Rothstein on UConn

[Stinger92860]

4>1 just sayin

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not a single person here has (ever I believe) called Polley an elite basketball player. The discussion is about whether a stretch 4 hitting 39% from 3 is an elite three point shooter for his position.

Which is irrelevant. Elite is a word that doesn’t matter in context of a single statistic. It’s a good percentage for anyone at that position. He’s a + shooter as a 4. About average as a 3.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Yeah I don’t understand the world elite being used here. Akok could be a fabulous stretch 4. We sure hope he will be. Polley is a serviceable one. He’s a useful player. If he becomes more useful, rebounding, scoring inside or defending more positions well, that helps the team. I don’t think Giffey was anything close to “elite” either and he was too small to be a force inside. Polley by senior year could become what Niels was as a senior. Either way he’s a valuable role player.

I think the over defining of a stretch 4 is a problem with the discussion. simply put, IMHO, a stretch 4 can guard a 4 and and score like a 3. hence the term stretch. You can put him on their 4 and then stretch their defense by making their 4 come out to guard him freeing up space for slashers or inside passing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the over defining of a stretch 4 is a problem with the discussion. simply put, IMHO, a stretch 4 can guard a 4 and and score like a 3. hence the term stretch. You can put him on their 4 and then stretch their defense by making their 4 come out to guard him freeing up space for slashers or inside passing.

I guess I'd add a distinction. A stretch 4 can do the things a 4 can do, guard bigs inside, rebound, score around the rim and in addition, he can step outside and hit shots, hopefully drawing an opposing big with him (for better offensive rebounding opportunities).

Too often what I see called a stretch 4 is a big wing/SF playing the 4. Certainly that's what Larrier was, and DHam, and arguably Polley. None of those three are effective in the traditional 4 role. Unlike say, Al Horford. Or more recently in college, Eric Paschall.

 

[jibsey]

But we were talking about Brendan Adams.

All good. Brendon isn’t as critical for us as Sid so if he blows up it’s another feather in our guard cap. We actually need Sid to be very improved this year especially when backing up Carlton we go with 3 forwards, using Sid, Polley and Akok, or Whaley with 2 guards.

 

[freescooter]

Kind of a silly review that really doesn’t compute. Polley is hugely improved. Boknight is better than Lamb. Akok is Charlie V Josh Boone quality. Yet this isn’t a Tounament team?? Either someone is exaggerating somewhere or the tournament is going back to 48 teams. My guess is the former. I think the latter would have been reported somewhere

 

[Tenspro2002]

I guess I'd add a distinction. A stretch 4 can do the things a 4 can do, guard bigs inside, rebound, score around the rim and in addition, he can step outside and hit shots, hopefully drawing an opposing big with him (for better offensive rebounding opportunities).

Too often what I see called a stretch 4 is a big wing/SF playing the 4. Certainly that's what Larrier was, and DHam, and arguably Polley. None of those three are effective in the traditional 4 role. Unlike say, Al Horford. Or more recently in college, Eric Paschall.

Donyell Marshall was a stretch 4. Rasheed Wallace. Charlie Villanueva.

Legitimate PFs who can also shoot from the outside. Not small-ball SFs who happen to be the 2nd biggest guy on the court.

 

[MadMax1999]

I think this team is improved but we need to temper expectations. I just don't know if AG can stay on the court to lead us on a run. Our goal this year should be to get back to above 500 and maybe sneak into the First Four. Give Coach another year of his guys coming in and hopefully the growth becomes exponential.

 

[intlzncster]

No. A stretch 4 has to be able to score inside to be good, but the difference between your silly example and Polley is that he actually (and competently -- we can argue how well) guards a 4 on the other end. That and being able to hit 3s is all it takes to fit within the definition. To be really good, however, you need to do other things as Deandre Daniels and Giffey did.

Well, we'll disagree then. There's a number of guys above me who say it better than I do.

You can call him a stretch 4, but it doesn't make him one if he can't actually play the position. That was the point of my 'silly' example. A 6ft guy being forced to play PF down low is not a stretch four, even though he shoots threes and is forced to guard the 4 spot. You can call a guy a position all you want, but if he doesn't have the skills to perform it (except one, the 3pt shot), he's not.

Last year Polley was an athletically limited wing, who was forced to play the four due to lack of options.

Perhaps Sal and Hurley can whip him into a stretch 4 for stretches (ahem) this year. Hope so because we could use the versatility.

 

[freescooter]

I think this team is improved but we need to temper expectations. I just don't know if AG can stay on the court to lead us on a run. Our goal this year should be to get back to above 500 and maybe sneak into the First Four. Give Coach another year of his guys coming in and hopefully the growth becomes exponential.

