- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 9,379
- Reaction Score
- 23,680
I really think the sky is the limit. We've got guys on this team that are so talented that they were really just begginning to tap the surface of their potential last year, which is really exciting because, we won the national championship even with four of our five starters no where near finished products. Now I'm sure things are going to be a lot different without everything Kemba brought to the table. It's kind of like going off to college for the first time when you have to wash your own clothes, get your own dinner, pay your own bills, do your studying without your mom having to tell you to do it. Not the best comparison, but you get the point. I can't think of how many times Shabazz would dribble around with his head cut off, only to dish it off to Kemba with five seconds left on the shot clock, just in time to watch Kemba make a phenominal play and bail the team out. We can hope that Kemba's grit, heart, and desire to win rubbed off on the team, and I'm at least some of it did, but it's still going to be a lot different without him actually there. Regarless, Calhoun is just gonna have to make it clear from day one that Kemba is not walking through that door, and that even without him, we have as much talent as anybody in the nation. We may have lost one leader in Kemba, but we've still got one leader who has been at UConn for what seems like about 50 years. And UConn has done pretty well under him. Anyway...
Lamb-Obviously we all saw just how good he is and will be in the second half of last season. It seems that this summer he has gotten even better, and that was obviously on display in the u19 games. I think it's entirely possible that he could be one of the better sophmores in UConn history, right up there with Caron, Rudy, etc. Lamb can pretty much score in every way, and he will be most dangerous off the ball imo, coming off screens he will be very Richard Hamilton/Ray Allen/Kemba Walker/Insert great UConn wing here like. Can't leave him open from three, and if your a step late on the screen, he's probably going to pull up and drain a mid-range jumper. One area he will need to improve is his driving ability, as he often does not finish at the rim due to his lack of strength. Still though, that's not his game. He may not be the leader Kemba was, but if Lamb is your best player I think you're doing alright.
Shabazz-His freshman season gave UConn fans a lot to be excited about. He's not Kemba, but he has a good first step, great latteral movement, and can (whether he should is another question) pull the trigger from anywhere on the floor. That being said, I think he's a year away from really making the step from good PG to really good PG. He'll likely have be reminded to stay in control at times, much like Kemba was in his sophmore year. However, with the weapons around him, I think he and Roscoe are both going to have a lot of open looks and driving lanes.
Roscoe-He disappointed me a little bit offensively last season. I expected him to be a bit more polished, or at least knock down a high percentage of his open jump shots. He was very inconsistant in this regard, but his defense more than made up for it, and there is no chance we win the national title without him. This year we will be looking for more of the same, along with a more polished offensive game. I think he can be a very good offensive player if he makes smart cuts to the baskets, picks and chooses his spots, utilizes the pump fake/pivot, and knocks down his open shots. He is a big, strong, and athletic kid, so if that skill ever catches up to his talent, watch out.
Daniels-I think Daniels is going to be a mixure of Lamb and Roscoe. I haven't seen him play a ton, but in the tape I did watch he seemed to have a very smooth offensive game, a nice release on his jump shot, and plus athleticism. I think he will be lethal from the perimeter, knocking down long range shots, finding seems in the defense to use his mid-range game, and at times finishing at the rim when the defense over plays.
Oriakhi-This is the guy I really expect to make a huge jump. He's a rock inside, he has plus athleticism, and he's had two years to harness his post moves/touch around the rim. He's got the strength to bully weaker defenders, and I think he's now developing the touch to score over taller defenders. Oriakhi should be fine as long as he collects himself in the post and goes up strong. Defensively he's solid, and he's easily the best rebounder on the team. He'll be one of the best bigs in the country last year, write it down. To be honest, I thought he should have won MOP for the Final Four, not to take anything away from Kemba.
Boatright-Haven't seen him play in person, but from the videos I've seen he looks absolutely electric, and you would have figured he'd have been a top ten guy if you're just watching his mix tape. Obviously there is more to basketball than that, but it's hard not to get excited about the guy when he's scoring 50 against top high school competition like it's nothing.
