Draft rationale thread: Why'd you pick who you picked?

[Matrim55]

PRIORITIES:
1. Rim protection
2. Rebounding
3. Floor spacing
4. Multiple ball handlers/offensive initiators
5. Preventing dribble penetration
6. Dribble penetration

Starters:
G: Doron; 16 ppg, 6 assists, 4.8 rebs; 48% from 2, 41% from 3; 85% FT; 1.9 spg
G: Ricky; 6.8 ppg, 3.6 rebs, 3.6 assists; 45% from 2, 35% from 3; 82% FT; 1 spg
SF: Burrell; 16.3 ppg, 6.1 rebs, 2.9 assists; 49% from 2, 40% from 3; 61% FT; 2.5 spg, 1 blk
PF: Donyell; 25..1 ppg, 8.9 rebs, 1.6 assists; 57% from 2, 31% from 3; 75% FT; 1.3 spg, 3.2 blk
C: Knight; 9.1 pgg, 9.3 rebs, 2.1 assists, 53% FG, 70% FT; .7 spg, 2.0 blk

Bench:
G: Kelley: 19.6 ppg, 6.3 assists, 3.2 rebs; 47.5 FG, 87% FT; 1.5 spg
F: Depriest: Stats not applicable!

Round 1
I picked Donyell first because he gave me three things everyone really needs to be competitive: An alpha scorer, an excellent rebounder at the 4, and elite rim protection/help defense. He also adds floor spacing (stretch 4) and "very good" - not elite or excellent - man-to-man defense.

I considered taking Ray for a hot minute, since floor spacing is so key, and since his points per 40 (29.8) is the only season in the Calhoun/Ollie era higher than Donyell (29.1). But Donyell's all-around impact in 93-94 was greater than Ray's in 95-96.

I also considered taking Hasheem, since he was the second-best rim protector on the board, and an elite rebounder. But he was never an alpha scorer, and I needed one of those. There are only 8 in the draft - could maybe push that to 10, depending upon how you rate '60s and '70s talent - which means I needed to get one in Round 1.

So while an NBA GM would have taken Hasheem No. 2, I felt strongly I had to go with Donyell.

Round 2
With the top 2 centers off the board, and the guy I really wanted likely to fall to at least round 3, I knew I could focus elsewhere. Could I get floor spacing, passing, more rebounding and – most importantly – elite defense at one of the wing spots? And did I want to go for a three-guard lineup, or more traditional?

The more I thought about it, the more obvious the Burrell pick became. His junior year he shot 49% from 2 (same as Ray in 95/96), and 39.6% from 3 as a volume shooter - 6 attempts per game – just slightly worse than Chris Smith. Those are good numbers in and of themselves, but add in 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.5 steals and a block, and this became a pretty easy call.

Two things about Burrell: First, he was easily the most destructive defensive presence of any starting-caliber small forward we’ve ever had, elite on the ball and "holy did you see that play!" off the ball and in transition. Second, he was a wonderful secondary ball-handler and creator. I knew that if I had him, teams that overplayed my guards would suffer because I could run the offense through a point forward (which is what happened in 90-91 and 91-92).

Caron is obviously the gold standard for UConn small forwards, but with Scotty I can guard him 1-v-1 probably 90% of the time. And if I need to switch him off to a guard, he could do that, too. That's huge!

About the only thing he couldn't do was be the alpha scorer. But since Donyell's already got that job, I'm set.

Round 3
This was too easy. Part of the reason I felt comfortable passing on Shabazz and Kemba in the first round is because we've had so many great point guards. Doron, for my money, is the best of them.

When it comes to keeping the offense going, finding shooters in rhythm, running the pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop, and even stuff as simple as throwing good entry passes, Doron is the best we've ever had. He was also an elite floor spacer (41% from 3 in 95/96), free throw shooter (85%), off-the-ball defender (2 spg), shot nearly 50% from 2, and - crucially – was a very good defensive rebounder. If my bigs are out challenging shots, the guards have to contribute. Doron knew that, and averaged 3.5 defensive rebounds per game as a senior.

He could also take smaller players down to the block and post the out of them (think Andre Miller vs. DJ Augustin the other night). I remember when Thompson tried switching Iverson onto Doron for a bit, and Doron just killed him. Murdered. Those 8-10 possessions or so were about the most fun I’ve ever had as a UConn fan.

Now obviously he's not the best on-the-ball defender at that spot that we've ever had. But he was better than the non-Shabazz/Kemba tier of offense-first PGs (KEA, AJ, Marcus), and was an excellent help defender as I mentioned above. Dude could read passing lanes like a mofo.

Round 4
Now it was time to get my center. And with Emeka, Hasheem and Cliff off the board, there was only one name for me: Travis Knight.

People don't remember this, but he was a MONSTER rebounder. His junior season he averaged 14.2 rebs/40, and his senior season he upped that to 14.8. That 14.8 number is the best of the Calhoun/Ollie era, better than anything Emeka or Hasheem ever put up.

Boone's best season? 11.3/40. Hilton managed 12.3/40 when he played 9 minutes per game, but as a senior - when he finally got big minutes - that dipped to under 10 rebs/40. Jake's best was 12.0/40.

