2014-2015 Starting Lineup

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Here's the link … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-_ab10JAYQ

Ok thanks that's the 1 I watched. I thought there may have been a 2014 meeting.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I pretty much think we have 4 locks as starters with Boat, Purvis, Hamilton and Brimah, the other spot will be either Nolan or Facey.

I thought this was clear as day. People who dont see this dont have a very good understanding of the current age of college basketball

 

[Burnsbros23]

I think Sam Cassell JR is and will be a better player than Omar this season. I think Omar was exposed last season. Shot has too low of a release point, can't dribble, and a below average defender.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I think Sam Cassell JR is and will be a better player than Omar this season. I think Omar was exposed last season. Shot has too low of a release point, can't dribble, and a below average defender.

For the 100th time, Omar wasn't healthy last season.

 

[Inyatkin]

The Brimah/Nolan thing is like Charlie Villanueva and Josh Boone in 2004. Everyone knew Villanueva was a better prospect and had a brighter future and everything else, and that was all true. Boone still started over him all year. But somehow anyone who doesn't think Brimah is a lock to start is ignorant or doesn't understand college basketball.

 

[aceboon]

The Brimah/Nolan thing is like Charlie Villanueva and Josh Boone in 2004. Everyone knew Villanueva was a better prospect and had a brighter future and everything else, and that was all true. Boone still started over him all year. But somehow anyone who doesn't think Brimah is a lock to start is ignorant or doesn't understand college basketball.

Seems like that CV/JB scenario already played out this past season tho. Who knows maybe Nolan gets the nod over him, but after the way KO singled him out for praise in regards to his growth and development, and JC echoed similar comments shortly thereafter, I expect Brimah to be the starting C. I often feel that Nolan gets a raw deal on here from those who only focus on him getting blocked or missing bunnies on the offensive end and overlook how good he is on defense with his rotations and defending ball screens, but I expect Brimah to be one of the best defensive Cs in all of college ball this year and much better at getting his foul situation under control. I can't see that type of weapon coming off the bench.

 

[Dmike]

But somehow anyone who doesn't think Brimah is a lock to start is ignorant or doesn't understand college basketball.

Perhaps you are ignorant of the fact that Brimah had surgery this offseason and Nolan put on 25-30 Lbs. of muscle while Brimah was rehabbing. I would not be so sure that Brima will show the improvement you anticipate. Also, a beefed up Nolan may be better than you think. Prima seriously would have benefited from being able to take advantage of the off-season to work on his skills and put on muscle. He's clearly the better prospect, but may not be the better player at the start of the season.

 

[bmo22]

Here's a lineup I don't think has been thrown out there:

Boatright
Samuel
Purvis
Nolan
Brimah

I'd like to see this 5 get some run together, maybe not at the start of the game but down the stretch. Definitely our best defensive lineup and the speed with Samuel and Purvis running the wings on the break would be fun to watch. This would probably only work for extended minutes if Purvis proves he can hit the outside jumper. Anyway I really liked what I saw from Samuel last year and Nolan and Brimah down low, should they stay out of foul trouble, would really clog up the lane. Can't wait for the season to start.

 

[Inyatkin]

Perhaps you are ignorant of the fact that Brimah had surgery this offseason and Nolan put on 25-30 Lbs. of muscle while Brimah was rehabbing. I would not be so sure that Brima will show the improvement you anticipate. Also, a beefed up Nolan may be better than you think. Prima seriously would have benefited from being able to take advantage of the off-season to work on his skills and put on muscle. He's clearly the better prospect, but may not be the better player at the start of the season.

Yeah try rereading what I wrote.
I could easily see Brimah starting. The point is that it's an open question, and not at all the lock some people are making it out to be.

 

[Dmike]

Yes, reading comprehension is important. I agree with you wholeheartedly. As restitution for my prior transgressions, I have now liked your post.

 

[allday2345]

At the very least I think what we can all agree on is there will be many different starting lineups this year and lineup combos.

Who knows what Ollie has in store and it would be ignorant of us to guarantee certain players starting because we simply don't know.

Starting lineup is also different than who is a better player and who gets more minutes...there seems to be a lot of back and forth on that topic in this thread.

My Favorite Starting Lineup however would be:

Samuel
Boat
Purvis
Facey
Brimah

 

[allday2345]

Also, starting lineup isn't necessarily based just on who is better at the college level.

