Borges: UConn looking to fill two spots

[ToolzieFan]

Interesting. But an r value of 0.24 or 0.34 is not that significant.

I don’t know the correlations between other variables and offensive or defensive efficiency, but while correlations of 0.24 and 0.34 are not particularly high, they also aren’t meaningless.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don’t know the correlations between other variables and offensive or defensive efficiency, but while correlations of 0.24 and 0.34 are not particularly high, they also aren’t meaningless.

Bah. If you’ve watched college basketball in your life you know it’s meaningful. Look at Houston last year, oh if only we had the talent they did! That’s what everyone here said. And yet our guys were much more highly rated recruits. Higher rated than Tennessee had too. Experience and quality coaching are an huge chunk of what matters. Luck matters and talent matters. You probably need all four to win a title,

Part of what I consider good coaching is identifying those guys who will improve every year and become very impactful players as juniors and seniors and then helping them get there. I know we haven’t had that in quite some time, so maybe we forget. I think we will find out that a guy like Brendan Adams is going to be a really key player by his junior year.

 

[ucp990411]

If Kemba went down the 2011 team was screwed. If Baz went down the 2014 team was screwed. Any team that loses its three best players is screwed.

Totally agree on size and physicality. Incoming guys are an upgrade in height at least. Expecting some more muscle on Josh and Tyler. Both got stronger between freshman and sophomore seasons. Sid needs to get stronger and work on his shot. But at least we won't try to make him play as a 4 anymore. Polley needs to do what you said, but those deficiencies are very different in a 12-15 minutes a game guy vs 27 mpg. Vital has major deficiencies too, and the fact that he played 30 minutes a game exacerbates them. He won't be getting 30 minutes next year.

If you can't expect your staff to get incremental year to year improvements from players then fire them. You cannot win in college basketball without that, unless you bring in a class like Duke had last year. Most good high major teams are relying on freshmen to contribute along with 3* guys that developed. I think the three freshmen we have so far will all play a lot, and they will have some early bumps, and be solid by the end of the year.

Last year's Tennessee team starting 5 was all seniors and juniors who were 3* recruits. They were guys a lot like Vital, Carlton and Polley who played a lot early and kept getting better. Tennessee 2016 Basketball Commits Look at Houston. Rob Gray 3*. Armoni Brooks 3*. Corey Davis - 2* or unranked.

All that being said, if Diarra really can't play we need to free up that roster spot. If he can play, fine. He's got talent and some of the physicality we need.

Why will Vitale not play 30 minutes a game? Because we have 2 incoming guards ranked in the 80’s who are going to take his minutes?You think CV will roll over and let that happen? And someone said we have a dynamic shot blocking power forward coming? He was ranked in the 30’s. Donyell was #8! And his impact as a freshman was minimal. Maybe these recruits will be great but please ease up on the hype. This mountain that Dan Hurley needs to climb is much higher than I know I thought. But I do think he is the right guy.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why will Vitale not play 30 minutes a game? Because we have 2 incoming guards ranked in the 80’s who are going to take his minutes?You think CV will roll over and let that happen? And someone said we have a dynamic shot blocking power forward coming? He was ranked in the 30’s. Donyell was #8! And his impact as a freshman was minimal. Maybe these recruits will be great but please ease up on the hype. This mountain that Dan Hurley needs to climb is much higher than I know I thought. But I do think he is the right guy.

Because he's not that good. He's a below average ball handler and passer, and can't shoot off his dribble. At least so far. I don't think anybody but Gilbert plays 30 minutes next year. That said, I think experience matters a lot in college basketball. Sadly, Vital got a two year crash course in how not to play basketball. He's had to un-learn some terrible habits.

Donyell played 28 mpg as a freshman and scored 11 ppg with 2.6 blocks, 6 boards, 1.5 assists and 1 steal per game. That is definitely not a minimal impact. Fourth leading scorer overall and 3rd on a per minute basis. None of these guys are Donyell.

Tony Robinson was good for 6.8, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists
Rashad was 8.2, 1.3 and .7
Denham was 7.7 3.4 and 1.1

I expect the two guards to be in the ballpark of those three. From Akok, I'd like to see something like Charlie V. numbers. 9, 5, 1.5 blocks.

 

[Hurleyman216]

For any of you looking for a weather update, it looks like more rain later this afternoon. It’s also going to rain 9 out of the next 14 days.

 

[ucp990411]

Because he's not that good. He's a below average ball handler and passer, and can't shoot off his dribble. At least so far. I don't think anybody but Gilbert plays 30 minutes next year. That said, I think experience matters a lot in college basketball. Sadly, Vital got a two year crash course in how not to play basketball. He's had to un-learn some terrible habits.

Donyell played 28 mpg as a freshman and scored 11 ppg with 2.6 blocks, 6 boards, 1.5 assists and 1 steal per game. That is definitely not a minimal impact. Fourth leading scorer overall and 3rd on a per minute basis. None of these guys are Donyell.

