KO on Jalen: "A little bit of Kemba, Shabazz & Boat"

[mauconnfan]

Clearly haven't read anything on the boneyard about Jalen or alterique everyone says next boat shabazz kemba etc...

I was pretty much talking about in this thread. Truth is when you come off of 2 NC's in 4 years and all 3 of the guards KO spoke about had their hands in 1 or 2 of them each there's going to be comparisons. I agree with you it's not reality but it's also not "irritating' it's just being a UConn Husky fan!

 

[ThatUconnFan]

you hijacked this thread. this was a great article that has a lot of nice quotes... you didnt even read it and decided to create an issue that didnt need to be created... no one is comparing, people like ollie just said, have said they see some of kemba bazz and boat in his game... no one said hes going to be them... he's his own player and said he wants to be a true pg

Just because I said expectations might be a little too high doesn't mean everyone should start flipping out. I hijacked a thread by voicing my opinion on a uconn player? The point of the yard is to discuss uconn hoops

 

[Stainmaster]

People on the boneyard love setting insane expectations.

This is what we do. If you don't like it, tough.

 

[ThatUconnFan]

I was pretty much talking about in this thread. Truth is when you come off of 2 NC's in 4 years and all 3 of the guards KO spoke about had their hands in 1 or 2 of them each there's going to be comparisons. I agree with you it's not reality but it's also not "irritating' it's just being a UConn Husky fan!

I agree with you expectations r going to come because it comes with being a husky Point guard. But you have to admit the boneyard often sets unreasonably high expectations for players which is my main point

 

[ThatUconnFan]

This is what we do. If you don't like it, tough.

People go on the boneyard to voice their opinions on uconn hoops. If u don't like my opinion... Tough

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree with you expectations r going to come because it comes with being a husky Point guard. But you have to admit the boneyard often sets unreasonably high expectations for players which is my main point

People can dream. After all it's the BY where dreams often become reality.

 

[James]

Considering that it was the head coach who compared him to Kemba and Bazz, I would say the ensuing commentary has been pretty reasonable. As @caw says, it's probably not that farfetched to think he can be a combination of freshman Bazz and freshman Kemba.

@James what are the chances he's one and done?

very low imo , not enough PT. But he's a better pro prospect than a lot of guards mocked for the 2016 draft ill say.

 

[OkaForPrez]

People go on the boneyard to voice their opinions on uconn hoops. If u don't like my opinion... Tough

Posts/handle

 

[Thirty Three]

I don't think very many people think he's going to come in as a freshman and play like junior Kemba or senior Shabazz, and I don't think many people expect him to be just like Kemba, or just like Shabazz.

I think the general (high) expectation is that he will be the next great UConn point guard before he leaves (ala Kemba/Shabazz) not that he will play just like either one, although as a guard he certainly has some similarities in his game, as KO pointed out.

 

[Scottzer]

If he's as good as everyone is saying he would be a top 10 prospect. I've seen him play he's gonna be a good player but don't expect him to be a freshman phenom because their are holes in his game. Needs to improve shot, be more consistent on offense and more active on defense. Has the potential to be one of the better guards in the country two or three years from now but insanely high expectations are never good.

That's like saying that the recruiting rankings are correct. Ray Allen was a top 35 prospect, but by the end of his freshman year I'm sure he would have been rated as a top 10. He's really good, but nobody is saying that he's already at the level of Kemba, Bazz, and Boat as juniors or seniors.

 

[Ricker]

I've seen Adams in person numerous times, as well as many many other prospects and recruits over the years. Most go through a freshman year adjustment to the college game so it's easy to predict that. El-Amin had one game driving the lane repeatedly against Florida State and ate the basketball every time, but I think he and Shabazz had quality freshman years and still grew from an excellent start. In Adam's case I'll bite and you can shoot me later in the year. I think he is going to be a star from day 1.

I don't measure this by thinking he will put the team on his back like Kemba and Shabazz. I'm also not saying that that he won't get better and better over time. I'm using the Daniel Hamilton measure. You will always want him in the game. You hate him coming off the floor, you anticipate he's going to make something happen every time he touches the ball. That is in spite of a couple of high turnover games and missing clutch free throws vs Temple. Because of his obvious skills and peak performances, there is a consensus he is a star or a star in the making despite hiccups. I will be shocked if that is not the consensus feeling re Adams.

