Our Surfeit Of Guards

[Mr. Hand]

Taliek Brown played a lot of minutes as a freshman. I guess it depends on whether you think Sheffer was a freshman or not. He played a lot of minutes his first year.

Technically you're correct, but Sheffer played a year of international ball (a higher level than college) before coming to UConn. That's why he only had three years of eligibility.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Technically you're correct, but Sheffer played a year of international ball (a higher level than college) before coming to UConn. That's why he only had three years of eligibility.

Yeah. I wasn't counting him. But looked it up, and damn, what a great team. I hope we see teams like that again someday. 1993-94 UConn Huskies Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Yeah. I wasn't counting him. But looked it up, and damn, what a great team. I hope we see teams like that again someday. 1993-94 UConn Huskies Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Yep, a whole lot of talent on that roster. If I would pick one team for the best overall roster with the best overall play during one season, I would be torn between 98-99 and 03-04. Here are the usual teams nominated as the best ever at UConn. Which one do you think was the best group that played during that year (not including what a player might later have become)? I know this is a bit of a hijack, but what the hell.

'99: KEA, Moore, Rip, Freeman, Voskuhl, Jones, Saunders, Wane, Mouring, Klaiber, and Harrison.

'04: Taliek, Ben, Rashad, Denham, Okafor, Boone, Charlie, Hilton, Marcus Wh., Tooles, (Marcus W.)

'94: Ollie, Doron, Donyell, Donny, Ray, Hayward, Knight, King, Fair, Willingham

'90: Tate, Chris, Burrell, Henefeld, Sellers, Gwynne, Cyrulik, DePriest, Murray Williams, Macklin, (Pikiell)

'06: Marcus W., Rashad, Denham, Rudy, Hilton, Boone, Austrie, Adrien, Nelson, Garrison

'09: AJP, Dyson, Stanley, Adrien, Thabeet, Kemba, Austrie, Edwards, Beverly, Haralson

I would go with '99. Such a smart team and the subs really contributed at a high level. Saunders played really well for a first year player (he was a soph), Wane gave some very good minutes, and Mouring was a great spark off the bench. This team played great team defense and Ricky Moore was a devastating defensive stopper that year, shutting down one big-time scorer after another. Voskuhl was just a great position defender, smart helper, great outlet passer, and the best screener in the Calhoun era by a mile. Rip and KEA were a deadly scoring duo and KEA was always ready to make the critical basket to stop a run or preserve a lead. They played great defense without a real shotblocker.

 

[UConnFranklin]

If we play VJ at the 4 with Durham at the 5 alongside Gilbert, Jalen, and Vital that'd be very reminiscent of those Nova teams from the 2000s that were a nightmare to guard with 5 high bball IQ guys who can all shoot. I'd be on board with that.

I'm not sure Durham will be reading to start from what I've seen this past season. He has skills but needs more weight and strength. Might not be ready to take on a major role till late in the season or till his junior year. Also with a healthy Larrier it's going to be tough to keep him off the floor. When I saw him play in Hawaii, just before his injury, he was very tough to stop. Easily our best player. And I hear MAL is a great shooter. Will we be able to keep him off the floor in critical moments? I see a lot of possibilities next year. We will just have to wait to see how each player develops.

 

[HooperScooper]

And I hear MAL is a great shooter.

I thought that was his weakness? He can get to the basket well but he's not a good shooter.

From ESPN.com scouting report on him:

Strengths:
Ashton-Langford is a playmaking lead guard who has a natural instinct for getting to the rim and smoothness to his game. He's long with a solid build, changes speeds very well, and can finish at all types of angles. He can create in isolations, ball-screens, and transition alike.

Weaknesses:
He's got to work to become a more consistent outside shooter and that begins with changing his mechanics. His feet are often crooked with a low release that he sometimes short-arms. Once he becomes a consistent shooter, he'll only become that much more effective of a driver.

Bottom Line:
Ashton-Langford is a young playmaker who is already able to be productive against a high level of competition but still has a good amount of untapped upside left to discover down the road.

