Samuel

[Stainmaster]

So gutting the team save for four players. Where are their replacements coming from? Freshmen? Castoffs who were let go by other programs in this hypothetical draft scenario? Grad transfers that will create the same amount of vacancies the next year?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I think I finally have to move Samuel out of the first round in my mock draft after today. I'll give Nolan one more game.

 

[Hoophound]

There has been a bit of a string of bad luck or bad evaluation in recruiting. Basically, Omar, TSam (not great but a legit high major recruit), Purvis and Sam Jr. are all playing below the level they were expected to play at by all who recruited them or evaluated them.

So, are we missing in terms of evaluating players or did we just happen to get four pretty highly regarded guys that all happen to be underperforming? These guys were definitely considered UCONN level talent coming in. They are not the filler types that we having been looking at from time to time lately.

It is important to reflect a little bit on what we need and to get the best players we can considering need, even if they are small or less highly regarded. In order to do that we need better player evaluation. I don't care if a little PG from Georgia is only 5'8". If he has lightning fast hands and feet and can stroke it from downtown, let's bring him in. I'm sick of seeing schools like Richmond or Fairleigh Dickinson with water bug fast guards that can play while we struggle to score a point and shoot 30% from 3.

 

[Cheeky]

So, are we missing in terms of evaluating players or did we just happen to get four pretty highly regarded guys that all happen to be underperforming?

There's a third possibility that you have not mentioned, and it is a much worse cause than either of those two, if it was, in fact, a reason.

 

[tzznandrew]

There's a third possibility that you have not mentioned, and it is a much worse cause than either of those two, if it was, in fact, a reason.

Yup. It's an uncomfortable possibility. I don't think it is the case, but this early it has to be on the table.

 

[Louis]

He's all we got. So sad.

Question - who recruited these guys and why didn't (or couldn't) they recruit Kris Dunn?

 

[Hoophound]

We didn't have a scholarship for Dunn. We didn't lose him to PC. I'd love to have him now, but we didn't have room then.

 

[Cheeky]

Yup. It's an uncomfortable possibility. I don't think it is the case, but this early it has to be on the table.

I'm with you brother, but dear G-d I hope it's just coincidence.

 

[Hoophound]

I'm with you brother, but dear G-d I hope it's just coincidence.

I sort of hit on that in a different way. Maybe the players aren't being coached properly, or
maybe the coaches don't evaluate well. Either way, that's a coach problem.

I am very reluctant to blame KO for his actual coaching. He was masterful his first two years and I think that I need to get a grip on my emotions whenever I question his abilities. He won us 20 games in a throw away season with limited players and then won us a national championship. I don't like what I see, but some of JC's bad years looked pretty damn bad too. Yet somehow, he'd come back the next year having found chemistry with a few new players and the continued development of some returnees. I am just hoping KO can bring in some guards with Enoch and find a way to make the new group click.

Honestly, losing Boat doesn't really scare me that much. This group just doesn't work and I'm not sure losing Boat will really matter. We need chemistry and this group doesn't have it. I look forward to trying a new recipe.

 

[joober jones]

I think I finally have to move Samuel out of the first round in my mock draft after today. I'll give Nolan one more game.

A little extreme - why not just move him out of the lottery?

 

[yankeewc]

If you can't can't get 4 or 5 star recruits after winning the National Championship, how do you expect to get any after what looks like poor play in a poor conference for a few years. We always seem to be on the list of top recruits but hardly ever get chosen by them. Often times, I'm incredulous in regards to the schools they choose over us. How many big time recruits have come to Uconn in the last twenty years. It's going to be difficult to compete with schools who have 3 or 4 top recruits with a collection of players such as we have now.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It's not the last twenty years that are the problem.

 

[mauconnfan]

If you can't can't get 4 or 5 star recruits after winning the National Championship, how do you expect to get any after what looks like poor play in a poor conference for a few years. We always seem to be on the list of top recruits but hardly ever get chosen by them. Often times, I'm incredulous in regards to the schools they choose over us. How many big time recruits have come to Uconn in the last twenty years. It's going to be difficult to compete with schools who have 3 or 4 top recruits with a collection of players such as we have now.

Let's be honest here and try to look at this with a dose of reality. Just a couple years back we were trying to keep kids at UConn because of an awful job by the NCAA on the APR. This was a great opportunity for the negative recruiters from every school we were going head to head with. Now when we talk of the kids deciding this year we have to remember, especially with the 4/5 star kids, they were being recruited by their soph/jr years so favorites were being played into their heads during our tough times and KO's first year. This particular class is a tough one still despite the NC because the momentum for other schools was already put in place. I'm not saying don't be worried at all, I am a bit too. But to me the real huge year would next years where the sophs/jrs were watching the NC run...jury is still out.

 

[UConnNick]

I agree 100% with Tenspro's analysis. I am very concerned about the future of this program. Having been at UConn in the mid-70s during the Tony Hanson-Yankee Conference days, I know what a low level program looks like. Back then, beating Rutgers or BC were reasons to celebrate. Obviously, I don't believe that the program will ever backslide to that level, but if we don't start closing on some of the 4 and 5 star recruits, this program will become an afterthought or even worse, irrelevant. This is what concerns me, and the dearth of talent on this squad and next year as well gives me pause of concern. I hope that KO lands a couple of his big time targets and puts this queasy feeling to rest, but only time will tell.

