PF/C Juwan Durham (Signed LOI on 11/11)

[Danzz]

O.K. let's turn this around. If you're Ollie do you use 1 of your 13 scholarships on him not knowing if he'll fully recover and be as good as he was? Ollie probably needs him next year with the known and potential losses from the program. Depends on the medical risk I guess. If you take him in 2016 you're getting a 5 star recruit, which doesn't happen that often, into your program and even if he can't play next year he can rehab at UConn and then play the next year as a 2017 recruit (using 2016 as a redshirt). He may be fully healed a year from now and ready to go which would be the best case scenario. As people mentioned, ACL tears aren't as much of a risk anymore. People usually fully recover from them.

But say there is a big medical risk. Only a doctor can answer that question. He's now had 2 ACL tears in less than a year, which isn't typical. Maybe Ollie tells him to take a post grad year and prove to himself and UConn that he's back at full strength and ready to go in 2017. Ollie obviously risks losing him and never getting him if that happens.

I thought of this because a friend of mine's son is a high school pitcher. He's a senior now. Blew out his arm early last spring and had Tommy John surgery. He was offered a scholarship by a handful of Division I schools before last spring. After the injury they all told him to do a post grad year and show he's fully healed and can pitch next spring and then they'll take him.

If the doctors say he will be fully healed a year from now then I'd take him if I were Ollie. It's not worth potentially losing him. But there's obviously some risk.

Yes, we give him the scholarship. It is the right thing to do and Ollie has the integrity to keep his word.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Hate that it's both knees, now he can't lean on one knee. I don't see how he can comeback strong from this, but if he does it'll be an incredible story. Of course we honor the scholarship, but we should seriously advice him to redshirt. Taking another year to rehab with the team should help, and it'll give him a chance to play basketball again before stepping into the ultra competitive and physical college game. Plus we'll be able to see if we can rely on the kid going forward. Best of luck

 

[bmayuc]

O.K. let's turn this around. If you're Ollie do you use 1 of your 13 scholarships on him not knowing if he'll fully recover and be as good as he was? Ollie probably needs him next year with the known and potential losses from the program. Depends on the medical risk I guess. If you take him in 2016 you're getting a 5 star recruit, which doesn't happen that often, into your program and even if he can't play next year he can rehab at UConn and then play the next year as a 2017 recruit (using 2016 as a redshirt). He may be fully healed a year from now and ready to go which would be the best case scenario. As people mentioned, ACL tears aren't as much of a risk anymore. People usually fully recover from them.

But say there is a big medical risk. Only a doctor can answer that question. He's now had 2 ACL tears in less than a year, which isn't typical. Maybe Ollie tells him to take a post grad year and prove to himself and UConn that he's back at full strength and ready to go in 2017. Ollie obviously risks losing him and never getting him if that happens.

I thought of this because a friend of mine's son is a high school pitcher. He's a senior now. Blew out his arm early last spring and had Tommy John surgery. He was offered a scholarship by a handful of Division I schools before last spring. After the injury they all told him to do a post grad year and show he's fully healed and can pitch next spring and then they'll take him.

If the doctors say he will be fully healed a year from now then I'd take him if I were Ollie. It's not worth potentially losing him. But there's obviously some risk.

I read this and felt downright dirty. YES, you give the kid the schollie. Its an ACL tear in 2015. He'll be back, with our medical team, strengthening his legs for a year and becoming part of our team. Basketball is not baseball.

If we really believe in the "family" that KO is talking about, you can't pull a kids schollie and cast him aside because a ligament gave out. Its short term thinking.

Also, when was the last time we used 13 schollies? There is no practical argument for a PG year. Bring him in, heal him up, get him on the court and in class. Applaud KO for doing the right thing.

 

[HooperScooper]

Yes, we give him the scholarship. It is the right thing to do and Ollie has the integrity to keep his word.

I'm not sure integrity has much to do with it. It's worth taking the risk as long as there's at least a decent chance he's going to recover and play again, which I feel certain he will. That's the way Ollie is probably looking at it.

