Lubin Transferring

[Stainmaster]

This just sounds sad to be honest. This is what this program has come to?

Have we never had depth players on the roster before? Not every UCONN guard to ever wear the uniform has been a Kemba/Bazz/Boat.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Have we never had depth players on the roster before? Not every UCONN guard to ever wear the uniform has been a Kemba/Bazz/Boat.

You really won't give an inch on this, will you? Part of me admires the persistence. But if you can't concede that the talent level is way down, and if recruiting doesn't have you at least the slightest bit concerned, you're really whistling past the graveyard.

 

[Bryan Lord]

do you ever give it a rest? I think everyone is aware of that without you rattling off one miserable post after the other.

He has to live up to his profile pic obviously.

 

[superjohn]

Have we never had depth players on the roster before? Not every UCONN guard to ever wear the uniform has been a Kemba/Bazz/Boat.

We have plenty of depth players already, don't want to bring in another guard who has questionable UConn level talent. There are a lot of talented 5th year transfers and there will be more good players freeing up in the next couple of weeks.

 

[gtcam]

The kid is far from home and deserves/needs to be happy
Thanks for the time you produced Rock
Good Luck wherever life takes you

 

[Stainmaster]

You really won't give an inch on this, will you? Part of me admires the persistence. But if you can't concede that the talent level is way down, and if recruiting doesn't have you at least the slightest bit concerned, you're really whistling past the graveyard.

There's a difference between being concerned about the talent level and wanting to turn UCONN into a Kentucky clone with McD AAs platooning. That's simply not feasible. I want UCONN to get the best players it possibly can, but people are acting like bringing in a Craig Austrie type is the straw that will break the camel's back.

Obviously we need to focus on recruits like Jalen Adams, because those are the kids that take our program to great heights. I don't think putting a 3 star in for 10-15 minutes a game to spell him against AAC-level competition is the worst thing in the world. Feel free to disagree.

 

[gtcam]

Why do parents try to become famous based on what their child has accomplished? They just get in the way.

WOW
I pray to God you aren't a parent

 

[Stainmaster]

We have plenty of depth players already, don't want to bring in another guard who has questionable UConn level talent. There are a lot of talented 5th year transfers and there will be more good players freeing up in the next couple of weeks.

Agreed, I would prefer a 5th year transfer, but I would rather have a depth guy than eat another scholarship. It hurt us this year when we had 8-9 healthy guys and we didn't have the bodies to bench players who weren't performing.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

There's a difference between being concerned about the talent level and wanting to turn UCONN into a Kentucky clone with McD AAs platooning.

Yeah, the thing is, literally no one is suggesting that they want this.

 

[SellersElbow]

Montrezl?

Montrezl Harrell of Louisville.

 

[jibsey]

Might have something to do with Nolan being a better defender and setting screens better than Lubin, the boxscore can't show you that but watching a game certainly can. Who knows maybe Lubin could have surpassed him the same way Nolan surpassed Olander, Lubin certainly had his positive moments but last year he was not consistently better in those two areas than Nolan was.

In the NIT I watched Lubin rip a rebound from an opponent and lay it back in, he had touch around the rim. You're comparing a freshman with no minutes against a junior who had a lot more time on the floor. Lubin had strength in his hands, Phil does not, and his main defense is being knocked to the floor and flopping ( he sometimes gets charges). I hate that kind of defense. Defense requires teaching and court time and we won't know if he could have been better than Nolan eventually but it's unlikely he would have been worse overall. He had more potential than Nolan IMO but it's unrealistic for Phil to take a walk senior year.

 

[willie99]

I like the kid, he was the only strength we had down low

as for all the people bashing our roster, I'm guessing they've never seen kids grow up before. I'm guessing that must be newbies in the UConn basketball universe, and I'll lay 10 to 1 odds that if any of them were here in April of 2010, they'd be saying the same thing

we'll be fine, WE ALWAYS ARE

now if next year were to resemble this year, I might think different. But since back to back bad years have not happened since Perno, I'm not the least bit concerned about such

 

[Stainmaster]

Yeah, the thing is, literally no one is suggesting that they want this.

People are uncomfortable with bringing in recruits who aren't in the Top 100. Hell, Bruce Brown is 54th in the 2016 class and we still have a few people who don't think he's good enough for us. Star ratings are gaudy and nice, but it's all about fit. If Shonn Miller ends up committing, he will probably end up winning the starting job over 2 former 4-star Gatorade POYs.

 

[willie99]

good luck Rock, thanks for choosing UConn

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

People are uncomfortable with bringing in recruits who aren't in the Top 100. Hell, Bruce Brown is 54th in the 2016 class and we still have a few people who don't think he's good enough for us. Star ratings are gaudy and nice, but it's all about fit. If Shonn Miller ends up committing, he will probably end up winning the starting job over 2 former 4-star Gatorade POYs.

That doesn't remotely resemble what you said about Kentucky. I think the issue is that you really don't think that the talent level is down relative to where it used to be. Anyway, it's another conversation.

