If Jackson Played for Calhoun…

[mauconnfan]

I agree that we need him at his best, playing smart and under control. But the team’s ceiling is only realized with Andre heavily in the mix. I liked that we ran a few sets that got him down near the rim, unless he’s facilitating, he should rarely be 22 feet from the basket.

It’s very hard to resolve the issue that they aren’t guarding him. If on the perimeter they’re just sloughing off and helping on shooters and getting in passing lanes. If close to the basket his guy can help off on Sanogo or Clingan. But we do know he can rebound so keeping him near the basket is best I agree.

 

[CallMeBruce]

There‘s a swing and a miss. But I like the effort

You can always tell you've hurt a boomer's feelings when they post stuff like this

 

[kemba]

Alleyne played excellent defense when in and stopped Murray a couple of times. So you are wrong there.

No I’m not. I didn’t say he didn’t do some nice things. He did not make the defensive impact Jackson made. And again, didn’t bring the playmaking Jackson did. Shot worse too.

 

[slepers]

Yes, I would.

Especially against high/end big east teams where we’ve struggled - it’s time to mix it up. I feel like I am watching different games than some on this board? Did you watch the first half yesterday where it was clank after clank and multiple turnovers? I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve PT but simply not as a starter.

No way should any of those 3 start over Andre!

 

[UCan3]

As much as the claim has been made this is an anti AJ thread, starting to think a better case could be made on this being an anti Joey C. Clingan and alleyne thread.

What these players haven’t gotten is the chance to start and stay in the game for long stretches. Where ball handling and some more scoring needed I would like to see Joey C get a shot early on rather than go in cold every time. Also Like Clingan.

 

[UCan3]

Yeah I think you’re pretty clearly watching a different game. I would love to see your posts after we try your proposal of benching the most dynamic kid on the roster.

Also he had 7 assists and 2 turnovers.

Yeah I think you’re pretty clearly watching a different game. I would love to see your posts after we try your proposal of benching the most dynamic kid on the roster.

Also he had 7 assists and 2

Dynamic? Did you see the missed put back from 3 feet away or the one handed runner than barely touched the rim. The errant pass to Hawkins. If he is most dynamic, yes we need someone a little less dynamic and more dependable - we have some heavy hitters come up on the schedule - playtime over.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Out of curiosity is there any empirical evidence whatsoever to suggest that Calcaterra is a better ball handler than Jackson? I’m not aware of any.

I like the kid but he’s on the court to make jump shots. If he’s not doing that then it’s hard to argue that he deserves more time, especially when people are bitching about perimeter defense and containing dribble drives, which he absolutely cannot do.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Dynamic? Did you see the missed put back from 3 feet away or the one handed runner than barely touched the rim. The errant pass to Hawkins. If he is most dynamic, yes we need someone a little less dynamic and more dependable - we have some heavy hitters come up on the schedule - playtime over.

Like I said. We’re watching a different game. I certainly don’t mind being on the opposite side of this discussion, especially when you’re arguing that his minutes should go to Alleyne.

He had 7 assists against 2 turnovers. Keep saying “errant pass” like it means something here, pops.

 

[UCan3]

Like I said. We’re watching a different game. I certainly don’t mind being on the opposite side of this discussion, especially when you’re arguing that his minutes should go to Alleyne.

He had 7 assists against 2 turnovers. Keep saying “errant pass” like it means something here, pops.

I did not say they should all go to Alleyne but no matter.

When we play top tier competition we cannot have AJ either not playing offense or throwing up briicks, we need some production at that spot offensively. And someone who takes care of the ball better.

So yeah maybe Joey C. can shake things up with his jumper or Clingan for stretches, have AJ come in when first big stop of game is needed - added pressure - think John Gwynn but for defense.

If we don‘t want to be “one and done” again in NCAA tourney we need to find a starting lineup that is more consistent - that is my take - nothing against AJ but how many years has it been now since we won a tourney game or League Championship? These discussions 100% appropriate IMO.

 

[Rico444]

When we play top tier competition we cannot have AJ either not playing offense or throwing up briicks, we need some production at that spot offensively. And someone who takes care of the ball better.

Who on this roster is taking better care of the ball than Andre did on Saturday? He had 7 assists and 2 turnovers. For comparison, Tristen Newtown has had a total of 3 games all year where he had at least 7 assists and 2 or fewer turnovers, and he's our starting point guard.

