Entering the portal - 2026 | Page 20 | The Boneyard

Entering the portal - 2026

husky429 said:
Sure. And why would we not stock up on the best talent we can even if it hurts someone's feelings?
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Well you would be making the bet that the talent would actually be better.

For all we know the transfer could end up like Malik Mack who was super heralded coming out of Harvard or Mahaney.

I’m not even a super County fan like that. I just don’t get the point of bringing in a top 50, not top 200, player if we don’t plan on using him to see what he can do/be for us. Which is what we would be doing if we brought in a backup PG to take his minutes.

Sure, there’s a chance he stays and plays so well he makes it impossible not to play him. But it’s just not fair to continuously ask these freshman to be perfect in order to play while we bring in transfers that we give all the runway for to see what they have.
 
SwampYankee said:
No, but I definitely expect him to test the draft (which he actually did last offseason while simultaneously committing to UConn). It wouldn't shock me at all if he's gone.
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FWIW, I don’t think I’ve seen him listed in any of the mock drafts. With eligibility remaining, would it make sense for him to leave for a guaranteed free agent contract?
 
Mets1432 said:
I understand that, but it's a risk. Go after a proven commodity or do you chase potential. Wilkins is both IMO, we've seen what he can do, and we see we he can become. No one has seen what Junior County can do at this level of ball. Does he evolve into a Steph Castle or does he end up like Ahmed Nowell? Personally, I'd rather not take that chance when trying to win titles every year.
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I'm of the camp you find your PG's in the portal. Too risky to hand the ball to a freshman to run your offense unless it's a top 5 kind of kid. It's too important a role and one where you need maturity and leadership to run effectively.
 
HW611 said:
Well you would be making the bet that the talent would actually be better.

For all we know the transfer could end up like Malik Mack who was super heralded coming out of Harvard or Mahaney.

I’m not even a super County fan like that. I just don’t get the point of bringing in a top 50, not top 200, player if we don’t plan on using him to see what he can do/be for us. Which is what we would be doing if we brought in a backup PG to take his minutes.

Sure, there’s a chance he stays and plays so well he makes it impossible not to play him. But it’s just not fair to continuously ask these freshman to be perfect in order to play while we bring in transfers that we give all the runway for to see what they have.
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Can't speak for everyone but at least for me bringing in a backup PG doesn't mean I don't want County to have a chance to earn minutes. I just don't think he's 100% a PG and as also a bit lower ranked guy I think 2 risks is too much to not also bring in a transfer.

We saw how it looked with Mahaney as a combo guard not adapting to playing PG in UConn's system. I think County will be better than Mahaney, but I do think he's a combo guard so it's a big risk to not have another option if he's not ready to run the offense day 1. We can't have Silas playing 40 minutes a night
 
Mets1432 said:
I understand that, but it's a risk. Go after a proven commodity or do you chase potential. Wilkins is both IMO, we've seen what he can do, and we see we he can become. No one has seen what Junior County can do at this level of ball. Does he evolve into a Steph Castle or does he end up like Ahmed Nowell? Personally, I'd rather not take that chance when trying to win titles every year.
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I totally understand what you're saying BUT at some positions -- whatever those are -- you're going to HAVE TO go with the freshmen. I'm saying you can't use the same logic at every position. You're going to have to bring in freshmen.
 
RuffRuff said:
I'm of the camp you find your PG's in the portal. Too risky to hand the ball to a freshman to run your offense unless it's a top 5 kind of kid. It's too important a role and one where you need maturity and leadership to run effectively.
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This is for the backup PG position, isn't it?
 
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navery12 said:
Can't speak for everyone but at least for me bringing in a backup PG doesn't mean I don't want County to have a chance to earn minutes. I just don't think he's 100% a PG and as also a bit lower ranked guy I think 2 risks is too much to not also bring in a transfer.

We saw how it looked with Mahaney as a combo guard not adapting to playing PG in UConn's system. I think County will be better than Mahaney, but I do think he's a combo guard so it's a big risk to not have another option if he's not ready to run the offense day 1. We can't have Silas playing 40 minutes a night
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I think your expectations seem really high for a backup PG.

