Undersized at the 3, Crowded at the 4

[Husky25]

As will pretty much every team except one.

Not the point. Do you think UConn is even in the discussion?

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm not sure what you're talking about, we're arguing that we don't have quick wings. You're saying we do. Diarra is not the point. Diarra is more of a Yakwe, Cobb type defensively. Polley is the closest we have to a wing and he's not there yet to guard mobile bigs.

Actually Kwintin is the closest we have in athleticism, but well you know....

I feel like Hurley is going to ride the hot hand at the 3-5 the rest of the season. No one’s minutes are safe!

 

[AdamaNation]

Wilson is 6’8” with a handle? Why do we get caught up in 3/4? Our lineup has a million permutations but he can be on the floor with Polley if we are up against a big lineup, if he can rebound. If he can’t hold onto the ball or turns it over the guards are going to play more the way I see it. Hurley will figure out the best way to go, it’s why he gets the big bucks.

Yes. We have a lot of options with lineups now. Big. Small. Fast. Defense. Offense. Three point shooting. Free throws. Zone. Press. I like the unpopularity of an adams -Wilson -Polley -Diarra/Whaley/Cobb -Carlton/Cobb lineup if we need to go big.

 

[Hurleyman216]

You guys are over complicating things here...in college ball over the past 10 years or so there isn’t much difference between the 3 and the 4 positions. The days of having Okafor playing center and Armstrong playing the 4 are long gone. The name of the game is getting as many guys on the floor that can hit a 3 as possible

 

[jibsey]

You guys are over complicating things here...in college ball over the past 10 years or so there isn’t much difference between the 3 and the 4 positions. The days of having Okafor playing center and Armstrong playing the 4 are long gone. The name of the game is getting as many guys on the floor that can hit a 3 as possible

Agree. Rebound and hit a 3. We had an uptick in 3 point shooting but then went cold. I still have concerns over Gilbert, Vital and Jalen’s %’s there because of all the time they have to get on the floor.

 

[bendm]

most championship level teams still play a traditionally sized 4 and 5 together. i'm sure there are many more examples from the past 2 seasons but here are a few from memory:

Last Year
Nova: paschal and spellman
Duke: bagley and carter
Purdue: edwards and haas
Arizona: ristic and ayton
A&M: williams and davis

This Year
Kansas: lawson and azabuike
Kentucky: travis and washington
MSU: ward and goins
Oregon: wooten and bol
Gonzaga: hachimura and tillie (once back from injury)
duke: not included b/c zion is a freak of nature

everyone should root for wilson and diarra to develop enough to take vital and polley's starting spots by the end of the year.

not only would they match up better defensively with the aforementioned teams, but as former top 100 four-star recruits, they SHOULD have higher ceilings than vital and polley.

i hope hurley can bring out the best in them.

 

[intlzncster]

I hear you there are certainly times CV drives me crazy with his shot selection, I'm just kind of indifferent on Polley. Here's to hoping he proves me wrong

You stole my avatar

Ha, I think I edited one for @scdono the day it came out!

Wanted just the Championships and only Hurley in there.

 

[Scrutineer]

Sid is nowhere near 6'8 and he's impossibly skinny.

Saw him up close as he left the floor at halftime of the UMKC game and he looks like he has a 36 inch chest. Was he actually in a weight program for the past year and a half?

 

[intlzncster]

Jeez I wish we could be more like our 2014 team when Herculean Monster muscle Freshman Amida Brimah, Phil "Charles Atlas" Nolan, and Deandre "Human Growth Hormone" Daniels comprised our 4 and 5 front line rotation and out muscled and Body Slammed the front lines of the biggest teams in the country en route to a title.

I miss that interior strength!

Shabazz's don't grow on trees tho

 

[intlzncster]

You guys are over complicating things here...in college ball over the past 10 years or so there isn’t much difference between the 3 and the 4 positions. The days of having Okafor playing center and Armstrong playing the 4 are long gone. The name of the game is getting as many guys on the floor that can hit a 3 as possible

I like the old maximum: put your best 5 on the court and let the opponent adjust.

 

[intlzncster]

Saw him up close as he left the floor at halftime of the UMKC game and he looks like he has a 36 inch chest. Was he actually in a weight program for the past year and a half?

Before Sal they lost weight.

 

[August_West]

Shabazz's don't grow on trees tho

Neither do Kembas.

but somehow 3 years after that once in a lifetime ride another dynamic guard managed to do it.

 

[intlzncster]

Neither do Kembas.

but somehow 3 years after that once in a lifetime ride another dynamic guard managed to do it.

cough...Gilbert...cough

 

[August_West]

cough...Gilbert...cough

especially when combined with Jalen.

Wish those 2 had another full year together. Its a crime that they were denied two together already.

 

[intlzncster]

especially when combined with Jalen.

Wish those 2 had another full year together. Its a crime that they were denied two together already.

Exactly. On the one hand, I'd love to see AG with 2 yrs experience and Jalen with 4 going at it this year. Would be one of our best back courts ever.

On the other hand, I'm glad we get 4 years (hopefully) of AG with Hurley, instead of only 2.

 

[August_West]

Exactly. On the one hand, I'd love to see AG with 2 yrs experience and Jalen with 4 going at it this year. Would be one of our best back courts ever.

On the other hand, I'm glad we get 4 years (hopefully) of AG with Hurley, instead of only 2.

Did AG get a 2nd redshirt?