Travis was also a very good post defender, an excellent rim protector (3.2 blocks per 40 - Emeka was 5.0, to give perspective), a reliable FT shooter (70%), efficient from the floor (52%), and easily the best passer we've ever had at the 5 (3.3 assists/40), particularly good at finding shooters coming off screens in rhythm.

About the only thing he wasn't great at was being a go-to scorer, which is fine seeing as he's my fourth or fifth option on offense. All I need from him on that end is a bit of ball movement, and his ability to get out into transition and finish (and yes, he ran the floor like a guard).

So as of this pick, with Travis, Donyell, Burrell and Doron, I no longer had to worry about rebounding - in fact I've got the best rebounding team on the board. I also have elite rim protection, excellent floor spacing, very good-to-elite on-the-ball defenders at three spots, and four starters who love nothing more than getting out on the run.

The only thing I lacked was a true backcourt stopper. Thankfully the best we ever had at just that thing was still on the board...

Round 5
I'm entering a tournament with teams headed by Kemba, Shabazz, Khalid, Marcus, Taliek and AJ. All of those guys are tough to guard, but all of those teams will struggle if you guard them well. Ricky will do better than “guard them well,” he will – in Calhoun’s words – “cut the head off the snake.” And he will single-handedly murder any team that lacks a secondary ball handler/offensive fulcrum (and there a bunch out there, including the team I’m facing in round 1).

That last bit is why I was, in my mind, picking between only Boat and Ricky, and not considering guys who were primarily shooting guards. I needed to make sure that I had a plan B if whoever I was playing took Doron out of the game, and Ricky is that Plan B. He's not John Stockton out there, but he can be my point guard for 10-15 minutes a night, and knock down open looks when he gets them. Beyond that, he's safe with the ball - no silly turnovers, no hero plays, and no ego to speak of. He’s a role player and he knows it.

Ricky also gives me flexibility, since I could use him in a 3-guard set and have him run the offense while Doron comes off screens, or in a small backcourt with Earl.

But really, it comes down to this: Ricky is the best backcourt defender we’ve ever had. He makes any opponent’s offense 20% worse, which is huge in a game that will otherwise be close talent-wise.

Round 6
The one thing Ricky didn’t give me that I felt like I wanted in the backcourt was elite dribble penetration. In fact, nobody gave that particular gift at an elite level except for Kemba, Bazz and (arguably) Khalid.

And Earl Kelley. For those of you who don’t go back that far, Earl was like Kyrie Irving: simply impossible to stop off the dribble. But unlike Kyrie, he didn’t just chuck it from anywhere – he shot a blazing 49% from the floor (better than any other point guard we’ve had, before or since) as a senior, scoring 19 points per game and handing about 6.5 assists. He also picked up 1.5 steals per game, basically doing everything for a team otherwise woefully short on talent.

And Earl had BALLS. He blew kisses to 35,000 screaming Syracuse fans at the Carrier Dome before icing one of our best wins of the ‘80s with a pair of free throws (I think this was ’85, but my memory isn’t what it used to be).

With him on my team I could play him next to either of the other two guards and have him work off the ball (he had range to 23 feet) or on the ball as a drive-and-dish point guard who was absolutely fearless. And if you focused too much on Donyell, Earl is coming in off the bench for me to be my Alpha scorer.

Round 7
Defense!

Ok, when I made this pick I was (and remain) pretty confident that I could put up points in myriad ways, own the backboard, protect the rim, and answer any number of unorthodox lineups.

But I wanted my Ray stopper, and my Rip stopper. And I wanted someone who could play both “small” and “big.” I wanted Lyman.

The numbers are never going to tell you the story with him – Lyman was never a regular starter, and was a pretty miserable offensive player – but he always got 12-20 minutes a game, and he guarded everyone from 5-foot-10 scoring machines (Dana Barros) to 7-foot-1 behemoths (Shaq), and guarded them at an elite level.

If I put Ricky, Burrell, Lyman, Donyell and Travis on the floor at the same time, nobody is going to score on me. I have the best backcourt defender, the two best wing defenders we’ve ever had, and two quality rim protectors. Is it going to make the game ugly? You bet. But I don’t mind making the game ugly if it gives me a better chance to win (spoiler alert: It will).

 

[tzznandrew]

This is awesome. I'll post mine later. This must have taken a while.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

This is awesome. I'll post mine later. This must have taken a while.

You basically just looked at numbers and went "ohhhhhhhh, shiny".

But now you're stuck with multiple guys that can't hang, which is good for me.

 

[tzznandrew]

You basically just looked at numbers and went "ohhhhhhhh, shiny".

But now you're stuck with multiple guys that can't hang, which is good for me.

(I like the trash talking...)

HAHAHAHA. Coming from the guy who didn't pick a starting PG...

Sorry buddy. Not true. You don't have a starting PG. If you are starting Tate George, he's mediocre at best for a UConn PG. Rod Seller is going to make Oriakhi cry, and bash some heads. He's a mean man--a mean man who guarded Shaq, Mourning, Mutombo and others. He's going to have pieces of your interior players in his teeth.

Kemba is going to abuse Tate. Tony Hanson and Ray Allen isn't quite a wash (I'll give you Allen by a little), but neither can defend the other...and if I want to bring in Taliek as my starting PG (also better than Tate), I get Kemba matched up against Allen. Kemba > Allen. And he can defend...

