The Guy from The Goonies

[Deleted member 3149]

Is at it again...

 

[Deleted member 3149]

But wait- there's more!

 

[Deleted member 3149]

^is that the same Notre Dame squad that we embarrassed in south bend last year? Goodman will never give uconn a shout out. It's comical.

 

[UConn Dan]

 

[tcf15]

Don't worry, Glockner is putting him in his place when Goodman said Louisville, Memphis and then UConn:
Andy Glockner ‏@AndyGlockner 42m
@jeffborzello @GoodmanESPN Man, you guys are hating on a Napier-Boatwright-Calhoun setup? You can have Memphis' guys. I'll take them.

Glockner still takes Louisville as #1, but said this about it:
Andy Glockner ‏@AndyGlockner 37m
Assuming I get a healthy Ware plus Hancock in L'ville's "guards," I'll take them, then UConn, then Memphis. 1/2 closer than 2/3

Although, Goodman did say this:
Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 42m
@AndyGlockner @jeffborzello Love Napier. Boatwright drives me nuts. Calhoun has a chance to be very good.

 

[CTBasketball]

Their backcourt is deeper than ours. Not better.

 

[upstater]

If you're going to include Hancock in there, shouldn't we be comparing Napier, Boatright, Calhoun and Giffey to the other guys?

 

[ctchamps]

If you're going to include Hancock in there, shouldn't we be comparing Napier, Boatright, Calhoun and Giffey to the other guys?

They are also sleeping on Kromah and Samuel. This year it will be UConn's turn to throw bodies on Villes guys!

 

[CTGoonie]

Damnit. I thought this thread was about me.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Damnit. I thought this thread was about me.

Lol!

 

[CTGoonie]

More discussion on this subject here: http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ing-the-best-backcourts-in-college-basketball

 

[BoatShow]

They are also sleeping on Kromah and Samuel. This year it will be UConn's turn to throw bodies on Villes guys!

"Pssss hey Terrence go take Smith's legs out when he goes up for a lay up like they did to Bazz last year."

 

[Gurleyman]

The most frustrating part of reading these things is the way people write off Boat. Yes, he was inconsistent and at times frustrating to watch last year. But no more so than guys like Ben, Bazz and Kemba as sophs. It's not like that's who he is and all he'll ever be.

The typical rate of progression for a player with talent - other than the lottery pick elite who are dominant right away - is to show flashes as a frosh, have some great days as a soph alternating with some rough days, and hopefully put it together and be consistently great as a junior (with the occasional clunker or two).

Much harder to make an ordinary player talented than to make a talented player consistent.

 

[Rico444]

I don't think anyone is writing off Boat...but when you're talking about a top 3 backcourt in the country, you're held to a higher standard. I hope he has a Kemba-like jump this year, but based on what he showed last year, I'm not surprised that some are concerned about UConn being a top 3 backcourt.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't think anyone is writing off Boat...but when you're talking about a top 3 backcourt in the country, you're held to a higher standard. I hope he has a Kemba-like jump this year, but based on what he showed last year, I'm not surprised that some are concerned about UConn being a top 3 backcourt.

Boat shot more efficiently and had a better assist to turnover ratio than Russ Smith - and neither category was terribly close.

 

[UConn3432]

Russ Smith exposed Boat last year. Boat was not in his league.

 

[Gurleyman]

Russ Smith exposed Boat last year. Boat was not in his league.

I agree Russ Smith was better last year (pretty cut and dry), but he was also a year older and had bigs who defenders had to guard. Russ Smith as a sophomore was terrible (11 ppg, 35 percent shooting, negative A:TO ratio), which gets back to my point that players can evolve as their careers play out.

 

[Rico444]

Boat shot more efficiently and had a better assist to turnover ratio than Russ Smith - and neither category was terribly close.

I don't think that's too fair a comparison; Boat played a lot of point guard for us, while Russ Smith is a pure SG. I would expect Boat to have a lot more assists, which would skew the A/TO.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't think that's too fair a comparison; Boat played a lot of point guard for us, while Russ Smith is a pure SG. I would expect Boat to have a lot more assists, which would skew the A/TO.

True. But then Boat was a more efficient shooter. Shot 43 percent to Smith's 41.5 percent, and a tick higher from three (33.3 to 32.8). Smith averaged 3 ppg more, so you can trade off the slightly higher efficiency for slightly more production and call it a wash. But over the last two years, Boat is shooting 42.5 percent to Smith 38.5 percent. Smith managed to almost catch Boat in turnovers last year despite not playing point guard as well (3.0 to 2.7).

