Problem - These teams are just better.

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

You're certainly right that a lot of the bad habits Purvis exhibits plagues the entire roster. Where I will sympathize with @Cheeky regarding the position he's taken is that oftentimes it feels he is the least redeemable of everybody, which is made worse by the fact that we're dependent on him to be a lead guard. Everybody else has an excuse - Facey and Brimah are still painfully young in basketball years, Hamilton's only a freshman, and guys like Calhoun and Samuel just aren't that talented.

I don't think this is an indictment on his character or anything. He seems like a great kid. Sometimes the game just moves faster than you can think, and a lot of times I think it's something your born with.

I don't agree that Calhoun is not talented. That is a stretch regardless of performance to date...having talent and getting the most out of it are 2 different things. Same applies to Rodney.

 

[Fishy]

Adams will start over Purvis. Why? Adams look like a big time scorer and we don't want him running the offense. Leave that to lesser mortals. Purvis can't run the show. This means we have to find our starting point.

Ah....both Adams and Purvis will be starting.

Whatever other player we get in the back court will almost certainly be a plan D, E or F type.

 

[imno1]

I don't agree that Calhoun is not talented. That is a stretch regardless of performance to date...having talent and getting the most out of it are 2 different things. Same applies to Rodney.

Talent to play D1 but not talented enough to contribute major minutes on a high level D1 squad imo. Rodney has a lot more "talent" than Omar.

 

[tzznandrew]

Talent to play D1 but not talented enough to contribute major minutes on a high level D1 squad imo. Rodney has a lot more "talent" than Omar.

Dude had the talent. He scored 10 ppg as a freshman in BE...a BE that had Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, Georgetown, ND, Villanova, etc.

Injuries have drained his athleticism (which was never his strongest suit) and confidence has drained his skills. But there was definitely a time that this kid could ball.

 

[husky91]

Unless Brimah comes back a monster and we aren't stuck playing T Sam and Facey extended minutes the team could even be worse.

This has been such a mess of a year that's hard to put it into perspective. We just went 10-8 in 'n AAC.

Next year, unless Adams is an absolute stud, will be the worst collective backcourt we've had in the past 25 years.

 

[husky91]

Facey is awful. Maybe he's improved, who knows, he wouldn't play 3 mins a game on any top 25 teams.

It's just a frustrating time watching this program deteriorate faster than we suspected due to this conference BS, which seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yes, the UK front court is Cauley-Stein, Towns, Johnson and Lyles. So what? We don't have those players. It's not like any of those kids came in like Brimah and Calipari coached them up.

UK is performing some real recruiting VooDoo right now, and no school is keeping up with them.

As for Facey, he went from averaging 5 mpg, and getting 1.4 ppg and 1.7 rpg (largely against poor competition) to getting 21.8 mpg and getting 4.5 ppg and 5.2 ppg. We need him to be better, especially on defense and rebounding, but he's clearly better than he was last year.

We're not going to compete with talent against UK. That's just not going to happen while Calipari is there. Our best chance against them--and what we did the two times in the last 4 years we beat them in the Final Four--is have some experienced upper classmen and some talent. We have players on the team right now who are talented. Just not enough. And not enough in the post.

 

[jorge34]

Shockingly poor coaching. You guys have covered most, but Ollie has been retched this year. Still playing on the offensive end of the floor as if you have 2 capable lead guards capable of creating their own offensive. Not that type of roster, the lack of ball movement combined with the lack of offensive game plan has killed them.

Brimah is one dimensional, and it's really half a dimension because he is attroticous defender when not blocking shots. I am sick of tallest guy on the court finishing so many games with less than 3 rebounds. He should fall into 7/8 per game.

I am not sure I agree with the lack of effort posts; I think they have played hard for the most part, but miscast, which goes to terrible job by coaching staff.
Having 2 of 3 from the triumverate of boat Napier and kemba is hard to recreate, so going forward coaching staff has to get better

 

[ctchamps]

You're certainly right that a lot of the bad habits Purvis exhibits plagues the entire roster. Where I will sympathize with @Cheeky regarding the position he's taken is that oftentimes it feels he is the least redeemable of everybody, which is made worse by the fact that we're dependent on him to be a lead guard. Everybody else has an excuse - Facey and Brimah are still painfully young in basketball years, Hamilton's only a freshman, and guys like Calhoun and Samuel just aren't that talented.

I don't think this is an indictment on his character or anything. He seems like a great kid. Sometimes the game just moves faster than you can think, and a lot of times I think it's something your born with.