Chris Smith is either your "starting PG" (in which case, good luck getting into your offense) and therefore worse than Kemba, or he's coming off your bench, or he's playing the 3. Good luck guarding Rudy. I mean, which of your players has the size to guard him? I guess DeAndre, who I like...but DeAndre is not great at stopping penetration.

If you are starting Josh Boone, I'm really not worried. If you're playing AO and JB, I'm not sure what your offense looks like.

My team has versatility on offense, great defense (don't confuse blocks with defense--they can be related, but they often aren't) when I play Taliek and Giffey, the player with the single greatest UConn season, and inside-out scoring.

You have two shooting guards trying to initiate your offense. My team is modeled off of every single UConn NC team, with defense and ball-handlers--essentially two true PGs when I bring in Taliek for defense.

When considering both offense and defense:

Kemba > Smith
Allen > Hanson
Rudy > DeAndre (or Mourning, or whoever)
Corny > Boone
Sellers > AO
Taliek and Giffey > Mouring and Tate

Or,

Taliek > Tate
Kemba > Smith
Ray Ray > Rudy
Corny > DeAndre
Sellers > Boone
Hanson and Giffey >>>> Mouring and AO

 

[PcketknfNiels]

(I like the trash talking...)

HAHAHAHA. Coming from the guy who didn't pick a starting PG...

So, the guy who's 2nd all time in assists for UConn (with one of the best apg ever) wouldn't qualify? That's cute.

Rod Seller is going to make Oriakhi cry, and bash some heads. He's a mean man--a mean man who guarded Shaq, Mourning, Mutombo and others. He's going to have pieces of your interior players in his teeth.

The same Oriakhi who went for 15-17 (37 MP) against then-2nd ranked MSU in Maui? Or the one who went for 18-11 (37 MP) against Kentucky just 1 day later? Or did you perhaps mean the same Oriakhi who played all 40 minutes of a game @Texas and casually toss up 21 boards? Thanks, but I'll take my chances with a 6-9 240 man beast who was doing that while we won a national title with our only other true big man being Okwandu.

Oh, but wait! I have the same Josh Boone whom I previously referenced averaged 4 blocks and over 11 boards per 40, and he too, is both bigger and more athletic than Sellers (we're going to see this become a common theme here outside of Kemba/Rudy).

Kemba is going to abuse Tate. Tony Hanson and Ray Allen isn't quite a wash (I'll give you Allen by a little), but neither can defend the other...and if I want to bring in Taliek as my starting PG (also better than Tate), I get Kemba matched up against Allen. Kemba > Allen. And he can defend...

Smith is actually going to be guarding Kemba unless/until he gets into foul trouble. The great thing about my team is that matchup allows me to make Kemba work a bit to get inside...Where he'll be running into either Boone's rangy blocking abilities or a brick of a man in Oriakhi. And if you think Kemba is going to do anything other than helplessly watch as Ray drains 3's in his face (thanks for this matchup by the way, you're giving me the best shooter in the history of basketball against a much smaller defender? The hell do you think I'm doing, running Ray at point?) you'd be sadly mistaken.

As for Hanson, no, he's not particularly close to Ray, sorry. I like that you think you've outfoxed everyone on this pick, when, realistically, the rest of us game 2 drafters saw a 6'5" Samoan-looking dude who played 40 years ago bringing down 10 boards a game right before failing to make a franchise that didn't even exist 3 years prior to that and was desperate for talent and concluded more reasonably that his game doesn't translate well to a higher level. Sorry bud, but swing and miss here.

Chris Smith is either your "starting PG" (in which case, good luck getting into your offense) and therefore worse than Kemba, or he's coming off your bench, or he's playing the 3. Good luck guarding Rudy. I mean, which of your players has the size to guard him? I guess DeAndre, who I like...but DeAndre is not great at stopping penetration.

Nah, Tate will be my starter, but since my team has the versatility that yours lacks (thanks to your 2 more or less wasted picks), I'll have the option to occasionally spot Smith at the point due to his combo skills and give him the simple task of either doing something himself or finding easy dishes to Ray/Daniels/Mouring.

Daniels gives me all the Rudy stopping I need, he's better statistically defensively (which outweighs any anecdotal BS you can possibly say) than Stanley Robinson, and while I agree with you that it might be possible to get by Daniels, Rudy isn't particularly adept at putting the ball on the floor and creating anyways.

If you are starting Josh Boone, I'm really not worried. If you're playing AO and JB, I'm not sure what your offense looks like.

The only player on your team that Boone can't effectively stuff is Rudy, beyond that, your team is vertically challenged (both in terms of actual height and leaping ability). You picking Corny, a guy who's best season came before UConn even got into the Big East, and unsurprisingly found his quality of play drop when faced with the better competition within the new league, as well as being one of those 'inspirational' "he wasn't the tallest, or fastest, or most athletic, but he sure was good in his day!" guys where the player's contribution to the program's history is the only thing stopping people from outright saying that he was a product of a bygone era and he wouldn't be able to cut it in a more athletic, more physically imposing time.

My team has versatility on offense, great defense (don't confuse blocks with defense--they can be related, but they often aren't) when I play Taliek and Giffey, the player with the single greatest UConn season, and inside-out scoring.

You have two shooting guards trying to initiate your offense. My team is modeled off of every single UConn NC team, with defense and ball-handlers--essentially two true PGs when I bring in Taliek for defense.

