Starting line up? 10 man line up

[Palatine]

Boat, Samuel, Purvis, Hamilton, Brimah.

Cassell, Calhoun, Facey, Nolan

Lubin

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

When I first saw tape of calhoun I thought he was a version of Branden Roy. It seems like he now dribbles less doesn't pass and focuses too much on 3 balls --- the injury just wrecked his game. If he is *healthy* and has regained form and expanded his dribble drive--maybe he can play the Giffey or Kromah role effectively. There is NO doubt in my mind that benching Calhoun and inserting Samuel was absolutely key last year. But 6 months is a LONg time for a 20 year old kid--yu can completely transform your body at that age 6 months of honing skills to regain form--then we remember hes 6-5 210+

I agree, those tapes of Calhoun make him look totally different. He used to drive, run the fast break, get through contact. Freshman year he was heavily a spot up shooter who made a couple nice plays off the pump but he wasn't nearly as quick as he looked in high school. I think he turns it around. Having surgery in the off season and not being able to play can be tough for someone so young. You lose the focus and that attitude. This past season would either make him or break him but he stayed around so I think he is motivated to come back stronger. I still think Hamilton can take that spot based on his natural talent but he needs to become accustom to the new style of play first.

 

[Kitaman]

I really think TSam will get better and better at UConn. As for his immediate future I see him and Calhoun vying for minutes as the 3rd guard. His confidence is high having post season experience and on court success.

If TSam develops his jumper then the sky is the limit for him on this team, a great bench weapon if you will. I also sense Ollie likes the kid, which helps his cause. Haven't heard much about his off season work.

Of all the players, he to me is the one to keep an eye on, at least for the next 2 years. Come his senior year he will be our next great point guard I predict.

 

[CTBasketball]

Remind me, how many bigs did we have last year? Depth can definitely be looked at as a weakness but I'm not as scared of this as I was when I first thought about it. With Brimah protecting the rim the thought of Hamilton at the 4 or even a 4 guard lineup with Brimah is not a problem. And the thought of fits it could cause opposing defenses is exciting.

Olander, Facey, Brimah, Nolan, Daniels, and even Tolksdorf (he was 6'8" 220+). We had a lot more depth and Daniels who was a dependable 10+ point scorer per night. We don't have that this year.

 

[otp85]

Olander, Facey, Brimah, Nolan, Daniels, and even Tolksdorf (he was 6'8" 220+). We had a lot more depth and Daniels who was a dependable 10+ point scorer per night. We don't have that this year.

Tolksdorf was on the team, yes, but he played about 5 min more than the walkons all season and Facey wasn't exactly on the court either.

My point was/is that if a rotation of Brimah, Nolan, Olander and Daniels can work then Brimah, Nolan, Facey and Hamilton can too. And at that point any productive minutes we get from Lubin is a bonus.

 

[scrappy2.0]

Olander, Facey, Brimah, Nolan, Daniels, and even Tolksdorf (he was 6'8" 220+). We had a lot more depth and Daniels who was a dependable 10+ point scorer per night. We don't have that this year.

Facey barely played Tyler was not good and played small minutes and Tolksdorf did not play.

Nolan and Brimah are both a year older Nolan is 25 pounds heavier. My bet is Rakim Lubin is 25X better than Olander and will give legit help every game. Facey will be a version of DD. I think were better off this year in the middle. IF Facey can come even 65% close to DD with Lubin and advancement from Nolan and Brimah--were good there. This is a guard orientated team and we have as good of guards as anyone.

 

[otp85]

We kind of went with C by committee with Deandre at 4. Now can facey hit 2-3 3's make other plays on the boards in transition maybe a li ttle off the dribble? The kid can shoot and he looks every bit as tall and maybe more athletic than Deandre. I think he might be a better rebounder given a chance.

If that is the case and he can do that then I will absolutely thrilled. I think Facey is capable of those types of things but it is alot to ask or expect it of him right away.

At the same time, I think Brimah is definitely ready for an increased role. This makes that C by committee look a bit different with Nolan being more of a backup to AB at the 5 and pushing for minutes at the 4.

