Player Improvements for 09-10

How can you look at Syracuse--I don't care how much young talent the bring in--and think they won't fall off.  Johnny Flynn was one of the best players they've ever had.  He ran that team.  Devendorf was incredible for them.  Harris played huge minutes.  It's like none of the other players even had to think with the great guards they had.  Of course, they'll be talented, but in college basketball an experienced junior destroys a 99% of freshman. 

Pitt loses Sam Young, Levance Fields, Biggs, and Blair.  No matter how much talent they bring in or have returning, they can never look like the same team.  All four of those guys were physical beasts. 

Marquette loses three NBA caliber guards and had a crappy frontcourt (their starting PF is a 6'6 SF that is DJ Kennedy in a year). 

Uconn's whole identity will be changed.  Thabeet challenged everything.  Anytime anyone got beat he was there.  Now, they'll have to rely heavily on Stanley Robinson?  Good luck with that.  Kemba should be incredible, but no Price, Thabeet, and Adrien?  Throw the scores from last year out the window. 


Providence -Lost everyone

Louisville - loses their best defensive player, McGee, and two long, freak athletes that real defined their play the last few years and made them very difficult to match up with.

Will any of these teams be a walkover win?  Other than Providence, probably not, but you have to give the advantage to juniors and a fifth year senior that have started every game since they've been in school over soph's that at the bench and freshman that haven't played Big East ball.

actually the 6-10 truck alex oriahki will be there to replace thabeet. hes already a lot stronger then thabeet and hes only a freshman.

actually the 6-10 truck alex oriahki will be there to replace thabeet. hes already a lot stronger then thabeet and hes only a freshman.

It doesn't matter. Thabeet defined that team and there is no way that kid was stronger than Adrien.  Adrien was a monster and his strength allowed Thabeet to do what he did. 

oriahki is stronger then adrain....your judging which player is better and youve only seen thabeet play and not oriakhi

oriahki is stronger then adrain....your judging which player is better and youve only seen thabeet play and not oriakhi

Nobody is stronger that Adrien.

smh your right, jeff adrian is the re-incarceration of hercueles himself

smh your right, jeff adrian is the re-incarceration of hercueles himself

No, you're right.  This 17/18 year old BOY is right off the bat stronger than a 22/23 year old MAN that started for four years.  Good call.  F*cking Alex Trabeck over here has all the answers. 


Here is a photo of Adrien and your boy.  Funny how Adrien's arms and torso look about twice the size of that kid. He looks like a long distance runner

How can you look at Syracuse--I don't care how much young talent the bring in--and think they won't fall off.  Johnny Flynn was one of the best players they've ever had.  He ran that team.  Devendorf was incredible for them.  Harris played huge minutes.  It's like none of the other players even had to think with the great guards they had.  Of course, they'll be talented, but in college basketball an experienced junior destroys a 99% of freshman. 

Pitt loses Sam Young, Levance Fields, Biggs, and Blair.  No matter how much talent they bring in or have returning, they can never look like the same team.  All four of those guys were physical beasts. 

Marquette loses three NBA caliber guards and had a crappy frontcourt (their starting PF is a 6'6 SF that is DJ Kennedy in a year). 

Uconn's whole identity will be changed.  Thabeet challenged everything.  Anytime anyone got beat he was there.  Now, they'll have to rely heavily on Stanley Robinson?  Good luck with that.  Kemba should be incredible, but no Price, Thabeet, and Adrien?  Throw the scores from last year out the window. 


Providence -Lost everyone

Louisville - loses their best defensive player, McGee, and two long, freak athletes that real defined their play the last few years and made them very difficult to match up with.

Will any of these teams be a walkover win?  Other than Providence, probably not, but you have to give the advantage to juniors and a fifth year senior that have started every game since they've been in school over soph's that at the bench and freshman that haven't played Big East ball.

Um, ever had? Syracuse has had some amazing players. DC, Melo, Wallace, Owens, Sherman, Pearl and Bing. I don't know if Flynn is in their class. The thing about Boeheim's teams is that they always perform well when picked not to.

No one thought they'd be great in 95-96 or in 02-03. They still have Onuaku, Jackson, Rautins and Jardine. It's a long shot, but Boeheim is being particularly boastful about this incoming players.

And I agree, Uconn is no slam dunk. Losing Adrian, Thabeet and Price is a lot. Marquette might be young, they are returning guys who owned us. Louisville has too much talent not to be good. We beat them once, because of injury. That's the only reason.

Pitt has their work cut out for them.

Prov didn't lose everyone. They have a better backcourt than we do.
Curry is an all big east talent, and Brooks isn't far behind.

I'm interested in seeing how Cincy uses Kilpatrick. Is he the real deal?
Is he better than Lawrence or Hardy?

