Borges: UConn looking to fill two spots

[kemba]

This is more applicable and relevant to the team Hurley creates, not inherits. He isn't looking to replace guys he brought in but more so guys he identified as part of the problem from the previous regime. Big difference.

Well if he isn't running guys off than clearly he hasn't identified them as part of the problem.

And it's not really different. Pretty much all of Calhoun's classes had at least 1 guy who after a year or 2 showed he probably wasn't going to have a major role here. Or at the very least, their scholarship could be better used for a freshmen with more talent and potential. Some, like a Doug Wiggins, showed he couldn't live up to the culture of the program and was pushed out. Some he was honest about their role going forward and they chose to leave. Some chose to stick around. Regardless of whether its a previous coaches recruits or their own it always happens.

Hurley isn't doing anything super crazy

 

[Edward Sargent]

I am just curious. Who is this big upgrade that will be way better than what we have?

Don’t you already know? Any HS kid with more than 3 stars after his name.

 

[Lynyrd]

The reduction is self-imposed ... impose a change to an educational scholarship only

 

[McLovin]

In any type of reorganization, the dead weight is the first to go. That, in essence, is the start of this new culture. Go back to your initial analogy. No top performer would be upset if the guy who wasnt holding his weight was let go and the top performer would now earn more as a result.

This idea that the addition of two scholarships, no matter how attained, is anything but a positive is simply silly and deaf to the current landscape.

You are viewing these players are robots, not human beings. This isn't a video game where you just try to assemble a team of players with the highest rating. The pieces have to fit together off the court as much as they do on the court.

All of the kids on this team are friends and have a special bond. They have been teammates for 2+ years, gone through a coaching change and multiple losing seasons. They have been through a lot of crap together, which has definitely strengthened that bond.

We have had winning teams with serious deficiencies on the roster. The 2012-2013 team is a perfect example. They had great season, not because of their talent, but because of the bond they had off the court. They played with and for each other each and every game.

Forcing a kid out, regardless of his talent level, will have a negative impact on the rest of the team and the culture Hurley is trying to build. The players you are speaking about kicking out are not standing in the way of any "top performer" getting minutes, Hurley has made that clear. I don't think a single player on the team would be happy if Hurley kicked someone out purely because of their talent between the lines.

Edit: BTW, I'm not arguing that 2 scholarships would be bad by any means. I'd love if we had more scholarships open-up. I'm just saying if we open another scholarship it needs to come about organically and from the players choice, not by throwing "dead wight" to the wolves.

 

[Towney007]

You are viewing these players are robots, not human beings. This isn't a video game where you just try to assemble a team of players with the highest rating. The pieces have to fit together off the court as much as they do on the court.

All of the kids on this team are friends and have a special bond. They have been teammates for 2+ years, gone through a coaching change and multiple losing seasons. They have been through a lot of crap together, which has definitely strengthened that bond.

We have had winning teams with serious deficiencies on the roster. The 2012-2013 team is a perfect example. They had great season, not because of their talent, but because of the bond they had off the court. They played with and for each other each and every game.

Forcing a kid out, regardless of his talent level, will have a negative impact on the rest of the team and the culture Hurley is trying to build. The players you are speaking about kicking out are not standing in the way of any "top performer" getting minutes, Hurley has made that clear. I don't think a single player on the team would be happy if Hurley kicked someone out purely because of their talent between the lines.

Edit: BTW, I'm not arguing that 2 scholarships would be bad by any means. I'd love if we had more scholarships open-up. I'm just saying if we open another scholarship it needs to come about organically and from the players choice, not by throwing "dead wight" to the wolves.

This is my point.

Also - it's extremely likely we take a pretty good jump next year as-is. That's all i'm looking for at least. Destabilizing your culture to win a few extra games in a year where you're at-best a tournament team is really short-sighted, I think.

 

[djct1999]

This is my point.

Also - it's extremely likely we take a pretty good jump next year as-is. That's all i'm looking for at least. Destabilizing your culture to win a few extra games in a year where you're at-best a tournament team is really short-sighted, I think.

We lose our best player in Jalen Adams. We get three unproven freshmen. Exactly how are we going to get better? I applaud the optimism but with things currently as they are, explain how we are going to have this big jump. This is based on a ton of "ifs" and not all that realistic.

 

[djct1999]

You are viewing these players are robots, not human beings. This isn't a video game where you just try to assemble a team of players with the highest rating. The pieces have to fit together off the court as much as they do on the court.

