MAL commits to UConn! | Page 5 | The Boneyard

MAL commits to UConn!

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Tenspro2002 said:
Jim Calhoun isn't walking through that door. That lineup is way too big, with way not enough ballhandling.

With KO's (correct) preference for smaller, modern, guard-oriented lineups, it'll be a lot closer to:

PG: Gilbert (S0), Vital (So)
SG: Adams (Jr), MAL (Fr)
SF: Diallo (Fr), Jackson (So)
PF: Larrier (Jr), Diarra (So)
C: Enoch (C), Durham (So)

Probably more accurately, the 1 and 2 positions would be interchangeable, with Adams and Gilbert starting and playing 30 mpg, MAL the first off the bench at 15-20 mpg, and Vital getting the remainder.

Diallo and Larrier would start at the 3 and 4. Jackson the primary backup at the 3/4 when we go perimeter-oriented, and Diarra for those (hopefully) rare minutes where we play 2 bigs together.

Enoch starts at the 5, with Durham the primary backup, though if Durham and Diarra are in together, it's probably Durham spending more time at the perimeter on offense.

Ideally we'll add a stud big to complement the 4/5 rotation, in addition to Diallo, and maybe a bench SF as well.
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I think that's a depth chart, not a proposed lineup.
 
BUHusky10 said:
I knew over a year ago when I ran into a member of this kid's family by chance that UConn was where he wanted to play, and that if Ollie stayed on him he will sign with us. Glad it played out like expected and everything worked out for the best, I need to find her and say congrats.

Welcome MAL.
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this story isn't true or at least the part or them being close to Shabazz and his family because I am from Worcester and went to HS with makai and he and his family aren't from Boston nor do they know Shabazz, none the less he's still a husky so it all worked out
 
navery12 said:
I would say that's certainly worthy of the small sample response. But at the same time, I think it's realistic to expect him to maintain something like that 40% for this whole season
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Definitely a small sample size, but I think it's indicative of what he can do if he's not taking bad, off-the-dribble 3s. He basically only shot on kick-outs or on wide-open catch-and-shoots during the second half of the year, which is why his percentage went way up.

Which gets to this point: if he was a 65% FT shooter who just got into a hot streak, then I'd say "Yeah we need to defer to the sample size and just assume he's a poor 3-pt shooter." But he's not. Dude's an 85% FT shooter with a sweet stroke, and that tends to translate.

So, now that he's learned at least a little bit of the difference between a good shot and a bad shot, I think he'll be a weapon from behind the arc
 
navery12 said:
He was pretty much the exact guy I was thinking of, him and Cheick Diallo were the first 2 guys I thought of
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Not sure what is better (or worse depending on how you look at it), to hardly even play and get drafted like Diallo or to play, and play poorly, and get drafted like Skal.
 
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KemBuckets21 said:
Not sure what is better (or worse depending on how you look at it), to hardly even play and get drafted like Diallo or to play, and play poorly, and get drafted like Skal.
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That's the tricky part for these types of players deciding to go to the draft.

I think the rules are a little different for big men. A big will get drafted on potential much more often than a guard. Diallo's freak athleticism puts him in "draft on potential" watch, but I wouldn't necessarily call him a game-set-match lock to be drafted if he doesn't perform, especially considering the NBA isn't in desperate need for shooting guards at all right now, especially one that isn't a lights out shooter. Check the results from the last 4 or 5 drafts. There are some picks high in the first round, but most are great shooters or have some other unique quality. Someone like Wiggins is a good 2 inches taller than Diallo with similar athleticism. The NBA wants shooting guards at 6'7+, and shooters, these days ideally. Obviously Diallo is unique in his athleticism and transition ability, but he's still quite thin and MUST become a better shooter to make it at the next level. We've moved away from the shooting guard heavy offenses of the 90s and early 2000s. I hate to say it, because I loved that style of play.
 
husky429 said:
That's the tricky part for these types of players deciding to go to the draft.

I think the rules are a little different for big men. A big will get drafted on potential much more often than a guard. Diallo's freak athleticism puts him in "draft on potential" watch, but I wouldn't necessarily call him a game-set-match lock to be drafted if he doesn't perform, especially considering the NBA isn't in desperate need for shooting guards at all right now, especially one that isn't a lights out shooter. Check the results from the last 4 or 5 drafts. There are some picks high in the first round, but most are great shooters or have some other unique quality. Someone like Wiggins is a good 2 inches taller than Diallo with similar athleticism. The NBA wants shooting guards at 6'7+, and shooters, these days ideally. Obviously Diallo is unique in his athleticism and transition ability, but he's still quite thin and MUST become a better shooter to make it at the next level. We've moved away from the shooting guard heavy offenses of the 90s and early 2000s. I hate to say it, because I loved that style of play.
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I was trying to think of comps the last few years for HD. Wiggins is the most obvious, but I think the height makes a difference and Wiggins has a solid mid range game. The comp makes sense though.

Mudiay is even more intriguing to me. I know he's considered a pg, but he's close in height and athletic ability and also a mediocre shooter. Maybe HD will consider him when deciding to go to school or go over seas. let's hope not.
 
husky429 said:
That's the tricky part for these types of players deciding to go to the draft.

