At UConn, the Rodney Purvis Era Has Begun | The Boneyard

At UConn, the Rodney Purvis Era Has Begun

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1-3 we can be about as good as anyone in the country. 4-5 are the question marks.

Can Brimah stay on the floor for 25-30 and be aggressive?
What can we expect from Facey?
I really like Lubin from what I've read to give us 10-15 minutes a game
Nolan, with extra weight could be much improved

Assuming they develop a solid rotation by Feb we will have a lot of options
 
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1-3 we can be about as good as anyone in the country. 4-5 are the question marks.

Can Brimah stay on the floor for 25-30 and be aggressive?
What can we expect from Facey?
I really like Lubin from what I've read to give us 10-15 minutes a game
Nolan, with extra weight could be much improved

Assuming they develop a solid rotation by Feb we will have a lot of options

I would say the five is less of a question mark than it's been in a while. If nothing else, it's been proven you can win with Brimah and Nolan at center. And the upside with Brimah is huge. I have no question that this team is exceptionally talented individually - it's just a matter of how well it all comes together.
 
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I would say the five is less of a question mark than it's been in a while. If nothing else, it's been proven you can win with Brimah and Nolan at center. And the upside with Brimah is huge. I have no question that this team is exceptionally talented individually - it's just a matter of how well it all comes together.

If by "in a while," you mean over the past three seasons, then I agree. Last year, going into the season, I thought we might be looking at Facey starting at center. Even with his foul issues, Brimah delivered well beyond reasonable expectations. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but it wouldn't shock me if he did it again.

You see it happen sometimes that a freshman performs well beyond expectations, leading to unreasonable expectations the next season, leading to the player disappointing, like with Lamb. I think Brimah has the perfect attitude to beat that. And if he, Nolan, and Facey can stay on the court enough to cover those two positions, then suddenly we don't have a weakness in the frontcourt anymore.
 
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We did lose lots of scoring though!!!! No more Shabazz to save us from the shot clock and end of games. I am very excited about this season though!!!
 

CL82

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Coincidentally, Ollie ERA has officially begun, if you followed what all other critics were saying about how Ollie took the program to title podium.
Not until every JC player has left the school, so figure that Ollie's got at least one championship that will have to be added to JC's total before he can start calling them his own.
 

ctchamps

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Not until every JC player has left the school, so figure that Ollie's got at least one championship that will have to be added to JC's total before he can start calling them his own.
I know a lot of cooks that have the same ingredients as a master chef and I wouldn't touch any of their preparations. Last years group could have been under most, if not all the Div 1 coaches and not come close to performing the way KO got them to perform imo.
 

ctchamps

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I would say the five is less of a question mark than it's been in a while. If nothing else, it's been proven you can win with Brimah and Nolan at center. And the upside with Brimah is huge. I have no question that this team is exceptionally talented individually - it's just a matter of how well it all comes together.
I'm really optimistic about this season and believe that the team will find an answer to my questions. Since you are an astute observer of the game (I admire your breakdowns of the games and players) I would question that the five is a given based on past performance. SN had a knack for defensive rebounding that often bailed out Nolan and Brimah. And Deandre, although not an outstanding rebounder, was a decent defender and rebounder eliminating some of the pressure from the five. Facey, although showing the ability to be a much better rebounder than DD in his short time on the court, struggled to keep his player from driving to the basket ending in a breakdown of the defense.

So the two questions relating to the five are this? Can the fives make up for the loss of SN rebounding prowess and DD's steady defense if either KF or RL struggle?
 

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We don't really have a position w/o questions. No one is returning in the same position they started at last year with the possible exception of our 5s (and they raised questions last year). We have great but unproven options.
The issue is more where are we comfortable that we will address those questions. The 1, 2 and 3 look very good with, I think, a good chance to improve at the 2 and 3. I also feel optimistic that AB will make a big step up which along with a smaller step from PN seems very positive. We should improve at center. The 4 is our biggest unknown. If Facey can stay out of foul trouble and not get pushed around we should be in great shape. If not, Rock won't get pushed around but I assume that will come with a drop in offense.
All in all, I'm psyched about this team but I feel we shouldn't take too much for granted until we see it on the court.
 

intlzncster

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If by "in a while," you mean over the past three seasons, then I agree. Last year, going into the season, I thought we might be looking at Facey starting at center. Even with his foul issues, Brimah delivered well beyond reasonable expectations. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but it wouldn't shock me if he did it again.

