I will say this much, this next class (2020) determines if JB gets another title

[PhatOrange]

IMO we need an A List pg who can dribble penetrate, an alpha dog 3 and a center that can eat space, block shots and rebound.

In all my years I think AO is the only center that we truly ran offense through. A big thick kid like Craig Forth is really all this team needs.

I don't know how our current kids will develop but Carey and Hughes have the tools. Lets hope we've hit gold with Quincy Guerrier. You have to like that he can dribble drive and shoot. Kid looks like an elite type scorer.

 

[RF2044]

IMO we need an A List pg who can dribble penetrate, an alpha dog 3 and a center than can eat space, block shots and rebound.

In all my years I think AO is the only center that we truly ran offense through. A big thick kid like Craig Forth is really all this team needs.

I don't know how our current kids will develop but Carey and Hughes have the tools. Lets hope we've hit gold with Quincy Guerrier. You have to like that he can dribble drive and shoot. Kid looks like an elite type scorer.

Watched part of an old game over the weekend. I'd kill to have Sherman Douglas again.

Really need to improve the quality of lead guard play to get back to where we once were as a program.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Gonna need great players to win a title? I hope the rest of the teams don't figure out this formula

 

[NKR1978]

We are barely making the tournament yet again, and people are talking about us winning another championship? Seriously. How about we focus on getting to the 4-5 seed line.

Again with the "we." Shouldn't you be defending uconn for another losing season?

Before our run from 09-14, we went to the NIT two years in a row. We also went to the NIT in 02. We have a solid nucleus and legitimately only need one or two guys to round out a top 10 team.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Can we get SienaFUConn off this board.

 

[Funk Doc]

Watched part of an old game over the weekend. I'd kill to have Sherman Douglas again.

Really need to improve the quality of lead guard play to get back to where we once were as a program.

I agree 100%. Although I would love a big, or even anyone, that can score in the paint, I think our biggest area of need is a true lead guard.

 

[jmcclure33]

Nick Ward posts for Michigan State
Zion posts for Duke
PJ Washington posts for Kentucky
Admiral Schofeld/Grant Williams post for Tennessee
Pretty much all contenders have a front court player who can get the ball in the post and get a bucket.

Back to basket centers are a dying breed but we need a player who we can throw the ball to in the post and score consistently.

To be fair then, if those guys are counted, shouldn’t Brissett count too? He’s been posting up a ton lately.

 

[Alsacs]

To be fair then, if those guys are counted, shouldn’t Brissett count too? He’s been posting up a ton lately.

Um no.
Brissett isn’t a threat in the post.
He is the best we have it but he isn’t scoring a lot from there. He drives.
He has posted but we don’t throw him the ball consistently.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I went to the New York State high school tournament all weekend. Not one team from the D's to AA's posted anyone up. It was all drive and kick or drive and dump off. Post play is going to be dead very soon.

 

[jmcclure33]

Um no.
Brissett isn’t a threat in the post.
He is the best we have it but he isn’t scoring a lot from there. He drives.
He has posted but we don’t throw him the ball consistently.

I’d disagree on giving it to him consistently down there recently. The past few games he’s mainly worked down low instead of the perimeter.

 

[IthacaMatt]

what high elite recruit led that one?

You're right, of course. But we did have the #6 guy in the draft, and a lot of experience, with 5 juniors or seniors in our 7 to 8 man rotation.

Sometimes those really experienced teams make deep runs, too. But I don't see that many good players sticking around on our roster until their junior or senior years anymore.

 

[moqui]

You're right, of course. But we did have the #6 guy in the draft, and a lot of experience, with 5 juniors or seniors in our 7 to 8 man rotation.

Sometimes those really experienced teams make deep runs, too. But I don't see that many good players sticking around on our roster until their junior or senior years anymore.

jb could have 5 junior-ish players in rotation next year (marek, oshae & bourama true juniors; eli senior but junior in eligibility; howard sophomore in eligibility but academic junior)
and who knows? maybe a high draft pick, too? nobody thought wes would end up going #4 overall in march of 2009

 

[IthacaMatt]

Bazley - yes but I'm not sure about Taurean making this a much better team.

He's a better player than Sidibe, he offers offense from the 5, can pull opposing bigs away from the basket, opening up driving lanes, and he offers 5 more fouls defending the post. By this year, he might have even learned how to play some defense in the zone.

 

[IthacaMatt]

IMO we need an A List pg who can dribble penetrate, an alpha dog 3 and a center that can eat space, block shots and rebound.
.

This is it, exactly.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I went to the New York State high school tournament all weekend. Not one team from the D's to AA's posted anyone up. It was all drive and kick or drive and dump off. Post play is going to be dead very soon.

Kind of nice to have a center who can catch the ball for that kind of thing. Did they also have their "center" come out to the arc for screens that fool no one?

I don't think SU needs some dominant back-to-the-basket player, but I'm tired of watching 4-on-5 basketball. with a player who fumbles the ball 50-75% of his touches.

 

[rrlbees]

IMO we need an A List pg who can dribble penetrate, an alpha dog 3 and a center that can eat space, block shots and rebound.

In all my years I think AO is the only center that we truly ran offense through. A big thick kid like Craig Forth is really all this team needs.

I don't know how our current kids will develop but Carey and Hughes have the tools. Lets hope we've hit gold with Quincy Guerrier. You have to like that he can dribble drive and shoot. Kid looks like an elite type scorer.

I think most of our best teams had a great 4.

 

[FrancoPizza]

This is it, exactly.

That's 60% of the lineup.

 

[PhatOrange]

I think most of our best teams had a great 4.

I'd agree

 

[OttoMets]

I think most of our best teams had a great 4.

Absolutely. Context matters here, though. For whatever reason, Boeheim's been quick to move a natural 4 to the middle in recent years. We need a half-decent center to make that choice less attractive. Warrick and Wallace wouldn't have had the careers they did if they'd been played out of position, and I don't believe Christmas, Lydon, and Dolezaj have been well-served by their moves.

 

[two3zone]

Absolutely. Context matters here, though. For whatever reason, Boeheim's been quick to move a natural 4 to the middle in recent years. We need a half-decent center to make that choice less attractive. Warrick and Wallace wouldn't have had the careers they did if they'd been played out of position, and I don't believe Christmas, Lydon, and Dolezaj have been well-served by their moves.

Remember when we had people saying Marek would be playing the 2?

 

[OttoMets]

Remember when we had people saying Marek would be playing the 2?

He's the next Keith Van Horn, you know.

 

[two3zone]

He's the next Keith Van Horn, you know.

Wrong, more athletic Van Horn.

 

[Fly Rodder]

That would have been a dandy of a team with Keith Van Horn and Rudy Goebert.