Adama Sanogo Signs with Chicago

[Chin Diesel]

Pros don’t stay 4 years. If you want to continue to recruit the best players you need to show a track record of getting guys to the league. Bouk, Hawk, rese, and Ajax leaving early and getting drafted helps us recruit the best players. You need the best players to win championships. It’s not hard.

We may not get Hawk without Bouk being a lotto pick. Without Hawk there is no championship. So I could reason that Bouk being a lottery pick helped us win a championship. Ahmad Nowell was quoted saying that the way UConn gets their guys to the league is a big reason why he’s considering them. And he isn’t the only one.

And the track record really needs to be one and dones and two year players.

Look how far in the draft they went before a player age 20 or older was drafted.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I mentioned it in another post, but Lively is a real head-scratcher. Drafted based on past hype, rather than college play. The team that picks him must think they can turn him into something and then claim they got the steal if the draft. When you're the top recruit in the country, you gotta be able to score more than 5 pts. per game in college. Shot blocking isn't worth the 12th pick.

I’m not sure what the big man draft board was like, but Dallas desperately needed size which is probably why they went with him.

If he can rebound and block shots he can help. Playing with Luka he just needs to catch alleys and dunk. Their current center Dwight Powell is useless.

 

[Scoe]

Hilarious. Let’s see your posts in late January or the end of the year last year. Yeah, I’m pissed we won the NC

Lets see your posts. Your really dancing in this thread, go chill sit down and have a beer.

 

[EBonz30]

I mentioned it in another post, but Lively is a real head-scratcher. Drafted based on past hype, rather than college play. The team that picks him must think they can turn him into something and then claim they got the steal if the draft. When you're the top recruit in the country, you gotta be able to score more than 5 pts. per game in college. Shot blocking isn't worth the 12th pick.

Yea I agree with that to an extent. Luckily there was a roster in the Mavericks that was in a desperate need for a big man & preferably a big man who can play defense. Lively could change their whole culture in Dallas when it comes to team defense & with Luka running pick & roles with Lively Dallas must of felt it was a perfect fit for what they needed right now. With that said, Lively was lucky a team in the lottery had such a glaring weakness, which is why I agree with you it seems like a pretty large reach- I would imagine he would’ve been drafted between 20-35 if not for the Mavericks.

 

[nomar]

Great to hear, I don’t know too much about their roster but I hope Sanogo rips everyone to shreds in the G League like he did last year!

Me neither. My guess is he gets a lot of run in the G-League to let him continue to develop his handling, passing and shooting skills.

 

[upstater]

I don't think there is much debate that Sanogo leaving early and not being picked isn't great for the program, though if he does well on a 2 year contract it is very good, but that is just the changing landscape all coaches have to deal with now. I mean we did win a Championship with both him and Jackson. You know all teams have to deal with early departures(Who don't get drafted or go much lower than they thought) or people going into the Transfer Portal. It is just how it is nowadays but be happy we have Hurley in charge to navigate through these crazy times in College Basketball.

Kentucky's Tsiebwe and Gonzaga's Timme also were undrafted. Not sure how much this says about any of these programs.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Kentucky's Tsiebwe and Gonzaga's Timme also were undrafted. Not sure how much this says about any of these programs.

I think Sanogo cost Timme a shot at getting drafted. He got exposed.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That is obviously the case. But people better accept the ups and downs that come with it. The portal maybe can minimize sone of that. John Wooden would have been hard pressed to repeat in this world. And, again the unknowable, maybe UConn wins it all last year with Bouknight even if Hawkins never came. He (Bouk) by the way, seems like a kid who could have benefited maturity wise by staying, who knows. But the money was there. That’s why from that perspective i think Khalid hurt himself financially by staying. He went early second round when i think he was likely a late 1st rounder when he was a hot item the year before. Also unprovable.

Bouk was a high draft pick he had to go. Especially because he's a head case. He might have screwed up again at UConn and missed his chance at guaranteed money. Hawk obviously had to go, lottery pick. Andre had to go because if he came back and still couldn't shoot, my guess is the NBA decides he can't be fixed. This was his opportunity coming off the NC run. Adama is from Mali. He couldn't improve more here or showcase the PF skills he needs to make $ and help his family. Had to start with his pro career and becoming what the NBA wants.