And this is the crux of the problem. How much is the so called lack of performance that Rodney demonstrates based on our perception of how he should perform? You make an excuse for every player but Rodney. A fair statement would have added Rodney's offseason surgery and sitting out a year as excuses to consider.

And who knows how any of the players will progress? So the "least redeemable" is subjective.

 

[champs99and04]

I don't agree that Calhoun is not talented. That is a stretch regardless of performance to date...having talent and getting the most out of it are 2 different things. Same applies to Rodney.

Omar Calhoun pre-hip surgery? Absolutely. We have two years worth of evidence suggesting that the other guy isn't good enough to play at this level.

 

[champs99and04]

And this is the crux of the problem. How much is the so called lack of performance that Rodney demonstrates based on our perception of how he should perform? You make an excuse for every player but Rodney. A fair statement would have added Rodney's offseason surgery and sitting out a year as excuses to consider.

And who knows how any of the players will progress? So the "least redeemable" is subjective.

Offseason surgery doesn't explain him stepping out of bounds seven hundred times. It doesn't explain all his traveling violations. It also doesn't explain 77 assists and 101 turnovers for his career, or the lack of turnovers he creates on the other end.

 

[champs99and04]

Let's not pretend that Shabazz, Giffey, and Boatright didn't improve immensely, largely under KO and his crew. As much as we've been complaining, Facey has improved from last year as well. And, at least defensively, Nolan from his freshman year.

Some of the other players haven't improved yet as much as we'd like, but off-season injuries (Calhoun, Purvis, Brimah) could be playing a large role in that. I'm going to be worried about our coaching staff if, with a year under their belt and a summer, Hamilton, Purvis, and Brimah look the same.

I'd also add Brimah to the list. The fact that he has a ways to go doesn't mean he hasn't come along way already.

 

[jdb50]

Adams will start at the 1 from day 1.

Hey, Mitt Romney posts here, who knew.

 

[CTBasketball]

I wanted to make a post on a player, but there are so many things wrong with this team it isn't even worth it.

 

[David 76]

We deteriorated in 11 months?
CR and being stuck in a crappy conference made us unable to recruit against teams in the same crappy conference?
Ollie went from brilliant to inept in one year?
We won a NC with AB & Nolan but we can't compete with them in the AAC?
Posters are inside KO's mind determining how badly the divorce is affecting his job?

Bad year? YES. But we are 1 or 2 recruits away from being relevant. Maybe a tweak to the coaching staff.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Omar Calhoun pre-hip surgery? Absolutely. We have two years worth of evidence suggesting that the other guy isn't good enough to play at this level.

I'm not here to defend Omar Calhoun. The product we have seen to this point of his career as evidence does show has been below average. Not "good enough..." is to strong because I have seen guys with talent not produce either because of the system or their own lack of work ethic. To say he has been a disappointment is an understatement but if you qualify it by saying "pre-hip surgery" one logical conclusion is Omar has the talent to return to pre-hip surgery form. Honestly I don't know what's best for this kid. After the season a few players may need to sit down with the coaches and make some tough decisions.

 

[Rico444]

I wish I had the confidence in Purvis that some of you do. He's our best option at the 2 next year, no question, but that's not saying much. Dude plays like a freshman when it's the end of his junior year. Just when you think he's breaking out with his great play against SMU, he comes back against Memphis and puts up a stinker. He's just as likely to put up a goose-egg as he is to put up 20.

 

[David 76]

I wish I had the confidence in Purvis that some of you do. He's our best option at the 2 next year, no question, but that's not saying much. Dude plays like a freshman when it's the end of his junior year. Just when you think he's breaking out with his great play against SMU, he comes back against Memphis and puts up a stinker. He's just as likely to put up a goose-egg as he is to put up 20.

Which is why he is our best option at the 2

 

[champs99and04]

I'm not here to defend Omar Calhoun. The product we have seen to this point of his career as evidence does show has been below average. Not "good enough..." is to strong because I have seen guys with talent not produce either because of the system or their own lack of work ethic. To say he has been a disappointment is an understatement but if you qualify it by saying "pre-hip surgery" one logical conclusion is Omar has the talent to return to pre-hip surgery form. Honestly I don't know what's best for this kid. After the season a few players may need to sit down with the coaches and make some tough decisions.

Yeah, believe me, nobody roots for him harder than I do. It's just so tough to see a kid headed for stardom only to have things derailed by injury. I hope you are right in that he does return to pre-hip surgery form, that just seems like something really difficult to come back from.

 

[David 76]

We owe Omar for his loyalty when we were banned and when JC left. Sad story, but I don't expect much from him.

