Lukas Kisunas Commits to UConn

[Fishy]

Blurb from ESPN...


Strengths:
Kisunas is a rugged and physical post presence who throws his body around and embraces contact on both ends of the floor. He's a very well-schooled and savvy screener and also a good passer who rewards cutters. He has good hands, polished footwork, and the ability to turn either shoulder when able to establish deep position in the post. Defensively, he is effective guarding the block and an enforcer of sorts in the lane who punishes drivers, makes good use of his fouls, and rebounds his area. Will also occasionally knock people from SMU unconscious.

Weaknesses:
He doesn't have a ton of lift in the lane, isn't a floor spacer offensively, and probably most comfortable as a complimenting piece offensively. He's much more of an enforcer in the lane than rim protector on the defensive end. Offensively, he's not much of a scoring threat beyond six feet or so and isn't an overly quick or instinctive finisher either.

Bottom Line:
His physicality, toughness, screening, post defense, and even his ability to pass, can impact the game at any level and so he can definitely be a valuable role player. What he isn't though is a volume scorer or dynamic athlete around the rim.

He's a four-star center who goes 6-10, 254 and he'll be here four years.

Perfect.

 

[Son of Robert]

I don't recall him at the line much last year at Brewster, but 16 of 24 from the line in the 7 game Euro championships including a 6 for 6 in one game and 5 of 7 in another. Suggests more that he doesn't shoot vs he can't shoot. I also love the intangibles of anchoring the middle on a 33-0 National Champion, and playing important minutes in the post for teams that advanced to high finishes in Euro play. Coupling his team achievements, with his statements admiring UConn Championships, and his statements oriented to winning, I think we have added a great foundational piece to the program. With Sid we have 2 of the 5 starters on that 33-0 team, (down from 3 of the 5). With all our wing athletes, I hadn't been thinking about Carlton and Lucas on the court at the same time until somebody posted that thought. I find that intriguing. Also amusing that a ESPN 4* ranking will influence how some posters will view this signing vs a couple days ago.

Love this post Ricker. Smart commentary. There's a reason he is the center on these teams and it starts with his basketball IQ. Teamwork, unselfish play, energy and willingness to perform all the fundamentals of the center position. Well coached, mobile, big and physical, sure handed, excellent passing, can finish either hand in a variety of ways. Has a real feel for the game from his international experience. The center position at Uconn just got way more functional. Looking forward to seeing Cobb's game also and Carlton's too. All 3 of them really insert a lot of power into the paint.

 

[Chief00]

ollie wants to set screen after screen after screen. he also wants a guy who can pick and pop

True

 

[champs99and04]

Screening is a crucial skill, there's no question. It's something the program has been lacking for quite some time - Brimah was a terrible screener, and even when we won the national championship, our best pure screener was probably Olander who as a DNP a lot of the time. My recollection was that Okwandu was very useful in that respect during the 2011 run, but I'm a little more fuzzy on that.

I do think, though, that the value of screening is negated some without the shooting to complement it. You'd much prefer somebody like Giffey at that spot (he was a good screener, too, now that I think of it) even if he doesn't fit the mode of a traditional center. Basketball in general is moving away from that prototype (granted, UNC and Gonzaga did it the old-fashioned way, so it isn't as if the true center has gone extinct), and while I'm happy to have one Kisunas on the roster, I had hoped that we had filled some of that void with Cobb.

Our recent recruiting philosophy seems to signal a departure from the Facey/Nolan/Brimah days. In fact, if there were a competition to find the player that was most different from Brimah, Ollie probably won it with this addition. That is both good and bad, but I do think coaches can fall into the trap of over-correcting mistakes and I think the idea of the hulk playing center for us is a lot more appealing now in light of what we have seen than it would be in a different context.

My hope moving forward is that Diarra can represent a hybrid of UConn centers of past, that he can bring the versatility of Giffey defensively with the motor of an Adrien and the shot blocking skills of Brimah. There can be danger in moving from one extreme to the other and while I don't think Kisunas himself changes the tenor of the system that drastically, there appears to be a pattern developing in our recruiting efforts that I'd prefer to see steered back in the other direction.

