Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Crank, post: 3109851, member: 9692"] You know, these this-guy vs. that-guy arguments are difficult because support of one guy somehow is always viewed as attacking the other guy. Not really necessary. CV and RA are/were both players with significant limitations. CV, pending next year, played through the most difficult 3 years of our program's history. RA played through what was arguably our best 4 years, which included a NC and a 2006 team that was among the most stacked team we ever courted. CV played for KO, and got little or no coaching, development, or guidance - some of the worst DI coaching. This year, under Hurley, he has shown dramatic improvement. FG% up 7%, 3PT up 9% at 41%, up .7 assists, with same minutes. RA played for JC and got the best coaching available - it's safe to say that he maxed out his potential at UConn. RA hit multiple huge shots at huge times, which directly led to our national championship, among other things. For that, he will always be royalty. And it is exactly those shots that distinguish him. I don't buy that "RA played against tougher competition." Sure he did, but he also played with how many? 8 future NBA players? Gordon, Oak, CV(1), Boone, Armstrong, Marcus, Gay? Lot easier to score when the other team has to worry about Ben Freaking Gordon to your left. Also, CV had the duties of having to play point, which is not his natural position, and also carry the team at times with AG hurt and JA having no-show games. Anderson was never in that position. I guess the brief way of saying all of that is that RA got the fruits of the heart of UConn's glory, whereas CV(2) got the detritus of our lowest time. Comparison of the two is inherently unfair. If you look at the two players and say, "which is better?" and you continue CV(2)'s trajectory at UConn through next year, the answer, statistically, is simple - CV(2) is a significantly better player IF you don't consider the "dagger" factor. If you were building a championship team and you were looking for a 6th man, like in 2006, you take RA. If you were slugging along through the swamp of our nadir years, you take CV. Not sure CV could have hit the shots RA did if you put him in that spot - he's got the moxy and the shot and the Seniors, but that dagger thing is rare. Pretty sure that if you put RA in CV's place his numbers would have been a lot worse than what he did in the 04-06 era, and he wouldn't have made any lore books. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach