I will admit Brimah is not as far along as I had hoped

[mauconnfan]

What were people's actual expectations of Brimah, anyway?

Athletic kid, great shot blocker and he was somewhat of an offensive threat this year and added a mid range jumper to his quiver... Sure - guy isn't going to take that next step until he learns to NOT foul people all the time- but aside from that area - which is a huge area - he improved across the board. Love to see him get bigger this offseason, refine his jumper and get better at getting into position.

Across the board? really? I apologize then because for some reason I thought rebounding counted and thought it helped win. So those 5 rebounds in the last 4 games were much better than I thought, my bad!

 

[Kitaman]

What were people's actual expectations of Brimah, anyway?

Athletic kid, great shot blocker and he was somewhat of an offensive threat this year and added a mid range jumper to his quiver... Sure - guy isn't going to take that next step until he learns to NOT foul people all the time- but aside from that area - which is a huge area - he improved across the board. Love to see him get bigger this offseason, refine his jumper and get better at getting into position.

I fell into the UConn 7 footer automatic NBA camp. I also was gullible reading our posters pre-season reports and even worse everyone else's high expectations. Even Superjohn said he may be gone after his sophomore year.

Quite honestly I now only expect him to become a contributing collegiate player (whatever that means) and not an NBA draft or lottery pick. I'm protected cuz if he proves me wrong I'm ecstatic but if he proves me right I'm still feeling good about what he did for our program.

I said in another thread that I have a "prove it to me mindset" right now and will take even a 'little' improvement next season which for me is duplicating his best game performances (minus the 40 point game) of this season by at least 10 games.

Lastly I really don't think he's being challenged enough in practice so he may not be getting good reps. In fact he probably looks like an AA in practice which of course is misleading for him.

 

[Towney007]

Across the board? really? I apologize then because for some reason I thought rebounding counted and thought it helped win. So those 5 rebounds in the last 4 games were much better than I thought, my bad!

Someone needs to shoot you w/a tranq gun. Chill out.

Improving your FT% 8%, adding a block per game more, doubling your scoring and cutting down your foul rate help contribute to winning, too.

 

[huskyniner]

I'm protected cuz if he proves me wrong I'm ecstatic but if he proves me right I'm still feeling good about what he did for our program.

So that makes it okay to completely dump on a college kid playing for your own team?

 

[Towney007]

I fell into the UConn 7 footer automatic NBA camp. I also was gullible reading our posters pre-season reports and even worse everyone else's high expectations. Even Superjohn said he may be gone after his sophomore year.

Quite honestly I now only expect him to become a contributing collegiate player (whatever that means) and not an NBA draft or lottery pick. I'm protected cuz if he proves me wrong I'm ecstatic but if he proves me right I'm still feeling good about what he did for our program.

I said in another thread that I have a "prove it to me mindset" right now and will take even a 'little' improvement next season which for me is duplicating his best game performances (minus the 40 point game) of this season by at least 10 games.

Lastly I really don't think he's being challenged enough in practice so he may not be getting good reps. In fact he probably looks like an AA in practice which of course is misleading for him.

Yeah I guess. I just don't get what reasonable expectations anyone can have for a guy who's basically been playing the game only a few years. What kind of comps are we really even dealing with, here? I mean it's obvious he was a super-athletic wild card they hoped for the best on and all things considered, is a really nice piece to have and still has some upside. I'm just not sure it's reasonable to be comparing him to Thabeet at all.

 

[Kitaman]

So that makes it okay to completely dump on a college kid playing for your own team?

No I was referring to lofty expectations, which I got caught up in. I said nothing about dumping on him, for the record that is not cool, ever.

 

[Towney007]

I mean I keep reading this whole 'he needs to add bulk and muscle.'

He's 230 freaking lbs.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yeah I guess. I just don't get what reasonable expectations anyone can have for a guy who's basically been playing the game only a few years. What kind of comps are we really even dealing with, here? I mean it's obvious he was a super-athletic wild card they hoped for the best on and all things considered, is a really nice piece to have and still has some upside. I'm just not sure it's reasonable to be comparing him to Thabeet at all.

And I'm good with not comparing him to Thabeet, but shouldn't we expect him to be close by now, I mean close enough to be excited rather than concerned? That was the same as a frosh and jumped up each year nicely.Hey the kid can shoot it a little no doubt, problem is he can't get the shot off enough. Also he makes FT's decently for his soph year - not bad. We knew he could block shots and he makes a difference there no doubt. After that it's really really raw everywhere else. Passing out of the block or anywhere is a chore, rebounding is a chore, defensive footwork has not gotten better except when he is going to block the shot. And understanding when to help is close to clueless. It's only natural to compare these 2 and I'm afraid this is what scares many of us. I would be happy with reasonable improvement but the lack of understanding while making the same mistakes game after game says to me there was little if any improvement.

Maybe it's the soph-to-junior year for him - let's hope so!

 

[mauconnfan]

So that makes it okay to completely dump on a college kid playing for your own team?

Not too many dumping on the kid. Some just stating facts and others wondering why he can't improve in areas which he should. Nothing wrong with that, he's the captain of a high profile program with high expectations.

