Anyone want to say sorry to Ollie?

[weyuo]

Amida Brimah came in as a kid with 2 offers. Us and Lasalle. Left as our 3rd leading shot blocker of all time, a conference DPoY, scoring nearly 1000 points, and making an NBA training camp roster with a not-that-awful shot at making the team.

Brimah came in being quick off his feet with an ability to block shots. What he never acquired was

• the ability to put on enough weight to hold his position
• the ability to carve out space in the paint and own the boards
• shoot better than 80% from the free throw line. The easiest shot in basketball
• the ability to stay out of foul trouble
• develop an outside shot, or inside shot for that matter.
• be a consistent double double(points/rebounds)

Calhoun would have laid the law down early and he would have been glued to that bench til he learned how to play defense. Then in his junior and senior years coached up offensively. I don't know who dropped the ball on Brimah but that guy had a ton of potential and it was never tapped like it should have been. When I first saw him I thought to myself, maybe the next Patrick Ewing. Not even a glimmer.

 

[Pudge]

I don't agree on Amida Brimah.

He had one great talent: size and then timing to be an ELITE rim protector. But his body was not developed - despite the fact that he was a passionate hard worker - to be a defensive positioning force nor an offensive weapon on putbacks - only a lob king. His brain and basketball IQ never proceeded to where he had decent anticipation. Can we blame coaching ... moderately. Who thinks Jim Calhoun never voiced an opinion or instructed AB? So I think the Brimah love is fantasy.

 

[AntG168]

Brimah came in being quick off his feet with an ability to block shots. What he never acquired was

• the ability to put on enough weight to hold his position
• the ability to carve out space in the paint and own the boards
• shoot better than 80% from the free throw line. The easiest shot in basketball
• the ability to stay out of foul trouble
• develop an outside shot, or inside shot for that matter.
• be a consistent double double(points/rebounds)

Calhoun would have laid the law down early and he would have been glued to that bench til he learned how to play defense. Then in his junior and senior years coached up offensively. I don't know who dropped the ball on Brimah but that guy had a ton of potential and it was never tapped like it should have been. When I first saw him I thought to myself, maybe the next Patrick Ewing. Not even a glimmer.

Why do people act like Calhoun never had players who never improved? Brimah had a career that no one saw him having when he committed to UConn. He well exceeded expectations

 

[JellyBean]

Some folks will apologize and some will never apologize and that is their choice. Injuries played a huge part in our down fall last year. Losing Larrier and Gilbert hurt the program in ways some folks will never admit too. But hoping that with those two back in the line up, plus the additional players, and the stellar play of Jalen Adams, our Huskies have a healthy and successful season. Also I am looking forward to watching Wichita State and seeing how they mesh with the other teams in the AAC.

 

[superjohn]

Why do people act like Calhoun never had players who never improved? Brimah had a career that no one saw him having when he committed to UConn. He well exceeded expectations

He had a strange career, he looked better right away than any of us thought he would. As a freshman he was already on the NBA mock draft boards. As he got older it became pretty clear he would never be an NBA player.

 

[mauconnfan]

Why do people act like Calhoun never had players who never improved? Brimah had a career that no one saw him having when he committed to UConn. He well exceeded expectations

Totally agree on JC's kids he had the big guys who he brought in with hopes of improvement enough to be a piece at least, and there were a few that didn't it happens. I will have to agree AB did not well exceed expectations, rather fell way short after a freshman year that showed promise with growth and improvement the next 3. The his soph year he did ever slightly improve but after that flat line. Again, not all his fault they never found anyone else to either play ahead of him or with him to take away him being the focal point.