Reactionary Board as Usual . . .

[Cheeky]

. . .
Brimah had a very nice game. Importantly, it was against a high level of competition, not the cupcakes from earlier in the year. Played 35 solid minutes. Backed off a few shots to avoid the foul. Had 4 blocks, 6 boards, looked good at the line. I'd say this is a very good portent for next year.

Expectations for this year are now set at, "keep improving, try to win a few, win a couple of games in the AAC tourni." An NCAA bid would be a great finish. Winning one game in the NCAA would be really nice. More than that is just dreaming.

The fatal flaw of this team was on display tonight against a very, very good defensive team - we only have one true ball handler. Every other guy, upon receiving the ball, was immediately put back on his heels by the pressure defense. It is very difficult to pass you way out of tight man to man applied by athletic defenders. Last year, obviously, we had two of the best ball handlers in the country. This year, we have one, and the next best ball handler on the team probably is not top 300 in the country at ball handling. Major Problem.

You can piss and moan about everything else, but that's what ails us, and it's not too hard to see. We just looked very weak with the ball tonight.

If I'm Ollie, I'm doing everything I can to bring in a 2nd PG next year next to Jalen. Fact is, no matter how much Brimah, Hamilton, and Lubin improve by next year, it's not going to matter if we can't handle the ball. The 2nd PG doesn't have to do anything but handle the rock, distribute, and make a shot now and again.

Where's Craig Austrie when you need him?

Random Notes - DHam is going to be great, just needs a bit of seasoning and a penetrator who can get him the ball. Purvis giveth and Purvis taketh away - will be making the same mistakes in 2 years, mark it down. Calhoun threw one of the worst passes I have ever seen. Practices should be 95% dribbling and passing from now until the season is done.

 

[Cheeky]

And another thing . . . stop blaming the coach.

No amount of yelling or "energy" being directed from Ollie to the team is going to make TSam or Calhoun a better ball handler or Purvis a smarter player or Cassel a better shooter.

Ollie knows what the gig is here. I expect that he'll move to add a 2nd PG next year to address what is quite obviously the problem.

 

[caw]

Not to mention Cinci had a very good game plan to stop Boat and worked their defense to perfection. They deserve a ton of credit for what they did.

 

[mauconnfan]

. . .
Brimah had a very nice game. Importantly, it was against a high level of competition, not the cupcakes from earlier in the year. Played 35 solid minutes. Backed off a few shots to avoid the foul. Had 4 blocks, 6 boards, looked good at the line. I'd say this is a very good portent for next year.

Expectations for this year are now set at, "keep improving, try to win a few, win a couple of games in the AAC tourni." An NCAA bid would be a great finish. Winning one game in the NCAA would be really nice. More than that is just dreaming.

The fatal flaw of this team was on display tonight against a very, very good defensive team - we only have one true ball handler. Every other guy, upon receiving the ball, was immediately put back on his heels by the pressure defense. It is very difficult to pass you way out of tight man to man applied by athletic defenders. Last year, obviously, we had two of the best ball handlers in the country. This year, we have one, and the next best ball handler on the team probably is not top 300 in the country at ball handling. Major Problem.

You can piss and moan about everything else, but that's what ails us, and it's not too hard to see. We just looked very weak with the ball tonight.

If I'm Ollie, I'm doing everything I can to bring in a 2nd PG next year next to Jalen. Fact is, no matter how much Brimah, Hamilton, and Lubin improve by next year, it's not going to matter if we can't handle the ball. The 2nd PG doesn't have to do anything but handle the rock, distribute, and make a shot now and again.

Where's Craig Austrie when you need him?

Random Notes - DHam is going to be great, just needs a bit of seasoning and a penetrator who can get him the ball. Purvis giveth and Purvis taketh away - will be making the same mistakes in 2 years, mark it down. Calhoun threw one of the worst passes I have ever seen. Practices should be 95% dribbling and passing from now until the season is done.

Your hatred of Purvis is ridiculous so "reactionary board" would certainly add you to that title. He's been arguably our 4th best player behind Boat, DHam and MAYBE Brimah. So you may want to find a couple others to throw the hammer down on, but that's up to you.

 

[Robertelamin]

. . .

Where's Craig Austrie when you need him?

Funny you say that because I was thinking this the other night. A guy that can handle the ball, not turn it over, can hit a jumper to keep defenses honest, take some pressure off of Boat and let him go off the ball for stretches would be big. Craig wasn't a star or anything close but he could run a team and hit some big shots and there isn't anyone like that on this team this year

 

[UC990411]

Your hatred of Purvis is ridiculous so "reactionary board" would certainly add you to that title. He's been arguably our 4th best player behind Boat, DHam and MAYBE Brimah. So you may want to find a couple others to throw the hammer down on, but that's up to you.

