He also mentions being at Fordham with KO's son in the video interview:
Meet The UConn Newcomers: Antwoine Anderson Has A Feel For Big Moments
Meet The UConn Newcomers: Antwoine Anderson Has A Feel For Big Moments
The new guys
- Thread starter the Blades
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Here's another one I just found from New London Uconn beat writer Gavin Keefe:
UConn basketball newcomers adjusting to life as Huskies
UConn basketball newcomers adjusting to life as Huskies
What's interesting to me is that all the frontcourt guys are different. Whaley might actually be the best shotblocker of the group. Cobb might be the rebounder and muscle guy. A space eater. Diarra give you a more athletic rebounder and rugged defender. Carlton might have the best low post offensive game and Onuorah gives them the experienced guy who is used to coming off the bench if that is the role he gets. Whaley could get some time against teams that are taking it to the rack if Onuorah and Cobb are not clogging up the lane. Law of bodies may mean lots of different looks depending on what is needed. I also don't believe that all of these guys will suck. One or two will emerge and that is all they need.
Also interesting to see....how the new guys that are a little older with college experience (4 of them 21-23 years old) translate to what Uconn will be doing and at this level. Compared to last year when they had 5 new freshman just out of HS. (2 of them who are gone already)
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I note that Onuorah averaged 1.6 bpg his junior year. While that isn't awe-inspiring shot blocking the production is roughly equivalent to what Jake Voskuhl gave UConn (apologies to those who think comparing him to Jake is otherwise sacrilege). In other words his shotblocking and rebounding are decent.
I'm going to forget how this team/staff has woefully underachieved the last two years and drink the cool aid.
Fool me once.... I know, I know.
Fool me once.... I know, I know.
There are a LOT of players on this team.....everytime I look up I remember they got a grad transfer......oh wait then Polly.....oh wait maybe Sid will play......oh yeah we get Rique back.......oh yean TL as well......Cobb.....yeap forgot about him......Carlton, him to.
lots of guys on this team. If we TRY HARD and show ELITE effort.....THINGS YOU CAN DEMAND AS A COACH we should be really good.
I look at the NC Nova team as an example of a team that just out worked everyone to a title. Not saying this team wins is all but we have the guards to go deep and if everyone else MANS up and plays like Ollie TALKS.......this team should be REALLY good.
lots of guys on this team. If we TRY HARD and show ELITE effort.....THINGS YOU CAN DEMAND AS A COACH we should be really good.
I look at the NC Nova team as an example of a team that just out worked everyone to a title. Not saying this team wins is all but we have the guards to go deep and if everyone else MANS up and plays like Ollie TALKS.......this team should be REALLY good.
The team has a chance to be really good, or average, but the law of bodies says there is a good chance to be good.
I hate to be the glass-half-full guy, but I think the chances if this team being mediocre or bad are probably better than the chances of it being good. Last year's team had three senior starters, more talent, and was healthy at the start of the year, and still had some embarrassing early losses from which they never recovered. This year's team has a bunch of question marks about both the health and the talent of the players. Add that to the fact most of these guys have not played together before, and it's not a pretty picture. Hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised, but I would wait before betting the farm on a NCAA Tournament bid.
Meet The Newcomers: In Kwintin Williams, UConn Has A Man Who Doesn't Give Up
"I'm going to have to show something other than dunking," said Williams, who has three years of eligibility. "You've got to be a player, can't just be a dunker. There is no such thing. Rebounding, transition, defense. Cut off fastbreaks, put a stoppage in the lane, get big, put my arms out wide, especially. Any floaters, any layups, I try to get every one of them."
"I'm going to have to show something other than dunking," said Williams, who has three years of eligibility. "You've got to be a player, can't just be a dunker. There is no such thing. Rebounding, transition, defense. Cut off fastbreaks, put a stoppage in the lane, get big, put my arms out wide, especially. Any floaters, any layups, I try to get every one of them."
The one thing we can say after watching those 3 guys play for 4 years is that the talent of all 3 was probably overrated by the fanbase. Purvis was touted as a "Ferrari In the Garage", but he had a weak handle and an awful basketball IQ and because of these things he was very streaky offensively. Part of a talent package in basketball is IQ and handle. Similarly Brimah was a master of the dumb foul and was perpetually in foul trouble. I felt like the poor instincts of Brimah and Purvis severely hurt the team at many times last year so when you say that UConn had "more talent", it sure as shit was not in the area of IQ and decision making because in those areas it is flat out addition by subtraction.
I also think Facey was overrated, although of the 3 he showed the most improvement especially in his senior year. He developed a serviceable medium range shot but he still was never a good offensive player and on defense he could only play the 4 position and his rebounding was by no means what anyone hoped for. His body inhibited him substantially at the position he played and when they did have to play him at the 5 due to Brimah's incessant foul trouble, it was a comedy show, like when the Tulane bigs fouled his ass out in 8 minutes. Also (speaking of Brimah) his no show games against Duke, MSU and every other physical team UConn played his entire 4 years he was out quick with fouls and a total non factor if you check the boxes on all of those games.
So when you speak of talent I would say that the talent of these 3 was very overrated.
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Who cares what the class of the players are if they weren't very good? I think Vital will be a more consistent player game in and game out than Purvis, and I dont even expect him to start. I dont see any chance of a Gilbert/Adams backcourt playing 30 minutes a game not being better than Adams/Purvis was last year just because Purvis was a senior, the guy was an albatross last year and did more to lose games than win them. Facey was also a guy who had to be guaranteed 35 minutes a game to play well after all the injuries, and even he faded badly down the stretch after a good middle stretch during the season. We all know Brimah's issues so no need to rehash there. I expect the frontcourt to be a work in progress as I'm sure KO will have to continue to mix and match pieces depending on who plays well from game to game, but I expect the 5some of Adams/Gilbert/Vital/Anderson/Larrier to function well and carry this team.
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I agree that last years team had talent.............actually scratch that......I love Purvis as a man but Ill pass on that all day. Vance jackson .......talented but not great last year. Vital was good and could be better but its Rique and TL that we missed last year who were "talented" and we played all year w/o them so last year WAS NOT TALENTED. Brimah was really terribly all year. I mean SO BAD. Facey was a spotty guy that lacked any kind of confidence......
This year has FAR more talent going in. Rique, Adams, Vital and TL are SOLID! Dude if Sid Vicious plays.....there are some hungry dudes on this team.
This year has FAR more talent going in. Rique, Adams, Vital and TL are SOLID! Dude if Sid Vicious plays.....there are some hungry dudes on this team.
The talent you speak of on this year's team was all there last year, and prior to being injured, they weren't exactly setting the world on fire. Now they're back, but until proven otherwise, there are still question marks about health and whether they will ever return to pre-injury form given the nature of their injuries. VJ and Enoch had talent, even if it was inconsistent. We all know Purvis, Facey, and Brimah were flawed. The problem is, what incoming player is, without a doubt, an improvement over any of them (assuming Sid doesn't play)? Saying this year's team has "far more talent going in" is certainly debatable. Also, don't discount the fact that there are only two guys on this team who played any meaningful minutes for UConn. It doesn't sound like a recipe for success, but we can hope to be pleasantly surprised.
Bottom line is those three weren't what we thought they might be / could become......regarding this years team ( having only 2 players w/ major Uconn mins ^^^) and what KO does with them......
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