Next Year's Hopes - Durham &Diarra

[jibsey]

We know that Enoch has to play 25 min per game next year and will at least be decent from the offensive side but staying on the floor will be a problem. Our guards and forwards have always gotten rebounds but can D&D do enough? It's comparing Brimah, Facey and Enoch to Enoch, Durham, Diarra and Cobb against meaningful competition, tough teams. A big part of this is that I hope there is a hands upgrade, along with BBIQ. Durham is a stick figure on bad knees. Diarra I don't know, he looks tough enough. Cobb in the video looked like a bridge abutment. Unless a team has unbelievable guards and ours will be very good, there has to be help down low. It just seems we have a question mark again for the 3rd straight season in a row where we are banking on "summer progress" and wishful hoping rather than reality. The last scholarship seems to be key.

 

[pj]

We're full down low. Optimal roster - 5 guards, 3 wings, 5 big men. With Enoch, Durham, Cobb, Carlton, Diarra as bigs and Polley, Larrier, Jackson as combination forwards who can play the 3&4, this team is overstocked on big men. The last scholarship, if it's used, needs to be used for a perimeter scorer.

This group of big men has to step up. There is the potential there to be very good, and with so many players competing for minutes and even for practice time in scrimmages, odds are at least a couple will step up.

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm hoping Enoch makes a leap defensively. But I'm not holding my breath.

But hey at least dumping the ball to the center on the low block won't be a waste of time like it has been the past 3 years.

 

[freescooter]

If Enoch is the key to our season I hope we make the NIT because we are going to have a hole in the middle. I get he is a local kid and everyone wants him to be a star but on what planet is he even a mediocre college player?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

KOs rebound philosophy has always seemed to be have the bigs box out and send guards to the boards. People always criticize our bigs lack of rebounding but it seems to be planned they solely block out and the guards hunt the ball. Big Phil and Olander did it for Bazz to have great rebound numbers. Watch especially the last game this year. After getting walloped on the glass by Cincy in Storrs the bigs did an outstanding job boxing out for CV and Rodney to grab boards yesterday. I think Diarra will do very well in this scheme.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

I still have yet to see this tremendous Enoch offense everyone is talking about. He's now 1/2 way through his Uconn career. He shot 40% from field (which is usually one foot from hoop) averaging 3 points, 2 boards and 2 fouls per game. (Brimah shot 57% just for comparison purposes and was killed on this board for lack of offense.) My hopes for next year are on Cobb and Carlton being better then what we have now. Hoping our last Scholly gets used on another big we just haven't found yet.

 

[jibsey]

I still have yet to see this tremendous Enoch offense everyone is talking about. He's now 1/2 way through his Uconn career. He shot 40% from field (which is usually one foot from hoop) averaging 3 points, 2 boards and 2 fouls per game. (Brimah shot 57% just for comparison purposes and was killed on this board for lack of offense.) My hopes for next year are on Cobb and Carlton being better then what we have now. Hoping our last Scholly gets used on another big we just haven't found yet.

Enoch's numbers may not show it but we have seen some individual beautiful offensive moves that Brimah and Facey could never dream about. Good hands, ball fakes, nice jumper, putbacks, we've all seen it from time to time so we know it exists. They have not been giving him entry passes the way AB and Facey got this last weekend. Defensively I agree with everyone.

 

[methodology]

If Enoch is the key to our season I hope we make the NIT because we are going to have a hole in the middle. I get he is a local kid and everyone wants him to be a star but on what planet is he even a mediocre college player?

He's 19 years old. 21 months younger than jalen but in the same class. It takes big men longer to develop and with Enoch being so young that development takes longer. He has all the tools and physical ability to be a dominant big man. It's up to him to put in the endless hours of work

 

[chuck shick]

We're full down low. Optimal roster - 5 guards, 3 wings, 5 big men. With Enoch, Durham, Cobb, Carlton, Diarra as bigs and Polley, Larrier, Jackson as combination forwards who can play the 3&4, this team is overstocked on big men. The last scholarship, if it's used, needs to be used for a perimeter scorer.

This group of big men has to step up. There is the potential there to be very good, and with so many players competing for minutes and even for practice time in scrimmages, odds are at least a couple will step up.

Tremont Waters is asking for release from Georgetown. Could be a possibility.

 

[freescooter]

He's 19 years old. 21 months younger than jalen but in the same class. It takes big men longer to develop and with Enoch being so young that development takes longer. He has all the tools and physical ability to be a dominant big man. It's up to him to put in the endless hours of work

He better get older pretty quickly. He has shown nothing so far and he only has 2 more seasons.

When you guys decide you like a guy you come up with the most bizzare excuses. If he was too young he should have gone to prep somewhere.

 

[uconngb]

We know that Enoch has to play 25 min per game next year and will at least be decent from the offensive side but staying on the floor will be a problem. Our guards and forwards have always gotten rebounds but can D&D do enough? It's comparing Brimah, Facey and Enoch to Enoch, Durham, Diarra and Cobb against meaningful competition, tough teams. A big part of this is that I hope there is a hands upgrade, along with BBIQ. Durham is a stick figure on bad knees. Diarra I don't know, he looks tough enough. Cobb in the video looked like a bridge abutment. Unless a team has unbelievable guards and ours will be very good, there has to be help down low. It just seems we have a question mark again for the 3rd straight season in a row where we are banking on "summer progress" and wishful hoping rather than reality. The last scholarship seems to be key.

