Rank Our Players

[OkaForPrez]

I might be coming at this different but I'm going to list by importance in terms of need, not necessarily predicted performance. College Basketball is all about PG play. We know this moreso than anyone which means by default:

1. Gibbs - The ball will be in his hands more than anyone else, he will be our quarterback and a leader on the floor.
2. Adams- There is no true third ball handler on this team so Adams must be able to come in and play the 1 to give Gibbs a rest at the 2. If we can't count on him to be poised with the ball all the rest doesn't really matter.
3. Brimah-Has the ability to completely change the game on the defensive end. Cincinnati and the job he did on Ellis in crunch time late in the year are what I'm hoping we can expect from him this year. If he can stay on the floor and take away the paint we don't even need him to improve all that much in defensive rebounding.
4. Hamilton- He will need to be the one to create his own shot in the half court when the offense breaks down, which it might, frequently. I don't know how well Gibbs can create his own shot or get to the line. I know Purvis showed flashes but a lot of his scoring was coming off set plays. Champs covered this in his novella so I'll leave it be.
5. Miller-We are built to win in the open floor. We can't run if we don't rebound well. Miller has to own the glass, particularly with Brimah overplaying the weak side help (by design people). His defensive versatility and hard hat lunchpail work will be critical
6. Purvis- he will have to sacrifice the most in my opinion for this team to achieve its greatest potential. He's been carrying himself in the offeseason like its his team now, and his someone needed to step into the void so I'm glad he's stepping up, but I'm worried about him pressing and trying to do too much. He needs to let the game come to him, make good decisions with the ball, and really give way to Hamilton to work in broken play scenarios. The coexistence of our wings will be crucial.
7. Omar - We started to see no fv<ks given omar towards the end of last season and I have visions of him changing games when were sleep walking. Coming in and diving on the floor, making a great defensive play and firing everyone up the way a senior leader should.

8. Everyone else - Just don't screw it up, anything + is gravy.

 

[Jay-Bone]

I've seen 4 different potential number 1's listed here. Got to like our chances this season. Just as long as they can figure it out.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

We win the championship if we have 2 players better than Hamilton next year.

Hamilton is a great talent but I think people are under rating how good Gibbs should be for us. I think they all will be pretty similar though and will form a great nucleus.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I might be coming at this different but I'm going to list by importance in terms of need, not necessarily predicted performance. College Basketball is all about PG play. We know this moreso than anyone which means by default:

1. Gibbs - The ball will be in his hands more than anyone else, he will be our quarterback and a leader on the floor.
2. Adams- There is no true third ball handler on this team so Adams must be able to come in and play the 1 to give Gibbs a rest at the 2. If we can't count on him to be poised with the ball all the rest doesn't really matter.
3. Brimah-Has the ability to completely change the game on the defensive end. Cincinnati and the job he did on Ellis in crunch time late in the year are what I'm hoping we can expect from him this year. If he can stay on the floor and take away the paint we don't even need him to improve all that much in defensive rebounding.
4. Hamilton- He will need to be the one to create his own shot in the half court when the offense breaks down, which it might, frequently. I don't know how well Gibbs can create his own shot or get to the line. I know Purvis showed flashes but a lot of his scoring was coming off set plays. Champs covered this in his novella so I'll leave it be.
5. Miller-We are built to win in the open floor. We can't run if we don't rebound well. Miller has to own the glass, particularly with Brimah overplaying the weak side help (by design people). His defensive versatility and hard hat lunchpail work will be critical
6. Purvis- he will have to sacrifice the most in my opinion for this team to achieve its greatest potential. He's been carrying himself in the offeseason like its his team now, and his someone needed to step into the void so I'm glad he's stepping up, but I'm worried about him pressing and trying to do too much. He needs to let the game come to him, make good decisions with the ball, and really give way to Hamilton to work in broken play scenarios. The coexistence of our wings will be crucial.
7. Omar - We started to see no fv<ks given omar towards the end of last season and I have visions of him changing games when were sleep walking. Coming in and diving on the floor, making a great defensive play and firing everyone up the way a senior leader should.

8. Everyone else - Just don't screw it up, anything + is gravy.

I like your #1.

 

[OkaForPrez]

@RipCity BTW, nice friday afternoon topic man

 

[uconn34]

What is the benefit to doing this, make certain players feel bad. What a stupid idea, teams win not players! Haven't we proven that 4 times already.