You see it happen sometimes that a freshman performs well beyond expectations, leading to unreasonable expectations the next season, leading to the player disappointing, like with Lamb. I think Brimah has the perfect attitude to beat that. And if he, Nolan, and Facey can stay on the court enough to cover those two positions, then suddenly we don't have a weakness in the frontcourt anymore.

Also remember, Brimah was playing with a shoulder injury for the majority of the season (since December?). Not so this year.
 
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I'm really optimistic about this season and believe that the team will find an answer to my questions. Since you are an astute observer of the game (I admire your breakdowns of the games and players) I would question that the five is a given based on past performance. SN had a knack for defensive rebounding that often bailed out Nolan and Brimah. And Deandre, although not an outstanding rebounder, was a decent defender and rebounder eliminating some of the pressure from the five. Facey, although showing the ability to be a much better rebounder than DD in his short time on the court, struggled to keep his player from driving to the basket ending in a breakdown of the defense.

So the two questions relating to the five are this? Can the fives make up for the loss of SN rebounding prowess and DD's steady defense if either KF or RL struggle?

Thanks, fleud. Your question is definitely valid - the centers got bailed out a lot last season, sometimes by Shabazz and other times by guys like Giffey and Daniels. Brimah and Nolan combined for zero points, five rebounds, and eight fouls in the national championship game. In the semi-final, they combined for three points, two rebounds, and eight fouls, and our best lineup that game was one with Giffey at center. Those raw numbers aren't necessarily indicative of the contributions they made - particularly defensively - but it isn't like we were looking at those battles with Young and Randle as favorable match-ups.

So you're correct in saying we're not going to win this season with the 2013-14 versions of Brimah and Nolan. But we're also not going to win this season with the 2013-14 version of Boatright, the 2013-14 version of Samuel, Calhoun, and so on. A level of anticipated improvement in returning players is implied in every team breakdown and preview, which in it of itself is a dangerous road to go down. Frequently, that improvement is more subtle, and less linear than we had hoped for. The talent we returned in 2011-12 was far more proven than what we return this season, and that was among the most frustrating seasons in UConn history for a variety of reasons. For all of my blabbering, we're all just guessing here.

Simply put, there are a lot of unproven players on this team, and how they are able to tailor their respective skill sets to the best interests of the team is even less known. But the talent is undeniable. I, and a lot of other people, believe Brimah and Purvis can be first round picks. Ryan Boatright is likely going to be close to an unanimous all-AAC first team preseason selection. Omar Calhoun is just a year removed from being named to the Big East all-freshman team. Daniel Hamilton was a borderline five star recruit. Facey was the Gatorade player of the year in New York, or at least in the running from what I remember. Samuel and Nolan played big time minutes on a national champion.

Every UConn team assumes a very distinct identity, and I'm hoping this one will hang its hat on transition scoring, rebounding, and defense. That being said, I expected last years team to be dominant offensively and occasionally struggle defensively, and the inverse was true. So again, I don't know much other than I'm excited for UConn hoops.
 

ctchamps

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Thanks, fleud. Your question is definitely valid - the centers got bailed out a lot last season, sometimes by Shabazz and other times by guys like Giffey and Daniels. Brimah and Nolan combined for zero points, five rebounds, and eight fouls in the national championship game. In the semi-final, they combined for three points, two rebounds, and eight fouls, and our best lineup that game was one with Giffey at center. Those raw numbers aren't necessarily indicative of the contributions they made - particularly defensively - but it isn't like we were looking at those battles with Young and Randle as favorable match-ups.

So you're correct in saying we're not going to win this season with the 2013-14 versions of Brimah and Nolan. But we're also not going to win this season with the 2013-14 version of Boatright, the 2013-14 version of Samuel, Calhoun, and so on. A level of anticipated improvement in returning players is implied in every team breakdown and preview, which in it of itself is a dangerous road to go down. Frequently, that improvement is more subtle, and less linear than we had hoped for. The talent we returned in 2011-12 was far more proven than what we return this season, and that was among the most frustrating seasons in UConn history for a variety of reasons. For all of my blabbering, we're all just guessing here.

