Fall Recruiting Speculation

[mauconnfan]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

But he is correct in the bodies of the many recruits no doubt. Going back to Daniels, Brimah and now the likes of Polley, Wilson and Whaley the narrow shoulders, very little girth and sticks for legs it's very hard to bulk them up in a year or 2 for sure. It took Facey 4 years to become a man and kudos to him as he obviously wanted it more than the others. With KO's team of coaches and S& C there wasn't much movement or passion it would seem but even with the Polley's, Whaley's, Akok's and Carlton under the Sal tutelage they are noticeably stronger for their body types. Now DH needs to bring in some natural sized kids and watch them become behemoths like other teams have. I believe they are getting there but unfortunatley were behind.

 

[nomar]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

You should post this in the HARDO thread

 

[Mazhude]

The problem is we have to beat guys on other teams and when they are significantly stronger as a team, it makes it more challenging to do that.

I don't disagree. But you don't motivate someone by calling them weak. You motivate them by helping to make them stronger.

 

[superjohn]

I understand your larger (ha, a pun) point, but there is no one on this team that is physically weak. They may not be as strong as other players or other teams, but I assure you that any D1 athlete is an honest-to-goodness athlete. I wish we'd stop demeaning these kids (and they are kids). Just because they are not yet strong enough doesn't make them weak. I suspect any one of them would run any one of us right into the ground... the language we use matters. Dan Hurley knows what he's doing. The kids are buying into it. Muscle takes time, depending on the kid in question. So, again, the UConn student athletes who we've been blessed to have with us are not weak, they are strong, and working on getting stronger.

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

 

[husky429]

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

Back to brag about your old man strength again, I see.

 

[superjohn]

Back to brag about your old man strength again, I see.

The poster made it out that all the players would run circles around us, that's just not the case for people who work out...The only thing that matters is how they stack up physically to the teams we're going to play and if you're going to be honest you know we don't stack up well physically. I think we could be good this year but It's not any mystery that physical strength isn't the strength of this team.

 

[navery12]

I'm just happy that we're competing in the basketball competition this year and not AAC's Strongest Man

 

[superjohn]

I'm just happy that we're competing in the basketball competition this year and not AAC's Strongest Man

It matters though, why are we pretending it doesn't? We've gotten tossed around the court the past few years.

 

[navery12]

It matters though, why are we pretending it doesn't? We've gotten tossed around the court the past few years.

It matters, but not nearly as much as you're making it seem. If we had skinny players with talent (like we do now), this conversation isn't happening. We're only talking about being overpowered by opponents because we've been significantly less talented and coached as well

 

[Chief00]

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

We also led the country in rebounding during many of Calhoun’s years. The correlation is real.

 

[Chief00]

The poster made it out that all the players would run circles around us, that's just not the case for people who work out...The only thing that matters is how they stack up physically to the teams we're going to play and if you're going to be honest you know we don't stack up well physically. I think we could be good this year but It's not any mystery that physical strength isn't the strength of this team.

You are right it’s who we play against - it’s the obvious but many casual fans seem to struggle with this concept. It’s not First Night. In a competitive game you need to impose your will. Strength is one way you do that as is speed, conditioning, skill and BB IQ. We are missing that critical ingredient.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The poster made it out that all the players would run circles around us, that's just not the case for people who work out...The only thing that matters is how they stack up physically to the teams we're going to play and if you're going to be honest you know we don't stack up well physically. I think we could be good this year but It's not any mystery that physical strength isn't the strength of this team.

Josh is 260...he’s probably pretty strong. Adams likely is as well.

I agree we need to field more physical players overall. One thing I noticed with Gaffney is that the guy is very broad across the shoulders. He has room to put on muscle. Springs looks like a player who can fill out as well.

But we also tended to face some brute squad teams like USF. I’d say that physical power game matters most when the skill level isn’t there. We’ve had a lot of very good guys who were not powerfully built players. Rip, Ray, Bazz, Sticks, Lamb...

 

[NH Husky]

Casual insiders struggle with the concept that great teams are made up of the right combination of agility, strength, and intellect (w/ attitude). Plus a dose of luck that injuries don’t ruin their careers.
Okafor was a prime example of a player who had all three. In my mind our best college player ever. I am convinced he would have had a hall of fame career if not for injuries. And players like him are extremely rare. Nadav was up there too.
18 year olds have a lot of developing to do, and with the right training will reach their peak in strength (Hilton). Predicting how strong they’ll get is tough. Agility and intellect are inherent. Great coaches recognize and develop it. Hurley and staff are the right guys for this job. Teams that focus on one area are usually good but are bound to run into a better balanced team that knocks them off.
Ollie lost momentum when he took a chance on injury prone guys which led to his downfall.

 

[olehead]

Undoubtedly as Chief and Superjohn are driving home, there is a physical, mental, and cardio correlation with performance, and generally outcome.

The freshman experience and certainly my experience (ancient as it was) at this level, you find there are two major variables that separate role/starter to stand-out.
1) If you came in with great to dominant athleticism you are ahead of the game.
2) Great basketball skill/great sense of flow of game (think Herb Crook teammate of Never Nervous), you name the skill, including D, you had a leg-up.

So depends how they come in, after that hard work can make up the gap v. former advanced teammate.

And when you get there, immediately its weights, ball hard,
film/unofficial basketball class. Eat, study hall, rinse, repeat. It's difficult to duck out of any of that, again my experience. So normally its evident who's out lifting who, whose vertical has improved, same w/squats, film session.

I believe coaches, your teammates, and anyone who competes against you knows when you turn the corner. Your teammates see strength, advanced understanding, ease of how game comes.

Made sound like some ish to some but this was my experience. You can always improve on how you came in, those are the pros. Guys who start out behind, outwork other guys by some metric, that's the beauty of athletics and competition in general.

 

[Stainmaster]

Superjohn is still nursing his wounds over Hurley not kicking anyone off the team this offseason. Give him some time. This has been a painful process for him and will continue to be so.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Back to brag about your old man strength again, I see.

I should definitely cross-post this in the hardo thread but anybody who lifts regularly and takes it semi-seriously is probably stronger than anyone on the current roster.

[Looks in mirror]: "HARDOOOOOOOOOOOOO..."

 

[imno1]

I'm just happy that we're competing in the basketball competition this year and not AAC's Strongest Man

sometime it's not all about who's bigger and stronger