Joel Ntambwe (UNLV Transfer)

[kansashusky]

A few weeks ago you probably never heard of him... now based off of Andre Lafleur's comments you can confidently state as a fact that he is better than Sid and Polley?... Come on

Hurley has said Sid has the highest ceiling and aside from Jalen Adams has the best chance of going pro. Sid is much more athletic than Ntambwe. If Sid can get stronger and improve his shot (both very doable) than it would be very hard for Ntambwe to come in and take Sid's minutes.

My thoughts exactly.

I too am an analyst based on Youtube videos.

 

[Rico444]

A few weeks ago you probably never heard of him... now based off of Andre Lafleur's comments you can confidently state as a fact that he is better than Sid and Polley?... Come on

Hurley has said Sid has the highest ceiling and aside from Jalen Adams has the best chance of going pro. Sid is much more athletic than Ntambwe. If Sid can get stronger and improve his shot (both very doable) than it would be very hard for Ntambwe to come in and take Sid's minutes.

Sid is more athletic than Joel; that's the only area where he has him beat.

Sid struggled to get significant minutes on this team this year, so I wouldn't count on him getting a starter's role unless he significantly improves this offseason.

 

[superjohn]

A few weeks ago you probably never heard of him... now based off of Andre Lafleur's comments you can confidently state as a fact that he is better than Sid and Polley?... Come on

Hurley has said Sid has the highest ceiling and aside from Jalen Adams has the best chance of going pro. Sid is much more athletic than Ntambwe. If Sid can get stronger and improve his shot (both very doable) than it would be very hard for Ntambwe to come in and take Sid's minutes.

Jeezus, this place gets dumber by the day.

 

[UConnStats]

A few weeks ago you probably never heard of him... now based off of Andre Lafleur's comments you can confidently state as a fact that he is better than Sid and Polley?... Come on

Hurley has said Sid has the highest ceiling and aside from Jalen Adams has the best chance of going pro. Sid is much more athletic than Ntambwe. If Sid can get stronger and improve his shot (both very doable) than it would be very hard for Ntambwe to come in and take Sid's minutes.

Ntambwe was better than Wilson at scoring, shooting, and rebounding this year while being more efficient on a far worse UNLV team.

Wilson has a lot of upside and I believe in him, but Ntambwe is flat out better than him right now. It would be Wilson who would have to take Ntambwe’s minutes if they were on the same team. Not only that, the two could definitely play simultaneously so it’s not even an issue to begin with.

There are 80 minutes per game to distribute between the 2 forward spots. Plenty of time for Akok, Ntambwe, Wilson, and Polley to all play significant roles.

The front court has had zero depth and we’ve been terrible the last few years in large part because of it. Ntambwe would be huge.

 

[ctchamps]

What are you talking about? I watched Sid play all season.

Ntambwe may be the better player. I just don't accept proclamations as absolutes. Anyone watching sports long enough understands there is an uncertainty to trajectories of players and their development. Furthermore we don't know if he can play well in Hurley's system or with the complement of players at UConn and their skillsets compared to the players at UNLV. In addition we've witnessed the difficulties players have getting back to their skill sets when they miss a season.

You have an incredible athlete in Sidney who, if he develops a shot and improves further on defense (he made considerable progress over the season), will be a stud player. I'm not ready to proclaim his development or Polley's for that matter, so inadequate that Ntambwe is a must get especially considering there are more pressing needs to fill. And that is before knowing what Akok can contribute instead of Ntambwe.

And yes I'm aware of your statements about potential openings next season. IMO we absolutely need one stud pg next season and a third decent option if Gaffney is more of a 2g. We absolutely need a very good 5 and not a body at that position, plus a body at that position unless Akok can fill that role.

 

[AfgHusky15]

Sid is more athletic than Joel; that's the only area where he has him beat.

Sid struggled to get significant minutes on this team this year, so I wouldn't count on him getting a starter's role unless he significantly improves this offseason.

Sid definitely has his weaknesses (strength, shooting), but he has a ton of upside as well. Tremendous athlete, with good shooting form. He has decent handle for his size but certainly needs to make it tighter.

I also like what Polley brings with his shooting and length. Polley showed he can score in bunches and spread the floor.

My main point is Ntambwe would likely be a great addition but to state as a fact that he is better than both Polley and Sid already (see @superjohn) is ridiculous. I know @superjohn posts his opinions as facts and at times when he is questioned he gets defensive and doesn't bother to back it up, but his posts are getting more ridiculous. He used to be a solid poster.

 

[Towney007]

Some of these comments can't even be serious.

I like Sid Wilson a lot. I think he's got a good shot to be a good player for us. He's not better than Ntambwe at almost anything right now. And NOT bringing this kid in because SID MIGHT DEVELOP~!... guys. That can still happen with this kid here and he's already further along. He unquestionably makes us better.