Simply put, there are a lot of unproven players on this team, and how they are able to tailor their respective skill sets to the best interests of the team is even less known. But the talent is undeniable. I, and a lot of other people, believe Brimah and Purvis can be first round picks. Ryan Boatright is likely going to be close to an unanimous all-AAC first team preseason selection. Omar Calhoun is just a year removed from being named to the Big East all-freshman team. Daniel Hamilton was a borderline five star recruit. Facey was the Gatorade player of the year in New York, or at least in the running from what I remember. Samuel and Nolan played big time minutes on a national champion.

Every UConn team assumes a very distinct identity, and I'm hoping this one will hang its hat on transition scoring, rebounding, and defense. That being said, I expected last years team to be dominant offensively and occasionally struggle defensively, and the inverse was true. So again, I don't know much other than I'm excited for UConn hoops.
A lot to be excited about. I share the same optimism. As @intlzncster points out that shoulder injury to Brimah has healed and I'm sure that injury impacted his game last season. My hope is that Brimah can reduce getting his arms tangled with opposing team's fives. Those long arms are an asset and a liability.

A couple of things to add. The team is "young and inexperienced" relative to playing with one another, but outside of Rock and DHam, the team has a lot of players who are not just out of high school. And I'm sure there aren't many high school players entering college with more experience going against NBA caliber people than DHam who has played against his brothers all his life.

Additionally there is KO. It's impossible to predict if KO can match or exceed JC's career. JC was brilliant. As much as I'm a fan of JC, it appears KO can do many of the things JC has done equally as well, and a couple of things better imo. He shares with JC that drive and intensity to win, the desire for perfection, the unwillingness to quit, the inability to let adversity defeat him, and the attitude, as well as the ability to demonstrate that attitude, that his players are "family".

He exceeds JC imo in his ability to communicate to players, or anyone for that matter. I don't know too many people who would question this. Another trait that I think KO might be better than JC is flexibility. I felt JC was sometimes stubborn to a fault. KO isn't whimsical. He gave Omar lots of opportunities early in the season but seeing that he couldn't get over the hump, KO relegated him to the bench as the heart of the season was underway. Same with KF. He also stuck with his assessment that the team was better at rebounding than they showed early in the season and he stayed with that assessment until he got his players to reach that goal.

I get the impression however that KO is more likely to try a greater variety of things with players. And if he assesses things won't pan out, he'll abandon it quicker than JC might have done. Now that's quite a statement on my part because JC was a master relative to other great coaches in understanding the talent he had and tailoring the style of play to suit his talent. And he was a master at tweaking that style to take advantage of mismatches. But he struggled with certain teams and I'm not sure KO would have taken such "deep" steps backward with those teams.

KO demonstrated in the tournament run that he can strategize (x's and 0's) in games as good as some of the greatest bb minds currently in the game. We'll find out if this was a one off event or will be repeated. My bet is it will be repeated and I would not bet against him this season.

JC was a master at finding talent in players that were not highly recruited. And he was even more masterful at developing the talent from these recruits. We need more time to know if KO can succeed at this, but I'm wagering he does.
 

Dogbreath2U

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KO demonstrated in the tournament run that he can strategize (x's and 0's) in games as good as some of the greatest bb minds currently in the game. We'll find out if this was a one off event or will be repeated. My bet is it will be repeated and I would not bet against him this season.

JC was a master at finding talent in players that were not highly recruited. And he was even more masterful at developing the talent from these recruits. We need more time to know if KO can succeed at this, but I'm wagering he does.

I suspect that KO will come to show he is extraordinarily capable at bringing out the best in both the elite players and the "not quite so elite" players. JC was good at both for the most part, but there were a number of kids for whom he was a bad fit. Surprisingly few of those, however, given his anger and intensity at times. I think that there will be some kids who JC would motivate that KO might struggle with.

Time will tell, but I keep pinching myself regarding the good fortune we have had in getting KO in the top spot. BTW, where did the doghouse go?
 

ctchamps

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I suspect that KO will come to show he is extraordinarily capable at bringing out the best in both the elite players and the "not quite so elite" players. JC was good at both for the most part, but there were a number of kids for whom he was a bad fit. Surprisingly few of those, however, given his anger and intensity at times. I think that there will be some kids who JC would motivate that KO might struggle with.

