Josh Carlton C

[champs99and04]

I'll say it again, as of right now there is a void in our front court.

You can disagree with me but I don't think it's that far fetched. Also I'm not just looking at star rankings and calling it a day. I'm looking at size, strength and skill. Diarra is what, 6'7"? Carlton is 6'9", and Durham 6'10" but with a wire-Y Deandre Daniels frame. Enoch may be our only true-C frame on the team, and his defense means we can't rely on him an entire game, at least not yet. That won't be able to compete with the teams with size like Texas, UNC, UK, etc. The types of talent we face in the NCAAT is drastically different from the AACT.

Do you remember how we all felt watching that Colorodo game this year where Scott was absolutely manhandling us? A well rounded team can't get dominated in one major aspect of the game like that. Rebounding has been a recurring theme for 3 years now, and we are losing the one single reliable front court guy we've had for the last 4 years now and replacing them with freshman you've never seen play at the college level once. How you can act like it's not even a topic of discussion is beyond me.

I'm just a bit unclear on why you seem to have pegged kids like Gilbert as a sure thing while expressing hesitancy on somebody like Durham, when they are ranked similarly and in the same class. If you were to say that, developmentally, you have more faith in the staff maximizing what they have in the back court than in the front court, then that would be a fair point...but that's a different discussion. As it stands now, we figure to have at least three highly touted big men with varying skill sets competing for minutes in 2017-18 (Diarra, Durham, Enoch), and that doesn't include however many minutes Larrier or Jackson or insert grad transfer here will play at the four.

To re-iterate, our biggest need for '17 is at the wing. We need a Purvis replacement ready to go if they aren't going to skip a beat from what they built in '16, and I don't see that guy on the current roster.

 

[KemBuckets21]

Relative to the talent we have been bring in in the backcourt, the front court is without a doubt lagging in terms of incoming talent. The only impact player we have recruited brought in is Durham and he will be eased into the game slowly with his injuries, leaving us with really only Enoch and Diarra as the big next year.

As it's currently constructed, our team produces all of its offense through its guards and the occasional wing player. We don't have a single big that we've seen play yet that you can just dump the ball to and let go to work. Our bigs only contribute in the form of rebounds, putbacks and lobs, that's it and very lacking for a team that has championship aspirations. I get that we won a title with Brimah but that's a bad example because (a) freshman brimah was a lot better than people expected or thought, his development has just lagged since, and (b) we had a transcendent college player with with great complimentary pieces. Carlton seems like a good 4 year project but seriously as of right now there is a huge void in our front court in the 2017-18 season, how can you possibly deny that? Especially for a team that wants to return to a final four.

How many bigs in the NBA can you "dump it down to and let go to work?" Tim Duncan retired. I think your standard for assessing center type prospects needs to change.

 

[BUConn10]

I'm just a bit unclear on why you seem to have pegged kids like Gilbert as a sure thing while expressing hesitancy on somebody like Durham, when they are ranked similarly and in the same class. If you were to say that, developmentally, you have more faith in the staff maximizing what they have in the back court than in the front court, then that would be a fair point...but that's a different discussion. As it stands now, we figure to have at least three highly touted big men with varying skill sets competing for minutes in 2017-18 (Diarra, Durham, Enoch), and that doesn't include however many minutes Larrier or Jackson or insert grad transfer here will play at the four.

To re-iterate, our biggest need for '17 is at the wing. We need a Purvis replacement ready to go if they aren't going to skip a beat from what they built in '16, and I don't see that guy on the current roster.

Because Durham hasn't played competitive basketball in nearly 2 years and is coming off of 2 ACL tears. I've torn my ACL personally and I know once the one year rehab period is over you never fully trust your knee even though your doctor says it's "as strong as ever", you never really make fast cuts on that knee like you used to.

Also Gilbert showed me things in that video that most other high school kids aren't capable of. The only reason Gilbert and Durham are ranked in a similar area is because Gilbert's size limits his potential for the pros which is what makes up the top 15 guys or so.

Still, I never said I don't think Durham will be good, don't know where you're getting that from. I just don't think he will be at the level we will expect for next year's team. I think 2017-18 is our best chance at a contending team, and size matters.

 

[BUConn10]

How many bigs in the NBA can you "dump it down to and let go to work?" Tim Duncan retired. I think your standard for assessing center type prospects needs to change.

I'm literally asking for a single basket. Your right, "dump it down and go to work" is a term from the 80s and 90s. All I'm asking for is a big that can get the ball 1 foot outside of the paint, and make a coordinated move that results in a score 50% of the time, at most 2 or 3 times a game. Someone who can rebound and not be moved around the paint at the defender's choosing, that's all.

It's just crazy that we haven't had that in years now and that people find it so strange that I'm worried about the lack thereof.

 

[KemBuckets21]

I'm literally asking for a single basket. Your right, "dump it down and go to work" is a term from the 80s and 90s. All I'm asking for is a big that can get the ball 1 foot outside of the paint, and make a coordinated move that results in a score 50% of the time, at most 2 or 3 times a game. Someone who can rebound and not be moved around the paint at the defender's choosing, that's all.

