Freeman possible visiting friday

[KemBuckets21]

the placement and usage of the word "only" is weird. If he returns he isn't going in the portal? Feels a little different than when AK tested the draft waters.

 

[bendm]

my god Are we going to using hockey substitutions??

 

[controlfade]

the Kentucky board is fun to read these days. found these over there:

"Every fan base would love Hurley, absolutely love Hurley, if he was theirs. They hate him because they don't have him. That includes Duke, who hates UConn now as much as they hate UNC, which is something. He's one of those guys who plays the villain role really well to other fan bases, and I think he does it for the sport and the marketing appeal.
This fan base doesn't care about class - look at the absolute desperate cretans on this board. They only care about winning.
Freeman looks like he's UK's as UConn has moved on."

"Sounds like Freeman is taking his Uconn visit. If he does that it's hard to see us getting him."

exactly, I hope thats true, Nik is similiar to AK skill wise but hes def more a 3 than a 4

 

[controlfade]

my god Are we going to using hockey substitutions??

think it means there is def at least 1 of the current juniors if not 2 that Hurley know are not coming back if this is true

 

[kobebeanbryant]

Freeman seems rail thin for a 4. But I guess that is offset by his length.

Also very worried about his injury history but assuming the staff must be comfortable enough.

Definitely high upside, but a lot of risk.

If we land both Khamenia/Freeman I can’t imagine both Ball & Mullins returning.

Crazy logjam of players but exciting problem to have.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

This guy just outed himself as having completely fake info and sources because he doesn't even know that Hines and Freeman play different positions.

So it's also completely possible that both items in that post are true, but actually unrelated occurences. But the guy posting is not bright enough to realize that and due to the timing, assumes they are.

I 100% can see Freeman visiting UK with a main goal of getting a fat salary offer...he knows they will offer him a bigger bag than UConn. Then, he can use that to try and negotiate to get more from UConn. Totally makes sense and in the current age of the portal, can't blame him and his agent/camp for trying this.

On the flip side, I 100% can see Hurley responding that way as part of the negotiation. He's made it abundantly clear that he only wants players that buy in to the co-primary goals of (1) being on a team that plans to win championships and (2) improving as a player and person while pursuing that goal.

Primary goal of playing at UConn is not making the most money. You'll get paid well, but probably not max market value, unless you are someone real, real, real special.

The Hines commit was temporally aligned but unrelated.

 

[Fan1978]

If he signs, would he automatically be our best player?

Underestimated demory again

 

[Tenspro2002]

Is there room for all of Mullins, Freeman, Khamenia, and Hines? And we still need a backup 5 (the super tall St. Mary's guy?).

Ball I feel is distinct from this. I don't see Mullins primarily playing the 2 if he returns.

 

[upstater]

I'm not worried about how rail thin Freeman is, and a lot of UConn fans might be shocked to realize that Hurley isn't scared of being undersized in terms of depth.

I could easily see a 3 headed monster where Hines plays center for 25-28 minutes and Freeman sometimes moves to center as Khamenia goes to PF. A 6'8" center in today's game? Don't rule it out. We've had players like Samson Johnson back there in recent years. 6'10" and rail thin, but a leaper like Freeman.

Also, don't be shocked if the backup PG is a combo of Solo Ball and Junior County. We saw Solo running the offense a lot last year.

Will the team have concern with players being able to handle the ball in such situations? Of course.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

And Silas. Incredible athlete. And Stewart. This concept is not very accurate.

This

I wouldn't call either great athletes. Demary is pretty average. We are talking about Steph Castle, Jerome Dyson, Andre Jackson, Jalen Adams, Stanley Robinson and Samson Johnson high-flyers.

You wouldn't? I have seen Stewart for 3 years. He may not be consistent, but his athleticism always shows. And Silas played us to the final game on one leg. Your take is so bad I cannot handle it.

