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missing that energy guy...

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We need a guy to step up and provude thst energy this team currently lacks. And that guy should from the frontcourt. We need Phil Nolan to provide that energy. Rakim's not ready for that as a true frosh and Facey although serviceable shows his youth. Nolan needs to step up as an upperclassmen. Rebound, set screens, so our backcourt players don't overly settle for perimeter shots. We're doing it way too much in the halfcourt set right now.
 
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We need a guy to step up and provude thst energy this team currently lacks. And that guy should from the frontcourt. We need Phil Nolan to provide that energy. Rakim's not ready for that as a true frosh and Facey although serviceable shows his youth. Nolan needs to step up as an upperclassmen. Rebound, set screens, so our backcourt players don't overly settle for perimeter shots. We're doing it way too much in the halfcourt set right now.
While I agree that we need someone to bring energy, that is something that should come secondary to solid production form the starters. While Boat has been doing everything that he can to carry the team, and D Ham has been great, those have been lone bright spots. The team needs to refocus on playing a team offense. They are playing a primarily perimeter focused game. Even if Brimah doesn't have the offensive skill set that everyone wanted him to be this year, and Facey is still very raw, entering the ball into the post and running a team centric offense would be much more conducive to winning games. Right now, it is just a perimeter show, minus a few alley oops, fast breaks and offensive rebounds. I understand that this team aspect will begin to slowly improve over the season (hopefully), but it is never too early to start stressing it.
 
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You need effort before you can get to energy. Confidence and ability fuel effort. Don't see that in Phil.
 
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The staff scouted a player and after consultation and evaluation labeled the candidate a Ferrari. I wonder if their reality translates to even a VW by upper echelon P5 criteria.

Maybe the staff should have spent more of their acumen studying Tolk. Perhaps they would have concluded the roster had the set shooter with at least a 35% efficiency.
 

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The staff scouted a player and after consultation and evaluation labeled the candidate a Ferrari. I wonder if their reality translates to even a VW by upper echelon P5 criteria.

Maybe the staff should have spent more of their acumen studying Tolk. Perhaps they would have concluded the roster had the set shooter with at least a 35% efficiency.

He's played two healthy games...to early to tell with him.

Tolksdorf maybe would have been a decent shooter but he also was pretty bad on defense.
 
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With the reduced manpower, the use of multiple zone defenses is becoming a serious option. Regarding Tolk, if he were still on the roster he would be a major trifecta weapon and he could have logged minutes hiding in a zone in spurts. Major faux pas letting him go when his schollie is taken by one of two walkons or is vacant.

Check statistics on roster at uconnhuskies web site. Mr. Boat is five of 25 from behind the arc. Mr. Samuel is zero from three and overall field goal percentage is approaching imaginary complex numbers. Mr. Nolan is completely blank, no numbers at all listed. Mr. Sam Jr has numbers that should be hidden from opposing coaches. Mr. Purvis has numbers that are tabulated with unmentionables. Mr. Lubin has only logged seventeen minutes in toto and taken one field goal attempt.
 
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This is an odd team. We are missing an energy guy. We are also missing competent ball-handlers and guys who can make plays or at least quality decisions for themselves or others. We went from having at least 4-5 last year (Bazz, Boat, Daniels, Giff, Kromah) to two in Boat and DHam. Therefore, it becomes a one-on-one game in the half court (for Boat and DHam) and as good as Boat is, he is not Bazz or Kemba and we cannot get away with relying on Boat to carry us every game. He does not have the total skillset of Kemba or Bazz.

We are also missing toughness. Toughness doesn't necessarily mean girth, it means effort and a willingness to stick your nose into the fray. Guys like Giffey and Kromah were tough and could guard 1-5 and would mix it up. Bazz was tough as nails and DD grew in this regard over the course of the year. Boat is by far our toughest player and after that... I really love Facey, but he does not have that toughness yet.

I think we will shoot better. Cassell is at least a low 30s shooter from 3 as is Boat and Purvis. Hamilton is at least that and probably better. So I really think the shooting will come with confidence. If Omar is still here, he's a fifth guy who is at least a threat to stretch the defense a bit. We also have to at least consider dumping the ball inside from time to time and our post guys have to understand that it is okay to pass out of the post as well. Brimah is a black hole when he gets the ball and I cannot remember Facey getting one post up opportunity this year.

