Chief’s Briefs

[gtcam]

Thanks for your reply
Obviously I was speaking to a whole bunch of uninformed PeeCee fans sitting around me and during halftime
Next time I will seek you out for expert advise
Call me out - that's fine
PeeCee looked good last night - good luck
BTW - 1 of the guys I went with went to PeeCee and he intro'd me to many PeeCee fans and we got along very well before the game at Bobb'ys Burgers, during the game and after.
None acted like you did here, perhaps it's a maturity thing
Tough behind the keyboard!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL grow up
Thanks again for setting me straight and I won't get into name calling - I'll leave that to folks like you

 

[Mooch82]

Larrier's shot selection is awful. Loves the one dribble with a guy in his face at the three point line to make it a long 2 pointer, and never makes them. He needs serious coaching in that regard; but it's his 3rd year with the program so I'm not sure how that hasn't happened yet.

The only way I can see this team being offensively efficient is if we get out in transition more. Problem is with no rim protectors and so so perimeter defense, opponents are going to score a lot of points on us. Could be a long season.

I do realize this is the first exhibition game and is about 2 weeks earlier than a normal exhibition would be played, but just seemed like more of the same to me. Players grades below:

Adams - B. Did some nice things but still didn't shoot very well and made some of the some mistakes he made last year. He needs to dominate for us to have a chance.

Vital - B+. Made some shots, hustled. About what I expected from him.

Gilbert - C+. I watched most of the game but only had my phone as a viewing option and really didn't see him do much when I watched. Box score for him was better than what my eyes saw. Doesn't have the explosiveness I expected.

Larrier - D. See above. Just doesn't seem to know how to really play basketball/make his teammates better and is skinny as a twig. If he was in a role when he was the 3rd-4th option and only put up 8-10 shots a game, he would be much more effective.

Cobb - B. Actually liked what I saw out of him. Looks slimmer than I expected and moved pretty well. Also shorter than I expected though.

Carlton - B+. Liked what I saw out of him as well and think he'll end up being really good for us in a couple years.

Diarra - C+. 5 fouls in 6 minutes? Come on man.

Polley - B+. Honestly, our offense looked better with him in for Larrier. Ridiculously skinny but has a ton of ability.

Whaley - C+. Pretty active when he was out there but not the type of talent we're used to at UConn. Also really skinny.

Anderson - B. Liked what he brought. For a 4th guard, should be solid. That being said, would much rather have had MAL as our 4th guard.

Williams - N/A. Played 2 minutes. Anyone have any insight on him in practice?

Onuorah - N/A. Didn't play. Was he hurt?

 

[Chief00]

A not brief but fair assessment. I particularly like "Prolly" instead of "Polley." Autocorrect?

No, just a bad speller. I should be spelling it wrong for motivation - cuz the way we played - no need to remember how to spell names! If I was pushing buttons.

 

[Chief00]

Larrier's shot selection is awful. Loves the one dribble with a guy in his face at the three point line to make it a long 2 pointer, and never makes them. He needs serious coaching in that regard; but it's his 3rd year with the program so I'm not sure how that hasn't happened yet.

The only way I can see this team being offensively efficient is if we get out in transition more. Problem is with no rim protectors and so so perimeter defense, opponents are going to score a lot of points on us. Could be a long season.

I do realize this is the first exhibition game and is about 2 weeks earlier than a normal exhibition would be played, but just seemed like more of the same to me. Players grades below:

Adams - B. Did some nice things but still didn't shoot very well and made some of the some mistakes he made last year. He needs to dominate for us to have a chance.

Vital - B+. Made some shots, hustled. About what I expected from him.

Gilbert - C+. I watched most of the game but only had my phone as a viewing option and really didn't see him do much when I watched. Box score for him was better than what my eyes saw. Doesn't have the explosiveness I expected.

Larrier - D. See above. Just doesn't seem to know how to really play basketball/make his teammates better and is skinny as a twig. If he was in a role when he was the 3rd-4th option and only put up 8-10 shots a game, he would be much more effective.

Cobb - B. Actually liked what I saw out of him. Looks slimmer than I expected and moved pretty well. Also shorter than I expected though.

