Solo Ball

[superjohn]

He's earned his own thread because he's been carrying us on his broad shoulders.

I included the Depaul game where Liam got injured. In this past month for Solo...

19 ppg 6 rebounds 50% fg, 51% from three

When a poster said the other day he was bricking all his looks in the loss against Xavier, no he wasn't. He missed some big shots but he missed them by a sliver, dude is a sniper. We want him shooting those shots. The body of work is crazy at this point. He's hit way more big shots than he's missed and he's been carrying our offense since Liam went down.

Dude has caught too much heat for the things he isn't good at while not getting enough praise for the things he's really freaking good at. If you're paying attention the defense is coming along, the rebounding is getting a lot better, we're seeing driving and playmaking now...that was one of the best shooting displays I've seen from a Husky last night, it was dagger after dagger and it wasn't just his shooting that impressed.

 

[Robrio89]

Couldnt agree more brother, this was a massive performance and shows that he is one of the best shooters in college

 

[ValleyGuy]

I said on a post two weeks ago once he realizes he’s unguardable, he’ll be unguardable.

In a couple games this year I’ve found myself asking where is Solo? Felt like maybe he took himself out of games so stretches, but the team should be searching for him to touch the ball every time down the court. Fantastic player.

The corner 3 against Xavier last week looked like it was in, which I believe would have put them up 1. If only!

 

[Kitaman]

And I thought Liam was our best player. Solo has restarted this conversation.

When he adds his handles next season he will be 1st team All BE consideration.

 

[Rico444]

I thought it was hyperbole when people were comparing him to Hawk a few weeks ago. Yeah he's shooting 45% from 3, but that'll come down as teams key in on him more defensively. Well...i was wrong. He is so good.

He just kept hitting big 3s last night, and in the 2nd half every time the ball left his hands I thought "He's going to miss one if these eventually, right?" Once again I was wrong. 5 for 5 and each one was bigger than the last.

 

[REB1094]

Solo has officially entered the territory where I expect every shot he puts up to go in

Through 22 games he has made 67 threes on 45.6%

Hawkins (minus Stonehill) was at 68 on 41.2%

Solo Ball is a better shooter so far than Jordan Hawkins was. That is insane. Quite literally unbelievable, but the numbers don’t lie.

Our 6’3 SG has 33 rebounds in the last 4 games. 8.3 RPG

Earlier this year I said if he’s only going to bring scoring, he needs to give us 15-18 a game otherwise he has to get others involved. Not only is he giving us 16-20 a game, but is starting to defend better and attack the glass

 

[dogpause]

And he's only a sophomore! You could hear the crowd groan everytime he released the ball. It rarely touches anything but net. Love this kid -- all confidence, super athleticism, and no ego.

 

[jibsey]

In that interview on the other thread Solo talked about the game slowing down for him now and you could see it, no fear at all. He must have taken the T. Newt course in slowing the game down who sometimes looked like it was a slo mo clip.

 

[HuskyNan]

National rankings from NCAA stats

 

[Umami Zen]

Solo was ballin' last night

 

[Edward Sargent]

Its the rebounding of late that stands out in my mind. I remember reading box scores early in the season where he would have no or one rebound per game

 

[Deepster]

Stats aside he is the guy that gives me Rashad Anderson vibes where you just think it’s going in when he releases it.

 

[UCan3]

Its the rebounding of late that stands out in my mind. I remember reading box scores early in the season where he would have no or one rebound per game

It‘s likely been said before but this was a Napier-like performance, one for the highlight reel.

 

[Vancat]

HERO

 

[UC0NN]

That felt like a Ray Allen performance.

Biggest shot of his life has been the shot against Memphis. This guy wants to take every big shot, no fear. And you want him taking those shots too. Win or lose, you want him shooting.

He has perfect form and he needs very little airspace to get that shot off. A catch and shoot dream. AK needs a lot more space to let it rip. Overplay him and he burns past you. He also has a midrange jumpsuit.

Needs to work on defense, finishing at the rim, ballhandling and passing.

 

[UC0NN]

Stats aside he is the guy that gives me Rashad Anderson vibes where you just think it’s going in when he releases it.

Yup he's got that Rashad fearlessness. The Hawkins belief that every shot is going in.

 

[UCan3]

Yup he's got that Rashad fearlessness. The Hawkins belief that every shot is going in.

It must have been so hard for Ball to mostly sit the last 15 games of last year.

Likely has a “chip on shoulder“ as Ball would not have sat on any other team in Div 1 last year except UConn!

This is a great story for those sitting on the bench now and for years to come.

The game last night reminded me of how Creighton beat us - we need to play with an “edge” ever night in the Big East - as evidenced by our near upset by DePaul.

We should only get better as Diarra gets back to 100%, and we get Liam back on the floor.

The one benefit - if you can use that word - to these injuries, is that it forces other role players to get more involved in the game— to carry the load.

I.e. Loved Ross’ play last night and nice to see Stewart set tone early on.

 

[HailUConn]

He's earned his own thread because he's been carrying us on his broad shoulders.

I included the Depaul game where Liam got injured. In this past month for Solo...

19 ppg 6 rebounds 50% fg, 51% from three

When a poster said the other day he was bricking all his looks in the loss against Xavier, no he wasn't. He missed some big shots but he missed them by a sliver, dude is a sniper. We want him shooting those shots. The body of work is crazy at this point. He's hit way more big shots than he's missed and he's been carrying our offense since Liam went down.

Dude has caught too much heat for the things he isn't good at while not getting enough praise for the things he's really freaking good at. If you're paying attention the defense is coming along, the rebounding is getting a lot better, we're seeing driving and playmaking now...that was one of the best shooting displays I've seen from a Husky last night, it was dagger after dagger and it wasn't just his shooting that impressed.

During the stretch of these games, his burgeoning ability of defending, fearlessly rebounding and driving the lane and attacking the rims has been a thing of beauty in full display, more impressive than his innate offense.
He is only a sophomore and only played in stints as frosh.

 

[slepers]

25 points on 11 shots…..

 

[uh-no]

quote of the day i've seen: "best solo ball performance since lance armstrong last won the tour de france"

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The quickness with which he can get his feet/body set and get a shot off is absolutely insane. Hawkins had the ability to drill the off-balance shots coming off screens. Ball doesn’t take those because he doesn’t need to. Incredible footwork and body control.

 

[connVA]

I thought it was hyperbole when people were comparing him to Hawk a few weeks ago. Yeah he's shooting 45% from 3, but that'll come down as teams key in on him more defensively. Well...i was wrong. He is so good.

He just kept hitting big 3s last night, and in the 2nd half every time the ball left his hands I thought "He's going to miss one if these eventually, right?" Once again I was wrong. 5 for 5 and each one was bigger than the last.

You know you’ve got a killer on your hands when the whole arena groans every time he takes a shot like they were last night. Glad he’s ours

 

[gsmooth]

I said on a post two weeks ago once he realizes he’s unguardable, he’ll be unguardable.

In a couple games this year I’ve found myself asking where is Solo? Felt like maybe he took himself out of games so stretches, but the team should be searching for him to touch the ball every time down the court. Fantastic player.

The corner 3 against Xavier last week looked like it was in, which I believe would have put them up 1. If only!

He got hit on the hand on that corner 3 against Xavier.

 

[lonsharkin51]

Been thinking this for awhile, but last night cemented it in my mind. I can see Solo making a Kemba/Shabazz-type leap from sophomore to junior year. Not exactly apples to apples, as they play different positions, but it really looks like Solo is figuring things out.