Reddit UConn team preview - #24

[UChusky916]

This guy (Terker) on the College Basketball sub-reddit has extensive college basketball knowledge. He has us a little low, but definitely a great preview of the team, better and more thorough than most national pundits:

Terker's Top 25: #24 UConn • /r/CollegeBasketball

1 big disagreement I have with his analysis is having Enoch starting at the 4. I see Facey starting at the 4, at least to start the year, with a chance that Durham overtakes him by mid-season.

 

[kansashusky]

Why is 24 low?

We lost 37 points a game from last year and we were unranked a majority of the year and barely made the tournament.

 

[jazyj]

I feel like the majority of the game will be played in a small ball line up with purvis at the 3 and larrier/jackson at the 4. I'm not saying that will be the staring line up im just saying that it most likely doesn't matter who starts at the four.

 

[UConnStats]

I feel like the majority of the game will be played in a small ball line up with purvis at the 3 and larrier/jackson at the 4. I'm not saying that will be the staring line up im just saying that it most likely doesn't matter who starts at the four.

In a game where the pace is slower and the opponent has capable post scorers, this won't be possible. Everything is matchup dependent. That lineup would be an absolute blur in transition though.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I feel like the majority of the game will be played in a small ball line up with purvis at the 3 and larrier/jackson at the 4. I'm not saying that will be the staring line up im just saying that it most likely doesn't matter who starts at the four.

The classic Calhoun lineup towards the end. Start a 7footer for about 5 minutes then play small ball the rest of the way.

 

[superjohn]

Why is 24 low?

We lost 37 points a game from last year and we were unranked a majority of the year and barely made the tournament.

Because he thinks we will be better than #24.

 

[kansashusky]

Because he thinks we will be better than #24.

And I was asking why he thought that.....

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why is 24 low?

We lost 37 points a game from last year and we were unranked a majority of the year and barely made the tournament.

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

 

[Rico444]

It's all going to come down to how well the team gels. There's a ton of new pieces, including a bunch of freshman, so going by pure talent isn't enough to evaluate this team IMO.

 

[UChusky916]

Because he thinks we will be better than #24.

And I was asking why he thought that.....

I just meant compared to some of the other media preseason polls he has us a few spots lower -- nearly unranked -- that's all.

I don't entirely disagree with it, and pre-season polls mean nothing anyway.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I just meant compared to some of the other media preseason polls he has us a few spots lower -- nearly unranked -- that's all.

I don't entirely disagree with it, and pre-season polls mean nothing anyway.

CBS has UConn at #19. Most I've seen have UConn in the teens. Bleacher Report was #17. ESPN/Vitale has us at #16.
So #24 is pretty low for the media.

 

[King Husky]

From another commenter in that thread...

"Ranked 15th in the preseason but #1 in our hearts, these dogs are barking to get back on the hardwood. Although Daniel Hamilton got loose and ran away, a new litter of puppies bolster the pack. Make no mistake- this kennel has the talent to challenge for best in show come tournament time. But like all great champions, this young team must be house broken before they can fetch a fifth title. The early season schedule has some real dog fights (Syracuse, Ohio State, and potential Maui showdowns with UNC and Wisconsin), so we may get bopped on the snout a few times. Don't be too quick to call the ASPCA- expect them to lead the pack in the AAC regardless. But IF Rodney, Jalen, and Amida can maintain early season obedience, our groomed resume will impress the committee. Like grabbing a spot at mother's good nipple for nursing, a high seed will be very helpful to succeed in March. If our puppy avoids piddling out on the floor in December, he's going to get a tasty treat as a full grown."

 

[Palatine]

Not even Ollie knows what his front court will look like as the season progresses. How many minutes can Durham play? Can AB up his offensive game? Does Facey play the 5 or 4? Did Enoch really improve over the summer? Does Diarra or Jackson get meaningful minutes? And those questions are the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Hmm no mention of Rodney in the write up

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Hmm no mention of Rodney in the write up

SI came out with projected top 100 scorers -- Rodney at 29: Who will be college basketball's top scorer this year?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

5 three points or less and another 5 between 6 and 12. The 26 point shellacking by SMU was about the same difference as the rest of our 10 losses.

