Abraham is in the portal

[Huskybass]

This one saddens me a bit. Given my limited knowledge of his game, I was hoping to see him be an impact player for UConn on both sides of the ball. I wish him well although I think there may have been better destinations for him.

 

[Horatio]

Liam McNeeley is what happened to Isaiah Abraham. His “ development “ went to McNeeley. Abraham was already on board for over a year. A One and done became available and he never saw the floor. It happens

 

[RuffRuff]

Was this based on the open practices of Summer of 2024 that you saw in person?

Yes - there is a lot to like in his physicality and smoothness of movement.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Wish he ended up at a better program.

 

[caw]

Liam McNeeley is what happened to Isaiah Abraham. His “ development “ went to McNeeley. Abraham was already on board for over a year. A One and done became available and he never saw the floor. It happens

That and Ross got better (regardless of how people feel about him, him playing at all was unexpected).

 

[Horatio]

That and Ross got better (regardless of how people feel about him, him playing at all was unexpected).

To be honest, we had 5 small forwards. Just a bad mix overall. Hopefully they get things balanced out for next season.

 

[jibsey]

He’s going to get PT which is what any kid wants. If he turns into a star it’s on Hurley because he saw him in practice every day for 8 months.

 

[Deepster]

This kid commits to us. Stays one year. With injuries and departures, has every right to earn time on the floor and barely sees any time at all. We lose 5-6 players to graduation and the portal and the lane is wide open for him to work hard an earn a big role....yet he decides to quit on us.

On top of that, he stays in the conference. On top of that he goes to a scumbag like Ed Cooley. And we're giving him the send off of a beloved hero? Best of luck! Good for him!

I guess I came from a time where you fouled a guy then didn't help him back up. And while I don't wish for an injury or something tragic to him....I certainly don't hope that he blossoms and lives up to his press clippings.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

He’s going to get PT which is what any kid wants. If he turns into a star it’s on Hurley because he saw him in practice every day for 8 months.

Or maybe the kid just wanted to get closer to home.

 

[Deleted at users request]

This kid commits to us. Stays one year. With injuries and departures, has every right to earn time on the floor and barely sees any time at all. We lose 5-6 players to graduation and the portal and the lane is wide open for him to work hard an earn a big role....yet he decides to quit on us.

On top of that, he stays in the conference. On top of that he goes to a scumbag like Ed Cooley. And we're giving him the send off of a beloved hero? Best of luck! Good for him!

I guess I came from a time where you fouled a guy then didn't help him back up. And while I don't wish for an injury or something tragic to him....I certainly don't hope that he blossoms and lives up to his press clippings.

I don’t blame kids for going elsewhere when no trust or investment is being shown in them.

Honestly Mahaney is the one I have the biggest gripe with. We invested so much in him from a money, time, resources, and development standpoint just to leave after a year.

I don’t think Nowell or Abraham leaves if we invested in them as much as we did Mahaney (not debating that we should’ve)

 

[aceboon]

This kid commits to us. Stays one year. With injuries and departures, has every right to earn time on the floor and barely sees any time at all. We lose 5-6 players to graduation and the portal and the lane is wide open for him to work hard an earn a big role....yet he decides to quit on us.

On top of that, he stays in the conference. On top of that he goes to a scumbag like Ed Cooley. And we're giving him the send off of a beloved hero? Best of luck! Good for him!

I guess I came from a time where you fouled a guy then didn't help him back up. And while I don't wish for an injury or something tragic to him....I certainly don't hope that he blossoms and lives up to his press clippings.

If AK comes back he's in the same situation as last year, still stuck behind the same guys

 

[Deepster]

If AK comes back he's in the same situation as last year, still stuck behind the same guys

Nonsense. There are minutes on the floor available. The departures of Diarra (28), McNeeley (32), Samson (19), Mahaney (12) create a need for minutes to be filled.

