I’m telling u. Where gonna miss AGs D more than people realize. Bouk , gaff and cole cud be a revolving door on D. And no way Carlton starts over whalley.
UConn, top 30 team next year.
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Because Kemba was the best player in the country and probably the best college guard of the last decade.
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We are also going to have 13 scholarship players active next season compared to 10 this season. I am pretty sure that via instruction and dozens of practices, Bouk, Gaffney and Cole will learn how to play D effectively. We will also be much deeper with Cole and Springs eligible, plus we gain back a scholarship we didn't have this season. A transfer big guard and/or big man will further solidify this roster.
No one guy will make up what we lose in Vital. But the roster will be much deeper, and the overall talent level continues to rise.
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Yeah but look at UConn from the 2010 season. Kemba was on that team, started every game, and Kemba didn't know how to lead yet so the team stunk. The best basketball player of the last decade made the NIT because of lack of leadership. It was not a talent issue.
Losing Vital, even though his skillset is not comparable, will be a much bigger loss than we anticipate UNLESS somebody steps up big time from a leadership perspective.
Yup. I’m cool with that. Just saying. Let’s temper expectations. Pinning a lot on cole. We don’t really have a solid ball handler. And please don’t say Badams or Gaffney right now. Hopefully Gaffney improves
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Vital struggled for a lot of the season. He became a leader at the end of the season but we lost a bunch of games at the end we should have won because he was taking bad shots and AG was turning it over. This isn't remotely a Kemba leaving for the NBA type of deal. Our season was on the brink and CV stepped his game and leadership up but you're comparing him to a guy who had one of the all-time great seasons anywhere and put a bunch of freshmen on his back all season and carried them to a national title.
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I'm not drinking, I just can't type.
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Ha not you, just who you're responding to
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Agreed...why would they redshirt him?
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I think it is very possible that Tyler Polley starts at the 3 or the 4, Dude has started every game since he's been here. Hurley wants to play 4 out and Tyler is a 40% 3 point shooter which opens the floor up. I think Tyler had finally grabbed hold of playing tough and aggressive, grabbing rebounds, playing more physical ball. We have that one game snapshot of him putting it all together and then BAM he was gone, but to repeat, I think he finally put it all together, which he needed to do in order to stay on the floor. If, he comes back the same player I see him starting.
1 RJ Cole
2 Gaffney or Bouknight
3 Bouknight or Jackson or Polley
4 Polley or Whaley
5 Carlton ( need to establish rim protection and scoring inside
and he has the best size and post moves)
Definite starters:
RJ Cole at he 1
Bouknight at the 2 or 3
Polley at the 3 or 4
Carlton at the 5
Gaffney, Jackson, or Whaley may earn a starting position, but I think just one of these players with the four listed above.
This is based on the roster we have today, we'll have to wait and see what happens. Sure do like the prospect of Landers Nolley joining the team.
Boneyard speculation to while away my time.
1 RJ Cole
2 Gaffney or Bouknight
3 Bouknight or Jackson or Polley
4 Polley or Whaley
5 Carlton ( need to establish rim protection and scoring inside
and he has the best size and post moves)
Definite starters:
RJ Cole at he 1
Bouknight at the 2 or 3
Polley at the 3 or 4
Carlton at the 5
Gaffney, Jackson, or Whaley may earn a starting position, but I think just one of these players with the four listed above.
This is based on the roster we have today, we'll have to wait and see what happens. Sure do like the prospect of Landers Nolley joining the team.
Boneyard speculation to while away my time.
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Losing CV will hurt yes, but comparing him to losing Kemba is ridiculous. We weren’t even a sure NIT team until we beat houston.
With hurley being a defensive minded coach I’m sure he would rather take the 3 guys with offensive skills and get them out there and get them scoring, then he can work to improve them as a defensive unit
With hurley being a defensive minded coach I’m sure he would rather take the 3 guys with offensive skills and get them out there and get them scoring, then he can work to improve them as a defensive unit
Huskyforlife
Akokbouk
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You'd have to have a lot of blind faith in Cole or Jackson to believe we're a pre season top 30 team.