 

[mauconnfan]

Nothing against the kid I just prefer more athletic bigs in the style of play I like to watch. He looked really slow in his offensive moves in the raw tape which I don't want to see after having to watch AB for 4 years. LOL!

If this kid can come in and defensively rebound and set good picks than I'm fine with him on the bench. I just hope we can find a more talented starter is my hope.

My hope is they both turn out to be very good players, like them both. I don't see more athleticism from Josh at all, would call them fairly equal in that regard. Both play on the ground for the most part and I think Kisunas may have a better feel around the rim at this point on offense. Will take both some time to get used to the speed but hopefully both adjust accordingly. Lots of kids who we hope can impact the team, Whaley, Cobb for year and Diarra won't allow us to sleep on them either, it's a good spot to be in.

 

[mauconnfan]

Screening is a crucial skill, there's no question. It's something the program has been lacking for quite some time - Brimah was a terrible screener, and even when we won the national championship, our best pure screener was probably Olander who as a DNP a lot of the time. My recollection was that Okwandu was very useful in that respect during the 2011 run, but I'm a little more fuzzy on that.

I do think, though, that the value of screening is negated some without the shooting to complement it. You'd much prefer somebody like Giffey at that spot (he was a good screener, too, now that I think of it) even if he doesn't fit the mode of a traditional center. Basketball in general is moving away from that prototype (granted, UNC and Gonzaga did it the old-fashioned way, so it isn't as if the true center has gone extinct), and while I'm happy to have one Kisunas on the roster, I had hoped that we had filled some of that void with Cobb.

Our recent recruiting philosophy seems to signal a departure from the Facey/Nolan/Brimah days. In fact, if there were a competition to find the player that was most different from Brimah, Ollie probably won it with this addition. That is both good and bad, but I do think coaches can fall into the trap of over-correcting mistakes and I think the idea of the hulk playing center for us is a lot more appealing now in light of what we have seen than it would be in a different context.

My hope moving forward is that Diarra can represent a hybrid of UConn centers of past, that he can bring the versatility of Giffey defensively with the motor of an Adrien and the shot blocking skills of Brimah. There can be danger in moving from one extreme to the other and while I don't think Kisunas himself changes the tenor of the system that drastically, there appears to be a pattern developing in our recruiting efforts that I'd prefer to see steered back in the other direction.

Not sure what pattern in particular you are looking for - you would prefer the Nolan/Facey/Brimah pattern or the direction they are going? There's no denying they have a ring and had an impact on that banner but none were very good players for more than a few games each, timing is a wonderful thing. They ran with Bazz and companies amazing championship run, played their parts (not Facey) no denying that. But when Bazz left we saw these guys for what they are/were, not very good basketball players. Not at all fundamentally sound and not able to learn, grow their skills due to lack of ability to take the work they did to game day.

Guess we're not sure of the "pattern" the staff has right now in all reality we've seen nothing but videos. Not sure of Whatley, Diarra, Cobb, Carlton and now Kisunas or what they will bring to the table. I will say this, if any or all of them are wiling to get better and can do just that the pattern is exactly what I am looking for. If they are smart kids, willing to put the time in to improve and know how to play basketball that's what I am looking for. I am through with people who are unbelievably athletic, can block shots but don't get better at anything else while driving you crazy game after game making stupid plays. 2.5 blocked shots a game mean very little if they can't pass, screen, rebound, guard the post or learn when to help.

So all in all I'm not sure I like the pattern but I like what I see regarding the skills of these kids as well as the fundamentals they show in understanding the game. Improvement is needed no doubt, but they seemed to able to be coached and that's a pattern we need more than anything. Would love a Thabeet again but they're going to Kentucky and Duke. But our 4 year guys can have just as much impact so great job to the staff, there will be a couple jewels in this group at least.

