All 5 UCONN Starters Invited to the Combine

[ec33]

Ratio

Bronny is the weak link on that invite list. If I were to get all pissy about the list that is where I would go.

But the fact is that the list is far more than generous for actual prospects to be included. Frankly, scouts have been watching these players for years.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Ratio

Imagine thinking Caleb Love is anywhere close to Cam Spencer as a college player or a prospect. Next level hating.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Cool story bro, come talk to me in a couple years to see how your opinion holds up.

I mean dude that’s like saying Cam Spencer reminds you of Clyde Drexler. They aren’t even remotely similar in play style or abilities.

 

[Robrio89]

Can we please stop talking as if George Mason definitively stopped us from winning the national championship in 2006? This is absolutely revisionist history.

Florida was playing flat out better than us throughout the tournament after winning the SEC Tournament. Meanwhile, from Mid-February on we played one A game, the February 26th home game vs. #2 Villanova (we were #4 at the time) that we won by 14. Otherwise, we were not playing well. We lost our first game in the BE Tournament against a decent but definitely worse than us Syracuse team (yes, I realize that is the Gerry McNamara team that went on to win the BE Tournament that year, but we had more talent then them and had beaten them twice during the regular season, including a 23-point butt-kicking in Hartford).

Then, we were trailing #16 seed Albany with 10 minutes to go in the 1st round of the Tournament before rallying to win by 13. We beat a middling #8 seed Kentucky by 4, we got lucky to beat the #5 seed Brandon Roy-led Washington team in OT in the Sweet 16 and then lost in OT to George Mason... who then got their doors blown off by Florida in their very next game in the Final 4.

How that equates to us "almost automatically" winning the Title that year makes zero sense. Sorry, but Florida would have beaten us handily. We were not playing well as a team, and our back court was limited because we did not have a good enough back up for Marcus Williams, despite our very talented and very deep frontcourt. Florida was playing much better as a team. Those are the facts. The facts are in the results of our games over the last couple of weeks of the season, the quarterfinals exit from the BE tournament and our struggle to even win in the first round of the NCAA tournament and every other game that year... all while Florida was dominating, and playing up to their full potential.

Why some people can not see this and be honest that Florida was clearly playing like the better team by the Final 4 I have no idea.

Moreso reminiscing about that season and what the loss meant, never said we would have beaten Florida. This season they talked about Florida which had me thinking about that 06 loss a lot. Wouldn’t you have rather lost to Florida over George Mason back in 06? Made me want us to win it even more because we would be able to be in the conversation of a back to back.

 

[caw]

We’re going to look back in a few years and be even more amazed at this team than we already are

Potentially ALL FIVE STARTERS sent to the NBA. WOW.

Top six in 2023 potentially and potentially top five in 2024. Wouldn’t shock me if a few more from this past year get drafted in the future also. And only one five star amongst the bunch.

Hurley continues to send low ranked/underrated players to the NBA.

Especially wings.

 

[Mazhude]

Remember when we couldn't coach bigs?

 

[olehead]

Ok... And I have never come close to saying that. They didn't suck. In fact, it is one of the two best front courts, top to bottom, we have ever had. But we would not have won the title. That is all I am saying. And all I have ever said on this topic. The 2006 team, sans AJ Price, was not our best team not to win a National Title. Sorry, no.

The 2009 team, for example, was a better all around team. And if not for Dyson's injury and having to play Michigan St. in Detroit in the semifinal game we would have played UNC for that year's title.

These two teams (06 & 09) easily caused me the most agony due to maddening inconsistency given pure talent alone. Both teams had guys Hurley would love in Gay & Sticks, given their penchant for dunking in a vicious way, two confident, borderline cocky pg's in Williams & Price & Fr & Sr Adrien. 06' probably had the shooting edge with Rashad. Both teams had great length with 06 having three 1st rounders in Boone, Armstrong & Gay and 09 with Edwards, Thabeet & Sticks. '06 had greater talent and underperformed. '09 had Thabeet but injuries imo prevented us from facing UNC.

 

[Hurleyman216]

I mean dude that’s like saying Cam Spencer reminds you of Clyde Drexler. They aren’t even remotely similar in play style or abilities.

I’ve got more basketball knowledge in my left nut than you or Superjohn combined. Don’t really care your opinion.

 

[UconnU]

What is our AK contingency plan Dan speaks of?

 

[Big Loubowski]

Is the Combine televised?

 

[Agent0]

Can we get back to talking about the 5 UConn starters invited to the combine?

Spencer can be a Brunson type

Let’s slow down a little bit. Brunson was a player of the year

 

[AllHusky]

Geez those guys can shoot, can't they?

 

[AllHusky]

No, he was in the GLeague Elite Camp playing for a combine invite but didn't play well enough to get one

Tristan - "Would you look at me now?!!"

 

[HooperScooper]

Tristan - "Would you look at me now?!!"

 

[ctchamps]

Getting his triple doubles he had tan or more assists, tan or more points, and tan or more rebounds.

Tan is the new ten!

 

[HooperScooper]

Getting his triple doubles he had tan or more assists, tan or more points, and tan or more rebounds.

Tan is the new ten!

Maybe Aiden Mahoney can do that at least once.

 

[gtcam]

I’ve got more basketball knowledge in my left nut than you or Superjohn combined. Don’t really care your opinion.

I've heard people say little/pinky finger but a testicle?
Might want to get your head out of the sack!
Comparing Cam to a 1st team all pro?- Cam is very good but he could/will not take an entire NBA team on his back and do what Brunson has done the past season and a half. Even your left nut should be smart enough to not blurt that comparative. Newton with his driving ability is more like Brunson but it ends there.

