Rodney Purvis Development

[PradaMane]

Coming into this season the main reason I thought we would be a good team is because Rodney purvis.

I am the same age as Rodney and remember watching him on hoopmixtape and some televised all american games. He seemed like a sure fire no fail kid. all the ideal intangibles to be a one and done player. Quick, strong, athletic and can control the game. He played in a very competitive NC public high school league where many top college players and NBA players came from. He ran the show for the CP3 elite in the Nike EYBL, The most competitive summer tournament. He was mentored by the likes of John Wall a premier guard in the NBA. I would of loved to see him commit here straight out of high school but he ended up attending NC State. I had a feeling wherever purvis went he would be a player.

His year at NC State shocked me that player that I seen in high school wasn't the same. The only thing that translated was his athleticism. Now I'm no fool and know that there is a big difference between high school and high major D1, but this was very surprising he showed no ability to create with the ball and also had limited opportunities to do it. The end of that year he transferred because he was not satisfied with his role at NC State, he wanted to play with the ball because he believed his future was at the PG position.

He then transferred to Storrs. I was very pleased with him joining us and being able to be developed like many great players have. 10 months ago after our championship Oliie described Purvis as a ferrari.. and we here we are.

I feel as though this kid has not gotten better at all over my time watching him. I am so confused as to what was going on that period he was practicing with our team... Ball handling was a problem at NC state. he had a year to work on it and its stilll pretty poor. High school scouting reports listed free throws as a weakness of his... still a weakness.

Here is a write up from USA basketball training camp in 2013:

USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp Report
June 17, 2013
Having recently announced his intention to transfer from N.C. State to UConn, Purvis will sit out all of next season after an inconsistent freshman year.

A key member of last summer's undefeated U18 FIBA Americas championship team, Purvis did not make it past the first round of cuts this time, seemingly looking like he's at a serious crossroad at his point of his career. Overdribbling for long stretches, taking bad shots, turning the ball over and struggling to make his presence felt defensively, Purvis could not exhibit his considerable talent in a consistent fashion as he continues to be plagued by bad habits and poor fundamentals. His inconsistent perimeter shot was a major hindrance to his chances of making the roster, as his flawed mechanics did not do him any favors in trying to establish himself a threat without the ball in his hands, while his poor decision making made it difficult for him to operate as a ball-dominant lead guard like he was accustomed to at the high school level.

Despite the seemingly harsh criticism, Purvis nevertheless demonstrated the significant talent-level that made him a top-10 recruit in high school and one of the most sought over players in the nation just a year ago. He's a superior athlete, is outstanding in transition, and possesses excellent scoring instincts to go along with his strong physical attributes. A year off under the tutelage of former NBA point guard Kevin Olliemay be exactly what the doctor ordered for this very talented combo guard, as he'll have to work extremely hard on his unconventional shooting mechanics and try to improve his knowledge of the game as much as possible to make up for lost time once he does step back on the court 18 months from now

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3QKVQOPgw
http://www.draftexpress.com

These are the same problems we are seeing today... Im confused at this kids work ethic. The only thing that has changed is he is muscular. Where is the player development we were once known for? Why hasn't he improved

 

[3rdbass]

Coming into this season the main reason I thought we would be a good team is because Rodney purvis.

I am the same age as Rodney and remember watching him on hoopmixtape and some televised all american games. He seemed like a sure fire no fail kid. all the ideal intangibles to be a one and done player. Quick, strong, athletic and can control the game. He played in a very competitive NC public high school league where many top college players and NBA players came from. He ran the show for the CP3 elite in the Nike EYBL, The most competitive summer tournament. He was mentored by the likes of John Wall a premier guard in the NBA. I would of loved to see him commit here straight out of high school but he ended up attending NC State. I had a feeling wherever purvis went he would be a player.

His year at NC State shocked me that player that I seen in high school wasn't the same. The only thing that translated was his athleticism. Now I'm no fool and know that there is a big difference between high school and high major D1, but this was very surprising he showed no ability to create with the ball and also had limited opportunities to do it. The end of that year he transferred because he was not satisfied with his role at NC State, he wanted to play with the ball because he believed his future was at the PG position.

He then transferred to Storrs. I was very pleased with him joining us and being able to be developed like many great players have. 10 months ago after our championship Oliie described Purvis as a ferrari.. and we here we are.

I feel as though this kid has not gotten better at all over my time watching him. I am so confused as to what was going on that period he was practicing with our team... Ball handling was a problem at NC state. he had a year to work on it and its stilll pretty poor. High school scouting reports listed free throws as a weakness of his... still a weakness.

Here is a write up from USA basketball training camp in 2013:

USA Basketball U19 World Championship Training Camp Report
June 17, 2013
Having recently announced his intention to transfer from N.C. State to UConn, Purvis will sit out all of next season after an inconsistent freshman year.