When considering both offense and defense:

Kemba > Smith
Allen > Hanson
Rudy > DeAndre (or Mourning, or whoever)
Corny > Boone
Sellers > AO
Taliek and Giffey > Mouring and Tate

Or,

Taliek > Tate
Kemba > Smith
Ray Ray > Rudy
Corny > DeAndre
Sellers > Boone
Hanson and Giffey >>>> Mouring and AO

What versatility do you even have? Even in your own self imposed lineups you only even switched 1 single player.

Here's what my team can do (based on matchups of course):

Tate
Smith
Ray
Daniels
Boone

Tate
Smith
Mouring
Ray
Daniels (we've seen a similar lineup to this work THIS YEAR)

Smith/Tate
Ray
Daniels
AO
JB

Smith/Tate
Mouring
Ray
Daniels
AO/JB


....Just for comparison's sake, I'll pick what will likely be my standard lineup

Tate<Kemba (I'll give you this, but the arrow would be pointing Kemba's way against any other pg)
Smith>whoever the hell you even start here
Ray>Rudy (Rudy a bit better as a defender but college Ray was arguably the best player we've ever had)
Daniels>Corny (I'll take the guy who had the capacity to be the best player on a team that featured Shabazz Napier over a non-entity)
Boone/AO=Sellers (only putting both of my guys because I'm unsure which I'll play yet, regardless it's a wash)

Boone/AO & Mouring>any combo of Taliek Hanson Corny Giff (given that you literally have 2 dead weights and one of if not both will likely be on the bench here)

Your bigs aren't going to help you much defensively, both because you really don't have much inside, and because my team is specifically built to mitigate the defensive impact of Okafor/Thabeet, you also don't have the ability to cover all of my perimeter weapons, and while you do have a matchup advantage with Kemba on Tate, Kemba only averaged 2 steals per 40, so outside of that I'll be able to direct simple passes or plays in transition to my vastly quicker, more athletic, more explosive team.

Sorry, kid. Your team just doesn't have the horses to keep up with mine.

 

[Kitaman]

Can I skip this thread?

 

[jleves]

I expected this kind of stuff in the draft chart thread - would have been better there.

 

[tzznandrew]

I expected this kind of stuff in the draft chart thread - would have been better there.

I wasn't really planning on it. I just said I'd post my decisions, and then more or less got railroaded and told I didn't think about my team...

 

[Matrim55]

I expected this kind of stuff in the draft chart thread - would have been better there.

This is too much to write in the draft chart thread. The point of keeping it here is so that you can see everyone's thought process overall, then save the (hopefully shorter) descriptions for the actual match-ups.

 

[jleves]

This is too much to write in the draft chart thread. The point of keeping it here is so that you can see everyone's thought process overall, then save the (hopefully shorter) descriptions for the actual match-ups.

I meant the trash talking. Your original post was fine on it's own. I just wanted people trashing each other in the chart threads.

 

[tzznandrew]

Round 1: Kemba fell to me. I probably would have went with a player like Donyell because UConn has a great tradition of SGs. I can get 80% of Rip or Ray with Ben Gordon. But Kemba is Kemba: he had the best season of any UConn player ever. He took a team of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores to the title. I though he would go first or second. To get him at 4 was pretty awesome.

Round 2: Went with Rudy Gay, the best player on the board. He was a plus defender (top 10 in BE in steals and blocks), he had a high career 3pt%, and he rebounded pretty solidly for a 3. That and he was a consensus second team all-american.

Round 3: Wanted someone who could score inside and still give some rebounding. Corny Thompson was my man. Two time Big East First Team, one time Big East Second Team. Sixth leading scorer. He's giving you 15 and 8 solidly out of the paint. He had some crafty moves on the inside, but also could shoot from the foul line, which would help for spacing. Defense was a minus, so I kept that in mind going forward--but I was less concerned, since we don't have a lot of great power forwards (offensively).

Round 4: Kemba is a plus defender, and a great passer (averaged over 5 apg in 2010), but I wanted someone who could provide even more defense, and was a proven leader who could move him off the ball. Taliek--all time leader in assists and another PG who won a title--was the best remaining player who did both of those things. I thought about Tate here, but even though Tate's offense was better, I didn't think he was as strong defensively, and I like being able to tout that I have two National Championship PGs.

Round 5: I needed a shooter--especially because Taliek really doesn't do that. I went with Giffey because he had the shot the highest percentage ever at UConn this year, and because he proved he could guard the PF position. Other than Donyell and maybe Caron (if he's playing that position), I don't think we've had an offensive 4 as strong as Randle, and he gaurded Randle, Young, and a host of other players. He proved he could drive too. And he could play/guard the 3 or the 4. Especially important with Corny as my starting PF.

Round 6: Needed a center. Once Okafor and Hasheem were gone, I wasn't too worried about interior players. I realized that I had plus defenders all over the floor, so a rim protector was less important. Rod Sellers is a mean man. Both he and Taliek provide a toughness not many others bring. People may say Rudy is soft, sure, but try to bully him with Sellers on your team and you head will bounce off the floor. That's what I didn't like about players like Boone or Armstrong (they were bullied at times). And while he was a garbage man down low, he took on players like Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Shaq. Only one UConn player was in their league down low--and Okafor isn't mean (not a knock--Mourning was dirty). He was also a Third Team All Big East player, averaging double figures in scoring--mostly garbage, but not a net negative.