 

[NJHusky]

Take with all the salts, but someone on Rupp posted a screenshot saying Freeman still planning on visiting and we’re pitching Khamenia as the 3 and Freeman as the 4.

So Mullins gone??

 

[3rdbass]

This

You wouldn't? I have seen Stewart for 3 years. He may not be consistent, but his athleticism always shows. And Silas played us to the final game on one leg. Your take is so bad I cannot handle it.

I didn't say they were bad athletes just not at the level of some of the top teams like Michigan, St. Johns had or at the level of Stephon Castle, Andre Jackson, Samson Johnson, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, James Bouknight or Jalen Adams to name a few in past years. I know we play differently now under Hurley and look more for skiilled players to play his offensive system but it would be nice to have a few top notch athletes to go with them. Demary playing on on one leg doesn't mean anything about being top notch athlete as far as how fast and how high he can jump. He is slightly above average on that part but definitely I wouldn't call him a high flyer, lightning fast or rim runner like we had in the past.

 

[NJHusky]

Freeman seems rail thin for a 4. But I guess that is offset by his length.

Also very worried about his injury history but assuming the staff must be comfortable enough.

Definitely high upside, but a lot of risk.

If we land both Khamenia/Freeman I can’t imagine both Ball & Mullins returning.

Crazy logjam of players but exciting problem to have.

Or Ball is the backup PG???

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I'm not worried about how rail thin Freeman is, and a lot of UConn fans might be shocked to realize that Hurley isn't scared of being undersized in terms of depth.

I could easily see a 3 headed monster where Hines plays center for 25-28 minutes and Freeman sometimes moves to center as Khamenia goes to PF. A 6'8" center in today's game? Don't rule it out. We've had players like Samson Johnson back there in recent years. 6'10" and rail thin, but a leaper like Freeman.

Also, don't be shocked if the backup PG is a combo of Solo Ball and Junior County. We saw Solo running the offense a lot last year.

We the team have concern with players being able to handle the ball in such situations? Of course.

Also, though many here will scoff at the idea and consider it blasphemy, JRoss showed on plenty of occasions this season that he was more than able to bring the ball up the court and/or initiate our offense sets. He'll only be better at it next year and can be an "Option B/C" for some different looks.

 

[3rdbass]

Also, though many here will scoff at the idea and consider it blasphemy, JRoss showed on plenty of occasions this season that he was more than able to bring the ball up the court and/or initiate our offense sets. He'll only be better at it next year and can be an "Option B/C" for some different looks.

Initiating sets and actually being able to penetrate and distribute are two different things. Jayden would really have to improve in the 2nd to even be considered a reliable backup PG. I think more likely he is our 6th man off the bench giving us 3 and D like this year.

 

[NJHusky]

Also, though many here will scoff at the idea and consider it blasphemy, JRoss showed on plenty of occasions this season that he was more than able to bring the ball up the court and/or initiate our offense sets. He'll only be better at it next year and can be an "Option B/C" for some different looks.

Having multi position players is a way to really leverage NIL, if someone already on the roster can back up another spot

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Also, though many here will scoff at the idea and consider it blasphemy, JRoss showed on plenty of occasions this season that he was more than able to bring the ball up the court and/or initiate our offense sets. He'll only be better at it next year and can be an "Option B/C" for some different looks.

I love what Ross brings to this team and I hope he takes a next step in terms of ball handling and overall offensive game but in absolutely no way was he a reliable ball handler or offensive initiator this past year. That just isn’t his game right now. Currently he just can’t stand up to ball pressure and other teams realized that and started to pressure him more and more.

 

[UCONNFAN179]

I'm not worried about how rail thin Freeman is, and a lot of UConn fans might be shocked to realize that Hurley isn't scared of being undersized in terms of depth.

I could easily see a 3 headed monster where Hines plays center for 25-28 minutes and Freeman sometimes moves to center as Khamenia goes to PF. A 6'8" center in today's game? Don't rule it out. We've had players like Samson Johnson back there in recent years. 6'10" and rail thin, but a leaper like Freeman.

