Hamilton signs with Sam Goldfeder

[Ukonnfan]

Hope it works out for him.
1. If an ex NBA/player/coach who obviosly seems to care says dont go, that should be a glaring sign.
2. Geno was right, when he said it was harder and harder to find certain kinds of kids.
3. I would think later in life, he will wish he had stayed.
4. This oneanddone is bad for basketball in my opinion.
5. The love of money is the root of all evil.

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

Good Luck Hamilton in Europe or Australia. You'll be making good money but not NBA money. Hate to see him go but I do agree with a lot of what I read here that he is a bad shooter and has not improved in 2 years. Excellent rebounder, poor defender, poor handle, turnover machine and doesn't make the team better when the ball in his hands because he puts his head down and just try's to create....sure he led the team in assists but that's because 1/2 of them were just ally oops to Brimah..

I don't believe that we are better off without him. If he continued to work hard on his shooting and ball handling, we would have been a top 10-15 team for sure.....without him... Time will tell... He obviously doesn't not want to do the school work. It's quite obvious to me, otherwise, he would have stayed 1 more year and he would have a good shot next year to be a possible 1st rounder but now he will fall into the abyss of ex college players who leave early and never make it to the NBA..

 

[Gurleyman]

Good Luck Hamilton in Europe or Australia. You'll be making good money but not NBA money. Hate to see him go but I do agree with a lot of what I read here that he is a bad shooter and has not improved in 2 years. Excellent rebounder, poor defender, poor handle, turnover machine and doesn't make the team better when the ball in his hands because he puts his head down and just try's to create....sure he led the team in assists but that's because 1/2 of them were just ally oops to Brimah..

I don't believe that we are better off without him. If he continued to work hard on his shooting and ball handling, we would have been a top 10-15 team for sure.....without him... Time will tell... He obviously doesn't not want to do the school work. It's quite obvious to me, otherwise, he would have stayed 1 more year and he would have a good shot next year to be a possible 1st rounder but now he will fall into the abyss of ex college players who leave early and never make it to the NBA..

The numbers don't back up any of this. His assist to turnover ratio was exactly 2:1 (170 to 85). Very good for a college point guard - flat out excellent for a forward. That was significantly better than Bazz his senior year (195 to 114) and on par with Kemba his junior year (184 to 93). Leaving aside the fact that alley-oops to Brimah actually do, you know, count as points, he had 170 assists this season and Brimah had 69 field goals, so it's pretty much a mathematical impossibility that anywhere near half of his assists were to Brimah.

I know a lot us want to kick DH on the way out the door, and some things are fair criticisms. No question he struggled to shoot for large segments of the season - the numbers back up his lack of efficiency - but he was a guy who could give you 17-10-8 on 50 percent shooting in back to back games against Michigan and Syracuse, or 25-10-6 in back-to-back games against Cincy and Temple in the postseason. If THAT guy was around consistently next year (no given, but certainly in the realm of possibility with an offseason of shooting reps), we may have had a first-team All-American. And those are hard to come by.

 

[Bagel&Cheese]

The numbers don't back up any of this. His assist to turnover ratio was exactly 2:1 (170 to 85). Very good for a college point guard - flat out excellent for a forward. That was significantly better than Bazz his senior year (195 to 114) and on par with Kemba his junior year (184 to 93). Leaving aside the fact that alley-oops to Brimah actually do, you know, count as points, he had 170 assists this season and Brimah had 69 field goals, so it's pretty much a mathematical impossibility that anywhere near half of his assists were to Brimah.

I know a lot us want to kick DH on the way out the door, and some things are fair criticisms. No question he struggled to shoot for large segments of the season - the numbers back up his lack of efficiency - but he was a guy who could give you 17-10-8 on 50 percent shooting in back to back games against Michigan and Syracuse, or 25-10-6 in back-to-back games against Cincy and Temple in the postseason. If THAT guy was around consistently next year (no given, but certainly in the realm of possibility with an offseason of shooting reps).

ok. It was a bit of exaggeration that half of his assists were ally-oops and you're right that some games he played like an animal. He has a very high skill set but would drive you crazy at times with his decision making but like I said, if he were to stay another year and improve his shooting %, he would get drafted and the team would be that much better. I wish him well and now next man up.