I still think this team can be a solid tourney team; sweet 16 ceiling predicated on matchups. But this is a major turning point for KO; the first time one of his teams has looked totally lost and apathetic. We had the bad TX trip last year where we just didn't play well. But the team didn't look lost as they have over two of the last three games. He has to figure out how to unite the team, get them to play together and trust one another, and understand that UConn does not lose to Yale, at home, while putting up 45 points. The press conference was very revealing that things aren't copacetic in Ollieworld. It will be very interesting to watch how this transpires.
 

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boog204 said:
This is an odd team. We are missing an energy guy. We are also missing competent ball-handlers and guys who can make plays or at least quality decisions for themselves or others. We went from having at least 4-5 last year (Bazz, Boat, Daniels, Giff, Kromah) to two in Boat and DHam. Therefore, it becomes a one-on-one game in the half court (for Boat and DHam) and as good as Boat is, he is not Bazz or Kemba and we cannot get away with relying on Boat to carry us every game. He does not have the total skillset of Kemba or Bazz. We are also missing toughness. Toughness doesn't necessarily mean girth, it means effort and a willingness to stick your nose into the fray. Guys like Giffey and Kromah were tough and could guard 1-5 and would mix it up. Bazz was tough as nails and DD grew in this regard over the course of the year. Boat is by far our toughest player and after that... I really love Facey, but he does not have that toughness yet. I think we will shoot better. Cassell is at least a low 30s shooter from 3 as is Boat and Purvis. Hamilton is at least that and probably better. So I really think the shooting will come with confidence. If Omar is still here, he's a fifth guy who is at least a threat to stretch the defense a bit. We also have to at least consider dumping the ball inside from time to time and our post guys have to understand that it is okay to pass out of the post as well. Brimah is a black hole when he gets the ball and I cannot remember Facey getting one post up opportunity this year. I still think this team can be a solid tourney team; sweet 16 ceiling predicated on matchups. But this is a major turning point for KO; the first time one of his teams has looked totally lost and apathetic. We had the bad TX trip last year where we just didn't play well. But the team didn't look lost as they have over two of the last three games. He has to figure out how to unite the team, get them to play together and trust one another, and understand that UConn does not lose to Yale, at home, while putting up 45 points. The press conference was very revealing that things aren't copacetic in Ollieworld. It will be very interesting to watch how this transpires.
I agree with your post except for the toughness part. Toughness is the only thing this team is hanging its hat on. We shot 30 percent against Texas and lost on a shotput 3 pointer. We should have lost that game way earlier on paper. West Virginia should have beat us by 30 the way that game was going but be gutted up and got it down to 5 but just couldn't get over the hump before running out of gas from sheer effort. It's pretty obvious that it is just the inability to hit shots that is the teams major flaw. Not to mention that we are down two projected contributors ( purvis and Calhoun) 3 for Yale because boat is not near 100 percent. All that being said we are 2 buzzer beater treys from being 5-1 and we would be the same flawed team we are now. Only difference would be there are 90 percent less melt downs on how we suck.
 
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We need a guy to step up and provude thst energy this team currently lacks. And that guy should from the frontcourt. We need Phil Nolan to provide that energy. Rakim's not ready for that as a true frosh and Facey although serviceable shows his youth. Nolan needs to step up as an upperclassmen. Rebound, set screens, so our backcourt players don't overly settle for perimeter shots. We're doing it way too much in the halfcourt set right now.

lol Phil Nolan is not the answer. I don't get why people continue to expect so much from him. He doesn't have a good feel for the game. I agree that as an upperclassman he should be doing the little things right at this point. If he can just be solid without making mistakes he could be a useful player. Facey is a much more valuable player by far.
 

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Hitting shots and ball handling.
I think Amida is an energy guy. He just can't handle the biggest and best yet. I think we are good at the 1, better than we have been at the 3 and our front court is improving.
Our problem is outside shooting and ball handling and are concentrated in our shooting guard and back-up point guard. Easily greatly improved if Purvis is even half as good as advertised when healthy. Hopefully both Sam's can learn their roles better too because it is way too early to write them off.

We have 10 true scholarship players. And that hurts too. I understand and agree that it was better to save a scholarship than invest 4 years on a marginal player. But we've had a lack of options when things aren't working, especially with our injuries.
 
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