I love KO, I think we lucky to have him, I was one of the 1st ones calling for him to be our next HC

[willie99]

but, I'm becoming concerned that we may never be a good (never mind great) rebounding team again.

I know he always talks about it, but we just don't rebound like JC teams used to do. I don't care who we had or how big we were, we always rebounded well. We were almost always national leaders in rebounding margin. Those days may be gone.

I know Kevin will have his own style, and I appreciate what he accomplished last year, how the kids respond to him and how the team is winning games. He's doing a great job and he's going to do things differently, I know. I'm as big a supporter of his as I've ever been.

I just don't think he emphasizes rebounding the way JC did, and that looks like it will be OK.

 

[willie99]

PS: "we're lucky to have him"

can't edit the thread title

 

[pj]

JC de-emphasized rebounding when he had great shot blockers. There are always trade-offs.

I think KO is emphasizing rebounding, we've seen Shabazz put a lot of emphasis on it, rebounding effort from the guards probably comes from the coach. We just need our big men to develop. There are other guys on the other team fighting for rebounds too.

 

[willie99]

JC de-emphasized rebounding when he had great shot blockers. There are always trade-offs.

I think KO is emphasizing rebounding, we've seen Shabazz put a lot of emphasis on it, rebounding effort from the guards probably comes from the coach. We just need our big men to develop. There are other guys on the other team fighting for rebounds too.

I hope you're right and I'm wrong, I just love owning the paint

a symbol of our toughness over the years

 

[upstater]

Who are our rebounders?

Deandre plays the 4 and he is a SF.

Nolan is not up to it, Brimah is raw, and Tyler is limited.

It's personnel, not coaching.

 

[Dove]

Patience willie. When KO came in he saw Oriaki and Roscoe split. That was huge. Now he has to re-tool the frontcourt. Give him a couple of classes to do it.

 

[mauconnfan]

Too early to say willie.....I love him too but he'll need to bulk up the front line, and the kids here now also need to bulk up. Not on him yet but we do need to rebound.

I think we made a late run at the kid Richard Solomon at California and I watched him the other night and said. "Imagine if we had him on the front line"? Averaging 12 boards a game.....need people like that who go get it, can read it and want to rebound. I see teams with guys who get rebounds in traffic and own the rebound and I say"wish we had someone like that but we don't"........for now they are what they are!

It needs to change and with some recruiting needs and focus on rebounding and taking up space in the middle, it will!! Takes time.......and timing.

 

[willie99]

see, I don't think it's personnel, the kids we have can rebound. I think it's more about technique

again, JC didn't always have size up front, yet we always rebounded well. Hell, he used to out-rebound the big boys when he was at Northeastern

I will concede this, maybe KO needs more size to have his system work. That very well may be the answer

 

[caw]

It could be much worse. Part of the problem is there is no great rebounder on the team. A lot of Calhouns teams had great rebounders, from the start. Part is UConn plays a small lineup, it will be bigger next year.

I think Facey came in the most ready rebounder, but he is behind Giffey/Daniels at the four (two of our better all around players).

Brimah is just not a good rebounder, though he tries and Olander never has been. Daniels is adequate but needs to put in the effort consistently.

It comes downto Nolan, he showed glimpses of being a solid rebounder last year, but hasn't shown it this year. Not sure why.

 

[mauconnfan]

see, I don't think it's personnel, the kids we have can rebound. I think it's more about technique

again, JC didn't always have size up front, yet we always rebounded well. Hell, he used to out-rebound the big boys when he was at Northeastern

I will concede this, maybe KO needs more size to have his system work. That very well may be the answer

I will support you on that all the way to the bank......technique still wins rebounding but the issue I have is none of them have any.......an occasional box out gets me excited (not like traitors avatar) and i hope for some consistency but it never completes the circle. they go back to losing their guy and just jumping for the ball. When a thin team is jumping for the ball against either a stronger team or more fundamental you lose almost all of the time. I am hoping it changes but this team doesn't, thus far mind you, have the fundamental ability to out rebound a team with big solid guys. Hope it changes but I have little faith when your 6'9" white guy doesn't even box out!! LOL

 

[seanmc94]

Have to give him 1-2 more years and see what happens when "his guys" make up the majority of the rotation. Based on what I have seen from the freshmen and the incoming recruits; I wouldn't worry.

