Hami - Come to UConn!

[BUConn10]

At the supposedly adult posters on this board wishing for the kid to fail. You can not fault a kid for picking kentucky in today's college basketball landscape. I'll never root for him, and m I hope we meet him in the tourney next year and embarrass him and the squid. But I'll never wish failure on a kid who beat the odds and is set up to provide a better life for his family. Get a grip. Grow up!!

Wow, you'll never root for him?

Grow up.

 

[superjohn]

I'll just say I don't like the way he handled things.

 

[UConnMike04]

Let me clarify...I wish nothing but the worst for him in his collegiate career. Not personal life.

 

[AntG168]

Wow, you'll never root for him?

Grow up.

I was right. You are miserable smh lol

 

[AntG168]

I'll just say I don't like the way he handled things.

Agreed

 

[upstater]

I'll just say I don't like the way he handled things.

It's nothing personal against Diallo. Disappointment at a few things that happened, but this is recruiting.

By definition, I want all Kentucky kids to fail at basketball. So, in that sense, yeah I want him to fail at Kentucky. I do like to see Kentucky lose.

 

[AntG168]

Why do you care if people want him to fail?

Why do you care that I care?

 

[Glastonhusky]

That's just not right. It's his decision, half the people on here are like "he at least owes us a commitment". He doesn't owe you guys anything. You should respect his decision and move on.

Fine, but I won't stop hating Calapari.

 

[AntG168]

It's nothing personal against Diallo. Disappointment at a few things that happened, but this is recruiting.

By definition, I want all Kentucky kids to fail at basketball. So, in that sense, yeah I want him to fail at Kentucky. I do like to see Kentucky lose.

I hope they go 0-28 next year and we go 28-0. But maybe it's just me, I don't see the benefit in wishing for anyone's downfall. Seems way to harsh for the circumstances. He chose to go to school somewhere other than where we wanted him to. Anyone who really feels angst towards that young man is a sad individual to me. But what do I know

 

[champs99and04]

This recruitment hurts a lot. He was a top ten recruit from New York. Top ten recruits mean a lot and they mean even more when they're from that city, especially when he would have been the biggest feather in Ollie's recruiting cap, especially when everything indicated that he was ours, and especially when we lose him to that guy.

I'm not delusional. The optics make this one a no-brainer from an outsider's perspective. Cal has churned out stud after stud, while Ollie is still in that precarious zone of uncertainty. It's tempting to be romantic and dismiss all of that, but his family - future or present - is being fed by him and nobody else.

That said, I have no warm feelings for him. He seems like a great kid, but there are a lot of great kids out there, so now he's moved to the back of the line in my distribution of good will. Won't change my life much in the grand scheme, but pain is pain, and I felt my heart sink just a little bit when he put on the Kentucky hat. There's no sense in pledging to being a bigger person when you're just reacting how any human being would. It sounds good to say "I wish him the best" but not everybody can be successful playing this game and so at this point I hope he's not one of them.

 

[Adios]

This is probably on Ollie more than anyone else. It looks as if he was there for the taking.

 

[upstater]

I hope they go 0-28 next year and we go 28-0. But maybe it's just me, I don't see the benefit in wishing for anyone's downfall. Seems way to harsh for the circumstances. He chose to go to school somewhere other than where we wanted him to. Anyone who really feels angst towards that young man is a sad individual to me. But what do I know

I think you're mixing things up here. For Kentucky to fail, its players fail. Just like Rodney isn't having as good a season hoped (or even as last year), UConn is failing. Other fans are gleeful. Just as we'd be happy if Hamidou's bad playing lead to Kentucky's demise. This is natural. It happens because Kentucky has been sucking up all the top recruits, and that leads to people rooting against them.

Personally, I think it's a ton more satisfying to be a Kemba or a Shabazz who sticks it out at programs running into headwinds, and then winning anyway, than to join Calipari's circus.

 

[superjohn]

It's nothing personal against Diallo. Disappointment at a few things that happened, but this is recruiting.

By definition, I want all Kentucky kids to fail at basketball. So, in that sense, yeah I want him to fail at Kentucky. I do like to see Kentucky lose.

It's just that he all but verballed to us a long time ago. Our terrible season had something to do with it but he still strung Ollie along and it became a whole dog and pony show. From my understanding he was never straight up with Ollie about his intentions. Wish no ill will on him but I certainly won't be cheering him on in the future.

 

[upstater]

It's just that he all but verballed to us a long time ago. Our terrible season had something to do with it but he still strung Ollie along and it became a whole dog and pony show. From my understanding he was never straight up with Ollie about his intentions. Wish no ill will on him but I certainly won't be cheering him on in the future.

As I said, it is recruiting. This has happened before to legends in coaching. I have been privy to this exact thing happening on one occasion, and in other recruitments, I suspect the exact thing was done. It was eerie in the last 2 weeks seeing the exact pattern repeating, and the coach still didn't read the tea leaves. When national reporters are telling you that someone "extremely close" is saying the kid will not play ball in the spring, the writing is on the wall. It is like getting a shiv to the back for Ollie, but it is recruiting.

