Why I'm not panicking...Yet, Ryan Boatright

[campcalhoun2009]

Listen, have these past two games been ugly? Yes.

It's clear this team is 100% different without RB. He opens up the offense, he gives us a more versatile ball handling set. He's that guy who makes everyone better. He allows Shabazz to run off the ball to open up shots. He creates another shooting threat to create space for the bigs.

I know many of you hate Gottlieb but one thing he said was very true. You can't win games with 1 scholarship guard on your roster (I consider Lamb a wing not a true guard). With Boatright we win both of these games and we're 5-2 in the BE 1 game behind Cuse and everyone is happy.

If we stumble the same way when he returns (I have faith he'll be back for the ND game) then there is cause for concern. Until then I'm not saying the sky is falling.

 

[caw]

Gottlieb is a tool, but he says a lot of good things.

I agree with you completely but also acknowledge there is a ton of work to be done with the frontline.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Agreed. If you take away the third most productive guy on the team(arguably the second most productive), most of the time the team is going to have trouble.

 

[campcalhoun2009]

Gottlieb is a tool, but he says a lot of good things.

I agree with you completely but also acknowledge there is a ton of work to be done with the frontline.

I think the front line plays so much better when Boat is in the game because there's so much more space. Right now teams only really need to worry about Jeremy and sag to everything else so they have struggled. There's also no motion to the offense so the lane is clogged.

With Boat there's so much more movement and space those easy oops to Dre are open and they're able to post alot lower in the lane.

 

[CTKIDD]

Ryan is not the solution, he is just part of it

 

[mets1090]

When you fix part of a problem by adding one part of the solution to the mix, the other parts of the problem are a lot easier to fix.

 

[champs99and04]

Look at Cuse without Fab Melo yesterday. That stiff Jack Cooley had 17 points and 10 boards against the depleted Cuse frontline. When you lose one player from your rotation, it puts more pressure on the other guys to do more.

Obviously Boat does not cure all, but him in the lineup allows a lot of things to happen. First, he adds that energy off the bench that Bazz added last year and Kemba added in 09. Yesterday our bench did not score one point. Not one. Secondly, he spreads the floor, allows Bazz to rest a little bit off the ball, and switches Lamb to the position he seems most comfortable in right now, the small forward. It also allows us to go with a small lineup, much like last year, whether it be Boat/Bazz/Lamb/NG/AO or Boat/Bazz/Lamb/Scoe/AD. With this lineup it is easier to guard the smaller, quicker guards other Big East teams present us with.

Let's hope he's back soon.

 

[Ts5034]

I think what hurts the most is having to play short handed. A lot of people will say that hurt Uconn's chances at winning the NC in 09 since Dyson was out. Now we are seeing it with Boatright. Hes missed nearly half the season when you add up the games he had to sit out. The scary thing is we dont even know when he will come back. I also dont think he will fix everything when he can play again but it doesnt make things easier with him on the bench.

 

[champs99and04]

Think of how difficult it would have been to lose Napier last year. That's pretty much what we're losing in Boat this year.

 

[RoderickSpode]

Think of how difficult it would have been to lose Napier last year. That's pretty much what we're losing in Boat this year.

Good point, and it's even worse - Napier '12 obviously isn't Kemba '11 and, despite the crap he got, it'd be a luxury to have Beverly coming off the bench right now.

 

[hoopsknowitall]

Look at Cuse without Fab Melo yesterday. That stiff Jack Cooley had 17 points and 10 boards against the depleted Cuse frontline. When you lose one player from your rotation, it puts more pressure on the other guys to do more.

Obviously Boat does not cure all, but him in the lineup allows a lot of things to happen. First, he adds that energy off the bench that Bazz added last year and Kemba added in 09. Yesterday our bench did not score one point. Not one. Secondly, he spreads the floor, allows Bazz to rest a little bit off the ball, and switches Lamb to the position he seems most comfortable in right now, the small forward. It also allows us to go with a small lineup, much like last year, whether it be Boat/Bazz/Lamb/NG/AO or Boat/Bazz/Lamb/Scoe/AD. With this lineup it is easier to guard the smaller, quicker guards other Big East teams present us with.

Let's hope he's back soon.

At one time I thought Cooley was a total stiff too but the more I watch him the more I like his game. He's not flashy but the guy does his job.

 

[Kitaman]

Ryan is not the solution, he is just part of it

Agreed, Ryan on the court helps (a lot) but any victories would still mask the problem. Lots of ideas as to what that problem is but to a certain extent even Calhoun must feel thumped. We are coming into February and to assume that a freshman guard is the missing ingredient I think is unrealistic. By now the team should be able to adjust to a player's absence particularly a freshman off the bench. I know Bazz has more of the burden with RB out, but where is his help offensively (other than Lamb)? Interestingly we have a top 10 roster (along with a HOFer coach) even without Ryan on the court.

Still more work and tweaking to do but time is running short.

 

[champs99and04]

At one time I thought Cooley was a total stiff too but the more I watch him the more I like his game. He's not flashy but the guy does his job.

Yeah, I know he's not bad, but an athletic frontline should be able to at least contain him.