 

[superjohn]

Sid definitely has his weaknesses (strength, shooting), but he has a ton of upside as well. Tremendous athlete, with good shooting form. He has decent handle for his size but certainly needs to make it tighter.

I also like what Polley brings with his shooting and length. Polley showed he can score in bunches and spread the floor.

My main point is Ntambwe would likely be a great addition but to state as a fact that he is better than both Polley and Sid already (see @superjohn) is ridiculous. I know @superjohn posts his opinions as facts and at times when he is questioned he gets defensive and doesn't bother to back it up, but his posts are getting more ridiculous. He used to be a solid poster.

Ntambwe is absolutely a better basketball player than them right now, it's not debatable. Will he always be a better player than them, no. Players can have different trajectories but right now Ntambwe is a better basketball player than them.

I swear, up is down now everywhere it seems.

 

[navery12]

Ntambwe may be the better player. I just don't accept proclamations as absolutes. Anyone watching sports long enough understands there is an uncertainty to trajectories of players and their development. Furthermore we don't know if he can play well in Hurley's system or with the complement of players at UConn and their skillsets compared to the players at UNLV. In addition we've witnessed the difficulties players have getting back to their skill sets when they miss a season.

You have an incredible athlete in Sidney who, if he develops a shot and improves further on defense (he made considerable progress over the season), will be a stud player. I'm not ready to proclaim his development or Polley's for that matter, so inadequate that Ntambwe is a must get especially considering there are more pressing needs to fill. And that is before knowing what Akok can contribute instead of Ntambwe.

And yes I'm aware of your statements about potential openings next season. IMO we absolutely need one stud pg next season and a third decent option if Gaffney is more of a 2g. We absolutely need a very good 5 and not a body at that position, plus a body at that position unless Akok can fill that role.

Doubling and tripling down on this take huh?

 

[RipCity]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Why would we risk getting next to nothing from our forwards again when there’s one who proved he produces right in front of us? People have forgotten what a good UConn roster looks like.

 

[UCfor3]

People know that we are bad but at the same time they think every player on our roster is better than both past players and potential future players. I'm not saying they are wrong in every case but maybe in most. When people suggest that incoming players Hurley may try to bring in might be blocked or have trouble getting PT cuz of Brendan Adams, Polley, Sid it kind of amazes me. If Hurley is bringing someone in at their position it's to upgrade the talent. It's literally all he's talked about all year along with changing the culture. I by no means am saying Sid or any of those guys are hopeless or can't get better, or be an integral part of a decent team. The fact is though, right now we are just not good enough. Any and all positions can be upgraded. Disregarding the 3 new guys for next year, has anyone seen anyone that has played for us that couldn't conceivably be replaced by a better player? I mean our record is bad for a reason.

 

[bazz&boujee]

theres also no reason why two of joel/sid/polley could play on floor at same time, maybe not start, but in spurts. against small lineups, or with joel playing the theoretical long “2” as he has been described as a point forward who can handle his own with his dribble. we should probably wait for o idk a commitment or schollie to open first before such commentary, so i digress

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Ntambwe= better player than Wilson and Polley right now
Wilson= higher ceiling than both Ntambwe and Polley

All have certain traits better than the other and various ceilings. But right now Ntambwe is the best basketball player of the 3. And all 3 can coexist on the same team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Ntambwe was better than Wilson at scoring, shooting, and rebounding this year while being more efficient on a far worse UNLV team.

Wilson has a lot of upside and I believe in him, but Ntambwe is flat out better than him right now. It would be Wilson who would have to take Ntambwe’s minutes if they were on the same team. Not only that, the two could definitely play simultaneously so it’s not even an issue to begin with.

There are 80 minutes per game to distribute between the 2 forward spots. Plenty of time for Akok, Ntambwe, Wilson, and Polley to all play significant roles.

The front court has had zero depth and we’ve been terrible the last few years in large part because of it. Ntambwe would be huge.

Why is right now relevant? If Ntambwe came here, he most likely wouldn't compete with Sid for minutes until Sid is a Junior.

My view on Ntambwe changes depending on when he can play. I still think he's a useful guy in our system, just less so as a 2020-21 player.

 

[ctchamps]

Sid definitely has his weaknesses (strength, shooting), but he has a ton of upside as well. Tremendous athlete, with good shooting form. He has decent handle for his size but certainly needs to make it tighter.

I also like what Polley brings with his shooting and length. Polley showed he can score in bunches and spread the floor.

My main point is Ntambwe would likely be a great addition but to state as a fact that he is better than both Polley and Sid already (see @superjohn) is ridiculous. I know @superjohn posts his opinions as facts and at times when he is questioned he gets defensive and doesn't bother to back it up, but his posts are getting more ridiculous. He used to be a solid poster.

I can't project scenarios with the same certainty as some of the posters in this forum. I can tell you one scenario that would happen with as close to certainty I'm willing to make. Should UConn get Ntambwe and he or the future team prove to be a bust, the posters who are currently certain he is absolutely an important get will not admit they could be wrong. Instead it will be Hurley's fault.

