The Underappreciation Of Andre Drummond

[caw]

I thought AD's FT form was slightly better, not great results yet, but a positive step.

 

[HuskyFan32]

By Feb, Andre may be the best player in the country. Look how far hes come in 7 games! He can get the ball at the top of the key spin, take two dribbles, and slam it down. He has great hands, and he jumps so quickly. He just bounces out there, Kids a beast. Id like to see us start feeding him down low more and more.

 

[Gurleyman]

He still has so much room to grow. He still has yet to really show a post move. His attempts at fadeaways have either been blocked or been a ridiculously high degree of difficulty. He made one play against FSU when he caught a pass and laid it in all in one motion that was really impressive (off a dump-down pass from Tyler, I believe) - even though it was an easy shot. He just looked very fluid and didn't need any time to gather himself. We did a lot of plays for Emeka his junior year where he would get a cross-screen, flash across the lane, catch and go to a quick shot from 3-5 feet in one motion before the defense could get there, and I think we need to break those out for Andre (although it requires a man-to-man look from the opposing defense).

 

[HuskyFan32]

I'm slightly worried about RS and AO.
One of them, or both, is almost undoubtedly going to see a heavy minute cut relative to last year, and I hope they can keep their heads together.

Unfortunately I agree. I saw this coming at the beginning of the year. IMO, Olander should be the one losing the most minutes, but he played a ton yesterday for reasons I will never know. AO needs to get used to playing the 4 and Roscoe will get most of his time there too. We almost have too many guys

 

[Scot-e]

By the time the BE roles around I imagine TO will be starting- playing for 5 minutes and then seeing about 10 more minutes max the rest of the game. If TO is still playing 25 minutes a game during BE play- that is when we can say we have some issues at the 4/5- before then it is premature IMHO.

 

[champs99and04]

Olander just had a bad game. He's goingto be a crucial piece to our team for the rest of the year, as is AO and RS. Oriakhi and Smith may take a hit in minutes, but I do not expect it to be drastic. They may play five minutes less than they did last year, but that's just because of the new depth we have at forward and center with the additions of Daniels and Drummond.

The one kid I think might not be happy with playing time is Niels Giffey. Right now he's stuck behind a lot of guys on the depth chart. He just needs to play and stop worrying about getting the quick hook.

 

[huskyrob1]

Olander just had a bad game. He's goingto be a crucial piece to our team for the rest of the year, as is AO and RS. Oriakhi and Smith may take a hit in minutes, but I do not expect it to be drastic. They may play five minutes less than they did last year, but that's just because of the new depth we have at forward and center with the additions of Daniels and Drummond.

The one kid I think might not be happy with playing time is Niels Giffey. Right now he's stuck behind a lot of guys on the depth chart. He just needs to play and stop worrying about getting the quick hook.

Good thing Paul Pasqualoni isn't the basketball coach, if he was Drummond would have had zero minutes since Sept and Orihacki would be putting in 40 min/gm and we'd have at least 2 losses, maybe more.

 

[Dribbles]

I can't believe that I need to use that title, but the Boneyard has once again lived up to it's ridiculous chicken little-ness.

Florida State might be the biggest & most experienced team UConn plays all year, and maybe in the country. One of the best defensive teams in the country.

And today, Andre Drummond, true freshman, did things I have never seen a UConn big do. The spin move/dunk...are you kidding me? Seriously? Dominating older, more experienced big men throughout. Athleticism that is off the page, rapid improvement in his FT stroke.

I think people need to appreciate what this kid is bringing right now.

12 points. 10 rebounds. 7 blocks. 3 steals. An unmeasurable number of deflections, forcing FSU to inbound the basketball, changing shots, intimidating guards driving into the paint.

Every UConn fan should pray there's a 20-year old age limit in the new NBA CBA. Because this kid is a once-in-a-lifetime player to play at UConn.

Had an AAU coach tell me "I don't think he'll work out once he gets into league play against other true bigs." Couldn't believe the guy. AD is what, just 18 - is he gonna get smaller, gonna get weaker??? Sheesh!!!

 

[tzznandrew]

Oriakhi is underperforming. He's had a couple of very good games (Maine and UCF).

One problem I've noticed, though, is that he fights for position and then the guards aren't able to get him the ball. Far too frequently. I would be frustrated if I were him as well.

That being said, I think he has let that get to him, and as a consequence he has made some poor decisions.

 

[tzznandrew]

Had an AAU coach tell me "I don't think he'll work out once he gets into league play against other true bigs." Couldn't believe the guy. AD is what, just 18 - is he gonna get smaller, gonna get weaker??? Sheesh!!!

If he can do it against FSU in November, he can do it against anyone else in league play.

