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Message: [QUOTE="joober jones, post: 3169951, member: 1844"] Mandeldove, during his tenure at UConn, was, well... Mandeldove. Still, he showed some potential. His positional defense was solid and I recall one game where he blocked 5 shots in less than 10 minutes of PT. The guy seems to have really grown and gotten his act together, and for that, I applaud him. He has his undergraduate degree, is going for an MBA, and has already found success in the professional world. If he had the the same maturity, discipline, and drive while at UConn that he does now, how do you think his career could have gone? With Thabeet in the picture, my guess is that he would've had a redshirt season, most likely his sophomore year. That'd leave him with multiple seasons where I honestly believe he could've been talented enough to be our starting center, with Edwards/Oriakhi manning the 4. I've watched videos of Dove playing professionally and while he was awkward, he wasn't terrible. Granted, the Peruvian League, WBA, and Montreal showcase aren't the pinnacle of basketball, but to even get to that level you have to have some skill. While I don't view him as being as much as a wasted potential case (obviously) as Nate Miles, Doug Wrenn, or Doug Wiggins, I think if he'd just grown up a little sooner, he'd not be remembered as a punchline. Another note on the Dove - while he doesn't come off all that well in the CNN interview, he never blames anyone other than himself for his problems. He never threw UConn or anyone else under the bus. It's more than we can say for some other guys who shall remain nameless. [/QUOTE]

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