Chances of both Daniels and Boatright returning next year??

[nyc2014]

Boatright needs to get more range in his shot, he can beat anyone off the dribble and defend any guard, also has a nice mid-range jumper, but needs to work on his 3. He didn't get much of a chance to do that this year with Giffey and Shabazz shooting most of the 3's but next year he will. I think with practice he can easily get his range, I remember Marcus Williams couldn't shoot when he was a freshmen but learned quickly. Although Boatright is undersized he is much more athletic to me that AJ Price or Marcus Williams and they both got drafted, with another year and proving he's a leader I think he can be a first rounder.

Calhoun at the end of a Mike & Mike interview said "watch out for Daniels, kid could be something special". From that I gathered he wanted and would advise him to stay another year. I assume Ollie feels the same way as Calhoun. This is a very deep draft and Daniels was wildly inconsistent. If he could go top 10-15, he should take the money and run, if not wait and grow.

In my opinon:
Boatright 75% chance he's back
Daniels 50%

 

[nyc2014]

Isn't that 130% or is my math wrong?

Ugh Greathusky that response is embarrassing to anyone with a UCONN education

 

[Leebo]

Ugh Greathusky that response is embarrassing to anyone with a UCONN education

I'm nearly positive he was being facetious.

 

[August_West]

Im resigned to both being gone. If either comes back it will be a surprising gift.
While both could improve their games by coming back, it is about draft stock perception, and it is hard to have better draft stock perception than coming off winning a National Championship.

What if we don't make a deep run next year? Who gets the blame for that? The two seniors: Boat and DD. A lot of risk for them coming back.

 

[nyc2014]

For all those saying Boatright will go what round do you think he would go in? A 5'11 PG that can't hit a 3 consistently and has never been the "go-to-guy", I can't see him going first round.

If Boatright and Daniels have a good season they will be drafted higher regardless of a deep run or not, good teams go down in march all the time

 

[scrappy2.0]

Daniels and Boatright have done more for this program than all but a handful of guys who have ever played here. If they decide that they've conquered college basketball and want to start earning a pay check for their talents, I wouldn't blame them at all. If they decide to return for a title defense, awesome.

Frankly, it is a really tough call, and I'm not sure which way I'd advice them to go if I had any say in the process (which I obviously do not). I doubt either one of them is a first round pick this season, but would they be first round picks next season if they returned? IMO, probably not. But then again, I said the same thing about Bazz last season, and everything clearly worked out for him.

I'd say Boatright has more to gain by returning. He was obviously phenomenal in the tournament, and he was indispensable all year, but sharing the back court with the best PG in American definitely restricted his ability to showcase his talent to some extent. I mean, in the national title game he took six shots - next season, I'm guessing he'll be taking 12-15 shots regularly and hitting them with a high degree of frequency. Additionally, his progressions as a play maker and decision maker towards the end of the year demonstrate how good he can become if given free reign, which he will have next season.

As far as Daniels is concerned, I'm not sure I wouldn't advice him to go. Daniels might be the player we saw in the tournament, or he might be the player we saw during the regular season. I'm not sure, but I bet the scouts are going to be intrigued by the kid who went for 20 & 10 twice in the tournament, proved he could guard bulkier players, and displayed what a match-up problem he can be as a stretch four and pick and pop guy. If he thinks he can improve his stock by returning to Storrs and dominating for a year, great. I wish them both the best regardless.

Ryan Boatright shot 39% this year hes 5-10 170 and he needs to work on his overall PG game badly. UNLESS he wants to play overseas--it would be best for him to come back and do what Bazz did.

Same thing with Daniels. He has a chance to be a lottery pick next year--this year in such a tough draft--he would be lucky to to sneak into the first round and then when you drop--you open up to playing basketball overseas. Hes also skinny and would need development time. Why not get you degree work hard to improve and BOTH can make guaranteed milions by playing into round 1 next year where both will have a much better shot.

 

[UChusky916]

They should both come back. Neither is guaranteed to go in the first (DD is close, Boat not so much), so that's why they should come back. Don't go early unless you know you will go in the 1st or if you fear you can't improve your stock, and I think both can.

DD needs to bulk up. He's never relied on speed or quickness, he is simply long with big strides. So getting bigger can only help him when finishing at the rim or driving through contact. That should be his main priority this off-season. His handle has improved tremendously this year compared to last year, but he still needs to work on that as well. He worked hard to lock-down on the glass in the post-season but we need to see more consistent double-double performances from him. I don't doubt he is capable of that next year. If KO gets word from a team who says they'd take him at the end of the first, he should probably go, but I just doubt he'd go in the first in this year's deep draft. He has a shot at being DOMINANT if he returns next year. With some consistency, he could work his way into the middle of the lottery because of his all-around game.

Boat should come back and keep trying to be disruptive on D while also working on being efficient on offense from the field. That's what he did down the stretch and he needs to keep that up rather than trying to be a pure scorer. I don't see how Boat can hurt his stock by coming back and he could improve it. Still think he will probably be a 2nd round pick regardless.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

For all those saying Boatright will go what round do you think he would go in? A 5'11 PG that can't hit a 3 consistently and has never been the "go-to-guy", I can't see him going first round.

If Boatright and Daniels have a good season they will be drafted higher regardless of a deep run or not, good teams go down in march all the time

Boat would have a shot if he was actually a point guard, but he isn't. He needs to be "the guy" at PG for a year here, and average over 5 apg.

I don't know if Daniels will ever be a lottery pick. He is very athletic, but not lottery level mind-blowing athleticism, at least in my opinion. He is thin and is not great defensively. I don't know what is going to change by next year for him.

