MAL commits to UConn!

[mauconnfan]

Thanks.

Connecticut has been the hot landing spot for point guards for decades. Calhoun did a tremendous job of locking up elite ball-handlers in the past when he convinced Chris Smith, Khalid El-Amin, Kemba Walker, Marcus Williams, Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright and many more to play for the Huskies.

Writer should have put Taliek Brown in there since he was the highest rated PG to commit to UConn. People seem to forget about him since he wasn't a great scorer and didn't play in the NBA. But he was the starting PG on a team that won a championship.

Who? SI did a nice piece on him years back, JC commented on him...

 

[mauconnfan]

And maybe Kevin Ollie and Doron Sheffer. Plus AJ as mentioned in 33's reply.

Sheffer nudges out both KO and TB, at least in my book. Vastly underrated.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I forget who it was, but someone mentioned we should be getting a PG every year. They all stay 3 years (maybe even 4) and you have a constant rotation of 3-4 PGs to be playing that 2 PG rotation.

And it creates a nice system of experienced guards with the younger guys learning for a year or two before taking over the team

That was, in fact, me.

Here's the strategy:
1) Get a Top 40 PG every year, with the idea that each stays 3 years, with a junior and a sophomore starting, and a freshman coming off the bench
2) Get a 4-year backup every 2-4 years, who provides stability off the bench in the Craig Austrie role

That's your 4-person rotation at the two guard positions. Maybe one of them spends a little time at the 3.

 

[Chief00]

Everyone seems to think the answer is "no." I suspect everyone is right in this case.

Time is probably best spent working on Bigs unless the guy is super good and would not be worried about playing time - i.e. Ham, etc.
At end of season could be another story if Adams,Larrier join Purvis leaving. I hope that doesn't happen but with the new rules lots of guys will take a look - then we have that uncertainty until they make their final decision.

 

[Chief00]

Frankly, as much as I love Taliek, I'd put AJ on that list. He was a borderline AA his junior year before his ACL tear, and a Jerome Dyson MCL from a date with UNC in the title game--a game we'd have been about 50-50 to win, IMHO.

I will always maintain when Jerome went down the team chemistry improved and Stanley felt comfortable. While less talented without Jerome - I doubt they would have ever made that tournament run with him . The same chemistry problems that prevented them from doing it any of Jerome's other years would have surface. True, AJ was a good leader and tried to reel in Jerome and mitigate issues with teammates - but it always would be a distraction and a challenge.

 

[tzznandrew]

I will always maintain when Jerome went down the team chemistry improved and Stanley felt comfortable. While less talented without Jerome - I doubt they would have ever made that tournament run with him . The same chemistry problems that prevented them from doing it any of Jerome's other years would have surface. True, AJ was a good leader and tried to reel in Jerome and mitigate issues with teammates - but it always would be a distraction and a challenge.

I know you feel that way because of your feelings about Jerome, but when Dyson went down they were 23-1. They were a week out from going to #5 Louisville and just embarrassing them--they never beat a team that good again. Hell, they were undefeated in R/N games, which is where chemistry problems would show themselves.

That team was a juggernaut with Dyson. There weren't any on the court chemistry problems.

Now the next year? Sure.

 

[Hoophound]

I know you feel that way because of your feelings about Jerome, but when Dyson went down they were 23-1. They were a week out from going to #5 Louisville and just embarrassing them--they never beat a team that good again. Hell, tjey were undefeated in R/N games, which is where chemistry problems would show themselves.

That team was a juggernaut with Dyson. There weren't any on the court chemistry problems.

Now the next year? Sure.

This. We agree every time this subject comes up. That team was playing the best basketball I've ever seen a UConn team play before we lost Dyson. It was beautiful.

 

[champs99and04]

It would be so perfect to turn this into a Dyson thread just a couple days after his commitment. While we're on this topic, did you know that Dyson never won an NCAA Tournament game? I think that's coming next.

 

[uchusky32]

Time is probably best spent working on Bigs unless the guy is super good and would not be worried about playing time - i.e. Ham, etc.
At end of season could be another story if Adams,Larrier join Purvis leaving. I hope that doesn't happen but with the new rules lots of guys will take a look - then we have that uncertainty until they make their final decision.

We have spots open we recruit. We will continue to recruit wings and bigs. As you said never know what might happen.

 

[jibsey]

We should have a player stat BTO, big time opponent where all of the chaf is filtered out. Example would be when someone goes off against Central for 30. I would include Cincy as quality, so yeah Jalen averages 20,5,5 and totally controls the offense against those teams, is a lockdown defender, driving us to victories and bringing out the best in other players, maybe he is draft ready, maybe a team takes him. Seems unlikely.

 

[upstater]

UConn has been so good at basketball for so long that it has cycled through the positions it was known or. In the 90s through mid 00s, it was the SF position with Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Rudy Gay and even Donyell was a tweener. Then with Emeka Okafor, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong and Hasheem Thabeet, UConn suddenly became known as a place for developing big men. The run of AJ Price, Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, and now Jalen Adams has people calling this the place for PGs.

 

[7774]

We should have a player stat BTO, big time opponent where all of the chaf is filtered out. Example would be when someone goes off against Central for 30. I would include Cincy as quality, so yeah Jalen averages 20,5,5 and totally controls the offense against those teams, is a lockdown defender, driving us to victories and bringing out the best in other players, maybe he is draft ready, maybe a team takes him. Seems unlikely.