UconnU
If he blocks 100, he blocks 100
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I like Polley’s size and shooting, especially in transition, but I don’t view him as a shoe in to start. He really struggles rebounding the ball.
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Gaffney will be stronger and more confident as a Soph and Cole averaged over 6 assists his first two years in D1. Yes, it was a bad conference, but he had big games against Georgetown and other good teams. Point guard isn't an area of concern, at least for me.
My concerns are at the 4 and 5. Isiah played great down the stretch. Perhaps he can maintain that? I'm not sure anyone knows. Josh just seemed lackluster this season despite similar numbers from the year before. Polley and Akok are question marks in terms of timing and productivity. Springs hasn't played a minute of college ball and Javonte may be a project. I have no idea what's up with Sid.
If a few of the 4s/5s play well it could be a good run, because I think we are loaded at the 1 through 3.
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Thank you for agreeing with me. We didn’t start winning games until this happened. Now I mentioned several seasons where not having a leader led to disappointing seasons. My concern is not having a leader next year.
I appreciate you calling me a drunk and trying to make fun of me for having a legitimate point backed up by recent uconn examples.
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I called you a drunk and made fun of you?
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RJ Cole is going to blow the doors off what a lot of people are expecting on this board.
I fully expect 16-17 PPG shooting 40% from 3 and 6 APG. Anyone who calls this prediction crazy can feel free to call me out this time next year. This man is the truth.
uconnbill
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They are not close to the same, that is a fact. CV played very well the past three weeks, while Kemba played as good as any player in the nation and was a First Team All American and received votes for player of the year. Kemba averaged 26.7 points per game as a junior and was second to Jimmer in player of the year "He should have won it." He won the Bob Cousy award and the MVP of the NCAA Tournament.
Vital is a First Team All-AAC but no one has him as a All-American or any other awards.
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I think the BY is very suspect on him because some of his high school game videos that were posted here. He played on an unwatchable, disorganized team which made him and everyone else on the court look bad. But he has some gifts with size, length, a quick jump and some skills with the ball. I think he will make a positive impact as a freshman. He will be in a structured setting with a clear role of finishing, rebounding and blocking shots and nothing more as a freshman.
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It's much easier to teach defense than scoring. And Hurley is a damn good teacher. Love Al, but give me RJ every time.
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This put a smile on my face. You calling RJ 'the truth' 6 months before the season starts. I'm with ya though, here's to RJ filling the leadership role, being a floor general, and putting up good numbers.
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Why are you comparing the two?
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He didn’t call you drunk someone else did, but again comparing the best player in the nation to CV is not a good comparison and that’s why your getting so much flack.
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With only one true center (I see Whaley as a 4/5 who might struggle against bigger players, even though I loved his improvement this year) and Akok possibly out for the year, I don't see any way Brown-Ferguson would redshirt. Even if is only a role player, he will be valuable off the bench.
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I didn’t compare the two as players I compared 2020-21 to the four disappointing seasons in UConn recent history after a leader left. Boneyard is boneyardin hard today. I stand by my take
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Just want to let you know that only two guys from high major conferences put up numbers like that in the last 10 years...
2017-18: Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham
Accolades: Consensus first-team All-American, Big 12 Player of the Year, First-team All-Big 12
2015-16: Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine
Accolades: AP Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, Consensus first-team All-American, Julius Erving Award winner, Lute Olson Award winner, Big Ten Player of the Year, First-team All-Big Ten
I sincerely hope that you are right.
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If you wanted to make that point you just picked a bad example is all. I think hurley has spoke glowingly about Rj cole as a leader and this team is also a bit more humble than the teams you mentioned. The 2012 team was coming off a chip and feeling themselves heavy. You think this team is going to be anything but hungry?
Huskyforlife
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I wouldn't want to call you out, I really hope you're right. It just seems very unlikely.
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