 

[jibsey]

Kid has been playing basketball nearly all his life and we're going to change his mechanics this summer?

 

[David 76]

I'll take the 94 team for talent
followed by the 99 and 04 Championship teams

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yep, a whole lot of talent on that roster. If I would pick one team for the best overall roster with the best overall play during one season, I would be torn between 98-99 and 03-04. Here are the usual teams nominated as the best ever at UConn. Which one do you think was the best group that played during that year (not including what a player might later have become)? I know this is a bit of a hijack, but what the hell.

'99: KEA, Moore, Rip, Freeman, Voskuhl, Jones, Saunders, Wane, Mouring, Klaiber, and Harrison.

'04: Taliek, Ben, Rashad, Denham, Okafor, Boone, Charlie, Hilton, Marcus Wh., Tooles, (Marcus W.)

'94: Ollie, Doron, Donyell, Donny, Ray, Hayward, Knight, King, Fair, Willingham

'90: Tate, Chris, Burrell, Henefeld, Sellers, Gwynne, Cyrulik, DePriest, Murray Williams, Macklin, (Pikiell)

'06: Marcus W., Rashad, Denham, Rudy, Hilton, Boone, Austrie, Adrien, Nelson, Garrison

'09: AJP, Dyson, Stanley, Adrien, Thabeet, Kemba, Austrie, Edwards, Beverly, Haralson

I would go with '99. Such a smart team and the subs really contributed at a high level. Saunders played really well for a first year player (he was a soph), Wane gave some very good minutes, and Mouring was a great spark off the bench. This team played great team defense and Ricky Moore was a devastating defensive stopper that year, shutting down one big-time scorer after another. Voskuhl was just a great position defender, smart helper, great outlet passer, and the best screener in the Calhoun era by a mile. Rip and KEA were a deadly scoring duo and KEA was always ready to make the critical basket to stop a run or preserve a lead. They played great defense without a real shotblocker.

Not counting what they will become? 2004 wins for me. Counting freshmen who became great later, I might pick differently.

 

[selles]

I thought that was his weakness? He can get to the basket well but he's not a good shooter.

From ESPN.com scouting report on him:

Strengths:
Ashton-Langford is a playmaking lead guard who has a natural instinct for getting to the rim and smoothness to his game. He's long with a solid build, changes speeds very well, and can finish at all types of angles. He can create in isolations, ball-screens, and transition alike.

Weaknesses:
He's got to work to become a more consistent outside shooter and that begins with changing his mechanics. His feet are often crooked with a low release that he sometimes short-arms. Once he becomes a consistent shooter, he'll only become that much more effective of a driver.

Bottom Line:
Ashton-Langford is a young playmaker who is already able to be productive against a high level of competition but still has a good amount of untapped upside left to discover down the road.

The descriptions of Ashton-Langford and his game remind me of Peyton Siva. Siva never could shoot it very well, but as we know all too well he could impose his will on the game through his ability to get into the lane and his general toughness and intelligence. Certainly haven't seen enough of MAL to know whether the comparison holds water. But when I dream on him, I think of Siva.

 

[UConnFranklin]

I thought that was his weakness? He can get to the basket well but he's not a good shooter.

From ESPN.com scouting report on him:

Strengths:
Ashton-Langford is a playmaking lead guard who has a natural instinct for getting to the rim and smoothness to his game. He's long with a solid build, changes speeds very well, and can finish at all types of angles. He can create in isolations, ball-screens, and transition alike.

Weaknesses:
He's got to work to become a more consistent outside shooter and that begins with changing his mechanics. His feet are often crooked with a low release that he sometimes short-arms. Once he becomes a consistent shooter, he'll only become that much more effective of a driver.

Bottom Line:
Ashton-Langford is a young playmaker who is already able to be productive against a high level of competition but still has a good amount of untapped upside left to discover down the road.

OOPs! My bad. Must have been thinking of someone else. Thanks for the correction.