 

[pj]

I don't think they're over-reacting or moving away from a Brimah-Fscey "pattern" -- rather they are trying to fill out the roster with complementary players who can play when the matchup is right even if they're not good enough to get all the minutes. Center was the weak spot on the roster, they had a short widebody in Eric Cobb and needed someone with length. A long shotblocker would have been nice but a long heady player is good too. Kisunas just may be good enough to get all the minutes, we'll see, but he definitely adds something the roster lacked.

 

[intlzncster]

Blurb from ESPN...


Strengths:
Kisunas is a rugged and physical post presence who throws his body around and embraces contact on both ends of the floor. He's a very well-schooled and savvy screener and also a good passer who rewards cutters. He has good hands, polished footwork, and the ability to turn either shoulder when able to establish deep position in the post. Defensively, he is effective guarding the block and an enforcer of sorts in the lane who punishes drivers, makes good use of his fouls, and rebounds his area. Will also occasionally knock people from SMU unconscious.

Weaknesses:
He doesn't have a ton of lift in the lane, isn't a floor spacer offensively, and probably most comfortable as a complimenting piece offensively. He's much more of an enforcer in the lane than rim protector on the defensive end. Offensively, he's not much of a scoring threat beyond six feet or so and isn't an overly quick or instinctive finisher either.

Bottom Line:
His physicality, toughness, screening, post defense, and even his ability to pass, can impact the game at any level and so he can definitely be a valuable role player. What he isn't though is a volume scorer or dynamic athlete around the rim.

He's a four-star center who goes 6-10, 254 and he'll be here four years.

Perfect.

That scouting report reads almost like the exact polar opposite of Brimah.

 

[KembaStepback]

Like I said I don't mind him on the team but prefer he would be a backup to a more talented guy. He could challenge the more talented guy to perform better by working hard in practice. It is sad we are missing on all the top guys we want at our positions of needs.

I prefer the guy who's playing best to play. If Kisunas is helping the offense hum and is doing a good job on defense, he will play. Period. I'm not saying don't try for someone like Shittu, but this kid seems legit.

 

[nomar]

Blurb from ESPN...


Strengths:
Kisunas is a rugged and physical post presence who throws his body around and embraces contact on both ends of the floor. He's a very well-schooled and savvy screener and also a good passer who rewards cutters. He has good hands, polished footwork, and the ability to turn either shoulder when able to establish deep position in the post. Defensively, he is effective guarding the block and an enforcer of sorts in the lane who punishes drivers, makes good use of his fouls, and rebounds his area. Will also occasionally knock people from SMU unconscious.

Weaknesses:
He doesn't have a ton of lift in the lane, isn't a floor spacer offensively, and probably most comfortable as a complimenting piece offensively. He's much more of an enforcer in the lane than rim protector on the defensive end. Offensively, he's not much of a scoring threat beyond six feet or so and isn't an overly quick or instinctive finisher either.

Bottom Line:
His physicality, toughness, screening, post defense, and even his ability to pass, can impact the game at any level and so he can definitely be a valuable role player. What he isn't though is a volume scorer or dynamic athlete around the rim.

He's a four-star center who goes 6-10, 254 and he'll be here four years.

Perfect.

Even ESPN doesn't know how to spell "complement"? Jeez.

But yeah, I like this get.

 

[nomar]

That scouting report reads almost like the exact polar opposite of Brimah.

Hey, neither can score outside of 6 feet, so there's that.

 

[Pudge]

I don't like when we pull out some last UConn player as a comparable ... all the time

Having said that ...

If you gave me Kisunas and Carlton as a substitute for Olander and Nolan. DONE DEAL.

lol

 

[intlzncster]

Hey, neither can score outside of 6 feet, so there's that.

True, but Brimah did have a decent touch from 10-12 ft. I bet he nailed them in practice, but was just so lost during games that nothing worked. jmo

 

[Stainmaster]

True, but Brimah did have a decent touch from 10-12 ft. I bet he nailed them in practice, but was just so lost during games that nothing worked. jmo

He nailed quite a few during games too, but it's more fun to pretend he fumbled the ball 100% of the time it was passed to him.