The issue is our second, third, and fourth best players are simply not good.

 

[mauconnfan]

The issue is our second, third, and fourth best players are simply not good.

Our 2nd will be real good. Our 3rd needs to get stronger and learn the game on both ends to be a force. Purvis can still be a very good player and also needs to work on things, they all do. They need better players, smarter players to be good, no doubt.

 

[Cheeky]

Purvish [has] been arguably our 4th best player behind . . . . MAYBE Brimah.

If you're unclear on whether Brimah is higher on the "best" list than Purvis, then what is there to say?

Purvis is decent at scoring.

That's it. Looking at his FG% from the floor and concluding how important he is to the team is just ret@rded. He doesn't get many rebounds (2 a game) and he doesn't get assists (1 a game - pathetic). He turns the ball over about 2 times per game. He doesn't get blocks (1 every 5 games), and I'm not convinced that he is a particularly good defender. His FT shooting is awful and will make him a liability in all close games.

What he offers is 10 points a game at a good shooting rate, and that's about it. The problem, of course, is that we, as a culture, are beguiled by scoring. Highlights are never about the great screen, the rebound in traffic, or the tight perimeter D. Guy can go 1 of 10 from the floor but they'll show the fade away one hand shot in the lane on the highlight reel.

You don't win with guys like Purvis getting a lot of minutes. Simple as that. He is about as one dimensional a player as UConn has ever had.

If Purvis is starting for us in 2 years it's probably a very bad sign.

 

[CL82]

Not to mention Cinci had a very good game plan to stop Boat and worked their defense to perfection. They deserve a ton of credit for what they did.

But it left others open. They've got to make, and some cases take, those shots.

 

[mauconnfan]

If you're unclear on whether Brimah is higher on the "best" list than Purvis, then what is there to say?

Purvis is decent at scoring.

That's it. Looking at his FG% from the floor and concluding how important he is to the team is just ret@rded. He doesn't get many rebounds (2 a game) and he doesn't get assists (1 a game - pathetic). He turns the ball over about 2 times per game. He doesn't get blocks (1 every 5 games), and I'm not convinced that he is a particularly good defender. His FT shooting is awful and will make him a liability in all close games.

What he offers is 10 points a game at a good shooting rate, and that's about it. The problem, of course, is that we, as a culture, are beguiled by scoring. Highlights are never about the great screen, the rebound in traffic, or the tight perimeter D. Guy can go 1 of 10 from the floor but they'll show the fade away one hand shot in the lane on the highlight reel.

You don't win with guys like Purvis getting a lot of minutes. Simple as that. He is about as one dimensional a player as UConn has ever had.

If Purvis is starting for us in 2 years it's probably a very bad sign.

Yeah he's an awful player, wish he never came here . Also wish we had some fans who were a bot smarter but hey much like the players I guess we can have some dumb ones too.

Funny stuff. I get you don't know a lot about basketball but don't keep going out of your way to prove it. But hey good news for you is everyone gets to have an opinion here so spew away Cheeky.

 

[Scot-e]

I can not imagine what our fan base would be saying had we not won the NC last year.
We have not proved we are a good team this year and we have not showed much improvement. We did lose 4 of 5 starters and unlike like UK and Dook we do not reload with 5 Mc D AAs every year.
Sometime you have to wait a year or two for chemistry to kick in and the right players to come aboard or mature- that is obviously the case.
It sucks that we can not get our SSShhiitt together this year but it is not the end of the world. I have to admit I am very anxious about the last few spots we have available for next years class- it might be how this year is defined looking forward.
Get a few more high quality players and it would be a balm on our inability to play for 40 minutes a game as a team this year.

 

[husky91]

I like our team next year if we add Stone and have a legit 4. That will take pressure on Brimah, create better 1/2 court options and better interior D.

Adams
Purvis
DHam
Stone
Brimah


Good lineup, too 10 or better

 

[60'sfan]

If you're unclear on whether Brimah is higher on the "best" list than Purvis, then what is there to say?

Purvis is decent at scoring.

That's it. Looking at his FG% from the floor and concluding how important he is to the team is just ret@rded. He doesn't get many rebounds (2 a game) and he doesn't get assists (1 a game - pathetic). He turns the ball over about 2 times per game. He doesn't get blocks (1 every 5 games), and I'm not convinced that he is a particularly good defender. His FT shooting is awful and will make him a liability in all close games.

