NBC Sports College Basketball Countdown: No: 20 UConn Huskies

[AF34]

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/13/2014-2015-season-preview-uconn/

 

[FeedTheDove]

Apparently Rakim Lubin isn't on our team

 

[SubbaBub]

It's clear they these website pay next to nothing.

 

[Walker11]

I thought the entire piece was fair. Dauster typically does a good job. These previews are made for the CBB audience as a whole, not just the die hard UCONN fans. It was a good summary and the only thing I could nitpick was that SCJR is a sophomore and not a junior. He also seems to have no expectations for Facey but thats more than understandable.

 

[CL82]

Apparently Rakim Lubin isn't on our team

Here's in there:

"Rakim “Rock” Lubin, an incoming recruit that is built like a bulldozer but that wasn’t ranked in the Class of 2014."​

I love this article for both recognizing Boat as a great on the ball defender:

"The face of this year’s group is going to be Ryan Boatright. One of the most athletic point guards that you’ll ever come across, Boatright was one of the most important pieces to UConn’s national title run thanks to the nightmarish on-ball defense that he provided for Kevin Ollie’s club."​

and for questioning Boat's ability to lead and his maturity. The author is laying down the guanlet can Boat be the next great UConn guard:

"UConn has won two of the last four national titles thanks to the play of Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, two of the best point guards that we’ve seen in recent years. ...He’ll have talent around him, but if the Huskies are going to win the American this season, it will be on the back of Boatright. It will be interesting, over the next five months, to see if Boatright can live up to those lofty standards."
​

Perfect bulletin board material.

 

[mcs333]

They mention the Rock but they give him no respect since he wasn't rated. Also no respect to Facey since he didn't play much last year. Facey was a top 50 recruit and NY Gatorade player of the year. But I doubt they know that. Overall 20 is fair since we lost a ton of scoring and many of our top players. This is a good place to be. It is all about up side.

 

[CL82]

They mention the Rock but they give him no respect since he wasn't rated. Also no respect to Facey since he didn't play much last year. Facey was a top 50 recruit and NY Gatoraid player of the year. But I doubt they know that. Overall 20 is fair since we lost a ton of scoring and many of our top players. This is a good place to be. It is all about up side.

Facey is the type of player that they describe us needing to replace Daniels. He's not going to be Daniels but he stretch the defense. I'm not sure how do defensively against prototype 4s though.

 

[jleves]

I thought the entire piece was fair. Dauster typically does a good job. These previews are made for the CBB audience as a whole, not just the die hard UCONN fans. It was a good summary and the only thing I could nitpick was that SCJR is a sophomore and not a junior. He also seems to have no expectations for Facey but thats more than understandable.

Well technically he's both a Sophomore and a Junior....

 

[Kitaman]

I don't recall Bazz getting all this love last year at this time. Boat seems to be starting this year the same way in the media's eyes.

 

[Walker11]

Well technically he's both a Sophomore and a Junior....

Not for basketball purposes.

 

[UConn990411]

I'm not close to predicting a Final Four, but I just have a hard time imaging there being 19 more talented teams in the country.

Really, would any other elite program with this much talent be ranked as low as 20 to start the year?

 

[aceboon]

I thought the review was pretty fair, Dauster is actually a UConn fan but sometimes he misses the obvious, like last year when he thought Olander was still gonna start and play heavy minutes, and now this year in thinking KO is gonna start Phil and Amida together.

 

[James]

I wish there were writers who actually knew whats going on with the personnel of our team. especially since KO has gone into detail about it. Its like guys in these 'previews' simply skim a the new roster and put connecting sentences. Reading this, its like they are expecting boatright to play exactly like napier ( he doesn't and shouldn't, two different style guards.) , and calhoun to be our 6th man lol. ..for us to 'have a chance'. This team will look different and play different than 2014.

 

[ctchamps]

Thought the article was quite good. Only disagreement I have is playing Phil at PF along with Amidah at C.
But there are people in this forum who like this option. That only happens if both those guys prove they are not foul prone like they were in the past and if that combo is the best big combo. That would be a big surprise and I give it a very low probability.

 

[ctchamps]

I don't recall Bazz getting all this love last year at this time. Boat seems to be starting this year the same way in the media's eyes.

From ESPN article ranking teams last season.

