This team hurt badly by the loss of Gilbert last two years

[pj]

I thought Vance was a big loss. Reminded me of Tracy Murray from UCLA back in the day. Kid will probably average 20 a game at New Mexico at some point.

So will his opposing players.

 

[pj]

Yep agree to disagree. What you're forgetting is when we win someone plays really well, that's the same guy or guys in some cases, who doesn't play well under anyone coaching him the next day. They are very inconsistent players the only one with any idea of playing well most every game is Jalen. And according to his shooting percentage that's a reach too. But your point is well taken - bottom line is a mess.

When you only have one or two guys who step up offensively, you're easy to defend. When the opponents figure out how to defend your best guy, he has a "bad game." If the rest of the team can't adjust to beat the defense, you lose.

Jalen needs more around him. In 2011, we had 9 losses while Kemba was building up Jeremy Lamb and the rest of his supporting cast. He could have single-handedly won some of those games, but JC knew we'd need the other guys to win the tourney. And when it came around, they were ready.

Not saying the team couldn't be coached better. But the actual record isn't that much worse than you'd expect given the personnel. Losing Gilbert did hurt a lot.

 

[InKembaITrust]

If AG plays a full season next year....if Mo drastically improves his defensive footwork/discipline....if all Whaley, Carlton & Lukas work on this offseason is rebound rebound rebound....and if Jalen stays next season...I say we have ourselves a team.

Dare I say it, a borderline top 25 team

Lez get it!

 

[tentoes4rings]

So will his opposing players.

So that was the knock on Enoch too, that he had no court awareness and was always out of position on D. Enoch and Vance both had serious upside offensively, good coaching could have turned them into solid defenders. Instead we’re left with the brilliant offense of Anderson and Onourah. Careful what you wish for.

 

[noeynox]

So will his opposing players.

We're not exactly loaded with defensive stoppers without him.

 

[RJScootin]

Agree to disagree. Any team that can beat SMU and play MSU to a standstill, even for a half, can win 20 games. Our level of preparation and planning is awful. We have better players than many teams we have lost to, including Memphis, UCF and Tulsa. Probably Temple too. But we show up and play undisciplined street ball against well coached teams. We'd need to have vastly better players than the other team to win in that situation. We can never rely on that to be the case.

Now I agree this squad wasn't beating Nova, MSU, Auburn, WSU, Cinci or similar teams no matter who was coaching.

Who cares about 20 wins when like you said have no chance of beating good teams. A couple extra wins from UCF and Tulsa wasn't going to make the conversation about this year any different.

As bad as KO is the talent on this team might be worse. The combination makes for one painful season.

 

[8893]

As bad as KO is the talent on this team might be worse. The combination makes for one painful season.

Actually two painful seasons and counting. Let’s hope it’s not three.

 

[PAHusky]

If AG plays a full season next year....if Mo drastically improves his defensive footwork/discipline....if all Whaley, Carlton & Lukas work on this offseason is rebound rebound rebound....and if Jalen stays next season...I say we have ourselves a team.

Dare I say it, a borderline top 25 team

Lez get it!

We're fighting for .500 this year, let's not get carried away with the ridiculous projections for next year before we actually see who's left on the roster and who's sitting at the end of the bench next year.

 

[PAHusky]

To me Vance is a bigger loss than a banged up point guard who can’t shoot. Vance also possesses s good inside game with his footwork and had some muscle. Too bad he thought he was a point forward.

Exactly this. Gilbert plays the same role as Jalen - they're slashers first. AG couldn't shoot worth a damn in his few college appearances from deep, so I don't think he would have made much more of a difference offensively at all for this team. Who is he kicking it out to when he gets into the teeth of the defense? He'd have exactly the same problems Adams has.

 

[methodology]

Exactly this. Gilbert plays the same role as Jalen - they're slashers first. AG couldn't shoot worth a damn in his few college appearances from deep, so I don't think he would have made much more of a difference offensively at all for this team. Who is he kicking it out to when he gets into the teeth of the defense? He'd have exactly the same problems Adams has.

AG was a good shooter, not great, in high school and the aau circuit. I think his struggles had to due with his shoulder discomfort and the fact he hasn't had much time to put in the work and put up the shots to get better in that department since he's been injured 90% of the time he's been at UConn

 

[auggie22]

You can speculate all you want but actual evidence requires you to also consider Wagner and Northeastern. People who speculate about how great we would be with Gilbert or Vance or Enoch need to account for the fact that with those guys we lost to not 1 bad team which occasionally happens, but multiple bad teams, which doesn’t.

This. All theories that present Ollie as a good coach with bad luck inevitably smack up against the Wagner / Northeastern conundrum.