What he offers is 10 points a game at a good shooting rate, and that's about it. The problem, of course, is that we, as a culture, are beguiled by scoring. Highlights are never about the great screen, the rebound in traffic, or the tight perimeter D. Guy can go 1 of 10 from the floor but they'll show the fade away one hand shot in the lane on the highlight reel.

You don't win with guys like Purvis getting a lot of minutes. Simple as that. He is about as one dimensional a player as UConn has ever had.

If Purvis is starting for us in 2 years it's probably a very bad sign.

I don't agree with you on Purvis. If you remember back a few years, this board was questioning why Calhoun wasted a scholarship on Niels Giffey. He was pretty bad in his freshman and sophomore years and not too much better as a junior. But we don't win the NC without him.

Purvis had a solid freshman year with NC State and then sat out a year. Plus he battled an injury early this year. To have closed the book on him at this point is pretty harsh. I look for him to get better this year and be a real asset for the next two years.

 

[husky91]

I like Purvis, he's been inconsistent, but huge upside.

Issue is his and Omar's ball handling, still require T Sam to get big minutes which won't help. T Sam has more TOs than assists, shoots below 40% and hasn't made a 3 yet in 60 games @ UConn.

I don't agree with you on Purvis. If you remember back a few years, this board was questioning why Calhoun wasted a scholarship on Niels Giffey. He was pretty bad in his freshman and sophomore years and not too much better as a junior. But we don't win the NC without him.

Purvis had a solid freshman year with NC State and then sat out a year. Plus he battled an injury early this year. To have closed the book on him at this point is pretty harsh. I look for him to get better this year and be a real asset for the next two years.

 

[Yankees32123]

If Purvis is starting for us in 2 years it's probably a very bad sign.

Just not a smart post, man. Have you ever heard of players getting better? Don't keep your lens narrowed to this Cincinnati game when predicting how Rodney Purvis will play 2 years from now. Come on. He's been a good scorer for us at times. Needs to develop more skills and become more consistent and he is going to be great. We need to stop praising Purvis after he puts up 15+ points and then bashing him when he has a bad game.

 

[BoatShow]

Remember how weak and timid DeAndre Daniels looked in his very limited minutes his first year? Would anyone ever have imagined him dunking and swagging all over the place in the Final Four two years later?

 

[BoatShow]

We'll see how truely reactionary we all are when people proclaim we can win out following a twelve point win tomorrow.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I think it's shifted from "Reactionary" to "Redundant"

 

[joober jones]

Brimah's stat line makes his game look a lot better that it actually was. There were a few nice blocks that helped to key somewhat of a comeback attempt, but by and large this was not one of his better games.

 

[BoatShow]

Brimah's stat line makes his game look a lot better that it actually was. There were a few nice blocks that helped to key somewhat of a comeback attempt, but by and large this was not one of his better games.

Two fouls where he just completely unnecessarily put his hands on people. Keep those things to yourself Amida.

 

[champs99and04]

Brimah's stat line makes his game look a lot better that it actually was. There were a few nice blocks that helped to key somewhat of a comeback attempt, but by and large this was not one of his better games.

I disagree, I thought he was our best player save for a stretch where Boat went wild down the stretch.

On another note, I would rather explore the grad transfer market for a guard this offseason than sign somebody like Dorsey, who I fear might be redundant with Adams. Somebody like Anthony Collins at South Florida would be perfect - it's unfortunate that he's in our conference.

 

[Cheeky]

I don't agree with you on Purvis. If you remember back a few years, this board was questioning why Calhoun wasted a scholarship on Niels Giffey.

I respect that you have a different opinion on Purvis.

Regarding Giffey, I loved the kid from day 1. I was always hoping he'd get more PT and a longer leash. Not once did I ever think his spot was wasted. When Ollie decided to start him over Calhoun, that was the beginning of the NC run, in many ways.

And look at Giffey's stats - constant improvement from day 1.

Purvis' stats today look almost exactly like from 2 seasons ago, only a but worse.

 

[zls44]

If you think UConn is getting Diamond Stone, you need to pull your head out of the sand.

 

[mauconnfan]

Two fouls where he just completely unnecessarily put his hands on people. Keep those things to yourself Amida.

Yeah one in particular when he helped on the wing and the guy had a step on him (which really means nothing with his length) and he felt the need to get his hand in there to slow him down. Didn't need to, he would have altered or blocked his shot anyway. The shot clock was way down too. These are the types of things he really needs to improve upon to be a major factor.

 

[husky91]

I agree, no chance, just saying what they need to be an elite team next year

Unless we get Dorsey and play DHam for long stretches at the 4 and then Enoch, Nolan, Facey, Lubin committee

If you think UConn is getting Diamond Stone, you need to pull your head out of the sand.