Giffey

[aceboon]

If I can take anything at all from this game, please JC, play him when you get back. Offensively at SF him and DeAndre are pretty much even and he's better defensively. Not even trying to diss Roscoe but at this point he's a non entity at SF imo.

 

[TopDog18]

Yes, one of the few things you can take from this game. NG needs to be playing more and offers more offensively then Scoe or Dainels at this point.

 

[kansashusky]

I dont know what Roscoe and AO drank this summer but they are not the same players, Neils has improved and plays great D I hope he starts soon.

 

[boog204]

was just going to start a thread saying the same thing. giffey should definitely play more. i thought him and olander (in addition to lamb) were really the only guys to show any sack. even though TO did not shoot it that well, he at least was willing to shoot the ball. defensively he was kind of a mess, but he least he showed he wanted to win.

 

[Huskies320]

He should start Saturday

 

[Dove]

I dont know what Roscoe and AO drank this summer but they are not the same players, Neils has improved and plays great D I hope he starts soon.

Clearly they got fat and soft on the banquet circuit last summer.

 

[aceboon]

was just going to start a thread saying the same thing. giffey should definitely play more. i thought him and olander (in addition to lamb) were really the only guys to show any sack. even though TO did not shoot it that well, he at least was willing to shoot the ball. defensively he was kind of a mess, but he least he showed he wanted to win.

And the over and back calls on offensive rebounds was indicative of him at least going after the ball, instead of AO watching it bounce on the floor to be grabbed up by a SH player.

 

[boog204]

And the over and back calls on offensive rebounds was indicative of him at least going after the ball, instead of AO watching it bounce on the floor to be grabbed up by a SH player.

I'll never figure AO out. Not only was he passive in going after the ball, a lot of times he'd box out and literally jump 1/2 an inch off the ground in going after the board. He's done that a lot in three years; it's almost like sometimes he has no leaping ability at all. So odd.

 

[DogMania]

And the over and back calls on offensive rebounds was indicative of him at least going after the ball, instead of AO watching it bounce on the floor to be grabbed up by a SH player.

I don't know what * Alex was doing on that play. He just stood there like he was stuck in cement and watched it bounce away. Unless it was just a bad camera angle and it was further than it looked, it was indicative of the effort the team's been getting from AO. I don't know what it will take, but I hope JC can get through to Alex. He looks completely lost out there.

 

[Rico444]

Giffey was very good tonight. He even played good D on Theodore the few possessions he was on him.

 

[DogMania]

Giffey was one of the few bright spots tonight. He clearly has taken advantage of the PT he's earned the past few games. I hope JC rewards him with more when he returns to the sideline.

As for Scoe and Alex, wow! It's hard to believe that they are the same two players we saw play this past spring during that 11 game run. Someone get an APB out for those two. Where the h*ll are they?

I've not lost hope for either. I think they'll both come around, but I hope it's sooner than later.

 

[Kitaman]

Giffey brings experience, don't think Jim didn't take notice.

 

[huskymagic]

If I can take anything at all from this game, please JC, play him when you get back. Offensively at SF him and DeAndre are pretty much even and he's better defensively. Not even trying to diss Roscoe but at this point he's a non entity at SF imo.

Absolutely right Giffey should be playing more if not starting for this team. He is just as good as Daniels offensively and is a better driver. He is also a much better defender. Roscoe has regressed alot offensively and his defense and passion is not what is last year when he was a beast defensively.

Giffey is our best option at the 3 spot this year. He has gotten really good and is a positive force on the team. I am sure Calhoun took note of this as did we. I also think Giffey will help us with zone defenses because he has good athleticism, can drive to the basket and can hit the open shot something Roscoe and Daniels have been unable to do.

Boatright and Napier have to take much of the blame for last night as they did not play well yesterday turning the ball over and getting manhandled by Theodore. Their confidence took a hit last night. They better hit the weight room big time and get better on defense.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Giffey and Daniels should be splitting time at the 3 when we're not going Boat-Bazz-Lamb in the backcourt.

Roscoe is too much of a "tweener". He needs to either 1) work a ton on his handle and shot to become that Kevin Durant-style small forward; or 2) bulk up and work on his post game to be a credible 4 in the Big East. This in-between doesn't work. Stanley Robinson had the same problem.

 

[Rico444]

Roscoe has a long way to go with improving his handle and shot. If he wants to have a shot at a professional future, he's going to need to work on his post game and play the 4.

 

[Prezidint]

Stanley Robinson had the same problem.

I was thinking along these lines.

Roscoe looks like he's taking the same path as Stan, to some extent.

The fact is, his handle was weak when he arrived on campus, and in the 50 something games he has played over a year and three months, his handle is not noticeably better.

I also note that his repertoire of offensive moves is not noticeably expanded.

I also note that the effectiveness of his offense, compared to last year, seems to be about the same.

Conclusion - Roscoe Smith of 2012 is substantially the same as Roscoe Smith of 2011, plus experience.

Further Conclusion - It is extremely unlikely, for whatever reason, that the Roscoe Smith of 2013 and 2014 is going to be significantly different than the Roscoe Smith of 2012. Maybe he doesn't have the learning curve in him. Maybe he doesn't work hard on developing new skills. I don't know.

