Brown-Ferguson will be UConn’s new big man on campus

[HooperScooper]

Article in today's New London Day.

"Javonte has a big upside," Hurley said. "He's a young big that we can really develop and invest in that's got potential to be a tremendous player for us. He gives us a guy that has a back to the basket skill set offensively where he can score. He has a very good offensive feel as a passer, as a pick and roll player and as a guy that's got some back to the basket moves.

"He's something that we've longed for since we got here, which was a big that we can develop behind Isaiah (Whaley) and Josh (Carlton). Hopefully, develop him to the point where he can give us some quality minutes this year."

Brown-Ferguson will be UConn's new big man on campus

Already pumped up to play at UConn, Javonte Brown-Ferguson's excitement level rose to new heights in mid-January. Brown-Ferguson made the eight-hour trip from his home in Pickering, Ontario, to Philad...

www.theday.com

 

[rip7774]

Hope he can get on campus, he seems like an NBA talent they prioritized and beat some really good schools on. We all know he's raw but he needs that time in the S&C program and getting acclimated to the system. If we get Sanogo or a grad transfer big he can develop and not be so heavily counted on. The skies the limit!

I love how the staff is setting high goals early and career-wise for him. I think there are significant mins available at the 5.

 

[UconnU]

So no redshirt.

 

[Austin316]

Cannot wait to see him develop!

 

[HooperScooper]

So no redshirt.

Who was ever talking about that except a few posters on here? It is not realistic to expect a kid like this to redshirt.

 

[lange10]

Who was ever talking about that except a few posters on here? It is not realistic to expect a kid like this to redshirt.

A 17 year old? Why not? If our last scholarship is a big, Javonte Brown Ferguson should absolutely redshirt unless he’s needed due to injury.

 

[HooperScooper]

A 17 year old? Why not? If our last scholarship is a big, Javonte Brown Ferguson should absolutely redshirt unless he’s needed due to injury.

In a perfect world, sure redshirt the kid and get a more productive player for 4 years starting in 2021-2022. But it's just unrealistic. You ask him to do that and he'll be backing out of his commitment. And I highly doubt Hurley is out recruiting looking at players who he would like to redshirt.

Plus they already have Martin probably sitting out as a transfer, Akok who may or may not be ready mid-season, and Polley coming off an ACL injury.

 

[Mooch82]

A 17 year old? Why not? If our last scholarship is a big, Javonte Brown Ferguson should absolutely redshirt unless he’s needed due to injury.

The days of the developmental redshirt are pretty much over. When was the last time we redshirted someone for development? Michael Bradley? You just don't see 5th year seniors anymore unless they needed to sit out for injury/academics, etc.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

In a perfect world, sure redshirt the kid and get a more productive player for 4 years starting in 2021-2022. But it's just unrealistic. You ask him to do that and he'll be backing out of his commitment. And I highly doubt Hurley is out recruiting looking at players who he would like to redshirt.

Plus they already have Martin probably sitting out as a transfer, Akok who may or may not be ready mid-season, and Polley coming off an ACL injury.

Virginia and Villanova redshirt kids like him all the time . Still not saying we should do it , but you’re acting like no kid would ever agree to it when clearly kids can see the benefit some places .

 

[JimHurley]

So no redshirt.

Absolutely not. If we see the Carlton we saw last year, Javonte might be playing meaningful minutes. I think our lineup is most effective with Whaley at the 5 but that could create matchup problems at the 4+5 in the Big East. My gut tells me we'll be getting 25-30 minutes combined out of Josh and Javonte at the C.

 

[HooperScooper]

Virginia and Villanova redshirt kids like him all the time . Still not saying we should do it , but you’re acting like no kid would ever agree to it when clearly kids can see the benefit some places .

I'm not aware of those players. Can you give me the names of those players? I wonder if there were any extenuating circumstances for those players to redshirt.

 

[navery12]

I'm not aware of those players. Can you give me the names of those players? I wonder if there were any extenuating circumstances for those players to redshirt.

Nova redshirted Eric Dixon this year who was the #71 overall recruit

 

[Hungryhusky99]

I'm not aware of those players. Can you give me the names of those players? I wonder if there were any extenuating circumstances for those players to redshirt.

Deandre Hunter
Kaden Shedrick
Mamadi diakitie
Mikal Bridges
Eric Dixon

 

[CL82]

In a perfect world, sure redshirt the kid and get a more productive player for 4 years starting in 2021-2022. But it's just unrealistic. You ask him to do that and he'll be backing out of his commitment. And I highly doubt Hurley is out recruiting looking at players who he would like to redshirt.

