Sid Wilson (UConn Wants Him to Reclassify to '17)

[Danzz]

247 has him cool on us for what it is worth. Warm on St Johns and SMU.

 

[champs99and04]

247 has him cool on us for what it is worth. Warm on St Johns and SMU.

SMU would be so random.

 

[auror]

Can he play this year?

In all seriousness, I think the hankering for a shooter is overstated. It would be nice, for sure, but it's not the screaming need that it's being billed as - Vance was a top shooter in his class, and in recent games, he's been that guy. At the very least, I think you can pencil him in next year as a guy who commands a lot of attention and can be installed as a deadly pop option (unlike D-Ham, he has the build of a primary screener) w/ Gilbert and Adams.

On that topic, Adams has emerged as a fairly reliable three point shooter this season. He's not Shabazz, but you have to guard him, and you can envision a scenario in which he and Jackson work off the ball with Gilbert at the point, ala Kemba and Lamb in '11.

With an entire calendar year of reps in the gym, I bet Gilbert shows up to camp a much improved shooter. Vital is showing signs of warming up (maybe not showing on the stat sheet yet, but he's not bricking them like they were earlier), and if memory serves, he was a decent shooter in high school who, by his sophomore year, could vault into 40% territory. It takes guys a while to adjust to the pace of D-1 ball - the fact that he and Jackson have struggled shooting doesn't surprise me at all.

Then there is Larrier, who, by next season, will be three years removed from his 26% season at VCU. We also don't know who else might be added from the grad market.

Long story short, a slashing type who can platoon with somebody else at the wing alongside Adams & Gilbert wouldn't be the worst thing. Offense is not by concern regarding next season. Our biggest challenge will be replacing Brimah's defense.

I hear your point, but it's a lot of "I bet"s and "hopefully"s. We're not going from average to good, we'd be going from abysmal to bad if those guys make marginal improvements. We need big improvements from everybody. Adams' reliability has waned the last few games (arbitrary end point but I just grabbed his last 6 games and he's 33% in that span which would be 250th if it were the team's 3pt%). but you're right he'll still probably keep defenses honest.

The other point is about replication of skills. We definitely need a defending and rebounding big. But I don't think we really need another slasher because we've got 4 slashers already. We need a guy the slashers can kick out to keep the offense balanced and the spacing good for the slashers.

 

[gtcam]

I hear your point, but it's a lot of "I bet"s and "hopefully"s. We're not going from average to good, we'd be going from abysmal to bad if those guys make marginal improvements. We need big improvements from everybody. Adams' reliability has waned the last few games (arbitrary end point but I just grabbed his last 6 games and he's 33% in that span which would be 250th if it were the team's 3pt%). but you're right he'll still probably keep defenses honest.

The other point is about replication of skills. We definitely need a defending and rebounding big. But I don't think we really need another slasher because we've got 4 slashers already. We need a guy the slashers can kick out to keep the offense balanced and the spacing good for the slashers.

I agree with some of what you say but to classify this team as abysmal is wrong, in my opinion
To many injuries to warrant that label

 

[auror]

I agree with some of what you say but to classify this team as abysmal is wrong, in my opinion
To many injuries to warrant that label

From 3. We're 315th/351st in the country and (small sample sizes but) Larrier and Gilbert were both below our current average.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I know nothing about this guy, but I love all the sweeping conclusions people on here make from a 1-minute highlight video.

What's not to like? Great name, and he doesn't miss.

 

[ctchamps]

From 3. We're 315th/351st in the country and (small sample sizes but) Larrier and Gilbert were both below our current average.

I think Jalen will be fine when he can play less total minutes and less minutes as the 1. Vance has gone up significantly even as Jalen has gone down. The big problem with the abysmal ranking has been Rodney who is shooting .288 with 118 attempts and Christian Vital who is only marginally better with 69 attempts and .290 average. At least two among among Jalen, Christian, Terry and Alterique and MAL are going to have to significantly improve next year and Vance will have to maintain his recent performance.

 

[champs99and04]

I hear your point, but it's a lot of "I bet"s and "hopefully"s. We're not going from average to good, we'd be going from abysmal to bad if those guys make marginal improvements. We need big improvements from everybody. Adams' reliability has waned the last few games (arbitrary end point but I just grabbed his last 6 games and he's 33% in that span which would be 250th if it were the team's 3pt%). but you're right he'll still probably keep defenses honest.

