Dan Hurley Should Stick To Seven-Man Rotation For UConn, Analyst Urges
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Should Dan Hurley get stricter about the UConn Huskies’ rotation now that the season is reaching its most important stretch?
The 19-9 Huskies have just three conference games remaining before the Big East tournament. UConn has experimented with a few different lineups this season, having given minutes to junior transfer Aidan Mahaney for most of the year and also giving sophomore wing Jayden Ross opportunities to increase his meager production.
But perhaps both of those guys should be taken out of the rotation for the rest of the season if the Huskies want to be at their best when it matters most. It’s an idea that was proposed by The Field of 68 founder Rob Dauster on Thursday as Dauster advocated for a tighter UConn rotation on a new episode of his “Top Dog” podcast.
“As of now, (UConn) should essentially be a seven-man rotation,” Dauster said.
“I think you need to have the starting five – (Alex) Karaban, Liam (McNeeley), Solo Ball, Hass (Diarra) and Samson (Johnson) – with Tarris Reed playing the majority of the minutes (at) the five coming off the bench and Jaylin Stewart as the guy that comes in for whichever perimeter player needs a blow. And you can just kind of cycle those guys … (Ahmad) Nowell (can get) a couple minutes here or there … if you need to spell Hass.”
“I don't think Aidan Mahaney can play anymore. I would not be playing Jayden Ross at this point. Go with that seven-man rotation … and just see what that'll get you.”
“It's not going to be the best defensive team that we've ever seen … but I don't think that necessarily matters. If you can if you put up 95 points, the other team’s got to score 96 to be able to beat you, and there aren't a ton of teams in college basketball that can score 96 points on a given night.”
It’s hard to disagree with Dauster on this take.
And by the way, Hurley virtually went with a seven-man rotation on Wednesday in a win over Georgetown. Outside of the top seven guys mentioned by Dauster, only Ross (2 minutes) and Nowell (7 minutes) saw the court versus the Hoyas.
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Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org