Why can't we find and develop good big men?

[Lefty2one]

Would have been tough to beat 04 and 99. No one on 06 could hang with Ben or Mek.

Talent level, I agree with 2004 being the best ever. I think we had more talent on paper in 2006 than 1999.

2006 was a little healthier and more consistent than 2004, though when 2004 was clicking they were also terrifying as hell. That Bama Elite 8 game was something else.

 

[intlzncster]

Talent level, I agree with 2004 being the best ever. I think we had more talent on paper in 2006 than 1999.

2006 was a little healthier and more consistent than 2004, though when 2004 was clicking they were also terrifying as hell. That Bama Elite 8 game was something else.

Leaving aside the 99 Final, my favorite UCONN game of all time was 2004 FF against Duke. That one felt soooooooooo good.

 

[TheChamps990411]

He averaged 10 & 8, not exactly far off from a double-double. Do you really think sub-par coaching is the reason he didn't grab two more boards per game?

That UConn team was pretty loaded with individual talent, there was no need for him to get a ton of post touches, his game wasn't that refined outside of dunking the ball. He had some really awkward and ugly post moves that year. On the other end of the floor, he was competing with Oriakhi and Roscoe on the glass not to mention Lamb of all people was our second leading rebounder.

Thanks for proving my point. 10-8 and he wasnt first,second,third,fourth or fifth option. And yes coaching didnt help him as much as it shouldve. Not just with his post game and defense but i also think Coach Calhoun really shouldve made him more of a focal point of that team.

 

[Chief00]

Has to be this. It just can't be our bigs weren't up to par in their learning and abilities.

Need better players and coaches immediately get better at what they do. Pretty simple, get smarter and better players and suddenly you have the best bigs coach in the business.

Think you are underestimating the role coaching and S&C can play or why pay them the big checks?

 

[mauconnfan]

Think you are underestimating the role coaching and S&C can play or why pay them the big checks?

No I'm not but I do know you ARE overestimating the talent they were coaching.

Not once have I said they are really good coaches and they've proven themselves. I am sure they know how to coach, maybe it's not good enough. But anyone evaluating them on the bigs they had these past 4 years are just downright crazy because none had the instincts higher than a 13-14 year old, and at that age I knew more than a couple of them. If you want to evaluate the recruiting I'm with you. If you want to get some smart players in here who don't get better over a couple years then changes need to be made. But to throw the crap at the staff for the players without any basketball instincts they were coaching not fair. As I've stated many times not even magicians can make some of these guys better, they're clueless at times. If you can't understand the game on your own without coaching after 4 years you have issues, never mind knowing they were being coached.

Recruit better and smarter players, everyone wins.

 

[mauconnfan]

Thanks for proving my point. 10-8 and he wasnt first,second,third,fourth or fifth option. And yes coaching didnt help him as much as it shouldve. Not just with his post game and defense but i also think Coach Calhoun really shouldve made him more of a focal point of that team.

I think JC brought him in and let him roam instead of making him do what he was best at - stand on the low block and own the boards. Not sure he could have averaged much more than 12 but he could've averaged 15 rebounds easy.

 

[huskyrob1]

Yeah, you could be right. I might be exagerating a bit. There are some offensive bright spots in our past.

Don't forget Josh, Hilton, Ed Nelson.

 

[Stainmaster]

Don't forget Josh, Hilton, Ed Nelson.

I'm curious as to whether or not you would've been parroting OP's point with Hilton as your main example from 2002-2005...

 

[Chief00]

No I'm not but I do know you ARE overestimating the talent they were coaching.

Not once have I said they are really good coaches and they've proven themselves. I am sure they know how to coach, maybe it's not good enough. But anyone evaluating them on the bigs they had these past 4 years are just downright crazy because none had the instincts higher than a 13-14 year old, and at that age I knew more than a couple of them. If you want to evaluate the recruiting I'm with you. If you want to get some smart players in here who don't get better over a couple years then changes need to be made. But to throw the crap at the staff for the players without any basketball instincts they were coaching not fair. As I've stated many times not even magicians can make some of these guys better, they're clueless at times. If you can't understand the game on your own without coaching after 4 years you have issues, never mind knowing they were being coached.

Recruit better and smarter players, everyone wins.

I never said they were loaded with Big talent. Big recruiting is an area that needs improvement but it goes hand and hand with big development. Good Bigs won't go there is they don't think they will be developed. Miller had a dismal track record.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I think JC brought him in and let him roam instead of making him do what he was best at - stand on the low block and own the boards. Not sure he could have averaged much more than 12 but he could've averaged 15 rebounds easy.

