Cam Spencer lights UConn's Fire

[mauconnfan]

Just noticed the date of your post — my bad!

Yeah he’s allowed to admit he was wrong
2 1/2 months later!

 

[mauconnfan]

Cute. But after we win in a couple of weeks, he wont be talking a back seat to Coach Calhoun anymore.

I’m pretty sure he’s making a mark on UConn in a huge way but he didn’t build a program from the ground up like JC so let’s hold off on this thought for quite a while.

 

[dennismenace]

This offense that UConn is running is going to be copied.. it’s so nice to watch and is so effective… it’s going to put Hurley in a class that only a few coaches are in..

Unfortunately it might also make Luke Murray alot more visable as a future head coach.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I kinda hope he winds up on the coaching roster some day.

 

[willie99]

Cute. But after we win in a couple of weeks, he wont be talking a back seat to Coach Calhoun anymore.

He'll never replace to Goat, and if he has a 20+ year run like the Goat, I might change my mind

I think we have the best coach today, I couldn't be happier.

Jim Calhoun made it all possible, he's our forefather

 

[uconn_jack]

I've never heard or read anything about it, but does Cam have a speech impediment of some kind? Obviously doesn't matter in any way, just curious.

 

[OkaForPrez]

It'll be copied, but not duplicated. You have to have a lot of the right players, with vision for the whole court and basketball smarts to run it like we have this year. I don't even think we'll be able to run it as effectively next year without Spencer and Newton.

Alex and Clingan are what make it go.

 

[elmcityboy]

"Spencer has always been a visual learner. He taught himself how to play Texas Hold’em during COVID-19 lockdown by watching hours of poker online."

cam, if you are reading this, i will double you up at the mohegan sun $1/$2 table. come on down.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I've never heard or read anything about it, but does Cam have a speech impediment of some kind? Obviously doesn't matter in any way, just curious.

I think he has a slight lisp. Haven’t listened to much of his press conferences or anything

 

[ucp990411]

Your take is way too hot. This comp is a lot closer than you are making it out to be. And to be clear, I am old enough. I watched both of those guys. Great players, particularly Henefeld (Sheffer is not at their level). Loved Navad. Steady as they come. But he did not have the offensive punch that Cam has. Both great passers. Both great leaders. Both perfect for their respective teams.

You are wrong about Doron. He was absolutely at their level. Perhaps you watched the games but didn’t pay attention

 

[Tenspro2002]

cam, if you are reading this, i will double you up at the mohegan sun $1/$2 table. come on down.

I've watched probably hundreds (thousands?) of hours of poker online and doesn't help me be more than a breakeven 1/3 player

Cam has that dawg in him though.

 

[elmcityboy]

I've watched probably hundreds (thousands?) of hours of poker online and doesn't help me be more than a breakeven 1/3 player

Cam has that dawg in him though.

where do you play out of? wish we had a casino that offered 1/3 nearby, although i guess i heard that foxwoods might start?

i definitely don't pretend to be a wizard, but i have been crushing the early afternoon retiree-heavy 1/2 games lately, haha.

 

[Tenspro2002]

where do you play out of? wish we had a casino that offered 1/3 nearby, although i guess i heard that foxwoods might start?

i definitely don't pretend to be a wizard, but i have been crushing the early afternoon retiree-heavy 1/2 games lately, haha.

I'm in western NY so I mostly play at Del Lago (between Rochester and Syracuse).

Beating the old-people weekday afternoon games is actually super hard because they tend not to give action. It's the splashy drunks who show up on Friday and Saturday nights who you want to go against.

 

[gsmooth]

Cam Spencer lights UConn's fire

Spencer, the Rutgers transfer, has the best offensive rating in the country. But his competitiveness is even more valuable to the Huskies.

theathletic.com

good article in The Athletic today:

“At DePaul, when Clingan was a step behind his man rolling to the basket, he left his feet on a pump fake and picked up his second foul with 10:42 left in the first half. When he got to the bench, Spencer was waiting.

“He just started yelling at me,” Clingan says. “Yo, who gives a s— if they score those two points? It’s two points versus 10 minutes. Now you have to sit on the bench for 10 minutes. He yelled for like three straight minutes about how I can’t get in foul trouble because how much they need me on the court. It’s things like that that help me. It helps me realize I need to focus on not fouling.”

Clingan hasn’t had more than three fouls in a game since.”

This is exactly correct and Cam said this in a much more succinct manner than I said it in my post below in the How to guard Jaedon Ledee thread.

That's the big thing. He needs to be told that it's okay to concede 2 points, 4 points, or 6 points in the early part of the game. Picking up 1 foul is more costly than giving up 6 points.

