Things I liked from the newcomers (with GIFs!)

[jfuchs91]

While expectations should be held in check considering the opponent, there was a lot to like about our win against Colgate. We were playing without our best player, and after the abomination that was last season, the win allows us all to breathe a sigh of relief.

Below I'll detail some of the small things I liked about our new players, and why there may be some reason for optimism with this roster.

Alterique Gilbert – Shot creation

Look at that pass! I know Alterique isn’t a ‘newcomer’ per se, but he’s technically still a freshman, and really, I just wanted an excuse to see that pass again and again.

Anyway, last night Alterique was able to get into the lane at will to set teammates up with good looks. His handle looked good, he looked quick, and it was just nice to see him out there healthy again.

Given his size, he needs to develop a consistent floater or mid-range pull-up game, as his outside shot looks like it needs some work. But given that he missed almost all of last season, some rust is to be expected. Still, he played good perimeter defense and acted nicely as a ball-handler and creator. Hopefully he finds his shot as the season progresses.

Antwoine Anderson – Veteran savvy

The play above shows why I’m most excited for Anderson. He drives with the purpose of collapsing the defense and makes a great pass across the court to an open Polley for 3. Anderson made a couple plays like this throughout the night which contributed to his game-high six assists.

Anderson also had a couple clutch shots when our offense had stagnated. He looks to be a nice veteran presence and was a good addition to the roster.

 

[jfuchs91]

Tyler Polley – Length and versatility

While Polley has a smooth offensive game, it’s his defensive activity and versatility that has me most excited. Polley uses his long arms to play passing lanes, and it seems like he should reasonably be able to defend 2-4 with his size and quickness. On the play above, I like how he was able to anticipate the pass and finish in transition. He’ll have his growing pains, but I really like what I’ve seen from Polley so far, both from a skills and IQ perspective.

Mamadou Diarra – Great hands

Can you imagine Brimah catching that pass? Me neither. Diarra’s ability to catch and hold on to the ball jumps off the screen, especially compared to our bigs of the past few years. I really hope he earns more minutes as the season goes on because I love his toughness down low and he seems like a natural rebounder.

 

[jfuchs91]

Eric Cobb – Physicality

It’s nice to see our bigs bang down in the paint and throw people around again. While Cobb didn’t score against Colgate, he pulled down eight boards and brought some toughness underneath. I don’t see him being a great scorer, but he can make a big impact if he focuses on a few areas: boxing out and grabbing rebounds, setting good screens, and pinning his defender when our guards and wings drive to the hoop.

Isaiah Whaley – Hustle and smarts

It’s encouraging that Whaley seems to know the game pretty well, but it’s equally as encouraging that he knows his own game. On the play above, Whaley does a few good things. First, he doesn’t force a shot in the paint and is able to find an open teammate. Then – and this appears to be his big strength – he crashes the offensive boards and puts it right back up without bringing the ball down. Whaley will likely have his struggles when he plays more physical teams, but how can you not like what you’ve seen from him thus far?

 

[jfuchs91]

Josh Carlton – Using his body

Just like on his dunk, in the play above, Carlton does a nice job of using his wide frame to shield off the opposition. He’s also a little quicker than I expected, and, like the other freshman, seems to have a nice grasp for the game. He’ll have growing pains playing against other players his size, but I like his hustle and feel for the game.

Kwintin Williams – Energy

While he’s clearly limited skills-wise, Kwintin brings an energy when he’s on the floor. I liked his aggressiveness on the steal above, and hopefully he can give that kind of effort whenever he sees minutes. And I also can’t wait until he gets unleashed on a fast break…

----

Overall, this was a pretty encouraging performance. Larrier’s shot was wet and he played better than any of us could have hoped for. After some preseason struggles, he carried us last night and looks like a legitimate difference maker. The role players showed some promise, and, unlike what we’ve seen the past few years, the team seemed to have a good basketball IQ.