To me, development needs to occur in the off season. I'm baffled as to why Brimah never went to a big man camp to improve his skills. I know one off season he had the shoulder problem, but what did he do the other three?? Enoch needs to go to a big man camp or have someone work with him the entire summer, rather than beating up on clearly inferior competition in Angola or wherever the hell he was last summer. Durham just needs to get stronger, he has the skills.

 

[methodology]

@freescooter you're right he hasn't shown good offensive moves, a nice touch out to the free throw line or a better ability to box out and rebound than Brimah. He's not a finished product but he has shown flashes of what he can become

 

[Doctor Hoop]

I suspect you'll see lineups that may even look like two of Vital/Larrier/Jackson/Polley and one of Enoch/Durham/Carlton/Cobb, depending on the opponent. That would put four scorers on the perimeter with a scorer inside, open driving lanes, and with good ball movement should lead to open jump shots and Adams/Gilbert getting to the hoop. The key will be the ball movement, including inside out, and not just swinging it on the perimeter. Again, this would be against specific opponents, those with a little less beef inside. Defensively that team would be quicker, but still with sufficient length if two of the three at 3/4 are the latter three, and Vital can rebound also. The quickness is important, since we wouldn't have a big eraser inside (Brimah).

 

[dogpause]

Would love to see Enoch attend a Big Man camp this summer.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Is it even a given Diarra will be cleared to play? I may have missed it but I thought initial reports were that his knee condition was considered possibly chronic and career ending?

 

[methodology]

Is it even a given Diarra will be cleared to play? I may have missed it but I thought initial reports were that his knee condition was considered possibly chronic and career ending?

He began practicing a little towards the end of the year. I'm assuming just drills and conditioning

 

[Doctor Hoop]

It's likely he'll be able to play, but we will see. Patrick Ewing had a pretty good career with a similar problem, as I understand it, so it's possible.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

He began practicing a little towards the end of the year. I'm assuming just drills and conditioning

Great to hear. Would have been a shame if he never got to see the court here.

 

[nomar]

I'm hoping Enoch was just tired because that olé defense won't cut it next year.

 

[jibsey]

I'm asking anyone with video skills (maybe tc) to put together a few of Enoch's stellar offensive moves and compare, I can't believe the short memories here.

 

[joober jones]

Enoch's numbers may not show it but we have seen some individual beautiful offensive moves that Brimah and Facey could never dream about. Good hands, ball fakes, nice jumper, putbacks, we've all seen it from time to time so we know it exists. They have not been giving him entry passes the way AB and Facey got this last weekend. Defensively I agree with everyone.

This.

 

[Conndog]

Enoch has to improve defensively no doubt, but how & where? Watching against Cincinnati, he starts okay between opponent and basket, but the other guy just backs in closer & closer to basket without Enoch disturbing him much. In fact, it seemed Enoch would just step backwards and offer opponent space so he could continue backing in to basket. So, at the minimum, he needs to stand his ground and keep a body on his opponent. He is certainly big enough to not be pushed around. Secondly, he just doesn't move feet well defensively or is quick enough to do that; perhaps he hasn't learned how to anticipate his opponent's moves. Some of this is probably due to conditioning and would improve if he lost a little weight/work on foot drills.

Nothing a good big's coach couldn't teach!

 

[Chin Diesel]

KOs rebound philosophy has always seemed to be have the bigs box out and send guards to the boards. People always criticize our bigs lack of rebounding but it seems to be planned they solely block out and the guards hunt the ball. Big Phil and Olander did it for Bazz to have great rebound numbers. Watch especially the last game this year. After getting walloped on the glass by Cincy in Storrs the bigs did an outstanding job boxing out for CV and Rodney to grab boards yesterday. I think Diarra will do very well in this scheme.

I believe KO's strategy of bigs box out, guards grab is based on having bigs incapable of grabbing rebounds.

I'm guessing/assuming (and I'll take on all risk of assuming) that Ollie would love to have a big who could rebound and snap outlet passes to guards to start the break. That was the defining attribute of UConn teams that Ollie played on during his time at UConn.

His philosophy is based on having Nolan, Brimah, Olander and a bunch of other stiffs with regards to rebounding.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I believe KO's strategy of bigs box out, guards grab is based on having bigs incapable of grabbing rebounds.

I'm guessing/assuming (and I'll take on all risk of assuming) that Ollie would love to have a big who could rebound and snap outlet passes to guards to start the break. That was the defining attribute of UConn teams that Ollie played on during his time at UConn.

His philosophy is based on having Nolan, Brimah, Olander and a bunch of other stiffs with regards to rebounding.

You're probably right. In which case, kudos for the adjustment I suppose.

 

[The Funster]

KOs rebound philosophy has always seemed to be have the bigs box out and send guards to the boards. People always criticize our bigs lack of rebounding but it seems to be planned they solely block out and the guards hunt the ball. Big Phil and Olander did it for Bazz to have great rebound numbers. Watch especially the last game this year. After getting walloped on the glass by Cincy in Storrs the bigs did an outstanding job boxing out for CV and Rodney to grab boards yesterday. I think Diarra will do very well in this scheme.

I don't like that philosophy. It takes away the opportunity to fast break on a consistent basis.