Makai 360 dunk

[AfgHusky15]

Athletic point guard, who finishes well around the rim with both hands, and natural born winner. Crazy stat with him being 34-0 since the summer.

Future is bright!

 

[AfgHusky15]

We need a guard who can do this. Not afraid to drive and finish around the rim or get to the line.

Hopefully his drives don't include many euro steps, floaters, or fadeaways. Hoping we can get guards who can drive into defenders and get to the line or have defenders back off ala Bazz and Kemba.

 

[mauconnfan]

Would prefer if he can make some shots even in the lay up line!

 

[husky429]

We need a guard who can do this. Not afraid to drive and finish around the rim or get to the line.

Hopefully his drives don't include many euro steps, floaters, or fadeaways. Hoping we can get guards who can drive into defenders and get to the line or have defenders back off ala Bazz and Kemba.

I think you're kind of mythologizing those two guards, especially. Kemba was and is a great finisher but shabazz was not really. Limited athleticism hindered him. Obviously he had some acrobatic finishes but it was rarer. I'll give that he was good at drawing fouls though. Shabazz strength was banging threes off the dribble and that glorious clutch gene that popped up his junior and senior year.

Have you seen Adams drive? Kid is elite. The reason he's gotten what, 7 assists per game (leading the conference) is BECAUSE they have to help on drives, leaving other guys open.

Makai is a little like Jalen in that he will need to work to improve his shot. I'll take his athleticism every day though, shot can be learned.

We need someone who can create off the dribble for threes, we really don't have that now in Adams. Can that guy be alterique?

All imho of course

 

[UConnStats]

 

[mauconnfan]

5 points at the half

Not worried about the points as much as I am how he's handling the PG position and guarding his guy. Thank you for any reports today would love to drive over there.

 

[AfgHusky15]

Would prefer if he can make some shots even in the lay up line!

Ask and you shall receive

 

[AfgHusky15]

Makai with a near triple double. Next year will be fun.

 

[scotty0330]

Just got back. Great event if you happen to go. MAL's team ended up winning by 3 but the Monteverde team was gritty as hell. Based on what I saw Aaron wheeler had best game but MVP was given to Ashton Langford since it was a near triple double. He and jalen are not that much alike. Mal looks like he is more pure point, good handle, shot is a little suspect but can be corrected and is as his coach pointed out a solid defender. Is able to drive and create for others. One thing I wish I saw was ability to finish with either hand. Seems to fall in love with right even when he is coming from left. Kid does not know how to lose based on his high school and aau run. Made pretty good decisions with the ball as well...didn't take unnecessary charges or step out of bounds with the ball (sorry RP).

Kid is first year on team and is a co captain. I think he will be a nice option with alterique to allow jalen to play a lot more off the ball next year making him more dangerous.

 

[August_West]

Athletic point guard, who finishes well around the rim with both hands, and natural born winner. Crazy stat with him being 34-0 since the summer.

Future is bright!

Big deal there wasn't even a chair guarding him

 

[Tenspro2002]

I love hearing that his team hasn't lost in forever. This program needs more guys for whom losing is an abnormality, not an expectation.

I hope one of he, Adams, or Gilbert develops an outside shot. My concern for next year is, even if we have these exceptional guards who can all attack the rim, if none of them can shoot we're going to see a lot of compact (and zone) defenses that cut off driving lanes and dare us to shoot. Someone's going to have to make them.

 

[Matrim55]

Just got back. Great event if you happen to go. MAL's team ended up winning by 3 but the Monteverde team was gritty as hell.

How was Sandro Mamukelashvili for Montverde? He's getting some late buzz as a top 100 player and teams that need a big for next year are going hard after him.

 

[BFieldHusky]

I love hearing that his team hasn't lost in forever. This program needs more guys for whom losing is an abnormality, not an expectation.

I hope one of he, Adams, or Gilbert develops an outside shot. My concern for next year is, even if we have these exceptional guards who can all attack the rim, if none of them can shoot we're going to see a lot of compact (and zone) defenses that cut off driving lanes and dare us to shoot. Someone's going to have to make them.

This is where Vital also improving could help, as well as Jackson continuing to play well.

 

[UConnStats]

How was Sandro Mamukelashvili for Montverde? He's getting some late buzz as a top 100 player and teams that need a big for next year are going hard after him.

I don't see Ollie going after him. He's the stereotypical euro big. Not great on the defensive glass and more of a face up scorer.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is where Vital also improving could help, as well as Jackson continuing to play well.

Yes, if Jackson can be good enough to earn 25-30 mpg at the 3/4, that will keep the defense honest. Or if Larrier can shoot worth a damn (he was terrible at VCU).

Even if Vital is a better shooter, I don't see him getting a lot of minutes over Adams/Gilbert/MAL though. Hopefully he can help in his 5-10 mpg though.

 

[Jerry1714]

Can he shoot? Having athletes is not our problem

 

[husky429]

I love hearing that his team hasn't lost in forever. This program needs more guys for whom losing is an abnormality, not an expectation.