 

[Gurleyman]

ok. It was a bit of exaggeration that half of his assists were ally-oops and you're right that some games he played like an animal. He has a very high skill set but would drive you crazy at times with his decision making but like I said, if he were to stay another year and improve his shooting %, he would get drafted and the team would be that much better. I wish him well and now next man up.

Those are all fair points. Actually, I should apologize. I didn't look at your post count to see you were pretty much brand new, or I would have been more diplomatic and left out the sarcasm so you felt more welcome. I've always tried to be cognizant of not scaring off the new faces and making them think this place is a bunch of jerks.

I liked DHam a lot in spite of his flaws, and was excited to see how good he could be next year, so I'm kinda bummed to see him go too soon. He and Caron were pretty much the only people we've had with this kind of skillset, and Caron's switch went on second half of his sophomore year. I thought (or hoped) DHam's switch was going to come on next year full time.

 

[ctchamps]

Those are all fair points. Actually, I should apologize. I didn't look at your post count to see you were pretty much brand new, or I would have been more diplomatic and left out the sarcasm so you felt more welcome. I've always tried to be cognizant of not scaring off the new faces and making them think this place is a bunch of jerks.

I liked DHam a lot in spite of his flaws, and was excited to see how good he could be next year, so I'm kinda bummed to see him go too soon. He and Caron were pretty much the only people we've had with this kind of skillset, and Caron's switch went on second half of his sophomore year. I thought (or hoped) DHam's switch was going to come on next year full time.

Never apologize to a newb. Bad precedent. Besides your edge is quite difficult to observe. Someone like Fishy would have no hesitation in skewering a newbie.

And this place is a bunch of jerks. A great bunch, but we're jerks nonetheless.

 

[QDOG5]

You left Richard Hamilton off your first list. Though he had roughly the same type of year his Junior season as he did as a Sophomore, he likely was not a lottery pick without the National Championship run. The only names I could come up with for your second list were maybe Dyson and Robinson.

It's all moot. Daniel Hamilton is about to be a college drop out and if he wasn't 6'-7" with a decent handle for his size, he'd be a nameless statistic. He is walking away from a free college education. An education that obviously would have been valued much higher by someone else and an education that will most definitely not be free, should he decide to return to school.

At the end of the day, Hamilton has a rare skill that people are willing to pay for...now and yes, a basketball player can make a decent living overseas. Is it "duck you" money? It wasn't in 2013 and there is no real clear path back State-side. What happens in 5 years when that skill starts to deteriorate? Does he become the tall, vaguely familiar looking, chicken scooper yelling, "WELCOME TO MOE'S!" when I'm in the mood for a Home-wrecker? That's is the real shame of the story. UConn basketball will endure, but an individual's basketball skills have a limited window.

I know you're upset that DHam is leaving UConn. Most yarders are too. Why so mean though? You have visions of him possibly serving you food at a fast food restaurant in a few years? C'mon, that's territory. It's ok to say you think he's wrong for leaving early. It's ok to say you think he's hurting his ambition of playing in the NBA and that he's hurting is bball career earning potential. The rest is just plain mean.

 

[Deadrody]

When Hamilton left his jumper in cali with his Belmont shore jersey, the book was written on him. All those guys you mentioned had better physical profiles and more athleticism.

I would be up in arms just like some here if he was actually a 'raw' prospect with tons of room to grow. You see some one like rip Hamilton , who had a similar frosh year %s, make a serious leap his sophomore year ...there's upside there and It wouldn't have made sense to leave early. I don't see that kind of trajectory with dham.

I disagree. Hamilton absolutely showed flashes of lottery pick talent. His problem was consistency. Something you have as a young player. I think it's very possible he could have grown next season and CONSISTENLY demonstrated the talent that he flashed at times late in the season.

