So now, who starts?

[JimHurley]

I think it's gotta be Adams, Purvis, Larrier, and Facey. Either Brimah or Gilbert for that fifth spot.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

I think the guys who started the 2nd half today are your starters -- Adams, Purvis, Gilbert, Larrier, Brimah

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Adams Purvis Larrier Facey Brimah

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

I was at the game today and the best lineup by far was Gilbert, Adams, Purvis, Larrier, and Brimah.

That is a versatile lineup that can really push the tempo.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

I wonder about what the message was with Jalen and Terry not starting today. Both played very well and Larrier seems to be a key guy to me.

As far as starters, I see it as including JA, RP, TL, KF, and AB. AG could be a force coming in off the bench. Lots of matchup possibilities with Enoch, Jackson, and Durham.

 

[AntG168]

I like The AG,JA,RP,TL,AB lineup. It spaces the floor on offense and allows amida to do what he does best role to the basket and catch lobs. Facey has been fantastic but I just don't like him and brimah on the court at he same time. We need to impose our style of play on other teams not the other way around. We need to force teams to go small and play a fast paced game, because that's when this team will be at their best. I also like the energy facey can bring off the bench

 

[Jaker]

Of all the players we brought in, Larrier is the one I have really looked forward to seeing.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Of all the players we brought in, Larrier is the one I have really looked forward to seeing.

You're going to like what you see. He was really impressive today. Did a little bit of everything and had a few monster dunks.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I was at the game today and the best lineup by far was Gilbert, Adams, Purvis, Larrier, and Brimah.

That is a versatile lineup that can really push the tempo.

That's the lineup that forces opponents to adjust to UConn.

Five sprinters. Plus comparative speed at each position.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

That's the lineup that forces opponents to adjust to UConn.

Five sprinters. Plus comparative speed at each position.

Gilbert is going to be a game changer for us. Especially for Adams and purvis.

He got by his man at will today and then he kicks it out to Adams and purvis who can then attack their man on the move. This is a big difference from them catching it standing still when the ball swings side to side at he top of the key like they were forced to all of last year.

Gilbert really opens things up for everyone else. And I think it's going to make a huge difference for those two especially. Having that true point guard who knows how to control the tempo and set up a half court set is going to be huge for the team this year.

The ball movement today was noticeably faster than previous years. Very limited stand still dribbling outside the 3 or line. Everyone kept it moving. And alterique is a huge reason for that.

 

[Mr. French]

I see no way, to start the year, Brimah isn't the starting 5.

I'd guess they'd keep it simple and start Adams, Purvis, Larrier, Facey and Brimah, but my guess is any variation in that would move Facey, not Brimah. Again, at least initially until the season progresses.

Brimah obviously is better suited for the Thabeet/eraser role, and that's only effective if all 5 guys are doing their job. I think this year's team will be better at that than last two years, which is why I think Brimah is a must at the 5, as our back line Defender.

 

[UCFan1513]

The best thing about this team is that there is so much about new players and returning players that has yet to be discovered. That'll make for a lot of fluidity in lineups and excitement. Probably going to see a few different starting looks as the season progresses. Can't wait

 

[scrappy2.0]

Agree with
Gilbert
Adams
Purvis
Larrier
Brimah

Then backed by

C Enoch

F Facey

F Durham

G Jackson

G Vital



Kf hasn't missed a shot and has played well but this line up is our best for everything stated above plus the additional space we get for both Brimah and drives.

I thought Vital again impressive today and has kicked playing time to keep twopgs in at most times

The other 4 will be interesting Jackson has locked a spot up as back up SG but he didn't look very assertive today( but no one can deny he will help space the floor with his J)

Enosch Facey is your back up 5-4 and assume Durham will be back up 3 ( probably the biggest back up team in the nation)

Then mix and match during the game. The first unit can absolutely fly and should be fun to watch

Did not see M D out there today Maybe hurt?

 

[dogpause]

Geez, this is going to be a fun team to watch. We've got so much talent, and virtually no drop-off no matter who is on the court.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

We're really going to have to see how this group can match-up with teams with big strong players in the front court. Our guys need to be able to hold position, block out, and do a good job limiting offensive rebounds. As we know, this is likely to be a significant weak area like it has been in the recent past. dham had a nose for rebounds, but at the cost of leaving his man wide open often as he cheated to get in position for rebounds. Larrier has looked very good overall, but he does not look like a natural rebounder. He was quoted to say that he is a "guard," which is an interesting way for him to think about himself. AB and SE have continued to be foul magnets, which is a disappointment so far. KO got the team in 2014 to battle for rebounds even though undersized, but who would have thought Giffey would become so fierce and tough inside? I'm hoping that KF can find his inner beast and hold the fort on the boards, because if he doesn't, I'm not sure who will.

 

[CTBasketball]

Facey will start because he will rebound at the 4 better than Larrier.

 

[Gringo]

Pretty clear to me it will be Adams, Purvis, Larrier, Facey, and Brimah. Not sure what the lineup will look like come March but I think that will be the one to start the season.

 

[JSM1970]

Yes, agree with this and could be loads of combinations beyond this. And KO could change it up at times with RP, Facey, etc.

