Top 5 teams in the BE- breakdown link | The Boneyard

Top 5 teams in the BE- breakdown link

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ctchamps

We are UConn!! 4>1 But 5>>>>1 is even better!
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Great read. The one thing I got from this article is UConn lacks a fourth guard. For all the criticism DB got last year he, or someone like him, would be a welcome player this season. Louisville has eight guards and they will keep on running them at UConn all game long. With Kemba it wasn't a problem, because he kept his stamina even though he played lots of minutes. It remains to be seen if Shabazz can play those minutes or if he can stay out of foul trouble.

On the other hand UConn's inside game should give Louisville nightmares. The problem will be to get the ball up the court and into the bigs.

First I heard of Melo having legal issues. Syracuse is good but I think UConn stacks up well with them.

Two of the top five are heading to the ACC. We're going to hear this all season. The ACC will be the best bb conference. It will be interjected every BE game. Oh well. I like UConn if RB can provide good back up minutes and there is a walk on who can play guard if needed.
 
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what i got from that article is that man for man there is no team in the conference and possibly the nation who can match up with our frontcourt. RS,AO and AD are going to be a problem and reading this article just reinforces that. what sf in the conference can match RS length and athleticsm? who can matchup physically with the 6`9 250 lbs AO? and who could possibly handle the speed,strength and athleticsm of AD? and if thats not bad enough youve got a talented freshmen DD,a solid sophomore NG,an improved sophomore big man TO and a couple of unproven but big centers in MB and EW.
it really didnt hit me till now how imposing our frontcourt will be. i really thought cuse,pitt and ville had more upfront to matchup a little better but thats just not the case. im saying it now if AD is as good as we all think he is he could be terrorizing the big east by the end of january.
 
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Rebounding is going to be very difficult for opposing teams this year. I just can't wait to see what kind of steps forward the sophomores have taken since last season. Roscoe and Shabazz especially
 
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My biggest worry is the lack of a 4th guard. Foul trouble -- minor injuries (much less something more major or an academic problem), what do we do? Are Giffey or DD really ready to guard a 2 in this league or handle the ball outside with a 2 on them? What if Boatright isn't ready to contribute as a frosh?

A walk on guard who could contribute a little would be a great addition. Sami Amelziore -- the Harrison transfer from WestConn -- we've had wallk on contributors before, and we need at least one this year.
 
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http://www.roundballchat.com/2011/09/big-east-power-rankings-teams-1-5-college-basketball-preview/

Good read- considering there is absolutely nothing going on worth talking about.
seems like a good write-up, this should be a fun year, i hope that he conference BS doesn't take away from it. one thing to note, is that syracuse plays uconn and lville twice, so possibly were are in control of our destiny because we in theory play 2 of the best 3 teams 4 times.

as far as depth and all the other stuff, it is real hard to know how freshman will play, and what kind of jump last years players will make without finally seeing them play. i can't wait for the season to start to see the puzzle pieces start to come together.
 

ctchamps

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seems like a good write-up, this should be a fun year, i hope that he conference BS doesn't take away from it. one thing to note, is that syracuse plays uconn and lville twice, so possibly were are in control of our destiny because we in theory play 2 of the best 3 teams 4 times.

as far as depth and all the other stuff, it is real hard to know how freshman will play, and what kind of jump last years players will make without finally seeing them play. i can't wait for the season to start to see the puzzle pieces start to come together.
What's going on with Melo?
 
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What's going on with Melo?
he got arrested for something to do with a girlfriend last year, like criminal mischief i think. from what i have read, it sounds like a deal with the courts where if he completes rehab the charges will be dropped, as the court date has been pushed back over and over. it remains to be seen what the syracuse student board might do, if anything, but they typically rule with an iron fist. it is a shame, because i think the guy has some good upside, and he reportedly had a decent summer playing international for brazil. i think he will play this year, it's just a matter of when.
 

ctchamps

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he got arrested for something to do with a girlfriend last year, like criminal mischief i think. from what i have read, it sounds like a deal with the courts where if he completes rehab the charges will be dropped, as the court date has been pushed back over and over. it remains to be seen what the syracuse student board might do, if anything, but they typically rule with an iron fist. it is a shame, because i think the guy has some good upside, and he reportedly had a decent summer playing international for brazil. i think he will play this year, it's just a matter of when.
That's too bad. Thanks for the info. Hopefully he rehabs and the school gives him a second chance.
 
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My biggest worry is the lack of a 4th guard. Foul trouble -- minor injuries (much less something more major or an academic problem), what do we do? Are Giffey or DD really ready to guard a 2 in this league or handle the ball outside with a 2 on them? What if Boatright isn't ready to contribute as a frosh?

A walk on guard who could contribute a little would be a great addition. Sami Amelziore -- the Harrison transfer from WestConn -- we've had wallk on contributors before, and we need at least one this year.
it's almost impossible to find a walk-on that can contribute at the D1 high major level. especially a guard i mean these guys have been picked over from top to bottom. now the programs even offer players as "preferred" walk ons, where the guys are on the team without a scholly. it's not like football where there are a zillion kids and a million roster spots, basketball teams are small, and most of the kids dont play as it is.
 
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Nice read, thanks. With all the focus on the bigs, I forgot Lamb does not have a true backup.
 
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My biggest worry is the lack of a 4th guard. Foul trouble -- minor injuries (much less something more major or an academic problem), what do we do? Are Giffey or DD really ready to guard a 2 in this league or handle the ball outside with a 2 on them? What if Boatright isn't ready to contribute as a frosh?

A walk on guard who could contribute a little would be a great addition. Sami Amelziore -- the Harrison transfer from WestConn -- we've had wallk on contributors before, and we need at least one this year.

