Starting 5 next year?

[B1GEast]

the starting 5 don't matter, it's about who gets more minutes and even that is situational. They all better be ready to contribute.

 

[CL82]

The starting line-up is often a moving target throughout the season, though I think the rotations will settle in sooner rather than later. Starting out, the following is the most likely:

Gibbs, Purvis, Hamilton, Miller and Brimah

I could see that changing once Adams settles in if he's as good as most think. I could see KO going with Adams at the point, Gibbs the 2, along with Ham, Miller and Brimah. And bring Purvis off the bench as an instant offense type of impact.

Agreed generally, but if RP isn't a starter for any reason other than injury I think you kill chemistry.

 

[HuskyHawk]

RP had a lot of good games against some of our toughest opponents at the end of last year. I'm with @Fishy , and have been since the end of the year, in thinking that, scoring-wise, RP is going to be our leader. I think something clicked with him, especially as March rolled around. Expecting big things from him.

He's not just the scoring leader, he seems like "the leader", or he did for the last 5-6 games of the year. It's his team. No chance he doesn't start. I think it's comical that people think Adams would start over a guy who was just as highly rated out of highschool and has played for two seasons in the ACC and at UConn.

Regardless, with Miller and Gibbs, this team just got much stronger and more importantly deeper. I feel much better about Facey and Nolan as role players off the bench. I don't like freshmen starting at PG, Calhoun never liked it, and I doubt Ollie does. Adams will have time to adjust and become a stud in 16-17.

 

[JonnyRI]

WTF is going on here? Did I miss the stupid pills?

They were handed out last night. Doubt we see much jalen at the four unless he grows six inches this summer and turns into magic.

 

[Candyman]

Agreed generally, but if RP isn't a starter for any reason other than injury I think you kill chemistry.

I think if Adams out plays him in practice and Ollie feels this team is better with RP as instant offense off the bench then RP will have to deal with it and still be a leader of this team. I woul def not go as far and say this is RP team. He hasnt proven at all he is capable of leading a team yet. The one game without Boat in the NIT we lost.

Also everybody loves to bring up the SMU game for Purvis but what did he do the very next game? 0-7 and 2 points in a key game. Thats what scares me about him the inconsistent play. The BY did the same thing with DD at the end of the 2012-2013 season said that he was going to domintae the next year finally turned the corner because of the last 4 games. Yet he was still up and down all year until the Tourny.

 

[UConn990411]

I think if Adams out plays him in practice and Ollie feels this team is better with RP as instant offense off the bench then RP will have to deal with it and still be a leader of this team. I woul def not go as far and say this is RP team. He hasnt proven at all he is capable of leading a team yet. The one game without Boat in the NIT we lost.

Also everybody loves to bring up the SMU game for Purvis but what did he do the very next game? 0-7 and 2 points in a key game. Thats what scares me about him the inconsistent play. The BY did the same thing with DD at the end of the 2012-2013 season said that he was going to domintae the next year finally turned the corner because of the last 4 games. Yet he was still up and down all year until the Tourny.

Why is this even being brought up?

There's a 100% chance of Purvis starting at the 2.

 

[Candyman]

Why is this even being brought up?

There's a 100% chance of Purvis starting at the 2.

I wouldn't say 100% but yes I believe he will start when the season begins but my point is if Ollie feels Jalen is better served starting and RP off bench why would this kill chemistry?

 

[MuchoDogYears]

The starters on day 1 of practice almost certainly will be Brimah, Miller, DHam, Gibbs , RP.

But the icing on the cake is that there will be more experience, talent and depth coming off the bench than I can remember.

From a pure talent standpoint there's Jalen Adams. Then, there are the three junior/senior players who were starters at various points during their careers: Omar, Facey, and Nolan.

Add in the promising Enoch who appears, size and skill-wise, to be able to play both the 4 and 5 positions, and the (hopefully fully healed) Sam Jr, who was a big-time scorer before UConn, and the bench will be as good as some of the starting 5's of the teams we play.

 

[Husky25]

Gibbs, Purvis, Hamilton, Miller, and Brimah will start 90% of the games. Adams, Cassell, and Enoch will round out the regular rotation. Omar will spell Hamilton, but sadly he may have played his way out of the 8 man over the last couple years. Facey and Nolan will probably only come in to play when the front court faces foul trouble.

 

[Gurleyman]

It makes no sense to start a lineup with Gibbs, Adams and Purvis. You need a good guard off the bench that you can actually trust. I'm sure we can play small for small stretches, but the lineup is pretty obviously going to be what most of you are suggesting.

It would make a lot sense if we didn't have Hamilton or Miller. Purvis would make a better college 3 than a 2, but with Hamilton at the 3 and Miller here solidifying the 4, there's not much sense in moving either of those guys out of the starting 5 - especially since, as you point out, that would leave SCII as our only guard off the bench (I consider Omar a 3 only).

I still suspect we'll see Gibbs-Adams-Purvis out there a lot together. Could even be our crunch time lineup with DHam at the 4, if Adams shows some late game moxie that belies his freshman status. Don't know if that would mean Miller or Brimah comes out late, but that's a better problem than trying to find five guys who belong out there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Gibbs, Purvis, Hamilton, Miller, and Brimah will start 90% of the games. Adams, Cassell, and Enoch will round out the regular rotation. Omar will spell Hamilton, but sadly he may have played his way out of the 8 man over the last couple years. Facey and Nolan will probably only come in to play when the front court faces foul trouble.

I'm surprised at how much people expect of freshmen. Yes, we got a lot from Hamilton last year, who was the best since Rudy Gay in my opinion. I don't think Adams will contribute nearly as much (thanks to Gibbs, he won't have to), and I think Enoch will struggle to see the floor at all. Players do get better, and expecting Enoch to play more than Facey or Nolan isn't realistic. It's a great problem to have.