It's just crazy that we haven't had that in years now and that people find it so strange that I'm worried about the lack thereof.

I mean, you're not necessarily wrong. But prospects make the league and are successful without those traditional center-ish skills. Seems like it's more common that a kid 6'10-7'0 is more likely to be able to hit a short-mid range jumper than know how to do a drop step and hook or spin move these days.

 

[champs99and04]

Because Durham hasn't played competitive basketball in nearly 2 years and is coming off of 2 ACL tears. I've torn my ACL personally and I know once the one year rehab period is over you never fully trust your knee even though your doctor says it's "as strong as ever", you never really make fast cuts on that knee like you used to.

Also Gilbert showed me things in that video that most other high school kids aren't capable of. The only reason Gilbert and Durham are ranked in a similar area is because Gilbert's size limits his potential for the pros which is what makes up the top 15 guys or so.

Still, I never said I don't think Durham will be good, don't know where you're getting that from. I just don't think he will be at the level we will expect for next year's team. I think 2017-18 is our best chance at a contending team, and size matters.

Didn't mean to imply that, I was just wondering why you drew the line where you did re: Durham and Gilbert. Your reasoning makes sense. I don't agree, but it makes sense. I suppose I have a bit more confidence in Durham's health than most, which is admittedly based on nothing more than a hunch.

 

[BUConn10]

I mean, you're not necessarily wrong. But prospects make the league and are successful without those traditional center-ish skills. Seems like it's more common that a kid 6'10-7'0 is more likely to be able to hit a short-mid range jumper than know how to do a drop step and hook or spin move these days.

In my opinion size is more impactful in basketball in the college game than the NBA game at the moment. The level of skill at the guard and wing positions in the pros offset the physical advantage bigs have, but in college the skill level is generally more even across all the positions so the bigs have a huge physical advantage.

 

[navery12]

I'm literally asking for a single basket. Your right, "dump it down and go to work" is a term from the 80s and 90s. All I'm asking for is a big that can get the ball 1 foot outside of the paint, and make a coordinated move that results in a score 50% of the time, at most 2 or 3 times a game. Someone who can rebound and not be moved around the paint at the defender's choosing, that's all.

It's just crazy that we haven't had that in years now and that people find it so strange that I'm worried about the lack thereof.

Probably because we haven't had that in years now, but have 2 championships since 2011

 

[BUConn10]

Probably because we haven't had that in years now, but have 2 championships since 2011

In that case should I pre-order my 2017 and 2020 NCAA title game tickets and t-shirt now?

Because that's what your saying right? How do people who have such weak grasps on causation and correlation make it day to day in the business world?

First of all, Alex Oriahki was a McD AA and the exact type of player I'm saying we could use. He actually had an offensive game in the paint. So your wrong right off the bat with the "2 championships" remark.
Second, not having a center in 2014 was not the reason we were successful. The fact that I even need to type this out is crazy. Having a competent big man will do nothing but help us, good god you'd think I'm standing here saying the exact opposite with the amount of resistance this has gotten.

 

[navery12]

In that case should I pre-order my 2017 and 2020 NCAA title game tickets and t-shirt now?

Because that's what your saying right? How do people who have such weak grasps on causation and correlation make it day to day in the business world?

Yeah I think you should order you NCAA title game tickets, because I'd hope you're getting excited about the teams we'll have in the future.

Go ahead and lecture me about how I have a weak grasp between correlation and causation though, you're making a lot of assumptions there. Because that's not at all what I was saying, although I can see how it seemed that way. I'm not saying that's the reason that we won those championships. But I'm not going to start getting concerned about us not having those bigs, in large part because I feel like we do

 

[Hungryhusky99]

In that case should I pre-order my 2017 and 2020 NCAA title game tickets and t-shirt now?

Because that's what your saying right? How do people who have such weak grasps on causation and correlation make it day to day in the business world?

First of all, Alex Oriahki was a McD AA and the exact type of player I'm saying we could use. He actually had an offensive game in the paint. So your wrong right off the bat with the "2 championships" remark.
Second, not having a center in 2014 was not the reason we were successful. The fact that I even need to type this out is crazy. Having a competent big man will do nothing but help us, good god you'd think I'm standing here saying the exact opposite with the amount of resistance this has gotten.

Can we see these guys play before you declare them incompetent?

 

[navery12]

Can we see these guys play before you declare them incompetent?

This basically summarizes my point without all of the fluff, I think it's jumping to conclusions to say we don't have that guy before most of the guys have even gotten minutes

 

[Kembacity]

True, and so was Michael Bradley, still doesn't change my narrative about AO. Not trying to be mean, just calling it how I see it.