 

[OkaForPrez]

What is the benefit to doing this, make certain players feel bad. What a stupid idea, teams win not players! Haven't we proven that 4 times already.

Its a way of flushing out the makeup of the team. I was never the best player on any team I ever played on, I wasn't so naive to think so, it didn't make me feel less important to the team. These guys have been at this a long time, if they are reading the boneyard, and I doubt they are, I really think the wouldn't give a rats ass about what a bunch of armchair quarterbacks thought about them.

 

[Joobie]

I didn't see Terry Larrier's name mentioned at all. Does this mean that he's at the top of the list & needs no introduction?

 

[champs99and04]

This is an extremely tough exercise, because honestly, any of our top six could be #1 and I wouldn't be surprised. I'll give it a try...

1. Hamilton - I've already spilled thousands of words on him, but I'll make it simple: 13 players were ranked ahead of him in the class of 2014. Only one of them is playing college basketball next season.

2. Miller - Dominant defensive rebounder, can guard 1-5, can operate in the middle of a zone, space the floor with mid-range jumpers...oh, and he shoots 83% at the foul line.

3. Gibbs - Might be #1 if he were a better defender. Without his shooting, it would be difficult to envision us constructing a championship level offense.

4. Brimah - He's probably #1 - in terms of value - if we made this list last year, and I wouldn't object to anybody ranking him #1 this year. However, I think the potential to install Miller as a small ball five makes him slightly less vital.

5. Adams - His emergence as a secondary facilitator will be crucial, and will allow Gibbs to work off the ball more.

6. Purvis - Real wild card. If he's the player he was in the final eight he could win AAC POY. If he's the player he was before that, he'll sit crunch time.

7. Facey - I see him playing spot minutes at center this season. I think people are sleeping on him - he can do some things defensively (switching onto the perimeter) that make him extremely valuable as the first big off the bench, and he's more polished offensively than people realize.

8. Omar/Cassell - One of these guys is going to play minutes and the other isn't. It's probably as simple as who makes shots. Cassell adds more as a ball-handler/passer, Omar is more valuable as a slasher.

9. Nolan - He'll be better than he was last year, when he played injured. He's an important piece to have because he knows the schemes and because of AB's inevitable foul trouble.

10. Enoch - Don't see him playing many minutes.

 

[TasteofUConn]

Ranking based most impact on total number of Ws. In other words, take him off the team and how do we do?

Brimah
Hamilton
Gibbs
Adams
Miller
Purvis
Facey
Nolan
Calhoun
Enoch
Cassell

Logic goes like this - Brimah is the rim protector and will, hopefully, be able to give us 10 PPG and 8 RPG. Will make a big difference on the overall D by forcing opponent guards to stay out of the paint. Worth 5-10 PPG in scoring differential just being out there.
Hamilton is a close second. Does it all and will force 100% attention from 1 defender, and draw others. Everybody prospers. The Brimah DHam connection is worth 6 a game, on an off day.
Gibbs will shoot lights out and open the floor for DHam. Experience and ball handling will open the floor in general. Everybody prospers.
Adams will be a critical ball handler. Can't win with just 1 ball handler (ask 06). Will open the floor up.
Miller fill the role of workhorse in the paint. Gobbles up rebounds and defends their 2nd big. Will be the glue guy in the middle for the team.
Purvis will be a scoring spark plug, but scoring is not a weak spot for this team.
Facey will be an important rebounding big off the bench.
Nolan will be his usual serviceable self.

Calhoun, Enoch, Cassell will all be spot players.

 

[tzznandrew]

1. Hamilton will be our best all around player
2. Purvis will be our leading scorer
3. Gibbs will stir the drink
4. Adams will be Kemba, circa-2009
5. Brimah will continue to block shots and may make me look stupid for putting him here
6. Miller will be a KFree type stabilizing force on the boards while keeping defenses honest

The others are all wildcards.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

What is the benefit to doing this, make certain players feel bad. What a stupid idea, teams win not players! Haven't we proven that 4 times already.

or motivate the players to climb the Boneyard official player rankings during the season. So when the thread is re-visited in April 2016 the players can take pride in knowing that the revised rankings have them higher than preseason . These are just preseason player rankings. ESPN, CBS, Sporting News, SI and BR ect ect..do not have the same talent pool as the BY to engage in this type of intellectual gymnastics. So please participate and make your vote count. Thank you and good day.

