Big recruiting day...visits
- Thread starter Dr.O1
- Start date
The truth is you never know how good any of these guys are and even guys who are very talented, like Jalen Adams, really aren't ready right off the bat as we saw last year. There is a tendency for all of you guys to believe that if UConn is recruiting a guy, he necessarily must be a stud ready to burst into stardom before our eyes. Yet we have seen mistakes, Phil Nolan, Rakim Lubin, Sam Cassell Jr., German kid (can't even recall his name), etc.
To me the biggest issue UConn has apart from guard depth is no main man rebounders or scorers among the front court players, just a bunch of skinny foul prone dudes who can dunk alley oops (if uncontested), but can't make layups or inside scores of any kind against any moderate talented competition. For this reason I view it as imperative for UConn to recruit a beefy banger, but it doesn't appear Thompson or anyone else fits that description. And it worries me because I am tired of seeing UConn with these microscopic, pathetic O board totals. The offensive rebounding and junk scores UConn thrived on in the past aren't happening. Last place in the AAC on O boards should be viewed as a total embarrassment but none of you guys seem to care and the coaches don't seem to care. I feel like I am on an island as the lone fan who does care.
To me the biggest issue UConn has apart from guard depth is no main man rebounders or scorers among the front court players, just a bunch of skinny foul prone dudes who can dunk alley oops (if uncontested), but can't make layups or inside scores of any kind against any moderate talented competition. For this reason I view it as imperative for UConn to recruit a beefy banger, but it doesn't appear Thompson or anyone else fits that description. And it worries me because I am tired of seeing UConn with these microscopic, pathetic O board totals. The offensive rebounding and junk scores UConn thrived on in the past aren't happening. Last place in the AAC on O boards should be viewed as a total embarrassment but none of you guys seem to care and the coaches don't seem to care. I feel like I am on an island as the lone fan who does care.
Everyone cares I just feel like the coaching staff hasn't been able to land those type of big men yet. Ollie has yet to land that elite big man that will lead to getting others to follow.
KSTW, you need to speak for yourself and stop using terms like" all of you guys" or the board this.... the board that.... or some of you must be smoking weed, blah blah blah...this is way over the top conversation and actually making things personal, so you need to zip it ...especially for a guy who is proven wrong as much as you are on this board....anything else and your just starting to sound like a real dick !!!
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It just seemed to me like I mentioned these issues before and nobody seemed to care much about the poor offensive rebounding. When I watched the Kansas game it seemed like there was a glaring issue in terms of size and strength inside. If you guys agree let me know.
KSTW, maybe other posters think it.... but don't have time to post things or don't want to get into...we've had a ton of rebounding/ or lack of ...conversations on this board..been there done that, so where have you been ? You, me and a handful of us keep this board going alot of times but I don't get the generalizations/calling posters/ you guys out thing .. That doesn't sound like conversation it sounds like a dictator and I actually welcome the input of others/new posters.... whenever they want to respond.... or even if they don't live on this board( way to much) like I do with over 7000 posts since 2003.
And yes of course Kansas killed Uconn on the boards, they played way more physical and got away with it and they exploited em' in that game. Uconn was a plus rebounding team during the year, and beat COL and Memphis on caroms the games before KS....but players come and go. Coaches make adjustments they have to, new players come in....who knew Hamilton was going to be a rebounding machine before he got here ? We were killing Uconn's rebounding in 2013-14 on this board early in the year and they made it a non factor in the end.... so it's nothing we haven't seen or something the coaches haven't had to correct before...... But some how this big recruiting day conversation is now a rebounding one ??? ...talk about getting way off the tracks...SMH ?
And yes of course Kansas killed Uconn on the boards, they played way more physical and got away with it and they exploited em' in that game. Uconn was a plus rebounding team during the year, and beat COL and Memphis on caroms the games before KS....but players come and go. Coaches make adjustments they have to, new players come in....who knew Hamilton was going to be a rebounding machine before he got here ? We were killing Uconn's rebounding in 2013-14 on this board early in the year and they made it a non factor in the end.... so it's nothing we haven't seen or something the coaches haven't had to correct before...... But some how this big recruiting day conversation is now a rebounding one ??? ...talk about getting way off the tracks...SMH ?
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That's what I am saying Blades. In the Kansas game these issues became painful, glaring issues and I thought there would be a more aggressive move by the coaches to get bigger and stronger. We need to have one other player besides Enoch who can enforce some physical authority inside on the O boards. I am just disappointed that this doesn't seem to be much of an agenda for the staff. To me it's a glaring need. It's been discussed on this board but mostly by me it seems. Someone had posted reasons for the low O board totals which made it seem like it was not that big a deal. I don't sense there is urgency among fans, media or most importantly the staff to immediately address these issues in recruiting.
The recruitment of Rakim Lubin was warmly greeted as a physical presence which UConn lacked. But Lubin left after one year in which KO didn't play him much and he looked confused at times when he did play. UConn did not bring in a similar player to replace him. Perhaps Diarra could be that guy but I would like a veteran banger who can board and score. I realize the talent on the grad transfer market may be thin but this isn't really a talent position it's a dirty work position. The dirty work isn't getting done. The constant complaints about fouls against every single physical team that UConn played..... It's very simple, physicality is countered with physicality, or else it isn't countered at all. I am tired of seeing sand kicked in the faces of the UConn big men. Lots of sand on the UConn uniforms last year.
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All those guys you named were outside the top 100-150 I believe. That is not the same type of talent as Jalen Adams or Daniel Hamilton or any other blue chippers what have come through the doors and its just bad to assume that players added for depth are expected to perform at blue chip levels.
I think Nolan and Lubin in particular were viewed as under the radar diamonds in the rough. UConn needs some blue chip guys at the 4. Is Facey and Diarra it for next year? I just think UConn needs a veteran banger with some good size like maybe 6'8"- 6'10" and minimum 225-230 pounds not 205 like Facey. I want beef and I don't want to see no more sand kicked in the faces of UConn.
I think the recruiting class coming in will make or break Ollie's Uconn tenure. On paper, it's really talented. A McDonald AA cat quick lead guard with a soft jump shot. A 5* versatile big that if not injured, could have snuck in the top 10. A 6'8 sniper at wing, but could also be a stretch 4 which opens up lanes for Adams and Gilbert and post room for Stevo. And an athletic underrated aggressive (albeit undersized) 4man that could help sooner than expected. Hopefully he answers some of KEA(and my) concerns on the glass.
That being said, the development of these players has to improve. Both physically, as well as mentally.
Oz, how is this class gonna wrap up?
That being said, the development of these players has to improve. Both physically, as well as mentally.
Oz, how is this class gonna wrap up?