 

[david]

I've read this entire thread.

A lot of you guys criticizing him for leaving early, and telling him to "Enjoy Europe", would be sucking his if he decided to come back to school.

Yeah, he's already made his decision and belly-aching won't change it. Better to just wish him luck than to talk about how stupid he is.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Flashes of lottery pick on what end? He shoots sub 40%, turns it over a ton, and is extremely physically weak which was even more evident on the defensive end. Who exactly is he going to guard in the NBA? Good luck against grown men like Jae Crowder I won't even mention the all star studs that play that same position. Obviously wish him the best but there's a less than 10% chance he's on a roster next year.

 

[Deadrody]

No question he struggled to shoot for large segments of the season - the numbers back up his lack of efficiency - but he was a guy who could give you 17-10-8 on 50 percent shooting in back to back games against Michigan and Syracuse, or 25-10-6 in back-to-back games against Cincy and Temple in the postseason. If THAT guy was around consistently next year (no given, but certainly in the realm of possibility with an offseason of shooting reps), we may have had a first-team All-American. And those are hard to come by.

Yup, THIS.

 

[Deadrody]

Flashes of lottery pick on what end? He shoots sub 40%, turns it over a ton, and is extremely physically weak which was even more evident on the defensive end. Who exactly is he going to guard in the NBA? Good luck against grown men like Jae Crowder I won't even mention the all star studs that play that same position. Obviously wish him the best but there's a less than 10% chance he's on a roster next year.

His game had warts, but you are entirely discounting the games he played well, as pointed out by Gurley, and then also discounting the high likelihood that another year under Ollie could have been the difference betwee consistently high level play and occasional high level play. It seems like you are selectively ignoring when he did play well and the entirety of people's opinions on this. Yeah, he had flashes. And yet I also agreed with the post that said he was a guy that was a jack of all trades, but master of none.

 

[ctchamps]

His game had warts, but you are entirely discounting the games he played well, as pointed out by Gurley, and then also discounting the high likelihood that another year under Ollie could have been the difference betwee consistently high level play and occasional high level play. It seems like you are selectively ignoring when he did play well and the entirety of people's opinions on this. Yeah, he had flashes. And yet I also agreed with the post that said he was a guy that was a jack of all trades, but master of none.

I don't think it matters whether DHam stayed at UConn for another year or not. The kid has a lot of talent and the only thing that held DHam back was DHam imo. Declaring will allow DHam to get more reps at shooting, but how much more may not be significant if his academic case load has been accurately described.

 

[Henry]

Uhhh, I feel like this comp isn't really the negative you think it is....

You're only thinking where Drummond is now. I'm talking about their impact at UCONN. Hamilton may make the NBA and make money but in the future when I think of him as a player at UCONN he will always receive a grade of incomplete.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

You're only thinking where Drummond is now. I'm talking about their impact at UCONN. Hamilton may make the NBA and make money but in the future when I think of him as a player at UCONN he will always receive a grade of incomplete.

I'm sure he'll have some sleepless nights thinking about that.

 

[Henry]

I'm sure he'll have some sleepless nights thinking about that.

Wow, what a knee slapper! I guess you were simply honored that he graced us with his presence for 2 years where he underachieved. Maybe you should root for Kentucky where you can cheer all the one year wonders you want.

 

[7774]

Wow, what a knee slapper! I guess you were simply honored that he graced us with his presence for 2 years where he underachieved. Maybe you should root for Kentucky where you can cheer all the one year wonders you want.

You're really good at posts that lack thought.

 

[ctchamps]

You're really good at posts that lack thought.

It's called an escalation of "poster attacks". DHam is collateral damage. Dove hit him and Henry lost it. Up until that point he was measured.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Wow, what a knee slapper! I guess you were simply honored that he graced us with his presence for 2 years where he underachieved. Maybe you should root for Kentucky where you can cheer all the one year wonders you want.

