Rocket Watts?

[superjohn]

1 or 2 of Rese, Gaffney, and AJ are going to need to take pretty big leaps for us to be as good as the fans expect. I do think we can be a top 25 team regardless, but maybe notna team competing for a top seed in the NBE.

Hawkins stands the best chance of being a bouk-level contributor as a freshman of the incoming guys. But that's a tough task for ANY freshman. Especially one like Hawk who is a great shooter or straight line driver...but relies heavily on other guards to find him for shots. He isn't that 1v1 breakdown shot maker than Bouk was and never will be. If we can have a well-run offense with guys bought in to screening, cutting, etc. Then hawkins will thrive. If we return to the BS iso stuff we saw vs better teams last year, Hawkins is going to struggle. A lot depends on the offensive system with him.

Watta makes sense with Polley. We need an extra ballhandler and playmaker since Polley struggles with those. We aren't getting a high-level guard who can get an automatic 15ppg for us... so Watts, as long as his leash is SHORT, will be great. No brendan adams plan for this kid please.

I think most fans are downplaying how good we can be. Several of the way too early national polls have us in that 15-20 range before Whaley and Polley said they're coming back and I've seen a lot of posters say we are screwed next year because we have no shooting.

I really don't see any way we aren't competing for a top seed in the Big East. It looks like a 2 team at the top league to me next season with Nova and UConn. Hall got some nice pieces coming in and should fight it out for third.

 

[Ajs120102]

I think most fans are downplaying how good we can be. Several of the way too early national polls have us in that 15-20 range before Whaley and Polley said they're coming back and I've seen a lot of posters say we are screwed next year because we have no shooting.

I really don't see any way we aren't competing for a top seed in the Big East. It looks like a 2 team at the top league to me next season with Nova and UConn. Hall got some nice pieces coming in and should fight it out for third.

The covid pauses had a huge part in our issues last season too. Empty arenas. Really don’t think we can compare seasons. Apples and oranges. Polley coming off an ACL tear too

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I have no idea why anyone would be thrilled by this interest, and I kind of doubt it's serious interest anyways.

What does Rocket bring that Gaffney doesn't?

I think he penetrates gaps better and plays with various gears much more than Gaffney. He has the DNA in him to be an elite defensive bulldog. He would be an upgrade defensively and could catapult UConn into a top 1-3 KP defense next year if he logged + 20 minutes.

In rematch vs. Anthony Cowan, Michigan State’s Rocket Watts shows defensive acumen

“Rocket did an unbelievable job on what I think is one of the great players in our league.”…

dbknews.com

Like you mentioned... Polley returning was really good news. l think Polley has more upside as a shooter than any of the other transfers outside of maybe Jenkins Jr.

If the staff can figure out a way to smoothly incorporate Watts into the system he would be a great addition. I did not watch as much hoops this year but feel I have a decent read on Gaffney.

Let me know your thoughts. Not a must get but...

 

[husky429]

I think he penetrates gaps better and plays with various gears much more than Gaffney. He has the DNA in him to be an elite defensive bulldog. He would be an upgrade defensively and could catapult UConn into a top 1-3 KP defense next year if he logged + 20 minutes.

In rematch vs. Anthony Cowan, Michigan State’s Rocket Watts shows defensive acumen

“Rocket did an unbelievable job on what I think is one of the great players in our league.”…

dbknews.com

Like you mentioned... Polley returning was really good news. l think Polley has more upside as a shooter than any of the other transfers outside of maybe Jenkins Jr.

If the staff can figure out a way to smoothly incorporate Watts into the system he would be a great addition. I did not watch as much hoops this year but feel I have a decent read on Gaffney.

Let me know your thoughts.

He isn't better than any of our guards defensively. His steal #s suck. That being said Hurley is going to get the best out of all of our guards on defense so I'm not concerned.

As a secondary creator behind a pure passer like Jackson... if we have other shooters on the court... I think rocket could thrive. Maybe on a limited role to start until that star from hs reveals himself. He was a high/risk high reward player. But with polley back with floor spacing abilittly, the risk is pretty small.