 

[Blue Blood]

1.Purvis
2.DHam
3.Gibbs
4.Brimah
5.Adams
6.Miller
7.Omar
8.Facey
9.Cassell
10.Nolan

I think Purvis puts it together this year and I still believe he is our most talented player. I think Purvis could go for something like 18 4 and 4 this year with Hamilton around 13 5 and 5 not a big difference but I'll take Purvis by a hair. I'd take Purvis and DHam against pretty much any wing pairing we've ever had.

 

[Gringo]

1.Purvis
2.DHam
3.Gibbs
4.Brimah
5.Adams
6.Miller
7.Omar
8.Facey
9.Cassell
10.Nolan

I think Purvis puts it together this year and I still believe he is our most talented player. I think Purvis could go for something like 18 4 and 4 this year with Hamilton around 13 5 and 5 not a big difference but I'll take Purvis by a hair. I'd take Purvis and DHam against pretty much any wing pairing we've ever had.

If Purvis is our best player then I think this is a final four / national championship caliber team. We know we are going to get a very good year from Gibbs based off what he did last year. I'm also very optimistic DHam will continue to grow and have a very good year. if Purvis is playing ahead of them, and I think he is capable of it, then we will have a very good team.

 

[JimHurley]

1. Gibbs
2. Brimah
3. Hamilton
4. Adams
5. Purvis
6. Miller
7. Facey
8. Cassell
9. Omar
10. Nolan
11. Enoch

I truly believe Enoch will be a beast for the huskies one day but this is not the year. He's kind of a project and needs time to grow. Give him a year or two.

 

[TasteofUConn]

1.Purvis . . . I think Purvis puts it together this year and I still believe he is our most talented player. I think Purvis could go for something like 18 4 and 4 this year

Dude, there is virtually no way this happens, and I'll bet my house against it.
He scored 8 and then 11 ppg in his first two years.
He had 2.4 rebounds and 1.2/1.3 assists in his first two years.
There is zero chance he adds 7 pts per game, doubles his rebounding, and triples his assists. He is a scorer, pure and simple, and he hasn't, and won't, bring much more than that.
And that's OKAY. We need Purvis to spot score and to play at least good D, and not bone head TOs.
With Gibbs, Hamilton, and Adams, we have a much better scoring team, and, if anything, his offense will be less required, not more.
When you throw in that his FT shooting is awful, I see our crunch time lineup as Gibbs/Adams/DHam/Brimah/Miller.
Once again, however, I believe that too much is being expected of this young man. I'll be very happy to ee him get 12/2/2 with a reduction of 1 or 2 bone head plays a game.

 

[tzznandrew]

Dude, there is virtually no way this happens, and I'll bet my house against it.
He scored 8 and then 11 ppg in his first two years.
He had 2.4 rebounds and 1.2/1.3 assists in his first two years.
There is zero chance he adds 7 pts per game, doubles his rebounding, and triples his assists. He is a scorer, pure and simple, and he hasn't, and won't, bring much more than that.
And that's OKAY. We need Purvis to spot score and to play at least good D, and not bone head TOs.

Purvis averaged over 17ppg in March, and scored somewhere between 13-15 from 2/1 on (16 games).
I wouldn't put money on him averaging 18ppg, but I'm of the belief that something clicked for the kid, and that the injuries hurt him early.
I would put 14ppg as the floor, and say he'll be closer to 16-17ppg. He's our most explosive athlete, he shot well from range, and if he starts actually making his FTs he's going to get a ton of buckets.

As for your points about assists and rebounds...yeah, I'm with you on that.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Dude, there is virtually no way this happens, and I'll bet my house against it.
He scored 8 and then 11 ppg in his first two years.
He had 2.4 rebounds and 1.2/1.3 assists in his first two years.
There is zero chance he adds 7 pts per game, doubles his rebounding, and triples his assists. He is a scorer, pure and simple, and he hasn't, and won't, bring much more than that.
And that's OKAY. We need Purvis to spot score and to play at least good D, and not bone head TOs.
With Gibbs, Hamilton, and Adams, we have a much better scoring team, and, if anything, his offense will be less required, not more.
When you throw in that his FT shooting is awful, I see our crunch time lineup as Gibbs/Adams/DHam/Brimah/Miller.
Once again, however, I believe that too much is being expected of this young man. I'll be very happy to ee him get 12/2/2 with a reduction of 1 or 2 bone head plays a game.

