UConn Secret Scrimmage

[Balker]

When was the last time the front court was a core part of the UConn offense? Okafor?

 

[aburks41]

When was the last time the front court was a core part of the UConn offense? Okafor?

Thabeet and Jeff Adrien

 

[Waquoit]

This is not helping me temper my Sanogo enthusiasm.

 

[PChoops]

This frontcourt is gonna murder the Big East. There's not many teams who are gonna have the size to match us, and that's before we even bring Akok and Johnson off the bench

Seton Hall, Xavier and PC have the height to compete with UConn on the boards. I don't know about the rest of the league.

 

[aburks41]

Seton Hall, Xavier and PC have the height to compete with UConn on the boards. I don't know about the rest of the league.

They may have the height but they don’t have the skill or depth to keep up with us.

 

[Balker]

Thabeet and Jeff Adrien

Yeah I suppose that was comparable. Maybe more defense oriented than this unit. The depth in the front court is potentially well beyond anything I can recall though.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

This is not helping me temper my Sanogo enthusiasm.

All I want is for Sanogo to be that guy we haven’t had in a while, where opposing teams unequivocally know that their front court will be in foul trouble all night. We’ve been on the opposite side of that for way too long.

 

[Chief00]

All I want is for Sanogo to be that guy we haven’t had in a while, where opposing teams unequivocally know that their front court will be in foul trouble all night. We’ve been on the opposite side of that for way too long.

Adama has prepared himself well for success. Very proud of him and respect his work ethic.

 

[auror]

They may have the height but they don’t have the skill or depth to keep up with us.

Hall has the defensive upside (Yetna + Obiagu, although not sure what to make of Yetna post injuries, but Obiagu is still huge). Xavier has good offensive bigs in Freemantle and Nunge, but they're both a bit of turnstiles. Watson is skilled, but I've always thought he's a bit soft on the boards and on D.

 

[Chin Diesel]

UConn has more talent than Nova. Nova has the backcourt edge, UConn has a big frontcourt edge. I think Nova's top 5 ranking everywhere and UConn being borderline top 25/unranked is based on Nova being so great in recent years and UConn being poor in recent years. I don't subscribe to Nova clearly being the best team in the league this year.

Fortunately they'll have at least two head to head match ups to figure it out for realz.

 

[Chin Diesel]

AJ at about 22 mpg and averaging 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals or so would be very good for him. Just a straight up box score filler across the categories.

 

[QuickDraw]

Fortunately they'll have at least two head to head match ups to figure it out for realz.

as long as I don't have to watch Gillespie post up Cole successfully over & over again. It was painful to watch.

 

[mauconnfan]

as long as I don't have to watch Gillespie post up Cole successfully over & over again. It was painful to watch.

That will be on the staff to make adjustments in preparation of the same focus by Wright. Will see we can’t leave him or even Gaff on their own little island again.

 

[tomtom80]

Is there a box score available somewhere ?

 

[Improviser]

Maybe AJ can guard Gillespie.

AJ is taller and has long arms and defensive skills, so for at least some minutes at critical times in the game , that might help, even for some ball denial defense.

Gillespie is more of a penetrator than a shooter.

 

[Chin Diesel]

as long as I don't have to watch Gillespie post up Cole successfully over & over again. It was painful to watch.

Yes. That was coaching malfeasance by DH and staff to not make any adjustments on that. At least this year there should be other options.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Is there a box score available somewhere ?

Yes, but it's a secret.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That will be on the staff to make adjustments in preparation of the same focus by Wright. Will see we can’t leave him or even Gaff on their own little island again.

Maybe AJ can guard Gillespie.

AJ is taller and has long arms and defensive skills, so for at least some minutes at critical times in the game , that might help, even for some ball denial defense.

Gillespie is more of a penetrator than a shooter.

Good thought. It will come down to discipline by Jax to not go for any pump fakes and not leave his feet until Gillespie leaves his feet. And Jax should have enough length to stay far enough away so Gillespie can't just duck the shoulder in to his chest and draw the foul.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

If CF Jr can show other reasons to be on the floor, he might be able to body-up Gillespie; time will tell.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah I suppose that was comparable. Maybe more defense oriented than this unit. The depth in the front court is potentially well beyond anything I can recall though.

In 06, Boone and Armstrong started at the bigs. We brought Adrien and Ed Nelson in off the bench, and could also swing Rudy Gay to the 4 so Denham and Rash Anderson could be on the floor together as wings.

We could conceivably have that kind of depth this year. Or, if Samson isn’t there yet and Akok isn’t the same after the Achilles, we could have little depth at all beyond Polley or Martin playing the 4. Time will tell.

 

[Chin Diesel]

If CF Jr can show other reasons to be on the floor, he might be able to body-up Gillespie; time will tell.

That's the problem. If you body him up, Gillespie will go all Dodgeball on you with ducks, dips, dives, etc until he draws a foul. Length and patience to me is better than trying body him up.

 

[Hankster]

as long as I don't have to watch Gillespie post up Cole successfully over & over again. It was painful to watch.

Wasn't Gillespie the one who's push offs were so obvious even Hellen Keller blew the whistle?

 

[CL82]

Yes, but it's a secret.

Yes, but you need to have a decoder ring to be able to read it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Yes, but you need to have a decoder ring to be able to read it.

 

[Mooch82]

Yes. That was coaching malfeasance by DH and staff to not make any adjustments on that. At least this year there should be other options.

The issue is Moore likes to post up too, and he’s bigger than Gillespie. So if you want Cole in the game, he needs to guard one of them. Unless you adjust the strategy to double quicker or go zone.