A key member of last summer's undefeated U18 FIBA Americas championship team, Purvis did not make it past the first round of cuts this time, seemingly looking like he's at a serious crossroad at his point of his career. Overdribbling for long stretches, taking bad shots, turning the ball over and struggling to make his presence felt defensively, Purvis could not exhibit his considerable talent in a consistent fashion as he continues to be plagued by bad habits and poor fundamentals. His inconsistent perimeter shot was a major hindrance to his chances of making the roster, as his flawed mechanics did not do him any favors in trying to establish himself a threat without the ball in his hands, while his poor decision making made it difficult for him to operate as a ball-dominant lead guard like he was accustomed to at the high school level.

Despite the seemingly harsh criticism, Purvis nevertheless demonstrated the significant talent-level that made him a top-10 recruit in high school and one of the most sought over players in the nation just a year ago. He's a superior athlete, is outstanding in transition, and possesses excellent scoring instincts to go along with his strong physical attributes. A year off under the tutelage of former NBA point guard Kevin Olliemay be exactly what the doctor ordered for this very talented combo guard, as he'll have to work extremely hard on his unconventional shooting mechanics and try to improve his knowledge of the game as much as possible to make up for lost time once he does step back on the court 18 months from now

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3QKVQOPgw
http://www.draftexpress.com

These are the same problems we are seeing today... Im confused at this kids work ethic. The only thing that has changed is he is muscular. Where is the player development we were once known for? Why hasn't he improved

I actually think he is a pretty good defender so think he has gotten better in that facet of the game.

 

[PradaMane]

I actually think he is a pretty good defender so think he has gotten better in that facet of the game.

At NC State defense wasn't one of his biggest problems. He was relatively good for a first year player. Offensively its alarming. He has had the same problems with his offense since 2012.

 

[3rdbass]

At NC State defense wasn't one of his biggest problems. He was relatively good for a first year player. Offensively its alarming. He has had the same problems with his offense since 2012.

I'm just trying to disprove one of the negative points in the article about his defense. I think that is one of his strengths now. But offensively I agree is pretty much the same player as the article describes.

 

[scrappy2.0]

I would say that Purvis needs to work on 3 areas


1. Dribbling----Extensive work needs to be done here. He needs to be able to make plays with the dribble instead of the B Line drive head down that he was able to get away with when younger. He needs to learn how to dribble much better to make plays. Both hands

2. His shot needs to be tweaked--it needs to be softer with more arc. He certainly is not a bad shooter--but I think his form and the way it rolls of his and can be improved .

3. Mental game. I get the feeling RP thinks he's better than he is. KO did NOT help this. He needs to learn how to pass when to drive--just a lot seems too forced. His knowledge of the game needs to improve.

 

[PradaMane]

I would say that Purvis needs to work on 3 areas


1. Dribbling----Extensive work needs to be done here. He needs to be able to make plays with the dribble instead of the B Line drive head down that he was able to get away with when younger. He needs to learn how to dribble much better to make plays. Both hands

2. His shot needs to be tweaked--it needs to be softer with more arc. He certainly is not a bad shooter--but I think his form and the way it rolls of his and can be improved .

3. Mental game. I get the feeling RP thinks he's better than he is. KO did NOT help this. He needs to learn how to pass when to drive--just a lot seems too forced. His knowledge of the game needs to improve.

I agree, but I think the problem is bigger. These things are what scouts gave said since he was a senior. Is he taking working on his game serious? He has all the tools and a great support system. A year practicing with NCAA champions and you haven't progressed then what will it take?

 

[methodology]

I think Purvis needs to possibly drop a few pounds. It seems to have affected his quickness and lift from what I remember seeing at NC St.

He hasn't seemed to pick up the speed of the game which is somewhat disappointing. He sat out a year so there was rust and during the season he sat out he injured his shoulder at some point which limited what he was able to do in practices and working on his game. He has made incremental strides as the season has progressed and he has shaken off the rust but he is still not to the point many wish he was at and I would bet Rodney is not pleased with where he is at either.

Maybe things start to click during the last 1/3 of the season but I think this offseason and going into next year we will see a lot of adjustments made and he will show to be the type of player everyone expected next year. All is not lost with Rodney just be patient.

 

[Waquoit]

I agree, but I think the problem is bigger. These things are what scouts gave said since he was a senior. Is he taking working on his game serious? He has all the tools and a great support system. A year practicing with NCAA champions and you haven't progressed then what will it take?

Especially #3. Guys who think they are better than they hurt team chemistry.

 

[PradaMane]

I think Purvis needs to possibly drop a few pounds. It seems to have affected his quickness and lift from what I remember seeing at NC St.

