Flashes of Genius???

[Joobie]

Sometimes when I'm in the shower, I get flashes of genius. Not sure this is one of those, so I would welcome any Boneyard thoughts & opinions.

There has been a lot of talk on this board & in the media about what is up with AO. He's not leading. He's not performing. He looks a little lost & out of synch at times. What if it's just that he's finding himself like Laurel without Hardy, Dean without Jerry, Rowan without Martin? Lemme put it another way, he & Jamal Coombs-McDaniel were a package deal. They were recruited together & came to UCONN to fulfill the dream of playing on the same team TOGETHER.

To say that he's not the same player from last year's team to this year's would be an understatement. Maybe he's just missing his BFF?

 

[Kitaman]

If so, then he certainly isn't NBA ready, since players move in and out with regularity. He's not having fun is what I'm seeing. Kid needs to loosen up and just dominate the boards.

 

[James]

This year I've noticed, whenever AO makes a mistake on the court, his teammates and him just have that "wtf" face on. As opposed to last year, where the team would rally behind one another, pat each other on the back. there is disconnect and i dunno how it will end up.

 

[champs99and04]

Oriakhi's a good kid, he's obviously just struggling. I can sense him getting close to putting it all together. It's possible he misses Coombs, but I think it is likely he misses Kemba more. In fact, I think a lot of the guys on the team miss Kemba, and not just for basketball purposes, but for the way he helped the team bond off the court. Now, I'm not suggesting that this team lacks chemistry, or anything of that nature, but Kemba definitely loosened things up. Just the way he smiles on the court, can really help the kids relax and have fun. Often times last season it was the Kemba show, and all the other guys were just along for the ride. Obviously it is different this year, as everybody has to carry the burden of more responsiblity. Some embrace it, but for others, it is simply added pressure that takes away joy from the game they love.

Another note on Coombs: I think he has been missed more than expected. His slashing ability is something we lack at the small forward position right now. He was also, IMO, the best of our wings, at setting screens. He also provided at least some threat to step back and knock down a three, unlike Roscoe. JMO