Kromah's loose ball layout

[OkaForPrez]

I'm sure I've missed some discussion on the kromah dive in other threads but thought it deserved it's own. We've spent the last week+ celebrating the kid, eating crow and toasting hyperthink, but yesterday when LK went Pete Rose'ing down the floor after that loose ball the kid rose another level IMO. Stoic demeanor, quiet leader, and he knows he belongs now, which makes him real dangerous. Remember when Ollie ripped this kid for passing up an open shot early in the season? He was coming off a poor shooting night and passed up a look he has to take. Well, that kid is long gone. It looks like the team is gel'ing and I'm hard pressed to find a better catalyst than our 5th year senior transfer out of GW.

 

[breezy]

I think catalyst is the perfect word to describe him. He can get us going by passing, scoring, defense, steals, whatever we need he can fill that gap.

His play last night reminded me of Eddie House laying out for a loose ball when the celts were in one of their playoff series in '08. I think it was against the Cavs

 

[HuskyNan]

I love players like Kromah, the ones that do all the dirty work, most of which never shows up in a box score. Sorry to bring the women's team into this, but Kromah is the men's team version of Kelly Faris.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

God, I wish we had another year of this kid.

 

[businesslawyer]

This team would not be near where it is without LK. Teams need glue guys -- the guys who play both hard and smart without worrying about their own numbers. Kromah has been that guy. I don't think he had a great game yesterday by any stretch, but on a day where energy seemed low at times both in the crowd and on the court, he was the one who brought the energy level up. Having watched his career at GW, not in a million years would I have thought that this would be the way he helped UConn. But it's been great.

That having been said, whether this team can sneak into the Sweet 16 with a good draw or compete for a Championship entirely depends on whether the Daniels we see the rest of the way is the average play of DD this year or the play of the guy who closed out last year. I'm still praying we see the DD I expected night in and night out. And still belieev that this team is a threat to get to the Final Four if we see him.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

That having been said, whether this team can sneak into the Sweet 16 with a good draw or compete for a Championship entirely depends on whether the Daniels we see the rest of the way is the average play of DD this year or the play of the guy who closed out last year. I'm still praying we see the DD I expected night in and night out. And still belieev that this team is a threat to get to the Final Four if we see him.

I think he's more banged up than we know. I think the same is true for Boat as well. I hope these guys can get semi-well before the tourney.

 

[James]

we should rest both until home vs SMU on the 23rd IMO

 

[Bosoxfan44]

With Temple on 20th & SFU on 26th all the starters should be given much bench time to heal bumps and bruises.

 

[BoatShow]

I used that play to pump up my 5th 6th grade team today. Told them how Bazz got all the points but the loudest cheer of the day for was for Lasan diving for a loose ball.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Midway through the first half, on a break Kromah was kneed in the face (no foul call but there should have been) after putting in a layup by a jumping Memphis defender. Later in the half he had Memphis guy land on him and in the second half, not long before that play a Memphis player wnet basice through him for the ball (again, no foul call when there should have been). My son said "#20 will hate basketball if this keeps up". I replied "The type of player he is, I doubt he minds getting banged up a little". Shortly after I said that Kromah runs the court and dives for a ball he won't be able to save, I turn to my son and say "Does he look like a player who doesn't want to get any bruises during a basketball game?"!

 

[aceboon]

With Temple on 20th & SFU on 26th all the starters should be given much bench time to heal bumps and bruises.

those are road games, while they should still win those games with room to spare, I highly doubt they will play out as easily as the whoopings at home. the starters will be needed.

 

[James]

those are road games, while they should still win those games with room to spare, I highly doubt they will play out as easily as the whoopings at home. the starters will be needed.

i think we can get away with resting a lot of starters vs temple. they definitely stink. we might start everyone but once we balloon a lead 15+ that should be it.

 

[HuskyNan]

i think we can get away with resting a lot of starters vs temple. they definitely stink. we might start everyone but once we balloon a lead 15+ that should be it.

Temple is about to beat SMU.

 

[James]

Temple is about to beat SMU.

theyre are also 7-17. smu beat them by 23 @ home, Im going to chalk that up to SMU playing like crap. Im not saying we can play like crap and win, just that we can probably prevail without 30+ minutes from an ailing DD.

 

[Kitaman]

we should rest both until home vs SMU on the 23rd IMO

I agree. they all need rest, but they are young which helps a lot. Brutal 'BE style' game yesterday for most of our players and on top of that they were literally running us out of our own gym (gassing us). When is Omar coming back?

 

[ASweet3781]

I don't think we should rest our starters unless they have to be rested because their injuries require it.

But we should be using our depth from here on out. Samuel and Facey have shown they can give minutes.

I truly believe a huge reason we won yesterday was that rest Napier got in the first half. Nearly 6 minutes of game time.

 

[RichZ]

Midway through the first half, on a break Kromah was kneed in the face (no foul call but there should have been) after putting in a layup

And Patrick said it was a good no call. Elmore said that sometimes you go down without contact because you're expecting contact. I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting a knee to the face.

 

[breezy]

I agree. they all need rest, but they are young which helps a lot. Brutal 'BE style' game yesterday for most of our players and on top of that they were literally running us out of our own gym (gassing us). When is Omar coming back?

Is this definitely Boat's take towards the end of regulation? I thought he got hammered. I felt like Shaq's block strategy was yelling "get that *ish out!" Swinging his arm, closing his eyes and praying for a no-call.

 

[James]

pastnor shouldve run post ups for shaq like he was julius randle. he is pretty nifty around the rim. for instance, if we had he would be getting way more looks in the paint.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I'm sure I've missed some discussion on the kromah dive in other threads but thought it deserved it's own. We've spent the last week+ celebrating the kid, eating crow and toasting hyperthink, but yesterday when LK went Pete Rose'ing down the floor after that loose ball the kid rose another level IMO. Stoic demeanor, quiet leader, and he knows he belongs now, which makes him real dangerous. Remember when Ollie ripped this kid for passing up an open shot early in the season? He was coming off a poor shooting night and passed up a look he has to take. Well, that kid is long gone. It looks like the team is gel'ing and I'm hard pressed to find a better catalyst than our 5th year senior transfer out of GW.

The reverse layup off Boatright's feed was a thing of beauty. I replayed it a dozen times.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I agree. they all need rest, but they are young which helps a lot. Brutal 'BE style' game yesterday for most of our players and on top of that they were literally running us out of our own gym (gassing us). When is Omar coming back?

As bad as the raking of the eyes looks check out where #2's right knee is.

Ouch!