 

[aceboon]

Nonsense. There are minutes on the floor available. The departures of Diarra (28), McNeeley (32), Samson (19), Mahaney (12) create a need for minutes to be filled.

lol @ naming guys who played the 5 and 1 like that would have any impact on his minutes. If AK comes back that's a guaranteed 35 minutes being occupied at a position that he's probably best suited at, the other being at the 3. Then you add in Jaylin who is a 3/4 who was already ahead of him and then Jayden as a 3/2 and it's damn near the exact same scenario as this past season.

 

[Austin316]

Wish he ended up at a better program.

Better program than most… they’ve just been unfortunate with poor coaching hires. I think Cooley will bring them back to being respectable in the Big East.

 

[boog204]

This kid commits to us. Stays one year. With injuries and departures, has every right to earn time on the floor and barely sees any time at all. We lose 5-6 players to graduation and the portal and the lane is wide open for him to work hard an earn a big role....yet he decides to quit on us.

On top of that, he stays in the conference. On top of that he goes to a scumbag like Ed Cooley. And we're giving him the send off of a beloved hero? Best of luck! Good for him!

I guess I came from a time where you fouled a guy then didn't help him back up. And while I don't wish for an injury or something tragic to him....I certainly don't hope that he blossoms and lives up to his press clippings.

You're also assuming that we wanted him back. Abraham was behind Alex, Liam, Jaylin, and Ross this year for minutes at the 3 and 4. Currently, Abraham would likely still be behind Stew, Ross, maybe AK, and Mullins. That list doesn't even include Furphy, who Hurley mentioned would've earned minutes THIS year.

I don't think the minutes were there for him except as 5-10 at the most as a backup 4, which I doubt is what he sees himself as. Best for everyone to move on.

 

[Horatio]

This kid commits to us. Stays one year. With injuries and departures, has every right to earn time on the floor and barely sees any time at all. We lose 5-6 players to graduation and the portal and the lane is wide open for him to work hard an earn a big role....yet he decides to quit on us.

On top of that, he stays in the conference. On top of that he goes to a scumbag like Ed Cooley. And we're giving him the send off of a beloved hero? Best of luck! Good for him!

I guess I came from a time where you fouled a guy then didn't help him back up. And while I don't wish for an injury or something tragic to him....I certainly don't hope that he blossoms and lives up to his press clippings.

He got recruited over by a one and done. Plus, we don’t know the actual circumstances that led to him leaving. His position is small forward. We had five small forwards last season. Only one small forward is leaving and one more is coming in, that is rated higher than him. He was on board and signed for over a year before Liam committed. You can’t ask him to be loyal to a situation that wasn’t loyal to him. In the portal era, there’s no lane that’s wide open for kids in his situation.That four year eligibility clock is ticking.

 

[Travelman6]

"I'm a well wisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm."​

 

[Deepster]

lol @ naming guys who played the 5 and 1 like that would have any impact on his minutes. If AK comes back that's a guaranteed 35 minutes being occupied at a position that he's probably best suited at, the other being at the 3. Then you add in Jaylin who is a 3/4 who was already ahead of him and then Jayden as a 3/2 and it's damn near the exact same scenario as this past season.

LOL @ minutes are minutes.
Maybe we go with a smaller lineup this year.
Or AK leaves.
Or someone gets hurt in the off/preseason.
Or he actually develops to the point we need to find a spot on the floor for him.

 

[Deepster]

Currently, Abraham would likely still be behind Stew, Ross, maybe AK, and Mullins. That list doesn't even include Furphy, who Hurley mentioned would've earned minutes THIS year.

1) You don't know if AK is back.
2) No reason to think Ross does anything more than Abraham could do.
3) You can't plug Furphy into the minutes mix like that. I don't care what Hurley says. Nowell and Abraham didn't get minutes this year, Furphy's not guaranteed to get them next year.

