What we desperately need

[superjohn]

We have 5 guards on this team but only one has a top notch handle and can run the point. Every good UConn team has started 2 supreme ballhandlers, it's just an impossible task for Boat to be the only guy handling the ball and initiating the offense every second of every game. The thing that really has me scared is we are looking at the same situation next year minus Boatright. I have full confidence that Jalen Adams is up to the task but as it stands now we will have the same problem next season. Next year could be a special season for us but so much of that rests on us getting another guy who can handle the rock, Samuel and Cassell will never be that guy. Ollie has to do everything to get Tyler Dorsey or another top notch guard who can actually dribble.

 

[amory]

Think it's a little too early to say that Samuel can't be that guy. Let's see by the end of the season.

 

[Kitaman]

Think it's a little too early to say that Samuel can't be that guy. Let's see by the end of the season.

Perhaps him going to a pg camp (e.g. Chris Paul) and with Ollie's, Moore and Hobbs tutelage, he should be much improved. As a junior he will have the advantage of knowing Ollie's system. If he's not improved next year, it will be partly due to our coaches as we have 3 excellent pg coaches on the bench.

 

[Doheny]

What we desperateely need is to hit two thirds of our free throws.

 

[RoderickSpode]

It may sound simplistic, but what we desperately need is FT shooting. As bad as we've been at times this year, we'd have 2 losses max if we could convert at the line with any consistency.

 

[Palatine]

We need one shooter. One.

No handles. Not rebounds. One shooter.

 

[aceboon]

Perhaps him going to a pg camp (e.g. Chris Paul) and with Ollie's, Moore and Hobbs tutelage, he should be much improved. As a junior he will have the advantage of knowing Ollie's system. If he's not improved next year, it will be partly due to our coaches as we have 3 excellent pg coaches on the bench.

You have to be invited to those camps, nobody is inviting him being as bad as he is. We simply need to upgrade at the position, which hopefully Adams is. You can't have a PG be as poor a ballhandler and passer as TSam is, he's strictly a change of pace, off the bench guy.

 

[UConn990411]

You have to be invited to those camps, nobody is inviting him being as bad as he is. We simply need to upgrade at the position, which hopefully Adams is. You can't have a PG be as poor a ballhandler and passer as TSam is, he's strictly a change of pace, off the bench guy.

This. It's time for people to stop comparing him to Taliek - the only similarities they have are being big for their position and poor shooters. Taliek was vastly superior in every other way.

I think Adams will be a big-time player from day one, but hopefully they have additional help coming in after him. The current guys on the roster look like rotational players at this point.

 

[aceboon]

Yea the Taliek comparisons need to stop, I wasn't the biggest fan but Taliek had a yo-yo dribble, could break guys down off the dribble, and pass off the dribble,Tsam isn't that.

This. It's time for people to stop comparing him to Taliek - the only similarities they have are being big for their position and poor shooters. Taliek was vastly superior in every other way.

I think Adams will be a big-time player from day one, but hopefully they have additional help coming in after him. The current guys on the roster look like rotational players at this point.

 

[superjohn]

I was high on Samuel coming into this season and thought Cassell would be a solid player, clearly I was wrong. As aceboon said, Samuel is just a change of pace bench guy and Cassell is overmatched at this level. Adams is going to be really good but we have to bring in another bigtime guard who can handle and run offense, giving all of the point guard responsibilities to a freshman is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Glastonhusky]

We have 5 guards on this team but only one has a top notch handle and can run the point. Every good UConn team has started 2 supreme ballhandlers, it's just an impossible task for Boat to be the only guy handling the ball and initiating the offense every second of every game. The thing that really has me scared is we are looking at the same situation next year minus Boatright. I have full confidence that Jalen Adams is up to the task but as it stands now we will have the same problem next season. Next year could be a special season for us but so much of that rests on us getting another guy who can handle the rock, Samuel and Cassell will never be that guy. Ollie has to do everything to get Tyler Dorsey or another top notch guard who can actually dribble.