Let me ask it this way. If he got so injured that doctors said he'll never play basketball again, do you think Ollie tells him he can come to UConn on a scholarship for 4 years?

 

[Stainmaster]

I'm not sure integrity has much to do with it. It's worth taking the risk as long as there's at least a decent chance he's going to recover and play again, which I feel certain he will. That's the way Ollie is probably looking at it.

Let me ask it this way. If he got so injured that doctors said he'll never play basketball again, do you think Ollie tells him he can come to UConn on a scholarship for 4 years?

Ignoring the fact that proposing that due to an ACL tear is preposterous, you pull some strings and give him a scholarship to be a student assistant or something. Happens all the time in CFB.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I'm not sure integrity has much to do with it. It's worth taking the risk as long as there's at least a decent chance he's going to recover and play again, which I feel certain he will. That's the way Ollie is probably looking at it.

Let me ask it this way. If he got so injured that doctors said he'll never play basketball again, do you think Ollie tells him he can come to UConn on a scholarship for 4 years?

If he gets his legs amputated, Ollie will pull his scholarship, and he'll still end up at the school in some capacity...

 

[HooperScooper]

Ignoring the fact that proposing that due to an ACL tear is preposterous, you pull some strings and give him a scholarship to be a student assistant or something. Happens all the time in CFB.

I didn't say anything about an ACL tear. I said injured so bad he couldn't play basketball again. You're missing the point of my post.

 

[superjohn]

I'm not sure integrity has much to do with it. It's worth taking the risk as long as there's at least a decent chance he's going to recover and play again, which I feel certain he will. That's the way Ollie is probably looking at it.

Let me ask it this way. If he got so injured that doctors said he'll never play basketball again, do you think Ollie tells him he can come to UConn on a scholarship for 4 years?

Why are you posting this nonsense? The kid has some knee trouble that he will get over and he'll be a Husky next year, end of story.

 

[David 76]

He keeps his scholarship, we do everything we can to support him physically and emotionally.
We let the basketball figure itself out.

 

[HooperScooper]

Why are you posting this nonsense? The kid has some knee trouble that he will get over and he'll be a Husky next year, end of story.

Yes sir.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Cut and Dry:

Juwan: You HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP TO UCONN. We are thrilled to have you in our program. We know you will excel here in 2016.

Best Wishes on a Great and Swift Recovery.

Period. No more crazy speculating. Just doesn't look too good to do so.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Of course he's coming here, but there's a legitimate concern after 2 ACL tears that he won't be the same guy that earned a Top 30 ranking.

A top, NCAA-ready big has to remain a priority for 2017 if not 2016.

To my knowledge we are heavily involved and in good shape with at least 3 top 20 big men in 20017. Zach Brown could easily pop for UConn any time now, and Enoch, Facey, Larrier and Diarra can hold it down for a year if they have to. KO is still putting together a monster roster upgrade for the future. I don't care if Durham has to rehab 2 years I want him at UConn. A high character winner like JD WILL comeback from this.

 

[JonnyRI]

Didn't this happen to Shea Ralph or someone like that and they made it through well at the end?

 

[EricLA]

Didn't this happen to Shea Ralph or someone like that and they made it through well at the end?

Yeah but Ralph tore her ACL 3 times - the last time when she was a senior at UCONN and it was just before the NCAA tourney. Devastating way to end your basketball career. But each time she rehabbed it and came back.

 

[mauconnfan]

Didn't this happen to Shea Ralph or someone like that and they made it through well at the end?

Yeah bit it's Shea Ralph and womens basketball, much different. This guy will make it back with hard work and strengthening. I'm confident he'll be a tremendous Husky.

 

[ctchamps]

I think he will come back healthy. It stinks that he will be rusty after two years of non competition but even if the worst case scenario happens he deserves a scholarship. Never take away a scholarship from a player with ten toes in!

I'm not sure I'd be as strongly enthusiastic about B.J. King! Yeah it's a joke!

 

[tcf15]

Seems like it's the same knee as before...

Durham, ranked 37th in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2016, still was rehabbing from his initial tear sustained Feb. 17 when his knee buckled while on a treadmill and during shooting drills. The family asked for several opinions from doctors before an MRI revealed there was a tear, Terrapins coach Joe Fenlon said.

