Vital

[ctchamps]

That happened in front of me. Vital was on the wing in front of our bench. Rodney was on the opposite wing. Ollie told Vital to move to the other side. As Vital was moving Rodney waved him away, so Vital went back to his corner and Jalen yelled at him to move. Vital tried again and Rodney waived him off.

Not worried about chemistry problems. Jalen was just exhausted and lost his composure and ability to run the team. Won't happen with a healthy Gilbert. Wish Jalen had Rodney's or Kentan's stamina. Hopefully that will develop.


Vital is a gutsy player. Probably would get more playing time if he managed to overcome some of his tendencies to be careless. He still loses his player on defense. I'm nitpicking because he is far ahead of where he should be as a freshman, even one forced into more playing time.

 

[gtcam]

Without CV - the game is really a huge question if UConn pulls it out - as far as I am concerned he was the co MVP with RP (RP 1st half, CV 2nd half)
The kid was HUGE
What is going on with VJ? He looks lost offensively the past 3 games - yes he does some other things but he is not even looking for his shot and seems to only shoot when KO or Ricky M yell at him to shoot from the bench
I am counting on big things from VJ
Also, I like seeing glimpses of really good thing from JD - he needs to slam the ball near the hoop rather than trying to finesse it in

 

[husky429]

Without CV - the game is really a huge question if UConn pulls it out - as far as I am concerned he was the co MVP with RP (RP 1st half, CV 2nd half)
The kid was HUGE
What is going on with VJ? He looks lost offensively the past 3 games - yes he does some other things but he is not even looking for his shot and seems to only shoot when KO or Ricky M yell at him to shoot from the bench
I am counting on big things from VJ
Also, I like seeing glimpses of really good thing from JD - he needs to slam the ball near the hoop rather than trying to finesse it in

I think Durham's finishing is just coming down to strength at this point. He's just so, so weak.

He made a few gorgeous, gorgeous, moves yesterday, and just can't finish because any nudge knock him off his spot. If I recall he had a nice shot fake, one dribble, used the rim to protect the shot, and just blew the layup.

Get this kid in the gym over the summer, coach! If he can come in a 225lb+ without losing athleticism, we'd be in a good spot. I know that's tough to do, but if he gets on the right diet and works, it seems like he has a better frame than Amida or Kentan did their first year.

 

[mauconnfan]

Without CV - the game is really a huge question if UConn pulls it out - as far as I am concerned he was the co MVP with RP (RP 1st half, CV 2nd half)
The kid was HUGE
What is going on with VJ? He looks lost offensively the past 3 games - yes he does some other things but he is not even looking for his shot and seems to only shoot when KO or Ricky M yell at him to shoot from the bench
I am counting on big things from VJ
Also, I like seeing glimpses of really good thing from JD - he needs to slam the ball near the hoop rather than trying to finesse it in

Vance is now running into defense who know he's shooting it 50% the last 10 games or so and they are playing him hard. His defensive guy will now be a pretty good one who is told not to let him shoot the ball. He needs to get his dribble more refined and his first step quicker he can do that. His ball fake, with no rush in the corner off of a Rodney pass with little time left on the shot clock, was a thing of beauty. He took his time and drilled the big 3. He's got it, just needs to learn what the defenses will be trowing at him and figure out what he needs to work on.

And also agree with 429 above, Durham may have missed those shots but his ability to make those plays will be huge. He's showing what he will be finishing with time.

 

[gtcam]

Vance is now running into defense who know he's shooting it 50% the last 10 games or so and they are playing him hard. His defensive guy will now be a pretty good one who is told not to let him shoot the ball. He needs to get his dribble more refined and his first step quicker he can do that. His ball fake, with no rush in the corner off of a Rodney pass with little time left on the shot clock, was a thing of beauty. He took his time and drilled the big 3. He's got it, just needs to learn what the defenses will be trowing at him and figure out what he needs to work on.