Carlton - B+. Liked what I saw out of him as well and think he'll end up being really good for us in a couple years.

Diarra - C+. 5 fouls in 6 minutes? Come on man.

Polley - B+. Honestly, our offense looked better with him in for Larrier. Ridiculously skinny but has a ton of ability.

Whaley - C+. Pretty active when he was out there but not the type of talent we're used to at UConn. Also really skinny.

Anderson - B. Liked what he brought. For a 4th guard, should be solid. That being said, would much rather have had MAL as our 4th guard.

Williams - N/A. Played 2 minutes. Anyone have any insight on him in practice?

Onuorah - N/A. Didn't play. Was he hurt?

Fair assessment - maybe Carlton a B-. Big Dave will be ok health wise - minor issue.

 

[Husky25]

Diarra - C+. 5 fouls in 6 minutes? Come on man.

He must have been an All-Conference towel waver for that grade. Fouling out in 6 minutes is F work, D- at best.

 

[Chief00]

I was at the game and a few of my observations
1. KO came into it to see how guys would play and react - he played nearly everyone and did so from the start. PeeCee used the same 7 players 90% of the game. The PeeCee fans I was talking to was surprised that Cooley didn't play more of the reserves.
2. PeeCee is a much more experienced team. Period
3. The officials did more talking among themselves and the decision making was more than strange - the PeeCee fans around us were joking that they even brought in their homer refs. - It's an exhibition so it didn't bother me as much as if it were for real but the three were amateur clowns.
4. Larrier - I understand he is coming off injuries but he is the most tentative player I have seen in a very long time. I am not writing him off as others have already, however, unless he can turn things around immediately, I see him as somewhat detrimental on both the offensive and defensive ends. C'mon Terry, show me a little hustle and willingness to fight/dive for a ball or two.
5. JA - he needs the ball in his hand at least 65% of the time. I felt AG showed some hints of brilliance but his game was sporadic. Time will tell and if he can avoid injury, maybe AG can be the PG - I still feel JA gets lost when not handling the offense. He was getting beat up bad - hip checked as he drove, slapping and getting bumped. Unless the refs do a little more protecting him, JA will never last the season healthy.
6. You aren't going to win many games when the opponent shoots 60% or better from the floor and even better from the 3. When they take double the free throws - that doesn't help either. Yeah UConn needs to work on D but PeeCee was just plain shooting the ball well. Missing 8 open layups/bunnies is ridiculous. UCONN NEEDS A 3 PT THREAT - the zones that PeeCee threw at UConn throughout the game exposed this continual missing link.
7. Boys vs Men - that's what it looked like - AGAIN
8. Polley, Carlton and Cobb - I see potential here. Polley made a move midway through the second half by going between his legs, half spin to shed and strong to the hoop that was eye opening. Cobb is a lot more athletic than I would imagine and Carlton is not afraid to mix it up. All need work and PT x 2 (playing time and training). Also the team needs to feed them the ball down low with more confidence - they can catch
9. Vital - will be hard keeping him on the bench - the guy is pure gamer. Someone commented that if he's our 2nd best player we are in trouble - That puzzles me - he came into the season the second most in minutes played and had some really good statistical game last season. At this point, yes he is UConn's 2nd best player.
10. Anderson - small but pesky and will drive many opponent PGs crazy. He handles the ball well. Not sure if I'm with Chief on the shooting aspect - I think he will be fine
11. The Offense - still lacking continuity, set plays and schemes which continues to concern me

In the end, I am glad UConn played this game. It's better than just starting with some lesser competition.

Lots of work to be done and I am confident there will be, barring that damn injury bug, improvement as the season grows. However, Thanksgiving time and the Oregon Tournament is around the corner - the clock is ticking.....

Cooley was saying he might not play 2 or 3 seniors - then he played them almost the entire game. KO seemed unprepared for that.

Who was that white ref? - I gave him a hard time - he was in the tank for PC. He did have a good sense of humor -and gave it back in a funny way - and apparently he lives in the region since he said he had a short trip home compared to some venues.

