Omar with no minutes

[breezy]

I never read into the Omar slump but with a basic benching I'm concerned. Calm me down boneyarders.

Edit: didn't see the sprained ankle thread. We need this kid going forward.

 

[tykurez]

He was injured. Late scratch.

There. All calm now.

 

[CTBasketball]

Injured his ankle in practice yesterday was what some were saying.

 

[CAHUSKY]

He's hurt. Sprained ankle. Relax

 

[mauconnfan]

Sprained and torn confidence……..week-to-week

 

[Tenspro2002]

We weren't exactly playing 1990 UNLV tonight, but we really didn't miss Omar out there. I like our rotation at the 3/4 with Kromah, Giff, and Daniels.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

On one hand I'm glad he's injured and not just a DNP, on the other hand... heal up quick Omar!

 

[Kitaman]

The rest (i.e. injury) just may help him.

 

[UconnDon]

On one hand I'm glad he's injured and not just a DNP, on the other hand... heal up quick Omar!

Just why do we need someone who's value lies only in the occasional hot shooting streak not seen in some time, and omits any semblance of "d", ball-sharing and poor handle?? Frankly, I'm more impressed with the occasional sightings and play of Samuel who does bring the oft-missed elements not often seen in Omar's play.

 

[BoatShow]

Just why do we need someone who's value lies only in the occasional hot shooting streak not seen in some time, and omits any semblance of "d", ball-sharing and poor handle?? Frankly, I'm more impressed with the occasional sightings and play of Samuel who does bring the oft-missed elements not often seen in Omar's play.

Samuel does seem so calm, aggressive and confident out there especially for a freshman. He'd be getting major minutes if not for playing behind one of the best backcourts in all the land. That said, Omar has proven himself a valuable member of this team. When hot he completely changes games. Type of player who if he gets it rolling can push us through a few rounds in the NCAA. Haven't seen it this season but he hit about 2435 big shots for us last year. I believe Havey D...wait a second wrong guy with a split personality. I believe in Omar Calhoun.

 

[Palatine]

Just why do we need someone who's value lies only in the occasional hot shooting streak not seen in some time, and omits any semblance of "d", ball-sharing and poor handle?? Frankly, I'm more impressed with the occasional sightings and play of Samuel who does bring the oft-missed elements not often seen in Omar's play.

At this point, Omar is much better defensively than Samuel. Omar is also a better rebounder. Samuel has no outside shot. There is a reason that Omar plays and Samuel rarely does. This season, Omar, even in a slump, brings much more to the table.

 

[GlastonTim]

Just why do we need someone who's value lies only in the occasional hot shooting streak not seen in some time, and omits any semblance of "d", ball-sharing and poor handle?? Frankly, I'm more impressed with the occasional sightings and play of Samuel who does bring the oft-missed elements not often seen in Omar's play.

For me, I just want everyone on the team to be successful. We loved him last year.

 

[3rdbass]

At this point, Omar is much better defensively than Samuel. Omar is also a better rebounder. Samuel has no outside shot. There is a reason that Omar plays and Samuel rarely does. This season, Omar, even in a slump, brings much more to the table.

Have to disagree with the defensive part as Samuel is much quicker and physical than OC. Rebounding I haven't seen enough to compare but I would call OC just an average rebounder. The reason Samuel doesn't play is he is a freshman who makes mistakes with the ball at times and has no outside shot to keep the offense honest. Though he seems to be getting steadier with his decisions. Only thing OC brings to the game is his occasional hot shooting. Nothing else really!

Now saying all of this if OC can get hot he can help carry us especially if DD is out at all. We will need him to get hot. The kid has little or not confidence with his shot right now.

 

[caw]

Samuel does seem so calm, aggressive and confident out there especially for a freshman. He'd be getting major minutes if not for playing behind one of the best backcourts in all the land. That said, Omar has proven himself a valuable member of this team. When hot he completely changes games. Type of player who if he gets it rolling can push us through a few rounds in the NCAA. Haven't seen it this season but he hit about 2435 big shots for us last year. I believe Havey D...wait a second wrong guy with a split personality. I believe in Omar Calhoun.

I'd be pretty confident and calm if I knew the other teams players were worse than what I go up against every day in practice.

 

[ctchamps]

Have to disagree with the defensive part as Samuel is much quicker and physical than OC. Rebounding I haven't seen enough to compare but I would call OC just an average rebounder. The reason Samuel doesn't play is he is a freshman who makes mistakes with the ball at times and has no outside shot to keep the offense honest. Though he seems to be getting steadier with his decisions. Only thing OC brings to the game is his occasional hot shooting. Nothing else really!

Now saying all of this if OC can get hot he can help carry us especially if DD is out at all. We will need him to get hot. The kid has little or not confidence with his shot right now.

My observation is that there have been some positive trending starting with the UCF game. AB is beginning to implement the coaching techniques along with his G-d given athleticism. It isn't consistent, but he's had two games in which he was a game changer.

The team has out rebounded opponents starting with the UCF game except Ville.