The versatility of this lineup is exciting, there are so many ways KO can, and probably will go. But there is enough talent to where I'm not overly concerned about depth. There aren't many teams with a 10+ man rotation

 

[Scot-e]

Anyone that thinks D Ham is not starting is crazy.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

There is no "S" at the end of Terrence's name. TERRENCE SAMUEL.

There is no way that Omar starts over either Purvis or Samuel. Less than 1% chance and even that's generous. If he has improved his handle as dramatically as anyone has ever improved anything, ever, over that last 6 months, then maybe he plays the 3 over a frosh Dan Hurley...but even that only upps the odds by such a tiny amount that it isn't really worth mentioning.

1. Boat
2. Purvis
3. D Ham
4. Facey
5. Brimah

6M- Samuel, or Phil

LOL....It would be fun sitting next to you at games. Nice post bro.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Strong lineups and strong guard play. My hope is that Cassell is damn good enough to play 15 minutes and put up 10 pts a game. Boat/Purvis/and to a lesser degree TSam still get there minutes but the alien contributes meaningfully.

 

[mauconnfan]

Strong lineups and strong guard play. My hope is that Cassell is damn good enough to play 15 minutes and put up 10 pts a game. Boat/Purvis/and to a lesser degree TSam still get there minutes but the alien contributes meaningfully.

I think getting 10 out of Sam Jr is asking a lot but getting that on occasion would be wonderful…….I think getting 10-15 a night out of the combination of Calhoun, TSam and Sam Jr would be great!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Phil Nolan at 237" is not only the incumbent starter at C, he is now bigger and presumably better able to hold his ground against wide-body opponents. He was better at that than Brimah last year and I could see him starting at either the 4 or 5. He played incredibly improved defense in the tourney and was one critical piece to the championship puzzle in 2014. We are all excited about Amida's potential, but he will need to show he can do more than block shots. I expect both to improve and I could see the suggestion above about starting Nolan at the 4, but rotating him to center and moving Facey into the largest number of minutes at the 4 (if he is really ready). KO will match the strengths of Husky players to match or negate the strengths of the opponent. Just don't underestimate Nolan's legitimate claim to significant minutes, starter minutes next year. The better Amida plays (and stays in the game), the more time for Nolan at the 4 if the matchups permit. Let's hope that Facey can take a big leap in his readiness to contribute...we need all 3 to have very good years.

 

[CTBasketball]

I keep hearing Cassell is the best 3-pt shooter on the team. If that's true and he can knock them down, he'll play a lot. I could see a lot of 3-guard lineup this year with Boat, Purvis, and either Samuel/Cassell/Calhoun. Hamilton moved to the 4 possibly for stretches?

Not sure, but this team will be interesting to watch. Lots of interchangeable pieces.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Cassell is no freshman coming in kid has two years of JUCO under his belt (All American). He should be ready to see plenty of minutes with confidence.

People who say Tolksdorf, well he is not at Uconn anymore but I wouldn't see him getting many minutes even if he stayed. AKA why he left.

Samuel did not flash any of his shooting this year but watching plenty of his high school tapes he shown he can knock down the jumper from outside but even more important he has incredible vision possibly better then our other guards (or at least he prefers to pass more).

Calhoun not having the dribble wont hurt him to bad, as I dont think Niels had too great of dribbling and he was able to be one of the most important parts of our success.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

There is no "S" at the end of Terrence's name. TERRENCE SAMUEL.

There is no way that Omar starts over either Purvis or Samuel. Less than 1% chance and even that's generous. If he has improved his handle as dramatically as anyone has ever improved anything, ever, over that last 6 months, then maybe he plays the 3 over a frosh Dan Hurley...but even that only upps the odds by such a tiny amount that it isn't really worth mentioning.

1. Boat
2. Purvis
3. D Ham
4. Facey
5. Brimah

6M- Samuel, or Phil

 

[UConnfan8]

im not sure what your all thinking but Rodney Purvis is going to be our best player this year....you watch.

 

[Chris]

I think Cassell is gonna surprise a lot of people.

