My thoughts on the coming season... | The Boneyard

My thoughts on the coming season...

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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.
 
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Great post...agree with almost everything. Team chemistry will be a challenge with the new ingredients but the potential is there for a deep run. I think Kevin Ollie may have a bigger role this year behind the scenes. Some unexpected piece of the puzzle needs to be used to bring this all together. It will be very interesting.
 
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Great post. Good read with my coffee.

thanks
 
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Great post. Good read with my coffee.

thanks

Haha-same here.

I think your observations of each players' strengths and weaknesses is spot on.
 
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great post, I agree with most of your observations
 
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Really enjoyed the last paragraph of your analysis. Defensively AD is an upgrade over chuck, and chuck was a VERY good weakside shot blocker etc. I often feel as though we underrate the usage rate of a guy like drummond; there will be no center in the country who can guard him. Maybe posters are just trying to feign a sense of reservation , regardless, by the end of the year I see him being a top contributor on O.

Further, I could see boatright in the doghouse for a little. He has high potential for boneheaded plays; ill advised shots and passes, defensive risks, etc... I have no idea about DD and what he'll bring though. Giffey never makes mistakes, one of my favorite players on the team, I think the jump he'll make in his sophomore year will be huge. Want to see him on the floor a lot.
 
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Can't agree with the never makes mistakes comment in regard to Giffey, he made his fair share of bonehead passes last year. Some I thought he got unfairly pulled by JC for guys not cutting or being in the right position to receive them, but he had all kinds of bounce passes that just made me scratch my head.

Really enjoyed the last paragraph of your analysis. Defensively AD is an upgrade over chuck, and chuck was a VERY good weakside shot blocker etc. I often feel as though we underrate the usage rate of a guy like drummond; there will be no center in the country who can guard him. Maybe posters are just trying to feign a sense of reservation , regardless, by the end of the year I see him being a top contributor on O.

Further, I could see boatright in the doghouse for a little. He has high potential for boneheaded plays; ill advised shots and passes, defensive risks, etc... I have no idea about DD and what he'll bring though. Giffey never makes mistakes, one of my favorite players on the team, I think the jump he'll make in his sophomore year will be huge. Want to see him on the floor a lot.
 

ctchamps

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Great post! There were a lot of good ideas presented.
 

ctchamps

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Really enjoyed the last paragraph of your analysis. Defensively AD is an upgrade over chuck, and chuck was a VERY good weakside shot blocker etc. I often feel as though we underrate the usage rate of a guy like drummond; there will be no center in the country who can guard him. Maybe posters are just trying to feign a sense of reservation , regardless, by the end of the year I see him being a top contributor on O.

Further, I could see boatright in the doghouse for a little. He has high potential for boneheaded plays; ill advised shots and passes, defensive risks, etc... I have no idea about DD and what he'll bring though. Giffey never makes mistakes, one of my favorite players on the team, I think the jump he'll make in his sophomore year will be huge. Want to see him on the floor a lot.
Regarding Chuck: There were many times when Alex was being shot over by taller players. Chuck periodically neutralized them. I felt Chuck handled opposing teams pick and roll better than Alex up until the end of the season. And he intimidated many guards from taking shots when they drove into the lane. He was certainly a factor in the defense against Butler.

I was concerned about who would replace his limited but important role. I discounted Wolf and place my hopes in the unknown Bradley. Andre's arrival removes all my concerns.

Where Chuck was valuable on defense, he was limited in his contributions on offense. He was decent at setting picks, but he was not always reliable at catching the ball, creating his offense, or finishing. This not only affected his production but reduced the offense of the other 4/5's because teams didn't have to focus on Chuck. That will not be the case with Andre. I expect a lot more offense from Alex and Roscoe, just by having Andre in the game. Teams will have to double team Andre and that will leave great passing opportunities for the other bigs, or give them more opportunity to get into position for offensive rebounds for put backs.
 
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Last year Giffey was characterized as a guy who played team and individual defense at a high level, and also revealed his poise and ability to make nifty entry passes. Coupled with a solid set shooting form, his game was completely euro and not adjusted to the NCAA. Sure he made mistakes, the point I was trying to make is that he valued his minutes and was never just 'going through the motions'. His potential upgrade in minutes should be able to cancel out a bunch of his rushed decisions.

On chuck, agree on all accounts fleud. I'm not sure teams will be doubling a whole lot on AD, simply because of his arsenal of interiors passes, defenses would get aten alive by AO and Roscoe lay ups.
 

ctchamps

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Last year Giffey was characterized as a guy who played team and individual defense at a high level, and also revealed his poise and ability to make nifty entry passes. Coupled with a solid set shooting form, his game was completely euro and not adjusted to the NCAA. Sure he made mistakes, the point I was trying to make is that he valued his minutes and was never just 'going through the motions'. His potential upgrade in minutes should be able to cancel out a bunch of his rushed decisions.

On chuck, agree on all accounts fleud. I'm not sure teams will be doubling a whole lot on AD, simply because of his arsenal of interiors passes, defenses would get aten alive by AO and Roscoe lay ups.
And if they don't or can't double up on AD ..... :):):):cool:
 

intlzncster

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Further, I could see boatright in the doghouse for a little. He has high potential for boneheaded plays; ill advised shots and passes, defensive risks, etc... I have no idea about DD and what he'll bring though. Giffey never makes mistakes, one of my favorite players on the team, I think the jump he'll make in his sophomore year will be huge. Want to see him on the floor a lot.

Not sure I see that with Boatright. There seemed to be a bit of a slander campaign against the kid in high school about his attitude, mostly stemming from his unchecked competitiveness. By all accounts, he's got a great attitude with regard to work and has bought in completely. From what I've seen, he's an in control player, more so than Kemba or Shabazz were coming in their freshman years.

In addition, he's the only other PG we've got. Like Shabazz last year, we've got to get him on the floor no matter if he's screws the pooch or not.

That said, all the frosh will be in JC's doghouse at some point. That's part of the deal.
 
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This team is like stew. We have all very high quality ingredients here but they are going to have to cook on low for a while. That's why I expect this particular stew to taste better in Feb. than in Dec.
 
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" 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."

this is why im not worried about us scoring points. i think our defense if its as good as it appears it can be with that size,speed and athleticsm any turnover can turn into a quick basket. i think this team will take some time to find its way in the half court offense but but i think theyll be running from day one.
 

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Consider this: UK, UNC and Puke get to be this excited about basketball EVERY year basically.
 
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