2013 / 2014 can be really special | Page 2 | The Boneyard

2013 / 2014 can be really special

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Calhoun's Court said:
I'm shocked by this going to the NBA talk that has been rumored. Am I really missing something not seeing either of them making an active NBA roster next year?

If you tell me playing overseas or NBDL ok. But not playing in the NBA next year.
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I agree. Boatright is nowhere near ready for any professional basketball. It's a joke even talking about it. Shabazz has a better shot, but I have a feeling he'll be returning for his senior year. He wants to win badly and next year is his last shot.
 
First of all, if you mean "professional" in the sense that he'd be getting paid, he could find work today if he wanted to.

More importantly, how long does one need to be on this board to realize that being "ready" for the NBA has nothing to do with it sometimes??
 
We need a huge improvement under the basket.. teams drive past our guards and our bigs seem a step behind or will not slide over to protect the basket... seems like it happens five to six times a game
 
husky99 said:
We need a huge improvement under the basket.. teams drive past our guards and our bigs seem a step behind or will not slide over to protect the basket... seems like it happens five to six times a game
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I feel like Wolf will be a force next year. Olander too (hopefully). We can only hope that Facey, Nolan, Brimah, and who else in the frontcourt will step up. It's not hard to get hand up and alter a shot. Especially when you're 6'10''
 
Ummm why this thread now? I'm excitedly looking forward to the remaining games this season. This team is already special with the post season ban and the way they have responded to a new Coach.

Irrespective of wins/losses this season, this squad has been fun to watch.
 
I hate to keep beating this drum but you're saying that a kid who is clearly wildly overmatched in the Big East is suddenly going to become a "force" just by virtue of being one year older.
 
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BigErnMcCracken said:
I hate to keep beating this drum but you're saying that a kid who is clearly wildly overmatched in the Big East is suddenly going to become a "force" just by virtue of being one year older.
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I haven't seen Enosch overmatched this season. Maybe once by Leslie/Howell and again by a random other. He has played solid defense and has shown he can knock down shots near the rim. I don't understand why you are underestimating a player that gives it 110% and has been a spark on both ends of the floor during many games this season.
 
BigErnMcCracken said:
You know what else makes a world of difference? NBA size, strength, and talent. Kentucky's incoming class, for example, would also make a "world of difference."

I respect your boundless optimism, but I don't see where you can make the claim that a team that is going to struggle to beat most decent teams this year is going to be "special" next year, just by virtue of being a year older and adding a couple players who - no disrespect to them - are not going to be impact players as freshmen. Special, to me, is the '04 team. Or the '99 team. I think next year's team has the chance to be a better version of this year's team. But when someone says "special" I have to think you mean they could conceivably be cutting down nets in Cowboy Stadium and I dont think that's in the cards. (I also think it's less likely that Boat stays than goes, but what do I know?)
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10/11 was going to be worse than 9/10
how could the 7/8 team be any good? they have the same players as 6/7 and didn't make any tournament
who saw 01/02 coming?
how about 97/98?
or maybe 93/94?

I've seen it happen so many times, I know what's coming
 
CTBasketball said:
I haven't seen Enosch overmatched this season. Maybe once by Leslie/Howell and again by a random other. He has played solid defense and has shown he can knock down shots near the rim. I don't understand why you are underestimating a player that gives it 110% and has been a spark on both ends of the floor during many games this season.
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Olander.

As far as Wolf being a "force" next year, I'm skeptical but I could see him being a solid Big East center.
 
Wolf should at least be Charles Okwandu decent next year.
 
willie99 said:
10/11 was going to be worse than 9/10
how could the 7/8 team be any good? they have the same players as 6/7 and didn't make any tournament
who saw 01/02 coming?
how about 97/98?
or maybe 93/94?