I agree with this assessment. I doubt all the hype and truthfully so does the guy who wrote it. It was just for clicks. If You had Gilbert Lamb Charlie V and a really good jr playing the wing you would expect not only to make the tourney. You would expect to make some noise

 

[pj]

Well, we'll disagree then. There's a number of guys above me who say it better than I do.

You can call him a stretch 4, but it doesn't make him one if he can't actually play the position. That was the point of my 'silly' example. A 6ft guy being forced to play PF down low is not a stretch four, even though he shoots threes and is forced to guard the 4 spot. You can call a guy a position all you want, but if he doesn't have the skills to perform it (except one, the 3pt shot), he's not.

Last year Polley was an athletically limited wing, who was forced to play the four due to lack of options.

Perhaps Sal and Hurley can whip him into a stretch 4 for stretches (ahem) this year. Hope so because we could use the versatility.

What was Niels Giffey? A stretch 3-4-5? An incredibly valuable player, with no name for his role?

 

[superjohn]

I agree with this assessment. I doubt all the hype and truthfully so does the guy who wrote it. It was just for clicks. If You had Gilbert Lamb Charlie V and a really good jr playing the wing you would expect not only to make the tourney. You would expect to make some noise

In 2011-2012 we had Bazz, Boat, Lamb, DeAndre, Drummond, Giffey, Roscoe, and Oriakhi and we had a losing record in the Big East and got smoked by Iowa State in the firat round.

Our goal this season should obviously be significantly higher than .500 ball. We now have a greater depth of talent to work with and more options but as that 2011-2012 season shows you never know exactly what to expect.

 

[intlzncster]

What was Niels Giffey? A stretch 3-4-5? An incredibly valuable player, with no name for his role?

Niels was a swiss army knife.

 

[Chief00]

In 2011-2012 we had Bazz, Boat, Lamb, DeAndre, Drummond, Giffey, Roscoe, and Oriakhi and we had a losing record in the Big East and got smoked by Iowa State in the firat round.

Our goal this season should obviously be significantly higher than .500 ball. We now have a greater depth of talent to work with and more options but as that 2011-2012 season shows you never know exactly what to expect.

For that season you need to include Calhoun’s suspension, Calhoun’s medical issues absences and Boatshow’s suspension. All that interfered with team development.

 

[ctchamps]

For that season you need to include Calhoun’s suspension, Calhoun’s medical issues absences and Boatshow’s suspension. All that interfered with team development.

Making excuses is not countenanced in this forum. I’ll excuse you this time because you did not include the possibility there was a mumu in the mimosa chemistry mix going on at the five position.

 

[freescooter]

In 2011-2012 we had Bazz, Boat, Lamb, DeAndre, Drummond, Giffey, Roscoe, and Oriakhi and we had a losing record in the Big East and got smoked by Iowa State in the firat round.

Our goal this season should obviously be significantly higher than .500 ball. We now have a greater depth of talent to work with and more options but as that 2011-2012 season shows you never know exactly what to expect.

Of course almost every year some team or other underperforms. That is a given. But my point remains. If you had the team Rothstein is describing and it doesn’t make the tournament it would be one of those disappointments. Claiming you have that level of players and saying it isn’t a tournament team says to me that you are exaggerating the level of talent.

 

[Waquoit]

In 2011-2012 we had Bazz, Boat, Lamb, DeAndre, Drummond, Giffey, Roscoe, and Oriakhi and we had a losing record in the Big East and got smoked by Iowa State in the firat round.

Didn't we already chalk that year up to an unhealthy JC?

 

[NJHoops]

We know Rothstein exaggerates. It’s his thing, and his comments don’t necessarily reflect information from the staff. He gets some guidance from them, for example- they were all done talking about Danny’s health, so he doesn’t reference it.

I’d take the coach’s assessment of the new guys over that- they’re very happy to have them, and they’re meeting expectations for what they thought they were getting. But, they’re young and will all have different rates of improvement. Freshmen contribute, but they also struggle, they hit a wall. What they will be eventually is more than what they will all show in year one.

 

[Bonk]

Jon Rothstein just tweeted that Sean Miller said Kentucky transfer will file for a waiver to be eligible this year to play at Arizona. Seems like a slimy thing for Miller to try to sneak by the NCAA.

But Hurley should 100% have RJ Cole file for a waiver in this case. If Baker's goes through then Cole's may as well because I don't believe there is any evidence of hardship or something for Baker. Worth a shot.

One of the Hauser brothers at MSU now too. No harm in submitting a waiver request.

And Iowa state just got a player whose waiver was granted.