Clash of the Titans

[Jay-Bone]

It's probably not a big enough headline for ESPN being that Uconn is involved and Brimah was not a big recruit, but I think it's pretty cool that a center coming off a 40 & 12 game is going up against a center coming off a 25 & 20 game. Have two players ever gone head to head with those sort of numbers going in? A combined 65 & 32? I can't imagine so. And considering that the traditional center is considered passe these days. Sure, the talking heads will say Brimah's was a fluke vs weak competition, but those were some gargantuan numbers. Also interesting that they're much different players, tall & lanky vs girth and soft hands. Most of America might not be pumped for it but I am. Stay in the game Brimah! Uconn is facing goliath, but it'll be fun.

 

[Rdm203]

I will be shocked if Brimah plays more than 15 minutes.

 

[imno1]

I'm looking forward to the match up but it's not Alcindor / Hayes. Just hope AB can feed off his last performance. He'll have to avoid that very early foul. Hoping he can get thru the first 4 minutes w/o one.

 

[Kitaman]

This game is really just a huge test for Amida. Its a chance for all of us to see how much he has learned and how much he has developed. Sorry but I just hope he holds his own, and does not get embarrassed.

 

[RipCity]

Gargantuan numbers or not, I'd like to see Amida put in the same effort to:

1) get open or create a little space for an entry pass
2) Grab and rip boards

If he doesn't he'll be the same one trick pony we were complaining about up until Sunday.

 

[polycom]

Amida should and more than likely will get dominated.... Okafor if he continues on this pace will be the #1 player in the draft next year. Even if Amida gets dominated I don't believe that he has regressed. Okafor is just better at basketball than him some people refuse to accept facts.

 

[UConnSwag11]

if he's going to foul, i would like them to be hard clean fouls that make okafor earn his points

 

[Fishy]

I believe a hard clean foul that decapitates Okafor is probably our best move.

 

[Cheeky]

Yeah, well, my heart is going to cheer for a win. My head tells me we are going to get embarrassed. Fortunately, my head has been wrong many, many times before when it comes to predicting sports.

If I'm Duke's coach, I force UConn to double team Okafor. Literally go to him first every time down the floor. After the double comes, assuming Okafor is a good passer, it's going to be raining 3s, and our 3 defense has been bad.

If we don't double, Brimah will be on the bench with 2 fouls within 5 minutes of tip off, and then we're going to really see Phil Nolan get taken behind the woodshed.

Double from the tip, and live with the results.

 

[Gurleyman]

I believe a hard clean foul that decapitates Okafor is probably our best move.

We probably would be better off with Nolan or Lubin in that role and not Brimah. A decapitation technical counts as an extra personal foul, so it just puts him in foul trouble.

I think we can play straight up unless he starts to dominate, and then resort to some alternate defenses if needed - such as a collapsing zone, the big to big double or pepper spray. We can then make a little run while the Duke trainers are flushing out his eyes. Believe me, it takes a long time before you get your depth perception back - maybe not as long as after a decapitation, but long enough to swing momentum.

 

[Jay-Bone]

I think they will hassle eachother in their own rights. Okafor will basically pick up Brimah and move him off the block. But Amidah's hands will reach some of Okafor's shouts. Its really going to come down to how its called (typically in Duke's favor) and who can stay on the floor. Both don't have much in the realm of backup, although I'd take Jefferson over Facey but Nolan and Plumlee are a toss up. One good thing in our favor is that we don't rely on Brimah (Coppin St aside) for as much offense as Duke relies on Okafor. But yes, I do believe it will be much harder for Brimah to get the ball as easily as he did against Coppin and that will have as much to do with the other pieces. I don't see Brimah scoring much in this game, but if he can keep Okafor from dominating, the game can be decided by other traits. What we do have to hang our hats on though, is that somehow our frontcourt held the line defensively against a gruesome Texas set of bigs.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Brimah is a better help defender at this point than a primary defender. I'd almost be in favor of starting out with Nolan on him and letting Brimah ease into the game and stay out of foul trouble. Nolan is a decent post defender(see Adreian Payne), and is the only guy on the team with a decent height/weight combination.

