Anybody aware of any potential grad transfers that could be added?

[CallMeBruce]

No thanks on Sulaimon. Way too much baggage for someone who doesn't fill a clear need.

 

[Matrim55]

No thanks on Sulaimon. Way too much baggage for someone who doesn't fill a clear need.

Yup. And he thinks he's Kobe - plays hero ball at every opportunity.

 

[scrappy2.0]

The idea of adding Miller at the 4 would be the equivalent of looking at Jessica Alba nude 2 years ago for the first time. That would be very exciting indeed.

When Sulaimon graduates in June I recommend doing the unthinkable and going hard after him as a grad transfer. I know this would put me in the .0000009% of fans that want this kid at UConn but in my most humble of opinions RASHEED is a guy I desperately want. With the addition of Rasheed and "Big Lanky" we go from playing a home first round NIT game against VCU...to all of a sudden thinking about buying tickets to the NRG Arena next April. The last place I want to see this kid end up is at Memphis or Gonzaga. He was addition by subtraction at Duke. At UConn it could be the Rodney & Rasheed Show. Just call it the R & R Show.



http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/67405/rasheed-sulaimon

He's perfect--has something to prove--has a nice talent level. Excellent 3 point shooter good handles good defender. Miller and Sulaimon would be a great compliment

 

[tcf15]

On Sulaimon, being the first and only player in Coach K's tenure at Duke to be kicked off the team is a pretty big red flag. I'll pass too.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Miller, and to a lesser extent Harris, seem like the only possibilities for transfers at this point. And i think as tcf posted earlier, it's looking very unlikely that Brown will reclassify, so either we go hard after Mack or any other uncommitted/decommitted prospect, or we may end up with two open scholarships again.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

No thanks on Sulaimon. Way too much baggage for someone who doesn't fill a clear need.

I think he will be a big time player though somewhere else. Could be A & M? Maybe Zags (If Lee doesn't land there)...it might be a tough fit here with team chemistry so I have to agree with that to some extent. I am looking forward to watching him light it up though where ever he goes. You are right though Omar and Sam Jr. should be better than RS. Forget Rodney is 5x the player. We should have no prob landing someone else. BIG relief.

 

[rip7774]

I will be very surprised if the staff only picks up a 4 that they don't see the need for a secondary ball handler and or zone buster.

The team has some awesome pieces but real holes that a 5th year guard could easily solve.

If they don't see it I am just shocked. It will be a real opportunity wasted as DHam purv Brimah is a terrific nucleus.

 

[champs99and04]

I just can't believe Sulaimon hasn't ended up at Memphis yet.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I wouldn't be opposed to adding Sulaimon if he does indeed graduate this spring and is able to play next year. Obviously a four year guy like Mack would be preferable, and it would seem risky to roll with 3 graduate transfers next year(a secondary ball handler is still a priority that should be filled), but this team needs guys who can put the ball in the basket, and Sulaimon can do that when he gets playing time.

I doubt KO would go for it, but I think he could really help the team next year.

 

[lange10]

The uproar on campus (mainly from those who couldn't give a * about the men's basketball team) if KO and co. were to recruit a player with sexual assault allegations surrounding him would be unreal.

Last year there was sexual assault issues on campus, as to the response - or lack there of - that the university made when two females were allegedly assaulted. This year the issue is racism/hate crimes on campus.

This would just feed the fire and add more drama to this university, along with more ticketless posts on the facebook page "buy or sell uconn tickets" that has become a platform to discuss racism and other on campus issues this year.

 

[UConn990411]

Even if we ignore the multiple sexual assault allegations (you can't), I don't think it's a coincidence that Duke was instantly better immediately after he got the boot. And I'm not talking a little bit better; they looked like a different team.

Sulaimon has too many red flags and not enough upside.
Pass.

 

[rip7774]

I think the suggestion of Sulaimon by someone just speaks to the need we have of a knock down perimeter shooter/guy who can get buckets. It is such a pressing need. There are other options. I don't watch really any college bball that isn't UConn or NCAA Tourney any more so I can't say who it is but tons of guys averaging double figures available. The kid from Va Tech jumps out in my mind. Let's get a knock down shooter just a different one.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Even if we ignore the multiple sexual assault allegations (you can't), I don't think it's a coincidence that Duke was instantly better immediately after he got the boot. And I'm not talking a little bit better; they looked like a different team.

