Jalen Adams (Committed to UConn)

[polycom]

Until he plays a D-1 basketball game, I don't care. This mix-tape culture is silly, I've been to enough AAU tourney's/watched enough Prep league basketball to know it doesn't always translate, although one can hope.

 

[Walker11]

There are three 5 star combo guards on the roster and Jalen runs the point and seems to be the go to guy. You never know til they get here, but that fact alone is very telling.

 

[StingLykOllie]

I'm sort of with you. I'm hopefully he comes in and shows the type of promise that Hamilton showed this pass year.

I'm hoping that Adams learning curve is a whole lot faster than Hamilton's was.

We're going to struggle mightily OOC next year, but I'm more optimistic about our conference schedule.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I'm hoping that Adams learning curve is a whole lot faster than Hamilton's was.

We're going to struggle mightily OOC next year, but I'm more optimistic about our conference schedule.

Good observation. Hamilton shows brief glimces of being the player we all hoped he be. He's otherwise to inconsistent and too ineffective. Hopefully he will improve and be the real deal everyone thinks he will become.

Other than DH, the rest of this team is ............ mediocre at best. Wow, how the mighty are falling.

 

[Rico444]

That's very true. I thought Stanley Johnson was ball hoggin in the McDonalds ALl-American game and D Ham didn't get that many touches lol. Well I guess it was the McDonalds game 1, and 2, Stanley was the better player then. Jalens was probably taking more shots and ball hogging because nobody else on the team could do what he was doing. Kind of like how Boatright is forced to take more shots then he might want to for our team.

There's a good reason why D-Ham didn't take more shots in the McDonald's AA game: he didn't play in it.

 

[Palatine]

They are killing me too.

 

[7774]

Good observation. Hamilton shows brief glimces of being the player we all hoped he be. He's otherwise to inconsistent and too ineffective. Hopefully he will improve and be the real deal everyone thinks he will become.

Other than DH, the rest of this team is .. mediocre at best. Wow, how the mighty are falling.

Hamilton has shown brief glimpses? He leads the league in rebounding. He's 7th in assists. He's 18th in scoring.

 

[mcs333]

I believe JA is a year older than DH coming into D1 ball. As a 5th year senior playing at a higher level than many HS players JA maybe more advanced than most freshman. Let's hope so.

 

[microfich]

One observation, I've made with this years team, is they stand around waiting for Boat to create something for them.
Hopefully, next year, Hamilton, and at least 1 or 2 others need to eventually learn to create matters on their own.
Only other creator is Hamilton with his ally-oops to Brimah. Sometimes this works, sometimes Daniel should just take the shot.
Don't know who else will be on this team, but, as of now Purvis needs to step up, and hopefully Adams can fill Boat's role, but not with the entire team hanging on his britches.

They stood around waiting for Shabazz (who had solid #2 Boat.)
They stood around waiting for Kemba (who had solid #2 Bazz.)
They stand around waiting for Boat (who has no solid #2.)

I don't like it either, it's frustrating to watch, but if you have a great #1 PG, you can get away with it if you have the supporting cast.

If they stand around waiting for Adams, a frosh who has to learn our system, who may or may not have a solid #2, it won't work. We'll have to do other things.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm sort of with you. I'm hopefully he comes in and shows the type of promise that Hamilton showed this pass year. Where we make a run imo is if Hamilton and Brimah come back for Jalen's sophomore year! I think we have the talent and the vet leadership at that point to be extremely dangerous.

I do hold out hope for next season though. The exciting thing with an incoming player is you never know what you are going to get until he starts playing in games regardless of the hype from recruiting. There is always the chance that Jalen is a super freshman that comes in and just has IT. I'm hoping for that, and I honestly wouldn't be completely shocked if that were the case. IF that is the case, next year could very well be a year with a better Amida, and Hamilton. And if Purvis and anyone else on the team gives us anything at all, we are in for it.

Always reason to be excited when it comes to new players coming in.

Dham probaly will be gone JA's sophmore year but I wouldn't worry about AB as he will be here 4 years. He has alot to improve upon to get drafted. We will see if a full off-season makes a difference since last year he was injured at that time.

 

[ktuck911]

Some posters feel like the current players we haven't are going to get any better... Remember this is UCONN... Are entire philosophy is based on superior guard play... Which means we don't recruit ready to play right away bigs too well... The game of basketball requires all 5 players working in sync on both ends of the floor... Our project big men have to mature a little more (mainly the 4 & 5's ). You need that support up front, a knowledgeable player who can score the basketball when needed occasionally (not just one big man either), and set the right screen, position himself properly on the defense end, AND, most important, REBOUND the basketball.. I think rebounding has pretty much killed us this season, along with us settling for perimeter jump shots way too often... We'll be better, next season... At UCONN, it's a 4 year process with how our teams progress into Nat'l Championship contenders...at the same time, players come and go thru the process...

I say that to say this: Jaylen Adams WILL have a running mate when he gets here... If he can crap the starting lineup, the guy running next to him will be that guy and he's already here... AND, I think we'll be a pretty dangerous basketball team by then... Ballhandling will have tightened up by then and our bigs will be a year older and wiser and ready to play a more steady 4 and 5....