So many things factor in such as
-Seniority
-Chemistry
-Confidence (From Starting or not)
-Injury/Rehab
-Discipline Problems
-Grades
-Players bringing energy off the bench (Brimah and Samuel bring great energy into the game coming off the bench and provide a spark that others can't)

 

[bmayuc]

You said that, as a freshman, "his calling card was raining 3 pointers." He was below-average on 3 pointers, so that was wrong.

I'm not saying he can't improve, but you're saying he's guaranteed to become something he's never been just because Shabazz Napier improved a lot at UConn. Even if we ignore last season, when Calhoun shot incredibly poorly, there's no particular reason to assume he's due to become any sort of 3 point marksman.



Allen and Gordon were on the benches of really deep teams, they both averaged more than 20 points/40 minutes as freshman, and they did it with much better shooting numbers. I'm not sure what kind of comparison you're trying to make here, but it doesn't appear to make much sense.

Production is the comparison. He made 45 3pts his freshmen year, which places him conveniently between Ray Allen(33 made 3's) and Ben Gordon(62 made 3's) as a freshman. That was far and away his strength. My point is that he PRODUCED as a freshman, a rare quality here at UCONN. Yea he shot 32% but the expectation was that would improve, as he had proved he had the balls to take/make big 3's. Do you remember this?

 

[CL82]

I'd expect Nolan to start at the 5 until Brimah shows that he's got the fouling bug kicked. JC used to say that first sub ought to make you better and I kind of see that thought process with Brimah. Just after you get used running your stuff against Nolan, who I fully expected to be improved, the big shot blocker comes in and forces you to adjust. I don't think we have enough depth at center 5 to use Nolan as a 4.

I'm rooting for Omar to be an improved version of his freshman self. I'm sure that Ollie is going to give him every chance to show that. I'm not worried about Hamilton, he'll end up with starter's minutes regardless of whether he's on the floor at the opening tip. If Omar isn't improved, we have options.

The big question to me is Facey. If he has improved he's a perfect piece to the puzzle, a true stretch 4. We'll see.

 

[Kitaman]

People saying Hamilton is already penciled to start is equivalent to Ollie making recruiting promises like other coaches many here loathe.

It ain't like his position is open, with no upperclassmen to compete against.

Reminds me somewhat of the Boat/Bazz discussion around here when Boat was a freshman yet to suit up.

 

[James]

Nolan is a tough bastard. As noted he is a terrific ball screen defender, almost chris bosh like how he flashes and gets back to his man. Played with great defensive iq as the year wore on. The question is, will he offer enough on offense to get the nod at the 4? I expect he starts and if things are clogged up ollie makes a quick sub for facey who might be a better spot up shooter in the mid range.

 

[Dmike]

I have consistently seen Facey referred to as a stretch 4 in this thread. IMO, a stretch 4 is a legitimate big, who can consistently knock down 3s, thereby stretching the other team'sinterior defense by forcing a big to come out and defend on the perimeter because the stretch 4 can knock down an open jumper from deep. Charlie Villanueva is what I would consider the epitome of a stretch 4 - although his 3 pt % in the pros has left something to be desired.

I may not know enough about Facey's game, but I thought coming out of high school he was a rebounding, shot blocking, defensive menace, who got points in the paint off rebounds and athleticism. I guess he may have more of a face up than back to the basket game, but without a solid jumper, he wouldn't stretch the defense. I guess I never thought of him as a perimeter jump shooter, but would be pleased to be told I'm wrong and that he has a solid jump shot. Please let me know what I'm missing about either the definition of a stretch 4 or Facey's game.

Also, I don't understand why we can't go with 2 interior guys like Nolan and Brimah together. It's the norm in the pros. Plus,, we've certainly used 2 bigs together in the past. While I know Drummond and Oriaki were a disaster, Emeka, Boone and Hamilton did a nice job together for a few years. Emeka and Selvie coexisted nicely in 2002. Travis Knight and Kirk King always seemed solid as a pair to me and Thabeet and Adrien were a menacing rebounding duo. While I see a stretch 4 creating nice advantages for driving lanes, I don't understand why playing 2 bigs together is a bad idea. We've been anhialated on the boards for the last 2 years. Why not go with a taller lineup (assuming Brimah and Nolan can up the rebounding numbers from last year)? I thought that we played small at the 4 for the last 2 years because of our perimeter talent. If Brimah and Nolan have improved, aren't there distinct advantages to going big?

Will someone with a higher basketball IQ enlighten me or at least discuss the interior dynamics of playing Brimah and Nolan together?

