2017-18 (new) Roster and some updates
- Thread starter the Blades
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Most interesting comment in that Borges blog is why he kept two scholarships open. My thinking is because the staff has not found anyone decent to fill them. He is saying someone will fall out of the sky. I don't believe two scholarships should be held open for a couple of prayers. Prayers are for Church, not the basketball court. Exception for Jalen heaves from 3/4 court with time running out, of course.
+1, KSTW, just shows what a terrible job they did with recruiting early in the process and how unprepared KO and his staff were, even in the fall.
Another roster story from the guy at the Courant, nothing new:
UConn Men's Insider: Ollie's Roster Taking Shape After Injury-Filled 16-17 Season
UConn Men's Insider: Ollie's Roster Taking Shape After Injury-Filled 16-17 Season
Just a FYI, the Uconn website has added the Official Roster that I posted back in June....looks like K-Will is the only change from my OP.... Interesting that Kwintin Williams is coming in as a 23 year old sophomore. Also of note.... no listed bio yet but noticed Tyler Polley's dad (Tommy Polley) played hoops at legendary Dunbar HS but later in the NFL for 6 years after college FB @ FLA St....hope he can add some of his pops weight to his 190lb frame ? ....Also this has to be the shortest Uconn team in years...no player over 6'9" on the roster...
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The last time UConn had a team this small was 1984-85 when 6'6" Tim Coles (who was really about 6'5") started at center against the likes of Patrick Ewing after 6'9" Bruce Kuszinski graduated. Eddie Williams was at one forward and Ray Broxton was the other. Neither was over 6-7". 6'10" Jeff King and 6'9" Gerry Besselink were on the team but neither significantly contributed.
That's right on point KSTW as far as 84-85...then both Besselink and King developed under Jim Calhoun. King averaged 12 pts a game as a JR alongside Besselink who averaged a double-double as a SR vs tough Big East comp in 86-87, when Phil Gamble and Cliffy had to sit half a year.......To bad we don't see development like that in the frontcourt anymore....with KO and company running the show.....
I never thought Besselink or King were very good, although King was a significant contributor during the NIT Title run in 1998 and Besselink was a solid banger on Calhoun's first team although would have been better off as a power forwards. I did get to know Gerry Besselink while I was a student at UConn and frequently took meals with him. He is a high character individual and good guy. I may have mentioned this elsewhere but he would eat 4 eggs sunnyside up for breakfast and smother them with about a half a bottle of ketchup. Although I have seen people eat their eggs with ketchup, I never saw anyone who used more ketchup than Gerry did. I was kind of grossed out by it. He showed up for one of Calhoun's charity games at Mohegan Sun Casino about 10 years ago, flying in from Norway where he had met and married a woman and settled down after playing pro ball over there.
What i never understood about GB was that, if i'm not mistaken, he was recruited as a 6'4" or 6'5" 2 guard, then he grew another 4-5 inches. I would think that would have made him more dangerous, but from what i remember he struggled. Am i off on this?
Gerry was about 6'9". His growth spurt happened before he got to UConn. I don't think he was much of a shooter but he was a scrappy banger with limited skills and athleticism. His senior year I think he played Center on Calhoun's first team which wasn't good. Gerry would have been better playing power forward. He was a strict garbage player on offense.
If memory serves that team was forced to start walk on Greg Economou at guard, at some point in the season. He could make a 3 here and there and was an okay walk on but not really a Big East caliber player.
If memory serves that team was forced to start walk on Greg Economou at guard, at some point in the season. He could make a 3 here and there and was an okay walk on but not really a Big East caliber player.
It's years ago but I think your right about him being a wing Uconn was talking to from Canada...so I thought we'd see a shooter ...
" He was one of five high school players in all of Canada invited to try out for the Canadian National Team. Gerry came to UConn as a 6’7” tall, 185 pound, wing player, and left as a 220-pound center, so a lot happened during his time at UConn. He was introduced to weights, and he realized that if he rebounded, he’d play a lot. He didn’t care what position, he just wanted to play."
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Wow, Tommy polley's kid! Didn't know that. Dad was Lean, but a Great college LB. Hope the kid has some of his dad's toughness.
Here's the new team roster, updated, with some height/weight....... changes/adjustments:
MBB Roster - UConn Huskies
MBB Roster - UConn Huskies
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Carlton has already beefed up to 242 pounds? That is 37 pounds heavier than Facey played at last year. And Onuorah weighs in at 249. Cobb 280. This means UConn could put close to 500 pounds of beef on the floor at 4-5 for first time since Oriakhi-Drummond 6 years ago. You can't really say where is the beef, but you can ask what is the beef. Is it Kobe beef or minute steak?