 

[auggie22]

When you only have one or two guys who step up offensively, you're easy to defend. When the opponents figure out how to defend your best guy, he has a "bad game." If the rest of the team can't adjust to beat the defense, you lose.

Jalen needs more around him. In 2011, we had 9 losses while Kemba was building up Jeremy Lamb and the rest of his supporting cast. He could have single-handedly won some of those games, but JC knew we'd need the other guys to win the tourney. And when it came around, they were ready.

Not saying the team couldn't be coached better. But the actual record isn't that much worse than you'd expect given the personnel. Losing Gilbert did hurt a lot.

Disagree. In every AAC game - even without Gilbert on the court - UCONN has the highest rated, most heavily recruited roster. It never looks that way even against the bottom tier of the league because of a healthy dose of poor preparation, poor in game coaching, poor eye for talent and abysmal player development. It is blindingly obvious.

 

[pj]

Disagree. In every AAC game - even without Gilbert on the court - UCONN has the highest rated, most heavily recruited roster. It never looks that way even against the bottom tier of the league because of a healthy dose of poor preparation, poor in game coaching, poor eye for talent and abysmal player development. It is blindingly obvious.

Ratings don't matter as much as skills and diversity of capabilities. If you don't have a distributor, don't have shooters, don't have a rim protector, you are going to struggle. You need a balanced and complete roster with enough versatility to overcome a variety of defensive approaches and to defend a variety of offensive threats. We don't have that. We are mono-dimensional and easily frustrated.

 

[3rdbass]

AG was a good shooter, not great, in high school and the aau circuit. I think his struggles had to due with his shoulder discomfort and the fact he hasn't had much time to put in the work and put up the shots to get better in that department since he's been injured 90% of the time he's been at UConn

Well that wasn’t going to change this year as he had issues coming into the season with the shoulder. Hopefully he finally gets it fixed to where pain is limited and movement is good. I just wouldn’t rely on that due to his pas history.

 

[auggie22]

Ratings don't matter as much as skills and diversity of capabilities. If you don't have a distributor, don't have shooters, don't have a rim protector, you are going to struggle. You need a balanced and complete roster with enough versatility to overcome a variety of defensive approaches and to defend a variety of offensive threats. We don't have that. We are mono-dimensional and easily frustrated.

We are not in full disagreement then. Ratings and offers do not matter if the coach has no eye for talent or player development.

We would have won a head to head recruitment with any team in the AAC, but that is not the issue. If we cannot construct or develop a team ( or implement a smart game plan or motivate, etc. ) we will always be a doormat. Gilbert is not the isssue ... of anything, his presence would be masking the issue.

 

[InKembaITrust]

We're fighting for .500 this year, let's not get carried away with the ridiculous projections for next year before we actually see who's left on the roster and who's sitting at the end of the bench next year.

I projected nothing, they were all IF statements.

 

[80shusky]

It would be hard to deny that the team would be better off with Gilbert on the floor. If nothing else, his taking minutes from Anderson would be a plus because he is clearly if healthy a more talented player and just having four guards rather than three is a big help.
However, the team's big problem and biggest black hole is the front court.
UConn has three true freshmen, a redshirt freshman, three transfers and Larrier in the front court unless I'm missing someone.
Larrier is a good college player but is trying to do too much.
The rest? Carlton I think will be a nice player. Could we please throw him the ball more? He has better offensive post moves than anyone we have had in a while, keeps the ball high in traffic and scores more often than he doesn't.
Whaley could be a nice Murray Williams type of player or maybe better with some seasoning.
Polley, not sure what to make of him.
Diarra again is like Carlton to me. Needs more minutes and the ball more.
Kwintin, DO and Cobb are bench players.
Larrier is Larrier. He can be a great scorer for us, he is a defensive liability and turns it over too much. But, with a better front court around him playing as a wing he could more effective.
We are only in games because of Adams, Vital and Larrier. With Gilbert we would be more competitive. But our problem is the front court. You can blame that on anybody you want, and I'm sure you will, but blaming Adams, Vital and Larrier for the team's issues is silly.
The front court is the problem. Brimah masked that with his shot blocking. There is no hiding it now.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Vance hurt the team by leaving but Gilbert is a huge loss. Means Anderson wouldn’t be playing so much and would’ve allowed Adams to rest while on the court bc we’d have a very good ball handler. He can also score and very good at picking up his man full court and applying ball pressure. It’s been a huge loss. Ollie’s team was based on having these two play together and for two years we haven’t had a consistent backcourt

 

[willie99]

AND the purge of our young big players.

