http://hoopniks.com/2014-adidas-unrivaled-saturday-recap/
Players of Note
Jalen Adams, 6’2”, G, 2015
The future UConn Husky guard is easily one of the more entertaining players in transition. The explosive player only scored six points, but he also dropped nine assists to only two turnovers. Time and time again, Adams put the ball on the mark to open teammates and could have ended up with at least 12 assists, if his teammates had been able to convert their open shots. Adams is extremely tough to cover in one on one situations and when he gets a full head of steam towards the basket you can pretty much mark him down for a basket. On the defensive side, Adams was a force preventing fast break baskets. Two possessions in a row, Adams sprinted down the court to emphatically block the shot of 6’7” Blake Reynolds.
Makai Ashton-Langford, 6’1”, PG, 2016
The junior point guard is tough to contain off the dribble. He finished with eight points on 4-7 shooting, but it was his play in the paint that was impressive for a player his size. Ashton-Langford seemed to always get a step on his defender and when faced with a taller opponent coming to meet him in the lane he was able to unleash a soft floater or finish with either hand. Not as heralded as some of his teammates, Ashton-Langford has put together a solid overall Unrivaled camp.
http://www.adidasuprising.com/adidas-unrivaled/adidas-unrivaled-2014-schedule/ he played for the minute men... but you made a great point he certainly could be working on different aspects of his game..Sounds like Adams is doing fine. Does anyone know what players are on his team? Since he's already committed to UConn, he might be working on certain aspects of his game, such as his lead-guard skills. It wouldn't shock me if KO has suggested he focus on that part of his game moving forward, since he was recruited as the future lead guard.
UcannUconn said:http://www.adidasuprising.com/adidas-unrivaled/adidas-unrivaled-2014-schedule/ he played for the minute men... but you made a great point he certainly could be working on different aspects of his game..
Judging by that assessment above, and alot of others I've read, Stone just doesn't seem to fit our style. I know he is a highly rated big man and it's hard to say you shouldn't want to bring in a player with his upside but the end of benches in the NBA are full of big men with promise.
Not saying he won't be good but given our system and the way he would fit don't alot of the other bigs who thrive in a faster pace game make somewhat more sense? Am I alone in this thought?
We played a slow, pro-style pace under Ollie last year, especially in the tournament. Our strategy for a good chunk of the season was to use as much of the clock as possible unless an obvious break is available.Judging by that assessment above, and alot of others I've read, Stone just doesn't seem to fit our style. I know he is a highly rated big man and it's hard to say you shouldn't want to bring in a player with his upside but the end of benches in the NBA are full of big men with promise.
Not saying he won't be good but given our system and the way he would fit don't alot of the other bigs who thrive in a faster pace game make somewhat more sense? Am I alone in this thought?
Matrim55 said:We played a slow, pro-style pace under Ollie last year, especially in the tournament. Our strategy for a good chunk of the season was to use as much of the clock as possible unless an obvious break is available. Stone would fit just fine, and given that he's a dominant rebounder would probably end up quickening our pace since he'd allow our guards to lead out into transition a step or two early. That said, the days of the go-go UConn teams of the '90s are gone. We're going to be a pro-style team from here on out, I'd say.
http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspo...takeaways-from-breakout-classic-the-showdown/
7. When will Derrick Jones make the leap?: Derrick Jones has long been a favorite of the guys that make the youtube mixtapes, as the 6-foot-8 small forward might be the best athlete in the class of 2015. But in order for Jones to make the jump from being a scintillating athlete to becoming an elite college basketball prospect, he needs to do three things: add strength and size to his frame, improve his ability to handle the ball and become a better jump shooter. He showed some glimpses of that during the week in Philly, but he still has a way to go.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports...ll_s_Jones_knows_he_s_a_work_in_progress.html
When the buzzer sounded and spectators and coaches moved bleachers to watch different prospects, Kevin Ollie, head coach of the national champion Connecticut Huskies was the most notable.
He passed up handshakes with coaches from St. John's, sidestepped assistants from Valparaiso and scurried his way to his seat. The Derrick Jones show, on display at the Reebok Classic Breakout, was seconds from starting.
...
Jones is flattered that coaches are coming to watch him play. But he made it clear he wants to play as soon as he gets to college.
"I'll be lucky to play for any coach; I'm just ready to play," Jones said. "When I get to college, I hope I play right away, I don't want to have to sit out a year or anything. I just wanna play. I want to go to college and reach my dream."
This may not be the best thing for us as we have D Ham. I know KO can get creative with his lineups, but I doubt either Jones or D Ham will want to play the stretch 4 (nor may need to if Facey improves, Lubin progresses, or Enoch signs etc). Hamilton could play the 2, but that will be a crowded space and hopefully (fingers crossed/ prayers) its occupied by Newman!!
I really love Jones' game and how it would fit in our system, but if he's looking for guaranteed, immediate playing time that's not the greatest sign for us. Although KY, Kansas, L'Ville cant exactly guarantee that either. We'll see.
The 4th Annual Big Strick Classic is set for Saturday, August 9 at the Gauchos Gymnasium in Bronx, NY. A fast-rising event since its inception three summers ago, Big Strick pits some of the top national recruits (Team USA) against the best players from the tri-state area (Team NYC).
Here are the first 15 players invited (UConn2015 targets bold):
Dwayne Bacon
Kobi Simmons
Jaylen Brown
Isaiah Briscoe
Stephen Zimmerman
Carlton Bragg
Moustaphe Diagne
Prince Ali
Malik Beasley
Damon Wilson
Mario Kegler
Steven Enoch
Derrick Jones
Rawle Alkins
Omari Spellman