I know this, however - few guys who don't improve from year 1 to year 2 end up improving markedly thereafter.

No matter what, however, love the kid and his contribution to this team.

 

[Hilltop4Life]

Don't you guys think your overreacting just a little bit much here, by saying that Giffey should start? Yes he did try exceptionally hard in last nights game, and probably showed more effort than anyone out there on the court. But there's no way you can say that Giffey is more athletic than guys like DeAndre and Roscoe. Every time the guy dribbles he's turnover prone, and yes so is Roscoe, but to say that Giffey is more athletic than either of those two is a little over the top. Roscoe and DeAndre have NBA aspirations, Giffey won't sniff the NBA, he is not the best option at the 3 for this team. Giffey is fine in the role that he is in now, Scoe and Daniels just need to play to their potential and UConn will be fine.

 

[Rico444]

Roscoe doesn't have a prayer at the NBA at this point. He can't shoot, and he has zero handle. His only shot to make any professional league in the future is to bulk up and start working on his post moves.

 

[ford82]

Giffey is turnover prone every time he dribbles the ball? I don't think the stats support that this year. I think you could make a strong argument that Giffey should start when considering his field goal and three point percentage compared to DeAndre and Roscoe. Bottom line, time at the three spot will probably be split the rest of the year.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Giffey isn't turnover prone, but that's only because he knows his limitations and rarely dribbles at all. Watch when he catches a pass on the wing. He immediately looks to pass, first into the post, but then immediately back out to the top of the key. He's not really a threat off the dribble, and he knows it. (Although I suppose that's better than him thinking he is!)

 

[EricLA]

Roscoe doesn't have a prayer at the NBA at this point. He can't shoot, and he has zero handle. His only shot to make any professional league in the future is to bulk up and start working on his post moves.

totally agree. not sure how anyone could see Roscoe in the NBA. he's nowhere near the level of Robinson, and Stanley is somewhere in the D league at this point. don't get me wrong - i'm rooting for Roscoe big time - but i just don't see him making the jump. he's also nowhere near the player Denham Brown was and DB never made it in the NBA.

in fact, i'd go as far to predict Smith isn't even drafted. Brown was taken in the 2nd round and Robinson was almost taken in the 3rd round.

 

[Dann]

3rd round?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Roscoe was very aggressive last night, but some of his shots were just gruesome. He didn't even get rim on two layup/post moves, including an airball on a reverse layup that was a great move right up until he shot the ball about 5 feet too far.

The bigs were 6 for 20 inside the arc, 1 for 3 outside it. That is unacceptable, and the numbers were worse but several of the misses were fouls and turned into free throws. These are big guys, and they have to learn to finish after contact. I would throw Giffey into that group too. He should have had at least 2 more 3 point plays but missed easy shots after getting bumped.

 

[Gurleyman]

I'd like to see what Giffey can do in extended run at the 3. He seems like he's reached the point where he can make the open three and force his defender to guard him (or force his side of the zone to pay attention to him), which can open up driving lanes and prevent double teams. He plays good enough man to man D where he's not a liability there (Theodore made a tough shot over him, but it was much better D then the other threes he made), and he can rebound a little, so I think if he gets 30 minutes he'll make a lot of "glue" type of plays. There are a lot of "little plays" we aren't making right now - the steal after a deflected ball, the quick outlet pass on a long rebound, the extra pass from an unexpected place on the floor, the right decision on an offensive rebound (finishing strong if it's there, kicking it out to a shooter if it's not).

I also think Lamb is becoming too enamored with the three. I don't want to see him with 14 shots and 10 of them from beyond the arc (his first shot was a backdoor lay-up, so it was 10 of 13 after that). For one thing, he doesn't get to the line enough, and for another, his mid-range game is such a weapon that he can't allow himself to just float around the perimeter shooting bombs. Having Giffey out there spotting up for some floor balance might allow Lamb be a little more multi-dimensional.

I expect Daniels to be a huge part of our offense next year with Lamb gone, but right now he lacks some feel for the game and isn't bringing enough to the table. Roscoe is really a four right now (thought he played really hard yesterday if not effective - I think he deserves 15-20 minutes a game to try to be a spark).

 

[aceboon]

Don't you guys think your overreacting just a little bit much here, by saying that Giffey should start? Yes he did try exceptionally hard in last nights game, and probably showed more effort than anyone out there on the court. But there's no way you can say that Giffey is more athletic than guys like DeAndre and Roscoe. Every time the guy dribbles he's turnover prone, and yes so is Roscoe, but to say that Giffey is more athletic than either of those two is a little over the top. Roscoe and DeAndre have NBA aspirations, Giffey won't sniff the NBA, he is not the best option at the 3 for this team. Giffey is fine in the role that he is in now, Scoe and Daniels just need to play to their potential and UConn will be fine.

Who cares how athletic Roscoe is when he can't shoot, pass, or dribble? Roscoe gets the edge in rebounding but they're about even defensively imo, Roscoe hasn't been as good as he was last year at that end and he's had a quite a few moments where he's lost his man(something that seems to be an epidemic this year) ball watching on D. I'd rather have Giffey out there since he seems to have his confidence up to hit shots when he's open and he's seemed to cut out the bad bounce passes that he had a habit of forcing last year now that he's up to speed on American athletes.