If Jalen Adams plays anywhere near this level all year

[Rocktheworld]

No doubt. It would be crazy to think he can keep up his numbers from the last 3.5 games.

What will decide this is where the equilibrium balances out. If it's closer to last year, he stays. If it balances at 17/5/3 on good shooting splits, or somewhere close to Napier numbers... we've seen the last of him.

I'm still banking on one more year of the kid. It will be tough to adjust when EVERY defender has his eyes on him for an entire conference schedule.

Plus as far as we know Jalen loves UConn and is not trying to like DHam

 

[jibsey]

let's see what his game is like in March.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Those two were not ready for the NBA and knew it. Ollie has said as much in interviews but they made their own decisions. Hamilton didn't like college and deandre knew he was reaching his ceiling in terms of draft potential coming off the championship run.

They had limitations that will always keep them out of the league. Both were not athletic enough for the league. Both were in the bottom few in terms of vertical and lane ability in the combine.

I repeat: the vast majority of high level NBA prospects do not stay 4 years. IF Jalen is ready after this year, if the feedback from scouts says he could go in the lottery, he would be stupid not to declare for the draft.

I am unclear what is so shocking and insulting about this statement. It's pretty obvious to me.

Edit: meant to reply to @TouchdownHusky

Not shocked and not feeling insulted. And it certainly is obvious in hindsight about Daniels and Hamilton leaving early. Not disagreeing that high level NBA prospects do not stay 4 years. Where we see things different is the feeling that JA may find himself in the same boat. Daniels and Hamilton weren't even first round picks, so who where they listening to, what were they thinking. I thought DD had turned the corner and would become consistent. Hamilton wasn't anywhere - anywhere - near NBA potential when he left. They both should have stayed one more year and work on their game and if that wasn't enough then they were kidding themselves all along.

 

[husky429]

Not shocked and not feeling insulted. And it certainly is obvious in hindsight about Daniels and Hamilton leaving early. Not disagreeing that high level NBA prospects do not stay 4 years. Where we see things different is the feeling that JA may find himself in the same boat. Daniels and Hamilton weren't even first round picks, so who where they listening to, what were they thinking. I thought DD had turned the corner and would become consistent. Hamilton wasn't anywhere - anywhere - near NBA potential when he left. They both should have stayed one more year and work on their game and if that wasn't enough then they were kidding themselves all along.

Agree on Dham. Disagree on D Daniels.

Dham needed a year to become a better shooter and he could very well be in the NBA.

I think Deandre had peaked as a player. He has torn through the NCAA tournament and was ready to go make some money abroad instead.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Agree on Dham. Disagree on D Daniels.

Dham needed a year to become a better shooter and he could very well be in the NBA.

I think Deandre had peaked as a player. He has torn through the NCAA tournament and was ready to go make some money abroad instead.

Fortunately in is in Australia and not having to learn a different language. And I'm thinking that one of the red flags on DD was consistency. Was he the player they were seeing in the NCAA or the inconsistent player we all saw during the regular season. THAT IS WHAT he could have worked on. But. . . G'day Crocidile Deandre.

 

[upstater]

Fortunately in is in Australia and not having to learn a different language. And I'm thinking that one of the red flags on DD was consistency. Was he the player they were seeing in the NCAA or the inconsistent player we all saw during the regular season. THAT IS WHAT he could have worked on. But. . . G'day Crocidile Deandre.

He actually came on midway through the regular season.

 

[JSM1970]

Daniels had zero game ready for the league. He was a weird hybrid 4 with a lousy shot, awful handle, average defender. In retrospect Toronto is probably pissed it wasted a high 2nd round pick on him. Time will tell with DHam.

Agree on Dham. Disagree on D Daniels.

Dham needed a year to become a better shooter and he could very well be in the NBA.

I think Deandre had peaked as a player. He has torn through the NCAA tournament and was ready to go make some money abroad instead.

 

[Jluc]

Daniels had zero game ready for the league. He was a weird hybrid 4 with a lousy shot, awful handle, average defender. In retrospect Toronto is probably pissed it wasted a high 2nd round pick on him. Time will tell with DHam.

Deandre had a lot of flaws but "lousy shot" was not one of them. Kid shot 42% from 3 his Junior year.

 

[sledog]

IF JA doesn't get some 'help', he'll be shut down by a quadrupel team.

 

[NielsisGood]

Shabazz or Kemba wouldn't win NCs with this roster. That's comical.

Maybe not, but who else in the history of the program could have replaced Kemba in '11, or Bazz in '14, and won?