Round 7: Going into the last round, I was looking for best available player. Some of the older players lacked athleticism, and that scared me away from Toby Kimball, for instance. But Hanson was athletic. He got drafted. And, he made the NCAA regional regional team in 1976, despite not even making the regional finals (he did make the S16, though). That meant he was impressive on the national stage. And by 1976, the tournament was more national, and up to 32 teams. We were just a few years from Magic-Bird...we're not talking about the stone-age here. I really wanted to pick him earlier...numerous times. But I had confidence a number of people would write him off because he played in the 70s (that era where other notable bums like Magic, Bird) and the Yankee Conference (despite the fact that Doctor J played there).

So, in the end here are some key reasons why I'm happy with my team, and think I can win the whole thing:

Only team with 1 Consensus First Team AA (Kemba Walker) and 1 Consensus Second Team AA (Rudy Gay).

I have the starting PG on two NCAA championship teams, one of whom is the All Time assists leader who had the highest average assists per game of any player not named Marcus Williams in 2004. I bring the player with the highest single season 3P% off the bench, and my starting back court boasts two of the four highest per game averages of any UConn player ever. I have the third, sixth, and eighth leading scorers in history, and five players who scored 1000 points in their career.

Defensively, I have five above average players. Kemba Walker in 2011 was second in defensive win shares and averaged 1.9 steals per game despite being pretty much the sole offensive weapon for a large part of the season, necessitating him resting on the defensive end frequently. When I want to go with a 2 PG line-up, I bring in Taliek Brown, the perimeter stopper of the 2004 title team. Both of them are tough, on the ball defenders that are not going to allow penetration. At the 3, I have the often maligned Rudy Gay. Rudy, with his height, long wingspan, and freakish athleticism, was in the Top 10 in the Big East in both blocks and steals per game in 2006. He was fourth in the league in defensive win shares. We never saw Rudy play the 4 in college, as DeAndre did this year, but I think he could. But, regardless, we know Niels Giffey can guard big men. He shut down tough players like Julius Randle, and could guard multiple positions. During the regular season, he frequently overhelped—but once Boat turned it on defensively, this stopped. And, starting at the 5 I have Rod Sellers. As we all know, Rod had a mean streak in him. Between him and Taliek, there isn’t a team that can intimidate my team. Rod Sellers guarded Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, and Shaquille O’Neal all well.

When playing Taliek and Giffey, I’d say my defense is the best, 1-5, out there. And when playing Hanson and Thompson, I think my offense is the best 1-5. My team is versatile. While I can’t go excessively big, there’s little reason to. But when I play a traditional line-up, my wings are long and lengthy: Hanson is 6’5”, Rudy is 6’9.” All the starters rebound well from their position, especially Kemba (5.4rpg) and Hanson (10.5rpg). With two PGs, I can replicate the success of the 1999, 2011, and 2014 teams, and also allow Kemba to play the 2 at times. Thompson played some 5 in his career, too, so I could play 2 PGs, Hanson, Rudy, and Thompson for added versatility.

No one can stay in front of Kemba or Taliek off the bounce. There are some solid defenders who might slightly slow one of them (Ricky and Boat, and that’s about it), but not both. And don’t try to zone me. Taliek consistently destroyed Syracuse’s zone, and Rudy and Corny can hit the foul line jumper. Rudy had a poor shooting 2006, but he was a career 37% shooter from 3. Regardless, I can bring in Giffey to hit corner 3s all evening. While there was no 3pt line during Tony Hanson’s days, you don’t average 26ppg on 52% shooting unless teams have to respect your jumper. I’ll let anyone who saw him speculate on his long distance ability. Let me suggest, though, that I have enough shooting with him, Giffey, and Rudy to stifle any zone.

 

[CTBasketball]

Round 1: I went with Shabazz because, in my opinion, was the best player on the board. A little surprised Rip went 2nd, but alas it is what it is. Shabazz is a winner and is ****ing tough as nails. The kid is a leader and refuses to let his team lose.

Round 2: I went with Jeff Adrien here. I wanted a big guy down low and no one is meaner and tougher than Jeff. He had an incredible 4 years at UConn and helped us to a Final Four and played a contributing role on an Elite 8 squad. Although undersized, the man is a monster. He is a double-double machine and never fails to bring intensity. He eats rebounds by the dozen. Mainly a defensive pick, but Jeff can stroke it from the FT line area and can work down low to get points.

Round 3: Wes Bialosuknia seemed like the best guard on the board. Most don't remember him, but he averaged 24 a game for his career. Including one year at 28 a game. This is without a 3-pt line. He can fill it up.

Round 4: Jake Voskuhl helped win us a championship. He wasn't as mean as Adrien, but the dude is huge. He creates problems down low and can score a bit too. Does the little things and is a winner. Almost had 1000 rebounds for his career, and almost 200 blocks.

Round 5: Phil Gamble gives me another ball-handler off the the bench. MVP of the NIT in 88' and was a Big-East All-Freshman 1st team selection. Good quality player off the bench.

Round 6: Art Quimby is a monster. He's UConn's all time leading rebounder and averaged 21.5 rebounds a game. That's stupid (the game has changed, I know. But still).

