Blind Player Comparison

[nomar]

You really don't consider a guy who averages 16.4 points and 4.9 assists while playing great D and drawing numerous charges a star? He leads the team in scoring, assists, steals, and drawing charges. That Seems like a fitting tag to me. I would certainly say that Sanogo and Cole are the stars of this team.

Those are two very different things. I've been the star in a number of pickup games involving a bunch of 30+ 5'10" guys and suffice it to say I ain't no star. Every MLB team gets an All-Star but that doesn't make every player picked a star. It just means they're one of the best guys on their team. As @tzznandrew pointed out, this may be just semantics. But I do think there's a difference between being a star of a team and a star.

He's shooting 39% and 33% from 3. He's a bit of a volume scorer. I'm no hater -- as you can see from the post right above this one, I like RJ and think he'd play on our best teams. But while he's one of the two most valuable players on this team, let's not get carried away based on counting stats.

 

[tzznandrew]

To me, if a guy is good enough to receive all conference consideration he is worthy of the star tag. I'm guessing if the season plays out well, Cole will likely be on one of the all conference teams or at least be honorable mention. I think coaches around the conference would refer to Cole as a star. Cole was voted to the All Big East Preseason 2nd Team, for whatever that's worth.

Guys like Rip, Shabazz, Ray etc.are on a whole different level, and recieved All-American consideration or were All-Americans. Perhaps big star or superstar is fitting for them.

I'd be curious to see who has averaged 16 points and 5 assists for UConn. I'm guessing we both would consider them stars in retrospect. For example, when Dyson was averaging similar numbers he was considered a star.

By your standard there are like 60 (at 10 players for the P6 conferences) stars in college basketball, and I think that's just not the case.

Dyson was never a star in my eyes. Stars are both part of the team but transcend them.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Another classic thread title.

 

[navery12]

RJ Cole is a star. Just because he's not as big of a star as some of our other PGs doesn't mean he's not a star

 

[ToolzieFan]

I'm sure that it's the other way around, and that it's not even close.

And I'm not overrating Cole here, mind you. But he's a good, mature player.

The notion that senior RJ Cole wouldn't be earning rotation minutes on any of our teams is ridiculous, IMO.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Not to knock Austrie, but no part of me would want to trade RJ Cole for him.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I’d have loved to see Purvis play with more talent under Hurley. His time here is underrated on the boneyard. He was just asked to do too much.

Purvis played with decent talent
RB , Hamilton , Brimah , Facey
2014-15 NIT junior year
JA , Hamilton Gibbs,Miller , Brimah his senior year 25 wins AAC tournament champs and NCAA round of 32 , 2015-16
JA, CV, Facey, Brimah, Jackson , Larriet , and Gilbert . His Post grad
Injury plagued year.
JA other then his freshman year was stuck with key injuried or garbage players .

 

[August_West]

RJ Cole is a star. Just because he's not as big of a star as some of our other PGs doesn't mean he's not a star

I’m a star. I’m a star, I’m a star, I’m a star. I’m a big, bright shining star.

 

[Palatine]

The only guy qualified to judge the best blind basketball player.

 

[Northbound]

The point that will settle this debate:

Which guard is/was better at the no-look pass?

Marcus Williams?

 

[UConnStats]

RJ Cole is a star. Just because he's not as big of a star as some of our other PGs doesn't mean he's not a star

Agreed. He just has glaring weaknesses in finishing at the rim and isolation scoring, and unfortunately we are in a spot where we ask him to do both. He’s still very efficient, and on a team with a good scoring 2/3 (like Shackelford if he chose Bama over UConn), he’d probably be putting up gaudy numbers.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

Agreed. He just has glaring weaknesses in finishing at the rim and isolation scoring, and unfortunately we are in a spot where we ask him to do both. He’s still very efficient, and on a team with a good scoring 2/3 (like Shackelford if he chose Bama over UConn), he’d probably be putting up gaudy numbers.

I think to be a "star" you have to be good at those two things that are crucial in late game situations.