Also, do you really think this team would be 2-4 with either of them in Jalen's place? Again, I LOVE Jalen, but Kemba's team wasn't much different from this.

 

[NielsisGood]

Agree on Dham. Disagree on D Daniels.

Dham needed a year to become a better shooter and he could very well be in the NBA.

I think Deandre had peaked as a player. He has torn through the NCAA tournament and was ready to go make some money abroad instead.

Agree on DHam, strongly disagree on Daniels. Daniels could have at least been a McDermott type rotation player for somebody if he had stayed his Sr season.

 

[mauconnfan]

Maybe not, but who else in the history of the program could have replaced Kemba in '11, or Bazz in '14, and won?

Also, do you really think this team would be 2-4 with either of them in Jalen's place? Again, I LOVE Jalen, but Kemba's team wasn't much different from this.

You need to use Kemba's sophomore year to make this comparison. Would you like to rethink that? I love Kemba but he didn't have games like Jalen had until halfway through his sophomore season and this was with a fairly loaded team. So yes they would be 2-4 under Kemba and if memory serves me correctly Bazz had a rough time without Kemba at the beginning. So it's unfair to use this comparison to their NC years.

 

[NielsisGood]

You need to use Kemba's sophomore year to make this comparison. Would you like to rethink that? I love Kemba but he didn't have games like Jalen had until halfway through his sophomore season and this was with a fairly loaded team. So yes they would be 2-4 under Kemba and if memory serves me correctly Bazz had a rough time without Kemba at the beginning. So it's unfair to use this comparison to their NC years.

The comparison being made was with Jalen to Kemba and Bazz as we know them. Also, would you like to rethink saying that the team during Kemba's sophomore year was "fairly loaded"? That season was pretty rough.

 

[mauconnfan]

The comparison being made was with Jalen to Kemba and Bazz as we know them. Also, would you like to rethink saying that the team during Kemba's sophomore year was "fairly loaded"? That season was pretty rough.

Kemba, Stanley, Jerome, AO, Coombs-McDaniel, Majok, Okwandu (would love either of the latter 2 in the middle right now), Gavin and Donnell? I'll take that squad over this one with the injuries especially and it's not too close.

Having said that, no biggie here both need(ed) to get better than where they were early soph years in many ways to be that big prospect. Fact now is while Jalen showed he can score the ball, he still hasn't shown he can run the offense and this is exactly what he will need to do next level. Ways to go no doubt!

 

[upstater]

IF JA doesn't get some 'help', he'll be shut down by a quadrupel team.

You've been spending too much time in the beer thread.

 

[upstater]

I've been thinking for quite some time that recruiting is still to blame for most of the trouble.

Our point guards for many years had the luxury of not being lead PGs as freshman. We passed the baton from Marcus Williams to AJ Price to Kemba Walker to Shabazz Napier to... and then the string was broken. Ryan Boatright as a senior as never really a PG that ran the offense (and Ryan had a great senior year as a combo guard). After Ryan, we imported Sterling Gibbs, who didn't really run Ollie's offense until the last several weeks of the season. To be sure UConn, even under Calohun, never really ran the kinds of offensive sets you see elsewhere, but AJ Price, Williams, Napier and Shabazz ran tempo and got the ball to the right players at the right time.

We come into this year without a PG in command of the offense. We relied on Alterique Gilbert to do it (clearly, Jalen Adams when looking to run the offense showed some jitters). Relying on a true freshman who hasn't had time to adjust as Kemba and Napier did was a recipe for looking discombobulated.

I like what is going to now with recruiting, as Jalen Adams, Alterique Gilbert, and Malik Ashton-Langford have signed on in successive classes (though Jalen and Malik are likely combo guards on the college level).

Good recruiting by Ollie would have a freshman point guard on board every time a pure PG like Alterique is a junior.

For some reason, we failed to recruit a PG both in the Omar Calhoun's year, and in Amida/Facey's year. I know Samuel was supposed to be that guy, but surely our recruiting was poor that year.

 

[NielsisGood]

Kemba, Stanley, Jerome, AO, Coombs-McDaniel, Majok, Okwandu (would love either of the latter 2 in the middle right now), Gavin and Donnell? I'll take that squad over this one with the injuries especially and it's not too close.

Having said that, no biggie here both need(ed) to get better than where they were early soph years in many ways to be that big prospect. Fact now is while Jalen showed he can score the ball, he still hasn't shown he can run the offense and this is exactly what he will need to do next level. Ways to go no doubt!