He could average 20 or barely play at all. Hard to say. But I've changed my tune a bit... I would be happy if we brought him in, though not super excited like i was when Polley/Whaley came back.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

He isn't better than any of our guards defensively. His steal #s suck. That being said Hurley is going to get the best out of all of our guards on defense so I'm not concerned.

As a secondary creator behind a pure passer like Jackson... if we have other shooters on the court... I think rocket could thrive. Maybe on a limited role to start until that star from hs reveals himself. He was a high/risk high reward player. But with polley back with floor spacing abilittly, the risk is pretty small.

He could average 20 or barely play at all. Hard to say. But I've changed my tune a bit... I would be happy if we brought him in, though not super excited like i was when Polley/Whaley came back.

Do you think in the case of Watts the predictive ability of his steal stats is only a small step toward improving our understanding of the dynamics of Rocket's ability on the defensive end? In specific unique circumstances could the steal itself when comparing him to our guards have outsize importance?

Think Bruce Bowen as a general basketball comparison on the outsize importance of steals? You could be a great defender and play less "tight".

I do agree with you though to some degree because watching Jacob Gilyard from Richmond play is a beautiful thing. Love that kids defense.

Listen I am no renown basketball coach like you so please take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

I am just a $quirrel trying to get a nut...

 

[husky429]

Do you think in the case of Watts the predictive ability of his steal stats is only a small step toward improving our understanding of the dynamics of Rocket's ability on the defensive end? In specific unique circumstances could the steal itself when comparing him to our guards have outsize importance?

Think Bruce Bowen as a general basketball comparison on the outsize importance of steals? You could be a great defender and play less "tight".

I do agree with you though to some degree because watching Jacob Gilyard from Richmond play is a beautiful thing. Love that kids defense.

Listen I am no renown basketball coach like you so please take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

I am just a $quirrel trying to get a nut...

I am not a renwoned coach lol. Half this site does doesn't understand the idea that "shooting is good." Did you see tje lineups calling for 5 non-shooters to start? So in comparison I look like a genius.

Here's how I'd put it. Steals in themselves don't make a good defender, but a LACK of steals is an indication of a bad one.

0.1 steals per game in 22 minutes signals a kid that was totally disengaged on that end of the ball. Which is bad.

But the good news is that no one shows up in Storrs without expecting to play tough defense for coach Hurley. We WILL get the best he is capable of on that end.

 

[Kmba2Rmemba]

Heard we have serious interest. Might be a roster crunch though. Staff is willing to sit on scholarships if need be.

You’re a good man, always coming through in the clutch

Would be dope if the staff could feel him in. I’m all in on Rocket.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I am not a renwoned coach lol. Half this site does doesn't understand the idea that "shooting is good." Did you see tje lineups calling for 5 non-shooters to start? So in comparison I look like a genius.

Here's how I'd put it. Steals in themselves don't make a good defender, but a LACK of steals is an indication of a bad one.

0.1 steals per game in 22 minutes signals a kid that was totally disengaged on that end of the ball. Which is bad.

But the good news is that no one shows up in Storrs without expecting to play tough defense for coach Hurley. We WILL get the best he is capable of on that end.

Ok...

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am not a renwoned coach lol. Half this site does doesn't understand the idea that "shooting is good." Did you see tje lineups calling for 5 non-shooters to start? So in comparison I look like a genius.

Here's how I'd put it. Steals in themselves don't make a good defender, but a LACK of steals is an indication of a bad one.

0.1 steals per game in 22 minutes signals a kid that was totally disengaged on that end of the ball. Which is bad.

But the good news is that no one shows up in Storrs without expecting to play tough defense for coach Hurley. We WILL get the best he is capable of on that end.

