Next Year's Expectations

[tzznandrew]

Before Gibbs, and even before Miller, I thought next year's team would be better than this year's. I saw Purvis asserting himself at the end of the year, and I saw Hamilton hitting a freshman wall that he should be able to scale. Assuming improvements in Brimah and Facey, and including Adams and Enoch in the mix, I thought the team would be a surprise Top 25 team, with a real shot at the S16, and, depending on the draw, E8.

Purvis's numbers after the 2/1 loss @Houston are really good. Hamilton can score. My real fears were lack of offense from the 4/5, rebounding, and living with the inevitable ups and downs of a freshman PG.

Well, we still may not get as much offense from the 5 as we would like, but Miller and Gibbs can both score, Gibbs is a senior, and Miller can rebound. The backcourt of Gibbs-Purvis-Hamilton is going to be a brutal pick your poison for opponents...and when we go small (Adams-Gibbs-Purvis-Hamilton-Miller) the offense will be especially good.

I'm not going to go so far as some and say this team should win a title: usually you need a few years of chemistry with the key parts, but they can, and should, make some noise, and the Final Four is a realistic goal.

And, hopefully, we finally get a vintage UConn regular season again.

 

[Matrim55]

Co-signed. We'll still have to see how the chemistry is - it'll basically need to be instant - but in terms of experience and pieces that just seem to fit, this looks like a much better team than last season's.

 

[BFieldHusky]

They will have a lot of challenging games early in the season so I could see them getting off to a slow start if the chemistry takes some time. But I think they will hit their stride during conference play and will be a tough out in March. Adams coming off the bench now will give him time to develop. That is HUGE.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I'd be VERY scared if I was a fan of any other AAC team looking at a lineup of Gibbs, Purvis, DHam, Miller, and Brimah.

Let's make an early statement and take the Battle 4 Atlantis

 

[Yankees32123]

My biggest thing is the NCAA tourney is pretty much a guarantee with this roster, and once we're in the tourney, never count UConn out. The goal is now a Final Four. 2 months ago, the goal was to make the tourney again.

 

[3rdbass]

Definitely final four material now after Ollie addressed our two biggest weaknesses. Still not super deep at wing especially the 3 with Omar there to back up dham and I wish Ollie can pick up one more guy(Bruce Brown please if he reclassifies). Though barring injury and AB improving even a little(hopefully bigger) we should be one of the best teams in the country on paper. We will see how they gel next year but I'm expecting a trip to Houston for my brother and I again. Go Uconn!!!!

 

[tzznandrew]

I'd be VERY scared if I was a fan of any other AAC team looking at a lineup of Gibbs, Purvis, DHam, Miller, and Brimah.

And a bench that brings Adams in as its first guard. If we get what we expect from those 6, wow.

If we're getting greedy, what we need for this team to be a championship quality team:

• Chemistry. We need Gibbs to be AJ Price 2009 like on offense, we and need Brimah and Miller to anchor a stout defense. Guards can't keep letting people into the lane--this team will be able to score, we need to stop people...and not just count on Brimah to clean up messes.
• Omar Calhoun needs to be somewhere between 2015 and 2013 OC. If he can bring something off the bench, we're scary. Or, Cassell's problems were injury related entirely, and he comes out looking like the SCII we thought we were getting.
• Facey improves (particularly his pick and roll defense) or Enoch comes in ready. I like having Nolan on the bench as a 4th big man, but I'd like for him not to be the first big man. He brings some good things, but more as 9th or 10th man.

 

[Fishy]

It's a tough call.

First, I hope that every single player spends the summer in Storrs.

They have a lot of new parts that need to learn how to mesh - if I didn't think that we had a uniformly easy-going group, I'd be more worried about than I am. I think all the arrows are going in the same direction.

I do not hate the front court anymore - I rather like it.

I think putting Miller next to Brimah fixes a lot of what ails AB. Between Miller and a hopefully improving Facey, we'll finally consistently rebound from the power forward spot. When we go small, obviously Hamilton rebounds out of the front court as well - perhaps what has been a weakness will become a strength.

Enoch is in a good spot where anything he adds is gravy. Nolan retreats back towards the Donnell Beverly director of team happiness position.