He hasn't seemed to pick up the speed of the game which is somewhat disappointing. He sat out a year so there was rust and during the season he sat out he injured his shoulder at some point which limited what he was able to do in practices and working on his game. He has made incremental strides as the season has progressed and he has shaken off the rust but he is still not to the point many wish he was at and I would bet Rodney is not pleased with where he is at either.

Maybe things start to click during the last 1/3 of the season but I think this offseason and going into next year we will see a lot of adjustments made and he will show to be the type of player everyone expected next year. All is not lost with Rodney just be patient.

I don't really like the whole "rust" argument. The kid plays ball and practiced for a year. Things should of clicked a LONG time ago. He is struggling with the same aspects he did as a junior in high school. The strides being made are nothing in the grand scheme of things when you go back and look that in high school is trajectory was a NBA lottery pick, who was compared to Dwayne wade

 

[methodology]

He did not practice for a year. He was out for a couple months with a shoulder injury, if I recall. I think he had to have surgery.

Its possible I am confusing him with someone else however.

 

[uchusky32]

He did not practice for a year. He was out for a couple months with a shoulder injury, if I recall. I think he had to have surgery.

Its possible I am confusing him with someone else however.

He was able to practice.

 

[methodology]

Yes he practiced but he didn't practice the entire year.

http://borgesblognhr.blogspot.com/2013/12/successful-surgery-for-rodney-purvis.html

Torn labrum in non shooting shoulder. Had it in December and Ollie said it would be about 4 weeks to heal. I doubt he practiced most of December, January and maybe even February.

That had to be a setback to him developing in his year he sat out. I think a lot of people forget he had to have surgery in his redshirt year

 

[zls44]

Everyone who expected big things for Rodney Purvis clearly didn't watch him at NC State.

 

[upstater]

I'd rather the title read "Purvis's Development"

 

[PradaMane]

I'd rather the title read "Purvis's Development"

cool

 

[Cheeky]

Any thoughts on what RP needs to do to improve ignores the fact that he has appallingly low Bball IQ. You can't teach a player if he is unwilling or unable to learn.

 

[gtcam]

I am beginning to think that RP is not applying himself to accepting the fact that he has flaws in his game and if he wants to take it to the next level he needs to work on it. He does that same things wrong on a consistant level and if I can see it I am sure KO and staff can. I am sure they try to work on it BUT it may be a factor that RP doesn't care to listen or cannot comprehend.
Another thought - maybe something inside him goes awry when he steps on the floor in front of people - maybe he's a great practice player - maybe it's in his head...
I don't know but he sure hasn't shown much of the Ferrari instincts Ko was talking about - in fact guys like Boat and AB kept saying - wait til you see RP

 

[PradaMane]

Any thoughts on what RP needs to do to improve ignores the fact that he has appallingly low Bball IQ. You can't teach a player if he is unwilling or unable to learn.

I agree its either he is unwilling or unable to learn at this point. This has killed his draft stock and has made this a tough year for the huskies.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

All my nc state friends are saying, "I told you so." None of them were the least bit upset about him leaving. I'm still of the opinion that he'll be a big contributor. I just think it will be during his senior year.

I'm going to equate his career path to omar. Respectable freshman year, miserable sophmore year, back to form junior year, and hopefully puts it's all together as a senior. Just going to have to wait and see. The first two years have held pretty true so far, but he's still 100x better than sophmore Omar (not trying to pick on omar, I'm real happy to see him get his game back)

 

[Waquoit]

Why would anyone have NC State friends?

 

[Robertelamin]

All my nc state friends are saying, "I told you so." None of them were the least bit upset about him leaving. I'm still of the opinion that he'll be a big contributor. I just think it will be during his senior year.

I'm going to equate his career path to omar. Respectable freshman year, miserable sophmore year, back to form junior year, and hopefully puts it's all together as a senior. Just going to have to wait and see. The first two years have held pretty true so far, but he's still 100x better than sophmore Omar (not trying to pick on omar, I'm real happy to see him get his game back)

I went to their message board to read up on him and yeah, no one seemed too upset about him leaving. We have two shooting guards that can't create any offense and have bad handles and it is killing us.

 

[RipCity]

Anyone else realize that there's a good chance he is here his senior year? By then we all may love him because chances are he's taking a dump on younger kids as a super senior.

Purvis is tough to watch this year, but I'm not going to just sit here and say he's unwilling to learn/improve based on watching the games this year. Ridiculous.

 

[UconnDon]

All my nc state friends are saying, "I told you so." None of them were the least bit upset about him leaving. I'm still of the opinion that he'll be a big contributor. I just think it will be during his senior year.

I'm going to equate his career path to omar. Respectable freshman year, miserable sophmore year, back to form junior year, and hopefully puts it's all together as a senior. Just going to have to wait and see. The first two years have held pretty true so far, but he's still 100x better than sophmore Omar (not trying to pick on omar, I'm real happy to see him get his game back)

"Get his game back ...". He surely must have lost it (his game) yesterday against Bearcats! He looked dreadful imo.

