Relax | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Relax

TheChamps990411 said:
Ive seen plenty of Uconn teams over the years look ok against some lesser comp only to turn out to have a great year. The team thats taking the court now is nowhere near what will be come Feb and March. This team will grow over the next few months and it should be really really good barring any unforseen circumstances.
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We just need to win the games we're supposed to at the start of the year. If we can do that while improving in the second half of the season we'll be ok
 
I understand, but last years team, absolutely, loses 1 if not both of these games. So that alone shows improvement, SB and Colgate are better than NE/Wagner too. So, fans are finally seeing strides in the right directions...well, baby steps. So it is exciting to see. Maybe it seems like grandeur, but it is not, just happiness to see them doing what they should be doing.
 
I posted this in another thread and in other context, but it’s worth repeating.

There shouldn’t be a soul on this board that thinks this team, at this time, is concensus top 10 and a contender for a championship. There also should be no one on this board who thinks we’ve reached our peak, and that we’re already not better off than last year.

What’s better?
  • Depth. We have multiple options at every position. It will be up to coaching to decide which combinations are best against which opponents.
  • Jalen Adams is a year older, and I suspect more mature, although the scooter episode gives me pause.
  • Hands. Guys grab and hold rebounds, and hang onto passes.
  • Strength. We have literally more strength at every position, including supposed stringbeans Whaley and Polley. No one will mistake them for Schwarzenegger, but they don’t get knocked down or moved that easily thus far.
  • BBall IQ. Polley, Whaley and Anderson are very good anticipating on defense and clogging passing lanes, Onourah knows how to run screen and roll, and the whole team is better at spacing and sliding to the open spot for the shot. (Hitting the shot is another story)
  • Free throw shooting.
What needs work?
  • Shooting. Mainly by Adams, Gilbert and Vital. 2 of the 3 need to be threats from outside the arc. That will help Larrier and Polley in particular.
  • Post game. Onourah, Diarra and Cobb need to get better at establishing position and having a go-to move each direction depending on what the defense shows. And the need to recognize the double and find the open guy.
  • Gilbert’s drives. He’s got to keep his head and stop leaving the floor without a plan. He also needs to realize that finishing at the hoop in college is a little different from HS.
  • Stopping dribble penetration. Too many are stiff-legged on the perimeter and beat off the dribble. Vital and Anderson are pretty good at this, Adams and Gilbert not so much. Along with this, defending screen and roll needs to improve.
  • Tagging 3 point shooters. Need to know where they are and get there early and balanced (see dribble penetration above).
It’s a work in progress. Whether Ollie can get the guys to improve in these areas will determine his, and the team’s fate.
 
.-.
Travelman32 said:
I understand, but last years team, absolutely, loses 1 if not both of these games. So that alone shows improvement, SB and Colgate are better than NE/Wagner too.
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If I'm ranking the four teams, it goes like this:

1) 2017 Stony Brook
2) 2016 Wagner
3) 2017 Colgate
4) 2016 Northeastern

There's a big gap between 2 and 3.
 
Keep the guards playing efficiently. We need timely three point shooting. There's no reason with the penetration we get to be shooting more than 20 3's a game. Vital needs to be a 15-20 mpg guy between 4-7 shots. Gilbert needs to be the main facilitator to the bigs and be the orchestrator. Adams needs to play off the ball as much as possible.
 
upload_2017-11-16_11-58-49.jpeg
 
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