 

[nyc2014]

I read players need to decide by April 15, is that true? It seems so soon.

 

[David 76]

There is a graveyard of kids like Daniels who had a chance to come out early and be a first round pick and stuck around too long only to not get drafted.

There is a bigger graveyard of kids who left too early. The ones that left too late tend to have a college degree to fall back on.
DD has a lot he could improve on. Wish him all the best. He is not ready like Ray, Kemba, Rip...

 

[CTBasketball]

Daniels should go in my opinion. Unlikely his stock will be higher than right now.

 

[tcf15]

I read players need to decide by April 15, is that true? It seems so soon.

Not necessarily. They actually have until April 27th to declare. The April 15th deadline is for underclassmen who would like to declare for the draft and test the waters without hiring an agent. They have until the 15th to withdraw their name from the draft.

So even if Daniels & Boat don't announce anything by the 15th, they still have ~2 weeks to make their decision.

 

[pj]

Age. If he was 19 he might be a lottery pick.

If age is his negative, what's the benefit of waiting another year to go in the draft?

 

[nyc2014]

Thanks for clarifying the draft declaring issue.

How can anyone say Daniels has nothing to gain by staying? How about consistency? He's lacked that all season and NBA teams will not be as patient.

 

[August_West]

Thanks for clarifying the draft declaring issue. How can anyone say Daniels has nothing to gain by staying? How about consistency? He's lacked that all season and NBA teams will not be as patient.

And what if he is not consistent? Does he gain or lose?

He loses over what his stock is right now.

 

[Leebo]

Does it matter if his stock doesn't improve if his stock right now seems to be going in the 2nd round?

 

[David 76]

Daniels: consistency, strength, better handle. In the pros, unless they have big bucks invested in you, they don't care if you develop.
Daniels would be taking a chance by returning but I would put my faith in KO over an NBA coach to improve my game.
Again, this is his decision, his money and whatever he does is fine.

As far as Boat goes, I don't think he even has a choice

 

[nyc2014]

Other than on this message board I have never heard Boatright going this year as even an option. Has someone heard or seen that somewhere or was that just someone contemplating it themselves?

No kidding there are risks with staying, if he sucks or get injured obviously it's a dumb move. Calhoun ending an interview yesterday with "watch out for Daniels", you know they want him to stay, see great things for him, and will work with him. If he can get big money than go. But without significant strides does anyone seeing Daniels having more than a ~3 year NBA role player career?

 

[Ct79]

Daniels had a slow start to the year but I think his game was starting to come together until he hurt his ankle. He missed some time and then had some back issues. I think he should go now because his name is hot and he will impress teams with his offensive skill. He needs to gain strength more than anything and that can be done with an NBA team. Even if he comes back next year and dominates I still think he would be late lottery at best. NBA teams like drafting youth and potential with those high and because of his age and he ins't an elite athlete has more to potentially lose by staying. Boat on the other hand should stay unless he wants to make money overseas right now which is fine. If he comes back next year and plays D like he did this tourney, continues to drive and kick to open shooters and shoots more consistently throughout the year I think he can get drafted or picked up by a team in the off season for workouts and possibly latch onto a team that way.

 

[qdog87]

From everything I am reading, Daniels inconsistency has more to do with his mindset than his skill set.

He is a really nice kid and tends to defer to other players like Bazz and Boat. He stopped defering as much in the NCAA tournament and started playing with more confidence. In this case, I believe one more year would be beneficial to gain the confidence he neeeds to succeed. He would likely go in the late firs round. Trying to build confidence in the NBA can be a recipe for disaster especially if you are buried at the end of the bench on a good team.

He comes back next year and proves to himself more than anyone else than he can be the Go-To Guy on a good team and be succesful in that role.

 

[intlzncster]

Not enough credence given to workouts or skillsets here. Daniels will probably be pretty enticing to GMs if he shines in workouts.

Also, his defense improved this year. He was damn good in the tournament.

 

[James]

Our defense took that next step because Daniels and boatright prioritized defense . Daniels specifically was tremendous at rotations and weakside help . Also has quick feet and hands, can probably guard league 3s. He is very hot now he should enter. Bet KO says the same

 

[Husky25]

Not enough credence given to workouts or skillsets here. Daniels will probably be pretty enticing to GMs if he shines in workouts.

Also, his defense improved this year. He was damn good in the tournament.

No credence is give to work outs because it doesn't fit the timeline. Workouts are a full month after Daniels can withdraw his name and return to school. April 15 is a key day for Daniels' pro considerations.

I think if Daniels' comes back and show the consistency he did when he was fully healed from his ankle sprain and throughout the Tournament, he is a Top 5 pick. He has the physicality and skillset (late blooming as it may be) not seen since Kevin Durant*.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Testing-the-NBA-Draft-Waters-in-2014-4412/

*I'm not a scout, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express in NYC on Sweet 16 weekend.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Scouts always loved DD's skills. The questions about him were:

1) Could he show those skills consistently?
and
2) Does he have the requisite physical toughness to play the 3/4 in the League?

I think DD's Tournament performance answered #1 in the affirmative. It's just a question of whether #2 is still an issue in the minds of NBA decision-makers.

 

[intlzncster]

No credence is give to work outs because it doesn't fit the timeline. Workouts are a full month after Daniels can withdraw his name and return to school. April 15 is a key day for Daniels' pro considerations.

You are correct, but I was not talking about whether he should go or not, simply whether he would be drafted in the first round this year or not. There's people arguing he won't; I disagree.