I hate saying this, but he should learn from Kalkbrenner. Kalkbrenner never gets in foul trouble because he keeps his arms straight up and doesn't jump at all on pump fakes, like at all. Kalkbrenner walls up, so to speak.

I know I might catch heat for this, but I will say this anyways. Clingan when he is on the court is more impactful than Kalkbrenner, but Kalkbrenner plays much smarter in terms of avoiding foul trouble than Clingan. There are a lot of times when Clingan takes himself out of the game by committing dumb fouls by leaving is his feet. He should almost never have to leave his feet. He better remember this when guarding Ledee, because Ledee draws about 8.5 fouls/game on average. Having said this, I will defend Clingan in the sense that I think he gets a lot of BS calls against him, too (his 2nd foul in Omaha against Creighton).

 

[elmcityboy]

I'm in western NY so I mostly play at Del Lago (between Rochester and Syracuse).

Beating the old-people weekday afternoon games is actually super hard because they tend not to give action. It's the splashy drunks who show up on Friday and Saturday nights who you want to go against.

ah, interesting! never been.

and i absolutely agree! afternoons have just been the only times i have been available to play lately. those nittier games can be easier to navigate sometimes, too, because i can play a bit wider and basically snap fold at any sign of aggression. it helps that i have been running better in the afternoon too, of course!

 

[AllHusky]

Your take is way too hot. This comp is a lot closer than you are making it out to be. And to be clear, I am old enough. I watched both of those guys. Great players, particularly Henefeld (Sheffer is not at their level). Loved Navad. Steady as they come. But he did not have the offensive punch that Cam has. Both great passers. Both great leaders. Both perfect for their respective teams.

Saw them both as well, easily put Cam in same sentence with them.

 

[AllHusky]

I’m pretty sure he’s making a mark on UConn in a huge way but he didn’t build a program from the ground up like JC so let’s hold off on this thought for quite a while.

What Jim( and Geno) did can only be done once. Dan Hurley might surpass them both in NCAA Ch’ships at UConn(wow, let’s hope) but that’s a different accomplishment.

 

[AdamaNation]

Cam would be an excellent coach down the road after he hangs up the sneakers. Looks like he's living the dream right now. Fun to see.

He’d get canned in a year for beating up students

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The real question is who will be our demonstrative competitive psycho (meant in the best possible way) next year? We had Andre last year and Cam this year. That role is wide open for next year. AK is clearly very competitive but isn’t nearly as demonstrative about it on the court. Diarra shows some flashes there. He might be able to up his game in that area next season. Stewart also seems like he has potential.

 

[mauconnfan]

You are wrong about Doron. He was absolutely at their level. Perhaps you watched the games but didn’t pay attention

Yeah I would say of all Husky guards of the past he would compare to Spencer the best. Same type of player, a bit slow on D but makes up for it off the ball. Shoots it well maybe shy of Cam but close and very clutch. Great ball handler and passer (best 50 ft pass to breakaway cutters) and a highly intelligent player on the court. Really close!!

 

[DRBackup]

My god I’m going to miss Cam next year.

Just have to make all this "part of the process". Make sure when you're recruiting, both from the HS ranks and in the portal, you understand the qualities you value in players beyond just athleticism and basketball skills. Passion like Cam, confidence like Joey California, cool under pressure like Newton, etc. Intangibles are important

 

[Tenspro2002]

My god I’m going to miss Cam next year.

This is part of why I'm so invested in us winning the championship this year.

Falling short would still be a wildly successful season, but it would be absolutely unjust for such a likable, accomplished, and rare team like this, who fit together so perfectly and are a joy to watch both together and as individuals, not finish atop the mountain.

 

[uconn_jack]

The real question is who will be our demonstrative competitive psycho (meant in the best possible way) next year? We had Andre last year and Cam this year. That role is wide open for next year. AK is clearly very competitive but isn’t nearly as demonstrative about it on the court. Diarra shows some flashes there. He might be able to up his game in that area next season. Stewart also seems like he has potential.

Everything I've read is that Stewart is a rather quiet guy, don't think it would be him. I can see Diarra stepping up in that role and he's definitely got the respect from the team.

 

[formerlurker]

Thank you Cam for all you did this season. You were amazing.
Looking forward to you in a Husky uniform next season.

Nothing about this post makes sense to me. Is the season over? Did Cam suddenly get that extra year? Please explain.

 

[Kembacity]

I feel like both of the incoming freshman are intense passionate players. Abraham looks like he could bring in an AJax level of aggression that Hurley needs to tone down to avoid T’s. Nowell looks intense and enjoyable to watch like Kemba. Solo will be in that crew, I’m not worried about our level of passion next year.