Round 7: Needed a SF, and I liked the way Rudy played and hustled in 96'. Didn't care about off the court issues for this draft.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

I wasn't really planning on it. I just said I'd post my decisions, and then more or less got railroaded and told I didn't think about my team...

Neither was I, you managed to turn my 1 liner into a manuscript.

 

[tzznandrew]

Neither was I, you managed to turn my 1 liner into a manuscript.

Okay. When my initial line is to the OP: "Wow, that was nice, I'll do it later," and you're one line is to me instead, and something akin to: "why bother you didn't have any thought process," you're doing a lot more in one line than I am to start this back and forth.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Round 1: Ray Allen (23.4PPG 6.5RPG 3.3APG 1.7SPG 47%FG 46%3P 81%FT) I was ecstatic to have the most talented UConn player ever fall all the way to 6th. With Ray I got arguably the most dominant scorer of the modern UConn era (Per 40 minutes he holds the highest UConn average ever at 29.8, which coming from a guy who's played 38+ minutes 7 times in his NBA career, and that the 1995-96 Huskies won games by an average margin of 17.9 PPG means he was resting early a lot), and certainly the best shooter in the history of basketball. College Ray could do more than just shoot, he was a great athlete during this time capable of putting the ball on the floor, as well as being 2nd on his team in both rebounds and assists. I really, truly do not know how he doesn't go at least 3rd in this draft.

Round 2: Chris Smith (21.2PPG 3.7APG 1.2SPG 41%FG 42%3P 80%FT) I knew coming into this draft that Okafor and Kemba were going to be long gone by the time I made my first pick at 6. With that in mind, my draft strategy was always going to be not to try to emulate either of their teams, and more specifically, I wanted a great shooting/running team that could mitigate Okafor's defensive presence as much as possible. Getting Ray in the first round, and then being able to get UConn's leading career scorer in the 2nd round (who at least statistically is basically Ray Jr) was the best possible outcome I could have hoped for. While Ray gives me 2/3 versatility, Smith can be either my starting 2 guard, or at times my lead guard along with Ray. Smith, like Ray is a guy who can score nearly at will, and like Ray, is a guy I can be confident wont wear down throughout a game while playing the frenetic style my team will employ. Unfortunately there aren't a great wealth of in depth stats from the early 90's era which he played, everything I've ever seen/heard/read holds him in pretty solid defensive regard.

Round 3: Josh Boone (12.4PPG 8.4RPG 2.9BPG 61%FG 66%FT) Knowing that I had already secured easily the best scoring tandem of any team in the draft, it was time to turn my attention to the defensive end. Boone offers me size and a defensive presence, without having to sacrifice athleticism or mobility to do so. That last line is one of the main reasons I picked him, I value how my picks will fit together and work in a team setting, and grabbing Boone to serve as my main interior presence allows me to still run the floor and keep a fast pace with this team.

Round 4: DeAndre Daniels (13.1PPG 6RPG 1.4BPG 49%FG 41%3P 79%FT) Keeping with the same philosophy, Daniels here was a huge get for my team. Over the past 2 seasons, when Daniels has been on his game, he was the best player on a team that included Shabazz Napier. Without his epic performances during our latest title run (20-10 against Florida, 27-10 against ISU, 18pts against St Joes) we wouldn't have had the opportunity to celebrate #4 this year. Beyond that, Daniels skill set makes him a great fit for my team, as he gives me both versatility at either the 3-4 and gives me another great shooter to space defenses helping to open up driving lanes for my guard tandem while also making teams struggle to keep up with 3 different guys who can score in bunches from just about anywhere on the floor. He's also one of the few players with the versatility and the size/athletic chops to be able to effectively guard Caron/Rudy from the perimeter. If he drops a monster game, my team becomes unbeatable.

Round 5: Albert Mouring (13.9PPG 3.5RPG 2.3APG 48%3P 84%FT) Getting into these later rounds, with all of the major stars off the board, I was really just looking for some complimentary pieces here who's strengths fell in line with the team I'm building. Enter Albert Mouring, who is simultaneously one of the best 3-point and free throw shooters ever. Having another player who can come in situationally either at the end of a close game (if I'm up his FT% helps tremendously, if I'm down his 3P% help tremendously), whenever Ray/Smith need a brief rest, but he also gives me the ability to play Smith at the point for stretches and having an absolutely devastating shooting lineup of Smith Mouring Ray Daniels where the opposing team's only hope of stopping is to get the ball away from my team before half court. Given what was left on the board, Mouring gives me the best complimentary piece to what the philosophy of my team is.

Round 6: Tate George (9.9PPG 5.6APG 51%FG 39%3P 83%FT) Keeping with the late round plugging holes mentality, Tate George was, in my view, the best proven ball handler/shooter/up tempo combo left on the board. Tate is 2nd on the UConn all time assist chart and has a more than respectable 2.33 assist:turnover ratio. He's also a very good shooter that gives me yet another option for floor spacing, and his FT's were a nice selling point, because as we've seen this year, having a team that can knock down their FT's at the end of close games (like most of these figure to be) is absolutely vital. Tate is of course known for the most famous shot in UConn history, but he has much more to offer to my team beyond clutch shot making.