As a team MSU was 335th in steals last year. Henry was the only guy on the team averaging more than 1 a game. The year before they were 300th and the year before that 299th. That last team was 32-7, 1st in B1G and finished ranked #5. So I have to wonder how Izzo coaches defense? I kept going back. 346th. 339th. 332nd. 295th. It seems that Izzo is not playing high pressure D and going for steals. Some of those were damned good teams.

 

[CTBasketball]

This guy gives me Rodney Purvis vibes. Which for some reason I’m okay with it.

 

[upstater]

I am not a renwoned coach lol. Half this site does doesn't understand the idea that "shooting is good." Did you see tje lineups calling for 5 non-shooters to start? So in comparison I look like a genius.

Here's how I'd put it. Steals in themselves don't make a good defender, but a LACK of steals is an indication of a bad one.

0.1 steals per game in 22 minutes signals a kid that was totally disengaged on that end of the ball. Which is bad.

But the good news is that no one shows up in Storrs without expecting to play tough defense for coach Hurley. We WILL get the best he is capable of on that end.

If you don't have shooters, well then you better play hellacious defense. It's worked before.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

If his name was something more mundane than "Rocket Watts" most here would have given the "pass" verdict 6 pages ago.

Honestly, his shooting has been close to consistently horrible. His ability to get into the paint is not that much better than Cole, Gaff, and also probably Diggins. We need a consistent high % 3p shooter to complement the roster that we already have.

I really would prefer we look elsewhere. But apparently, we're very interested. I guess I'll trust in Hurley & staff. It's worked so far.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

If his name was something more mundane than "Rocket Watts" most here would have given the "pass" verdict 6 pages ago.

Honestly, his shooting has been close to consistently horrible. His ability to get into the paint is not that much better than Cole, Gaff, and also probably Diggins. We need a consistent high % 3p shooter to complement the roster that we already have.

I really would prefer we look elsewhere. But apparently, we're very interested. I guess I'll trust in Hurley & staff. It's worked so far.

I don’t think it has to do with his name so much as the fact that he was very highly recruited out of high school and many, including on this board, thought he’d be a stud. Without that history, I’d agree with your assessment.

That being said, with as many free scholarships as we have open and as few remaining good options, I’m fine taking a flyer on him. If he turns it around, great. If not, he just wouldn’t see more than junk minutes. Not a ton of downside.

 

[kcc1442]

People sometimes get too obsessed with stats. The kid was a bad fit with Izzo and MSU for whatever reasons and because they don't have a point guard Izzo tried to transition him there and it didn't work at all. If you actually watch the kid play you can see there's untapped talent there. He has a chance to be one of those players who blows up somewhere else, I would like that to be at UConn.

I agree here. Guys can improve and do better in new systems too. I'm using stats here to illustrate this point. There is some unfavorable measures still but we wouldn't need Rocket to be a top 10 pick. But it shows that you can improve dramatically especially with change of system.


Rockets stats (through 2 years): Fg: 36.5 3pt: 27.1 Ft: 78.9


Projected top 10 pick (through 2 years) 41.7 32.0 67.8

Same top 10 pick (third year) 51.6 47.2 68.9

 

[mauconnfan]

Please watch this and rethink the possibilities. I mean I get it, they're "highlights" so the shots are going in and the passes are pretty because they care connecting. But watch and tell me that we have a guard that ever played like that in high school or anywhere else? I mean I see his stats but his jumper is very nice something to work with for sure, his quickness is really really nice. He can handle, he can get tot he hoop and he can defend. And as i said in another post I saw him playing like this a few times at MSU when I checked in. I mean I saw some out of control a few times too but man this kid has some real potential.

Change of scenery? Sign me up for him to wear a Huskies uni, please!

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I don’t think it has to do with his name so much as the fact that he was very highly recruited out of high school and many, including on this board, thought he’d be a stud. Without that history, I’d agree with your assessment.

That being said, with as many free scholarships as we have open and as few remaining good options, I’m fine taking a flyer on him. If he turns it around, great. If not, he just wouldn’t see more than junk minutes. Not a ton of downside.

