Looking forward to Omar Calhoun next year

[huskiesnyc]

I've always liked Omar and I respect him even more for staying put and not transferring. He has been loyal to UConn through coaching changes, APR ban, conference realignment and seeing his playing time diminish. Lets not forget that he averaged over 11 points per game his freshman year. I think he's going to have a great summer and come out like the old Omar Comin' next fall. I will be really surprised if he doesn't end up a 1,000 point scorer.

 

[rip7774]

I noticed him a lot on the bench cheering. He has an unorthodox shot and I don't think he will ever be a lights out shooter but I think he is a winner and has a lot of desire to be very good and will be really good for us again. I'm excited for him too.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Omar Comin.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I think that he's going to work his tail off in the offseason and challenge for a starting spot.

 

[scrappy2.0]

I've always liked Omar and I respect him even more for staying put and not transferring. He has been loyal to UConn through coaching changes, APR ban, conference realignment and seeing his playing time diminish. Lets not forget that he averaged over 11 points per game his freshman year. I think he's going to have a great summer and come out like the old Omar Comin' next fall. I will be really surprised if he doesn't end up a 1,000 point scorer.

I like to be positive and Im hoping for the best for Omar. I think a key reason why we ended up winning last year was the removal of Omar Calhoun--he was awful. I understand his injury and his loyalty--he needs to come a LONG way a LONG way back. And I hope he does.

 

[huskyharry]

IMHO Omar's most important roles will be as a wing defender and "glue guy". Last season, we had Niels and Lasan to fill these roles admirably and they made a huge difference.

 

[rip7774]

IMHO Omar's most important roles will be as a wing defender and "glue guy". Last season, we had Niels and Lasan to fill these roles admirably and they made a huge difference.

I agree. As a frosh some nights he was a primary scorer, I think he will still likely have some strong games but I agree his niche needs to be low-volume scoring (is there such a word?)! a la Giffey and hustle and b that glue guy.

 

[HuskyV]

The shots will drop. I want to see a vastly improved handle - needs to be able to put the ball on the floor.

 

[Deepster]

I had high hopes for him this year and feel like the slump of his shot just never got him on track. I still hold out high hopes and think that, as mentioned, his persistence combined with Ollie's coaching can still pay off big time. I think he has something special about him.

 

[chapwilvaug72]

last yr the game seemed too fast for omar; not necessarily the motion speed of the teammates or opponents but the chess moves/decisions made on offense or defense sequences//it seemed omar was distracted by his poor shot making %'s & it hurt his cerebral game// he needs to reinvent/as was stated many moons ago he needs his shooting form taped from different spots on the floor & work off of that to bring his release to the point of efficiency/if UCONN does not have the resources for this tutoring then omar needs to find a deadly shooting buddy to workout with & emulate// in summary omar needs to become a kid again who had fun playing on nyc playgrounds & just go by instinct

 

[mauconnfan]

It's a new year and I think Omar will be working his butt off to be a much better player next year……..look forward to seeing the finished product come October, should be interesting!

 

[Huskybass]

I have never seen a player struggle so much in his sophomore year after a good freshman year performance. Omar was a double-digit scorer as a freshman and last year the ball just would not drop for him, even in warmups the shots didn't fall at the games that I attended. I think a summer filled with pick up games will help restore his confidence and his shot will start to drop again and he will be back to the player he was in his freshman year.

 

[elduderino]

His games seem to fluctuate heavily based on confidence, similarly to DD's up until this past year. He's got the size and athleticism, but he's got to become a gamer day-in and day-out. At least he doesn't have to worry about JC's quickest yank in the game anymore. Purvis may be a Ferrari, but I'd love Calhoun as a daily-driver 'Vette.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I think Cassell Jr is a stud. If Samuels continues to play like he did at the end of the year, Im not sure how much PT their is for Omar.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I hate this notion Omar is suddenly going to become a glue guy like Niels or even Kromah.

A glue guy implies you do a lot of things on the court well that may go unnoticed that help your team win.

Niels played great D, fought for tough boards, was a smart offensive player and was lights out from 3. Omar in his freshman season even did none of those things.

That being said, I have confidence he can still contribute. Mainly if he works his ass off this summer on 3 pointers. That will be a huge void this upcoming season and we did all see when he's hot, he can score.

That's my hope for Omar.

 

[GlastonTim]

I want Omar to be the guy shooting daggers.

 

[pj]

I want him to develop into a complete player. He needs to improve every aspect of his game. That's best for Omar and best for UConn.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

My hope is Omar can be similar to the guy in my avatar.

 

[aceboon]

Omar averaged 5 rebs per game over the last 14 games of the 2012/2013 season at the SF spot and he was actually becoming a more well rounded player in his scoring approach his freshman year and doing more than just camping out at the 3 point line, he was pump faking and driving and getting to the rim. After last season watching from the bench I think he knows he has to do more on the defensive side and on the glass in order to see the floor, if he adds to what he was as a freshman Omar can help in those areas that Niels and Lasan did last season.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Niels played great D, fought for tough boards, was a smart offensive player and was lights out from 3. Omar in his freshman season even did none of those things.

I'm not sure what you're going for here but as a freshman Omar averaged 11 a game in the Big East. Niels - who I love - never scored that consistently at any point in his UConn career. I get that Niels did "the little things" but it's not like Omar is Ben Eaves or Leon Tolksdorf - all due respect to those guys. This is a kid who was an elite recruit and despite the fact that he fell off a cliff like no one I've ever seen last year, I'm expecting a big year from him.

 

[elduderino]

My hope is Omar can be similar to the guy in my avatar.

Me too, but Rashad never shot a knuckleball in his life.

 

[James]

What concerned me the most is how terrible his shot selection was as well as how many silly defensive mistakes he made. last year he would just get lit up anytime he checked in . Cassell jr will have a hard time playing our defensive scheme @ first because of how slow he is, so OC will get a chance

 

[rip7774]

I think Cassell Jr is a stud. If Samuels continues to play like he did at the end of the year, Im not sure how much PT their is for Omar.

Cassell is an average to below average athlete. I've seen him play several times. A shot-maker and has that crafty old man game like his pops. I don't see him as a stud here but very solid.

I could see a Rashad type career best case. I think he will fit well here, but I don't think he's a superstar at UConn.

 

[breezy]

What concerned me the most is how terrible his shot selection was as well as how many silly defensive mistakes he made. last year he would just get lit up anytime he checked in . Cassell jr will have a hard time playing our defensive scheme @ first because of how slow he is, so OC will get a chance

Omar's shot selection during his slump wasn't terrible by any means. He was actually bricking wide open looks, which shook his confidence even more and perpetuated the downward spiral.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm not sure what you're going for here but as a freshman Omar averaged 11 a game in the Big East. Niels - who I love - never scored that consistently at any point in his UConn career. I get that Niels did "the little things" but it's not like Omar is Ben Eaves or Leon Tolksdorf - all due respect to those guys. This is a kid who was an elite recruit and despite the fact that he fell off a cliff like no one I've ever seen last year, I'm expecting a big year from him.

Niels never scored that many points simply because he didn't put up as many shots as Omar.

Yes, Omar averaged 11ppg, but on 40% fg / 32% 3t and 32 mpg.

As I've said before, I still think he can be an effective scorer for UConn if he gets hot from the floor, I just don't expect he'll suddenly become something we haven't seen him be capable of before.

To put it simply, if he's not hitting his shots he's not going to play unless he develops anther skill.