To say this isn't true because he wasn't a top 10 player means you didn't see the guards ahead of him play. There is no way they were measurably better players than Adams. You wouldn't swap for them. As examples, Trier was excellent but a push. Briscoe shot 1 for 12, turned the ball over, hogged the ball, and generally gave an Isiah Whitehead performance. Other times he had flashes and his shot falls, but is always a loose cannon. We got as good a freshman guard as there is bar none.

 

[ctchamps]

Just glad KO didn't compare Jalen to a car!

 

[Dogbreath2U]

I've seen Adams in person numerous times, as well as many many other prospects and recruits over the years. Most go through a freshman year adjustment to the college game so it's easy to predict that. El-Amin had one game driving the lane repeatedly against Florida State and ate the basketball every time, but I think he and Shabazz had quality freshman years and still grew from an excellent start. In Adam's case I'll bite and you can shoot me later in the year. I think he is going to be a star from day 1.

I don't measure this by thinking he will put the team on his back like Kemba and Shabazz. I'm also not saying that that he won't get better and better over time. I'm using the Daniel Hamilton measure. You will always want him in the game. You hate him coming off the floor, you anticipate he's going to make something happen every time he touches the ball. That is in spite of a couple of high turnover games and missing clutch free throws vs Temple. Because of his obvious skills and peak performances, there is a consensus he is a star or a star in the making despite hiccups. I will be shocked if that is not the consensus feeling re Adams.

To say this isn't true because he wasn't a top 10 player means you didn't see the guards ahead of him play. There is no way they were measurably better players than Adams. You wouldn't swap for them. As examples, Trier was excellent but a push. Briscoe shot 1 for 12, turned the ball over, hogged the ball, and generally gave an Isiah Whitehead performance. Other times he had flashes and his shot falls, but is always a loose cannon. We got as good a freshman guard as there is bar none.

I can't remember coming into a year that was like this one where there is so much uncertainty about who the starters will be, who the "go to" guy will be, and even who the top backups will be. I have had the idea that Sterling and Rodney should be the starters at the beginning at least, with Daniel, Shonn, and Amida filling out the starters. I see Jalen as likely the most talented kid on the team in the long run, but that he would come off the bench and turn up the volume when he came in. Now I'm not at all sure who will start and that makes it even more fun and intriguing to see what happens.

 

[8893]

I predict a @tcf15 video mashup of Jalen merging with iconic images of Kemba, Shabazz and Boat, set to "Mambo No. 5."

 

[ctchamps]

What do you mean no one is comparing him..everyone is comparing him to kemba and shabazz and I don't think that's fair because he has a different style than both. Every hightly ranked point guard commit we get will be compared to kemba and bazz on the boneyard even if they play nothing a like. It's kind of irritating

Here's the thing. No one in this thread, nor in the article, are implying he's at that level. I do agree with you however that more than one fool will, during the course of the season, refer inaccurately to this article and blast JA after a bad game! Save your ammo for those moments.

Just bookmark the article and do what the people in this thread are doing when that happens. Point out the exact quotes. And just a a heads up. You can point out the exact quotes to those angry posters (should these events occur) and they will ignore them.

In this thread I give you points for not backing down and relating things in a measured manner.
Are your observations about Jalen and your choice to offer caution in this particular thread buzz kills?
It appears that way. That's just as much on us as it is on you. We lack mental toughness. Personally I work at getting mentally tough by banging my head against the wall. "The wall" happens to be threads I participate in the Boneyard. You appear to be doing the same thing.

 

[UChusky916]

@ThatUconnFan you hijacked the thread by completely misinterpreting the article. KO himself said that Jalen has elements of Shabazz, Boat, and Kemba in his game, that's it. For you to disagree with that means you disagree with Ollie or you probably didn't read the article. Here's what you said:

expecting him to be a mixture of kemba and shabazz as a freshman is a little ridiculous....
Right now he's probably not very close to as good as junior year kemba and senior shabazz.

