Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Player Profile: Roscoe Smith
Looking Back: Roscoe Smith had a rough freshman campaign. He struggled with consistency on the offensive end and saw his playing time fluctuate. His jumpers were all over the rim and he lacked a way to put the ball on the floor to create a shot. He turned into a defensive and rebounding specialist and did the dirty work that the team needed from him to ultimately win the championship. Unfortunately he will be most remembered for his flub at the end of regulation against Texas where he tossed a half court shot with eleven seconds remaining on the clock.
The Good: He plays hard on the defensive end and was tasked with covering the opponents most offensively talented players. He has great length and athleticism. His shot isn’t horrible, he just needs confidence in it. If he can find ways to get to the line and see the ball drop in the basket a few times, it would help his shot drastically. He is a tough nosed player and doesn’t mind banging bodies inside and is the type of player Jim Calhoun loves.
The Bad: He has no go-to-move and needs to work on getting points in the paint. He settled for quick jumpers and that isn’t his game right now. He needs to develop a post game and a way to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He also needs to do a better job of blocking out. He had a hard time adjusting to college and tried to use his athleticism to get rebounds instead of putting a body on his man.
Looking Ahead: With a whole year under his belt and a taste of success, Roscoe should take the next step in his development and contribute more on the offensive end. If he can flirt with ten points and ten boards a game, then he will warrant a major role because of his outstanding defensive ability. The wing position takes the most time to develop and Roscoe has all the tools to be successful, fans just need to be patient.
(Video has swears in it)
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Player Profile: Alex Oriakhi
Looking Back: There was a lot of pressure on Oriakhi to produce last year because of the departure of Ater Majok, leaving Oriakhi and Okwandu as the only experienced big men on the team. His freshman campaign was a bit underwhelming and he had a lot to prove in his sophomore season. While he battled hard on the boards and played solid defense in stretches, he never found the consistency to his game that Calhoun and the team needed. With all that said, he was the primary big man on the National championship team and did all the dirty work that this team needed for them to bring home the trophy.
The Good: He still has a ton of muscle that he could add to his frame and with that added size, he should be able to clear some room in the paint for more boards and points. He does a good job of getting second chance points and doing the dirty work. He is solid defensively. He isn’t a fantastic shot blocker, but he doesn’t get beat too often in the post. While his numbers don’t reflect it, he has a nice free throw shot and should get the average around seventy percent. He also can knock down the fifteen footer, but defers a lot.
The Bad: He is reluctant with his back to the basket and needs to run down court, set up position faster and make quicker moves to the basket. He has all the tools to be an All-Big East first team big man, but needs to show that he can draw the double team to free up the perimeter. He also had a hard time playing in long stretches because of some early foul trouble. He will need to be less aggressive early in ball games to avoid cheap fouls. He has a tendency to not block out and ball watch too much. He also isn’t the greatest passer out of double teams and has issues with teams swiping the ball from him.
Looking Ahead: This is a big season for Oriakhi. He needs to continue his progression and emerge as a top center in the Big East. He doesn’t have the height of a legitimate center but he has quickness and strength that can cause miss-matches. His goal this season is to average a double-double in each game. He’ll need to show more leadership on and off the court and take on the role as captain. If he can do all this, he can have a successful season.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Player Profile: Jeremy Lamb
Looking Back: It took a few months for Jeremy Lamb to find his place on the team, but when he did this team went on a historic run. He was hesitant to take shots and deferred a lot to Walker during the early stages of the season, but once he saw that he was effective on some curls and felt a few threes drop, his confidence kept building where by the end of the season, he was being schemed against. If it wasn’t for his emergence as a definitive scorer, this team would never of had the shot to make a trip to Houston and cut down the nets.
The Good: Lamb has a tremendous upside. He has the length to take on the two guard, or quickness to beat the small forward position around screens. His versatility creates mismatches and allows him to get open on a multitude of different sets. It is unusual for a player of his experience to have a master of the mid-ranged game, but it has been in his arsenal since high school. He has a nasty floater, can knock down the three ball, has an above the rim game, shots well around screens, possesses a deceptive first step, rebounds well, and plays defense. Not bad for a sophomore and he is scratching the surface of what he can do.
The Bad: Other then his dance moves, his size is an issue. He needs to get to the line more and to do that, he needs to attack the rim. That is the missing element to his game and could increase his scoring total by five to eight points a game. He is also going to need to be more consistent on the offensive end and show that he can shoulder the offense going through him.
Looking Ahead: This is Jeremy Lamb’s team now and that is a lot to ask of for a sophomore and he needs to be a leader on this team. He will be given more sets and opportunities to make plays and he needs to make the most out of this opportunity. NBA scouts are already salivating on last years performance and if he shows another step in his development, he will have a serious decision to make in March.
(Video has swears in it)
(Video has swears in it)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
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