 

[Kitaman]

Phil Nolan at 237" is not only the incumbent starter at C, he is now bigger and presumably better able to hold his ground against wide-body opponents. He was better at that than Brimah last year and I could see him starting at either the 4 or 5. He played incredibly improved defense in the tourney and was one critical piece to the championship puzzle in 2014. We are all excited about Amida's potential, but he will need to show he can do more than block shots. I expect both to improve and I could see the suggestion above about starting Nolan at the 4, but rotating him to center and moving Facey into the largest number of minutes at the 4 (if he is really ready). KO will match the strengths of Husky players to match or negate the strengths of the opponent. Just don't underestimate Nolan's legitimate claim to significant minutes, starter minutes next year. The better Amida plays (and stays in the game), the more time for Nolan at the 4 if the matchups permit. Let's hope that Facey can take a big leap in his readiness to contribute...we need all 3 to have very good years.

I really, truly hope you are right about this (i.e. Nolan). It would solve any, and every big man issues we have.

 

[otp85]

Cassell is no freshman coming in kid has two years of JUCO under his belt (All American). He should be ready to see plenty of minutes with confidence.

People who say Tolksdorf, well he is not at Uconn anymore but I wouldn't see him getting many minutes even if he stayed. AKA why he left.

Samuel did not flash any of his shooting this year but watching plenty of his high school tapes he shown he can knock down the jumper from outside but even more important he has incredible vision possibly better then our other guards (or at least he prefers to pass more).

Calhoun not having the dribble wont hurt him to bad, as I dont think Niels had too great of dribbling and he was able to be one of the most important parts of our success.

Cassell only played one year of JUCO.

 

[scrappy2.0]

One more thing to think about is Samuel is the only true PG on the team. He also a nasty defender. Out of the listed heights--I think Samuel's 6-4 is the biggest BS--is he even 6-2? He is put together if he is roughly 6-2 200 and Purvis 6-3 200 thats a pair of thick powerful guards who may be able to over power other guys

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Cassell only played one year of JUCO.

Correct he went to Chipola Junior College for two years but only played for the team one year to focus on school work. But that goes to his maturity which is huge for a new player. Either way the kids experienced and I think will be huge off the bench for us.

 

[otp85]

One more thing to think about is Samuel is the only true PG on the team. He also a nasty defender. Out of the listed heights--I think Samuel's 6-4 is the biggest BS--is he even 6-2? He is put together if he is roughly 6-2 200 and Purvis 6-3 200 thats a pair of thick powerful guards who may be able to over power other guys

Samuel plays his hardest on every single possession, that's what I love most. He's not going to wow you with anything but he's going to find ways to come out on top. Reminds me alot of Taliek Brown.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

One more thing to think about is Samuel is the only true PG on the team. He also a nasty defender. Out of the listed heights--I think Samuel's 6-4 is the biggest BS--is he even 6-2? He is put together if he is roughly 6-2 200 and Purvis 6-3 200 thats a pair of thick powerful guards who may be able to over power other guys

Omar Calhoun listed at 6-6 is absurd. I think he's 6-4 tops (see below). I'm hoping for a big improvement from Omar as well, but I just don't know. Freshman year he put up good numbers, but he's not a reliable shooter, he has no handle (hopefully this improved over the summer) and he has slow lateral movement and therefore is a poor defender. It really is a liability when your wing player cant beat anyone off the dribble or create his own shot (especially in KO's system).

I don't see any way he starts over Purvis or Hamilton. Its crazy to say but I think a Niels type role is the best we can expect from Omar at this point. Hopefully hit some corner threes and try to bang down low and grab some boards. I love his attitude and how he never sulked last year after losing all his minutes. He vowed to come back strong this year and I really hope he does, I just think we need to curb our expectations for him based on his legitimate liabilities. He can still be a good player for us, but I don't see him as a typical all around wing player.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Guys hopefully this can make you feel better about Omar because I'm really pulling for this kid and hope for a solid comeback next season (starter or not).


Ps: Sorry in advance about the title of the video, hopefully that doesnt turn this thread into a tottally different convo about "he not kemba" ha

 

[Tenspro2002]

Phil Nolan at 237" is not only the incumbent starter at C, he is now bigger and presumably better able to hold his ground against wide-body opponents.

If Nolan is 237 inches, the other 4 guys on the court can hang out and eat hot dogs all game, and we can forget questions about Facey, Brimah, or anyone else. He'd be like one of the Monstars in Space Jam.