Smith didn’t look like much for most of this year. He came on in the tournament, but if we play County the appropriate amount of time throughout the season I can see him hitting his stride in March.
 
HW611 said:
I think your expectations seem really high for a backup PG.

Smith didn’t look like much for most of this year. He came on in the tournament, but if we play County the appropriate amount of time throughout the season I can see him hitting his stride in March.
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Smith is exactly what my expectations are for a backup PG. The people complaining about him all season looked dumb. I would sign up for that from the transfer portal every year.

And if County is as good as you suggest then he'll play. But if he plays to his ranking and is not ready on day 1 then we're not screwed and losing games as a result of poor planning
 
navery12 said:
Smith is exactly what my expectations are for a backup PG. The people complaining about him all season looked dumb. I would sign up for that from the transfer portal every year.

And if County is as good as you suggest then he'll play. But if he plays to his ranking and is not ready on day 1 then we're not screwed and losing games as a result of poor planning
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I just don’t think a backup PG is that important to winning or losing. We won plenty of games Smith gave us little this year. I’m not sure why County can’t have the same amount of bumps and bruises games while having games he looks like he belongs.
 
ArizonaHsky said:
He wont get drafted. He falls down and loses the ball quite a bit and can be turnover prone. He also has shown he is not a good finisher at the rim. Hes had games where he was great, quite a few of them, but we are talking NBA.
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Just calling it like I see it. If I'm a GM with the 48th or 50th pick and he's available, he won't be after my selection.
 
Our recipe for success in 23 and 24 was, amongst other things, having multiple guys who could initiate an offense on the court together.

Now, we OBVIOUSLY had a successful season this year, but our offense got bogged down for long stretches because we didn’t really have that. County, who I don’t think is primarily going to be a PG regardless, can share the court with a Silas or other initiator. He is big enough, Silas is big enough, and any other guard we will recruit will likely be big enough.

If any of us watched this season and don’t think we need another guy who can hold the fort down, I am not sure what you were watching. Watching Silas and Malachi pound the ball for 20 seconds wasn’t beautiful.
 
SwampYankee said:
Just calling it like I see it. If I'm a GM with the 48th or 50th pick and he's available, he won't be after my selection.
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To each their own with those picks - Lakers took Bronny in those slots.

I see nothing about Silas that looks NBA to me. I saw absolutely zero PG instincts - he is a tough, grinder of a defensive guard though. I see a guy that could potentially play WR in the NFL.
 
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amishboy said:
FWIW, I don’t think I’ve seen him listed in any of the mock drafts. With eligibility remaining, would it make sense for him to leave for a guaranteed free agent contract?
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I don't think he should leave, I'm just saying that I wouldn't be as surprised as some on here if he did. Just reading the tea leaves, I guess.
 
RuffRuff said:
To each their own with those picks - Lakers took Bronny in those slots.

I see nothing about Silas that looks NBA to me. I saw absolutely zero PG instincts - he is a tough, grinder of a defensive guard though. I see a guy that could potentially play WR in the NFL.
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He led the big east in assists. "Absolutely zero PG instincts" is a stretch.
 
HW611 said:
I just don’t think a backup PG is that important to winning or losing. We won plenty of games Smith gave us little this year. I’m not sure why County can’t have the same amount of bumps and bruises games while having games he looks like he belongs.
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He could, but I think that's a best case scenario. I don't think it's a hot take to say a guy in year 4 or 5 has a higher floor than a lower ranked (by UConn standards) freshman.

I also think that's some serious revisionist history, particularly from you. You spent all of the 2025 season complaining about our transfer backup PG and wanting to play Ahmad Nowell. Having only Hassan Diarra as a capable PG absolutely cost us multiple wins and a few seedlines
 
BigErnMcCracken said:
He led the big east in assists. "Absolutely zero PG instincts" is a stretch.
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System assists. When you are dribbling up top and catching a guy off actions, you or I could make that assist. Really creative passing was not Silas' game. Great dude, had some moments - he is not Tristan. Tristan felt like a pianist out there, Silas feels like a boxer.
 