How does it help UConn? In each case, UConn is better off if they come back, and yet Dan and staff showcased those guys in ways that made them look good. Hawk showed his ability to come of screens and score in guarded situations. Andre got enough time playing PG, and we found those cuts and dunks for him. With Sanogo, he could have and should have done it sooner. He switched things up during our losing streak, letting him get the ball further out, face the hoop, make passes and dribble plus guard wings in space. All of it made them and us much better.

Next year, our team is probably better off if Castle is a SF and not a PG, but he's going to play enough PG to show the NBA guys he can. Clingan is going to shoot enough 3s, maybe put the ball on the floor (??) and show his passing ability. Karaban is going to attack the rim off the bounce and show he can score in traffic, probably will play a little 3 to show he can guard quicker smaller guys in space. That is what the NBA needs to see from those guys, so Dan is going to make sure they see it.

 

[Inyatkin]

I'd have preferred to see him drafted, too, but this is a perfectly fine outcome. This is not a typical case where it would have been easy to have him back. We need starter's minutes for Clingan. And considering people were talking about that Memphis transfer scenario right after the title game, this is by far the best option.

 

[UCONNRPh]

Okay pompous one. Im saying it doesn't help my team. Clearly it helps the player financially, but if you seriously think UCONN has better prospects without a proven talented player, you are a better agent than a fan. Go root for the G league.

Newton and Karaban are proven talented players

 

[cohenzone]

Bouk was a high draft pick he had to go. Especially because he's a head case. He might have screwed up again at UConn and missed his chance at guaranteed money. Hawk obviously had to go, lottery pick. Andre had to go because if he came back and still couldn't shoot, my guess is the NBA decides he can't be fixed. This was his opportunity coming off the NC run. Adama is from Mali. He couldn't improve more here or showcase the PF skills he needs to make $ and help his family. Had to start with his pro career and becoming what the NBA wants.

How does it help UConn? In each case, UConn is better off if they come back, and yet Dan and staff showcased those guys in ways that made them look good. Hawk showed his ability to come of screens and score in guarded situations. Andre got enough time playing PG, and we found those cuts and dunks for him. With Sanogo, he could have and should have done it sooner. He switched things up during our losing streak, letting him get the ball further out, face the hoop, make passes and dribble plus guard wings in space. All of it made them and us much better.

Next year, our team is probably better off if Castle is a SF and not a PG, but he's going to play enough PG to show the NBA guys he can. Clingan is going to shoot enough 3s, maybe put the ball on the floor (??) and show his passing ability. Karaban is going to attack the rim off the bounce and show he can score in traffic, probably will play a little 3 to show he can guard quicker smaller guys in space. That is what the NBA needs to know reas

y. T

see from those guys, so Dan is going to make sure they see it.

The whole assumption is that college ball at the higher levels is mostly all about NBA preparation and getting noticed. And it probably is. Even the number players actually making it in the league or being drafted is low for most. IBut as I’m now tired of saying, i really believe at least UConn fans have a relatively short leash on losing. If guys stay and we win all is good. If some leave early and the team struggles some as a result there is a lot of moaning even while not wishing ill on the departed. Bouknight played pretty well at the end of his soph year. Whether or not his leaving early affected his maturity one way or an other is hsrd to know. Was the program better off even with a kind of down year because his early departure might have induced new supposed good recruits, I guess we will find out, if in fact we know that is why they picked UConn even after 2 years of esrly NCAA losses.

 

[cohenzone]

Newton and Karaban are proven talented players

Yes they are. Never said otherwise. And Clingan can be stupendous. They also played alongside 3 players with remaining eligibility who are all really good, not to forget experienced, and that is not easy to replace in one year. And that excludes Alleyne who was coming along fine. Like everyone else i hope the young guys, frosh and experiences sophs come together quickly.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yes they are. Never said otherwise. And Clingan can be stupendous. They also played alongside 3 players with remaining eligibility who are all really good, not to forget experienced, and that is not easy to replace in one year. And that excludes Alleyne who was coming along fine. Like everyone else i hope the young guys, frosh and experiences sophs come together quickly.