Round 7: Alex Oriakhi (9.6PPG 8.7RPG 1.6BPG 50%FG 63%FT) With my final pick I elected to shore up my front line a bit more with the toughest (remember, this is 2011 Alex), most physically imposing bruiser left at this late stage. Oriakhi was really the only true big man we had on the 2011 title team (Chuck Okwandu was legitimately our 2nd best big that year, let that sink in) and he more than held his own against deeper, more experienced front lines erupting for 15pts-17rbd and 18-11 on consecutive nights against Michigan State and Kentucky in the Maui, to a huge 21 rebound showing @Texas and consistent double digit rebound games thereafter. Oriakhi will be my glass eating tough guy off the bench, and there aren't many players in UConn history that can match up with Alex physically or from a toughness standpoint during his 2011 run.


Just a few thoughts to wrap things up here:

Knowing that whoever has Okafor in this setting has a pretty big advantage, I tried to build my team specifically to beat the Okafor team. I think out of any team in either draft, mine is the most realistically constructed where you can paint the picture of this happening. My unparalleled ability to run, space, and shoot mitigates Okafor's shot blocking presence, and 05 Boone/11 AO are 2 of the better guys available to battle him for rebounds and try to physically wear him down.

I said this under Tate, but it bears repeating. My team isn't only the best 3P shooting team, it's also the best FT shooting team. We saw this year (and in 2011) how absolutely vital this is in close games (which I expect most of these will be) and yet it's often severely overlooked. I have 5 guys who make their FT's at an 80% clip, I believe that's going to swing close games in my favor.

While on the subject of Tate/Smith, do I think I have THE best ball handling in the tournament? No. But Smith/Tate were the backcourt on the first great Calhoun era UConn teams, teams that set an unprecedented mark of success, you can't go as far as they did with the teams that they had if you have atrocious ball handling. Also, Ray and Mouring were a bit underrated in this aspect as well, and with my slew of options offensively and the frenetic pace that this team is screaming to play at, I believe my teams ability to handle the rock will be fine.

Finally, I built my team using entirely Calhoun era players, and more specifically, players who can play at a very fast pace and shoot exceptionally well. I believe building my team in this way gives me the best chance to lessen Okafor's impact on a game (my number 1 priority) as well as limiting any potential 1 on 1 Kemba/Bazz mismatches I may run into. The other reason I built my team this way is to run pre Calhoun/64 era/3p line players ragged with my speed/size/athleticism mix. You can't compete with modern top level athletes unless you have modern top level athletes.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Okay. When my initial line is to the OP: "Wow, that was nice, I'll do it later," and you're one line is to me instead, and something akin to: "why bother you didn't have any thought process," you're doing a lot more in one line than I am to start this back and forth.

Of course I'm going to call you out on the shitty picks you made. We can't have a fun little back and forth without it becoming paragraph wars?

 

[tzznandrew]

Of course I'm going to call you out on the ty picks you made. We can't have a fun little back and forth without it becoming paragraph wars?

Well, I didn't make any picks.

Although, I tend to think of them less as paragraph wars as debates that spilled a little over normal post length

It's funny, too, we both tried to build to beat the Okafor team, although in different ways. Both the Maryland and Duke games showcased a way to beat an Okafor team (and, if K wasn't foolish, he could have finished off the 2004 team): get him in foul trouble. I think that is a problem for tenspro: He has AJP, Doron, and Rashad, so Okafor is going to be frequently tested. Kemba took the most fouls shots in the NCAA in 2011, so I figure between a mean guy like Sellers--who slowed some great great centers in the early 1990s--and a guy like Kemba coming at him, I can mitigate his advantages in Okafor.

We'll see if Tenspro gets to us, and which one of us will take him on soon enough.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Well, I didn't make any ty picks.

Although, I tend to think of them less as paragraph wars as debates that spilled a little over normal post length

It's funny, too, we both tried to build to beat the Okafor team, although in different ways. Both the Maryland and Duke games showcased a way to beat an Okafor team (and, if K wasn't foolish, he could have finished off the 2004 team): get him in foul trouble. I think that is a problem for tenspro: He has AJP, Doron, and Rashad, so Okafor is going to be frequently tested. Kemba took the most fouls shots in the NCAA in 2011, so I figure between a mean guy like Sellers--who slowed some great great centers in the early 1990s--and a guy like Kemba coming at him, I can mitigate his advantages in Okafor.

We'll see if Tenspro gets to us, and which one of us will take him on soon enough.

Honestly, all 7 of the other teams should have been building specifically to counter Okafor first and foremost. He's the single best advantage anyone can have.

As far as our game, I guess we'll see. While I (rightfully imo) don't think much of Hanson or Corny, you may have inadvertently gained yourself an advantage among the older crowd.

 

[tzznandrew]

Honestly, all 7 of the other teams should have been building specifically to counter Okafor first and foremost. He's the single best advantage anyone can have.

As far as our game, I guess we'll see. While I (rightfully imo) don't think much of Hanson or Corny, you may have inadvertently gained yourself an advantage among the older crowd.

Certainly not inadvertent. But I did also think I was picking the best player for my team at the time I selected them.

A point on Taliek, to keep it out of a thread that has nothign to do with us. Most breaks are started from 3s and long 2s. Not happening, as 2004 Taliek took 1 3 all year. He shot 41%. Not great, but roughly what Ryan Boatright shot. Ryan did have a break or two start from his poor shot selection, but those were from his long 3s. Not something that happened to Taliek.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Certainly not inadvertent. But I did also think I was picking the best player for my team at the time I selected them.

