Terry Larrier as a 2 guard

[David 76]

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He's averaging 21.6 minutes, 6.4 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots vs the 5 real opponents we played which are Michigan, Cuse, Zags, Terps and Buckeyes.

I would love to get 12, 10 and 4 from our center position over 40 minutes against top quality teams. Too bad the back-ups can't maintain the same level as AB. That would be awesome,

 

[CL82]

"Where we hoped he would be"

Many on this board wanted him at an Okafor/Thabeet level by junior year. "Where we hoped he would be" was just plain unrealistic. Moreover, you don't bench someone because they aren't playing at an NPOY/Top 2 draft pick level. Not even Kentucky does that.

Much of the criticism of Brimah here has very little to do with his abilities on the court, which have been proven in statistical analyses conducted by members of this board to be very helpful to the team. Instead, they tend to deal with

1. Aesthetics - people don't like seeing centers who aren't big and beefy. Brimah's body type prevents him from being this, thus people are angry at seeing something they don't find visually pleasing.
2. Rawness - people are mad that in hindsight, KO recruited a project big man instead of someone who is ready from the get-go. "We're UConn, we recruit players who come in at a high level right off the bat." Again, this is no fault of AB's -- he was given a scholarship to an outstanding university and accepted it.
3. Playing time given mistakes - people are nostalgic for the Calhoun days when one dumb move would result in someone being glued to the bench for the rest of the half. KO doesn't do this with Brimah, therefore it's a departure from what people were used to, and people just don't like change in general.
   
4. Behavior on the court (smiling and wagging the finger) - people use this to conjecture that he doesn't take the game seriously. Maybe they also don't like that players show joy on the court when they, the fans associate our games with feeling anxious and nervous for the outcome. "He doesn't have a right to be happy when I'm stressing out for 40 minutes!"
5. Status within the program - people (well, namely a couple) were upset at his being named a captain due to his performance on the court and are upset at seeing a player they view as "fundamentally unsound" receiving accolades and special titles (Conference DPOY adds to this)
6. Xenophobia - people want the homegrown Connecticut kid to succeed and are upset that someone from another continent is standing in his way.
   
7. There is another reason for people to dislike him, but it is best left on the cesspool.

Furthermore, if you think that Enoch's ability surpasses Brimah's, I invite you to defer to the man who is being paid millions of dollar to make said determination and is exposed to both of them for multiple hours a day in practice: Kevin Ollie. Remember, last year people were clamoring for Rakim Lubin to take minutes using the argument "well, he can't be worse than the guys we have in now". And guess what? He was. Now, Enoch is much better than Lubin, but there is a reason he is on the bench and Brimah is getting minutes.

I think you may be over-thinking it. Brimah is a 7 footer who isn't a dominant scoring center. People want him to be.

 

[mauconnfan]

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I would love to get 12, 10 and 4 from our center position over 40 minutes against top quality teams. Too bad the back-ups can't maintain the same level as AB. That would be awesome,

We don't have back ups per se. I mean who is the "5" as positioned? Phil isn't playing, Enoch hardly. Kelis Fisher not too much either so when we go small those guys are all doing more than that typically, not the blocks but everything else is better. Problem is how often can you play 6'7, 6'7 across the interior against quality teams?

 

[mauconnfan]

I think you may be over-thinking it. Brimah is a 7 footer who isn't a dominant scoring center. People want him to be.

I don't think anyone is asking him to be a "dominant scoring center" not sure where you see that CL? Just an occasional offensive rebound and put back or a jump hook isn't much to ask for from a 3rd year starting 6'10 guy? Let's be honest munis 2 jump shots all year it's pretty much alley oop or naught. I take those but good teams don't allow them as easy.

 

[CL82]

I don't think anyone is asking him to be a "dominant scoring center" not sure where you see that CL? Just an occasional offensive rebound and put back or a jump hook isn't much to ask for from a 3rd year starting 6'10 guy? Let's be honest munis 2 jump shots all year it's pretty much alley oop or naught. I take those but good teams don't allow them as easy.

That was shorthand in reponse to @Stairmaster's analysis. He is what he is, a one dimensional shot-blocker and people want more. I don't think it is xenophobia or people pining away for Calhouns short hook or "#7."

 

[David 76]

We don't have back ups per se. I mean who is the "5" as positioned? Phil isn't playing, Enoch hardly. Kelis Fisher not too much either so when we go small those guys are all doing more than that typically, not the blocks but everything else is better. Problem is how often can you play 6'7, 6'7 across the interior against quality teams?