 

[PAHusky]

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

Solid thoughts. I'll add to your first point that I think an even bigger addition by subtraction may be DHam. A few caveats first - no, I'm not implying that it's a generally a good thing losing one of your most talented and experienced players, nor am I taking a shot at DHam and his contributions to UConn's program. However, I think Ollie didn't really know how to build the team around him. I think molding the entirety of the offense around his talents as a facilitator and lead dog from the SF position threw the offense out of whack and led to a lot of stagnation and poor shot selection. When DHam was running the offense, he did a great job of finding Brimah when he was open, but often struggled to create for himself and was handicapped by the lack of consistent three point threats from our guards.

I think the reigns of this year's team are up for grabs. A team always needs a leader and an engine - sometimes in the same person - and the efficacy of those two are what caps the ceiling for the team as a whole. I think that this year's leader might be someone like Purvis (tempted to say Brimah but I think he has more enthusiasm than leadership qualities) but I'm wholly convinced Adams and, eventually, Gilbert will be the engines. Getting back to guard dominated half court offense will take some of the onus off of the rest of the squad and really bring out the best in this year's team.

 

[Bboy Lace]

This guy (Terker) on the College Basketball sub-reddit has extensive college basketball knowledge. He has us a little low, but definitely a great preview of the team, better and more thorough than most national pundits:

Terker's Top 25: #24 UConn • /r/CollegeBasketball

1 big disagreement I have with his analysis is having Enoch starting at the 4. I see Facey starting at the 4, at least to start the year, with a chance that Durham overtakes him by mid-season.

I dont think Durham starts at all this year. They're going to protect him. Coming off of 2 knee surgeries...he's gonna come along slowly (and should). Brimah, Façey, Enoch & Diarra will sop up those frontcourt minutes in the meantime.

Besides, Ollie more often subs in a guard for 3 guards sets initially in games....moving the 3 to the 4 (Daniels, Hamilton, and now Larrier) to change tempo and pace.

I hope he takes his time and builds his body, his quads, his calves. Build more stability around those knees. Looking forward to see his potential.

 

[gtcam]

Wow a very long and in depth report - not sure if his analysis is right on.
#24 is OK with me because as he said, KO prepares his team for the post season (almost felt as if it was a negative to some extent) but I can see why he would comment based on the past 2 season league records.
Where UConn starts as in no significance as to where they stand in March

 

[Huskybass]

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

Post of the day. Very nicely stated.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

At the same time though, and I agree with alot of what you stated, the great teams win close games so you can't really say we were much better than our record. I thought we were good last year but at the same time the season was a bit of a disappointment

 

[Danzz]

Hmm no mention of Rodney in the write up

Rodney can be dominant when he is on but he has to improve finishing at the rim. He missed way too many layups last season.

 

[jibsey]

Aside from Rodney, we have questions about outside shooting consistency. It's a potential large hole for us. If Jackson is as good as his billing that would be great but 3 point shooting is big in today's game and right now it's a question mark.

 

[champs99and04]

My take on why #24 is too low

• Losing Gibbs is addition by subtraction, because he created so much dysfunction in the lineup. He was a good player, but since he couldn't really play PG, he couldn't share the court with Purvis and it just didn't work.
• Several key young players will improve, especially Adams and Enoch, but senior bigs like Facey often make a significant leap.
• The freshman class is top 10. Some teams rated higher have almost nothing but freshmen.
• Larrier is a highly rated player with experience and is eligible for the first time
• Brimah was injured much of the year last year
• UConn lost several games by 3 points or less, and really was much better than its record.

Gibbs isn't addition by subtraction. There is a reason he was second on the team in minutes despite all his flaws. We're going to miss his shooting a lot.