 

[ktuck911]

I think Sam Cassell JR is and will be a better player than Omar this season. I think Omar was exposed last season. Shot has too low of a release point, can't dribble, and a below average defender.

I disagree with your assessment about Omar's low release point on his shot... I think he just needed to adjust after undergoing surgery on both hips in the previous off season... I think he'll be better for us with a full off season to work out and not just sit and heal... He's my darkhorse... Cassell, I think, will fit right in as well ... Our backcourt is lethal across the board...

 

[CTBasketball]

Omar can't dribble. Therefore, he won't start.

 

[Onions]

I have consistently seen Facey referred to as a stretch 4 in this thread. IMO, a stretch 4 is a legitimate big, who can consistently knock down 3s, thereby stretching the other team'sinterior defense by forcing a big to come out and defend on the perimeter because the stretch 4 can knock down an open jumper from deep. Charlie Villanueva is what I would consider the epitome of a stretch 4 - although his 3 pt % in the pros has left something to be desired.

I may not know enough about Facey's game, but I thought coming out of high school he was a rebounding, shot blocking, defensive menace, who got points in the paint off rebounds and athleticism. I guess he may have more of a face up than back to the basket game, but without a solid jumper, he wouldn't stretch the defense. I guess I never thought of him as a perimeter jump shooter, but would be pleased to be told I'm wrong and that he has a solid jump shot. Please let me know what I'm missing about either the definition of a stretch 4 or Facey's game.

Also, I don't understand why we can't go with 2 interior guys like Nolan and Brimah together. It's the norm in the pros. Plus,, we've certainly used 2 bigs together in the past. While I know Drummond and Oriaki were a disaster, Emeka, Boone and Hamilton did a nice job together for a few years. Emeka and Selvie coexisted nicely in 2002. Travis Knight and Kirk King always seemed solid as a pair to me and Thabeet and Adrien were a menacing rebounding duo. While I see a stretch 4 creating nice advantages for driving lanes, I don't understand why playing 2 bigs together is a bad idea. We've been anhialated on the boards for the last 2 years. Why not go with a taller lineup (assuming Brimah and Nolan can up the rebounding numbers from last year)? I thought that we played small at the 4 for the last 2 years because of our perimeter talent. If Brimah and Nolan have improved, aren't there distinct advantages to going big?

Will someone with a higher basketball IQ enlighten me or at least discuss the interior dynamics of playing Brimah and Nolan together?

It doesn't take many IQ points. The reason they won't play together is FOULS. Brimah's biggest weakness is he's prone to committing fouls. Nolan is no slouch in that department either. Last year we had Tyler to contribute in case those 2 got in early foul trouble, this year we don't have a third center. Unless and until BOTH Brimah and Nolan can demonstrate they can play without fouling KO would be crazy to allow either of them to use their fouls up at the 4, where we have plenty of fouls to give - Facey, Rock and Hamilton if we go small. This has nothing to do with how they would actually play together, it's all about the fouls.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I disagree with your assessment about Omar's low release point on his shot... I think he just needed to adjust after undergoing surgery on both hips in the previous off season... I think he'll be better for us with a full off season to work out and not just sit and heal... He's my darkhorse... Cassell, I think, will fit right in as well ... Our backcourt is lethal across the board...

He had a low release point as a freshman. His shot is ugly however when at his best it does go in.

 

[bmayuc]

He had a low release point as a freshman. His shot is ugly however when at his best it does go in.

I have no idea why people say he "has a low release point". It is just not factually correct. See below.

He has a shooting motion that is similar to Rashard Lewis in that he brings the ball from a low starting point, but his release itself is actually pretty ideal.



Look at the image below again. The RELEASE is very high, he just starts his motion down low. Now, this can be construed as a weakness in its own, if you'd like to make that point, because it slows the shot by a few moments. But can everyone on this board please STOP saying he has a low release?

Its just nonsense.

 

[Burnsbros23]

He shoots the ball like a sixth grader. Starts low doesn't really jump. Doesn't get the ball above his head.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

I'm not saying hamilton should or shouldnt start... I'm going to trust that Ollie will do what is best for the team in this situation.

What do you guys think about how Hamilton and other future top rated freshman not starting can have on future recruiting though?

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I'm not saying hamilton should or shouldnt start... I'm going to trust that Ollie will do what is best for the team in this situation.

What do you guys think about how Hamilton and other future top rated freshman not starting can have on future recruiting though?