I don't get how you can have 3300 posts on the message board of a team that has sent tons of players to the draft and still have zero clue how the draft works.

 

[alexd]

UConn has been so good at basketball for so long that it has cycled through the positions it was known or. In the 90s through mid 00s, it was the SF position with Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Rudy Gay and even Donyell was a tweener. Then with Emeka Okafor, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong and Hasheem Thabeet, UConn suddenly became known as a place for developing big men. The run of AJ Price, Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, and now Jalen Adams has people calling this the place for PGs.

don't forget Caron.

 

[upstater]

don't forget Caron.

Jeez, how did I forget?!

 

[CallMeBruce]

TB was the MAN
Much maligned but to me he epitomized UConn PG
One of my top 10 Huskies

Most UConn PGs could shoot. Taliek was a solid player, but was probably the weakest starting PG of the Calhoun era.

 

[superjohn]

UConn has been so good at basketball for so long that it has cycled through the positions it was known or. In the 90s through mid 00s, it was the SF position with Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Rudy Gay and even Donyell was a tweener. Then with Emeka Okafor, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong and Hasheem Thabeet, UConn suddenly became known as a place for developing big men. The run of AJ Price, Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, and now Jalen Adams has people calling this the place for PGs.

So true, throw Boatright and Alterique into the mix and MAL is another top 40. We've had an embarrassment of riches at the position in recent years.

 

[CL82]

Four year starter, starter on the 2004 national championship team, won two regular season BE titles and two BET titles. Sounds like Taliek had a pretty successful college basketball career to me.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Four year starter, starter on the 2004 national championship team, won two regular season BE titles and two BET titles. Sounds like Taliek had a pretty successful college basketball career to me.

Does that make him individually great though?

 

[mauconnfan]

Does that make him individually great though?

He was as close as you can get to "great" on the defensive end and as a teammate. That was good enough for the 2004 team and the perfect mix, even I have come to understand that. What others will never allow themselves to understand is how "great" offensively that team would have been with an AJ or alike running the team on the other end. Question is what you would have given up defensively, could it have hurt in the long run because most everyone we compare wasn't as tough on that end. I have my thoughts, they haven't changed much in all reality but again the 2004 team couldn't do any better than the NC they won so he is considered a champion. And deservedly so.

 

[dennismenace]

He was as close as you can get to "great" on the defensive end and as a teammate. That was good enough for the 2004 team and the perfect mix, even I have come to understand that. What others will never allow themselves to understand is how "great" offensively that team would have been with an AJ or alike running the team on the other end. Question is what you would have given up defensively, could it have hurt in the long run because most everyone we compare wasn't as tough on that end. I have my thoughts, they haven't changed much in all reality but again the 2004 team couldn't do any better than the NC they won so he is considered a champion. And deservedly so.

It has taken me a long time to really begin to appreciate how radically important D is. Two thoughts come quickly to mind: Ricky Moore and the "golden handcuffs award" for the lockdown play in the NCAA and the 2014 combined guard play of Boat and Shabazz in the 2014 run. The words "totally disrupted the offensive play" of opposing PG's
revealed to me how that could completely change the complexion of games. When you think of the PG as the "floor general" and his importance it is real dominance when you
can stop that and shut it down cold.

 

[ctchamps]

It has taken me a long time to really begin to appreciate how radically important D is. Two thoughts come quickly to mind: Ricky Moore and the "golden handcuffs award" for the lockdown play in the NCAA and the 2014 combined guard play of Boat and Shabazz in the 2014 run. The words "totally disrupted the offensive play" of opposing PG's
revealed to me how that could completely change the complexion of games. When you think of the PG as the "floor general" and his importance it is real dominance when you
can stop that and shut it down cold.

Leadership comes in different forms. Emeka was a quiet leader who was disciplined with academics, eating and practice. Caron was one who could comfort the players. Khalid kept players loose. Bazz demonstrated the value of loyalty to JC.

TB played through turf toe and the shooting loss of his friend. JD played through a lost tooth on the court. These players had flaws. But their toughness was not questioned.

These traits filter to team mates if not the fans. And that, like the attributes of the players I listed in the first paragraph, helps with team chemistry.

 

[ctchamps]

He was as close as you can get to "great" on the defensive end and as a teammate. That was good enough for the 2004 team and the perfect mix, even I have come to understand that. What others will never allow themselves to understand is how "great" offensively that team would have been with an AJ or alike running the team on the other end. Question is what you would have given up defensively, could it have hurt in the long run because most everyone we compare wasn't as tough on that end. I have my thoughts, they haven't changed much in all reality but again the 2004 team couldn't do any better than the NC they won so he is considered a champion. And deservedly so.

Well grasshopper, you can now walk down the rice paper.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Does that make him individually great though?

Are you asking for nuanced thinking? You know better than that.

 

[CL82]

Does that make him individually great though?

Depends on who are comparing him to, I guess. Compared to Kemba or Bazz, perhaps not. Compared to the vast majority of college players, definitely.

 

[sdhusky]

Most UConn PGs could shoot. Taliek was a solid player, but was probably the weakest starting PG of the Calhoun era.

Isn't he the all time assist leader?