 

[LStudfellow]

Moreso reminiscing about that season and what the loss meant, never said we would have beaten Florida. This season they talked about Florida which had me thinking about that 06 loss a lot. Wouldn’t you have rather lost to Florida over George Mason back in 06? Made me want us to win it even more because we would be able to be in the conversation of a back to back.

Actually, I like and agree with your point. I wish we had gotten past George Mason. We just weren't good enough at that point to do so. There is no team that gets more overrated on this board than that 2006 team. It is fun to reminisce, and think about what could have been if AJ Price had been playing. With him, we would have had a potentially all-time great game against Florida, and certainly given them more of a challenge than they received from either George Mason or UCLA. But as things were... no. They would have beaten us in the backcourt... as we have done to others now 4 times in the last 13 years. Marcus Williams and Denham Brown would have most likely lost the matchup against Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Corey Brewer. We did not have an answer for Brewer in particular, and he was playing particularly great during that tournament. So were both Green and Humphrey. That would have been the difference.

That being said... yes, I would have loved to see the match up and how it would have played out on the court.

 

[NJHusky]

Actually, I like and agree with your point. I wish we had gotten past George Mason. We just weren't good enough at that point to do so. There is no team that gets more overrated on this board than that 2006 team. It is fun to reminisce, and think about what could have been if AJ Price had been playing. With him, we would have had a potentially all-time great game against Florida, and certainly given them more of a challenge than they received from either George Mason or UCLA. But as things were... no. They would have beaten us in the backcourt... as we have done to others now 4 times in the last 13 years. Marcus Williams and Denham Brown would have most likely lost the matchup against Taurean Green, Lee Humphrey and Corey Brewer. We did not have an answer for Brewer in particular, and he was playing particularly great during that tournament. So were both Green and Humphrey. That would have been the difference.

That being said... yes, I would have loved to see the match up and how it would have played out on the court.

Wasn't there a foul on Hilton late in the game that was big deal? I remember I thought it was a cheap foul on him that had an impact on the final score.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Can we please stop talking as if George Mason definitively stopped us from winning the national championship in 2006? This is absolutely revisionist history.

Florida was playing flat out better than us throughout the tournament after winning the SEC Tournament. Meanwhile, from Mid-February on we played one A game, the February 26th home game vs. #2 Villanova (we were #4 at the time) that we won by 14. Otherwise, we were not playing well. We lost our first game in the BE Tournament against a decent but definitely worse than us Syracuse team (yes, I realize that is the Gerry McNamara team that went on to win the BE Tournament that year, but we had more talent then them and had beaten them twice during the regular season, including a 23-point butt-kicking in Hartford).

Then, we were trailing #16 seed Albany with 10 minutes to go in the 1st round of the Tournament before rallying to win by 13. We beat a middling #8 seed Kentucky by 4, we got lucky to beat the #5 seed Brandon Roy-led Washington team in OT in the Sweet 16 and then lost in OT to George Mason... who then got their doors blown off by Florida in their very next game in the Final 4.

How that equates to us "almost automatically" winning the Title that year makes zero sense. Sorry, but Florida would have beaten us handily. We were not playing well as a team, and our back court was limited because we did not have a good enough back up for Marcus Williams, despite our very talented and very deep frontcourt. Florida was playing much better as a team. Those are the facts. The facts are in the results of our games over the last couple of weeks of the season, the quarterfinals exit from the BE tournament and our struggle to even win in the first round of the NCAA tournament and every other game that year... all while Florida was dominating, and playing up to their full potential.

Why some people can not see this and be honest that Florida was clearly playing like the better team by the Final 4 I have no idea.

The bolded item is why I believe we may have been able to win that game if we had gotten by GM. The 2005-2006 team had the talent, when propertly motivated, to handle anyone. The problem was they were very seldom properly motivated. I was convinced during that season that at some point they would give JC a stroke, considering how infuriated he was, countless times, over their lackadaisical efforts.

We did have the size (and considerably more depth with bigs) than they did, If we did end up facing them we may have been willing to put in the required effort for the entirety of the game (similar to when we blew out Nova) instead of occasionally providing an effort. No guarantees but the possibility did exist.

Sadly, that team was begging for someone to knock them off from well before the tournament began (as you pointed out). I don't get how it happened as it did but it's water under the bridge.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Love Cam but you are bugging

Eh, they’re both not athletic, very high IQ, good shooters, team first players, and play above their size. That’s what I was thinking.

 

[3rdbass]

Eh, they’re both not athletic, very high IQ, good shooters, team first players, and play above their size. That’s what I was thinking.

Karaban is more athletic than Cam who below average athletic. Alex is close to Average. Cam though is the better shooter out of the 2.

 

[aceboon]

These two teams (06 & 09) easily caused me the most agony due to maddening inconsistency given pure talent alone. Both teams had guys Hurley would love in Gay & Sticks, given their penchant for dunking in a vicious way, two confident, borderline cocky pg's in Williams & Price & Fr & Sr Adrien. 06' probably had the shooting edge with Rashad. Both teams had great length with 06 having three 1st rounders in Boone, Armstrong & Gay and 09 with Edwards, Thabeet & Sticks. '06 had greater talent and underperformed. '09 had Thabeet but injuries imo prevented us from facing UNC.

to each their own in regards to viewing/fan experience but I don't get including the 09 team

 

[Waquoit]

Meanwhile, from Mid-February on we played one A game, the February 26th home game vs. #2 Villanova (we were #4 at the time) that we won by 14.

Put another way, that Nova game where they played so well was an outlier. I think UConn played what passed for their "A" game against Mason. They showed some guts to get it to OT, Mason led for the last 6 minutes.

 

[CL82]

Maybe Aiden Mahoney can do that at least once.

Eh, it was funny in that one thread, but now I think it's just going to end up being an excuse for the misspellings.