All of the kids on this team are friends and have a special bond. They have been teammates for 2+ years, gone through a coaching change and multiple losing seasons. They have been through a lot of crap together, which has definitely strengthened that bond.

We have had winning teams with serious deficiencies on the roster. The 2012-2013 team is a perfect example. They had great season, not because of their talent, but because of the bond they had off the court. They played with and for each other each and every game.

Forcing a kid out, regardless of his talent level, will have a negative impact on the rest of the team and the culture Hurley is trying to build. The players you are speaking about kicking out are not standing in the way of any "top performer" getting minutes, Hurley has made that clear. I don't think a single player on the team would be happy if Hurley kicked someone out purely because of their talent between the lines.

Edit: BTW, I'm not arguing that 2 scholarships would be bad by any means. I'd love if we had more scholarships open-up. I'm just saying if we open another scholarship it needs to come about organically and from the players choice, not by throwing "dead wight" to the wolves.

I wish I had what you are smoking. This hypothetical sounds so nice I wish it were true.

P.S. The talent on that 2012-13 was vastly different than this team..

 

[J187Money]

I think it is fine if he sits with kids and tells them they may not end up with playing time, etc. And it might be better for them to move on. I just have a problem with yanking a scholarship from a kid who got recruited and is working his ass off. But if a kid says he wants to stay and fight for a spot/PT, I say you have to let him.

 

[UconnU]

So the article is headlined ‘Uconn looking to fill 2 spots’ yet offers no explanation of how they are planning on opening up a second scholarship. It even implies that no spots will be opening up because no one wants to leave, something that we’ve been speculating.

 

[lange10]

So the article is headlined ‘Uconn looking to fill 2 spots’ yet offers no explanation of how they are planning on opening up a second scholarship. It even implies that no spots will be opening up because no one wants to leave, something that we’ve been speculating.

"That doesn’t mean UConn will end up with just one scholarship to fill, however. One more could open up. The Huskies are still beating down the recruiting path, looking to fill two spots."

If the staff is recruiting to fill two spots, I think it's safe to say they're trying their best to clear room for 2 spots. And despite no real explanation, we all know which player could potentially free up the second scholarship.

 

[fatlucy]

I think it is fine if he sits with kids and tells them they may not end up with playing time, etc. And it might be better for them to move on. I just have a problem with yanking a scholarship from a kid who got recruited and is working his ass off. But if a kid says he wants to stay and fight for a spot/PT, I say you have to let him.

I disagree. Money is a finite thing. Scholarship or other. We cannot and should not give away a scholarship just bc the kid wants to be here and is trying. Real life doesn’t give anything away. Coach and AD have a responsibility to maximize the return of our tax dollars on all levels. Participation scholarships should not be allowed as a matter of policy. My kids don’t get scholorships just bc they try hard. All our players need to earn their returns.

 

[casual-yardin]

I disagree. Money is a finite thing. Scholarship or other. We cannot and should not give away a scholarship just bc the kid wants to be here and is trying. Real life doesn’t give anything away. Coach and AD have a responsibility to maximize the return of our tax dollars on all levels. Participation scholarships should not be allowed as a matter of policy. My kids don’t get scholorships just bc they try hard. All our players need to earn their returns.

LOL.

 

[Marat]

So the article is headlined ‘Uconn looking to fill 2 spots’ yet offers no explanation of how they are planning on opening up a second scholarship. It even implies that no spots will be opening up because no one wants to leave, something that we’ve been speculating.

This is such a contrast from a couple years ago, and is something I'm supporting with coach Hurley in developing the team culture.

 

[BackAftaThis]

I think it is fine if he sits with kids and tells them they may not end up with playing time, etc. And it might be better for them to move on. I just have a problem with yanking a scholarship from a kid who got recruited and is working his ass off. But if a kid says he wants to stay and fight for a spot/PT, I say you have to let him.

These are kids we're talking about. I think it's extremely messed up to tell someone hit the road if they were recruited and committed to the University and are working their ass off.

My hope is that Diarra gets some weird injury loophole that we can use his spot.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't know how to even address Putnam Science. We don't owe them any favors. If you recall, HD spurned us to sit out a semester at Kentucky, That showed me that Putnam Science is in it for themselves.