I hope one of he, Adams, or Gilbert develops an outside shot. My concern for next year is, even if we have these exceptional guards who can all attack the rim, if none of them can shoot we're going to see a lot of compact (and zone) defenses that cut off driving lanes and dare us to shoot. Someone's going to have to make them.

Adams is shooting pretty well from 3 this year (on 3.5 attempts a game, not too many) but really only off the catch, sometimes with a screen. He's not like shabazz breaking anyone down when possessions blow up.

I think our best bet is probably alterique. He was known as more of a shooter coming out of hs (supposedly 50+% for his high school I heard somewhere.. but you know how hs stats go) . He actually isn't a great finisher because of his size; he will need to learn to adjust.

MAL will come along, but will need to work on his shot hard. Love to see 11 assists though! That's really difficult in hs

 

[UConnSwag11]

I think you're kind of mythologizing those two guards, especially. Kemba was and is a great finisher but shabazz was not really. Limited athleticism hindered him. Obviously he had some acrobatic finishes but it was rarer. I'll give that he was good at drawing fouls though. Shabazz strength was banging threes off the dribble and that glorious clutch gene that popped up his junior and senior year.

Have you seen Adams drive? Kid is elite. The reason he's gotten what, 7 assists per game (leading the conference) is BECAUSE they have to help on drives, leaving other guys open.

Makai is a little like Jalen in that he will need to work to improve his shot. I'll take his athleticism every day though, shot can be learned.

We need someone who can create off the dribble for threes, we really don't have that now in Adams. Can that guy be alterique?

All imho of course

Shabazz as a senior was a great finisher at the rim, free throw line, three point line.

 

[husky429]

Shabazz as a senior was a great finisher at the rim, free throw line, three point line.

I realize this is just an opinion piece, but it's the closest thing I could find to the stats I had read up on a few years ago.

Napier's Shot Chart

"ineffective in close - less than 54% at the rim"

Certainly you're allowed to disagree, but while he had some amazing acrobatic finishes, he was not great getting to the cup except when he got it in transition. His strengths were breaking his man down off the dribble for threes and long twos. He was probably better at that than most any uconn player ever.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I love hearing that his team hasn't lost in forever. This program needs more guys for whom losing is an abnormality, not an expectation.

This is so overblown and melodramatic.

 

[intlzncster]

Kid is first year on team and is a co captain. I think he will be a nice option with alterique to allow jalen to play a lot more off the ball next year making him more dangerous.

A la Kemba's jr year.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is so overblown and melodramatic.

Eh, that's your opinion.

Let me ask this: do you think this team takes losing as an affront the way they did under JC in the 90s and 00s? Because I think that demanding of excellence and being embarrassed by mediocrity propelled a lot of our success in that era and is lacking today.

Are there other factors at play? Of course. But attitude, pride, and toughness matter, and we don't have as many guys who have that as we used to.

 

[Stainmaster]

Let me ask this: do you think this team takes losing as an affront the way they did under JC in the 90s and 00s? Because I think that demanding of excellence and being embarrassed by mediocrity propelled a lot of our success in that era and is lacking today.

Complete conjecture. There's nothing to suggest that this current team is any more "content" with losing than any others in the program's history. Do you honestly believe that the coaches and basketball administrators don't demand excellence from the current players like they used to? Do you think our players aren't embarrassed by losing anymore?

Additionally, our success in the 90s and 00s had a lot more to with, I don't know, the best basketball coach of all time roaming our sideline in the prime of his career?

 

[upstater]

Just got back. Great event if you happen to go. MAL's team ended up winning by 3 but the Monteverde team was gritty as hell. Based on what I saw Aaron wheeler had best game but MVP was given to Ashton Langford since it was a near triple double. He and jalen are not that much alike. Mal looks like he is more pure point, good handle, shot is a little suspect but can be corrected and is as his coach pointed out a solid defender. Is able to drive and create for others. One thing I wish I saw was ability to finish with either hand. Seems to fall in love with right even when he is coming from left. Kid does not know how to lose based on his high school and aau run. Made pretty good decisions with the ball as well...didn't take unnecessary charges or step out of bounds with the ball (sorry RP).

Kid is first year on team and is a co captain. I think he will be a nice option with alterique to allow jalen to play a lot more off the ball next year making him more dangerous.

We had a post here a few months ago from someone that knew MAL well, and he said MAL is a lefty who started working on going to his right hand about 2 years ago.

 

[upstater]

I love hearing that his team hasn't lost in forever. This program needs more guys for whom losing is an abnormality, not an expectation.

I hope one of he, Adams, or Gilbert develops an outside shot. My concern for next year is, even if we have these exceptional guards who can all attack the rim, if none of them can shoot we're going to see a lot of compact (and zone) defenses that cut off driving lanes and dare us to shoot. Someone's going to have to make them.

Adams can shoot now. We need one other shooter.