 

[MidTown Husky]

"I was one of the 1st ones calling him to be our next HC"

 

[mauconnfan]

Have to give him 1-2 more years and see what happens when "his guys" make up the majority of the rotation. Based on what I have seen from the freshmen and the incoming recruits; I wouldn't worry.

Thanks now we all feel so much better............LOL sean (sarcasm alert)

 

[Husky25]

Loyola had 20 Offensive rebounds, but UConn had 11 blocks. For some dumb reason the offense is rewarded with a rebound if they get it back off a blocked shot or if the ball goes out of bounds. Brimah looks like he is doing his best to channel his inner OkaBeet, but he need to block it to himself or to a teammate. Patience. As the season goes on, opposing offensive rebound numbers will come down and UConn will start out rebounding the opposition.

 

[Tenspro2002]

It has nothing to do with coaching emphasis; it is the personnel. Just because two guys have roughly the same height, doesn't mean they're identically skilled at rebounding from either the mental or physical perspective.

Phil Nolan is roughly the same height as Josh Boone. The difference? Boone had better technique and was more aggressive, assertive, and confident on the court.

Not every 6'7 guy is going to be Kevin Freeman or Jeff Adrien. Nobody on this team carries their attitude. That's why we're lacking on the boards.

Hopefully this is something Lubin can turn around next season, and God-willing he has the size to play the 5.

 

[mauconnfan]

Loyola had 20 Offensive rebounds, but UConn had 11 blocks. For some dumb reason the offense is rewarded with a rebound if they get it back off a blocked shot or if the ball goes out of bounds. Brimah looks like he is doing his best to channel his inner OkaBeet, but he need to block it to himself or to a teammate. Patience. As the season goes on, opposing offensive rebound numbers will come down and UConn will start out rebounding the opposition.

Why is it dumb for a rebound off of a block? You take your chances blocking shots you can get burned and they do. Need to keep them in play as you say and also everyone needs to scrap for the loose ball. The fact that when you try to block a shot and miss usually hurts you is in a sense the reason only guys like Brimah and occasionally DD should be attempting this. Everyone else does their job boxing out anyone and loose balls, rebounds and team rebounds will be ours more often........

 

[caw]

see, I don't think it's personnel, the kids we have can rebound. I think it's more about technique

again, JC didn't always have size up front, yet we always rebounded well. Hell, he used to out-rebound the big boys when he was at Northeastern

I will concede this, maybe KO needs more size to have his system work. That very well may be the answer

Rebounding is part technique, part effort and part size. In some rare cases it's part instinct.

Size: UConn is small or skinny at every position, relative to Calhouns teams. The smallest starting backcourts I can think of were Moore/El-Amin and Austrie/Price. The difference being Rip/Freeman/Jake were all bigger (taller or stronger) than the current frontline. The other frontline was Robinson/Adrien/Thabeet, that should be a no brainier on size. My memory isn't great going too far back on heights but I don't recall any shorter starting backcourts? Of course the guards are our best rebounders right now, but their size is one of the reasons others go for blocks and help.

Effort: the main culprit here is Daniels. He doesn't always bring effort on the boards. He has been called soft, but I don't think that's necessarily correct. He doesn't back down or avoid contact, but he sometimes doesn't put in full effort on the rebounds (he probably has more easy rebounds taken from him by our guards than any other big I can remember). He has put forth effort the past three games, but it's not instinctual. It's like he has to remember to try to rebound.

Technique: Brimah has none, Olander is slow, Nolan is constantly in foul trouble. Facey isn't getting minutes. It comes down to how much the coaching staff can teach Brimah (he's a huge blank canvas, and he did show he at least keeps the ball high after he rebounds it). Still needs to learn how to box out and get in position quicker. Nolan showed he does have some technique, last year, but he just hasn't played as well as many expected, yet. Not sure why.

 

[Husky25]

It's a stupid stat for the offense. It is rewarding failure. Taken out of context, the stat indicates a team crashed the offensive boards, when in fact they were probably posterized. I don't think that every missed shot needs a corresponding rebound either.

 

[upstater]

And another thing. Ollie's practices are supposed to be very well run. This team should improve in most facets as the year goes on, especially since the NCAA has cut down on practice time--which speaks to some of the uneven results we see everywhere.

