Poll: Who fills the swag void?

[champs99and04]

Boat's "swag" never made the team better. Not as a frosh and not as a senior. It's not a coincidence that the years the team overachieved were the years he but his swag away and played Robin to Bazz's Batman.

That is not meant as a knock on Boat -- he was a warrior and a player and played his heart out. But a point has to lead those around him into being better, and that wasn't Boat. A leader with less swag will be fine with me.

I guess it depends how you define swag. I define it as a defiant, visible belief in your own ability. And to me, it absolutely, 100% contributed to making Boatright's career better than it would have been otherwise.

For some reason, Boatright is portrayed by some around here as some sort of reckless gunslinger who could only be restrained by the vocal expressions of those who knew he needed to be reeled in. In reality, I rarely remember him venturing outside the confines of the offense - at any point in his career - and I can recall as many instances of him passing up a shot I wish he had taken as submarining the offense with low percentage shots. Last season, if anything, he wasn't aggressive enough

There is no question Boatright thought he was a better player than he actually was. That's why, in part, I think he considered leaving for the draft every spring he was here. But there's no way you can convince me we win the title in 2014 if Boatright didn't think he and Shabazz were the baddest m'fers in the gym every time they took the court. They were a seven seed, they were under-manned in the front court, they were underdogs nearly every game. None of it mattered because in Boat's world he was Gary Payton. And he played like it for those six games.

 

[UConnDad]

If we play up to our combined talent that would be me!

 

[uconnisgood]

Can we get an Ivy "woot woot" League Shonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Miller Woot WOot

 

[Drame]

I wouldn't use the word "swag". "Moxy" works. Swag needs to be retired.

 

[Stainmaster]

I wouldn't use the word "swag". "Moxy" works. Swag needs to be retired.

It's what the young people are saying, and they don't seem like they plan on stopping.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The next time someone disagrees with the idea that Internet message boards are for dorks they need to be shown this thread.

 

[joober jones]

I wouldn't use the word "swag". "Moxy" works. Swag needs to be retired.

I still vote for dapperness to be the new term.

 

[David 76]

We have leadership. Hamilton & Purvis took on a lot of leadership late in the season. Amida is captain and provides rah-rah leadership. And our two graduate students will add to that. Bigger question is will they all mesh.

For swag, I'm seeing Hamilton and Gibbs. Gibbs has already shown it with buzzer beaters. I think Hamilton jumps to star level. He already showed a willingness to put the offense o his back. I hope we see swag from Purvis too.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think BigCrack will bring the most Boneyard swag this upcoming season. He may lay low in the summer but watch out once practice begins!

 

[8893]

I also see it as "moxie," which I think is different than "swag." "Moxie" is the word I used the first time I saw KEA, and that's the spirit that it embodies imo.

From the limited glances I've seen, I think (and hope) that that spirit will be most embodied in Gibbs this season.

And I am 100% w/ champs on Boat, and fully disagree w/ bl's take.