It is constantly Poppers Szn. Or Porkchop Szn. Or the Wrench Szn.
Isaiah Whaley prefers The Wrench as his nickname, but Dan Hurley doesn’t like it, so call the UConn super-senior whatever you want. Point is, Whaley is the defending Big East Defensive Player of the Year on a team that knows it needs to be one of the best interior defensive teams in the country if it is going to reach its ceiling. So far, Whaley says that seems to be the strength.
“There’s not a ton of driving in practice against us,” he said on Tuesday at Big East media day. “It’s pretty fun to have Akok [Akok] back, knowing what type of shot blocker he is, and then you have Samson [Johnson] who’s super athletic and Adama [Sanogo] is an underrated rim protector as well. I don’t see too many people scoring in the paint against us.”
Whaley ranked second in the Big East last year in blocks per game and block percentage. As the Bards astutely pointed out on the A Dime Back Podcast, however, Whaley isn’t just a rim protector. He can guard a stretch-four and is uniquely skilled at defending the high pick-and-roll, coming up with steals 25 feet from the basket.
Whaley was fine offensively last year, averaging eight points per game and shooting 50% from two. He was also 35% from three, albeit on just 23 attempts. Expect that to change. Whaley says that Hurley expects him to take at least two per game. Hurley told the media on Tuesday that he wants Whaley to make 30 this season. Crunching the numbers, if he only takes two a game, it means Whaley will need to shoot around 50% from deep this season. No one expects that, but it at least speaks to the confidence the two have in the work Whaley has put in this offseason.
“I’ve added shooting. Outside scoring, really,” Whaley said. “That was a big emphasis to improve on. For me and also for our offense, especially if we want to get Adama more involved, I need to be able to stretch the floor so he can be able to go to work down.”
Hurley agreed, adding that he could see Whaley playing the 4 alongside Johnson or Akok, with one of them rolling to the basket.
But for Whaley to become a consistent shooter, he’s had to get reps up. Lots of them. Whaley says Hurley has always applauded his mechanics, it’s just a matter of getting the confidence to shoot and make perimeter shots at a high clip.
Yet, realistically, no one is going to mistake Whaley for a knock-down shooter. The team might not have one, depending on how consistent Tyler Polley can be and how quickly Jordan Hawkins can adjust to college. There will be games when the two of them shoot UConn to victory but it’s probably not a viable long-term plan.
Popular opinion right now is that UConn will have to instead win rock fights, defending like hell and getting just enough on the other end. Sanogo will play a role in that. He showed excellent footwork and a basketball IQ you don’t typically see in a freshman last year. Sanogo scored in double figures in four of his final five games and earned a preseason all-conference honorable mention nod this season.
“Adama’s a bourgeoning great player,” Hurley said. “He doesn’t take a rep off in a drill that isn’t game speed. He’s just a unique individual with absolutely great ability. Highest character with an uncanny knack to get great at basketball.”
There won’t be anywhere for Sanogo to hide this year. When he had 16-and-9 at Seton Hall — one of the best front court teams in the conference — it put an end to any thought of him flying under the radar. He is going to have to foul less, as he averaged 6.7 per 40 minutes last year, or, as Hurley put it, “he fouled everyone that was breathing.”
Sanogo has worked on that. But if he does get in trouble, UConn is more equipped to handle it this year with a presumably healthy Akok and Johnson, who should be ready to contribute immediately.
Hurley called Johnson “Bouknight, front court.”
Bouknight. Front. Court.
“[The] type of dunks and threes and crazy blocks where he covers so much court,” Hurley explained. “We won’t have four years of him. We’ll enjoy our time with him. He’s competing for minutes in a very, very talented, older front court, so he’ll get opportunities this year but his upside as a prospect is as good as anyone we’ve had.”
So pick your ideal combination of Whaley, Akok, Sanogo, Johnson, and (if you feel like getting weird) Richie Springs. This is a level of front court depth UConn has not had in a long time. They’ll just have to come up (wait for it) big.