This is a great example of The Boneyard in action. State a position, and then when you decide it may be wrong double and triple down by piling meaningless stuff on top of it rather than acknowledge its weakness.

HD deciding to enroll at Kentucky showed you that Putnam Science is in it for themselves? I don't claim we owe any one school anything, but that statement is just absurd. Does Steve Enoch going to Louisville prove that UConn is in it for itself? How do Putnam's intentions and desires become clear by an 18 year old who goes there exercising his free will?

 

[Towney007]

We lose our best player in Jalen Adams. We get three unproven freshmen. Exactly how are we going to get better? I applaud the optimism but with things currently as they are, explain how we are going to have this big jump. This is based on a ton of "ifs" and not all that realistic.

OK I was trying to be optimistic, but I'm fine with this. And i shouldn't have said 'big step.'

And I'm the unpopular opinion around here on this, but I'm really fine with next year (and people really need to understand this) being a wash, too. They just need to keep getting talent in the door. I think we'll see incremental improvements in most across the board.

Rebuilds take time. Getting talent in the door is one thing, developing it is another - and so is getting your lack of talent out the door. I'm looking at 2020-2021 as the year I want to see a jump. Not next year.

 

[AntG168]

OK I was trying to be optimistic, but I'm fine with this. And i shouldn't have said 'big step.'

And I'm the unpopular opinion around here on this, but I'm really fine with next year (and people really need to understand this) being a wash, too. They just need to keep getting talent in the door. I think we'll see incremental improvements in most across the board.

Rebuilds take time. Getting talent in the door is one thing, developing it is another - and so is getting your lack of talent out the door. I'm looking at 2020-2021 as the year I want to see a jump. Not next year.

It really depends on what you mean by jump. I expect at least a 20-12 type season next yr

 

[Towney007]

It really depends on what you mean by jump. I expect at least a 20-12 type season next yr

I just don't think you can look at things like that and he's not wrong. Who's replacing Adams' scoring? Can Gilbert stay healthy? How much can we realistically count on from the three freshmen? Asking for ultimatums on record improvements is kind of missing the point - *at this point*.

My wish list is basically:

-Another top 20 recruiting class
-Stopping the sideways midseason slides and see the team look better at the end of the year than at the beginning
-Stop getting blown out by good teams
-Beat all of/close to all of the teams we should beat
-See improvement from key returners - notably Carlton, Gilbert, Wilson, Vital.

If I see all of that and we're 17-18; I'm good. If I see all that and we're 20-12, I'm good. While i'd love to get all this and 25 wins or something, it's just not something that based on what i've seen so far - is something i'm going to be demanding. It's a rebuild, not a reload. Rebuild of the system, the talent, the program, the culture, all of it.

Year after that, though? When we've got two top 20 recruiting classes and some of our B-level talent is headed into Senior year territory? Well, that's when we should be thinking about things like wins and losses.

 

[UofCT]

This is my point.

Also - it's extremely likely we take a pretty good jump next year as-is. That's all i'm looking for at least. Destabilizing your culture to win a few extra games in a year where you're at-best a tournament team is really short-sighted, I think.

So much Tyrion Lannister in Towney

 

[uconnever]

Since UConn self-imposed the scholarship reduction can they just say "eph it, we're taking it back"?

LOL

 

[businesslawyer]

I believe the perceived impact of ridding the program of dead wood on future recruits is being vastly overstated.

To be consistent, I hated the rule in Little League that every kid had to play too.

Same naivete? You know why they have the rule? Because marginal players aren't going to pay the Little League money if they are going to never get in.

You're clearly a guy who likes to have his cake and eat it too. Hurray for you. Reality is nonetheless real. You don't get something for nothing. And you don't get to kick out guys who are trying without other guys preferring to go somewhere where the coach is more tolerant of recruiting mistakes.

 

[jibsey]

Any available scholarship should go to a big. We can always find a serviceable backcourt. Currently, we have no frontcourt.

We have Carlton. Isn’t he frontcourt? I quite agree that he is not near enough and 2 players are needed. Good players.

 

[intlzncster]

It really depends on what you mean by jump. I expect at least a 20-12 type season next yr

If the front court stays as it is, you won't get that.

 

[JimHurley]

Talked to my former roommate who is a student manager. He says doubtful anyone is leaving. Not sure where that second scholarship would come from. Only thing I can think of, which I mentioned before, is if Mamadou is stepping away due to injury. But that’s just me thinking, I don’t have any info on that.