If Andre consistently had games like Saturday, except he also scored 15 points on 50% shooting, then you'd be talking about an All-American candidate. I don't think people are realizing how valuable all of the other stuff he's doing is.

 

[PAHusky]

Who on this roster is taking better care of the ball than Andre did on Saturday? He had 7 assists and 2 turnovers. For comparison, Tristen Newtown has had a total of 3 games all year where he had at least 7 assists and 2 or fewer turnovers, and he's our starting point guard.

If Andre consistently had games like Saturday, except he also scored 15 points on 50% shooting, then you'd be talking about an All-American candidate. I don't think people are realizing how valuable all of the other stuff he's doing is.

Right, but Newton scores too. No one is saying that Jackson's passing isn't valuable, but Newton actually scores himself too.

And of course we'd be talking about an All-American candidate if he could score, that's the most obvious thing in the world. The problem is that he can't, and it makes our offense predictable and has been a problem at times this season.

The criticism of Jackson has been repeated as nauseum, but it's also obnoxious to hear from some posters over and over again that some of us are missing out on the all around game Jackson has and focusing too much on his scoring. No, we all get it. It's just that his inability to score at all is almost unprecedented to a wing player and when he's not having divine passing games he's an anchor on the offense.

I'm actually impressed with how many assists Jackson gets considering the defense knows, every single time, exactly what he's going to do.

 

[ctchamps]

The first half yesterday, AJ made many of the plays, that need either to be corrected soon or less playing time.

2nd half was a nice turnaround and good hustle.

I think with what I recommended early in this thread AJ could have come off the bench and made many of those same plays. I just don’t think he’s a starter right now, and the margin of error in the upcoming games won’t be nearly the same as it was yesterday.

If Jackson played for Calhoun he would have said I never had a player cut the head off the snake better than Jackson did with Spears.

And if you were a reporter who made the above statement Calhoun would have F bombed you into oblivion.

 

[tentoes4rings]

It’s very hard to resolve the issue that they aren’t guarding him. If on the perimeter they’re just sloughing off and helping on shooters and getting in passing lanes. If close to the basket his guy can help off on Sanogo or Clingan. But we do know he can rebound so keeping him near the basket is best I agree.

There were times where he was left all alone and guys didn’t look in his direction, He had one alley oop finally but if they continue to sag off him he should be able to get several dunks per game.

 

[Rico444]

Right, but Newton scores too. No one is saying that Jackson's passing isn't valuable, but Newton actually scores himself too.

And of course we'd be talking about an All-American candidate if he could score, that's the most obvious thing in the world. The problem is that he can't, and it makes our offense predictable and has been a problem at times this season.

The criticism of Jackson has been repeated as nauseum, but it's also obnoxious to hear from some posters over and over again that some of us are missing out on the all around game Jackson has and focusing too much on his scoring. No, we all get it. It's just that his inability to score at all is almost unprecedented to a wing player and when he's not having divine passing games he's an anchor on the offense.

I'm actually impressed with how many assists Jackson gets considering the defense knows, every single time, exactly what he's going to do.

The problem with the complaints about his scoring is that he scored 7 points on 42% shooting, yet there are still people complaining about his offensive performance in the game. 7 points isn't great, but it isn't "no scoring at all" like you're harping on here. I could understand complaining about his offense after the Xavier game where he missed a ton of shots, but I would sign up for 7 points from him every night if he keeps doing what he does defending, rebounding, and dishing out assists.

 

[husky429]

The problem with the complaints about his scoring is that he scored 7 points on 42% shooting, yet there are still people complaining about his offensive performance in the game. 7 points isn't great, but it isn't "no scoring at all" like you're harping on here. I could understand complaining about his offense after the Xavier game where he missed a ton of shots, but I would sign up for 7 points from him every night if he keeps doing what he does defending, rebounding, and dishing out assists.

Eh, he's scoring 7 points a game with no one guarding within 10 feet of him. Hawkins scoring 7 points and Jackson scoring 7 points have very different effects on the opponent's game plan. I love Jackson and think some of the criticism is ridiculous, but it's silly to pretend his 7 points are the same as 7 points for someone who is actually worth guarding in the half-court.