 

[Glastonhusky]

We owe Omar for his loyalty when we were banned and when JC left. Sad story, but I don't expect much from him.

I'm not sure what to expect form him either. If he wants to carve out some PT for himself next season, he'll have to develop a specialty. Problem is I don't know what that would be, it sure won't be defense or ball handling. Could he provide instant offense as a 3 pt shooter? Maybe but he has some work to do.

 

[donyell34]

Hey you have to love Omar for his loyalty to the program. Be real his overall game has fallen off dramatically. Injuries and surgery have eroded what skills he has or had. Hard to fathom when you look back to his freshman yearand he did play with bad hips.

 

[willie99]

maybe Fishy is right, but that certainly doesn't bring any comfort to me. It only scares the chit out of me even more

I prefer to believe we're better, but we just haven't shown it yet

helps me sleep at night

 

[Waquoit]

Purvis lacks self-awareness, he thinks he's a much better player than he actually is. He will be the alpha dog next year. And that's not a good thing.

 

[Stainmaster]

Purvis lacks self-awareness, he thinks he's a much better player than he actually is. He will be the alpha dog next year. And that's not a good thing.

If Hamilton isn't the alpha dog next year, I'm going to be shocked. Say what you will about Purvis but I haven't read any of his quotes in media sessions that make him out to be anything but a team-first guy.

 

[ctchamps]

Offseason surgery doesn't explain him stepping out of bounds seven hundred times. It doesn't explain all his traveling violations. It also doesn't explain 77 assists and 101 turnovers for his career, or the lack of turnovers he creates on the other end.

Of course he's making mistakes. Every player is making mistakes. And many are making the same ones over and over. OC gets the ball and starts to the basket without dribbling. Almost every game he gets a traveling call. He's the same age, has more college experience, and his off season surgery was earlier than Rodneys'. He wasn't a burger boy but he was highly ranked. Why are you giving him a pass? How many times did Thabeet bring the ball down to a spot he could be stripped? How many times does TSam drive too far and get blocked or get a turnover? And on and on. Some players develop and some don't. Some correct their mistakes and some don't.

How many times do people in this forum get upset by something, vocalize it every time, knowing it probably won't change anything? What's more frustrating? A player who makes repeated mistakes or any fan that continues to obsess in a futile endeavor. Not singling you out by any stretch. I admire your insight to the game tremendously which is why I'm replying to you directly. Furthermore I'm well aware there are a slew of people who share your sentiment. But is expressing this frustration with Rodney, or any frustration we have over anything every time we see it appear, different than the repeated mistaken action taken by a player? Does this repeated expression accomplish anything positive? If it there is a chance than I recommend we continue the endeavor. If it is unlikely, then I suggest we do something else such as come to terms with the situation or ignore it. Or better yet figure out why it bothers us so much.

We often dwell on something and very rarely introspect why that problem means so much to us. I share with all of you the desire that every UConn player fixes their mistakes and develops to their maximum potential, hoping like others, that doing so accomplishes team success. If that happens I get a vicarious pleasure from that accomplishment. I can strut with the best of you. However there isn't really anything I can do regarding players. I have no contact with them. I do have contact with members in this forum. If I can help one person find peace during troubling times by expressing something, than I get the same satisfaction I would get if I could help Rodney. If not I know I gave it my best effort.

Peace champs!

 

[nycscooby]

Personally, I am really worried about how close we are to non-relevance. 10-8 in the AAC is a joke and I'm not at all bullish about next season, Say what you want about our national perception and where we rank among the elite programs (who gives a snow in any case) but our recruiting hasn't picked up like I thought it would coming off a combination of a NC and KO. Whether KO was distracted because of his divorce or not I don't know and don't care but none of our guys (with the exception of DHam) really improved this season and their collective psyche seems more fragile now than earlier in the year (like Texas, Dook and Florida games). All of this just seems to bode for a tough season next year too. It's bad enough that the BE Tourney at MSG is gone for me/us for this tourney but I find myself questioning whether we will even beat USF? This sucks.