Noticed that too, they may not be the best shot blockers but if they can learn to box out for boards and body their men off the post on D, that would be a plus compared to the last few years. Time for Carlos Daniel to mold these guys.
Blades - I am a bit stuck on tradeoff between aggressive shotblocking and fundamental boxing out and boarding. The latter works well when you have the guys who have fundamentals and body to execute. However pressure to do one or the other is taken off by good perimeter defense. Guards preventing penetration and keeping their man in front of them. Let's see if that happens and then maybe merely adequate fundamentals falling short of the Voskuhl/Freeman gold standard will be sufficient.
Agree....Now that KO has a 13 man roster .....the other part of your equation, good stay between your man and the hoop, ball pressure, shouldn't be a problem if he's able to play a 4 man guard rotation. It should help big time to give guys a break, compared to last year ......when they were down to Vital, Purvis and a walk-on for some games.
He did look a little quicker than I thought he would be in his Highlights from Chipola..... True, he was listed at 296 lbs @ South Carolina, so he seems to be going in the right direction..
I saw some video on Cobb, don't recall who posted it, which showed very good handling and passing skills for his size. In the video he was seen handling the ball nimbly, and firing on the money outlet passes upcourt. If a guy is huge and can dribble and pass it's always an interesting thing.
A few years ago the UConn women had Kaili "Big Mama" McLaren who was an absolutely enormous girl but she had soft hands and was one of the best passers in the history of the program. Unfortunately, her weight and conditioning went in the wrong direction, and she would get winded and become ineffective due to being out of shape. Her basketball skills were evident, but her conditioning was so bad she never really became anything more than a role player.
A few years ago the UConn women had Kaili "Big Mama" McLaren who was an absolutely enormous girl but she had soft hands and was one of the best passers in the history of the program. Unfortunately, her weight and conditioning went in the wrong direction, and she would get winded and become ineffective due to being out of shape. Her basketball skills were evident, but her conditioning was so bad she never really became anything more than a role player.
I didn't remember who posted the highlights but those are the ones. I actually questioned whether that was actually Cobb or maybe it was someone else mistakenly believed to be Cobb. He looks very skilled in that video whereas all that we have heard about this guy suggests he would be an end of the bench player. I don't know what to think now but I look forward to seeing him in exhibition games and drawing my own conclusions.
Seems like Cobb has a little sense of humor about his lack of shotblocking ability. Of course when you rack up 6 blocked shots in a full season of basketball you probably should, but I look at it as an important first step in recognizing his limitations. Of course with a 25 pound weight loss maybe he gets off his feet a little quicker and blocks 8-9 shots this season..............
If Cobb is "standing out" as UConn's best big man, is that good or bad news? We had all cast him as a panic signing after Enoch transferred, an end of the bench guy. What does this mean?
Good question that could have an effect on KO's job security,
......does he have the next Dejuan Blair or another Mike Hayes.
I had assumed Onuorah would be the starter at the 5, but if Cobb and Carlton end up being the starters over Onuorah and Diarra at 4-5, it would be interesting. I honestly do not know what will happen.
Blades,
Am I to understand that the significance of Jalen holding the ball is his ascension to captaincy of the team? If so I am a bit late getting this news. If so I would have considered making Vital either co-captain or assistant captain.
Am I to understand that the significance of Jalen holding the ball is his ascension to captaincy of the team? If so I am a bit late getting this news. If so I would have considered making Vital either co-captain or assistant captain.
I haven't read anything about captains, but as far a most tenured Uconn player, Jalen leads this group by far @ 60 career games even though he's just starting his JR year. So they put the leader in the middle. Beside JA you have Vital ( 28), walk-ons Michael Noyes (17), Christian Foxen (16), Temi Aiyegbusi (6), and then the starters for a minute.... Larrier (4), & Gilbert (3)......not alot of Husky experience in the group.
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So why is Jalen holding the ball, just based on experience? Why not name captains especially for a team which can use some leadership?
Boy your weird... it's a team picture.. who cares if he's holding the ball, are they even allowed official practices yet ? I remember a few years ago they named captains after the Husky Run in Oct...." After the race, Brimah was named a team captain, along with Boatright, who will be a senior next season." .....that might be when we'll know more...just sayin'
Well if it were up to me I would name Jalen captain and Vital assistant captain. This team needs to have captains.