Obviously there's no way Purvis is going to reach those numbers, but you're the same guy that has Brimah averaging 8 rebounds a game which is probably even more ridiculous.

 

[johnhuskies95]

This is an extremely tough exercise, because honestly, any of our top six could be #1 and I wouldn't be surprised. I'll give it a try...

1. Hamilton - I've already spilled thousands of words on him, but I'll make it simple: 13 players were ranked ahead of him in the class of 2014. Only one of them is playing college basketball next season.

2. Miller - Dominant defensive rebounder, can guard 1-5, can operate in the middle of a zone, space the floor with mid-range jumpers...oh, and he shoots 83% at the foul line.

3. Gibbs - Might be #1 if he were a better defender. Without his shooting, it would be difficult to envision us constructing a championship level offense.

4. Brimah - He's probably #1 - in terms of value - if we made this list last year, and I wouldn't object to anybody ranking him #1 this year. However, I think the potential to install Miller as a small ball five makes him slightly less vital.

5. Adams - His emergence as a secondary facilitator will be crucial, and will allow Gibbs to work off the ball more.

6. Purvis - Real wild card. If he's the player he was in the final eight he could win AAC POY. If he's the player he was before that, he'll sit crunch time.

7. Facey - I see him playing spot minutes at center this season. I think people are sleeping on him - he can do some things defensively (switching onto the perimeter) that make him extremely valuable as the first big off the bench, and he's more polished offensively than people realize.

8. Omar/Cassell - One of these guys is going to play minutes and the other isn't. It's probably as simple as who makes shots. Cassell adds more as a ball-handler/passer, Omar is more valuable as a slasher.

9. Nolan - He'll be better than he was last year, when he played injured. He's an important piece to have because he knows the schemes and because of AB's inevitable foul trouble.

10. Enoch - Don't see him playing many minutes.

I can't remember exactly where(I believe it was a michigan site), but someone checked the synergy stats on Miller and he was a below average midrange jump shooter last year. I don't think that's really his game.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

This is an extremely tough exercise, because honestly, any of our top six could be #1 and I wouldn't be surprised. I'll give it a try...

1. Hamilton - I've already spilled thousands of words on him, but I'll make it simple: 13 players were ranked ahead of him in the class of 2014. Only one of them is playing college basketball next season.

2. Miller - Dominant defensive rebounder, can guard 1-5, can operate in the middle of a zone, space the floor with mid-range jumpers...oh, and he shoots 83% at the foul line.

3. Gibbs - Might be #1 if he were a better defender. Without his shooting, it would be difficult to envision us constructing a championship level offense.

4. Brimah - He's probably #1 - in terms of value - if we made this list last year, and I wouldn't object to anybody ranking him #1 this year. However, I think the potential to install Miller as a small ball five makes him slightly less vital.

5. Adams - His emergence as a secondary facilitator will be crucial, and will allow Gibbs to work off the ball more.

6. Purvis - Real wild card. If he's the player he was in the final eight he could win AAC POY. If he's the player he was before that, he'll sit crunch time.

7. Facey - I see him playing spot minutes at center this season. I think people are sleeping on him - he can do some things defensively (switching onto the perimeter) that make him extremely valuable as the first big off the bench, and he's more polished offensively than people realize.

8. Omar/Cassell - One of these guys is going to play minutes and the other isn't. It's probably as simple as who makes shots. Cassell adds more as a ball-handler/passer, Omar is more valuable as a slasher.

9. Nolan - He'll be better than he was last year, when he played injured. He's an important piece to have because he knows the schemes and because of AB's inevitable foul trouble.

10. Enoch - Don't see him playing many minutes.

My rankings may differ a bit (not much) but as usual a good read. Thank you for adding great insight. Everyone in the state of CT is waiting for Part2 of the 2015-16 UConn season preview. Not surprised at all by your ranking. The Gibbs vs. Hamilton choice is as tough as deciding between Jessica Alba in her prime vs. Monica Bellucci. Tough call...

Love Miller also in the top 3 coming in at #2. Not sure whether I would put him #2 but def strong consideration!

 

[Karmacop]

Keeping in mind that this list is based on value and impact, I tried to think about how opposing coaches would prioritize their team's focus, and which of our players would take up an opposing coach's most planning time, both on the offensive and defensive end. So perhaps this is less about pure talent, and more about how important each player is to wins and losses this year.