You seem to be under some (false) impression that he owes us or this school something. He doesn't. I don't think this was the right decision either but it sure as hell isn't because it leaves him with an incomplete legacy at UConn. And even if this backfires and he isn't able to make it in the league, I doubt he'll be sitting there thinking that he regrets not staying another year because his college legacy isn't what it could have been.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

It's called an escalation of "poster attacks". DHam is collateral damage. Dove hit him and Henry lost it. Up until that point he was measured.

Whoa now, I didn't attack the poster, I just attacked the post that exhibited a lack of thought.

 

[Husky25]

I know you're upset that DHam is leaving UConn. Most yarders are too. Why so mean though? You have visions of him possibly serving you food at a fast food restaurant in a few years? C'mon, that's territory. It's ok to say you think he's wrong for leaving early. It's ok to say you think he's hurting his ambition of playing in the NBA and that he's hurting is bball career earning potential. The rest is just plain mean.

I didn't realize you had a Boneyard account, Mrs. Hamilton, nor did I realize you were so sensitive. My being "upset" that Daniel Hamilton is leaving goes only so far as how it affects the entertainment value of UConn Basketball for me next season. Who knows, though? Maybe Ollie lands another incoming freshman and/or grad transfer and UConn wins the National Title. It's not like it hasn't happened before.

"It's ok to say... It's ok to say..." It's okay to say exactly what I said. Life is not all popcorn and puppy dogs. People are going say much worse to and about Hamilton than what I wrote (which is actually quite benign.). So unless you are Mrs. Hamilton, the Chair does not recognize your turn to be offended. As @whereisthedove indicated, I doubt very much that Hamilton will have sleepless nights thinking about my opinion of his choices.

 

[Gurleyman]

Flashes of lottery pick on what end? He shoots sub 40%, turns it over a ton, and is extremely physically weak which was even more evident on the defensive end. Who exactly is he going to guard in the NBA? Good luck against grown men like Jae Crowder I won't even mention the all star studs that play that same position. Obviously wish him the best but there's a less than 10% chance he's on a roster next year.

No he doesn't. His assist to turnover ratio this year was exactly 2:1 (170 to 85) - that's better than Bazz, Boat, Kemba and AJ in their final seasons (well, basically a statistical dead heat with Kemba). It's also a better ratio than Doron Sheffer ever had. (Marcus, Taliek and KO are the standard-bearers, getting up to 2.5 to 1)

If you want to branch away from point guards and look at small forwards who handled/passed the ball a lot, Caron's last season was just about 1:1 (101 assists, 98 turnovers), as was Rip (91 assists, 82 turnovers). Nadav was slightly better (105 to 86), as was Ray (117 to 82).

The shooting end of things, yes - he lagged way behind and that will be a big problem for him as he tries to hook on. As a sophomore, his shooting was basically in line with Rip as a freshman, who needed to improve a lot to jump into lottery pick status.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Unless he significantly succeeds at a higher level. His career at UConn will be easy to forget. Not because of him but because the typical UConn fans view NIT and NCAA second round losses as bad years. He was a key contributor on teams pretty much that will bee consigned to the junk heap. Unfortunatly for him that will be his fate.
Since the truest adage I ever learned in my entire career was " Success has a million father's while failure is an orphan"
If by chance he succeeds at the next level us "fans" will embrace him as a true son
UConn's.

 

[intlzncster]

Whoa now, I didn't attack the poster, I just attacked the post that exhibited a lack of thought.

People have so much trouble with this concept on here.

 

[intlzncster]

Unless he significantly succeeds at a higher level. His career at UConn will be easy to forget. Not because of him but because the typical UConn fans view NIT and NCAA second round losses as bad years. He was a key contributor on teams pretty much that will bee consigned to the junk heap. Unfortunatly for him that will be his fate.
Since the truest adage I ever learned in my entire career was " Success has a million father's while failure is an orphan"
If by chance he succeeds at the next level us "fans" will embrace him as a true son
UConn's.

Well, he did manage to lead the team (with really good numbers) to it's first ever AAC Tournament Championship. And yes that's important; can't claim anything about this conference without winning it once, never mind year after year.