We still have a lot of work to do, especially with our defensive rotations and shot selection. But given the season us UConn fans endured last year, it was great to finally see an encouraging product on the floor again, even without our best player. I still don’t think this team will set the world on fire, but given the depths of where our program was just a few short months ago, this is a major step in the right direction. Now let’s just hope this young team continues to gel and improve.

Also, one last note – what great free throw shooting last night! We shot 18-19 (94.7%) from the line, which is currently good for best in all the NCAA. And we all know where great free throw shooting has taken us before…

On to Stony Brook.

 

[awfuldan]

Wow you killed it with this thread man. Good work!

 

[Kitaman]

A++ on the homework assignment with extra credit!!

 

[Son of Robert]

Excellent posts jfuchs91. Keep it coming.

One game at a time.

 

[upstater]

In tcf's game replay: what a pass from Anderson to Whaley at 2:25 of the first half. Great catch by Whaley too.

 

[UC313]

Great post! Ive noticed the energy with KW on the floor as well. The last two games hes brought the blue collar attitude we love at the 4.

Ive got a feeling thats totally different than the past few years. It might be the 95 proof whiskey though.

 

[LIuconn]

Is this the new standard for a 20-like post?

 

[UC313]

Is this the new standard for a 20-like post?

Step you your game up son.

 

[auror]

@jfuchs91 What are you using to make the gifs?

 

[jfuchs91]

@jfuchs91 What are you using to make the gifs?

On any YouTube video, if you type in 'gif' directly before youtube in the URL, you can make a GIF. It's a neat little trick.

 

[huskiesnyc]

For analysis I kind of prefer Chief’s Briefs but I guess this will do

 

[Kembacity]

This is fantastic work, you like the bone yards own Neil's GIF-fy

What I also enjoyed seeing from Polley on that fast break is that he dunked it, his first points in college, he lands, he immediately cuts over to play D. No celebration, no horsecrap. That to me is huuuuuge, and another reason that like all of you guys I'm excited for the season. Is it Tuesday yet?

 

[jibsey]

On any YouTube video, if you type in 'gif' directly before youtube in the URL, you can make a GIF. It's a neat little trick.

A movie says a thousand words.

 

[mauconnfan]

Great job, this is Fuching top notch!

 

[nomar]

Is this the new standard for a 20-like post?

I'm gonna stick with stupid puns about Chief's Briefs, personally.

But hats off to Zach Lowe of the Boneyard!

 

[Guapo]

Wow.

This is amazing.

Thanks for putting in the effort!

 

[Mano]

On any YouTube video, if you type in 'gif' directly before youtube in the URL, you can make a GIF. It's a neat little trick.

Holy crap balls, thats awesome. Thanks! How did I not know that?

 

[boog204]

I really like Polley and think he will be an outstanding player here. While he definitely has some skills, you can tell that he knows the game. That's huge. Also really like Whaley and Carlton. Both have some intangible stuff that have been missing from our recent big men.

The only guy who I'm a little "eh" on at the moment, and ironically he was the one I was most excited about, is Diarra. The little I've seen of him is someone who is so incredibly raw that he barely knows the rules of basketball. He is a fouling machine thus far; his feet are getting tangled up defensively and his exuberance has him having no defensive control. I know this will get better but, so far, eh...

 

[Wordbomar]

The only guy who I'm a little "eh" on at the moment, and ironically he was the one I was most excited about, is Diarra. The little I've seen of him is someone who is so incredibly raw that he barely knows the rules of basketball. He is a fouling machine thus far; his feet are getting tangled up defensively and his exuberance has him having no defensive control. I know this will get better but, so far, eh...

Promise you won’t feel this way by March. At Putnam science playing against top tier D1 talent every night he was dominant

 

[CardiacKemba]

Awesome post. Appreciate the insight. Very excited about what Polley and Whaley can bring to the table. Whaley's instincts around the rim are a joy to watch.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Those GIFs tho.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Speaking of Cobb, there was one play from him that stood out to me.

When Colgate was on offense, a shot went up and Cobb completely boxed out an offensive rebounder all the way into out of bounds. Cobb didn't get the rebound, but watching him completely clear out a player was highly entertaining and something a UConn player hasn't done probably since Adrien.