So, even after listing off names like Ater Majok, Chuck Okwandu, Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, you still find it easier to stick to your guns and claim that this was a "fairly loaded" team, rather than just admit you were wrong? I missed this board.

 

[husky429]

So, even after listing off names like Ater Majok, Chuck Okwandu, Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, you still find it easier to stick to your guns and claim that this was a "fairly loaded" team, rather than just admit you were wrong? I missed this board.

You're coming across as very petty, entitled, and pretentious. It is okay to have a different opinion than someone and not be a jerk.

@James and I have had our differences of opinion, but I don't think we're anywhere near as asinine as your being in every post I see from you.

same with @mauconnfan --we don't agree precisely on Brimah, but we still come across like we actually LIKE this basketball team.

Short version: chill out. It's a game and a message board about a game.

 

[mauconnfan]

So, even after listing off names like Ater Majok, Chuck Okwandu, Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, you still find it easier to stick to your guns and claim that this was a "fairly loaded" team, rather than just admit you were wrong? I missed this board.

Majok was better than what we have and would've been really good if he stayed. Charles was as good as anything Jalen has to throw it in to. Did you forget Stanley Jerome AO Gavin or just choose who you throw up there?

I'm not wrong but feel free to check your mirror

 

[Deleted at users request]

I've loved Jalen more than just about anyone, even past year, but Kemba and Shabazz had a culture-defining attitude. Jalen is definitely the toughest, most high intensity guy on this team, but it's way too soon to compare that swagger to 2 guys that basically willed us to national titles.

I'm just basing this based off what I've seen this year and last year. There were many games last season where he made big plays at the end of games to try to will us to victory. Specifically with Cincinnati. He made many plays in OT to seal the win and save the game. Maui he was leading the charge to will us back.
It may be crazy but I'm still hopeful that the team will continue to improve and be a lot better come March.

 

[methodology]

So, even after listing off names like Ater Majok, Chuck Okwandu, Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, you still find it easier to stick to your guns and claim that this was a "fairly loaded" team, rather than just admit you were wrong? I missed this board.

Majok and coombs were very highly rated and if not for Majok handler pulling all the strings rather than listening to Calhoun he would have been very good had he stayed. Coombs I believe was a top 40ish recruit and Majok top 20ish.

You are wrong saying that team wasn't loaded and had more talent than this current team.

 

[Excalibur]

So, even after listing off names like Ater Majok, Chuck Okwandu, Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel, you still find it easier to stick to your guns and claim that this was a "fairly loaded" team, rather than just admit you were wrong? I missed this board.

Let's take out Kemba and Jalen and then rank the best players from the two teams. How many guys from 2010 are listed before you get to anyone from this year's team? 3 at a minimum (Dyson, Robinson, Oriakhi). Compared to this year, yes, that team was loaded, and particularly so once you factor in the injuries.

 

[NielsisGood]

Majok was better than what we have and would've been really good if he stayed. Charles was as good as anything Jalen has to throw it in to. Did you forget Stanley Jerome AO Gavin or just choose who you throw up there?

I'm not wrong but feel free to check your mirror

Dyson was coming off injury and was almost the same thing that Purvis is now. Sticks and Gavin were decent role players. AO was a 4-star frosh with potential. That team was nowhere close to being "fairly loaded" by any conventional interpretation of the term.

 

[NielsisGood]

Majok and coombs were very highly rated and if not for Majok handler pulling all the strings rather than listening to Calhoun he would have been very good had he stayed. Coombs I believe was a top 40ish recruit and Majok top 20ish.

You are wrong saying that team wasn't loaded and had more talent than this current team.

Majok was highly rated...Until he actually played. Even the consensus on this board was that the dude couldn't play. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was a top 40-60 recruit, but he barely got run, and didn't impress nor make an impact when he did. He couldn't shoot or play defense.


I'm not so sure that team had more talent than this team. Regardless, there's a pretty big gap between "better than this year's team" and "fairly loaded". That "fairly loaded" team went 7-11 in conference play.

 

[NielsisGood]

Let's take out Kemba and Jalen and then rank the best players from the two teams. How many guys from 2010 are listed before you get to anyone from this year's team? 3 at a minimum (Dyson, Robinson, Oriakhi). Compared to this year, yes, that team was loaded, and particularly so once you factor in the injuries.

Dyson and Purvis are practically the same player. Too early to compare anyone on this year's team with Sticks or AO, can't compare an established season of work to 6 games where people's roles have drastically changed due to injuries.