Agree 100%. When boat went down we were lost out there. I like TSam's attitude and hustle, but he's only a piece of the puzzle. I'm really hoping for Dorsey, but if we don't get him, I'd be in favor of going after a lower rated kid who has a good handle and court awareness, but maybe isn't a big time scorer.

 

[CTBasketball]

We need a lot of things - secondary ball handler and spot-up shooters are in high demand.

I was high on Samuel coming into this season and thought Cassell would be a solid player, clearly I was wrong. As aceboon said, Samuel is just a change of pace bench guy and Cassell is overmatched at this level. Adams is going to be really good but we have to bring in another bigtime guard who can handle and run offense, giving all of the point guard responsibilities to a freshman is a recipe for disaster.

Ace is usually right with his basketball insight - one of the few on here actually that knows what he's talking about. But in my opinion, TSam has to be an off the bench guy this season. We had something like 3 turnovers in overtime - the point guard can't let that happen. Also Cassell doesn't belong on this team - he's here just because his dad needed a favor from Ollie. I said this after the pre-season and everyone laughed at me - but the kid can't play and if he didn't have his last name he wouldn't be here. He's a volume scorer who can't score with good defenders and shoots a horrible percentage.

 

[superjohn]

We need a lot of things - secondary ball handler and spot-up shooters are in high demand.

Ace is usually right with his basketball insight - one of the few on here actually that knows what he's talking about. But in my opinion, TSam has to be an off the bench guy this season. We had something like 3 turnovers in overtime - the point guard can't let that happen. Also Cassell doesn't belong on this team - he's here just because his dad needed a favor from Ollie. I said this after the pre-season and everyone laughed at me - but the kid can't play and if he didn't have his last name he wouldn't be here. He's a volume scorer who can't score with good defenders and shoots a horrible percentage.

Cassell was offered by Maryland, Louisville and FSU as well. Ollie would never waste a scholarship as a favor to someone, it just turns out Cassell isn't good enough for this level.

 

[Stainmaster]

We need a lot of things - secondary ball handler and spot-up shooters are in high demand.

Ace is usually right with his basketball insight - one of the few on here actually that knows what he's talking about. But in my opinion, TSam has to be an off the bench guy this season. We had something like 3 turnovers in overtime - the point guard can't let that happen. Also Cassell doesn't belong on this team - he's here just because his dad needed a favor from Ollie. I said this after the pre-season and everyone laughed at me - but the kid can't play and if he didn't have his last name he wouldn't be here. He's a volume scorer who can't score with good defenders and shoots a horrible percentage.

As awful as he is (anyone who was in my section can attest to how many profanities came out of my mouth while he was in the game), I would rather him have those minutes as opposed to Pat Lenehan.

 

[Danzz]

Perhaps him going to a pg camp (e.g. Chris Paul) and with Ollie's, Moore and Hobbs tutelage, he should be much improved. As a junior he will have the advantage of knowing Ollie's system. If he's not improved next year, it will be partly due to our coaches as we have 3 excellent pg coaches on the bench.

TSam gets the most out of his talent and his ceiling may not be that high. The kid plays hard all the time but his athleticism as a PG is limited. You can't coach athleticism. He could definitely improve his passing and decision making but expectations have to be tempered with him . I'd be happy with TSam as a third PG who can come in and play D in situations. If he has to get starters minutes we'll have major problems.
He is the kind of tough kid that you really want to pull for.

 

[mauconnfan]

Cassell was offered by Maryland, Louisville and FSU as well. Ollie would never waste a scholarship as a favor to someone, it just turns out Cassell isn't good enough for this level.

It's up to Sam if he wants to be good enough. There's ways to get faster on your feet if you really want it and he needs it. He can be good enough to play at this level and I wished he was because at least he's a threat, most others aren't and he handles it better then TSam, just can't shake defenders for space.

 

[Gurleyman]

We need a lot of things - secondary ball handler and spot-up shooters are in high demand. Ace is usually right with his basketball insight - one of the few on here actually that knows what he's talking about. But in my opinion, TSam has to be an off the bench guy this season. We had something like 3 turnovers in overtime - the point guard can't let that happen. Also Cassell doesn't belong on this team - he's here just because his dad needed a favor from Ollie. I said this after the pre-season and everyone laughed at me - but the kid can't play and if he didn't have his last name he wouldn't be here. He's a volume scorer who can't score with good defenders and shoots a horrible percentage.