Sulaimon has too many red flags and not enough upside.
Pass.

Eh, they went through a rough stretch for a couple weeks in January, but they were arguably the best team in the country for the first two months of the season while he was there.

 

[Brochacho]

People campaigning for Sulaimon reminds me how posters used to suggest Calipari as a replacement for Calhoun before he retired.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

On Sulaimon, being the first and only player in Coach K's tenure at Duke to be kicked off the team is a pretty big red flag. I'll pass too.

It is still all "he said...she said" (without going into a diatribe on these types of cases). Considering the culture surrounding the University mentioned by other posters relating to these sexual assault type issues on campus...logic would dictate we would take a pass on RS. Everything though is analogous to the Mike Dixon situation. It is hard for me to respect the logic though using the "first and only player in Coach K's tenure...ect ect... as the main reason for not having interest." There are red flags all over the place at Duke that don't relate to the RS case that directly or indirectly involve coaches and administrators.


So hypothetically if Ben signed with Duke and then was dismissed by Duke for conduct detrimental to the team....and he wanted to then transfer to UConn...your answer would have been "big red flag...PASS"? I am not sure how RS would fit in with our current team. Maybe to a fault though I am a very strong proponent of second chances not just in this setting but life in general. Many times you end up with a kid that may have learned from his mistakes (hanging with the wrong people ect ect...).

http://articles.courant.com/2003-02-15/sports/0302151432_1_slapped-assault-charge-ben-gordon

 

[Stainmaster]

No kids with sexual assault issues on the team please. We can find similar production without the baggage.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

No kids with sexual assault issues on the team please. We can find similar production without the baggage.

Depending on how things shake out on the recruiting/transfer trail from now until the start of next year...a very good case can be made that this roster as assembled is bound for the NIT again. There are pretty good teams that simply are not good enough to make the cut due to many factors. In my opinion (which is usually bullish) there is serious cause for concern with our roster. I talked to a friend yesterday though who told me he would feel fine just rolling with what we have. This guy usually can't see through his blue goggles and always believes players will naturally develop over time. Miller seems like a MUST get to me.

 

[tcf15]

It is still all "he said...she said" (without going into a diatribe on these types of cases). Considering the culture surrounding the University mentioned by other posters relating to these sexual assault type issues on campus...logic would dictate we would take a pass on RS. Everything though is analogous to the Mike Dixon situation. It is hard for me to respect the logic though using the "first and only player in Coach K's tenure...ect ect... as the main reason for not having interest." There are red flags all over the place at Duke that don't relate to the RS case that directly or indirectly involve coaches and administrators.

I'm not necessarily accusing him of anything, and you're right, at this point it is all "he said she said". But Duke still felt it was necessary to kick the kid off the team, and the direct quote was that RS “repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations.” This wasn't just a situation where he had one singular issue and the team kicked him off. The kid apparently had a history of issues at Duke, and Coach K felt it was necessary to make RS the first of over 200 players he coached at Duke to be dismissed from the program. That's all one big red flag to me.

Also, I respect that you are a major proponent for second chances, but that Ben Gordon hypothetical is kind of ridiculous.

 

[mauconnfan]

No kids with sexual assault issues on the team please. We can find similar production without the baggage.

If he cuts the johnson and senore's off I bet he can still shoot - the basketball that is.

Hey if you want to be a Husky you need to commit!

 

[Stainmaster]

Depending on how things shake out on the recruiting/transfer trail from now until the start of next year...a very good case can be made that this roster as assembled is bound for the NIT again. There are pretty good teams that simply are not good enough to make the cut due to many factors. In my opinion (which is usually bullish) there is serious cause for concern with our roster. I talked to a friend yesterday though who told me he would feel fine just rolling with what we have. This guy usually can't see through his blue goggles and always believes players will naturally develop over time. Miller seems like a MUST get to me.

I'm referring to Sulaimon, not Miller. AFAIK Miller has absolutely no behavioral issues whatsoever.