 

[Towney007]

All i'm saying is that anytime you just plunk chips down on raw athleticism over refined skill, it's a wildcard. I'll readily admit i'm more of a baseball guy than a basketball guy - but gambling on athleticism gives you consistent results 0% of the time. There just isn't much of a comp for him - so saying he's ahead or behind schedule in his development is - I dunno... Just seems presumptuous.

Their development is also inconsistent. I've seen athletic baseball players suck hose for two years and show up in year 3 and all of a sudden be world beaters. You never know. I'm not saying that's the case with Brimah, but again - my point is that you just don't know. That's the risk in those guys...

He made some key improvements - and looks like he's on pace to become a good, solid college player. The rebounding thing is concerning a bit - as it's unusual for a guy in his position, but the shot blocking presence almost makes up for it and if Lubin and Enoch can be what we think they can be and DHam's natural nose for finding the ball - Brimah might not HAVE to be a big rebounder. More than one way to skin the proverbial cat.

 

[Kitaman]

Not too many dumping on the kid. Some just stating facts and others wondering why he can't improve in areas which he should. Nothing wrong with that, he's the captain of a high profile program with high expectations.

Agree 100%. He's too loveable to dump on; the grin, the fun he displays, he does has leadership skills, he's more cheerleader than many posters here, he encourages his teammates, etc,. When he leaves he will certainly be missed and perhaps under appreciated, mainly because of the lofty expectations placed on him.

My question is who is to blame for him appearing so lost out there after two years; particularly in rebounding and offensive production (i.e. assists, picks, points etc.)?

He's a raw diamond but still yet polished. If there was someone that could work with this diamond exclusively he could really shine in the next two years. Practicing with Nolan, Facey, and Lubin doesn't help and we have a bunch of guards on our coaching staff (don't know if that matters but I think it does). He could be a sad story after four years of unrealized potential or maybe he's just too raw and inexperienced to polish in just 4 years. I hope that is not the case.

The kid needs help but he can't do it alone. His ceiling may just be a good college ball player and that's okay if we fans can accept it.

 

[champs99and04]

@Towney007 personally speaking, I'm still a huge Brimah fan and excited to see what he can accomplish over the next 1-2 years. This thread wasn't intended to diminish his improvements as much as it was a commentary on the current state of his game, and whether we expected him to be further along by this juncture.

Overall, he posted a promising sophomore season and made a major jump from where he was as a freshman. My one concern is that he tailed off towards the end of the season, particularly as a rebounder. He does a lot of great things for us, but a lot of the time we're operating at a significant rebounding deficit with him on the court against strong front lines, and that's just not conducive to winning basketball. Everything else - from sharpening his post defense, to fine-tuning his footwork in the post, to eliminating all of the unnecessary fouls - is fixable. But sometimes you watch him play and wonder if he'll ever be a competent rebounder.

 

[Towney007]

Freshman/Sophomore performance dips at the end of a season is a pretty normal thing.

Outside of his rebounding, he made progress virtually everywhere. I think if he can hit the boards better, he could be a really, really good college player - but given some pieces he might not have to be. Of course that's not ideal, but just because one area of his game is lacking doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater is all i'm saying.

 

[The Funster]

Nolan was crappy on the boards too, worse than Brimah. Nolan should get more heat than Brimah, IMO. Brimah tailed off while Nolan had some kind of resurgence towards the end so he ends up looking better. Yes, Brimah needs to get better, he needs more awareness: when to stay home and when to go for the block but he also needs some help on the blocks. I have more faith that Facey or Lubin can be that guy than I do Nolan. Nolan was the biggest disappointment for me.

 

[jdb50]

Amida has athleticism, that is a great place to start. He needs to develop core and leg strength. When Jake showed up and he was in the post and other teams could not move him for the first time I thought we had a shot to win it all. KAE also helped as he was a winner. AB has to stop trying to block every shot and start to become a rebounding machine. We have a rebounder on staff named Kevin Freeman who hopefully can help him learn positioning, anticipation and the hunger it takes to get 9 to 11 boards a game. AB can shoot free throws , has a jump shot if needed, sets picks, it is the lack of rebounds and leaving his guy to try and block every shot, who then gets a put back that is making him a liability.

 

[Deleted at users request]

You're kidding right? Thabeet was miles ahead of Brimah in so many areas. Physicality in the post, could score on a lay up, putback because he was strong enough. He moved smarter and commanded a rebound when he got his hands on it. Please don't compare the 2 because unless he makes huge strides, which I am rooting for, the difference in these 2 guys will simply be stated by their NBA draft positions after their junior year. And that won't be close without a quantum leap!

Everything you just said went back to my comment of getting position. But that's all Thabeet could do was make layups. Thabeet was a high pick because of his potential to have his skills grow cause he already did the little things center should do like run the floor, rebound, make layups, and block shots. Brimah is almost the opposite. He has skills such as a great second jump, a jumper, a hook shot when he gets the right position, and a turnaround. But he has trouble rebounding and and finishing hard layups because he isn't strong enough and doesn't move smart enough to get good position. Once he learns how to do those things he will be light years better than Thabeet. I was just comparing them at the offensive end btw.

