2025 Recruiting: New Commit: Rrezon Elezay

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I’d like to be a fly on the wall in Brad Underwood’s office today. He’s gotta be seething that we scooped some Western Europeans on him.

Even without adjusting a map, Underwood may know the Balkans and Türkiye are not in western Europe.

 

[ucp990411]

“Dominant from day 1” is an interesting description in general. Can’t say I remember it that way.

He was MVP of the PK 80 or whatever it was called 3 games into his career so he was darn close to dominant

 

[NH Husky]

I will say any pessimism about a 7’2 kid because he wasn’t productive at 17 years old in some random junior division is silly to me.

Let’s see what happens as he bulks up and develops over the next year. He's only 18.

If Dan Hurley and company can turn this guy into a serviceable pro (here or Europe) this will have tremendous payoff in the recruiting department.
No lose situation.

 

[Staven]

I like the young man even if he is used more as a practice player. You can't teach 7'2 and a wingspan from Storrs to East Hartford and if nothing else the starters can find some positives.

 

[Lafayette]

Guess Eric Reibe is feeling the heat. Someone an inch taller and perhaps more polished.

But if AK and Stew/Mullins need a rest image a front court of this guy, Reed, Jr and Reibe? Rebound city!

 

[Huskyforlife]

Guess Eric Reibe is feeling the heat. Someone an inch taller and perhaps more polished.

But if AK and Stew/Mullins need a rest image a front court of this guy, Reed, Jr and Reibe? Rebound city!

Let’s not do this. Reibe is the much better player.

 

[auror]

Guess Eric Reibe is feeling the heat. Someone an inch taller and perhaps more polished.

But if AK and Stew/Mullins need a rest image a front court of this guy, Reed, Jr and Reibe? Rebound city!

Where did you get the impression he was more polished than Reibe? Perhaps is doing yeoman's work there.

 

[Mooch82]

Guess Eric Reibe is feeling the heat. Someone an inch taller and perhaps more polished.

But if AK and Stew/Mullins need a rest image a front court of this guy, Reed, Jr and Reibe? Rebound city!

He isn’t close to as polished as Reibe. More of a long term project.

 

[Lafayette]

He isn’t close to as polished as Reibe. More of a long term project.

I guess we will see - some of the Euro guys have great fundamental skills but ok I might be wrong.

 

[Ewekon]

Most of Turkey is in Asia. It's transcontinental.

Sorta as in Constantinople

 

[navery12]

I guess we will see - some of the Euro guys have great fundamental skills but ok I might be wrong.

Not might be, undoubtedly 100% wrong. Read Dan Hurley's comments about Reibe post commitment and then read his comments about Elezay

 

[Shamon30]

Looks like a tall(er) Roumoglou

 

[aceboon]

All you have to do is read Hurley's statement post Elezay signing and you will see that Koroma is the 3rd center

 

[HooperScooper]

Guess Eric Reibe is feeling the heat. Someone an inch taller and perhaps more polished.

Is this a serious post? How did you come to that conclusion?

 

[Lafayette]

Is this a serious post? How did you come to that conclusion?

Euro ball guys already have euro play skills and in Turkey they bang so it's somewhat physical. We run a mixed NBA/Euro offense. Reibe went to high school in America. So just saying these Euro guys fit in really well, but might just be practice guys to help the others get better.

 

[Scot-e]

I guess we will see - some of the Euro guys have great fundamental skills but ok I might be wrong.

You are

 

[david]

Euro ball guys already have euro play skills and in Turkey they bang so it's somewhat physical. We run a mixed NBA/Euro offense. Reibe went to high school in America. So just saying these Euro guys fit in really well, but might just be practice guys to help the others get better.

Reibe is tremendously skilled offensively for a 7 footer. He just lacks the physicality he will need defensively for Big East play. Luckily, he's our backup 5 and if you look around the NCAA here are some other backup 5s:

Houston: Kalifa Sakho
St. John's: Rubén Prey
Duke: Ifeanyi Ufochukwu

even teams like Florida and Purdue are backing up their 5 spot with guys like Micah Handlogten and Daniel Jacobsen, who are fine but not world beaters. Outside of Michigan and Louisville there aren't a ton of top teams with C depth where there isn't a big drop off.

edit: I should mention Kentucky as well as they have Moreno as a back up who is a really nice player.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Euro ball guys already have euro play skills and in Turkey they bang so it's somewhat physical. We run a mixed NBA/Euro offense. Reibe went to high school in America. So just saying these Euro guys fit in really well, but might just be practice guys to help the others get better.

You won’t believe where Reibe played before he got to America…

 

[uconnbill]

At worse he is a big body in practice. He gets some time at UConn playing against Reed and Reibe which bolds well for him either here or back in Europe.

I trust Hurley more than some writer I know nothing about

 

[Lafayette]

At worse he is a big body in practice. He gets some time at UConn playing against Reed and Reibe which bolds well for him either here or back in Europe.

I trust Hurley more than some writer I know nothing about

Well, this thing escalated really quickly.

 

[Scrappy3]

Looks like a young Travis knight

 

[RuffRuff]

Looks like a young Travis knight

Can’t teach size. You just never know which one of these monsters have a light bulb go off with some coaching.

 

[dennismenace]

No one appreciated DC's two year contribution to the Program more than me. I am not nor have I compared his results to a kid who hasn't even stepped on campus yet. That's silly. What I attempted to do was respond to the challenges that any large human being at a young age has as it relates to conditioning and growing into their bodies-becoming more agile and effective at their craft. Donovan was tremendously efficient and effective in the PT he had at UConn.. And now with Portland-where his coach has repeatedly said he needs to improve his conditioning to play more minutes.

And so I said.. Who knows.. Rrezon probably hasn't stopped growing at 18 yrs of age and will continue to get stronger as we saw with an 18 year old DC That's it @superjohn ..

If DC needs to improve his conditioning I doubt if it is from lack of effort. It must have to do with the pace of NBA play and being 7-2 and 280 lbs. That's not exactly a gazelle type physique that is more normative in the NBA smaller guys (everyone) as well as perhaps his age. My understanding of a man's max strength (for say basketball or football) is late 20's vs stamina (for swimming or skiing) is late teens. He is still growing in strength and will be for years to come. He should have a long career if he can just avoid serious injuries.

 

[Samoo]

If DC needs to improve his conditioning I doubt if it is from lack of effort. It must have to do with the pace of NBA play and being 7-2 and 280 lbs. That's not exactly a gazelle type physique that is more normative in the NBA smaller guys (everyone) as well as perhaps his age. My understanding of a man's max strength (for say basketball or football) is late 20's vs stamina (for swimming or skiing) is late teens. He is still growing in strength and will be for years to come. He should have a long career if he can just avoid serious injuries.

DC has always had early season conditioning issues and then gained endurance as the season progressed. Last 20 games of last season he averaged 26 mpg, and his last year at UConn he averaged nearly the same over the last third of the season. This season, with him starting, expect him to start out at a higher floor, maybe 20-23 per game average through Christmas - ramping up to 28 or so by the end of the season.

 

[Travelman6]

I’d like to be a fly on the wall in Brad Underwood’s office today. He’s gotta be seething that we scooped some Western Europeans on him.

Serbia is in southeast Europe, lol