And also agree with 429 above, Durham may have missed those shots but his ability to make those plays will be huge. He's showing what he will be finishing with time.

I agree Mau that teams are paying more attention to him but I have seen numerous occasions in the past few games where he didn't even look to shoot when he had the chance.
I wasn't at the So Fla game Wed (gave my tickets to my son) but my son said that both coaches were imploring him to not give up his shot
When RP, CV and JA are hitting their shots as they were Wed and yesterday, VJ will see open opportunities
VJ, CV and JH have bright futures

 

[Matrim55]

I agree Mau that teams are paying more attention to him but I have seen numerous occasions in the past few games where he didn't even look to shoot when he had the chance.

I think we can chalk it up to two things:
1) Obviously he's slumping a bit, as happens to all players from time to time
2) When we take bad shots, we die

We're not a good offensive rebounding team & we're a bad defensive team in transition. So our guys are uber-keyed in on avoiding the types of shots that can lead to break-outs in the other direct. For a couple of guys – but mostly Vance – this has meant they're a little bit gun-shy, and that's largely a factor of inexperience/lack of understanding the feel for the game.

Personally, I'd rather have him approach things in that way, since early shots & transition points KILLED us in November and December. And if we continue to move the ball so well, he'll get plenty of looks in rhythm, and he'll start to hoist a little bit more again.

Also, I expect him to work on his release in the offseason. Try to get it a little higher and a little faster.

 

[husky429]

Vital last 5 games:

14ppg
5 RPG
2.6 APG
1.4 Steals
.8 TO

87% FT
48FG%
53 3P%

Do I realistically expect this to continue? No.
Is this better than I thought his CEILING would be as senior when he first committed here? Yes.

Great play by a freshman that no one really expected. He will be a pleasure for the next 3 years. If he can be a bit less athletic Rodney Purvis, with a few less silly turnover per game, we could win some very tough games. He is the type of hidden gem that teams like Kansas have used to stay in the top 25 for years.

Terrific surprise. With Jalen gone after next year most likely, and having basically two sophomores running the point (and probably another freshman guard if Ollie's history recruiting is any indication), having a steady veteran hand will be immeasurable.

If he tightens up the handle and works on finishing, watch out.

Seems like a pretty smart kid too.

 

[sammydabiz]

He's a gritty dude, a throwback calhoun guy for sure. He's not the best on the squad, but he's slowly becoming my favorite player.

 

[UConnStats]

Vital: .368 3P, 5.1 REB, 2.7 AST, and 1.8 STL Per 40, 79% FT, 106.6 ORtg, 99.2 DRtg, 18.3% usage, 1.8 WS (so far)

Freshman Boatright: .377 3P, 4.4 REB, 5.3 AST, and 1.5 STL Per 40, 69% FT, 106.4 ORtg, 103.2 DRtg, 21.2% usage, 2.2 WS

Vital obviously has the ball in his hands less and plays less PG, but their offensive efficiency was nearly identical as freshman. CV has better size and is a pesky defender already in his own right. Vital doesn't have the extra gear that Boat could kick into, but I think almost everyone in America underestimated Vital's potential.

 

[boog204]

Vital's last 6 games --> 14-4-3 and 19-36 from 3. What a freaking great late signee. Thanks, as always, to Dave Rice's complete incompetence as a coach.

 

[ctchamps]

The fact the kid stayed in the game after the collision with Jalen is remarkable. He definitely took the worst of it. This team deserved that win. They didn't give up.

 

[superjohn]

He's the toughest kid on the team and I get the feeling he's the one they listen to when it matters.

 

[3rdbass]

I love how he and JA are arguing at each other during the game. Reminds me of of SN and RB. Two alpha dogs.

 

[huskyniner]

Future team captain.

 

[UChusky916]

Very likely we have this kid for 3 more years. That's simply amazing.

 

[noeynox]

Kid doesn't get rattled, he is tough, doesn't hang his head when a teammate gives him a tongue lashing. NYC toughness to his game. A lot to like for sure.