The teams will look different, but I have a hard time believing some of them will fall off.  U Conn is the wild card; Oriakhi could be very good, but they won't be able to funnel their man on defense toward the center. But Kemba Walker is great.  Stanley Robinson might bring the team down - he's drifted (mentally) for 4 years. 

Louisville?  They have top recruits who were on the bench.  They're still talented and those guys are long, athletic, and a well-kept secret. Prestopn Knowles earned his time; Terrence Jennings is Earl Clark's size without the urge to hoist long jumpers; they have their choice of young long range shooters in Kuric and Marra; that Buckles kid is supposed to be an athlete; and Peyton Siva actually thinks he's a point guard, unlike Edgar "Headknuckles" Sosa.

Syracuse was nice at times, and out of control at times - some great individual players, for sure.  They'll take a step back but they might also be more dedicated to getting back on D and playing the 2-3 zone.  Those guys had heart and big "marbles" but... I can see why Boeheim was frustrated with them at times.  (Then again, they finally got him back to the NCAAs so maybe he should bottle some of their crazy.)

Pitt's interesting b/c I don't know how they replace Levance, but they always reload.  Marquette's remaining guards are just bad, so they might fall back, but we don't know how well Buzz gets his players to run his system (which will be different now that they have more meat).  DePaul may not be such a walkover without Dar Tucker's errant shooting. 

Louisville has too much talent not to be good. We beat them once, because of injury. That's the only reason.

I am tired of the excuses of the Coach when we lose.

I am tired of the excuses of some posters when we win.

Quote from: Poison on June 17, 2009, 09:45:24 AM

Louisville has too much talent not to be good. We beat them once, because of injury. That's the only reason.

I am tired of the excuses of the Coach when we lose.

I am tired of the excuses of some posters when we win.

Fair enough.

Quote from: bball_fan on June 17, 2009, 02:18:45 AM

smh your right, jeff adrian is the re-incarceration of hercueles himself

No, you're right.  This 17/18 year old BOY is right off the bat stronger than a 22/23 year old MAN that started for four years.  Good call.  F*cking Alex Trabeck over here has all the answers. 


Here is a photo of Adrien and your boy.  Funny how Adrien's arms and torso look about twice the size of that kid. He looks like a long distance runner

dont curse first off

oriahki is about to turn 19. i personnally worked out oriahki and ive been in uconn practices working out adrian...oriahki is stronger i dont kno how else to say it. he puts up significantly more weight in the weight room.

Quote from: Marillac on June 17, 2009, 04:29:31 AM

Quote from: bball_fan on June 17, 2009, 02:18:45 AM

smh your right, jeff adrian is the re-incarceration of hercueles himself

No, you're right.  This 17/18 year old BOY is right off the bat stronger than a 22/23 year old MAN that started for four years.  Good call.  F*cking Alex Trabeck over here has all the answers. 


Here is a photo of Adrien and your boy.  Funny how Adrien's arms and torso look about twice the size of that kid. He looks like a long distance runner

dont curse first off

oriahki is about to turn 19. i personnally worked out oriahki and ive been in uconn practices working out adrian...oriahki is stronger i dont kno how else to say it. he puts up significantly more weight in the weight room.

Now you are in the Uconn weight room enough to compare weights?  You look foolish...just drop it.  I've heard from real sources that Adrien has the highest squat in the program's history.  Also, NOBODY in the country puts up "significantly more weight" than him.  He's six reps off the highest in the draft with a ridiculous 7'2 wingspan (only makes it harder).  You're telling me that some 6'9 kid that isn't even a freshman yet is top ten strongest kids in the NBA draft if he declared this year?  Really?  REALLY??  Do you know anything about strength?  Think about the kids in the NBA draft..think of the beasts this year:  Hansbrough, Blake Griffin, Dave Brown...but this boy is stronger than these men, right?

I'd bet my d*ck that kid couldn't out-rep Adrien with those bean pole arms.  Have fun in the Uconn locker room...I'm just going to hang out at the playboy mansion for a few days, but don't want to stay too long or I might miss my date with Jessica Alba and Scarlett.

ok man you dont know me and you dont know what i do for a living so im not gonna sit here and argue with you because its pointless. take a look at alex in real life and you would know hes stronger then hansborough. but whatever man believe what you want, i really dont care.

Ok so this has taken a real side turn. All those teams will take a step back without a doubt but the real question or debate enlies in whether St. John's can now jump these teams or does the it just close the gap a little?

The point that was brought up before was our losses were all blowouts. Does the addition of new players/returning players in combination with other teams losing key players help us make a significant jump in the standings?

actually the 6-10 truck alex oriahki will be there to replace thabeet. hes already a lot stronger then thabeet and hes only a freshman.

Is he as strong as Dele Coker?  He looked like a "beast" when I saw him walking down the street the other day on Union and Utopia.