OC has been improving on defense during this streak and has shown more on offense. The Temple game was his best game on defense. He only had one play he in which he was slow to cover his player. The rest of the game his coverage was very good. He's also starting to take the mid range jumper and his movement to the basket seems to be better.

UConn has had two players with this hip freeing surgery. My unsophisticated assumption was that if a player has pain and restricted mobility when playing, he should see immediate improvement when that condition is alleviated. But in both DBevs and OC's situation, the results on the court were actually worse following the surgery than prior to it.

At first I thought it was because both players didn't have the opportunity to develop off season, and that put them behind other players. But I started to wonder if the elimination of the physical impediments meant that the compensating muscles have to go through a period of readjustment. If these players had learned to move a certain way in order to reduce pain, just because the pain is eliminated, doesn't mean they will immediately begin to change their movement. And when they change their movement, they have to go through a learning curve before the movement is optimized.

Certainly OC wanted to start out quickly. But I'm guessing that he had no idea his body (muscle memory) needed deconstruction and reconstruction before things got better. And this lead to a mental deterioration in his game. The optimist in me says that over this last five or so games OC has begun to move much better and it will be a short time before he puts it together. The pessimist in me says that just as he gets momentum, he gets a set back (sprained ankle).

 

[Waquoit]

At this point, Omar is much better defensively than Samuel. Omar is also a better rebounder.

Much?

 

[UconnDon]

My observation is that there have been some positive trending starting with the UCF game. AB is beginning to implement the coaching techniques along with his G-d given athleticism. It isn't consistent, but he's had two games in which he was a game changer.

The team has out rebounded opponents starting with the UCF game except Ville.

OC has been improving on defense during this streak and has shown more on offense. The Temple game was his best game on defense. He only had one play he in which he was slow to cover his player. The rest of the game his coverage was very good. He's also starting to take the mid range jumper and his movement to the basket seems to be better.

UConn has had two players with this hip freeing surgery. My unsophisticated assumption was that if a player has pain and restricted mobility when playing, he should see immediate improvement when that condition is alleviated. But in both DBevs and OC's situation, the results on the court were actually worse following the surgery than prior to it.

At first I thought it was because both players didn't have the opportunity to develop off season, and that put them behind other players. But I started to wonder if the elimination of the physical impediments meant that the compensating muscles have to go through a period of readjustment. If these players had learned to move a certain way in order to reduce pain, just because the pain is eliminated, doesn't mean they will immediately begin to change their movement. And when they change their movement, they have to go through a learning curve before the movement is optimized.

Certainly OC wanted to start out quickly. But I'm guessing that he had no idea his body (muscle memory) needed deconstruction and reconstruction before things got better. And this lead to a mental deterioration in his game. The optimist in me says that over this last five or so games OC has begun to move much better and it will be a short time before he puts it together. The pessimist in me says that just as he gets momentum, he gets a set back (sprained ankle).

 

[UconnDon]

I read your thesis re an injured player had to both eliminate previous muscle memory and build new memory following surgery to remove any physical restrictions and you see OC's entry into the reconstruction stage with gradual improvement in his recent play.

I'm not so sure I can buy into that thesis as I have not seen much in the way of improvement in his recent play. But I'm enough of an optimist to watch his future game minutes with an eye to find evidence which may support your idea. However I don't feel that without a marked improvement in his defensive output, together with his long droughts of low point output, I'll be inclined to agree with your position. My own interpretation of OC's physical limitations and lack of complete game fundamentals are likely to be the result of an attitude problem where Omar high school play was without adherence to the fundamentals. As a superior player to many teammates, he may have been allowed to play by his own rules. I'm truly suspicious of earlier training and development when we experience 2 players with many similar problems graduating from the same high school. Curtis Kelley also had attitude problems which seemed to over-shadow his natural abilities and desire to improve.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

For me, I just want everyone on the team to be successful. We loved him last year.

Samuel is a true point and possibly the teams second best passer.
Much better handle than OC.
If he had OC shot we would probably be at Ky.

 

[babysheep]

At first I thought it was because both players didn't have the opportunity to develop off season, and that put them behind other players. But I started to wonder if the elimination of the physical impediments meant that the compensating muscles have to go through a period of readjustment. If these players had learned to move a certain way in order to reduce pain, just because the pain is eliminated, doesn't mean they will immediately begin to change their movement. And when they change their movement, they have to go through a learning curve before the movement is optimized.

Completely agree, and happy you touched on this. We have to remember that the body works as a unit, especially in the act of a jump shot. Whatever small compensatory body changes Omar once had to make due to his hips will have effects down his legs and up into his shoulders and out his arms. Now consider how deeply rooted this motor patterns have been ingrained over how many years Omar has been playing basketball. I'd say at least a decade? That is a lot to unlearn, and I really hope that he's getting the right corrective stretches and exercises in the gym, because we haven't seen much from Omar so far. I would not at all be surprised if this ankle injury is a manifestation of an exposed weakness in certain muscles that haven't been worked fully in a while due to his hips.