Giff-He's just going to be a solid glue guy, hopefully for four years. Just one of those guys who is never going to be a star, never going to grab the headlines, but he'll help you win games. He's a solid defender, he can knockdown shots, get some rebounds, and make the mid-range jumper if you cheat on him. Very good get by Calhoun.
Olander/Bradley-One of these guys is going to see 10-15 minutes a game, and one of them is going to spend a lot of time on the bench. I like what I saw from Olander at times last season, he just didn't seem like a Big East athlete from what I saw. That can be overcome by giving 110% and playing smart. He's got some real nice post moves, a good jay, and he can even step out in hit a three from time to time. Hard for me to comment on Bradley because I haven't much of anything.
Drummond-Many of you have tried to temper the expectations this guy is bringing with him, but for me he is always going to be one of those guys that leaves you wanting more, no matter what he does. This is obviously no fault of his own. The better the talent, the greater the expectations, just ask LeBron. The kid has everything you want in a center, it's just a matter of whether he shows it, and if he can harness his God-given abilities/talents.
Individually, these kids are going to have to expand their games, and do it in a way that fits into the teams style of play. For whatever reason, Coombs was unable to adapt to Calhoun's system, which eventually lead to him transferring.
I would expect our bread and butter play to remain the same with Lamb running off screens, maybe some high low action with AO/Drummond, and possibly some pick and roll with Daniels and Shabazz. If Drummond and Oriakhi really become weapons down low, there are going to be many shooters running free. With all the mis-matches this team has the ability to cause, finding the open man and making the extra pass is going to be essential. Shabazz may have an open look, but if he sees Smith wide open in the corner, that's a pass you have to make.
Defensively, this team has the potential to be special. Not only the height and length, but the quickness, the athleticism, the insincts, and the fundamentals are off the charts with this team. That Butler game was one of the finer displays of defense you will find. This year I expect much of the same, except better with Drummond now on campus. With Drummond and Oriakhi protecting the basket, teams will have no choice but to settle for jump shots. And if we close out like we did in the title game, the length of Lamb/Daniels/Smith/Giffey will make it nearly impossible to get clean looks. Not to mention, guys like Shabazz, Lamb, and Boatright will be playing the passing lanes, which could lead to breakouts, where this team would be absolutely lethal with Shabazz/Boat pushing and Daniels, Smith, Lamb, Drummond running the floor.
Alright, sorry for the rant. Goodnight.
Lamb-Obviously we all saw just how good he is and will be in the second half of last season. It seems that this summer he has gotten even better, and that was obviously on display in the u19 games. I think it's entirely possible that he could be one of the better sophmores in UConn history, right up there with Caron, Rudy, etc. Lamb can pretty much score in every way, and he will be most dangerous off the ball imo, coming off screens he will be very Richard Hamilton/Ray Allen/Kemba Walker/Insert great UConn wing here like. Can't leave him open from three, and if your a step late on the screen, he's probably going to pull up and drain a mid-range jumper. One area he will need to improve is his driving ability, as he often does not finish at the rim due to his lack of strength. Still though, that's not his game. He may not be the leader Kemba was, but if Lamb is your best player I think you're doing alright.
Shabazz-His freshman season gave UConn fans a lot to be excited about. He's not Kemba, but he has a good first step, great latteral movement, and can (whether he should is another question) pull the trigger from anywhere on the floor. That being said, I think he's a year away from really making the step from good PG to really good PG. He'll likely have be reminded to stay in control at times, much like Kemba was in his sophmore year. However, with the weapons around him, I think he and Roscoe are both going to have a lot of open looks and driving lanes.