Giffey guarded 2s just fine last year, I would like to see more out of him on the perimeter besides jab stepping and pivoting because I think he can dribble and is a better ballhandler than he showed last year, but defense is not one of the things I worry about with him.
 

babysheep

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Based on what I've seen, I think all you guys who are wondering how the now-sophomores (especially SN and RS) improved over the summer should be ready to be VERY happy
 
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DD has a good handle and if we are not playing a team with a super quick-strong 2G he may be able to spend a few minutes at the 2 as well no?
 

babysheep

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DD has a good handle and if we are not playing a team with a super quick-strong 2G he may be able to spend a few minutes at the 2 as well no?
I just can't visualize someone with DD's body guarding a 2.

If, for whatever reason, we ended up having to have a 3 defend a 2, I'd have NG (who is essentially a 2) or RS (great defense, can get low) do it before I have a slender freshman do it. Then again, none of us have really seen DD's defensive work enough to make that judgment. I just know NG and RS have the skills to pull it off.
 
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Depending on the opposing 2-guard in question, I think between NG, RS, and DD, at least one of them can do a manageable job.

The biggest problem with bigger guys guarding smaller guys is foot speed and agility, getting beat off the dribble. Remember, we have two huge shot-blocking machines in AO and AD manning the paint. They don't need to be as concerned about stopping penetration as they might be if it was just AO at center if we never got AD. With their length, and ability to stick closer to their assignment, it's gonna be tough for any shooting guard to get off a good jumper against them. Heck, even if their man gets by them, they'd have a better than average chance at getting a block from behind if the shooting guards see AO or AD and settle for a quick short jumper instead of taking it strong to the rim. Looking around the league, most guards are maxing out at around 6'3"-6'4".

On the other side of the court, how do opposing 2s stop RS and DD? Don't think our guys can drive with a lot of success, but if these guys can hit their jumpers, they'll be a deadly mismatch to any SG just off catch-and-shoots alone. And they can forget about winning the rebounding battle.
 

ctchamps

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I just can't visualize someone with DD's body guarding a 2.

If, for whatever reason, we ended up having to have a 3 defend a 2, I'd have NG (who is essentially a 2) or RS (great defense, can get low) do it before I have a slender freshman do it. Then again, none of us have really seen DD's defensive work enough to make that judgment. I just know NG and RS have the skills to pull it off.

This would be my guess as well. Of course we'll all get to see things first hand if our pre season hunches are correct.

I'm very excited about this season. Not many teams have, on paper at least, the number of potential stars that UConn has. My excitement preseason does not diminish when I examine potential weaknesses with the team. Listing those weaknesses, as well as the teams strengths, allows me to analyze the developments, or failures of developments, of teams.

I felt UConn needed a replacement for CO and was uncertain about Wolf/Bradley being able to fill that role. The addition of AD completely obliterated that concern. I debated the loss of Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. He would have been the second upper class man for this team. I feel the addition of DD more than offsets Jamal Coombs-McDaniel's loss. This is just a gut feeling that the trade offs in skill set will offset the loss regarding experience. I can afford this luxury knowing RS and NG can play the 3 and that the chances are very good one of these three players will offset the loss of Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. And I never felt Jamal Coombs-McDaniel was strong in his ability to encourage other players.

I like the idea that four significant players last season who were freshman are now sophomores. But this is tempered with the history of players going through sophomore slumps. I was concerned about the loss of Kemba and Donnell. This is where I still have my biggest concern. A sophomore Shabazz hopefully will be an upgrade over a very good freshman Shabazz, and RB should be an upgrade over Donnell, but this combo of SN and RB should be a significant downgrade over a junior Kemba, a senior Donnell and a freshman Shabazz. Particularly because Kemba had a extraordinary season that very few college players have or will ever have. If this team does not have any significant troubles with its ball handling or playmaking in the half court I would be mildly surprised even after I've factored in how AD and DD can help Shabazz.

I would like to add the following for some of the posters who might be trying to temper the board's expectations:

I've been following UConn men's bb team a long enough time to know that I'm as frequently surprised, both positively and negatively, about players and seasons, as I am correct about my expectations. The same applies to most posters I would imagine. So it's fun to go into the season debating how things will play out.

If the season doesn't play out as well as I expect, I'm the type of person who won't assign blame to players or the team. I'll try to critique things without the anger and resentment that some people are unable to control. I already know that if the season doesn't play out as well as some fans expect, some of them will need to blame the players or team. This small but vocal group, who insist results fit their expectations, will not consider the reality, and beauty, that futures are uncertain. Nor will they consider that perhaps the problem of failed expectations isn't only about players or teams but resides within them as well.

I've come to realize that these people can only break out of this pattern if they recognize they have this pattern and understand how it doesn't help them or society. No matter what I, or others, may say or do, it is up to these individuals to look in the mirror and determine if what people are saying is true. If a person is not ready to do this, nothing will force them to change. And even if they admit this could be a problem, it is very difficult to overcome bad habits. This holds true with any bad habit including the simple physical bad habits that we often critique players of having.

My advice to those posters who I recognize are trying to offer some restraint in expectations in an attempt to reduce this reaction, is to not let what others think or feel affect your own thoughts or feelings. Especially since others may or may not heed it. And since, from my observation, most of those offering the advice can easily move on if things go wrong, I recommend not overly concerning yourself with these other individuals with regards to how you approach this upcoming season or any season even in the way you write your posts. If you are suggesting restraint to temper yourself, that is a great idea. If you are holding back your expectations out of fear that others lack this control and/or will react negatively in the future if things go wrong, this is not in your best interest.
 
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Fans get angry when their highly rated teams don't perform as expected (seen Red Sox Nation lately), but we have to remember how many of these kids are 18-19 year olds. The praise (media) is going to be quite heavy especially with the early schedule, but they need time to develop.
 
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