Even if you wrote softest big man, it would still be laughed at. If you think he was the softest, you likely started watching UConn basketball in his freshman year

 

[mauconnfan]

Even if you wrote softest big man, it would still be laughed at. If you think he was the softest, you likely started watching UConn basketball in his freshman year

Certainly not the softest. But inconsistency was an issue as he pulled disappearing acts way too often with the body and game that he potentially had. Had some monster games against good teams as we saw but could go 8 games and average 6 and 5 which should never have happened in his world. Mumu aside he fell short of expectations but not really of toughness, just needed to bring it more.

 

[superjohn]

Josh Carlton (6'11" C) 2017 verbal to UCon | HoyaTalk. This thread has the most info I've seen on him.

 

[KemBuckets21]

This seems like something you would read here. Courtesy of Hoya Fans.

So lets get this straight

No Josh Carlton
(Seemingly likely) No Jaren Jackson Jr.
No Antwan Walker
No Chris Lykes
No Aamir Simms
No Parker Stewart
No Tyler Foster
No DJ Harvey
No Nicholas Claxton
No Ikey Obiagu
No Nate Watson
No Naji Marshall
No Malik Williams
No Nick Weatherspoon
No Blake Harris
No Devonte Shuler
No Kodye Pugh

Basically only people left are Rafus, Beatty, Mading, Brown and Waters. I don't like our chances with Brown or Waters, and Mading/Rafus/Beatty are all borderline 3/4 stars. I understand that part of recruiting is striking out on the majority of players you try with. But this is just absurd. I think its fair to say that we are nearing a legitimate recruiting crisis. Maybe getting some wins this year will right the ship, but I honestly can't see it making THAT big of a difference unless we at least get to the Elite 8 this year.

In summation, bad news bears everyone.

 

[HooperScooper]

Looking at his offer sheet on 247, UConn is really the only high major offer he has. It's possible he just really wanted to be a husky and didn't factor Bamba or Richards at all - or that could just be wishful thinking on my part. I don't want this to devolve into another Brimah thread, but continually only landing projects at the center position is really not a great strategy.

Well we are due for a lower rated recruit who comes in and blows by all projections and is an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line. Seems everyone we play and teams in the NCAA Tournament have players like this. When was the last time we had a freshman rated outside the top 100 who was an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line? Okafor? And he was just about around top 100 by most people. So we are due!

 

[tjc1888]

Well we are due for a lower rated recruit who comes in and blows by all projections and is an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line. Seems everyone we play and teams in the NCAA Tournament have players like this. When was the last time we had a freshman rated outside the top 100 who was an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line? Okafor? And he was just about around top 100 by most people. So we are due!

Depending on your definition of impact player and huge contributor down the line....all these guys were ranked out of top 100

Giffey
Lamb
Brimah
Thabeet

Shabazz?- Don't really remember his ranking with the reclass. Probably was top 100 but cant remember.

 

[aceboon]

Depending on your definition of impact player and huge contributor down the line....all these guys were ranked out of top 100

Giffey
Lamb
Brimah
Thabeet

Shabazz?- Don't really remember his ranking with the reclass. Probably was top 100 but cant remember.

Lamb - RSCI rank #78
Thabeet - RSCI rank #64
Shabazz - RSCI rank #85

 

[selles]

Well we are due for a lower rated recruit who comes in and blows by all projections and is an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line. Seems everyone we play and teams in the NCAA Tournament have players like this. When was the last time we had a freshman rated outside the top 100 who was an impact player right away and a huge contributor down the line? Okafor? And he was just about around top 100 by most people. So we are due!

Brimah

 

[tjc1888]

Lamb - RSCI rank #78
Thabeet - RSCI rank #64
Shabazz - RSCI rank #85

Yup I was wrong.

 

[HooperScooper]

Brimah

Hmmmm, not sure I'd put him in the class of what I was thinking.

 

[Chief00]

I'm just a bit unclear on why you seem to have pegged kids like Gilbert as a sure thing while expressing hesitancy on somebody like Durham, when they are ranked similarly and in the same class. If you were to say that, developmentally, you have more faith in the staff maximizing what they have in the back court than in the front court, then that would be a fair point...but that's a different discussion. As it stands now, we figure to have at least three highly touted big men with varying skill sets competing for minutes in 2017-18 (Diarra, Durham, Enoch), and that doesn't include however many minutes Larrier or Jackson or insert grad transfer here will play at the four.

To re-iterate, our biggest need for '17 is at the wing. We need a Purvis replacement ready to go if they aren't going to skip a beat from what they built in '16, and I don't see that guy on the current roster.

Assuming he stays healthy Durham is very good - I have seen him a couple times now - very impressed

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

But Diarra, Durham, Carlton, and Enoch are ALL good to very good rebounders. Who are more than big enough for a college front line. Especially the way Ollie like to play. Also this assumes we dont get any more bigs which I believe we will

Enoch had a lower rebound rate than brimah

 

[AntG168]

Enoch had a lower rebound rate than brimah

I believe he's improved. He was a rebounding machine this summer. Brimah can't grab 20 boards in a game in his dreams