I've seen it happen so many times, I know what's coming
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Who's Kemba on this year's team? How about Caron? Okafor? Gordon? Like I said, I respect the optimism, but this is not a particularly good UConn team. That's not a personal attack on the kids, who are impossible not to root for, but it's the truth. We have two very good guards who happen to be very small. We have a front court that gets dominated by mid-to-low majors. We're not adding an Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker next year. If guys improve and all things break right, could this team make the tournament and maybe win a couple games? I suppose, although the front court has miles to go.

But when you say "special" i take that to mean that next year could be a pantheon level UConn team, and a front court of Olander, Wolf, Nolan and Facey is not going to be Okafor, Boone, Villanueva, Armstrong 2.0 just by virtue of being a year older.

[But if someone pulls this out 14 months from now and laughs at how dumb I sound in retrospect I'd love it.]
 
we don't know who's special until they become special

suffice to say, somebody always emerges
 
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I really hope both Boat and Bazz return. They both have physical challenges that make them less attractive to the NBA.

As recently mentioned in an article, Bazz can't really even dunk the ball. That lack of athleticism makes it extremely difficult to defend starting NBA guards. He is about the same height as Kemba, but Kemba is much stronger and Kemba struggles on defense now. The successful, shorter, guards in the NBA, such as Nate Robinson and Jameer Nelson (and historically Mugsy Bogues), have superior strength which helps them to not allow taller players to get post up position. Both Bazz and Boat lack this strength.
Boat was phenomenal scoring inside in the second half against the tall Pitt frontline. But, these type of plays become an order of magnitude more difficult in the NBA, so Boat's other offensive deficiencies like inconsistent perimeter shooting from 20 feet (let alone 23'6") and the passes thrown by his teammates at ankle level, become magnified.
That being said, I do fear that Boat does come from a background where he has hangers on who aspire to get rich off his success which could lead to bad advice and an early departure.

As far as moving DD to the 3 and Omar to the 2, I hope that they can develop their respective ball handling to eventually be effective but right now you would be talking major turnover problems. They both are very easily stripped by aggressive defenders and this would be magnified against smaller, quicker defenders.
 
At times it's insufferable how much you guys underrate our backcourt. it's said that short guards can't make it like every pg in the league is 6 4 (they aren't). Examples ? Mo Williams, earl Watson, Darren collison, isiah Thomas, howard eisely etc . All starters at one point. when healthy and not carrying the load of a team Napier is very special. boatright may not be completely ready but if he wants to provide for his Fam it is what it is .
 
Napier is instinctively a much better defender than kemba btw
 
James said:
Napier is instinctively a much better defender than kemba btw
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This. I think Napier might be the best on-ball full court defender we've ever had.
 
James said:
At times it's insufferable how much you guys underrate our backcourt. it's said that short guards can't make it like every pg in the league is 6 4 (they aren't).

I'd love to have Boat and Bazz back next year and yes Shabazz is a hell of a defender but if we bring in another guard for 2013 I'd rather not have 3 5" 11" guys on the team at the same time. JMO
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CTBasketball said:
This. I think Napier might be the best on-ball full court defender we've ever had.
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I think Shabazz is a great kid and has a lot of talent, but on ball defending is not particularly one of them. He has been good at making steals, but his man has been able to get by him easily until this year where he has shown some improvement. Maybe he looks better because Boat has struggled with it so much, but Shabazz is not as good a defender as Kemba and can get quite a bit better than he has been this year. Ricky Moore was ten times the defender that Bazz is now.

Having said that, I have been a big supporter of Bazz and hope he continues to work and improve. He's not at the level of floor general that we have had in Marcus Williams and AJ Price and certainly not the "go to" guy that Kemba was, but he has shown flashes of brilliance and could become one of the best PG if he stays another year and continues to grow in his BBIQ.
 
I just don't see the 2013-14 team being a legit contender. Just not enough in the frontcourt.
 