 

[gtcam]

Shouldn't we all be happy?
This may help change Stone's mind because he and Rock won't be fighting over PT!!!!!!!!
NEXT

 

[Stainmaster]

That doesn't remotely resemble what you said about Kentucky. I think the issue is that you really don't think that the talent level is down relative to where it used to be. Anyway, it's another conversation.

I know we have more 3-star guys and developmental players on the roster than we used to. Yes we should have less of them than we currently do, but I don't think that we should just up and stop recruiting that type of player altogether. The key to getting the talent level back to where it used to be is adding those guys to round off a class of higher-impact prospects. If you look at 2012-14, this year is a step in the right direction.

 

[CL82]

But now who will be our DeJuan Blair?

Exactly my vision for this kid. Wish him the best.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I know we have more 3-star guys and developmental players on the roster than we used to. Yes we should have less of them than we currently do, but I don't think that we should just up and stop recruiting that type of player altogether. The key to getting the talent level back to where it used to be is adding those guys to round off a class of higher-impact prospects. If you look at 2012-14, this year is a step in the right direction.

The class is Adams. He's a nice start, I think he'll be a star. But I wonder what type of team he'll be playing with in two years. Again, I'm not going to convince you that recruiting is a bit worrisome so I'm not going to try. But you are certainly much more sanguine than is justified, I think.

 

[James]

The class is Adams. He's a nice start, I think he'll be a star. But I wonder what type of team he'll be playing with in two years. Again, I'm not going to convince you that recruiting is a bit worrisome so I'm not going to try. But you are certainly much more sanguine than is justified, I think.

Enoch is really good big ern. None of our current bigs in hs could have averaged a double double @ STM. I do agree missing on clarke/mack/derrick jones was painful and worrisome; just one of those guys would have flipped this into a top twenty class. KO has made a splash in recruiting every year he's been year, perhaps he ups it for 2016. Eyes on Mario Kegler

 

[Leebo]

Montrezl Harrell of Louisville.

We all knew who you were talking about. That's why he was shocked.

 

[RipCity]

So many factors contribute to the level of talent right now. The current talent level and depth is fairly low, but we're coming out of a period of scholarship bans, a coaching transition, and losing 4 key players of a championship team.

I'm going to wait and see what 2015 and 2016's final classes of recruits/transfers look like before I form a more definite opinion on Ollie's recruiting. He's gotten some great talents already (Hamilton/Adams), but also lost some battles that you would expect him to win (VT, VCU, UNLV consecutively). I'm cautiously optimistic, but I can see why some are a bid more worried. We definitely could use an assistant who specializes in the area like we've often discussed.

Kegler is a good guy to keep an eye on. I think he's a guy who Ollie can't let slip away at this point without it looking like another loss. He and Gilbert would be a good start for our 2016 class. It'll be interesting.

 

[Inyatkin]

The class is Adams. He's a nice start, I think he'll be a star. But I wonder what type of team he'll be playing with in two years. Again, I'm not going to convince you that recruiting is a bit worrisome so I'm not going to try. But you are certainly much more sanguine than is justified, I think.

What does this even mean? First you said the talent level is "way down." I don't know, a core of Hamilton, Purvis, Brimah and Adams is pretty strong, talent-wise.
Then you said you're not sure what team Adams will be playing with in two years. Based on what? You're giving up on 2016 recruits already?
You keep saying people who aren't borderline panicked about recruiting are clueless. Honestly, your doomsday warnings are a lot more tiresome.

 

[aceboon]

Yea, you marveling at Lubin's hand strength doesn't really negate the fact that Nolan was a better team defender. Nobody is arguing that he's elite, but when it comes to defending high ball screens and rotations, he was the best of the bunch, which admittedly isn't saying a lot but its the truth. Its why he went ahead of Olander in the rotation last year, and its why he got more time than Lubin and why KO eventually had enough of Facey being a revolving door and went with Nolan in his spot. If you can't see it for yourself Amore even wrote an article about it with quotes from KO himself towards the end of the season. If you disagree with KO and are seeing the game much better than him well then kudos to you.

In the NIT I watched Lubin rip a rebound from an opponent and lay it back in, he had touch around the rim. You're comparing a freshman with no minutes against a junior who had a lot more time on the floor. Lubin had strength in his hands, Phil does not, and his main defense is being knocked to the floor and flopping ( he sometimes gets charges). I hate that kind of defense. Defense requires teaching and court time and we won't know if he could have been better than Nolan eventually but it's unlikely he would have been worse overall. He had more potential than Nolan IMO but it's unrealistic for Phil to take a walk senior year.

 

[BearJWS]

Darn, I liked his toughness & potential. He was the one physical Big we had. I wish we played him more this past season. I noticed in games where he didn't seem to play that he didn't look happy on the bench, so I'm not surprised. Sometimes you have throw the dog a bone to keep them happy. I'm sure Ollie playing 4 guards towards the end of season didn't sit well with Rock. I wish him luck & will still follow him.

Go Rock!