 

[CallMeBruce]

By all accounts, Miller has been a great citizen at Cornell. They love him and are sad to see him go.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I'm not necessarily accusing him of anything, and you're right, at this point it is all "he said she said". But Duke still felt it was necessary to kick the kid off the team, and the direct quote was that RS “repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations.” This wasn't just a situation where he had one singular issue and the team kicked him off. The kid apparently had a history of issues at Duke, and Coach K felt it was necessary to make RS the first of over 200 players he coached at Duke to be dismissed from the program. That's all one big red flag to me.

Also, I respect that you are a major proponent for second chances, but that Ben Gordon hypothetical is kind of ridiculous.

Why is the hypothetical ridiculous? It was an assault BG was arrested for. If it were a player of lesser talent like EW things would have been different right? My point simply is BG was a a mega talent that was indispensable to the team winning games. K did not need this 5 star McDonald's AA to win it all. He had 4 or 5 others. The point of the hypo was to bring to your attention what would constitute a reg flag (for you) for the purposes of a transfer. We are talking about character here. A punch in the face with a bloody lip in which an arrest was made vs. the RS situation. There are always players that may not fit perfectly into a system for various reasons or make mistakes which can be part of a growth process. What the question was really trying to gauge was what YOU think may raise a red flag with a transfer. If Gordon were kicked off the team for the offense he would have transferred somewhere. That is why is was a hypothetical. I am assuming there would have been a red flag on BG also from your perspective based on what Calhoun could have done. We all know how BG responded to this incident. He was arguably 1 of the best ever at UConn and my fav player of all time.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Another factor that I would add would be the maturity of the team. Our 2014 NC team was a mature team with strong leadership among the players. A team like that might be better able to influence a high risk student. Our current group is not a mature bunch and might be less able to bring along such a player. I would trust KO to make the call about whether a kid is ready to take advantage of another chance, but RS does not sound like a good option based on the little that is known.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Why is the hypothetical ridiculous? It was an assault BG was arrested for. If it were a player of lesser talent like EW things would have been different right? My point simply is BG was a a mega talent that was indispensable to the team winning games. K did not need this 5 star McDonald's AA to win it all. He had 4 or 5 others. The point of the hypo was to bring to your attention what would constitute a reg flag (for you) for the purposes of a transfer. We are talking about character here. A punch in the face with a bloody lip in which an arrest was made vs. the RS situation. There are always players that may not fit perfectly into a system for various reasons or make mistakes which can be part of a growth process. What the question was really trying to gauge was what YOU think may raise a red flag with a transfer. If Gordon were kicked off the team for the offense he would have transferred somewhere. That is why is was a hypothetical. I am assuming there would have been a red flag on BG also from your perspective based on what Calhoun could have done. We all know how BG responded to this incident. He was arguably 1 of the best ever at UConn and my fav player of all time.

Wow, this is definitely not an accurate description of the Ben Gordon incident. As noted, the woman was also arrested for assault, as she'd already hit him.

 

[tcf15]

Why is the hypothetical ridiculous? It was an assault BG was arrested for. If it were a player of lesser talent like EW things would have been different right? My point simply is BG was a a mega talent that was indispensable to the team winning games. K did not need this 5 star McDonald's AA to win it all. He had 4 or 5 others. The point of the hypo was to bring to your attention what would constitute a reg flag (for you) for the purposes of a transfer. We are talking about character here. A punch in the face with a bloody lip in which an arrest was made vs. the RS situation. There are always players that may not fit perfectly into a system for various reasons or make mistakes which can be part of a growth process. What the question was really trying to gauge was what YOU think may raise a red flag with a transfer. If Gordon were kicked off the team for the offense he would have transferred somewhere. That is why is was a hypothetical. I am assuming there would have been a red flag on BG also from your perspective based on what Calhoun could have done. We all know how BG responded to this incident. He was arguably 1 of the best ever at UConn and my fav player of all time.

As @CallMeBruce points out, that's kind of the reason why I don't see the Ben Gordon hypothetical relating the RS situation. In fact, I don't know if there are any other transfer/dismissal situations that can relate to Rasheed Sulaimon.

What the question was really trying to gauge was what YOU think may raise a red flag with a transfer.

As I've said before, the reasons that this specific transfer situation is a major red flag:

1. When transferring isn't the players choice and he is actually dismissed from the team.
2. When in the press release for his dismissal, it is said that he "repeatedly struggled to meet necessary obligations" indicating a history of issues and not just one singular event.
3. When he is the first player his coach has dismissed in 35 years of coaching.