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Unfortunately we don't play ECU every game. LOL!I've watched him do it. Not by beating a defender but by taking advantage of an opening and going straight to the hoop.
Unfortunately we don't play ECU every game. LOL!I've watched him do it. Not by beating a defender but by taking advantage of an opening and going straight to the hoop.
Are you talking about the physical capacity to dunk a basketball? Yes, he has the capability to dunk a basketball. Dunking in a game time situation with any defender within 10 feet? No.I've watched him do it. Not by beating a defender but by taking advantage of an opening and going straight to the hoop.
The three recruits are all much more talented than Polley.Polley put on a lot of bulk since last year. Another year of Sal's off season training will do wonders for the kid. He is what it is though. I think he'd be more productive next year but he's not turning into Niels.
Carlton may be the guy who will benefit most from some quality Sal time. He has flashes and getting stronger is the biggest missing component for him.
Jury is still out for Sid for me. He needs size as well, but mostly needs to work on his handle. He seems so full of potential.
Brendan? I'm just not sure what Hurley saw in him. There's hope for a sophomore jump, but he really needs to make a case that he's a D-I player.
Gaffney, Bouknight and Akok all have the glow of highlight videos. I have a healthy skepticism about them until we see them play.
Yesterday's minutes tell us all we need to know about Whaley.
Alterique, assuming he's healthy, which I believe he will be, and CV are going to the engine that drives us.
In short, it's going to be another long season of development next year.
One would hope. Still Polley will be in his third year of D-I ball. That experience matters.The three recruits are all much more talented than Polley.
I don't see Sid playing much 3 unless he improves his handle. He will play some now due to the injuries but I think Bouknight will see time there and he is 6-5 so would be perfect fit in Hurley's system.
Sid I think is closer to 6-6 or 6-7. Either way he has been playing the PF spot all year as a reserve for us except for part of this past game due to injuries and could do the same next year. He has the athletic talent to play PF and with another off season of bulking up could easily stay there. Unless his handle and basketball instincts improve I don't see him starting at SF for us.The 3 is the only position he can really play in college. He doesn’t have the handles or defense to play either guard position and is not even close to big enough to play the 4 at 6’5 180lbs. We get punked a lot down low and that will continue if guys like Sid start at the 4 for us.
I respectively disagree with everything you just said and don't put down "We have all seen", I see something completely different. He stinks.We have all seen Polley do things we like. He can hit the three. He can drive and dunk. He can compete and win on the boards. We know he can do these things.
So I think we are tougher on him when he doesn't do the things we know is capable of. It is more frustrating to watch him miss consecutive open threes. Or stand around on the outside or have the ball taken out of his hands.
I expect he will get better. The question is how much better, how fast, will it be enough make an impact? Or will he stay right where he is Right now, it's just impossible to tell.
Well unless we are playing ECU. LOL!I respectively disagree with everything you just said and don't put down "We have all seen", I see something completely different. He stinks.
I hate to bring facts into it, but he finished two fast breaks in the ECU game, 1 with a layup, 1 with a dunk.Are you talking about the physical capacity to dunk a basketball? Yes, he has the capability to dunk a basketball. Dunking in a game time situation with any defender within 10 feet? No.
He is what he is.
He’s a top-125 type player who lost his freshman year with the rest of these guys.
Don’t know what his ceiling is, but I’d like to see him next year with a full year under Hurley and another offseason in the improved strengthening program.
Sid I think is closer to 6-6 or 6-7. Either way he has been playing the PF spot all year as a reserve for us except for part of this past game due to injuries and could do the same next year. He has the athletic talent to play PF and with another off season of bulking up could easily stay there. Unless his handle and basketball instincts improve I don't see him starting at SF for us.
Polley is never going to be a guy who you want to throw against those type of players, but the problem is that there was nobody on our roster who could stop them. A good/deep roster hides the weaknesses of its players instead of forcing them to play at a disadvantage. Polley does some things well, and has some pronounced weaknesses too. The issue is that we've had no choice but to play him for close to 30 minutes each game.Yeah he’s definitely been playing mainly the 4. One big problem I have is that you can just tell we don’t match up physically with high level teams. Teams like Villanova (Paschall), Syracuse (Brissett), and Iowa (Cook) have big bodies at the 4. Sid simply cannot matchup with those guys, neither can Polley. It’s like watching grown men feast on high schoolers.
You’re coming completely out of left field. What on earth does this have to do with Ollie? Hurley realizes that Polley is an important time of this program’s future, and even if Akok ends up starting at the 4, Polley will be a contributor and bring good things to the table for the next two years. The fact that he’s giving him so many minutes this year and starting to give him the other team’s top defensive assignment says as much. Hurley doesn’t care that Ollie recruited Polley, he sees that Polley has skill and potential and will be a part of the future of UConn basketball.
As for Brendan Adams...he was 100% a Hurley recruit who wasn’t even on UConn’s radar until Hurley took the helm, so I have no idea why you think my claim that BA will be a long-term contributor reflects a “love affair” with Ollie.
There is nothing in my post that is negative about the program. As has been the case consistently ever since Hurley was hired, I have complete confidence in his player development and evaluation abilities. He knows a lot more about basketball than you do, and I’m glad he’s making our player personnel decisions instead of you.
Seriously, what a nonsensical response.
Akok is top 50 recruit while polley is top 175 so of course Akok is going to come with higher expectations. He is also known as a shot blocker which won’t hurt inside. Teams don’t play 2 traditional bigs that much anymore. I didn’t see it last night for Temple who spanked us or Villanova who won it all. We do need more talent at the 4 and that is what Akok is suppose to provide. Expectations for Polley coming in was a bench player but unfortunately due to no healthy talent at the 4 he is needed to start there.Save this thread for next year and substitute the word "Polley" for "Akok". Without additional bigs to help Carlton things won't be much different at the PF position. I believe Akok to be a slight upgrade but too much praise being heaped upon a kid that has not played one minute of college ball and wasn't even the best player on his prep team.
We need better talent...
Everyone right now has seen playing time way before they were ready. Vital has so far shown he has been up for the challenge. Carlton showing signs, all the others have a ways to go.True.
But that is not incompatable with our current players developing into better players capable of help our squad. In fact, that is the nature of college basketball.
I agree. We don't know what his upside is as of yet. In a game last night where we were short due to injuries, he had an opportunity to take more of a lead role on offense. He did drive to the hoop a couple of times, but he could get nothing to go down. He is one of those kids that looks very uncomfortable driving to the hoop but very comfortable as a catch and shoot guy. Although I think that Sid will develop into a better player, I think that Coach Hurley has become fond of Tyler's defensive skills. That may keep him on the floor. We shall see.