Are the inexperienced players improving?

[whaler11]

This is a rather lazy way to look at it but this is just the bad stretch (Arizona-Tulsa) and the recent 3-1 run (ECU-Memphis)

Polley -
13 minutes played in the bad stretch and took one shot
39 minutes in the last 4 games - he's made 1 basket and scored 4 pts.
39 minutes 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls

Diarra -
55 minutes in the bad stretch 12 points, 12 fouls, 3 blocks and only 1 turnover
31 minutes in the last four games: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 5 fouls
His 3 minutes on Tuesday are still baffling - did he have a headache?

Whaley -
79 minutes in the bad stretch: 14 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks, 7 fouls
93 minutes the last four: 21 points, 17 boards, 10 blocks, 14 fouls

Williams -
23 minutes in the losing streak: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 fouls
19 minutes in last four: 3 points, 4 boards and a foul

Carlton
45 minutes in the four game losing streak: 13 points, 13 boards, 6 turnovers and 12 fouls
69 minutes in the last four (nice): 31 points, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers and only 11 fouls

When you consider the bad stretch was against 23, 22, 15 and 133 and the last four were against 313, 84, 127 and 162 - there isn't much in the simple boxscore statistics that would imply much improvement for these players.

 

[Stainmaster]

Williams is a young player?

 

[CardiacKemba]

Carlton and Whaley are improving to my untrained eye. I just don't get why Diarra doesn't get more burn...

 

[whaler11]

Williams is a young player?

Sorry I used young as a proxy for inexperienced. That seems like the thing to focus on though.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Diarra is fun to watch, dont get why he isn't seeing the floor.

 

[superjohn]

Whaley has improved some and Carlton has improved some but people raving about what a stud Carlton is after last game is silly. He feasted in garbage time, early in the game he was getting boards ripped out of his hands like he wasn't there.

No improvement in Polley and Diarra although it's hard to tell since neither gets meaningful minutes. The little we've seen, Polley looked better at the start of the season.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The total lack of anything at all from Polley is pretty scary. He’s obviously not ready and playing out of necessity but KO needs to get him ready or at the very least make him think likes he’s ready.

 

[Waquoit]

Sorry I used young as a proxy for inexperienced. That seems like the thing to focus on though.

Not when you can focus on typos and potential "gotchas".

 

[Stainmaster]

Not when you can focus on typos and potential "gotchas".

Wow very clever 10/10

 

[intlzncster]

Stats-wise perhaps not, but from a team play standpoint yes. Whaley and Carlton have definitely looked better. I think that's just coming from experience though, not necessarily specific to coaching. Ollie's rotations are a bit wack, so idk about the other guys.

One of the problems: the guards (sans Adams) aren't great, which makes it really difficult for developing bigs. Great guards help young bigs tremendously.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't think any off them are being relied upon to do enough to know. Mostly they pick up garbage to which they appear to be more opportunistic but they all got run out of the gym by Memphis so, I'm leaning not enough to matter.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The total lack of anything at all from Polley is pretty scary. He’s obviously not ready and playing out of necessity but KO needs to get him ready or at the very least make him think likes he’s ready.

If Polley isn't shooting a few hundred threes in practice every single day, Ollie is a moron.

 

[QDOG5]

Carlton and Whaley are playing ok. Diarra should play until he fouls out. That should be about 15 minutes a game. Polley? I think he sees himself as a floor spacing big man but if he misses a 3 he knows he'll be on the bench. So he is lost out there right now. Three of them need at least 10 pounds of muscle and we won't see that until next year.

 

[Purple Stein]

Whaley has improved some and Carlton has improved some but people raving about what a stud Carlton is after last game is silly.

Have people been doing this? Most of what I've seen is a reasonable "We might have something here" and "If he stays 4 years, he's going to be a great contributor."

 

[Kenny11]

Polley is playing with no confidene at all.

Whaley and Carlton are improving and I’m excited about both of them.

I agree with those saying Mama needs more time. David O should not play at all. He won’t be there next year. There’s no point in giving him minutes. Let him be a good leader in practice and role model off the court and that’s enough.

Polley, Carlton and Whaley have all lost weight since the beginning of the season. This is normal but is more noticeable because these guys were already too skinny to begin with.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

If Polley isn't shooting a few hundred threes in practice every single day, Ollie is a moron.

He had a really nice driving floater early on last game that was straight Jeremy Lamb. Then he obviously disappeared quickly there after.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Polley is playing with no confidene at all.

Whaley and Carlton are improving and I’m excited about both of them.

I agree with those saying Mama needs more time. David O should not play at all. He won’t be there next year. There’s no point in giving him minutes. Let him be a good leader in practice and role model off the court and that’s enough.

Polley, Carlton and Whaley have all lost weight since the beginning of the season. This is normal but is more noticeable because these guys were already too skinny to begin with.

Carlton needs to get stronger to be effective being the type of player he is. Whaley can get away with it because he is more athletic and can rely on explosiveness.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

Polley has deer in the headlights look every time he steps on the court. I know they almost need to play him out of necessity with Larrier out -- but he just looks awful every time he's on the court.

 

[mauconnfan]

Polley has deer in the headlights look every time he steps on the court. I know they almost need to play him out of necessity with Larrier out -- but he just looks awful every time he's on the court.

He does look scared and unsure. He needs to just play, think there's something there. Just let it rip and if you make mistakes so be it, so do the "veterans".

 

[jdb50]

Carlton needs strength and quickness training but he should be effective next year and much better his jr. and sr. years. Whaley has great instincts and needs to develop more offensive game. He will be much better next year. Diarra needs to play period. These guys should start and if they foul out so be it. This could be a real good front line their junior and senior years. Recruit some guards with range that can shoot and we won't suck like we do now. Play em.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Carlton surely is getting better. Did Whaley play today? Polley hit a garbage time three, Diarra was involved in the play that summed up our season perfectly. Nova dude climbs his back and takes a rebound away. Pins Diarra’s arm to his body and falls over. Foul on Diarra.

 

[jibsey]

Vital looks worse than last year and he had a lot of promise. Jalen actually looks worse because his shooting has not improved and he has no one to help him.

 

[whaler11]

Whaley played 28 minutes had 2 points a rebound and a block.

That’s unpossible.

 

[KodiacKemba]

Diarra was involved in the play that summed up our season perfectly. Nova dude climbs his back and takes a rebound away. Pins Diarra’s arm to his body and falls over. Foul on Diarra.

I read this and immediately start laughing...! Can’t catch a break

 

[selles]

Whaley played 28 minutes had 2 points a rebound and a block.

That’s unpossible.

Whaley's had a rough past 2 games. He was good on closeouts today and competent handling the ball on our dreaded quasi-weave, but not nearly active enough on the glass at either end. He would have gotten a full blown JC finger in the chest chewing out at the first timeout.

Seems like he may be thinking too much rather than getting after it. Hopefully just a minor freshman wall.