 

[TheChamps990411]

i said and still stand by what i said before the season and that is AD can put up 15-10-5 a game this season. he can put up 12 no problem now so in the big east he`ll put up close to those numbers easy. obviously he`ll have some games where he doesnt get double figures but they will be rare.

im a little worried about AO but i think once league play starts he`ll start to come around. i think hes having trouble with two things. 1. the guards getting him the ball in good position and 2.learning to play with AD. when they start to build a good chemistry together in the post they will be like a natural disaster tearing through the big east. lets hope AO gets it together. he should stop trying to post up and score and just look to rebound and get put backs and defer to AD as the first option in the post and i believe his season will start to really turnaround.

 

[Peacefrog]

Let's see what improvement may come when he gets rid of the mask. Hoo baby.

 

[Danzz]

He's unreal. The biggest thing the coaches should be working on in praxctice is finding ways to get him more involved. More post ups, some plays with him facing up, some half court alley oop plays need to be created. Six games into the season and it's already clear as day to me that he's the most talented kid we've ever had and the most exciting thing is that you can tell he's like a sponge and wants to be coached. The sky is the limit.

The problem for Andre is that teams will play a sagging zone defense against us inside. It makes it difficult to get him the ball in a position where he can score. The most talented kid ever, well I don't know about that but he is definitely in the top 3. He is a young 18. It is scary to think how good he could be.

 

[babysheep]

Who here still underappreciates Drummond?

Once he gets his release higher and gets that stupid mask off he'll be deadly

 

[Gurleyman]

Yeah - the guy who posted "Can We All Agree Drummond Was Overhyped" thread hasn't been heard from in a while.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Yeah - the guy who posted "Can We All Agree Drummond Was Overhyped" thread hasn't been heard from in a while.

LMFAO!

 

[61cygni]

All I hear in my head when AD gets the ball is "BOOMSHAKALAKA" over and over again.

 

[huskyrob1]

Who here still underappreciates Drummond?

Once he gets his release higher and gets that stupid mask off he'll be deadly

We haven't had a player like him with around the basket skills since Okafor, and in some ways I think he's better than Okafor. He makes very few TO's or dumb mistakes...case in point, he was smart enough to know to pull his hand down with that block that would have been a sure goal tend near the end of the FSU game and would have lost the game for us. If that had been Oriakhi, he would have swatted it into the 5th row, 2 points for FSU and we lose, and that same dumb look on AO's face.

 

[Giddyup5]

We haven't had a player like him with around the basket skills since Okafor, and in some ways I think he's better than Okafor. He makes very few TO's or dumb mistakes...case in point, he was smart enough to know to pull his hand down with that block that would have been a sure goal tend near the end of the FSU game and would have lost the game for us. If that had been Oriakhi, he would have swatted it into the 5th row, 2 points for FSU and we lose, and that same dumb look on AO's face.

1) I disagree
2) Just a stupid unnecessary comment

 

[TheChamps990411]

1) I disagree
2) Just a stupid unnecessary comment

i agee. that was completely unnesasary

 

[willie99]

We haven't had a player like him with around the basket skills since Okafor, and in some ways I think he's better than Okafor. He makes very few TO's or dumb mistakes...case in point, he was smart enough to know to pull his hand down with that block that would have been a sure goal tend near the end of the FSU game and would have lost the game for us. If that had been Oriakhi, he would have swatted it into the 5th row, 2 points for FSU and we lose, and that same dumb look on AO's face.

what are you talking about?

did you forget our national championship already?

3 tournys, 3 titles?

geez, AO is a great contributor and we won't repeat without him

 

[huskyrob1]

what are you talking about?

did you forget our national championship already?

3 tournys, 3 titles?

geez, AO is a great contributor and we won't repeat without him

Geez WillieWillie where did I say AO didn't help us win a NC last year or wasn't a great contributor???? Hey if you any other poster doesn't like what I said, or more correctly the way I said it fine, that's your right to criticize but fact is in the past AO has had major ups and downs, and right now he's in a major, major down with dumb mistakes, lack of fire, TO's galore, tweets right after the game instead of maybe trying to think about working on his shooting motion in practice tomorrow, come on...why do you think Calhoun is playing him only 10m/g or pulls him when the game is on the line? He's an upperclassman and should be acting like it. Is he?????

 

[Tk79]

Geez WillieWillie where did I say AO didn't help us win a NC last year or wasn't a great contributor???? Hey if you any other poster doesn't like what I said, or more correctly the way I said it fine, that's your right to criticize but fact is in the past AO has had major ups and downs, and right now he's in a major, major down with dumb mistakes, lack of fire, TO's galore, tweets right after the game instead of maybe trying to think about working on his shooting motion in practice tomorrow, come on...why do you think Calhoun is playing him only 10m/g or pulls him when the game is on the line? He's an upperclassman and should be acting like it. Is he?????

Stop being such a mumu

 

[huskyrob1]

Stop being such a mumu

Oh OK, I'm sowry.

 

[Prezidint]

Geez WillieWillie where did I say AO didn't help us win a NC last year or wasn't a great contributor????

You didn't. You created a hypothetical in which Alex did something dumb to lose the game for us.
My counsel - let it go.