 

[tennmike]

Since we are thinking about next year, get Rodney out of the weight room and replace the time with some full-time Pilates work; the guy sorely needs some fluidity. He plays like a pressure-treated 4x4. While we are at it, perhaps design an electric fence-type aversion therapy training devise for the out of bounds lines. Rodney steps on it, gets 3000 volts. OC needs a mental coach like the type pro golfers use. OC also needs to lose the little skip step start to his cuts...just run like you want to get from point A to point B fast.

For Brimah the list is exceedingly long. Strength training using the big plates, the heavy kettle balls, big man camp, big meals eaten often, etc... he also needs Jim Calhoun in his ear to let him know that repeating mistakes will lead to a serious ass chewing. His captaincy should also be contingent. He wasn't ready for it; it was KO's first mistake this year. Being a good cheerleader and hard worker is not enough for an elite hoops program. An understanding of the game should be a prerequisite. The totality of hoops experience of 5-6 years is not enough unless you are a prodigy. Spirit may be sufficient rationale for captaincy of the pep squad, however.

TS - memorize everything Steve Nash has ever said. C'mon man, you are a NYC guard, not the suburbs...represent! I could go on about the others, but did want to suck all the air out of the topic.

With all of our collective resources, this stuff is doable; let's get it done. There still may not be enough time and we need some more players. We must get back to our rightful place.

 

[8893]

Personally, I think we should bubble-wrap him to make sure he gets to campus in perfect order.

As soon as the season is over I will prepare the Boatright palanquin for Jalen's use.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The expectations for this kid are going to be unreal.

Please recall how AJ, Kemba, Napier and Boatright's freshman seasons went.

People are expecting this guy to come in and grab hold of the reigns like the guys before him, but it takes time.

Off the top of my head UConn went to a FF Kemba's freshman year and UConn won a Championship Bazz's freshman year. I'd gladly take either one of those seasons next year.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Off the top of my head UConn went to a FF Kemba's freshman year and UConn won a Championship Bazz's freshman year. I'd gladly take either one of those seasons next year.

You'd have to be really dense to gather that from what I said.

 

[tzznandrew]

Off the top of my head UConn went to a FF Kemba's freshman year and UConn won a Championship Bazz's freshman year. I'd gladly take either one of those seasons next year.

True, but both were glue guys rather than the guy. And Kemba's performance in the MSU game pretty much cost us that game.

The more instructive lens would be to look at Kemba and Shabazz's sophomore years where they were truly asked to lead a team. Or AJP, or Taliek. Those years are often rough.

I'm optimistic about next year, but finding a way to make sure Adams doesn't have to be AJP/Kemba/Shabazz/Boat would be great.

 

[ctchamps]

Watched the NEPSAC Championship game. Adams was the leader of the team in that game. That's a team with lot's of talent and they deferred to him. Kid has moxie. I think he comes in and doesn't defer. That will be important next season. He let Crisp(sp?) handle the ball a lot, but when it came time for something to happen he wanted the ball. And he made some great plays.

He had a tough game. Commentator and someone who watched him other times felt his game was off from his normal play. At least five turnovers and his deep shot was off. He looked gassed a lot of the game and his defense was lacking.

Kid oozes talent. It will be fun, and frustrating at times, watching him and DHam develop.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Hamilton has shown brief glimpses? He leads the league in rebounding. He's 7th in assists. He's 18th in scoring.

You almost wouldn't know who they were talking about by the description. Seemed to me like Hamilton got up to speed pretty quickly.

 

[FartMan69]

The expectations for this kid are going to be unreal.

Please recall how AJ, Kemba, Napier and Boatright's freshman seasons went.

People are expecting this guy to come in and grab hold of the reigns like the guys before him, but it takes time.

The difference outside of AJ is all those PG's weren't the go to ball handler their freshman years as JA will be next year. That could be a good thing and a bad thing. He'll be able to show his talent on a nightly basis but will also show his inexperience. Could he be a star from day one ala Melo Trimble? Perhaps but I expect his season to be a lot like Hamilton's was this year, promising, exciting and a bit frustrating at times. One thing i do know is we need another impact player in the back court with him.

 

[Pudge]

Melo Trimble at Maryland

If the surrounding cast develops; if you have veterans who can make plays & experienced role players who can drill down to be more effective; you can have a special season with a new FR PG. Needs to fit. One kid - Kemba or Shabazz or AJ - can't be looked at for his sole impact. At least those first months.

 

[imno1]

 

[Kitaman]

You want mixtapes MF'ers!

 

[BearJWS]

Linky...
http://www.coxhub.com/2015-national...sionGuid=6286c3e8-7391-4f94-8fb7-c6ece248d113

 

[BearJWS]

iPad strikes again...

National Prep Championship game online @ 7:30 pm. See Jalen play for a championship.

Mods - possible to edit the thread?

 

[mauconnfan]

Derrickson is nice. Just hit a couple 3's in a row and is also a space eater. Not very tall, probably more like 6'5 - 6'6 but can play.