Exactly! He averaged 10 ppg without doing that so if he was used that way he wouldve added 3-5 rebounds and problably 3-5 ppg. He couldve and shouldve been a 15-10 in college easy!

 

[NielsisGood]

Interesting how Miller was arguably one our best bigs over the past few years but was brought up through the ranks by non-UCONN coaches.

Yeah stiff competition from Brimah there.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I think one of the main problems, besides obviously missing out on some of our top prospects, is that we haven't designed the right offense for some of our bigs to thrive. We have had such successful guards in the recent past that we haven't needed to depend much on any offensive post play. Teams, and i'm just thinking off the top of my head, like Baylor and UNC have developed their bigs really well offensively in recent years because they allow them to get the ball and make plays. I know their players have been more mobile and able to pass and such, but I think if KO draws up or borrows some creative plays for our bigs we will see some product.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Give me a Jake Voskhul and I would be very happy.
Don't need a prolific scorer that needs the ball.

Would love to have another Jake, but less not downplay how good he was. As a college player at UConn, I would rank him up there close to Hasheem. Certainly not the intimidator that Thabeet was, but Jake was so good at keeping opponents away from the paint, played great positional and help defense, moved his feet well, made great outlet passes, and set the best screens. He understood the game much better than Hasheem given he played all his life and that is a big problem with our project bigs. I hope that Cobb can trim down and become a smart player who can learn to really hustle (unlike what we saw on the video).

Even if there is no Jake available, I would take a Rod Sellers in a heartbeat.

 

[Hugo]

Would love to have another Jake, but less not downplay how good he was. As a college player at UConn, I would rank him up there close to Hasheem. Certainly not the intimidator that Thabeet was, but Jake was so good at keeping opponents away from the paint, played great positional and help defense, moved his feet well, made great outlet passes, and set the best screens. He understood the game much better than Hasheem given he played all his life and that is a big problem with our project bigs. I hope that Cobb can trim down and become a smart player who can learn to really hustle (unlike what we saw on the video).

Even if there is no Jake available, I would take a Rod Sellers in a heartbeat.

Jake is one of the most underrated players ever to [play at UCONN. He was fundamentally sound, had a good BB IQ and he knew his role and played it accordingly. Excellent defender and set, as you said, the best screens. Despite limited exposure with us, he had a pretty decent NBA career.

 

[mauconnfan]

Interesting how Miller was arguably one our best bigs over the past few years but was brought up through the ranks by non-UCONN coaches.

Yeah let's compare Millers bball IQ with a guy like Brimah's because I know you guys would much rather have the Colgate staff?

Oh damn there's your answer, smarter kid who can be taught to be a player imagine that!

 

[intlzncster]

I think one of the main problems, besides obviously missing out on some of our top prospects, is that we haven't designed the right offense for some of our bigs to thrive. We have had such successful guards in the recent past that we haven't needed to depend much on any offensive post play. Teams, and i'm just thinking off the top of my head, like Baylor and UNC have developed their bigs really well offensively in recent years because they allow them to get the ball and make plays. I know their players have been more mobile and able to pass and such, but I think if KO draws up or borrows some creative plays for our bigs we will see some product.

What offense, may I ask, would allow Brimah and Phil Nolan to thrive?

 

[intlzncster]

Jake is one of the most underrated players ever to [play at UCONN. He was fundamentally sound, had a good BB IQ and he knew his role and played it accordingly. Excellent defender and set, as you said, the best screens. Despite limited exposure with us, he had a pretty decent NBA career.

Remember, this was upperclassman Jake, not when he first came in. Early Jake use to break backboards with his shots from 3 feet.

 

[Hugo]

Remember, this was upperclassman Jake, not when he first came in. Early Jake use to break backboards with his shots from 3 feet.

I remember Jake as a frosh and you're right, but I'd have to say JC and staff did a hell of a job with his development which also supports the fact that Jake had a solid BB IQ and could assimilate what the coaches were telling him. I'd take another Jake in a heartbeat.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Remember, this was upperclassman Jake, not when he first came in. Early Jake use to break backboards with his shots from 3 feet.

My memory was like yours, but as I've been watching games from the RIP era, I realize that Jake was better than I thought even as a freshman and moreso as a soph. Watch the game against KU when he was a freshman, IIRC. KU team with LaFrentz and Pollard and Jake was strong and tough and much better defender than anyone we've seen at center for quite some time. On the offensive end, not so much. He was beginning to be more of a little bit of a threat as a junior....after what? .......you guessed it? ....attending the Newell Big Man's camp!