"Juwan still had complete movement and there was no swelling," Fenlon said. "It was a freak thing; one of the strangest tears of an ACL I've seen."

Fenlon said he contacted Connecticut immediately after the MRI on Durham's knee.

"UConn was fine and said these kind of things happen," Fenlon said.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I'm confused. Everyone is calling it a tear, yet Juwan describes it as a "tweak." You don't "tweak" something into a full on tear; more like a sprain or strain. The pain caused by a tear is a whole other world from a "tweak."

I get it's semantics, but...

 

[Matrim55]

I'm confused. Everyone is calling it a tear, yet Juwan describes it as a "tweak." You don't "tweak" something into a full on tear; more like a sprain or strain. The pain caused by a tear is a whole other world from a "tweak."

That's not true - every tear is different. A doctor friend of mine tore her ACL while skiing on her first run of the day up at Jay Peak, and kept going. She knew she'd done something, but it didn't bother her at all, and when she finally had it looked at she said "oh that makes sense" and only did rehab. No surgery or anything.

Another friend just did his two weeks ago playing rec soccer. Another instance of just landing wrong and feeling a slight tweak, and then some discomfort. After two weeks he finally went to the doctor and got an MRI, and now he's deciding whether or not he wants surgery.

Not all bodies are the same, and not all tears are the same. Roberto Baggio came back from an ACL in 4 months; other guys have taken 1.5 years.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I'm confused. Everyone is calling it a tear, yet Juwan describes it as a "tweak." You don't "tweak" something into a full on tear; more like a sprain or strain. The pain caused by a tear is a whole other world from a "tweak."

I get it's semantics, but...

Technically speaking, a strain is a tear, but that term is only used when it's relatively minor.

 

[JonnyRI]

Yeah but Ralph tore her ACL 3 times - the last time when she was a senior at UCONN and it was just before the NCAA tourney. Devastating way to end your basketball career. But each time she rehabbed it and came back.

Yeah I know it's much different with woman's bball but I am trying to console myself that he will still be able to contribute near to his potential for us next year....

 

[mauconnfan]

Yeah I know it's much different with woman's bball but I am trying to console myself that he will still be able to contribute near to his potential for us next year....

Not as concerned for next year as I am for the young man to eventually be where he expects himself to be. If it's 2 years down the road then fine just hope he gets his chance to do what he likes to do in a healthy manner, and as a Husky like he wants!

 

[uchusky32]

Not as concerned for next year as I am for the young man to eventually be where he expects himself to be. If it's 2 years down the road then fine just hope he gets his chance to do what he likes to do in a healthy manner, and as a Husky like he wants!

He'll be fine. I will just take him longer to get back in the rhythm, flow of the game.

 

[intlzncster]

That's not true - every tear is different. A doctor friend of mine tore her ACL while skiing on her first run of the day up at Jay Peak, and kept going. She knew she'd done something, but it didn't bother her at all, and when she finally had it looked at she said "oh that makes sense" and only did rehab. No surgery or anything.

Another friend just did his two weeks ago playing rec soccer. Another instance of just landing wrong and feeling a slight tweak, and then some discomfort. After two weeks he finally went to the doctor and got an MRI, and now he's deciding whether or not he wants surgery.

Not all bodies are the same, and not all tears are the same. Roberto Baggio came back from an ACL in 4 months; other guys have taken 1.5 years.

One major difference is that the kid is 6'10 or so...and his main activity requires significant jumping and stopping and starting. Plus he's already done a knee. Recovery would likely take a while we're it an acl.

 

[ctchamps]

Not as concerned for next year as I am for the young man to eventually be where he expects himself to be. If it's 2 years down the road then fine just hope he gets his chance to do what he likes to do in a healthy manner, and as a Husky like he wants!

I'll always be a fan of Rudy Johnson. What is it with Florida kids?

Of course he and Sue Mayo demonstrate why inter gender scrimmages can be problems. I'm wondering if this incident precipitated or increased some bitterness between JC and Geno.