Darius Adams Decommits from UConn

[HooperScooper]

You seem to be taking this pretty hard. Refusing to accept the general consensus for why he left so why do you think he left?

Because he didn't think he was going to play much this coming season. Some say that's being realistic. I say that's a defeatist attitude. Playing time is not determined in April. He obviously isn't very confident in his abilities. He's going to have to compete for playing time wherever he goes. Should he drop down a level and go to a mid-major so he can assure he'll get a lot of playing time?

 

[Scoe]

Frankly I was surprised that Ross stayed even though he did get minutes. No one knows how this kid given adequate PT and development would turn out. Unfortunately the portal has just changed everything. He would have gotten some early season minutes in blowouts against cupcakes and if he turned out to be Superman in those games he would take minutes from our regular rotation. Hurley is going to find a helluva time getting minutes for the guys we have now WITH him gone as it is.

Everyone is different, Ross loves it here. I'm not saying Adams didn't like it here but he hasn't been with the program for 2 years so it's quite different.

Hurley has gone to bat for Ross , and he did give him opportunities here and there despite him losing playing time. Not sure what offers Ross was getting as for as starting and NIL. I'm confident Ross will get some minutes next year he needs to shoot 1,000 shots a day.

 

[uconngb]

Neither am I, he's clearly ranked too high it was nice seeing us with the #2 ranked class even though it didn't feel all that legit to me. He's so far away from being physically ready for the Big East and he didn't want to compete for minutes. Good luck to him.

It will sound like a rationalization but he looked completely lost and overwhelmed in that McD AA game. He didn’t belong on that floor. There’s obviously some reason he was ranked so high, but I’m with you……he needs to develop physically and that’s just not today’s CBB world unfortunately.

 

[Waquoit]

I don’t know, man. I agree the game ain’t changed, just got more fierce. But-

Hurley just lost an entire freshman class, and now a top-20 kid from next year’s. He also has the Floyd/Diggins/Furguson (I think that was the center’s name) debacle on his record.

The two ‘chips are awesome and he’s a good coach. But when he misses on recruits he REALLY misses on recruits. And that ain’t good.

I think-my opinion only-there is some kind of issue with talent/character evaluation that goes beyond just needing to get ‘older’ per se.

This entire post can be answered by “so what”, imo. Two titles and a one point loss to the champs over the last three years. A loaded roster now when other teams don’t even have any players. Building a team is a more imperfect process than ever. I can’t get too upset about how the sausage is made, just hope my guys are open and fair about it.

 

[Scottobot]

He was basically an Isaiah Abraham, someone on the roster who wasn't going to play. It stinks to lose a recruit but Hurley only plays 9 so he can recruit 10 legitimate roster players and two low-level Euros on the cheap.

He was ranked significantly higher than Abraham. Top 25 player vs a top 100 player. I think Adams will be really good, but Ball and Mullins are going to be better, and the two portal guys are probably going to be better this season.

 

[Scoe]

It will sound like a rationalization but he looked completely lost and overwhelmed in that McD AA game. He didn’t belong on that floor. There’s obviously some reason he was ranked so high, but I’m with you……he needs to develop physically and that’s just not today’s CBB world unfortunately.

Scott Hazelton and Marcus Cox are other examples this has been the case of every program even the pre portal days of highly ranked recruits who may need a year or 2 before they see the court.

 

[Scottobot]

They are preparing for the day (that may or may not ever come, by the way) when Auburn and Kentucky will pay more for a Burger Boy to sit on their bench and not play than Creighton or Gonzaga will pay him to start.

They might pay them for 1 year of sitting on the bench, but they will also pay the following years top players too, and after one year of sitting on bench, they will leave and it won’t really serve Kentucky or Auburn other than being an insurance policy. The top 25 recruits want a shot at making NBA. They are not going to sit on bench, when they can freely move and get paid anywhere they go.

 

[Hunt for 7]

This situation is good for the player the team and in general the sport of MCBB. Clayton Jr is exhibit a. He goes to a mid major gets invaluable game experience and a few years later blooms into one of the best guards in the country.

This is how mid majors will survive. Getting those 4 star and 3 star players who want to develop their games while competing in real games.

If Adam’s develops which there is no reason to think he won’t, by his junior year he will be playing for a high major. If he has a great freshman season he will enter the portal and find a high major that will guarantee him a good NIL and minutes.

This is a blueprint on how mid majors will remain relevant and keep their fan bases interested.

Certainly how NIL and pay to play works right now will need to be tweaked to some degree but I believe it will improve the game.

Fans just need to embrace the change on how things will work moving forward.

 

[NJHoops]

I don’t know, man. I agree the game ain’t changed, just got more fierce. But-

Hurley just lost an entire freshman class, and now a top-20 kid from next year’s. He also has the Floyd/Diggins/Furguson (I think that was the center’s name) debacle on his record.

The two ‘chips are awesome and he’s a good coach. But when he misses on recruits he REALLY misses on recruits. And that ain’t good.

I think-my opinion only-there is some kind of issue with talent/character evaluation that goes beyond just needing to get ‘older’ per se.

Quick question- do you follow any other college basketball team as closely as you do UConn?

Because everything you are bothered by happens everywhere, especially when programs recover and get back to consistent success.

I do appreciate the Javonte Brown reference, though.

 

[Scoe]

Do people forget the players that transferred under Calhoun after their freshman year it happened under Coach K, Dean Smith, and Geno etc. I has always gone on in elite college football programs. This is nothing new.