 

[pj]

From what I saw, which was limited, Polley looked better than Larrier. Whaley looked better than Diarra or Williams. Cobb and Carlton looked to have some promise, but a long way to go. If we had to win a game today, I'd consider this lineup:

Starters: Alterique, Jalen, Christian, Whaley, Cobb
First off the bench: Anderson, Polley, Carlton

But, this is a lineup that would be undersized and underphysical at every position. Hopefully Larrier was just feeling the knee and will get back to speed soon. Hopefully Diarra and Williams can advance their games and seize court time.

 

[kansashusky]

I give a ton of credit to Providence. I never thought I would think this, but I envy their program. They have a team. At UConn, we have a bunch of individuals.

I think a large part of our problem is that two of our main guys are looking towards the NBA instead of focusing on UConn. 8 assists to 10 turnovers for a supposedly guard oriented team is troubling and suggests people are looking only for themselves. The lack of defense especially help defense also shows that we play as individuals.

Terry Larrier has NEVER proven himself. He averaged 6 pts at VCU and and did okay against Wagner and Northeastern last year. He has proven nothing, and yet there is this expectation that he will help us this year significantly. He has no interest in rebounding, he likes to turn the ball over, and he doesn't pass the ball very much. Not a tough player, and if he is going to play the four, he needs to be tough.

We cannot shoot the ball. With the athleticism that we have, we should be attacking the rim. The problem is, teams will consistently sag or play zone against us because we dont have a single player that will shoot over 35% from three except for Christian.

We have no transition game at all, and never score easy buckets. So many times Providence would push the ball down the floor and score within the first five seconds of their shot clock. We wait around and dribble until ten seconds left.

I know it is early. I know we will grow. But some of these issues are becoming a common theme with Ollie's teams. Good coaches make adjustments given their clientele. Some issues on this team HAVE to change. We better step up to learning curve quick because no one has any sympathy for UConn and our new group. There are no excuses.

 

[PAHusky]

From what I saw, which was limited, Polley looked better than Larrier. Whaley looked better than Diarra or Williams. Cobb and Carlton looked to have some promise, but a long way to go. If we had to win a game today, I'd consider this lineup:

Starters: Alterique, Jalen, Christian, Whaley, Cobb
First off the bench: Anderson, Polley, Carlton

But, this is a lineup that would be undersized and underphysical at every position. Hopefully Larrier was just feeling the knee and will get back to speed soon. Hopefully Diarra and Williams can advance their games and seize court time.

So Larrier isn't in your starting lineup and he's presumably the fourth guy off the bench? I missed the game last night, was he actively trying to score in our own basket?

 

[awfuldan]

So Larrier isn't in your starting lineup and he's presumably the fourth guy off the bench? I missed the game last night, was he actively trying to score in our own basket?

Yeah, that is an insane over-reaction. This was one exhibition game. He is coming off of serious knee surgery.

Is Larrier a proven star? No. But he is a good player and our best hope for this year. He has talent and is going to be a difficult player for other teams to match up with, once he settles into the season.

 

[pj]

So Larrier isn't in your starting lineup and he's presumably the fourth guy off the bench? I missed the game last night, was he actively trying to score in our own basket?

No, just didn't do much. Obviously we hope and expect that Larrier will be much better than Polley when the games count. If not, the season is going to be a struggle.

 

[awfuldan]

Yep. He sat for a full year after transferring, then played 2 exhibition games and 3.25 regular season games last year before going down with a torn ACL 11 months ago. He actually looked like far and away our best player last year before he got hurt.

 

[Jerry1714]

There is a Jalen though and he has the chance to have the same impact.

The point of my post was not to compare this team to any past team but to stay positive through bad losses and stretches which will certainly come.

This Jalen could be Kemba or Shabazz narrative needs to stop. Frankly, its absurd at this point.

Let him take over a few games against good teams and win them for us before we get this train going.

 

[Wordbomar]

Yep. He sat for a full year after transferring, then played 2 exhibition games and 3.25 regular season games last year before going down with a torn ACL 11 months ago. He actually looked like far and away our best player last year before he got hurt.

He looks really good in this video

 

[superjohn]

This Jalen could be Kemba or Shabazz narrative needs to stop. Frankly, its absurd at this point.

Let him take over a few games against good teams and win them for us before we get this train going.

It's one of the sillier things that's routinely talked about on this board.