Yeah, I was just being snarky about the name driving the interest level.

Agree he has "potential" and taking a flyer on him could be a good risk with this year's wacky COVID transfer rules. I'm sure that Hurley & Co. will do their due diligence to make sure that they are comfortable with him not becoming a poison to team chemistry/vibe if they bring him and it turns out he's a bust that rides the pine.

 

[husky1bags]

Whenever I see or hear of a hoops player called Rocket, I think of Rod Foster from St. Thomas Aquinas in New Britain. Rocket Rod was 5-11 and 150 coming out of HS, but man could he fly. He had a 'growth spurt' over the summer after graduation, because UCLA called him 6-1 and 160.

Yeah I mentioned Hot Rod Foster in another thread like week ago... I believe he was on Cover of SI in 1980 Final Four

 

[Rewster]

This guy gives me Rodney Purvis vibes. Which for some reason I’m okay with it.

Hope he is not inclined to step out of bounds on the sidelines.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Please watch this and rethink the possibilities. I mean I get it, they're "highlights" so the shots are going in and the passes are pretty because they care connecting. But watch and tell me that we have a guard that ever played like that in high school or anywhere else? I mean I see his stats but his jumper is very nice something to work with for sure, his quickness is really really nice. He can handle, he can get tot he hoop and he can defend. And as i said in another post I saw him playing like this a few times at MSU when I checked in. I mean I saw some out of control a few times too but man this kid has some real potential.

Change of scenery? Sign me up for him to wear a Huskies uni, please!

'Please watch this ...'

please read this, and explain why u think these shooting numbers will go up to, say, 45% fg and 37% 3 fg?

rw college stats, 55 games:
36% fg, 27% 3 fg.
but u are right, he is better than ag, so there's that. on the udder hand, last season, jalen's efg%, whatever that means, was 49% while mr watts' efg% was 38%. that's a pantload more, isn't it?

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[mauconnfan]

'Please watch this ...'

please read this, and explain why u think these shooting numbers will go up to, say, 45% fg and 37% 3 fg?

rw college stats, 55 games:
36% fg, 27% 3 fg.
but u are right, he is better than ag, so there's that.

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AG? Who cares about that he hasn't played for us in a long time do I need to fill you in?

Read my post before you get all whackey. I know his numbers but look at his form. Do you think he has a better chance of improving or Andre jackson. Get back to me on that one ok? I'm thinking he has a chance to, that's all i said but his game overall could be better than Gaff or Cole on ability alone. Doesn't mean it will be but change of scenery cold be just what the doctor ordered.

 

[UCSouth]

AG? Who cares about that he hasn't played for us in a long time do I need to fill you in?

Read my post before you get all whackey. I know his numbers but look at his form. Do you think he has a better chance of improving or Andre jackson. Get back to me on that one ok? I'm thinking he has a chance to, that's all i said but his game overall could be better than Gaff or Cole on ability alone. Doesn't mean it will be but change of scenery cold be just what the doctor ordered.

You think that his percentages will go up, purely based on change of scenery?

 

[Storrs South]

 

[Ajs120102]

The guy at the car wash is a hell of a source

 

[mauconnfan]

You think that his percentages will go up, purely based on change of scenery?

Not sure I said that. Because he looks like he can shoot it, nice form which is most critical to improve. Again watch the highlights then think about Andre's jumper, who has a better chance?

Do you think it's impossible that he will?

 

[Storrs South]

Where are there even minutes at this point? If Watts had to sit a year I would get it with Cole & Martin likely gone after 2022 (maybe they do a fifth year, but I doubt it).

You already are juggling Cole, Gaff, Hawkins, and Diggins + maybe Andre at the two guard spots.

Sure there will be three guard lineups but there's also a log jam at the 3 between Tyrese, Andre, and Polley.

This team needs a fifth guard for depth in case someone gets injured. Maybe Watts is OK being that guy, but I don't see much PT left for a squad that is even deeper than the last season.