 

[jibsey]

I can't forget what TSam did for us in huge spots last year. When he was on the floor good things happened, so I just hope he gets enough PT. If he improved his shot he's gonna be tough to keep off the floor.

 

[scrappy2.0]

Guys hopefully this can make you feel better about Omar because I'm really pulling for this kid and hope for a solid comeback next season (starter or not).


Ps: Sorry in advance about the title of the video, hopefully that doesnt turn this thread into a tottally different convo about "he not kemba" ha

Yeah he looked much more like a version of a Branden Roy--he uses the dribble so much more he passes he plays above the rim at times --he was just a much better allaround skill player and hius fascination with a 23 foot jumpshot which he was not good at killed his game. If he wanst to continue his career in a highly positive way--he needs to get back here--he avg 11 pts in yr 1 usually that means avg 15-17 pts by junior year. Now I dont think in anyway hes going there--but what I would like to see is the all around game coming back Look @ 5.50 or so of that video--takes it up full court with a between the legs dribble and finishes with a slam.

 

[otp85]

Watch any tape you can find on Omar that is not from last season and you'll be impressed at the very least.

Watching him last season almost hurt, you expected him to have built upon a strong freshman season and come out as a key player. But then from the start of the season you could see how much the hip surgeries/time off the court effected him. He looked like he just wasn't ready physically last year and I hope he is able to come back to form this year. The 1/2 combo of Boat/Purvis is the closest thing to an absolute certainty that this lineup has in my opinion, but he can be a real factor off the bench. Or possibly in the starting lineup if we push Hamilton to the 4, although I think that is highly unlikely.

It should also be noted that at no point did he hang his or complain about playing time, he was there for his teammates and never made an excuses about injuries. If nothing else he is a leader.

 

[aceboon]

Omar was becoming much more than a long range jump shooter as his freshman year evolved, I even remember at the time Dom writing an article in which Omar said the coaches wanted him to show the ball more and get the defender off balance instead of just launching a jumper, and he started to become much more effective off the bounce and getting to the free throw line. Omar injured his wrist in the Villanova game that year because a Nova defender parked themselves under the basket trying to draw a bs charge when Omar was attacking. If his health and body are back in order, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he starts at that wing spot over DHam. DHam may ultimately turn out to be better, ala Rudy initially coming off the bench during his freshman season behind Denham/Rashad before he eventually took that spot over, but I don't expect a healthy Omar to just roll over and no longer be a contributor. Alot of guys on here forget how much better Omar was getting as his freshman season went along before the wrist ultimately did him in, he was getting after it on the boards in addition to scoring, and appartently that version didn't have healthy hips either.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Omar was becoming much more than a long range jump shooter as his freshman year evolved, I even remember at the time Dom writing an article in which Omar said the coaches wanted him to show the ball more and get the defender off balance instead of just launching a jumper, and he started to become much more effective off the bounce and getting to the free throw line. Omar injured his wrist in the Villanova game that year because a Nova defender parked themselves under the basket trying to draw a bs charge when Omar was attacking. If his health and body are back in order, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he starts at that wing spot over DHam. DHam may ultimately turn out to be better, ala Rudy initially coming off the bench during his freshman season behind Denham/Rashad before he eventually took that spot over, but I don't expect a healthy Omar to just roll over and no longer be a contributor. Alot of guys on here forget how much better Omar was getting as his freshman season went along before the wrist ultimately did him in, he was getting after it on the boards in addition to scoring, and appartently that version didn't have healthy hips either.

Totally agree, Calhoun was on the right track freshman year to being a big peice to Uconn's success. That surgery really set him back and I don't think it was just the fact he wasn't able to get into the gym (even though that is a huge reason) but also mentally you lose the competiveness and motivation that you see in the off season. However he handled this season well and instead of letting it get him down I think he used it as motivation (I would assume Ollie & staff contributed to that very much). The Rudy comparison is a good one for Hamilton because although an all american stud and future NBA star, the transition from high school to college can take a little time. The best part is we have great veterans who have championship experience to help him with this transition, just like our leaders have been doing in recent seasons.