Pretty clear to me it will be Adams, Purvis, Larrier, Facey, and Brimah. Not sure what the lineup will look like come March but I think that will be the one to start the season.

 

[dennismenace]

Enjoyed the observations of those who watched. Hartford Courant article had a good summary noting the pluses (KO happy with the intensity and more) and minuses (boards).

I thought something noteworthy was shared by Scott Burrell which should give everyone something to really be excited about. Coming from someone of
Burrell's caliber and character even more so:

"Their length is like an NBA team," said Burrell, who starred at UConn in the early 1990s then played in the NBA, "like when the Lakers had [Pau] Gasol, [Lamar] Odom and [Andrew] Bynam. Every pass is hard, when they play hard, they cut hard, their guards are strong. They're tough. They have a lot of talent, a lot of weapons. And some of those young guards aren't in a rhythm yet. When those guys get better and more comfortable, with those big wings they are going to be tough. Kevin did a great job recruiting."

 

[3rdbass]

Pretty clear to me it will be Adams, Purvis, Larrier, Facey, and Brimah. Not sure what the lineup will look like come March but I think that will be the one to start the season.

Yeah, agree. Facey has given no reason to not start as he has been more assertive on the offensive side. Now I agree are starting line-ups will change based on match-ups. We will see a lot of AG and VJ getting minutes.

 

[B1GEast]

Who gets the most minutes, not who starts is more important for KO. This team is deep from a substitution perspective and it will be more about match ups. Obviously you have to name starters, but I wouldn't be surprised if certain bench players average more minutes than starters by the end of the season.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Jalen and Larrier are givens. Purvis is a given in the first half of the season. I hope Ollie will share my opinion the second half of the season and realize what a great spark plug he can be off the bench. Praying Alterique picks up the collegiate pace early and can start alongside Jalen, and have Purv become the 6th man of the year. Facey & Brimah are givens for me as well. Enoch and Durham are wild cards for me after watching them these first couple games. I feel seniority will trump their development at the end of the day.

 

[Gringo]

Jalen and Larrier are givens. Purvis is a given in the first half of the season. I hope Ollie will share my opinion the second half of the season and realize what a great spark plug he can be off the bench. .

Not sure how you can come to this conclusion before a game has even been played.

 

[Kitaman]

In my opinion, all 3 seniors (Facey, Brimah, Purvis) start, they have done nothing to take that away from them. Add vets Adams and Larrier to them and you have a nice experience group.

This may not be the 5 come conference time but first game I see this 5.

The bigs are the biggest area of change, to me. Meaning Brimah or Facey could be bumped for Enoch or smaller lineup (depending on opponent). To me the biggest unknown is who finishes, especially in tight games.

Also I think Facey may just become our best big. He looked different (i.e. better) in the exhibition games and more confident. I think he's more reliable than Brimah.

As a senior in High School Facey dominated the NYC league and was voted most outstanding player (in NYC!). Now he is a senior in college playing against the level of competition he dominated. I'm hoping this is his time to shine. After all he does have a Championship ring and knows what it takes. I'm rooting for him.

 

[DogMania]

Pretty clear to me it will be Adams, Purvis, Larrier, Facey, and Brimah. Not sure what the lineup will look like come March but I think that will be the one to start the season.

I tend to agree with you. I'm not too concerned with who starts, but I am very interested with who's on the floor during winning time.

I think we're going to see a lot of dual point guard sets with Adams and Gilbert on the floor at the same time. That will mean a lot of 3 guard sets with Purvis playing next to them.

It does seem like one of our deepest teams we've had in a long time, but a lot of that depth is very inexperienced. So far the freshmen haven't looked too lost out there, but wait till they play a legitimate threat that has just as much size and athleticism as they do.

Just about every year I think that most of the scholarship players are ready to play at this level, seeing them go up against these division 2 teams and some of the mid-majors. But once they start playing against competition that's closer to their level, most of the young players tend to struggle.

One thing about this team, although it doesn't have a lot of beef, it has to be one of the longest teams UConn has ever had. And we've had some pretty long teams. How many college teams have you seen that have three combo-forwards that are 6-8, 6-8 and 6-11? Add that to true 4s and 5s that go 6-8, 6-10, 6-11 and 7-0?

So with all that height, I didn't think they rebounded very well against Southern Connecticut. One thing I think they're going to have to work on very hard is being physical and the paint and crashing the boards. That was the one part of their game that I thought needed a lot of work.

For a team that has so many new pieces, I thought they ran some of their half-court sets quickly, getting to their spots when they we're supposed to. In the past, early on, I see their half-court sets executed mechanically, where they're not hitting their spots on the floor at the right moment to free up good shooting opportunities. In other words, not getting to the spot to set the screen at the right time or the right spot to receive the ball at the right time. It's just a small sample, but I was pleasantly surprised so far.

They got into transition a lot more in the second half compared to the first half and the first game. They finished well in transition, which is something they've struggled over the past couple years. It definitely helps when you have a guy Like Larry who not only can run the floor but can handle the ball in transition and in the half court. He's one heck of a player, a lot better that I thought he was. I think we're going to see some monster games from him throughout the season.

We're likely going to see some WTF losses early on, but as the young players mature and they mature as a team, this team is going to be really good.