23. Connecticut Huskies: Kevin Ollie did an excellent job under difficult circumstances last season, when the Huskies -- who were banned from postseason play -- had nothing to play for but still managed to go 20-10. It seems safe to assume Ollie's second season will be even better, especially with the return of guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, who will combine to form one of the top backcourts in the country. The twosome averaged 33.5 points and nine assists this season. Double-digit scorers DeAndre Daniels (12.1 points) and Omar Calhoun (11.1) also return. Connecticut ranked second to last in the Big East this past season in rebounding. Ollie's team must get tougher in the paint, where it is undermanned.

 

[CTBasketball]

Thought the article was quite good. Only disagreement I have is playing Phil at PF along with Amidah at C.
But there are people in this forum who like this option. That only happens if both those guys prove they are not foul prone like they were in the past and if that combo is the best big combo. That would be a big surprise and I give it a very low probability.

I sort of want the Nolan/Brimah 4-5 punch to happen. I may be stuck in my old Adrien/Thabeet, Boone/Armstrong, Boone/Okafor lust, but I think keeping Nolan/Brimah on the floor at the same time will be beneficial, until one picks up a foul or both pick up fouls.

 

[ctchamps]

I sort of want the Nolan/Brimah 4-5 punch to happen. I may be stuck in my old Adrien/Thabeet, Boone/Armstrong, Boone/Okafor lust, but I think keeping Nolan/Brimah on the floor at the same time will be beneficial, until one picks up a foul or both pick up fouls.

I'm not against it in any way hypothetically. Pragmatically I think KO employs this sparingly at best like the end of an exhibition game.

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm not against it in any way hypothetically. Pragmatically I think KO employs this sparingly at best like the end of an exhibition game.

I agree. It won't be used much because that enables a slower lineup and fouls are the main concern. Nolan/Brimah are the only bigs with actual minutes - and thats important. I expect Rock, Facey, and (if he plays the 4 even a little) Hamilton to pick up a lot of fouls.

 

[UChusky916]

Thought the article was fair with the exception of BOLD below:

"Outlook: Just how good will Ryan Boatright be taking over the reins of this team? He’s a tremendous talent, one of the nation’s best on-ball defenders and a kid that can score 30 on any given night when he gets on a roll offensively, but he’s also a kid that has had maturity issues during his career and a habit of forcing some tough shots."
​

Uhhh someone want to remind me about these 'maturity issues' Ryan has had? I can't recall a single instance.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Thought the article was fair with the exception of BOLD below:

"Outlook: Just how good will Ryan Boatright be taking over the reins of this team? He’s a tremendous talent, one of the nation’s best on-ball defenders and a kid that can score 30 on any given night when he gets on a roll offensively, but he’s also a kid that has had maturity issues during his career and a habit of forcing some tough shots."
​

Uhhh someone want to remind me about these 'maturity issues' Ryan has had? I can't recall a single instance.

It seems like "maturity issues" gets thrown around a bit much. And it's such a vague label. You could probably say they have all had "maturity issues" at some point seeing as how they are college kids. I know I did. Hell, I may still at 36

 

[pj]

I sort of want the Nolan/Brimah 4-5 punch to happen. I may be stuck in my old Adrien/Thabeet, Boone/Armstrong, Boone/Okafor lust, but I think keeping Nolan/Brimah on the floor at the same time will be beneficial, until one picks up a foul or both pick up fouls.

Nolan is a natural four. Facey playing the four will make a better running team but Nolan will make a better halfcourt team. A lot depends on whether the running strategy works and whether Amida gets into foul trouble. If we can run or if Amida is foul prone, Phil will stay at the 5. But Phil's natural position is the 4.

 

[David 76]

Thought the article was pretty on target but I think the ranking is too high. I think we squeeze into the top 10.
Can't really fault the lacl of credit for Lubin & Facey. They haven't shown much in college even though Facey was highly (4 star) regarded.
I also disagree about Nolan at the four. We need him at the 5 and I think we will do a lot of running.

 

[mauconnfan]

There are questions to be answered and to top it off a lot of talented teams out there:

Rock and Kentan do need to prove they can play impact minutes

Boat does need to prove he can be the guy with the ball in his hands the majority of the time.

Phil and Amida need to prove, along with Rock and KF that we can hold our own down low to allow our superior backcourt to be king.

Nothing bad said, all pretty true. Along with scoring of Rodney, Daniel and Sam Jr as well as whether TSam is the back up he proved to be in a small sample size, I have no issues with people keeping us out of the top 20.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't recall Bazz getting all this love last year at this time. Boat seems to be starting this year the same way in the media's eyes.

A championship will do that for ya. Being banned from the tournament won't.