I think it would act as a litmus test for weeding out prospects that do not have the DNA of a National Champion (although it is normal to want to start). Right now I like Mack as the next best prospect to sign for 2015. The vibe I am getting from him is a strong 1. He seems to possess the intangibles a TEAM is looking for (speculative of course). Right now I would take Mack over Jones et al.

Hamilton in my opinion will most likely start. His time will have to be earned obviously over some good players.

 

[mauconnfan]

Boat
Purvis
Hamilton
Nolan
Brimah

 

[ctchamps]

Barring injuries or any off the court issues I expect the starting line up in the first game to be:

Boat
Purvis
Calhoun
Facey
Nolan

This starting line up is based on KO going with a combo of seniority and loyalty (OC and Kelis Fisher not giving up after last season and RP sitting out for a season).

I also expect the starting line up to be different throughout the season as various players demonstrate they deserve to start based on how they worked in practice, or how their play in a prior game merits consideration or if there is a match up KO wants to exploit early in the game.

And yes I am both ridiculous, ignorant and idiotic so anyone proposing to apply those adjective to my subjective opinions are wasting their effort if they believe it would have any impact on how I feel. But if it makes any individual feel better to believe they can hurt my feelings by invoking these descriptors I encourage them to do so and I will feign hurt and suffering.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

^^^^^^

Fluedy... how about Pat Lenehan as the 6th man using the intelligence quotient variable? Good idea??? I think Omar will rebound and have a productive year & Facey is the BIG X factor on this team.

 

[champs99and04]

Will someone with a higher basketball IQ enlighten me or at least discuss the interior dynamics of playing Brimah and Nolan together?

What you said isn't far off. However, I disagree with the poster who speculated that foul trouble would be the primary repellent to Nolan and Brimah playing minutes together. That's over-thinking it, IMO. If Nolan proves to be our best option at the four, he's going to play at the four, regardless of how valuable of an insurance policy he is at the five. Great coaches always have contingency plans in place in the event that foul trouble becomes an issue. But throwing your hands up in the air and keeping somebody on the bench because you're afraid both of your big men are going to foul out is not a solution (and it's not a scenario that is likely to occur, either). Plus, we don't know if Facey can play the five. We all thought he might play some five his freshman year, and he didn't, but that doesn't mean he won't this year.

To answer your question, basketball is an interesting sport in that every lineup configuration is dependent on versatility. Obviously, the five players who are on the floor might not be your best five players - our best five players last season were Boatright, Napier, Giffey, Daniels, and Kromah in some order, but they very rarely played together. Being able to modify your game to fit the personnel grouping is a skill that I think gets overlooked in basketball players more than it should be - Alex Oriakhi did not have this skill. Phil Nolan does have it, I think, on the defensive end of the court. I wasn't sold on Nolan as a basketball player until I watched him shutdown Adriean Payne in the elite eight last season. He's privy to rotations at multiple positions, he moves well laterally, and if it's true that he bulked up over the off-season, he should be more equipped to bang with centers and avoid foul trouble than he was last year. Truthfully, I think the guy is more of a four by nature who was forced to play exclusively the five his first two years here by some combination of roster constitution and offensive limitations.

Which brings us to the big question: is Nolan a skilled enough offensive player at this point in time to share the floor with Brimah without destroying our half-court offense? Everything we've seen from Nolan would indicate that he's not. His jump shot is unreliable, he's probably an average athlete by UConn standards (the national championship game last year being exhibit A), and although his foot work in the post is impressive, he doesn't have a soft touch down there.

If you're going to play the four successfully in the half-court, you have to either have one of the aforementioned skills, or you have to be a gifted interior passer. Louisville was able to construct a passable offense in the year they won the title in large part because of how Gorgui Dieng evolved as a passer from his sophomore to junior year. It gave them the luxury of playing two big's - Dieng and either Harrell or Behannan - at all times, which brought their defense to near unprecedented levels while maintaining an efficient offense. Now, I don't think Nolan is capable of a Dieng like jump, but if he's able to work out of the high post in some capacity, continue to improve as a screener, and hit enough 15 foot jump shots to keep defenses honest, UConn may have a shot at replicating something similar to what Louisville had that season (by similar I don't mean equal, but you get the point).

 

[joober jones]

Let's also not forget that Nolan had one of the best FT% of any big we've had in a LONG time last season. I'm not saying that'll make him start over AB, just further pointing out he's not the stiff he's sometimes made out to be.