The View From Section 241 (hoops edition)

[intlzncster]

Just because noone has yet commented on this one:

In the final game, it was LK instead of TSam.
An embarrassment of riches that KO had both to choose from and chose with such skill.
How fortunate as fans we have been this year, this decade, this millennium, this quarter century.

Senior vs freshman in a big moment. Not a huge surprise, but I'm happy for LK. Huge board and drawn foul at the end.

A pivotal play was Samuel getting caught flat footed on the perimeter when we were up 9 with a chance to bury them. Amida subsequently picked up his 4th and they hit 2 at the line. Momentum shifted, and they shortly cut it 2. Kromah saw more time after that.
Note: not hating on TSam at all here.

 

[diggerfoot]

He sure was, gars44. We needed him. Austrie had to step up but he wasn't good enough to play starter minutes.

Yet Austrie was good enough to play starter minutes as our starting and lone point guard right off the bat as a freshman, winning a tournament at the beginning of that season against a good field that included Wichita State and Kentucky. He's also one of two players that played well and saved our butts against Albany that same season. Our team also had our best run of the entire season his junior year when he had to be put into the starting line-up. I think Austrie is similar to UConn as a whole, undervalued because of a lack of reputation. I do think Calhoun was the greatest coach of his generation, hands down. Yet I also think Austrie suffered because of a felt need to develop more the players with the greater rep and potential for the NBA.

 

[nomar]

Yet Austrie was good enough to play starter minutes as our starting and lone point guard right off the bat as a freshman, winning a tournament at the beginning of that season against a good field that included Wichita State and Kentucky. He's also one of two players that played well and saved our butts against Albany that same season. Our team also had our best run of the entire season his junior year when he had to be put into the starting line-up. I think Austrie is similar to UConn as a whole, undervalued because of a lack of reputation. I do think Calhoun was the greatest coach of his generation, hands down. Yet I also think Austrie suffered because of a felt need to develop more the players with the greater rep and potential for the NBA.

Well, I think you're overselling him a little; he was a career 35% shooter. But maybe he should have played more against George Mason. He only played 11 minutes.

 

[dogfan96]

Developing young men ... I think KO sees that as part of his worldly commitment. I think he is incredibly focused on achievement of this goal. College is a better fit for that.

I agree.. and very few coaches have the passion for their alma mater that he does. You can just tell how much he loves the school and being a part of the family.

 

[diggerfoot]

Well, I think you're overselling him a little; he was a career 35% shooter. But maybe he should have played more against George Mason. He only played 11 minutes.

Which part was "oversell?" He was a 35% shooter ... and he also once got 13 assists in a game. As a 35% shooter he would not be a good choice as a point guard that needed to carry the scoring load, a la Napier or Walker. Yet part of this thread was about the value of defending other point guards. I'll add to that you want your point guard to make your other players perform better. Austrie could do both. On a team where plenty of others could carry the scoring load, a la UConn during his tenure, he proved more than capable of playing starter's minutes as we beat quality teams. Which one of my statements was "oversell" or, conversely, what is the empirical evidence at your disposal that he was not good enough to play starter's minutes against quality teams? The 11 minutes against George Mason? Yet we were good enough to beat the caliber of talent on ranked Kentucky, Indiana, et al teams with Austrie playing starter minutes. Eleven minutes against George Mason could be either confirmation or refutation of your point; in either case there are enough exceptions to your claim to disprove it.