Time will tell, but I keep pinching myself regarding the good fortune we have had in getting KO in the top spot. BTW, where did the doghouse go?
I think in the long run KO will have his pick of the litter, something JC was rarely able to do. I just think the personality of KO appeals to a wider range of players than JC. And I don't think KO will limit himself to the best "rated" players but will bring in the best players with the best character values.

And as an aside, I think that Bob Diaco will prove to be a great coach and recruit well. Just needs time.
 
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I don't get it. What is Ollie saying? Is he implying that Mike Gottfried does not demand much of his players?
Math isn't a talent of mine, but what's the problem here?

If Rodney last played in March of 2013 at NC State, and it's now October of 2014, isn't that 19 months?
 

mets1090

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Math isn't a talent of mine, but what's the problem here?

If Rodney last played in March of 2013 at NC State, and it's now October of 2014, isn't that 19 months?
The quote says he's working at a rate he's never worked at in his life which (as upstater points out) could be interpreted to mean that Ollie is demanding more than Gottfried did at NC State.
 
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The quote says he's working at a rate he's never worked at in his life which (as upstater points out) could be interpreted to mean that Ollie is demanding more than Gottfried did at NC State.

LOL, my bad, thanks for clearing that up.

I know this board over-analyzes everything, but people mature. Maybe Purvis didn't work as hard before as he does now because he's more focused, or is hungrier, or feels more comfortable in this environment, or is more motivated because of a better relationship with the coach. Or maybe he was just better than 95% of the people he played against his whole life and didn't realize how much harder it would be to find success at this level of basketball.

There could be a dozen different reasons that have nothing to do with how demanding Gottfried is at NC State, I don't see a point in reading too much into that comment.
 
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LOL, my bad, thanks for clearing that up.

I know this board over-analyzes everything, but people mature. Maybe Purvis didn't work as hard before as he does now because he's more focused, or is hungrier, or feels more comfortable in this environment, or is more motivated because of a better relationship with the coach. Or maybe he was just better than 95% of the people he played against his whole life and didn't realize how much harder it would be to find success at this level of basketball.

There could be a dozen different reasons that have nothing to do with how demanding Gottfried is at NC State, I don't see a point in reading too much into that comment.

Nope. Gottfried is a terrible coach.
 
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Nope. Gottfried is a terrible coach.

Where did I say he was a good coach?

If all you have to do to be a good coach is demand your players work hard then I'm putting my name in the hat for the next opening.
 

ctchamps

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LOL, my bad, thanks for clearing that up.

I know this board over-analyzes everything, but people mature. Maybe Purvis didn't work as hard before as he does now because he's more focused, or is hungrier, or feels more comfortable in this environment, or is more motivated because of a better relationship with the coach. Or maybe he was just better than 95% of the people he played against his whole life and didn't realize how much harder it would be to find success at this level of basketball.

There could be a dozen different reasons that have nothing to do with how demanding Gottfried is at NC State, I don't see a point in reading too much into that comment.
I'll add to your analysis to get closer to the dozen different reasons. :cool: Maybe he's away from distracting influences. Or maybe he was at that point in life in which he had to sit out a year to reflect about the things necessary to improve his life. Or just maybe, he does see a difference in the way the two coaches approach their players and get them prepared for life and it's not just a comfort level with one coach over another. I don't think someone proposing this is over analyzing or reading something into things. Certainly not after getting similar comments from DHam.

We can repeat ourselves and frequently do. But we never can have enough analysis.
 
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I'll go with Gottfried pushed him less. They also put him in an offense that didn't match his skills.
Our gain.

Exactly! On that NC State team (2012-2013), only Scott Wood could spread the floor. Lorenzo Brown, C.J. Leslie, T.J. Warren & Howell were in the paint scorers mostly, which eliminated Purvis's ability to slash since there were too many players clogging the lane. Wood was the perfect compliment since he could knock down shots from the outside & didn't need the ball in his hands to be successful. If Purvis was a spot up shooter, he could have excelled but he's great off the dribble.
 
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