If Kevin Ollie had to do favors for every kid of every NBA player he ever played with, we wouldn't have scholarships for anyone else.

Cassell has been disappointing so far. Not seeing any old man game out of him - just old man speed. But he was a guy Maryland signed, Louisville recruited, and we signed him because we needed another guard. We knew we were losing Bazz, and we knew it was 50-50 we might lose Boat too. That would have left us with Samuel-Purvis and no backups if we didn't find someone who could contribute right away, which probably made an older JuCo even more appealing. My guess is we thought he could contribute more than this.

 

[Hi-Low]

TSam had 0 assists...he was a spark in the tourney last year so hate to knock him but he's not a PG. Cassell is pretty much a bust. Nolan plays good D (I guess) but he puts 0 pts & rebs hurt or not. Lubin is a ? Thankfully Calhoun coming around but, that's quite frankly a bad bench.

I hope Ollie knows what he is doing saving scholarships for next year but this team is so thin it's scary.

 

[pnow15]

We have 5 guards on this team but only one has a top notch handle and can run the point. Every good UConn team has started 2 supreme ballhandlers, it's just an impossible task for Boat to be the only guy handling the ball and initiating the offense every second of every game. The thing that really has me scared is we are looking at the same situation next year minus Boatright. I have full confidence that Jalen Adams is up to the task but as it stands now we will have the same problem next season. Next year could be a special season for us but so much of that rests on us getting another guy who can handle the rock, Samuel and Cassell will never be that guy. Ollie has to do everything to get Tyler Dorsey or another top notch guard who can actually dribble.

Preferably a transfer or junior college kid.

 

[Palatine]

They don't get assists because guys don't knock down shots. Duh.

We're 245th in the country from behind the arc. If we were 150th we'd have three more wins.

 

[pnow15]

If Kevin Ollie had to do favors for every kid of every NBA player he ever played with, we wouldn't have scholarships for anyone else.

Cassell has been disappointing so far. Not seeing any old man game out of him - just old man speed. But he was a guy Maryland signed, Louisville recruited, and we signed him because we needed another guard. We knew we were losing Bazz, and we knew it was 50-50 we might lose Boat too. That would have left us with Samuel-Purvis and no backups if we didn't find someone who could contribute right away, which probably made an older JuCo even more appealing. My guess is we thought he could contribute more than this.

I am willing to gamble if Ollie wants to do Lebron a favor.

 

[champs99and04]

On Samuel: he's as destructive an offensive player at this point in the season as I've seen in my time watching UConn basketball. He can't shoot at all, his decision making has been poor all year to say the least, and he's too small to finish at the rim. There is virtually nothing he can do offensively that is of any value to the team. Now, I happen to think he's very good on the other end, so he'll always have a place here, and if he improves as a passer and ball-handler he could be a really good player. But as others have said, if you're relying on him as your lead guard, you're in trouble.

Cassell was a disaster on defense today, and he seems to love hoisting up long mid-range jump shots. If he doesn't improve over the remainder of the season we're going to need an upgrade at that spot.

 

[Stainmaster]

Count me in the distinct minority here, but I don't think that today's loss falls on Samuel's shoulders. He had some minor screw-ups, but the entire team played sloppy with the basketball. Passes dropped, inability to clamp onto rebounds, etc. Plus shot selection was atrocious. I don't think Samuel is at fault for those issues.

 

[mauconnfan]

We have JAdams next year give me Dorsey and we'll be fine.

 

[Hi-Low]

They don't get assists because guys don't knock down shots. Duh.

We're 245th in the country from behind the arc. If we were 150th we'd have three more wins.

Please...the teams we lost to also shot horribly...if Yale didn't miss 30 3pt attempts we get blown out. Also, I was commenting on TSam specifically and his lack of PG skills.