Roscoe-He disappointed me a little bit offensively last season. I expected him to be a bit more polished, or at least knock down a high percentage of his open jump shots. He was very inconsistant in this regard, but his defense more than made up for it, and there is no chance we win the national title without him. This year we will be looking for more of the same, along with a more polished offensive game. I think he can be a very good offensive player if he makes smart cuts to the baskets, picks and chooses his spots, utilizes the pump fake/pivot, and knocks down his open shots. He is a big, strong, and athletic kid, so if that skill ever catches up to his talent, watch out.
Daniels-I think Daniels is going to be a mixure of Lamb and Roscoe. I haven't seen him play a ton, but in the tape I did watch he seemed to have a very smooth offensive game, a nice release on his jump shot, and plus athleticism. I think he will be lethal from the perimeter, knocking down long range shots, finding seems in the defense to use his mid-range game, and at times finishing at the rim when the defense over plays.
Oriakhi-This is the guy I really expect to make a huge jump. He's a rock inside, he has plus athleticism, and he's had two years to harness his post moves/touch around the rim. He's got the strength to bully weaker defenders, and I think he's now developing the touch to score over taller defenders. Oriakhi should be fine as long as he collects himself in the post and goes up strong. Defensively he's solid, and he's easily the best rebounder on the team. He'll be one of the best bigs in the country last year, write it down. To be honest, I thought he should have won MOP for the Final Four, not to take anything away from Kemba.
Boatright-Haven't seen him play in person, but from the videos I've seen he looks absolutely electric, and you would have figured he'd have been a top ten guy if you're just watching his mix tape. Obviously there is more to basketball than that, but it's hard not to get excited about the guy when he's scoring 50 against top high school competition like it's nothing.
Giff-He's just going to be a solid glue guy, hopefully for four years. Just one of those guys who is never going to be a star, never going to grab the headlines, but he'll help you win games. He's a solid defender, he can knockdown shots, get some rebounds, and make the mid-range jumper if you cheat on him. Very good get by Calhoun.
Olander/Bradley-One of these guys is going to see 10-15 minutes a game, and one of them is going to spend a lot of time on the bench. I like what I saw from Olander at times last season, he just didn't seem like a Big East athlete from what I saw. That can be overcome by giving 110% and playing smart. He's got some real nice post moves, a good jay, and he can even step out in hit a three from time to time. Hard for me to comment on Bradley because I haven't much of anything.
Drummond-Many of you have tried to temper the expectations this guy is bringing with him, but for me he is always going to be one of those guys that leaves you wanting more, no matter what he does. This is obviously no fault of his own. The better the talent, the greater the expectations, just ask LeBron. The kid has everything you want in a center, it's just a matter of whether he shows it, and if he can harness his God-given abilities/talents.
Individually, these kids are going to have to expand their games, and do it in a way that fits into the teams style of play. For whatever reason, Coombs was unable to adapt to Calhoun's system, which eventually lead to him transferring.
I would expect our bread and butter play to remain the same with Lamb running off screens, maybe some high low action with AO/Drummond, and possibly some pick and roll with Daniels and Shabazz. If Drummond and Oriakhi really become weapons down low, there are going to be many shooters running free. With all the mis-matches this team has the ability to cause, finding the open man and making the extra pass is going to be essential. Shabazz may have an open look, but if he sees Smith wide open in the corner, that's a pass you have to make.
Defensively, this team has the potential to be special. Not only the height and length, but the quickness, the athleticism, the insincts, and the fundamentals are off the charts with this team. That Butler game was one of the finer displays of defense you will find. This year I expect much of the same, except better with Drummond now on campus. With Drummond and Oriakhi protecting the basket, teams will have no choice but to settle for jump shots. And if we close out like we did in the title game, the length of Lamb/Daniels/Smith/Giffey will make it nearly impossible to get clean looks. Not to mention, guys like Shabazz, Lamb, and Boatright will be playing the passing lanes, which could lead to breakouts, where this team would be absolutely lethal with Shabazz/Boat pushing and Daniels, Smith, Lamb, Drummond running the floor.
Alright, sorry for the rant. Goodnight.