 

[UConnStats]

I think to be a "star" you have to be good at those two things that are crucial in late game situations.

There have been plenty of star PGs that don’t do those things well (basically any star PG who isn’t an above average athlete). The issue is that this roster currently has nobody who can. So I hope we stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole, and I’m glad we attacked the rim in the final seconds of regulation the other day.

As for Cole, if you considered AJ Price a star, Cole is on pace to blow past Price’s best year on a Win Share basis (Cole on pace for 5.5, Price maxed at 4.0). His TS% is 52.7% which is slightly lower than Price’s was, but he has a larger role as well. If you considered Price a star, I think Cole is one too.

Everyone has their own perception of what a star is so to each their own, but Cole is very good IMO.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

There have been plenty of star PGs that don’t do those things well (basically any star PG who isn’t an above average athlete). The issue is that this roster currently has nobody who can. So I hope we stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole, and I’m glad we attacked the rim in the final seconds of regulation the other day.

As for Cole, if you considered AJ Price a star, Cole is on pace to blow past Price’s best year on a Win Share basis (Cole on pace for 5.5, Price maxed at 4.0). His TS% is 52.7% which is slightly lower than Price’s was, but he has a larger role as well. If you considered Price a star, I think Cole is one too.

Everyone has their own perception of what a star is so to each their own, but Cole is very good IMO.

I get all your general points, but I think there are plenty of college stars who weren't elite athletes that can still get their own shot in crunch time. Like you said though probably just different definitions of what we view a star as.

 

[tzznandrew]

There have been plenty of star PGs that don’t do those things well (basically any star PG who isn’t an above average athlete). The issue is that this roster currently has nobody who can. So I hope we stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole, and I’m glad we attacked the rim in the final seconds of regulation the other day.

As for Cole, if you considered AJ Price a star, Cole is on pace to blow past Price’s best year on a Win Share basis (Cole on pace for 5.5, Price maxed at 4.0). His TS% is 52.7% which is slightly lower than Price’s was, but he has a larger role as well. If you considered Price a star, I think Cole is one too.

Everyone has their own perception of what a star is so to each their own, but Cole is very good IMO.

But part of that is the fact that AJ Price had other players who also racked up a ton of WS. Thabeet had 9.4 that year. The players can only divide up as many wins are there are, right?

I'm not committed to AJ Price being a "star" either. He was a crucial player on a very good UConn team.

I like Cole, but I think everyone here realizes that, were he on a fully healthy 2009 team, he wouldn't be a starter.

 

[NowInStorrs]

This might not be a politically correct thing to say but I prefer my players to be able to see.

 

[uconngb]

I think the better comparison is RJ to AJ 2008. As we saw then and as we know now, both teams are dead without each of them. When AJ went down against San Diego we were as lost then as we were without RJ against SHU when he fouled out. They are both equally critical to their teams.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I like Cole, but I think everyone here realizes that, were he on a fully healthy 2009 team, he wouldn't be a starter.

I think there’s an argument he could be. Not a certainty either way. Which again, is meant to only be seen as a testament to his current performance.

As a reason for optimism, we have two all conference level players in RJ and Adama and excellent role players in Whaley, Martin and lately coming on Andre and Tyler.

That’s a pretty good recipe for thinking favorably about the upside of this team.

I’m bullish.

 

[Kolumbo]

I don’t care which player you pick, but those are outstanding stats for a blind player. I mean, how do they even know where to throw the ball to get those assists?

 

[Huskybass]

But part of that is the fact that AJ Price had other players who also racked up a ton of WS. Thabeet had 9.4 that year. The players can only divide up as many wins are there are, right?

I'm not committed to AJ Price being a "star" either. He was a crucial player on a very good UConn team.

I like Cole, but I think everyone here realizes that, were he on a fully healthy 2009 team, he wouldn't be a starter.

AJ Price absolutely was a star. He was First Team All Big East and a finalist for the Wooden award and named Second Team All American by the USBWA in 2007-08.