Both kids draft status could improve dramatically if they can lead UConn to a special bounce back season next year and be the main reason it happened!! Not sure how high but to prove you can lead is always a plus in their eyes and they have a chance to do so!!
 
Our best four players next year (Bazz, Boat, DD and OC) all play the 1, 2, or 3. Without a very solid player or two at the 4 and 5 it will still be a struggle. I think Wolf will be decent center next year. If someone steps up and plays the PF position well that will make a huge difference. DD is not a 4, he is a 3 and will never have the size and strength to be a truly effective power forward. Who steps up at the 4? TO? Nolan? Facey? I think that is the X factor.

IMO, we are a Roscoe away from being pretty good this year.
 
It's possible that next year could be special. Remember KW made a huge jump from his 2 to 3rd year. He became a much better shooter and leader. Could we see a huge jump from Boat? He has the athletic ability, DD has made a nice jump from year 1 to 2. Could he make a similar jump next year, say for 10 pts to 17 points per game. Could OC go from 10 to 14 points and have a better handle., could SN become a better all around player, increase his assist and again ave. around 17. Could Facey come in and be the athletic 4/5 with a soft touch around the basket and give us 7-9 points per game and Wolf/TO give us 12 and 12 from the center position. I believe all of this could happen. So it is possible to have a special year.
 
"IMO, we are a Roscoe away from being pretty good this year."

I agree . Next years team and win with the 4 and 5 spot being filled by committee .
In 2011 we had Ao , Roscoe , Tyler , Chuck with a little bit of Niels and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel sprinkled in.
Next year at the 4 and 5 you'll have a senior Tyler , senior Wolf , DD, Nolan , Facey and Brimah W/ Niels sprinkled in. That's not bad.
 
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Ollie: “Kentan Facey has just got a relentless motor. He loves the game and it shows every time you see him out on the court. The energy he exudes, playing with passion, running and diving and talking – everything you want in a big. He has an upside on the offensive end. If he comes in and works on his body and gets bigger, he can make some money playing basketball after he’s done playing here. I love the kid, love talking to him and everything about him.”

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this may be our missing link. DD is going to get stronger, he may even be our next great wing. Wolf is going to improve again and be better than he is this year. Tyler may eventually find that confidence in himself to be the player KO thinks he can be, and Facey hopefully has the Jeff Adrien motor we're lacking down low. If he does, everyone else will be better too
 
I don't think KO is going to let the Nappier / Boatright NBA talk hold the 2013 - 2014 season hostage. He can't afford to . He'll recruit right over that situation in a hurry. Next season is too pivotal to the survival of the program and his job.
 
One thing I haven't seen mentioned (here and by the beat writers) is the chance that Daniels ops for the NBA after this year. I realize he isn't having the season statistically Boat/Bazz are having, but as we know, the draft is about potential. He's the guy that is on the draft boards for this year, albeit not in a good position.
 
Huskybass said:
I just don't see the 2013-14 team being a legit contender. Just not enough in the frontcourt.
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This is my opinion. too. Arguing that UConn will be a contender means that you'll be getting an awful lot of front court help from a couple of guys who are generally regarded as being not quite ready for prime time, and a couple of guys who clearly haven't been all that good. Even with Boatright and Napier back, this team is going to be more along the line of a Sweet 16 at best rather than a Final Four team.
 
I have VERY high hopes for next year providing everyone stays. Wolf is steadily improving and with the rest of the front court adding some weight in the offseason, as well as Facey, we could be in for a special year.
 
I think people are also factoring in the upperclassmens physical maturity . You have to factor in some loses this year being based on facing stronger kids. Plus , most people are looking at Shabazz , Boatright ,DD , wolf and Omar and projecting improvement based simply on one more year of weight room. This has happened with notable players before. Kemba got better as he got stronger. Jerome , AJ, Thabeet , Hilton , Stanley , etc. There's a reason why are current guys are all labeled 3-4 year players and for most of them the pay - off year is next year.
 
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