Hopefully they will. We will be good. We almost certainly won't be as good. That's fine.

 

[tuvent08]

You want people to say that the most important thing is that the current roster of players is the best that it can be. This leads to the most wins, the most fan satisfaction, and so on.

The way that this is accomplished is through building a steady pipeline of high level players who are well-coached at the college level. High level players who are well-coached are, by definition, going to play more often in the NBA, more quickly.

This is such a narrow, decontextualized argument as to be meaningless. It's pixels.

 

[tykurez]

Michael Jordan
Ben Gjordan
Adama Sanogjordan

The legacy continues …

 

[cohenzone]

You want people to say that the most important thing is that the current roster of players is the best that it can be. This leads to the most wins, the most fan satisfaction, and so on.

The way that this is accomplished is through building a steady pipeline of high level players who are well-coached at the college level. High level players who are well-coached are, by definition, going to play more often in the NBA, more quickly.

This is such a narrow, decontextualized argument as to be meaningless. It's pixels.

Assuming you are referring to me, that is not what I said. However, I did say UConn fans are absolutely focussed on relatively short term success and define success at maybe unrealistic expectations. But you also said something I think is sort of silly, if you want to just look at this year. Was the team the best talent that can be put on the floor compared to the potential. for the overall inexperience group next year? Um, while none of us know that right now, this year’s group only won an NC and that experience probably would not have hurt next year. Maybe this year‘s guys just didn’t have the required talent.

I can guarantee UConn fans would be delirious with back to back NCs. Nothing assures that, but riding a horse that’s been through it doesn‘t hurt. I hope next year is great one way or the other. And then there is always Kentucky, the program the BY loves to dump on. Me too. Lots of NBA guys from Calipariville, Also lots of dissatisfaction from their fans. Elite talent is great. Matured elite talent even better. That isn’t today’s world but let’s not pretend it doesn’t have it’s downside.

 

[cohenzone]

lol at predictable when a 8-seed made the finals and a 7-seed made the WCF. If you watched the Nuggets, Heat or even Lakers you would see incredible defense and great basketball.

The offenses are predictable. You picked the tip top teams . The overall game plans on O are pretty much as Nelson described. No problem if you like it! Just not for me

 

[McLovin]

Actually you are sucked in by the modern stuff. One little injury and you aren't as smart as you suppose. Ok, UConn is better off next year with four guys gone with remaining eligibility who were the guts of bringing us a title (didn’t win the league or league tournament if I recall) but you are sure Clingan will do it surrounded by mostly untested kids. I hope they can, but it is “debatable” and at this moment in time, unprovable.

Sounds like the exact narrative as last offseason when people here were saying shame on Hurley for running Gaffney & Diggins & Akok off the team / how will we live without RJ Cole / all the turnover would be terrible, cause chemistry issues, a lot of mid major guys who haven’t shown they will perform at this level, etc… At this point, we should all trust that Hurley knows exactly what he is doing, who he has coming in, knows how to build a team and what’s best for the team…

 

[Tenspro2002]

And the track record really needs to be one and dones and two year players.

Look how far in the draft they went before a player age 20 or older was drafted.

Getting two 2-and-done lottery picks is a big feather in Hurley's cap and huge on the recruiting trail.

If he can get Castle there this year or next, or Clingan/Karaban, that furthers the case that we are a destination not only for guys who want to win and be part of a championship program, but to realize their next-level aspirations as soon as possible.

 

[NJHoops]

I don’t know how anyone could think that Hurley would be content running a program that gets guys to the pros but never does much of anything on the court.

We all saw the strength of the program last night. Jordan wanting Dan and Kimani with him in the green room, Donovan and Drew at the draft, all of them later joining Hassan, Tristen, and Andre Johnson to support Andre. All of them were out there happy for their guys and celebrating Jordan and Andre’s successes as much as if they were their own. It was a great night for the program, and one that is going to be repeated.