Plus they already have Martin probably sitting out as a transfer, Akok who may or may not be ready mid-season, and Polley coming off an ACL injury.

I think you just let him compete for minutes. If he's not ready, he'll know it. Hurley is very up front with kids as to what they need to do.

 

[HooperScooper]

Deandre Hunter
Kaden Shedrick
Mamadi diakitie
Mikal Bridges
Eric Dixon

Yup, saw Bridges. Don't know why he sat out.

Wonder why Hunter sat out at UVA his freshman year. He was pretty highly recruited and obviously was a stud his redshirt sophomore year.

So all those kids willingly accepted a redshirt year? O.K. I guess it's been done. Just don't see it ever having been an option with Javonte Brown Ferguson.

 

[cohenzone]

Two things have to happen or else this is all irrelevant. We have to have a season and, he,being Canadian, has to be able to travel here.

 

[lange10]

In a perfect world, sure redshirt the kid and get a more productive player for 4 years starting in 2021-2022. But it's just unrealistic. You ask him to do that and he'll be backing out of his commitment. And I highly doubt Hurley is out recruiting looking at players who he would like to redshirt.

Plus they already have Martin probably sitting out as a transfer, Akok who may or may not be ready mid-season, and Polley coming off an ACL injury.

Well, yea, if Martin isn’t eligible there’s no way he redshirts. If he is eligible and our last scholarship goes to a big I’d love for him to redshirt.

The days of the developmental redshirt are pretty much over. When was the last time we redshirted someone for development? Michael Bradley? You just don't see 5th year seniors anymore unless they needed to sit out for injury/academics, etc.

Are they? Just because we’ve lacked depth for so long that we’ve been unable to redshirt players (more specifically bigs that can really benefit from the developmental year) doesn’t mean it can’t be utilized anymore.

I know we all like to think every player that’s signed or wears a UConn Jersey is NBA bound but you can probably count on one hand the number of people on this board who’ve seen Javonte Brown Ferguson play in person. He is 17. 17. He can redshirt, play 4 years and still be younger than those in his graduating class. He’s described as extremely raw and a huge project. If he isn’t the perfect player to redshirt (if it’s feasible given the rest of the roster make up) then I don’t know who is.

 

[CL82]

"They seem like they're ready to win again," Brown-Ferguson said. "I like that. They seem excited. In practice, they take everything serious and play with pace and play with effort. In games, they also play the same way. And the team is young, so we can grow together."

This x 100.

 

[lange10]

Absolutely not. If we see the Carlton we saw last year, Javonte might be playing meaningful minutes. I think our lineup is most effective with Whaley at the 5 but that could create matchup problems at the 4+5 in the Big East. My gut tells me we'll be getting 25-30 minutes combined out of Josh and Javonte at the C.

If we land a big such as Sanogo then Javonte Brown Ferguson is 4th on the depth chart. Redshirting him in that scenario makes a lot of sense.

I think back to a player like Facey in 2013-2014. What an absolute waste of a year of eligibility. Javonte Brown Ferguson is the prototype of a player to redshirt if possible. A reclassified, raw big.

 

[Mooch82]

Well, yea, if Martin isn’t eligible there’s no way he redshirts. If he is eligible and our last scholarship goes to a big I’d love for him to redshirt.
Are they? Just because we’ve lacked depth for so long that we’ve been unable to redshirt players (more specifically bigs that can really benefit from the developmental year) doesn’t mean it can’t be utilized anymore.

I know we all like to think every player that’s signed or wears a UConn Jersey is NBA bound but you can probably count on one hand the number of people on this board who’ve seen Javonte Brown Ferguson play in person. He is 17. 17. He can redshirt, play 4 years and still be younger than those in his graduating class. He’s described as extremely raw and a huge project. If he isn’t the perfect player to redshirt (if it’s feasible given the rest of the roster make up) then I don’t know who is.

I'm not saying that he wouldn't redshirt in a perfect world. I'd be completely fine with him redshirting, especially if we get Sanogo or another big. Just saying you don't see it as much as you used to, and with the grad transfer rule that's in place, you also run the risk of a player you developed bolting for his senior year.

 

[August_West]

Too bad the EVERY player is redshirting the 20-21 season.


It bites. But I dont see hoops being played this year.