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- Nov 26, 2011
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Got a chance to go to First Night and sat in section 110 just a few rows back from Team Geno's bench. Just a few observation from seeing them live. Don't have comments on every player but just some things that stood out:
1) Phil Nolan looks noticeably bigger! Which was great to see. I know a lot of people have pegged Kentan Facey as the starter replacing Nolan, but Nolan is one of our biggest guys on the whole team and is the most experienced player in the front court. I also noticed him and Rubin sometimes agreeing to stop playing defense and let the the other guy just dunk. It was good to see Nolan just have a great attitude about the scrimmage. He was smiling, having fun and passing, no sense of ego from that guy (can't say that about everyone on the team). Looks to be a great team player; bodes well if we get Diamond Stone!
2) Kentan Facey: Looks fast and has great hops for a big guy. Looks a little bigger than last year but not much. He gives an option at the 4 to play a very fast and athletic lineup with Boatright at the 1, Purvis at the 2, Hamilton at 3, and Brimah at the 5; would be a really fun lineup to watch!
3) Boatright: Just the established leader on the team. Got the loudest ovation during player introduction. Great to see him having fun during the scrimmage. Also looks to be a little bigger than last year. Aside from that couldn't really tell much from the game besides the obvious: great handle, hops, penetration but all of that is hard to judge during this type of scrimmage. Had some great no look lobs. He will be fun to watch lead the fast break because he has the option to throw it down (which is always awesome to see from a little guy) or drop a SC top 10 kind of ally oop pass. Looks like he is developing a good connection with Brimah on those no look ally oop passes! Can't wait to see him run the floor and dish the dimes during the regular season (Full disclosure he is my favorite player on the team!)
4) Purvis: The ally oop from Moriah OH MY! He got up there and had to reach really far back to get it. The guy is simply a physical specimen. Big guard with great speed and hops!
5) Hamilton: More athletic than what I thought he would be when I saw him dunk on the fast break. Has really good handle for a guy his height. Also had good floor presence and vision with the no look ally oop pass off the backboard to Brimah! That was very impressive. Can't take too much from this game but with him at the 3 he really gives Ollie the option to run the offense at full speed with his ability to dribble at his height.
6) Omar: Good to see him dunk the ball and attempt another dunk later in the game (which he couldn't finish). Won't comment on his shot or dribble. I will say I am cheering for him, but to be honest I just can't see him get too many minutes with all the other options in the back court. I hope I am wrong, I really want him to do well. I think he will get a lot of playing time during the beginning of the season to prove himself but if he doesn't his playing time will likely mirror that of last season.
7), 8), 9), 10) All go to Brimah: Wow. The baseline turn around fade away swoosh! The way he runs on the court for a big man. His ability to finish any pass within 10 feet of the rim with a dunk (I know I am exaggerating a bit here)! Game saving block on Purvis (even if it was just a scrimmage don't think for a second Purvis was not trying his best to score there). He was up off the bench yelling and cheering for Rakim when Rakim got his first bucket; Brimah was smiling the whole game. All of that was awesome to see. I know that First night was just a fun scrimmage but being there so close to the court you could just feel and see that Brimah is going to be a special player. It wasn't just me who noticed. Ray Allen went up to him after the game and gave a pep talk, I saw Ray pointing at him while talking to Amida, and it looked like Brimah was just soaking it all in. I have no idea what Ray told him, but I have a feeling that ray was telling him he has the chance to be a special player and will be a very important piece in UCONN's title defense and overall future (something along those lines).
Overall great atmosphere especially during the intros and when Ray Allen was introduced. Energy kind of died down a bit when the lights came on for the scrimmage, and a lot of the students left at halftime. Would have loved to have seen a dunk contest with Boatright, Purvis, Facey, but I still give First Night an A overall! Glad I went.
1) Phil Nolan looks noticeably bigger! Which was great to see. I know a lot of people have pegged Kentan Facey as the starter replacing Nolan, but Nolan is one of our biggest guys on the whole team and is the most experienced player in the front court. I also noticed him and Rubin sometimes agreeing to stop playing defense and let the the other guy just dunk. It was good to see Nolan just have a great attitude about the scrimmage. He was smiling, having fun and passing, no sense of ego from that guy (can't say that about everyone on the team). Looks to be a great team player; bodes well if we get Diamond Stone!
2) Kentan Facey: Looks fast and has great hops for a big guy. Looks a little bigger than last year but not much. He gives an option at the 4 to play a very fast and athletic lineup with Boatright at the 1, Purvis at the 2, Hamilton at 3, and Brimah at the 5; would be a really fun lineup to watch!
3) Boatright: Just the established leader on the team. Got the loudest ovation during player introduction. Great to see him having fun during the scrimmage. Also looks to be a little bigger than last year. Aside from that couldn't really tell much from the game besides the obvious: great handle, hops, penetration but all of that is hard to judge during this type of scrimmage. Had some great no look lobs. He will be fun to watch lead the fast break because he has the option to throw it down (which is always awesome to see from a little guy) or drop a SC top 10 kind of ally oop pass. Looks like he is developing a good connection with Brimah on those no look ally oop passes! Can't wait to see him run the floor and dish the dimes during the regular season (Full disclosure he is my favorite player on the team!)
4) Purvis: The ally oop from Moriah OH MY! He got up there and had to reach really far back to get it. The guy is simply a physical specimen. Big guard with great speed and hops!
5) Hamilton: More athletic than what I thought he would be when I saw him dunk on the fast break. Has really good handle for a guy his height. Also had good floor presence and vision with the no look ally oop pass off the backboard to Brimah! That was very impressive. Can't take too much from this game but with him at the 3 he really gives Ollie the option to run the offense at full speed with his ability to dribble at his height.
6) Omar: Good to see him dunk the ball and attempt another dunk later in the game (which he couldn't finish). Won't comment on his shot or dribble. I will say I am cheering for him, but to be honest I just can't see him get too many minutes with all the other options in the back court. I hope I am wrong, I really want him to do well. I think he will get a lot of playing time during the beginning of the season to prove himself but if he doesn't his playing time will likely mirror that of last season.
7), 8), 9), 10) All go to Brimah: Wow. The baseline turn around fade away swoosh! The way he runs on the court for a big man. His ability to finish any pass within 10 feet of the rim with a dunk (I know I am exaggerating a bit here)! Game saving block on Purvis (even if it was just a scrimmage don't think for a second Purvis was not trying his best to score there). He was up off the bench yelling and cheering for Rakim when Rakim got his first bucket; Brimah was smiling the whole game. All of that was awesome to see. I know that First night was just a fun scrimmage but being there so close to the court you could just feel and see that Brimah is going to be a special player. It wasn't just me who noticed. Ray Allen went up to him after the game and gave a pep talk, I saw Ray pointing at him while talking to Amida, and it looked like Brimah was just soaking it all in. I have no idea what Ray told him, but I have a feeling that ray was telling him he has the chance to be a special player and will be a very important piece in UCONN's title defense and overall future (something along those lines).
Overall great atmosphere especially during the intros and when Ray Allen was introduced. Energy kind of died down a bit when the lights came on for the scrimmage, and a lot of the students left at halftime. Would have loved to have seen a dunk contest with Boatright, Purvis, Facey, but I still give First Night an A overall! Glad I went.