More from Jon Rothstein

[jfuchs91]

More from Jon Rothstein after viewing today's practice.

- Going to get out some observations now from today's trip to UCONN - starting with the Huskies will be able to win playing big or small.

- Shabazz Napier has added 12-15 pounds of mass. He's more mature + should be ready to take the Huskies' torch as UCONN's leader.

- Ryan Boatright is the type of playing who seems like he's playing the game on a trampoline - will fill Shabazz Napier's role off bench.

- Jim Calhoun said Jeremy Lamb will play some PG this year. Lamb added some girth in his shoulders. Seems ready to be featured.

- Was blown away by Deandre Daniels. Big guard has an NBA game. Reminds me of Dermarr Johnson at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins.

- Niels Giffey really improved after playing w the German Natl Team. SF tightened his handle + is a much better passer than people realize.

- Saw flashes of Troy Murphy today in Tyler Olander. Southpaw can really shoot + added some gunpowder to his diet.

-Alex Oriakhi is going to have a ton of garbage points in the paint playing next to Andre Drummond. Big year ahead.

- Hard to predict UCONN's lineup but you get the feeling there's going to be tinkering until January. Lots of options.

- Wouldn't be shocked in end of game scenarios if you saw Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, + Jeremy Lamb on the floor together.

- I know he's a frosh, but it's going 2 be hard 4 Deandre Daniels not 2 be on the floor 4 UCONN. So much polish on offense 4 a 1st yr player.

- Probably would say Kentucky, UNC, UCONN, and Syracuse are the four most talented teams in the country....

- Andre Drummond has gifts from god. The best thing for him is he can play this yr w/o having 2 carry the load. His supporting cast is lethal.

 

[Scot-e]

DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aceboon]

I feel after reading this that we can beat the 72-10 Bulls

 

[jfuchs91]

I feel after reading this that we can beat the 72-10 Bulls

Assuming that those players have aged appropriately, I think that's a fair assumption.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exactly. When the season starts, we will have to get the mojo under control. This is all a little too much hubris. UConn championships have been won more by the emergence of an "us against the world," rise to the occasion, back against the wall type of thing.

 

[Peacefrog]

Exactly. When the season starts, we will have to get the mojo under control. This is all a little too much hubris. UConn championships have been won more by the emergence of an "us against the world," rise to the occasion, back against the wall type of thing.

Never too early to start respecting the mojo lest it abandon you.

 

[Kitaman]

Assuming that those players have aged appropriately, I think that's a fair assumption.

Now that's how you make a soft landing back to earth.

Somehow I think we need freescooter and similar posters back on this board, my expectations are becoming 'unrealistic' day by day. There is no bad news coming out of Storrs (sans Bradley).

 

[husky99]

Love the hype

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Awfully encouraging tweets by Mr. Rothstein. But with all due respect to Tyler Olander, mentioning him in the same breath as Troy Murphy (who was all sorts of awesome in college) seems to be a bit of a stretch. I get that they're both tall, white, and left handed, but Troy Murphy averaged 21 and 10 for his college career.

 

[jibsey]

Calhoun made a statement that Tyler can really shoot the ball, and now this. He was OK from 15 last year, what am I missing did he clone Ray over the summer?

 

[WingU]

I agree Murphy is a stretch for Olander, but my friend played pick up with him last week and said that olander didn't miss from 3. He pretty much just camped out behind the line and knocked them down. Granted he was playing against kids 8 inches shorter than him so there was never a hand in his face.

 

[UConn3432]

Awfully encouraging tweets by Mr. Rothstein. But with all due respect to Tyler Olander, mentioning him in the same breath as Troy Murphy (who was all sorts of awesome in college) seems to be a bit of a stretch. I get that they're both tall, white, and left handed, but Troy Murphy averaged 21 and 10 for his college career.

I like that they have guys that are 4 year projects and guys that are 1 and 2 and done. If you have a team full of 4 year projects you become pitt - win a lot of games every year, but never have the star to bring you a title. if you have too many one and dones you become that team we beat twice last year. olander will never be troy murphy but if he could average 10 and 8 and stretch defenses by his senior year i'd say he'd have had a very productive career.

 

[ctchamps]

Great report. I was hoping there would be some mention of Wolf. With Bradley out it would have been nice to know if would can give some backup minutes if needed.