I agree for the most part, but your characterization of the mid-1970's Tony Hanson UCONN teams is a bit off. We went to the NIT twice and the NCAA Sweet 16 once when Tony was playing. By no means were we a national juggernaut, but "low level" is going too far in the other direction when remembering those teams. Real low level hit in the very late 1960's during the regrettable Burr Carlson coaching regime...two seasons of pure hell. The latter years of Perno's tenure were no picnic, either.

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree for the most part, but your characterization of the mid-1970's Tony Hanson UCONN teams is a bit off. We went to the NIT twice and the NCAA Sweet 16 once when Tony was playing. By no means were we a national juggernaut, but "low level" is going too far in the other direction when remembering those teams. Real low level hit in the very late 1960's during the regrettable Burr Carlson coaching regime...two seasons of pure hell. The latter years of Perno's tenure were no picnic, either.

Dom was a great guy but an awful coach. Took him half a year or more to realize Cliffy was pretty decent.

 

[UConnNick]

Dom was a great guy but an awful coach. Took him half a year or more to realize Cliffy was pretty decent.

Yes, but in fairness, Dom didn't get a whole lot of support from the administration during his coaching tenure. I'm biased because I know Dom personally. His weakness was trying to please everybody all the time. That doesn't work when you're a major conference college BB coach, something we may only enjoy fond memories of if we remain in this dumpster fire of a conference.

 

[Goat]

A winning college coach has to evaluate, choose, recruit, teach, motivate, engender collaboration, game plan, react to in game situations, and do media, public relations, etc.
Fran Dunphy didn't stink last year and then remember how to win this year. Ollie has not forgotten. He doesn't need to be told to tell the players to pay hard all game long.
I am sure he knows who he wants to bring to Storrs and had many alternatives for when he inevitably was disappointed by some of the kids he coveted.
I also believe that he is no less clever in designing individual plays or full game plans than he was in the Final 4. Players have to execute.
The guy has improved the strength and conditioning, brought in sports psychologists, and taken a lot of midlevel recruits a long way. Last year he made opponents play games where Brimah's shout blocking was of great impact, but his weaknesses were protects. I'm sure the team did not abandon the free throw drill everyone talked about last spring. But players have not done as well. Samuel couldn't play a tick early in his freshman year, but emerged as a complimentary player. The players around him expose weaknesses now, where as last year's hid them. But, he is generally improving, even if here is much less effective on this team.
I believe the truth is that there are chemistry issues. They pride themselves on being a family, but something is up.
Drummond's year we couldn't get it done, same now I think. Next year is also about who leads and who will follow. I remember some body contact Bazz on Boat, was it in the Kentucky game? Boat subjugated himself in 2013-14 and that he deserved to lead this year. Not sure it had played out the way he dreamed it up.

 

[Buffett10]

Now a bashing Samuel thread? You guys are cool. But Dbags he WON us the Championship with his "Terrible shooting" what was he like 14/14 or 12/13 from the line in the last 2 minutes of Tourney games last year? Yeah stfu

 

[huskyharry]

You're forgetting how hard SC was getting shat on before his injury. The only reason people have a more positive impression of him now is because he hasn't played in a while. If he were up to his usual shtick of missing 3s and not playing D, he would be criticized here at T-Sam levels.

Sam Jr. was undeniably a focus of criticism but the jury should still be out...he didn't have one acute injury but was playing hurt from nearly the beginning of the season. Leg injuries can adversely affect all aspects of a player's game.

 

[mauconnfan]

Now a bashing Samuel thread? You guys are cool. But Dbags he WON us the Championship with his "Terrible shooting" what was he like 14/14 or 12/13 from the line in the last 2 minutes of Tourney games last year? Yeah stfu

No one's bashing him just saying he's playing too much and he is. He's been dreadful with the ball and making decisions and if you deny that you aren't watching. He makes some FT's and that's about it. His defense has gone on the dumpster and his offense, well there's hardly any. He needs to improve to be the 3rd guard next year otherwise if he's any more than 4th the expectations go down again.

 

[Palatine]

Once again, a player who does not know his strengths and weaknesses. He does not have the court awareness of a true point guard.

 

[Danzz]

I think Samuel might be emblematic as well, but for a different reason.
Samuel, Nolan and Calhoun, are no better now than they were as freshmen. You can actually make the case that Samuel is worse. Individual improvement is important to success, and they haven't shown it.[/QUOTE
Samuel isn't worse, he is the same. He may not be athletic enough to improve his skills but he can improve his decision making.
As much as I never was impressed with him, Samuel isn't the reason this team went in the toilet.

 

[husky91]

So for his next 3 years we should praise him incesssantly? He plays hard, but he has zero skills. Another example of where UConn recruiting has hit the skids.

Now a bashing Samuel thread? You guys are cool. But Dbags he WON us the Championship with his "Terrible shooting" what was he like 14/14 or 12/13 from the line in the last 2 minutes of Tourney games last year? Yeah stfu

 

[mauconnfan]

Maybe not Danzz but the fact he played over 20 minutes quite often is one of the major reasons.

 

[Stainmaster]

So for his next 3 years we should praise him incesssantly? He plays hard, but he has zero skills. Another example of where UConn recruiting has hit the skids.

Do you have any idea what a happy medium is? The two options aren't "constantly bashing" and "incessantly praising". Sheesh.