 

[PAHusky]

The problem with the complaints about his scoring is that he scored 7 points on 42% shooting, yet there are still people complaining about his offensive performance in the game. 7 points isn't great, but it isn't "no scoring at all" like you're harping on here. I could understand complaining about his offense after the Xavier game where he missed a ton of shots, but I would sign up for 7 points from him every night if he keeps doing what he does defending, rebounding, and dishing out assists.

First, defending a starter's scoring by saying he put up 7 points on 42% shooting isn't really the strongest argument. A starter playing the minutes he is at the wing and not scoring more than 7 points against an awful Gtown team puts that much more pressure on everyone else to get buckets. That aside, it goes beyond the box score. When he touches the ball in the half court everyone on the court - in the building - knows he's looking to pass first and not shoot. That lets his guy sag off of him, clogs up the lane, kills most pick and rolls (you can go under every single screen and even then if he gets by you there's 0 chance at a layup). It kills our spacing at times. His poor shooting isn't just a Jackson issue, it's a problem our entire offense hasn't figured out since defenses have adjusted to us post non-conference games.

I feel like my repeated posts about his shortcomings make me sound like a Jackson hater, but I really do love the kid and his work ethic and his unique game. This board needs to stop acting like he's a lottery/first round talent though, or that his skill set makes him immune from criticism about his offensive inefficiencies.

 

[tentoes4rings]

The problem with the complaints about his scoring is that he scored 7 points on 42% shooting, yet there are still people complaining about his offensive performance in the game. 7 points isn't great, but it isn't "no scoring at all" like you're harping on here. I could understand complaining about his offense after the Xavier game where he missed a ton of shots, but I would sign up for 7 points from him every night if he keeps doing what he does defending, rebounding, and dishing out assists.

Absolutely. I think the key is Newton, if he’s scoring like he has recently, Andre’s points aren’t a big issue. I think he’s miscast at the 3. In today’s game, a 3 who can’t shoot isn’t ideal.

 

[UCan3]

If Jackson played for Calhoun he would have said I never had a player cut the head off the snake better than Jackson did with Spears.

And if you were a reporter who made the above statement Calhoun would have F bombed you into oblivion.

I am amused that against Georgetown, the 1-11 Hoyas, where AJ had a good 2nd half after a dismal 1st half, this now makes him above any criticism?

I just don’t think he’s a starter in the Big games we have coming up or at the very least Hurley needs to rein in the poor passes, errant shots and or T’s with a quick hook.

No one here saying AJ shouldn’t be on the court only to what extent can use him when the competition heats up.

I for one, would love to be proved wrong but there’s something about the careless nature he Plays the game which I know will come back to haunt us when we get to BE Tourney/NCAA

 

[tentoes4rings]

I am amused that against Georgetown, the 1-11 Hoyas, where AJ had a good 2nd half after a dismal 1st half, this now makes him above any criticism?

I just don’t think he’s a starter in the Big games we have coming up or at the very least Hurley needs to rein in the poor passes, errant shots and or T’s with a quick hook.

No one here saying AJ shouldn’t be on the court only to what extent can use him when the competition heats up.

I for one, would love to be proved wrong but there’s something about the careless nature he Plays the game which I know will come back to haunt us when we get to BE Tourney/NCAA

Ok, so once again I’ll ask, if you don’t go two bigs, who starts over him? Unless you move Karaban down to the 3 and start Samson, I don’t see anyone starting over Andre who would be better. Alleyne, Calcaterra and Diarra are major drop offs from Andre Jackson in terms of their impact on the entire game. With regard to the poor passes, he also makes a lot of great passes. His assist to turnover ratio is 2.5 to 1.

 

[Rico444]

Eh, he's scoring 7 points a game with no one guarding within 10 feet of him. Hawkins scoring 7 points and Jackson scoring 7 points have very different effects on the opponent's game plan. I love Jackson and think some of the criticism is ridiculous, but it's silly to pretend his 7 points are the same as 7 points for someone who is actually worth guarding in the half-court.

I get your point, but I'm looking at it from a production standpoint. If Andre gets 7 points, that's on the low end, but if he also gives you 7 assists and 10 rebounds along with great defense then all in all that's a pretty darn good game if you ask me.

Scoring isn't going to be a strength of his game, we all know that. If Andre put up a goose egg then I get the criticism, but he scored 7 points which is good enough considering everything else he does well.