 

[djct1999]

Truth is, he had more to lose by choosing UConn. What would it say about him if he came here under these conditions and didn't play? Truth is, this kid has no intentions of ever playing college ball. That much was clear when he went back to PSA this fall. The only reason he went to Kentucky was to use them as a catalyst. My guess is his camp didn't like what they heard from NBA scouts after a mediocre fall vs high school kids. He needs they hype of Kentucky. This decision was calculated. In all honesty, for his sake, it was the right call.

 

[c29328]

I am Sox and Giants fan. I know how to hate (Yankees, Cowboys). I've rooted for injuries in the past. But even I can't hate a kid who thinks he is doing best for him, his career, and his family. It's wrong. He's just a boy trying to figure out how to cash his lottery ticket.

I will ignore him like any other Kentucky player over the last 10 years and hope they continue to underperform since it hurts the Squid.

 

[8893]

As I said, it is recruiting. This has happened before to legends in coaching. I have been privy to this exact thing happening on one occasion, and in other recruitments, I suspect the exact thing was done. It was eerie in the last 2 weeks seeing the exact pattern repeating, and the coach still didn't read the tea leaves. When national reporters are telling you that someone "extremely close" is saying the kid will not play ball in the spring, the writing is on the wall. It is like getting a shiv to the back for Ollie, but it is recruiting.

And as we know, it happened to JC with Curley, who was a much greater loss as a four year player imo.

At the end of the day, it's more grit for KO, who--like JC--has made his living off grit.

 

[superjohn]

Truth is, he had more to lose by choosing UConn. What would it say about him if he came here under these conditions and didn't play? Truth is, this kid has no intentions of ever playing college ball. That much was clear when he went back to PSA this fall. The only reason he went to Kentucky was to use them as a catalyst. My guess is his camp didn't like what they heard from NBA scouts after a mediocre fall vs high school kids. He needs they hype of Kentucky. This decision was calculated. In all honesty, for his sake, it was the right call.

Yup, Kentucky is a training camp now. If he plays well in practice he will never suit up in a game for them.

 

[AntG168]

I think you're mixing things up here. For Kentucky to fail, its players fail. Just like Rodney isn't having as good a season hoped (or even as last year), UConn is failing. Other fans are gleeful. Just as we'd be happy if Hamidou's bad playing lead to Kentucky's demise. This is natural. It happens because Kentucky has been sucking up all the top recruits, and that leads to people rooting against them.

Personally, I think it's a ton more satisfying to be a Kemba or a Shabazz who sticks it out at programs running into headwinds, and then winning anyway, than to join Calipari's circus.

Maybe your right. I hope that's where everyone's coming from. But I still believe that some are just miserable people

 

[JLock819]

seriously though, he should NEVER be allowed to step foot on campus EVER again. we (Ollie) got played, plain and simple. our basket with all our eggs in it just got run over by a snow plow

 

[superjohn]

And as we know, it happened to JC with Curley, who was a much greater loss as a four year player imo.

At the end of the day, it's more grit for KO, who--like JC--has made his living off grit.

Yup but Syracuse received sanctions and we got Donyell so it worked out quite well for us. We've had way more hits than misses in these recruitments historically. El-Amin, Donyell, Gordon, Charlie V and Kemba come to mind.

 

[Hi-Low]

If the kid has just committed to KY right after his visit it would have hurt but he dragged it out endlessly....unless you believe the narrative that he just decided 2 days ago....which I don't completely.

It's fine, I think we all expected it....hope he realizes his dreams and that we beat him in the tourney next year.

 

[huskymagic]

That's just not right. It's his decision, half the people on here are like "he at least owes us a commitment". He doesn't owe you guys anything. You should respect his decision and move on.

WTH is the point of this sanctimonious and holier than thy post. We lost him despite him living on campus for 3 years and we lost him to Calimari and Kentucky. We don't wish luck or success to our fierce competitors and enemies. By wishing "success" and "not hating" Diallo we are indirectly promoting the Kentucky NBA factory that Calimari has built up and making it less likely to get elite blue chip prospects that are absolutely essential to eventually winning another title.

He played Ollie and UCONN that is why this is even more egregious. Wouldn't care if he hadn't led the program like this and then stiffed us.

Some of you need to wake up this is serious stuff especially when considering our conference situation and not producing NBA players since Bazz which will only hurt future recruiting.

 

[8893]

Yup but Syracuse received sanctions and we got Donyell so it worked out quite well for us. We've had way more hits than misses in these recruitments historically. El-Amin, Donyell, Gordon, Charlie V and Kemba come to mind.

No doubt Donyell > Curley, but Curley stung. He seemed tailor-made to play for Calhoun.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I want us and UK to meet in the NCAAT as very good teams and I want to destroy them, only vengeance is getting to play them, not them being bad, also we know they won't be a bad team.