This is why I challenged superjohn to show me what statements he made about Sid when Sid announced he was leaving St. Johns to come to UConn. You, kansashusky and I are not arguing against Ntambwe. We are taking to task the certainty some posters have about reading the future,

 

[Towney007]

Only three guys on our roster averaged more points - all of them were guards and one graduated this year and another is graduating this coming year.

He'd be the third best rebounder on our team right now, too.

And he's a freshman.

 

[ctchamps]

Doubling and tripling down on this take huh?

Do you recall the final game of this season?

 

[superjohn]

I can't project scenarios with the same certainty as some of the posters in this forum. I can tell you one scenario that would happen with as close to certainty I'm willing to make. Should UConn get Ntambwe and he or the future team prove to be a bust, the posters who are currently certain he is absolutely an important get will not admit they could be wrong. Instead it will be Hurley's fault.

This is why I challenged superjohn to show me what statements he made about Sid when Sid announced he was leaving St. Johns to come to UConn. You, kansashusky and I are not arguing against Ntambwe. We are taking to task the certainty some posters have about reading the future,

When Jalen signed with UConn I thought he would be a NBA player before his senior year. I didn't think Ollie would destroy our program after winning the title. I thought Sid would have a more productive freshman year. What does any of that have to do with Ntambwe being a better basketball player right now than both Sid and Polley?

 

[navery12]

Do you recall the final game of this season?

I assume you're talking about a good Sid Wilson game. Which has nothing to do with the fact that people are basing Ntambwe being better on actual stats and not just to be different and argumentative

 

[GHSWolverines]

Some people on this thread act like Ntambwe committed to UConn and want to compare him to Wilson & Polley. Except for the one known scholarship available for next year we don't even know if anything else will open up. Some of you are having a pissing match over this guy.

 

[MDHuskFan]

Why is right now relevant? If Ntambwe came here, he most likely wouldn't compete with Sid for minutes until Sid is a Junior.

My view on Ntambwe changes depending on when he can play. I still think he's a useful guy in our system, just less so as a 2020-21 player.

His brother would be avail then. May be a nice connection to have. I look at it slightly different & more like diversifying a portfolio or hedging a bet. Sid could be tremendous his Jr year, the same player or slightly worse. Idk if Ntwambe is going to get exponentially better or not, but I do know that if Sid never developed, having Ntambwe is not the worst thing by any means. Additionally even if his shooting/scoring never matured anymore, his rebounding among other things are skills that normally don’t just disappear.

 

[Clockshop]

Would've been better if Borges was able to talk to Joel about how the visit went and got more details such as a time frame, etc.

 

[ctchamps]

Only an idiot thinks Ntambwe is not a much better basketball player than Sid. Sid is a superb athlete and nothing else. His shot is shockingly awful. The athleticism alone gives him pro potential. But he has A LOT to work on.

PTS 4.6 vs 11.8
FG% 34.9% vs 40.1%
3PT% 22.9% vs 38.6%
Reb 2.7 vs 5.5
AST 0.3 vs 0.6
STL 0.3 0.5
BLK 0.8 0.4
TOs/40 1.9 vs 2.0

ORtg 85.8 vs 113.0
DRtg 105.1 vs 104.8

OWS -0.2 vs 1.8
DWS 0.5 vs 0.9

Ntambwe is the better player in practically every way measurable.

Show me who is arguing against this. The three of us who are challenging superjohn are not challenging which of the two players are better currently. We are challenging the certainty of which player will be better in two years. It's unknown in our opinion. And two of us are making a point that with the uncertainty of that two year window, and with the needs of this team, scholarships might best be made elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong. I would be happy to have this kid come to UConn. And if it improves UConn's chances of getting his brother even better. All I'm arguing is that no one can predict with absolute certainty the future and which options anyone takes will work out best. There are better and worse probabilities in any decisions one makes. Probabilities being the operative word.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Only three guys on our roster averaged more points - all of them were guards and one graduated this year and another is graduating this coming year.

He'd be the third best rebounder on our team right now, too.

And he's a freshman.

He's a nice looking player, but those projections don't work that way.

The last two non-grad transfer I recall were Rodney Purvis and Ed Nelson. While Rodney was solid, he never became the star he projected to be.

Ed Nelson was ACC Rookie of the year at Georgia Tech. He never came close to producing similar numbers for UConn to those he put up at GT. Ed Nelson College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

 

[ctchamps]

I assume you're talking about a good Sid Wilson game. Which has nothing to do with the fact that people are basing Ntambwe being better on actual stats and not just to be different and argumentative

First of all you're lumping me in with two other posters who are making a similar argument. Second of all, if you read my post, I'm concurring he might be the better player even as I'm making arguments that put asterisks for future development. My position is I can't be certain that Ntambwe will be the better player in two years?
How is that a position taken just to be different or argumentative?