Another cool thing to watch during that time period was Ricky Moore playing defense. We know he was really good to great as he progressed through his UConn career, but man, he was REALLY good on watching again now. When you know the game outcome, it's easier to watch off the ball and Ricky did something I didn't really recall? He blocked shots of his man after his man had driven, made a fake, and faded away. He did this several times and it was something to see. He was such a combination of strength, quickness, focus, and toughness. During the NC year, he shut down one big time player after another. He was an amazing weapon even with some offensive limitations.


As I exercise and watch a lot of UConn games with the assistance of the UConn Husky Games website, I just love the '99 team more and more. We've had some great teams who played really well together, but that group often played like a single organism. Watch how they helped each other on defense. Each starter was so smart and each one knew their role and played it nearly to perfection. I hope to see a UConn team even nearly as good as a team again. 2014 actually was pretty darn good at the end of the season through the NC run in terms of the team aspect, but still not to the '99 level. To me, 2004 team was more talented, but not as smart and not as tight of a team.

 

[Chief00]

I agree 1999 is my favorite team and 2004 the most talented.

 

[tower1]

I'm not sure if KO has the correct approach when recruiting centers. I think some others have pointed out that KO is going after very high profile recruits and missing out on very get-able guys. I'm not completely in that camp, but this may be the case with centers. We spent almost a year going after that dude that ended up at Maryland for one year. We would of probably wasted his low post skill even if we got him. We should be targeting lesser tier guys, but hopefully physically capable guys. I have a hard time believing we still can't land the Jake Voskuhl's of the world. That type of player should be our focus when it comes to centers.

I agree with your post.

 

[donyell34]

You bet! Loved that team, breaking thru in 1999***. Saw them in the garden that year against a really good St John's team led by Artest and Jarvis. Huskies pulled it out and the crowd cheering UConn as we all walked out and being a afternoon game plenty of time to go and get drunk and take the bus home. Still have the posters of that year from the bulletin and the courant hanging on my garage wall getting yellow and crusty but still there and Ricky stands out in both. Great year.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

You bet! Loved that team, breaking thru in 1999***. Saw them in the garden that year against a really good St John's team led by Artest and Jarvis. Huskies pulled it out and the crowd cheering UConn as we all walked out and being a afternoon game plenty of time to go and get drunk and take the bus home. Still have the posters of that year from the bulletin and the courant hanging on my garage wall getting yellow and crusty but still there and Ricky stands out in both. Great year.

I literally watched the second half of that game last evening. UConn was down 12 in the second half to what was a really tough SJU team (Artest, Postell, Barkley, Thornton, etc). When the Huskies were in trouble and really needed a lift, Ricky Moore stepped up and led the comeback. KEA had an injury that really interfered with his shooting, but made a big shot from the foul line late. Rip was very big. There was one point, though, when UConn gave up a fast break without everyone getting back and Calhoun called a timeout and ripped Jake and others pretty good. After that, the defense was turned up and the Huskies turned the game around to go 19-0 for the season.

Billy Packer really knew and I think loved that UConn team (in his way). He brought up a huge factor for UConn was its fans who made MSG their home court in that game!

 

[mauconnfan]

I literally watched the second half of that game last evening. UConn was down 12 in the second half to what was a really tough SJU team (Artest, Postell, Barkley, Thornton, etc). When the Huskies were in trouble and really needed a lift, Ricky Moore stepped up and led the comeback. KEA had an injury that really interfered with his shooting, but made a big shot from the foul line late. Rip was very big. There was one point, though, when UConn gave up a fast break without everyone getting back and Calhoun called a timeout and ripped Jake and others pretty good. After that, the defense was turned up and the Huskies turned the game around to go 19-0 for the season.

Billy Packer really knew and I think loved that UConn team (in his way). He brought up a huge factor for UConn was its fans who made MSG their home court in that game!

Also at that game, probably one of the best road trips ever because of the outcome and the way they came roaring back. Add to it the fact Husky fans were trowing out the Johnnies fans it was a great day. Drank McSorley's, about 20 of them, before the game across the street with the guys I went down with and about 100 other Husky fans. Then we went out LOL Fun day

 

[Greathusky]

Yeah let's compare Millers bball IQ with a guy like Brimah's because I know you guys would much rather have the Colgate staff?

Oh damn there's your answer, smarter kid who can be taught to be a player imagine that!

or even the Cornell staff?

BB IQ is not the only factor in a big man's success. I look at what Calhoun and staff did with Jake, Hilton and Jeff. I look at what Ollie's staff did with Phil and Brimah.

It's on the coaches whether it be recruiting or development.