Wait. we are better against good teams with our small line-up but we don't do it because you can't do it for long. Why is that? They are an improvement we can't live with?

 

[mauconnfan]

Wait. we are better against good teams with our small line-up but we don't do it because you can't do it for long. Why is that? They are an improvement we can't live with?

??????

 

[David 76]

"Phil isn't playing, Enoch hardly. Kelis Fisher not too much either so when we go small those guys are all doing more than that typically, not the blocks but everything else is better. Problem is how often can you play 6'7, 6'7 across the interior against quality teams?[/QUOTE]

You are saying everything is better w/o Brimah except the blocks. Then you say can't play with the smalls. That doesn't make sense. If it was better, they could play good teams that way.

Bottom line,we are better with Brimah in. Case in point, UMass Lowell, KO's judgement, stats

 

[mauconnfan]

"Phil isn't playing, Enoch hardly. Kelis Fisher not too much either so when we go small those guys are all doing more than that typically, not the blocks but everything else is better. Problem is how often can you play 6'7, 6'7 across the interior against quality teams?

You are saying everything is better w/o Brimah except the blocks. Then you say can't play with the smalls. That doesn't make sense. If it was better, they could play good teams that way.

Bottom line,we are better with Brimah in. Case in point, UMass Lowell, KO's judgement, stats[/QUOTE]

Never said that but have at it the Brimah lovefest is too much for me. 2nd half after the 18 minute mark 36 possessions and 7 layups of which 3 were altered anyway and 3 were made - one was a foul. 29 jump shots from 15 feet or more. Tell me about what he would have done in the 2nd half. Point is this was the guys who were there playing crappy defense more than him not being there. OF COURSE we're better with him but not as much as one would think. And the way this team ran offense even less. But hey you guys have it figured out.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Bottom line,we are better with Brimah in. Case in point, UMass Lowell, KO's judgement, stats

I don't think using the UMass-Lowell game is going to help your argument.

Much of our complaint is that Brimah compiles most of his stats against cupcakes but then he can't compete against top competition.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't think using the UMass-Lowell game is going to help your argument.

Much of our complaint is that Brimah compiles most of his stats against cupcakes but then he can't compete against top competition.

KO was not worried at all about AB not playing with that face I saw - I wouldn't want to be one of those guys in practice tomorrow. It's not going to be pretty he didn't get the execution and passion on D he wanted but I'm guessing he will vs CCSU

 

[David 76]

I don't think using the UMass-Lowell game is going to help your argument.

Much of our complaint is that Brimah compiles most of his stats against cupcakes but then he can't compete against top competition.

My argument is that we are best with him in. Versus Lowell or MD. So I think it does support it. So do the stats about UConn with AB in vs out.
If your argument is that he is not as good as Okafor or Stone. I agree. But no one is saying that.

 

[David 76]

KO was not worried at all about AB not playing with that face I saw CCSU

Agreed they were lousy on D.
But actually KO said the score would have been a lot different with Brimah playing. So he agrees with me. So run their butts off for not playing defense hard enough AND Brimah would have seriously affected the points in the paint.

 

[Danzz]

Somebody will have to rebound and that is why we could see Enoch at the 4 next year. He also has a nice shooting touch. A lot will depend on Durham and Enoch's development.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Somebody will have to rebound and that is why we could see Enoch at the 4 next year. He also has a nice shooting touch. A lot will depend on Durham and Enoch's development.

And if they aren't ready or aren't rebounding, Diarra could come in and be a force on the boards.

 

[mauconnfan]

Agreed they were lousy on D.
But actually KO said the score would have been a lot different with Brimah playing. So he agrees with me. So run their butts off for not playing defense hard enough AND Brimah would have seriously affected the points in the paint.

Truce he wouldn't have effected much in the 2nd half as I said they never went inside, and who's to say where he would have been because they spread their offense. They're better with him against most, only because no one else has much to bring right now. Enoch was caught out of defensive position a couple times again and the feet are a bit slow still and Phil's not Phil for whatever reason. And KO can say what he wants but with his minutes going down from last year he's not that confident in what he's doing because he's not i foul trouble so KO sees some things he's not liking either.

No matter we need him, really bad, to be a presence somehow some way.

PS- By the way you like that "truce" but still had to get the last word in? I'm screwed up in a good way