With a GOOD pg--a PG that gets everyone involved--we couldve been much more of a threat with all of that size we had. I really thought that V Jackson had great potential and the two bigs couldve came a long. If there is a snafu--I think being drained like that was too much to handle for a program that didnt have the back up besides transfers.

the dumpster fire crowd only mention injuries when they happen to one of our opponents, then we're lucky to be playing them without "so and so" or we're lucky THEY were depleted


PS: the evidence that we're better with Gilbert was our 4-0 start beating Oregon in Oregon and then leading MSU for most of the first half before he was injured. If somebody can't see or acknowledge that, then they're not really capable of a rational discussion.

Gilbert is going to end this debate next year

 

[Waquoit]

the dumpster fire crowd only mention injuries when they happen to one of our opponents, then we're lucky to be playing them without "so and so" or we're lucky THEY were depleted

The KO fluffing crowd will be clamoring for an extension when Gilbert gets hurt again next year.

 

[KembaStepback]

Couple things. First - I miss VJ. I think he's exactly what this team needs. However, lets not get carried away. This kid's best option was New Mexico. If he was so good, why isn't he on an ACC team? or Big 12? or Big 10? or SEC?

Second - re:Gilbert. Have people heard of rust? Try not shooting a basketball for a year then tell me how good you are at it? It takes time. Gilbert is obviously talented. The shoulder obviously wasn't 100% and he was obviously rusty.

 

[RJScootin]

the dumpster fire crowd only mention injuries when they happen to one of our opponents, then we're lucky to be playing them without "so and so" or we're lucky THEY were depleted


PS: the evidence that we're better with Gilbert was our 4-0 start beating Oregon in Oregon and then leading MSU for most of the first half before he was injured. If somebody can't see or acknowledge that, then they're not really capable of a rational discussion.

This team would be better if it had Gavin Edwards on it, so what.... In a small sample size UConn was able to beat a 90 RPI team and keep it close for a half against a top team. The team is better with him agreed. How much better you thinking? Nit, Tourney, winning record, top 5 AAC?

 

[freescooter]

the dumpster fire crowd only mention injuries when they happen to one of our opponents, then we're lucky to be playing them without "so and so" or we're lucky THEY were depleted


PS: the evidence that we're better with Gilbert was our 4-0 start beating Oregon in Oregon and then leading MSU for most of the first half before he was injured. If somebody can't see or acknowledge that, then they're not really capable of a rational discussion.

Gilbert is going to end this debate next year

Nobody is saying we wouldn’t be better with Gilbert. We would. The question is really how much better and given all the issues this team has many of us don’t think he is the difference between an under .500 season and a trip to the NCAA tournament. And I haven’t seen anyone make the claim that we were lucky to play XYZ without their star player. Finally the 4-0 start? Have we fallen so far that wins over Cogate, Stony Brook and BU are considered big deals? Maybe after last year’s early season follies they are. I assume we beat teams like that. Oregon was a nice win but let’s be serious. They aren’t exactly favored to win the national championship.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Couple things. First - I miss VJ. I think he's exactly what this team needs. However, lets not get carried away. This kid's best option was New Mexico. If he was so good, why isn't he on an ACC team? or Big 12? or Big 10? or SEC?

Second - re:Gilbert. Have people heard of rust? Try not shooting a basketball for a year then tell me how good you are at it? It takes time. Gilbert is obviously talented. The shoulder obviously wasn't 100% and he was obviously rusty.

It’s not that Jackson is great player
Neither is Vital . (Vital has developed for a throw away recruit at 200. ) Jackson would be the best pure shooter on the team but more importantlyly a third option which changes the way teams defense us. If someone stepped into his role his loss would be minimal
No one has and we are what we are.
I believe I have explained how Gilbert makes us a better team.,in one word Defensec

 

[gtcam]

. And I haven’t seen anyone make the claim that we were lucky to play XYZ without their star player

It's been said many many times and many ways. This year it hasn't been touted as much because those folks have just zeroed in KO's every breath and movement.

 

[SubbaBub]

I mean its a no brainer 9 man rotation

Gilbert at PG
Adams SG
V Jackson SF
Larrier F
Durham C

Enoch
Vital
Whaley
Andersen

Wed be 18-7 or maybe slightly better.

So this is what we've been reduced to? Pining for 18-7? If this program were a race horse they'd end it.

 

[8893]

So this is what we've been reduced to? Pining for 18-7? If this program were a race horse they'd end it.

18-7 with six games left would be a helluva lot better than where we are now. That would be a likely NCAA bid, assuming at least a few more regular season wins before the AAC tournament.

Where we're at now, winning the AAC tournament is the only chance we've got, and that ain't happening.