A point on Taliek, to keep it out of a thread that has nothign to do with us. Most breaks are started from 3s and long 2s. Not happening, as 2004 Taliek took 1 3 all year. He shot 41%. Not great, but roughly what Ryan Boatright shot. Ryan did have a break or two start from his poor shot selection, but those were from his long 3s. Not something that happened to Taliek.

Neither one of us can really pin down how Talieks misses from within 10 feet missed, whether they bounced, were blocked, and what okafor and the rest of the defense's position were at the time. All I can say is that, if KEA, Kemba, or Bazz played anywhere close to as bad as Taliek did in that Duke game, none of those teams win the title. Taliek was made because of what he had around him, not the other way around.

Like I said in my first post to you, the majority of your picks seemed to be absent of context. I'd be surprised if any voting benefits you may get resulting in the Hanson/Corny picks were anything other than an unintended consequence. Your own description of your team pretty much states such, where as mine focused more on a specific philosophy and how my team would mesh/what would their playstyle and identity be.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Balance was my rule of thumb.

Round 1: Emeka Okafor: Best two-way player in program history. Can defend opposing posts and also neutralizes guards trying to attack the rim. You think Bazz and Boat had trouble finishing at the rim against average post players? Try finishing against the most intelligent shot-blocker in program history. Oh, by the way, he also averaged 18 a game with a versatile set of back-to-the-basket moves and a capable jump shot from inside 15 feet.

Rounds 2/3: A.J. Price/Doron Sheffer: My two point guards, which I feel are essential to a balanced offensive attack. AJ can penetrate into the paint, feed the post, and make you pay from the 3-point line (40% on 3's). Doron can run an up-tempo attack for a change of pace and is another excellent outside shooter (also around 40%). I wanted point guards who can both distribute and shoot, since Okafor was going to be drawing a lot of attention in the post.

Rounds 4/5: Kevin Freeman/Rashad Anderson: Kevin Freeman is an athletic 4 who can play opposite of Emeka and clean up on the boards, as well as run the fast break. Remember Sheffer to Donny Marshall? KFree can be on the receiving end just the same. In the half-court, he doesn't crowd the lane and has decent range, and can credibly defend athletic 4's as well as help body up opposing bigs around the paint. Rashad isn't the most overall talented wing, but given the talent around him, I don't need a wing that can create for himself. Rashad will have ample spot-up opportunities from deep (and is the third 40%+ 3-point shooter in my starting lineup) off of drive-and-kick action, and from passes out of the post, where Emeka should be drawing double-teams.

Rounds 6/7: Travis Knight/Lasan Kromah: Nobody is playing 40 minutes a game, so I needed a bench that would allow me to keep multiple low-post defenders and multiple ballhandlers on the floor at a time. Travis Knight isn't the same shot-blocking presence as Okafor, but at 7' is a credible deterrent in the paint, and he is an excellent rebounder. With Knight able to pass and shoot out of the high post, he can play alongside either Okafor or Freeman. Kromah can be a secondary ballhandler when either Price or Sheffer takes a breather, and offers the luxury of a third ballhandlers when Rashad is out. More importantly, he provides lock-down defense at the wing spot, and can slow down opposing 2's or 3's.

Overall philosophy: We are a versatile offensive team in either the halfcourt or transition, with good size at every position. The offense can be run either through Price and Sheffer's dribble-penetration, or through an inside-out game starting with Okafor in the post. Having three 40% 3-point shooters punishes opposing defenses that have to collapse to stop that penetration or that have to commit extra defenders to stopping Emeka. With multiple players who can initiate offense, no single defensive stopper will be able to completely neutralize our attack.

Our defense starts with the most intelligent and skilled shot-blocker and post defender in program history. Admittedly, our starting guards aren't the stoutest of defenders, but Okafor is the ultimate eraser at the rim and is able to make up for defensive lapses (he played behind Rashad already, as well as Ben Gordon, who was a notoriously apathetic defender). Freeman also provides toughness on the interior and on the glass. If matched up against a true stud on the wing, like Ray, Rip, Ben, or Caron, Kromah will get extended minutes in those circumstances where defense at the 2/3 position is paramount.

 

[whaler11]

I want someone to explain how Tim Coles didn't get picked.

 

[gtcam]

any team without rip is crazy- perhaps the best high energy scorer

 

[Hoophound]

I want someone to explain how Tim Coles didn't get picked.

The board is getting younger. You've got to be at least 36 to know who he is. I went to a Perno basketball camp one summer and Coles was there taking summer classes. He would always be in the cafeteria when I got breakfast in the morning. He was really quiet and straight faced. One day my buddy dared me to go talk to him (I was probably 11 at the time) and so I went up to Timmy and said,"you eat a lot of Cap'n Crunch". He looks up, milk dripping from his mouth and says, "do you like Cap'n Crunch?" I said "yeah, I love it". He pushed one of his bowls toward me (he had 4 or 5) and said "have a seat". I ate breakfast with him and when the kids I usually sat with tried to come over and join us, Tim goes, "oh no, you dared him to come talk to me and he wasn't afraid. No guts, no glory, go back to your own table".