Also, don't be shocked if the backup PG is a combo of Solo Ball and Junior County. We saw Solo running the offense a lot last year.

We the team have concern with players being able to handle the ball in such situations? Of course.

No...Solo only ran our offense when we had injury or foul issues to our point guards. Point guards need to be able to break down a defense and create shots for others. Solo should not be playing point at all. He's sub par off the dribble and he's not a great passer. He's a SG, period.

 

[RitzLuce1]

Michigan just won a title with “9 starters” and people still wondering how we can fit Khamenia and Freeman.

We lost 4 of our top 9. Karaban, Reed, Smith, and Reibe. It’s possible 1 of Mullins or Stewart could leave.

We have room.

 

[3rdbass]

 

[UC1995]

I'm not worried about how rail thin Freeman is, and a lot of UConn fans might be shocked to realize that Hurley isn't scared of being undersized in terms of depth.

I could easily see a 3 headed monster where Hines plays center for 25-28 minutes and Freeman sometimes moves to center as Khamenia goes to PF. A 6'8" center in today's game? Don't rule it out. We've had players like Samson Johnson back there in recent years. 6'10" and rail thin, but a leaper like Freeman.

Also, don't be shocked if the backup PG is a combo of Solo Ball and Junior County. We saw Solo running the offense a lot last year.

We the team have concern with players being able to handle the ball in such situations? Of course.

Do not rely on Freeman playing the 5. He has had two years of awful coaching and injuries. You cannot expect him to be ready to be the second guy there. We need a legit backup big man who will play 10-15 minutes a night!

 

[HooperScooper]

Kentucky will have to offer more than 2.5. They are desperate and agents know it.

And they have lots of money to spend. I'm sure there are agents that use whatever leverage they can to increase offers. As Seth Greenberg said, having agents involved is making some kids make bad decisions.

“Most of these agents are going to look for the biggest and best deal because they’re getting 10, 20 percent, instead of the best situation. What’s the best situation for a young man’s development? Where is that track record where most players have gotten better? Is it hard to play at UConn? Yeah, it’s hard to play at UConn. Is there a standard at UConn? Yeah, there’s a standard at UConn. I hate to tell you but if you want to get where you want to go, you’re going to be held to a standard. Because getting where you want to go (the NBA) is the most exclusive club in the world. And there’s only a certain number of spots. And if you think it’s easy? It’s not easy. Just like all these guys thought when they went from high school to college it was easy. It ain’t easy. It takes time, and patience.”

https://www.courant.com/2026/04/15/heres-what-one-top-espn-analyst-says-this-undecided-uconn-mens-basketball-star-should-do/

 

[upstater]

No...Solo only ran our offense when we had injury or foul issues to our point guards. Point guards need to be able to break down a defense and create shots for others. Solo should not be playing point at all. He's sub par off the dribble and he's not a great passer. He's a SG, period.

backup point guard.

 

[KillaCam]

No...Solo only ran our offense when we had injury or foul issues to our point guards. Point guards need to be able to break down a defense and create shots for others. Solo should not be playing point at all. He's sub par off the dribble and he's not a great passer. He's a SG, period.

I agree, not to take away from Solo’s other attributes, but he does not have the ball controll, passing accuracy nor making shot opportunities for others. There is a place for him ad SG. As JRoss, his defence and athleticism will not make him a +25 min option unless there are 4 very offensively gift scorers on the floor who do not eat lots of minutes. JRoss is a very important player especially if he carries his performances from the end of the season and builds on it. We def need an experienced PG along with Silas. As to Junior County, although he has a vision of the game that can translate to bring a PG, he is a SG first. We do not want to repeat a situation from 2 years ago having one real PG.

 

[FearThePups]

The believable part is the 1.5, if I'm UConn I wouldn't pay a penny over that whether it's true or not.