We don't know if Hurley wanted him back. I'll give you that. But, in my mind? He committed, didn't earn time and quit on his committment.

 

[boog204]

1) You don't know if AK is back.
2) No reason to think Ross does anything more than Abraham could do.
3) You can't plug Furphy into the minutes mix like that. I don't care what Hurley says. Nowell and Abraham didn't get minutes this year, Furphy's not guaranteed to get them next year.

We don't know if Hurley wanted him back. I'll give you that. But, in my mind? He committed, didn't earn time and quit on his committment.

1) Hence the maybe. If he's not, it's safe to assume we're bringing in at least 1 if not 2 PF types. We were already linked to Monroe who seemed to be a more accomplished Abraham already.
2) Whether you/the board like it or not, Hurley loves Ross and sees him as someone who can play. He earned minutes and a few starts this year. Abraham was glued to the bench. Why would that change next year?
3) You're right. It may have been coach speak in regards to Furphy. But Abraham's name wasn't even uttered after the initial "better than we thought" line at the beginning of the year.

I can't say Abraham quit on anything. He didn't get time, looked at the incoming roster, had we'd assume discussions with the staff, and saw a better opportunity to play and be closer to home elsewhere. I don't blame the kid in the least.

 

[gtcam]

I don’t blame kids for going elsewhere when no trust or investment is being shown in them.

Honestly Mahaney is the one I have the biggest gripe with. We invested so much in him from a money, time, resources, and development standpoint just to leave after a year.

I don’t think Nowell or Abraham leaves if we invested in them as much as we did Mahaney (not debating that we should’ve)

Couldn't agree more on the AM thing. Dan Hurley opened the bank and the roster for him and continued to try and force him into the line-up with extremely little ROI. I had not expected him to portal after what was given to him. Mistake that keeps on taking.

 

[Deepster]

2) Whether you/the board like it or not, Hurley loves Ross and sees him as someone who can play. He earned minutes and a few starts this year. Abraham was glued to the bench. Why would that change next year?

"Earned minutes and a few starts"?

He started 1 game. Against Providence when McNeeley was hurt. 12 min, 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 assists, 0 steals.
After 12/1, in 26 games, he scored 2 pts or less 21 times.

That's a guy Abraham didn't think he could take minutes from?

 

[Greedo]

Couldn't agree more on the AM thing. Dan Hurley opened the bank and the roster for him and continued to try and force him into the line-up with extremely little ROI. I had not expected him to portal after what was given to him. Mistake that keeps on taking.

Nah he just wasn’t good enough. Don’t want to fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy.

 

[boog204]

"Earned minutes and a few starts"?

He started 1 game. Against Providence when McNeeley was hurt. 12 min, 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 assists, 0 steals.
After 12/1, in 26 games, he scored 2 pts or less 21 times.

That's a guy Abraham didn't think he could take minutes from?

Thought he started one of the early games, too? Maybe I just remember Dan Hurley saying he would've started. Listen I'm not saying Ross' stats/performance were exceptional in the least. But if I'm Abraham and listening to Dan Hurley wax poetic about guys ahead of me on the depth chart, I'm perhaps thinking there are not going to be enough minutes to go around. Dan Hurley started the year saying Ross could be a starter and then mid-year specifically noted how he hadn't gotten Ross enough minutes. Not a peep about Abraham.

 

[Lafayette]

Looking at all who entered thus far there is a common theme: minutes were not going to increase next year, and depth at the position pushes you back.

Nowell: Knew we were getting Darius Adams and pursuing a lead PG from the portal. He didn't want to stay 3rd.
Abraham: Similar behind Stewart, Ross, Furphy even
Singare: Similar behind Reed, Jr., and Reibe
Mahaney: Once again would be behind Ball and Mullins plus he knows he underperformed anyway.

Say what you will about NIL and the portal, but it's always been a thing in college that if you were riding the pine and new frosh coming in were listed better than you, you looked to transfer.