Point is that everyone calls Boat frustrating and inconsistent, yet his numbers were a little bit better than a guy who is on everyone All America list (no gripes about that coming off a NC). And Dieng could keep defenders occupied when Smith attacked the basket. Boat didn't have that luxury last year.

No question Smith is a better player right now and goes first if we are choosing sides, but lets see what Boat does this year and if he smooths out some of his rough edges. And if you compare empire back courts, we also have that Napier guy.

 

[James]

That CBS discussion is asanine. do people even look at statistics? Napiers numbers last year would suggest he's one of the more consistent pgs in the country. Gonzaga?!?!? Whatever let them sleep on us

 

[champs99and04]

Anybody who thinks Kevin Pangos is better than Napier - Matt Norlander I'm looking at you - is high.

And seriously, what's with people in the CBS discussion calling Napier "inconsistent"? I'd really love to know what's so inconsistent about 17, 4, and 5 on 44/40/82 shooting splits (and he brought his best against tough competition - 25 against MSU, 19 vs. NCSU, 29 against Marquette, 19 vs. Notre Dame, 16 vs. Georgetown).

Boatright's inconsistencies are also exaggerated - he put up 15 points and 4.5 assists with respectable shooting and turnover numbers to boot. If Boatright replicates that performance next season, I'll be more than fine with it - it's his defense that has been an area of concern.

The bottom line is the back court was one of the best in the country last season, and that was without the depth Samuel and Kromah bring to the table. It was also with Calhoun battling a hip injury, Boatright playing his first full season of college basketball, and Napier being forced to log a bigger workload than anybody in recent UConn memory sans Kemba.

It isn't a coincidence that UConn won twenty games in the Big East, defeated MSU, Syracuse, and Notre Dame, and routinely garnered votes from the AP and Coaches polls despite a rookie head coach, zero semblance of a post presence, and regular lopsided beat downs on the boards. UConn didn't do it with smoke or mirrors or overwhelming talent - they did it with brilliant guard play. If you want to argue teams like Louisville and Kentucky have better back courts than UConn...go ahead. Sticking them behind Gonzaga makes me wonder if any of these "experts" even watch college basketball.

 

[tjc1888]

Anyone see this per Goodman....handicapping the race for Kelly Oubre. The last line is really what stuck out out to me. He couldn't simply say the commitment of Daniel Hamilton, he had to say "gunner."

5. Connecticut Huskies

I’m not giving Kevin Ollie and the Huskies much of a shot, and those involved in Oubre's recruitment agree with me in that assessment. First of all, the Huskies have plenty of wings in the program with Omar Calhoun, DeAndre Daniels, Rodney Purvis sitting out and the commitment of gunner Daniel Hamilton.

 

[HooperScooper]

Anyone see this per Goodman....handicapping the race for Kelly Oubre. The last line is really what stuck out out to me. He couldn't simply say the commitment of Daniel Hamilton, he had to say "gunner."

5. Connecticut Huskies

I’m not giving Kevin Ollie and the Huskies much of a shot, and those involved in Oubre's recruitment agree with me in that assessment. First of all, the Huskies have plenty of wings in the program with Omar Calhoun, DeAndre Daniels, Rodney Purvis sitting out and the commitment of gunner Daniel Hamilton.

Well, first off Goodman hates UConn so he always has to say something bad about them.

Also, I posted this a while ago. Eric Bossi of Rivals sat next to Goodman at some game over the summer they watched Hamilton play. Bossi said Hamilton did shoot too much in that game, although it didn't bother him, but Goodman was all up in arms about it and was tweeting what a gunner Hamilton is. Bossi said if you watched only that one game he could understand if someone said Hamilton was a gunner. Bossi even said he told Goodman that he was over the top on the comments. Bossi said not to worry about it and Hamilton does shoot a lot but he makes a lot of shots so why not shoot.

Bottom line - don't pay attention to anything Goodman writes about UConn.

 

[Burnsbros23]

Goodman just put a best backcourt article out..... and he said Kansas over UConn..... Kansas what a joke.

Kansas starting PG is Nadir Tharpe. enough said.

 

[tcf15]

Goodman just put a best backcourt article out..... and he said Kansas over UConn..... Kansas what a joke.

Kansas starting PG is Nadir Tharpe. enough said.

Yeah, a list of his top 7 back courts and left UConn off the list (no mention at all, either). Went with Ville, Memphis, Duke, OK State, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Kansas.