I think he is technically a So. now?

Im sure he could make a compelling case for an additional year of eligibilty without issue, but will he? 6 years on campus?

Would be nice. I cant fathom that happening.

 

[3rdbass]

I'm not sure what you're talking about, we're arguing that we don't have quick wings. You're saying we do. Diarra is not the point. Diarra is more of a Yakwe, Cobb type defensively. Polley is the closest we have to a wing and he's not there yet to guard mobile bigs.

Actually Kwintin is the closest we have in athleticism, but well you know....

Diarra is more athletic than Yakwe and definitely more coordinated. Doesn't mean he could have covered Tyler Cook either but I like my chances with him over Yakwe. If he can cut down on his fouls and play smarter position defense he could be our athletic big man stopper. Right now we don't have one on the team.

Either way I think you are missing the point. It didn't matter who was covering Tyler Cook as he was going to get his points against any of our defenders(big or small). He was tearing Polley apart in the game and none of the bigs had a prayer to keep up with on his layups. You just have to go with you best five players(wings and guard in Uconn's case with Carlton/Polley at center)even if it is a smaller lineup and hope for the best on the defensive side.

 

[intlzncster]

Did AG get a 2nd redshirt?

I think he is technically a So. now?

Im sure he could make a compelling case for an additional year of eligibilty without issue, but will he? 6 years on campus?

Would be nice. I cant fathom that happening.

He'll easily qualify for a 6th year if he wants it; I know counting on the NCAA for anything is foolhardy, but I'd be shocked if he didn't get it.

Nobody knows what the situation will be or what his plans are for that year. If we have a shot at a National Championship, maybe he comes back?

 

[3rdbass]

most championship level teams still play a traditionally sized 4 and 5 together. i'm sure there are many more examples from the past 2 seasons but here are a few from memory:

Last Year
Nova: paschal and spellman
Duke: bagley and carter
Purdue: edwards and haas
Arizona: ristic and ayton
A&M: williams and davis

This Year
Kansas: lawson and azabuike
Kentucky: travis and washington
MSU: ward and goins
Oregon: wooten and bol
Gonzaga: hachimura and tillie (once back from injury)
duke: not included b/c zion is a freak of nature

everyone should root for wilson and diarra to develop enough to take vital and polley's starting spots by the end of the year.

not only would they match up better defensively with the aforementioned teams, but as former top 100 four-star recruits, they SHOULD have higher ceilings than vital and polley.

i hope hurley can bring out the best in them.

I wouldn't call them traditional bigs in size or skill. Paschal was about 6'5" and 205 and Spellman offense was more at the 3 point line.

 

[intlzncster]

Diarra is more athletic than Yakwe and definitely more coordinated. Doesn't mean he could have covered Tyler Cook either but I like my chances with him over Yakwe. If he can cut down on his fouls and play smarter position defense he could be our athletic big man stopper. Right now we don't have one on the team.

Either way I think you are missing the point. It didn't matter who was covering Tyler Cook as he was going to get his points against any of our defenders(big or small). He was tearing Polley apart in the game and none of the bigs had a prayer to keep up with on his layups. You just have to go with you best five players(wings and guard in Uconn's case with Carlton/Polley at center)even if it is a smaller lineup and hope for the best on the defensive side.

Some guys are just tough to guard no matter what. The kid's pretty damn good. It is what it is.

 

[bendm]

I wouldn't call them traditional bigs in size or skill. Paschal was about 6'5" and 205 and Spellman offense was more at the 3 point line.

you're slicing the bologna really thin here but paschal is listed 6'8 255

 

[Jay-Bone]

@MDHuskFan @3rdbass I'll repeat, we have a bunch of guards, we have a bunch of plodding PF's. We have no 6-5 to 6-7 athletic presence. Wilson isn't there yet. Polley is not nearly quick or strong enough. Really difficult to compete that way. 4 guard lineup got bitch slapped again. Not sure why the boneyard has such a hard time realizing that.

 

[Jay-Bone]

You guys are over complicating things here...in college ball over the past 10 years or so there isn’t much difference between the 3 and the 4 positions.

Wrong, glaringly wrong, egregiously wrong.

 

[Jay-Bone]

Diarra is more athletic than Yakwe and definitely more coordinated. Doesn't mean he could have covered Tyler Cook either but I like my chances with him over Yakwe. If he can cut down on his fouls and play smarter position defense he could be our athletic big man stopper. Right now we don't have one on the team.

Either way I think you are missing the point. It didn't matter who was covering Tyler Cook as he was going to get his points against any of our defenders(big or small). He was tearing Polley apart in the game and none of the bigs had a prayer to keep up with on his layups. You just have to go with you best five players(wings and guard in Uconn's case with Carlton/Polley at center)even if it is a smaller lineup and hope for the best on the defensive side.

Put Terrence Mann on our team and then I think you'll start to understand.

 

[AdamaNation]

Polley may be shooting the ball well on the year but in the games I put the most credence in (Syracuse & Iowa) he shot 5/14 collectively compared to CV's 7/13. Shots when you're up 20 and shots when it matters are not created equal.

Personally, add that with my opinion of Polley defensively, and I'd rather see AG, JA, CV/Tarin, Sid, Cobb on the court. If that doesn't work try Sid at the 3 & if that doesn't work leave him on the bench. Just my 2 cents

With mo back we can do this as we are not so thin upfront anymore.