 

[UCan3]

Ok, so once again I’ll ask, if you don’t go two bigs, who starts over him? Unless you move Karaban down to the 3 and start Samson, I don’t see anyone starting over Andre who would be better. Alleyne, Calcaterra and Diarra are major drop offs from Andre Jackson in terms of their impact on the entire game. With regard to the poor passes, he also makes a lot of great passes. His assist to turnover ratio is 2.5 to 1.

Okay I know there is alot fo anti Joey and D Clingan in this thread but I like the idea of starting Joey C and let him get into the flow for a bit and then bring AJ off bench after we‘ve scored a few points. I like at some point AJ coming out for the twin tower approach to end half.

Joey C. has had trouble finding rhythm but he can be a quick offensive spark.

The careless play early on in the game is what concerns me so much w/ Andre. The weird no look passes or ones that looked like they had zero chance connecting. That stuff early on can turn a game wrong direction.

It is the lack of disciplined play that has me taking him out of starting position.

 

[Huskybass]

The problem with the complaints about his scoring is that he scored 7 points on 42% shooting, yet there are still people complaining about his offensive performance in the game. 7 points isn't great, but it isn't "no scoring at all" like you're harping on here. I could understand complaining about his offense after the Xavier game where he missed a ton of shots, but I would sign up for 7 points from him every night if he keeps doing what he does defending, rebounding, and dishing out assists.

Everything you say is true . The problem is
some of the better teams in the conference have enough offensive firepower that playing 4 1/2 on 5 won't cut it. For example, Xavier had six guys with more than 7 points in their last game and their seventh leading scorer had seven points.

With Andre's athleticism, he has to find a way to get more baskets going to the hole. I'm not talking massive stuff either, just a couple plays a game. Andre at 10 ppg makes this team a tougher out.

 

[ctchamps]

I am amused that against Georgetown, the 1-11 Hoyas, where AJ had a good 2nd half after a dismal 1st half, this now makes him above any criticism?

I just don’t think he’s a starter in the Big games we have coming up or at the very least Hurley needs to rein in the poor passes, errant shots and or T’s with a quick hook.

No one here saying AJ shouldn’t be on the court only to what extent can use him when the competition heats up.

I for one, would love to be proved wrong but there’s something about the careless nature he Plays the game which I know will come back to haunt us when we get to BE Tourney/NCAA

I'm amused that you think I'm criticizing you. I'm just employing the same tactic you did in your title and OP. I wrote what JC has said and done as a UConn coach and projecting what he would have said to your post #160. Now you're trying to deflect my response. If you can speak for JC why don't my comments about what he might say have equal plausibility. It was a weak tactic on your part and I'm calling you out on it.

 

[UCan3]

Spears played like he wasn’t 100% but good job AJ. Calhoun had many lock down players and you might be bit young to remember players like Ricky Moore but you could also count on to protect the ball and score a bit too.
I think Hurley’s taking my advice already at Marquette, AJ had 23 minutes, with 3 turnovers. I’d like to see it go down to more like 20 but this is the right way to go - limit amount of turnovers by using bench.

 

[mauconnfan]

Spears played like he wasn’t 100% but good job AJ. Calhoun had many lock down players and you might be bit young to remember players like Ricky Moore but you could also count on to protect the ball and score a bit too.
I think Hurley’s taking my advice already at Marquette, AJ had 23 minutes, with 3 turnovers. I’d like to see it go down to more like 20 but this is the right way to go - limit amount of turnovers by using bench.

This a tough situation to figure out as he's kind of an enigma right? I mean we need AJ to play more because he does so much and when he's really good he's someone the other teams don't have answers for. Certainly I am not referring to offense but his ability to rebound, defend when focused, make plays when in transition and just get to loose balls, I mean 2nd to none when on. But because they don't guard the man, he needs to be on his game in all other other areas to create a positive close. Again good game against Marquette no doubt but a few headscratchers as ususal. Wish he would just make the play and quit worrying about how cute it is. Also stay on your feet on defense if he did he'd be a lock down defender but between that and always sloughing off his guy to make a play off the ball be gets burnt on occasion.

I don't think we need less minutes from Andre we need him fully focused on staying out of foul trouble, making smart plays with the ball and defending his guy. He can be that guy and he can play 25-28 minutes which makes us better.