The backcourt is positively evil.

Adams will be fine - he's in a good spot with two experienced players on either side. Gibbs is a 16 ppg scorer who can shoot, etc. But Purvis is the guy I expect to have a breakout year. With a year under his belt, I think the sky is the limit for him. If you're game planning a defense for our backcourt, you have a lot of decisions to make. Cassell can back up both positions.

And then you have Hamilton who glides between the front court and the backcourt.

A lot of balance, a lot of talent, lots of answers.

The negatives...

I think we'll turn the ball over a fair share.

There's only one basketball. Someone will have to give a little.

We have a couple of high-volume, low-percentage shooters...they will need to reign it in.

 

[UConnSwag11]

It depends on the amount of work they do in the offseason to improve rebounding, transition defense, ft%, 3pt%, etc. Also chemistry is huge. I want the preseason title, to beat gtown, osu, maryland, and win both aac titles. Make a deep run in the NCAA tounrey. So yeah everything. On paper it's extremely possible, but it's why they play the game

 

[UConnSwag11]

This allows ollie to play small a lot and have miller at the five

 

[champs99and04]

My expectation is that UConn is as good as anybody else in America. That doesn't mean they'll be bullet-proof or a lock to even survive the first weekend of the tournament, but this upcoming season is going to be as bottom-heavy as any in college basketball history, and as we currently stand, I would wager that the difference between the proclaimed favorites - like Maryland - and the perceived afterthoughts, like Cincinnati, Georgetown, or even Rhode Island, is less than a handful of points.

The talent will be as stretched as ever, and a UConn team composed primarily of four and five star recruits, with experience in the right places, should be right there all year long.

 

[BleedHuskyBlu]

Sweet 16 is my floor expectation for this team just by looking at the roster at hand

 

[maineuconnfan]

40 - 0

 

[caw]

I'm kind of interested to see how they play defense this year with a lineup that goes:

6'2
6'4
6'7
6'7-6'8
6'10

With 6'2, 6'3, 6'6, 6'8, 6'9, 6'10 on the bench.

Tallest roster Ollie has had in four years. The height should give UConn more flexibility defensively.

 

[tzznandrew]

The Duke rematch will be a fun one!

I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere. I definitely hope it happens. If it did, Duke/Maryland/Texas/Ohio State/Georgetown and the Battle 4 Atlantis with Syracuse, Michigan, Gonzaga, Texas, Washington, Texas A&M and Charlotte, makes our OOC among the best 2-3 in the country. As it is, it is impressive.

 

[Ts5034]

This team now has a lot of experience and that is huge. They just need time to gel and get used to playing with each other. We will easily be ranked 15-20 in the pre season polls I would think

 

[CTBasketball]

I think if they get past the first weekend of the NCAA's, then anything after that is gravy.

 

[Fishy]

I forgot that Omar Calhoun existed.

So add him somewhere, too.

 

[scotty0330]

Director of team happiness should be a position. Phil will fill that role nicely.

 

[Nnocu]

I'm kind of interested to see how they play defense this year with a lineup that goes:

6'2
6'4
6'7
6'7-6'8
6'10

With 6'2, 6'3, 6'6, 6'8, 6'9, 6'10 on the bench.

Tallest roster Ollie has had in four years. The height should give UConn more flexibility defensively.

Amida is no 6'10"

 

[JSM1970]

I have much higher expectations than that. I would think the backcourt is top 5 in the country and by March could be the best. DHam is considered one of the top 3 3s if you look at mock drafts and the front court will be much improved with Miller, Enoch and hopefully substantial improvements from Brimah, Facey and even Phil.

I think if they get past the first weekend of the NCAA's, then anything after that is gravy.

 

[joober jones]

Director of team happiness should be a position. Phil will fill that role nicely.

Between that and being president of photobombing, he'll have a full plate.

 

[3rdbass]

Amida is no 6'10"

Yes he is closer to 6'11".

 

[caw]

Amida is no 6'10"

Taller, shorter? What are you arguing exactly?

 

[Offhegoes]

All about chemistry. We don't know a thing til nov/dec.