 

[cohenzone]

Sounds like the exact narrative as last offseason when people here were saying shame on Hurley for running Gaffney & Diggins & Akok off the team / how will we live without RJ Cole / all the turnover would be terrible, cause chemistry issues, a lot of mid major guys who haven’t shown they will perform at this level, etc… At this point, we should all trust that Hurley knows exactly what he is doing, who he has coming in, knows how to build a team and what’s best for the tea anything I followed, notbm…

Seriously you are comparing Gaffney: Diggins and Akok being “ run off” to 3 guys leaving early for the pros. I don’t know what the narrative was last year, but seems like a non sequitur and red herring to me. Comparing apples to summer squash. So many hilarious folks here. You were probably one of those wanting to dump Hurley when the team struggled in January and raising the 1st round NCAA loss last year to boot. Apologies if you weren’t but I wasn’t. Memories are in short supply here. An NC run is a great amnesiac. .

 

[CTBasketball]

NBA big men don't lack skills that these three have. The skills these three have are not valued. in today's NBA.

Besides, Sanogo is undersized in terms of height, Tshiebwe can't shoot, and Timme is soft.

I watched Bam Adebayo all playoffs struggle making any post move near the rim, and have zero touch. You can’t tell me these skills aren’t valued.

 

[cohenzone]

Not saying they are the same players, but a vast majority (maybe not you) we’re furious that so many guys transferred out and we brought in mid major guys like Newton, Joey C and would be relying on “unproven” freshmen Karaban and Clingan.

Obviously, we would be a better team next year if all 3 guys who went to the NBA came back. No one would debate that. But to worry about “unproven” guys after Hurley just took a team of “unproven” guys (according to many on The Yard) to win a National Championship seems silly.

Dan Hurley was the first to tell Sanogo he needed to go (and that was the plan all season BTW). Because Dan Hurley is confident in the roster he has ready for next year.

Right. My point is that 99% of the BY wasn’t singing that tune mid season this year. With the same recruits for next year already in tow and with the general belief that Jackson might be back if not Sanogo or Hawkins, with Hawkins not quite yet a given at that point. Nothing like an NC run to make people forget that.

And in case some of the savants on the BY forget as well in the sunshine of the NC, jumping to some conclusion about how successful the program can be through a regular turnover of stars going pro after a few years is pretty much hope rather than fact. Yet to be determined. There are already some programs that have been operating that way for a while with pretty mixed results, occasional NC and many more disappointments. A program with UConn’s aspirations having to operate that way now is pretty much a given in the current environment. Whether or not that produces the kind of success UConn fans want is far from a given. If it turns out well, great.

 

[Scoe]

Right. My point is that 99% of the BY wasn’t singing that tune mid season this year. With the same recruits for next year already in tow and with the general belief that Jackson might be back if not Sanogo or Hawkins, with Hawkins not quite yet a given at that point. Nothing like an NC run to make people forget that.

And in case some of the savants on the BY forget as well in the sunshine of the NC, jumping to some conclusion about how successful the program can be through a regular turnover of stars going pro after a few years is pretty much hope rather than fact. Yet to be determined. There are already some programs that have been operating that way for a while with pretty mixed results, occasional NC and many more disappointments. A program with UConn’s aspirations having to operate that way now is pretty much a given in the current environment. Whether or not that produces the kind of success UConn fans want is far from a given. If it turns out well, great.

Well ya it’s the pulse of sports winning changes peoples perception that’s the case of any fan base. It’s best to live in the moment and react in the moment.

There’s a huge difference in the fans who wanted Hurley fired and the ones who said Hurley needs to step up. Hurley himself said he needed to change its no different then any player trying to win a championship. Of course nothing is a given it’s sports that’s what makes winning fun especially winning championships.

 

[HailUConn]

This guy will make a lot of NBA GMs regret not to pick him. He will prove it in less than 2 years that he belongs. He is still a toddler in basketball age. His work ethics and IQs are unparalleled.