 

[kansashusky]

It's one of the sillier things that's routinely talked about on this board.

Wishful UConn thinking. We all hoped he would take that next step and run the team and be the leader. Time will tell, but last night was not a great start

 

[Mooch82]

He must have been an All-Conference towel waver for that grade. Fouling out in 6 minutes is F work, D- at best.

True. That was generous.

 

[Jerry1714]

 

[Danzz]

Hate to admit that you are right but you are.Anybody who doesn't think that both teams/coaches were not trying to win that game is delusional.

 

[uconnell]

Cooley was saying he might not play 2 or 3 seniors - then he played them almost the entire game. KO seemed unprepared for that.

Who was that white ref? - I gave him a hard time - he was in the tank for PC. He did have a good sense of humor -and gave it back in a funny way - and apparently he lives in the region since he said he had a short trip home compared to some venues.

I knew Cooley was going to do that, he could not resist the opportunity to beat UConn. He is slime.

 

[Chief00]

Yeah, that is an insane over-reaction. This was one exhibition game. He is coming off of serious knee surgery.

Is Larrier a proven star? No. But he is a good player and our best hope for this year. He has talent and is going to be a difficult player for other teams to match up with, once he settles into the season.

A dude’s got to pass the Chief eye test - Maybe it will come but it clearly wasn’t there in terms of performance last night. I go by what I see and his production. I am not into “theoretical talent”or rankings.

 

[Chief00]

I was at the game and a few of my observations
1. KO came into it to see how guys would play and react - he played nearly everyone and did so from the start. PeeCee used the same 7 players 90% of the game. The PeeCee fans I was talking to was surprised that Cooley didn't play more of the reserves.
2. PeeCee is a much more experienced team. Period
3. The officials did more talking among themselves and the decision making was more than strange - the PeeCee fans around us were joking that they even brought in their homer refs. - It's an exhibition so it didn't bother me as much as if it were for real but the three were amateur clowns.
4. Larrier - I understand he is coming off injuries but he is the most tentative player I have seen in a very long time. I am not writing him off as others have already, however, unless he can turn things around immediately, I see him as somewhat detrimental on both the offensive and defensive ends. C'mon Terry, show me a little hustle and willingness to fight/dive for a ball or two.
5. JA - he needs the ball in his hand at least 65% of the time. I felt AG showed some hints of brilliance but his game was sporadic. Time will tell and if he can avoid injury, maybe AG can be the PG - I still feel JA gets lost when not handling the offense. He was getting beat up bad - hip checked as he drove, slapping and getting bumped. Unless the refs do a little more protecting him, JA will never last the season healthy.
6. You aren't going to win many games when the opponent shoots 60% or better from the floor and even better from the 3. When they take double the free throws - that doesn't help either. Yeah UConn needs to work on D but PeeCee was just plain shooting the ball well. Missing 8 open layups/bunnies is ridiculous. UCONN NEEDS A 3 PT THREAT - the zones that PeeCee threw at UConn throughout the game exposed this continual missing link.
7. Boys vs Men - that's what it looked like - AGAIN
8. Polley, Carlton and Cobb - I see potential here. Polley made a move midway through the second half by going between his legs, half spin to shed and strong to the hoop that was eye opening. Cobb is a lot more athletic than I would imagine and Carlton is not afraid to mix it up. All need work and PT x 2 (playing time and training). Also the team needs to feed them the ball down low with more confidence - they can catch
9. Vital - will be hard keeping him on the bench - the guy is pure gamer. Someone commented that if he's our 2nd best player we are in trouble - That puzzles me - he came into the season the second most in minutes played and had some really good statistical game last season. At this point, yes he is UConn's 2nd best player.
10. Anderson - small but pesky and will drive many opponent PGs crazy. He handles the ball well. Not sure if I'm with Chief on the shooting aspect - I think he will be fine
11. The Offense - still lacking continuity, set plays and schemes which continues to concern me

In the end, I am glad UConn played this game. It's better than just starting with some lesser competition.

Lots of work to be done and I am confident there will be, barring that damn injury bug, improvement as the season grows. However, Thanksgiving time and the Oregon Tournament is around the corner - the clock is ticking.....

Good post, the line that really resonants with me is boys against men.