 

[UConn77]

Scooby I echo your concern regarding non-relevance. Being in the AAC has done us no favors; sucking in it has hurt us even more. I see recruiting going downhill at this point. Although Adams will be a stud, I will wait and see with Enosch. It seems like many posters here annoint every big man before he even steps on campus. And we know how that turns out most of the time. There are still some who believe that AB and Kelis Fisher will come back next year and be these incredible studs. Given what I have seen from them the past two years, I just don't see that. Serviceable is the word which comes to mind. Same with RP. He will have his great games (SMU) and clunkers (Memphis), but there has been no consistency from him whatsoever. I think that he will be a bit more stable next year, but he is never going to be the next great one. I hope he proves me wrong. Rather than critique each player and go further off on this tangent, I would just say that I am seriously concerned about the direction in which this program is heading. Poor recruiting, lack of player development and a seeming regression from our HC. These things can be fixed, but if we don't get out of this second tier conference it may be awhile. And nobody here can argue that we haven't exactly played our way out of it.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If Hamilton isn't the alpha dog next year, I'm going to be shocked. Say what you will about Purvis but I haven't read any of his quotes in media sessions that make him out to be anything but a team-first guy.

Because there aren't any quotes like that. This is just that thing where message board posters indulge in baseless speculation about the character of kids they don't know.

 

[champs99and04]

Of course he's making mistakes. Every player is making mistakes. And many are making the same ones over and over. OC gets the ball and starts to the basket without dribbling. Almost every game he gets a traveling call. He's the same age, has more college experience, and his off season surgery was earlier than Rodneys'. He wasn't a burger boy but he was highly ranked. Why are you giving him a pass? How many times did Thabeet bring the ball down to a spot he could be stripped? How many times does TSam drive too far and get blocked or get a turnover? And on and on. Some players develop and some don't. Some correct their mistakes and some don't.

How many times do people in this forum get upset by something, vocalize it every time, knowing it probably won't change anything? What's more frustrating? A player who makes repeated mistakes or any fan that continues to obsess in a futile endeavor. Not singling you out by any stretch. I admire your insight to the game tremendously which is why I'm replying to you directly. Furthermore I'm well aware there are a slew of people who share your sentiment. But is expressing this frustration with Rodney, or any frustration we have over anything every time we see it appear, different than the repeated mistaken action taken by a player? Does this repeated expression accomplish anything positive? If it there is a chance than I recommend we continue the endeavor. If it is unlikely, then I suggest we do something else such as come to terms with the situation or ignore it. Or better yet figure out why it bothers us so much.

We often dwell on something and very rarely introspect why that problem means so much to us. I share with all of you the desire that every UConn player fixes their mistakes and develops to their maximum potential, hoping like others, that doing so accomplishes team success. If that happens I get a vicarious pleasure from that accomplishment. I can strut with the best of you. However there isn't really anything I can do regarding players. I have no contact with them. I do have contact with members in this forum. If I can help one person find peace during troubling times by expressing something, than I get the same satisfaction I would get if I could help Rodney. If not I know I gave it my best effort.

Peace champs!

I think we may be closer to the same page on this topic than you realize. This roster is deeply flawed - which isn't overly surprising considering their relative youth - and any of the frustrating tendencies Purvis exhibits certainly are not unique to him. Calhoun is as bad, if not worse as you alluded to.

It seems we agree that Purvis may prove to be a polarizing player on this board for years to come, even if through no fault of his own. It will happen though, because of his physical ability; he's your prototypical two guard in terms of height, build, and athleticism. He will also demonstrate a soft shooting touch, even if his release is slow and he's inconsistent. These are characteristics that, IMO, differentiate him from Samuel and post-hip surgery Omar Calhoun.

Daniel Hamilton is the perfect counter point. He is a freshman who is plagued by all of the troubling tendencies freshman are usually plagued by, yet, you will find little resistance to the notion that he is on his way to stardom. Purvis, meanwhile, continues to enrage people long into his sophomore year with his apparent deficient instincts for the game. I use the word instinct because it does not carry a negative connotation as it relates to his character. He plays hard, I'm sure he works/trains hard. Some are simply less equipped than others at interpreting the shifting complexions of a basketball court, and to some extent, it's something you either have or don't. Purvis does not appear to, and thus, despite his physical measurables, will never fulfill his pre-college hype.

I hope I'm wrong, of course, and I have been many times. I would argue that in taking this position, I am better suited to embrace his flaws while also appreciating his strengths than say, somebody penciling him into the lottery. To me, Purvis is the perfect example of a kid who the board would be better off re-calibrating their expectations for moving forward. He is still a potential success story viewed in certain terms.

 

[Fishy]

Purvis lacks self-awareness, he thinks he's a much better player than he actually is. He will be the alpha dog next year. And that's not a good thing.

I disagree. He's a better player than he knows.

He won't be the alpha dog next year and anyone who thinks Hamilton has that in him hasn't been paying attention.

The alpha dog is at a prep in New Hampshire right now.