The other point is about replication of skills. We definitely need a defending and rebounding big. But I don't think we really need another slasher because we've got 4 slashers already. We need a guy the slashers can kick out to keep the offense balanced and the spacing good for the slashers.

Given the choice between a three point shooter and a slasher, yeah, I'd take the shooter. My point is that I don't think things are so dire that we need to optimize our recruiting to fill a need. Take the best player available, because things like three point shooting - with as much turnover as there is in college basketball - are fickle. I don't think Purvis will continue to shoot <30% from three, but if he does, merely taking those seven threes per game out of the sample and replacing them with a 35-40% guy makes the entire team far more representative.

I'm not downplaying it as something that shouldn't be addressed - scouring the grad market for a sniper should be among the top priorities for the staff this off-season.

But the irony is that a guy like Vance Jackson - the freshman version, that is - is exactly the recruit this board wants to add to next years version, and we have a perfect case study in this years Vance to show how freshman shooters are rarely the guys to transform a team. You don't want to trick yourself into filling a one year need with a freshman when freshman are, by design, supposed to fill four year needs because they probably aren't good enough to fill a need in their first year.

 

[Huskies4ever]

6-6, 175 with a 7-foot wingspan. He's not a real ball-handler or shooter, though, so I'd think of him as a smaller Stanley rather than a Kittles type.

I was comparing his frame to that of Kittles.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

We must recruit some shooters. I don't understand why we are not going after the Rashard types.

Rashard?
Like a unicorn, no such thing

 

[Nebraskan18]

Give me Sid Wilson and I'll be optimistic for next year

 

[GemParty]

Give me Sid Wilson and I'll be optimistic for next year

Never seen him, what can he add to our squad?

 

[Huskyforlife]

Never seen him, what can he add to our squad?

Bounce

 

[gtcam]

Never seen him, what can he add to our squad?

Something we need now - a capable body

 

[Matrim55]

Latest from TOS now says that we're working really hard to get him in 2017, and that if he does reclassify it'll be between us and Texas.

I'm kind of surprised since I think we need another shooter more than we need another athletic wing, but hell, I'll never complain about landing a top 75 player, especially if it keeps our NYC pipeline open.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Really cool of Evans to spend some time on the board and answer all of those questions.

 

[superjohn]

Latest from TOS now says that we're working really hard to get him in 2017, and that if he does reclassify it'll be between us and Texas.

I'm kind of surprised since I think we need another shooter more than we need another athletic wing, but hell, I'll never complain about landing a top 75 player, especially if it keeps our NYC pipeline open.

Sid Wilson is a sick athlete. The only big time athlete we have on the wing is Larrier and he's coming off a torn ACL. Would also like another shooter but Vance is a big time shooter, Jalen can shoot it and my guess is Vital's shot will improve. Really hope we get Wilson for next season, MAL must also be working on him.

 

[uchusky32]

Latest from TOS now says that we're working really hard to get him in 2017, and that if he does reclassify it'll be between us and Texas.

I'm kind of surprised since I think we need another shooter more than we need another athletic wing, but hell, I'll never complain about landing a top 75 player, especially if it keeps our NYC pipeline open.

What athletic wing we got?

 

[Matrim55]

Sid Wilson is a sick athlete. The only big time athlete we have on the wing is Larrier and he's coming off a torn ACL. Would also like another shooter but Vance is a big time shooter, Jalen can shoot it and my guess is Vital's shot will improve. Really hope we get Wilson for next season, MAL must also be working on him.

Fair points. Polley really does look more like a smooth, fluid athlete than an explosive one, while Wilson is nearly at Diallo's level in terms of getting off the floor. Really more of a 3/4 than a 2/3, but I'm good with that if the coaches are.

What athletic wing we got?

Larrier. But I'm not a huge believer that athletic wings are as important, in the college game, as knockdown shooters, so I'd prioritize the second over the first.

 

[uchusky32]

Fair points. Polley really does look more like a smooth, fluid athlete than an explosive one, while Wilson is nearly at Diallo's level in terms of getting off the floor. Really more of a 3/4 than a 2/3, but I'm good with that if the coaches are.


Larrier. But I'm not a huge believer that athletic wings are as important, in the college game, as knockdown shooters, so I'd prioritize the second over the first.