NO ONE said that has a freshman Jalen be as good as junior Kemba or senior Shabazz. That's NOT going to happen. You're the only one making that comparison and arguing with people for no reason. People are getting on you because you've hijacked the thread by taking a dumb stance. Comparing elements of a player's game doesn't mean that they are going to be AS GOOD AS that player, no one said that. Coach KO himself said that Jalen has elements of Kemba and Shabazz in his game, so it's a fair comparison. Why you have to hijack the thread and make false comparisons to poo-poo everyone's opinions is beyond me.

 

[Pudge]

I think it is fair to be excited about Jalen Adams ... as we were excited about Kemba, Shabazz & Boat.

Like Bob Baffert, we breed exciting scoring distributing leading Point Guards & have since before Kevin Ollie showed up. (NOTE the name I'm not saying). Jalen Adams - I expect - will start in my head as high as any of them. We get these guys & they develop. I do think NBA when I hear a description of our PGs. Adams will do great.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

This thread seems like an overreaction to a post that might have gone a bit overboard but was basically just cautioning restraining in our expectations of a freshman point guard. I don't see how that's hijacking a thread or why this guy's getting ____ on.

 

[aceboon]

This thread seems like an overreaction to a post that might have gone a bit overboard but was basically just cautioning restraining in our expectations of a freshman point guard. I don't see how that's hijacking a thread or why this guy's getting ____ on.

KO says that Adams has a bit of Bazz/Kemba/Boat in his game but has to prove that he can be mentioned in that tier of players, ThatUconnfan then lives up to his moniker and says we're ridiculous for thinking he can be as good as those players at their peaks in his freshman year, a claim that not a single poster made. Seems pretty cut and dry why he got dumped on, guys attributing false statements to posters as a means to stir up imaginary arguments seems to be an epidemic on here.

 

[UChusky916]

KO says that Adams has a bit of Bazz/Kemba/Boat in his game but has to prove that he can be mentioned in that tier of players, ThatUconnfan then lives up to his moniker and says we're ridiculous for thinking he can be as good as those players at their peaks in his freshman year, a claim that not a single poster made. Seems pretty cut and dry why he got dumped on, guys attributing false statements to posters as a means to stir up imaginary arguments seems to be an epidemic on here.

Perfectly stated.

 

[Kitaman]

Every hightly ranked point guard commit we get will be compared to kemba and bazz on the boneyard even if they play nothing a like. It's kind of irritating

Its actually complimentary. Hell I'll take a Taliek comparison any day, as well.

But anyway try and relax the ball hasn't even bounced yet. You are trying to be rational on this board, during the season and especially at the start, its not that type of party around here.

Based on your above statement, Scrappy would drive you to do drugs (or increase them if that's your thing).

 

[Towney007]

I'm almost amused by how under the radar this team is trending this year. I read a preview magazine today that had UConn as a 'push' top 20 team yet ranked *all* of their starters in the top 10 of their respective positions nationally.

Of course we'll see how this group gels - but this is the deepest, most talented UConn team I can remember in a long, long time.

 

[Huskybass]

Simply put,j Adams is a very exciting player to watch and he does lots of things well. I got to see him play this summer and he instantly made me look forward to seeing him in a Husky uniform more so than I did when I saw Kemba, Bazz or Boat play prior to their freshman years.

 

[Rocktheworld]

This thread seems like an overreaction to a post that might have gone a bit overboard but was basically just cautioning restraining in our expectations of a freshman point guard. I don't see how that's hijacking a thread or why this guy's getting ____ on.

Unfounded strawmen ought to be shat upon every time one emerges.

 

[James]

i dont expect polish from adams, i expect moments of brilliance that surge us to victories this year... ala 09 kemba walker. moments of brilliance that exhibit characteristics of high lotto pick potential. I doubt he will be a 40% + 3pt shooter, but i suspect him to be a force in transition and a real game changer ( not like terrence samuel game changer). He'll be able to get to the paint whenever the hell he wants, also similar to walkers 'ferrari' play style in 09 when he would over penetrate.

kid has the best physical profile for a guard since BG came to storrs imo