 

[Samoo]

I’m not going to debate this because everyone knows where it’ll go with you but given that Hurley abstained from taking a commitment from a transfer that wanted to come to UConn because he didn’t want any of Ross, Stewart or Ball to leave last season he did make that bet. You’re just wrong on this.

I agree with you, but saying your not going to debate him and then directly debating him is peak boneyard...

 

[uconngb]

Auburn had Petiford. Texas Tech’s best player was Christian Anderson who wasn't even top 100. MSU had Jase Richardson. Bama had Phillip Labron.

Just named 4 teams without naming Duke.

None of them were even close to the best player in their team. I applaud you for the consistency of how bad your takes are.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I agree with you, but saying your not going to debate him and then directly debating him is peak boneyard...

Not really, guy. A debate would be paying attention to what he undoubtedly said in response and then going back and forth with him. Thanks though.

 

[willie99]

Have we ever lost a play that turned out to be a stud?

Roscoe and Alex were proven players in 2012 but they left under very unusual circumstances. Not liking JC's truth telling, or not liking JC period, or not liking that we were banned from post season play. And neither became first round picks

Have we ever lost a young stud?

 

[Samoo]

There is a lot of Hurley Hatred outside UConn Nation.

AI even hates us...

 

[uconndogs]

They are preparing for the day (that may or may not ever come, by the way) when Auburn and Kentucky will pay more for a Burger Boy to sit on their bench and not play than Creighton or Gonzaga will pay him to start.

It may very well play out that way and if it does you’ll be able to pick the final four among maybe 6-8 programs before the season even starts.

 

[JakeTheDog]

The two ‘chips are awesome and he’s a good coach.

You are vastly underselling what Dan Hurley has accomplished here. Take any other coach in the world and we would have the same volume of transfers and two less championships.

 

[ucp990411]

Auburn had Petiford. Texas Tech’s best player was Christian Anderson who wasn't even top 100. MSU had Jase Richardson. Bama had Phillip Labron.

Just named 4 teams without naming Duke.

None were their teams best player. Good players though

 

[Horatio]

Do people forget the players that transferred under Calhoun after their freshman year it happened under Coach K, Dean Smith, and Geno etc. I has always gone on in elite college football programs. This is nothing new.

Exactly. Remember Scott Haralson??? Was supposed to be the next Rashad. Showed up to Storrs with bum knees. Played 17 games, 1.7 pts per game. Gone

 

[Sphinx]

If AK returns, we have our five starters, and each will absolutely own their position: Demary, Ball, Mullins and Karaban all have 30-minute potential and Reed a likely 25. Shades of 23-24. With Adams gone, our main bench -- Smith, Reibe and Stewart -- will lack a pure backup 2, but this was exactly the case with our last national champs. Behind Castle, Newton, Spencer, Karaban and Clingan, we brought in Diarra, Johnson and Stewart. The backup 2 role was filled by rotating Spenser out of the 3. The backup 2 role next year can be filled by rotating Mullins out of the 3. If Karaban returns, we have our 8-man rotation. All further conversation is about deep-bench reserves.

 

[lateralous]

I think recruiting freshman, developing them and maintaining continuity will still be important going forward but it seems like the days of HS kids committing to a school a full 8-10 months before the portal opens seems like it should be coming to an end. In today’s game, where so much roster movement occurs year to year, it would seem to make more sense to wait until spring of your senior high school season to make a decision on where you’re going to play in the fall.

 

[ec33]

Agreed but if a McD’s AA and Top 20(?) recruit can’t get minutes over portal guys, it kinda makes sense to not go as hard after high schoolers and just wait for disgruntled college players each season of which there are plenty. You just need the cashola to dish out. I’m all for kids making money but the entire culture of college basketball is starting to suck.

It doesn't make sense to go after high-ranked recruits that are not physically capable of playing as freshman. While Mullins and Reibe need to get physically stronger, they will be able to contribute. Even though he is ranked lower, Furphy also appears to have the necessary size and strength.

 

[Lafayette]

But no kid wants to start third back especially when they were recruited by a lot of top teams who could give him some minutes this year.

Once we had Demary, Jr and Smith at point and Ball and Mullins shooting guards, he was 3rd either way.

Easy call for him, and I don't begrudge this at all.

PS - we need more PFs not combo guards now.

 

[nomar]

Because he didn't think he was going to play much this coming season. Some say that's being realistic. I say that's a defeatist attitude. Playing time is not determined in April. He obviously isn't very confident in his abilities. He's going to have to compete for playing time wherever he goes. Should he drop down a level and go to a mid-major so he can assure he'll get a lot of playing time?

I think what you’re disregarding is the feedback he got from the UConn staff. This was by all accounts a decision based on conversations with the staff and a mutual understanding.

We can and should credit Ross for staying but I imagine he was very much encouraged to do so and told he had a substantial role that was his to lose, whereas Adams was clearly told that while he’d have an opportunity to earn minutes, he should expect it to be an uphill battle.

Realizing you’re not as good as someone else—particularly seasoned veterans—doesn’t make you a loser or lazy. It makes you rational. I think he’s being a realist, not defeatist.

 

[businesslawyer]

A commitment id wish he would also make with a talented freshman. (not Adams)

Are you willing to give a one word answer?

Should Hurley have played the two frosh who are now gone if he believed that every time he played them they were harming the team’s odds of winning and he didn’t believe that would change THIS season?

I’m trying to understand if you really believe coaches shouldn’t be focused on winning games during the current season, or you just think these two would have helped us and that belief is causing you to make these otherwise inexplicable statements.