 

[Matt1010]

I think if Adams out plays him in practice and Ollie feels this team is better with RP as instant offense off the bench then RP will have to deal with it and still be a leader of this team. I woul def not go as far and say this is RP team. He hasnt proven at all he is capable of leading a team yet. The one game without Boat in the NIT we lost.

Also everybody loves to bring up the SMU game for Purvis but what did he do the very next game? 0-7 and 2 points in a key game. Thats what scares me about him the inconsistent play. The BY did the same thing with DD at the end of the 2012-2013 season said that he was going to domintae the next year finally turned the corner because of the last 4 games. Yet he was still up and down all year until the Tourny.

RP was not inconsistent at all over the last month of the season, he really seemed to turn the corner. The game you brought up was basically his only bad performance outside of Tulane. He averaged 15.7 ppg over the last 10 games of the year. With that being said, I agree that he isn't locked in as this teams leader. Personally, I am hoping Gibbs meshes quickly and takes on that role.

 

[Husky25]

I'm surprised at how much people expect of freshmen. Yes, we got a lot from Hamilton last year, who was the best since Rudy Gay in my opinion. I don't think Adams will contribute nearly as much (thanks to Gibbs, he won't have to), and I think Enoch will struggle to see the floor at all. Players do get better, and expecting Enoch to play more than Facey or Nolan isn't realistic. It's a great problem to have.

It's optimism. I know what i'm getting with Facey and Nolan and I don't like it. If Nolan can consistently hit the 15 footer like he did at the end of last season, fine. But i'm not holding my breath.

 

[bear]

It's optimism. I know what i'm getting with Facey and Nolan and I don't like it. If Nolan can consistently hit the 15 footer like he did at the end of last season, fine. But i'm not holding my breath.

We will have plenty of guys who can score next year. We will not need Phil pulling up for jumpers anywhere but in shootaround.

 

[UChusky916]

I wouldn't say 100% but yes I believe he will start when the season begins but my point is if Ollie feels Jalen is better served starting and RP off bench why would this kill chemistry?

If you think that a player of RP's ability who's been with the program for over 2 years will be benched for an incoming freshman in Jalen who has never put on a UConn jersey, you're wrong.

Let me provide some context... as good as Shabazz/Kemba were, in their freshmen years they only started a combined 2 games. Both games were starts Kemba made and I believe they were as a result of injuries in 2009 after Dyson went down.
My point being, we've had some ultra-talented freshmen PGs come in to UConn, but outside of El-Amin, they rarely start. I expect Adams to come off the bench and play 20-25 mpg. Starting doesn't make much of a difference.

In the highly unlikely event that Adams does start, it will be in the role that Rothstein mentioned, where Jalen is the 2, Gibbs is PG, Purvis is the 3, DH the 4, and Amida the 5. So that would come at the expense of Miller, which I don't see happening. Adams definitely won't start at the expense of Purvis outside of an injury/other issue.

 

[Husky25]

We will have plenty of guys who can score next year. We will not need Phil pulling up for jumpers anywhere but in shootaround.

Read my original post for context, please. I don't think Nolan plays more than a handful of minutes/game unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Stinger92860]

Cassel
Calhoun
Facey
Nolan
Enoch

Everyone eles gets garbage minuets when we're up 25.

Enoch will not be getting garbage time. He will not start, but he comes off the bench as part of the rotation.

 

[raf46]

You go with whatever works. We have 6 legitimate starters, all of whom are going to get big minutes. Wouldn't surprise me if any of those 6 guys (except Hamilton) comes off the bench at some point.

No one has mentioned ENOCH. He may very well beat Facey and Nolan as backup to miller and brimah.

 

[SubbaBub]

The guys who rebound will get the minutes at power forward. I project Miller, but it could be anyone. If I'm Facey or Nolan, that's how I intend to earn my minutes and am working out accordingly.

 

[JonnyRI]

Gibbs
Purv
Dham
Miller
Brimah

No weak spots there. Jaylen getting 30 min off the bench ala 2011 bazz

 

[FartMan69]

No one has mentioned ENOCH. He may very well beat Facey and Nolan as backup to miller and brimah.

Agreed

 

[jibsey]

It's difficult to make predictions on these players that have never dribbled a ball in a Husky uniform, principally Adams and Enoch. We know what Gibbs is. I don't remember seeing Miller, are we as positive as his press clippings as to how good? To me he is the big key now that we have Gibbs. A skilled tough guy that will not back down and create his own space on both ends.

 

[Jaybo]

Th

Enoch will not be getting garbage time. He will not start, but he comes off the bench as part of the rotation.

This was ment as a joke.i think all five of those guys see minuets that will be valuable to this team.

 

[JSM1970]

If you recruit elite players they can come in and play and contribute immediately. Adams and Hamilton are those types, Enoch is not. Hopefully Enoch can contribute in small stretches and later in the season can play more minutes if needed.

I'm surprised at how much people expect of freshmen. Yes, we got a lot from Hamilton last year, who was the best since Rudy Gay in my opinion. I don't think Adams will contribute nearly as much (thanks to Gibbs, he won't have to), and I think Enoch will struggle to see the floor at all. Players do get better, and expecting Enoch to play more than Facey or Nolan isn't realistic. It's a great problem to have.

 

[JSM1970]

Brimah ended the season terribly

Tulsa 1 reb 2 pts
SMU 2 & 2
ASU (NIT) 0 & 0

He is the biggest wildcard and unknown, it will be interesting to see him come Oct and Nov and his weight, game, etc.

Gibbs
Purv
Dham
Miller
Brimah

No weak spots there. Jaylen getting 30 min off the bench ala 2011 bazz