 

[PradaMane]

Anyone else realize that there's a good chance he is here his senior year? By then we all may love him because chances are he's taking a dump on younger kids as a super senior.

Purvis is tough to watch this year, but I'm not going to just sit here and say he's unwilling to learn/improve based on watching the games this year. Ridiculous.

Ive reviewed many scouting reports for purvis during his high school times and seen him play many times when he was on NC State. He has had the same problems since he was 17. summer of his freshman season while at team usa camp the reporter talked about his bad shooting mechanics, poor decision making, over dribbling all things that are seen from him in todays game 2 years later... If he is not unwilling to learn or improve, then what is it? please tell me... Is he not capable? Im not pulling stuff out of my a## this is well documented my friend.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think many of you are over evaluating Rodney. For one, he's just not a Ferrari so let's start there and it gets easier. #2 he needs to handle it better for sure, but he's not awful but more like a 3. #3 many of you are going by what KO said and he was wrong but probably not by a lot. I don't think he thinks he's better than he is and I say that because he's been so accepting of his 6th man role. He is seemingly a great kid whom many of you expect a lot more out of. He's turned into a nice mid range shooter, something I think he should rely more on. He's not awful behind the arc, 35 plus %. And he has played very hard on the defensice end, wished he would rebound a bit more.

Problem with Rodney is we have this thread on him and not others who are performing much worst.

 

[PradaMane]

I think many of you are over evaluating Rodney. For one, he's just not a Ferrari so let's start there and it gets easier. #2 he needs to handle it better for sure, but he's not awful but more like a 3. #3 many of you are going by what KO said and he was wrong but probably not by a lot. I don't think he thinks he's better than he is and I say that because he's been so accepting of his 6th man role. He is seemingly a great kid whom many of you expect a lot more out of. He's turned into a nice mid range shooter, something I think he should rely more on. He's not awful behind the arc, 35 plus %. And he has played very hard on the defensice end, wished he would rebound a bit more.

Problem with Rodney is we have this thread on him and not others who are performing much worst.

I see where your coming from but none of these kids other than hamilton had the promise and hype purvis had. MCD all american, who was projected as a lottery pick before heading to college, now he is a 6th man. Yeah phil nolan and terrence samuels and cassell jr are performing worse, but what promise or hype did they have coming into uconn? I don't think anyone is over evaluating him.

His expected production was the reason many here thought we would have a strong team again this year. No one expected 20 ppg or something outrageous. We expected 11-14 ppg a game, and a reliable second option for boat so he can sometimes play off ball. Instead we got 9.5 ppg 2 reb 1 assist... Check the preseason threads on the expectations. If someone was to have predicted his current stat line he would be labeled a troll and laughed at.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I was about to defend the kid but then I compared his freshman and current stats... he has regressed in just about every facet of the game. And he's playing the same amount of minutes as he did then.

Really pulling him.

 

[pnow15]

1. As Dirty Harry would put it."A man has to know his limitations"
2. Purvis does not know his.
3. He makes offense too hard. He needs to start with his set shot three pointer. If someone closes, then he needs to take a couple of dribbles and try a jumper. If he goes to the rim and meets resistance, then he goes to the floater. Save the layups for when the path is clear.
4. Just practice this sequence. Get this down pat. He doesn't have to be Isaiah Thomas on the dribble. Just get your shots in order.
5. Don't jump in the air and pass to Nolan, Brimah, Facey or Ollie. We remember lamp had the three pointer and the floater.
6. Practice this sequence.

 

[Huskybass]

I have met Rodney and he is a very nice kid who does not have a big ego. I think his biggest problem on the offensive end is a sub par handle. So many more things would open up if he was a decent dribbler. In some ways, his game reminds me of Jerome Dyson's game. Deep set shot, good athleticism, works hard, but seems to make things more difficult than they need to be.

I am pulling for Rodney, and I think we will see a much more complete player next season.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I see where your coming from but none of these kids other than hamilton had the promise and hype purvis had. MCD all american, who was projected as a lottery pick before heading to college, now he is a 6th man. Yeah phil nolan and terrence samuels and cassell jr are performing worse, but what promise or hype did they have coming into uconn? I don't think anyone is over evaluating him.

His expected production was the reason many here thought we would have a strong team again this year. No one expected 20 ppg or something outrageous. We expected 11-14 ppg a game, and a reliable second option for boat so he can sometimes play off ball. Instead we got 9.5 ppg 2 reb 1 assist... Check the preseason threads on the expectations. If someone was to have predicted his current stat line he would be labeled a troll and laughed at.

What makes Rodney's lack of production even more pronounced is what a complete bust Cassell has been. With virtually no contribution from him, more production from Purvis is critical.