Uconn hoop notes and....

[the Blades]

updates plus a few injuries to the usual suspects: from Borges/NHR- Kevin Ollie: 'It's a talented group. I'm not gonna...

 

[the Blades]

Here's a couple more reads from former longtime Uconn beat writer for the Courant, Ken Davis:

UConn hoops: From Boatright, to Gibbs and Adams

UConn’s Cassell nearing return to court

Uconn's Hamilton ready to lead in 2015

[ Hamilton was the only freshman in the country last season to record 300 points (380), 200 rebounds (267) and 100 assists (128). He is only the second UConn freshman to post that combination of numbers. The other was Nadav Henefeld in 1989-90. Henefeld had 429 points, 208 rebounds and 106 assists. But the key area for improvement will be his shooting. Hamilton struggled from the field (38 percent) and free throw line (66.7 percent) a year ago.]

“We want him to be a better defender,” Ollie said. “We also want him to take better shots. Being 6-7 and as athletic as he is, he should be getting more dunks, more layups and not taking so many contested shots. I think that’s in the back of his mind. We showed him a lot of tape where he can get better shots.”

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

Henefeld's name popping up in this statistical analysis is interesting. Another category in which Henefeld filled up the stat sheet was steals. He was very disruptive on the defensive end of the court. I remember very vividly a game against Georgetown in which Alonzo Mourning was trash talking Henefeld at the FT line in an effort to intimidate or throw him off his game. The announcers were laughing because Henefeld served in the Israeli army and was literally battle tested performing under pressure.

However Hamilton is a great all around player and versatile like Henefeld and is certainly a better athlete. Henefeld had instincts that are extremely rare but Daniel has a nose for the ball and for making plays.

 

[the Blades]

Henefeld's name popping up in this statistical analysis is interesting. Another category in which Henefeld filled up the stat sheet was steals. He was very disruptive on the defensive end of the court. I remember very vividly a game against Georgetown in which Alonzo Mourning was trash talking Henefeld at the FT line in an effort to intimidate or throw him off his game. The announcers were laughing because Henefeld served in the Israeli army and was literally battle tested performing under pressure.
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Was at the game ....I also remember it was reported it wan't just trash talk it was anti-semetic stuff that Zo got a free pass on .....but as usually is the case with things like this there's a different set of rules for "certain" players. But Henefeld didn't want to make a big deal over it. And true on the steals... I never saw anyone ever lull the opponent to sleep, while they thought he was slow and then make a quick burst to pick off passes better than Henefeld. He had a sick number and obliterated Uconn's all-time record in one season by more than 50 or 60 if I recall.

Also he was Uconn's only "one and done" before Drummond and I remember Calhoun saying don't ever play poker with Nadav because he was convinced he was coming back to Uconn.... until there was to much pressure in Israel for him to join their best pro team Maccabi Tel Aviv. When you add the 3 years in their military b4 he got to Uconn he was a much older freshman too.

 

[TripleDribbleMan]

I was never sure why Alonzo got a free pass on talking anti-semitic junk to Henefeld because it's not like he never heard that **** before when he was patrolling Golan Heights/West Bank in the Israeli military. Probably had rocks and molotov cocktails thrown at him too. I don't recall Mourning's taunts doing much, what I do recall is Georgetown got beat.

Here is an article that appeared in the Courant last year looking back at the career of Henefeld. He now operates a real estate development company in Israel:

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...-dream-season-1226-20141225-story.html#page=1

He had a single season record 138 steals which still stands as the UConn record. His profile in UConn hoop legends:

http://www.uconnhooplegends.com/menslegends/HenefeldNadav.html