One of the things that bugs me about this team so far is that they are coming out with no energy and it is so early in the season. They haven't really traveled yet, and this year's travel in the AAC is going to be considerable, not to mention the trip out to Seattle next week.

 

[upstater]

If they go with a smaller frontcourt, I wonder if Facey can spell Nolan. Facey is probably only 6'8, and he's very skinny, but I wonder if he might give them more than Nolan.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

see, I don't think it's personnel, the kids we have can rebound. I think it's more about technique

again, JC didn't always have size up front, yet we always rebounded well. Hell, he used to out-rebound the big boys when he was at Northeastern

I will concede this, maybe KO needs more size to have his system work. That very well may be the answer

When did he not have size? One of calhouns trademarks was having NBA size at most/all positions.

Personnel is clearly an issue but KO has made it abundantly clear that rebounding is a priority. Might just take a couple years before we get the players to show it.

And on the flip side our poor rebounding team is one of the best shooting teams in the country. Something calhoun never had

 

[mauconnfan]

It's a stupid stat for the offense. It is rewarding failure. Taken out of context, the stat indicates a team crashed the offensive boards, when in fact they were probably posterized. I don't think that every missed shot needs a corresponding rebound either.

That's ridiculous - "rewarding failure" because someone blocked your shot?? Kidding me right.......you teach kids NOT to be afraid of getting your shot blocked and "posterized" is something for those who worry about it. Granted Brimah is a game changer and will get better, but blocking shots for many also gets you in trouble and out of position for the rebound so why do it. Stand tall, straight up and keep your feet and your fine but flying at someone puts you in danger of not being in the play after the ball has been regained. There aren't that many in a game that should change the overall view of being out rebounded anyway........

 

[HuskyBballFan]

see, I don't think it's personnel, the kids we have can rebound. I think it's more about technique

again, JC didn't always have size up front, yet we always rebounded well. Hell, he used to out-rebound the big boys when he was at Northeastern

I will concede this, maybe KO needs more size to have his system work. That very well may be the answer

You're thinking too hard. It's the personnel.

 

[upstater]

When did he not have size? One of calhouns trademarks was having NBA size at most/all positions.

Personnel is clearly an issue but KO has made it abundantly clear that rebounding is a priority. Might just take a couple years before we get the players to show it.

And on the flip side our poor rebounding team is one of the best shooting teams in the country. Something calhoun never had

Except for 2006. Rashad, Denham, Rudy Gay, even Marcus Williams. All shot well.
For some reason, Boone developed an allergy to rebounding, though Hilton was more than adequate.

 

[Husky25]

That's ridiculous - "rewarding failure" because someone blocked your shot?? Kidding me right...

A better word might be a consolation for failure, and no I am not kidding. Why would I be? Every field goal does not have a corresponding assist. Why does every shot, including blocked shots, require a rebound?

...you teach kids NOT to be afraid of getting your shot blocked and "posterized" is something for those who worry about it.

What does not being afraid of a blocked shot have to do with getting awarded a rebound for collecting the loose ball? Nothing. You missed the point about posterization. Don't say you didn't, because you did. Accept it and move on.

...Granted Brimah is a game changer and will get better, but blocking shots for many also gets you in trouble and out of position for the rebound so why do it. Stand tall, straight up and keep your feet and your fine but flying at someone puts you in danger of not being in the play after the ball has been regained.

All the great shot blockers go straight up in the air and many have the instinct to not fall for a ball fake and don't leave their feet until the very last possible moment. They also get enough of the ball to deflect its path allowing them to gain possession or give a teammate a better chance. Therefore they are still in position for a rebound. Brimah is a good, not great, shot blocker. Those that go "flying at someone" are liable to be called for a foul, thereby making position to rebound a moot point.

There aren't that many in a game that should change the overall view of being out rebounded anyway........

Loyola had 20 offensive rebounds and UConn had 11 blocks, obviously all of those Off. Rebs. did not come from blocks, but far too many times in this young season, UConn has blocked the ball out of bounds (resulting in a team offensive rebound for the opposition) or did it in such a way to allow an offensive player (not necessarily the shooter) to regained possession. As I said, I expect that stat to get better.