I think the rules are a little different for big men. A big will get drafted on potential much more often than a guard. Diallo's freak athleticism puts him in "draft on potential" watch, but I wouldn't necessarily call him a game-set-match lock to be drafted if he doesn't perform, especially considering the NBA isn't in desperate need for shooting guards at all right now, especially one that isn't a lights out shooter. Check the results from the last 4 or 5 drafts. There are some picks high in the first round, but most are great shooters or have some other unique quality. Someone like Wiggins is a good 2 inches taller than Diallo with similar athleticism. The NBA wants shooting guards at 6'7+, and shooters, these days ideally. Obviously Diallo is unique in his athleticism and transition ability, but he's still quite thin and MUST become a better shooter to make it at the next level. We've moved away from the shooting guard heavy offenses of the 90s and early 2000s. I hate to say it, because I loved that style of play.
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Pretty good post - people go too far with the production/potential thing. For a SG/wing, you can get drafted on potential, but you have to have shown flashes. Bigs, not that they can show NO flashes, but it's different, as you pointed out.

I love player comps, I always do them in my head if not within a discussion...I think someone last year like Jaylen Brown for Cal is a decent comp to Diallo in that if he plays with some inconsistencies but shows enough flashes, he'll be a top 10 pick...but there's a lower floor with a wing such as him than there is with a skilled, raw big.

If he dominates/is more flash than not, he's durant/rose/evans type of guaranteed top 5 pick. Diallo I mean, of course, but I mean all of that generally with that type of SG/wing nowadays.
 
KemBuckets21 said:
I was trying to think of comps the last few years for HD. Wiggins is the most obvious, but I think the height makes a difference and Wiggins has a solid mid range game. The comp makes sense though.
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Iguodala
 
KemBuckets21 said:
I was trying to think of comps the last few years for HD. Wiggins is the most obvious, but I think the height makes a difference and Wiggins has a solid mid range game. The comp makes sense though.

Mudiay is even more intriguing to me. I know he's considered a pg, but he's close in height and athletic ability and also a mediocre shooter. Maybe HD will consider him when deciding to go to school or go over seas. let's hope not.
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I don't know about a comp right now, but I think his ceiling is Demar Derozan. I think I've said this before on here. Look at Derozan's mixtapes from hs--very similar style. Limited 3 game, high athleticism. Derozan just has a more developed mid-range post-up that he developed in college and in the pros. About the same height, very skinny, etc.

I don't think his comp is Mudiay or Wiggins. Mudiay is a stocky, powerful PG from the limited highlights I've seen. Wiggins is a tall SG with freak athleticism; his height separates his style of play from Diallo. Wiggins can rise over people, Diallo is going to have to learn to be a little more crafty than that for the NBA. all imho of course.

I haven't been watching the NBA for more than 5-6 years religiously, anyone know of any older comps that would work well for Diallo?
 
husky429 said:
I don't know about a comp right now, but I think his ceiling is Demar Derozan. I think I've said this before on here. Look at Derozan's mixtapes from hs--very similar style. Limited 3 game, high athleticism. Derozan just has a more developed mid-range post-up that he developed in college and in the pros. About the same height, very skinny, etc.

I don't think his comp is Mudiay or Wiggins. Mudiay is a stocky, powerful PG from the limited highlights I've seen. Wiggins is a tall SG with freak athleticism; his height separates his style of play from Diallo. Wiggins can rise over people, Diallo is going to have to learn to be a little more crafty than that for the NBA. all imho of course.

I haven't been watching the NBA for more than 5-6 years religiously, anyone know of any older comps that would work well for Diallo?
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husky429 said:
I don't know about a comp right now, but I think his ceiling is Demar Derozan. I think I've said this before on here. Look at Derozan's mixtapes from hs--very similar style. Limited 3 game, high athleticism. Derozan just has a more developed mid-range post-up that he developed in college and in the pros. About the same height, very skinny, etc.

I don't think his comp is Mudiay or Wiggins. Mudiay is a stocky, powerful PG from the limited highlights I've seen. Wiggins is a tall SG with freak athleticism; his height separates his style of play from Diallo. Wiggins can rise over people, Diallo is going to have to learn to be a little more crafty than that for the NBA. all imho of course.

I haven't been watching the NBA for more than 5-6 years religiously, anyone know of any older comps that would work well for Diallo?
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I agree that he will probably put up Derozanesque stats. Probably high point totals, little to no playmaking and mid 40's fg%.
 
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UConnSwag11 said:
UConn Stockpiles Point Guards With Addition Of Makai Ashton-Langford
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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.
 
HooperScooper said:
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.
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AJ often gets forgotten as well. A tremendous college PG who led us to a final four and went to the NBA.
 
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Thirty Three said:
AJ often gets forgotten as well. A tremendous college PG who led us to a final four and went to the NBA.
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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.
 
HooperScooper said:
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.
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And maybe Kevin Ollie and Doron Sheffer. Plus AJ as mentioned in 33's reply.
 
tzznandrew said:
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.
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TB was the MAN
Much maligned but to me he epitomized UConn PG
One of my top 10 Huskies
 
Tenspro2002 said:
What's more impressive (and necessary) is that we're starting to get a Top 40 PG every year, which fits KO's 2-PG offense.
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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
 
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