 

[intlzncster]

He nailed quite a few during games too, but it's more fun to pretend he fumbled the ball 100% of the time it was passed to him.

Totally. I mean, I've never watched a single practice, so I had to get that from somewhere. But also, let's not pretend it was a consistent weapon for us.

 

[superjohn]

He nailed quite a few during games too, but it's more fun to pretend he fumbled the ball 100% of the time it was passed to him.

More like 80% of the time he fumbled and 90% of the time he ended up on the floor.

 

[Tenspro2002]

After years of frustration with Brimah, it'll be nice to have a guy who embraces contact, knows how to use his body, can pass the ball, and seems to have a knack for the intangible aspects of the game.

On the other hand, it's reasonable to have some pause about the fact that he's not very highly-touted and may be badly outclassed athletically at the highest levels.

We'll just have to wait and see how his game translates to the court in college basketball.

 

[intlzncster]

After years of frustration with Brimah, it'll be nice to have a guy who embraces contact, knows how to use his body, can pass the ball, and seems to have a knack for the intangible aspects of the game.

On the other hand, it's reasonable to have some pause about the fact that he's not very highly-touted and may be badly outclassed athletically at the highest levels.

We'll just have to wait and see.

He plays in a pretty good league right now though. Strength and fundamentals can often counteract athleticism. Especially at the college level, where bigs aren't often as developed.

I'm personally not at all worried about the athletic thing. If you get your footwork and positioning right, you're often in the right place before the more raw athletic guy anyway.

Let's see where his ranking ends up at the end of the year. Looks like a guy who wasn't focused heavily on due to lack of AAU exposure.

 

[UCDaveD]

Once Carlos gets his hands on him, he's going to be the next Przemek Karnowski

 

[Stainmaster]

Once Carlos gets his hands on him, he's going to be the next Przemek Karnowski

Hopefully he does better than 1-8 from the field in the natty his senior year.

 

[Chief00]

More like 80% of the time he fumbled and 90% of the time he ended up on the floor.

Sometimes I wonder if Stairs is the guy at Bunkey’s party, who is passed out while the game is on.

 

[Son of Robert]

Once Carlos gets his hands on him, he's going to be the next Przemek Karnowski

This is the Polish national team center from Gonzaga, correct? I was definitely thinking why can't we recruit a center like that. He changes their whole offense in a positive way when he's on the floor. That is impact. Kisunas is much more mobile however.

 

[Matrim55]

Hopefully he does better than 1-8 from the field in the natty his senior year.

Man if we're playing in the natty any time within the next four years I will be so stoked...

 

[tcf15]

This is the Polish national team center from Gonzaga, correct? I was definitely thinking why can't we recruit a center like that. He changes their whole offense in a positive way when he's on the floor. That is impact.

To be fair, he was a much better recruit than Kisunas currently is:

Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress tweeted that Karnowski is a "McDonald's All-American-type recruit" who is more ready to contribute immediately than elite future Pittsburgh big man Steven Adams. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla called Karnowski a "huge get" for the Zags and compared him with Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol.

 

[tcf15]

 

[80shusky]

He and @Dove appear to have the same graphics guy.

 

[Vancat]

He didn't die, did he?

 

[ctchamps]

After years of frustration with Brimah, it'll be nice to have a guy who embraces contact, knows how to use his body, can pass the ball, and seems to have a knack for the intangible aspects of the game.

On the other hand, it's reasonable to have some pause about the fact that he's not very highly-touted and may be badly outclassed athletically at the highest levels.

We'll just have to wait and see how his game translates to the court in college basketball.

In other words TBD.

 

[Guapo]

He didn't die, did he?

This deserves more likes

 

[nomar]

He didn't die, did he?

No, he's just inside TRON. Except instead of one of those motorcycles he got a hang glider.