So here's my list:

1. Gibbs -- Likely first team AAC, likely our leading scorer, with the ball in his hands most of the time.
2. Brimah -- Should come into his own on the offensive end this year, and will keep opposing coaches up at night on defense.
3. Hamilton -- Should take a leap in production, after what was already a great freshman year. Can hurt you in a variety of ways.
4. Purvis -- Seemed to put it together at the end of last year, and will likely be our leading scorer in games where Gibbs is not.
5. Miller -- His talent is significant, and he has versatility, but he falls here because I doubt opposing coaches will game plan him like 1-4.
6. Adams -- Talented, but still a freshman. Will undoubtedly have his ups and downs. If it "clicks" for him, he could move up this list.
7. Facey -- Our first big off the bench. Has shown promise, and should improve to become an important role player.
8. Calhoun -- He has the talent to contribute (his freshman year proves that), but until he gains consistency will not be a huge factor.
9. Cassell -- Should be better than last year, but should still only see reserve minutes most nights
10. Nolan -- Good for a charge or two, and will see some non-garbage time minutes, but that's it.
11. Enoch -- I doubt he'll see much of the floor this year, even though he has a chance to be a contributor in future years.

 

[champs99and04]

I can't remember exactly where(I believe it was a michigan site), but someone checked the synergy stats on Miller and he was a below average midrange jump shooter last year. I don't think that's really his game.

That could be, but I guess I assumed he'd be at least a viable midrange jump shooter given the following: 1) He shot a respectable 50% from two at Cornell last year. 2.) He was the #1 option, and so, I would imagine that with every easy shot he took, he took another contested one. 3.) He shot 83% from the line, which tends to be a good indicator of somebody who can hit intermediate shots with time and space (which he should have a lot more of).

If the synergy numbers prove me wrong I'll be willing to concede the point, I'd just be interested in taking a closer look at his shot type (i.e., how many were catch and shoot vs. off the dribble, how many were contested vs. uncontested, etc.) before I give up on him having an Adrien like impact.

 

[selles]

Purvis averaged over 17ppg in March, and scored somewhere between 13-15 from 2/1 on (16 games).
I wouldn't put money on him averaging 18ppg, but I'm of the belief that something clicked for the kid, and that the injuries hurt him early.
I would put 14ppg as the floor, and say he'll be closer to 16-17ppg. He's our most explosive athlete, he shot well from range, and if he starts actually making his FTs he's going to get a ton of buckets.

As for your points about assists and rebounds...yeah, I'm with you on that.

Agree with everything you wrote. Something did click for Purv. The guy slashing into the lane and scoring in the conference tournament was an entirely different player from the guy who would drive and throw the ball up for grabs early and mid-year. He also closed the regular season on a 4 game 15-19 run at the foul line. He may never be an 80% guy but I'm optimistic that he'll be in the 70's this year.

Even if people aren't as bullish on Purvis' offense, I don't see how he'll be the odd man out at crunch time. You have to play defense at crunch time too. By the end of the year he had turned into a pretty solid defender, and I think his physicality and athleticism will make him the #1 option to stick the opponent's best non-big scorer down the stretch.

 

[tzznandrew]

Agree with everything you wrote. Something did click for Purv. The guy slashing into the lane and scoring in the conference tournament was an entirely different player from the guy who would drive and throw the ball up for grabs early and mid-year. He also closed the regular season on a 4 game 15-19 run at the foul line. He may never be an 80% guy but I'm optimistic that he'll be in the 70's this year.

Even if people aren't as bullish on Purvis' offense, I don't see how he'll be the odd man out at crunch time. You have to play defense at crunch time too. By the end of the year he had turned into a pretty solid defender, and I think his physicality and athleticism will make him the #1 option to stick the opponent's best non-big scorer down the stretch.

Yeah, I'm of the mind that if Adams is pushing someone out of the lineup at crunch time, it's going to be one of our bigs. I know that's not popular, but Hamilton can ball, Gibbs is going to be our leading baller, and I think we're going to see March Purvis most of the year.

I think this is going to be a faster, higher scorer team than we've seen in a few years, and one that will have some multiple options.

 

[jibsey]

I see Nolan being ranked as 9-11 by most everyone. Realize of course that when AB comes off the floor Nolan is going to play major minutes for us. Maybe Enoch can give us more?