The name that keeps popping into my head is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from his year at Kentucky. Absolutely phenomenal player who was their engine to win it all (not Anthony Davis). Andre is better at assisting his teammates but a very similar vibe.
Yesterday there was this moment where he grabbed a rebound and started heading upcourt theres guys running around him and he looked like he was gliding up court and just effortly passed by everyone and pulled up. Hes got a good handle and it makes me wonder if he is ever going to understand that he can get by 99% of guys defending him and just get to the basket. Ive been saying it for two years and im hoping to see hit before he leaves.Andre is the most unique player I've ever seen in a UConn uniform. He impacts the game constantly. As they said on last night's broadcast, he just seems to glide. That play where Clingan passed to ball to him in stride at halfcourt resulting in a big dunk was a thing of beauty. I'm guessing we see lots more transition offense from Andre in the coming weeks. Two or three baskets like that per game would demoralize the other teams, and it looks like Andre is now ready to provide that spark.
I have no idea how his game translates to the next level, but Andre just might be the most impactful player in college basketball right now.
Why are we comparing him to one of the greatest scorers in the history of college basketball. Stop already.Pete could not defend or rebound like Andre.. Had the vision/dribbling and passing skills.. Shooting? Different planets..
Andre plays above the rim.. Pete--Not so much.. Still he is a pleasure to watch and brings his own unique skillset--rarely seen--to the table every game.. A major disruptive force.
FWIW..Pete's college coach was his Dad.. To say he had the green light is an understatement
Think bigger Russell Westbrook. He was seen as a passing defensive player at UCLA. His offense came later in the league.He is elite at every skill in the game outside of being allergic to scoring the ball.
Passing is elite. Low turnover player despite making high-risk plays. Great handle for his size. Defense is quite possibly the best in all of D1 ball. He's a leader on and off the court.
Yet... he can't even make a layup with a defender within 10 feet of him. It's really quite strange.
Somewhere along the line of his skill development, some coach really failed him.
I don't remember Russell being known for passing. He was an athletic 2 guard in college and developed his point guard skills in the NBA.Think bigger Russell Westbrook. He was seen as a passing defensive player at UCLA. His offense came later in the league.
Think bigger Russell Westbrook. He was seen as a passing defensive player at UCLA. His offense came later in the league.