 

[SHS72]

Simple ask--why has KO not sent this kid to the Big Men's Camp? Believe it's down in Floida and other UConn guys have gone--Voskul if I renpmeber....

 

[mauconnfan]

Simple ask--why has KO not sent this kid to the Big Men's Camp? Believe it's down in Floida and other UConn guys have gone--Voskul if I renpmeber....

He couldn't go last year so it's not on KO. He had shoulder surgery so was unable to have summer activity.

 

[SHS72]

So send him now! Have to believe it would make a world of difference for this kid. Getting knocked around and learning to score the basketball.

 

[mauconnfan]

Everything you just said went back to my comment of getting position. But that's all Thabeet could do was make layups. Thabeet was a high pick because of his potential to have his skills grow cause he already did the little things center should do like run the floor, rebound, make layups, and block shots. Brimah is almost the opposite. He has skills such as a great second jump, a jumper, a hook shot when he gets the right position, and a turnaround. But he has trouble rebounding and and finishing hard layups because he isn't strong enough and doesn't move smart enough to get good position. Once he learns how to do those things he will be light years better than Thabeet. I was just comparing them at the offensive end btw.

No matter if "just lay ups" he scored and stayed in games because he was smarter and realized what he could do to help the team. No doubt Brimah shoots it better, love his shot and think it can be a weapon. 70 plus games in, the question is will he ever understand, that is my only point on all of this? He has skills but does everyone actually believe "big mens cams" will provide the mental aspect of becoming everything we hope he will be? See I don't necessary believe the instincts come from big mans camp but instead should have begun to show after mid soph year. I will say this again, hope I'm wrong, but I am very very nervous about him being much more than we see. Crow would be a wonderful dinner anytime next year and I'm looking forward to it quite honestly.

 

[jibsey]

AB's wild card is his physical body and hand strength. He's an athlete, can run and block, shoot a bit but he goes against guys with less gifts who negate him with power. Back him down, take his boards. I see him contributing and being part (1/2) of our solution down low.

 

[CTBasketball]

Brimah just doesn't understand the game, that is what's holding him back.

 

[Mr. Hand]

I'm gonna start calling him Amida Boumtje-Boumtje to promote the appropriate expectations.

 

[mcs333]

AB needs to strengthen his weak hands. He fumbles way too many passes and rebounds. Also needs to strengthen his lower body. He gets pushed around on the blocks. He is always off balance on the low blocks on the offensive end when the defender puts a body on him. Thus he always looks off balance and because of that his foot work is terrible. Have you ever seen him fake one way and come back with and up and under move. Love to see him learn a few of Kevin Mchale's moves.

 

[Jimdish255]

I think a more mature Lubin mlght be a great guy for him to practice against but to be honest I'm not going to obsess about AB becoming a complete player. Not because we don't need it but because his skill set may not match up with those expectations. He does need to figure out how do certain things and be more aware of positioning but he might never be the guy who creates space with his body and bangs effectively to get rebounds. If that's the case we need someone else to step up or step in To fill that role. This tournament shows once again that a well coached team that knows their roles and works together can be very successful when they hit a few shots even without a 7+ shot blocker or a bunch of 3,4,5 star recruits.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

ESPN lists Nolan at 225 i believe, while Brimah is listed as 230. I think all of us can agree that Nolan looks to outweigh Brimah by at least 10 pounds, so either Phil's weight is off or Brimah's is.

 

[RipCity]

 

[UConnSwag11]

peoples can say, " that was last year, he hasn't done this year, blah blah." without that play imagine this place right now? brimah get's a pass unless he get's worse... he has been more active calling for the ball, developed a nice looking jumper, does not stop hustling, deals with getting elbows and shoulders in his chest all game long, and you still see him trying to help the team out... he had shoulder surgery that hindered his development... this offseason will be telling, but if we see growth and development in him then that will be great... he may weigh 230 but he needs more mass, needs to work on his hands and rebounding... he's only been playing this game for what, 5 years? and he's already a defensive menace... if we get a scoring and rebounding four no one will mention brimahs offensive inefficiencies

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Amida seems to be a kid who has great energy and enthusiasm. He has very good straight ahead speed and obviously is a natural shotblocker. It seems like he could get better in a lot of ways, but there are two things that seem to hold him back. First, as mentioned above, he cannot function if someone else has a body on him. I doubt if he can get much bigger and stronger while here, but let's hope he can. Secondly, he has not learned from his mistakes or been able to make adjustments like we would have hoped. This is probably due to his limited experience with basketball, at least in part. But he also just didn't show the ability to adjust, like when he would pick up 2 fouls in a matter of seconds. One thing I would give him over Hasheem is his competitive fire and toughness. He will get in there and mix it up as he is able, but it always seemed to me that Thabeet really did not like the physical contact part of the game. Amida will gain at least some weight and strength, but I also hope he will gain a better understanding of the game and better decision-making ability. He doesn't yet anticipate where to be and often starts to move too late, leading to fouls and missed blocks or stops.