Tony Robinson was good for 6.8, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists
Rashad was 8.2, 1.3 and .7
Denham was 7.7 3.4 and 1.1

I expect the two guards to be in the ballpark of those three. From Akok, I'd like to see something like Charlie V. numbers. 9, 5, 1.5 blocks.

Realistic numbers. Minimal may not have been the best word to use to describe Donyell’s freshman year. But he was not a real star until his junior year. Some on this board think the 3 new guys will immediately turn the program around. Let’s calm down the hype.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

We really just need someone who is 6’10+ and doesn’t need a wheelchair behind Carlton. Looking at next year’s roster I worry we’ll be longing for guys like Yakwe, Cobb, and to a lesser extent Big Dave. That’s how much we’re lacking in the size department next year.

Yes Akok is an interesting prospect but he will definitely not be able to bang downlow with the brutes in the AAC. I’d love to be wrong (classic), but I think he’s going to be closer to Ater Major or Ajou Deng than Charlie Villanueva or Donyell Marshall.

 

[jibsey]

We really just need someone who is 6’10+ and doesn’t need a wheelchair behind Carlton. Looking at next year’s roster I worry we’ll be longing for guys like Yakwe, Cobb, and to a lesser extent Big Dave. That’s how much we’re lacking in the size department next year.

Yes Akok is an interesting prospect but he will definitely not be able to bang downlow with the brutes in the AAC. I’d love to be wrong (classic), but I think he’s going to be closer to Ater Major or Ajou Deng than Charlie Villanueva or Donyell Marshall.

Yes but we weren’t exactly well of WITH those backups! Carlton who I am thrilled with at this point needs a good player behind him. Go Hurley.

 

[businesslawyer]

Why will Vitale not play 30 minutes a game? Because we have 2 incoming guards ranked in the 80’s who are going to take his minutes?You think CV will roll over and let that happen? And someone said we have a dynamic shot blocking power forward coming? He was ranked in the 30’s. Donyell was #8! And his impact as a freshman was minimal. Maybe these recruits will be great but please ease up on the hype. This mountain that Dan Hurley needs to climb is much higher than I know I thought. But I do think he is the right guy.

No, Donyell's impact as a freshman wasn't minimal. Please. Was he all Big East or All American yet? No. But to say his impact was minimal just isn't right. You could tell he had a chance to be our best player ever at that point.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Realistic numbers. Minimal may not have been the best word to use to describe Donyell’s freshman year. But he was not a real star until his junior year. Some on this board think the 3 new guys will immediately turn the program around. Let’s calm down the hype.

I agree that we shouldn’t expect too much of the freshmen, because any freshman is an unknown commodity. I’m replying less to disagree with you and more to preserve Donyell’s legacy. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and he had a 0.530 effective field goal percentage. All of those were good enough for top 5 in the Big East, and he earned all-conference honors. He was definitely a star as a sophomore.

 

[McLovin]

We really just need someone who is 6’10+ and doesn’t need a wheelchair behind Carlton. Looking at next year’s roster I worry we’ll be longing for guys like Yakwe, Cobb, and to a lesser extent Big Dave. That’s how much we’re lacking in the size department next year.

Yes Akok is an interesting prospect but he will definitely not be able to bang downlow with the brutes in the AAC. I’d love to be wrong (classic), but I think he’s going to be closer to Ater Major or Ajou Deng than Charlie Villanueva or Donyell Marshall.

Ater Majok may be the most forgotten UConn player of all time to be drafted to the NBA

 

[Slick]

I agree that we shouldn’t expect too much of the freshmen, because any freshman is an unknown commodity. I’m replying less to disagree with you and more to preserve Donyell’s legacy. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and he had a 0.530 effective field goal percentage. All of those were good enough for top 5 in the Big East, and he earned all-conference honors. He was definitely a star as a sophomore.

By the end of donyell freshman season he was the best player on UConn

 

[Scrutineer]

For any of you looking for a weather update, it looks like more rain later this afternoon. It’s also going to rain 9 out of the next 14 days.

Are you implying that, with all that rain, it will be a pretty DAM good week?

 

[pj]

No, Donyell's impact as a freshman wasn't minimal. Please. Was he all Big East or All American yet? No. But to say his impact was minimal just isn't right. You could tell he had a chance to be our best player ever at that point.

Looking at them as freshmen, you knew Donyell was going to be great. But I never expected Donnie Marshall to have the great career he ended up having.

 

[businesslawyer]

Looking at them as freshmen, you knew Donyell was going to be great. But I never expected Donnie Marshall to have the great career he ended up having.

Donnie's impact as a freshman was minimal.

 

[jibsey]

By the end of donyell freshman season he was the best player on UConn

I think he was the #9 player in the country. He had the pedigree and he played up to it, it’s that simple. It’s different now because more and more we’re trying to make filet out of hamburger.

 

[mauconnfan]

Ater Majok may be the most forgotten UConn player of all time to be drafted to the NBA

Even though it seemed JC may have pushed him out for whatever reason, if he stayed for 4 years at UConn he would've impacted the team in a very nice way by his junior year maybe even soph..