How many games is he playing for it? Is he going to come up with an injury on the eve of the ncaa tournament and blow up the season?

Games start piling up rapidly starting with the Big East tourney, how will his foot respond to that? There were Syr. posters that swear he was walking with a gait at the end of the season.

My thoughts on this. If Freeman does visit, things go well, NIL is agreed to pending a UConn medical doctor’s assessment and approval of the extent of Donnie’s current status, past injury history and probable likelihood of future injuries to the foot.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

I love what Ross brings to this team and I hope he takes a next step in terms of ball handling and overall offensive game but in absolutely no way was he a reliable ball handler or offensive initiator this past year. That just isn’t his game right now. Currently he just can’t stand up to ball pressure and other teams realized that and started to pressure him more and more.

So apparently all those times he effectively dribbled the ball across halfcourt breaking press and the times where he was given the ball to effectively initiate offense were hallucinations on my part. I stand corrected.


That being said, I don't disagree with you that he needs to improve his ball handling and ability/initiative to drive into the lane.

I bet they are points of emphasis for his off-season work and he comes back improved.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I'm not worried about how rail thin Freeman is, and a lot of UConn fans might be shocked to realize that Hurley isn't scared of being undersized in terms of depth.

I could easily see a 3 headed monster where Hines plays center for 25-28 minutes and Freeman sometimes moves to center as Khamenia goes to PF. A 6'8" center in today's game? Don't rule it out. We've had players like Samson Johnson back there in recent years. 6'10" and rail thin, but a leaper like Freeman.

Also, don't be shocked if the backup PG is a combo of Solo Ball and Junior County. We saw Solo running the offense a lot last year.

Will the team have concern with players being able to handle the ball in such situations? Of course.

If Mullins returns, he can (and should) run some point too to improve his versatility for the NBA.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

So apparently all those times he effectively dribbled the ball across halfcourt breaking press and the times where he was given the ball to effectively initiate offense were hallucinations on my part. I stand corrected.


That being said, I don't disagree with you that he needs to improve his ball handling and ability/initiative to drive into the lane.

I bet they are points of emphasis for his off-season work and he comes back improved.

Don’t take this as me ragging on Ross. Love him and what he brings to the team but I honestly have no idea what you’re referring to. He brought the ball up at times when there wasn’t ball pressure and pretty rarely actually initiated offense. When he did face ball pressure either breaking a press or just when the defender got up on him, he had serious ball security issues and a lot of his turnovers came that way.

IMO this was pretty clearly our biggest offensive weakness this year. Aside from the PGs, we didn’t really have a reliable ball handler that could go create. Mullins and Solo were probably the next best two but even that got a little sketchy against pressure and they weren’t really initiating offense. Compare that to secondary creators like Cam, Steph, and AJax in years past and it was a real offensive limitation in our main lineups.

 

[DogBoy]

So it's also completely possible that both items in that post are true, but actually unrelated occurences. But the guy posting is not bright enough to realize that and due to the timing, assumes they are.

I 100% can see Freeman visiting UK with a main goal of getting a fat salary offer...he knows they will offer him a bigger bag than UConn. Then, he can use that to try and negotiate to get more from UConn. Totally makes sense and in the current age of the portal, can't blame him and his agent/camp for trying this.

On the flip side, I 100% can see Hurley responding that way as part of the negotiation. He's made it abundantly clear that he only wants players that buy in to the co-primary goals of (1) being on a team that plans to win championships and (2) improving as a player and person while pursuing that goal.

Primary goal of playing at UConn is not making the most money. You'll get paid well, but probably not max market value, unless you are someone real, real, real special.

The Hines commit was temporally aligned but unrelated.

 

[Palatine]

Freeman is not a 5. Can you imagine how far out of bounds he would be pushed by Michigan? He is a 4 and doesn't have the body to play the 5 except in some kind of junk defense.