FfldCntyFan said:
I'm wondering if we should consider a post season hanging.

I can recommend the perfect candidate.
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In this case, you should grab the guy who made the first comment on Silas as a PG. Starts getting weird when I can't agree with a person without getting shelacked.
 
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navery12 said:
He could, but I think that's a best case scenario. I don't think it's a hot take to say a guy in year 4 or 5 has a higher floor than a lower ranked (by UConn standards) freshman.

I also think that's some serious revisionist history, particularly from you. You spent all of the 2025 season complaining about our transfer backup PG and wanting to play Ahmad Nowell. Having only Hassan Diarra as a capable PG absolutely cost us multiple wins and a few seedlines
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If you think best case scenario is Malachi Smith as a top 50 recruit then you are way too down on freshman guards and are too UConn focused.

Theres a million of examples of freshman PGs who were more than acceptable rotation players for their teams. Which led to big sophomore year jumps. But they have to play to have that sophomore year jump.
 
HW611 said:
If you think best case scenario is Malachi Smith as a top 50 recruit then you are way too down on freshman guards and are too UConn focused.

Theres a million of examples of freshman PGs who were more than acceptable rotation players for their teams. Which led to big sophomore year jumps. But they have to play to have that sophomore year jump.
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We have history within the last 5 years that absolutely supports @navery12 ’s point.
 
HW611 said:
If you think best case scenario is Malachi Smith as a top 50 recruit then you are way too down on freshman guards and are too UConn focused.

Theres a million of examples of freshman PGs who were more than acceptable rotation players for their teams. Which led to big sophomore year jumps. But they have to play to have that sophomore year jump.
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So County can earn those minutes. Navery is suggesting bringing in a clear bench piece, not a starting caliber PG. There’s zero chance the staff told County they wouldn’t be bringing in any competition and would hand him the job.
 
WhereistheDove? said:
So County can earn those minutes. Navery is suggesting bringing in a clear bench piece, not a starting caliber PG. There’s zero chance the staff told County they wouldn’t be bringing in any competition and would hand him the job.
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This narrative of earning minutes and competition is tired.

This is basketball, not football. You make an evaluation and invest in it. Not bring in competition that cuts into your own investment.

Please, do not do this stuff this offseason.
 
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HW611 said:
If you think best case scenario is Malachi Smith as a top 50 recruit then you are way too down on freshman guards and are too UConn focused.

Theres a million of examples of freshman PGs who were more than acceptable rotation players for their teams. Which led to big sophomore year jumps. But they have to play to have that sophomore year jump.
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I'll try to be a little more clear. I think there are freshman PGs who are absolutely capable of doing what Malachi Smith did and we could hand them the keys and be fine. I think there are guys ranked around where Junior County is that can absolutely contribute as freshman, as we've seen.

I think counting on both of those things happening as a lower ranked recruit playing out of position is a lot to ask. That does not seem like a very good gamble, especially when it is that exact gamble that has burned us multiple times in the past few years
 
HW611 said:
This narrative of earning minutes and competition is tired.

This is basketball, not football. You make an evaluation and invest in it. Not bring in competition that cuts into your own investment.

Please, do not do this stuff this offseason.
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This is a new era of college basketball (and sports in general).

To be an annual title contender, you need quality depth and proven production. Older guys have a big advantage over most non-elite freshmen. It's really tough to rely on a non-elite freshman to deliver especially as a back up PG IMO.

Competing and earning minutes is absolutely a real thing... and bringing in guys who buy that is why we have a culture that excels. To have the kind of year we want to have, there needs to be competition. If a freshman doesn't want to commit to competing, it's an easy choice given the plethora of options with more proven production in the portal. No hard feelings.
 
RuffRuff said:
To each their own with those picks - Lakers took Bronny in those slots.

I see nothing about Silas that looks NBA to me. I saw absolutely zero PG instincts - he is a tough, grinder of a defensive guard though. I see a guy that could potentially play WR in the NFL.
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I think that Silas shouldn’t be spending 40 min on ball, but NO PG instincts? You think he has zero? Definite stretch
 
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