He's hurt and basically hasn't played in 2 years. Dude from NC State look real athletic.

 

[AfgHusky15]

Sid Wilson is a sick athlete. The only big time athlete we have on the wing is Larrier and he's coming off a torn ACL. Would also like another shooter but Vance is a big time shooter, Jalen can shoot it and my guess is Vital's shot will improve. Really hope we get Wilson for next season, MAL must also be working on him.

I understand what you are saying but I also consider Alterique to be a big time athlete. Has a 40+ inch vertical and is probably one of the fastest guys in all of college, he is also built like a running back.

And I also hope we get Wilson.

 

[superjohn]

I understand what you are saying but I also consider Alterique to be a big time athlete. Has a 40+ inch vertical and is probably one of the fastest guys in all of college, he is also built like a running back.

And I also hope we get Wilson.

Alterique is but he's a 5'9 point, was only talking wings.

 

[pj]

If you have 5 athletes, you can play a very disruptive defense. Maybe we're prioritizing defense ahead of offense.

 

[ConnEd]

I think if you have two guys (among PG, SG, SF) who can penetrate or a big that can score inside (and pass a little), those guys will lead to the defense collapsing. In those cases, you can get away with having guys who are good spot-up shooters out on the arc. But you need at least two of them to really spread the defense and make it move. Note that one of the penetrators can also be one of the shooters. If the defense just has to find the one good shooter after collapsing, they will get to him by staying on him or rotating to him. The next pass (if the first gets to the good shooter) will end up in the hands of someone looking to drive (into an already collapsed D) or to a low percentage shooter - which works into the hands of the defense. Opposing coaches will be happy if 25-30% shooters are firing up 3's all day.

The Bazz/Boat team had two good penetrators and enough good shooters to make teams pay that collapsed. Ditto with Kemba's '11 team. And the '04 team had inside scoring, penetrators, and shooters.

We'd probably be better off if Purvis was doing most of the penetrating - given his season-long shooting slump. The problem with that is that he doesn't finish well and isn't a good passer (or frequent passer) when he does penetrate. The other problem is that Jalen and Vance both need to shoot well from 3 (>35% consistently) to keep the offense scoring. Vance has been pretty consistent of late, but both guys have been streaky. Well, not "RP streaky", but still.

Given where we are, I'd dedicate the rest of the season into developing Enoch and/or Durham on the offensive end, and try to add a good spot-up shooter for next year (Rashad-type recruit, JC guy, or grad transfer). If either of the bigs (probably Enoch) can become a post threat, next year's squad can have the mix of penetrators (AG, MAL, JA if he stays), shooters (VJ, JA, new guy), and an inside scorer to be very successful. Larrier, AG, and CV should all become good enough shooters to be positives in this style of play.

The other way to go is to recruit freak athletes a la Wilson, but the style of play needs to change to a more up tempo, pressing, run all day kind of team. But MAL is the only guy coming in as of now that fits that mold. Larrier returning would also. A lineup with Larrier at the 4, Wilson at the 3 with any combo of the guards could play that style. The problem is that the bench will not fit the style of play all that well with guys like Polley, Carlton, Durham/Enoch and Vance.

 

[rip7774]

Given where we are, I'd dedicate the rest of the season into developing Enoch and/or Durham on the offensive end, and try to add a good spot-up shooter for next year (Rashad-type recruit, JC guy, or grad transfer). If either of the bigs (probably Enoch) can become a post threat, next year's squad can have the mix of penetrators (AG, MAL, JA if he stays), shooters (VJ, JA, new guy), and an inside scorer to be very successful. Larrier, AG, and CV should all become good enough shooters to be positives in this style of play.

The other way to go is to recruit freak athletes a la Wilson, but the style of play needs to change to a more up tempo, pressing, run all day kind of team. But MAL is the only guy coming in as of now that fits that mold. Larrier returning would also. A lineup with Larrier at the 4, Wilson at the 3 with any combo of the guards could play that style. The problem is that the bench will not fit the style of play all that well with guys like Polley, Carlton, Durham/Enoch and Vance.

Great Post all around!!! I agree DEVELOP Enoch and Durham!!! And we need a spot up shooter. I would like an athletic wing as well. We have the spots open. Hope KO never sits on ships again - some of us were screaming from the mountaintops to get a 5th year guy with beef!!