 

[tcf15]

Great report. I was hoping there would be some mention of Wolf. With Bradley out it would have been nice to know if would can give some backup minutes if needed.

I bet with Bradley out it opens the door for Olander to get more playing time. It seemed before he would be squeezed out of playing time. Now, depending on the development of Wolf, I wouldn't be surprised to see Olander come in to spell Drummond and have AO move to the 5.

 

[ctchamps]

I bet with Bradley out it opens the door for Olander to get more playing time. It seemed before he would be squeezed out of playing time. Now, depending on the development of Wolf, I wouldn't be surprised to see Olander come in to spell Drummond and have AO move to the 5.

This would be similar to last season with the replacement of CO with AD. If AD isn't foul prone, there are no concerns, but if he is I expect TO to get playing time. My concern is that this season there are a few teams, NC and Baylor for instance, in which a Wolf or Bradley would be needed more than TO.

 

[Samoo]

Never too early to start respecting the mojo lest it abandon you.

HANG ROTHSTEIN

 

[intlzncster]

More from Jon Rothstein after viewing today's practice.

- Was blown away by Deandre Daniels. Big guard has an NBA game. Reminds me of Dermarr Johnson at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins.

- Niels Giffey really improved after playing w the German Natl Team. SF tightened his handle + is a much better passer than people realize.

- Saw flashes of Troy Murphy today in Tyler Olander. Southpaw can really shoot + added some gunpowder to his diet.

- I know he's a frosh, but it's going 2 be hard 4 Deandre Daniels not 2 be on the floor 4 UCONN. So much polish on offense 4 a 1st yr player.

Nice work fuchs. Liking the DD quotes. It's funny how he's kinda the forgotten guy of our freshman, simply due to position.

"added some gunpowder to his diet". nice line.

We are soooo much deeper this year.

 

[Waquoit]

I agree Murphy is a stretch for Olander, but my friend played pick up with him last week and said that olander didn't miss from 3. He pretty much just camped out behind the line and knocked them down. Granted he was playing against kids 8 inches shorter than him so there was never a hand in his face.

That's OK. If he has a hand in his face in a game he shouldn't take the shot. But if he is going to make open threes and draw out an opposing big man...

 

[jibsey]

That's OK. If he has a hand in his face in a game he shouldn't take the shot. But if he is going to make open threes and draw out an opposing big man...

I don't see a scenario where Tyler is routinely taking 3's this year no matter how good his practice is. We have JL,SN,DD,RB, NG and even RS for that. 15-17 feet OK, but he is a screen setter, rebounder, banger and cleanup guy.

 

[Danzz]

I feel after reading this that we can beat the 72-10 Bulls

What a bunch of fluff. Everybody is wonderful. Roscoe must have had a horrible day not to be mentioned as the next Michael Jordan.

 

[nomar]

I don't see a scenario where Tyler is routinely taking 3's this year no matter how good his practice is. We have JL,SN,DD,RB, NG and even RS for that. 15-17 feet OK, but he is a screen setter, rebounder, banger and cleanup guy.

He can hit the 15-18 footers. I remember seeing a video of him before last season where he hit about a dozen 18-footers in a row. Yeah, easy without a defender, but the stroke is really nice. He was nervous last year. With a year under his belt, he should shoot with some more confidence. If he can flash to the free-throw line, he will have lots of open looks that he can hit (or draw a defender and pass it down low to AD, AO, RS, DD or whoever's in the the frontcourt with him). I think a better-shooting Gavin Edwards is a realistic possibility.

 

[HooperScooper]

Rothstein Files: 5 Observations From UConn Hoops

Rothstein certainly likes this UConn team.

 

[Scot-e]

He sure does. It makes me wish we had more non-cupcakes to start the year but you can't have everything- who knew we would be considered a top 5 team this year- not me. I am looking forward to watching this year as much as any year I can remember. Winning the NC takes the edge off and allows you to kick back and see how the team develops.

I am expecting a good run through the early games with our only real early test looking like FSU. Then we might hit a few bumps in the road when we play Quse,Lville,pitt ect.... they will have to turn it up after beating the crap out of over matched teams early. That might come in the form of a few WTF games. Even if we play great it might be hard to get a 1 seed this year with our crappy SOS- but if there was a year you want a 1 seed it is this year.