 

[Jay-Bone]

Maybe if we bring out the kraken (Lubin), he can take Okafor's head off.

 

[jfuchs91]

People keep talking about how Brimah is undoubtedly going to get in foul trouble. Just thinking about it makes sense: Brimah's foul rate has been high for much of his career, and Okafor is a skilled, crafty big who gets his defender out of place.

But strangely, Okafor doesn't get to the line often or draw a huge number of fouls. He has a very pedestrian 32.7% FTR, meaning he has more than triple the amount of FGA to FTA. Maybe it's just because he's so skilled at creating space to get his shot off, but he hasn't drawn all that many fouls so far this season.

 

[James]

Brimah doesn't even get in foul trouble anymore and is probably our best overall defender. he literally anchors the defense if you've seen them in person, the loudest guy out there. last season in limited minutes he was a defensive anchor. ofcourse he is starting out on Okafor there is no doubt... I expect him to play well as he isn't the reason why we've stunk. everybody else other than brimah/boatright is basically a minus defender (even boatright is inconsistent, hamilton is close but has freshman tendencies on that end)

 

[champs99and04]

People keep talking about how Brimah is undoubtedly going to get in foul trouble. Just thinking about it makes sense: Brimah's foul rate has been high for much of his career, and Okafor is a skilled, crafty big who gets his defender out of place.

But strangely, Okafor doesn't get to the line often or draw a huge number of fouls. He has a very pedestrian 32.7% FTR, meaning he has more than triple the amount of FGA to FTA. Maybe it's just because he's so skilled at creating space to get his shot off, but he hasn't drawn all that many fouls so far this season.

Not only that, but Brimah's foul rate is way down as well (he basically cut it in half from last season).

One explanation for Okafor not getting to the line much could be that he's not a very good foul shooter. Bad free throw shooters sometimes have the tendency to avoid contact. Additionally, Okafor is more of a finesse big at this point in time than a power big. He has the ability to be a power big (he's probably got a considerable weight advantage on Amida), but it seems like he's beaten most of his opponents just by being bigger/quicker. Brimah will have his hands full for sure - this will be the biggest test in discipline for him yet. He's going to have to move his feet and stay down on up-fakes.

 

[James]

Not only that, but Brimah's foul rate is way down as well (he basically cut it in half from last season).

One explanation for Okafor not getting to the line much could be that he's not a very good foul shooter. Bad free throw shooters sometimes have the tendency to avoid contact. Additionally, Okafor is more of a finesse big at this point in time than a power big. He has the ability to be a power big (he's probably got a considerable weight advantage on Amida), but it seems like he's beaten most of his opponents just by being bigger/quicker. Brimah will have his hands full for sure - this will be the biggest test in discipline for him yet. He's going to have to move his feet and stay down on up-fakes.

good point okafor is very finesse, he favors an array of jumphooks/ turn around jumpers/ up and under lay ups. The fact is he doesn't have great explosiveness around the rim, but is a mammoth and ultra quick/well coordinated. reminds of what sullinger should have been minus injuries and few more inches.

 

[CL82]

Release the Lubin.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Id have to imagine Amidah is absolutely chomping at the bit to get on the court againts Ok4 and dook. He can make a major statement on the national stage and really help his stock in the draft down the road. Im not too worried about AB vs Ok4 as i can live with the result either way but what keeps me up at night is Ok4 vs Nolan if AB has to sit for extened minutes.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I will be shocked if Brimah plays more than 15 minutes.

Fatally, or will I have to ignore you?

 

[David 76]

If OK4 gets 15 points and 10 rebounds and AB gets 8 and 6, we will be in good shape.

 

[Cheeky]

Brimah doesn't even get in foul trouble anymore . . . .

I remember thinking when you posted this, "this is wrong."
I was thinking 12 seconds in, "yeah, he's still foul prone."
He played 13 minutes.
You completely miscalled this one.

 

[caw]

One thing this game did destroy was the myth of Dukes depth.

 

[zls44]

Remember when they hyped Luke Schensher vs Emeka?


That.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I will be shocked if Brimah plays more than 15 minutes.

I hated this post.
You were right.