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Simple key to season

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After 8 games it's pretty simple to me what the team is or isn't. We are simply one offensive player short.

I really thought we'd have 2 dynamic guards in Boatright and Purvis--2 guys capable of putting in 20 points on any given night--both able to avg 16-17 a night. A Batman and Robin that "could" lead us far.

I think we've gotten more than we expected out of Hamilton and Facey--which is great--a nice + to the group.

That Amida would improve and give a nice impact in almost every game--I think that he will for the most part.

That Terrance Samuel and Phil Nolan would take steps forward--rather they have taken steps back but that can be okay and we can work with it.

That Omar Calhoun a year after injury would return and give us a Kromah type role and Cassell a few quick hits a game. Again something we can manage one way or the other


Summary while Hamilton and facey both have given us great production--really A+ production--we simply need what KO said Purvis was. Every good team we have had has Robin's. If Purvis isnt Robin---all the other stuff wont matter. The whole gig is on Purvis. We can live with Nolan and Samuels being defensive guys but we need Purvis to be a big time consistent offensive piece.
 
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I don't think Samuel has regressed at all. I think that the way the team was constructed last year (i.e. shooters on the perimeter to open up the floor) made it easier for him to contribute offensively. Now he's driving into a forest because teams can basically forget about guarding the perimeter.
 
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I don't think Samuel has regressed at all. I think that the way the team was constructed last year (i.e. shooters on the perimeter to open up the floor) made it easier for him to contribute offensively. Now he's driving into a forest because teams can basically forget about guarding the perimeter.

I think we are going to find out whether that team helped mask some weaknesses or whether this team is just making him try to do things out of his realm. He is one of the major reasons after all that the other team can forget about the perimeter. He now needs to be that guy who makes very few mistakes with the ball and makes the guards work on the other end of the floor.
 

willie99

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I believe DHam and Purvis will grow into being productive players on offense.

Facey has some real potential too, and Sam & AB will have flashes

I'm not sure what to expect from Omar at this point, and I'm not knocking him. I don't know if he'll be a productive player like he was as a freshmen or if that confidence is gone forever. Only time will tell.

but I think we'll have our three
 
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I agree. Purvis just might be the key to this team's success. There really isn't another guard on the roster that can play at the level that we need to be a top 25 team, and I'm not sure that Purvis is the player that we thought he would be.

Now there's still a lot of ball to be played, and Purvis has had to sit out over a year and a half, so maybe things will begin to click as he gets healthy and learns to play within KO's system.
 

c29328

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I remember this time last year and telling my father we were offensively challenged but the D was coming along. Stagnant. Waiting for somebody to do something. It's early in the maturation process for this team and I'll chill until late January and see what we find. No rhythm yet but it wasn't sunshine and roses a lot last December offensively against good teams.
 

SubbaBub

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Need an outside shooter and guys to take better shots from spots they practice taking them. Saw a lot of gym ball against Duke.
 
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I don't expect to see UConn at its full potential until the end of the season. We tend to blossom late anyways, 2011 and 2014 for example.
 
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We have played a choppy schedule as far as consistency goes. Most other teams have played 3 or 4 games more than UCONN. It is just the nature of the beast with their scheduling. Last year they had some quality wins early, but this year they have none and a bad loss also. It will be harder to qualify for the NCAA tournament unless they start cranking now. Last year was really an average year at best, but they really turned it on late. Brimah's big game over Coppin State was an anomaly. I kind of thought he would struggle against Duke and he sure did. Hardly even saw the floor although i thought that Duke got some cheapie calls against him. they need better outside shooting if they expect to make it to the NCAA T. Too many clanked balls on the rim. I don't think that Boat can be considered in the same class as Bazz to take them on his back to the finals, but we will see.
 

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Simple key to the season? Get the ball into Brimah on alley-oops so he can go 10 for 10 or more every game. Poor shooting problem solved.
 
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I agree. Purvis just might be the key to this team's success. There really isn't another guard on the roster that can play at the level that we need to be a top 25 team, and I'm not sure that Purvis is the player that we thought he would be.

Now there's still a lot of ball to be played, and Purvis has had to sit out over a year and a half, so maybe things will begin to click as he gets healthy and learns to play within KO's system.


He's got to be decisive and effective. He's very much in between right now. He looks at a shot and is ready to drive--he shoots his jumper flat with poor form. He is not a good ballhandler for the game he needs to play. He's got to simplify--open lane--go to hoop. Wide open shot---take it. Anything else don't force and find an open man. I think he can still average 12-14 points--but he needs to simplify his game mentally.
 
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Simple key to the season? Get the ball into Brimah on alley-oops so he can go 10 for 10 or more every game. Poor shooting problem solved.
Brimah was not getting those against Duke because when he was in there he was muscled out, but against lesser competition, yes.
 
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I think we are going to find out whether that team helped mask some weaknesses or whether this team is just making him try to do things out of his realm. He is one of the major reasons after all that the other team can forget about the perimeter. He now needs to be that guy who makes very few mistakes with the ball and makes the guards work on the other end of the floor.
Exactly. Last season Tsam was able to make some important driving layups because the defense had to account for Bazz and our much better outside shooting. He was just as limited offensively last year as he is now but with this team his weaknesses become magnified because the lanes won't be open to him. He isn't going to beat his man off the dribble when his defender is playing so far off him. As you said, he needs to continue to play tough D, make good decisions, and pretty much be turnover free. His defense and toughness speak for themselves.
 
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He's got to be decisive and effective. He's very much in between right now. He looks at a shot and is ready to drive--he shoots his jumper flat with poor form. He is not a good ballhandler for the game he needs to play. He's got to simplify--open lane--go to hoop. Wide open shot---take it. Anything else don't force and find an open man. I think he can still average 12-14 points--but he needs to simplify his game mentally.

EXACTLY

Purvis' problem is mental. He is coming back from 18 months so he's showing rust, but he also is trying to gel with a new group of teammates. Further, it isnt like adding Kromah, where the team had a style and he had to fit, this team is all guys in new roles.

The team is going to win bc of its defense. Period. How many games they win and who they beat will be determined by whether or not Purvis can improve his decision making and whether Samuel becomes comfortable/competent running the offense long enough that Boat can rest for 3-4 minutes per half instead of 1-2. Cassell is good, but simply is not athletic enough to consistently cause problems for the best teams in America. If Purvis can focus on D, tempo and driving, he gives the team the extra few points it will need.

The season is 8 games old. The team is entirely new. We have not seen enough to make any conclusive judgements that were not obvious before the season began. There are just as many discouraging signs as there are reasons for optimism. If only 8 games mattered we could move to 2015-16 and give UK the trophy. UConn may not get any better, but with 22 games to go its going to be a long winter if you only see the negative, especially considering the conference situation. Get better each game and win as many as possible.
 
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