they play on defense but it could be a problem when UConn is on D.
Lists 26. Cincinnati / 31. UCF as the top teams in the AAC and 9. Villanova as Uconn's top opponent. Also says " The " #64 Huskies probably wouldn't rank this high on any other media member's theoretical list .... but Dan Hurley's proven to be a borderline great coach and has one of the three best players in the American in Jalen Adams."
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Well, the midway report is out.... guess who they think is most overrated ?
CBS -2018-19 AAC expert picks: Predicted order of finish, overrated and underrated teams at mid-term
CBS -2018-19 AAC expert picks: Predicted order of finish, overrated and underrated teams at mid-term
